Some of the Youth delegates at the UMNO General Meeting are really pathetic. They try to get some political mileage by making outrageous statements if not downright silly. In that racial atmosphere, everything looks great.
Take a look at what Datuk Reezal Merican Naina Merican said, "For every RM 1.0 mil contract awarded to a bumiputra, only 20% went directly to him. The other 80% goes to the non-bumiputras". He made it sound like the non-bumiputras are laughing all the way to the bank even though the government was under UMNO(the major component of Barisan) from the time we got independance and with the implementation of the NEP for more than 20 years.
He is actually saying all the agencies set up by the government to help bumiputra contractors have not been doing their job from the time Tunku Abdul Rahman was the Prime Minister until now! I wonder if the rural Malays reading the news swallow this hook line and sinker.
If the bumiputra Malay contractor managed to get a supply contract or an M & E contract, the bulk of the contract sum would definitely go to the purchase of the equipment. Supposing the contract was for the supply of water pumps and according to the specifications the pumps could only be obtained from Europe, 80% would go to the supplier. 10% would be the cost for the installation and the rest for Preliminary costs and profit. This is normal and it happens to any contractor who gets such a contract.
If on the other hand the bumiputra contractor was "given" a building contract, he must have the skilled manpower, the construction equipment and the knowhow to complete the job within the time frame and make his profit. But if he gives it to sub-contractors and just takes a cut of the contract sum, whose fault is it?
The main issue should not be about how we slice the cake, but to teach the people how to make it and then go and sell it in the open market. Our human resource is our most precious asset and we still do not see that. We are still bickering over quotas and rights according to race. Our neighbours are moving forward because their citizens are busy catching up with the latest technology and improving on it.
Take China for example. Due to their closed door policy everyone thought they will lag behind. The minute they opened up to foreign investors they are moving at top speed. In IT, they are using Internet Protocol Version 6 while the Americans are still using IP4! The Chinese are forcing the Americans to change!
And what are we doing? Arguing on how to calculate the percentage achievement of the Malays under the NEP and we can't even agree on a suitable method! Going by the UMNO Youth delegates emotional presentation, the conclusion could be that they want 80% for the bumiputras, 20% for the Chinese and more Indian movies for the Indians on Astro! That would bring us to be the most developed nation by the year 2020.
Friday, November 17, 2006
Saturday, November 11, 2006
Brilliant Deduction
During the council proceedings at the Penang Municipal Council last Friday, one of the reporters who happened to pass by the control room saw the image of a woman's thigh on the monitor of the CCTV. She quickly alerted her friends who were covering the proceedings for their respective papers and the woman whose thigh was under 'observation' reported this matter to the council secretary.
In todays Star, the reply from the Penang Municipal Council President Datuk Abu Bakar Hassan was , "If the dress was not sexy, the incident would not have happened."
Does this sound familiar? Not too long ago a mufti in Australia came under fire for making a similar remark. Maybe the two of them studied at the same 'madrasah'.
Good management is mostly common sense. The CCTV was installed for a definite purpose and when that is abused, the common sense thing is to zoom in on the offender and take the necessary measures that such things do not occur again. This is the smart and logical thing to do. No need to educate other people on how to dress or more importantly, no need to put your foot in your mouth. The person monitoring the camera was in the wrong and he knows it. All that was needed was an apology to the victim and a firm warning to the culprit and nobody would have heard about this incident.
When we have lousy managers on top, we get all kinds of problems compounded by religious beliefs of one party being imposed on the rest of us. Dressing code indeed. How to solve the transportation problem in Penang when the council is now busy with the dress code!
In todays Star, the reply from the Penang Municipal Council President Datuk Abu Bakar Hassan was , "If the dress was not sexy, the incident would not have happened."
Does this sound familiar? Not too long ago a mufti in Australia came under fire for making a similar remark. Maybe the two of them studied at the same 'madrasah'.
Good management is mostly common sense. The CCTV was installed for a definite purpose and when that is abused, the common sense thing is to zoom in on the offender and take the necessary measures that such things do not occur again. This is the smart and logical thing to do. No need to educate other people on how to dress or more importantly, no need to put your foot in your mouth. The person monitoring the camera was in the wrong and he knows it. All that was needed was an apology to the victim and a firm warning to the culprit and nobody would have heard about this incident.
When we have lousy managers on top, we get all kinds of problems compounded by religious beliefs of one party being imposed on the rest of us. Dressing code indeed. How to solve the transportation problem in Penang when the council is now busy with the dress code!
Friday, November 10, 2006
Enforcement Blues
The problem with our country is we do not enforce our laws and rules of conduct on the citizens when it is necessary and pertinent to do so.
Take for example the blatant disregard for traffic rules by so many road users. They treat the traffic lights that are placed at the junctions as if they are decorative items put up by the City Council! No wonder we have so many road accidents. All it takes is for the traffic police to go around the city and check randomly and fine these law breakers. The police don't even have to stay put in one place. This random check will be very effective provided the fines are meted out without fear or favour. After some time we will have more law abiding citizens behind the wheels.
This sort of 'total disregard' problem also exists at parking lots, toll booths, paying counters. The queue jumping characters need to be house-trained and it is the job of the management to enforce the rules.
Look at how this person has parked the car. It is not even a big car to claim that you have parking problems! Simply 'couldn't be bothered' attitude.
I believe the 'tidak apa' attitude is the root cause of all these problems. We need to buck up and tackle the task at hand and do it properly and efficiently if we want to succeed in making our visions and missions come true for Malaysia. It starts with the small things, for when you excell in the smaller things you will be ready for the bigger things in life.
The various government departments and law enforcement agencies have been empowered to carry out their duties but there seems to be a general reluctance to enforce these rules and laws. They seem to be going through an 'enforcement blues' period. The only time there is a hype about checking road users is during festive occasions where you can see the police setting up their 'speed traps' along the highway. The idea of adhering to the traffic rules must be an everyday affair and not only during festive occasions. The police must do some rethinking about their methods of enforcing the law for the good of the country.
Take for example the blatant disregard for traffic rules by so many road users. They treat the traffic lights that are placed at the junctions as if they are decorative items put up by the City Council! No wonder we have so many road accidents. All it takes is for the traffic police to go around the city and check randomly and fine these law breakers. The police don't even have to stay put in one place. This random check will be very effective provided the fines are meted out without fear or favour. After some time we will have more law abiding citizens behind the wheels.
This sort of 'total disregard' problem also exists at parking lots, toll booths, paying counters. The queue jumping characters need to be house-trained and it is the job of the management to enforce the rules.
Look at how this person has parked the car. It is not even a big car to claim that you have parking problems! Simply 'couldn't be bothered' attitude.
I believe the 'tidak apa' attitude is the root cause of all these problems. We need to buck up and tackle the task at hand and do it properly and efficiently if we want to succeed in making our visions and missions come true for Malaysia. It starts with the small things, for when you excell in the smaller things you will be ready for the bigger things in life.
The various government departments and law enforcement agencies have been empowered to carry out their duties but there seems to be a general reluctance to enforce these rules and laws. They seem to be going through an 'enforcement blues' period. The only time there is a hype about checking road users is during festive occasions where you can see the police setting up their 'speed traps' along the highway. The idea of adhering to the traffic rules must be an everyday affair and not only during festive occasions. The police must do some rethinking about their methods of enforcing the law for the good of the country.
Monday, November 06, 2006
Corruption Ranking - Latest
The latest from Transparency International's 2006 Perceptions Index has placed Malaysia as the 44th in their list of 163.
Our neighbour down South, Singapore is in the 5th place- the only Asian country in the top ten group of the least corrupted. As the ranking number gets bigger so does the corruption level.
Thailand has taken the 63rd place while Indonesia and Papua New Guinea are tied for the 130th place.
India and China are in the 70th place in this ranking while Pakistan is at 142nd place.
The United Arab Emirates is at the 31st place which makes them the best among the Arab nations.
At the bottom at 160th place is Myanmar followed by Haiti at 163rd based on the CPI score.
Based on this list, it seems the people who do the most shouting about their religious beliefs are the worst performers.
"Cakap tak serupa bikin la.."
Our neighbour down South, Singapore is in the 5th place- the only Asian country in the top ten group of the least corrupted. As the ranking number gets bigger so does the corruption level.
Thailand has taken the 63rd place while Indonesia and Papua New Guinea are tied for the 130th place.
India and China are in the 70th place in this ranking while Pakistan is at 142nd place.
The United Arab Emirates is at the 31st place which makes them the best among the Arab nations.
At the bottom at 160th place is Myanmar followed by Haiti at 163rd based on the CPI score.
Based on this list, it seems the people who do the most shouting about their religious beliefs are the worst performers.
"Cakap tak serupa bikin la.."
UMNO Campaign Fever
It is that time when UMNO politicians start their campaign at the expense of the other races. The Johor MB has kicked it off with Johor UMNO's position on ‘Bangsa Malaysia’, meritocracy in the education system, the teaching of the English language and the position of Bahasa Melayu which are all hot topics in this country. With such a platform, he is definitely aiming for the top. With people like him around, the NEP (National Economic Policy) will become the Never Ending Policy for sure. For him, only the Malay race is important in this country. The rest of us are just numbers collected by the statistics department to present to foreign investors to attract FDI. This is the time when the UMNO politicians start issuing warnings to the other races, talk of Malay sovereignty and the continuance of the NEP to protect the Malay rights.
Equality is a dream for the non-Malays but a marketing slogan for the government to attract foreign investments. Just take any phone directory and look for the director of the government departments to see who is sitting on top. Even the second-in-command is enough. Look at who runs the schools now. Even the section heads in most government schools are selected from bumiputras even if they are very junior.
If this country is to achieve its vision of being a developed nation, you will need competent managers, engineers, educationists, economists, scientists and all the skilled people you can get to make it come true. This means we have to go by meritocracy. We cannot go by racial guidelines for promoting the workers.
The Prime Minister has just launched the Iskandar Development Region in South Johor and it is targeted to be like Hong Kong. We can’t even compete with Singapore for crying out loud! We are still employing workers by racial composition, insisting on the 30% bumiputra ownership! The security is in shambles, who would want to invest in Johor or Malaysia for that matter? Our police can't even tackle the snatch thieves or the Mat Rempits! Even the Singaporeans are shying away from this project. They are reminded by the ugly concrete pillars that jut out from the seabed. These pillars are part of the failed 1.7 billion JB Waterfront City that never took off. Why? Incompetent managers appointed by the government based on race most probably.
Malaysians can handle big jobs and do it well. I mean Malaysians, regardless of their race or religion. Just based on their merits, ability and knowhow we can choose the right people for the job. Take a look at the top 10 richest Malaysians and you can see why we can do it. There are no politicians in the top ten list. On the other hand, if a person does not declare his/her assets, we will never know their status now will we?
Equality is a dream for the non-Malays but a marketing slogan for the government to attract foreign investments. Just take any phone directory and look for the director of the government departments to see who is sitting on top. Even the second-in-command is enough. Look at who runs the schools now. Even the section heads in most government schools are selected from bumiputras even if they are very junior.
If this country is to achieve its vision of being a developed nation, you will need competent managers, engineers, educationists, economists, scientists and all the skilled people you can get to make it come true. This means we have to go by meritocracy. We cannot go by racial guidelines for promoting the workers.
The Prime Minister has just launched the Iskandar Development Region in South Johor and it is targeted to be like Hong Kong. We can’t even compete with Singapore for crying out loud! We are still employing workers by racial composition, insisting on the 30% bumiputra ownership! The security is in shambles, who would want to invest in Johor or Malaysia for that matter? Our police can't even tackle the snatch thieves or the Mat Rempits! Even the Singaporeans are shying away from this project. They are reminded by the ugly concrete pillars that jut out from the seabed. These pillars are part of the failed 1.7 billion JB Waterfront City that never took off. Why? Incompetent managers appointed by the government based on race most probably.
Malaysians can handle big jobs and do it well. I mean Malaysians, regardless of their race or religion. Just based on their merits, ability and knowhow we can choose the right people for the job. Take a look at the top 10 richest Malaysians and you can see why we can do it. There are no politicians in the top ten list. On the other hand, if a person does not declare his/her assets, we will never know their status now will we?
Sunday, November 05, 2006
Baptism of Muslims?
It was reported in todays Star that the police are investigating a rumour that a group of Muslims will be baptised in a church in Ipoh. It spread like wildfire through SMS. Actually, what it means when the paper uses the term 'spread like wildfire' is it spread like wildfire among the Muslims.
The Muslims from the 'wildfire group' all rushed to protest in front of the church like buzzards circling around a dying animal. They included members (Muslims) of the opposition parties and non-governmental organisations(probably a branch of the Islamic party). The director of the Perak Religious Department was also there(I wonder how such a senior person found the time to attend church). The secretary of the Perak Pusat Khidmat Islam was also there!
These people gathered for four hours and refused to disperse despite warnings from the police. What were they expecting to achieve? What dastardly deed were they planning to do? Are they emulating the Indonesian Muslims? This is Malaysia.
It shows how idiotic people can be in the name of religion!
It turns out that it was actually the first Holy Communion for 98 Indian children of the Church of Our Lady of Lourdes!
In such a situation, the common sense thing when you receive an SMS about such a sensitive subject is to find out who it is from and to verify the authenticity of the message. But I guess it is too much to ask from these 'Neanderthals' who would rather torch and burn down churches in the name of religion. Would the same thing happen if a group of Buddhist and Christians got converted to Islam in a mosque?
We might just make it as a developed nation by 2020, but we will be a far cry from being civilised if such things are allowed to go on. It will just be a matter of time when the violence starts and we will be just like Kashmir or Palestine.
The Muslims from the 'wildfire group' all rushed to protest in front of the church like buzzards circling around a dying animal. They included members (Muslims) of the opposition parties and non-governmental organisations(probably a branch of the Islamic party). The director of the Perak Religious Department was also there(I wonder how such a senior person found the time to attend church). The secretary of the Perak Pusat Khidmat Islam was also there!
These people gathered for four hours and refused to disperse despite warnings from the police. What were they expecting to achieve? What dastardly deed were they planning to do? Are they emulating the Indonesian Muslims? This is Malaysia.
It shows how idiotic people can be in the name of religion!
It turns out that it was actually the first Holy Communion for 98 Indian children of the Church of Our Lady of Lourdes!
In such a situation, the common sense thing when you receive an SMS about such a sensitive subject is to find out who it is from and to verify the authenticity of the message. But I guess it is too much to ask from these 'Neanderthals' who would rather torch and burn down churches in the name of religion. Would the same thing happen if a group of Buddhist and Christians got converted to Islam in a mosque?
We might just make it as a developed nation by 2020, but we will be a far cry from being civilised if such things are allowed to go on. It will just be a matter of time when the violence starts and we will be just like Kashmir or Palestine.
Wednesday, November 01, 2006
Week Of Statements
1. Another property of Zakaria, The DZ Satay House restaurant, has been found illegally built and has been slapped with a closure order by the Klang Municipal Council (MPK).
“Yes, it has been sealed because the restaurant sits on JKR (Public Works Department) reserve land, which is state land,” municipal councillor Datuk Teh Kim Poo said yesterday. ”Furthermore, the restaurant does not have any temporary occupancy licence or a business licence.
Datuk Zakaria’s press conference statement :
“I thank those, including the media, for giving me guidance on the need to follow rules and regulations.”
The Klang Umno division rallied behind its chief Datuk Zakaria Md Deros with a show of support and loyalty, claiming that he had been “sabotaged” by the Opposition.
“The entire thing is the work of the Opposition to discredit him. The only thing wrong here is the non-submission of building plans, that’s all,” division information chief Shoimi Shafie told pressmen at 6.45pm yesterday after the division held an emergency meeting.
2. Faizal Abdullah, a councillor from the Klang Municipal Council said,
“Yes, it is my mistake for not submitting the building plans before constructing the house,” Faizal said, when contacted yesterday after it was revealed that a property under his name in Jalan Melikai, Kampung Raja Uda here, had been slapped with a stop-work order from the council.
3. ‘Everyone is doing it, but my house is small' – Datuk Mazlynoor Abdul Latiff
The second Klang Municipal Councillor caught building his house in Kampung Raja Uda in Klang without approval.
4. The 2am raid by religious officers.
A Kedah Religious Department spokesman said the raid conducted at 2am on Oct 12 was made following public complaints of immoral activities at the condominium.
“The officers only knocked on the door and they did not enter the condominium.”
Retired policeman Randal Barnhart, 62, and wife Carole, 61, had complained the officers demanded to see their marriage certificate although he had told them that they were Christians and should not be subjected to Islamic law.
The Christian Federation of Malaysia (CFM) wants the Cabinet to reassure all Malaysians that their privacy will always be protected and nobody is subjected to harassment from Islamic Religious Officers.
“The CFM joins the voices of other concerned groups in the country in affirming the personal freedoms guaranteed to every person in our Constitution and that no person should be subject to laws other than what is sanctioned by Parliament,” it added.
5. Malaysia has recommended its policy of transparency and open scrutiny of government plans and policies to China and other Asean countries as a means to increase investment in their countries. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said greater information flow and transparency, especially on economic and industrial development, was vital.
6. From today consumers in Selangor, Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya will pay more for water. Under the new tariff there will be no increase for the first 20 cubic metres used, and consumers will continue to pay 57 sen per cubic metre.
Selangor Infrastructure and Public Utilities Committee chairman Datuk Fatah Iskandar said the Government saw the increase as a way to get consumers to conserve water as they would not have to pay more if they kept their usage below 20 cubic metres a month.
Businessmen involved in industries that use lots of water will wait for next month's water bill before deciding whether or not to raise prices.
“There might be an increase, but I think we will wait for next month's water bill to see how much more it'll be,” car wash supervisor Teh Leong Ket, 47, said yesterday.
“Yes, it has been sealed because the restaurant sits on JKR (Public Works Department) reserve land, which is state land,” municipal councillor Datuk Teh Kim Poo said yesterday. ”Furthermore, the restaurant does not have any temporary occupancy licence or a business licence.
Datuk Zakaria’s press conference statement :
“I thank those, including the media, for giving me guidance on the need to follow rules and regulations.”
The Klang Umno division rallied behind its chief Datuk Zakaria Md Deros with a show of support and loyalty, claiming that he had been “sabotaged” by the Opposition.
“The entire thing is the work of the Opposition to discredit him. The only thing wrong here is the non-submission of building plans, that’s all,” division information chief Shoimi Shafie told pressmen at 6.45pm yesterday after the division held an emergency meeting.
2. Faizal Abdullah, a councillor from the Klang Municipal Council said,
“Yes, it is my mistake for not submitting the building plans before constructing the house,” Faizal said, when contacted yesterday after it was revealed that a property under his name in Jalan Melikai, Kampung Raja Uda here, had been slapped with a stop-work order from the council.
3. ‘Everyone is doing it, but my house is small' – Datuk Mazlynoor Abdul Latiff
The second Klang Municipal Councillor caught building his house in Kampung Raja Uda in Klang without approval.
4. The 2am raid by religious officers.
A Kedah Religious Department spokesman said the raid conducted at 2am on Oct 12 was made following public complaints of immoral activities at the condominium.
“The officers only knocked on the door and they did not enter the condominium.”
Retired policeman Randal Barnhart, 62, and wife Carole, 61, had complained the officers demanded to see their marriage certificate although he had told them that they were Christians and should not be subjected to Islamic law.
The Christian Federation of Malaysia (CFM) wants the Cabinet to reassure all Malaysians that their privacy will always be protected and nobody is subjected to harassment from Islamic Religious Officers.
“The CFM joins the voices of other concerned groups in the country in affirming the personal freedoms guaranteed to every person in our Constitution and that no person should be subject to laws other than what is sanctioned by Parliament,” it added.
5. Malaysia has recommended its policy of transparency and open scrutiny of government plans and policies to China and other Asean countries as a means to increase investment in their countries. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said greater information flow and transparency, especially on economic and industrial development, was vital.
6. From today consumers in Selangor, Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya will pay more for water. Under the new tariff there will be no increase for the first 20 cubic metres used, and consumers will continue to pay 57 sen per cubic metre.
Selangor Infrastructure and Public Utilities Committee chairman Datuk Fatah Iskandar said the Government saw the increase as a way to get consumers to conserve water as they would not have to pay more if they kept their usage below 20 cubic metres a month.
Businessmen involved in industries that use lots of water will wait for next month's water bill before deciding whether or not to raise prices.
“There might be an increase, but I think we will wait for next month's water bill to see how much more it'll be,” car wash supervisor Teh Leong Ket, 47, said yesterday.
Monday, October 30, 2006
Corruption
What is corruption?
literally means to destroy (from the Latin corruptus);
is not a rare phenomenon;
takes many forms with different types of participants, settings, stakes, techniques and different degrees of cultural legitimacy;
is not only about stealing: it can also relate to the abuse of power in decision-making processes.
It is a form of behaviour that deviates from ethics, morality, tradition, law and civic virtue.
Corruption may be defined as any conduct which amounts to :
a) influencing the decision-making process of a public officer or authority,
or influence peddling;
b) dishonesty or breach of trust, by a public officer, in the exercise of his duty;
c) insider dealing/conflicts of interests; [and]
d) influence peddling by the use of fraudulent means such as bribery,
blackmail, which includes the use of election fraud.
e) Any person who directly or indirectly accepts, agrees or offers to accept any gratification from any other person to benefit him-/herself or any other person
is guilty of the crime of corruption. The person who makes the offer or inducement to another to commit a corrupt practice is also guilty of the crime of corruption.
Although there is an active and a passive side to the crime,
both parties are equally guilty of corruption.
(The information above is taken from : http://www.anticorruption.info/corr_def.htm)
2004 Asia corruption ratings
According to an enquiry conducted by Political & Economic Risk Consultancy Ltd, a well-known Hong Kong consulting group, Indonesia, India and Vietnam are considered the three most corrupt countries in Asia. The survey covered 12 Asian countries, interviewing 1000 non-resident businessmen working with various Asian countries.
The survey asked them to rate a country’s level of corruption on a scale of 0 to 10. Bangladesh, which for three years in a row Transparency International has rated the most corrupt in the world, was left off the list.
According to the survey's results, corruption has gone down in 8 of the 12 countries with respect to last year. Compared to previous years significant improvements were said to be made in China and Thailand, countries which in year's past had received many negative votes while still ranking number 5 on this year's list. The three countries considered having the least amount of corruption were Singapore, Japan and Hong Kong.
The 2004 corruption ratings in Asia are given below:
Indonesia: 9.25
India: 8.9
Vietnam: 8.67
Philippines: 8.33
Thailand, Malaysia, China: 7.33
South Korea: 6.67
Taiwan: 6.1
Hong Kong: 3.6
Japan: 3.5
Singapore: 0.5
This interesting article can be accessed at : http://www.odiousdebts.org/odiousdebts/index.cfm?DSP=content&ContentID=9627
The ratings might not necessarily be the most accurate but it is an eye opener.
Latest news from BBC :
Tommy Suharto freed from prison.
The son of Indonesia's former President Suharto has been freed from jail on conditional release after serving only four years of a murder sentence.
Hutomo Mandala Putra, also known as Tommy, was given a 15-year sentence in 2002 following his conviction for ordering the killing of a judge.
His sentence was first cut to 10 years, and then reduced further.
It's not surprising Indonesia is on top of the rating. We are not too far from the leaders. This rating was done in 2004. Another 2 under and will be par with Indonesia.
literally means to destroy (from the Latin corruptus);
is not a rare phenomenon;
takes many forms with different types of participants, settings, stakes, techniques and different degrees of cultural legitimacy;
is not only about stealing: it can also relate to the abuse of power in decision-making processes.
It is a form of behaviour that deviates from ethics, morality, tradition, law and civic virtue.
Corruption may be defined as any conduct which amounts to :
a) influencing the decision-making process of a public officer or authority,
or influence peddling;
b) dishonesty or breach of trust, by a public officer, in the exercise of his duty;
c) insider dealing/conflicts of interests; [and]
d) influence peddling by the use of fraudulent means such as bribery,
blackmail, which includes the use of election fraud.
e) Any person who directly or indirectly accepts, agrees or offers to accept any gratification from any other person to benefit him-/herself or any other person
is guilty of the crime of corruption. The person who makes the offer or inducement to another to commit a corrupt practice is also guilty of the crime of corruption.
Although there is an active and a passive side to the crime,
both parties are equally guilty of corruption.
(The information above is taken from : http://www.anticorruption.info/corr_def.htm)
2004 Asia corruption ratings
According to an enquiry conducted by Political & Economic Risk Consultancy Ltd, a well-known Hong Kong consulting group, Indonesia, India and Vietnam are considered the three most corrupt countries in Asia. The survey covered 12 Asian countries, interviewing 1000 non-resident businessmen working with various Asian countries.
The survey asked them to rate a country’s level of corruption on a scale of 0 to 10. Bangladesh, which for three years in a row Transparency International has rated the most corrupt in the world, was left off the list.
According to the survey's results, corruption has gone down in 8 of the 12 countries with respect to last year. Compared to previous years significant improvements were said to be made in China and Thailand, countries which in year's past had received many negative votes while still ranking number 5 on this year's list. The three countries considered having the least amount of corruption were Singapore, Japan and Hong Kong.
The 2004 corruption ratings in Asia are given below:
Indonesia: 9.25
India: 8.9
Vietnam: 8.67
Philippines: 8.33
Thailand, Malaysia, China: 7.33
South Korea: 6.67
Taiwan: 6.1
Hong Kong: 3.6
Japan: 3.5
Singapore: 0.5
This interesting article can be accessed at : http://www.odiousdebts.org/odiousdebts/index.cfm?DSP=content&ContentID=9627
The ratings might not necessarily be the most accurate but it is an eye opener.
Latest news from BBC :
Tommy Suharto freed from prison.
The son of Indonesia's former President Suharto has been freed from jail on conditional release after serving only four years of a murder sentence.
Hutomo Mandala Putra, also known as Tommy, was given a 15-year sentence in 2002 following his conviction for ordering the killing of a judge.
His sentence was first cut to 10 years, and then reduced further.
It's not surprising Indonesia is on top of the rating. We are not too far from the leaders. This rating was done in 2004. Another 2 under and will be par with Indonesia.
Friday, October 27, 2006
Insensitivity
Insensitivity : The inability to respond to affective changes in your interpersonal environment.
Could this have been the problem with Australia's top Muslim leader? In his sermon, he was reported as saying that women who do not dress moderately as "uncovered meat". He went on to say that" If you take out uncovered meat and place it outside.... and the cats come and eat it, whose fault is it, the cats or the uncovered meat? The uncovered meat is the problem". Maybe he should "meat" with the parents of the Muslim computer engineer who was raped and murdered in Johor. She was covered from head to toe. Of course she didn't stay at home at the time as our government's policy was to educate its citizens regardless of gender and make them productive to support the vision of being a developed nation by the year 2020.
The cleric might not know of such plans or couldn't be bothered with such trivial matters. He had higher aims, to make sure all women were properly covered and stayed indoors! When you give too much power to religious people you can expect a lot of problems. Politicians can be thrown out at the next election but religious people hide behind their 'religious holy books' and it is next to impossible to get rid of them once they are in power.
My question is why did an Egyptian religious man migrate to Australia knowing that women here do not wear the 'hijab'? This is the land of sunshine and beaches, where the people love to surf and swim and sail. Even the Aborigines are not dressed properly by his standards! Why didn't he just stay in the land of 'hijabs' and turbans and long robes and beards? He wouldn't be in trouble now would he? If he had made that statement in Egypt or Saudi Arabia or Pakistan or Afganistan or Bangladesh or Iraq, the people would have clapped their hands and called him their hero. He should go back to Egypt, but I think it's all about personal freedom which you don't get in a Muslim country.
Another example of insensitivity is the 2.00 am raid by religious officers on a visiting American couple in Langkawi, Malaysia who were accused of 'khalwat' (close proximity between man and woman who are not legally married). The American is demanding a written apology from the religious department and compensation for the air ticket he had to buy for his wife who wanted to go back home after that frightening experience.
A new shopping complex, Souq Bukhary, has just opened for business in my city with 'Giant' as their anchor tenant. I heard some non-Muslim girls who wore skirts were barred from entering this complex by the guards! I am not sure if this is true as I have not personally witnessed it. But if it is true, this is no way to do business in a multi-racial, multi-cultural and multi-religious environment. It is not necessary to teach one's customers how to dress in such an environment. How to attract tourists to Kedah????? No wonder the tourists are flocking to Thailand. We have ostriches with their heads in the sand in charge of developing the business in this state.
The same thing happens in Government departments or Government agencies managed by the 'Little Napoleons' who make their own rules. They have the gall to put up notices saying people who are not properly dressed will not be served! These people come to pay bills! The government will of course deny any such rule but will not take action against these 'Little Napoleons' who make their own laws.
The non-Muslims in this country are not allowed to preach to the Muslims. This is law in this country. You can't sell liquor or pork anywhere you like. We have to be sensitive to our Muslim brothers' beliefs. We have learnt to live with each other peacefully and harmoniously for so many years because we respect one anothers' beliefs. That is the key! When we lose this respect and become insolent and insensitive to one another, we will have problems - big problems. I sincerely hope this doesn't happen in Malaysia.
Could this have been the problem with Australia's top Muslim leader? In his sermon, he was reported as saying that women who do not dress moderately as "uncovered meat". He went on to say that" If you take out uncovered meat and place it outside.... and the cats come and eat it, whose fault is it, the cats or the uncovered meat? The uncovered meat is the problem". Maybe he should "meat" with the parents of the Muslim computer engineer who was raped and murdered in Johor. She was covered from head to toe. Of course she didn't stay at home at the time as our government's policy was to educate its citizens regardless of gender and make them productive to support the vision of being a developed nation by the year 2020.
The cleric might not know of such plans or couldn't be bothered with such trivial matters. He had higher aims, to make sure all women were properly covered and stayed indoors! When you give too much power to religious people you can expect a lot of problems. Politicians can be thrown out at the next election but religious people hide behind their 'religious holy books' and it is next to impossible to get rid of them once they are in power.
My question is why did an Egyptian religious man migrate to Australia knowing that women here do not wear the 'hijab'? This is the land of sunshine and beaches, where the people love to surf and swim and sail. Even the Aborigines are not dressed properly by his standards! Why didn't he just stay in the land of 'hijabs' and turbans and long robes and beards? He wouldn't be in trouble now would he? If he had made that statement in Egypt or Saudi Arabia or Pakistan or Afganistan or Bangladesh or Iraq, the people would have clapped their hands and called him their hero. He should go back to Egypt, but I think it's all about personal freedom which you don't get in a Muslim country.
Another example of insensitivity is the 2.00 am raid by religious officers on a visiting American couple in Langkawi, Malaysia who were accused of 'khalwat' (close proximity between man and woman who are not legally married). The American is demanding a written apology from the religious department and compensation for the air ticket he had to buy for his wife who wanted to go back home after that frightening experience.
A new shopping complex, Souq Bukhary, has just opened for business in my city with 'Giant' as their anchor tenant. I heard some non-Muslim girls who wore skirts were barred from entering this complex by the guards! I am not sure if this is true as I have not personally witnessed it. But if it is true, this is no way to do business in a multi-racial, multi-cultural and multi-religious environment. It is not necessary to teach one's customers how to dress in such an environment. How to attract tourists to Kedah????? No wonder the tourists are flocking to Thailand. We have ostriches with their heads in the sand in charge of developing the business in this state.
The same thing happens in Government departments or Government agencies managed by the 'Little Napoleons' who make their own rules. They have the gall to put up notices saying people who are not properly dressed will not be served! These people come to pay bills! The government will of course deny any such rule but will not take action against these 'Little Napoleons' who make their own laws.
The non-Muslims in this country are not allowed to preach to the Muslims. This is law in this country. You can't sell liquor or pork anywhere you like. We have to be sensitive to our Muslim brothers' beliefs. We have learnt to live with each other peacefully and harmoniously for so many years because we respect one anothers' beliefs. That is the key! When we lose this respect and become insolent and insensitive to one another, we will have problems - big problems. I sincerely hope this doesn't happen in Malaysia.
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
Abuse of Power
I read in the paper (The Star) that the swearing-in-ceremony for Klang municipal councillors has been postponed. Nobody seems to know why! Selangor Menteri Besar, Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Khir Toyo said, "Maybe some issues have not been settled." What could these issues be?
Could it be because of the Port Klang state assembly man Datuk Zakaria Md Deros building a 'palatial' four-storey house without first getting the approval or because he had not paid assessment for another property in the same area for the last 12 years? The MB said, "no one was above the law". Unless ofcourse that nobody has a lot of money and can employ a very good and crafty lawyer who knows all the loop-holes in the law!
NO ONE is above GOD's law. Everyone of us will answer to Him on Judgement Day, including all the crafty lawyers. In this world it will seem the rich and the politically connected will get out of trouble easily. Let's see what happens in the Klang assembly mans case.
To top it, he was re-appointed to the council together with his son and daughter-in-law! Here's what the daughter-in-law had to say, "If you take it negatively it will be negative. If you take it positively, it will be positive. Our intention is to serve the people." The example of serving has been set by her father-in-law, only he was serving himself! What can you expect for future development in Klang from this bunch? What does this say about our political scenario in Malaysia? Why do we keep appointing people who blatantly abuse their power for their own benefit? The other example is the assembly man from Jasin. When the customs stopped an illegal shipment of sawn timber from Indonesia he made a big hue and cry about it. He said he was fighting for his constituents. It turns out the company involved in the fray was actually his own!
Later on he started to attack the customs department with regards to the disposal of seized luxury cars. It turns out he didn't get the Mercedes he wanted!
With people like these in parliament, do you think they will help to plan for the development of all Malaysians, the eradication of poverty among all the races, give solutions to the unemployment problem regardless of their race? At the moment we find that they are busy with acquiring wealth for themselves. There are probably many more doing the same quietly in the background. When it comes to issues like equity and equal opportunities for all Malaysians, suddenly there will be people drawing their krisses and warnings will be sounded not to offend certain groups of people! This is Malaysian politics. We are champions at speaking out and coming up with slogans against corruption and drug abuse and what nots, but in practice, its sooooo different!
Could it be because of the Port Klang state assembly man Datuk Zakaria Md Deros building a 'palatial' four-storey house without first getting the approval or because he had not paid assessment for another property in the same area for the last 12 years? The MB said, "no one was above the law". Unless ofcourse that nobody has a lot of money and can employ a very good and crafty lawyer who knows all the loop-holes in the law!
NO ONE is above GOD's law. Everyone of us will answer to Him on Judgement Day, including all the crafty lawyers. In this world it will seem the rich and the politically connected will get out of trouble easily. Let's see what happens in the Klang assembly mans case.
To top it, he was re-appointed to the council together with his son and daughter-in-law! Here's what the daughter-in-law had to say, "If you take it negatively it will be negative. If you take it positively, it will be positive. Our intention is to serve the people." The example of serving has been set by her father-in-law, only he was serving himself! What can you expect for future development in Klang from this bunch? What does this say about our political scenario in Malaysia? Why do we keep appointing people who blatantly abuse their power for their own benefit? The other example is the assembly man from Jasin. When the customs stopped an illegal shipment of sawn timber from Indonesia he made a big hue and cry about it. He said he was fighting for his constituents. It turns out the company involved in the fray was actually his own!
Later on he started to attack the customs department with regards to the disposal of seized luxury cars. It turns out he didn't get the Mercedes he wanted!
With people like these in parliament, do you think they will help to plan for the development of all Malaysians, the eradication of poverty among all the races, give solutions to the unemployment problem regardless of their race? At the moment we find that they are busy with acquiring wealth for themselves. There are probably many more doing the same quietly in the background. When it comes to issues like equity and equal opportunities for all Malaysians, suddenly there will be people drawing their krisses and warnings will be sounded not to offend certain groups of people! This is Malaysian politics. We are champions at speaking out and coming up with slogans against corruption and drug abuse and what nots, but in practice, its sooooo different!
Wednesday, October 11, 2006
Religious Fanaticism
It's coming to a point where I am not sure I am living in the Malaysia I know. I grew up in a Malay(muslim) community. Our backdoor neighbours were Malay. A lot of my classmates were Malays. We mixed quite freely, played games together, visited each other's homes without worrying about losing our own faith. Today we have the so called 'religious' people telling the muslims in this country not to mix with the non-muslims. The present government is wondering why there is no racial intergration in the schools or the universities! The Prime Minister has his head in the clouds.
You let the worms out of the woodwork and let them sit in management places and what do you expect. Emails like the one sent out by the Takaful Malaysia’s Syariah department head Fauzi Mustaffar forbidding Muslims to wish Hindu friends Happy Deepavali. Where did this guy come from? Is he a real Malaysian or a dropout from the Taliban school?
Ofcourse the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Dr Abdullah Md Zin immediately declared that it was not a fatwa but a personal view of Mr. Fauzi. The fact is he is still sitting there and influencing the many ignoramuses working under him. My friend got so pissed off he decided to send an email to the PM regarding this matter. I wonder if he will get a reply. Below is his email to the PM :
YAB Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi
Perdana Menteri Malaysia
Bangunan Perdana Putra
Pusat Pentadbiran Kerajaan Persekutuan
62502 Putrajaya.
YAB Datuk Seri,
Laporan Akhbar The Star (11hb Oktober 2006) : E-mail from Takaful man 'not fatwa'
Adalah saya merujuk perkara tersebut di atas dan kepada mukasurat N8, akhbar The Star bertarikh 11 Oktober 2006 dan ingin mengalu-alukan kenyataan Menteri Di Jabatan Perdana Menteri YB Datuk Dr Abdullah Md Zin yang telah menyuarakan rasa tidak puas hati beliau terhadap En. Fauzi Mustafar, Ketua Jabatan Syariah, Takaful Malaysia yang telah menyatakan bahawa mengucapkan "Selamat Deepavali" kepada penganut agama Hindu adalah bertentangan dengan ajaran Islam. Tambah YB Datuk Dr Abdullah, kenyataan oleh En. Fauzi Mustafar hanyalah merupakan pendapat peribadi beliau, dan bukannya sebuah fatwa yang hanya boleh diisytiharkan oleh Majlis Fatwa Negara ataupun Jakim di negara ini.
Apa yang mengewakan ialah kenyataan sedemikian telah dibuat oleh seorang pegawai atasan di sebuah instituti kewangan negara. Tindakan begini sememangnya akan mewujudkan rasa tidak senang dan/atau membangkitkan rasa curiga-mencurigai di kalangan rakyat berbilang kaum di Malaysia. Pada waktu kerajaan di bawah pimpinan YAB sedang giat mengidupkan semula perasaan harmoni dan muhibah di kalangan rakyat jelata, e-mail yang dihantar oleh En. Fauzi Mustafar kepada rakan-rakan pejabatnya adalah amat mendukacitakan.
Malangnya, isu sebegini telah timbul di sebuah jenis institusi kewangan yang terbaru di dunia iaitu yang mempromosikan sistem Takaful. Malaysialah yang menerajui sistem ini di dunia buat masa ini, dan oleh yang demikian, Malaysia haruslah memberi gambaran positif dan universal kepada seluruh dunia.
Berikut adalah sabahagian petikan daripada akhbar Arab News di laman web www.arabnews.com bertarikh 21 Ogos 2006:-
Takaful Growth in Malaysia Fails to Take Off
Mushtak Parker, Arab News
However, the major psychological hurdles for Takaful market penetration remains the lack of players, the low capitalization of Takaful companies, the absence of an established Re-Takaful (reinsurance) market, lack of products, lack of market awareness, poor culture of consumer education, a misconceived religio-cultural distrust of and objection to insurance, and the mixed messages some of the Shariah advisories are giving, endorsing Takaful products in one breath and preaching against them in another breath. (Source: Arab News (The Middle East’s Leading English Language Daily), www.arabnews.com dated 21 August 2006)
Sememangnya, di dalam artikel tersebut, isu agama-budaya (religio-cultural) telah dikenalpasti sebagai salah satu perkara yang membawa salah tanggapan skim Takaful di kalangan masyarakat. Malangnya, kenyataan En. Fauzi Mustafar menepati salah tanggapan tersebut.
Adalah diharapkan YAB selaku Menteri Kewangan Malaysia dapat memberi perhatian dan mengambil tindakan yang sewajarnya terhadap pegawai tersebut.
"Selamat Hari Raya Aidil Fitri & Selamat Hari Deepavali"
Sekian, terima kasih.
K.Viyasan
11 Oktober 2006
I hope the PM will send a clear message to people like him that this is a multi-religious, multi-cultural, multi-racial country where a little bit of tolerence and understanding will go a long way in maintaining a peaceful and productive nation. All of us had a hand in bringing this country to where it is today not just the Malays or muslims. This fact must be taught in every school so that the younger generation will respect one another regardless of race or religion. Our future depends on our ability to live together on equal terms.
You let the worms out of the woodwork and let them sit in management places and what do you expect. Emails like the one sent out by the Takaful Malaysia’s Syariah department head Fauzi Mustaffar forbidding Muslims to wish Hindu friends Happy Deepavali. Where did this guy come from? Is he a real Malaysian or a dropout from the Taliban school?
Ofcourse the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Dr Abdullah Md Zin immediately declared that it was not a fatwa but a personal view of Mr. Fauzi. The fact is he is still sitting there and influencing the many ignoramuses working under him. My friend got so pissed off he decided to send an email to the PM regarding this matter. I wonder if he will get a reply. Below is his email to the PM :
YAB Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi
Perdana Menteri Malaysia
Bangunan Perdana Putra
Pusat Pentadbiran Kerajaan Persekutuan
62502 Putrajaya.
YAB Datuk Seri,
Laporan Akhbar The Star (11hb Oktober 2006) : E-mail from Takaful man 'not fatwa'
Adalah saya merujuk perkara tersebut di atas dan kepada mukasurat N8, akhbar The Star bertarikh 11 Oktober 2006 dan ingin mengalu-alukan kenyataan Menteri Di Jabatan Perdana Menteri YB Datuk Dr Abdullah Md Zin yang telah menyuarakan rasa tidak puas hati beliau terhadap En. Fauzi Mustafar, Ketua Jabatan Syariah, Takaful Malaysia yang telah menyatakan bahawa mengucapkan "Selamat Deepavali" kepada penganut agama Hindu adalah bertentangan dengan ajaran Islam. Tambah YB Datuk Dr Abdullah, kenyataan oleh En. Fauzi Mustafar hanyalah merupakan pendapat peribadi beliau, dan bukannya sebuah fatwa yang hanya boleh diisytiharkan oleh Majlis Fatwa Negara ataupun Jakim di negara ini.
Apa yang mengewakan ialah kenyataan sedemikian telah dibuat oleh seorang pegawai atasan di sebuah instituti kewangan negara. Tindakan begini sememangnya akan mewujudkan rasa tidak senang dan/atau membangkitkan rasa curiga-mencurigai di kalangan rakyat berbilang kaum di Malaysia. Pada waktu kerajaan di bawah pimpinan YAB sedang giat mengidupkan semula perasaan harmoni dan muhibah di kalangan rakyat jelata, e-mail yang dihantar oleh En. Fauzi Mustafar kepada rakan-rakan pejabatnya adalah amat mendukacitakan.
Malangnya, isu sebegini telah timbul di sebuah jenis institusi kewangan yang terbaru di dunia iaitu yang mempromosikan sistem Takaful. Malaysialah yang menerajui sistem ini di dunia buat masa ini, dan oleh yang demikian, Malaysia haruslah memberi gambaran positif dan universal kepada seluruh dunia.
Berikut adalah sabahagian petikan daripada akhbar Arab News di laman web www.arabnews.com bertarikh 21 Ogos 2006:-
Takaful Growth in Malaysia Fails to Take Off
Mushtak Parker, Arab News
However, the major psychological hurdles for Takaful market penetration remains the lack of players, the low capitalization of Takaful companies, the absence of an established Re-Takaful (reinsurance) market, lack of products, lack of market awareness, poor culture of consumer education, a misconceived religio-cultural distrust of and objection to insurance, and the mixed messages some of the Shariah advisories are giving, endorsing Takaful products in one breath and preaching against them in another breath. (Source: Arab News (The Middle East’s Leading English Language Daily), www.arabnews.com dated 21 August 2006)
Sememangnya, di dalam artikel tersebut, isu agama-budaya (religio-cultural) telah dikenalpasti sebagai salah satu perkara yang membawa salah tanggapan skim Takaful di kalangan masyarakat. Malangnya, kenyataan En. Fauzi Mustafar menepati salah tanggapan tersebut.
Adalah diharapkan YAB selaku Menteri Kewangan Malaysia dapat memberi perhatian dan mengambil tindakan yang sewajarnya terhadap pegawai tersebut.
"Selamat Hari Raya Aidil Fitri & Selamat Hari Deepavali"
Sekian, terima kasih.
K.Viyasan
11 Oktober 2006
I hope the PM will send a clear message to people like him that this is a multi-religious, multi-cultural, multi-racial country where a little bit of tolerence and understanding will go a long way in maintaining a peaceful and productive nation. All of us had a hand in bringing this country to where it is today not just the Malays or muslims. This fact must be taught in every school so that the younger generation will respect one another regardless of race or religion. Our future depends on our ability to live together on equal terms.
Saturday, September 30, 2006
Out Of The Ordinary Pics
The Pied Piper strikes again!
"aaaaargh! There's a snake in my mouth!"
"Careful dear, you might fall off the edge".
"Hey, you are going over the speed limit!".
"ssssssssssss, it's sooooo coooooooooool!"
I wonder when it is going to roll down.
"aaaaargh! There's a snake in my mouth!"
"Careful dear, you might fall off the edge".
"Hey, you are going over the speed limit!".
"ssssssssssss, it's sooooo coooooooooool!"
I wonder when it is going to roll down.
Thursday, September 28, 2006
HPTC Project
The HPTC (High Performance Training Center)project is on again. According to the Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, this contoversial project was necessary to realize the government's vision of excelling in sports at international level as reported in the Star today. What exactly does this mean? We are incapable of producing world standard athletes if they are trained here? Why is that? Is there a problem with our athletes? No talents to be found? If they are not talented enough when they are here, how will they be world class just by being trained in foreign soil? Is it the training techniques plus the sophisticated equipment? If that is the case, why not hire them? It will definitely be cheaper in the long run.
The emphasis on saving money here is because the Prime Miniter's statement on the financial status was on the front page. The civil servants were demanding for a pay rise and his reply was , "We have discussed their demands. At the moment, the Government is not ready to spend so much money. We need to take into account the government's finances because we need to spend money on development."
IN the state of Kedah, the Welfare Department has run out of funds to help the needy! It was reported that the poor in the district of Baling have not received their allowances for four months! The Kedah Welfare Department director said that the shortage of funds affected those in all districts of the state. Wouldn't it be humanitarian to channel some of the funds to the Welfare Department to pass it on to the really needy?
Back to the HPTC. The government want's to bring up the standard of football in this country as it is at the moment in the pits. My question is, did the Argetinians build a training center in UK for their players? Or the Koreans, or the Italians, or the French, or any of the African nations even? The problem lies with management. You don't bring politicians into sports and expect to get a world class team. Their choice of who represents the country vastly differs with that of a competent coach or manager.
We need the money to help our needy first, and then we need to build sports centers in every state which is easily accessible to our youths. Then only we will have a large base to choose the best athletes from. At the moment my home town doesn't even have a sports complex which could house most of the games played here. Such a complex could greatly help in popularising various sports which at the moment is not easily available to the vast majority.
They let the politicians manage the sports events and when they got hold of the funds, a grand swimming pool was built in the middle of the paddy fields! Only frogs and monitor lizards will be there now. The surrounding villagers are mostly muslims and taking off their clothes and wearing swimming costumes is not their culture. It would have been fully utilized if it was built in the city. We could not only train swimmers but also divers. China has produced world class divers. Why can't we?
So, I say we should spend our money wisely by selecting the best coaches, the best athletes and buying the best equipment and do our own training here.
The emphasis on saving money here is because the Prime Miniter's statement on the financial status was on the front page. The civil servants were demanding for a pay rise and his reply was , "We have discussed their demands. At the moment, the Government is not ready to spend so much money. We need to take into account the government's finances because we need to spend money on development."
IN the state of Kedah, the Welfare Department has run out of funds to help the needy! It was reported that the poor in the district of Baling have not received their allowances for four months! The Kedah Welfare Department director said that the shortage of funds affected those in all districts of the state. Wouldn't it be humanitarian to channel some of the funds to the Welfare Department to pass it on to the really needy?
Back to the HPTC. The government want's to bring up the standard of football in this country as it is at the moment in the pits. My question is, did the Argetinians build a training center in UK for their players? Or the Koreans, or the Italians, or the French, or any of the African nations even? The problem lies with management. You don't bring politicians into sports and expect to get a world class team. Their choice of who represents the country vastly differs with that of a competent coach or manager.
We need the money to help our needy first, and then we need to build sports centers in every state which is easily accessible to our youths. Then only we will have a large base to choose the best athletes from. At the moment my home town doesn't even have a sports complex which could house most of the games played here. Such a complex could greatly help in popularising various sports which at the moment is not easily available to the vast majority.
They let the politicians manage the sports events and when they got hold of the funds, a grand swimming pool was built in the middle of the paddy fields! Only frogs and monitor lizards will be there now. The surrounding villagers are mostly muslims and taking off their clothes and wearing swimming costumes is not their culture. It would have been fully utilized if it was built in the city. We could not only train swimmers but also divers. China has produced world class divers. Why can't we?
So, I say we should spend our money wisely by selecting the best coaches, the best athletes and buying the best equipment and do our own training here.
Wednesday, September 27, 2006
Another Sad Case
Went to a town called Sungai Petani which is approximately 36 miles to the south of where I stay. The purpose of this visit was to check on my childhood friend who was knocked down by a speeding car while he was riding his motorbike.
He was unconscious for 3 days. By the time I heard about it he had regained consciousness. I took my son along for the drive as I tend to get sleepy on long drives. He recognized me when I walked towards his bed. He had 5 broken ribs which had done some damage to his insides. He had a tube running from the injured side leading to a container - to drain away the blood. He was bleeding internally. Fractured his collar bone. That bone was already fractured a long time ago when we were boys. Both of us fractured our collar bones.
His head received a hard knock and so the doctor had sent him to the hospital in Alor Star to get a scan. Fortunately the head was intact. The problem now was his immediate family were all living in Alor Star, 36 miles away. They needed to have him transfered to the Alor Star Hospital so one of them could look after him. After talking to the hospital authorities, he was transfered to the Alor Star Hospital.
Went to see him yesterday. He was showing signs of withdrawal. He had taken up smoking a long time ago. Without cigarettes for 8 days, he was very restless and wanted to go home where he would have more freedom. He definitely would not be allowed to smoke at the hospital. He kept asking me to send him home. I had a hard time trying to explain that I could not take him out of the hospital in his condition. The tube going through his side was still there. I could see the blood oozing out. He also needed another tube to the bladder to remove urine. He had another one supplying oxygen as they suspected his lungs might have been damaged.
Went to see him today. Same story. He wants to go home. He hasn't improved. He will start babbling every now and then. Tried to keep him in conversation which was not easy as he had only one thing on his mind. He kept asking me if I was coming in the evening to send him home. I think the problem is not only related to smoking but the fact that he is in a helpless situation. He was one of those very independant and macho characters. He trained guard dogs and now he can't even go to the toilet. He is bed-ridden. That is a stressful situation.
He wanted to shift his position a bit higher up the bed. Tried to help together with his sister who was on the other side of the bed but to no avail. He was too heavy and I could only hold one side of his body. Obviously the fractured collar bone side could not be held. I was also not as strong as I used to be. Called in some help from the hospital staff and managed to shift him a little. As he was about to doze off I sneaked out.
He did call me using his sister's cell phone to remind me to come and get him. I will be going to see him at 12.00 noon tomorrow. Hope his internal bleeding would have stopped by then so that the healing process can begin.
He was unconscious for 3 days. By the time I heard about it he had regained consciousness. I took my son along for the drive as I tend to get sleepy on long drives. He recognized me when I walked towards his bed. He had 5 broken ribs which had done some damage to his insides. He had a tube running from the injured side leading to a container - to drain away the blood. He was bleeding internally. Fractured his collar bone. That bone was already fractured a long time ago when we were boys. Both of us fractured our collar bones.
His head received a hard knock and so the doctor had sent him to the hospital in Alor Star to get a scan. Fortunately the head was intact. The problem now was his immediate family were all living in Alor Star, 36 miles away. They needed to have him transfered to the Alor Star Hospital so one of them could look after him. After talking to the hospital authorities, he was transfered to the Alor Star Hospital.
Went to see him yesterday. He was showing signs of withdrawal. He had taken up smoking a long time ago. Without cigarettes for 8 days, he was very restless and wanted to go home where he would have more freedom. He definitely would not be allowed to smoke at the hospital. He kept asking me to send him home. I had a hard time trying to explain that I could not take him out of the hospital in his condition. The tube going through his side was still there. I could see the blood oozing out. He also needed another tube to the bladder to remove urine. He had another one supplying oxygen as they suspected his lungs might have been damaged.
Went to see him today. Same story. He wants to go home. He hasn't improved. He will start babbling every now and then. Tried to keep him in conversation which was not easy as he had only one thing on his mind. He kept asking me if I was coming in the evening to send him home. I think the problem is not only related to smoking but the fact that he is in a helpless situation. He was one of those very independant and macho characters. He trained guard dogs and now he can't even go to the toilet. He is bed-ridden. That is a stressful situation.
He wanted to shift his position a bit higher up the bed. Tried to help together with his sister who was on the other side of the bed but to no avail. He was too heavy and I could only hold one side of his body. Obviously the fractured collar bone side could not be held. I was also not as strong as I used to be. Called in some help from the hospital staff and managed to shift him a little. As he was about to doze off I sneaked out.
He did call me using his sister's cell phone to remind me to come and get him. I will be going to see him at 12.00 noon tomorrow. Hope his internal bleeding would have stopped by then so that the healing process can begin.
Tuesday, September 12, 2006
Funnies
Funnies are good for the health. When we laugh or smile we exercise our facial muscles. Smiling is better. They say that it takes 37 muscles to frown and 22 muscles to smile. So Smile. It conserves energy ) :) :) Haven't you heard? "Happiness Is Only Grin Deep" heh heh ...
Below are two humorous stories dealing with children :
I wonder what this cub is whispering to its mummy.
Chicken Story
Have a nice day!
Below are two humorous stories dealing with children :
I wonder what this cub is whispering to its mummy.
Chicken Story
Have a nice day!
Sunday, September 10, 2006
Who's Confused?
There was an article on the front page of one of our local news papers regarding phone numbers to call during an emergency. The paper pointed out that many people were not familiar with the numbers and that for those who knew the numbers, they were not sure which number was for which service. Too many emergency numbers was causing confusion it seems.
I do agree that not many people are aware of all the numbers but I had hoped that the papers would at least get them right. Look at the caption which I took from the front page :
For cell phone users, is it 121 or 112? Heh heh... No wonder we all so confused!
I do agree that not many people are aware of all the numbers but I had hoped that the papers would at least get them right. Look at the caption which I took from the front page :
For cell phone users, is it 121 or 112? Heh heh... No wonder we all so confused!
Tuesday, September 05, 2006
To Tree Or Not To Tree
There were four healthy big trees with lots of foliage giving lots of shade and contributing to the healthy environment around my neighbourhood. One would think that the people living nearest to these trees, who benefit the most would take care of them. Nah! Tree here today, gone tomorrow!
The trees in the background.
No more trees.
What the scenery looks like now.
In front of my house, the trees are very helpful to humans. See how they bend over to protect the car from the ultra-violet rays from the sun.
By the way, we are not allowed to cut trees over here. Only the City Council has that right and they have just used it.
The trees in the background.
No more trees.
What the scenery looks like now.
In front of my house, the trees are very helpful to humans. See how they bend over to protect the car from the ultra-violet rays from the sun.
By the way, we are not allowed to cut trees over here. Only the City Council has that right and they have just used it.
Monday, September 04, 2006
Loan Terms
The Prime Minister of Malaysia was said to have given a directive to the SME Bank to give loans to all deserving Malaysians regardless of race (The Star, August 28th). He also declared that the SME Bank belonged to all Malaysians. What a wonderful statement! Obviously, he failed to convey his speech to the officers running the bank or they couldn't be bothered with politicians as they are holding permanent posts whereas politicians come and go. The bank staff probably think it is another political statement to fish for more votes in the next election. Which could be true, looking at realities.
In today's paper (The Star) there's was an article titled Loan Terms Upset Traders. It was reported that the SME Bank imposed all sorts of conditions. Among them the applicant must have a degree, the company must have a 51% bumiputra ownership, provide collateral and have fixed deposits. As usual the key officials of the bank were conveniently not available for comments.
They don't seem to understand the Prime Minister's speech which was meant for harmony, prosperity and long-term peace in this country. Especially when there is a lot of frustation and distrust in the government's policies in distributing wealth using the NEP in the name of maintaining stability, peace and harmony among the races.
When questioned regarding the 51% bumiputra ownership requirement, the bank officials said it was an unwritten rule! How is anyone going to know for sure if you have not followed the rules if it is unwritten? Who makes up these unwritten rules anyway? How does anyone know if it has not been modified to suit certain parties? The Prime Minister or his senior assistants need to follow up on his directives, to ensure that they are understood by those implementing them.
If we want to be a developed nation by 2020, we need to help all sectors to be productive and successfull. You can't achieve this if you have officers with narrow minds blocking the way of progress. If the Prime Minister was sincere when he made the statement about the availability of loans from the SME Bank to all Malaysians, he should take up the phone and straighten out the key officials who at the moment are conveniently missing. He needs to do this to affirm his leadership, otherwise he will just be a puppet for the oportunist behind the scene.
In today's paper (The Star) there's was an article titled Loan Terms Upset Traders. It was reported that the SME Bank imposed all sorts of conditions. Among them the applicant must have a degree, the company must have a 51% bumiputra ownership, provide collateral and have fixed deposits. As usual the key officials of the bank were conveniently not available for comments.
They don't seem to understand the Prime Minister's speech which was meant for harmony, prosperity and long-term peace in this country. Especially when there is a lot of frustation and distrust in the government's policies in distributing wealth using the NEP in the name of maintaining stability, peace and harmony among the races.
When questioned regarding the 51% bumiputra ownership requirement, the bank officials said it was an unwritten rule! How is anyone going to know for sure if you have not followed the rules if it is unwritten? Who makes up these unwritten rules anyway? How does anyone know if it has not been modified to suit certain parties? The Prime Minister or his senior assistants need to follow up on his directives, to ensure that they are understood by those implementing them.
If we want to be a developed nation by 2020, we need to help all sectors to be productive and successfull. You can't achieve this if you have officers with narrow minds blocking the way of progress. If the Prime Minister was sincere when he made the statement about the availability of loans from the SME Bank to all Malaysians, he should take up the phone and straighten out the key officials who at the moment are conveniently missing. He needs to do this to affirm his leadership, otherwise he will just be a puppet for the oportunist behind the scene.
Monday, August 21, 2006
The English Language
A friend sent me this article on the English language which I found to be not only true but very amusing. For those who one way or the other need to deal with this language, will probably find it an interesting read and an amusing one at that. For your reading pleasure :
The English language
You Think English is Easy??? Read to the end . . . a new twist to an oldie ;
Can you read these right the first time?
1) The bandage was wound around the wound.
2) The farm was used to produce produce.
3) The dump was so full that it had to refuse more refuse.
4) We must polish the Polish furniture.
5) He could lead if he would get the lead out.
6) The soldier decided to desert his dessert in the desert.
7) Since there is no time like the present, he thought it was time to present the present.
8) A bass was painted on the head of the bass drum.
9) When shot at, the dove dove into the bushes.
10) I did not object to the object.
11) The insurance was invalid for the invalid.
12) There was a row among the oarsmen about how to row .
13) They were too close to the door to close it.
14) The buck does funny things when the does are present.
15) A seamstress and a sewer fell down into a sewer line.
16) To help with planting, the farmer taught his sow to sow.
17) The wind was too strong to wind the sail.
18) Upon seeing the tear in the painting I shed a tear.
19) I had to subject the subject to a series of tests.
20) How can I intimate this to my most intimate friend?
Let's face it - English is a strange language. There is no egg in eggplant, nor ham in hamburger; neither apple nor pine in pineapple. English muffins weren't invented in England or French fries in France. Sweetmeats are candies while sweetbreads, which aren't sweet, are meat. We take English for granted. But if we explore its paradoxes, we find that quicksand can work slowly, boxing rings are square and a guinea pig is neither from Guinea nor is it a pig.
And why is it that writers write but fingers don't fing, grocers don't groce and hammers don't ham? If the plural of tooth is teeth, why isn't the plural of booth, beeth? One goose, 2 geese. So one moose, 2 meese? One index, 2 indices? Doesn't it seem crazy that you can make amends but not one amend? If you have a bunch of odds and ends and get rid of all but one of them, what do you call it?
If teachers taught, why didn't preachers praught? If a vegetarian eats vegetables, what does a humanitarian eat? Sometimes I think all the English speakers should be committed to an asylum for the verbally insane. In what language do people recite at a play and play at a recital? Ship by truck and send cargo by ship? Have noses that run and feet that smell?
How can a slim chance and a fat chance be the same, while a wise man and a wise guy are opposites? You have to marvel at the unique lunacy of a language in which your house can burn up as it burns down, in which you fill in a form by filling it out and in which, an alarm goes off by going on.
English was invented by people, not computers, and it reflects the creativity of the human race, which, of course, is not a race at all. That is why, when the stars are out, they are visible, but when the lights are out, they are invisible.
PS. - Why doesn't "Buick" rhyme with "quick"
You lovers of the English language might enjoy this.
There is a two-letter word that perhaps has more meanings than any other two-letter word, and that is "UP."
It's easy to understand UP , meaning toward the sky or at the top of the list, but when we awaken in the morning, why do we wake UP? At a meeting, why does a topic come UP? Why do we speak UP and why are the officers UP for election and why is it UP to the secretary to write UP a report?
We call UP our friends And we use it to brighten UP a room, polish UP the silver, we warm UP the leftovers and clean UP the kitchen. We lock UP the house and some guys fix UP the old car. At other times the little word has real special meaning. People stir UP trouble, line UP for tickets, work UP an appetite, and think UP excuses. To be dressed is one thing, but to be dressed UP is special.
And this UP is confusing: A drain must be opened UP because it is stopped UP . We open UP a store in the morning but we close it UP at night.
We seem to be pretty mixed UP about UP! To be knowledgeable about the proper uses of UP , look the word UP in the dictionary. In a desk-sized dictionary, it takes UP almost 1/4th of the page and can add UP to about thirty definitions. If you are UP to it, you might try building UP a list of the many ways UP is used. It will take UP a lot of your time, but if you don't give UP, you may wind UP with a hundred or more.
When it threatens to rain, we say it is clouding UP. When the sun comes out we say it is clearing UP .When it rains, it wets the earth and often messes things UP. When it doesn't rain for awhile, things dry UP.
One could go on and on, but I'll wrap it UP , for now my time is UP , so........... it is time to shut UP .........!
Oh . . . one more thing:
What is the first thing you do in the morning & the last thing you do at night? U-P
The English language
You Think English is Easy??? Read to the end . . . a new twist to an oldie ;
Can you read these right the first time?
1) The bandage was wound around the wound.
2) The farm was used to produce produce.
3) The dump was so full that it had to refuse more refuse.
4) We must polish the Polish furniture.
5) He could lead if he would get the lead out.
6) The soldier decided to desert his dessert in the desert.
7) Since there is no time like the present, he thought it was time to present the present.
8) A bass was painted on the head of the bass drum.
9) When shot at, the dove dove into the bushes.
10) I did not object to the object.
11) The insurance was invalid for the invalid.
12) There was a row among the oarsmen about how to row .
13) They were too close to the door to close it.
14) The buck does funny things when the does are present.
15) A seamstress and a sewer fell down into a sewer line.
16) To help with planting, the farmer taught his sow to sow.
17) The wind was too strong to wind the sail.
18) Upon seeing the tear in the painting I shed a tear.
19) I had to subject the subject to a series of tests.
20) How can I intimate this to my most intimate friend?
Let's face it - English is a strange language. There is no egg in eggplant, nor ham in hamburger; neither apple nor pine in pineapple. English muffins weren't invented in England or French fries in France. Sweetmeats are candies while sweetbreads, which aren't sweet, are meat. We take English for granted. But if we explore its paradoxes, we find that quicksand can work slowly, boxing rings are square and a guinea pig is neither from Guinea nor is it a pig.
And why is it that writers write but fingers don't fing, grocers don't groce and hammers don't ham? If the plural of tooth is teeth, why isn't the plural of booth, beeth? One goose, 2 geese. So one moose, 2 meese? One index, 2 indices? Doesn't it seem crazy that you can make amends but not one amend? If you have a bunch of odds and ends and get rid of all but one of them, what do you call it?
If teachers taught, why didn't preachers praught? If a vegetarian eats vegetables, what does a humanitarian eat? Sometimes I think all the English speakers should be committed to an asylum for the verbally insane. In what language do people recite at a play and play at a recital? Ship by truck and send cargo by ship? Have noses that run and feet that smell?
How can a slim chance and a fat chance be the same, while a wise man and a wise guy are opposites? You have to marvel at the unique lunacy of a language in which your house can burn up as it burns down, in which you fill in a form by filling it out and in which, an alarm goes off by going on.
English was invented by people, not computers, and it reflects the creativity of the human race, which, of course, is not a race at all. That is why, when the stars are out, they are visible, but when the lights are out, they are invisible.
PS. - Why doesn't "Buick" rhyme with "quick"
You lovers of the English language might enjoy this.
There is a two-letter word that perhaps has more meanings than any other two-letter word, and that is "UP."
It's easy to understand UP , meaning toward the sky or at the top of the list, but when we awaken in the morning, why do we wake UP? At a meeting, why does a topic come UP? Why do we speak UP and why are the officers UP for election and why is it UP to the secretary to write UP a report?
We call UP our friends And we use it to brighten UP a room, polish UP the silver, we warm UP the leftovers and clean UP the kitchen. We lock UP the house and some guys fix UP the old car. At other times the little word has real special meaning. People stir UP trouble, line UP for tickets, work UP an appetite, and think UP excuses. To be dressed is one thing, but to be dressed UP is special.
And this UP is confusing: A drain must be opened UP because it is stopped UP . We open UP a store in the morning but we close it UP at night.
We seem to be pretty mixed UP about UP! To be knowledgeable about the proper uses of UP , look the word UP in the dictionary. In a desk-sized dictionary, it takes UP almost 1/4th of the page and can add UP to about thirty definitions. If you are UP to it, you might try building UP a list of the many ways UP is used. It will take UP a lot of your time, but if you don't give UP, you may wind UP with a hundred or more.
When it threatens to rain, we say it is clouding UP. When the sun comes out we say it is clearing UP .When it rains, it wets the earth and often messes things UP. When it doesn't rain for awhile, things dry UP.
One could go on and on, but I'll wrap it UP , for now my time is UP , so........... it is time to shut UP .........!
Oh . . . one more thing:
What is the first thing you do in the morning & the last thing you do at night? U-P
Monday, August 14, 2006
Home Alone
As the title suggest, I am home alone again, "sort of". Not that I am totally alone as my younger son is still around. My wife is not around. Gone for some meeting. So I have the house to myself for the most part of the day. Not that it means much to have the house to myself as I don't cook, can't conjure a decent drink and we also don't have a garden for me to potter around in. I'd rather share it with my wife. She would be cleaning the house, cutting some fruits, making coffee or some wifely thing while I watched TV or just lazed around. That's the life.
It feels good to have people around you. Now I have the TV, the computer, the fridge, the car and the whole house and feeling quite bored. It's not about food or drinks as I can get them quite easily. Breakfast is served just behind our row at the local coffee shop. Lunch and dinner I have to buy anyway. It's about the companionship. Somebody to talk to or argue with or to yell at even. Not that we yell at each other but that there is an opportunity to do so if someone was there with you.
Even the TV shows are not so attractive as there is no one to laugh with or pass comments to about the silly show we were watching! I even went to bed at such an unbelievable hour. My late nights on the net didn't seem so inviting with no one to yell at me to come to bed. That's what married life can do to a man.
Things will be back to normal by tomorrow night. The plane arrives at 8.40pm, I think. Anyway, she is sure to call and keep me informed about such matters as I am the official driver around here.
It feels good to have people around you. Now I have the TV, the computer, the fridge, the car and the whole house and feeling quite bored. It's not about food or drinks as I can get them quite easily. Breakfast is served just behind our row at the local coffee shop. Lunch and dinner I have to buy anyway. It's about the companionship. Somebody to talk to or argue with or to yell at even. Not that we yell at each other but that there is an opportunity to do so if someone was there with you.
Even the TV shows are not so attractive as there is no one to laugh with or pass comments to about the silly show we were watching! I even went to bed at such an unbelievable hour. My late nights on the net didn't seem so inviting with no one to yell at me to come to bed. That's what married life can do to a man.
Things will be back to normal by tomorrow night. The plane arrives at 8.40pm, I think. Anyway, she is sure to call and keep me informed about such matters as I am the official driver around here.
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