A Few Things I Remember About 2011

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

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

Malaysian Insider reported that Dato’ Seri  Nazri Aziz, minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, said he had written to GLCs to withdraw their suits, worth at least RM2 billion, to buy time for all concerned parties to reach a “win-win” agreement and put an end to the prolonged financial saga involving Tajuddin. He said the matter was referred to Second Finance Minister Datuk Seri Husni Hanadzlah who then directed him to pen the letter. “Since it involved the law and I am the minister in charge of law, Husni told me, “Why don’t you look into this”. It is not a cloak-and-dagger move ... we knew this would come out somehow and there is nothing to hide. I wrote that letter using my letterhead,” said Nazri.

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

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

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

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

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

Petty KJ (rating – childish)

Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin made a comment about how Public Bank celebrated their anniversary by posting on Twitter about “Malaysia’s latest religious cult: Public Bank. Kim Jong Il would be jealous”; together with a link to YouTube. I would like to remind KJ how Public Bank decide to celebrate their 45th anniversary should be none of his concern. If they want to glorify the man who made the bank the strongest, biggest, most profitable bank in the country, it is also none of KJ’s concern. Why are you so bitter KJ? Is it because you have never achieved anything significant in your life? By the way, marrying for power is not an achievement.

Perkasa (rating – super duper stupid-er)

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

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

Shah Alam hospital (rating – sad)

Is still not complete. The main contractor is 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 a government hospital? 

Good Neighbours?

At the Dewan Rakyat some time in June 2011, Defense Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said there have been 2,508 violations of Malaysian air space by Singapore military jets since 2008.

There are reportedly millions of Indonesian illegal immigrants in Malaysia.

Why does the SAF continuously violate our airspace? I’m sure their advanced radar system and NUS educated pilots would notice when they illegally encroach into another country’s airspace. Why are they so arrogant?

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

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

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

There are too many of them and we all have to take the blame for their existence.  They are everywhere; restaurants, petrol stations, construction sites, plantations, security posts, factories, wet markets, farms, you name the sector, they will be there. They come from everywhere; 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 to legalise them via the 6P Programme. Over 2.3 million foreign workers voluntarily registered through the biometric system under the 6P programme after the registration period ended on Aug 31 and over 50,000 of them had decided to return to their countries of origin.

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

2.3 million registrations means there were at least 2.3 million illegal foreign workers roaming our streets!

2.3 million registered but only 50,000 decided to go home! The remaining 2,250,000 are still roaming our streets!

2.3 million registered but the government will only place out 93,000 to the sectors requiring 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 reports state that Malaysia has 1.8 million legal foreign workers. Add the 2.3 million just legalised, we have around 3.1 million foreign workers. With a labour force of about 12 million, foreign workers represent 25% of all our workers. The 2010/2011 Economic Report states that of the 1.8 million registered migrant workers 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.

Indonesians accounted for the highest number of registered foreign workers in Malaysia at 50.9%, which was attributable to their country’s proximity to Malaysia and cultural and language similarities.

Bangladeshis were second highest, accounting for 17%, followed by Nepalese at 9.7%, Myanmars at 7.8%, Indians at 6.3% and Vietnamese at 4.2%.

The latest unemployment 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 Resources Minister S Subramaniamin an interview admitted that over dependence on foreign labour was the “biggest issue” faced by his ministry but efforts by the government to reduce the numbers have been met with difficulties, including opposition from employers. “Malaysians have become too dependant on foreign workers. The way forward is for the employers to have a change in their mindsets,” said Subramaniam. This mindset change, he said, must translate into employers being less labour dependent and more skill dependent. Subramaniam said many developed countries have gone through this phase and have been able to transform themselves by using less manpower and more machines. He believes Malaysia 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’t want to work, foreign workers come in, and the more they come in, the more wages won’t increase,” he said, adding that he hopes wage increases would help alleviate this problem.

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

In the construction sector, where two-thirds of the workforce is foreign, a labour crunch could disrupt large government infrastructure projects with a significant multiplier effect.

Many Indonesians also work as domestic helpers. One in every 16 residents in the capital Kuala Lumpur hires an Indonesian helper, according to data from the Indonesian embassy.

Prof Datuk Dr Mohamed Ariff of the Malaysian Institute of Economic Research believes that if Malaysia had not allowed the massive influx of foreign workers, local manufacturers would have been forced to innovate and automate to boost productivity to maintain their competitiveness.

Economists say continuous dependence on cheap foreign labour would not encourage local corporations to mechanise, which is necessary to push the economy to a high-income level as defined by the World Bank.

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

“This high dependence cannot be done away with overnight, as a sudden repatriation of foreign workers can have serious repercussions on the economy, especially in sectors like manufacturing, construction and plantation,” Mohamed Ariff was reported as saying.

So, to conclude, we do need foreign workers but at the same time we need a shift in our mindsets to reduce our dependence on them. The main thing to do is to automate our processes. This is however easier said than done. Automation requires large capex 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 our goods and services? Maybe we have to bite the bullet for the sake of our country’s future.

Another thing is to make the 3D (dirty, demeaning and dangerous) sectors more attractive to jobseekers. Yes it sounds ridiculous, how do we make dirty, demeaning and dangerous jobs attractive? Maybe by increasing wages? Increasing the wages of the lower end of the scale will inevitably push the wages of the higher scales up and maybe the goal of a high income economy might be realised. Increasing wages also could negate the effects of higher prices caused by the automation process.

Like Prof Ariff said, the high dependence cannot be done away with overnight so we must start the ball rolling immediately. Incentives must be given to industries to automate and reduce dependency on unskilled foreign labour. Wages must increase to attract workers into previously unattractive sectors. Non-financial benefits must also be increased to further encourage the jobless to apply for jobs in the sectors they previously shunned.

We have acknowledged that the dependence on these workers is not good for the country in the long run. We must do something about it. Now.

  

Travelogue #8 – Safari, Safari, Safari

One need not fly halfway across the globe to see wild animals running free on the plains. Well, actually one has to but if one can’t afford to do so there are always other cheaper options nearer to home, if you live in South East Asia that is.

Option 1 – Taiping Night Safari
The Taiping Night Safari claims to be the first of its kind in Malaysia.

The Taiping Zoo is right smack in the middle of the Lake Gardens which is right smack in the middle of Taiping. The safari is part of the zoo and it is well sign posted all the way from the Changkat Jering exit of the NSE. There is actually no excuse for getting lost.

At RM16 for adults and RM10 for children between the ages of 3 and 12, it is very affordable, especially for those earning in GBP, SGD or JPY. The safari is open till midnite on Saturdays and eves of public holidays and closes at 11pm on other days. Torchlights and flash cameras are not allowed to be used in the night safari as this will disturb the animals on display.

The place is clean and the walkways are covered by shady trees (not that it makes any difference at night). Ditch the train and walk instead. One and a half hour should cover the whole place. The night safari has most types of animals, including birds, crocodiles and snakes. Sadly the lion decided to go AWOL during our visit, content only with letting us know of his presence by roaring at the top of his lungs but refused to show himself. The hippo was similarly absent, probably tired of people making fun of its weight! There is also a snake enclosure but some of the signs are missing so you can only guess what type of snake is on display in some of the glass cases.

I must say the 2 hours spent there did not disappoint.

 

Option 2 – Singapore Night Safari

Apparently this is the first night safari in the world. There is a dedicated bus service from various points in the city that will take you to the safari. We hopped on the bus at Orchard road and it cost, I can’t remember how much but it was much cheaper than taking the taxi, the 45 minute ride was comfortable and you get a city tour (sort of) along the way.


There are some shows at the entrance near the restaurants. When we were there, they had a show where a few men in leather thongs blowing fire from their mouths. There was even a segment where the audience are invited to participate.

I’m not sure about ditching the train here but there is a mid-way stop where visitors explore on foot before taking the train back to the main exit. There are more animals here compared to Taiping but overall the Taiping experience seemed better. Check out the huge hyenas!


To get in adults have to pay SGD22 and kids between 3 and 12 pay SGD11. They are open from 7.30pm daily and won’t let anyone in after 11. At 12 they lock the gates.




Option 3 - Taman Safari Indonesia

The place is huge and is the only safari of the lot where animals roam free, at least, some of them.


The safari is near Bogor which is about one and a half hour’s drive from Jakarta, depending on the traffic. They charge different entrance fees, Rp100,000 for foreigners and Rp60,000 for locals. If you’re Indonesian looking, your tour guide might be able to pass you off as locals and get you in at the cheaper rate. You drive through the safari in your own vehicle.

It is recommended to buy carrots (to feed the animals) on the way up to the safari, they should cost no more than Rp10,000 for 3 bunches. As you enter the safari, you’ll be greeted by zebras, llamas, a variety of goats, camels and elephants. You may feed the animals; some might even put their heads through your window. As you proceed to the tiger and wilder animal enclosure wind up your windows, I don’t think your travel insurance covers tiger attacks.


After the open safari, there is a theme park with rides and all. Further up the hill are animal enclosures where you can see komodo dragons, crocodiles, tortoises, orang utans, kangaroos and snakes. You can have your picture taken with the orang utan and snakes for a fee of Rp10,000.


You’ll need one whole day to fully appreciate Taman Safari Indonesia. Kids will love it. The 2 hours spent stuck in traffic and Rp100k per person is well worth it.




Option 4 – A’Famosa Resort Melaka
Worst safari of the lot. Quite a number of animals but doesn’t have that safari feel. The ride was very uncomfortable and the smell of diesel fumes is nauseating. The elephant show next door is a better way to spend your money.

Mendukung Biawak Hidup?

At the rate I’m going, this blog is slowly turning into an Indon-centric political webzine. That’s not good for business so this shall be the last posting of such nature.

The Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) will investigate the incident where a RMAF C-130 Hercules plane was hit by stones allegedly thrown by some Padang residents when it was there to carry out a relief and rescue mission, reported Berita Harian.
RMAF chief General Datuk Rodzali Daud said the act could be seen as a sign that the presence of Malaysian planes was not welcomed by certain residents there.
“We do not want to create any more problems in an area which was just hit by a disaster.
“We will investigate and take action to prevent such incidents in the future,” he said.
Meanwhile, Defence Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said that the ties between Malaysia and Indonesia would still be cherished despite the incident.

Peribahasa Melayu ada mengatakan “bagai mendukung biawak hidup”. Apakah mungkin usaha rakyat Malaysia yang perihatin dalam membantu mangsa gempa bumi di Sumatera bagai mendukung biawak hidup; yakni perbuatan yang menyusahkan diri sendiri?

Ingrates

More on BENDERA

I can’t seem to stop talking about this BENDERA nonsense. Apparently, another leader, a 38-year-old Batak named Adian Napitupulu outlined his “battle plans” to a Malaysian journalist; confidently saying Malaysia will be burnt to the ground on October 8 by the 1.45 or so million Indonesian workers here.

This Batak man is so full of s**t. While he’s planning to ganyang Malaysia, his fellow Sumaterans (no, not the Rhinos) are suffering from another devastating earthquake. In case Batakboy doesn’t know who came (are coming) to help, let me tell him the rescuers/humanitarian teams include SMART (Malaysian) & MERCY (Malaysian).

By the way, if the Malaysian economy shuts down after the “great fire”, who is going to feed the hundreds of millions of Indonesians who depend on income from Malaysia?

Morons

Maaf Dzahir Batin

I have nothing against Indonesia or Indonesians. I have something against Muchtar (Mustar) Bonaventura. I think he is a bloody idiot.

My posting on Indonesia have nothing to do with hatred, they are merely comments on current issues, from my perspective, attempting to highlight the Malaysian view of things. For the record, I do have close Indonesian buddies, I enjoy going to Indonesia and I enjoy their food.

I’m a critic. Isn’t everyone a critic too? My views are based on my worldview, which is limited to the stuff I read, the people I talk to and the environment I live in. I may not see the views from the other side of the coin and therefore I stand corrected.

I may have been emotional, brash and maybe even rude in expressing my thoughts. For that, I apologise. To err is human but to say “err” too many times shows you don’t know anything!

So in the spirit of Syawal, Maaf Dzahir & Batin.

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

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.