Malaysia has finally made it to the international news and joined the many nations facing problems with religious extremist. Not that we didn't have them before but now they seem to have become bolder. A number of churches were set on fire using kerosine bombs. The Prime Minister has condemned the attack.
I have to say that it is my presumption that the churches were burnt by the Muslim extremist as we have yet to hear from the police regarding the identity of the culprits. This incident will no doubt be linked to the usage of the word "Allah" by non-Muslims which is a big issue with Malaysian Muslims. It seems it might confuse the Muslims and cause them to stray if Christians use that word to refer to God. This case went to court and the outcome was in the favour of the Christians.
Now with the arson incident, it looks like court decisions have no value. The government has to come out strongly against this sort of bullying to reassure the people that there is still freedom of worship in this 'boleh land' and that we need to respect the law and the constitution of the country. Otherwise all is lost.
Friday, January 08, 2010
Thursday, February 05, 2009
Police Brutality
Police brutality is not a new phenomena and certainly not confined to Malaysia only. Even the developed nations have many many cases of police brutality against minorities in their records.
The latest in Malaysia is the case of an Indian, Kugan, who was arrested in a car theft case. He is actually a suspect. As in all other cases in Malaysia, a suspect is innocent until proven guilty.
The police have a job to gather evidence to prove their case. In this case, Kugan was found dead while in police custody! What happened? This is the natural question. The police must answer and clear their name. He is not the first Indian to die in police custody. Is there racism in the police department and is it directed against the Indians because they are a minority here?
Independent investigation must be carried out to determine the actual events. If the police want the people to have trust in them, they must not carry out the investigation. It must be done by an independent body and must be done urgently. The job of the police is to uphold the law and maintain peace. If this sort of thing is allowed to go on, I doubt there will be peace in this land. The blowing up of the Mongolian girl has already damaged the reputation of the Malaysian police both within the country and outside the country.
How many Indians have to die in police custody before something is done?
The latest in Malaysia is the case of an Indian, Kugan, who was arrested in a car theft case. He is actually a suspect. As in all other cases in Malaysia, a suspect is innocent until proven guilty.
The police have a job to gather evidence to prove their case. In this case, Kugan was found dead while in police custody! What happened? This is the natural question. The police must answer and clear their name. He is not the first Indian to die in police custody. Is there racism in the police department and is it directed against the Indians because they are a minority here?
Independent investigation must be carried out to determine the actual events. If the police want the people to have trust in them, they must not carry out the investigation. It must be done by an independent body and must be done urgently. The job of the police is to uphold the law and maintain peace. If this sort of thing is allowed to go on, I doubt there will be peace in this land. The blowing up of the Mongolian girl has already damaged the reputation of the Malaysian police both within the country and outside the country.
How many Indians have to die in police custody before something is done?
Tuesday, July 01, 2008
Whither Malaysia?
Looking at all the happenings around us, one can't help but think about the direction Malaysia is taking.
In the recent election, the government lost 5 states mainly to 3 reasons. Namely,
a) corrupt politicians in the ruling party
b) arrogance displayed by the ruling party towards other Malaysians of different race
c) racial policies practiced favouring one particular race
It seems the surviving party leaders are still in limbo and not aware of why they lost so badly. The recent rebate offered by the government to offset the steep price hike in petrol does not really help the poor people who are the ones in real need. They do not own cars so they can't get any rebates! The rich man with many cars will be getting more money. And further more, why allow Pos Malaysia (a public listed company) to distribute the rebate for which they will charge a fee. Should it not have been the work of the Department of Vehicles? They work for the government so there will be no fee involved. To see who benefits, one needs to find out who has a major share in Pos Malaysia and I won't be surprised if you should find some politicians in that list.
To make matters worse, the PM doesn't even have control over his party members. The other day one of them (a woman) threw a racial slur in the state assembly! The gall of that woman. The PM has yet to say something. They always talk about racial harmony and sensitivity towards others. If someone says something about Islam or the rights of the Bumiputra, that is being insensitive. Other people also have feelings.
Right now I have this image of Malaysia being placed on an iceberg and set to drift towards the equator. Based on the political scenario at the moment, that's the feeling right now.
In the recent election, the government lost 5 states mainly to 3 reasons. Namely,
a) corrupt politicians in the ruling party
b) arrogance displayed by the ruling party towards other Malaysians of different race
c) racial policies practiced favouring one particular race
It seems the surviving party leaders are still in limbo and not aware of why they lost so badly. The recent rebate offered by the government to offset the steep price hike in petrol does not really help the poor people who are the ones in real need. They do not own cars so they can't get any rebates! The rich man with many cars will be getting more money. And further more, why allow Pos Malaysia (a public listed company) to distribute the rebate for which they will charge a fee. Should it not have been the work of the Department of Vehicles? They work for the government so there will be no fee involved. To see who benefits, one needs to find out who has a major share in Pos Malaysia and I won't be surprised if you should find some politicians in that list.
To make matters worse, the PM doesn't even have control over his party members. The other day one of them (a woman) threw a racial slur in the state assembly! The gall of that woman. The PM has yet to say something. They always talk about racial harmony and sensitivity towards others. If someone says something about Islam or the rights of the Bumiputra, that is being insensitive. Other people also have feelings.
Right now I have this image of Malaysia being placed on an iceberg and set to drift towards the equator. Based on the political scenario at the moment, that's the feeling right now.
Monday, March 31, 2008
A Changing Malaysia
After ruling this country for 50 years, the ruling coalition found themselves with a government without a two-thirds majority! How could this have happened? Dare we dream that the leadership is actually taking stock to learn from all this? I am not so sure.
I am sceptical because most of the previous Ministers were not of quality material. They came into power playing the race and religious platforms. They have been doing this for so long they don’t know anything else or even care about anything else besides making money for themselves. When the people went to the streets in protest, they didn’t get the hint. It is certainly not our culture to protest or even to strike! In all my 36 years in government service, I remember only once when the union called us to picket in K.L. Of course we took leave to stand by the roadside carrying our placards. We were demanding for better pay then.
The demonstrators in K.L. last year were demanding for a decent livelihood. They were asking the government to look into their welfare. It was about jobs, education, freedom to worship, places to worship, rising cost of fuel, food etc... They were not terrorists as they were made out to be by some politicians who were in power then. If the leadership had been smart, they would have studied the situation and assigned the right persons to provide solutions to the problem rather than lock up the protesters using the Internal Security Act. The election results might have been different. The coalition might not have lost 5 states! That’s just my opinion.
I guess it was not just the demonstrations alone that caused the change. There was too much corruption. Our No. 1 enemy is not “Drugs”. It is CORRUPTION! The whole nation can go bankrupt if it is left unchecked. We will end up carrying sack loads of our money just to buy a packet of ‘nasi lemak’, while the corrupt politicians and their cronies are enjoying their ill gotten gains in some Polynesian island!
I think the change came at the right time. My only hope is that the government will learn from the change and do what it is supposed to do – take care of the people. The dust has finally settled and the opposition that has claimed the 5 states are now in the limelight. Lets hope they will do a better job. We do not need a moral police. We only want good governance. Is that too much to ask?
I am sceptical because most of the previous Ministers were not of quality material. They came into power playing the race and religious platforms. They have been doing this for so long they don’t know anything else or even care about anything else besides making money for themselves. When the people went to the streets in protest, they didn’t get the hint. It is certainly not our culture to protest or even to strike! In all my 36 years in government service, I remember only once when the union called us to picket in K.L. Of course we took leave to stand by the roadside carrying our placards. We were demanding for better pay then.
The demonstrators in K.L. last year were demanding for a decent livelihood. They were asking the government to look into their welfare. It was about jobs, education, freedom to worship, places to worship, rising cost of fuel, food etc... They were not terrorists as they were made out to be by some politicians who were in power then. If the leadership had been smart, they would have studied the situation and assigned the right persons to provide solutions to the problem rather than lock up the protesters using the Internal Security Act. The election results might have been different. The coalition might not have lost 5 states! That’s just my opinion.
I guess it was not just the demonstrations alone that caused the change. There was too much corruption. Our No. 1 enemy is not “Drugs”. It is CORRUPTION! The whole nation can go bankrupt if it is left unchecked. We will end up carrying sack loads of our money just to buy a packet of ‘nasi lemak’, while the corrupt politicians and their cronies are enjoying their ill gotten gains in some Polynesian island!
I think the change came at the right time. My only hope is that the government will learn from the change and do what it is supposed to do – take care of the people. The dust has finally settled and the opposition that has claimed the 5 states are now in the limelight. Lets hope they will do a better job. We do not need a moral police. We only want good governance. Is that too much to ask?
Saturday, March 08, 2008
Election - Time For Change In Malaysia
Today is election day for Malaysians. There has been a lot of talk about exercising the individual’s right to vote in order to change the government for the better. Theoretically it is good advice but in practical terms, this won’t work in this country.
Our politics is still based on race and religion. The more racial you are the more votes you will get from your community. The religious nuts are having a field time glorifying their brand of politics based on their religious order. ‘The only way is our way’ is their slogan and their religious rules are good for everybody.
So you see, it really boils down to the general education of the masses if we really want a good government run by honest people who will consider Malaysia is for Malaysians. It sounds like a dreamer’s view point but I don’t see any dramatic change if the current government loses some seats.
The little ‘Napoleons’ or ‘mullahs’ are still in their places of power within the government machinery. For them their post is considered an inheritance as most of them came in through the ‘back door’ as a result of the government’s policy of helping the Bumiputeras using the NEP. The politicians may be changed but these government servants who don’t seem to know that they are ‘servants’ are still embedded in their various posts and they are the ones who introduce policies that divide the population, especially those in the Education Ministry as this involves our young people. The special treatment and privileges given to the students because they belong to a particular race divides the children at an early age and by the time they get into the university, there is little or no integration between the races.
I blame this situation totally on the Education Ministry and the previous PM who started all this nonsense. Until today he is still not repentant and dares to mention in the papers how can an Indian Malaysian be equal to a Malay Malaysian! He started the rot and we are at the receiving end now with racists politicians and meatheads who think they are our leaders in Parliament.
By tomorrow we will know the outcome of the elections and what is in store for all Malaysians. I still think change will only come when the Malays wake up and realize they don’t need the NEP anymore and accept all Malaysians as their equals under the Malaysian flag. Until such time, we can only wait and hope.
Our politics is still based on race and religion. The more racial you are the more votes you will get from your community. The religious nuts are having a field time glorifying their brand of politics based on their religious order. ‘The only way is our way’ is their slogan and their religious rules are good for everybody.
So you see, it really boils down to the general education of the masses if we really want a good government run by honest people who will consider Malaysia is for Malaysians. It sounds like a dreamer’s view point but I don’t see any dramatic change if the current government loses some seats.
The little ‘Napoleons’ or ‘mullahs’ are still in their places of power within the government machinery. For them their post is considered an inheritance as most of them came in through the ‘back door’ as a result of the government’s policy of helping the Bumiputeras using the NEP. The politicians may be changed but these government servants who don’t seem to know that they are ‘servants’ are still embedded in their various posts and they are the ones who introduce policies that divide the population, especially those in the Education Ministry as this involves our young people. The special treatment and privileges given to the students because they belong to a particular race divides the children at an early age and by the time they get into the university, there is little or no integration between the races.
I blame this situation totally on the Education Ministry and the previous PM who started all this nonsense. Until today he is still not repentant and dares to mention in the papers how can an Indian Malaysian be equal to a Malay Malaysian! He started the rot and we are at the receiving end now with racists politicians and meatheads who think they are our leaders in Parliament.
By tomorrow we will know the outcome of the elections and what is in store for all Malaysians. I still think change will only come when the Malays wake up and realize they don’t need the NEP anymore and accept all Malaysians as their equals under the Malaysian flag. Until such time, we can only wait and hope.
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Non-Muslims Looked After
The Prime Minister said that non-Muslims were looked after and that various ministers in the Cabinet were charged with this responsibility. What a load of bullshit.
He was commenting on a request by Indian-based non-governmental organizations for the Government to form a non-Muslim Affairs Department to look after the interests of believers of other faiths. This request was brought up when they had a heart to heart meeting with the PM a few days ago in the hope that something concrete would be done. Looking at his reply, nothing is going to happen and that special meeting the PM called with the Indian based NGO's was an eyewash. Another political ploy to get votes.
I am sure all the Ministers mentioned by him would be flabbergasted to know that they were actually responsible for the religious problems of their ethnic groups. Those Hindu families that had problems with the Islamic Religious Department would certainly be surprised to know that all that while when they faced the rude officials from the Islamic Departments who had backup from the police, they actually had a hero Minister in the Cabinet who wasn't doing his job. When the dead body of their spouse was whisked away by the Islamic officials, when properties and accounts were frozen and placed under the Islamic Affairs Department, there was no Minister around to help them.
The proposal by the NGO's is a very sound one to help the non-Muslims in this country to sort out their religious problems with the Islamic Affairs Department. The Non-Muslim Affairs Department need to be empowered to be able to help the non-Muslims citizens of this country. We must have that right. Don't chicken out at this juncture Mr. Prime Minister.
The existing Ministers in the Cabinet have their own duties. The MIC leader does not have any influence to help the Indians. Just look what happened during this Deepavali. The UMNO General Assembly was held at the same time and no one went for the Open House. That is a slap in the face for the MIC leader Datuk Seri S. Samy Velu. Even the UMNO don't respect him!
There must be something wrong with the current system to cause more than 30,000 Indians from all walks of life to march down the street and demand for a better treatment. You have to take heed and come up with a better solution than make a sweeping statement like this :
“For instance, Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting looks after the interests of the Buddhists, Works Minister Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu covers the Hindus and Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Tan Sri Bernard Dompok covers the Christians in the country.
“For the time being, this is quite effective and we have always been addressing the problems brought up by followers of the different faiths.
“We also have a National Unity Department which looks into matters relating to unity and the various faiths embraced by the various races in the country.
“In fact, we have always looked after the interests of non-Muslims and pay attention to any issue they may bring up to us,” he told reporters after visiting a kerepek factory in Kg Bukit Bangkong yesterday.
The march by the 30,000 or so Indians is an indication that all is not well with their lot and also that the existing system and the leadership is not functioning as expected. Then there is the problem of all the little Napoleons running the various government departments who have their own agenda which also needs to be addressed. The lack of non Malays in all various posts in the government service has added to the distrust of the government. The street demonstration is not about wanting more, or taking from others. This is exactly what our Deputy Prime Minister had in mind when he said, “We will not do anything that is seen as depriving other races of their rights. We will only demand whatever rights the bumiputra has. That is all,” Najib said.
The Indians want the same thing, education, jobs, business opportunities, housing etc.. The basic necessities is what they want. Not more not less. Is that too much to ask?
He was commenting on a request by Indian-based non-governmental organizations for the Government to form a non-Muslim Affairs Department to look after the interests of believers of other faiths. This request was brought up when they had a heart to heart meeting with the PM a few days ago in the hope that something concrete would be done. Looking at his reply, nothing is going to happen and that special meeting the PM called with the Indian based NGO's was an eyewash. Another political ploy to get votes.
I am sure all the Ministers mentioned by him would be flabbergasted to know that they were actually responsible for the religious problems of their ethnic groups. Those Hindu families that had problems with the Islamic Religious Department would certainly be surprised to know that all that while when they faced the rude officials from the Islamic Departments who had backup from the police, they actually had a hero Minister in the Cabinet who wasn't doing his job. When the dead body of their spouse was whisked away by the Islamic officials, when properties and accounts were frozen and placed under the Islamic Affairs Department, there was no Minister around to help them.
The proposal by the NGO's is a very sound one to help the non-Muslims in this country to sort out their religious problems with the Islamic Affairs Department. The Non-Muslim Affairs Department need to be empowered to be able to help the non-Muslims citizens of this country. We must have that right. Don't chicken out at this juncture Mr. Prime Minister.
The existing Ministers in the Cabinet have their own duties. The MIC leader does not have any influence to help the Indians. Just look what happened during this Deepavali. The UMNO General Assembly was held at the same time and no one went for the Open House. That is a slap in the face for the MIC leader Datuk Seri S. Samy Velu. Even the UMNO don't respect him!
There must be something wrong with the current system to cause more than 30,000 Indians from all walks of life to march down the street and demand for a better treatment. You have to take heed and come up with a better solution than make a sweeping statement like this :
“For instance, Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting looks after the interests of the Buddhists, Works Minister Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu covers the Hindus and Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Tan Sri Bernard Dompok covers the Christians in the country.
“For the time being, this is quite effective and we have always been addressing the problems brought up by followers of the different faiths.
“We also have a National Unity Department which looks into matters relating to unity and the various faiths embraced by the various races in the country.
“In fact, we have always looked after the interests of non-Muslims and pay attention to any issue they may bring up to us,” he told reporters after visiting a kerepek factory in Kg Bukit Bangkong yesterday.
The march by the 30,000 or so Indians is an indication that all is not well with their lot and also that the existing system and the leadership is not functioning as expected. Then there is the problem of all the little Napoleons running the various government departments who have their own agenda which also needs to be addressed. The lack of non Malays in all various posts in the government service has added to the distrust of the government. The street demonstration is not about wanting more, or taking from others. This is exactly what our Deputy Prime Minister had in mind when he said, “We will not do anything that is seen as depriving other races of their rights. We will only demand whatever rights the bumiputra has. That is all,” Najib said.
The Indians want the same thing, education, jobs, business opportunities, housing etc.. The basic necessities is what they want. Not more not less. Is that too much to ask?
Cholestetrol
God works in miraculous ways but He also allows medical professionals to help in the healing work.
It seems I inherited the high cholesterol level problem. All my brothers and sisters also have high levels. Following the advice of my doctor, I embarked on finding a drug that will help to lower the cholesterol level. After trying out three of the statin drugs, I thought there was not much hope. Finally my doctor introduced Vytorin. Even though it is a combination of Simvastatin & ezetimibe, it seems to work for me for the moment. So far no side effects and the results are good.
I have to keep a lookout though for signs of side effects like : muscle pain, tenderness, or weakness with fever or flu symptoms and dark colored urine;decreased urine or rust-coloured urine; blurred vision. These are some of the allergic reactions to Vytorin.
Results:
The LDL dropped to 2.19 (<258). The Triglyceride level dropped to 1.66 (<1.68). The Total cholesterol/HDL ratio is 4.5 (<5.0). Total cholesterol is now at 3.8 (<5.2).
What a relief! Now I just have to work on the HDL which is below 1.0(>1.03). Need to play more golf and tennis!
It seems I inherited the high cholesterol level problem. All my brothers and sisters also have high levels. Following the advice of my doctor, I embarked on finding a drug that will help to lower the cholesterol level. After trying out three of the statin drugs, I thought there was not much hope. Finally my doctor introduced Vytorin. Even though it is a combination of Simvastatin & ezetimibe, it seems to work for me for the moment. So far no side effects and the results are good.
I have to keep a lookout though for signs of side effects like : muscle pain, tenderness, or weakness with fever or flu symptoms and dark colored urine;decreased urine or rust-coloured urine; blurred vision. These are some of the allergic reactions to Vytorin.
Results:
The LDL dropped to 2.19 (<258). The Triglyceride level dropped to 1.66 (<1.68). The Total cholesterol/HDL ratio is 4.5 (<5.0). Total cholesterol is now at 3.8 (<5.2).
What a relief! Now I just have to work on the HDL which is below 1.0(>1.03). Need to play more golf and tennis!
Friday, December 14, 2007
Arrest, Arrest and more Arrests!
The Malaysian Police have been very busy the past few days and it looks like they will be kept busy with more arrests on the way.
The whole episode of street demonstrations with police water canons shooting water laced with chemicals and baton wielding police charging at the demonstrators could have been avoided if the top brass in the Police Department had used their brains instead of listening to stupid politicians. The media, whether local or international look for news that will bring higher ratings. Boys throwing rocks at the advancing Israeli tanks in Palestine is news. Korean riot police bashing the demonstrators is news. Myanmar’s army crushing the peaceful march by the monks is news. So, when the peaceful march by the Indians in K.L. is violently disrupted by the police, it will make the news. It doesn’t take a genius to figure that out.
All they had to do, was give the permit for the peaceful rally with conditions relating to the safety of the populace and traffic control while limiting the number of people allowed to approach the embassy. I very seriously doubt that the Queen or the British Government would immediately go into action just because the British Embassy in Malaysia received a petition from a bunch of Indians! But no! They had to show who was more powerful.
It is the right of every Malaysian to differ with the government. We need not be an elected representative to voice our dissatisfaction with government policies as some elected politicians seem to think. The people must not be afraid of the government. The government must be afraid of the people. We put you there and we can take you out. So if a sizeable number of the people have some grouses to voice out, it is the government’s duty to not only listen but to take action on them if they are found to be true. Very simple really.
No need for riot police, bloody clashes, unwanted international media exposure, definitely no need for the ISA and most of all no need for the many silly explanations from the political fraternity. Some of our ministers truly embarrass the nation when they open their mouths and try to speak in English. Listening to one of them on BBC’s Hardtalk and one more bantering with an Aljazeera reporter was enough.
To top it up, we had one Member of Parliament who wanted to remove the crosses and statues of Mary in Christian schools! It seems our country being a ‘Muslim nation’ cannot allow such things. He must have graduated from the Taliban school. One of the leaders of HINDRAF will be charged for uttering seditious words that could incite racial disturbances. So what happens to the MP who insulted the Christians?
The whole episode of street demonstrations with police water canons shooting water laced with chemicals and baton wielding police charging at the demonstrators could have been avoided if the top brass in the Police Department had used their brains instead of listening to stupid politicians. The media, whether local or international look for news that will bring higher ratings. Boys throwing rocks at the advancing Israeli tanks in Palestine is news. Korean riot police bashing the demonstrators is news. Myanmar’s army crushing the peaceful march by the monks is news. So, when the peaceful march by the Indians in K.L. is violently disrupted by the police, it will make the news. It doesn’t take a genius to figure that out.
All they had to do, was give the permit for the peaceful rally with conditions relating to the safety of the populace and traffic control while limiting the number of people allowed to approach the embassy. I very seriously doubt that the Queen or the British Government would immediately go into action just because the British Embassy in Malaysia received a petition from a bunch of Indians! But no! They had to show who was more powerful.
It is the right of every Malaysian to differ with the government. We need not be an elected representative to voice our dissatisfaction with government policies as some elected politicians seem to think. The people must not be afraid of the government. The government must be afraid of the people. We put you there and we can take you out. So if a sizeable number of the people have some grouses to voice out, it is the government’s duty to not only listen but to take action on them if they are found to be true. Very simple really.
No need for riot police, bloody clashes, unwanted international media exposure, definitely no need for the ISA and most of all no need for the many silly explanations from the political fraternity. Some of our ministers truly embarrass the nation when they open their mouths and try to speak in English. Listening to one of them on BBC’s Hardtalk and one more bantering with an Aljazeera reporter was enough.
To top it up, we had one Member of Parliament who wanted to remove the crosses and statues of Mary in Christian schools! It seems our country being a ‘Muslim nation’ cannot allow such things. He must have graduated from the Taliban school. One of the leaders of HINDRAF will be charged for uttering seditious words that could incite racial disturbances. So what happens to the MP who insulted the Christians?
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Indians Protest In Malaysia
In September I wrote in my blog that the situation was getting worse in Malaysia. This I attribute to mismanagement by the people in power. The top is filled with incompetent people who can’t seem to see further than their noses. Just because they are in power, they seem to think they can do whatever they want and get away with it. Only time will tell and by that time, this country will be in a sorry state.
Much of the blame for this sorry state of affairs must go to the previous Prime Minister who let out the worms from the woodwork using the NEP in the name of correcting the economic imbalance between the races . But the NEP favoured only one race. Now that they are in power, they are dictating terms to the rest.
Is it a surprise that the Indians went to the streets to protest? It was just waiting to happen. The Indian representatives in the government were not doing their jobs. The Indians in this country are at the bottom of the pile. Even their places of worship were being demolished with impunity! Ever heard of a mosque being demolished because it was illegally built a hundred years ago?
The Prime Minister said don’t challenge me. You have been challenged, not once but twice. I hope the elections are held soon to determine if the present government can still maintain it’s majority. Some of them are so arrogant they think they don’t need the votes of non-Malays to win the elections. As they say, power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts absolutely!
Below are some pictures of the protest held in Kuala Lumpur. A picture is worth a thousand words. Do the protesters look like thugs as claimed by one of our ‘honourable minister’?
Much of the blame for this sorry state of affairs must go to the previous Prime Minister who let out the worms from the woodwork using the NEP in the name of correcting the economic imbalance between the races . But the NEP favoured only one race. Now that they are in power, they are dictating terms to the rest.
Is it a surprise that the Indians went to the streets to protest? It was just waiting to happen. The Indian representatives in the government were not doing their jobs. The Indians in this country are at the bottom of the pile. Even their places of worship were being demolished with impunity! Ever heard of a mosque being demolished because it was illegally built a hundred years ago?
The Prime Minister said don’t challenge me. You have been challenged, not once but twice. I hope the elections are held soon to determine if the present government can still maintain it’s majority. Some of them are so arrogant they think they don’t need the votes of non-Malays to win the elections. As they say, power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts absolutely!
Below are some pictures of the protest held in Kuala Lumpur. A picture is worth a thousand words. Do the protesters look like thugs as claimed by one of our ‘honourable minister’?
Thursday, October 04, 2007
Sunday, September 30, 2007
Stop The Rot
The state of affairs in this country is getting worse. The crime rate is rising. The corruption level is high. Trust in the judicial system is eroding so much so that even the lawyers have started marching in protest. The powers that be must take the responsibility for this state of affairs.
The first thing to do is to change the policies that are causing the nation to be divided along racial lines. Basically this is the root cause of most of the problems. What was introduced as a help to the underprivileged has been greatly abused until today. After 50 years do you still need the NEP? Shanghai has become a super city within 10 years. Our leaders are still clinging to their crutch stating that there are still many Malays below the poverty line and as such the racial quota system must stay.
The problem is there are two generations of people who are in powerful places because of this policy but know nothing of how this nation came into being. They see no reason to change anything as they have benefited from it. The education system, the awarding of scholarships, places in universities, awarding of contracts, business licenses, availabilty of houses, price differences in purchasing of these houses, etc. All these are considered as inheritance because the major 'tribe' considers itself 'sons of the soil'. This mentality was placed there by the previous Prime Minister and is continued by the present one.
They talk about racial integration but they divide the students by race in school.
There is no sincerity in the policy makers.
You need to have more non-Malays in the Government service at the top. You also need to remove the little 'Napoleons' in the various government sectors who do not follow the policies decided in Parliament. Otherwise we will end up like Afghanistan or Iraq or Palestine or Sri Lanka where the neglected and downtrodden have no choice but to take up arms. There will be no peace in this land if there is no give and take policy. The religious problem will add oil to the fire. The clear example is in the state of Kelantan. The state government does not allow the non-muslims to open the food outlets before 3.00pm. They think that since they are fasting, the whole world should fast also! What would happen if the syariah laws were implemented! As it is one of the local universities is checking if the female students are wearing skirts! If they do, they will be fined by the campus security!
If we want unity, peace and progress, we need to change policies and also the deadwood that obstructs the policies. It is easy to make grand speeches at Merdeka about our glorious past but it takes a brave and courageous leader to take into consideration all the races that make up this nation and make changes for the good of this country of ours. This country doesn't belong to one particular race but to all who are Malaysians, regardless of race, colour or creed.
The first thing to do is to change the policies that are causing the nation to be divided along racial lines. Basically this is the root cause of most of the problems. What was introduced as a help to the underprivileged has been greatly abused until today. After 50 years do you still need the NEP? Shanghai has become a super city within 10 years. Our leaders are still clinging to their crutch stating that there are still many Malays below the poverty line and as such the racial quota system must stay.
The problem is there are two generations of people who are in powerful places because of this policy but know nothing of how this nation came into being. They see no reason to change anything as they have benefited from it. The education system, the awarding of scholarships, places in universities, awarding of contracts, business licenses, availabilty of houses, price differences in purchasing of these houses, etc. All these are considered as inheritance because the major 'tribe' considers itself 'sons of the soil'. This mentality was placed there by the previous Prime Minister and is continued by the present one.
They talk about racial integration but they divide the students by race in school.
There is no sincerity in the policy makers.
You need to have more non-Malays in the Government service at the top. You also need to remove the little 'Napoleons' in the various government sectors who do not follow the policies decided in Parliament. Otherwise we will end up like Afghanistan or Iraq or Palestine or Sri Lanka where the neglected and downtrodden have no choice but to take up arms. There will be no peace in this land if there is no give and take policy. The religious problem will add oil to the fire. The clear example is in the state of Kelantan. The state government does not allow the non-muslims to open the food outlets before 3.00pm. They think that since they are fasting, the whole world should fast also! What would happen if the syariah laws were implemented! As it is one of the local universities is checking if the female students are wearing skirts! If they do, they will be fined by the campus security!
If we want unity, peace and progress, we need to change policies and also the deadwood that obstructs the policies. It is easy to make grand speeches at Merdeka about our glorious past but it takes a brave and courageous leader to take into consideration all the races that make up this nation and make changes for the good of this country of ours. This country doesn't belong to one particular race but to all who are Malaysians, regardless of race, colour or creed.
Friday, August 10, 2007
Let All Races Benefit
'Let all races benefit from govt funds,' is the statement made by our Deputy Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.
Doesn't it sound like a bait before the fishing begins? We know elections is around the corner. This is the same man who made the statement that Malaysia is an Islamic country knowing fully well what is written in the Federal Constitution. He was probably fishing for votes among the rural Muslims. Now he wants to give handouts to the non-Muslims to garner their votes. I wonder how many people will be taken in by this?
We don't need handouts. We need clear policies governing our basic needs like freedom of worship, a place for our children in the universities, jobs for those who graduate and business opportunities for our children who want to venture out into the business world. At the moment the little Napoleons in the various government departments dictate who should get a place in the university, who should get scholarship, who should get the business licence and who should get promoted! Most of the time it looks like all this is done by looking at the racial card.
If the DPM is serious about what he said, he needs to just look at the government departments and see how many non-bumiputras are employed there. Check the Ministry of Education and see how many Principals of schools are non-bumiputras. That's not too dificult to do. If you want all races to benefit, make sure they all have access to higher education so that they can take care of themselves. No need for handouts from any political party.
Below is an example of a handout that is vague :
A Selangor state assemblyman, when contacted, said Barisan assemblymen receive about “a few hundred thousand ringgit” a year to organise programmes for the rakyat.
“It is already a practice for the assemblymen to share the allocation with local Barisan component party leaders.
“However, the money cannot go to any political party.
“Rather, the parties will recommend where we should channel the allocation and the money will go straight to the rakyat,” he said.
Has any money ever gone straight to the "rakyat"? It sounds like a money train. The train will stop at designated places and the train driver will just throw out bags of money to the people waiting at the respective stations! How wonderful!
Doesn't it sound like a bait before the fishing begins? We know elections is around the corner. This is the same man who made the statement that Malaysia is an Islamic country knowing fully well what is written in the Federal Constitution. He was probably fishing for votes among the rural Muslims. Now he wants to give handouts to the non-Muslims to garner their votes. I wonder how many people will be taken in by this?
We don't need handouts. We need clear policies governing our basic needs like freedom of worship, a place for our children in the universities, jobs for those who graduate and business opportunities for our children who want to venture out into the business world. At the moment the little Napoleons in the various government departments dictate who should get a place in the university, who should get scholarship, who should get the business licence and who should get promoted! Most of the time it looks like all this is done by looking at the racial card.
If the DPM is serious about what he said, he needs to just look at the government departments and see how many non-bumiputras are employed there. Check the Ministry of Education and see how many Principals of schools are non-bumiputras. That's not too dificult to do. If you want all races to benefit, make sure they all have access to higher education so that they can take care of themselves. No need for handouts from any political party.
Below is an example of a handout that is vague :
A Selangor state assemblyman, when contacted, said Barisan assemblymen receive about “a few hundred thousand ringgit” a year to organise programmes for the rakyat.
“It is already a practice for the assemblymen to share the allocation with local Barisan component party leaders.
“However, the money cannot go to any political party.
“Rather, the parties will recommend where we should channel the allocation and the money will go straight to the rakyat,” he said.
Has any money ever gone straight to the "rakyat"? It sounds like a money train. The train will stop at designated places and the train driver will just throw out bags of money to the people waiting at the respective stations! How wonderful!
Thursday, August 02, 2007
Wedding Anniversaries
What is it with anniversaries that causes so many flare ups and frictions between couples? All because one party forgot the date! And another thing is the menu for that special event. Even that can be a big problem.
One good friend of mine asked what we had planned for our anniversary which incidentally falls on this day. I told her nothing special. We woke up in the morning to go to market to buy fruits. Had our breakfast there. Came back to do the household chores as usual. We had a good lunch together with our younger son. Tom yam chicken soup, fish, clay-pot tauhu and vegetables with a nice cold drink. This is what we like.
I think couples should learn to enjoy each others company everyday then anniversaries will not be a problem. You don’t need candle-lit dinners and champagne. The only time we use candles is when there is a blackout. We try not to eat during that time as the visibility will be poor and there will be uninvited guests flitting around the candles and land on the food!
And further more, when you gaze at each other’s eyes there will be no more twinkles in the eyes. Twitching maybe and the dull reflection of the candles! Get real.
What we would really enjoy is opening up a number of durians, say around 10 numbers, and sit on the kitchen floor and finish them off! Now that, would be a great event for an anniversary! We have ordered the durians and are now awaiting their arrival.
One good friend of mine asked what we had planned for our anniversary which incidentally falls on this day. I told her nothing special. We woke up in the morning to go to market to buy fruits. Had our breakfast there. Came back to do the household chores as usual. We had a good lunch together with our younger son. Tom yam chicken soup, fish, clay-pot tauhu and vegetables with a nice cold drink. This is what we like.
I think couples should learn to enjoy each others company everyday then anniversaries will not be a problem. You don’t need candle-lit dinners and champagne. The only time we use candles is when there is a blackout. We try not to eat during that time as the visibility will be poor and there will be uninvited guests flitting around the candles and land on the food!
And further more, when you gaze at each other’s eyes there will be no more twinkles in the eyes. Twitching maybe and the dull reflection of the candles! Get real.
What we would really enjoy is opening up a number of durians, say around 10 numbers, and sit on the kitchen floor and finish them off! Now that, would be a great event for an anniversary! We have ordered the durians and are now awaiting their arrival.
Saturday, July 21, 2007
Accountability
The big news in one of our local dailies is about a big scam on imitation spare parts for the police patrol cars. Supplier tries to pass off imitation spare parts as genuine" goes the headlines.
To me this is nothing new really. Things like this have been going on for ages. I don't know why the Inspector-General of Police looked so shocked! Why does something like this have to go all the way up to his level before something is done?
This is what I am talking about. In every department, company, business or co-op, there will be some 'smart alec' who thinks he can get away with cheating his employer in order to get easy money. That is why we have supervisors, auditors, etc..
What are these people doing? They have been given jobs that require them to check on their subordinates. That's why they are paid more. In the government service, many are promoted to higher levels not based on merit or capability but purely on race. These people do not know how to supervise or manage others below them nor do they have any inkling on what action to take or that they indeed are required to take action!
This is what is happening in our country. Lousy management leading to very little or no enforcement. If the IGP is serious, he will start by calling the chief of the Police Logistics Department and give him an ultimatum. That will start the ball rolling all the way to the procurement officer who should by now be shivering in his pants. Everyone involved must be made accountable and this will send a clear message to others who have not been caught as yet. This is the only way to straighten out the government servants. A slap on the wrist and a transfer to another section will not do.
It is very common for government servants to be let off the hook very lightly because of the Malaysian mentality. "Nanti kecik hati" is the usual term used by the Malays. The Chinese will say "lose face". Take the incident in Sarawak where some 200 girl boarders were punished by their warden for the careless attitude of one student. The warden made the girls squat in a murky fish pond in the rain for an hour. All this because one girl left a sanitary towel in the toilet bowl! Since when did the Education Ministry give so much power to wardens?
But the interesting thing is the satement by the Education Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein which goes like this "We do not want to point fingers at anyone now but we will take action against those who are wrong".
On the other hand, the Assistant Minister in the Chief Minister’s Department in Kuching, Sarawak, Fatimah Abdullah said the case should be brought to the school’s disciplinary board and a report handed over to the state education department. She said any punishment meted out must be in accordance with the school’s rules and regulations.
“But I’m sure the punishment for those caught throwing a sanitary pad into the toilet bowl is not asking them to squat in a pond.”
So you see they are not really talking about the 'culprit' who made the girls squat in the pond for 1 hour in the rain but the 'culprit' who threw the sanitary towel in the toilet bowl. This is the Malaysian way. Is it any wonder Malaysia lost to China, Uzbekistan and Iran! Management is the key word.
To me this is nothing new really. Things like this have been going on for ages. I don't know why the Inspector-General of Police looked so shocked! Why does something like this have to go all the way up to his level before something is done?
This is what I am talking about. In every department, company, business or co-op, there will be some 'smart alec' who thinks he can get away with cheating his employer in order to get easy money. That is why we have supervisors, auditors, etc..
What are these people doing? They have been given jobs that require them to check on their subordinates. That's why they are paid more. In the government service, many are promoted to higher levels not based on merit or capability but purely on race. These people do not know how to supervise or manage others below them nor do they have any inkling on what action to take or that they indeed are required to take action!
This is what is happening in our country. Lousy management leading to very little or no enforcement. If the IGP is serious, he will start by calling the chief of the Police Logistics Department and give him an ultimatum. That will start the ball rolling all the way to the procurement officer who should by now be shivering in his pants. Everyone involved must be made accountable and this will send a clear message to others who have not been caught as yet. This is the only way to straighten out the government servants. A slap on the wrist and a transfer to another section will not do.
It is very common for government servants to be let off the hook very lightly because of the Malaysian mentality. "Nanti kecik hati" is the usual term used by the Malays. The Chinese will say "lose face". Take the incident in Sarawak where some 200 girl boarders were punished by their warden for the careless attitude of one student. The warden made the girls squat in a murky fish pond in the rain for an hour. All this because one girl left a sanitary towel in the toilet bowl! Since when did the Education Ministry give so much power to wardens?
But the interesting thing is the satement by the Education Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein which goes like this "We do not want to point fingers at anyone now but we will take action against those who are wrong".
On the other hand, the Assistant Minister in the Chief Minister’s Department in Kuching, Sarawak, Fatimah Abdullah said the case should be brought to the school’s disciplinary board and a report handed over to the state education department. She said any punishment meted out must be in accordance with the school’s rules and regulations.
“But I’m sure the punishment for those caught throwing a sanitary pad into the toilet bowl is not asking them to squat in a pond.”
So you see they are not really talking about the 'culprit' who made the girls squat in the pond for 1 hour in the rain but the 'culprit' who threw the sanitary towel in the toilet bowl. This is the Malaysian way. Is it any wonder Malaysia lost to China, Uzbekistan and Iran! Management is the key word.
Friday, July 06, 2007
Cry For Justice And Fairness
Every day we hear of unfairness, nepotism, corruption and general disregard for the legal system in this country. Scholarships being denied to those who are eligible without any reasons given. Majority of contracts given out to one particular race. Government policies which favour one particular race. There is a cry going out through the land for justice and fairness for all Malaysians regardless of race, creed or colour.
Do we have a choice in leadership? The current leadership have let us down in every way. They talk alot and churn out slogans during their campaign trail but "cakap tak serupa bikin".
What we need is a strong opposition that caters for the Malaysian people which is not race based or religion based. This is the only thing that will unite the people and bring law and justice to this country. We will be able to use all our resources wisely to become strong economically and be politically stable. Otherwise, our resources will soon dwindle and we will be at the mercy of 'profiteering super powers' who will come in to 'help' us as has happened in Iraq, Afganistan, etc.
The last thing we need is a religious based party in this country. We really don't need these clowns who get their training from Pakistan or somewhere in the middle-east and who would like to establish their style of law here. God forbid that this should happen!
Do we have a choice in leadership? The current leadership have let us down in every way. They talk alot and churn out slogans during their campaign trail but "cakap tak serupa bikin".
What we need is a strong opposition that caters for the Malaysian people which is not race based or religion based. This is the only thing that will unite the people and bring law and justice to this country. We will be able to use all our resources wisely to become strong economically and be politically stable. Otherwise, our resources will soon dwindle and we will be at the mercy of 'profiteering super powers' who will come in to 'help' us as has happened in Iraq, Afganistan, etc.
The last thing we need is a religious based party in this country. We really don't need these clowns who get their training from Pakistan or somewhere in the middle-east and who would like to establish their style of law here. God forbid that this should happen!
Wednesday, July 04, 2007
Do We Need Religious "police"?
I heard that a good number (more than 10) officers from the religious department in K.L. went on a checking spree. They went to one of the Indian restaurants (non-muslim) to do some checking and after that, they left with a ‘writ’ instructing the owner not to put up pictures of their Hindu deities on the walls as this will be a problem for muslims to eat there!
This is a typical banana leaf Indian restaurant, run by Indians who are Hindus. What else would they put up on their walls? Pictures of Osama, Ayatollah or any other mullah? What is wrong with this country?
I have been quiet for some time as there were too many stupid things that took place and it was just hilarious the way the politicians made their excuses for the many blunders and the amount proposed to remedy the defect!. The leak at Putrajaya (the pride of the country), another at the grand courthouse and the numerous shortcomings at a number of hospitals that were just completed. It is all about lousy management and no enforcement whatsoever! The case of the murdered Mongolian woman that is going on where the antics in the courthouse is like a circus act. Where is the dignity of our courts?
And now they have let loose the “religious police” to check on the “infidels” in this country. If the Prime Minister does not do something about these clowns, he will be in for a rude shock at the next elections. I feel the time has come and the general public(the non-muslims) have had enough of these “religious’ groups pushing us around. They are not elected but seem to be given more power than the elected.
One day the situation will be like that in Palestine or Afganistan or Pakistan even. In Pakistan, the members of the local mosque seem to be more powerful than the police or the elected representative. They are even better armed. Bombs going off everywhere and no one knows who or why anymore.
“Tuesday's violence began when about 150 militant students attacked a police checkpoint close to the mosque. Police fired tear gas and the students fought back with sticks and guns. They were joined by dozens of women from one of the madrassas attached to the mosque, who chanted in support of holy war. When police responded, some of the students snatched their weapons and tried to kidnap several police, according to police.
The students then fired on Pakistani forces, killing at least two security personnel and wounding seven others, police said. The students, some armed with Kalashnikovs and wearing gas masks, held positions behind sandbags in camps located around the mosque compound. Pakistani forces returned fire, killing at least four students. A Pakistani journalist was killed in the crossfire, and several other journalists were wounded -- including a cameraman, who is in critical condition.” Extract taken from CNN.
Our government is always talking about tolerance and racial unity. It is time to put the money where the mouth is. Stop the rot before it is too late or we’ll end up with a situation like the one in Islamabad.
This is a typical banana leaf Indian restaurant, run by Indians who are Hindus. What else would they put up on their walls? Pictures of Osama, Ayatollah or any other mullah? What is wrong with this country?
I have been quiet for some time as there were too many stupid things that took place and it was just hilarious the way the politicians made their excuses for the many blunders and the amount proposed to remedy the defect!. The leak at Putrajaya (the pride of the country), another at the grand courthouse and the numerous shortcomings at a number of hospitals that were just completed. It is all about lousy management and no enforcement whatsoever! The case of the murdered Mongolian woman that is going on where the antics in the courthouse is like a circus act. Where is the dignity of our courts?
And now they have let loose the “religious police” to check on the “infidels” in this country. If the Prime Minister does not do something about these clowns, he will be in for a rude shock at the next elections. I feel the time has come and the general public(the non-muslims) have had enough of these “religious’ groups pushing us around. They are not elected but seem to be given more power than the elected.
One day the situation will be like that in Palestine or Afganistan or Pakistan even. In Pakistan, the members of the local mosque seem to be more powerful than the police or the elected representative. They are even better armed. Bombs going off everywhere and no one knows who or why anymore.
“Tuesday's violence began when about 150 militant students attacked a police checkpoint close to the mosque. Police fired tear gas and the students fought back with sticks and guns. They were joined by dozens of women from one of the madrassas attached to the mosque, who chanted in support of holy war. When police responded, some of the students snatched their weapons and tried to kidnap several police, according to police.
The students then fired on Pakistani forces, killing at least two security personnel and wounding seven others, police said. The students, some armed with Kalashnikovs and wearing gas masks, held positions behind sandbags in camps located around the mosque compound. Pakistani forces returned fire, killing at least four students. A Pakistani journalist was killed in the crossfire, and several other journalists were wounded -- including a cameraman, who is in critical condition.” Extract taken from CNN.
Our government is always talking about tolerance and racial unity. It is time to put the money where the mouth is. Stop the rot before it is too late or we’ll end up with a situation like the one in Islamabad.
Monday, May 28, 2007
Boring Entertainment
Attended our Indian Golf Festival Dinner tonight. The heavy rain didn't stop the members from attending this function. After the dignitaries had all arrived, the guests were invited to help themselves to the wonderful food.
The food was good, the company was good and while we ate, we were entertained by a talented couple. The man played the keyboard while the lady belted out some very popular oldies. Until that moment, everything was just fine.
Then the M.C. for the evening announced the next show. Two stand-up 'comedians'. That was the most boring performance. It was so embarrassing to watch two adults putting on what they thought was a 'funny act'. No one was laughing and even when there was some laughter, it was more like being polite so as not to put down the two guys. One was dressed like a woman and the other was supposed to be the husband. Maybe we expected too much from them as we were entertained the previous month by a very talented guy who had the crowd in stitches with his jokes and showmanship.
I guess this happens in the entertainment world. If you want to survive, never get behind a more talented person.
The food was good, the company was good and while we ate, we were entertained by a talented couple. The man played the keyboard while the lady belted out some very popular oldies. Until that moment, everything was just fine.
Then the M.C. for the evening announced the next show. Two stand-up 'comedians'. That was the most boring performance. It was so embarrassing to watch two adults putting on what they thought was a 'funny act'. No one was laughing and even when there was some laughter, it was more like being polite so as not to put down the two guys. One was dressed like a woman and the other was supposed to be the husband. Maybe we expected too much from them as we were entertained the previous month by a very talented guy who had the crowd in stitches with his jokes and showmanship.
I guess this happens in the entertainment world. If you want to survive, never get behind a more talented person.
Monday, May 07, 2007
Totally Racial!
Read in one of our local dailies that a major local bank that is linked to our government has issued a directive to all legal firms that have business dealings with it that they are required to have a 50% bumiputera partnership.
Doesn’t this sound like those racial policies that we used to condemn in the 50’s and 60’s which were implemented in other countries, especially South Africa? How is it we are implementing it here in this age? Where is the equality and fairness to one and all that our politicians are boasting of every time there is a by-election?
In my opinion, this is a direct result of the NEP policy. When this policy came into force, a huge number of less than qualified people came into power with the backing of the government, all in the name of restructuring society and correcting the economic imbalance between the races. These ‘worms’ that crawled out of the woodwork now are sitting in high positions from where they make policies that are favourable to them and their cronies. The government mentioned only 30% in their NEP masterplan but as can be seen, these ‘worms’ have now increased it to 50% without having to go through any parliamentary debates or voting by all the races.
What do the political leaders have to say about it? Nothing, because the dirty work is being done by others. They just shake their heads and look dumb. From here we can only speculate that before too long more directives will be sent out from other government controlled financial institutions, government agencies, local councils, education departments where all the 'worms' have entrenched themselves, with regards to compulsory bumiputera participation in all areas!
Our ‘mamak roti canai stall’ will be having a new sign board – “Dawood & Khairi Enterprise”. The local mini market could have – “Chuan Huat & Jalaludin” instead of the existing “Chuan Huat & Sons”. The worst hit will be the Indians. The local barber shop – “Samy Hairstylist” might become “SamyAhmad Hairstylist” although I find it hard to imagine how the barber is going to break even with this partnership. Most of them go it alone. What will be the bumiputera partner’s contribution? Sweeping the hairs from the floor?
If the Prime Minister doesn’t see the folly of these ‘policies’ issued by these ‘opportunist’ and take some sort of remedial action to put a stop to this nonsense, I think we will not progress but rather will fall behind Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam and even Indonesia. Many of our enterprising and intellectual young people will migrate to greener pastures or at least where they will be rewarded for their own hard work and not have to surrender half of it to undeserving parasites.
Doesn’t this sound like those racial policies that we used to condemn in the 50’s and 60’s which were implemented in other countries, especially South Africa? How is it we are implementing it here in this age? Where is the equality and fairness to one and all that our politicians are boasting of every time there is a by-election?
In my opinion, this is a direct result of the NEP policy. When this policy came into force, a huge number of less than qualified people came into power with the backing of the government, all in the name of restructuring society and correcting the economic imbalance between the races. These ‘worms’ that crawled out of the woodwork now are sitting in high positions from where they make policies that are favourable to them and their cronies. The government mentioned only 30% in their NEP masterplan but as can be seen, these ‘worms’ have now increased it to 50% without having to go through any parliamentary debates or voting by all the races.
What do the political leaders have to say about it? Nothing, because the dirty work is being done by others. They just shake their heads and look dumb. From here we can only speculate that before too long more directives will be sent out from other government controlled financial institutions, government agencies, local councils, education departments where all the 'worms' have entrenched themselves, with regards to compulsory bumiputera participation in all areas!
Our ‘mamak roti canai stall’ will be having a new sign board – “Dawood & Khairi Enterprise”. The local mini market could have – “Chuan Huat & Jalaludin” instead of the existing “Chuan Huat & Sons”. The worst hit will be the Indians. The local barber shop – “Samy Hairstylist” might become “SamyAhmad Hairstylist” although I find it hard to imagine how the barber is going to break even with this partnership. Most of them go it alone. What will be the bumiputera partner’s contribution? Sweeping the hairs from the floor?
If the Prime Minister doesn’t see the folly of these ‘policies’ issued by these ‘opportunist’ and take some sort of remedial action to put a stop to this nonsense, I think we will not progress but rather will fall behind Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam and even Indonesia. Many of our enterprising and intellectual young people will migrate to greener pastures or at least where they will be rewarded for their own hard work and not have to surrender half of it to undeserving parasites.
Saturday, April 14, 2007
A Break From Issues
Read an interesting 'prayer' in Suddenly Senior' today. This is how it goes :
The Senility Prayer
God grant me the senility
to forget the people I never liked anyway,
the good fortune to run into the ones I do,
and the eyesight to tell the difference!
I realised how true it was even though the author might have written it with humour in mind.
The Senility Prayer
God grant me the senility
to forget the people I never liked anyway,
the good fortune to run into the ones I do,
and the eyesight to tell the difference!
I realised how true it was even though the author might have written it with humour in mind.
Friday, April 06, 2007
Unity In Diversity
I have always stated that our country's future lies in the ability of its citizens to respect one another's difference. We are a multi-cultural, multi-racial and multi-religious society. We have understood this and so did our founding fathers who prepared the Constitution to uphold the delicate mixture that exists in this beautiful country of ours. Of late, certain elements are trying to undermine this very foundation thereby creating an atmosphere of suspicion, distrust and hatred among the various races. Because of this situation, most of the speeches made by public figures go in one ear and come out the other. I have no more faith in our political leaders.
When I read the article on the keynote address by the Prince of Perak Raja Nazrin Shah at the Young Malaysians' Roundtable Discussion on National Unity and Development in Malaysia : Prospects and Challenges for Nation-Building, it was so refreshing! Coming from the royalty and of such a high rank, it really was what this country needs at this juncture. I hope all our politicians took note of his speech. This man is speaking from his heart for the good of this nation. Sit up and take heed.
In his speech he said, "In the case of Malaysia, nation building has occurred in generally peaceful circumstances. It was not imposed by another country. And it is undertaken mainly by collective choice rather than compulsion. The fact that we have been able to forge a nation without resorting to the rule of the gun has made us something of a rarity and a case to be studied, if not emulated. It has allowed a relatively effective system of governance to develop. Our track record at development and resolving problems such as illiteracy, poverty and poor health has been good."
This is in recognition that all races were involved in the development of this country.
He also said, " First, Malaysians of all races, religions, and geographic locations need to believe beyond a shadow of a doubt that they have a place under the Malaysian sun. Only when each citizen believes that he or she has a common home and is working towards a common destiny, will he or she make the sacrifices needed for the long haul. In Malaysia, the Federal Constitution, the Rukun Negara and Vision 2020 encapsulate the rights, hopes and aspirations of the population in a way that no other documents do. The integrity of these documents must be defended and promoted, especially the first."
How very true! We will know if we are defending the Constitution in the near future! (The Federal Court has fixed May 14 to hear R. Subashini's application for leave to appeal against a decision ordering her to bring her divorce and custody claims to the Syariah Court. For the uninformed : Subashini is a Hindu whose husband converted to Islam without telling her. The Syariah Court is a religious court for the muslims.)
Strangely though, not many of our top political leaders had anything to say about his views on nation building. There were many comments from non-muslim groups, NGO's and a few bloggers, praising his stand on the importance of the Constitution. I waited a few days to post on my blog as I was hoping there would be some favourable comments from the top leadership but I didn't read or hear anything from them in the papers or the news. I guess they don't have time for such trivial stuff as National Unity!
As long as there are people like Prince Raja Nazrin, there is still hope for this land. The full text of his keynote address can be found at thestar online.
When I read the article on the keynote address by the Prince of Perak Raja Nazrin Shah at the Young Malaysians' Roundtable Discussion on National Unity and Development in Malaysia : Prospects and Challenges for Nation-Building, it was so refreshing! Coming from the royalty and of such a high rank, it really was what this country needs at this juncture. I hope all our politicians took note of his speech. This man is speaking from his heart for the good of this nation. Sit up and take heed.
In his speech he said, "In the case of Malaysia, nation building has occurred in generally peaceful circumstances. It was not imposed by another country. And it is undertaken mainly by collective choice rather than compulsion. The fact that we have been able to forge a nation without resorting to the rule of the gun has made us something of a rarity and a case to be studied, if not emulated. It has allowed a relatively effective system of governance to develop. Our track record at development and resolving problems such as illiteracy, poverty and poor health has been good."
This is in recognition that all races were involved in the development of this country.
He also said, " First, Malaysians of all races, religions, and geographic locations need to believe beyond a shadow of a doubt that they have a place under the Malaysian sun. Only when each citizen believes that he or she has a common home and is working towards a common destiny, will he or she make the sacrifices needed for the long haul. In Malaysia, the Federal Constitution, the Rukun Negara and Vision 2020 encapsulate the rights, hopes and aspirations of the population in a way that no other documents do. The integrity of these documents must be defended and promoted, especially the first."
How very true! We will know if we are defending the Constitution in the near future! (The Federal Court has fixed May 14 to hear R. Subashini's application for leave to appeal against a decision ordering her to bring her divorce and custody claims to the Syariah Court. For the uninformed : Subashini is a Hindu whose husband converted to Islam without telling her. The Syariah Court is a religious court for the muslims.)
Strangely though, not many of our top political leaders had anything to say about his views on nation building. There were many comments from non-muslim groups, NGO's and a few bloggers, praising his stand on the importance of the Constitution. I waited a few days to post on my blog as I was hoping there would be some favourable comments from the top leadership but I didn't read or hear anything from them in the papers or the news. I guess they don't have time for such trivial stuff as National Unity!
As long as there are people like Prince Raja Nazrin, there is still hope for this land. The full text of his keynote address can be found at thestar online.
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