Indonesians in Malaysia

“We have started gathering weapons like samurai swords and ninja throwing stars and conducting military training for our volunteers who will go and fight in Malaysia in October."
Benteng Demokrasi Rakyat (Bendera) leader Muchtar Bonaventura to The Straits Times on nationalists like him were forced to act on their own to uphold the country’s honour and sovereignty. (Source: The Straits Times)

"Why can't we just share all similar things together without saying, 'This is yours and that is mine'?”
University of Indonesia (UI) student Noraishah Abdul Aziz on Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen wanting to claim laksa as a Malaysian dish. (Source: The Straits Times, Malaysian students in Jakarta feel the heat)

A young recruit from anti-Malaysia group Bendera taking part in combat training. (Antara Photo)

This posting is dedicated to Mustar (Muchtar) Bona Ventura, co-ordinator of Benteng Demokrasi Rakyat (Bendera) and his band of thugs.

An article on immigrant criminals was published by the 15 May edition of The Malaysian Insider. Allow me to highlight the findings of the report.

“The four of us broke into the house by cutting through the iron grilles on the ground floor and we rushed into the master bedroom where the owner and his wife slept. I tied up the house owner while my accomplice brandished a parang at them. We took one week to plan for the robbery”.

Those were the words of an Indonesian who wished to be named as Sani, 31, when he spoke to Bernama at the Kajang Prison. In the incident, Sani and three others had broken into the double-storey house of a “Datuk” in Alor Gajah and committed an armed robbery. The four took only 30 minutes to ransack the house and escaped with RM10,000 in cash and other loot which they divided equally among themselves. “After the first robbery, we decided to strike again, this time at a goldsmith outlet near Malacca City in March last year. “I felt more confident. We planned for two weeks and on the day of the robbery we were already at the location since 10.30am,” he said.

Indonesians top the number of criminals. They were involved in 1,073 violent cases and 1,400 cases that concerned properties.

The Indonesian criminals came as tourists and resorted to housebreaking and robbery when the opportunity arose. They were active in Johor, Malacca, Negri Sembilan and Selangor, said Federal Criminal Investigation Department (CID) director Datuk Mohd Bakri Zinin.

In the latest case on May 13, police shot dead five Indonesians after they broke into the house of Syahrin Mohd Jamaluddin, the political secretary of Education Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, in Kampung Sinaran Baru, Kempas, Johor.

Five days before this incident, five Indonesians identified as members of the Ipol gang, suspected to be involved in several armed robberies, were shot dead in Kampung Bahagia, Bukit Lagong, Sungai Buloh.

This guy Mustar plans to invade Malaysia on October 8. So far, he has recruited 1200 people (including 40 recruits who are deaf, 10 with limb deformities and 10 who are confined to wheelchairs) for the mission. His army will be armed with samurai swords, ninja sticks and sharpened bamboo sticks as well as black magic. He is pissed with Malaysia because according to him, Malaysia has been busy stealing Indonesia’s culture, claiming their Islands and abusing Indonesian migrant workers. The breaking point according to Herr Mustar was when Malaysia (Malaysians) insulted them through the Indonesian national anthem, ‘Indonesia Raya”.

IMHO, culture is a subjective thing; we have similar roots so naturally our cultures will be similar, if not identical. Claims on territory happen all the time, Spratlys, Batu Puteh, Falklands; there are always diplomatic means to solve them. Abuses are isolated cases and abuses happen both ways, there are cases of maids abusing the employer’s children and aged parents too.

This Mustar person needs his head checked.

For more information on Mustar’s plans to invade Malaysia go to http://thejakartaglobe.com/home/indonesian-vigilantes-prepare-for-battle-in-malaysia/331775

Finance 101

The Port Klang Authority (PKA) allowed the cost of the Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) project to escalate as it did not have any business or financial plans to fall back on, with the PKA general manager who oversaw the project admitting she did know what a cash flow projection is.

That was the conclusion of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) following testimony by former PKA General Manager (GM) Datin Paduka OC Phang at parliament yesterday.

(http://www.theedgemalaysia.com/business-news/148580-oc-phang-doesnt-know-cash-flow-projection.html)

For Datin Paduka’s reference (not that she’s a reader of this blog), the definition of cash flow projection is a projection of the earnings of a company before accounting for depreciation, less taxes. The cash flow projection measures the cash generated from operations, excluding capital expenditure or working capital requirements. In a nutshell, it calculates how much cash the business will generate from doing what it does.

The Datin Paduka is the GM of The PKA, the highest ranking executive in the company; it is mind boggling to say the least that she is not familiar (to put it mildly) with cash flow projections. For the sake of corporate Malaysia, I hope she is the only one.

My questions are; did she lie about not knowing about cash flow projections? If it is true she did not know what cash flow projection is, how did she make financial decisions for PKA? Why wasn’t her “shortcoming” spotted or rectified during her junior executive years? Who is OC Phang?

I know a bit about cash flow projections, can I apply to be the Senior GM of PKA?

Ramadhan Feast

Ramadhan is a month where the human spirit is trained towards perfection. It teaches patience, abstinence, moderation, anger management, obedience and compliance. Ramadhan is a month where prayers are answered and sins are absolved. It’s a month for prayers and repentance.

But often, Ramadhan is turned into a month of feasting and a month to make money from cookie and baju kurung sales.

Ramadhan is also a month of free food as most masjids provide food for berbuka and moreh, some even for sahur.

The orphans are one of the biggest beneficiaries of Ramadhan, invited to berbuka functions on a weekly, if not daily basis. Some get to buka at hotels, some get to buka with celebrities, politicians, royalties and corporate figures. Gifts will accompany the food, a new set of baju raya and some duit raya is guaranteed.

But why is the free food and attention to the orphans given only during Ramadhan? What about the other eleven months of the year? Why can’t the corporations, politicians, royalties and high net-worth individuals provide lunch and dinner at the masjid every day of the year? Why can’t we treat and feast the orphans all year long?

Ramadhan may come only once a year but the spirit of Ramadhan should be present everyday. Let’s not wait for Ramadhan to be generous and charitable.

Culinary Controversy

We are into giving nationalities to everything now. Previously it was “Malaysianisation” by giving Mykads and red ICs to illegal immigrants, and then it was “Malaysianising” songs (I still think “Rasa Sayang” is Portugese). The latest fad is giving Malaysian citizenship to certain types of dishes, those we claim to have originated from Malaysia.

According to our “learned” Tourism Minister Ng Yen Yen M.D., laksa, nasi lemak, Hainanese chicken rice, chilli crab and bak kut teh are all Malaysian dishes. She went on further to say “We cannot continue to let other countries hijack our food”. Dr Ng said that her ministry was identifying the popular dishes, which are also available in neighbouring countries, and would declare them as Malaysian in the next three months. But she did not say how her ministry would label the dishes as Malaysian.

How does one give a “nationality” to certain dishes? Satay for example, is a Malay name for barbequing meat on skewers, the form of cooking practised all over the world. Kebabs are grilled meat on skewers and so are the Korean Bulgogi and the Vietnamese Nem Nuong. The only difference is in the marination. As for Pasta, there isn’t a conclusive agreement on its origins, we may know it as an Italian cuisine but the Greeks and Arabs also have claims to it, backed by historical research and evidence.

Malaysia is made of various cultures. We have traces of Javanese, Sumateran, Chinese, Indian, Arabic, Portugese, Siamese and to a certain extent English cultures in our society and therefore it is not a surprise that our food is heavily influenced by these various traditions. Being a mixture of many cultures, it is difficult to accord food a nationality, so let’s not spoil our appetite by fussing over it. Jom makan!

Btw, If Hainanese chicken rice is Malaysian, why is it called Hainanese?

Foolish 1

I love cars. I’m a car lover. I have to admit my interest in F1 sort of waned after Schumacher’s retirement but I still do keep up with the developments in the sport. I find it refreshing to see a new team, (albeit ran by old hands) heading the championship. It is also exciting to see teams like Red-Bull and Force India making the right headlines.

No matter how much I love motor sports, I have to disagree with the proposed 1 Malaysia F1 Team, even if it is financed by the private sector, even if it is managed by Tony Fernandez. It is reported that even small teams like Toro Rosso spends USD 75 million (RM 261 million) a year, the big teams like Ferrari and McLaren spends more than USD 400 million (RM 1.39 billion) a year. Toyota has spent billions of dollars but have yet to win a race. Honda and BMW are exiting the F1 scene. If Proton thinks it can make it in F1, they are probably thinking too highly of themselves.

So, to sum it up, F1 is a rich man’s toy and let’s face the facts, Malaysia is not a rich man, it’s not even a rich man’s son. I think we’ll be better off if the billions intended for the F1 team are spent on education, medical facilities and to help the poor bring up their standards of living. Let’s eradicate poverty, increase our literacy rates and reduce infant mortality before we think of F1.

Need I Say More? (updated)

The following were told to the special select committee for competency, accountability and transparency (Selcat) by Gombak DO Huzaini Samsi as reported by The Malaysian Insider:

there was virtually no accountability and safeguards on how previous BN assemblyman spent their annual allocations. A possibility that the annual allocations were used for campaigning. They try and spend as much as possible before the general elections. Morally wrong and extraordinary for the state lawmakers and exco members to spend their entire annual allocations in just two months. Assemblymen would call his office to expedite applications for funds.

Petaling DO Datuk Zulkepli Ahmad was reported by The Malaysian Insider to be at a loss to explain how approval for state allocations for BN lawmakers was given even after the state assembly was dissolved and even after the new PR state government was sworn-in.

Where is the MACC? Why are they so busy investigating alleged RM2,000 misdemeanours by PKR lawmakers. Doesn’t this deserve some investigation time as well?

Update on 11.09.2009 (from the Malaysian Insider)

The Kuala Selangor District Officer told a state legislative investigation today that Barisan Nasional (BN) lawmakers abused their annual development fund allocations to campaign in last year’s general elections.
“It’s true the funds were used (for campaigning) but not all the pervious lawmakers were chosen to defend their seats.” said Mohd Misri Idris, who was testifying before the special select committee for competency, accountability and transparency (Selcat)

Assistant District Officer Izahar Rasidi, who also testified today, admitted no checks were carried out to ensure the state funds were used for its intended purposes.
“We fully trusted the assemblyman or their representatives and we did not want to interfere in their affairs.”
He added that they were merely civil servants and they would end up losing if they attempted to question lawmakers. “We are only trying to make a living.”
He said that applications for funds were regarded as already approved by the lawmakers and the District Officer acted only to distribute the funds.
“We don’t approve, we only process the application by preparing the vouchers and cheques.”
Izahar was evasive when asked why his office approved 85 applications for funds amounting to almost RM450,00 on Feb 12 last year for the Ijok constituency, a day before the state assembly was dissolved.

Financial clerk Norafzianti Jantra, who is tasked with preparing payment vouchers for the state allocations, said other staff from the the District Office had to be roped in to prepare the documents on Feb 12.
She described it as a “gotong royong” and added they were paid overtime. However Norafzianti admitted that although the vouchers were all dated Feb 12, they were signed after the state assembly was dissolved.
Two vouchers were also signed and approved on March 25, well after the new state government had been sworn- in.

Need I say more?

Art Deco

I’m a fan of architecture and structural design which is kind of odd for some one who can’t draw and not qualified to be an engineer due to mathematical deficiency. I’m a numerically challenged person, maths was my weakest subject; C5 in Modern Maths for SPM isn’t exactly the mark of a genius huh?

Anyway, back to architecture and structural design, my favourite is Art Deco. The term Art Deco was coined from the Exposition des Arts Decoratifs held in Paris in 1925. However, the term Art Deco was not widely used until it was popularised by art historian Bevis Hillier's 1968 book, Art Deco of the 20s and 30s. Art Deco architects often lavished their buildings with symbolic images such as stylized flowers, sunbursts, birds, machine gears and other abstract motives. The Chyrsler Building in New York City is a famous architectural example of Art Deco.

Randy Juster of decopix.com defines Art Deco as a label we now apply to a group of buildings and objects which, in their day, were simply "modern". The Depression saw the emergence of a new architecture that really was modern, the Streamline Moderne which was both a reaction to Art Deco and a reflection of austere economic times of the day.

Wikipedia describes Art Deco as a mixture of many different styles and movements of the early 20th century, including Neoclassical, Constructivism, Cubism, Modernism, Art Nouveau, and Futurism. The structure of Art Deco is based on mathematical geometric shapes. It was widely considered to be an eclectic form of elegant and stylish modernism, being influenced by a variety of sources. Among them were the so-called "primitive" arts of Africa, Ancient Egypt and Aztec Mexico. It also drew on Machine Age or streamline technology such as modern aviation, electric lighting, the radio, the ocean liner and the skyscraper for inspiration.

Famous Art Deco buildings in KL are the Central Market, the Oriental Building on Jalan Melaka/Tun Perak, MMC/Mahkota College/Ekran building on Jalan Tangsi, The ODEON Cinema on Jalan Dang Wangi, the OCBC Bank branch in Jalan Hang Kasturi and if I’m not mistaken, the JB hospital. The Coronade Hotel is a new building based on Art Deco architecture.

The popularity of Art Deco sadly declined in the late 1930’s.

References:
Hauffe, Thomas (1998). Design: A Concise History (1 ed.). London: Laurence King.
Wood, Ghislaine. "Traditional Motifs". Essential Art Deco. London: VA&A Publications. p. 21.
http://www.decopix.com/New%20Site/Pages/Directory%20Pages/Intro.html
http://www.vam.ac.uk/nal/guides/art_deco/index.html
http://char.txa.cornell.edu/art/decart/artdeco/artdeco.htm
http://www.vintagemalaya.com/index.html

WTF is wrong with the Indons?

Jakarta (detikNews) - 50 Aktivis dari Benteng Demokrasi Rakyat (Bendera) melakukan sweeping terhadap warga Malaysia yang melintas di Jl Diponegoro, Jakarta Pusat. Sweeping dilakukan dengan meminta warga Malaysia menunjukkan kartu identitas mereka.

Pantauan detikcom di Jl Diponegoro, Selasa (8/9/2009), relawan Bendera ini mengenakan ikat kepala berwarna putih. Beberapa di antaranya memegang bambu runcing. Aksi sweeping ini terkait klaim Malaysia atas budaya Indonesia.

Dalam aksi sweeping ini, jika didapati ada warga Malaysia yang tidak mempunyai kartu identitas maka akan diamankan. Namun hingga saat ini, belum ada satu pun warga Malaysia yang melintas.

Malaysian Students in Indonesia Advised to Take care
JAKARTA, Sept 9 (Bernama) -- The Malaysian Students Department here has advised Malaysian students in Indonesia to take care following reportedly rising anger among a small group of people over slanderous reports by the media of late.

The anger among the small group of people seems to have reached a serious stage following recent media reports and visuals of more than 360 people having registered as volunteers to "crush" Malaysia.

Tuesday, a group calling itself "Benteng Demokrasi Rakyat" (BENDERA) threatened to use sharpened bamboo on Malaysians using Jalan Diponegoro here.

It was reported that 50 members of BENDERA armed with these "spears" forced people using the road to show proof of their identity with the intention of detaining anyone who was Malaysian.

This act of taking the law into their own hands was reported in the local online media, including detikcom.

In one incident previously, rotten eggs were hurled at a house rented by Malaysian students of Gadjah Mada University in Yogyakarta by a group of demonstrators comprising local undergraduates who were angry at Malaysia for having allegedly "stolen" the Pendet dance which originated from Indonesia's Bali Island.

Following that issue, which was fanned by the local media and linked to past issues, several groups of Indonesians demonstrated in front of the Malaysian embassy here.

Malaysia stated that it had not "stolen" the dance for a video clip tourism promotion, which was actually produced by a private company based in Singapore, but the explanation seemed to have fallen on deaf ears.

Apparently the Indons are pissed with us Malaysians. Well, some of the less intelligent, easily manipulated, jobless ones, which is probably only 100 maybe 150 million of them, tops. It takes very little for them to be pissed with us. Apparently, (my extensive use of “apparently” is a feeble attempt to avoid lawsuits and/or detention under the Sedition Act) Discovery Channel in a promo on Malaysia claimed that a certain dance belongs to /originated from Malaysia. Apparently, that dance (which apparently is called Pendet) originated from Bali. So, instead of throwing eggs at Discovery Channel’s office or threaten Discovery Channel staff, these Indons decided to throw eggs at Malaysian property and threaten Malaysian citizens. Granted, not all Indons are like that but like the Malay saying – one drop of iodine destroys the whole bucket of milk :-), the action of the few irresponsible Indons makes the whole country look bad. I’m sorry for saying this but Indonesia probably has more to lose if the relationship between the two countries sours.

RM800 a month for a maid?

Indonesia demands that its maids be paid a minimum RM800 monthly salary. Indonesian ambassador to Malaysia Da’i Bachtiar has been quoted in press reports as saying that the republic is pressing for the minimum wage following cases of maid abuse by Malaysian employers.

Dei, I mean Da’i Bachtiar sir, where did you get the RM800 figure from? Have you seen the quality of the maids you send here? Can we also have a guarantee; if they don’t perform up to expectations can we demand a refund? Can we charge them (market rate) for food and lodging? Or are you saying it’s RM800 plus food and lodging? And maybe some “duit raya” too?

H.E. Bachtiar sir, do you know that there has been (real, confirmed) cases where the maids you send here to work steal our children’s clothes for their kids back home? Have you seen the video where a maid trampled and stomped on a little girl?

A reader in the Star newspaper asked this question; “can he (Bachtiar) assure us that the maids come with basic skills and knowledge about housekeeping and with a positive attitude as well?” No doubt there are many decent quality maids around. I was quite fortunate to get one and I have very little to complain about her. But at RM800, they better be graduates, possess decent manners (and dress sense), hygienic, speak some English and actually know how to operate the washing machine, kettle, microwave oven, iron, blender and toaster. At RM800, I think your women are better off being maids in Malaysia then being office workers in Indonesia.

RM800? We’ll pay for quality but given the present quality of your maids, we are over paying even at RM450.

We seem to be having lots of controversies with Indonesia, not just recently but since, what 1963/4? They wanted to “ganyang” us then, and they still do now. To think that many Indonesian bungalows, motorbikes, children’s education, medical care etc. are funded by salaries paid by Malaysian contractors and households (not to mention the loot from robbing Malaysian homes).

I have nothing against Indonesia or her people. I love the country. It’s just sometimes I feel some of them are pretty unreasonable, overly emotional. Some conspiracy theorists say the Singapore secret service has a hand in stirring their negative emotions towards Malaysia but that remains what it is, a theory and we shall not go there.

The Prophet (s.a.w.) said …

Prophet Muhammad’s (s.a.w.) final sermon was delivered on 9 Dhul-Hijjah 10 AH in the valley of Mount `Arafat, during his final Hajj. Amongst the things he said was;

• Return the goods entrusted to you to their rightful owners.
• Hurt no one so that no one may hurt you.
• Allah has forbidden you to take usury (interest), therefore all interest obligations shall henceforth be waived.
• It is true that you have certain rights with regard to your women but they also have rights over you.
• Do treat your women well and be kind to them for they are your partners and committed helpers.
• Worship Allah, say your five daily prayers, fast during the month of Ramadhan, and give your wealth in Zakat, perform Hajj if you can afford to.
• All mankind is from Adam and Eve, an Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab nor a non-Arab has any superiority over an Arab; also a white has no superiority over a black nor does a black have any superiority over a white - except by piety and good action.

The full sermon can be found here;
http://www.thefinalsermon.com/
http://www.islamonline.net/english/In_Depth/mohamed/1424/kharitah/article02.shtml

So, we should not steal or engage in usurious activities. We must treat women as equals and with respect. No one is superior to another, superiority is measured by piety. When in doubt, refer to the Quran and Sunnah.

So, A Muslim is Not Allowed to Have Fun?

Contrary to popular belief, Islam is a religion of moderation.

"Those who, when they spend, are not extravagant and not niggardly, but hold a just balance between those extremes….." (Al-Furqan 25: 67)

"O you who believe! Make not unlawful the good things which Allah has made lawful for you, but Commit no excess: for Allah loves not those given to excess." (Al-Maidah 5: 87)

Also, contrary to popular belief, Islam does allow entertainment. Entertainment means relaxing, having fun, having a good time but has to be done in moderation.

Entertainment is not about jumping around and wasting yourself with alcohol and drugs. Entertainment is not about partying from dusk till dawn. Having fun doesn’t mean you have to get up the next afternoon with a bad hangover or worse waking up naked next to a stranger or even worse waking up naked next to a stranger of the same gender (who is also naked). Having fun should not lead alcohol influenced bar brawls or drunk driving. Puking by the roadside is not fun.

What does Islam mean by moderation in entertainment? It means have fun but don’t go overboard, don’t forget your prayers, don’t forget your responsibilities as a person. Have fun but at the same time have respect for others, respect others by not endangering them with your DUI and drunken behaviour. Respect yourself by not abusing your liver, lungs and heart.

Concerts are okay but getting drunk at concerts and making a nuisance of yourself is not okay.

Concerts are okay but a screaming Will.I.Am or Jascha Richter within earshot of a muezzin performing the azan is not respectful is it?

Let’s have concerts but let’s keep it moderate.

BEP & MLTR

At exactly 17:59 (GUINNESS® mean time) on September 24th 2009, Arthur's Day celebrations will kick off in Dublin and spread around the world, from New York to Lagos, ending in Kuala Lumpur on the 25th September.

Apparently Malaysian Muslims are not allowed to go the Black Eyed Peas concert celebrating Arthur’s Day. And guess what? I agree. Before you go accusing me of being a Terrorist Islamist backward stone-age Taliban lackey let me tell you why I think so. I have nothing against the concert; I have been to some, “Search” being my first way back in ’87. I'm okay with concerts ... as long as they are not MLTR.

What I don’t agree with is celebrating Arthur’s day. I’m a Muslim and the last thing I should be doing or rather things that I shouldn’t be doing is celebrating, remembering and worshipping the man who brought alcoholic drinks to the masses. If I celebrate Arthur’s day, I might as well celebrate Jack’s day, Jacobsen’s day, Piort’s day and Pyrya’s day!*

I’m sure there are Muslims who will disagree with me, saying what’s wrong with celebrating Arthur’s day? I just feel if I were to honour a person, I would rather honour Omar al Khattab or Ibn Khaldun or Saladin Yusuf Ayyub. That’s my personal opinion.

On the same note, I feel that PAS Youth is going overboard demanding the cancellation of Michael Learns To Rock’s concert. I say let them have the concert, their fan base is not 100% Muslim so why deprive the others from enjoying a little bit of love painting.* What PAS Youth should do is put up full page adverts in newspapers and blogs and internet news portals and go on prime time TV explaining the Islamic view on concerts, backed by the relevant Quranic verses and hadiths. There is no need for demonstrations or raids; just educate and let them decide.

Wallahualam


*Jack Daniels the whiskey, JC Jacobsen founded Carlsberg Breweries, Piort Arsenyevitch Smirnov produced the first Smirnoff vodka and Pyrya Bhirom-Bhakdi founded Boon Rawd Brewery Co. Ltd, brewers of Singha beer.

*Paint my Love - a very romantic love song preformed by MLTR. Nott.

Whose Side are You on?

A bunch of people holding candlelight vigil in support of a few friends who were unfairly arrested and treated doesn’t deserve to be arrested.

Does wearing a black T-shirt warrant an arrest? I don’t think so.

But a bunch of racist bigots making inflammatory remarks and threatening bloodshed while stomping on an animal sacred to another religion deserves instant arrest.

That’s what I think and I don’t think I’m alone on that.

So, how come national security threatening extremists are still free while the silent candle holding people and those wearing black t-shirts were arrested almost immediately?