Today I am back in my office after being missing for the past 2 weeks The last time I sat on my chair here was 22nd of June and only today (9th July) I sit on it again. Well, the Monday blues struck. After sometime being away (on official duty of course) in Labuan and then to Miri, I don't know where to start. There some claim forms on my table to be signed, new planning for next week's programme in Johor (so, away from office again). Being away from office for means being away from the Kuala Lumpur stress factors. Life for me was easy for the duration of last two weeks. I have more time to relax my body and mind. Able to wake up a bit late since I don't have to rush to work. However the daylight difference between Kuala Lumpur and Labuan/Miri does not help me to wake up late. I was fully awake at 6.00 in the morning when back home I am still under the sheets and ahemmmm, cuddling my wife.
When I check the pigeon hole for my mails, I had the joke of the day that helps me cope with the Monday blues. I saw a mail from Kangar and based on the stamping printed on envelope it might be something official. When I open the envelope I laugh my heart out to see that it was from someone I do not know and it's just a piece of advertisement sent from someone from Naka, Kedah.
It was an information that if I need to strike wealth with 4 digit forecast I can meet the "Tok guru" at Wat Naxxxxx.
On the other side is a testimonial of one Malay guy from Selangor who recovered from his financial problem after meeting the "Tok Guru" . I just can't take it that a Muslim still depending on sin money (4 digit forecast) to make a living. As a Muslim, he/she need to ask help from Allah The Almighty directly and not through a third party, however pious or powerful that third party is.
When I check the pigeon hole for my mails, I had the joke of the day that helps me cope with the Monday blues. I saw a mail from Kangar and based on the stamping printed on envelope it might be something official. When I open the envelope I laugh my heart out to see that it was from someone I do not know and it's just a piece of advertisement sent from someone from Naka, Kedah.
It was an information that if I need to strike wealth with 4 digit forecast I can meet the "Tok guru" at Wat Naxxxxx.
On the other side is a testimonial of one Malay guy from Selangor who recovered from his financial problem after meeting the "Tok Guru" . I just can't take it that a Muslim still depending on sin money (4 digit forecast) to make a living. As a Muslim, he/she need to ask help from Allah The Almighty directly and not through a third party, however pious or powerful that third party is.
10 comments:
Only in Malaysia can an 'honourable' member of parliament admit that he was the person who had the audacity to ask the customs department to 'close an eye' in not seizing a consignment of logs imported by his company and still walk away proudly as if nothing he did was wrong.
With all the accusations hurled against him, this minister does not seem to regret his actions. He admitted he has an interest in the consignment and even had the cheek to say 'What is wrong with that?'
I am really disappointed that no action (so far) has been taken against this 'honourable' man. He has brought shame upon himself as an elected representative of the people, to parliament and to the party he represents.
An opposition member was suspended for six months without pay for a minor indiscretion, and here we have a minister from the ruling coalition who has openly admitted his wrongdoing and no punishment is meted out. What an irony!
No wonder there are others who simply do not abide by the law if they can help it because we already have people in high places who think what they have been doing all this while has been right anyway.
That is Malaysia Boleh for you.
Now we all know why these ministers are reluctant to allow live telecasts of parliament debates, for we will then see them in all their disgrace.
For the minister to blatantly say 'So what?' and all that, I think we now understand why the Malaysian government and its policies are going down the drain. If the BN can only offer the electorate ministers of these character and nature, we, the citizens should and must start worrying.
They do not represent the people interest, they represent their own interest. And our ministers have the audacity to ask the overseas professionals to be patriotic! What do these ministers expect?
The latest episode has revealed how powerless the Malaysia parliament is. The parliament like many other government institutions, has its fangs removed over the last 22 years.
In the words of former Umno supreme, Dr Mahathir, parliament is a mere rubberstamp and he made sure it was just that. When push comes to shove, we now know that BN ministers will vote for the interest of their party first and not the people who voted them in.
What is the point of Malaysians voting for a BN minister when he is bound to vote along party lines? In fact, this goes to show that it does not take much to be a BN minister. Just do as you are told and leave your principles and conscience at home.
What is more disappointing is Pak Lah's response to the whole Shahrir episode. I think the government should wrap up its National Integrity Plan and bury it.
If Pak Lah and his people are all good people with good intentions, and we should all do whatever the government says and toe the line prescribed by this 'man of courage and good intentions, interested in the greater good of the majority and trying to balance many conflicting demands cutting across all lines', then surely the most intelligent thing to do is to dissolve parliament.
What do we need parliamentary democracy for?
I would also like to take issue with his assessment that the PM is a man of courage. In the first place, if the PM is a man of courage, he has yet to demonstrate any signs remotely indicative of courage.
What Pak Lah has shown us so far is not only indecisiveness but a lack of commitment to combat corruption. Pak Lah has successfully deceived Malaysians by promising to clean up corruption.
However, after getting such a huge mandate from the Malaysian voters, he has failed to live up to his promise. This PM is going to go down in history as nothing more than a great pretender.
The original concept of NEP is laudable, but along the way it has been politicised by Umno aspirants. Yes, Tun Razak spelt out it was not to rob A to pay B. The formula was to expand the economic cake.
From what I see there is no sincerity among the malay leadership to uplift the malay masses. To deflect this discrepancy, non-malays are always used as the scapegoat and tarred as a threat to malay interests.
Malaysia needs malays to be successful. But why the great divide within the malay community in terms of income parity after close to 40 years of NEP?
You blame the implementation instead of the policy. But who are the implementers? Not the non-malays by any stretch of imagination. It is all your corrupt leaders robbing you all blind in the name of Ketuanan Melayu.
Again, you have to look at the leaders you have which glaringly show populism to seek self-interest is the mark of their leadership.
Economists of capitalism has long know a non secret recipe of a successful economy is best practised by non-interference of the authorities, a set policy like NEP is bound to failed in the first place! We might as well rely on the rule of communism rather than NEP!
We should from now on apply the rule of totally non-interference free economy in Malaysia economy, government shall only maintain the basic rules of law and providing a basic social net, and its function stop here! Let the economy run as free as it should, by merit!
Look at China and India, how they open up their economy and prosperous! Let the poor countryman to prosperous at later stage, at the meanwhile teach them how to fish, not give them the fish! Sooner or later, they will know how to fish!
You will say it is so painful! Of course, it is painful, but it is the certain and only way.
We can have a very bright country by adopting alternative approach in developing our economy. Racial base economy is not only outdated but also ineffective and not capitalist!
Umno said: We are the master.
You are the master for -
1. Being lazy lots
2. Corruption
3. Drug addictions
4. Gangsterism
5. Half past six mentality
6. Hypocrites
7. Lying
8. Making a lot of wives
9. Racism
10. Ungrateful
The earlier we abolish race-based political parties and promotes multi-racial parties like Keadilan and DAP the better we'd live.
50 years is a very, very long time to be fooled.
It seems that racism in this country has now becomes a BN government sanctioned policy. It is no wonder that we saw the type of behaviour demonstrated in UPM.
As usual, we don't hear a squeak from the component parties in defense of our civil liberty.
I am all for the support of multi-racial parties which is not based on racism or ketuanan. In a globalize world, ketuanan could really just end up as Jaguh Kampung.
Other than garnering grassroots support, I don't see how else we can compete with the upcoming Vietnam, the rising India and the awakened dragon of China. Welcome to the globalize world where information is just at the click of the mouse!
Our universities are meant to promote academic excellence, to enhance independent thinking, to create new ideas and many others. To brainwash our freshmen with hatred and anti-Semitic talks are totally idiot measure and an unacceptable!
Fresh innocent souls are being misled and confused. Eventually those wiser youths will realise the whole sham and hypocrisy. They will emigrate leading to brain drain which the BN government is all out to promote relentlessly. Malaysia Boleh!
No wonder there are so much racism in the universities nowadays. Look who is playing religious and racial issues! Why hate Jews? They had so many towering personalities and are much smarter than those pro keris waving fanatics.
They even have globally ranked universities whereas ours are a shame. We should be emulating their success. I would have no more hope for Pak Lah and can only wish that he is a one-term prime minister.
This activity of USM is highly racial and deplorable. Time and again, MIC and MCA have shown themselves to be political puppets and eunuchs of Umno.
A vote for MIC or MCA is a vote for the likes of Khairy, Hisham, and all those Umno malays who sideline and discriminate the non-malay communities whom have sacrificed so much for Malaysia. The racial politics of Umno has no place in Malaysia, or for that matter any country in the world.
Brainwashing is Malaysia government method of retaining the support. That is. Others may not be relevant.
Corruption to the Malaysia country is just like tumor to our body. Let tumor to become cancer the body will die. Let corruption to grow to be irreversible the country will collapse.
So to control and minimize - corruption should deserve highest priority. Of course there are still many more issues to tackle.
I just could not imagine what will happen to the country if Pak Lah is slowly compromising himself with those corrupted people around him.
Let us hope Pak Lah has the courage to carry on the battle against corruption, and has the wisdom to take some drastic actions at the right timing on all the other major issues.
GLCs and NEP are becoming the means for some Umno politicians who are corrupted to gain power as well as to gather wealth for themselves. This is causing tremendous damage to the Malaysia economic.
More and more businessmen irrespective of race are working together with these corrupted Umno politicians to gather their own wealth. Most of these businessmen are equally greedy and corrupted, of course, there are some who are forced to do so for their own business survival.
The implementation of another well-intended policy on Malaysia incorporated, for the public and private sectors to work together for the good of the country, has also been abused by the same group.
Pah Lak must have the wisdom, strategy and courage to use the power of people to help him to bring the change, otherwise 2007 year will be worse and the future of Malaysia will be full of uncertainty.
If another leader who although are stronger but corrupted, to take over as prime minister - God saves Malaysia!
No matter how weak and ineffective Pak Lah is?
No matter how unemployable our local graduates are?
No matter how many billions the nation loses in its many economic ventures?
No matter how low the quality of our education?
No matter how ineffective the civil service is?
No matter how incompetent the CEOs of GLCs are?
No matter how corrupted the nation is?
No matter how brutal the police force is?
The people will continue to support the Barisan Nasional.
Take my word, the BN will be returned again with a two-thirds majority in the next general elections.
The reason is simple. With the election commission being a de facto member of the BN, and the widespread vote rigging, there is no way the BN can lose.
It has been impressed upon the people that the nation will be destroyed if the BN falls - malays will be wiped out from the surface of the earth.
The people are not so bothered about human rights, about good governance and transparency, about corruption.
They don't evaluate the prime minister performance. All that matters for the malays, is a party that will protect their special rights.
For the Indians, there is no choice but they follow the majority. For the Chinese, they want to be left in peace to live and make money.
The government can rule with impunity and yet remain strong. What a dichotomy?
It was initially assumed that the victim in the ear-squat case was a Chinese national, prompting a protest from the China government. Imagine being lectured by, of all people, the China on how to treat prisoners and respect basic human rights!
How low can we go?
What we see today is the struggle for the spoils of office. While corruption is rife, no one is willing to do anything about it. Why rock the boat?
Since you can't fight corruption you might as well join in - that way you get to share the spoils of office, and create a small empire even for the siblings in business while the sun shines.
This culture of corruption has taken decades to take roots. Change will not come easy.
The race card will continue to be played. Why not? It is a damn good tool to use during times of disunity and apparent chaos. How else would you unite the malays?
The educated and politically inactive among the malays need to wake up - and do something, rather than wait for a (financial) crisis of the proportion we saw in the late 1990s, we are experiencing a leadership crisis today - make no mistake about it.
Pak Lah is asleep at the wheels.
I don't even trust my own country prime minister anymore - he is a disappointment to me……….
Pak Lah if you read this I will tell you straight to your face "I don't support you anymore!"
Again, this government has become so confused as to the demarcation of responsibilities. What has happened to the administration, so many gaffes and so many clarifications! The people are confused because we have a prime minister equally confused!
What a sick country we are living in. It is goes to show that there is no equality, fairness, meritocracy, etc. We the silent majority must start canvassing now and spread the word around to vote for change by voting in the opposition. Just tell the voters - BN equals more strip squats, discrimination, baldness, etc. Thanks.
Too many non-malays, the Chinese especially, have given up on this country. This is a fact. It is a fact that the bunch of jokers has better wake up to, for it will come to a head someday.
Denial of reality is a dangerous disease. It can strike down future generations because like the army vehicles, when you run out of spare parts or oil for that matter, you are wide open to the very colonialisation that has warped your fears.
Except that the new form of colonialisation isn't from the outside. It is all inside.
If they keep only dreaming that they can seduce and tax the patience of half the people population, then mother Malaysia will one day have to face up to some of its most belligerent off-springs, those who seem to think theirs should be the only voice.
Frankly, one is not sure anymore God will want to have anything to do with anyone in this blinkered country.
I am a dental student in the US from Malaysia. Have been living in the US for about 7 years now and I would like to share some insights that may help view things from another perspective.
Lets consider few other interesting facts:
A comment was made where even the western countries are going through a phase of "brain drain". Let me tell you that it is not true.
This is why. Countries like the US are continuously reaching out in welcoming more and more foreign citizens in all important fields such as engineering, IT and medical. They will never go through "brain drain".
1. If you recently graduated from a dental or medical school in the US, regardless of where you are from, you are eligible to apply for an expedited green card. In fact, they will approve your green card almost immediately so that you can start working.
2. All professors are encouraged to do research and studies in the summer and publish them. The more publication you have, the more likely you will receive a raise.
3. US was worried from a report published few months ago that foreign enrollment for masters were dropping due to tighter visa restrictions. They admitted that less foreign enrollment would greatly affect the R&D of the country. Why? Most R&D is done by foreigners and they are greatly recognized for it.
4. I know a South Korean guy who graduated from my school and went on becoming a dentist. Two years after graduating from dental school, he returned to my university to give a presentation. His English was fair, not that great but guess what, his two dental practices in the State of Utah, made US$3 million a year profit (not revenue).
5. In Malaysia, the pay for a medical lab assistant with a bachelor is RM800 - RM1000. In the US, the pay for the same position is US$1800 - US$2400. And they do look at color actually. If you are a foreigner (with a permit of course), silently preference will be given to you……….because they are loyal and hardworking.
To make it fair, even without converting the currency, we can see which country values its citizens and strives to improve their R&D. (Keep in mind, things are cheaper in the US than in Malaysia, without converting the currency. You are lucky if you can buy a decent car.)
With all this said, if a person is qualified and have a family to support, why would they want to go through the trouble of "not getting admitted to university because of race quota filled", "not getting promotion because of color", and lastly after spending more than RM400000 on medical school, you are to spend 5 years slave labouring for the government, not knowing how you are going to pay off the debt and support your family although you hold the prestige "Dr".
These are all things that distract from progressing for an individual and for the country. Our country is losing a lot of time and so talents but subjecting all these on qualified individuals. So what you to do, not let this effect your progression.
We have to take care of ourselves first and after that worry about patriotism. Patriotism is not going to put food on the table or grow money tree outside my house.
I am not planning on returning back to Malaysia (to settle) unless things change in Malaysia. But with the money I will earn, I can visit Malaysia every year and contribute to the tourism industry. When I reach the age of 60 and retire, then I will return to Malaysia.
Yes, which Islamic country in the world today is strong in technology science, R&D, literature, etc?
The answer is a big NONE!
Drop Islam and malays would be a better race!
I don't believe the Barisan Nasional government understands the present and real danger the country is heading towards. It is appropriate that we look at the reality of the situation at the beginning of 2007.
Corruption and graft in Malaysia have been allowed to fester for far too long and is killing the country slowly.
With the world opening up and globalisation inevitably at the doorsteps, smaller economies like ours will suffer. Unless Malaysia's industries innovate and metamorphic, we will lose out to the great factory of the world - China.
All the more so when the government tolerates corruption and graft in its awarding of contracts, and when contracts are awarded not to the best company but to friends and relatives who can provide a kickback.
We are no longer competitive. The cost of doing business in Malaysia is now much too high. Corruption and graft certainly does not help but the inflation rate has risen to a point that it is virtually impossible to raise a family……….
It used to be that Malaysia could at least boast of a well-educated workforce however today, it is sadly no longer true.
I run a local business and conduct perhaps over a hundred interviews a year of graduates in Malaysia. It is sad that our local graduates lack the confidence and social skills to make it pass the first round of interviews. Perhaps if they were not so obsessed with scoring As but more appreciative of the many and varied aspects of life and general knowledge, they would be more confident in carrying on a normal conversation.
Our place of higher education is sadly no longer what it used to be. If the ministers and the politicians of higher education continue to be in a state of denial of the standard and level of our local universities, then it is to the detriment of the nation.
While Malaysia, or the government rather, continue to play the racial card by insisting that there is a malay agenda and the Indian community fights for a voice and the Chinese component believes that there is a Chinese agenda, the rest of the civilised world are working towards being more united for the simple sake of commerce and economics.
It should no longer be necessary to divide the poor up into Malays, Indians or Chinese, nor is it necessary to divide the wealthy according to their skin color. Certain biasness exist and stereotypes are unavoidable, but government policies that promote racial division is in this age and day unnecessary.
In fact it makes the country less competitive and more divided. Just go to America and look at the number of Malaysians who head business organisations and hospitals and universities. These are the brains that we lost, not because of the pull factor but more so because of the push factor.
My travels take me to all over Asia. I see for myself what used to be Malaysia's strength have now become our weakness. Some of our neighbours have become very serious with corruption and graft.
China, for example, recognised their weakness and is seriously dealing with the problem. There was a local government official in an outlying province who were misappropriating the people's funds. He was found guilty and he was shot by a firing squad.
I believe we will have few or no politicians left if the Anti-Corruption were free to run its investigations independently. Perhaps that is one way of trimming the cabinet.
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