Of A Palatial Mansion, 1 Malaysia and So Far So Good...Will It Last?

The recent revelation of a highly questionable purchase of a multi million palatial mansion in Shah Alam has caught my attention. Of course whatever that catches my attention doesn’t necessarily catch other more important institutions’ as well, e.g. the mainstream press, MACC, government. The mainstream media certainly hasn’t really moved in for the kill, unlike their coverage for cows and car services.

I’m sure MACC can spot a huge RM24million elephant in front of their eyes sooner or later – maybe the need to check their corruption radar. After all, a mere RM50,000 cow (for charitable purpose) was deemed “corrupt proven” whilst an occasional “service” to a car was also deemed “corrupt”. Of course both are not proven and have died down.

Is it just me or are Khir, MACC and Umno constantly shooting themselves on the foot on corruption issues?

As we are moving towards Najib’s 100 days in office (yes we have those as well), his promise of 1Malaysia looks more distant then when he first made the promise 3 months ago. The matter is not of his own fault of course – people are just too stubborn.

DAP may think that their agenda are not race based or that they are not only defending the Chinese, but when the Kedah issue arise, it is not a matter of law anymore it is (the way I see it) race based. When Hindraf starts asking the state government to go against court ruling and playing up the racial issue (again), all BN can do is say, “it’s your problem now you deal with it”. What happened to 1Malaysia now?

Utusan and the likes are still harping on racial issues with noted columnists riding on the same Ketuanan Melayu propaganda (I’m Malay too you know).

However I do give praise where it is due and the liberalization of our economy is a much welcomed relief. Of course less coverage is given for this matter in the Malay media, hence less rural Malays know about it and still the ‘ketuanan melayu’ issue is safe and secured in their mind. Even if coverage is given it would be highly technical and yes, the less they know about it the better it is for Umno.

Mahathir is now ranting on both sides of the wall. Of course he still believes Anwar is a gay politician and still thinks that he is the best Prime Minister that will ever have, ever. His recent, Najib has done reasonably well but not well enough, goes to show how highly he thinks of himself and his premiership. The only mistake he has admitted to was to appoint Abdullah as his successor which can be argued, was officially executed after his own premiership and therefore should not be counted as his “failure as PM”.

I think it is quite a success story for Najib having jumped his approval rate to 65pc from 35pc after only 3 months in office. How long it will last remains to be seen. After all he is pulling out all stops after only 3 months and after he runs out of ammo (having used the economic, racial and other goodies - ISA release and over-working the MSM inclusive) he might find it hard to please the people for longer periods.

It is the people around him that are hard to control and I think, just like Abdullah, after a year in office he would find if difficult to contain such ambitious bunch of politicians. That’s just my guess.

Peace :)

Himpunan Perdana Perpaduan Pakatan Rakyat

I rarely write about myself and whatever it is that’s happening around me in this blog but this entry is just that.

I didn’t know Pakatan was going to hold an assembly of sorts yesterday until I got an e-mail from someone inviting me to that event. I didn’t even know what the purpose of the assembly was, but I know some opposition leaders are going to give a speech.

I don’t usually miss out on these things especially ones that was just 3 minutes away from my house!

It just so happen I had to work late yesterday and so I had to rush after work to go back home, change and with just enough time to have a quick dinner – I didn’t want to miss much of the event since I’m so excited to take pictures! Yes that’s my hobby now.

So as it was, the assembly was actually quite grand – and here I thought I’d iron some shirts that night and go to sleep at 10. The speakers were leaders of Pakatan of the highest order, Khalid Ibrahim, Kit Siang, Hadi and of course Anwar Ibrahim.

Since of the focus of the speeches varies and range from all issues which can be read in other news portal and blogs (or in other words I was too busy taking pictures that I only hear some - most - of the stuffs said but not sufficient to give my review).

What I would like to share though are pictures:






You can view the rest at my flickr, http://www.flickr.com/photos/wunr under the set Himpunan Perdana Perpaduan Pakatan Rakyat to be more specific. (click)

Peace :)

The Petronas Issue: The Fear Stems From Using The Word Government and Governance in Tandem

This entry is a commentary on the recent commentary made by the straits times and tengku razaleigh hamzah (commenting on a commentary and adding my own thoughts)

I do not care much who gets appointed to be in the board of Petronas - whether that person is a proxy or too young or is a scholarship defaulter and so on so forth (actually I do care - I hate cronyism - but for the sake of sounding cool, I don’t). If he can do the job well then he deserves to be there (uhuk!).

Heck, if he is a defaulter then don’t give him any pay until he settles the amount. But Ku Li said that Petronas does not bond its scholars therefore money and loyalty is not an issue here.

The issue to me is much wider than that. It is not about Petonas because we know Petronas can make money and is governed well enough even if a new non-executive Independent Director comes in to spoil plans a little – if indeed he can spoil such well oiled machinery that is Petronas (pun intended).

The issue is whether or not the proceeds from this well oiled machinery can be put into better use especially since Malaysia have been surviving corruption and misappropriation mainly because Petronas generates a lot of money for this nation (thanks Petronas!! But no thanks to those who misuse our money).

It is amazing that last year Petronas supported Malaysia with RM74 billion (an increase from previous years) and RM268 billion since its inception and yet Malaysia have not been able to capitalize this with better basic infrastructure and better all-around living standard for all Malaysians.

It is the failure of the government to really make good use of this money that worries me.

On top off that, the states that have provided the oil are known to be the ones behind in terms of living standard. How can, a company that is solely owned by the Malaysia people (as Ku Li put it) not make the Malaysian people better off?

How can the company that is solely owned by the Malaysian people, including people of the state Terengganu, Kelantan, Sabah and Sarawak not make a better living for these states? The fact that these states are or were once held by opposition parties cannot have gone unnoticed (hmm…?)

It is mind boggling to think that so much money has been put to waste. Had the Government practised better governance, the issue of who is put where would not be an issue at all. It is the fear that the government is interfering with Petronas’ governance that is really gripping the people. Had all of Petronas’ contribution be put into good use since the very beginning everyone would welcome any board inclusion.

Fact is, people fear that not only are the contributions made by Petronas are being “interfered “with, now they are trying to “interfere” with the management of the company which makes it worst. Ku Li is right in saying that the Prime Minister has the prerogative on who he appoints to the board, and I have no qualms about that, but nowadays people fear anything that has the word ‘government’ and ‘governance’ if they are used in tandem.

Petronas has contributed so much to this country that it is scary to think that we could survive if oil in this country has run out. To think that Petronas has contributed so much and yet they are left with only 21% to reinvest for the future is incomprehensible. While other national oil companies reinvest 75% of their profits, Petronas can only invest a little to ensure that there is a future beyond oil sales.

It is a pity for a country so rich in natural resources to have a highly capable and efficient company, but then all are put to waste.

Challenges of The New Media

These past 2 years have seen the new media playing an important role in all aspects of politics, religion, corporate governance and society in general. After all Obama won the US Presidential election by driving rigorous online campaigns, the Malaysian government of 50 years received one hell of a scare when they lost out 5 strong states (but remained in power thanks to West Malaysia) with the new media playing an important role, the Twitter revolution in Moldova was nothing short of spectacular and now the oppositions to the Iranian ruling regime are gaining worldwide support thanks to Youtube, Twitter, Blog sites, Facebook and the likes - all my examples are politically related...haih.

I’m quite new in using this new media (but then again it is called “new media” for a reason so I guess I am part of the process..?) and my experience only spans 1 year (plus). Though I may not have realized its use since the very beginning of its uprising, the impact has always been there.

Instead of discussing its benefits, I think my view would be more interesting discussing its challenges.

The new media creates a level playing field for the less powerful. No doubt the ones with power can use money and influence to propagate their standing through the mainstream media. This is apparent in countries with quite an imbalanced political playing field like Malaysia, Iran, Singapore and so on so forth.

So the new media is good right? Well not substantially. The fact that it creates a level playing field is actually the problem. It creates a level playing to an already one-sided match up. So now the ones with power can use money, influence and also the new media - if they actually know how to, which at the moment it doesn't seem like it.

Similarly in religious matters for example; I being a Muslim and a proud one at that, love the fact that the new media can create a sort of conduit to uphold what is right about Islam and not just let the lies splutter. But again the powerful won't let us have it all too easy. Israel for example, being a very influential lot, can influence more than just the mass media. We all know how they crack down and even hack into websites promoting Islam and condemning Israel.

Also on the religious issue; what bothers me a lot is the fact that the “uprising” of this new media is encouraged along the same line as the “uprising” of the liberals (I am quite the conservative and I am proud to be a conservative).

Despite there being a radical approach towards confronting the anti-Islam mood, the anti-Islam drive is just as great. What worries me the most is the perception that certain liberal Islam groups create out of their falsified belief of what Islam should be. Their belief leads to others questioning the more conservative and natural form of Islam (which I must add does not include suicide bombers and terrorism – it is the mere act of wearing headscarves, praying during lunch hour, reading the Quran in public and so on).

In answering to the call of upholding the truth, the new media is an important ally towards rebranding the tarnished image of Islam. Ulama’ (clerics) as well as those liberal thinkers are using the same method of communication - but of course people would always give the upper hand towards the liberal since they are more “modern”.

Another challenge is trying to block any negativity one might have when the point of attack is at every corner. Barrack Obama famously created a website dedicated to answer all the negative press he had during the election. How great the significance of such website one can only wonder, but the fact that a website needed to be created just to answer negative press shows how deep the concern and how great an attack the new media can bring - and fast too.

When lies are being told in the new media, no one can really stop it. Of course, instead of holding public debate, people are now arguing rather freely through internet forums. The fact that these forums are not mediated and does not have enough credibility does not matter - people do get influenced by it like it or not.

So when people comment, for example, on the righteousness and greatness of the Quran, there are others who are sly enough to lie and twist the beautiful words of the Quran, blatantly. So instead of Islam being the religion of peace, they used certain phrases from the Quran to show that Islam promotes terrorism - this is not true at all and any form of permission the Quran gives towards war or capital punishment comes with solid reasons.

So there you go. It has its challenges despite being significantly useful, especially since the weak have always been in a fight, blind-folded and with two hands tied behind their back. Only this time, the powerful have better coaches, better training facilities and the referee.

I just felt like writing on this topic - for a concrete purpose - but nothing in particular.

Peace :)

Which Group of People Are You Referring To?

I seriously do not like this sentence: "the people are tired of…(insert whatever crap you can think of)…". It is usually stated by a politician who thinks he knows what I and the majority of the people think. Amazingly though, whatever we say out loud never gets heard.

Let's look at the situation; there's a ruckus in Parliament and the home minister makes a statement, "the people are tired of the opposition's antics...". Okay if you say so. But I think he must also address these matters; we are tired of the government using high handed tactics to silent dissenting voices. We are tired of Parliament speakers throwing out opposition MPs for starting a "ruckus" whilst backbenchers gets to shout vulgarities freely. We are tired of having to shout, "abolish ISA!" when nothing is done to actually abolish it. We are tired of corruption. Since you're reading our mind, I would suggest you read our lips as well.

When people like Zambry Abdul Kadir or Najib Tun Razak say something like, "the people hate the opposition for undermining the royalties..." during the Perak debacle, did they not see the thousands protesting in the streets to voice out their concern about the Sultan's decision? Even if some do not stand on the same ground as the opposition, it is ignorant to summarize things as, "the people hate..." as if saying things on our behalf.

The problem lies with what the politicians themselves believe and how they perceive things. When you've been reading your own media, then you're only saying what you think!

After 50 years of democracy in this country - though most of the times restricted - it is dumb to regard yourself as the people's representative when none of our basic needs are well represented. We want high quality education throughout the country, we are given unending problems of language option. We want freedom to express ourselves and yet our medias are tied and our street protests are washed away and our people are smoked. We want a clean and fair government, but corrupt politicians are sitting in high offices and heading groups that would mould our youths. We want water and electricity and yet we are made to pay for company's debts.

It is easy for politicians to say things like that because it creates a perception and it influences some people who are dim-witted enough to go by it. But where's the real deed? Winston Churchill once said, "Words are easy and many, but great deeds are rare". I guess it applies especially to politicians. Sure you can say we will battle corruption and we will amend the ISA and we will get to the bottom of the Lingam affair as per the people's wishes, but as of now, the problem persists and nothing is done.

You can say the people are tired of this and that on whosoever's behalf but those things which we are actually tired of (and mind you, we have reminded them time and time again) remains to be, "it is only some of the people, not all, and we will get more feedback from the public with regards to that issue...".

When all is said and done (or not done if the theme of this post is anything to go by) what I really want is a people's representative, not a mind reader. I want a worker, not a talker. I want my existing shouts to be heard and conveyed, not my non-existing thoughts.

Peace :)

English Should Be A Must-Pass For Ministers

Should English be a must-pass for SPM?

Let's look at it from one perspective; English is important because we have been colonized by the English speaking western super powers and we are made to accept that this is the lingua franca of this day and age. There's a whole load of benefit from being able to improve a student's English, because like it or not, we are not going to be the Japanese or French who doesn't seem bothered to uphold their own language over others - whereas we submit to globalization rather easily.

However, having said that, our level of educational sophistication haven't reached a satisfactory level where rural folks and city folks get the same quality of education. Arguably the rural folks tend to get the ugly side of things it seems and therefore their quality is not the same - in fact the disparity is rather sad. Therefore is it fair to force upon them the burden of having to pass another nation's principal language of communication?

I must note here that I'm not generalizing anything and that a rural kid might well excel in English and there are city kids who does not speak a word of English. But in being realistic, the quality of English is not the same everywhere and it would also be unrealistic to expect every kid to pass English if the government cannot guarantee good quality education to be provided equally to everyone.

Even though we hope that one day everyone in Malaysia can master not only English but definitely our own language as well (I've heard some of the Malay based radio DJs speak BM and it's not that good either). But, what is of a bigger surprise here (then the exaggerated surprise of our DPM) is the fact that our quality of education has yet to be addressed, the system have yet to be revamped and the school teachers are made to worry more about what language to teach in rather than how to effectively teach these children.

I laud the many voices that raised the question of quality and not language because in the end what matters most is quality. We don’t want people who can talk but can’t work. Apparently our politicians care more about how the people are going to interact during job interviews rather than the quality of their work. If they do get jobs based on their ability to speak English, what guarantee do we have that they can actually do the job when employed?

I'm also puzzled by the DPM's other surprise that schools do not teach grammar but focuses on communication instead. On one hand he wants the students to be able to speak English but on the other hand he wants them to learn basic things like what is Adjectives and Nouns. Sure these are all good to learn, but frankly speaking, I don't even know the Malay grammars to be fair. But I can still talk without knowing. Learning the basic grammar is one thing and communicating is another. If kids learn grammar, they would memorise the words and to which group it belongs to but there's no guarantee that they can put it into long sentences. Plus grammar is just boring and students would lose interest without gaining much.


However, if indeed the DPM still wants to proceed with his proposal regardless of the outcry (because they do that a lot), then I would suggest that the 'must-pass' apply to all government ministers and deputy ministers first. I don't want some minister saying they don't understand English while in another foreign English-medium country or some Minister talking gibberish when being phone interviewed by an Arab news channel in English. That would not set a good example for our young generation.

So give the ministers (including chief ministers) a test first and anything less than a B should not be accepted - B because ministers should have good Queen's English much like Khairy Jamaluddin's (but the problem then would be all talk but no substance).

Peace :)

Funny How...

Funny how we refuse to let one of our own people in because he is a communist leader, but somehow we're really happy declaring our lovely friendship with China...a communist nation.

Funny how it somehow blew pass them the fact that this old man is an old man much like his friends, albeit he is Chinese, they are Malays. But this old man unlike his friends, is not allowed back in.

Funny how they don't know that there's two sides to a war.

Funny how we plan for a change in economic focus (from industrial to service) but no one is really explaining how we're going to change.

Funny also (on that note) how one propose to change such an industrial country without affecting the people dramatically...hence, where's the blueprint?

Funny how a domestic abuse case (or a possible one) is only a personal matter and not a case for the police to investigate.

Funny how some can let a corrupt individual run the youth team and a corrupt individual run a whole state but refuse to acknowledge a by-election which is, one could say, more democratic than any form of corruption.

Funny how a newspaper which sows hatred and racism is given a mere slap on the wrist after having caused 3 persons to be held under ISA for nothing but some gets banned for much less.

It's just funny how things are.