Dear Diary

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

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

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?

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.

Love Actually

I really enjoyed the movie, I watched it twice, I think, maybe more. I went to to cinema to watch the Malay version, Cinta. I hardly watch Malay movies at the cinema. In all, I saw 4 Malay movies at the cinema; Bukit Kepong, Hantu Siang, Perempuan, Isteri dan ... and Cinta. Why bother going to the cinema when you can watch it on TV during raya? 

Before anyone thinks this is a posting about movies, let me clarify. I'm writing this after reading Dina Zaman's piece on subsequent weddings. I'm not a big fan of her because we tend to have different views on similar issues but that article of hers sort of struck me due to certain recent events. 

Her article basically questions or discusses the need for lavish second, third or any subsequent weddings. It is rare but this time, I see myself agreeing-ish with her. 

My take on subsequent weddings is that they are only tricky if one of the party is a first-timer. 

I mean, no self respecting, society conscious mother would want her single twenty something daughter to marry a thirty something single father. What would the relatives say? What would the neighbours say? The warning that "he'll leave you too one day" will come from every friend, every cousin, every auntie. On the other hand, what if her daughter was the one responsible for making the guy a single father. The positions are reversed, no self respecting mother would accept a pretty young thing marrying her son knowing that she caused her grandchildren to be separated from their mother. Things get even worse if the said (ex)daughter-in-law was the family's favourite. 

Maybe the guy hid the fact that his future wife caused the break-up with the former wife so that the family will accept his new bride without association with the former wife. Maybe the guy tried hard to ensure the future lady is in no way associated with the former lady. Maybe the guy went as far as not acknowledging the presence of the second lady so that it appears that there is no one else in his life. Once the air is clear and all the issues are out of the way, he brings her out in the open (often that will prove to be a little too late). Would the absence of any "proof" of causing the end of the previous marriage justify a grand wedding? May take is; have it grand on the first-timer's side and simple on the other side.

Should the emcee at the reception highlight the "fact" that the couple only started falling for each other post breakdown of the previous union? My take is; ignore the "fact", there is no need to even mention it. 

There won't be much fuss if it is well known they met long after the collapse of the first union. Still, no need to mention it. 

It's easy when both parties were previously married (not to each other, of course!). It makes even easier if it is well documented (without having to explain) that they met post both breakdowns. In this case, I find no issues against a grand wedding. Make it a new beginning, an experienced couple should not be making the same mistakes, hopefully.

Whatever it is; second, third, Nth weddings are common now, some are bigger than the last, some are held in Thailand and some (especially for those in the entertainment industry) in Mekah, usually after an Umrah trip. There is nothing wrong with a grand wedding or a small wedding attended by three friends; the important thing is the reason for the wedding must be right.

Schooled Out

Owners or directors of colleges are not required to possess academic qualifications, but their teaching staff must have the necessary qualifications in their respective field of studies, said Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin.

As such, he said action would only be taken against Kolej Antarabangsa Fazley (FIC) if it was found to have breached the conditions stipulated by the ministry.

"Many people who have set up colleges do not have high academic qualifications because that is not required. What is required is that when you conduct the course, you have the teaching staff who are actually qualified," he told the press after launching the International Lifelong Learning Conference 2010, here today. (Bernama)

Apparently (Dr?) Fazley obtained his PhD from a bogus institution. Apparently he got straight As for his SPM. Three years ago or so, Fazley who was then a famous motivator decided to take a step further by setting up his own school. He even got the University of Wales to provide accreditation for his his programmes.

The Hon. Minister says owners or directors of learning institutions need not have high academic qualifications. I beg to differ. They need some qualification and SPM does not count. Bogus degrees don't count either.

Secondly, it's all about credibility. A restaurant owner (or co-owner) is expected to have some knowledge of food, either how to cook, prepare or at least buy. Someone who doesn't know the difference between kangkung and bayam should not dabble in the restaurant business. Similarly, the owner of a auto workshop must at least know the difference between a spark plug and wall plug. In the case of Fazley, I'm guessing his marketing tool is apart from his popularity, is his academic qualification.

Education is serious business, we shouldn't just let anyone open up a college; there must be some form of quality control and screening. The future of our nation depends on the quality of our present education and having 25 year old degree holders teach 20 year old undergraduate is not the way to go.

The Inspira Inspiration

On 10th November 2010 the Waja (Impian in the UK) was finally replaced after more than 10 years in production. The Waja was the first Proton (despite it's Mitsubishi sourced power plant) which wasn't direcly design-wise, associated with a foreign partner. They added  if I'm not mistaken a Renault/French gearbox for the 1.8 version but it wasn't a good move. After more than fifteen years of recycled Lancers, Colts, Galants and AXs; the Waja was a breath of fresh air. The Waja even raced in the BTCC!

After the Waja, a few more in-house designs were released; the Gen-2, Savvy, Exora, Saga and a Gen-2 with a boot called the Persona. The latest Proton offering is called the Inspira and it is based, almost 100% on the current Lancer. That fact made Bung Mukhtar (Mr Zizie) very upset. He was so upset he told Proton to close shop. Or something to that effect. 

Tuan Dato Syed the Proton MD explained why they went back to the 'recycling' mode. And I totally agree with him. Someone should tell YB Bung the cost of developing a car from zero is enormous and it takes a lot of sales to break even let alone to turn a profit. The auto industry is constantly changing; car companies merge, change hands or go bust every few years. To cut costs, the auto manufacturers share the development expenditure (devex? ala capex, geddit?); Peugeot and Citroen does it all the time. Golf, A3 and Ibiza have the same DNA. Ford and Mazda have been doing it ever since the days of the 323/Laser, 626/Telstar. In fact, the 2nd generation TX3 is the Escort in the US. There is no more Pontiac, Hillman or Austin. If not for TATA, there probably would be no more Jags.

So, what Proton did with the Inspira was merely keeping up with the present trend in the automotive scene. It makes business sense for them given the Inspira's expected sales volume and market segment. Zizie should tell Bung to shut up.

Travelogue #9 - Melaka

I haven’t been to Melaka for quite a while. I was there last week and the first thing I noticed was Ali Rustam’s picture plastered on each and every billboard, at every street corner and in front of every historical landmark. Let’s just say there is one Ali Rustam every 200 yards. Ali however has done quite a good job making Melaka a nice city. I was quite impressed with what I saw, apart from his picture that is. The riverside is nice; Jonker Street is full of life, both during the day and at night; they have nice attractions like the tower thingy; and that ship in front of the Stadhuys is quite impressive.

I found something interesting a few days ago; one should not take everything written on the World Wide Web as gospel but I found this new “info-rumour” to be quite intriguing; apparently someone is claiming that Melaka is not as great as it is made out to be and Muar is the real Melaka of the 15th century. This author claims that there is no proof that Melaka was the famous, important trading port our history books have been telling us all this while. He/she claims that The Royal Sampan Armada (the sampan armada??) was never found, nor was there any grave of any Sultan during the classical Malacca Period and since all Ming Emperor's names began with "Tzu" (pronounced Chu), the fairy tale of Hang Li Poh being a Ming Princess doesn't hold water. The writer concluded that Melaka was actually in Muar and the Melaka we know was just a small fishing village.

Interesting indeed.

I’m no historian but despite his/her argument having valid-ish points, I remain unconvinced. I read a few pages from chapter three written by Prof Wang Gungwu from the book “Admiral Zheng He and Southeast Asia” and it is filled with proof of the existence of Melakan sultanate and empire. Wang Gungwu is a learned professor; he cannot be making all those things up, can he?

Tome Pires, the Portuguese royal doctor stayed in Melaka for a few years after the Portuguese conquest. He wrote a book, “Suma Oriental” which was apparently well researched. I wasn’t there when he wrote it so I can’t vouch for it’s authenticity but I’m sure the good doctor did not make up the stories. Even if he did, it won’t be throughout the book and he would have been found out.

R. O. Winstedt wrote a paper titled “The Malay Founder of Medieval Malacca” which talks about the origins of Parameswara. Winstedt is a reputable expert in Malayan/Malay studies and was fundamental in preserving several works of Malay literature including “The Sejarah Melayu”. So, if he says there was a Malacca sultanate, I’ll believe him.

The person claiming Melaka is a fraud may have his/her own reasons and/or motives but pasting it on the web will not have any serious impact or carry any weight. The proper way would be via the academic route, through proper research and peer reviewed thesis.

I want to believe in Melaka's glorious past because that was one of the greatest era in Malay history. Malaysia is a very young country with very little history, no doubt we have the Lembah Bujang, Langkasuka and what not but Melaka is the most well "documented" of our past. It will break a lot of hearts (especially Ali Rustam's) if the allegation was found to be true.

Melaka has a glorious past and unless there is concrete and proper proof that it wasn't, I shall continue to believe in Mansur Syah, Hang Tuah, Tun Perak etc.

Road to Developed Status

According to the warped logic of our (UMNO) politicians, to be a developed nation we must have huge, large, tall, beautiful buildings. The latest grand scheme planned to expedite us to developed status is the Warisan Merdeka Tower on Bukit Petaling.

Everyone except those instructed by the PM or benefiting from the project is against it. Reasons for the disagreement include wasting resources; glut in office space, commercial and high end residential properties; environmentally unfriendly due to the high density of the area; traffic congestion; and despite the sponsor’s (PNB) assurance that it will be able to source funding for the project independently, most people are still sceptical especially considering the huge amount (estimated at RM5 billion excluding cost overruns) involved. If the funding for the project is sourced onshore, I’m afraid we have misallocated our scarce resources.

The site earmarked for the tower was once a recreational park (in addition to a car park).

One of our Ministers says the project will generate 5,000 new jobs. I agree with the minister. However, what the Hon. Minister forgot to clarify was 5,000 new jobs for whom? New jobs for the (new) Indonesian and Bangladeshi labourers? New jobs for the foreign architects, engineers and consultants? New jobs for the Chinese/Korean/Japanese/Indian steel industry? The project will cost five billion units of our local currency but how much of these units will be retained and spent locally? Given the huge number of foreign participants in the project, one should not be surprised if new motorbikes, house renovations and weddings in Indonesia are funded by Malaysian money spent on the Warisan Merdeka Tower .

There is this school in KL built in the 1930s. For seventy odd years it trained and educated young Malaysian girls in its hallowed halls in Jalan Bukit Bintang. Over time, the city grew and the school’s location became unsuitable for a learning institution. The government did the right thing by moving the school away from the city to a more conducive location. The government however made a big mistake for tearing down the historical school building. The should have kept the (original) building intact and turned it into an area of say, fine dining restaurants or boutique hotel (if they wanted it to be high-end) or maybe a museum or a library, the possibilities are endless. The school had a small field, imagine eating in a restaurant in the middle of the city next to a nicely manicured garden or staying in a hotel surrounded by skyscrapers but facing a nice little park …

Another historic school sits next to the Warisan Merdeka Tower project site. For the next five years or so, the students and teachers will have to endure the noise and dust coming from the project site and traffic is going to be bad, roads will be riddled with potholes caused by the heavy vehicles (and poor/non-existent road maintenance). The school despite being in the middle-ish of the city, doesn’t face the problems of that other school in Bukit Bintang simply because Bukit Petaling is slightly elevated and hence is somewhat isolated from the hustle and bustle of the city. The WMT will change all that. I fear, the heritage status notwithstanding, for the future of my alma mater.

How do we ascertain if we are a developed nation? What do we need to be able to achieve developed status? I may not be smart enough to hold high positions in UMNO but I do have some inkling on how to drive the nation towards developed, high income status.

1) Improve the mentality and mindset via proper education.

This is where we need high quality, dedicated educationists. The crème de la crème of Malaysian youth must be encouraged to become educationists. If you’re a smart, straight ‘A’ student who is active in sports and/or co-curricular activities; we want you to be teachers. Of course some will have to be doctors, lawyers, engineers, bank officers but most should be encouraged to be teachers. The younger the children you teach, the higher your qualifications have to be. Only the best teachers will be allowed to teach the under 10s. Teachers must also have foreign training, be exposed to the methods and systems of the more developed nations. Above all, teachers must be amongst the best (if not the best) paid personnel in the civil service. The education policy must be consistent, systematic and designed to fulfil the current needs. It should be in the interests of the students and not at the whims and fancies of certain quarters or pressure groups. Schools regardless of location must be adequately equipped and class size must be kept to an optimum level.  

2) Improve the basic infrastructure.

Every corner of the country must be served by proper, well built, well maintained roads. Clean water must be available to everyone. All households must have access to electricity without disruptions. Sewerage system must be efficient and environmental friendly. Public transport must be efficient, commuter friendly and serve the right places. Town planning must not be done haphazardly but instead should be done with a long term view; care for the environment and preserving the beauty and history of the city. Quality healthcare must be easily accessible and affordable to everyone.

3) Allow freedom of information, thought and speech.

Once the mindset, mentality and intellectual capability is enhanced, the people will be able to manage the given freedom responsibly. There will still be a few bad apples but if the majority are sensible, accountable and reasonable, those bad apples won’t be able to influence the masses or create chaos.

4) Enforce laws and regulations without fear or favour

The reason why most of us break the law is because we know we can get away with it. This attitude stems from the fact that the law is hardly enforced or in some cases it is cheaper and easier to bribe you way out of trouble then going to court or paying a fine. As a result, our cities are filled with litter, illegal double parking is rampant, traffic rules are ignored, restaurants are free to set tables anywhere they want, toilets are dirty, the list goes on. If the authorities get down hard on the offenders, more people will start to toe the line and follow the rules. Laws on sedition are over zealously enforced, it’s about time we expand the scope of enforcement to other laws as well.

5) Improve the credibility of the judiciary, police force, MACC, EC and the civil service in general.

A lot negative things have been said about the judicial service, the crime and corruption busters and the civil service. Their reputation needs to be restored and it will be very painful. Whoever is ruling the country must have guts to overhaul the system.

Being developed is not about big buildings or mega projects. It is about having the right infrastructure with the right mentality. We cannot continue to be labelled as having first world infrastructure but with third world mentality.

Dreaming the impossible dream? I hope not.

Desirable Rides

Since its invention proper in the 1890s, the car has been worshipped like no other machine ... Today we find almost impossible to live without it. We fuss over it. Talk about it proudly in pubs. We build it little houses to live in. ... In motorshows worldwide, worshippers come in tens of thousands to pay homage to new gods ... otherwise healthy young women are strewn all but naked, like sacrificial victims, across the lovingly polished machines ... (Jonathan Glancey, 2003)

Well said. Some women may find these words revolting because they don't understand and cannot appreciate the love between boys and cars. To make them understand and appreciate, one only has to replace 'cars' with handbags or shoes ...

Every decade has its own icon; it was the Mercedes 300SL Gullwing in the 1950s, the E-Type in the swinging 60s. My pick for the 70s is the Datsun 240Z and the BMW CS. The 80s saw the creation of a new class by BMW in the form of the E30 3 series. The 90s were the era of the computer aided designs where cars look almost alike but beauties like the Supra, Efini RX-7 and TVR Chimeara were still produced. Ferrari never failed to make beautiful sexy cars; the 250GTO and 275GTB of the 60s, to the Dino 246GT and 308 of the 70s to the 288GTO and 328GTB of the 80s and my personal favourite, the 355.

I may one day be able to afford a Ferrari but for now I have to settle for the realistic and attainable dream cars. The current top three in my list (in no particular order) are; the Mini Cooper, Volkswagen Scirocco (the 1.4 will do) and the Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 10. 
A certain Ms Shaliza calls them babe magnets. She wasn't agreeable to the 'project Mini Cooper' some months ago and she was vehemently against the 'project Scirocco' a few weeks back. I wonder what she'll say to the soon to be announced 'project Evo 10'? Maybe she shouldn't know, she has been giving too much bad automobile advice lately. She was however quite supportive of the idea of me getting the Fiesta ... hmmm 

Affordable Rides

Are car prices getting cheaper in Malaysia? Maybe but one thing for sure is we have more choices now compared to 10 years ago when the only choice of affordable cars available to middle class Malaysians were Protons, Perodua and a few Korean makes trying to break into the Malaysian market.


Cars sold in Malaysia are considered cheap if they are priced below RM100k. The cheapest decent sized family car, the Proton Persona, cost only RM47k. That is if you don't mind a Proton. If you can afford a little bit more, say RM52k, you can choose the Gen2, another Proton. If Protons are not your cup of tea and you want to be seen in a Honda or Toyota, be prepared to fork out at least 72k for the entry level Vios or 83k for the City. At 70+k to 80k, these cars cost as much as a middle manager's annual salary. A middle manager salary for an entry level car doesn't sound right. The middle manager has no choice but to settle for the Protons. Or if they want to drive anything other than a Proton, they would have to live beyond their means. 


Enough of depressing stuff. Let's look at some of the 'cheap' cars flooding our market in the past year or so. 

The best cheap car introduced this year would be the beautiful Peugeot 308 1.6VTI. At RM94k, a mid sized European model is finally affordable to some (middle managers working in reasonably large companies) Malaysians.
The 2 litre Naza Forte, at RM95k, will get you more toys than a RM110k Toyota Altis or Honda Civic, plus 200 additional cc.
Then we have the Mazda 2, priced between RM77-83k, it joins the City-Vios- (maybe)Latio groupie. The hatch looks good but the sedan is a bit wierd looking.
A few days ago, Ford Malaysia introduced the Fiesta. Identical twin of the Mazda 2 but cheaper, top of the line hatch is 'only' RM86k on the road. Sadly, the sedan is ugly.
At slightly above RM100k, the turbocharged Polo represents good value for money, for Malaysian standards that is. A car the same class as the Fiesta however should not cost more than 90k let alone 100k. Compared to the other 'cheap' cars in the Malaysian market, other than the turbo and the Volkswagen perceived quality, the Polo doesn't warrant it's six figure price tag.


Volkswagen introduced two entry level models; the 1.4TSI Golf and Scirocco. We'll talk about that next time. 

Billion Dollar Questions

If PM Najib goes ahead with his 100 storey Wawasan Merdeka Tower, I'll call him the 5 billion dollar man. Not only will he beat Dr M by 12 stories (Petronas Twin Towers has only 88 floors), Najib will also beat Lee Majors* by a lot of billion Ringgit multiplied by the prevailing USD/MYR exchange rate. 

I went to school at the location of Najib's dream tower. If I remember correctly, there isn't much space left for a row of shophouses let alone a skyscraper. Unless of course he's planning to tear down the iconic stadiums. These are sporting facilities which I presume are still usable and probably are still being used. Maybe he's planning to tear down my alma mater to make space for his fantasy and being a Johanian, I won't be surprised if he does. 

Najib also wants to build an international financial centre somewhere near RSGC/RHB Centre. I'm sure the final details have yet to be finalised but if it does go through, I wonder who is going to occupy the centre. CIMB and BIMB have spanking new HQs in the city, Maybank moved a large chunk of their non-commercial banking operations to Bangsar recently and RHB is already in the "KLIFD". Last I heard JP Morgan scaled down their KL office. Yes, we have a few new banking licences but their immediate effect will merely involve relocating bankers from other Malaysia based banks to their offices and disrupting the wage structure in the process.  I personally know a few Islamic banking professionals who have successfully transported themselves to the Middle East. So, I ask again, who is going to occupy KLIFD? 

Traffic in KL is already worse than bad. These projects will only make it even worse. 


Another question is, who is/are the lucky contractors who will be getting these projects? We all know the construction workers from Indonesia and Bangladesh are the major beneficiary of these projects. I'm not sure how the ordinary Malaysians will benefit though.


*Lee Majors = The 6 million Dollar Man, a 70s TV series

Budgetary Concerns

Has anyone noticed that every year when the budget is announced, the pro-BN mainstream newspapers will always have nothing but good things to say about the budget. Can't fault them for doing their job which requires them to say nice things about their political masters. 

This year's budget is as the years before, full of surprises, goodies and controversies. At first glance, we seem to be going back to the mega-project days of the 90s. Don't get me wrong, mega projects are good, they are necessary to upgrade the nation's infrastructure but the choice of projects must be made with that in mind - to improve infrastructure and not to improve someone's bank balance. 

My list for the good and the bad of Budget 2010 are;

'Good' and 'Good-ish'

MRT - long overdue. As a former user of public transport, I understand what commuters have to go through everyday. Let's hope the MRT will be a user friendly and integrated system. no more walking half a mile under the hot sun and buying another ticket to get a connecting train. Will the selection of the contractor be done in a proper, transparent way or do we resign to the fact that Gamuda-MMC will be getting the project? 

Freeze on PLUS highway toll increase for the next 5 years - the highways have not been identified but it is good news nonetheless. However, will the government be forced to compensate the highway operators for "loss of income/breach of contract"? If so, we have conned!

Shaded Walkways in the KLCC area (RM50m) - Finally! Like the MRT, this is also long overdue. While they are at it, why don't they fix the roads around KLCC too, they are probably the worst in the city, which explains why my rear absorber needs changing 5 months after replacing it. 

Abolishment of import duties - the import duties on approximately 300 items will be abolished. the items include lingerie, handbags, shoes, mobile phones, golf balls and perfumes. I welcome the move but I doubt it will benefit the masses because most of the listed goods are 'luxury goods' which are bought by those in the higher income bracket. Nevertheless, if it means 30-40% percent off my next bottle of perfume or iPhone4, I'm not going to complain. 

'Bad'

Warisan Merdeka Tower (RM5b) - WMT? More like WTF?! Do we need another skyscraper? Sounds like an ego boosting, bank balance fattening project to me. 

KLIFD (RM26b) - KL International Financial District, a Canary Wharf like project for KL. Will building a financial district turn KL into a global financial center? The policy makers seem to think that a few nice buildings surrounded by toll highways to the airport will transform KL into the NY of the east. Didn't it cross their mind that to be the preferred international financial center requires the full complement of business friendly policies and regulations; pool of able human resources; political maturity and stability; zero tolerance for corruption, cronyism and nepotism; safety and security; just and equitable judiciary and good public service and infrastructure. 

1pct rise in service tax - We are charged 5% service tax at restaurants and hotels and for parking as well as fast food. A 1% increase on a small bill is quite insignificant but on total expenditure it can be substantial. Will there be a reduction in income tax rates? Or maybe the 1% is required to pay compensation to PLUS? 

We will also have to pay a 6% tax for Astro services. 

I also noticed that the government operational budget has increased by RM10b. How come? 

New Yanks from New England

Liverpool FC have new owners from the same old country. New England Sports Ventures also owns the Boston Red Sox, who like LFC, has never won the baseball equivalent of the BPL for dog years until NESV came. The Red Sox tried for almost 100 years, which makes LFC's 20 year title drought nothing to whine about.

The former owners however have not yet given up the fight. They claimed to have spent GBP140mio and want it back. The players and coaches are relieved, the off field problems are affecting the on-field performance and now they can go back to playing football. 

Sports is now a big business. There is so much money involved in sports, it is dictating how sports is played. Back in the day, games in the English 1st Division (now known as the Premier League) were all played at 3pm on a Saturday afternoon. There were limited, if any, live television coverage. We either had to go to the stadium (which was always full, unless you're a supporter of Man City) or listen to the game on radio. Failing both, we'll gather around the TV at 4.45pm waiting for the result. 'Darlington ... one ... Huddersfield ... two; Swindon Town ... nil ... Port Vale ... nil;' I was watching the result show in 2009 and realised that its the same voice I was listening to back in '92. Maybe the job requirement is you must sound like the guy before ...

Nowadays, big games hardly clash. TV wants to maximise the viewership because more viewers means more revenue so we can now watch Man U play Arsenal at 8pm, Liverpool play Chelsea at 11pm and end the football marathon watching Spurs lose to West Ham at 1am. The old system not only creates suspense but makes match fixing slightly more difficult. The new system opens the door to possible match fixing because after knowing result for the MU - Arsenal game, the bookies can attempt to manipulate the Liverpool game. 

Most top players are now paid obscene salaries. At an average of fifty thousand pounds a week,  each player on the pitch makes as much as two spectators in the stands earns in a year. When clubs pay that kind of salaries, they expect the players to put the club first before the country. Uli Hoeness, the Bayern President was so upset that Marc Van Bommel came back from the international duty with an injury, he told the player to remember who his employers are. At the end of the day, the national team suffers.

Money makes the world go round, thats why the Fed* is printing money all the time. Money may not be able to buy you happiness but it can buy you things (or people) that makes you happy. Everything is about money nowadays, everything is measured in monetary terms, which is quite sad really because I believe money is good, but its not God.

*Federal Reserve = Central Bank of USA

Letter to My Boss

Dear Tan Sri 'X',

You don't know me but I know you. I know you because I work for you. I'm sure you saw me at the open house we had last week, I'm the tall-ish guy with the goatee dressed in the blue Johor-style baju Melayu. 

In case you're wondering why I'm writing you this letter, let me reassure you that I'm not asking for a raise. Not that I don't want a raise, a raise would be good and while you're at it why not throw in a promotion as well. I would love to know how it feels to be an M2. Heck, why stop at M2, make me an M1 or a SM5 even, with a Camry thrown in. 

I digress. Any right thinking judge could see there was mens rea in my digression.

I digress. Again.

My real reason for writing this letter is to humbly request for a loan from you. I know you have a lot of cash lying around. Especially after you sold that company to the Singaporeans. I know you spent a bit of the sales proceeds on some stuff in the land of our former colonialist (yeah boss, show the gwailos who is boss!) but if my maths is right you still have a few truck loads of cash stuffed somewhere. 

Now that we have established that you have lotsa moola, can you spare me some loose change? I initially wanted to ask for three hundred million quid but that stockbroker guy from Singapore decided to spoil the party and come in with a 320 million bid so I need at least 330, maybe 350, tops. 

I was told you're a fan of Islamic banking so I would like to thank you in advance for granting this qardhul hassan loan to me. May you become richer and richer, especially after you buy that company and merges it with the company you already own.

You must be asking now why do I need so much money? Like you, I'm also a sports fan. maybe our sports differ but we share the same passion - sports. I'm sure you heard of the predicament faced by my beloved football club, Liverpool. If we don't pay RBS by the end of this week, they will put LFC under administration. How ironic! Wasn't RBS almost under administration a few years back? They needed the British taxpayers to bail them out. It's a funny world we live in eh, Tan Sri? 

With your money, LFC's debt will be wiped out and I will be appointed Chairman of the Board. If you're interested to sit on the Board with me, just tell me and you'll have a seat. We'll then go shopping for players and build a beautiful new stadium. I'll let you choose the contractor but you'll must promise to let me design the stadium. 

We don't really need that many players but we'll buy a partner for Torres, I'm thinking of Darren Bent or maybe Adebayor, since he hasn't got much to do at City. We need a good left-back and center-back, maybe Warnock, Kjaer or Hummels. The midfield needs some beef and flair, I like to see Marek Hamsik in our team.  

Until we get those players in January, this is the team I'll play (if I'm the manager, I have nothing against Uncle Woy):

4-4-2

Reina; 
RB - Johnson, CB - Carragher, CB - Skrtel, LB - Konchesky;

LM - Cole, CM - Gerrard, CM - Meireles, RM - Kuyt;

CF - Torres, CF - Jovanovic;

Subs:

Agger, Poulsen, Babel, Lucas, Jones (GK)

Please bank in the money into my account in Cayman Island. Your secretary knows my account number.

Thank you sir. God bless!