Sissy Says Who?

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

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

Sarawak 2011

Everyone won, apparently. Maybe except the urban Chinese.

Let’s see how it went;

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

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


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

Thoughts Round-up

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ibrahim and the Chicken

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

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

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

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

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

And finally, when will Ibrahim Ali shut up?

Show Us Your Money

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

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

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

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

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

Good Buy, Good Bye

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

The question is; was he a good buy?

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

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

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

Roman Abra-more-rich

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

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


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

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




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

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

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

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

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

Properties

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

Cars

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

Cash and shares

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

Ownership

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

graphic "courtesy" of soccerlens.com

MRT – Did we Learn from Past Mistakes?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Good Riddance or Good Piece of Business?

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

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

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

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

High Income? You Must Be Joking!

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

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

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

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

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

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

To Beer or Not to Beer ...

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

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

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

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

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

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

*apologies to William Shakespeare for mutating his most recognisable line

Two Wrongs Don't Make a Right

What is wrong with the Selangor State Government?

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

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

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

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

Talent Corporation – Exercise in Futility?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

You’re Gay, Are You Okay?

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

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

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

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

Even animals do not indulge in gay acts …

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

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

 

 

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.