sam speaks

To Marry or Not To Marry – That is the Question

2012-02-05T22:26:00.001+08:00

It is very easyto propose and it is probably even easier to be trapped into saying Yes. Buthow does one decide if the person is the Mr/Miss Right or Mr/Miss Right Now orMr/Miss Right After a bad relationship?

I don’t thinkanyone should continue with a romantic relationship if;

1) Your partnerinsults you in front of your friends

If the persongenuinely cares about your feelings, he/she will never insult you in public.

2) Your partnershouts at you in public

As above

3) They flirtopenly in front of you

Showsdisrespect, unless you condone it.

4) Your partnersaying the L word before you’re ready to hear it

I personallyhate to be rushed into anything; it makes me feel the whole thing is forcedupon me.

5) He/Shethought that dinosaurs were a conspiracy theory

I’m the type whonormally fall for the brains first, no dumb blondes for me.

6) The best newsyou could have is learning your partner has cheated on you or has to move away.

If this happens,it means you’re always looking for a way out.

7) Your friendsand family warn you off

Your true friendsand family are the ones who will stick with you through thick and thin. No matterhow bad your family relationship is, blood is always thicker than water. Loveis blind and sometimes we feel they are over-meddling in our affairs but friendsand family will always be there for you when Mr/Miss formerly known as Right hasgone wrong.

image 'borrowed' from Mark Anderson, www.andertoons.com

10 Reasons Why Terrorists Will Never Harm Malaysia

2012-02-01T21:11:00.001+08:00

I found this on the web. Click [here] for the original posting. It is really funny.

10 reasons why terrorists will never harmMalaysia

Written by Mailbag

MAILBAG - AS IS WHERE IS

Terrorist decidesto blow up KLCC. He drives to KLCC with the intention of planting the bombthere, gets stuck in a 2-hour jam, and blows himself up in frustration.

PLAN FAIL. Reason: Police road block.

Terrorist decides to bomb Ipoh as apractice session before targeting KL. He drives for the first time on thehighway to Ipoh trusting the signboards to get him there, and ends up in Lumut.Terrorist drowns himself in the sea in frustration.

PLAN FAIL. Reason: Bad road signs

Terrorist decides to blow up Puduraya.While walking to his destination, the bag in which he keeps his bombs getssnatched by snatch thieves on a motorcycle. He pulls on his bag's strapdesperately and dies after being dragged 100m on the road.

PLAN FAIL. Reason: Mat Rempit.

Terrorist decides to blow up Port Klang. Hesucceeds!! But the next day The Star, NST, Berita Harian and Utusan publish anarticle on page 10 headlined "Boy playing with fireworks injured in minorexplosion."

PLAN FAIL. Reason: UMNO paper, cover-up.

Terrorist decides to bomb Johor Bahru. Herents a house as headquarters and the night before the dastardly deed, threemen with parangs break into his house, rob him and kills him.

PLAN FAIL. Reason: Too many Indonesians.

Terrorist decides to bomb Kedah to paralyzethe rice bowl of Malaysia. That night, while secretly setting up the bombduring a heavy thunderstorm (so that no one sees him), Timah Tasoh Dam hitsdanger level, authorities open the dam gates and he is swept away in thefloods.

PLAN FAIL. Reason: Always flood.

Terrorist decides to blow up Bukit Bintang.Upon arrival at destination, he is accosted by a pimp and spends the night inthe arms of a beautiful woman. At dawn, authorities raid the place and arresthim.

PLAN FAIL. Reason: Call the companion, turnout to be a pondan.

Terrorist decides to blow up the MACCbuilding as he is a strong advocate of corruption. He enters the building, butbefore he manages to plant his bomb, he is found dead after a fall from the14th floor window.

PLAN FAIL. Reason: Someone or a ghostpushes him out of the window.

Terrorist decides to blow up SerdangHospital. He enters the hospital lobby, hears a loud crashing sound and looksup to see the ceiling collapsing on him. He dies.

PLAN FAIL. Reason: 3rd party contractor.

Terrorist decides to blow up GentingHighlands. On the way up the mountain, a speeding bus driven by a 18-year-oldboy without a driving licence crashes into his car and kills him instantly.

PLAN FAIL. Reason: Gamble heavily and owe'tai yee loong' (Ah Long).

MORAL OF THE STORY: MALAYSIA IS INVINCIBLETO TERRORIST ATTACKS!

Hassan Ali, Comical Ali?

2012-02-01T20:53:00.003+08:00

Dubbed ComicalAli by some British newspapers, the Iraqi Information Minister Mohammed Saeedal-Sahaf has become a cult figure thanks to his wild claims and colourful language.With a grinning face and wild gesticulations, he is the man charged with givingthe Iraqi side of the story.

It is unfair tocall Hassan Ali Comical Ali because Ali is his father’s name. Maybe I’ll callhim Comical bin Ali. The title is also suitable for another bin Ali, Ibrahim ofPerkasa. But for today, I shall focus on bin Ali the former PAS VP, crusader,Muslim fighter and last but not least comedy king.

Depends on whoyou listen to or what you read, Hassan’s sacking from PAS is either due to him failingto adhere to the principles of PR(according to PAS and PR) or Anwar’s directive (according to UMNO). His sackinghowever has brought to the forefront a spectacular show of stupidity, on hispart.

I admit he was asuccessful motivator, he can make children cry running to their parents askingfor forgiveness and he made quite a comfortable living out of motivating. Hisentrance into mainstream politics I must say stemmed from Anwar’s sacking andsubsequent unjust treatment back in 1998. I wonder if Anwar is still an UMNOman and the current PM, would Hassan be active in PAS politics?

Anyway, his lastact as a PAS member was to call the 901 gathering a waste of time or somethingto that effect. That was probably the straw that broke the camel’s back. Immediatelyafter being sacked, Hassan went on a roadshow to ‘explain’ why he was sackedand to expose the evil deeds of PAS, PKR and DAP.

My question is;why bother going on a nationwide roadshow? Who does Hassan think he is? Even PASmembers rejected him by not re-electing him as VP. He was relieved of hisduties as Selangor PAS commissioner. He was not considered a key figure in PASanymore. His fall was as fast has his rise and rightly so.

Hassan accusedthe Christian missionaries of trying to convert Muslims. I’m not supporting themissionaries’ actions but any missionary from any religion would do the same,Muslim missionaries included. Why can’t Hassan understand that is how the gameis played? Instead of harping on their use of solar powered electronic biblesand impersonating a Muslim and pretending to pray at the masjid, why can’t Hassanwork on strengthening the Islamic institutions? Why can’t Hassan spend moretime finding out the problems faced by Muslims who are being targeted by thesemissionaries; namely the poor, destitute and old? Why can’t Hassan embark on aneducating roadshow instead of running around conducting raids?

Hassan shouldknow that defense is a good form of attack. Strengthen the Muslims faith bygiving them support, aid, education, hope and more importantly a place to turnto when in need. We get generous funding from the government, we have numerous Islamicbodies both governmental and NGO; why can’t these well funded bodies ensure thewelfare of Muslims and eliminate the possibility of them turning to others forhelp?

Missionaries donot cause apostasy; it is made easier by the Muslims who feel left out anddiscarded by their own brothers.

Not content withclaiming Muslims are being converted into Christianity, Hassan’s latest war wasagainst the Chinese of DAP. He now claims that if (when) PR takes overPutrajaya, DAP will merge Malaysia with Singapore, turn us into a republic andabolish Article 153 of the Federal Constitution. According to Hassan, DAP isall out to destroy the Malay race, its history and its Sultans.

My question is;why only now? Why didn’t Hassan QUIT PAS and make a police report on DAP’s evilplans? Is DAP so strong and dominant that it can dictate and demand we mergewith Singapore? Let me remind Hassan and those stupid enough to believe him,DAP on their own cannot form the federal government. Does Hassan think Anwar isso weak to follow every single thing DAP say? DAP is not a threat to the Malays;UMNO is. UMNO is making the Malays weak; their constant handouts make Malaysunable to tend for themselves. UMNO is guilty of creating the subsidy mentalityamongst Malays. UMNO wants the Malays to be dependent on them. UMNO leaders areonly interested in staying in power and making money, it has no interest inhelping the Malays progress for progression leads to enlightment andenlightment in turn leads to abandonment of UMNO.

Hassan Alithinks he is doing Malays and Muslims a favour with his ‘crusade’. Unfortunatelyhis crusade will further divide the Malay and Muslims.

When to Fall in Love

2012-01-28T23:47:00.001+08:00

Apparently,falling in love is best done when one is ready and not when one is lonely;according to my sister la but then again what does she know?

I fell in lovethe first time I saw her on the billboard, it was on the NKVE, KL bound. I’mstill in love with her today, eight years after I first saw her. I cannotafford her yet but one day, one fine day I’ll get my E60 525i.

I knew I was inlove when I cried. It was a terrible loss, we were going great and the double waswithin grasp. It was a simple miss and we lost. Wimbledon FC never got anysignificant success after beating Liverpool in the 1988 cup final and Liverpoolwent downhill from the 90s on but I never lost my love for the Reds.

Btw, an hour agoLiverpool dumped Man U out of the 2011/12 FA Cup!

I am Confused

2012-01-25T19:37:00.001+08:00

I often hearpeople especially from the rural areas saying that if Pakatan gets into power,the dominant party will be DAP and Malays will be marginalised and side-linedand discriminated against. They say if Pakatan wins, PAS will become DAP’slackey, an insignificant member of the coalition with no say on anything.

The rural Malays’perception of DAP (as told by Utusan Malaysia) is that it is a Chinese dominatedanti Malay, anti Islam party. They may be right about the party being Chinesedominated but I’m not so sure about it being anti Malay or anti Islam. On thatscore, I need more concrete proof and hearsay cannot be considered concrete proofand I cannot accept anything coming out from Utusan as concrete proof.

The rural Malaysare made to believe (by Utusan) that it will be the end of the Malay raceshould DAP and Pakatan rule the country.

Why am I confused?

I am confused becauseI also have read [here] MCA politicians saying if Pakatan wins the election, PASwill institute Islamic laws and impose it upon everyone and all hell will breakloose. They say the DAP is PAS’ lackey; errand boy. The soiled MCA Presidentsays that “It is PAS that is going to be the dominant party. It is PAS that isgoing to call the shots; it is PAS that will rule the day if they (theopposition) come to power.

I am confusedbecause how can one party (UMNO) says DAP is riding on and manipulating PASwhile another BN component party (MCA) is saying the opposite? Why are theysinging contradictory tunes? One of them must be lying or worse, both of them are.

Images from tunkuaishai.blogspot; bbcatlover.blogspot

Asset Declaration – Long Overdue

2012-01-20T21:38:00.000+08:00

The Penang stategovernment started the ball rolling when their exco members declared theirassets to the public.

Days later, ChiefJustice Tan Sri Arifin Zakaria said judges too will be required to declaretheir assets in order to ensure judicial integrity. The move is expected toaffect judges of the Federal Court, Court of Appeal and High Court as well asJudicial Commissioners. I’m not sure to whom the judges are to declare theirassets or when they will do so but it is nevertheless positive news.

Then came theMACC; they propose all Cabinet ministers, deputy ministers and their immediatefamily members sign statutory declarations (SD) to declare their assets withthe agency. The chairman of the anti-graft body’s advisory panel, Puan SriZaitun Zawiyah Puteh, said today that spouses and family members of those inthe federal administration will also be required to do the same. (Reported on TheStar Online). Why to the agency, I do not know. Will it be made public? I do notknow. (If anyone knows, please tell me). Minister Nazri Aziz, in response tothe MACC proposal said that ministers should only declare their assets to theprime minister and not to the MACC because the move would pose a"danger" to the individuals. PAS Youth's information chief RiduanMohd Nor then questioned what Nazri had meant by the word 'danger'. “Does hemean 'danger' to family members of the minister and their assets, or 'danger'to their future once their millions of ringgit worth of assets' become publicknowledge?" Lim Guan Eng on the other hand said he understood where Nazriis coming from. For those who have inherited assets, inherited wealth, or thosewith family wealth and those who were successful even before politics, thatwealth may be subjected to attention for unhealthy elements. Nevertheless, GuanEng stressed that there is a necessity, at least as the first step, to ask alloffice bearers, those who hold positions of public trust, to declare theirassets.

In an almostrelated matter, Ambiga Sreenevasan the BERSIH co chairperson urged DefenseMinister Zahid Hamidi to declare his assets and lead his Barisan Nasional colleaguesin the fight against corruption that he has likened to cancer.

Cabinetministers are presently required to disclose their assets to the Prime Ministerbut the information is not made public. I’m wondering if the PM is required todeclare his assets and if so, to whom? To himself maybe.

I am a proponentof asset declaration by public office bearers, especially those who holdpositions of public trust. The reasons are obvious, to prevent power abuse, toeliminate corruption and to encourage ethical wealth accumulation. Holding importantpublic positions must not be an avenue to enrich oneself, there are many otherways of doing that; honest hard work would be a good start. At the same time, I’malso a proponent adequately rewarding people holding important publicpositions, they must be paid comparable wages and benefits to those in theprivate sector, maybe even slightly more. Having said that; generous pay packetmust come with equally generous commitment to work.

When it comes tomembers of the legislature, I propose the asset declaration be made to the ElectionCommission (and accessible to the public) prior to obtaining approval tocontest.

It is not wrongto accumulate wealth and be filthy rich. It is wrong to obtain wealth viaunethical means.

Will Syed Mokhtar End Up Owning Everything?

2012-01-19T00:15:00.000+08:00

What is notowned by Syed Mokhtar? His acquisition of Proton added to his already vastbusiness empire across practically all sectors. He now controls;

(1) DRB-HICOM, which controls (orhas stakes in);

Proton;

EON;

Modenas;

Honda Malaysia;

Isuzu Malaysia;

Puspakom;

Bank Muamalat;

Uni Asia insurance;

Alam Flora;

Pos Malaysia;

KL Airport Services;

Glenmarie Properties.

(2) Malaysian Mining Corporation(MMC), which controls (or has stakes in);

Port of Tanjung Pelepas;

Johor Port;

Senai Airport

SMART Tunnel;

Malakoff;

Gas Malaysia;

MMC-Gamuda JV.

(3) Tradewinds, which controls (orhas stakes in);

Bernas (amongst its brands is Gardenia);

Gula Padang Terap;

CentralSugar Refineries.

Amongst theassets controlled by Syed Mokhtar include those of national importance such asPos Malaysia, Gas Malaysia and the various ports. Independent power generation is almostexclusively Malakoff’s; rice and sugar is monopolised by Tradewinds; and so iswaste management (save for Selangor!).

My socialist instinctsprompt me to ask the question why so much wealth is concentrated in one person.No doubt he is a very generous man who shares his wealth with the ordinarypeople, his philanthropic activities bearstestament to that but is it wise to have one person controlling so many of thenations strategic businesses?

Halim Saad andRenong once controlled quite a big chunk of large projects via UEM, Time, CIMB,PLUS, Intria, Kedah Cement and scores of smaller companies. The 1997/98 crisisbrought them to their knees and most of those assets and projects are nownationalised, bailed out by the tax payers. I’m not saying Syed Mokhtar willsuffer the same fate but can his level of leverage withstand an economic downturn?I’m not a believer of debt financing. I don’t believe in businesses acquiringassets financed mainly via borrowings and over leveraging themselves. I am after all a proponent of Shariah basedfinance, where risks and rewards are equitably shared.

Back to SyedMokhtar; is it wise for the government to allow one person to control (monopolise)two of the major staple foodstuff? Shouldn’t the management of Bernas and CSRbe at least partly government controlled, especially when there are subsidiesinvolved? I hear he is also looking to buy the national railway KTM. That would complete his grip of the nation's transportation network, adding to his ports and airports.

Why SyedMokhtar? Is there a dearth of qualified quality Malaysian entrepreneurs? What’swrong with giving Proton to Nadzmi Salleh who has a long CV in the autoindustry? On Proton, my personal view is that we should just sell it off toVolkswagen and let them do to Proton what they did with Seat and Skoda.

Many formerlystate assets are back with the state after failed privatisation. Let’s hopeSyed Mokhtar won’t follow Halim Saad’s and Tajudin Ramli’s footsteps.

Whatever it is, philanthropicor not, no one person should be allowed to control billions of strategic (formerlystate) assets, especially when none of the businesses were built by him fromscratch.

Image borrowedfrom Malaysian Insider and various web sources

Money Politics, Gutter Politics

2012-01-18T23:26:00.002+08:00

Da Bomb

I was notsurprised by Tan Sri Kadir Sheikh Fadzir’s revelation that BN used money to buyvotes and I’m sure I’m not alone. I however hope that his expose does not endthere. I look forward to more details, not only how it was done but more of whodid it and who funded the bombing exercise. That would be juicy.

Kadir evencalled the BN government a big bully for not giving PAS a publishing licenceand he also indicated that BN is guity of power abuse for using the Ministry ofInformation, Felda, Felcra, the Special Branch and other federal agencies tosupport their (election) campaign.

On the otherhand, I have this to ask the good Tan Sri, did you give equal media access tothe opposition when you were the Information Minister?

We shall waitand see how UMNO reacts to his allegations.

Mahathir vs. Anwar

Why is Mahathirso hell bent on destroying Anwar? Is he afraid of the man? If so, why?

His latest rantis on homosexuality and whether Anwar will legalise it. For a former lawmaker,Tun M should know that the job of legalising this or that lies with theparliament and unless Anwar can get at least 148 MPs to support his‘legalisation’ plan, it won’t happen. Do you think the PAS guys in parliamentwould agree to that? I don’t think so. So to answer Tun M’s question, even ifAnwar wanted to, he can’t get enough numbers to support him. In case Mahathirforgot, that is what a democracy is all about.

PAS UMNO Saga

UMNO is HassanAli’s best friend nowadays and Nasharuddin Mat Isa doesn’t hide his desire tobe an UMNO man. If Nasharuddin feels that PAS doesn’t share his aspirationsanymore, he should either give in and support the party as a loyal member orquit and find another platform where his views and aspirations are accepted. Byusing the opponents channel to air his views, he clearly shows his loyalty doesnot lie with PAS anymore.

Why is HassanAli embarking on a nationwide tour to explain his sacking? Does he seriouslythink people would care? Who does he think he is?

Is Pakatan aviable alternative?

What choice dowe have? There is no more MCLM and KITA is more or less dead. I’m not sure howwell the PR state governments are doing but if one were to believe thealternative media, Selangor and Penang are doing reasonably well. If you on theother hand believe the mainstream (read – BN controlled) media, those twostates are approaching anarchy. I’m not sure how Kedah and Kelantan are doing, nothingmuch is heard of them which could mean the (BN) media cannot find any thing badto exaggerate.

With thecorruption scandals engulfing a few ministers, the NFC, PERKASA digging gravesfor MCA and MIC, Sheikh Kadir’s revelations (which won’t find any space inUtusan) and Isa Samad’s FELDA power grab; I won’t be surprised if PR wins a fewmore states, maybe even reducing BN’s win to a simple majority. If BN wins thatis. God forbid.

Hyundai Sonata 2.0

2012-01-13T21:46:00.001+08:00

After returningthe disappointing Ford Focus, I was given the 2009 previous gen Sonata.Frankly, I wasn’t too happy. My former boss had one and my initial thought waswhy? Why would anyone who could afford the (superior) Civic or Altis opt for the Sonata? Iknow I am being unfair to the Sonata but until then I was not convinced of itsquality. Until two weeks ago.

My sister had asecond generation Sonata back in the late 90s, it was crap. My regard for Sonatasremained low since then.

Two weeks ago I wassomewhat forced to eat my words. The car wasn’t that bad looking from theoutside save for the twin exhaust pipes. It wasn’t as good looking as its D segmentpeers, the Accord and Camry but one certainly won’t feel embarrassed to be seenin a Sonata.

What impressedme most was the ride. The steering was firm and the engine was smooth. Like theFocus it does 2750 rpm at 110km/h but unlike the Focus, the Sonata’s enginesound and wind noise was quite inaudible.

I like the frontaircon vents, it is placed slightly lower so it doesn’t blow into your face. Itdoesn’t have a rear blower though, something I find necessary for the Malaysianclimate.

The rear legroomis huge but thigh support on the rear seats is a bit lacking. Front seats arecomfortable but adjustable manually (I prefer electric seats). Like the rearlegroom, the boot is also huge; a family of 5 would have more than enough roomto load the boot with their suitcases and other stuff for that balik kampong trip. There is also enough in car storage space to make me happy.

I am not I fanof the wood-like dash and steering and I also find the audio controls on thesteering is a bit too low making adjusting volume and switching channels a bitdifficult. The car has a talking reverse sensor which can be amusing to somebut may be annoying to others.

Overall, I amquite impressed with the Sonata; it changed my perception of Hyundai and would definitelyconsider becoming an owner one day.

SARA 1 Malaysia - 1 Malaysia Ponzi Scheme

2012-01-13T20:32:00.000+08:00

“You cannot finda package like this anywhere else,” said Prime Minister Najib Razak at thelaunch of the scheme at Putra World Trade Centre.

The scheme,known as “Skim Amanah Rakyat 1 Malaysia” or “Sara 1 Malaysia”, allowshouseholds earning RM3,000 and below to purchase 5,000 units of Amanah Saham 1Malaysia (AS 1 Malaysia) at RM1 each and earn guaranteed returns of doubletheir investment after five years.

Under Sara 1Malaysia, applicants can choose to invest RM5,000 of their savings to purchasethe units or apply for loans from participating banks. According to the PM,those who invested in the scheme using their savings will be given a fixeddividend of RM134 monthly. But if they choose to reinvest it in the scheme,they will stand to receive RM13,000 at the end of the programme’s five-yearlifespan.

Those whoobtained loans, however, will have to pay RM84 monthly as repayment, leavingthem RM50 to reinvest and a RM10,000 pay out in five years. The scheme ishowever limited to 100,000 households.

I immediatelycried Ponzi when I first read the news.

I’m assuming ascheme called amanah saham is a mutual fund/unit trust kind of investment. Havingbeen in the financial services sector for close to 16 years, I think I have thecredibility to claim that the so called ‘investment’ scheme is not aninvestment per se. An investment is one that offers a return based on theperformance of the investment. Any placement of funds with a guaranteed returnabove the principal amount is deemed a conventional loan.

The way I seeit, the government is in effect ‘borrowing’ from the rakyat. RM5,000 x 100,000equals a loan of RM500 million. The fixed monthly dividend is in effect thecoupon payment on the loan. At RM134 per month on a 5,000 ringgit ‘investment’,the returns are nothing short of extraordinary. An equivalent amount put in FDwould only earn the depositor RM150 per annum! Even the ASB at its mostgenerous years would only pay 10 per cent per annum.

My question is,how is the fund manager going to generate that kind of returns? Stocks andbonds won’t pay that well and they are subject to fluctuations. Even thehighest yielding property won’t pay that much.

I’m sorry but I stillcan’t see this scheme other than a Ponzi. Bernie Madoff would be very proud.

Iqra'?

2012-01-10T23:35:00.002+08:00

I found this interestingstatement by the DPM/Education Minister [here] “This is a very important discovery that we need to pay attention tobecause in our own ministry’s records, even among students not part of the NS, there is a small number of those who havereached Form Five but still have literacy problems.”

I’m not sure ifhe was misquoted but I surely hope he was. Reading the statement makes me wondersomeone with literacy problems can reach form five? By literacy problems I’massuming difficulty or maybe even not knowing how to read. If one hasdifficulty reading, he/she will also have difficulty understanding and consequentlywill have major difficulty passing exams. Before one reaches form five, thestudent would have gone through two major national exams; UPSR and PMR. I’m assuming,a student with the abovementioned problem would end up getting 5Es and 8Fs forboth exams and if they did, how come their school did not take the appropriateaction to remedy the problem?

According to areport on Star Online (10 January 2012), the Defence Ministry discovered thatabout eight per cent of 6,667 National Service trainees from 30 selected campsnationwide were unable to read and write. 18 year olds who are unable to readand write! How did they read the letter requesting them to attend NS then? Whatabout the trainees form other camps not included in the selected 30?

In this day andage, there is no excuse for a healthy person not being able to read or write. Thesystem should have detected and rectified the problem much earlier and notafter they have reached eighteen. Didn’t the parents’ notice their children’s inabilityto read? What was the purpose of the national exams if it allows illiteratestudents to proceed to upper secondary?

Maybe we shouldhave oral (not the dental type) examinations for 9 year olds to ensure only thosewho can read and write proceed to upper primary.

A Few Things I Remember About 2011

2012-01-09T21:29:00.002+08:00

So manyinteresting events took place in 2011; from the short-lived joy of thinking theISA is abolished to the joys of beating Indonesia in football not once buttwice! I have listed a few that still sticks to my mind despite leaving theyear nine days ago…

GLCs told to drop lawsuits against TajuddinRamli (rating – super stupid)

Malaysian Insiderreported that Dato’ Seri Nazri Aziz,minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, said he had written to GLCs towithdraw their suits, worth at least RM2 billion, to buy time for all concernedparties to reach a “win-win” agreement and put an end to the prolonged financialsaga involving Tajuddin. He said the matter was referred to Second FinanceMinister Datuk Seri Husni Hanadzlah who then directed him to pen the letter. “Sinceit involved the law and I am the minister in charge of law, Husni told me, “Whydon’t you look into this”. It is not a cloak-and-dagger move ... we knew thiswould come out somehow and there is nothing to hide. I wrote that letter usingmy letterhead,” said Nazri.

Is there anyaccountability in this country? What about respect for the minorityshareholders of the GLCs? This is blatant abuse of power and a daylight robberyof taxpayers’ money. Tajuddin must know a lot of things that could bring a lotof people down. Tajuddin had claimed that Dr Mahathir and Daim had forced himto buy a 32 per cent stake in MAS from Bank Negara at RM8 per share instead ofthe market price of RM3.50 to bail out the central bank which was hit bymulti-billion ringgit foreign exchange losses.

Bersih 2.0 = Communism = Christian agenda?(rating – oxymoronic idiotic racists)

Utusan Malaysia, former IGP (and wannabeboxer) Rahim, Deputy CPO of Penang, Ibrahim Ali and numerous ‘anonymous sources’claim that BERSIH has an alternative agenda and electoral reform has nothing todo wit it. They claim BERSIH is out to turn the country into acommunist-Christian state. How that is possible I do not know because the lasttime I checked, the commies are atheists.

Najib meeting the Pope in Vatican City? ThePope sounds very Christian to me.

The government welcoming Wen Jiabao withopen arms? Isn’t he the leader of the largest communist party in the world?

Petty KJ (rating – childish)

Umno Youth chiefKhairy Jamaluddin made a comment about how Public Bank celebrated theiranniversary by posting on Twitter about “Malaysia’s latest religious cult:Public Bank. Kim Jong Il would be jealous”; together with a link to YouTube. Iwould like to remind KJ how Public Bank decide to celebrate their 45thanniversary should be none of his concern. If they want to glorify the man whomade the bank the strongest, biggest, most profitable bank in the country, itis also none of KJ’s concern. Why are you so bitter KJ? Is it because you havenever achieved anything significant in your life? By the way, marrying forpower is not an achievement.

Perkasa (rating – super duper stupid-er)

The brainlessand racist Malays in Perkasa are threatening action if no punishment forAmbiga, Anwar, DAP. The bigots led by Ibrahim Ali demands that Ambiga bepunished for having a lot to do with the Bersih rally; Anwar be punished forappearing in a sex video (was it really him?) and DAP be punished for planningto turn Malaysia into a Christian country. I doubt Karpal Singh is a Christianor Lim Guan Eng for that matter …

Now PERKASA wants tobe defenders of Islam. The people who are behaving so un-Islamic want to bedefenders of Islam?

Shah Alam hospital (rating – sad)

Is still not complete. The main contractoris the sister of the Sultan of Selangor. Didn’t know she’s a contractor.Shouldn’t a 480+ million ringgit contract be given to the more established (i.e.reputable = lower risk) contractors? Will the Shah Alam folks ever get agovernment hospital?

Mastering English

2012-01-06T19:49:00.001+08:00

I do not claim to be a proficient English speaking dude. In fact, I would only rate my English as decent, not excellent but quite good. I however have seen some resume proclaiming excellent English both written and spoken but upon meeting, I discover the English is excellent, for a 10 year old that is. While we may have more English speakers in this country today, the quality of English spoken have somewhat deteriorated. No?

Like it or not, English is the global lingua franca. Everyone wishing to participate in the global economy cannot do without knowing English (the language, not Johnny the spy). Learning, speaking, reading, writing English doesn't make anyone less patriotic.

Anyway, what got me writing about English was this and this. Please check it out and enjoys the Ingliss!! If it make you laughed, thats mean you have understand Ingliss*

By the way, a new 'weapon of mass destruction' was found - clothes that pokes the eyes!!

*Please do not attempt to correct the grammar or spelling!

How Much does a Scorpene Submarine Cost?

2012-01-03T20:03:00.000+08:00

In 2003 theSpanish government ordered 4 Scorpène-AIP submarines for €1.76 billion, roughly440 million Euros each
(source: http://www.deagel.com/Conventional-Attack-Submarines/Scorpene-Basic-AIP_a000425003.aspx).

In 2005, India purchasedsix Scorpènes for US$ 3 billion (US$500m per boat). These submarines are to bemanufactured under a technology transfer agreement by the state-owned MazgoanDocks in Mumbai and delivered between 2010 and 2015
(source: http://www.rediff.com/news/2005/sep/12def.htm).

Malaysia spent€1.084 billion to purchase 2 Scorpène submarines.
(source: written reply in Parliamentby Ministry of Defence to MP Tian Chua on 22 June 2010).

The Spanish spentEUR440 million per sub; the Indians, EUR385 million per sub but we Malaysianspaid EUR542 million for each of our previously unsinkable submarines!

Why did we paymuch more than the other two countries? Is that why the French prosecutors areinvestigating the deal?

Malaysia boleh Iguess …

Image courtesyof Mak Hon Keong.

Ford Focus 2.0 Ghia Sedan

2012-01-03T16:45:00.003+08:00

I had theprivilege of driving a 2.0 Focus for about a week and impressed I was not. At almost RM120,000the car is not really worth the money. Here’s why I think so (not in order ofsignificance or importance);

The drivingposition is a little awkward, not as uncomfortable as the Proton Waja but ittakes some getting used to. The leather seat is somewhat hard especially thehead restraints. The car I drove was a 2009 model and yet Ford didn’t find itnecessary to add a fifth gear, not even for the model’s line topper. The car does2750 rpm at 110km/h and can be quite noisy. Having driven the 2006 Civic on a dailybasis for close to 4 years, the Focus’ handling is a let-down.

Rear legroom isa little small which is strange for a European car given that Europeans aremuch taller than the average Asian. In-car storage space is also scarce; thereis no suitable place to put your smart tag or sunglasses (two most common itemsfound in most KL cars). The centre console doesn’t really serve any purpose; itis very shallow and cannot really fit anything bigger than a cigarette box. Oneof the cup holders in between the front seats is obstructed by the armrest,getting a cup into and out of the holder is quite a difficult task. The clock sits in the middle of thespeedometer and hence can only be seen by the driver.

The car howeverhas some plus points; the driver’s seat (only the driver’s seat) gets 3-wayelectric treatment, the aircon is powerful enough for KL’s midday temperatureof 36 degrees and the car has a good sized boot. The display on the speedometergives a lot of useful information especially the distance on remaining fuel.

If I had 120k tospend on a brand new car, I’m sorry but the Focus would not be in my list.

Image ‘borrowed’from cbt.com.my with apologies

Raja Petra?

2012-01-03T00:25:00.000+08:00

What’s RajaPetra/RPK/Pete up to now? The problem with this man IMHO is that he is so fullof himself. He is so self righteous. My view of RPK is that he thinks no oneelse is right except for him, no one knows more than him, no one else is more piousthan him and he thinks his religious knowledge is more than Yusof Qardhawi. Theman has a super huge ego.

Like most people,I used to admire his courage but at the same time I doubted his sincerity. Hewas once webmaster for the Free Anwar Campaign (FAC) but now he’s saying Anwaris not morally fit to become PM. From a staunch Anwar defender he now says theman in the sex video is 90 percent Anwar. If anything, RPK is no different fromEzam Mohd Noor, Zulkifli Nordin, Nallakarupan, Chandra Muzaffar and ZahrainHashim.

I also foresee thedeath of the MCLM especially after Haris Ibrahim’s resignation.

Am I defendingAnwar? No. I’m not his biggest fan. Not even a fan in fact. I disagreed withhis ways and I still disagree today. I’m sure many people remember whoindirectly control NSTP and TV3 pre 1998. The market back then viewed MRCB asan ‘Anwar Company’ and because of this, I don’t think Anwar has the moralground to trash UMNO linked businesses and UMNO’s use of the media to furthertheir cause. He was once one of them.

I’m also nothappy with Anwar appointing himself the ‘economic adviser to the state ofSelangor’ and I still believe that his push to get to Putrajaya is motivated byrevenge. On that score, yes I agree with RPK that Anwar is not fit to become PM,not because of his morals but because his motivation may be misplaced.

Many areaccusing RPK of selling out to UMNO. Whatever it is, he is now irrelevant and withoutcredibility.

Happy New Year 2012

2012-01-03T00:20:00.001+08:00

I’m not making any new resolutions this year. I’ve given up on giving up smoking. I however have some new year’s wishes.

I wish

Car prices in Malaysia will come down;
Malaysians will respect the traffic laws;
The government will compel buses, lorries and heavy vehicles to use NGV instead of diesel;
The officers of the MACC will find their conscience, guts, balls and especially brains;
Utusan and PERKASA be punished for their lies, thuggery and racist behaviour;
UMNO will admit that they are a bunch of greedy and racist bigots;
Liverpool will be more consistent and start winning home games;
Islamic finance will break away from being carbon copies of conventional finance

While I’m at it, I might as well wish for world peace.

Sigh …

Why?

2011-12-29T20:48:00.001+08:00

Why is Shahrizat Jalil still in the cabinet? Is she waiting for the cows (pun very much intended) to come home?

Why did we spend RM9 billion on a few (2nd grade?) warships? Are we planning to go to war?

Why isn't Ibrahim Ali arrested for causing racial unrest?

Why is Wan Azizah the president of PKR? Does she serve any purpose?

Why is UMNO so afraid of Anwar? Why are they (UMNO) hell bent on destroying him? Why only Anwar and not Lim Guan Eng, Hadi Awang or Karpal Singh?

Why is Andy Carroll not scoring as regularly as he should?

Why does Najib insist on listing Felda Global?

Why is the central banker who lost billions in the forex market now a senior minister?

Why are we still protecting Proton after almost 30 years?

Why is PERKASA so afraid of the use of indelible ink during elections? Are they planning an electoral fraud?

Why did the chicken cross the road?

Adam Adli – Hero or Villain?

2011-12-24T20:54:00.003+08:00

Adam Adli’s sinwas the lowering of a flag in the compound of PWTC bearing the Prime Minister’sface and replacing it with BEBAS’ flag. The flag-down, flag-up operationhappened briefly and according to Adam, Najib’s flag was back up within fiveminutes. Adam says he won’t apologise for his actions because it coulddemoralise his comrades.

For his efforts,Adam got;

1. A ‘spitting’ video message fromcar salesman Arman Azha of PJ UMNO and ex PERKASA youth head.

2. Disciplinary action from UniversityPendidikan Sultan Idris ( UPSI) charged with damaging the 'good name' of UPSIand he has 'endangered morals and public order'.

3. Death threat via SMS

4. A policeman attempted to punchhim in the compound of Bukit Aman when he went to make a report over the SMS.

5. Accused of being gay.

Why did he doit?

Adam said hewanted to put a message across that university students should not be scaredabout expressing their views when they are aware of discrimination andmismanagement happening in the country. “Some students who saw this shoutedvictory. I felt that victory was not in succeeding to meet a deputy ministerbut to make a strong statement,” he said.

So I take itthat the flag incident was merely a symbolic act of proclaiming victory.

Why thewidespread condemnation?

Rude (kurangajar – not taught enough) was what most detractors called the act. He went toPWTC, home of UMNO and insulted the flag of its president. Yes, it was rude. However,some of those condemning his act are also guilty of supporting similar rudeacts like stepping on pictures of MPs, burning pictures of opponents andsending a turd* shaped cakes to the CM of Penang.

On the samenote, is it fair for that Mazidul guy (formerly TV3’s 999 host) to judge Adam based on onlya few selected lines of his twitter statements? Would Mazidul be happy ifpeople were to judge him based on one incident involving the police in JohorBahru while disregarding the verdict?

I have to say Adam’sactions were somewhat inappropriate given the sensitivities of the people,especially UMNO members. He was asking for trouble when he lowered the flag becauseMalaysians in general are not ready for such acts of symbolism. I doubt howeverhe’ll get the same amount of condemnation had he lowered PKR’s flag.

On the otherhand, he’s 22 and an idealist. He was fighting a cause he and his friends believedin. He was prepared to go all the way. He had guts. Adam, despite his immaturities could be a prominentpolitician in the making.

*A turd is generally,a log-shaped piece of sh*t. Nevertheless, they are also found in coil-shape,mushroom-cloud shape, and even loch ness monster shape. [www.urbandictionary.com]

** picture fromsinarharian.com.my

Mak Datok! AC Mizal? Eizlan Yusof?

2011-12-24T00:04:00.001+08:00

Holy Cow!

AC Mizal and Eizlan Yusof are now Dato's! And not surprisingly, like most entertainers, they got a Pahang Dato'ship.

Don't call me sour grapes but I don't think they deserve the award. I've written about this before [here] and I'll say it again - please keep the royal award prestigious and to a certain extent, desirable.

My view on the higher royal award (Dato' and Dato' Seri/Paduka/Wira etc) is that they should only be given to those who has brought glory to the state or country. It should be a reward for success, loyalty, service, achievement. No doubt, both AC and Eizlan have achieved some sort of success, done some sort of service and have achieved a lot in their fields but is it enough to warrant a high royal award. Won't an AMP suffice?

I have no problems with Ahmad Nawab, Jins Shamsuddin, P Ramlee, Sudirman, David Arumugam, Aziz Sattar, Rahim Razali and M Nasir getting royal awards. They have contributed much to the industry and more importantly they got their awards after showing their mettle over and over again. They did not get their reward halfway through their career, they got it as a recognition of their continuous success over many years.

If AC Mizal and Eizlan deserve the Dato'ship, what about Afdlin Shauki, Erra Fazira, the KRU brothers, Awie, Amy Search, AR Badul, Fauziah Nawi, Norman Hakim, Hans Issac, Latiff Ibrahim, Ning Baizura, ND Lala, Salleh Yaacob, Shafinaz Selamat ... the list goes on, don't they deserve one too? Some of them, IMHO are more deserving than AC and Eizlan put together!

Why is that when someone from the entertainment industry gets a Dato'ship, ninety per cent chance it will be from Pahang? Why is the Pahang royal house degrading the award by over-awarding it to the entertainment fraternity to the point of being ridiculous? By all means, give to deserving entertainers but not each and everyone of them. Yes, my statement not only sounds treacherous but stinks of treachery but I will say it as I see it.

Please bring the glory in Dato'ships back and restore the pride of the DIMP.

The entertainment Dato' roll of honour ...

1) Sheila Majid DIMP

2) Khadijah Ibrahim DIMP

3) David Arumugam DIMP

4) M Nasir DIMP

5) Ramli MS DIMP

6) AC Mizal DIMP

7) Eizlan Yusuf DIMP

8) Siti Nurhaliza DIMP

9) Rafeah Buang DIMP

10) Rosnani Jamil DIMP

11) Maria Menado DIMP

12) Karam Singh Walia DIMP

13) Sarimah Ahmad DIMP

14) Yusni Hamid DIMP

15) Sudirman DSAP

16) A. Rahman Hassan DIMP

17) Chef Ismail DIMP

18) Mahadzir Lokman DIMP

19) Rezza Shah DIMP

20) Wan Mohammad Sani - Sani Express DIMP

21) Yasmin Yusof DIMP

22) Tom Abang Saufi DIMP

23) Bernard Chandran DIMP

Dato' Fasha Sanda anyone?

Good Neighbours?

2011-12-22T20:59:00.000+08:00

At the DewanRakyat some time in June 2011, Defense Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said therehave been 2,508 violations of Malaysian air space by Singapore military jetssince 2008.

There arereportedly millions of Indonesian illegal immigrants in Malaysia.

Why does the SAFcontinuously violate our airspace? I’m sure their advanced radar system and NUSeducated pilots would notice when they illegally encroach into another country’sairspace. Why are they so arrogant?

Are theIndonesian government is not doing anything to ensure workers coming toMalaysia are legally registered? Some quarters in Indonesia even have the cheekto “ganyang” Malaysia. That’s what I would call ungrateful.

And we aresupposed to be good neighbours? Don’t these countries have any shame?

Studying Overseas

2011-12-21T00:22:00.000+08:00

We should sendour undergraduates overseas for two main reasons; (1) the intended course isunavailable locally or insufficient space in local universities; (2) thestudent gets admitted into a globally recognised top university.

Graduate studentson the other hand should preferably be sent overseas to gain internationalexposure.

There is alwaysa university league table to gauge each university’s quality of teaching and research.

LSE, Oxford andCambridge are the top 3 Law schools in the UK* UCL, Durham, QM, Reading,Edinburgh and Glasgow makes up the top ten.

LSE, Oxford andCambridge again tops the table for Economics* while Reading is at 54^th.So, while it is okay for Law students to go to Reading, it would not be okayfor Economics student to go to the same university. Similarly, Durham is 7^thfor Economics but a no go for Mechanical Engineering as it is ranked 26^th.

As far as UK isconcerned, the old universities still dominate the standings. A few newuniversities of the 60s like Warwick and Lancaster have joined the elites but mostof the even newer universities, the former polytechnics have yet to break intothe top 50 save for Oxford Brooks and Hertfordshire at 46 and 48 respectively.

* http://www.thecompleteuniversityguide.co.uk/

Am I a Traitor?

2011-12-20T22:17:00.003+08:00

Am I a traitorif I say the privileges given to Malays (in Malaysia) regardless of social andeconomic standing is a flawed policy?

Would it betreacherous for me to suggest the privileges given to able and capable (andwealthy) Malays be dropped?

Would PERKASAdemand for my citizenship to be revoked if I suggest policies be implemented tohelp the poor regardless of race or religion?

Yes, I’m talkingabout the New Economic Policy (NEP) and Malay rights.

By the way, ifI’m not mistaken, the NEP was supposed to expire in 1990 and if I’m notmistaken, it is still in place, 21 years after its expiry date.

I am all foraffirmative action for as long as it reaches the right target. Affirmativeaction means teaching man to fish and once he knows how to fish, assistanceshould cease. Affirmative action should be based on need and not race. I’m also for meritocracy; privilege should begiven to the most deserving. Rights should be earned.

Let’s take Bumiputeradiscount as an example. A Malay earning RM2,000 per month gets to buy aRM150,000 house at a discount. A non-Malay earning RM1,500 per month have tobuy the same house at the full price. Affirmative action means making houseaffordable to the poor/low income but in this case the poorer people have topay a higher price for a basic need. Has the objectives of affirmative actionbeen achieved?

Looking at thesame instance from a different perspective, is it fair for a Malay to still geta discount on a RM500,000 house? The fact that banks are willing to finance hispurchase of a half a million Ringgit house, his earnings and repayment abilitymust be good. Does he deserve the discount?

What about UiTM?Malay politicians and Malay rights group have over and over stressed that it isan institution exclusively for Bumiputeras. My question is how come non-Bumilecturers are allowed to teach at UiTM? If it is for the Bumis, shouldn’t it beBY the Bumis too? Secondly, does an apartheid-like institution good for nationbuilding? How can we expect a group of young minds without the experience ofintegrating with other races and cultures be expected to effortlessly fit intoa multi racial society let alone a globalised world? We do not need quantity,we need quality graduates.

Every April orMay we hear stories of deserving students with a zillion A’s not gettingscholarships and complaints of many students with less A’s getting financialaid for overseas studies. Preference forscholarships should be merit based. If Malay students cannot obtain thenecessary grades to merit a scholarship, the guardians of the Malays shouldlook at the root cause; maybe they lack the facilities and/or guidance; maybethey lack interest. Finding out the root cause will enable the policymakers/guardians to formulate an improved policy to help better the Malays’economic and social standing. By allowing undeserving students to enter university willcreate low quality workforce and the whole economy will suffer as a result.

Approved Permits(AP) is another controversial subject. It is often used as an example of howthe NEP is being abused by those in power. My suggestion is to give APs to anyMalaysian car importer without limit and at the same time compel banks tofinance all car importers on equal terms. Once that’s done let the marketdetermine who will continue to be in business. I’m already hearing cries of“how will the Malay businessman compete against the Chinese?” My answer is ifyou can’t compete maybe you shouldn’t be in the business in the first place?I’m sure there is a right business/vocation/job for everyone.

Affirmativeaction is good, it is necessary but often the implementation is flawed and abusesare rampant. Affirmative action, in order to achieve its desired results mustaddress the right target; those economically left behind. Selective affirmativeaction is not a good idea; it is unfair and could lead to undesirable socialissues.

Ariff Alfian Rosli’s Same-Sex Civil Union

2011-12-20T20:42:00.001+08:00

Those who knowme and have read my few postings on gays would know I’m against same-sexrelationships. I am not a homo-phobe, I’m merely obeying my God’s decree – thou shall not practice your lust on men inpreference to women; read more [here].

I don’t know whoAriff Alfian is; all I know about him is what the media tells me. Apparently he’sgay and is married to his lover Jonathan. Three years ago his family reportedhim missing but according to Ariff he is constantly in touch with his familybar his father. Apparently a police report was made in Malaysia. I didn't know we have jurisdiction over something that happened in Ireland. A man getting married to another man may not be morally acceptable but I don't think it's a crime, not in Ireland at least. Petronas is also looking for him because they want him to repayRM890,000 spent on his medical degree. Ariff also strongly denies he’s an apostate.

Interestingly andsomewhat not surprisingly, UMNO is sending someone over to Ireland to coax himto return to Malaysia. Someone’s getting a free overseas trip!

I’ve said thisbefore and I’ll say it again – one has to choose between being a Muslim andbeing gay. There is no such thing as being a gay Muslim. One or the other, never both. Kapish?

A Muslim issomeone who unreservedly and sincerely profess that Allah is the only God and Muhammadis his messenger. A Muslim promises to strictly adhere to the words of Allah(Al Quran) and the traditions and hadiths of the Prophet s.a.w. A Muslim cannotmerely profess Allah is God but refuse to acknowledge and adhere to his rulingswhich are spelt out in the Quran.

The Quran says;

We also sent Lut : He said to his people : "Do yecommit lewdness such as no people in creation (ever) committed before you? Forye practice your lusts on men in preference to women: ye are indeed a peopletransgressing beyond bounds." Qur'an 7:80-81

"Of all the creatures in the world, will yeapproach males, and leave those whom Allah has created for you to be yourmates? Nay, ye are a people transgressing (all limits)!" Qur'an 26:165-166

PractisingMuslims should take these verses as law and abide by them. There are no twoways about it. Failure to abide by these rulings makes a person less Muslim or maybeeven non-Muslim Wallahualam.

Some people areproponents of freedom of choice. Some defend certain acts/behaviours even when they run contrary to religious (any/most religion) judgement. “It is my fundamentalright to choose, it’s none of anyone’s business how I live my life” and “I’mborn this way and it’s not my choice” are probably two most common excuses forbeing gay. The second excuse basically says God made them that way. A thief canalso say God made him that way, should we condone his thieving ways?

Let’s look at ahypothetical example; if a manwants to marry his sister, both are of legal age; can they use those excuses tojustify their action without being ostracised by society? It is after all their life; they’ll live ithowever they want. It is also probably not their choice; perhaps they weredestined to marry each other? Can society accept such acts given thosejustifications?

Humans areintelligent beings, sometimes too intelligent for our own good. God gave usbrains and we used it to develop weapons of mass destruction, we used it tocheat the system, we use it to justify our wongdoings. We abuse God’s greatestgift to mankind – our brains. And because we are too smart, we need divineguidance. Why does every religion have sacred scriptures? They are not merelyhistorical text, they are meant to guide the followers. True believers ofthe religion (any religion) will strictly adhere to the words of their holytext.

I am quite sureChristianity is also against homosexuality. I Googled and found this easy tounderstand verse; Leviticus 20:13 If aman lies with a man as one lies with a woman, both of them have done what isdetestable. They must be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads.

If I say I’llpray for Ariff’s repentance, critics will tell me to mind my own business. Ishall pray nonetheless, pray that he’ll un-break his mother’s heart.

Achieving Developed Nation Status (updated)

2011-12-19T01:26:00.000+08:00

Malaysia wantsto be a developed nation by 2020. I hate to spoil the party but I doubt the presentadministration knows what a developed country is. It seems that all our Prime Ministersthink tall buildings represent development. The Petronas Twin Towers and KLIA are amongst the things often touted as our symbols of development. To me they arenothing more than just mere monuments and the thing with monuments is thatanyone with power and/or money can build them.

Kofi Annan,former Secretary General of the United Nations, defined a developed country asfollows: "A developed country is one that allows all its citizens to enjoya free and healthy life in a safe environment.”

I like Mr Annan’sdefinition but allow me to further refine the definition; "A developedcountry is one that allows all its citizens to enjoy a free and healthy life ina safe environment, where all the citizens are given freedom to acquireknowledge and freely express themselves based on the knowledge acquired. A developedcountry is where the rule of law is respected and uncivilised behaviour is nottolerated.”

However, accordingto the United Nations Statistics Division, there is no established conventionfor the designation of "developed" and "developing"countries or areas in the United Nations system. It notes that the designations"developed" and "developing" are intended for statisticalconvenience and do not necessarily express a judgement about the stage reachedby a particular country or area in the development process. (source: Wikipedia)

So how do wedetermine our status? Khir Toyo once proudly declared Selangor a developedstate, published in The Star on 13 July 2005. In the article, Khir Toyo hasindirectly admitted that the declaration will be done in a do-it-yourselffashion, as he claims that “There is no one body that ascertains or accreditsany nation as a developed nation.”

Although he isright in saying no one body that ascertains or accredits any nation as developed but couldn’t he at least use common sense when making such adeclaration? At least try to benchmark the state with internationallyrecognised developed states like Singapore or Germany for example.

I think thefirst step towards achieving developed status is intellectual development. Educated citizenswill ensure the rule of law is respected. It may not be adhered to by 100 percent of the population but at least the number of ignorant people will be verysmall. Education also make a person more civilised, more cultured and as aresult widespread bad behaviour will be a thing of the past. Unruly behaviourwill no doubt still exist but the incidence will be less as people would be more embarrassedto misbehave. Civilizations are built when the citizenry are enlightened and enlightenmentcomes from education.

To be developednation, proper basic infrastructure must first be in place. By basic infrastructure Imean not only roads, electricity, sewerage and clean water but also and mostimportantly, a developed and unbiased education system.

A developednation must have a 100 per cent (or at least very close to 100 per cent)literate population. Basic medical and dental services must be easily andimmediately accessible to all citizens. Quality education to the highest levelmust be accorded to everyone interested and qualified. Intellectual freedom mustbe allowed. The judiciary must be impartial and upholds the rule of law withoutfear or favour. Rule of law must be respected. Corruption and abuse of powermust not exist. Public services like transportation, garbage collection,sewerage must be efficient and well managed. Efficient and effective policing andlegal system must be present to keep crime low or better still practicallynon-existent.

Sounds veryutopian eh? We should strive for perfection; aren’t we told from very youngthat we should always aim high?

We cannot claimto be developed by just building mega towers. We should only industrialiseourselves after we have developed our human capital. What is the point ofhaving a national automotive industry if it ends up being a mere car assembler?We must first ensure the population gets adequate education in any field theywish. We then should find our niche and work towards perfecting it.

Let’s start our journeytowards developed status by properly educating ourselves. Let’s first becivilised. We cannot be developed if we continue to break traffic rules, disregard no entry and one way signs, break speed limits and jump traffic lights. Citizens of developed nations do not litter and would not smoke in non-smoking areas.

Let's first be civilised, then we can talk about being developed.

Foreign Workers - Can't Live Without Them; Can't Live With Them??

2011-12-16T21:38:00.002+08:00

There are toomany of them and we all have to take the blame for their existence. They are everywhere; restaurants, petrolstations, construction sites, plantations, security posts, factories, wetmarkets, farms, you name the sector, they will be there. They come fromeverywhere; it used to be mainly Indonesia, now they come from Bangladesh,Myanmar, Vietnam, Cambodia, Nepal and India.

The Government,in their attempt to address the problem of illegal foreign workers offered tolegalise them via the 6P Programme. Over 2.3 million foreign workers voluntarilyregistered through the biometric system under the 6P programme after theregistration period ended on Aug 31 and over 50,000 of them had decided toreturn to their countries of origin.

According to aBernama report on 12 December, Home Minister Hishamuddin said the government isexpected to determine the required number of foreign workers according toeconomic sectors by middle of next month. He said 93,000 illegal foreignworkers involved in the legalisation process under the 6P programme wereexpected to fulfil each sector's requirements.

2.3 million registrationsmeans there were at least 2.3 million illegal foreign workers roaming ourstreets!

2.3 millionregistered but only 50,000 decided to go home! The remaining 2,250,000 arestill roaming our streets!

2.3 millionregistered but the government will only place out 93,000 to the sectorsrequiring them (refer Hishamuddin’s statement as reported by Bernama above).What will happen to the remaining 2.157 million workers?

My question is; do we need them?

Some reportsstate that Malaysia has 1.8 million legal foreign workers. Add the 2.3 millionjust legalised, we have around 3.1 million foreign workers. With a labour forceof about 12 million, foreign workers represent 25% of all our workers. The2010/2011 Economic Report states that of the 1.8 million registered migrantworkers in Malaysia, 38.2 per cent were employed in the manufacturing sector,16 per cent in the construction and 14.2 per cent in the plantation sectors.

Indonesiansaccounted for the highest number of registered foreign workers in Malaysia at50.9%, which was attributable to their country’s proximity to Malaysia andcultural and language similarities.

Bangladeshiswere second highest, accounting for 17%, followed by Nepalese at 9.7%, Myanmarsat 7.8%, Indians at 6.3% and Vietnamese at 4.2%.

The latestunemployment statistics put the unemployment rate at 3.3% i.e. almost 400,000.Given this (simplistic) analysis, yes, we need foreign workers.

My next question is; why do we need them?

Human ResourcesMinister S Subramaniamin an interview admitted that over dependence on foreignlabour was the “biggest issue” faced by his ministry but efforts by thegovernment to reduce the numbers have been met with difficulties, includingopposition from employers. “Malaysians have become too dependant on foreignworkers. The way forward is for the employers to have a change in theirmindsets,” said Subramaniam. This mindset change, he said, must translate intoemployers being less labour dependent and more skill dependent. Subramaniamsaid many developed countries have gone through this phase and have been ableto transform themselves by using less manpower and more machines. He believesMalaysia can change, too. He said the country is caught in a “vicious cycle”where wages are low and locals don’t want to work. “And because locals don’twant to work, foreign workers come in, and the more they come in, the morewages won’t increase,” he said, adding that he hopes wage increases would helpalleviate this problem.

Eighty per centof the workers in the plantations sector is a non-Malaysian, according to theMalaysian Employers' Federation and a drop in foreign worker arrivals couldfurther worsen a labour shortage and lower output growth.

In theconstruction sector, where two-thirds of the workforce is foreign, a labourcrunch could disrupt large government infrastructure projects with asignificant multiplier effect.

Many Indonesiansalso work as domestic helpers. One in every 16 residents in the capital KualaLumpur hires an Indonesian helper, according to data from the Indonesianembassy.

Prof Datuk DrMohamed Ariff of the Malaysian Institute of Economic Research believes that ifMalaysia had not allowed the massive influx of foreign workers, localmanufacturers would have been forced to innovate and automate to boostproductivity to maintain their competitiveness.

Economists saycontinuous dependence on cheap foreign labour would not encourage localcorporations to mechanise, which is necessary to push the economy to ahigh-income level as defined by the World Bank.

“Over-relianceon foreign workers can have detrimental consequences, and that is why thegovernment is looking at ways to reduce dependence on them.

“This highdependence cannot be done away with overnight, as a sudden repatriation offoreign workers can have serious repercussions on the economy, especially insectors like manufacturing, construction and plantation,” Mohamed Ariff wasreported as saying.

So, to conclude,we do need foreign workers but at the same time we need a shift in our mindsetsto reduce our dependence on them. The main thing to do is to automate ourprocesses. This is however easier said than done. Automation requires largecapex and large capex will result in higher costs which lead to higher prices.Another question then arises; are we ready to accept higher prices for ourgoods and services? Maybe we have to bite the bullet for the sake of ourcountry’s future.

Another thing isto make the 3D (dirty, demeaning and dangerous) sectors more attractive tojobseekers. Yes it sounds ridiculous, how do we make dirty, demeaning anddangerous jobs attractive? Maybe by increasing wages? Increasing the wages ofthe lower end of the scale will inevitably push the wages of the higher scalesup and maybe the goal of a high income economy might be realised. Increasingwages also could negate the effects of higher prices caused by the automationprocess.

Like Prof Ariffsaid, the high dependence cannot be done away with overnight so we must startthe ball rolling immediately. Incentives must be given to industries toautomate and reduce dependency on unskilled foreign labour. Wages must increaseto attract workers into previously unattractive sectors. Non-financial benefitsmust also be increased to further encourage the jobless to apply for jobs inthe sectors they previously shunned.

We have acknowledgedthat the dependence on these workers is not good for the country in the longrun. We must do something about it. Now.

MAS Dropping Routes to Ensure Air Asia Gains Market Share?

2011-12-14T20:35:00.000+08:00

That is a very long title. I'm talking specifically about the Kuala Lumpur - Surabaya route. From 6 January 2012, MAS no longer flies to Surabaya. Apparently it is one of the many unprofitable routes currently served by MAS. Not surprisingly, sister company Air Asia flies to Surabaya too. How come KUL-SUB can be profitable for AA and not for MAS?

While we're on the topic, is it true that MAS pays way above (high-end) market price for its nasi lemak? Is it true that suggestion to change the aircraft from B747 to B777 for the day flight to London was shot down by certain people upstairs because the 777 lacks a first class? Is true that MAS is top heavy and they are over paid? I'm not hurling accusations. I'm asking questions.

If I was in the position to appoint a CEO to overhaul MAS, I'd probably hire someone (very) senior from the world's successful airlines like Cathay Pacific, SIA or Lufthansa. Chances are he/she may not be Malay and Ibrahim Ali will be furious. He will then call me a traitor and ask for my citizenship to be revoked. He will also say something stupid (as he always does) like 'MD MAS hak Melayu'. Let's not talk about Ibrahim, let's look at who made money from the skies last year.

Top 5by Net Profit (ATW World Airline Report 2011)

1. Air China

2. CathayPacific

3. LufthansaGroup

4. EmiratesAirline

5. ChinaSouthern
EthiopianAirlines is once again Africa's most profitable airline, according to 2011World Airline Report by Air Transport World (ATW). For Fiscal Year 2010 whichended in June, Ethiopian Airlines made a net profit of 121.4 million dollars,ranking it as the most profitable airline in Africa by far. Second place SouthAfrican Airways made a net profit of 78.9 million.

Ethiopian'srevenue for FY 2010 was $1.3 Billion. In 2010 World Airline Report, EthiopianAirlines was ranked the 16th most profitable airline in the world. In 2009,Ethiopian was ranked 25th in the World's Top 25 Airlines, appearing for thefirst time.

(ATW World Airline Report 2011)

If Ethiopian Airlines can, how come MAS cannot??

Questions on Parti Keadilan Rakyat

2011-12-14T19:41:00.000+08:00

I'm sure a lot of people equate Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) with Anwar Ibrahim. The party itself was born out of Anwar's sacking and subsequent conviction. Is it true that the party exists for the sole purpose of making Anwar Prime Minister? What is the raison d'etre of PKR?

I admit I'm not a fan of UMNO's way of doing things. Although I'm all for a change in government, I'm also not a fan of PKR's way of doing some things. I've always seen them as a party of rejects and frustrated politicians. Having said that, I must also admit they have quite a number of brilliant young minds in their fold.

My first question on PKR is Anwar. Why is he the "Ketua Umum"? What is a Ketua Umum? Is there a need for a Ketua Umum? Technical issues may have prevented Anwar from running for the President's post but is there a need to create a post for him? Why can't he just say ok I'll just be an ordinary member since I can't legally be the president? By creating that post for him proves PKR is all about Anwar Ibrahim.

Even the logo is styled after his black eye.

Why is his wife the President? yes, she was nominated and won the support of party members but maybe there is someone more qualified, more suited for the role. Someone without nepotism written all over their faces. To me, Wan Azizah is merely Anwar's spokesperson.

Why is Anwar the economic adviser for Selangor? By appointing him shows that the party is not confident of Khalid Ibrahim's ability. Does Selangor need an economic adviser in the first place? Even if they did, wouldn't they be better off appointing an actual economist like KS Jomo for example?

PKR was not ready to win as many seats as they did in 2008. That is why they had so many defections. I'm guessing most of their candidates were parachuted in simply because they did not have enough qualified potential lawmakers. I'm also guessing nepotism played a part when friends like Kamarul Bahrin and Zahrain Hashim got to contest. Well I guess when you are short of candidates what else can you do but call on friends. Maybe that was the case, to give Anwar benefit of the doubt. Maybe they were also desperate for big-ish name candidates.

Can PKR survive without Anwar? What will they be post Anwar? I'm not keen on Anwar being PM not because I believe he is a homosexual (or bi-sexual given that he's married with lots of kids). Whether he gay or not is not my problem. I haven't seen him do it so I shouldn't be commenting on the issue but I've never liked him even back when he was in UMNO. He was part of the UMNO political-business culture, there was even a group of stocks on the KL stock exchange referred to as Anwar stocks; MRCB, NSTP, Phileo and a few more I can't remember. I'm guessing the reason why we have two different LRT systems (PUTRA & STAR) is to satisfy all parties, Anwar being one of them.

What is Anwar's motivation to become PM? To get back at Mahathir?

Whatever it is, the party must shake off the "Anwar image". He won't be around for long but the party has to live beyond his years and needs a cause beyond Anwar Ibrahim.

War on Iran has Already Begun

2011-12-13T23:32:00.000+08:00

I've always thought the whole of the Western World are against Iran. It is after all an Islamic country which is not friendly with the major Western powers apart from Russia and Russia is not known to be friendly with the other major powers especially the USA. So it caught me by surprise to read an article by a white European warning the world of an attack on Iran.

Seumas Milne is a Guardiancolumnist and associate editor. He was the Guardian's comment editor from2001-07 after working for the paper as a general reporter and labour editor. Hehas reported for the Guardian from the Middle East, Eastern Europe, Russia, southAsia and Latin America. He previously worked for the Economist and is theauthor of The Enemy Within and co-author of Beyond the Casino Economy.

The following article by Seumas Milne appeared in www.guardian.co.uk,Wednesday 7 December 2011.

They don't give up. After a decade ofblood-drenched failure in Afghanistan and Iraq, violent destabilisation ofPakistan and Yemen, the devastation of Lebanon and slaughter in Libya, youmight hope the US and its friends had had their fill of invasion andintervention in the Muslim world.

It seems not. For months the evidence has beengrowing that a US-Israeli stealth war against Iran has already begun, backed byBritain and France. Covert support for armed opposition groups has spread intoa campaign of assassinations of Iranian scientists, cyber warfare, attacks onmilitary and missile installations, and the killing of an Iranian general,among others.

The attacks are not directly acknowledged, butaccompanied by intelligence-steered nods and winks as the media are fed astream of hostile tales – the most outlandish so far being an alleged Iranianplot to kill the Saudi ambassador to the US – and the western powers ratchet uppressure for yet more sanctions over Iran's nuclear programme.

The British government's decision to take the leadin imposing sanctions on all Iranian banks and pressing for an EU boycott ofIranian oil triggered the trashing of its embassy in Tehran by demonstratorslast week and subsequent expulsion of Iranian diplomats from London.

It's a taste of how the conflict can quicklyescalate, as was the downing of a US spyplane over Iranian territory at theweekend. What one Israeli official has called a "new kind of war" hasthe potential to become a much more old-fashioned one that would threaten usall.

Last month the Guardian was told by British defenceministry officials that if the US brought forward plans to attack Iran (as theybelieved it might), it would "seek, and receive, UK military help",including sea and air support and permission to use the ethnically cleansedBritish island colony of Diego Garcia.

Whether the officials' motive was to soften uppublic opinion for war or warn against it, this was an extraordinary admission:the Britain military establishment fully expects to take part in an unprovokedUS attack on Iran – just as it did against Iraq eight years ago.

What was dismissed by the former foreign secretaryJack Straw as "unthinkable", and for David Cameron became an optionnot to be taken "off the table", now turns out to be as good as adone deal if the US decides to launch a war that no one can seriously doubt wouldhave disastrous consequences. But there has been no debate in parliament and nomainstream political challenge to what Straw's successor, David Miliband, thisweek called the danger of "sleepwalking into a war with Iran". That'sall the more shocking because the case against Iran is so spectacularly flimsy.

There is in fact no reliable evidence that Iran isengaged in a nuclear weapons programme. The latest International Atomic EnergyAgency report once again failed to produce a smoking gun, despite the bestefforts of its new director general, Yukiya Amano – described in a WikiLeakscable as "solidly in the US court on every strategic decision".

As in the run-up to the invasion of Iraq, thestrongest allegations are based on "secret intelligence" from westerngovernments. But even the US national intelligence director, James Clapper, hasaccepted that the evidence suggests Iran suspended any weapons programme in2003 and has not reactivated it.

The whole campaign has an Alice in Wonderlandquality about it. Iran, which says it doesn't want nuclear weapons, issurrounded by nuclear-weapon states: the US – which also has forces inneighbouring Afghanistan and Iraq, as well as military bases across the region– Israel, Russia, Pakistan and India.

Iran is of course an authoritarian state, thoughnot as repressive as western allies such as Saudi Arabia. But it has invaded noone in 200 years. It was itself invaded by Iraq with western support in the1980s, while the US and Israel have attacked 10 countries or territoriesbetween them in the past decade. Britain exploited, occupied and overthrewgovernments in Iran for over a century. So who threatens who exactly?

As Israel's defence minister, Ehud Barak, saidrecently, if he were an Iranian leader he would "probably" wantnuclear weapons. Claims that Iran poses an "existential threat" toIsrael because President Ahmadinejad said the state "must vanish from thepage of time" bear no relation to reality. Even if Iran were to achieve anuclear threshold, as some suspect is its real ambition, it would be in noposition to attack a state with upwards of 300 nuclear warheads, backed to thehilt by the world's most powerful military force.

The real challenge posed by Iran to the US andIsrael has been as an independent regional power, allied to Syria and theLebanese Hezbollah and Palestinian Hamas movements. As US troops withdraw fromIraq, Saudi Arabia fans sectarianism, and Syrian opposition leaders promise abreak with Iran, Hezbollah and Hamas, the threat of proxy wars is growingacross the region.

A US or Israeli attack on Iran would turn thatregional maelstrom into a global firestorm. Iran would certainly retaliatedirectly and through allies against Israel, the US and US Gulf client states,and block the 20% of global oil supplies shipped through the Strait of Hormuz.Quite apart from death and destruction, the global economic impact would beincalculable.

All reason and common sense militate against suchan act of aggression. Meir Dagan, the former head of Israel's Mossad, said lastweek it would be a "catastrophe". Leon Panetta, the US defencesecretary, warned that it could "consume the Middle East in confrontationand conflict that we would regret".

There seems little doubt that the US administrationis deeply wary of a direct attack on Iran. But in Israel, Barak has spoken ofhaving less than a year to act; Binyamin Netanyahu, the prime minister, hastalked about making the "right decision at the right moment"; and theprospects of drawing the US in behind an Israeli attack have been widelydebated in the media.

Maybe it won't happen. Maybe the war talk is moreabout destabilisation than a full-scale attack. But there are undoubtedly thosein the US, Israel and Britain who think otherwise. And the threat ofmiscalculation and the logic of escalation could tip the balance decisively.Unless opposition to an attack on Iran gets serious, this could become the mostdevastating Middle East war of all.

Ezam says DAP is Evil

2011-12-12T23:39:00.002+08:00

Ezam Mohd Nor went to jail for Anwar Ibrahim. Ezam promised us (the rakyat) boxes of proof of wrongdoings by UMNO leaders. Ezam was a reformasi hero. He represented the younger generation in the fight for justice. Notice all that he was is in the past tense. He is no longer all that. From one of the most vocal voices against UMNO, he has now gone back to the dark side. He is now Senator Ezam. Now he has nothing but good things to say about UMNO. He has truly been turned over.

I just wrote is a whole paragraph of what everyone already know.

Ezam is still always in the news. The most recent is when he warned us of the DAP's cruel intentions. Yes, he knows what the DAP is up to. Ezam knows all. Ezam says DAP will turn Malaysia into Singapore.

I say hooray to that.

I too want us to be like Singapore.

I want Malaysia to have an efficient MRT system like Singapore.

I want Malaysia to have a booming port like Singapore.

I want Malaysian cities and towns to be clean like Singapore.

I want our education system to have a good reputation and standing like Singapore's.

I want our Khazanah to be as big as Singapore's Temasek.

I want Malaysia airlines to be as profitable as Singapore Airlines.

I want KLIA to be as popular as Changi.

I want Malaysia to be a choice destination for investors and tourists just like Singapore is.

I know Singapore is not perfect. No country is. I still would like us to emulate Singapore, the positives of Singapore. Like the Malay saying "ambil yang jernih ...", just take the good stuff.

We all know what Ezam meant. He was directing his remarks to the Malays. He is warning us Malays that we will become marginalised like the Malays in Singapore if DAP/PR comes to power.

I disagree.

Firstly, are the Malays in Singapore marginalised? I don't know.

Secondly, is there an official government policy that gives preference to the Chinese over the Malays in Singapore? I don't think so.

Singaporean Malays forms 15% of the population. Almost two thirds of Malaysians are Malays.

The Malaysian police and armed forces are almost exclusively Malay. So is the Malaysian civil service.

The Malaysian parliamentary configuration favours the Malays. There is no way DAP can have more seats than PAS or PKR.

Given the statistics and reality, is it even possible for the DAP to dictate terms when PR comes to power?

Malays would not be in trouble if DAP/PR comes to power. Naughty UMNO members will.

More Quotes

2011-12-09T22:51:00.001+08:00

While I’m still in the movie quotes mood,here’s some more I found:

There's three ways to do things, the rightway, the wrong way and the way that I do it.

RobertDe Niro in Casino

Close your eyes and pretend it's all a baddream. That's how I get by.

Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean: ToWorld's End

Sometimes I wish that I had never met you,so I could go to sleep at night not knowing there was someone like you outthere.

GoodWill Hunting

"Some people can't believe inthemselves until someone else believes in them first."

GoodWill Hunting

"Don't forget. I'm just a girlstanding in front of a boy...asking him to love her."

JuliaRoberts in Notting Hill

You can't live your life for other people.You've got to do what's right for you, even if it hurts some people you love.

TheNotebook

I'd rather fight with you than make lovewith anyone else

DermotMulroney in Wedding Date

"Oh yes, the past can hurt. But, youcan either run from it or, learn from it."

Rafiki,from The Lion King

You can't lose someone you never had

KateHudson in How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days

Dorothy: I love him! I love him forthe man he wants to be. And I love him for the man he almost is.

JerryMaguire: I love you. You... you complete me. And Ijust...

Dorothy: Shut up, just shut up. You had me at "hello".

JerryMaguire: Show me the money!

"It takes a great deal of bravery tostand up to your enemies, but a great deal more to stand up to yourfriends."

Dumbledore,Harry Potter

Do, or do not. There is no 'try'.

Yodafrom The Empire Strikes Back

Sometimes it's easier to be mad at thepeople you trust because you know that they'll always love you no matter whatyou say.

TheSisterhood of the Traveling Pants

"And we are going to last, and youwant to know how I know? Because I still wake up every morning and the firstthing I want to do is see your face."

P.S. ILove You

I know I have a heart because I feel itbreaking.

Wizardof Oz

You're a sad, strange little man, and youhave my pity.

BuzzLightyear to Woody in Toy Story

The 207 from Peugeot

2011-12-09T22:39:00.001+08:00

Fora company that gave us the beautiful 308 and the sexy RCZ, Peugeot really gotit wrong with the 207 sedan. From the front one can see the family resemblancebut looking at it from the rear makes you feel not want to look. It reminds meof the previous Honda City pre facelift.

I have nothing against Peugeots; in fact I used to own a 405 back in theearly 90s. To me, Peugeots can be somewhat erratic in their designs, in the 70sthey gave us the big eyed 504 and 604; not exactly the most beautiful of cars,well there is nothing beautiful about them. The 204 is also not a nice lookingcar. The 404 is typical of an early 60s design, nothing exceptional. They didno better with the boring and plain 305 and 505 but surprised the market withthe 205 which showed the Golf GTi there is room for another hot hatch. The 205succeeded where the XR3i and the Astra GTE failed; shake the Golf GTi off itsperch. The streak continued with the handsome 405 (no, I’m not being biased) andthere seem to be no stopping the French carmaker, the 306, 307, 207 (hatch),208 and now the RCZ.

But the 207 sedan looks like a hatchback with a badlyattached boot.

Peugeot however is not the only carmaker in my ugly car list.The BMW E36 compact is probably at the top not because it’s ugly (it is) but becauseit’s a BMW. I’m a BMW lover and it breaks my heart to see them selling carslooking like that. The guys from Munich are also bad at designing SUVs. I won’twaste money buying the X1 or X3 but I would sell everything to buy the X6.Thank god they got the X6 right.

As ugly cars goes, the 207 sedan sitscomfortably next to the Fiat Multipla, Ssangyong Stavich; which are not carsreally, they are MPVs, but ugly nonetheless.

Quoting The Godfather

2011-12-07T21:39:00.001+08:00

The Godfather trilogy is officially my favourite movie of all time, with Pulp fiction a very close second (fourth?). I list below some of the memorable dialouges from all three Godfather movies. Dialouge from Pulp Fiction if reproduced might turn this blog into an X rated website, so I'll just list the few decent ones.

TheGodfather
"I have a sentimental weakness for mychildren and I spoil them, as you can see. They talk when they should belistening."

Don Corleone to Sollozzo referring to Sonny

"Some day, and that day may nevercome, I will call upon you to do a service for me. But uh, until that day,accept this justice as a gift on my daughter's wedding day."

Don Corleone to Bonasera

"I'm gonna make him an offer he can'trefuse."

Don Corleone to Johnny Fontane about Woltz

"Never tell anybody outside the familywhat you're thinking again."

Don Corleone to Sonny

"Fredo, you're my older brother, and Ilove you. But don't ever take sides with anyone against the family again.Ever."

Michael to Fredo

TheGodfather: Part 2

Michael Corleone: There are many things myfather taught me here in this room. He taught me: keep your friends close, butyour enemies closer.

Michael Corleone: I don't feel I have towipe everybody out, Tom. Just my enemies.

TheGodfather: Part 3
"Times change. These days, we learnfrom the philanthropists like the Rockefellers. First you rob everybody, thenyou give to the poor."

Michael to B.J. Harrison

"When they come, they'll come at whatyou love."

Michael to Vincent

"Don't overestimate the power offorgiveness."

Michael to the Archbishop

"Never hate your enemies -- it effectsyour judgement."

Michael to Vincent

"Politics and crime -- they're thesame thing."

Michael to Tommasino

"The richest man is the one with themost powerful friends."

Altobello to Vincent

"Nephew, from this moment forward,call yourself Vincent Corleone."

Michael transferring his power to Vincent

Don Lucchesi: Finance is a gun. Politics isknowing when to pull the trigger.

Mary Corleone: I'll always love you.

Vincent Mancini-Corleone: Love somebodyelse.

Real power can't be given. It must betaken.

Pulp Fiction
Mia: That's when you know you've foundsomebody special. When you can just shut the fuck up for a minute andcomfortably enjoy the silence.

Jules: If my answers frighten you then youshould cease asking scary questions.

Fabienne: Whose motorcycle is this?

Butch: It's a chopper, baby.

Fabienne: Whose chopper is this?

Butch: It's Zed's.

Fabienne: Who's Zed?

Butch: Zed's dead, baby. Zed's dead

UMNO Thinks They Own The GLCs

2011-12-07T13:11:00.001+08:00

Yes they do. UMNO assumes all national assets belongs to them. Khazanah, PNB, EPF, FELDA, Tabung Haji, UDA, the whole lot is theirs.

These people are so very stupid.

Take the Teluk Intan UMNO chief Dato Idris Hashim as an example. At the recent UMNO GA, he demanded that "peneraju syarikat berkaitan kerajaan (GLC) dan syarikat pelaburan berkaitan kerajaan (GLIC) perlu mempunyai semangat Umno." (I got this from Harian Metro - they can't be lying, can they?) He added “Beri jawatan kepada orang bersemangat Umno, baru semua program direncana kerajaan dapat dilaksana dengan baik,”

What makes him and his UMNO friends that GLCs belong to them and should heed their instructions?

Companies are owned by the shareholders. In the case of the GLCs, most of them are majority owned by one or a few of the agencies/funds mentioned in the first paragraph. The said agencies/funds in turn are funded by the rakyat, either directly (PNB, EPF, TH) or indirectly (Khazanah, UDA) via our tax dollars.

Let's now look at the composition of the shareholders (i.e. the rakyat whose hard earned Ringgit finance the agencies/funds). EPF for example are funded via contributions from salary deductions. The higher your salary the more you contribute. If UMNO wants to look at it from the racial perspective, let me ask them; which group earns a higher salary in general and thus contributes more to the EPF coffers? By right, this group should be the ones given more voice in determining how EPF spends their money.

Khazanah and UDA are basically funded by tax revenues. At least the most part of it. Again, since UMNO insist on looking at everything from the racial standpoint, who are the biggest personal taxpayers? Who are the biggest (in terms of value/numbers) corporate taxpayers? Who spends the most and thus pays more indirect (sales, import) taxes? Contributions from sin taxes (which I hope none came from the Malay/Muslim populace) forms a large chunk of government revenue. Sum all these contribution and see where, from which group the tax revenue comes from.

PNB and TH funds do not belong to UMNO. Granted a lot of UMNO members are large depositors and investors of the funds but millions of ordinary Malays/Muslims are also investors. These other investors may have different political views and some may not be political at all. So it is not right for UMNO to treat these funds as theirs.

Investments made by these funds and agencies must be made from the economic and business perspective which benefits the stakeholders and not to satisfy any political agenda.

Yes, GLCs must promote the government's agenda but it must be done in a way that benefits the whole nation. The taxpayers and rakyat must get the best deal from the investments and development projects, not just a select few.

The Business of Defense

2011-12-05T12:00:00.001+08:00

The defense business is probably THE business to be in, at least in Malaysia. I found this report/allegation (depending on your opinion) on the net and it is quite a depressing read.

Earlier this year, Deftech, a wholly-owned subsidiary of DRB-Hicom, won a contract without an open tender to produce and deliver 237 eight-wheeled armored personnel carriers to the Ministry of Defense. DRB-Hicom is 55 percent owned by Etika Strategi Sdn. Bd., which is wholly owned by billionaire Syed Mokhtar Al Bukairy, one of Mahathir’s targeted bumiputras and a man who is extremely tight with UMNO. Opposition member Tony Pua complained on the floor of Parliament that the average price of RM29.4 million for each unit compared unfavorably with a Portuguese Army purchase of 363 similar vehicles for the equivalent of RM4.4 million each from the Swiss MOWAG CmBH Corp, Malaysia is paying a 6.6-fold increase over the Portguese purchase. Saudi Arabia, he said, bought 724 such vehicles for the equivalent of RM9.9 million from General Dynamics Land Systems-Canada, with Malaysia paying almost three times as much Government officials said the contracts don't compare with each other and that the government is getting more equipment, maintenance, etc. for its money.

“Further research has revealed that DRB-Hicom will be acquiring the AWC technology from a Turkish company – FNSS Defence Systems Inc which manufactures the Pars 8x8 AWV models,” Pua said. “With this deal, Malaysia will be its first foreign customer for this vehicle. What is perhaps of greater alarm is the fact that FNSS has announced that they have sold 257 units of Pars 8x8 AWVs to Malaysia for approximately US$600 million or RM1.83 billion or only RM7.1 million per unit,” Pua said in a prepared statement -- considerably different from what the Malaysians said they bought the vehicles for.

Pua also complained about the cost of six offshore patrol vessels from Boustead Naval Shipyard Sdn Bhd at RM1 billion each in the aftermath of another total fiasco. The Auditor General, in a 2007 report tabled in Parliament, alleged that a contract to build naval vessels given to PSC-Naval Dockyard, a subsidiary of Penang Shipbuilding & Construction Sdn Bhd, which was owned by another UMNO crony, Amin Shah Omar Shah.

SC-Naval Dockyard, which was taken over by Boustead, contracted to deliver six patrol boats for the Malaysian Navy in 2004 and complete the delivery in 2007. Those were supposed to be the first of 27 offshore vessels ultimately to cost RM24 billion plus the right to maintain and repair all of the country's naval craft. But only two of the barely operational patrol boats had been delivered by mid 2006. There were 298 recorded complaints about the two boats, which were also found to have 100 and 383 uncompleted items aboard them respectively.

The original RM5.35 billion contract ballooned to RM6.75 billion by January 2007. The auditor also reported that the ministry had paid out RM4.26 billion to PSC up to December 2006 although only Rm2.87 billion of work had been done, an overpayment of Rm1.39 billion, or 48 percent. In addition, Malaysia’s cabinet waived late penalties of Rm214 million. Between December 1999, according to the Auditor General, 14 “progress payments” amounting to Rm943 million despite the fact that the auditor general could find no payment vouchers or relevant documents dealing with the payments.

The Auditor General attributed the failure to serious financial mismanagement and technical incompetence stemming from the fact that PSC had never built anything but trawlers or police boats before being given the contract. Once called “Malaysia’s Onassis” by Daim Zainuddin, Amin Shah was in trouble almost from the start, according to a report in Singapore’s Business Times in 2005.

Eventually Boustead PSC was born out of the Royal Malaysian Navy’s dockyard facilities which were to provide ship repairs and maintenance services. Under the corporatization program advocated by the Malaysian Government, the dockyard was set up as Limbungan TLDM, a wholly owned government company. It has modern facilities to meet the maintenance requirements of the Royal Malaysian Navy fleet, from hull repairs to major overhauls and from radar refitting to weapon systems refurbishment.

The six patrol boats have now cost five times what the Royal New Zealand Navy paid for its patrol vessels, bought at only RM210 millon each (NZ$90 million) from BAE Systems, the second largest global defense company.

The irrepressible Raja Petra Kamarudin in early November found that the Philippines was buying Hamilton-class patrol ships from the US that would be deployed to the West Philippine Sea area to secure the country’s natural resources. The latest one is to be transferred by the first or second quarter of next year, to guard energy projects in Malampaya off Palawan.

“Malaysia is going to buy six patrol boats at a total cost of RM6 billion or RM1 billion per patrol boat. Of course, Malaysia’s patrol boats are going to be far advanced and more sophisticated than those of the Philippines who paid only RM31.5 million for theirs,” he wrote. “The Philippines’s patrol boats can only patrol the waters. Malaysia’s patrol boats can…well…patrol the waters.”

http://www.asiasentinel.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3992&Itemid=178

UMNO General Assembly 2011

2011-12-03T20:51:00.001+08:00

This is the time of the year when everyone (except UMNO members, maybe even some UMNO members) avoid the roads around PWTC to avoid being caught in the jam. This is also the time of the year when hotels around PWTC are fully booked. This is the time of the UMNO General Assembly.

This time I saw (probably) the most desperate general assembly in recent memory. Not that the previous assemblies were any better but this round it is really bad. This assembly was somewhat full of fear. Fear of losing power. That fear was however not countered by positive actions but instead was fought with threats.

What I saw (through my reading of both mainstream and alternative news sources) was hatred, racism, spite and a whole lot of bull-shit (pun intended).

Shahrizat was of course the star of the show; She and her family's condo living (in Bangsar, no less!), Mercedes driving cows. She still maintains that the cows had nothing to do with her and the issue was raised to weakan Wanita UMNO. The only wanita member benefitting from the cows was Shahrizat so how she linked the cow attacks to the Wanita wing baffles me. Apparently the whole Wanita movement bought her story (apart from maybe a few smart-ish ones) and backed her all the way. Whether the backing was a show or genuine is left to be seen. She also got a strong supporter in the Pemuda chief, through his explanation of the escow account (yes, escow although some people thought he was talking about the escrow account, the Pemuda chief was actually talking about a new type of account, the escow account).

DAP bashing was also rife. UMNO leaders claims that The Malays (read: UMNO members) will be finished, the country will turn into a republic and a Christian PM will be installed if DAP comes to power. Very serious allegations. I dont see how it can happen though. The DAP can never have enough seats to form a government let alone appoint the PM. Getting rid of the Sultans requires more than just amending the constitution and no party with 40 odd seats can do that.

Muhyiddin's opening speech at the assembly was full of opponent bashing. The problem with bashing your opponents is that they will refute the allegations. worse is if they refute the allegation with evidence and arguments that proves you're wrong. Muhyiddin's speech may be greeted with thunderous applause by the chosen delegates but in time it might back fire.

A general assembly should not be a place to sow hatred, lie and slander. Instead of arrogance maybe UMNO can show a little bit of humility.

2011-11-30T16:44:00.001+08:00

I haven't been updating this blog for a while, now I'm not really sure how or what to blog about. running through the postings I've noticed it covers a whole range of topics; from politics to sports to gibberish. Maybe that's why I said I'll write whatever comes to mind. The upside to that is I am free to speak (write) my mind without fear of prosecution (given the caveat) but the downside is my thoughts may not be commercially accepted. Then again, this is not a for-profit -blog so having two loyal readers is not really a concern.

Politics shall be one of the main issues posted here simply because there is so much happening in the political scene now that elections can be called anytime. Plus, when it comes to politics, everyone has something to say.

Sports, particularly football, will also be a regular topic. Non-political Malaysian issues will also be discussed whenever an interesting issue arises. In short, the blog will continue to look the same as it was before the hiatus.

I'm back. I hope

22 October 2011

2011-11-29T16:19:00.001+08:00

I woke up on the 22nd October 2011 to a new day severed from my 'previous' life. It was a new beginning for me. I don't remember much about the life I left and was eager to begin the new adventure, to open a new chapter.

Dinner on that Saturday was a wonderful event. Family and friends came to give their support. Advice was abound and love was all around.

Recollection of the past was scarce but hope for the future is overwhelmingly abundant.

And hopefully this blog too will come back to life ...

Selfish Drivers - Empire Subang

2011-08-03T23:40:00.003+08:00

Has anyone been to Empire Subang during peak hours? Does anyone notice the many cars illegally and indiscriminately parked by the roadside in front of Empire, taking up a lane on each side of the road, suffocating the traffic? Read this ...

The mayor of Vilnius, in Lithuania, has an aggressive way of cracking down on illegal parking - rather than simply issuing a ticket, the smiling mayor runs it over with a soviet-era armoured personnel carrier.

I do not have a tank but I might just get one if the selfish drivers continue to park their cars along that road.

Maybe I'll start with a sledgehammer ...

Bersih is Clean

2011-07-08T22:33:00.002+08:00

I’m sure many read the piece titled “Himpunan Bersih buka ruang penyusupan ideologi Komunis” written by a certain Mohd Ayop Abd Razid. If you hadn’t, it’s here

I’m not sure who his masters are or what his game is but he is obviously misguided when stressing that a gathering of people asking for clean and fair elections is an avenue to spread the communist ideology.

Mohd Ayop Abd Razid is obviously oblivious to the fact that communism is dead. Maybe someone should tell him what happened 20 odd years ago in Europe.

Below are the demands of Bersih, can anyone show me communist elements in them?

Disagree with all 8 demands and you’ll get Perkasa’s stand.

Launch of Perhimpunan BERSIH 2.0

The Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (BERSIH 2.0) believes that a working democracy is built upon the foundation of clean, free and fair elections. Therefore, the role of the Election Commission (EC) in conducting elections with integrity and impartiality is crucial in the democratisation of the nation.

The electoral system of this country is marred with irregularities, electoral offences and rampant abuse of powers. As the EC has not made any marked efforts in initiating changes towards a clean and fair electoral system, BERSIH 2.0 has decided to organise a rally to intensify pressure in light of the upcoming 13th General Elections.

Today marks less than three weeks before Perhimpunan BERSIH 2.0 takes place on 9 July 2011. Perhimpunan BERSIH 2.0 is intended to promote democracy and call for much needed electoral reform.

These are the 8 immediate demands for Perhimpunan BERSIH 2.0:

1. Clean the electoral roll

The electoral roll is marred with irregularities such as deceased persons and multiple persons registered under a single address or non-existent addresses. The electoral roll must be revised and updated to wipe out these ‘phantom voters’. The rakyat have a right to an electoral roll that is an accurate reflection of the voting population.

In the longer term, BERSIH 2.0 also calls for the EC to implement an automated voter registration system upon eligibility to reduce irregularities.

2. Reform postal ballot

The current postal ballot system must be reformed to ensure that all citizens of Malaysia are able to exercise their right to vote. Postal ballot should not only be open for all Malaysian citizens living abroad, but also for those within the country who cannot be physically present in their voting constituency on polling day. Police, military and civil servants too must vote normally like other voters if not on duty on polling day.

The postal ballot system must be transparent. Party agents should be allowed to monitor the entire process of postal voting.

3. Use of indelible ink

Indelible ink must be used in all elections. It is a simple, affordable and effective solution in preventing voter fraud. In 2007, the EC decided to implement the use of indelible ink. However, in the final days leading up to the 12th General Elections, the EC decided to withdraw the use of indelible ink citing legal reasons and rumours of sabotage.

BERSIH 2.0 demands for indelible ink to be used for all the upcoming elections. Failure to do so will lead to the inevitable conclusion that there is an intention to allow voter fraud.

4. Minimum 21 days campaign period

The EC should stipulate a campaign period of not less than 21 days. A longer campaign period would allow voters more time to gather information and deliberate on their choices. It will also allow candidates more time to disseminate information to rural areas. The first national elections in 1955 under the British Colonial Government had a campaign period of 42 days but the campaign period for 12th GE in 2008 was a mere 8 days.

5. Free and fair access to media

It is no secret that the Malaysian mainstream media fails to practice proportionate, fair and objective reporting for political parties of all divide. BERSIH 2.0 calls on the EC to press for all media agencies, especially state-funded media agencies such as Radio and Television Malaysia (RTM) and Bernama to allocate proportionate and objective coverage for all potlical parties.

6. Strengthen public institutions

Public institutions must act independently and impartially in upholding the rule of law and democracy. Public institutions such as the Judiciary, Attorney-General, Malaysian Anti-Corruption Agency (MACC), Police and the EC must be reformed to act independently, uphold laws and protect human rights.

In particular, the EC must perform its constitutional duty to act independently and impartially so as to enjoy public confidence. The EC cannot continue to claim that they have no power to act, as the law provides for sufficient powers to institute a credible electoral system.

7. Stop corruption

Corruption is a disease that has infected every aspect of Malaysian life. BERSIH 2.0 and the rakyat demand for an end to all forms of corruption. Current efforts to eradicate corruption are mere tokens to appease public grouses. We demand that serious action is taken against ALL allegations of corruption, including vote buying.

8. Stop dirty politics

Malaysians are tired of dirty politics that has been the main feature of the Malaysian political arena. We demand for all political parties and politicians to put an end to gutter politics. As citizens and voters, we are not interested in gutter politics; we are interested in policies that affect the nation.

England’s Greatest Football Club

2011-05-17T14:43:00.001+08:00

I am a Liverpool fan. I have been a supporter since I was 12 when Kenny Dalglish was still a player. I must admit Liverpool was not the first English league team I supported; that honour goes to Tottenham Hotspurs. Supporting Spurs had nothing to do with their playing style, players or history; as a ten year old, the name ‘Spurs’ was kinda cool plus they had a cool looking Steve Archibald playing for them and that was enough reason to be a fan.

The 70s and 80s belonged to Liverpool. Nottingham Forest, Aston Villa, Everton and Arsenal managed to sneak a title or two in between Liverpool’s run of championships but there was never a single club that constantly challenged the Reds’ dominance.

In 1991, Dalglish left the club. His successors failed where he succeeded the most – winning.

In 1990, Alex Ferguson broke his four year trophy duck. He’s won everything ever since.

Well, almost everything; Dalglish took Blackburn Rovers to the title in 1995 and pushed United all the way with Newcastle a few years later but no other team really bugged United during the 90s. Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal won the double in 1998 and a few titles and FA cups in between but other than that, it was all MU.

Then came Roman and Jose. Abramovich’s money and Mourinho’s tactical brilliance gave Ferguson and MU a big fight. Chelsea is now a serious challenger and the noughties is theirs as much as the 90s were United’s. Chelsea however can only claim to be a great team of the moment, they have yet to acquire the right to be in the same group as the greatest team of all time.

I am a hard core Liverpool fan. But I’ll humbly admit that the greatest English football club is no longer the Reds of Merseyside, it is now the Reds of somewhere near Moss Side. It is without doubt Alex Ferguson is the most successful manager of all time in the English league. Shankly, Clough, Busby, Paisley and Robson were great managers but Ferguson brought continuous success to MU, year after year, without major downswings.

All this wouldn’t have happened if the United Board hadn’t given Ferguson time. If there was a good decision, retaining Ferguson despite his horrible record during the first 3 years was definitely the best.

All of MU’s success is attributed to Ferguson. He is ruthless, rude, arrogant, vengeful and scores of other bad things. I can’t think of anything nice about him. He plays football on the field as well in the mind. His confrontations with Keegan and Wenger are well documented. His contempt for match officials is a well known fact. Despite the many negatives, Ferguson knows how to win games. He knows how to buy players. He often gets who he wants (the United brand does play a part too).

I’m still a Liverpool fan and will be for a long time but I’ll take my hats off to Manchester United and Alex Ferguson. They have earned the title of the greatest club in England and the most successful manager ever in English football.

Having said that, King Kenny is back. The glory days are coming back to Merseyside and United’s 20 year reign may soon come to an end.

Please Take Action Against Utusan

2011-05-12T21:33:00.000+08:00

I’m disgusted with Utusan’s recent behaviour. They have been so brazen in inciting racial and religious hatred. If the peace and calm in the country is shattered, the party that should take most of the blame has to be Utusan. The recent report on DAP conspiring with Christian leaders wanting to take over Putrajaya and abolish Islam as the country’s official religion is short of being brainless. No, it is brainless! To top it all, it is based on some blog posting. I mean, didn’t they themselves (Utusan, BN leaders) remind us (dumb citzens) not to believe what the bloggers write? Now, their front page news is based on a blog! Stupid or what??!!

Let me stress again (to my 3 loyal, regular blog visitors), there is NO WAY DAP on their own can take over Putrajaya. There is no way DAP or the Christians for that matter can change the constitution on their own. The present electoral structure doesn’t allow the DAP to take over the country on their own. Therefore, the constantly under threat and weak Malays/Muslims (that’s how Perkasa and their ilk portrays us, makes us believe) can be rest assured that no one, let alone the DAP; can take our birth right away.

The thing about Utusan is; I’m guessing their readership is mainly the rural, low income, less informed, less educated masses. These people, not having the right tools and exposure to evaluate, tend to take whatever Utusan says as gospel. When their more educated and exposed children tell them that Utusan is so full of bull, they will bark at the kids and tell them not to be ungrateful because Utusan’s master (UMNO) made them what they are today. By the same logic, Dr Mahathir should thank the British for establishing that kolej in Alor Setar and that University in Singapore for making him a doctor. I agree; we all should be grateful to those who have given us whatever we have now but to what point?

Latest I heard, 9 police reports have been made against Utusan. I however doubt any action would be taken against them. In the mean time, let us not worry about non-issues. Let us instead focus our worries on rising food prices, crime levels, corruption, job security, education opportunities and health services and maybe, love.

No More Osama

2011-05-04T21:09:00.001+08:00

Now that the world’s most wanted man (according to the FBI/CIA/MI6) is dead, the US Armed Forces, CIA and probably the US foreign service will from now on have very little to do. I foresee a lot US armed forces personnel losing their jobs unless they find another bogey man to keep them occupied and employed for the next 10 years. We might also have some unemployed journalists as I’m sure Reuters, AFP etc had teams dedicated to reporting anything Osama related. The death of Osama actually causes unemployment to rise! Economics professors take note!

But seriously, I’m guessing, a lot of effort was put into the pursuit of Osama. The multiplier effect must have contributed quite a bit to the US economy. The White House cannot afford to lose that x% factor in the economic growth so they need a new target, a new public enemy. Ladbrokes and William Hill might not be taking any bets yet but odds on to succeed Osama as the most hunted and wanted would probably be Ayman Zawahri, Al Qaeda’s until recently second in command. Gaddafi probably has an outside chance, so does any Iranian leader. Unfortunately Kim Jong il has no chance of getting the kind of attention Osama got; North Korea ain't got no oil dude. Oil is apparently the magnet that attracts US warplanes and warships, which explains the lack of Western military intervention in oil-less, despotic dictator-ruled countries.

Osama is one smooth operator. No one really knows where his HQ is but from where ever he’s based, he can attack locations anywhere in the world! The latest I heard, his main means of communication is via human couriers. Yes, just like back in the good ol’ dark ages! Yet, this man Osama is able to evade the technologically superior Americans and at the same time launch periodic, deadly attacks all over the world.

No, seriously seriously, if Osama contributed to or ordered most of the terrorist attacks during the last 10-15 years, wouldn’t the world be a safer place now that he’s gone? Wouldn’t that be a good enough reason for the foreign forces (read, US) to leave Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Goaheadgostan? The targets for the suicide bombers were mostly places which are either foreigner-related (e.g. embassies) or foreigner-assisted (e.g. army/police camps). Maybe, just maybe, no foreigners will result in no (at least much less) bombings?

1Melayu

2011-05-02T20:39:00.000+08:00

Utusan is pressing for a 1Melayu movement to counter the threat of Chinese political dominance.

Perkasa is taking up the responsibility to spearhead the 1Melayu movement to counter the threat of the Chinese taking over the country.

The Chinese in question are (apparently) Malaysians too. As Malaysian as any Malay, Iban, Kadazan, Indian or Negrito. They are not Singaporean Chinese, or Chinese from China. They hold Malaysian passports and blue IC. Yet they are not supposed have political power. Strange!

No, I’m not a Chinese sympathiser or a Chinese political protagonist. I’m merely curious as to why Utusan and Perkasa are so insecure about Malay political power.

In case Ibrahim Ali and Awang Selamat are not aware, the is NO way DAP can form a government on its own. Even if all the Chinese and Indians vote for them. The way the parliamentary constituencies are drawn up, the Malay/Bumiputera majority seats outnumber the Chinese majority seats. Under I doubt the current PR structure will allow DAP to monopolise the Chinese majority seats, PKR will want some. Given these facts, how can the DAP take over the government on its own?

Other than Penang and Sabah , I’m guessing all other state constitutions will only allow a Malay to assume the Chief Minister-ship. It would be difficult for DAP to appoint a non-Malay MB even if they win most seats in those states. A case in point is Perak and Nizar Jamaluddin. Why wasn’t Utusan making noise when Gerakan was in ‘power’ in Penang ? I mean, why did Utusan stand aside and watch a Malaysian state being helmed by a Chinese?

To further allay Utusan and Perkasa’s fears of Chinese political dominance, let’s look at the current parliamentary seat spread.

MCA = 15

SUPP = 5

Gerakan = 2

LDP = 1

SAPP = 2

DAP = 29

Total seats = 222

Simplest majority = 112

Assuming all other Chinese based parties lose their seats to DAP, DAP will have 54 parliamentary seats. They will still be 58 short of a simple majority. Utusan and Perkasa should stop worrying and focus on better things.

I think the racist rhetoric spewed by Utusan is a dangerous phenomenon. Chinese absolute political power is a non-issue, it will not happen. Just like there will never be vegetarian tigers or stir-fried sushi …

Hafidz on Gays

2011-04-27T23:38:00.000+08:00

Hafidz Baharom says –

“My thoughts on the issues of religious belief butting in on a way of life are simple. Read through your texts and go back to your basics. What makes a person a Muslim?

To be a Muslim, all you need to do is say the syahadah, fast during Ramadhan, pray five times a day, pay the fitrah tithe and go for Haj if you are able. So tell me, dearest fellow Muslims, where exactly is this straight/gay dilemma in the basics of being a Muslim? As far back as 1994, Sisters in Islam was decrying that no punishment was meted out under hudud law for homosexuality. And since you all love to quote the Quran, here’s one you missed:

Al-Ahzab, verse 58:

And those who annoy believing men and women undeservedly bear (on themselves) a calumny and a glaring sin.”

http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/opinion/article/softies-and-sexuality/

I’m called to answer Hafidz’s question on where exactly is this straight/gay dilemma in the basics of being a Muslim.

He is not wrong when he said to be a Muslim, all you need to do is say the syahadah, fast during Ramadhan, pray five times a day, pay the fitrah tithe and go for Haj if you are able. I said he’s not wrong but I don’t think he’s totally right either. Why do I say that?

First, I suggest he look up the definition of zakat fitrah vis-à-vis zakat. They are two different things, with different conditions and criteria.

Secondly, saying the syahadah is not merely an oral or verbal act. It requires one to fully appreciate, understand and accept what it means by professing there is no God but Allah and Muhammad is his messenger.

Professing the syahadah means fully believing in Allah as the one and only God. Fully believing in Allah includes believing in his words (Al Quran) and adhering to his laws (Shariah). Fully believing in Allah also means obeying all of his commands.

Islam is not a mere collection of physical acts or words. Performing the Haj every other year doesn’t make one more Muslim than someone who has only been on the pilgrimage once. Fasting is not just about abstaining from eating between dawn and dusk and paying RM7.00 to the amil every Ramadhan doesn’t absolve one’s zakat obligation.

On homosexuality, the Quran has this to say:

We also sent Lut : He said to his people : "Do ye commit lewdness such as no people in creation (ever) committed before you? For ye practice your lusts on men in preference to women: ye are indeed a people transgressing beyond bounds." Qur'an 7:80-81

"Of all the creatures in the world, will ye approach males, And leave those whom Allah has created for you to be your mates? Nay, ye are a people transgressing (all limits)!" Qur'an 26:165-166

Why didn’t Hafidz quote those two verses?

Dr. Muzammil Siddiqi of the ISNA said: “Homosexuality is a moral disorder. It is a moral disease, a sin and corruption... No person is born homosexual, just like no one is born a thief, a liar or murderer. People acquire these evil habits due to a lack of proper guidance and education.”

I said it once and I’ll say it again; there is no such thing as a Muslim gay. Just like there is no such thing as a vegetarian tiger or a stir-fried sushi.

It is interesting that he quoted 33:58 without highlighting “believing men and women”. Having disobeyed the decree on homosexuality (7:80-81 and 26:165-66), can a gay person be considered believing men?

Now Everyone Can Email

2011-04-27T23:25:00.001+08:00

All Malaysians over the age of 18 now has a 1Malaysia email account. The ‘big brother’ seems to be getting bigger eh? Apparently, this brilliant idea to give all adult Malaysians an email account came from a Pemandu lab session.

Before giving everyone an email account, the government should ensure everyone has decent access to the internet. What good is an email account for someone without access to a computer let alone the internet? The poor farmers and fishermen would prefer fertilisers and diesel subsidies over email accounts anytime. IT savvy young people, I presume, would prefer the tried and tested gmail, yahoomail or hotmail. Most of us working adults have corporate email accounts which often double as a personal email account. Why the need for another account, username and password?

The contract to set up the infra for this initiative (which supposedly will allow direct and secure communication between the citizens and the government); worth RM 50million was given to Tricubes, a company currently being monitored by Bursa Malaysia under GN3 for accounting irregularities [find out more] Why award the contract to a troubled ACE listed company? Was there a proper tender undertaken? Why RM50 million?

I think it’s a bloody waste of money; those email accounts will be filled with spam and Nigerian scams. The only beneficiaries are those sharing the RM50million contract. The rest of us?

Sissy Says Who?

2011-04-27T23:11:00.002+08:00

The Terengganu Education Department has a come up with a brilliant idea to eradicate pondans and bapoks – send schoolboys with effeminate tendencies to a boot camp for sissies. While I’m not a fan of the sexually confused or those who claim to be a woman trapped in a man’s body; I am also against branding boys with effeminate tendencies as “pondans-to-be”. If you believe the NST, it reported that the Terengganu education department sent 66 schoolboys who “were not behaving like normal males of their age” to a camp aimed at helping them behave appropriately, presumably like how men should. While it is commendable to help the young boys behave in manner acceptable to society, I can’t help but wonder if it is good for their self esteem and morale. Some boys may be naturally soft-er but pondans they are not. Even former YB but still minister Shahrizat is against the idea of a sissy camp. She fears such camps could stir prejudice against the boys and affect their mental health.

I do not have a suggestion to combat the problem of pondan-isation of the male populace but being brainwashed to be a man should be a last ditch effort, if at all. No?

Sarawak 2011

2011-04-27T23:00:00.003+08:00

Everyone won, apparently. Maybe except the urban Chinese.

Let’s see how it went;

BN lost 9 of the 64 seats they held prior to the elections.
PR won 15, that’s 8 more than what they won in 2006.
SNAP was snapped, crackled and popped.
One Indie got elected.
Popular vote for BN declined from 63% to 55%
Even PAS ‘almost’ won in Beting Maro, losing by only 400 votes. PAS in Sarawak! Who could imagine?

Utusan says BN embarrassed PR in the election. I think it’s a case of lying to yourself. My definition of embarrassing your opponent is increasing the popular vote and reducing their number of seats. BN didn’t do either, did they? PM Najib and team should worry because Sarawak may no longer be a fixed deposit come the next election. Blaming the Chinese for their loss is a very bad move. Threatening them is even worse. Don’t they know that to win over your detractors is by being extra nice to them? The Chinese votes helped BN stay in power in 1999. BN should study why the reverse is happening now. MCA shouldn’t be telling SUPP to stay out of the cabinet, MCA should tell themselves (and SUPP) to stop being a puppet to UMNO (and PBB) because that is probably one of the reasons why the Chinese votes are moving away to the other side.

The signs are showing that a two-party environment is coming up in Malaysia, the check and balance should keep both sides on their toes and minimise the blatant abuse of power. Hopefully the rakyat will be the ultimate winners.

Thoughts Round-up

2011-03-24T14:24:00.001+08:00

Rare earth plant – apparently rare earth is a very dangerous substance despite its important uses. No rare earth, no iPad. What would life be without iPads and Plant vs. Zombies ... Apparently no one apart from the Chinese (in China) wants anything to do with processing, producing rare earth. We on the other hand are more than willing to build a plant in Kuantan despite the disaster in Bukit Merah. And yes, there is a lot of money involved, something like RM8 billion a year from 2013 onwards. It appears our lives are worth much less than that ...

Sex in the city – Datuk T, I wonder if he is related to Mr T of the A-Team. Related or not, he has a recording of a politician resembling PKR chief Anwar engaging in a sexual intercourse in a hotel. The clip was allegedly recorded on the 21 February; Anwar claims he was blogging and twitting at the time of the incident. If precedent is followed, Anwar should not worry because if “correct, correct, correct; looks like me, sounds like but its not me” can get away, I see no reason why Anwar can’t. Chua Soi Lek is the president of the MCA now, if Dr Chua can, Anwar also can! Haha

Where is our politics heading? To the dumps no doubt.

Nuclear power – I’m sure there are many other alternative energy sources; solar, wind, hydro, gas and even coal which are safer (but not necessarily cheaper or cleaner) than nuclear but why does our government insist on embarking on a nuclear energy programme? I suggest they read about what is happening in Japan.

Malay language bible – has anyone seen an English language Quran? What if the English speaking countries ban the distribution of English language Quran because of the same reason given by our Government? Or the Chinese government banning Qurans to be translated into Mandarin? What will Sheikh Tan Sri Harussani Zakaria say to that? While I agree that the bible can be printed in Malay, I also agree with the requirement to print the “only for Christians” advice.

Evans can but Carragher (or anyone for that matter) cannot – Man Utd players can do whatever they want, no matter how bad and Sir Alex will say it’s allright lad, do it again but if anyone else does the same thing ... Crybaby Nani coldly rejected Carragher’s apology but the gentleman Stuart Holden (of Bolton Wanderers) accepted and forgave Jonny Evans for whacking him out of the game till next season. Good manners and courtesy is not something Alex Ferguson practices or preaches.

Interlok – I’m not even bothered to understand what the issue is. Apparently it concerns the use of the term ‘Pariah’.

Libya – the allied forces wasted no time to attack Gaddafi’s forces to ‘protect’ the people of Libya. Where were the allied forces while the Israel armed forces attacked stone throwing Palestinian boys with guided missiles?

Ibrahim and the Chicken

2011-03-24T14:07:00.004+08:00

Ibrahim Ali never ceases to annoy me with his harebrained ideas, suggestions and demands. Now he says [here] KFC must remain in Malay hands. By KFC he means Kulim Berhad and QSR Brands. I guess the Perkasa chief got spooked after hearing Ali Hashim say that JCorp might sell Kulim.

Doesn’t he know that YUM! Brand decides who they want to give the Malaysian KFC franchise to? So, if they decide to take it away from QSR Brands and give it to Ah Chong or Muthusamy, there is nothing Ibrahim Ali can do.

Secondly, if selling Kulim will enable JCorp to re-invest the proceeds into higher yielding assets, what is wrong with selling?

Thirdly, I don’t understand the pre-occupation with owning everything. I mean, I would rather own 20% of something that will make me RM100 than owning 100% of something which will only pay me RM20.

Fourthly, if I want something maybe I should work hard at getting it fairly. I shouldn't be using the federal constitution to demand everything to be given to me. If I work to get something, it will truly be mine.

And finally, when will Ibrahim Ali shut up?

Show Us Your Money

2011-03-24T13:58:00.004+08:00

I wrote about Roman’s riches [here] and how he was asked to declare his assets before contesting in the parliamentary elections. Malaysia should also compel aspiring wakil rakyats and YBs to disclose their wealth before being allowed to stand as a candidate.

When I go out to elect my wakil rakyat, I would very much like to know who he/she is, where he/she’s from, what is his/her credentials, education & professional background. I would also want to know his/her financial standing (including that of the immediate family) not because I want to be a busy body but to ensure that the wakil rakyat does not use or abuse his/her position to enrich themselves. There is nothing wrong with enriching one’s self (and family and friends) but the means must be ethical and fair.

Still on the political front, Sarawak has been in the headlines a lot lately. We have the Sarawak born sister in law of the former British PM, her Iban sidekick and a radio station going all out to expose Taib Mahmud’s shenanigans. Our efficient Home Minister efficiently called for Radio Free Sarawak to be efficiently investigated. Hisham the Home Minister said the investigation is "not about politics, it is about spreading malicious lies, the issue of unity and harmony among the races," (I got this from Bernama, verbatim). I suggest Hishamuddin (our Home Minister) applies the same argument on Utusan Malaysia which has been spreading whatever RFS is being accused of, for a very long time. That Hata Wahari guy can attest to that. Did the home minister ever think of finding out if the RFS “lies” are really lies?

Then we have Taib Mahmud’s soon to be former daughter in law demanding RM400 million as divorce settlement from Taib Mahmud’s son who is called Mahmud and has a son called Taib. She says she wants a divorce because she’s been beaten, abused and not given any nafkah batin since 2001. That’s 10 long years without sex! Damn! She also says she knows he’s worth double that. If Junior is worth almost a billion Malay bucks, I wonder how much T-daddy is worth.

Still on the political front … when is Mahathir going to shut up

Good Buy, Good Bye

2011-03-08T23:04:00.001+08:00

Fernando Torres is without doubt a great striker, a proven goalscorer and given the inflated absurd transfer fees of late, is also probably worth the 50 million pounds Roman Abramovich paid for him.

The question is; was he a good buy?

Being a Liverpool fan, I say Chelsea paid at least 20 million pounds too much for him and I say that without an iota of bitterness. As a Liverpool fan, I want to say thank you to Mr. Roman; especially after watching Suarez play, how he ignites games, twisting and turning around defenders and swerving in accurate freekicks. Liverpool paid less than half the price and got a more complete player. Sir Alex and Carlo Ancelotti are probably kicking themselves in their groins for not buying him. Torres was a goalscorer, full stop. Suarez is a goalmaker as well as a goal scorer; two qualities for half the price. That is definitely what I’ll call a good buy. Having said that, I’m sure Torres will eventually settle in and start scoring again. He will also prove to be a good buy for Chelsea, just not at a good price.

If Torres is overpriced at 50 million, did Liverpool over paid for Andy Carroll? Kenny Dalglish is no stranger to record breaking purchases having broken the record in 1987 paying £1.9 million for Peter Beardsley and he paid £3.3 million for Alan Shearer in 1992. Seven years ago, MU paid £27 million for the young and inexperienced Wayne Rooney; I don’t see why people should question Carroll’s £35 million price tag given that he is a more complete player than Rooney was back then.

From the business perspective, the Torres for Suarez-Carroll deal seem a good one, Liverpool got more than sufficient replacement of superior quality and quantity for a mere £8 million.

Roman Abra-more-rich

2011-03-08T23:00:00.002+08:00

Roman Abramovich is worth over £11billion. That is two ones and nine zeros. How do I know that? I read it on the internet of course, Yahoo news I think it was.

Apparently, in order to stand for election in Russia, one has to declare his/her wealth and since Roman aspires to be a parliamentary deputy (I’m guessing that’s the Russian wakil rakyat), he has to declare what he owns.

Our 13th General Elections is coming soon and I propose the Election Commission implement similar rules.

According to the web, Abramovich is Russia’s fourth richest man but according to his spokesman the declared numbers may not show the full extent of his wealth.

John Mann (the spokesman-n) says the numbers may not show the full extent of his wealth because it only shows the interest income on his bank deposits and not his full income. Wow!

Apart from the extensive list of residences in several countries, Abramovich's taste in cars may seem less opulent than expected. The most luxurious of the vehicles declared is a Mercedes S500L, but a four-year-old Volkswagen Golf fills out his garage. Abramovich's more majestic purchases, such as his four super-yachts and collection of private jets and helicopters, were however not disclosed in the report.

The declaration is unlikely to interest the residents and voters from Chukotka, where the average income is estimated at £11,000 a year.

Abramovich's fortune is mostly held in companies including Millhouse Capital, Eucla Investments Limited, Primerod International Limited and Chelsea Limited, which owns the Premier League club.

Some highlights of Abramovich's December 2010 declaration of wealth include:

Properties

Seven in Britain, two in the United States, three in France, four in Russia, and one in the Caribbean. Estimated total value of property: £300m

Cars

Seven, notably Mercedes S500L (2010), BMW 760Li (2010), VW Golf (2007). Estimated total value of car collection: £650,000

Cash and shares

£71.78m across 22 separate bank accounts, £25.48m tied up in shares

Ownership

100% of Chelsea Limited (football club estimated worth of £402.19 million), 100% of Lowndes Square Management Company Limited, 100% of Croe France Chateau de la Croe and Eucla Investments Limited, 25% of Primerod International Limited, 100% of Wotton Overseas Holdings Limited, and 100% of Camberley International Investments Limited.

graphic "courtesy" of soccerlens.com

MRT – Did we Learn from Past Mistakes?

2011-03-08T22:44:00.009+08:00

I saw the plan for the proposed Klang Valley Mass Rapid Transit system and I must say we never learn from past mistakes. What I saw gave me the impression that interconnectivity and commuters’ convenience were not on the planners’ minds when determining the alignment and location of the stations.

The MRT line runs from the existing Sungai Buloh KTM komuter station to the exsiting Kajang KTM station. It passes through Kota Damansara, Bandar Utama, TTDI, Section 17, goes along the Sprint Highway to Damansara Heights, submerges underground somewhere near Parliament, comes back up above ground after Maluri, goes along the Cheras-Kajang Highway passing through Plaza Pheonix, Taman Suntex, Ceupacs, Bandar Tun Hussein Onn, Balakong and Saujana Impian before arriving in Kajang. The underground section of the MRT covers the city centre. The sentence is as long as the MRT line and probably as perplexing.

My complaints – The interchange stations are really not interchange stations.

The MRT line doesn’t intersect with enough LRT/Monorail/KTM stations. What the planners forgot was that a public transportation system is supposed to make travelling easier. What I saw sort of made me not want to bother using the MRT. There is this station (tentatively) named ‘Kota Damansara’ which appears to be in the middle of nowhere. Maybe the satellite image used to map the railway line is out of date; the area is probably fully developed now for all I know. If the satellite image reflects what is on the ground, I say they have wasted their scarce resources on a station which will probably end up like Putra’s Abdullah Hukum station.

The TTDI station is in a neighbourhood which probably has the highest concentration of German made cars in the country.
The Section 17 station borders the cemetery and KGPA (a golf course).
The KL Sentral MRT station is NOT in KL Sentral. In case no one noticed, the KL Sentral monorail station is also NOT in KL Sentral. Don’t these people ever learn? And KL Sentral is supposed to be a transport hub? Maybe someone should tell them what ‘hub’ means.
The MRT line has two stations in the Bukit Bintang area and neither of them connects with the existing two monorail stations in the BB area!
The proposed MRT Merdeka station is no where near the monorail Merdeka station.
Only the lucky residents of Maluri get a connecting STAR-MRT station (I think).

Why am I making so much noise about this interconnectivity issue? Good, efficient transport links are supposed to be links, linking one place to many other places. Good efficient transportation system must be commuter friendly. Good, efficient transportation system must be able to transport commuters from one point to another point with minimal fuss. Maximum fuss is when a commuter has to walk a mile (probably under the hot sun) to change stations in order to get the train that will take them to their destination. Maximum fuss will discourage people from using the system. The planned MRT system in my humble opinion does not have the characteristics of a good, efficient transport system.

Let’s illustrate; let’s say I live in TTDI and work in KLCC and I decide to leave my Lexus at home and take the MRT to work. I however have to take the MRT from One Utama because the TTDI station doesn’t have Park & Ride facilities (at least what the plan says). So I drive from my home and park my car at 1U. I take the MRT to KL Sentral which is NOT in KL Sentral, walk from the National Museum area (well, that’s where the MRT station is in the plan) across (the wide and busy) Jalan Travers to KL Sentral to get connecting the PUTRA LRT train to KLCC. I do the reverse in the evening. I don’t mind walking from the Putra LRT station in KL Sentral to the KTM station in KL Sentral because they are in the same building (that’s how interchange stations are supposed to be) but walking from the Muzium to KL Sentral to change trains is just not convenient and is such a big turn off. If my fellow TTDIians feel the same way, we will all drive our quarter of a million dollar cars to work everyday and the TTDI station will join the Abdullah Hukum club. Mind you, most TTDIians have been to London and they would have experienced the seamless travel on the tube; giving them the MRT (in the planned form) would not convert them to MRT users.

I think the MRT is a rush job. It was announced not very long ago and in a few months time work on the system will start. Where is the EIA? Was a proper feasibility study done? If it was, where is it? What about tender process for the engineering and construction jobs? Is the proposed alignment the best? Does it serve the needs of the masses or will it only benefit the project promoters? What about high density areas such as Damansara Uptown and SS2; don’t they deserve a station too?

I use the LRT quite frequently and I was hoping the system and network will be improved. Sadly, the planned MRT seems to not offer any hopes of a fully integrated, interconnected and most importantly, a convenient and user friendly transport system. I’m really disappointed.

*I apologise if my choice of example offends any TTDI-ians or TTDI-ians to be or TTDI-ians wannabe. It’s just an example la.
** Graphics "courtesy" of The Star

Good Riddance or Good Piece of Business?

2011-02-03T07:44:00.002+08:00

He wanted to leave because he wants to be part of a team that is capable of winning trophies. He wasn't interested to prove that he can be the man to bring trophies to the club, he would rather the club buy him team mates who can help him win. To top it all, this comes from a man who has Steven Gerrard, Dirk Kuyt, Pepe Reina and half a dozen internationals who played at the recent world cup, as team mates. Fernando Torres certainly redefines arrogance not to mention greed, seeing that his move to Chelsea made him a 185,000 pounds a week man. Pounds sterling that is.

History has not been kind to Liverpool's top striker leaving the club. Thirty goals a season Ian Rush only managed single figures in Juventus before coming back to Anfield to find his scoring boots. Micheal Owen left Anfield to warm the bench at the Bernabeu. Robbie Fowler was no longer 'God' after leaving Anfield Road for Elland Road. His departure however was reportedly reluctant and resultant from not seeing eye to eye with Houllier and Thompson.

Personally I think LFC is better off without Torres. The club made 100% profit and got rid of a whining player. On top of that, LFC got two new young strikers who are capable of scoring many goals.

I guess thats what you would call a good piece of business!

High Income? You Must Be Joking!

2011-02-03T06:58:00.002+08:00

The minister of international trade and industry, Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed said last month that his ministry will use RM3,000 a month in salary as a proxy for high-income jobs for the time being. He says RM3,000 is a “reasonable income” for someone in the Klang Valley and that it was a good income for regions such as the east coast and east Malaysia . “You won’t be rich (with RM3,000) but you can survive,” said Mustapa but stressed that the definition was still evolving. Other criteria for high-income jobs include being value added, high technology and knowledge and skill intensive.

He however did not clarify if the 3k is net or gross.

The Hon. Minister obviously doesn’t know many people earning RM3,000 and living in the Klang Valley . If I’m not mistaken, RM3,000 is what some (lucky) fresh graduates are paid nowadays. I also heard that some drivers (chauffeurs) make in excess of RM4,000 a month including overtime pay and outstation allowances. Is the minister saying these people could be a part of the high-income fraternity (let’s disregard the other criteria at this point)?

To qualify as a ‘high income earner’, the jobs must add value, high tech and knowledge and skill intensive. If the minister says chauffeurs do not add value, low tech and unskilled; let me tell him that driving the new 7-series requires pilot-like expertise and skills. Without their drivers, top management cannot work on the road and KL life is spent mostly stuck in traffic jams (ministers won’t know this because their outriders split open the traffic for them to pass, kinda remind you of Moses eh?). Because they are driven instead of driving, the bosses can work on their blackberrys, read The Edge and undertake business negotiations in the comfort of their S-class/LS/XF back seats. Despite them earning in excess of 3,000 per month, I don’t think any chauffeur would consider themselves high income earners. RM3,000 is enough for a single person to survive in KL but for a family of 4 or 5 it could be a struggle.

A 25 year RM120,000 mortgage at current interest rates cost around 750 per month. A 7 year RM40,000 car loan attracts about 580 in monthly instalments. These two financial obligations already take up 44% of the RM3,000 monthly salary. The balance of 1,380 will not go far over 30 days let alone support the life of a high income earner.

Minister Mustapha however three days later clarified that it was MIDA and not him who gave the figure of RM3,000. “There has been some confusion” he told reporters. He added that RM8,000-10,000 would be a better definition of high income … which basically makes me a low income earner …

To Beer or Not to Beer ...

2011-01-20T11:47:00.004+08:00

MPSJ’s recent guideline/ban on Muslims working in outlets serving alcohol has been touted by some people as moral policing. At first glance it does seem like moral policing, telling Muslims where they can and cannot work.

However, the issue shouldn’t be about moral policing or even about morals. It’s about adhering to the laws of Islam.

It cannot be argued that alcoholic beverages are forbidden in the religion of Islam. In surah Al-Maidah, verse 90-91 says that intoxicants and gambling are satan’s handwork and believers should avoid such things. Intoxicants obviously include alcoholic beverages but some will argue that they are harmless when taken in small quantities, so a sip shouldn’t be a problem. It is a problem, it’s not okay to even take a nip or tot because it was reported in sunan Ibn Majah that Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said: anything which intoxicates in a large quantity is prohibited even in a small quantity. The same sunan also reported that Anas related that Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said: "God’s curse falls on ten groups of people who deal with alcohol. The one who distils it, the one for whom it has been distilled, the one who drinks it, the one who transports it, the one to who it has been brought, the one whom serves it, the one who sells it, the one who utilizes money from it, the one who buys it and the one who buys it for someone else."

The Quran and hadith have made it clear that Muslims should avoid alcoholic beverages; from its production, distribution and especially consumption. I therefore support any guideline, law or decree prohibiting Muslims from having anything to do with alcoholic beverages not because I want be seen as holier than thou but because that’s what (my) God decrees. I have argued in my posting on gays that to be a Muslim one must accept the ground rules of being a Muslim. The rule says: have nothing to do with alcoholic beverages, so end of argument.

Liberals would argue that such directive would be oppressive, against basic human rights, depriving a person of his livelihood. My question is; what right does a human have to dispute the commands of his creator? The affected employees on the other hand will ask; “who is going to feed my family if I have to give up my bartending, Carlsberg lorry driver or senior manager of GAB job?” My answer is: this is where the religious authorities should come in; the Pusat Zakats and the Baitulmals should come up with a programme to train or assist those affected to find new source of income. I mean isn’t that the purpose of these institutions? To help Muslims in need?

If it is okay for a Muslim to work in the alcoholic beverage industry, would it make it okay for a Muslim to work in the pork or gambling industries?

*apologies to William Shakespeare for mutating his most recognisable line

Two Wrongs Don't Make a Right

2011-01-20T11:25:00.002+08:00

What is wrong with the Selangor State Government?

TMI reports that the Selangor state government has allocated RM1 million for constituency projects to each of the PR assemblyman ahead of a possible general election this year.

Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim said Barisan Nasional (BN) representatives were excluded from the allocations because the BN federal government similarly discriminated against PR MPs.

I find this disturbing. What right does the MB have to deny tax paying rakyat developmental allocation just because most of them voted for BN in the last election? What about those who voted PR in the BN ruled constituencies? Why isn’t their loyalty rewarded or at least recognised? What does Khalid Ibrahim and his team hope to achieve with this childish move? The fact remains that the money came from taxes and it is gross injustice to deny any of us development. If they are serious about promoting equitable practices, the Selangor PR government must give all ADUNs the allocation. If not, Khlid Ibrahim and his team are nothing but another BN.

An eye for an eye does not work in this case; PR should learn how to kill with kindness because two wrongs will never make a right.

Talent Corporation – Exercise in Futility?

2011-01-07T00:40:00.001+08:00

JFK’s famous words were “Ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country”. Spoken like a true patriot. I won’t be surprised if the talents at Talent Corp use the same words of wisdom as their tagline to lure talented Malaysians back home.

The Talent Corporation, which has been tasked with encouraging Malaysian professionals overseas to return home, will start operating this month. The Government announced the appointment of Johan Merican to head the corporation which will headhunt Malaysians who want to come back and work.

The keyword here is who “want” to come back and work.

The question is; does anyone want to come back and work in Malaysia ?

Before we answer that question, we should first ask why they chose to work overseas in the first place. Unfortunately I do not have answers to that. All I can offer is assumptions. In choosing careers many factors come into play. I may be wrong but I think most people choose their careers based on what they studied in university. What they studied in university most of the time was either determined by their parents, peers, current trend, government policy or simply availability of university places or scholarship. No doubt some are lucky enough to be able to enrol in a course of their choice at a university of their choice but do they form the majority? I personally do not think so.

So, the hypothesis is: courses taken at university determine career choice.

Now back to the question of why those people chose to work overseas. For those with unusual degrees (unusual in the Malaysian context) like Marine Biology or Russian Economic History or Classical Drama & Latin, they have no choice but to seek overseas career opportunities as I don’t think there is any suitable career options for them in Malaysia (based on the above hypothesis). For those with typical/common degrees (law, economics, mechanical engineering, IT etc), choosing to work overseas is probably motivated by the financial rewards and/or professional exposure. For specialised professionals like the doctors and architects, working overseas not only enlarges their wallets but also enlarges their knowledge base and develops their expertise.

The next question is why do they choose to remain overseas? The obvious reason would be money. It is without doubt professionals are paid higher overseas compared to their Malaysian contemporaries. The cost of living may be higher but it is adequately compensated by the pay package and on top of it all, cars are cheaper overseas, apart from Singapore that is. But money isn’t everything.

So what is the real reason these people prefer to make a living in a foreign land? Could it be that the government policies are unfavourable? This could be true for the non-bumis who feel discriminated in terms of promotion opportunities (in government or government linked organisations) or when buying property. What about the Malays working overseas? What is their raison d’etre?

For those who are overseas for the money, I doubt Malaysian corporations are able to match their wage demands without disrupting the wage structure.

For those who are overseas for the experience and exposure, I doubt there are many Malaysian corporations able to give similar experience and exposure.

For those who are overseas to escape from the unfair policies, they won’t be coming back until and unless those policies are removed.

For those who are overseas because they can’t find a suitable job (with a decent pay) in Malaysia , they won’t be coming back until such jobs are available and pays a decent wage.

Fro those who are overseas because the public transport is better over there may come back once our public transportation system improves, IF it improves.

For those who are overseas because they want their children to have better education will stay overseas until their perception of the quality of education in Malaysia changes.

For those who are overseas because their spouses are not welcomed here (Israeli citizens for example), won’t be coming back at all.

For those who are overseas because they are bitter (with the government policies perhaps) might not come back, ever.

For those who are overseas because they are gay will probably never come back.

If the government are considering incentives to lure these professionals home, it would be unfair to the rest of us who are already working in Malaysia . For example, why are they allowed to bring back their cars tax free when the rest of us have to pay exorbitant taxes on our cars?

Students who were given scholarships to study overseas by the government or GLCs have a social and moral obligation to come home and serve their benefactors (read: taxpayers, stakeholders). It is grossly unfair for them to not come back; working overseas for extended periods would render them ungrateful and unpatriotic. These people should not be the target market for Talent Corp., instead; it’s the Attorney General’s office who should be sending them letters demanding repayment of the scholarship.

Often our talents are taken away at a very young age. Foreign universities and governments have and will continue to offer scholarships, jobs and eventually citizenship to our bright young students, especially those neglected and “rejected” by our government. We must have policies that will keep these gems from being lured away.

While trying to attract the lost talents to come home; the Government should also have an anti attrition policy to avoid existing talents in Malaysia from moving abroad. They can start with promoting an equal opportunity policy. Personal tax rates should be reduced to a “competitive” level. Basic infrastructure should be improved. The local education system must be of a standard where everyone agrees is good. Government policies should not be seen to favour a certain group over others. Taxes on cars should be reduced. Freedom of speech and thought should not be punished.

Is the Talent Corporation able to do all that? Or will it be another exercise in futility?

You’re Gay, Are You Okay?

2011-01-07T00:08:00.003+08:00

Is it okay to be gay? Azwan Ismail seems to think so. So does his many followers, who are slowly coming out from their closet. He is the probably one of the first Malay/”Muslim” to openly come out albeit via YouTube and proclaim his gay tendencies. The result of his coming out in the open is; no prizes for guessing, death threats. From irrational Muslims, if I may add.

So, is it okay to be gay? No it’s not, if the gay also wants to be a Muslim. Muslim gays are an oxymoron; you’re either one or the other, you cannot be both. There is no such thing as a gay Muslim. I am not a religious scholar but the little I know about my religion is that one must strictly adhere to the tenets/pillars of Islam to be considered a true Muslim. A true Muslim must not dispute the words of the Quran and the (authentic/sahih) hadiths of the Prophet s.a.w. The Quran says (7:80-81 and 26:165-66) gay acts are forbidden, any person wishing to be a Muslim must obey the laws laid down by the Quran. There are no two ways about it. Muslims must accept that Allah has the final (only) say on what is right and what is wrong. He says no to homosexuality and lesbianism, so end of argument. If you insist on being a homosexual, you’re going against the words of God.

Am I saying that gays are apostates? I’m not in the position to officially declare their apostasy; maybe an analogy could better explain the rationale for my opinion. Let’s say a person is employed in an organisation which strictly forbids the wearing of purple round neck t-shirts to work. This person however has a fetish for purple round neck t-shirts and insists on wearing the said t-shirt to work, which is against company policy. The company expects all employees to abide by the company policies and since the person cannot live without wearing the said t-shirt, he has no choice but to leave the organisation and seek employment elsewhere, somewhere where purple t-shirts are welcomed.

Replace “organisation/company” with Islam and “purple round neck t-shirts” with homosexuality.

Even animals do not indulge in gay acts …

Is death the punishment for gays? Again, I have no authority to comment from the religious perspective so all I’ll say is I do not believe in capital punishment as the first option. It should not be an option unless as retribution for the loss of another life. Even then, forgiveness or compensation should be considered first before carrying out the “eye for an eye” punishment. Back to death to gays, I do not think it will solve the problem, if anything; it will create an underground network of closet gays which in the end would be a bigger and more difficult problem to handle. I’m a believer in education as the means to correct social ills; “Muslim” gays should be persuaded to accept the laws of Islam. The key word is “persuade” and not “force.” We must try to win them over with advice and not threats. The objective is to bring them closer to the religion and not scare them away. If all else fails, all we can do is pray …

Dear Diary

2010-12-12T02:15:00.003+08:00

No, I do not plan to turn this blog into a "tell everyone what I did today" page. I will however, just this once, write about my day.

11 December 2011 was a bad day. Sad day. Stressful even.

Hanging out with Kenneth, Lorna and Laila didn't help. Four people in a sombre mood is not good company.

It almost got worse.

The old boys had a friendly football game against the Cochrane old boys. The turnout was good, the spectators were in a carnival and picnic mood, sitting on mats on the running track next to the field, some enjoying chicken from Kentucky and the kids running around. Their daddies on the other hand, were pretending to run around ...

The game started well, yours truly starting up front. Yours truly however missed three sitters in the opening 5 minutes and the day and the game almost got worse. By the second third (we veterans played three thirds of 25 minutes each), we were two nil down. The 'fighting spirit' of the boys with the Bull on their crest managed to level the score at two all before the end of the second period. It was not long before the team with the Tiger on ther badge scored their third. The third third however was all Bulls (no shit!) and the game ended five to three in our favour. My day is not so bad anymore.

In fact it got better.

Before the game, I got an invite to go see a concert featuring Hattan and Man Kidal. Yes Man Kidal. I grew up listening to Search, Lethanded and Wings. I was a teenage 'mat rock'. I still am, not a teenager but a mat rock. X used to call me 'mat rock' and apparently that Wings' song "Sejati" used to remind her of me. I still listen to Phantom of the Opera almost every week. Not that long running West End play but the classic Iron Maiden song.

Back to my concert. It was magnificent! Man Kidal's guitar work is unrivalled in Malaysia. Hattan presented a wonderful mix of rock, ethnic and jazz-blues. Yes jazz-blues. You have to listen to it to know. His rendition of 'Gerhana' is excellent, only M. Nasir can do better.

And it got even better.

11 December is Hattan's birthday. After the show, the crew had a little birthday celebration for the man and I was invited. Yes, I was invited to Hattan's little birthday get together. My previous claim to fame was saying hello to papa rock Ramli Sarip in Midvalley and he said hello back. Tonight I'm eating roti jala with Man Kidal and smoking a cigarette with Hattan. For a mat rock like me, this is as good as it gets.

My first concert was Search when I was 16. My next concert was Kenny G three years later followed by Shiela Majid and Zainal the following year. I went to a few small indie Jazz concerts during my time in the UK but nothing major, no Glastonbury for me. I saw M.Nasir in 95 and Alanis Morisstte in 96.

11 December 2010 is my first major concert since Ms Morissette fourteen years ago!

I'm not the type who indulges in URTV or Mangga. In fact, I ban those things from my house. I don't watch the full of nonsense show called Melodi. Generally, I'm not into celebrities. But today is different. Hattan and Man Kidal are not just any "I'm good looking so I want to be a singer" type. These guys have real talent. The lasted more than two decades, that says a lot about their ability. And they are good. I was impressed with what I saw and I don't mind seeing them again.

The Last Patriot

2010-11-28T17:31:00.004+08:00

A while ago, Defence Minister Zahid says the non-Malays are not patriotic because not many of them joined the armed forces. In his defence (pun intended), he was probably misquoted. Let’s give him the benefit of the doubt, how can he be wrong? He is after all a BN minister and you have to be super intelligent and perfect to be one (sarcasm intended).

What measures or determines patriotism? The noun patriotism is defined by the (Collins) dictionary as ‘devotion to one's own country and concern for its defence’. My definition of patriotism is ‘an educated loyalty (as opposed to blind loyalty) towards one’s country (I repeat COUNTRY NOT GOVERNMENT).

Therefore, patriotism, if equated with loyalty simply means doing the right thing for the good of the country.

There are so many things a good citizen can do for the betterment of his nation. Joining the armed forces is one, but not the only one and by no means the main one. How about respecting the laws of the land? That’s being patriotic too. Paying your income taxes in full and on time? Only a patriot does that. A patriot would not litter and will never smoke in hospital or school compounds. Patriots pay his/her study loans in full. Helping the poor, the ill and disadvantaged is an act of patriotism. Registering as voters and going to vote is a patriotic act. Being fair to your fellow countrymen should be on top of the patriotic list.

Unpatriotic acts would include; indiscriminate and profit driven jungle clearing resulting in ecological damage; election fraud resulting in disruption of the democratic process; bribing law enforcers or government servants to avoid prosecution or to obtain favours; using taxpayers’ hard earned money to bail out badly managed, corruption riddled projects is so very unpatriotic; abusing the judiciary and security forces for personal gains; wasting public money on billion dollar castles; wasting public funds on “lawatan sambil belajar” which emphasises more on lawatan instead of belajar; the list goes on, probably thicker than a telephone book.

Jeering your football team when they’re trashed 5-0 by Cambodia is however not unpatriotic.

In the book “Patriotism, Morality and Peace”, Stephen Nathanson has this to say about patriotism; “Part of the problem with extreme patriotism is that it makes the support of one's country and its policies unconditional. Moderate patriots, on the other hand, see that taking morality seriously requires that our commitment to our country be conditional in two ways. First, the actions or policies of a government must be worthy of support or, at least, must not be serious violations of morality. When nations behave immorally, patriots need not support them.”

A good quote on patriotism is by William Burnham (William who?) who said, “The essence of patriotism is the sacrifice of personal interest to public welfare”

Another good one (IMHO) is by David Ehrenfeld, “Patriotism is the admission that people who share a land, a place, and a history have a special obligation to that place and to each other.”

Treasure Hunt-2

2010-11-16T00:01:00.002+08:00

I participated in my first treasure hunt under duress. It was a bank organised hunt and my head of department wanted to send two teams. That's eight people which amounts to one third of the head count in IBD. My immediate boss was a regular and avid hunter but unfortunately he had two reluctant hunters in his car. To be fair to myself, I did participate and contribute and had fun in the process.

My second hunt was nothing like the first. I was all excited and raring to go. Who wouldn't when you have two beautiful and intelligent ladies as hunt mates! I even woke up at 5am and was at the starting venue before Subuh! We did extremely well considering the other three didn't have any prior experience treasure hunting. In fact, we lost to the champions on countback.

My third hunt was as exciting as the second but faced with experienced hunters, we only managed to finish, I'm guessing somewhere in the middle, maybe 15-16th place. The two ladies from the first hunt was replaced by a solitary young lady ... which a certain Ms Shaliza attributes to our dismal performance.

I'm now hunting for my next hunt.

Treasure hunting is not an easy sport. Not even with two beautiful, intelligent ladies in the car. Some hunts have three parts; the part where the hunter have to find the answers based on the clues given. The answers are mostly on the signboards, visible from the vehicle without having to get out from the car. For a 7-8 hour hunt, there's usually 30-35 of such items to find.

The second part is called the treasure where the hunters must perform or purchase or make something based on the clues given. There are typically 3-5 treasures to find/make/buy and must be presented to the COC at the finish line. This is much tougher than the first especially if legwork and creativity is involved.

Some hunts do have them but most might not. It is called the picture hunt where hunters are given tiny portions of a large picture and they must find out what 'big' picture it is. This is basically bonus points for the really hopeless hunters, that's how easy it is.

Solving the clues requires some IQ, at least three digits. Maybe that explains why I did so badly ... It also requires a lot of general knowledge and an extensive vocab in at least two languages. The clues a fairly standard; 'inside' or 'middle' or 'within' means we have to find a word inside a word; 'at the back' means read backwards; XI means 11; C is 100; Monkey is Ape or Baboon or Kera; 'in front' means first letter and a popular clue is anagrams. There are more clues and most are not really straight forward. Like I said, it is a game for people with reasonable amounts of IQ and who knows more than 30 words.

Apparently, the seasoned hunters hardly leave their cars during a hunt. The pro hunters also know what to look for, they are able to put the clues together before even getting to the stations and when they get there, all they have to do is look for the answers. Amateur hunters like me however, look at every single signboard and guess if it fits the answer.

Treasure hunts starts before sunrise and winners are usually announced after dinner. It's a whole day affair, tiring and draining but after the hunt, you'll never look at a signboard the same way again ...

What an attitude, eh?

2010-11-15T23:09:00.004+08:00

I took this picture some time back, maybe two years ago. I apologise for not blacking out the number plates but then again, why should I?

How do you justify this? Benefit of the doubt doesn't apply in these situations. It's a clear definition of selfishness, stupidity, arrogance and ... I shall not continue, there could be children reading this blog.