cancan

Greeting to all Malaysians !

2012-01-19T17:05:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year to all................and I will be off tomorrow to Sri Lanka for my family CNY holiday.

Merry Christmas to all !

2011-12-21T17:40:00.000-08:00

An early Christmas greeting before I leave for Angkor Wat for my family holiday

Happy Deepavali to all !

2011-10-25T18:53:00.000-07:00

Greeting to all muslimin and muslimat

2011-08-29T17:55:00.000-07:00

A Thank You Message No.4

2011-04-18T00:18:00.000-07:00

The Sarawakians have woken and they have spoken
For far too long, the rules of govern have been broken
This sheer ignorance raises the people to be emboldened
And now the people have woken, we must ensure that BN be forgotten

Fret not without the two-third majority in the state
It is the parliament seats that are at stake
Come next GE, we must decide for our children sake
A wrong vote will put us behind by another decade

Forests gone, money gone and even human can be explosively gone
When the rule of law seems forlorn, the bankruptcy of the country is a foregone
Promise this, promise that and talk this, talk that but for years, the people have been conned
MCA or MIC, Gerakan or SUPP, they are nothing but to be used as pawn

Umno shouts of threats and racial slurs
What a great way for injustices and unfairness to unfurl
The FD in Sarawak for BN has mature
Putrajaya is in the hands for PR to capture

Malaysia, Oh Malaysia, a land with beauty and plenty
To lead and to guide is everyone's duty
Let us come together to make this country with greater bounty
Before it is too late for us to say sorry

Related posts: here , here , here

US Foreign Interventions: Folly or Bully

2011-03-21T18:06:00.000-07:00

During the 60s to the 70s, when the US was involved in the Vietnam War, the phrase 'Make peace,not war' and 'Give peace a chance' were used by the Americans to denounce the government of its involvement in a war that brings no benefits but deaths to the thousands of young American soldiers.

The massive protest in front of the White House by the thousands of Americans, from the students to the ordinary at the height of the Vietnam War, has stunned the government so much that it reciprocated by using force to subdue the protests.

In one of the speeches on TV in 1970, President Nixon put on a brave front and declared:'We will not be humiliated and defeated by the North Vietnamese'. And to the chagrin of the Americans, he even expanded the war into Laos and Cambodia, triggering massive protests.
And hardly had the words settled in the mind of the Americans, the North Vietnamese took over Saigon and the Americans fled South Vietnam to eat humble pie at home.

Th current involvement of the US soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan is akin to deja vu of the Vietnam War albeit with a difference: there is oil to fight for. Never mind the thousands of American soldiers who are killed on duty. As far as the US government is concern, it is a price worth paying for.

The military might of the US army is the most powerful in the world and with its strong advocate of democratic values, has make the US as a country for many to either look for protection or guidance. Hence, like a big brother, it further hedges its military might around the world.

The rise of India and China as the new economic power house has make the US government to rethink its policies towards these countries. The economy of China has overtaken Japan and is poised to overtake US as the biggest economy in the world. When China unveiled its ability to build stealth fighter plane, the US like the rest of the world is awed. Maybe there are more technological advances which the world has not seen yet. And together with its military force, the People's Liberation Army, which is the biggest in the world, China is now being view as a new superpower:from economy to military.

The huge trade surpluses of the Chinese economy with the US has being a thorn for the US economy for years. And to shift the balance of trade to its favor, the US has tried to pester China to devalue its currency, blaming it as the main source of the imbalance in trade between the two countries.

Will China kowtow to the Americans?

While China is exploring for greater economic pie through diplomatic ties throughout the world, the US is interfering in world affairs through its military might, with Libya being the latest.

The outcry of the Arab League of the attack by the French,British and the US forces is indeed a cause for concern. Such an attack is being perceived as an attack by the West against the Muslim world.

And such perception, when dangerously played up by the many Osamas, will give rise to further extremist attacks against the West.

What is the cost of human suffering that can be considered justifiable for war?

When diaster struck,let us pray this will not happen in Malaysia

2011-03-13T17:26:00.000-07:00

Fireman Ali: We must search for the Malay survivors first.

Fireman Chong: No, no no! We must search for the Chinese first!

Fireman Muthu: Hey! What about the Indians? We must search for the Indians first.

Autobiography or My Story: To believe or Not to believe

2011-03-09T16:54:00.000-08:00

It is very common or rather a norm for leaders, from the corporate to politics and from the greats to the dictators to write their memoirs so that they can be remembered as they want us to remember them.

In the home front, we have the ex-premier of Malaysia, Mahathir Mohd. who has just launched his latest autobiography: The Doctor in The House. I have to admit that I did not read the book but from what I have gathered, his book depicts him as a great leader: a leader who for the sake of the country, dare to take risks and make unpopular decisions and also who seems to do no wrong.

When we read an autobiography, we need to understand that most biographies are usually written a few years after they have retired. Thus, the situation at that time and a few years later can be very different and thereby providing the writer a 'loophole' to change the reader's perception.

A classic example is the latest autobiography by Mahathir Mohd. In his book, he coyly blamed the Ops Lalang in 1987 on the IGP when as PM he seemed powerless to stop the action of the police force. Can you believe it? The invoked of the ISA to arrest the opposition members during the Ops Lalang has always been a thorn in Mahathir's administration.

The fact that he has devoted a chapter on his justification to arrest and subsequently jailed Anwar Ibrahim for sodomy, showed his fear towards Anwar who is politically strong enough to dethrone him as the PM of Malaysia. And suddenly it seems out of the blue in his memoir, he accused Anwar of having a sexual tryst with four prostitutes, when during the sodomy trial of more than 10 years ago, this was never mentioned. Can you believe it?

He accused Tengku Razaleigh of money politics during Umno's presidential election in1987 where both parties fought tooth and nail for the seat. And Umno was divided into Team A and Team B was because of Tengku Razaleigh. He also accused Daim of corruptions and Musa Hitam of back stabbing him.

And hey presto, through this autobiography, Mahathir seems to be a 'clean' man.

But what about the massive plundering of wealth from Petronas and EPF to bail out his children business and his cronies during the Asian financial crisis? How can his son become a billionaire and is one of the richest in Malaysia? And what about the deterioration of the judiciary system since the sodomy trial of Anwar Ibrahim? What about the squandered RM100 billion of the nation's wealth? Can someone pinpoint to me where are the truths in his book?

If George Bush is to admit in his autobiography that he had erred in his decision by sending the American soldiers to war in Iraq and Afghanistan, he would be 'castrated' by the thousands of Americans whose sons and husbands have died in the war. And maybe he should learn from Mahathir by blaming the CIA for providing inaccurate or false information on Saddam Hussein's so call catchment of weapons of mass destruction.

And if Bill Clinton is to admit in his autobiography that he had sex with the White House intern, Monica Lewinsky, he would be castrated by Hilary Clinton, literally speaking. And maybe he can also learn from Mahathir by twisting facts like he was drugged by the intern and therefore, he did not remember what he was doing.

So, if you are going to write your own autobiography, are you going to write the truth, nothing but the truth?

Pakatan must strike at the core issues when the iron is hot

2011-02-25T17:25:00.001-08:00

Egypt -----------Tunisia ------------ Bahrain ----------Libya ---------- Yemen ---------- ?????

Holiday in Bandung and Jakarta

2011-02-16T16:39:00.000-08:00

At last, after being 'grounded' for a few years, I managed to 'take off ' for a short holiday of three nights in Bandung and two nights in Jakarta with my family during this Chinese New Year.

Just to share some photos and perhaps some advice for those who are planning for a holiday to Bandung.

A VIP welcome by my driver, Mr.Robert from Mulia Car Rental service which was arranged prior departure. It is advisable to arrange such service for comfort and convenience to move around Bandung: from the volcano sites to the many Factory Outlets for shopping. Oh yes, and not forgetting the professional service provided by my driver. Thanks, Roberts!

Highly recommended to stay at Novotel Bandung with its spacious room and friendly service. However, the room in Hotel Ibis Jakarta Tamarin is much smaller.

It is a new experience shopping in the many Factory Outlets in Bandung. These outlets are big shops by itself, unlike in KL, where we normally shop in complexes. There are a wide selections of branded names for both male and female. Generally, most prices are affordable and are quite cheap.
The main Factory Outlets are located at Jln.Dago, Jln. Rhiau and Jln. Setiabudi and most probably it needs two days for the shopaholics to finish their shopping in these areas. So, make sure you bring some empty luggage to stuff all your new clothes.
For the jean buffs, there is Jln.Cihampelas where the whole street is devoted to selling jeans. I was told by Robert that most are fake brands. So, he took me to another shop that sells original Levis (sorry, can't remember the name of the shop/street). Like the jean street, Cibaduyut street specializes in selling shoes. I suggest you do not waste your time here as most are locally made shoes that are mainly sold in shops and stalls. We left the place in less than half an hour.
Due to the 'excessive' shopping of my daughters, we missed the Anklung Udjo cultural performance.

For dinner, we tried the local Sundanese and western food which are reasonably priced at the many hilltop restaurants with all overlooking Bandung city: The Stone Cafe, The Peak, The Valley and Kampung Daun. Do not forget to bring your jacket as it can be very cold at night.
A beautiful night view of Bandung city from The Valley restaurant.

This is what mother nature has created after a volcanic eruption: Kawah Ratu on Gunung Tangkuban Perahu

We can still hear the hissing sound of the smoke billowing out form the crater and from it, the smell of sulfur. There is another crater nearby call Kawah Domas where you can see the hot water bubbling from the crater. Unfortunately, due to the rain, we couldn't make the trip. Deeply regretted.
However, you need to pay a guide IDR250000 (MR85.00) per hour to take you there.

Another stunning view of Kawah Ratu.
This is Kawah Putih, another volcano site north of Bandung. Its greenish white water and the solid rock background makes the crater truly beautiful.

Malaysia: The destiny is in our hands.

2011-02-12T17:58:00.000-08:00

As I sat and watched with intrigue the change of governments in Tunisia and Egypt by the people's revolution, the immediate question that comes to my mind is: Will this happen in Malaysia?

Well, Najib has already said that Malaysia is different and he could be damned right. Yes, Malaysia is different, unlike Tunisia and Egypt whose population is basically homogeneous whilst the population of Malaysia consists of many races. The UMNO led government has dissected the people by playing the racial card to the hilt to make sure that the people cannot stay united to formulate a people's power. However, the difference ends here.

What Najib and his UMNO/BN led government fail to see are the similarities.

Fist and foremost is the scourge of massive corruptions which the people detested but have to live with it and suffer in silence. The great plunder of national wealth by those in power and their cronies seemingly with impunity is at an all time high since post independence. The invoking of the draconian ISA as and when they like and deem a threat to national security has stymied the voices of the people.

The few rounds of price hike in petrol, albeit in a silent manner, has spiral the cost of living. Many average income earners are currently hard pressed to cope with all the price increases. And with the slow pace of economic growth, job opportunities are hard to come by for the new graduates. Even if they found one, will the income be enough to sustain their personal monthly expenses, let alone a family? Who will they vent their anger and frustrations at?

The constant spewing of lies and the distortion of facts through the UMNO/BN led government controlled mainstream medias is indeed a blessing in disguise. In this well connected and wired world, it clearly allows the world to see the idiocy and the mentality of those in the government.

So, when former US ambassador John Malott wrote an article 'The price of Malaysia's Racism' which was published in the Wall Street Journal, the political goons in the government made a big hue and cry over it even though what was written was backed by facts and figures. The truths certainly hurt.

Does the government care whether the current political climate will affect the flow of FDIs into the country? Don bet on it. All this UMNO/BN political parties care is to cling on to power at all cost, in Najib's threatening words: even over crushed bodies, lost lives and ethnic cleansing.

Malaysia with its rich natural resources has certainly what it takes to be a well developed country. In fact, it should had achieved a much higher status than its little red dot neighbor had the country being govern efficiently,fairly and justly. Instead, we can now only grin with jealousy, envy and full of animosities.

So, what does the future holds for Malaysia?

To begin with, those clowns in the government are already making us the laughing stocks. And if these clowns are going to perform continuously with new tricks, the greater will be the laughing. And with the greater laughing, Malaysia will be looked upon as a 'sick' country.

And in the forefront of the international stage, we have the now infamous Altantuya murder case, Teoh Boon Hock neither homicide or suicide verdict and the Anwar sodomy II trial. All these trials have catapulted Malaysia into instant recognition and showcased the quality of Malaysia's judiciary in true Malaysia style.
Malaysia Boleh!

Malaysia has a relatively young population and a great part of them are literate and wired in this borderless world. It is this group of people that must educate those in the rural areas who are naive enough to believe that everything is pinky and rosy in the country. It is extremely crucial to engage them politically so that they can play a positive role in shaping the country.

And who else to end the misery of the people, but the people themselves.

Wishing everyone a fruitful year for 2011

2011-01-31T17:56:00.000-08:00

My 2011 New Year Resolution: KISS

2010-12-23T18:28:00.000-08:00

Yes, let us kiss 2010 goodbye which is already history. Let us kiss and make peace, not war, so that there is joy in this world.

And let us keep the politics in this country short and simple to bring hope to our children:

Kick BN out and let PR in.
If PR fails the rakyat, then let us kick PR out and let another alternative government in until there is light at the end of the tunnel in this country: politically,socially and economically. Period

Greetings to all

2010-12-23T17:41:00.000-08:00

A Five Minute Management Course

2010-11-18T19:21:00.000-08:00

Lesson 1:

A man is getting into the shower just as his wife is finishing up her shower, when the doorbell rings.

The wife quickly wraps herself in a towel and runs downstairs. When she opens the door, there stands Bob, the next-door neighbor.

Before she says a word, Bob says, 'I'll give you $800 to drop that towel.'

After thinking for a moment, the woman drops her towel and stands naked in

front of Bob, after a few seconds, Bob hands her $800 and leaves.

The woman wraps back up in the towel and goes back upstairs. When she gets

to the bathroom, her husband asks, 'Who was that?' 'It was Bob the next door

neighbor,' she replies. 'Great,' the husband says, 'did he say anything

about the $800 he owes me?'

Moral of the story:

If you share critical information pertaining to credit and risk with your shareholders in time, you may be in a position to prevent avoidable exposure.

Lesson 2:

A priest offered a Nun a lift. She got in and crossed her legs, forcing her gown to reveal a leg. The priest nearly had an accident.

After controlling the car, he stealthily slid his hand up her leg. The nun said, 'Father, remember Psalm 129?'

The priest removed his hand. But, changing gears, he let his hand slide up her leg again.

The nun once again said, 'Father, remember Psalm 129?' The priest apologized

'Sorry sister but the flesh is weak.'

Arriving at the convent, the nun sighed heavily and went on her way.

On his arrival at the church, the priest rushed to look up Psalm 129. It said, 'Go forth and seek, further up, you will find glory.'

Moral of the story:

If you are not well informed in your job, you might miss a great opportunity.

Lesson 3:

A sales rep, an administration clerk, and the manager are walking to lunch when they find an antique oil lamp.

They rub it and a Genie comes out.

The Genie says, 'I'll give each of you just one wish.'

'Me first! Me first!' says the admin clerk. 'I want to be in the Bahamas , driving a speedboat, without a care in the world.'

Puff! She's gone.

'Me next! Me next!' says the sales rep... 'I want to be in Hawaii , relaxing on the beach with my personal masseuse, an endless supply of Pina Coladas and the love of my life.'

Puff! He's gone.

'OK, you're up,' the Genie says to the manager. The manager says, 'I want those two back in the office after lunch.'

Moral of the story:

Always let your boss have the first say.

Lesson 4

An eagle was sitting on a tree resting, doing nothing. A small rabbit saw the eagle and asked him, 'Can I also sit like you and do nothing?'

The eagle answered: 'Sure, why not.' So, the rabbit sat on the ground below the eagle and rested. All of a sudden, a fox appeared, jumped on the rabbit and ate it.

Moral of the story:

To be sitting and doing nothing, you must be sitting very, very high up.

Lesson 5

A turkey was chatting with a bull. 'I would love to be able to get to the top of that tree' sighed the turkey, 'but I haven't got the energy.'

'Well, why don't you nibble on some of my droppings?' replied the bull. They're packed with nutrients.'

The turkey pecked at a lump of dung, and found it actually gave him enough strength to reach the lowest branch of the tree.

The next day, after eating some more dung, he reached the second branch.

Finally after a fourth night, the turkey was proudly perched at the top of the tree. He was promptly spotted by a farmer, who shot him out of the tree.

Moral of the story:

Bull Shit might get you to the top, but it won't keep you there...

Lesson 6

A little bird was flying south for the winter. It was so cold the bird froze and fell to the ground into a large field.

While he was lying there, a cow came by and dropped some dung on him... As

the frozen bird lay there in the pile of cow dung, he began to realize how warm he was. The dung was actually thawing him out!

He lay there all warm and happy, and soon began to sing for joy. A passing cat heard the bird singing and came to investigate.

Following the sound, the cat discovered the bird under the pile of cow dung, and promptly dug him out and ate him.

Morals of the story:

(1) Not everyone who shits on you is your enemy.

(2) Not everyone who gets you out of shit is your friend.

(3) And when you're in deep shit, it's best to keep your mouth shut!

THUS ENDS THE FIVE MINUTE MANAGEMENT COURSE!!

Greeting to all my Hindu friends

2010-11-04T18:06:00.000-07:00

My Dream

2010-10-02T18:24:00.000-07:00

These are performers from China's Disabled People's Performing Art Troupe with hearing impairment, visual impairment and physical disabilities preforming during a show called 'My Dream'.

As we watched the performance with amazement and awe, it makes us wonder the level of determination and training endurance that they have gone through for such a spectacular show.

They have showed the world that disability is nothing. Disability is just a word like 'beauty'. It is the belief in oneself that makes the difference in making a dream possible.

Amazing act of flexbility

2010-09-11T18:10:00.000-07:00

Let us imagine that the female performer is BN and the male is PR.

If only both political parties have such graceful cooperation and flexibility in the balancing of power, it will be a heaven in Malaysia.

Do you think this can happen?

Same time,same talk every year

2010-09-10T19:03:00.000-07:00

Malaysia is truly a unique country.

Every year, the people celebrate a smorgasbord of festivities and with such a cultural pot of diversities, it is an envy of many. To any smart government, such diversities will be utilized like an asset for greater benefits of the country. However, in Malaysia such an asset is being treated like a liability, causing a slew of frustrations,anger and unhappiness among the people.

Like a great theatrical act, whenever a festive season approaches, the ruling politicians will call for unity, respect and blah blah blah every year.

Don't these politicians understand the meaning of walking the talk and stop talking the cock? Don't they realize that the people are already blase with all the politicking in the country?
Don't they know that there are so much of catching up to do in this fast world of globalization?

Sigh, maybe I should stop complaining and go watch movie instead.

Let us relax

2010-09-08T20:40:00.000-07:00

The Hari Raya holidays are just around the corner and for those who have no concrete plans,I would like to recommend the following movies for your enjoyment. It is sheer classic humour at its best from some of the most funny actors of all times.

In contrast to the political happenings in this country which are making us cry,I hope these movies can at least make us laugh and cheer us up.So, in this festive season of forgiveness, let us steer away our thoughts from politics and enjoy the holidays.

To watch the movies in full, just click on the title and watch it from part one onwards.

Greeting to all muslimin and muslimat

2010-09-08T18:07:00.000-07:00

To be or not to be?

2010-08-06T20:04:00.000-07:00

The Chinese character for 'patience' is a very interesting one which I adore very much as it forms a core part of good values in life. It basically comprises of two words: the word 'knife' and the word 'heart' at the bottom. In simple explaination, it means that even when one's heart is being 'stabbed' with a knife, one must not retaliate.

Yes, even when you are being bullied,whacked,ridiculed and screwed by the politicians, you must not retaliate. No matter how hurtful it is, be patient my friend, just be patient. So you see how meaningful the word is and how it is being expressed: beauty and full of character.

This virtue, simple as it may sound, takes a lot of willpower of a person to control his emotions. Hence, the saying "Have patience with all things, but chiefly have patience with yourself."

The virtue of patience is a very powerful tool when put in used in its proper perspective like in war, politics, sports and even gambling like in a poker game.

In the context of all the political happenings in Malaysia, where racial hatreds are being stirred and where animosities are being aroused by the political evils, we should be glad that there are no major clashes among the various races except for some fierce verbal rumblings. See how patience we Malaysians are.

I believe the patience of the people must be running thin now as we have been 'stabbed' on all fronts for far too long: corruptions, racism, injustice, inequality and religion extremism. Should we hold on to our patience and wait for the change within or should we unite to change this country?

After all, there is a Chinese saying: Even the monk also got fire.

Make your day

2010-08-06T19:14:00.000-07:00

Something to make you smile and ponder

Courtesy of Arthur Baumann

Time for a good laugh

2010-08-06T18:51:00.000-07:00

A little boy goes to his father and asks ........
'Daddy, how was I born?'

...The father answers, 'Well, son, I guess one day you will need to find out anyway!

Your Mom and I first got together in a chat room on Yahoo.

Then I set up a date via e-mail with your Mom and we met at a cyber-cafe.

We sneaked into a secluded room, and googled each other.

There your mother agreed to a download from my hard drive..

As soon as I was ready to upload, we discovered that neither one of us had used a firewall, and since it was too late to hit the delete button, nine months later a little Pop-Up appeared that said:

You got Male!

Courtesy of Arthur Baumann

Some sound advice, hopefully it is still not too late

2010-07-31T01:23:00.000-07:00

At long last, we have an UMNO veteran who is bold and farsighted enough to provide some sound advice to us all which I hope is still not too late for the people in general and the politicians in particular to change for the betterment of all in this country.

The following are extracts( in red) from Tengku Razaleigh's speech during the 4th Malaysian Student leaders Summit and my comments in blue:

The outspoken Umno veteran said that people must rid itself of racial politics if the country was serious in 1 Malaysia.

“So let us take 1 Malaysia seriously, and convert Barisan Nasional into a party open to all citizens. Let it be a multiracial party open to direct membership.

“PR will be forced to do the same or be left behind the times. Then we shall have the vehicles for a two party, non-race-based system,” the Gua Musang MP said during the 4th Annual Malaysian Student Leaders Summit here.

Well Tengku, since the post 3/08 political tsunami, the people have been hoping and praying for this two party system to take shape. Unfortunately, with so much of cynical politicking since then, it did not happen.

Tengku Razaleigh, affectionately known as Ku Li, pointed that racial politics has turned Malaysia into a sick country.

The politics in this country have not only make us sick but also the laughing stock of the world. But then, with such a propagandist like this, where do you think we will be heading?

The Kelantan prince said that the Najib administration must implement policies reflective of 1 Malaysia.

I tell you, this overused 1Malaysia thing is really making us equally sick. How can you promote this concept when there are two sets of laws:one for the ordinary and one for those in power?

“Our inability to grow up in our race relations is the chief reason why investors, and we ourselves, no longer have confidence in our economy. The reasons why we are behind Maldives in football, and behind the Philippines in FDI, are linked,” Tengku Razaleigh said.

“It’s not conservative or liberal to ask for an end to having politics, economic policy, education policy and everything and the kitchen sink determined by race. It’s called growing up,” he said.

We all know the reasons why we are always catching up with our neighbors: from rampant corruptions to an unfavorable education system and from flip-flop policies to dirty politics. And aren't we ready for change?

Tengku Razaleigh said that both BN and Pakatan Rakyat (PR) are responsible to ensure the country progress from communalism and race politics.

No Tengku, you are wrong. It is UMNO that is responsible to ensure that we stay away from racial politics because the reasons why we are in this shit point to UMNO. Thus UMNO, after having poison the minds of the Malays for more than 50 years, must now provide the antidote for the Malays to wake-up and embrace equality and fairness so that we can all walk tall together and be proud to call ourselves, Malaysians.

Plunge, plunging ...............plunged

2010-07-24T18:58:00.000-07:00

OK folks, figures are out!

FDIs are declining and investors are shunning this country, which means the rice bowl of the people will be greatly affected.

And yet everyday, we read of the political goons and idiots talking about race and nothing else but race politics. If that is what they are good at, then let them do it. Let them irritate and enrage the people more. Let them demonstrate their idiotic mentality and stupidity for the world to see. Most probably, the investors have already seen it.

As for Pakatan Rakyat, it must seize this opportunity to highlight and let the people know that the economy of the country is plunging into the drain. It must attack the UMNO/BN led government on all fronts relentlessly and make them answerable to the people.

Because the rice bowl of the people is more important, PR must not be trapped into race politics set by those idiots. PR must shows its abilities to govern and bring much developments in the states that are under its control. It must stay focus to provide enough rice bowls for the people, not break them.

As for those racist political goons, let the people take care of them through the ballot box.

Crossing the border

2010-07-16T18:04:00.000-07:00

If you cross the North Korean border illegally
You get 12 years hard labour.

If you cross the Iranian border illegally
You are detained indefinitely.

If you cross the Afghan border illegally
You get shot.

If you cross the Saudi Arabian border illegally
You will be jailed.

If you cross the Chinese border illegally
You may never be heard again.

If you cross the Venezuelan border illegally
You will be branded a spy and your fate will be sealed.

If you cross the Cuban border illegally
You will be thrown into political prison to rot.

If you cross the British border illegally
You will be arrested, prosecuted and sent to prison and deported

If you are an Indonesian and cross the Malaysian border illegally

You will get:
- My PR (Permanent Residence)
- A driving license
- Voting rights
- Job reservation
- Special privilege to be considered as a bumiputera
- Credit cards
- Subsidized rent or a loan to buy a house
- Free education
- Free healthcare

Oh Malaysia ! What a great country!

Malaysia really BOLEH ya!

Courtesy of Arthur Baumann

Subsidies and corruptions: Which one to remove first?

2010-07-16T00:19:00.000-07:00

The fear mentality

2010-07-11T19:56:00.000-07:00

It is indeed sad to see the need of the PM to pacify the UMNO delegates not to fear Singapore investments which the government is trying hard to attract into the Iskandar project.

In the first place, why must the PM pacify them? If they are indeed scared of the Singapore investments, will the government flip-flop again on its agreement?

Secondly, is the mentality of the UMNO delegates so shallow that they are not able to distinguish between what is good and bad for the country's economy?

Thirdly, why must there be a special fear for the Singapore investments only? Why not the other investments that are from other countries?

If the PM is sincere in removing the fear mentality in UMNO, then he must remove all the 'crutches' that have been supporting them for so many years so that they can 'walk' freely, willingly and eventually with the head held high. And in order to achieve this, he must fear no one. So Mr.PM, when all your predecessors have failed, can you succeed?

As it is now, it looks so pathetic for the PM to keep wanting to pacify the UMNO delegates.

Possibly related post: here

FIFA World Cup: Time to embrace technology

2010-06-27T17:46:00.001-07:00

The match between England and Germany in the second round of the World Cup yesterday has provided some quality of excitement to the game and hopefully, as the tournament progresses, the fans can enjoy such quality in this beautiful game.

The hottest topic about this game is most probably not the victory of Germany but the shot by Frank Lampard which hit the goal bar that bounced down and back up off the bar again. An almost instant replay during the live telecast clearly showed that the ball has indeed crossed the line. To the horror of all, from the the Englishmen to the football fans, the referee waved to play on as if he has not seen it. If the referee is 'blind' or being blinded, how about the linesmen?

It is indeed pitiful that England has to relive the equally controversial shot by Geoff Hurst during the 1966 World Cup. Many has argued that the ball has crossed the line and to this day, it is still being debated. Unlike today, where video technology is in such an advance stage, whereby any shots can be replayed almost instantly from any angle and in HD too! If such technology is available, shouldn't FIFA embraced it to be used in future tournaments so that there is some fairness?

Since the controversial goal by Thierry Henry in the return leg playoff between France and Ireland, I have blogged about the use of video technology and how it should be implemented.

Kindly read here for the proposals.

Maybe for once, FIFA should listen to an outsider.

FIFA World Cup: Let's hail the Yankees!

2010-06-24T18:24:00.000-07:00

The 2010 FIFA World Cup is already half-way through and the tournament is anything but exciting to-date.

We have witnessed how the top teams like England struggled to survive in the Group matches and the biggest shocker must be the elimination of Italy and France who are the defending champion and runner-up respectively in the last World Cup. Then there is Spain, which is the favourite to win the Cup by the pundits, is hanging precauriously for survival in the last group match. These countries are supposed to be the top teams in the world and they have the biggest and richest professional leagues. The players are being paid incredulously high which at times looked so outrageous that I wonder if football is being played by one or two players only. And it is for this reason, where monetary rewards overtake pride and dignity for the game, that I am never interested in any of the professional leagues, especially the English Premier League.

In the United States where the American football and basketball supersede all other sports in popularity, one cannot help but wonder how they managed to qualify for two consecutive World Cups and has now qualified for the Group of 16 round by beating Algeria. It is indeed delightful and exciting to watch the Americans attacking relentlessly in the match against Algeria with their never-say-die attitude. Ultimately the winning goal came, at the last minute of injury time. If only luck is not against the Americans, the score could be easily 3-0.

If the United States wins the World Cup, the booster dose for the popularity of football will be tremendous: both in the US and the world. Maybe for once, the cup should be won by an 'outsider' team so that it can breathe new life for the next World Cup.

Possibly related post: here

Its now or never

2010-05-30T23:20:00.000-07:00

I believe many of us must have felt very disheartened after reading today’s Star paper on the removal of various subsidies by the government on this auspicious Wesak day. Maybe Lord Buddha has already enlightened the government on how to manage the country efficiently before it goes bankrupt by 2019.

If these removals can indeed save the country from bankruptcy, then it is the duty of all to accept and adapt to the many changes that are bound to affect our lifestyles in one way or another. But the question is: Is the removal of subsidies the only means to safe this country financially?

I concur with Tony Pua who is DAP publicity secretary that the government must also do away with the many wasteful expenditures which are actually black areas for massive corruptions with the creation of the many rent-seekers. If we are to look deeply into the financial management of the government, corruption is the greatest sin that is plunging the country into bankruptcy, subsidy being only a secondary factor. The list of financial scandals is just too long. Maybe someone can assist me in compiling the list.

The government must not forget that there are still many who possessed the siege mentality and the removal of these subsidies might make them want to run amok. Can the government contain them? Can the government utilize the saved money prudently, efficiently and fairly?

There is a Chinese saying that goes something like this: With extravagance, even if you have a mountain of gold, it will eventually be finished.

And Malaysia fits the saying beautifully: A country with plenty of natural resources like the mountain of gold which is being plundered by the extravagants and the corrupts.

May Lord Buddha, Allah, Jesus Christ and Lord Muruga bless us all.

Born to act

2010-05-16T03:47:00.000-07:00

It has been a long time since I last watched and followed intently Cantonese drama movies that are produced in Hong Kong, until recently.

A few months back, while my daughters were watching a Cantonese drama series titled Rosy Business, I joined in and watched the first episode. As the story progresses, I started to enjoy and became engrossed with the storyline. When the first episode was finished, I requested for the second and then the third episode and watching them way past midnight.

What captivates me in this movie besides the storyline is the acting by the veterans and even the newcomers who both acted superbly and so naturally. There is the plot and sub-plot and then more plots and sub-plots making you sitting on the edge of the chair yearning for more. So, it is no wonder that both the lead actor and actress won the Best Actor and Actress Award in the Hong Kong movie industry last year.

There is one particular scene that is worth mentioning here.

When the lead actor (played by Wayne Lai), was caught for stealing because he was poor by the gangsters, he was set to be punished severely by the leader unless he is prepared to crawl like a dog with a dog bone in his mouth! When the bone was forced into his mouth and as he crawled along the street with the people laughing and cheering, his facial expressions of humiliation, anger and sadness was indeed heart wrenching.

Since watching this show, I subsequently began to follow many other drama series. The Hong Kong movie industry has improved by leaps and bounds with the many talented actors and actresses that are aplenty. In fact many of them were from other professions before they join the movie industry: beauty pageants, models, hair stylists and singers. And when they became actors or actresses, they just seem to act naturally and convincingly.

Are the people in Hong Kong born to act?

It is a well known fact that the society in Hong Kong is a very materialistic one, a kind of No Money No Talk. With a robust economy and the dynamism of the Hong Kongers in doing business, the chase for wealth is extremely competitive and strong. And many believe acting is where they can find fame and fortune. So, it is no wonder that one can easily find many of these Gen Y aspirants hanging around at the beaches and complexes flaunting their body hoping to be spotted by a film director for an audition.

Malaysians are also accepted. Do you want to try?

Is Malaysia a cursed country?

2010-05-14T06:12:00.000-07:00

We all know that Malaysia is blessed with an abundance of natural resources like oil, rubber, timber, oil palm and even gold that has made the country the envy of many. No doubt these resources have contributed greatly to the development of the country and despite of these rich resources, it has created a vast division among the different races with each wanting to fight for more distributions of the wealth. With the depletion of the country's wealth through the massive plundering by the corrupts seemingly with impunity,the fight will become more intense among the have-nots..

The different races of the country have created a cultural pot of diversities and a smorgasbord of food that make this country unique throughout the world and should made all Malaysians proud. It is a folly of the government for not doing enough to capitalize on this great asset of the country. Instead of the capitalization, we see a conceptualization of a fiercely racial base political rhetoric which has greatly divided the people. Instead of living in a heavenly place now, the politicians are making it hell.

When most of us have forgotten the horror of the May 13 racial riot and moving forward, we now have some political idiots who are led by one pigheaded idiot who wanted to organize an anniversary of this bloodshed event in the name of special rights and privileges as if the people are not already divided enough.

With so much of beauty and richness in this country and yet, there are full of hatreds and divisions among the people. When we should enjoy a good standard of living, we see so much of discords and dissatisfaction. When the country seems to be heading the right direction for political reforms, we see the implosion of racial threats.

When the world is envious of us, yet we have become the laughing stock.

If Langkawi has the Mahsuri curse, I wonder what curse does Malaysia as a country has and by who. Anybody got any idea?

Remembering the times

2010-05-09T04:32:00.002-07:00

Do you remember the times when you were a baby and was refused the pacifier by your mother?
What do you do?

Like all babies, regardless of race, you start to cry and whine until your mother gives in and faithfully gives you the pacifier and you smile again. As you grow a little older and when your mother refused to give you some sweets to protect your teeth, you start to cry again and like all caring mothers, your mother will obediently gives you the sweets. Now, as you grow older, each time when you want something from the family and was denied, you start to make a ruckus in the family to attract attention until your demands are given.

As we grow older into adulthood, many of us must have realized that such a trait is utterly wrong and begin to repent and change to a better behavioral person. But then, there are also many who either refused or simply cannot change because such childish behavior are already ingrained too deeply in them.

Now, let us juxtapose the above scenario with Perkasa.

Do you see the many similarities?
Can you hear their demands?
Can you see how they seek attention?

I believe that if we do not give a damn about them, they might do something more sinister until its 'parent', Umno, gives in to their demands.

What do you think, we as 'parents' should do to such a defiant 'child'?

Related post: The spoilt child

Illusions and Perceptions

2010-04-16T02:05:00.000-07:00

First and foremost, I would like to congratulate Pakatan Rakyat for getting rid of another froggie. This froggie assemblyman from Bakar Arang, Kedah although has stressed that his reason to quit had nothing to do with him being dropped as Kedah state exco member recently, the truth is for us to judge.

One of the reasons he gives is so stupendously stupid that it makes one want to puke:“I love Anwar but now I see Najib working, I am beginning to love him.”

It is akin to saying that this froggie loves his wife and if he sees another woman who is more beautiful and cooks better than his wife, then he will abandon his wife and marry the other woman.

This froggie must have been caught in an illusion created by the PR company that is engaged by the government to create a perception that Najib is working hard. Hence, the front page picture of Najib shaking hands with President Obama to let the the world knows that Najib is one of the privilege few who is able to meet the most powerful man on earth. With millions being spent to market his image, ultimately it is the people who will make the judgment.

As I have mentioned before, marketing is about perceptions. It gives you a sense, usually a false sense of what is to be portrayed. Some good examples are the many TV commercials like baby powder and health food. We see how the so called fortified milk powder with DHA that can make a child talk like an orator and study like Einstein. We also see another commercial showing a well known actress drinking a calcium drink so that her bones can be strong but without mentioning how much of calcium is being absorbed.

Let us not be fooled by those illusions that we perceived everything is all right and smooth sailing in this country. We have already being fooled for more than 50 years. We have gambled and already lost the future of two generations.

Let us wake-up and come to our senses to change this country for the betterment of all. We cannot afford to gamble the future of our children anymore.

We have failed you, Brother James

2010-03-31T02:09:00.000-07:00

When you left us all of a sudden, your hopes and wishes were left for us to fend

Restaurant business continues to prosper and seems to be in good hands

Our brothers try as hard to improve the business as they can

But then along the way, the path to success was marred by brotherly rants

What do you expect when one seems to be in total control?

How can they work as one when another one is almost incommunicado?

When finances and all are in a state of improbable fold

The end of Gourmet Terrace is already foretold

Now, like a flash of lightning, the restaurant has been sold

There goes all your hard work and the many sacrifices untold

Deep inside me there is anger and I cried for your poor soul

Oh James, how can I redeem your pride and lost pot of gold?

For far too many times we have failed you again and again

I can see your anger, frustrations and disdain

Please James, I seek your forgiveness with a deep sense of heart pain

We need your guidance to the path of success without

anymore restrains

What is gone is already gone

For there is no point to moan but to look beyond

We will fulfill your wish for brotherly bond

So James, please go seek solace with God and not be torn

Five lessons for Pakatan Rakyat to be relevant

2010-03-27T23:59:00.000-07:00

1) Patience and not hasten

The major victory of PR during the March 08 general election has brought so much of cheers among the people that it almost changed the course of the political history in this country. Maybe the cheers were so loud that it has gone into the heads of its leader who boldly declared that it has the necessary numbers of MPs who will crossed over to PR and thereby giving it a simple majority to form the next government. This number game has caused so much of confusion and a sense of false hope that in the end it was the BN that capitalize on this to wrest power in Perak.

It will be a very different political scenario if PR had planned on how to win the hearts of the people and shows what it can do to guide the country to greater heights. It must be patience enough and allow time for the people to follow and understand its political struggle.

2) From jubilation to turbulence

With the failure of PR to form the next government, we can now see the true colors of some of its MPs. Because these MPs felt there will be no rewards for them if they stay with PR, they decided to jump ship and switched alliance to BN. Only God knows what, who and how much is involved. And because money is able to do wonders, we see how these froggies attack PR through the many sinister revelations. Whether these revelations are facts or fictions, it has done enough damage and cause so much of turbulence in PR. It is with great importance now for PR to put its house in order before more froggies will jump ship.

3)Focus and not hocus-pocus

By now PR must have realized that, by simply winning big in an election does not guarantee that all will be smooth sailing. There is no magic wand for PR to do what it wants wantonly. It should stay focus on its political struggle for the people and the country. It must be bold enough to discard the old political rhetoric of racism which the people despise the most. One of the ways to achieve this is for all the component parties of PR to show true camaraderie and to speak with one voice. PR need not worry too much on those political goons who seem to thrive and survive on racism, let all right minded Malaysians take care of them through the ballot box.

4)Careful selection for greater contributions

Ah, this is the mother of all problems in PR. You see how all those froggies who have jumped ship hurling accusations and criticisms against PR. No one has an iota of inkling in PR that this can happen because no one too foresee that PR can managed to win big in the election. So any one at that time who is willing to stand for the election can be considered without vexing the true credentials, ability and background of the candidates by the PR leaders with PKR being the greatest culprit. I believe PR must have learned this bitter lesson so that in future only quality candidates will stand for elections.

5)Change or be changed

We have seen how PR made silly mistakes and blunders and how they were made to eat humble pie by BN. We have also seen how PR being attack on all fronts by BN through its controlled mainstream medias. With all these negative effects, PR must start to plan its strategy and willing to change and adapt to the needs and aspirations of the people. Whatever mistakes PR have committed, we as voters must be equally focused to support PR so that justice and fairness ca become a reality to all of us. After all, it is change we want, aren’t we?

Where life is cheap

2010-03-20T00:51:00.001-07:00

Last Sunday, when there was nothing much for me to do, I decided to pop into the cinema to watch the Academy Award winner movie, The Hurt Locker which won the Best Picture category for 2009.

The storyline of the movie is base on the sacrifices of the US Army soldiers who are on duty in Iraq to provide security and to flush out the insurgents. It tells of a group of soldiers and a time bomb detonator who patrol the streets of Baghdad. Each time when they are out on the streets, there is fear that one might not come back alive. And very often, they will think of their families back home. And soldiers do cry!

Although it is only a movie, what has been shown is basically what the US soldiers have to endure in real life situations in Baghdad currently. In fact the chances of them being killed are extremely high. Because the soldiers are not able to differentiate between the insurgents and the ordinary people, they become easy targets. And when the insurgents mingled with the public, they can open fire or detonate themselves as suicide bombers easily. In fact, many soldiers have been killed either by suicide bombers or road-side bombs which are planted as an ambush. When the soldiers are patrolling on the streets, the insurgents can open fire like snipers from the rooftop and windows from the buildings. In other words, these soldiers are like sitting ducks waiting to be 'slaughtered' like a sacrificial lamb! Even with the advance technology of stealth and the Predator, neither one can save them.

In such a guerrilla warfare, there is no way the US Army is going to win: neither the battle nor the war. They have lost in the Vietnam War and the Russians too have lost the war in Afghanistan. In both wars, guerrilla warfare were engaged through the effective use of the tunnels by the Vietcongs and the supreme rein of the mountainous regions by the Afghans. And now the insurgents and the terrorists have the suicide bombers. While the US soldiers seemed to enjoy their booze and good life in the army camp, the terrorists seemed to 'enjoy' death and therefore, have already won a psychological warfare against the US soldiers.

With such a high mental stress on the soldiers and the fear of death looming over their heads each day, I believe many are on the verge of mental breakdown. I hope the soldiers can be sent home the soonest possible and wait to fight a more meaningful war: a war which they can be proud to fight and to die for.

Peace or War? It depends on all of us.

2010-03-15T22:11:00.000-07:00

How we respect one another.

How we listen to one another.

How we understand one another.

How we believe in one another.

The worst is over

2010-02-24T21:37:00.000-08:00

The bold declaration by the PM that the worst is over for the Malaysian economy must be music to the ears of many. But then, to the many business communities, such music may sound hollow and distorted as many will shake their heads negatively with regards to business performance.Many will tell you that business has been extremely slow and there is lack of purchasing power of the consumers. If the economy is on the road to recovery, then why it is that it does not correlates to the performance of the businesses of many?

Although there were many statistics to show that the worst is over for the Malaysian economy, I am no economist or a politician to argue or dispute the facts. But what I would like to highlight are these keywords from a different perspective and context: The worst is over.

Imagine that you have been suffering from a chronic disease that disrupts your life for many years. You suffer so much because it is so debilitating that at times you contemplate about suicide. One day, a doctor managed to cure your disease and tell you that the worst is over for you. And from that day onwards, you realize that there is hope in life.

Imagine that you have been trying very hard to make ends meet. You struggle with your meager income to feed and educate your children. And to add to your financial woes, there are many bills and loans to pay. At times you just feel so helpless and hopeless. One day, luck is on your side and you strike it big in lottery. Finally, the worst is over for all your financial woes and you felt relieved with a sense of elation.

Imagine that your life has been nothing but full of miseries. Your job is full of pressure and stressful. Nothing you do seem to be right: from the office to your home. You are not able to cope with all these pressures in life and seem lost. The whole world seems to be against you. One day God(it does not matter whose God) seems to on your side and ‘opens’ up the world to embrace you. You feel a sense of belonging and slowly you are creeping back to society and you see happiness in you and your family. Finally, the worst is over and you realize that the world is just so wonderful.

Happy Chinese New Year

2010-02-11T23:12:00.000-08:00

May the Tiger roar in to bring peace, prosperity and good health to all.

When bad can be good

2010-02-05T22:17:00.000-08:00

The group of protesters from non-government organizations that set fire to the cardboard effigy of Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng has the best of both worlds that can only be seen in this country. These protesters protested in the presence of the police force and when the effigy was burnt, the firemen were there to douse the fire, free of charge. In countries like Iran,Iraq and Afghanistan when the protesters burnt the effigy of the ex-President of United States George Bush, such services were not provided. So, in future, these protesters can carry on protesting and burning until the country goes up in smoke.

The menace of the mat rempits that has brought untold miseries to other motorists have been duly rewarded with a programme by the government free of charge so that they can be viewed positively. These rempits who act like king of the road have committed such crimes like gangsterism, terrorizing of motorists and bag snatching can now looked forward to the programme to plan their future. When they 'graduate', they can be street smart and continue their crimes in a more systematic way.

In the international scene, we have the love tryst of England's football captain John Terry with his teammate's ex-girlfriend. This seemingly explosive news which has caused such a media frenzy in England that the medias are willing to offer a few hundred thousands pound to have a first hand revelation from the lady. She is indeed having the best of both worlds: bedding a married superstar and be paid for the revelation. Oh yes, let us not forget about that American tiger who has been on the prowl in the golf circuit and has reportedly bedded more than a dozen mistresses. Are they going to be rich too? You bet. Do you think the world will believe what they will reveal? Who cares.

Characteristics of Human Nature

2010-01-30T03:31:00.000-08:00

1) Greedy: One greed of a person is enough to bring unhappiness of a lifetime.

2) Dignity: With dignity, your respect has been earned.

3) Evil: Be careful of the evils in you, for retributions await you at every striking distance.

4) Kindness: Show you kindness and you will be rewarded with greater kindness.

5) Selfishness: Go it alone if you can and do not come back crying for there is no pity.

6) Bravery: Go seek justice for the people. Go protect the weak and the world will walk with you.

7) Stupidity: A severe case of disorientation of IQ and EQ.

8) Foxy: The twisting of facts and figures will ultimately tangled you in a web of deceits and lies.

9) Clever: Use it in the right context in life and good destiny will follow.

10) Arrogant: Make sure you do not fall. A fall will hurt you so badly that even you mother is not able to recognize you.

Now, list the name of the politicians that best suits any of the above characteristics.

Proton: You are not alone

2010-01-30T02:46:00.000-08:00

It has been for many years that Proton has been the punching bag for the many motor critics at home and abroad. However, since the acquisition of Lotus, there has been some improvements both in designs and performance. But then, this is not enough to convince the critics and my first experience with the new Proton Persona is nothing but a total disappointment. Anyway, the car has been checked and fixed now and it has been plain sailing in terms of driving pleasure.

Maybe, just like human beings who are bound to make mistakes, Proton needs to be given a chance to prove itself to win over the hearts of the critics. Even the giant automakers are making costly and dangerous mistakes as reported here and here and here:

Toyota Motor Corp is extending to Europe the recall of millions of its most popular cars due to dangerous accelerator pedals, a further blow to the reputation of the world’s largest car maker.

Honda announced a recall for 646,000 2007 and 2008 Fit, City and Jazz models worldwide, after a fire hazard involving a power window switch resulted in a death in South Africa.

French automaker PSA Peugeot Citroen is recalling 100,000 cars across Europe to change accelerator pedals on two models designed and produced in a joint venture with Toyota.

So Proton, you are not alone in making mistakes. But you must not ride on the mistakes of others to justify your faults. Show the world that you have learned your lessons and convince us that your time has come as an international market player in the motor industry and we will ride with you.

There are idiots and there is a fool

2010-01-09T02:55:00.000-08:00

The year 2009 has not been a very good year for us as there is nothing much to celebrate: economically, socially and politically. So, let 2009 be another year in history or rather a year for us all to learn to be politically united to build a solid foundation for a better economy so that the rakyat can live in a harmonious way socially.

Before we can start the year 2010 on solid ground, some idiots have already started the new year on a fiery note by burning some churches in the name of Allah. This sickening act has already being condemned by many, as such I would not like to write about it. In fact the political scene in this country is so polluted that it is not worth anymore for me to write. In short, words just fail me to describe the happenings in this country.

So, let me write something else. Like my experience with my new car:Proton

I have just bought a Proton Persona MT which was delivered to me on the Christmas eve. Being Christmas and a new car, that is a double celebration for me. I cannot believe my luck as on the first day of driving the new car, there are already some troubles with it. Each time I reversed the car, the engine automatically turns off. The room light and the car bonnet lever are not working.

The next day, I took my family for a drive to Morib. To my horror, while I was driving, the tachometer (rpm meter) pointer points to the maximum and the Check engine sign was on. Although fortunately the engine was running normal, I was driving the car with full of anxieties and worries.

After the Christmas holidays, I called the dealer and Proton to lodge my complaints and which both parties duly attended to satisfactorily. To make the story short, after about a week in the workshop, the technician from Proton finally found the source of the problem: it was the wiring which was not fixed properly and therefore, affects the sensor of the car.

The car is all right now and I seem to enjoy driving it. It has power and surprisingly, it is very quiet inside. In fact it is more quiet than my daughter's Toyota Vios which I bought for her in the beginning of 2009. The handling and suspension of the car are up to my expectations and with the price of 50K, standard accessories, 15 inch sport rims and size 195 tyres, one should not ask for more with regards to performance.

And I have booked another Proton( a Saga) for my second daughter!

Some of my friends said I must be foolish to buy another Proton after what I have experienced with my new Proton Persona.

Well, since she truly needs a car for work and the price is within her budget, I hope she has better luck than me.

Greeting to all Malaysians

2009-12-26T16:21:00.001-08:00

Your money or your life

2009-12-16T21:40:00.000-08:00

Sometimes life can be very funny. It is just like magic: Now you see it, now you don’t. The untimely deaths of Yasmin Ahmad and Michael Jackosn are just two examples of how fragile life can be. Like sometimes, while browsing your morning paper, you would have come across an obituary of a friend whom you have just met a few days ago.

Our lives are not born-out to be perfect. As we grow up, there are a host of challenges and obstacles for us to clear before we can retire in peace: education, employment, children up-bringing and family. However, there are greater challenges that lie ahead: the social and health challenges.

The social challenge here refers to the social elements that can influence the behavior of our children. As parents, we are certainly very concern about how our children grow-up and to prevent them from mixing with the wrong kind of people and indulging in vices. Such a challenge is within our control. It is the health challenge we are facing that is scary.

Our lives are bombarded and ravaged with so many diseases that when we managed to overcome one, the next one awaits us. Just let me name some of these diseases so that you can realize why good health is so important: cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and a host of other major organ diseases.

Of all the diseases, cancer is the most fearful to the extent it simply spells death to the person it strikes. The treatment cost for cancer which can be in the region of a few hundreds to tens of thousands or more a month and which do not guarantee a cure, is simply way out of the reach of ordinary working people. And for those who might have some savings, it will be a predicament: to spend on treatment or to save for raining days.

I must emphasize that it is not only the cost of treatment in cancer that is expensive as there are many other diseases that are equally beyond the reach of many, like hypertension and diabetes whereby the treatment is for life. With each discovery of a new drug that has numerous claims of better efficacy and cure rate, the price marketed by the multinational drug company is simply way above the reach of many. As if the cost of medication is not enough to ‘kill’ you, then together with the cost of hospitalization and the doctor’s fees, your ‘death’ is guaranteed.

Now, while you are still able to, it is extremely important that you pay a lot of attention to your health and well-being. Let us not wait for disease to strike us and when it does, treatment will be too late.

If we are to talk about fairness, then death is the fairest of all. Regardless of who you are, from being a King to a beggar, both must die.

This article is in memory of my late brother James Liew, who was either too stubborn or just not able to look after himself.

Where people dare

2009-12-08T17:44:00.000-08:00

The property boom in the country during the last few decades has seen a surge in the development of many houses, shops and complexes.

If you were to take a drive to the many housing estates or to the shopping complexes, you will notice a distinctive feature of the many shops: majority is operated by the Chinese. Even during the current economic slowdown, many are still bold enough to venture into various types of businesses. Whenever and wherever there are opportunities, they will set-up their businesses like a swarm of bees that are attracted by honey.

In my housing estate, where there are so many restaurants that if I were to take my family for dinner by choosing one per week, it would take me a year to patronize all of them. I have noticed that not all of these restaurants are doing well, let alone to survive in this competitive market. In fact, it just amazes me that when one closes down, someone will take over, either to continue operate as a restaurant or to convert to other type of business. I have also noticed that there are more and more boutiques emerging which in future will change the area into a fashion street. There is also a posh snooker center whose capital outlay, I presume could be more than half a million. Just like the snooker center, some of the boutiques and restaurants are equally posh looking. I am just wondering how long it will take to earn back their capital outlay, not forgetting the profits.

I am sure such scenario is very similar throughout the country.

Why it is that the Chinese are bold enough to venture into business despite the many handicaps, while others are complaining of lack of opportunities? Even when opportunities are given on a platter, there are still so many failures? And with these failures, come the blame game.

Let us visualize what it will be like if there are no investments by these businessmen: many shops in the housing estates, shopping complexes and in the towns will be emptied and devoid of ‘life’. The whole place will be plunged into a dark and lifeless area like a ghost town without the vibrancy of human activities. And not forgetting the lost in the many jobs opportunities. With no jobs to feed the families, what will they do? To become small time thieves or big time robbers?

Oh yes, and the loss in taxes: income tax, licensing tax, signboard tax, the 5% Govt. Tax and a plethora of other taxes.

There are basically three attributes to be successful in business: be daring, be first and be perseverance. These attributes do not belong to one race. They belong to all. I am not here to glorify one race, for glory like the three attributes belongs to all. It is how one seeks glory through the use of good attributes that makes the difference.

Wake-up, please

2009-12-03T04:32:00.000-08:00

I believe many of us must be extremely frustrated and disillusioned with the current happenings in the country. But then no matter what happens, maybe through the interference of God or maybe through the stupidity of the people who seemed still in slumber land that BN has been ruling the country since independence.

If these articles are not able to wake you up, then by all means, suffer at you own perils: read here and here and here.

Like Najib, who has Bugis blood, I have the Chinese blood. And like Najib who is born in Malaysia, so am I. And so are all the Malays, Chinese, Indians, Sikhs, Ibans and the Dayaks. And we call this rich potpourri of races: Malaysians. As Malaysians, I do believe we still love this country and will most probably die here. As long as we want change for the better, I see some hope in this country, despite the fact that thousands have already emigrated.

By now, you must have woke-up.
So, what are you going to do to change this country for the betterment of all?

Pakatan Rakyat: The way forward

2009-11-30T04:06:00.001-08:00

The decision by the Pakatan Rakyat government of Selangor to ban its civil servants and public university students from attending the National Civic Bureau ( NCB ) deserves a round of applause by all right thinking Malaysians for its bravery, righteousness and farsightedness.

The NCB has long being used as a propaganda tool by the government to instill the spirit of dominance in the guise of patriotism to only one race and has caused so much of displeasure to the other races. With this controversial course now hogging the limelight in the medias, it makes me puke when some of the BN ministers said the course is designed in the spirit of 1Malaysia concept. This 1Malaysia concept thing in itself is being grossly overused and manipulated to suit the BN political mileage.

If the government is indeed sincere in wanting to promote racial harmony through the NCB, then it must not be afraid to let the public know the contents in the course modules and the relevant programmes to ascertain that there are no elements of communal poisons and ‘tribal’ indoctrination being pumped to the students. Better still, allow those past students and officials to tell their sides of the story, without fear and favor of course.

Do we want to see these students who will ultimately be the new generation of Malaysians to lead the country to become racial extremists or become leaders with righteousness?

Let this be the beginning of Pakatan Rakyat’s ability to undo whatever injustices that are planned and advocated by BN and to ignite the long awaited baptism of fire for the people to be patriotic.

Sorry Ireland

2009-11-20T06:36:00.000-08:00

The winning goal that was scored by Thierry Henry of France in the return-leg of the World Cup play-off between France and Ireland is one of the most controversial and is already being dubbed by the press as the Hand of God II, following the infamous one by Diego Maradona.

The blatant use of the hand by Thierry Henry to stop and then control the ball before pushing it for his teammate to score is shown for all to see how unfair football can be. How can the referee and the linesmen not see such a foul?

With the advancement in video technology, FIFA must be brave enough to embrace new technology to prevent such an incident from making a mockery of football, like installing more cameras at strategic locations so that playbacks can be done instantly and accurately.

To prevent such an incident from happening again especially during the coming World Cup next year, FIFA needs to amend its rules and regulations and which I would like to propose the following:

1) In the event of a truly disputed goal, the referee has the right to stop the game for at least ten minutes but not more than 15 minutes to review the goal on TV.

2) During the review, the Managers of both teams, referee and two match officials must be present.

3) If it is concluded that it is an illegitimate goal by all, it must be shown on the big screen to convince the players and the spectators to avoid any untoward incidents.

4) In the event of a further dispute, then a vote must be conducted among the five officials with the majority overruling the minority votes. And the action of the disputed goal must also be shown on the big screen.

Sex: The subject and the object

2009-11-19T03:40:00.001-08:00

Lately, we have been bombarded with the ‘potong’ or ‘cut’ advertisement by a broadband company. Such an advertisement, although seems and sounds ordinary enough, has created a topic for discussion among the public due to its sexual intonation: “Cut already only can go faster ma”. The Cantonese version has a more seductive tone. Many have argued that we are already living in the 21st Century and are matured enough not to be influenced by a seemingly 'harmless' advertisement. However, there are many who have called for the advertisement to be banned as it has a bad influence on the children. Well, they have succeeded with the intervention of a Deputy Minister, albeit not with a ban but a change in its intonation.

Now, there is another advertisement by a company that markets a ‘kuat’ brand washing powder with almost a similar sexual tone: “What did your husband say when you have changed to ‘kuat’?”

Marketing is basically about perception and the ability to catch the attention of the customers in a different manner so that it can be remembered instantly. Hence, the above two examples clearly showed the creativeness of the marketers: albeit in a controversial manner. I will not be surprised that such advertisements are created with the intent to cause some brouhaha so that the more it is debated, the more attention it is able to garner.

I remember that during the early 70s, Esso used to engage sales promoters as pump attendants who were sexily dressed in uniforms with tiger stripes as the animal was associated with power in Esso’s advertisement.

We have the beer advertisements with almost all of them using beautiful and sexily dressed ladies as if to seduce you for a drink. Even during the F1 races, one can see such ladies holding umbrellas to shelter the racers and strutting up and down as if to compete with the racers for attention. Then here again, we see many of these sexily dressed ladies, with some exposure of their boobs at the many motor shows.

Are men so obsessed with sexily and scantily dressed ladies that when they see one, they will make a bee-line to pump petrol or to the motor races and shows?

Are females being manipulated and exploited as sex objects by the advertisers to promote their products?

Or the adage that sex sells, simply holds true.

Who to blame?

2009-11-16T03:48:00.000-08:00

The report in The Star today of a 15 year old girl who was raped by her brother and became pregnant must has shocked the nation. What is even more shocking is her willingness to give birth to the baby with the full knowledge of her parents. And the punishment for her brother? Well, he had been sent to a religious school without any punishment or charges. It seems like this is just a small matter and everything will be fine after this.

We have read of the many horror stories of snatch thefts and robberies that have made us feeling very insecure. And when parents do not seemed to care enough of their children, who should we blame for the existence of the mat rempits and the many gangsters who have been terrorizing us?

Monsoon Cup versus monsoon floods

2009-11-08T21:45:00.000-08:00

The East Coast states have always been one of my favorite holiday destination due to not only its fabulous beaches and food but also the people. The humbleness of the people there can really makes one's holiday a memorable one.

The yearly monsoon season that is currently lashing at these states has brought much hardship to the people. It not only affects the livelihood of the people but has already claimed the life of a young girl inTrengganu.

Amidst all these turbulence and hardships, it is disturbing for me to read of the Monsoon Cup race which the rich are out to enjoy themselves. With the hundreds of millions to organize this yearly event which caters mainly to the foreigners, what actual benefits can the local people of Trengganu gain? Instead of clear sea water, we see muddy water at the race venue. As this race is shown internationally, there could be more damages to tourism rather than gaining. If these millions are truly spend on the development of the state, I believe the locals will have a much better standard of living and through good and efficient flood mitigation projects, the havoc caused by the frequent floods can be well managed and controlled.

But then, the success in organizing the Monsoon Cup is more important than the success in tackling the monsoon floods.

I spent my holiday in Trengganu with my family last year and have visited the marina for the Monsoon Cup. As I drove to the marina, the sight along the way was a pitiful one. Along the narrow kampung road, there are dilapidated houses and signs of poverty among the people. And yet, right here the government has the gist to build a few blocks of nice apartments for the participants.

As the saying goes, more projects mean more money to be made.
By whom and for whom is anyone's guess.

The Unbelievable

2009-10-31T04:09:00.000-07:00

The Auditor-General's Report which has identified grouse mismanagement of government funds in many of the government departments, not only angered the people but has stretched our patience to the limits. The fact that this has been going on for umpteen years by those in power as if with impunity is indeed shocking and unbelievable.

And to fight such rampant corruptions, it is even more unbelievable for the PM to make the following statements as highlighted in red followed by comments in yellow:

The decision to form the task force was made by the Cabinet at its meeting yesterday because it felt there was a need to look into any wrongdoings closely.
Well, the AG's reports have already identified the wrongdoings with all the relevant proofs. Is there any need to look closely anymore, like starting to investing all over again?

“They will not necessarily face legal action. They might face administrative action like surcharge, demotion, having their promotions frozen or be transferred,” Najib said.
This statement is the mother of all shockers.
It is akin to saying: "Well, since you have pocketed enough, I will transfer you to another department. Give other people a chance la".
Do you mind being transferred or demoted when you have pocketed millions with no charges against you for corruption?

Asked if setting up the task force was aimed an stopping corruption, he said: “Let’s be realistic, there cannot be absolute zero corruption but if we show seriousness (in going after those involved), I believe we can bring the numbers down considerably,” he said.
Hello Mr. PM, we have failed miserably in fighting corruptions.
How can you fight corruptions when your statements sounded so weak and so reluctant to charge the corrupts. For the country's sake, please use your power to nail these scorns of our society. Nail the big fish and the small ones will 'die' a natural death.

Believe what we believe in

2009-10-27T04:43:00.002-07:00

1) The 2008 Auditor-General’s annual report has confirmed our beliefs that there are rampant corruptions through mismanagement and abuse of government funds. The sickening part of such a report is, while blatant corruptions have been identified, actions against the corrupts are either at a slow pace or merely for show. How much longer can we as taxpayers, stomach such a cancerous disease of greed and corruptions?

2) We believe that the Federal Government is not cooperating and assisting to the fullest in all the PR controlled states. When funds are not forthcoming, projects are either delayed or put on-hold and with the Little Napoleons in almost all departments, how can we then expect PR to rule efficiently. As such, for the DPM to say that these states are poorly administered, does not hold water at all.

3) We believe that BN is trying to sabotage the image of PR through its controlled mainstream medias. And it has been proven that factual truths are been distorted to become lies and lies become the truths.

4) We believe that many of the PR State Assemblyman and Parliamentarians are being targeted for selective persecution. Such attempts are nothing but to bring down the PR government either through by-elections or enticing the frog jumpers whom PR should gladly let go.

5) We believe that the 1Malaysia concept and the calls for change by Umno are nothing but a marketing ploy to please the peoples’ clarion call for change. With such a deep-rooted history of race politics, can we believe that it can change?

6) We believe that since the March 2008 election, the victory of PR has brought us hope for change: a change that we can believe in. The fight for change is not the responsibility of only one man but the responsibility of all in PR. And together we must make this change possible.

7) We believe that we are no fools. No matter what the evils say and do to sabotage PR, our hope for a clean and transparent government that can bring the country forward lies with PR. There will be grumbles and rumbles but we must never let PR tumble.

Greeting to all my Malaysian Indian brothers & sisters

2009-10-16T18:33:00.000-07:00

May your home light up with the joy of Deepavali

Reformasi Umno

2009-10-15T05:11:00.000-07:00

Can UMNO change that we can believe in ?

Post MCA's EGM analysis

2009-10-13T06:41:00.000-07:00

1) Your hands must be dirtied in order to be cleaned in politics: The MCA President has learned it the hard way. His crusade to fight corruptions through transparency had stepped on many dirtied toes that are powerful enough to gang-up to remove him.

2) Either you are with me or against me: When one is against a person who has plenty of cash, where the ‘throwing’ of money to get things done is chicken feed and no matter how ‘clean’ the other party is, money is power. And God knows how much of money is involved.

3) Ghee Hin versus Hai San: The Chinese are reliving the history of gangsterism of these two rivals that existed here centuries ago. Whoever is the new President or Deputy President will be labeled as from different rival camps. And this rivalry will begin from the top and down to the supporters.

4) ‘Sick party of Malaysia’: The MCA should be aptly called as such because of its notorious records of in-fighting for power. It is truly sickening to the Chinese in particular to see such rivalry from a party that is supposed to look after their interest. If this ‘sickness’ is not resolve fast enough, it could be discarded by BN like a leper.

5) Integrity and dignity do not exist in politics: It is bared for all to see, the tainted one is openly fighting for power and the corrupted one continues to walk free. As for the ‘clean’ one, there is no place for him in Malaysia’s politics.

6) Two tigers cannot roam the same mountain: This holds true when the two tigers are hot-headed that bring no peace. With this in mind, the delegates are brave enough to remove the two leaders hoping to form a new team. Apparently, it has worsened the political situation in the party.

7) There is no permanent enemy or friend in politics: If the two rivals understand this saying in politics, gentlemen enough and for the sake of the party, they should shake hands and move the party forward and to regain some lost respect.

8) Power play of the forces: The so-called fence sitters have now reared their head to be a power player. While some retired leaders are playing behind the scene, others have joined in the power play directly. Under such a scenario, there will be plenty of wheeling and dealing from those with vested interests.

9) When cow sense has prevailed over common sense: When most of the component parties in BN are in disarray and losing support, this is the most opportune time for MCA to be strongly united. A strongly united party will enable the party to build a solid ground for respect and avoid being a punching bag in BN. As it is now, MCA is in such a total shambles due to its cow sense mentality that besides losing support, it has disgraced the Chinese.

10) And the division gets deeper: There are already some rumblings that the Foo Chows have triumphed over the Hainanese. Such comments, jokingly or otherwise, must never be allowed to flourish in MCA to divide the Chinese further, otherwise it is better for MCA to be known as Malaysia's Clans Association.

The mother of all rides at the top

2009-10-11T18:00:00.000-07:00

2009-10-09T07:15:00.000-07:00

"Hello, Education Minister, I am sitting for my PMR examination. Your presence in the examination hall is distracting my concentration and giving me unnecessary pressure. If you just to want to show your concern, please observe from outside with your bunch of officers. And please use some common sense. Oh God, which question am I answering now?"

The rise of the dragon

2009-10-05T18:55:00.000-07:00

See how China has changed over 60 years

As China celebrates its 60^th founding anniversary of the People's Republic of China on 1^st Oct with great pomp and pageantry that befits the occasion and with the world watching in awe, many world leaders must be wondering what is in store for the world, economically and military in the future from a country that has risen from ashes.

As the founding father of the People's Republic of China, Chairman Mao Zedong was revered like god-like status. The whole nation followed him loyally. However, he was good in fighting but poor in governing. The Chinese had suffered so much of miseries and disasters under his leadership, that it had practically taught the people the art of survival. The Cultural Revolution and The Great Leap Forward that were advocated by Chairman Mao were two major disasters that had caused millions of people died of starvation.

The Opium War with the British during the Manchu era and the occupation by the Japanese during the Second World War had brought so much of shame to the Chinese that they were called ‘The sick man of Asia’.

If we were to look at the history of China much earlier on, like during the voyages of Admiral Zheng Ho, the might and superiority of China was shown to the world: a fleet of powerful ships, the invention of fireworks and paper and many other discoveries. Interestingly, despite all these power and might, the Chinese never set out to conquer but to conduct trade.

Today, the Chinese has learned much from history and as strong followers of the teachings of Confucius, the will to succeed has make them a remarkable race: a race that has earn the respect from the world over. The sick man is no more sick and is well and strong now to challenge the world. In the words of Chairman Mao: "The Chinese people have stood up!".

And today, China is the third largest economy in the world and it has been forecasted that it may take over the United States to become the world’s largest economy in a decade from now. Being the world's most populous nation, it can be achieved. The Chinese has demonstrated to the world of its ability to perform since the successful staging of the Beijing Olympic Games in 2008. The success of its space programme and the speed of its industrialization, from building bullet trains to airplanes have open a floodgate of opportunities for the world's economy. With an average growth of about 8% for the last decade, it has propelled China's foreign reserves to more than USD3 trillion, making it the highest in the world.

Can we learn something from the Chinese?

It makes me wonder, what will be the history of the world in general and Malaysia in particular be now, if Admiral Zheng Ho had set out to conquer the world and Malacca.

Will it happen here?

2009-10-01T04:25:00.000-07:00

It is with sadness that we read of the earthquakes which struck at Samoa and

Indonesia

’s Sumatra island causing untold miseries to many. At least more than 7o people have been reported killed in

Indonesia

and many are victims who are trapped under the rubbles of the collapsed buildings. The death toll may rise to thousands as many more are still being trapped underneath. And in Samoa, a magnitude of 8.0 is strong enough to trigger a massive tsunami causing widespread destruction with more than 100 victims already dead.

The earthquake in Indonesia which registered a magnitude of 7.6 can even be felt in KL, PJ, Penang and Johor, causing panic among residents and workers in high rise buildings to be evacuated. It must be noted that this is not the first time that we have felt earthquake tremors. We have experienced this several times before.

As tremors are caused by the movement of earth underneath and with most of our buildings not designed and built to withstand earthquake, it makes me wonder(and concern) whether the foundations of the buildings are still strong enough. If for example, each earthquake affects the foundation of the building by 5%, the strike of three earthquakes would have affected the foundation by 15%. What will happen if the next earthquake that strikes has a magnitude of 9.0 or 10.00? How many more tremors can our buildings withstand?

Have the relevant authorities taken this into consideration so that inspection of buildings can be carried out before untold calamities happen?

As Indonesia is situated in the ring of fire and it being our neighbor, there is a high possibility of further earthquakes. The notion that we do not have earthquake here does not hold true anymore. Whether it is going to happen here, only time will tell.

It's the system, dude!

2009-09-30T04:44:00.000-07:00

The development of high quality human capital is one of the most important fundamentals that a country needs to propel forward. And in order to achieve this, a good system must be in place so that programmes can be carried out efficiently. A good example is our neighbor, Singapore. The government of Singapore has a reputation of always planning ahead of times so that the need for human capital can be identified in the relevant sectors.

The fact that its Education Ministry officers have come over to Malaysia to identify bright students to offer scholarships and subsequently to work there demonstrates Singapore's seriousness in its quest for quality human capital. When it realizes that it is in dire needs of IT and financial professionals, it has no qualms in offering PR status to attract them to serve in the country.

The call by Najib to bring back Malaysia's talent by providing incentives to keep them home is not something new that the government has done. It has been offered quite sometime ago: albeit with a lukewarm response. Why is this so?

Although monetary reward is important, it is certainly not the main reason why many of our talents are reluctant to come home to serve. The main deterrent is the political system of the country which is a total turnoff. With so much of emphasis being place on race in almost all the sectors: promotion, scholarships, loans, contracts and a plethora of other benefits which are almost exclusively given to one race, can we blame them? What kind of future will it hold for them and their children if they ever return home?

And Najib also wants to know whether it is the brain drain that Malaysia is not able to have a bigger number of science professionals. How can we achieve this when our education system is in a state of confusion? Come on Najib, we all know the reasons a long time ago, don't you?

It is the system that is letting us down: a system of imbalances and inefficiencies. We have been living through these systems for so long that they not only impede the progress of the country, they have also made the people 'retarded'.

Invasion of the foreign kind

2009-09-22T01:53:00.000-07:00

This scene must be very familiar to many Malaysians by now.

Each time, whenever there is a long holiday during the festive seasons, we see many of the foreign workers taking this opportunity to relax and explore the country. In KL, we will see many of them converge in ‘strategic’ locations like KLCC and major shopping malls. There are also many who will converge in popular areas like Jalan TAR and Jalan Silang.The area in Jalan Silang ( behind Kotaraya) is so popular among the Nepalese and Bangladashis that they have set up restaurants and shops. As a Malaysian, if you happen to be in this area, you may be wondering whether you are in Nepal or Bangladesh. Their presence is so overwhelming that it simply makes you feel like a minority there.

In fact, Malaysia is a melting pot of many other nationalities. The largest group is undoubtedly the Indonesians which is not surprising due to the many similarities in culture, language and religion. While the males are mainly construction workers the females either work as maids or in restaurants. The second largest group is the Bangladeshis who seemed adapt to work in many fronts: construction, restaurant, factory and even in Petaling Street. The third largest group is the Burmese. Most of them work in restaurants with many managing stalls in coffee shops. Then there are the Nepalese who work mainly as security guards which suits the reputation of the Gurkhas. We also see of the many Vietnamese who are employed to work in factories throughout the country. There are also the pocketfuls of Indians who work in the IT industries while the Chinese and Thais work in restaurants as cooks.

I believe that the government will not be able to provide a correct statistic of these foreigners who are here either legally or illegally. A rough estimate of about 3 million is almost equal to the Malaysian Indians population, if not more.

As a workforce, although these foreign workers play an important role in supporting our economy, there are some downside as well. There have been many social problems that are attributed to these foreigners: security and health. Robberies have been rampantly committed by a certain group of foreigners while in the health front, when tuberculosis was already extinct here, it has resurfaced again. No thanks to the lax in the health screening checks by the relevant authorities.

What will the impact of these foreign workers be to our economy?

Well, apparently the local bus companies have already felt the impact of these foreigners for survival. A random check in bus stands here and KL showed a ratio almost at one Malaysian to seven foreigners. We have seen them manning stalls and doing retail businesses. Once they have tasted some successes in making money, they are bound to stay on and even take over these small businesses. By then, it will too late for the government to do much to repatriate them. And for the years to come, we will witness a baby boomer of the foreign kind.

Is our dependence on these foreign workers at the expense of the locals or are we just over dependence on them?

Greeting to all muslims

2009-09-19T04:43:00.000-07:00

2009-09-19T03:32:00.000-07:00

When terrorist Noordin Md Top was reported killed in a shoot-out with the crack Indonesian anti-terrorism squad, the world must have heaved a sigh of relief. This is the militant mastermind who has been responsible for a string of deadly bombings in Indonesia, including those in Bali in 2002 and two luxury hotels in Jakarta recently.

But then the Home Minister of Malaysia said he was sad over the death of the terrorist. He even said that this terrorist could have been rehabilitated.

Like many of you, I just could not believe what this minister had said.

Feeling sad over the death of a terrorist?
How about those hundreds of innocent victims who have been killed by the terrorists?
Mr.Minister, you should go and tell how you feel to the victims' families.

To rehabilitate a terrorist?
When we can't even control the menace of the mat rempits and rehabilitate the drug addicts, this minister is talking about rehabilitating terrorists. Maybe he should talk to Osama bin Ladin to work out a deal on rehabilitating his army of militants.

And if he succeeds in his rehabilitating programme, Malaysia will definitely be flooded with investments from the United States.

Bagan Pinang by-election: Whack them where it hurts most

2009-09-16T03:11:00.000-07:00

Analytical overview of the electorates

Registered voters as at 4th Sept.09: 13664 (including 4604 postal voters)

Breakdown by race:

Malays - 8577 (62.77%)

Chinese - 1498 (10.96%)

Indians - 2834 (20.74%)

Others - 755 (5.53% )

Since the election will be held on Sunday and with most of the electorates working in nearby KL and Selangor, a good voters turnout of 80% is expected which will gives a total of 10931 voters with the following racial breakdown:

Malays : 2257 ( 6861 – 4604(postal votes already in Umno’s favor)

Chinese: 1198

Indians: 2267

Others: 604

Projected support for PR with racial breakdown:

Malays - 1128 (50%)

Chinese - 838 (70%

Indians - 1785 ( 70% )

Others - 422 (70% )

Total votes for PR: 4173

Total votes for BN: 6952

Majority: 2779

Let us assume that the above hypothetical analysis of the by-election is generally correct, then it is without a doubt that the postal votes hold the key to victory for Umno/BN. Even if PR managed to garner 80% of the votes from all, it will still lose by 812 votes in this Umno stronghold.

It seems that the only solution for PR is to ensure that there is no massive cheating of the postal votes and to allow the postal voters the freedom to vote.

As for the election campaign, Umno will do what it knows best: use the racial trump card and ketuanan Melayu to incite fear and confuse the Malay voters. It will also attack Pas by accusing it as a puppet of the DAP and is not strong enough to protect the muslims. But then, the more they engage in racial issues, the more negative perceptions they will generate for Umno.

On the other hand, PR must try to avoid a direct confrontation with Umno on racial issues. It needs to work out a road map for the Malays to move away from the old orthodox of racial politics. In other words, the Malays must be convinced to do a paradigm shift: to stay with a racist party and move backward or to support PR and go forward together

Although the PKFZ scandal, cow head protest and the death of Teoh Beng Hock have given some bonus points to the election campaign of PR, this by-election is by far the most difficult one. No thanks to the postal votes, which has put PR in a disadvantage totally.

Although this constituency is an Umno stronghold, a victory by PR will certainly hammer a solid nail into Umno/BN's political coffin.

The never ending war

2009-09-12T01:27:00.001-07:00

Today is the eight anniversary of the 9/11 attack on the United States by the terrorist group of al-Qaeda which brought the World Trade Center down that has killed more than 3000 innocent lives and which also brought the United States to its knees. No one would have ever imagined that such a large scale attack can be carried out in the most powerful country of the world and which has the most sophisticated intelligence agencies like the CIA and the FBI where both have failed miserably against terrorism.

The accolades of martyrdom on the terrorists have ramified greater terrorist groups like the Jenamiah Islam Indonesia, Moro Liberation Front (MNLF) Philippines, Palestine Liberation Front(PLF), Hezbollah Lebanon and many more. And all of these terrorist groups have its own agenda and a myriad of reasons to fight: religion, land, oppression, freedom. The fight for land in Palestine with Israel against the backdrop of religion has been a long standing issue and with no solution in sight, the people of both countries can brace themselves for greater sufferings and destructions. Granted that this issue has been resolved, the terrorists will still have other reasons to continue to fight. They will fight a jihad war in the name of religion. They would want to liberate the Muslims in the belief that they have been oppressed by the west. So, the war on terror continues.

Why do these people so ever willing to fight and to kill? It is their religious beliefs or are they being brainwashed to fight for the sake of fighting? The fact that they have members who are willing to sacrifice their lives by becoming suicide bombers must have sent shivers down the spine of many. To achieve their objectives, they have no qualms to maim and to kill even the innocents. And history has taught us that a religious war is always long and bloody.

The resources to fight a war whether conventional or otherwise require a tremendous amount of manpower and finance. The ability of the terrorist groups to fight such a long war showed that they must have a huge amount of financial support. Can the United States identify its sources to cut this financial lifeline of the terrorist groups? Although President Obama has begun to reach out for peace to the Muslim world, especially Iran (but with a lukewarm reciprocation), he must continue to work with those countries where terror cells are rampant.

If olive branch diplomacy fails to work, then for the sake of world peace, should the United States leads an all out war, physically or economically against those countries that harbor terrorism?

Ghost stories

2009-09-08T02:56:00.000-07:00

1) The weather for the last two weeks has been extremely hot, so much so that I need to on the room’s air-condition full blast before I can enjoy a good night sleep. One night, at about 2.00 am, there was a sudden urge for me to urinate and having done that, I walked towards the window just to have a look outside. To my horror, I saw a ghostly figure of a man standing opposite my house and he was wearing a bow tie! I froze for a while and when I realized that he was staring at my direction, I pulled the curtain slowly to hide my face. And for a good ten minutes he was standing there before he disappeared into thin air.

I realized the next morning that this is a Hungry Ghost month where the gates of hell open to allow them to roam the world and for those who died untimely deaths, the opportunity to seek revenge. However, this ghost with the bow tie seemed to be a friendly one.

2) About three years ago, my third elder brother passed away unexpectedly at a relatively young age of 59. He owns a restaurant which has been doing pretty well as he has been working hard to ensure his business is well taken care of. Just as he is to reap his success, his life was snatched away right before my eyes. One Sunday afternoon, he called me to fetch him to the hospital as he was having difficulty in breathing that seemed like an asthmatic attack. And two days after admission, he was gone.

One night, as usual on a weekend, I was sitting on the sofa watching my favorite Astro programme past midnight, when I could smell something pleasantly nice coming from the kitchen. As this perfume smell was familiar to me, I knew instinctively my brother had come to ‘visit’ me as the fragrance was his favorite. I sat still on the sofa with tears rolling down my eyes as I recalled his last breadth, and not wanting to turn back to ‘see’ him.

3) This happened quit a long time ago.

Previously, during each Chinese New Year, I need to drive home to my hometown in the East Coast for the celebration and then on the third day, to drive to Ipoh to celebrate with my in-laws. And this journey requires me to drive to KL and then to Ipoh by using the trunk road.

One New Year, while driving back to KL and as I drove through the tunnel near Genting, I saw a ghostly shadow of a child on the wall and was wearing the full attire of the Manchu era of China! When I revealed this to my wife, she told me that it is bad luck to see a ghost during Chinese New Year.

As I reached KL, I received a call from my friend who happened to go back to Ipoh as well. Remembering what my wife had told me, I arranged to travel in his car. When we reached Kampar, my friend met with two accidents. His car windscreen was smashed by a flying stone and later when this was fixed, his car door got knocked by another car.

Is there a relation to what I saw and what happened to my friend’s car?

I shudder to think what would have happened to me and my family if I were to drive to Ipoh.

Will I meet with a more serious accident and survive?

Whether we believe in fate or faith, let us appreciate what we have and not take things for granted.

Malaysia race relation: The way forward

2009-09-06T04:27:00.000-07:00

I believe many of us by now are already blasé with the political milieu in the country whereby racial hatreds are being stirred so blatantly that it has made many of us nauseous.

So for once, let us forget about any political parties so that we can talk as one. Maybe we can share something interesting that demonstrate racial harmony. Maybe we can contribute some good ideas on how to enhance greater racial integration among the people.

And I hope the following stories can bring some cheers to all of us which aptly demonstrate the true meaning of racial integration:

1) Moving request for prayers

2) Chinese and Bumipitras working together for prosperity

3) Chinese yee sang for Hari Raya. What a great combination!

I have once mooted an idea(read here) quite some time ago for the people of different races and religions to congregate at the same venue and on the same piece of land for prayers so that each and everyone can understand one's religion better. But then, the goons in the cow head protest have shattered my dream.

We must always bear in mind that the future of this country hinges tightly on the racial relations of the people. And to those who like to sow the seeds of racial hatreds, I would like to appeal to all of you not to destroy the bondage of the people. The above three stories have shown that the people of different races can work and eat together because there is respect and trust among them. And I believe there are many more of them out there.
Let us learn from our very own people.

Let us be focussed

2009-09-04T04:34:00.000-07:00

The success of Frenchman Alain Robert in conquering the height of the Petronas Twin Tower is a feat that has earned my utmost respect.

What I admired about this Frenchman is his bravery and the never-say-die attitude to succeed. And to achieve this, he must be extremely focused on what he sets out to do. Who else in this world but this Spiderman as he is aptly known, is brave enough to climb the tower with his bare hands without the ropes and a safety net? A slip and a misstep will kill him instantly from the fall. But then he has the will and exudes full of confidence to succeed. One can see the sheer joy on his face when he stood on top the pinnacle of the tower, which is the highest point.

Now, respect needs to be earned as it definitely does not come from the sky. I respect this Frenchman not because he is romantic but because of his bravery in doing what nobody dares to do and the way he achieved it.

How can we make Malaysia as a country and us as Malaysians be respected in the world stage?

If the majority of you think that the takeover of the government from BN by PR is the answer, then let us focus to change the government. Impossible? Well, the recently concluded election in Japan has shown that in politics, anything is possible.

With the intense pressure mounting on Umno/BN now, it has begun to attack PR on all fronts: with all the wrong moves.

They can do and say what they want. They can also twist and turn and spin whatever stories to divide PR. In other words, while Umno/BN is using cow sense in making all the wrong moves, PR must ensure it uses common sense to stay focus and makes the right moves.

As for the votes, my family and siblings, with a total of 15 votes, have already made up our mind.

Have you?

A party of self-destruction

2009-09-02T04:04:00.000-07:00

The open feud between Ong Tee Keat and Chua Soi Lek in MCA is reminiscent of the infamous feuds of Tan Koon Swan versus Neo Yee Pan and Ling Liong Sik versus Lim Ah Lek. All feuds, past and present, are between the President and the Deputy President, each with his own supporters: a perfect recipe for destruction.

In such a divisive party, where the top echelon of power fights, the bottom part of the party members are confused and equally divided, it is a matter of time MCA loses its support not only from the Chinese community but also from Umno, which is the main component party of BN. Even when the EGM is over, the feud will continue to escalate with greater propensity and ferocity from both feuding parties.

I see this new episode of political feud in MCA as a disgrace to the Chinese community.
It is akin to two brothers fighting outside the house. And as if that is not enough, they continue to fight in the cinemas and shopping complexes for all and sundry to see. Wouldn't this bring shame to the parents and other siblings? Even if there is reconciliation among the two brothers who fought, the neighbors will still frown and shy away from the family. On the other hand, if the two brothers were to talk things over in an amicable manner in the house, there will be respect from the neighbors, no matter how bad the feud is.

It is most disheartening that despite of the two past political feuds among the President and the Deputy President, MCA has failed to learn its lesson. Like the neighbor, Umno has stayed away from this feud. Whether Umno will become a close ally again to MCA or distance itself further, depends on how good is the 'neighborliness' of Umno. But then, when the damage has already been done and respect lost, who will give a damn to MCA anymore?

Amazing act

2009-08-31T05:16:00.000-07:00

The face changing, or "bian lian" in Chinese, is an important aspect of Chinese Sichuan opera. Performers wave their arms and twist their heads, and their painted masks change again and again and again. The sheer speed it is done will leaves you in awe.

Face-changing was first used in a story about a hero who stole from the rich to help the poor.
When he was caught by feudal officials, he changed his face to puzzle them and escaped as a result.

By the 1920s, opera masters began using layers of masks made of oiled paper or dried pig bladder. Skilled performers could peel off one mask after another in less than a second. Modern-day masters use full-face painted silk masks, which can be worn in layers of as many as twenty-four, and be pulled off one by one. How it is prepared and done is a highly kept secret.

Face changing is a highly protected skill and is only passed down to the male of the family as the female is considered a non-family member once she gets married.

Does anyone knows the secrets of "bian lian"?

Beware of the moles !

2009-08-28T04:44:00.006-07:00

The revelation by PKR adviser in Sarawak that there are moles in the party and a possibility of PKR facing a Trojan attack sounds interesting enough to capture our attention.(the Sun Aug 27 09)

Moles have been used frequently in triad societies when one society wants to seize territories of the other to control drug trafficking, prostitution, bootlegging and many other illegal trades. To do this, the triad boss will choose a trusted lieutenant to become a mole to infiltrate into his enemy’s society. In the beginning, it is extremely important for the mole to gain the trust of his ‘boss’ lest his identity being expose and that will be the end of his life. Once this is achieved, he will then be able to provide important information, like the time and place of the illegal transactions and the movement of his ‘boss’. When enough of information has been gathered, the triad will strike to eliminate his enemy which usually ends in violence.

Now, political moles, although are not violent, are extremely dangerous. Because they are paid to sabotage and are saboteurs, the modus operanti is quite similar to the triads and can destroy a party by infiltration to provide vital information. Although the triads are violent in nature, there is a code of ethic which the Italian mafiaso call ormeta. However, in Malaysia, everything goes for the political moles, especially during elections. If they have uncovered that the politician's wife had a miscarriage before, it will be exposed. If the politician has forgotten to pay some bills, it will be exposed. If the politician has visited a prostitute 50 years ago, it will also be exposed, with the prostitute as a witness no matter how fragile she is.The end result is to sabotage.

I think by now, the leaders in PR must have realize how dangerous these political moles are and they must be identified at all costs before it is too late. In the triad society, the moles will either be mutilated or executed. So, for the political moles, they must be sacked, shamed and must never be given a second chance to serve the party.

Can we identify the moles in Pakatan Rakyat?

What a speed demon !

2009-08-22T04:57:00.000-07:00

It is just unbelievable and needs to be seen and seen again on TV to witness the sheer speed of Usain Bolt to break his own world records of the 100m and 200m race with a time of 9.58 sec. and 19.19 sec. respectively.

When I saw him won the Beijing Olympic 100m race on TV with a world record, I knew this man can go much faster if not for his ‘relaxing’ run at the near finish. At that race, when he knew that nobody came close to him near the finish line, he relaxed by swinging his hands like a stroll in the park which could had cost him maybe hundredths of a second slower.

Now this man is talking of a possibility of achieving 9.4 sec. for the 100m race and I believe in him. Since the car accident in Jamaica which luckily caused only a minor injury to his legs, he has been very focused in his training. He trained hard on his start without undue pressure and believes in himself to achieve the impossible.

Looking at our local sports scene, there have been hardly any credible achievements, beside squash and badminton which we have depended on for glory for umpteenth years. I certainly hope that our sportsmen and sportswomen can learn from the achievements of Usain Bolt. When we have failed to shine in the sporting arenas even in Asean, then how on earth are we to succeed in Asia, let alone the world. While others have achieved much in sports and are consistent in their successes, we seemed to achieve the opposite, with millions of ringgit thrown in.

For those who try to seek short-cuts to glory, they will surely end in agony.

At 23 years of age today, the world is certain to have a legend in the race track who is set to rule for a long time and most probably there will not be another human being in this planet to match the lightning speed of Usain Bolt.

After all, his name is Bolt, Thunderbolt.

Merdeka, Merdeka, Merdeka

2009-08-14T07:36:00.000-07:00

Every year, the Ministry of Tourism launches the Malaysia Mega Sale Carnival in July which ends on 31^st August, Merdeka Day. During this period, major shopping complexes and shops will be having sales promotions with special discounts and many bargains galore. There will also be a smorgasbord of promotional activities to attract both local customers and foreign tourists.

So, what has the Mega Sale Carnival got to do with Merdeka?

Well, just like the annual sale carnival, Merdeka is also celebrated with a smorgasbord of activities and a beautiful slogan that calls for unity each year. Like the businessmen who will sweet-talk the customers, some politicians will toned down their racial slurs and are extremely 'well-behaved'. Like the amazing 70% discounts on offer, those politicians who have stirred racial hatreds will amazingly call for unity and harmony among the people. Oh, it feels so good when everyone is calling for racial unity and harmony. Such a fantastic 'sales offer' is definitely hard to resist and able to attract a lot of votes for the next GE.

But then, these ‘bargains galore’ happens only once in a year.

Just like when the mega sale carnival is over, when the prices of goods have revert to its original price, the politicians will revert to their original selves of racial destruction. And the theme of the Merdeka celebration becomes meaningless, the glamor speeches of the politicians during the celebration will also soon be forgotten.

As a middle-age Malaysian and I believe many other senior Malaysians too, who have seen the many early Merdeka celebrations, where the spirit of Malaysianess was high, we can see that such spirit is slowly but surely disappearing due to the many unpleasant political happenings that we have witnessed. Unless the government takes great steps to instill a sense of unity to the young generation, those beautiful slogans are meaningless. Unless the government walks the talk to show the true meaning of muhibbah, the Merdeka celebration is just pure display and nothing else. And unless the government do it now, the spirit of Merdeka will be gone forever.

I am not too sure how the current and those surviving ex-PMs feel, but what I am sure is, with the present political happenings in the country, those ex-PMS who have passed away are already crying in their graves.

Malaysia's Top Ten

2009-08-10T08:12:00.002-07:00

One Malaysia

Two sets of laws

Three major races

Four losses in by-elections by BN

Five Prime Ministers

Sixth is on the way

Seven Habits mantra of good governance

Eight out of ten do not give a damn

Ninety percent will vote against the politically corrupt evils

Ten and more abuses will continue to be committed

America, Oh America

2009-08-07T20:27:00.001-07:00

The jubilant return of the two American journalists, Euna Lee and Laura Ling who were arrested five months ago and sentenced to 12 years of hard labor in North Korea has touched the hearts of many.

The release, which has been made possible through the diplomatic efforts of former president Bill Clinton, is not only significant in terms of forging greater relationship among the two countries but also as a unifying factor of the American people. Just like the government has vowed to bring each and every American soldier back from war whether dead or alive, every ordinary American citizen, whether black or white, will be given equal attention and assistance.

In the words of Al Gore, former vice-president: "It speaks well of our country that when two American citizens are in harm’s way, that so many people will just put things aside and just go to work to make sure that this has had a happy ending".

Wouldn’t these words make every American proud?

Ok, I know what someone will say: If you think the other side is better, then migrate over there. Well, let me give you some of my national pride. I am a true blooded Malaysian as I am born here and will most probably die here. This is a land of plenty for all to make a living. And with the peace and harmony currently still intact, it makes me proud to be a Malaysian. In fact, our cultural diversities should make all of us proud.

However, the current trend of excessive racial politicking is truly a test to one’s patience which I am afraid can be explosive. When racial hatreds are allowed to be stirred in a local media by the racists with impunity, then it simply makes a mockery of the One Malaysia concept advocated by the PM which calls for fairness, respect and equality for all. The racists are getting bolder now and with the backing of those in power, they do not fear and give a damn about the feelings of the other races. They simply act supreme above all else.

If you are in my shoes now, will you still be a proud Malaysian?

We have made a costly mistake

2009-08-03T07:02:00.000-07:00

The headline in today’s Star paper which claimed that millions of businesses have been lost and further add that investors may shy away due to the recent anti-ISA protest on Saturday has made me and many right thinking Malaysians of the real truths in the report.

Instead of allowing the protesters to march peacefully, the police used tear gas and water cannon blatantly to disperse the crowd. Opposition leader Lim Kit Siang of the DAP, in his blog, has rightfully accused the police as the aggressor rather than the protector. Had the government allowed the protesters to march peacefully, it could have scored a major political point.

The PM had asked: Why march?

To answer this question, I would like to direct all right thinking Malaysians to read this article by Yeo Yang Poh, a former Bar Council President.

To add on, the used of ISA to arrest Teresa Kok and the reporter in Penang during the height of PR's popularity has clearly demonstrated the urgency to remove this draconian law of threatening and silencing the minority by those in power.

If the estimated loss of RM100 to RM 200 million in businesses by the FT Minister is indeed true, then the economy of Malaysia must be performing extremely well in this current worldwide economic slowdown, taking into consideration that the protest was held on a Saturday, when banks and the stock exchange were closed. The truth is, many businesses are been badly affected by this financial meltdown and God knows when it is going to recover.

To the investors, such a seemingly peaceful protest is only a fraction of concern for them. The investors are more concern of the CAT concept of good governance above all else. Instead of asking why march, the PM should have asked: Why are the investors shying away from Malaysia?

How can the investors have confidence here when the anti-corruption agency is playing the political game of the government? When the warlords and those in the corridor of power are involved in scandalous projects, such cases are either not pursue with earnest or are pursued with no conclusion. The PKFZ fiasco and the Lingam tape are just two examples.

Who would like to invest in a country when bureaucratic red tapes are such a hindrance to business friendliness? With those Little Napoleons in almost every government department, the real pain in the arse of doing business begins here.

Who would dare to invest in the GLCs of Malaysia when such investments can cause so much of brouhaha from the people of a political party? Remember the purchased of Pantai Hospitals by Parkway of Singapore? When so many concerns have been expressed by the political elites, the government had to buy back the shares from Parkway, at a much higher price of course.

Now we have a similar issue with Bernas. The ownership of 31% by Wang Tak Co. of Hong Kong has been played up as a concern to the bumiputras. The government has assured that with the ‘golden share’, it has the absolute power to run Bernas. I believe Malaysia is the only country in the world which has this so called ‘golden share’ rule when dealing with foreign investors. It has been reported that Wang Tak Co, has agreed to sell its shares to a bumiputra company, at a higher price of course.

So, who is ‘chasing’ the investors away?

Who is making the country losing millions?

It is indeed very costly for us to have the same government ruling this country.

When death has its meaning

2009-07-18T04:47:00.000-07:00

First and foremost, like all right thinking Malaysians, I would like to express my condolences to the family of Teoh Beng Hock who died in mysterious

circumstances while under detention as a witness at the MACC office.

Although we have been cautioned not to speculate on the death of Teoh Beng Hock, all right thinking Malaysians believe that the writings are on the wall.

What does the death of Teoh Beng Hock means to all of us?

To the people: It is time for us all to unite to fight against the evils of politics. When innocent lives can be taken away in the name of political survival, what else can the people hope for? It is pure bunkum to see true justice when the rule of laws can be amended and broken at the whims and fancies of those in power. By now the people must have realized which party brings nothing but misery and who are the ones that champion justice and fairness for all. For the apolitical and the fence-sitters, your decision is now. Let us not allow Teoh Beng Hock die in vain and just as he will fight for justice when alive, his soul will be a shining star to guide us to this path.

To Pakatan Rakyat: It is time for PR to wake-up and stay focus on the ultimate objective of forming the next government. It should realize by now the reasons behind all these questionings of the political secretaries of the DAP in Selangor by the MACC. Can PR survive the onslaught of the enemy? The clarion call for solidarity and unity among the PR parties is getting stronger now. As such PR must seize this opportunity to built a stronger foundation that is strong enough to withstand the onslaughts of the enemies. Th ability to smash the racial barriers among the people will be the strongest pylon of foundation for PR to build on.

To Barisan Nasional: The current sentiment of the people is full of anger and distrust now. The people have seen a lot of shits and heard a lot of bulls. Unfortunately for the people, this is not an election year. A call for an early election would have triggered a mother of all tsunamis that would have swept the pillars of power of BN away, paving a new hope for the people.

To all politicians: If they can conspire to frame in order to remove political enemies, no matter which side you are on, one can equally be removed with an iota of opportunity as long as you are not with them. Hence, these politicians must be brave enough to speak-up and fight the evils by joining forces with all right thinking Malaysians.

A picture paints a thousand words

2009-07-16T03:26:00.000-07:00

1) Look carefully and analyze the above picture of the Home Minister at his office.

Can you deduce the level of efficiency which we all dreaded when visiting a government department?

2) It is certainly a mountain of problems which are caused by some inept officials whose duties seem perfunctory that the applications are piled so high. While some managed to get their applications for citizenship and PR approved without much hazels, others who are more qualified are made to wait and run around in circles.

3) Inefficiency breeds inefficiency.

With the mountain of boxes, it will be extremely difficult for the official to identify and extract the file of an applicant. In the event an applicant was to ask for the status of the application, the most probable answer will be: file sudah hilang. So, the frustrating cycle of application continues.

4) The storage of the documents seemed so haphazardly organized and devoid of a good storage system. Unless, the applicants’ information are stored in the computer data system, the mountain of problems will continue to escalate.

5) Why must it take a new PM and Minister to expedite the application process?

Does it mean the previous Minister has been sleeping on the job all this while?

It clearly shows that it is the political will of the government that drives the efficiency of the system, but only if they want to. What a pitiful and stupid way to progress.

6) The engagement of agents to deal with government officials to hasten and smoothen one’s job is already a culture. While the above picture explains part of the reason, the rest is up to the relevant authorities to identify the causes.

A wake-up call

2009-07-08T05:00:00.000-07:00

As the world watched in horror at the deadly unrest in the capital of China’s Xinjiang region which left more than 150 people dead, it has brought back the memories of the nightmarish nights of the May 13^th 1969 racial riots which we all prayed that it will never happen again here in Malaysia.

If we take a hard look at the mayhem in the Xinjiang unrest, we will notice that there are some similarities to the 1969 riots: it is an ethnic clash, many innocent people were killed, properties were damaged and people lived in fear. While the unrest in Xinjiang is apparently due to oppression of the Uighurs by the Chinese government, the 1969 riots here is due to the highly charged political environment caused by the politicians.

Even today, the peace and harmony of our diversified society lie in the hands of the politicians. I sincerely hope the current turmoil in the world will make our politicians realize that no matter what political differences there are, it will be a folly for them to stir racial hatreds among the people, for we cannot afford to have a repeat of the 1969 incident. We need to let this diversity in ethnicity of our country be a major strength and not a hindrance to peace and prosperity for all.

Today, the world is bombarded with so many protests and unrest, political or otherwise, that one can only quivers and shivers if this ‘trend’ is spread worldwide and which we have already started to witness: from Iran to Thailand and from Honduras to Philippines. It will be most destructive to the country’s economy if this is allowed to continue and not quelled. The protests in Thailand by the red and yellow shirted supporters recently which have caused a huge lost in tourism revenue demonstrated the economic destructive nature of a political unrest.

Although we live in a multi-racial society and more often than not, while some dimwit politicians seemed to be keen on destroying our harmony, the bondage among the people still remains strong. It is the fervent wish of every Malaysians (except the dimwit politicians) that we must remain united to propel this country forward. This country is blessed with richness in natural resources and human capital which make the economic pie big enough for all.

Whether we can make this pie bigger will depends on all of us.

Life of a parent

2009-07-02T07:53:00.000-07:00

Every Saturday is a day that I normally look forward to with earnest like a child waiting to be taken out for an outing. My plan is to make every Saturday a family day, a day where all the family members can sit together over food to chit-chat and discuss matters of family interests.

One Saturday my eldest daughter called, “Papa, I am going for a movie with my boyfriend and will not be joining you for dinner.”

“But today is a Saturday which is supposed to be a family day,” I answered with a slightly raised voice.

“Aiya, I have been working and working. Got to enjoy a bit, you know,” she reasoned out and having said that hung-up, knowing very well that I will relent to her dating.

Hardly an hour later, I received another call, this time from my second daughter.

“Hi, papa I am attending a friend’s birthday party tonight and will be home late,” she sounded so excited and bubbly which she normally do.

“Ok, make sure you try to come back early and be careful when you friends fetch you back. The security is not good you know. Tell your friends to beware of mat rempits. Be careful. Just be careful,” my voice sounded with full of worries.

“When our daughters were schooling, you worried over their education. Now that they have grown-up and have graduated, you are worried over them mixing with the wrong friends,” complained my wife.

Well, maybe in the eyes of the parents, the children can never grow-up and hence, the worries will continue even when they are married.

When my two daughters called, I can either scold them or command them to come back by disallowing them their outings or to understand and allow them to enjoy their time with their friends.

I chose the later because I have come to realize that the children of today are very different from that of yesterday, especially the mentality and outlook in life. On the other hand, if I chose the former and ‘rule’ them under the clutches of my hands, then the children will be rebellious which will ultimately developed into a strained relationship between father and children that can cause great unhappiness in the family. Having said this, I would like to stressed that there must be a balance of what can and cannot be allowed for the children lest they become spoilt, ill-mannered and arrogant.

I have two grown-up daughters who have just graduated and started working and a son who is in Form Two and whom I worried a great deal over his future education. Like any parents, we love our children very much and always try to make them happy. In fact my wife and I have struggled to bring them up from the early parts of their childhood. It is certainly not easy when you are not born with a silver spoon and financially strong. We just ‘ploughed’ our way through this journey of bringing up our children to provide them a sound education and hopefully, happiness in them.

Whether my children are able to give me the kind of love that I have showered them is not important. As long as there is happiness in them, there will be happiness in the hearts of their parents.

What a maid-ful of problems

2009-06-28T04:14:00.000-07:00

The ban by the Indonesian government to ‘export’ its maids to work in

Malaysia

seems to have put many families in a quandary as if they cannot live without them. The ban which is being triggered by the many reports of maid abuses by the employers has lased out a cry for justice by our Indonesian counterpart.

While we cannot deny that there are indeed cases of maid abuses, there are also many cases whereby the maids are causing havoc to the employers’ families with some in the brink of breaking-up. There have been many reported cases of thefts, violent abuses against children and the elderly which are equally inhumane committed by the maids. And the most shocking is the resorting to the use of hocus-pocus by some maids to cast spells on the employers by cooking foods with panties that are tainted with menstrual blood!

Despite these incidents, why then are some people seemed so helpless without them? How can the parents go to work with a piece of mind by leaving the children under the care of a total ‘stranger’ in the house? Can’t they talk to the in-laws, sisters, relatives or friends to look after the children (with salary of course)? Why can’t they seek the services of the many local babysitters or daycare centers in their vicinity?

The main reason given by the working families is the essence of time. Because they are working, they do not have the luxury of time to do household chores and by the time they got home, most probably they would be sapped of energy. Although I do agree this reasoning in general, my concern is still the well-being and safety of the children, which should be of paramount importance above all else. As for the household work, I suggest they get a local who can be engaged on a one or two day per week work basis.

Another reason which is not usually revealed is the fundamental use of economic: ROI (return of investment).

With the same amount of money paid to the local babysitter, one can use the maid to baby-sit and do all the household chores like washing clothes, car and cooking. And once the maid has finished the house work, she will be taken to the shop for further work which most probably will save the employer another worker’s salary. In some instances, the maid is even 'loaned' to the employer's siblings or relatives. With such a wonderful ‘product’ that is of multiple uses, reusable and transferable, it is any wonder why they are in great demand?

When one is confronted with constraints, where options are limited and pushed to a corner, then one needs to change and adapt to survive either in politics or business.

And in this case, adapt and change to solve this maid-ful of problems.

New kid in cyberspace

2009-06-27T05:29:00.000-07:00

Just as we thought that the cyberspace is already crowded with too many news portals and out came a newly launched one: www. malaysianmirror.com

It certainly takes a lot of courage for the entrepreneurs to venture into such a competitive industry. To dispel the notion by the viewers as just another ‘me too’ product will indeed be a great challenge for the profitability of the company. Anyway, when so much of efforts and money have been poured in, I am sure the company must have solid plans ahead. Maybe they will go into a niche market where no one dares to venture and be different from the others.

When the mainstream medias are under the control of political parties, do you expect to get a fair reporting where truths and fairness prevail? For far too often we have come across news that are distorted to suit the political masters and truths that are half-told. In some instances, one newspaper is allowed to publish news that are seditious and detrimental to racial harmony with impunity.

And when explosive scandals that seem to involve some people with political connects, such news are either censored or swept under the carpet.

In this age of cyber era where the source for information is unlimited and uncensored, a solid platform is available for the people to seek the truths and issues can become clearer from the murkiness of our local reporting.

My philosophy for explosive news is as such: Believe 50% in the local mainstream medias and the other 50% from the cyber medias. I will do an analysis from the facts and figures from both sources and then conclude my own judgment, which normally do not disappoint me.

The wrongdoers can run away from facts but they cannot run away from the truths.

And truths kill.

The wise man is in town

2009-06-14T04:51:00.000-07:00

1) The eight-day visit of Singapore's Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew to Malaysia must have brought many nostalgic memories since his last visit decades ago. Singapore, under the stewardship of LKY has indeed come a long way since independence in 1965. With a land area of only 274.2 sq.m which is almost barren in natural resources, it has become the 5th wealthiest nation in the world in terms of GDP per capita. It is the foresight and the wisdom of LKY that he managed to achieve this miracle. Hence, like a superstar in town, everybody( except Mahathir) would like to be photographed with him.

2) A wise man makes friends, not enemies. It is better to have one more friend than to have one more enemy. With this wisdom in mind, LKY has been calling on all political leaders during his visit: Umno, MCA, Gerakan, DAP and even PAS. With the extension of such friendships, LKY hopes that any bilateral issues between the two countries can be resolved amicably.

3) During the ancient times in China, the concubines of the Emperor played an extremely influential role in the decisions making of the Emperor. Whether it is this wisdom or otherwise, LKY called on Rosmah because he had been told that she and her husband worked as a team and it was necessary for him to understand both members of the team.

4) In the areas of economic cooperation in the Iskandar economic corridor and the building
of the third bridge, LKY has stressed that decisions on cooperation has to be long-termed and cannot be cooperation today, non-cooperation next year and then back again, backwards and forwards. Imagine the embarrassment caused, if LKY were to say it blantly:"Please do not flip-flop in your decisions. I have heard enough of it."

5) Mahathir has mentioned that he sees no reasons for LKY to see him in an almost sarcastic manner. Many of us, maybe LKY too, just do not know the reasons why Mahathir has shown so much displeasure against Singapore. Could it be that there are still some unsettle personal scores while he was studying medicine in Singapore or it is just plain jealousy of what Singapore has achieved under the wisdom of LKY?
Maybe, when the time is up for Mahathir to go, he will let God know.

Related posts: Only fools do not follow:I
Only fools do not follow: II

Malaysia, what is the problem?

2009-06-14T02:56:00.000-07:00

The debate over the teaching of English should never be an issue

For us to move forward the language must be pursued

Without a pass and grammar lessons, the quality certainly needs constant reviews

Or else, those scrolls will be treated just like another tissue

When buildings can collapse so easily

It is obvious for all to see that something must be fishy

To get things done, one needs to give some candies

Do not be surprised when there are more collapses with untold calamities

We were once a sporting nation that used to play soccer like a tiger

What we are seeing now are some glimmers that usually end with a whimper

When millions are already spent, how many champions are there for us to pamper?

And with so many failures, shouldn't those shameless seat warmers be goners?

Our transport system is plague with a never ending story heading to nowhere

Ticket touts here and there, traffic jams seem to be everywhere

Taxi drivers blatantly overcharging do not give a damn and just do not care

Are the authorities so helpless to act as if they do not even dare?

MACC, I see you see, do not be a folly

Show you bravery to nab those regardless of the identity

Through sports and unity

We can bring the country back to its glory