An old story rears its ugly head. Dr. Chua Soi Lek, former Health Minister who is liked by his constituents and is known to work hard for the people and at his portfolio was secretly videotaped while having sex with his lady friend. Upon this revelation, he resigned all his party posts and as Heath Minister. This was a great shame at the time as he is known to work hard for the people and he was deemed to be the "Best Health Minister" we ever had.
At least he had the courtesy to voluntarily resign his posts unlike some other people who have been accused of all sorts of fishy business deals and using a government position to influence (isn't that abuse of power?)
Yet, he was returned to politics with the resounding support of the people. It's obvious that many people don't really about other people's sex life. What mattered was that Dr. Chua had served and will serve the people well. That's what they voted for.
Today, Dr. Chua faces another investigation on the same video. This time for having Oral Sex. It is apparently stated in Malaysian Law that something as petty as Oral Sex, or even Anal Sex is against the order of nature and hence illegal and punishable.
Against the order of nature? At one point humans weren't supposed to fly, let alone walk on the moon, and the earth was flat. Any attempts to prove otherwise was deemed to be the work of the devil. We don't have wings (nature), so we shouldn't fly (order).
We are neither for or against oral or anal sex, but does it matter so much that the very nature of it impacts society so negatively that people need to be policed on what they choose to do in their private time? We think not.
In Dr. Chua's case, this was a private moment, how he decides to engage in sexual intercourse and how he does it and even for how long, isn't for anyone to dictate. These things usually occur in the privacy of a room and is not discussed in public. It was unfortunate that some people decided to trap him and to destroy his political career for their own reasons. Now that they have failed, they are making a second attempt at highlighting something quite petty, but law enforcers and makers alike in Malaysia are taking to it and re-investigating him. Why do this to one of the few Barisan Nasional MPs who actually work for the people?
I'm sure if we could peer into the private lives of Khairi Jamaluddin, Hishamuddin, Najib, Khir Toyo and other politicians, we may find out all sorts of things about them. Who's to say that Khairi was not involved in sex before marriage, who's to say the same of any number of politicians? How do we know that none of the above enjoy oral sex, giving or receiving? They can publically announce that they don't, but how do we know?
The law enforcers will prosecute these petty acts, but as the people, we should not pay attention to these petty things. We as the people should continue to vote in the people who will work hard for us, and not get caught up in these little moral inquisitions, and judge people.
The fact is, none of us are so clean that we cannot be faulted. Everyone has sex in different ways, and some like certain things more than others, is it any of our business?
A sexual offence in Malaysia includes oral sex, it's absurd. How many men haven't received oral sex at one point in their lives? Politicans, policemen and ordinary people? Surely there are more haves than haves not.
In which case, why don't we place cameras in everyone's bedroom, invade their privacy and then incarcerate them for it. That's essentially what the police is doing, they are going after the wrong people.
The recent events of Elizabeth Wong and Chua Soi Lek only shows that politics in Malaysia has stooped to new lows and that Malaysians are easily distracted by little dramas like this when the people should actually be angry about politicians wasting time on such matters, and politicians should be focusing on what to do in such harsh economic times.
Oral Sex against the order of nature? Then we should all be in jail.
Malaysia is fast becoming the circus of the region as many of our neighbours tell us that reading or watching the Malaysian news says it is "very entertaining", like reading the National Enquirer - a garbage celebrity rumour magazine. Malaysia Boleh.
Soi Lek faces oral sex probe
NST, 24 February 2009
PETALING JAYA: Former health minister Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek's sex video clip has come back to haunt him.
Police are investigating the MCA deputy president for allegedly engaging in oral sex. Selangor police chief Datuk Khalid Abu Bakar said investigations began recently after two copies of the video clip, showing Chua in intimate positions with a woman, were found in a mailbox of a house in Kelana Jaya.
The houseowner lodged a police report on Feb 13 and police are investigating the case for carnal intercourse against the order of nature and distribution and possession of material containing pornographic elements."We will investigate the police report which stated that the oral sex in the DVD was too explicit," Khalid said.
Dr Chua arrived at the Petaling Jaya district police station here at 11am and left an hour later after having his statement recorded.
He said there were some people out there who still wanted to tarnish his name and scare him with such tactics."I will leave it to the police to investigate and I will give my full cooperation."
When the clip first surfaced in January last year, Dr Chua resigned from all party and government posts.
He had been MCA vice-president and health minister then. Dr Chua returned to politics late last year after being elected MCA deputy president.
Showing posts with label malaysia. Show all posts
Showing posts with label malaysia. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Malaysia's Sub-Standard Education System & Racial Discrimination in Varsities
Finally, all in one day, a key issue that we have highlighted for Malaysia - Sub Standard Education, has come to light - not in one, but two articles as quoted in the Star. Written by a Malay man and one other, these articles summarise the level to which the Malaysian Education system has degraded to and what happens with the non-Malays when they are not accepted into local universities because of the quota system - driven mainly by the BN government's view of "Ketuanan Melayu".
A recent article quoted in the international media regarding some silly remarks made by the Kelantan Crown Price, further highlights the need to eradicate race based politics and to clearly enforce the Sedition Act, even on those who are so called playing to "right wing" politics.
Many in UMNO have also made derogatory remarks about other races and their desire for equality and their rights to be uplifted. But today, they sing a different tune, but do not be fooled dear citizen, they say what they say because they need to - for now. History shows where their loyalties lie and hence the sincerity of their word - beware the wolf in sheep's "clothes"...
For your reading pleasure and thoughts:
Article #1: Under threat? What threat?
BRAVE NEW WORLD By AZMI SHAROM
Since the recent general election, voices have risen up in a shrill warning cry that the Malays are now ‘under threat’. But perhaps the real threat is the threat to Umno hegemony.
AND so it begins. Race-based rhetoric has raised its ugly little head in response to a democratic process. Over 49% of the people of Malaysia have voted for parties that have rejected race-based affirmative action in favour of a needs-based platform.
It did not take very long for voices, both common and royal, to rise up in a shrill warning cry that the Malays are now “under threat”.
“Under threat” from what, may I ask? Let’s take a bit of time to look at this so-called “threat”. Firstly, Malays are given special protection under Article 153 of the Constitution.
Article 153 is titled “Reservation of quotas in respect of services, permits, etc, for Malays and natives of any of the States of Sabah and Sarawak”. Article 152 states that Malay is the National Language. The Supreme Head of the Federation, according to Article 32, is the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, a Malay ruler.
This is the foundation of Malay “special privileges”.
None of the Pakatan Rakyat component parties, including the DAP, have said anything about removing Articles 153, 152 and 32. They remain safe and secure with no sign whatsoever of any sort of threat.
Besides, in order to change it, you would need a two-thirds majority in the lower and upper houses of Parliament plus the support of the Conference of Rulers. The last time I checked, no one has a two-thirds majority in the Dewan Rakyat.
Secondly, due to simple demographics, it is unlikely that a totally non-Malay party is ever going to win absolute control of the government. Of the five state governments in the hands of the Pakatan, four are led by a Malay Mentri Besar.
Penang is an exception, but Penang has been led by non-Malays since the 60s. Why was there was no outcry before this?
Thirdly, the proposed doing-away with the NEP (or whatever it is called nowadays), I suppose, can be seen as a threat to the Malays.
But how it can be a threat is beyond me, because the replacement suggested by the Pakatan is not some sort of laissez-faire capitalist economy. Instead, it is an economic system with affirmative action promised to those in need.
If the Malays are the largest group of people in Malaysia who are in the most need, then they will get the most help. If they are not in the most need, then why on earth do they need help then?
This is the point where I will get angry letters about how the NEP is needed; because in the business world – the real world which I know nothing about because I am just a lowly-academic trapped in my ivory tower – Malays are discriminated against by the Chinese. So we need a policy like the NEP to provide some balance.
I disagree.
If there are racist business policies being conducted against the Malays, then you face it head on with anti-discrimination laws.
If some person feels he is being discriminated against, no matter what his race, then let there be a law to help him, and let us punish the racists with a hefty fine or jail term.
You do not meet racism with racism; you challenge it by destroying all traces of it.
The problem with the NEP, as I see it, is that it breeds a mentality of entitlement based on race and not merit. This mentality seeps into governance, and it creates an atmosphere of mediocrity. One example of this is how the Constitution has been disregarded in relation to employment issues.
The Federal Constitution states that you can set quotas at the entry points of government services, for example, the civil service and public universities. However, this is counter-balanced by Article 136 that says all federal employees must be treated fairly regardless of race.
This means that once inside a service, everyone is to be treated equally based on merit. In such a situation, only the cream will rise to the top.
However, since the introduction of the NEP, the practice in government services has been to promote Malays mainly. This has in turn led to a drop in the number of non-Malay actors in the service of the public.
Taking my profession for example, the closeted unrealistic world of academia, I look down south and I see that 30% of the staff in the National University of Singapore Law School are Malaysians.
How come these clever fellows who are good enough to teach in a university that is among the top 20 in the world are not here in the land of their birth? Why are the blinking Singaporeans enjoying our talent? Is it because that talent is all non-Malay and they feel they have better opportunities there than here?
This is a complete waste, and in the end this loss of talent means a loss for the university, the country and the people of this country, including the Malay students who miss out on the best possible teachers.
Perhaps the real threat is the threat to Umno hegemony, in which case my answer to that is this: clean up your act, live up to your promises and listen to what the people are saying.
Make yourself electable by proving that you can create good government.
That is called democracy.
Dr Azmi Sharom is a law teacher. The views expressed here are entirely his own.
Article #1: Engineers of poor quality
I AM a manager in a chemical manufacturing firm in Malaysia. We often have vacancies for mechanical and chemical engineers, and occasionally electrical engineers. We do take in fresh graduates to train and develop for the future of our company.
In recent years, I have noticed a marked reduction in the quality of the engineering graduates. I would like to suggest that our local universities work with professional bodies such as Board of Engineers Malaysia (BEM) and Institution of Engineers Malaysia (IEM) to address the weaknesses.
Some of the courses should be tailored to suit industrial requirements. BEM and IEM would be in the right position to work with the many universities we have here. Alternatively, they could come up with modules to be included in the engineering curriculum at our local universities.
With the advent of computers and simulation packages, another new problem is that fresh engineers seem at a loss to conduct design calculations from basic principles. They are over reliant on such computer packages.
When they start work, they are at a loss to do design work because some companies may not have such computer packages. Hence, even basic engineering calculations to determine the optimum pipe sizing and pump selection are beyond them.
These are basic engineering calculations, and without the necessary skills, we are left with design works that are sub-optimal, resulting in high operating costs for the users.
Alternatively, everyone would be running to consultants to get even the most basic of engineering work done for them.
In many of the plants I have been to, there is much that could be done to improve efficiency by just going back to good basic engineering practice. And in some cases, it’s just using good common sense.
I think there is a need to teach and emphasise on such basics. We should ensure that our young engineers are provided with good foundation knowledge for the future of our country.
After all, it is upon solid foundations that skyscrapers are built.
In this aspect, I must take my hat off to University Technology Petronas (UTP), which has formed an Industry Advisory Panel (IAP), and invites professionals from the industry to review their curriculum and suggest areas for improvement. UTP is serious about this and has implemented many of the suggestions introduced by its IAP.
UTP also has an adjunct lectures series where professionals are called in to give lectures to the undergraduates. I think these are good initiatives that other universities would do well to emulate.
SHYAM LAKSHMANAN,Lahat, Perak.
A recent article quoted in the international media regarding some silly remarks made by the Kelantan Crown Price, further highlights the need to eradicate race based politics and to clearly enforce the Sedition Act, even on those who are so called playing to "right wing" politics.
Many in UMNO have also made derogatory remarks about other races and their desire for equality and their rights to be uplifted. But today, they sing a different tune, but do not be fooled dear citizen, they say what they say because they need to - for now. History shows where their loyalties lie and hence the sincerity of their word - beware the wolf in sheep's "clothes"...
For your reading pleasure and thoughts:
Article #1: Under threat? What threat?
BRAVE NEW WORLD By AZMI SHAROM
Since the recent general election, voices have risen up in a shrill warning cry that the Malays are now ‘under threat’. But perhaps the real threat is the threat to Umno hegemony.
AND so it begins. Race-based rhetoric has raised its ugly little head in response to a democratic process. Over 49% of the people of Malaysia have voted for parties that have rejected race-based affirmative action in favour of a needs-based platform.
It did not take very long for voices, both common and royal, to rise up in a shrill warning cry that the Malays are now “under threat”.
“Under threat” from what, may I ask? Let’s take a bit of time to look at this so-called “threat”. Firstly, Malays are given special protection under Article 153 of the Constitution.
Article 153 is titled “Reservation of quotas in respect of services, permits, etc, for Malays and natives of any of the States of Sabah and Sarawak”. Article 152 states that Malay is the National Language. The Supreme Head of the Federation, according to Article 32, is the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, a Malay ruler.
This is the foundation of Malay “special privileges”.
None of the Pakatan Rakyat component parties, including the DAP, have said anything about removing Articles 153, 152 and 32. They remain safe and secure with no sign whatsoever of any sort of threat.
Besides, in order to change it, you would need a two-thirds majority in the lower and upper houses of Parliament plus the support of the Conference of Rulers. The last time I checked, no one has a two-thirds majority in the Dewan Rakyat.
Secondly, due to simple demographics, it is unlikely that a totally non-Malay party is ever going to win absolute control of the government. Of the five state governments in the hands of the Pakatan, four are led by a Malay Mentri Besar.
Penang is an exception, but Penang has been led by non-Malays since the 60s. Why was there was no outcry before this?
Thirdly, the proposed doing-away with the NEP (or whatever it is called nowadays), I suppose, can be seen as a threat to the Malays.
But how it can be a threat is beyond me, because the replacement suggested by the Pakatan is not some sort of laissez-faire capitalist economy. Instead, it is an economic system with affirmative action promised to those in need.
If the Malays are the largest group of people in Malaysia who are in the most need, then they will get the most help. If they are not in the most need, then why on earth do they need help then?
This is the point where I will get angry letters about how the NEP is needed; because in the business world – the real world which I know nothing about because I am just a lowly-academic trapped in my ivory tower – Malays are discriminated against by the Chinese. So we need a policy like the NEP to provide some balance.
I disagree.
If there are racist business policies being conducted against the Malays, then you face it head on with anti-discrimination laws.
If some person feels he is being discriminated against, no matter what his race, then let there be a law to help him, and let us punish the racists with a hefty fine or jail term.
You do not meet racism with racism; you challenge it by destroying all traces of it.
The problem with the NEP, as I see it, is that it breeds a mentality of entitlement based on race and not merit. This mentality seeps into governance, and it creates an atmosphere of mediocrity. One example of this is how the Constitution has been disregarded in relation to employment issues.
The Federal Constitution states that you can set quotas at the entry points of government services, for example, the civil service and public universities. However, this is counter-balanced by Article 136 that says all federal employees must be treated fairly regardless of race.
This means that once inside a service, everyone is to be treated equally based on merit. In such a situation, only the cream will rise to the top.
However, since the introduction of the NEP, the practice in government services has been to promote Malays mainly. This has in turn led to a drop in the number of non-Malay actors in the service of the public.
Taking my profession for example, the closeted unrealistic world of academia, I look down south and I see that 30% of the staff in the National University of Singapore Law School are Malaysians.
How come these clever fellows who are good enough to teach in a university that is among the top 20 in the world are not here in the land of their birth? Why are the blinking Singaporeans enjoying our talent? Is it because that talent is all non-Malay and they feel they have better opportunities there than here?
This is a complete waste, and in the end this loss of talent means a loss for the university, the country and the people of this country, including the Malay students who miss out on the best possible teachers.
Perhaps the real threat is the threat to Umno hegemony, in which case my answer to that is this: clean up your act, live up to your promises and listen to what the people are saying.
Make yourself electable by proving that you can create good government.
That is called democracy.
Dr Azmi Sharom is a law teacher. The views expressed here are entirely his own.
Article #1: Engineers of poor quality
I AM a manager in a chemical manufacturing firm in Malaysia. We often have vacancies for mechanical and chemical engineers, and occasionally electrical engineers. We do take in fresh graduates to train and develop for the future of our company.
In recent years, I have noticed a marked reduction in the quality of the engineering graduates. I would like to suggest that our local universities work with professional bodies such as Board of Engineers Malaysia (BEM) and Institution of Engineers Malaysia (IEM) to address the weaknesses.
Some of the courses should be tailored to suit industrial requirements. BEM and IEM would be in the right position to work with the many universities we have here. Alternatively, they could come up with modules to be included in the engineering curriculum at our local universities.
With the advent of computers and simulation packages, another new problem is that fresh engineers seem at a loss to conduct design calculations from basic principles. They are over reliant on such computer packages.
When they start work, they are at a loss to do design work because some companies may not have such computer packages. Hence, even basic engineering calculations to determine the optimum pipe sizing and pump selection are beyond them.
These are basic engineering calculations, and without the necessary skills, we are left with design works that are sub-optimal, resulting in high operating costs for the users.
Alternatively, everyone would be running to consultants to get even the most basic of engineering work done for them.
In many of the plants I have been to, there is much that could be done to improve efficiency by just going back to good basic engineering practice. And in some cases, it’s just using good common sense.
I think there is a need to teach and emphasise on such basics. We should ensure that our young engineers are provided with good foundation knowledge for the future of our country.
After all, it is upon solid foundations that skyscrapers are built.
In this aspect, I must take my hat off to University Technology Petronas (UTP), which has formed an Industry Advisory Panel (IAP), and invites professionals from the industry to review their curriculum and suggest areas for improvement. UTP is serious about this and has implemented many of the suggestions introduced by its IAP.
UTP also has an adjunct lectures series where professionals are called in to give lectures to the undergraduates. I think these are good initiatives that other universities would do well to emulate.
SHYAM LAKSHMANAN,Lahat, Perak.
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Indian Uprising in Kuala Lumpur
A Indian-Hindu rally organised by HINDRAF (Hindu Rights Action Front) on Sunday was denounced by the Malaysian Government as being violent and damaging to racial relations.
This is even though the demonstration was not actually directed at the Malaysian Government, but in a show of support for the handing over of a memorandum to the British High Commission seeking the Queen's assistance to provide a council to fight for the minority Malaysian-Indian communities rights.
The police had denied HINDRAF a permit to proceed with the gathering, but HINDRAF decided to proceed in the fight for their rights regardless.
However, consider this, the Prime Minister Badawi's son-in-law, Khairi Jamaluddin, who is also supposed to be a respected Deputy Chief of the UMNO youth, had previously held an "illegal gathering" (though we are not sure whether a permit was approved, but can't imagine why it would have been given as it was during the ASEAN summit). Khairi, as shown, fought against the police, shouted what some other people can deem to be "seditious" (depending on who is feeling emotional about it), rallied support from the Mat Rempit (gangster motorcyclists who perform street racing), and best of all, managed to push his way through the FRU (Federal Reserve Unit - Riot Police in Red) and got through unscathed.
Compare that with the recent HINDRAF demonstrations, and you will see the unfairness and preferential treatment that a person gets for fighting for Malay-Muslim rights rather than the minority Indian-Hindus.
A picture speaks a thousand words, watch both videos below and you decide whether there is justice.
HINDRAF Demonstration for Indian-Hindu Rights
This is even though the demonstration was not actually directed at the Malaysian Government, but in a show of support for the handing over of a memorandum to the British High Commission seeking the Queen's assistance to provide a council to fight for the minority Malaysian-Indian communities rights.
The police had denied HINDRAF a permit to proceed with the gathering, but HINDRAF decided to proceed in the fight for their rights regardless.
However, consider this, the Prime Minister Badawi's son-in-law, Khairi Jamaluddin, who is also supposed to be a respected Deputy Chief of the UMNO youth, had previously held an "illegal gathering" (though we are not sure whether a permit was approved, but can't imagine why it would have been given as it was during the ASEAN summit). Khairi, as shown, fought against the police, shouted what some other people can deem to be "seditious" (depending on who is feeling emotional about it), rallied support from the Mat Rempit (gangster motorcyclists who perform street racing), and best of all, managed to push his way through the FRU (Federal Reserve Unit - Riot Police in Red) and got through unscathed.
Compare that with the recent HINDRAF demonstrations, and you will see the unfairness and preferential treatment that a person gets for fighting for Malay-Muslim rights rather than the minority Indian-Hindus.
A picture speaks a thousand words, watch both videos below and you decide whether there is justice.
HINDRAF Demonstration for Indian-Hindu Rights
UMNO Youth (Led by Khairi Jamaluddin) Demonstration for Palestinian-Muslim Rights
Observe the show of force by Khairi and his gang, and compare that with the Al-Jazeera news report on the Indians. Who made the first aggressive moves?
In the case of the Indians, they retaliated when they were shot at with tear gas and water cannons. Were they the first aggressors? Who's to say? But from what we can see, it's not clear that they drew first blood.
In the case of Khairi, he was allowed to go as far as forcing his way through the Riot Police, and he wasn't even hit once. We suppose that has something to do with him being part of UMNO and also being the son-in-law of the Prime Minister.
In all fairness, how is this a democratic and fair nation? Where one race and religion can be accorded a great deal of preference over any other, where the leaders of that race are given a free hand to do as they please, break the law and not even get repremanded?
In Malaysia, it seems that it is only "seditious" if it is a racial or religious issue that affects Malays or Muslims, but who's to say that it is NOT seditious to accuse the "West" of opressing Muslims (in view of Palestine) and causing an uprising of Malay-Muslims against the West, and in the case above, against the US Secretary of State, when she is in the country? Isn't it potentially dangerous to the lives of Americans and other westerners? Doesn't this cause a certain degree of "hate" towards them? Could that potentially bring harm to them?
I think the answer is Yes to the above. If so, isn't it Seditious?
It is time for this sort of one sided nonsense ends. It stops with the removal of UMNO from power.
If only Keadilan and DAP can get their act together, join forces, leave PAS out of the picture and be a formidable competitor for Barisan votes. The ball rests in Keadilan's park, they need to decide where they stand. Either as a radicalised UMNO type party, or a party that is true to upholding the multi-racial, multi-cultural, multi-religious principles that this country was founded on. This is not a country for the Malays only. This country is for everyone.
Some Malays think that this is their country and everyone else can leave if they don't like it. This country was built with the combined efforts of the Chinese, Indians, Malays and all the other smaller communities. We fought for our independence together. Today, some Malays think that the rights of the minorities can be ignored?
We don't think so.
Thursday, August 2, 2007
Petrol Stations 7-10: Has the Government Lost Control?
Fuel. Fuel is what moves our country's economy. If you have ever travelled on the North-South Highway at night, you will see thousands of cars travelling from KL to Ipoh, Singapore to Malacca, Singapore to KL. These are at least from our observation the main and most frequented routes. This will all soon come to an end. PLUS may see a drop in passenger vehicle movements on their highways at the later hours of the night. Why? Well, unless you are carrying an extra tank of petrol in your car, you won't make it, especially if you are running a small CC car which usually has a 30-40 litre tank. Making those overnight trips from Johor or Malacca to Penang or Ipoh will be a thing of the past.
If you think it stops at passenger cars, think again. Commercial vehicles will be impacted too. How will you now move anything from timber, steel, agro produce cross country overnight? Usually transportation of such goods are done at night until the wee hours of the morning. So, we can expect that in some small way, the economy will be stifled.
Think about it, all your expectations of overnight mail by Poslaju or FedEx or whatever you use will be affected. Hence making Malaysia even more inefficient.
The only benefit that I see coming out of this is that all these Mat Rempits will run out of petrol sometime around midnight after doing all their cartwheels and wheelies or whatever stupid things they do.
This is all thanks to the PDAM (Petrol Dealers Association of Malaysia) that intends to proceed with this new policy without government approval. Has the government lost control?
Now think about what happens when this 10pm closure is enforced. Everyone and their dog will be queueing at the petrol stations to fill up. Creating traffic jams along the main roads these stations are situated on. Not to mention all those commercial vehicles who will do their final fill up. That would make things even worse. Chaos!
Thanks to the PDAM, the economy will suffer, PLUS will lose money and we, the consumers will remain at their mercy. Where is the government in all this? Why haven't they stepped in to say something even after the first statement of intention by the PDAM yesterday? Nowhere!
Are they too engrossed in their Northern Corridor and Iskandar projects to notice and pay attention to all this? Obviously. But, there is a major oversight, the building materials will not transport themselves onto the site just with love and fresh air.
We'd hope to see the government do something about this - and soon.
We don't care if the petrol dealers think that their operating costs are high or that they are afraid of being robbed. There are ways of managing these things. Like the typical Melayu business, they usually have more people than they need to run the station. Usually there are 2 cashiers but only one counter open. The second person is just sitting there doing nothing.
The bigger and more understandable concern is that of security. But really, get with the 21st century - install high grade CCTV cameras that have high resolution and nightvision. Have them placed not only in the convenience store, but also on the outside. I have observed that CCTVs aren't present in many of the vital places and even if they are, the resolution is so bad, you can see nothing. Shouldn't all petrol stations have a panic button alerting the police as well? Most petrol stations don't even have an alarm system.
So, if the petrol dealers can't help themselves, then don't come crying to the media!
As for the police. Yes, the PDRM is useless, they are never around when you need them, and when you call in an emergency, you will probably encounter the following:
1. The officer cannot speak english and takes 1 minute to pass the phone to an officer who can. Usually an Indian person.
2. The officer doesn't seem interested or unphased, no sense of urgency
And then it takes about 30-40 minutes for the police to arrive on the scene, by which time, you would either be injured or dead and definately robbed.
It is now in the hands of IGP Musa, to get all the billions worth of police cars he asked for on the road and patrolling, not being parked outside mamak stalls for hours.
So, what can we as consumers do about this? Nothing you say? Yes, there is something we can do... To hurt the dealers, we cannot attack them all at one time. We need to single out one petroleum company and boycott its stations.
In this case, it should be PETRONAS. Why? Firstly, it's quasi government. The government will definately react to this. Also, the owners are mostly Malay, which the government will be compelled to protect. Additionally, they have the most stations with possibly a large number of unprofitable stations that should and can be closed (rationalised). One third of the 3000 dealers are Petronas dealers.
Boycott PETRONAS for a start and you can work through the rest in time. But it's likely that boycotting PETRONAS will spark the necessary reaction from the government.
Article from the New Straits Times
So, it’s fill up before 10pm
KUALA LUMPUR: All petrol stations, including those on highways, will close by 10pm within two months.
The Petrol Dealers Association of Malaysia (PDAM) said yesterday that its 3,200 members would only open for business between 7am and 10pm.
PDAM spokesperson Datuk Zulkifli Mokti said this was because the association’s members faced security risks as well as declining profits."The average petrol station is robbed once a year. This happens mostly at night."
He said the station owners were operating under constant fear of being robbed as they had large amounts of cash daily."Just two weeks ago, an owner was robbed on his way home. Dealers, too, have been shot and killed, kidnapped and threatened at gunpoint."Zulkifli said that reducing work shifts from three to two would help petrol stations bring down operating costs, which had been rising over the years.
On Monday, former PDAM president Alang Zari Ishak had said that stations along highways would remain open 24 hours a day. Yesterday, Alang was removed as president after 51 out of 65 council members voted against him at a meeting.
In announcing his removal, Zulkifli said many decisions made by the council had not been properly enforced."Certain decisions were not followed up (by Alang).
"Major (R) Wahid Bidin, who was formerly the deputy president, will act as the president until the association holds its election next year.
If you think it stops at passenger cars, think again. Commercial vehicles will be impacted too. How will you now move anything from timber, steel, agro produce cross country overnight? Usually transportation of such goods are done at night until the wee hours of the morning. So, we can expect that in some small way, the economy will be stifled.
Think about it, all your expectations of overnight mail by Poslaju or FedEx or whatever you use will be affected. Hence making Malaysia even more inefficient.
The only benefit that I see coming out of this is that all these Mat Rempits will run out of petrol sometime around midnight after doing all their cartwheels and wheelies or whatever stupid things they do.
This is all thanks to the PDAM (Petrol Dealers Association of Malaysia) that intends to proceed with this new policy without government approval. Has the government lost control?
Now think about what happens when this 10pm closure is enforced. Everyone and their dog will be queueing at the petrol stations to fill up. Creating traffic jams along the main roads these stations are situated on. Not to mention all those commercial vehicles who will do their final fill up. That would make things even worse. Chaos!
Thanks to the PDAM, the economy will suffer, PLUS will lose money and we, the consumers will remain at their mercy. Where is the government in all this? Why haven't they stepped in to say something even after the first statement of intention by the PDAM yesterday? Nowhere!
Are they too engrossed in their Northern Corridor and Iskandar projects to notice and pay attention to all this? Obviously. But, there is a major oversight, the building materials will not transport themselves onto the site just with love and fresh air.
We'd hope to see the government do something about this - and soon.
We don't care if the petrol dealers think that their operating costs are high or that they are afraid of being robbed. There are ways of managing these things. Like the typical Melayu business, they usually have more people than they need to run the station. Usually there are 2 cashiers but only one counter open. The second person is just sitting there doing nothing.
The bigger and more understandable concern is that of security. But really, get with the 21st century - install high grade CCTV cameras that have high resolution and nightvision. Have them placed not only in the convenience store, but also on the outside. I have observed that CCTVs aren't present in many of the vital places and even if they are, the resolution is so bad, you can see nothing. Shouldn't all petrol stations have a panic button alerting the police as well? Most petrol stations don't even have an alarm system.
So, if the petrol dealers can't help themselves, then don't come crying to the media!
As for the police. Yes, the PDRM is useless, they are never around when you need them, and when you call in an emergency, you will probably encounter the following:
1. The officer cannot speak english and takes 1 minute to pass the phone to an officer who can. Usually an Indian person.
2. The officer doesn't seem interested or unphased, no sense of urgency
And then it takes about 30-40 minutes for the police to arrive on the scene, by which time, you would either be injured or dead and definately robbed.
It is now in the hands of IGP Musa, to get all the billions worth of police cars he asked for on the road and patrolling, not being parked outside mamak stalls for hours.
So, what can we as consumers do about this? Nothing you say? Yes, there is something we can do... To hurt the dealers, we cannot attack them all at one time. We need to single out one petroleum company and boycott its stations.
In this case, it should be PETRONAS. Why? Firstly, it's quasi government. The government will definately react to this. Also, the owners are mostly Malay, which the government will be compelled to protect. Additionally, they have the most stations with possibly a large number of unprofitable stations that should and can be closed (rationalised). One third of the 3000 dealers are Petronas dealers.
Boycott PETRONAS for a start and you can work through the rest in time. But it's likely that boycotting PETRONAS will spark the necessary reaction from the government.
Article from the New Straits Times
So, it’s fill up before 10pm
KUALA LUMPUR: All petrol stations, including those on highways, will close by 10pm within two months.
The Petrol Dealers Association of Malaysia (PDAM) said yesterday that its 3,200 members would only open for business between 7am and 10pm.
PDAM spokesperson Datuk Zulkifli Mokti said this was because the association’s members faced security risks as well as declining profits."The average petrol station is robbed once a year. This happens mostly at night."
He said the station owners were operating under constant fear of being robbed as they had large amounts of cash daily."Just two weeks ago, an owner was robbed on his way home. Dealers, too, have been shot and killed, kidnapped and threatened at gunpoint."Zulkifli said that reducing work shifts from three to two would help petrol stations bring down operating costs, which had been rising over the years.
On Monday, former PDAM president Alang Zari Ishak had said that stations along highways would remain open 24 hours a day. Yesterday, Alang was removed as president after 51 out of 65 council members voted against him at a meeting.
In announcing his removal, Zulkifli said many decisions made by the council had not been properly enforced."Certain decisions were not followed up (by Alang).
"Major (R) Wahid Bidin, who was formerly the deputy president, will act as the president until the association holds its election next year.
Wednesday, July 4, 2007
UMNO's Election Strategy: Cyberspace Combatants and Debates on the Streets
...and who else better to do the job but... Dato' Azalina Othman!
The very same person who made stupid and embarassing remarks in the global media regarding Singapore's entry into hosting the Formula 1 race. She said...
"(The) region should have one F1 race. Singapore should not compete with Malaysia,"
(Really? So like the NEP, you feel it's your God Given Right? Afraid the commercial world doesn't work that way)
"I am not worried. I have no concern with Singapore hosting the F1 race," she added.
(If you're not so worried, then why remark in the first place?)
"I think Malaysia has one of the best tracks. We host the hottest race in the world. I don't think Singapore can challenge the F1 race in Malaysia,
(Are you trying to make yourself feel better now? Poor thing!)
The last statement was the most stupid one. Azalina assumes that just because she thinks that the Sepang F1 race is "Hot" that Singapore can't challenge Malaysia? Besides, who was talking about Singapore vs. Malaysia? All Singapore was doing was minding it's own business and looking at a potential commercial deal. Azalina was better off shutting her mouth and letting the market decide. Now, we look stupid and because of her stupidity and being "gung ho" about "Malaysia Boleh", you end up looking like the spoilt brat and "Malaysia Bodoh". And now, people who didn't think of comparing which is better, will think to do so, which is kind of... worse for Malaysia. Coz, we are good and building new things, but never maintaining.
And now, this Minister of Youth and Sports who has very little to show for in her success in promoting and building the Youth and Sports... unless you deem Mat Rempit's being a success (and I bet Malaysia is.. in that department)... is going to lead a cyber-war against Bloggers.
Fantastic. The Bloggers will have a field day with you and your team of proposed "writers" (to which you have no idea how to deploy).
Dato Azalina's strategy like your rattling your mouth off on the F1 Singapore, is greatly FLAWED.
Do you think that by having a team of UMNO writers battling some tenths of thousands of Blogs will be possible? Do you think it's going to change people's mindset? Words are worthless, actions from the government we voted in is what is needed. So, your writers can keep on writing, and they will be continuously bombarded. In the end, you probably didn't change hearts and minds, you probably create more resentment by those actions.
The part which is even more shocking is when she proposed that UMNO members be confrontational in coffeeshops when evesdropping on people's conversations.. ie. speaking poorly of UMNO and the government.
What kind of stupid strategy is that? It has the makings of turning into an argument, which will escalate into some racial remarks and eventually people might even trade blows. So, UMNO's strategy is to start riots to change people's mind about the government (we'll bet Khairi will be the front runner of that). WOW... this is truly mind blowing.
Also, on the part about being concerned that UMNO members might be swayed by what they read on the Blogs, look, people have minds of their own and they make their decisions and take sides based on what they see and know. If they are not taking your side, then perhaps UMNO and the component parties need to really start looking within themselves to see what is wrong and what they need to make good on.
Do you think fighting tenths of thousands of people head on is going to solve the problem? Think again.
Frankly for a Minister of Youth and Sports, she is neither wise enough to lead the youth and neither physically fit to be a model for a Sports Ministry.
We'll be looking forward to these so called writers, I'll bet the respondents on Lim Kit Siang's website and people like Marina Mahathir will gladly chew them and spit them out. Bring it on!
Umno recruiting team of writers to fight ‘cyber war’
KOTA KINABALU: Umno is set to do battle in cyberspace ahead of the anticipated general election by assembling a team of writers from every state to counter allegations about the party and its leadership on certain websites. Umno supreme council member Datuk Azalina Othman Said said she had been recently tasked by party president Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to take charge of this “cyber war.”
“This is among our key strategies in preparation for the elections. The other is getting our members to register as voters,” she said yesterday after opening the Kota Kinabalu Umno Youth, Wanita and Puteri meetings. Azalina, the Youth and Sports Minister, said all state Umno liaison committees would be asked to identify writers willing to assist the party in this cause.
However, she declined to explain how these writers would carry out their duties nor did she name the websites that had purportedly spread the allegations. Earlier, in her speech when opening the Youth, Wanita and Puteri meetings, Azalina said certain websites appeared to be stepping up their attacks against the country’s leaders. “We need to counter these blatant lies. If we remain quiet, our worry is that some of our members and civil servants will be influenced by all these nonsense,” she added.
Azalina said she was aware that many party members liked visiting certain websites and could end up believing what was posted there. On the other hand, she said, there was a tendency among opposition party members not to believe any negative report about their leaders. “We want Umno members to support and defend their leaders. If they are sitting in a coffeeshop and hear others talking badly about the party leaders they should counter those lies immediately,” Azalina added.
In a related development, she said the opposition had resorted to moving their members and supporters to seats they were confident of winning in the coming polls.
The very same person who made stupid and embarassing remarks in the global media regarding Singapore's entry into hosting the Formula 1 race. She said...
"(The) region should have one F1 race. Singapore should not compete with Malaysia,"
(Really? So like the NEP, you feel it's your God Given Right? Afraid the commercial world doesn't work that way)
"I am not worried. I have no concern with Singapore hosting the F1 race," she added.
(If you're not so worried, then why remark in the first place?)
"I think Malaysia has one of the best tracks. We host the hottest race in the world. I don't think Singapore can challenge the F1 race in Malaysia,
(Are you trying to make yourself feel better now? Poor thing!)
The last statement was the most stupid one. Azalina assumes that just because she thinks that the Sepang F1 race is "Hot" that Singapore can't challenge Malaysia? Besides, who was talking about Singapore vs. Malaysia? All Singapore was doing was minding it's own business and looking at a potential commercial deal. Azalina was better off shutting her mouth and letting the market decide. Now, we look stupid and because of her stupidity and being "gung ho" about "Malaysia Boleh", you end up looking like the spoilt brat and "Malaysia Bodoh". And now, people who didn't think of comparing which is better, will think to do so, which is kind of... worse for Malaysia. Coz, we are good and building new things, but never maintaining.
And now, this Minister of Youth and Sports who has very little to show for in her success in promoting and building the Youth and Sports... unless you deem Mat Rempit's being a success (and I bet Malaysia is.. in that department)... is going to lead a cyber-war against Bloggers.
Fantastic. The Bloggers will have a field day with you and your team of proposed "writers" (to which you have no idea how to deploy).
Dato Azalina's strategy like your rattling your mouth off on the F1 Singapore, is greatly FLAWED.
Do you think that by having a team of UMNO writers battling some tenths of thousands of Blogs will be possible? Do you think it's going to change people's mindset? Words are worthless, actions from the government we voted in is what is needed. So, your writers can keep on writing, and they will be continuously bombarded. In the end, you probably didn't change hearts and minds, you probably create more resentment by those actions.
The part which is even more shocking is when she proposed that UMNO members be confrontational in coffeeshops when evesdropping on people's conversations.. ie. speaking poorly of UMNO and the government.
What kind of stupid strategy is that? It has the makings of turning into an argument, which will escalate into some racial remarks and eventually people might even trade blows. So, UMNO's strategy is to start riots to change people's mind about the government (we'll bet Khairi will be the front runner of that). WOW... this is truly mind blowing.
Also, on the part about being concerned that UMNO members might be swayed by what they read on the Blogs, look, people have minds of their own and they make their decisions and take sides based on what they see and know. If they are not taking your side, then perhaps UMNO and the component parties need to really start looking within themselves to see what is wrong and what they need to make good on.
Do you think fighting tenths of thousands of people head on is going to solve the problem? Think again.
Frankly for a Minister of Youth and Sports, she is neither wise enough to lead the youth and neither physically fit to be a model for a Sports Ministry.
We'll be looking forward to these so called writers, I'll bet the respondents on Lim Kit Siang's website and people like Marina Mahathir will gladly chew them and spit them out. Bring it on!
Umno recruiting team of writers to fight ‘cyber war’
KOTA KINABALU: Umno is set to do battle in cyberspace ahead of the anticipated general election by assembling a team of writers from every state to counter allegations about the party and its leadership on certain websites. Umno supreme council member Datuk Azalina Othman Said said she had been recently tasked by party president Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to take charge of this “cyber war.”
“This is among our key strategies in preparation for the elections. The other is getting our members to register as voters,” she said yesterday after opening the Kota Kinabalu Umno Youth, Wanita and Puteri meetings. Azalina, the Youth and Sports Minister, said all state Umno liaison committees would be asked to identify writers willing to assist the party in this cause.
However, she declined to explain how these writers would carry out their duties nor did she name the websites that had purportedly spread the allegations. Earlier, in her speech when opening the Youth, Wanita and Puteri meetings, Azalina said certain websites appeared to be stepping up their attacks against the country’s leaders. “We need to counter these blatant lies. If we remain quiet, our worry is that some of our members and civil servants will be influenced by all these nonsense,” she added.
Azalina said she was aware that many party members liked visiting certain websites and could end up believing what was posted there. On the other hand, she said, there was a tendency among opposition party members not to believe any negative report about their leaders. “We want Umno members to support and defend their leaders. If they are sitting in a coffeeshop and hear others talking badly about the party leaders they should counter those lies immediately,” Azalina added.
In a related development, she said the opposition had resorted to moving their members and supporters to seats they were confident of winning in the coming polls.
Tuesday, July 3, 2007
Freedom of Religion in Malaysia a Fallacy Part 2
Malaysia Truly Asia... My Ass!
With reference to Lim Kit Siang's Blog to the article "Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Puchong - why from freehold to 60 yrs lease?". This is an outrage. To see the outrage expressed by Malaysians of different faiths, please refer to the link above.
This isn't the first time this is being done to the Non-Muslim citizens of our "great" nation. You can refer to a previous article that we published on this site with regards to the "Goddess of the Sea". Actually apart from these two recent incidences, there have been others that have gone unpublished. There is a reason for that. One, the media can be biased and this may seem like stirring up racial sentiment. Two, the people affected, being compassionate buddhists/hindus and good Christians, just keep silent and not do anything, for fear of being arrested for sedition or because they don't see the extent of what these precedences mean for our young and the future of Non-Muslims. In summary, they are too Chicken Shit to do something about it.
If we were part of the Malay Muslim community, there will be riots led by people like Khairi as he has clearly shown what he is capable of in the past year, rallying against US Govt Officials. While people like Minister in the PMs department Nazri, tell the rest of us not to aggrevate the Malay community (or else...).
So, what do we do? Be good Christians and turn the other cheek, or perhaps be compassionate Buddhists and meditate on it?
There comes a time when a response is required, one that puts the government in check.
Here is what R had to say:
Even as the PM was talking overseas telling about love and peace and harmony in our multireligious country, there are many fundamentalists trying to derail his statements and prove him wrong.
I am a Catholic. I was informed that our new Church in Puchong, Our Lady of Guadalupe, suddenly faced a “crisis”. This church is in Selangor and you must remember what happened to our application for a church in Shah Alam over 20 years ago. Whether the Selangor govt or just the over-zealous local authorities are behind that problem, I don’t know. But now, it’s happening directly aimed at our church in Puchong.
This Church was actually an old chapel which was asked to relocate owing to housing development and the developers promised to give back a piece of land to rebuild a church. For many years we have been operating from temporary buildings including shifting from shophouse to shophouse. Finally a Church was built on a funny V-shaped piece of land in front of some shophouses just before an industrial area. It looked like remnant, left-over vacant land but beggars can’t be choosers?
The land in the whole area including the land over which the Church is built is freehold land. Now, suddenly out of the blue, we are told that the land on which the Church is built is alienated to a 60 years leasehold whilst the surrounding area is still freehold! Is this not discriminatory?
R has sent a follow-up email:
I just checked with someone. It’s getting complicated here. When SP Setia took over the chapel land (near Tesco Puchong), they promised to give back freehold land. When they finally gave the land for the Church to be built, they said that it was freehold land. Either SP Setia “pulled” a fast one over the first committee who were mostly very trusting estate people or the State government took the opportunity to alter the status.
In the recent May 15, 2007 copy of the “Reach Out” magazine issued free to residents of Puchong by IOI Properties, there is a write-up about the Selangor State Exco, YB Tang See Hang, presenting the approved land title documents to the parish priest.
The tenure of the land was stated as 60 years when all the while the Church was under the impression that the land is freehold. At which stage did the status of the land turn from freehold to leasehold?
By the way the surrounding area is freehold. Right in front of the church is a fenced up freehold land which is earmarked for our community building. Recently we had some banners regarding our activities draped on the fence of this place. MPSJ staff in a MPSJ lorry came in the evening and took away those banners. Why?
- end quote -
With reference to Lim Kit Siang's Blog to the article "Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Puchong - why from freehold to 60 yrs lease?". This is an outrage. To see the outrage expressed by Malaysians of different faiths, please refer to the link above.
This isn't the first time this is being done to the Non-Muslim citizens of our "great" nation. You can refer to a previous article that we published on this site with regards to the "Goddess of the Sea". Actually apart from these two recent incidences, there have been others that have gone unpublished. There is a reason for that. One, the media can be biased and this may seem like stirring up racial sentiment. Two, the people affected, being compassionate buddhists/hindus and good Christians, just keep silent and not do anything, for fear of being arrested for sedition or because they don't see the extent of what these precedences mean for our young and the future of Non-Muslims. In summary, they are too Chicken Shit to do something about it.
If we were part of the Malay Muslim community, there will be riots led by people like Khairi as he has clearly shown what he is capable of in the past year, rallying against US Govt Officials. While people like Minister in the PMs department Nazri, tell the rest of us not to aggrevate the Malay community (or else...).
So, what do we do? Be good Christians and turn the other cheek, or perhaps be compassionate Buddhists and meditate on it?
There comes a time when a response is required, one that puts the government in check.
Here is what R had to say:
Even as the PM was talking overseas telling about love and peace and harmony in our multireligious country, there are many fundamentalists trying to derail his statements and prove him wrong.
I am a Catholic. I was informed that our new Church in Puchong, Our Lady of Guadalupe, suddenly faced a “crisis”. This church is in Selangor and you must remember what happened to our application for a church in Shah Alam over 20 years ago. Whether the Selangor govt or just the over-zealous local authorities are behind that problem, I don’t know. But now, it’s happening directly aimed at our church in Puchong.
This Church was actually an old chapel which was asked to relocate owing to housing development and the developers promised to give back a piece of land to rebuild a church. For many years we have been operating from temporary buildings including shifting from shophouse to shophouse. Finally a Church was built on a funny V-shaped piece of land in front of some shophouses just before an industrial area. It looked like remnant, left-over vacant land but beggars can’t be choosers?
The land in the whole area including the land over which the Church is built is freehold land. Now, suddenly out of the blue, we are told that the land on which the Church is built is alienated to a 60 years leasehold whilst the surrounding area is still freehold! Is this not discriminatory?
R has sent a follow-up email:
I just checked with someone. It’s getting complicated here. When SP Setia took over the chapel land (near Tesco Puchong), they promised to give back freehold land. When they finally gave the land for the Church to be built, they said that it was freehold land. Either SP Setia “pulled” a fast one over the first committee who were mostly very trusting estate people or the State government took the opportunity to alter the status.
In the recent May 15, 2007 copy of the “Reach Out” magazine issued free to residents of Puchong by IOI Properties, there is a write-up about the Selangor State Exco, YB Tang See Hang, presenting the approved land title documents to the parish priest.
The tenure of the land was stated as 60 years when all the while the Church was under the impression that the land is freehold. At which stage did the status of the land turn from freehold to leasehold?
By the way the surrounding area is freehold. Right in front of the church is a fenced up freehold land which is earmarked for our community building. Recently we had some banners regarding our activities draped on the fence of this place. MPSJ staff in a MPSJ lorry came in the evening and took away those banners. Why?
- end quote -
All this talk about freedom of religion and Malaysia being a model for the world in terms of multireligious and multi ethnic society living in peace and harmony is a whitewash. Frankly, it's only because the minority races are the tolerant ones. It is the minority races and religions of Malaysia that ALWAYS turn the other cheek. They don't riot or make such matters into big political issues. However, try to shut down one mosque and see what happens, not even that, just talk about it and see the harsh and violent backlash from our Malay Muslim friends.
People, you have a choice. You can make your dissatisfaction known to the government by voting the other way. Many of us were raised to be Barisan supporters, however, times has changed the people in government and they have become more fanatical than before. UMNO increasingly is becoming arrogant and very much like PAS with such policies, MCA is ball-less and clue-less, while MIC is led by Samy, who will lead for another 20 years - we all know what that means.
Barisan was good to us in the days of old. But these days, the Malay Ultras are fast becoming no different from their competition in PAS. It's time for a change, or at least to balance the power in parliament. As of a few weeks ago, it seemed that Nazri owns the place, using inappropriate language and name calling - shame shame Nazri.
Here are some quotes:
"And where is the source of money used to build mosque? - Gambling tax, sales of alcohol tax, ……well it is not Haram business activities?… But it seems to be alright to build the mosques from Haram source of money…..
If they really care about haram or halal, it it holier to built the mosques from their own worshippers’ donation.:
"In PJ,within less than a square kilometre ,there are at least 10 mosques big and small.Can you imagine that?"
"Churches, buddist and hindu temples get built only through begging…whether for money or favours, whilst mosques get built under Malaysian plans and national budgets. What freedom…its a joke and as a result we lose our image through the eyes of potential investors. Any country which has a negative undercurrent will drive away investors..don’t these idiots know that."
- end quote -
Also found a link to the Church website... http://www.olgpuchong.org/.
Christians, Hindus and Buddhists, it is time for you to respond. There is no place for religious opression in Malaysia or for these "little napoleons" (or rather little bastard Hitlers) to impose their own brand of governanace upon us.
If you're not going to rally and protest, then, it's time for you to think about where and for whom you cast your votes. We are not opposition supporters, but we seek to attain our basic human rights, and in our case, voting the opposition gives a greater voice to those who will speak for us and NOT against us.
Saturday, June 9, 2007
Local Authorities Conspiracy to Commit Extortion
And again, dirty cops, conspiracy to commit extortion of now, an innocent trader. You may think this is a one off thing. No it isn't.
Our authorities have been involved in a whole host of crimes against citizens. I am sure that the reported story below on the 10th May 07 is one of many unreported cases. This is certainly more than just a bribe or one may say, extortion of RM50-100 for traffic offences.
What I hear from some very reliable sources, as well as the victims themselves is that the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs, as well as the Enforcement Officers of City Hall or DBKL have been conspiring and extorting money from the DVD peddlers who are selling pirated DVDs.
Apparently, the proceeds from the raids, meaning the DVDs that are consfiscated in the tenths of thousands are subsequently resold to the peddlers and syndicates whom they were originally consfiscated from at a price of a few thousand Ringgit for a batch of discs. Obviously this isn't something that is sanctioned by the government, but it is obvious that this goes high enough whereby the entire department can turn a blind eye, auditors and gatekeepers are silenced and the many people who make it work are well protected from scrutiny.
What seems to irritate the peddlers is that the officers think that they owe them a living and that they are getting fat on cheating the public, the MPAA and that they have to buy back what was originally theirs. However, due to shortage of supply, this is welcome and the price is paid
Our hearts actually go out to the DVD peddlers, not so much that we enjoy buying and watching movies that would otherwise be unaffordable to us at RM150 for an original. The local cuts are rubbish, no THX, DTS or surround sound, and they are also censored by FINAS who applies strick Islamic thinking that a mother kissing a child is "haram" a sin and shouldn't be shown. Much less, the occassional kissing and revealing clothes. Did we say that it's also about RM60 per DVD?
But really, our hearts go out to them because they have families as well, and although they are peddling pirated copies to the public, they are not involved in the vices that plague our cities, they don't hurt anyone and they just go about their day ensuring that we have a free flow of information that is uncensored for our un-interrupted viewing pleasure. The only one who sufferes is the MPAA and some large production companies like Universal and MGM that already make a killing in the developed world.
Fact is, we are a developing nation, though it may be wrong, piracy has done it's good for us. Not only for the movies, but also all the software.
Wrong? Bad? Immoral? If you think so, think again...
A short and simple example. A kid learns how to use Photoshop, a software that would easily be RM5,000, and he becomes proficient in it and applies it in school and has a genuine interest. He eventually becomes a graphic artist or a computer programmer. Who is to say? No family would spend that much to buy software, or even RM600 for Windows Vista. Just so that their child can experiment with it, eventually get bored and lose interest? No, it doesn't happen, not in a developing nation.
Software piracy has help build the proficiency of our nation's people and enabled the ones who can least afford it and the ignorant to experience it and learn something about it. What we have today, is a result of that. All it takes is interest and RM10 to get a copy.
As wrong as it sounds, there is good that has come from it. Our government fails to see what they are supporting and what the nation needs. They are supporting western values of developed countries that can already afford these things.
However, as I understand that the people in government are mostly now from the 20,000 local graduates that couldn't get jobs in the private sector due to language proficiency and substandard understandings of their degrees, I suppose, that some dimwitted idea would have come from one of these people, probably because they don't see the benefit of it, didn't benefit from it and is obviously computer illiterate. They are most likely the ones surfing for porn rather than reading articles like this from the world of free information and enlightening themselves. God help them and God help us all.
Two cops arrested after trader reports extortion
KUALA LUMPUR: Two policemen were arrested early yesterday for allegedly extorting RM21,000 from a night market trader.
Both the policemen, said to be lance corporals in their 40s, were arrested at the Sentul district police headquarters when they came in for questioning.One is said to be attached to the city police headquarters and the other is from the Sentul district. They were remanded for three days.
The 42-year-old trader, who lodged a report at the Taman Melawati police station, claimed he had been extorted twice within the past two weeks.In both cases, the same suspects are believed to be involved. However, it is learnt that investigators are looking for at least one other suspect.In the first incident about two weeks ago, the trader was at his stall when he was approached by three men who introduced themselves as policemen.
They arrested him for allegedly being involved in illegal gaming. The trader was told that he would be released if he paid them RM15,000.The money was brought by the victim’s son to a police station in Setapak, and the victim was released.
Last Wednesday, while the trader was at his stall about 9pm, he was again approached by three men. It is not known if they were the same men.The three men told the trader that they wanted to check his car. They did not find anything. The trader was then ordered to drive the three to a foodcourt in Bandar Baru Sentul.
He told police that the three demanded another RM15,000. The trader appealed and the amount was reduced to RM6,000.Once again, the trader contacted his son, who brought the money to the foodcourt.
After that, the trader claimed he received several calls from one of the suspects who demanded more money.
Fed up, he lodged the police report.
Our authorities have been involved in a whole host of crimes against citizens. I am sure that the reported story below on the 10th May 07 is one of many unreported cases. This is certainly more than just a bribe or one may say, extortion of RM50-100 for traffic offences.
What I hear from some very reliable sources, as well as the victims themselves is that the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs, as well as the Enforcement Officers of City Hall or DBKL have been conspiring and extorting money from the DVD peddlers who are selling pirated DVDs.
Apparently, the proceeds from the raids, meaning the DVDs that are consfiscated in the tenths of thousands are subsequently resold to the peddlers and syndicates whom they were originally consfiscated from at a price of a few thousand Ringgit for a batch of discs. Obviously this isn't something that is sanctioned by the government, but it is obvious that this goes high enough whereby the entire department can turn a blind eye, auditors and gatekeepers are silenced and the many people who make it work are well protected from scrutiny.
What seems to irritate the peddlers is that the officers think that they owe them a living and that they are getting fat on cheating the public, the MPAA and that they have to buy back what was originally theirs. However, due to shortage of supply, this is welcome and the price is paid
Our hearts actually go out to the DVD peddlers, not so much that we enjoy buying and watching movies that would otherwise be unaffordable to us at RM150 for an original. The local cuts are rubbish, no THX, DTS or surround sound, and they are also censored by FINAS who applies strick Islamic thinking that a mother kissing a child is "haram" a sin and shouldn't be shown. Much less, the occassional kissing and revealing clothes. Did we say that it's also about RM60 per DVD?
But really, our hearts go out to them because they have families as well, and although they are peddling pirated copies to the public, they are not involved in the vices that plague our cities, they don't hurt anyone and they just go about their day ensuring that we have a free flow of information that is uncensored for our un-interrupted viewing pleasure. The only one who sufferes is the MPAA and some large production companies like Universal and MGM that already make a killing in the developed world.
Fact is, we are a developing nation, though it may be wrong, piracy has done it's good for us. Not only for the movies, but also all the software.
Wrong? Bad? Immoral? If you think so, think again...
A short and simple example. A kid learns how to use Photoshop, a software that would easily be RM5,000, and he becomes proficient in it and applies it in school and has a genuine interest. He eventually becomes a graphic artist or a computer programmer. Who is to say? No family would spend that much to buy software, or even RM600 for Windows Vista. Just so that their child can experiment with it, eventually get bored and lose interest? No, it doesn't happen, not in a developing nation.
Software piracy has help build the proficiency of our nation's people and enabled the ones who can least afford it and the ignorant to experience it and learn something about it. What we have today, is a result of that. All it takes is interest and RM10 to get a copy.
As wrong as it sounds, there is good that has come from it. Our government fails to see what they are supporting and what the nation needs. They are supporting western values of developed countries that can already afford these things.
However, as I understand that the people in government are mostly now from the 20,000 local graduates that couldn't get jobs in the private sector due to language proficiency and substandard understandings of their degrees, I suppose, that some dimwitted idea would have come from one of these people, probably because they don't see the benefit of it, didn't benefit from it and is obviously computer illiterate. They are most likely the ones surfing for porn rather than reading articles like this from the world of free information and enlightening themselves. God help them and God help us all.
Two cops arrested after trader reports extortion
KUALA LUMPUR: Two policemen were arrested early yesterday for allegedly extorting RM21,000 from a night market trader.
Both the policemen, said to be lance corporals in their 40s, were arrested at the Sentul district police headquarters when they came in for questioning.One is said to be attached to the city police headquarters and the other is from the Sentul district. They were remanded for three days.
The 42-year-old trader, who lodged a report at the Taman Melawati police station, claimed he had been extorted twice within the past two weeks.In both cases, the same suspects are believed to be involved. However, it is learnt that investigators are looking for at least one other suspect.In the first incident about two weeks ago, the trader was at his stall when he was approached by three men who introduced themselves as policemen.
They arrested him for allegedly being involved in illegal gaming. The trader was told that he would be released if he paid them RM15,000.The money was brought by the victim’s son to a police station in Setapak, and the victim was released.
Last Wednesday, while the trader was at his stall about 9pm, he was again approached by three men. It is not known if they were the same men.The three men told the trader that they wanted to check his car. They did not find anything. The trader was then ordered to drive the three to a foodcourt in Bandar Baru Sentul.
He told police that the three demanded another RM15,000. The trader appealed and the amount was reduced to RM6,000.Once again, the trader contacted his son, who brought the money to the foodcourt.
After that, the trader claimed he received several calls from one of the suspects who demanded more money.
Fed up, he lodged the police report.
Saturday, May 12, 2007
State Funds and the Unfairness of State and Federal Government Directives
There is no real freedom of religion in Malaysia. It’s all a whitewash to paint a wonderful picture - of old - basically saying that we are a multicultural, multireligious nation where everyone gets along, when in actuality, there are racist undertones driven by matters such as these. I believe that the people are getting tired and having the wool pulled over our eyes.
I don't think people of other faiths have issues with the spreading of the word of Islam. But why are they constantly being prevented from exercising their religious rights?
Unless you have ever been involved or close to the establishment of a religious society, temple / church premises you will never see and understand what our government does to prevent it from happening.
Some examples:
1. The catholic church in Shah Alam, property was given to the church by the Sultan of Selangor for the parish to gather their funds to build the Church. Just after the ground breaking, and construction begins, the state government comes in and revokes the right to build the church.
2. Buddhist Monks and Priests always seem to have problems gaining entry into the country. Their Visa’s are never more than 1 month and usually they are not allowed to extend their stay. How then will qualified religious scholars preach?
3. The Catholic Church has a shortage of priests, so much so that they have old and aged priests, one who is a stroke patient, having to perform Mass.
In other cases, even if you had the money, you can’t build your Church or Temple as it wouldn’t be approved by the state government. However, mosques are everywhere. Just look at the Wangsa Maju and Ulu Kelang area, why need there be so many? Also, mosques are built using state funds and state funds are gained from taxes not only paid by Muslims, but by those of other faiths.
Sure, people don't mind if you want to build mosques that cost tenths of millions of ringgit, a real waste if you ask me. Just see the Jalan Duta mosque that is built on prime property that was sponsored by the Ministry of Finance. But what people won’t accept is the inequality and the misuse of public funds to build these mosques whilst you denying other faiths their right to more churches and temples. The best part, we aren’t even challenging the fact that the government doesn’t subsidise the building of our places of worship.
So in the meantime, while you build another enormous mosque in Wangsa Maju (near Jusco), the money spent by the project sponsors - DBKL, fails to address the poor road conditions that are used by thousands of residents and the public every day.
In the case of the Goddess of Mercy project, what does it matter what distance it is from a mosque? Is it because it stands taller than a mosque and therefore some small minded individuals feel that it represents a greater faith than Islam? Well, if this is so, then it is the government’s duty to educate these people because it isn’t the case.
Isn’t it unfair that everyone, accept the state government’s “bulldozing” decision to build cemeteries in prime areas like Kota Damansara and Desa Kiara (Along the NKVE), even infringing the law by demolishing forest reserve land and by doing so, destroying property values. While the same people impose upon us that we cannot build our places of worship here and there.
Consider this, the non Muslim cemetery's now have to be built far out in the “boonies”. Such as the Nilai Memorial Park that is a great distance from the city. If some people can have the convenience, some others would like that too.
It’s time for these issues to come into the open, there is only so much and so long people can tolerate this.
I don't think people of other faiths have issues with the spreading of the word of Islam. But why are they constantly being prevented from exercising their religious rights?
Unless you have ever been involved or close to the establishment of a religious society, temple / church premises you will never see and understand what our government does to prevent it from happening.
Some examples:
1. The catholic church in Shah Alam, property was given to the church by the Sultan of Selangor for the parish to gather their funds to build the Church. Just after the ground breaking, and construction begins, the state government comes in and revokes the right to build the church.
2. Buddhist Monks and Priests always seem to have problems gaining entry into the country. Their Visa’s are never more than 1 month and usually they are not allowed to extend their stay. How then will qualified religious scholars preach?
3. The Catholic Church has a shortage of priests, so much so that they have old and aged priests, one who is a stroke patient, having to perform Mass.
In other cases, even if you had the money, you can’t build your Church or Temple as it wouldn’t be approved by the state government. However, mosques are everywhere. Just look at the Wangsa Maju and Ulu Kelang area, why need there be so many? Also, mosques are built using state funds and state funds are gained from taxes not only paid by Muslims, but by those of other faiths.
Sure, people don't mind if you want to build mosques that cost tenths of millions of ringgit, a real waste if you ask me. Just see the Jalan Duta mosque that is built on prime property that was sponsored by the Ministry of Finance. But what people won’t accept is the inequality and the misuse of public funds to build these mosques whilst you denying other faiths their right to more churches and temples. The best part, we aren’t even challenging the fact that the government doesn’t subsidise the building of our places of worship.
So in the meantime, while you build another enormous mosque in Wangsa Maju (near Jusco), the money spent by the project sponsors - DBKL, fails to address the poor road conditions that are used by thousands of residents and the public every day.
In the case of the Goddess of Mercy project, what does it matter what distance it is from a mosque? Is it because it stands taller than a mosque and therefore some small minded individuals feel that it represents a greater faith than Islam? Well, if this is so, then it is the government’s duty to educate these people because it isn’t the case.
Isn’t it unfair that everyone, accept the state government’s “bulldozing” decision to build cemeteries in prime areas like Kota Damansara and Desa Kiara (Along the NKVE), even infringing the law by demolishing forest reserve land and by doing so, destroying property values. While the same people impose upon us that we cannot build our places of worship here and there.
Consider this, the non Muslim cemetery's now have to be built far out in the “boonies”. Such as the Nilai Memorial Park that is a great distance from the city. If some people can have the convenience, some others would like that too.
It’s time for these issues to come into the open, there is only so much and so long people can tolerate this.
Wednesday, May 9, 2007
Freedom of Religion in Malaysia - A Fallacy
It's our constitutional right to enjoy our freedom to practice our and worship as we like. But yet, there are people in our government and authorities who by their abuse of authority and narrow minded-ness , do their earnest best to prevent the proliferation of any other religion but Islam.
The following articles extracted from The Star are examples and of such injustice. One may read them and feel, well, they are going to sort out their problems. There are parties that seem to want to resolve this amicably. True. By saying resolve, they mean; stalling the project and insisting on their way forward for the perceived benefit of their religion and narrow beliefs.
In this case, I would ultimately like to see the project continue and the authorities see the value of it, as well as educating the objecting parties that we live in a multiracial and multireligious country and this is part of learning to live together.
What does a mosque and a Taoist statue, in "close proximity" symbolise? It symbolises the hormony between religions, races and the people. That at least 2 religions can co-exist without conflict. It symbolises to the Chinese and Buddhists that the government is also sincere in their attempts to break the segregating barriers between races and that the will of our Malay Ministers and Muslim countrymen will not be imposed upon us. In doing this, other people of other religious faiths will also take this as a beacon of hope.
But you see, the issue is not really the proximity of mosque and statue, it's the height of the statue. Apparently, in the attempt to build the Catholic Church in Shah Alam (which was later retracted by the Selangor State Government), the architechts were told that the highest part of the Church should be no taller than the tallest mosque in the area. Though no explanation is given, the perception is that certain people feel that Islam's superiority over other religions is denoted by the lower rooftops of the other religious buildings.
Malaysia, in its early days did not have such issues and the government didn't impose such things until the 80s or thereabouts. Taking this matter to another level, Churches are not allowed to be built even if the parish has money to do so. However, mosques are built everywhere on the basis that there should be 1 mosque per every 3-400 muslims. Better still, the public thru taxes pay for the building of these mosques, regardless if they are non-Muslim. How unfair is that? Further to that, based on the mosque quota above, the time has arrived where there are so many, that the "location is important" said by Tan Sri Hamid will no longer be possible for other religious sites. This is evident today where there are so many mosques around, many which are marble clad and gigantic, paid for by ALL Malaysian Citizens, while Christians and Buddhists have to resort to preaching and worshipping in little shophouses.
Many people whom I have spoken to say that we shouldn't rock the boat and should be thankful that this government even allows us to practice our faiths in a small way. We are thankful for the leeway we are given.
But I ask why?
Why should I pay for a mosque and not even get a temple or church in exchange? Isn't this a violoation of my religious rights, my constutional rights and my human rights?
It is the job of the government to ensure that quarters that object in such situations are put to rest and managed. Instead, they are supporting them.
Clearly if this is the case, then perhaps this is another reason why I should take my chances with the opposition.
Malaysia in its early days, was a place where
‘Leave Ma Tzu out of politics’
KOTA KINABALU:The Buddhist Foundation said the issue arising from the construction of the Ma Tzu Goddess of the Sea statue in Kudat should not be turned into a political issue.
Tan Sri Chong Kah Kiat resigned as deputy chief minister. The foundation’s Sabah and Labuan chairman Tsen Nyuk Vun hoped the state government and the Kudat Ma Tzu Foundation would arrive at an amicable solution.
Work on the 27-metre statue was stopped following objections from several organisations that it was located too close to the district mosque.
The decision prompted Tanjung Kapor assemblyman Tan Sri Chong Kah Kiat, who mooted its construction, to resign as deputy chief minister and tourism, culture and environment minister.
Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman had on Monday revealed that the state government had offered an alternative site for the statue and agreed to compensate the costs incurred so far.
Tsen was among 50 religious leaders who met with Musa at his office on Monday.
During the meeting, Musa explained that he had never objected to the project and that the stop-work order had nothing to do with curtailing religious freedom.
"We sincerely hope the state government and the Kudat Ma Tzu Foundation will seek an amicable solution on the matter," Tsen said in a statement on behalf of 10 Buddhist bodies in Sabah and Labuan.
He said they were happy with the chief minister’s reassurance of freedom of religion as guaranteed in the Federal Constitution.
"We should encourage the peaceful coexistence of different religions to promote mutual respect, understanding and harmony to build a better society in Sabah and in Malaysia as a whole," he added.
Be more sensitive to religious issues, leaders told
PUTRAJAYA: Political leaders, regardless of the parties they represent, must remain sensitive to religious issues, no matter how trivial.
Tan Sri Abdul Hamid Othman, religious adviser to the prime minister, said such issues must never be politicised as this could disrupt peace and stability."There must be alternatives and solutions to every problem. "As political party leaders, they must refrain from making statements that can lead to provocation or anger. "They must be tolerant of each other and seek solutions that will ensure the continued religious and ethnic coexistence among all the races," he added. Hamid was referring to the controversy over the Ma Tzu Goddess of the Sea statue in Kudat, which had resulted in the resignation of Tan Sri Chong Kah Kiat as the Sabah deputy chief minister.
Chong wanted the 27-metre statue to be built, but Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman had ordered the work to be stopped. Musa said the decision to stop the construction followed objections from other quarters.
During a meeting with 50 Christian, Buddhist and Taoist leaders, Musa said the United Sabah Islamic Association, Angkatan Belia Islam Malaysia, Persatuan Belia Intelek Kudat, Kudat As-Syakirin mosque committee and Umno Kudat were unhappy with the site for the statue. They objected because the statue was being built too close to the district mosque. Musa said the state government had offered an alternative site for the statue and agreed to pay compensation for the cost incurred. He accused Chong of trying to politicise the issue, adding that the original site of the statue had been given to a shipping company to put up a building.
Hamid said constructing places of worship for all races had never been a problem. "It is not an issue at all, but the location matters."So, it becomes the responsibility of all quarters and the leaders to find a suitable site that will not create problems for someone else. "Sensitivity of the location must never be overlooked," he said.
The following articles extracted from The Star are examples and of such injustice. One may read them and feel, well, they are going to sort out their problems. There are parties that seem to want to resolve this amicably. True. By saying resolve, they mean; stalling the project and insisting on their way forward for the perceived benefit of their religion and narrow beliefs.
In this case, I would ultimately like to see the project continue and the authorities see the value of it, as well as educating the objecting parties that we live in a multiracial and multireligious country and this is part of learning to live together.
What does a mosque and a Taoist statue, in "close proximity" symbolise? It symbolises the hormony between religions, races and the people. That at least 2 religions can co-exist without conflict. It symbolises to the Chinese and Buddhists that the government is also sincere in their attempts to break the segregating barriers between races and that the will of our Malay Ministers and Muslim countrymen will not be imposed upon us. In doing this, other people of other religious faiths will also take this as a beacon of hope.
But you see, the issue is not really the proximity of mosque and statue, it's the height of the statue. Apparently, in the attempt to build the Catholic Church in Shah Alam (which was later retracted by the Selangor State Government), the architechts were told that the highest part of the Church should be no taller than the tallest mosque in the area. Though no explanation is given, the perception is that certain people feel that Islam's superiority over other religions is denoted by the lower rooftops of the other religious buildings.
Malaysia, in its early days did not have such issues and the government didn't impose such things until the 80s or thereabouts. Taking this matter to another level, Churches are not allowed to be built even if the parish has money to do so. However, mosques are built everywhere on the basis that there should be 1 mosque per every 3-400 muslims. Better still, the public thru taxes pay for the building of these mosques, regardless if they are non-Muslim. How unfair is that? Further to that, based on the mosque quota above, the time has arrived where there are so many, that the "location is important" said by Tan Sri Hamid will no longer be possible for other religious sites. This is evident today where there are so many mosques around, many which are marble clad and gigantic, paid for by ALL Malaysian Citizens, while Christians and Buddhists have to resort to preaching and worshipping in little shophouses.
Many people whom I have spoken to say that we shouldn't rock the boat and should be thankful that this government even allows us to practice our faiths in a small way. We are thankful for the leeway we are given.
But I ask why?
Why should I pay for a mosque and not even get a temple or church in exchange? Isn't this a violoation of my religious rights, my constutional rights and my human rights?
It is the job of the government to ensure that quarters that object in such situations are put to rest and managed. Instead, they are supporting them.
Clearly if this is the case, then perhaps this is another reason why I should take my chances with the opposition.
Malaysia in its early days, was a place where
‘Leave Ma Tzu out of politics’
KOTA KINABALU:The Buddhist Foundation said the issue arising from the construction of the Ma Tzu Goddess of the Sea statue in Kudat should not be turned into a political issue.
Tan Sri Chong Kah Kiat resigned as deputy chief minister. The foundation’s Sabah and Labuan chairman Tsen Nyuk Vun hoped the state government and the Kudat Ma Tzu Foundation would arrive at an amicable solution.
Work on the 27-metre statue was stopped following objections from several organisations that it was located too close to the district mosque.
The decision prompted Tanjung Kapor assemblyman Tan Sri Chong Kah Kiat, who mooted its construction, to resign as deputy chief minister and tourism, culture and environment minister.
Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman had on Monday revealed that the state government had offered an alternative site for the statue and agreed to compensate the costs incurred so far.
Tsen was among 50 religious leaders who met with Musa at his office on Monday.
During the meeting, Musa explained that he had never objected to the project and that the stop-work order had nothing to do with curtailing religious freedom.
"We sincerely hope the state government and the Kudat Ma Tzu Foundation will seek an amicable solution on the matter," Tsen said in a statement on behalf of 10 Buddhist bodies in Sabah and Labuan.
He said they were happy with the chief minister’s reassurance of freedom of religion as guaranteed in the Federal Constitution.
"We should encourage the peaceful coexistence of different religions to promote mutual respect, understanding and harmony to build a better society in Sabah and in Malaysia as a whole," he added.
Be more sensitive to religious issues, leaders told
PUTRAJAYA: Political leaders, regardless of the parties they represent, must remain sensitive to religious issues, no matter how trivial.
Tan Sri Abdul Hamid Othman, religious adviser to the prime minister, said such issues must never be politicised as this could disrupt peace and stability."There must be alternatives and solutions to every problem. "As political party leaders, they must refrain from making statements that can lead to provocation or anger. "They must be tolerant of each other and seek solutions that will ensure the continued religious and ethnic coexistence among all the races," he added. Hamid was referring to the controversy over the Ma Tzu Goddess of the Sea statue in Kudat, which had resulted in the resignation of Tan Sri Chong Kah Kiat as the Sabah deputy chief minister.
Chong wanted the 27-metre statue to be built, but Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman had ordered the work to be stopped. Musa said the decision to stop the construction followed objections from other quarters.
During a meeting with 50 Christian, Buddhist and Taoist leaders, Musa said the United Sabah Islamic Association, Angkatan Belia Islam Malaysia, Persatuan Belia Intelek Kudat, Kudat As-Syakirin mosque committee and Umno Kudat were unhappy with the site for the statue. They objected because the statue was being built too close to the district mosque. Musa said the state government had offered an alternative site for the statue and agreed to pay compensation for the cost incurred. He accused Chong of trying to politicise the issue, adding that the original site of the statue had been given to a shipping company to put up a building.
Hamid said constructing places of worship for all races had never been a problem. "It is not an issue at all, but the location matters."So, it becomes the responsibility of all quarters and the leaders to find a suitable site that will not create problems for someone else. "Sensitivity of the location must never be overlooked," he said.
Rapists Impersonating Police Roam Free - Why?
Yes, this is a known fact, the article below isn't the first case. We have heard this before, somebody wearing a Policeman's uniform, Military uniform etc. and eventually conning somebody or raping some poor woman.
So how will the rakyat ever know whether the person they are dealing with is an impersonator?
Very simply, there are shops in Pertama Complex in Kuala Lumpur that sell all sorts of government uniforms mentioned above. They even sell handcuffs, trunchents and full regalia including the badges. All are government issue. So anybody, can go there and buy these things, and they aren't expensive.
I had a friend in the US Air Force who asked me to help him buy a camouflage suit, coz he likes collecting military wear of other countries. And I did, it was easy, like buying something at Giordano. No ID was requested, no questions asked.
I believe an investigative reporter did an article in the Star or NST (over a year ago) on these merchants in Pertama Complex and found out the same things I did, except he found out that they were also selling handcuffs and even asked whether he would like to buy the sargeant's badges as well.
What I'd like to know is why do such merchants exist? Shouldn't the sale of official government uniforms be procured and distributed by their respectful departments? I believe in most countries this would be the case. Otherwise, it's as good as selling them in the pasar malam.
I have a theory, and simply, I believe it's because there is someone in the background cashing in on this as a private business can be manipulated in ways to pass on profits to "invisible" shareholders.
I cannot think of any reason why the procurement and distribution of official military or police uniforms should reside outside the care of the respective departments and authorities. How else will they control who and ensuring that the right people get the correct uniform to ensure that they do not go around mis-representing themselves and causing harm.
That would be the root cause of the problem, not what has been suggested by Johor Baru (South) Deputy OCPD Supt Roslan Zainuddin, which is to ask for their Police ID. Besides, what does a Police ID look like. I have never seen one and I wouldn't be able to tell the forged from the genuine. There should be a campaign with posters showing what a these IDs looks like.
This is a big problem, it is a loose end that creates opportunities for vice and the sad thing is, you won't think it's a problem until it happens to you or your loved ones. Again, this is the price we pay for a government that doesn't pay attention to the little details that will either make or break this country.
Crime in Malaysia, Johor especially is so high, anybody who was aware, wouldn't even want to invest in the place, let alone for a holiday visit.
Today it's a Indonesian worker, tomorrow it could be your child, wife or sister... who's to know. Will you continue to stand for this sort of neglegence?
Indon job-seeker robbed, raped by ‘cops’
JOHOR BARU: An Indonesian woman who came here looking for a job was robbed and raped by two police impersonators.
The 29-year-old victim had taken a shortcut through a back alley to get to her hostel in Jalan Pelangi at 1.30pm yesterday when the two men stopped her.
They showed her a pair a handcuffs and asked for her identification documents. When she could not produce the papers, the men told her to get on one of their motorcycles. Instead of taking her to the police station, they rode to a plantation where they raped her and took her belongings.
The woman, who managed to find her way out of the area, sought the assistance of passers-by to send her to the police station.
In another case, a 52-year-old woman was raped after she accepted the offer of a “good Samaritan.”
The man drove her to a shopping complex and even offered to pay for her spectacles. Later, he took her to a secluded spot and raped her in the car.
Johor Baru (South) Deputy OCPD Supt Roslan Zainuddin appealed to those with information on both cases to contact the police hotline at 07-221 2999 or the nearest police station. He also advised people when stopped to demand policemen show their authority card.
So how will the rakyat ever know whether the person they are dealing with is an impersonator?
Very simply, there are shops in Pertama Complex in Kuala Lumpur that sell all sorts of government uniforms mentioned above. They even sell handcuffs, trunchents and full regalia including the badges. All are government issue. So anybody, can go there and buy these things, and they aren't expensive.
I had a friend in the US Air Force who asked me to help him buy a camouflage suit, coz he likes collecting military wear of other countries. And I did, it was easy, like buying something at Giordano. No ID was requested, no questions asked.
I believe an investigative reporter did an article in the Star or NST (over a year ago) on these merchants in Pertama Complex and found out the same things I did, except he found out that they were also selling handcuffs and even asked whether he would like to buy the sargeant's badges as well.
What I'd like to know is why do such merchants exist? Shouldn't the sale of official government uniforms be procured and distributed by their respectful departments? I believe in most countries this would be the case. Otherwise, it's as good as selling them in the pasar malam.
I have a theory, and simply, I believe it's because there is someone in the background cashing in on this as a private business can be manipulated in ways to pass on profits to "invisible" shareholders.
I cannot think of any reason why the procurement and distribution of official military or police uniforms should reside outside the care of the respective departments and authorities. How else will they control who and ensuring that the right people get the correct uniform to ensure that they do not go around mis-representing themselves and causing harm.
That would be the root cause of the problem, not what has been suggested by Johor Baru (South) Deputy OCPD Supt Roslan Zainuddin, which is to ask for their Police ID. Besides, what does a Police ID look like. I have never seen one and I wouldn't be able to tell the forged from the genuine. There should be a campaign with posters showing what a these IDs looks like.
This is a big problem, it is a loose end that creates opportunities for vice and the sad thing is, you won't think it's a problem until it happens to you or your loved ones. Again, this is the price we pay for a government that doesn't pay attention to the little details that will either make or break this country.
Crime in Malaysia, Johor especially is so high, anybody who was aware, wouldn't even want to invest in the place, let alone for a holiday visit.
Today it's a Indonesian worker, tomorrow it could be your child, wife or sister... who's to know. Will you continue to stand for this sort of neglegence?
Indon job-seeker robbed, raped by ‘cops’
JOHOR BARU: An Indonesian woman who came here looking for a job was robbed and raped by two police impersonators.
The 29-year-old victim had taken a shortcut through a back alley to get to her hostel in Jalan Pelangi at 1.30pm yesterday when the two men stopped her.
They showed her a pair a handcuffs and asked for her identification documents. When she could not produce the papers, the men told her to get on one of their motorcycles. Instead of taking her to the police station, they rode to a plantation where they raped her and took her belongings.
The woman, who managed to find her way out of the area, sought the assistance of passers-by to send her to the police station.
In another case, a 52-year-old woman was raped after she accepted the offer of a “good Samaritan.”
The man drove her to a shopping complex and even offered to pay for her spectacles. Later, he took her to a secluded spot and raped her in the car.
Johor Baru (South) Deputy OCPD Supt Roslan Zainuddin appealed to those with information on both cases to contact the police hotline at 07-221 2999 or the nearest police station. He also advised people when stopped to demand policemen show their authority card.
But in the end Malaysia Still Boleh!
But for all the wrong things... Here is another mess that isn't being properly addressed in our country. The Mat Rempit. Basically, thugs on small CC motorcycles that are between 70cc to 125cc who tune them up to perform speeds exceeding 120kph. They ride in groups and they act like gangsters on the road. Should one of them ever collide with your vehicle, and is hurt, it would be deemed to be your fault and should you get out of your vehicle or not escape, you will be beaten up with their helmets and whatever weapons they have. It has been reported previously that they have attacked without reason.
What does the police do... apart from not being around, well, they occassionally run "operasi" and do silly things like throw them in jail for one night or make them push their motorcycles 2 kilometers to the police station. Frankly, they should have their bikes confiscated and they should face a jail term. The fines should also be for each offence in terms of each modification on their bike, which I have always understood is illegal. It was illegal to change mufflers and modify engines and so forth, but none of this is enforced even when they are caught.
So what happens? They get back on a few weeks later and make a damn niusance of themselves.
Again, something our government has failed to address. They catch the Chinese pirated DVD sellers who are just making an "honest" living. Well, at least they are not hurting anyone or being a nuisance to anyone other than the MPAA. But so what, people buy DVDs not because they cannot afford to goto the cinema, it's to collect and also watch all the nice bits that our friendly people at FINAS / Ministry of Information a.k.a Censorship Board censor. Things like partial nudity, swear words - including bitch and bastard, kissing scenes and so forth. It's our only avenue to get the real deal. And of course, buying the original means forking out about RM120+ for the Region 1 version, which is a lot more than what the Singaporeans pay.
So back to the Mat Rempit... they are violent, the source of all sorts of vice, they are usually high on drugs and they are a real threat to society. How do they compare to some DVD seller just making a living and feeding his family? Hey... prioritise la... anyway, the government will pay for this dearly in the next elections.
There are stories from the DVD sellers that I will share soon enough, and they are all about how the enforcing authorities line their pockets, and this is not even about straightforward bribes... if there is one thing these people are good at, it's finding the best way to make their lives easier... always.
Tuesday, May 8, 2007
Malaysia Bodoh! Part 2
...and this is part 2 of the article that raised a strong response from the government and some staunch supporters... the guy just took the words out of my mouth...
Part 2
The response to my recent column 'While Malaysia fiddles, its opportunities are running dry', published in The Age newspaper on November 15 has been overwhelming. I've received hundreds of e-mails and messages, many from Malaysians both in Malaysia and outside, of which perhaps 95% have been supportive. Thank you for these. It seems that the column has given voice to concerns that many Malaysians have.
I'd like to emphasise (and as many of you realise already), that I wrote
the column as constructive criticism. I like Malaysia very much. I visit often and have many Malaysian friends of all races. I've also written a lot that is positive about Malaysia in the past, most notably in a previous book of mine - The Asian Insider: Unconventional Wisdom for Asian Business, which has no less than five chapters to explain to people outside Malaysia why I feel that Malaysiashould be given more credit than it gets.
There have been many achievements. There is much about which Malaysians can be proud. Malaysia, for example, is far more politically mature and developed than is Singapore. The media is more open too (but of course not asopen as it could or should be.) Malaysians are more entrepreneurial too. AirAsia started in Malaysia and has revolutionised air travel across Asia. In Singapore, there is very much a sense that the government has to doeverything.
I also believe that the NEP, which has seen special advantages given to
bumiputeras over other groups, has been important for Malaysia. It has been essential for nation building. Malaysia is peaceful and while the various groups may not mix much there is clear mutual respect between them. That is a huge achievement.
However, the problem as I said in my column, is waste. And also the use of statistics that are blatantly wrong. Malaysia also has a big problem with transparency. Too little account is made of how other people's money is spent.The police too are way too corrupt for a country as developed as Malaysia. The rote learning that is practiced in the
schools also needs to be done away with. Generations of Malaysian children are missing out on an education thatshould teach them how to be creative and critical - this is what a truly modern, boleh country needs. Again, my comments are meant to be constructive. And I make them as a non-Malaysian largely because many Malaysians feel rightly or wrongly that they cannot say these things themselves in their own country.
Since my column was published, plans for a new RM400 million Istana have been announced and the Agriculture Ministry parliamentary secretary has told Parliament that Malaysia's first astronaut will be playing batu seremban and spinning tops and making teh tarik while in space. There are countless scientists around the world who would give anything for the opportunity to go to space and do real experiments. For the Malaysian government to send anastronaut into space to play Malay children's games serves only to re-emphasise my point about waste. Not only that, it makes Malaysia look infantile in the eyes of the rest of the world, which is a great pity when Malaysia hasmade so many real
achievements. The world is getting more clever, more competitive and
more dynamic every day. There are too many in Malaysia who don't seem to understand this.
Of course my views are just that: my views. But I have spent most of my
adult life analysing and writing about Asia. I am direct and critical; I do not veil my criticisms because I don't want to waste my time or yours with readers trying to guess what I really mean. Open debate is absolutely critical for all modern, dynamic countries. The free flow ofideas and information helps to make countries rich. Political leaders cannot do everything on their own be they in the UK, Australia or Malaysia.
They need help. Otherwise they make mistakes. And when they do, whose fault is that? Those who prefer to stay quiet? And should I
as a non-Malaysian be commenting on Malaysia? Of course. Malaysian political leaders and commentators routinely comment about other countries. That's how the world is now,an inter-dependent, global world. And the world is much better for it.I will write another column about Malaysia soon.
Michael Backman
November 17, 2006
Malaysia Bodoh! Part 1
Michael BackmanNow here is an article I really like... it says what has been on
so many Malaysian's minds for a very long time... Reviving the archives...
enjoy... will save my views
November 15, 2006
While Malaysia fiddles, its opportunities are running dry
MALAYSIA'S been at it again, arguing about what proportion of the economy each of its two main races — the Malays and the Chinese — owns. It's an argument that's been running for 40 years. That wealth and race are not synonymous is important for national cohesion, but really it's time Malaysia grew up.
It's a tough world out there and there can be little sympathy for a country that prefers to argue about how to divide wealth rather than get on with the job of creating it.
The long-held aim is for 30 per cent of corporate equity to be in Malay hands, but the figure that the Government uses to justify handing over huge swathes of public companies to Malays but not to other races is absurd. It bases its figure on equity valued, not at market value, but at par value.
Many shares have a par value of say $1 but a market value of $12. And so the Government figure (18.9 per cent is the most recent figure) is a gross underestimate. Last month a paper by a researcher at a local think-tank came up with a figure of 45 per cent based on actual stock prices. All hell broke loose. The paper was withdrawn and the researcher resigned in protest. Part of the problem is that he is Chinese.
"Malaysia boleh!" is Malaysia's national catch cry. It translates to "Malaysia can!" and Malaysia certainly can. Few countries are as good at wasting money. It is richly endowed with natural resources and the national obsession seems to be to extract these, sell them off and then collectively spray the proceeds up against the wall.
This all happens in the context of Malaysia's grossly inflated sense of its place in the world. Most Malaysians are convinced that the eyes of the world are on their country and that their leaders are world figures. This is thanks to Malaysia's tame media and the bravado of former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad. The truth is, few people on the streets of London or New York could point to Malaysia on a map much less name its prime minister or capital city.
As if to make this point, a recent episode of The Simpsons features a newsreader trying to announce that a tidal wave had hit some place called Kuala Lumpur. He couldn't pronounce the city's name and so made up one, as if no-one cared anyway. But the joke was on the script writers — Kuala Lumpur is inland.
Petronas, the national oil company is well run, particularly when compared to the disaster that passes for a national oil company in neighbouring Indonesia. But in some respects, this is Malaysia's problem. The very success of Petronas means that it is used to underwrite all manner of excess.
The KLCC development in central Kuala Lumpur is an example. It includes the Twin Towers, the tallest buildings in the world when they were built, which was their point. It certainly wasn't that there was an office shortage in Kuala Lumpur — there wasn't. Malaysians are very proud of these towers. Goodness knows why. They had little to do with them. The money for them came out of the ground and the engineering was contracted out to South Korean companies.
They don't even run the shopping centre that's beneath them. That's handled by Australia's Westfield.
Next year, a Malaysian astronaut will go into space aboard a Russian rocket — the first Malay in space. And the cost? $RM95 million ($A34.3 million), to be footed by Malaysian taxpayers. The Science and Technology Minister has said that a moon landing in 2020 is the next target, aboard a US flight. There's no indication of what the Americans will charge for this, assuming there's even a chance that they will consider it. But what is Malaysia getting by using the space programs of others as a taxi service? There are no obvious technical benefits, but no doubt Malaysians will be told once again, that they are "boleh". The trouble is, they're not. It's not their space
program.Back in July, the Government announced that it would spend $RM490 million on a sports complex near the London Olympics site so that Malaysian athletes can train there and "get used to cold weather".
But the summer Olympics are held in the summer. So what is the complex's real purpose? The dozens of goodwill missions by ministers and bureaucrats to London to check on the centre's construction and then on the athletes while they train might provide a clue.
Bank bale outs, a formula one racing track, an entire new capital city — Petronas has paid for them all. It's been an orgy of nonsense that Malaysia can ill afford.
Why? Because Malaysia's oil will run out in about 19 years. As it is, Malaysia will become a net oil importer in 2011 — that's just five years away.
So it's in this context that the latest debate about race and wealth is so sad. It is time to move on, time to prepare the economy for life after oil. But, like Nero fiddling while Rome burned, the Malaysian Government is more interested in stunts like sending a Malaysian into space when Malaysia's inadequate schools could have done with the cash, and arguing about wealth distribution using transparently ridiculous statistics.
That's not Malaysia "boleh", that's Malaysia "bodoh" (stupid).
Here's an article that addresses what the minority communities have been dying to say. Finally, people are taking their dissatisfaction with Barisan to the Ballot Box... it's about time!
Fellow citizens, in the last general election, we gave the Barisan Nasional a landslide victory. As I recall, the nation was overjoyed that Badawi had such great support from the people, a fresh Prime Minister and a new era for Malaysian politics.
Sadly, and over time, we were all greatly disappointed. For starters, it seemed that the level of confidence we had given the government, worked to our disadvantage. In the past couple of years, we have seen Hishamuddin, draw his Kris and waving it around in the name of Malay pride and power. We have also seen Badawi's son in law Khairi Jamaluddin, protesting in front of the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, directing the anger of a mob of youngsters at the US Secretary of State Rice. Khairi, also has threatened the Chinese community on numerous occassions. And now, we have an Information Minister, Zainuddin Maidin who seeing the increasing trend of political bloggers such as myself, deems it to be a threat to the nation and hence wants to "curb" "the phenomenon".
So what does all this spell for us? The very people who gave Barisan the make or break vote. Nothing but absolute disappointment. We now have people in power who think they are invincible and they can go about saying whatever it is that they like, be it seditious or anything that rouses the emotions of the other races. Strangely, I believe that if it were a chinese or indian person who said the same things Khairi said or even did what Hishamuddin did, they would definately be behind bars, and I am quite certain that the Malay response would have been a lot harsher - which would have likely been tolerated by the government. Yet, these people still roam free and say and do as they please, enjoying the power and priviledge that we provide them.
They are quite happy continuing as they are, just as Najib has responded to the slide in Chinese votes in Ijok... "Najib said it was usual for support from this group to slightly increase or decline during by-elections and that this could have been related to local issues, adding that young voters there had been more critical than usual"... really? is it as simple as that? This is how you respond to Ong Ka Ting's valuable fact?
I think its time this is brought to a stop, and if you agree, perhaps we should take it to the ballot box in the coming election. Vote for the opposition. There will be enough votes to bring Barisan back, but we shouldn't give them a full mandate to run the country. By lending votes to the opposition, perhaps parties like Keadilan will gain some credibility and build a stronger party, hopefully one day there will be enough strength within that party making it really worthwhile voting for.
What our country is missing is a decent opposition party. It's time we learn to give ourself a choice for the benefit of the future generations. We cannot rely on Barisan anymore. It's obvious which party dominates the coalition, and now, some of them are becoming as extreme as their counterparts in PAS. Examples are clear as day, with regards to the religious department and the mockery they are making of our country and people, and our "moderate government" tolerates this?
Have a read of this article extracted from The Star (http://www.thestar.com.my/). It's a clarion call, hear it and hear it well fellow Supreme Council and Leadership of UMNO, because many of us will vote for the opposition just to put you where you belong. Change your methods and your attitude and perhaps you will regain our confidence.
PETALING JAYA: The swing of some Chinese votes to the opposition in the recent Ijok by-election was due to unhappiness with the service of the previous assemblyman as well as several sensitive national issues, MCA president Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting said.
He said the Chinese voters in the constituency had complained that they were unhappy with the service rendered by the Barisan Nasional."During campaigning, they (Chinese voters in Ijok) asked us why we were doing this and that now (during the election) and not earlier. There were also some rumblings on national issues," he said after attending a Wesak Day celebration at the Kwan Inn Teng Temple here.Elaborating on what he meant by "rumblings on national issues", Ong said some voters had expressed unhappiness over statements made by "some leaders" which they considered hurtful."We got this feedback although we had explained that the implementation of policies is based on collective decision-making with a multiracial perspective and not on certain statements by individuals."However, they did not accept our explanation," he said without elaborating on the statements.
Giving the party analysis on the Chinese voting pattern in the Ijok by-election for the first time, Ong said there was no doubt that "to a certain extent the Chinese votes in the area had swung to the opposition".He said that in Ijok town, for example, the BN won by a majority of only 21 votes."In Kampung Ijok, next to Ijok town, we lost 116 votes. I think that in certain areas, the swing was not big. Overall, the BN still obtained the Chinese vote, particularly in the new villages but the question now is by how many per cent because some of the ballot boxes had votes from mixed areas."In southern and northern Batang Berjuntai — two predominantly Chinese areas — the BN managed to secure about 500 Chinese votes.Ong said that the MCA, being a party that represents the Chinese community and the second largest BN component, did not deny that there was increased Chinese support for the opposition compared with the previous election."We will work hard and go down to the ground to get their feedback.
"There is a sign of some swing in Chinese votes from the BN to the opposition. This is something we cannot deny."Compared with the 2004 general election, there is some change of mood. To what extent, we can’t draw the percentage yet." Asked whether the party’s internal problems had played a role in the reduced Chinese support for the BN, Ong said: "I don’t think that was a big factor."In the by-election, K. Parthiban of the BN beat Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim of Parti Keadilan Rakyat by a majority of 1,850 votes.However, despite the better performance by the BN compared with the 2004 general election (when BN received a 1,649-vote majority), Chinese support for BN had reportedly dropped by about 10 per cent. — Bernama
Fellow citizens, in the last general election, we gave the Barisan Nasional a landslide victory. As I recall, the nation was overjoyed that Badawi had such great support from the people, a fresh Prime Minister and a new era for Malaysian politics.
Sadly, and over time, we were all greatly disappointed. For starters, it seemed that the level of confidence we had given the government, worked to our disadvantage. In the past couple of years, we have seen Hishamuddin, draw his Kris and waving it around in the name of Malay pride and power. We have also seen Badawi's son in law Khairi Jamaluddin, protesting in front of the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, directing the anger of a mob of youngsters at the US Secretary of State Rice. Khairi, also has threatened the Chinese community on numerous occassions. And now, we have an Information Minister, Zainuddin Maidin who seeing the increasing trend of political bloggers such as myself, deems it to be a threat to the nation and hence wants to "curb" "the phenomenon".
So what does all this spell for us? The very people who gave Barisan the make or break vote. Nothing but absolute disappointment. We now have people in power who think they are invincible and they can go about saying whatever it is that they like, be it seditious or anything that rouses the emotions of the other races. Strangely, I believe that if it were a chinese or indian person who said the same things Khairi said or even did what Hishamuddin did, they would definately be behind bars, and I am quite certain that the Malay response would have been a lot harsher - which would have likely been tolerated by the government. Yet, these people still roam free and say and do as they please, enjoying the power and priviledge that we provide them.
They are quite happy continuing as they are, just as Najib has responded to the slide in Chinese votes in Ijok... "Najib said it was usual for support from this group to slightly increase or decline during by-elections and that this could have been related to local issues, adding that young voters there had been more critical than usual"... really? is it as simple as that? This is how you respond to Ong Ka Ting's valuable fact?
I think its time this is brought to a stop, and if you agree, perhaps we should take it to the ballot box in the coming election. Vote for the opposition. There will be enough votes to bring Barisan back, but we shouldn't give them a full mandate to run the country. By lending votes to the opposition, perhaps parties like Keadilan will gain some credibility and build a stronger party, hopefully one day there will be enough strength within that party making it really worthwhile voting for.
What our country is missing is a decent opposition party. It's time we learn to give ourself a choice for the benefit of the future generations. We cannot rely on Barisan anymore. It's obvious which party dominates the coalition, and now, some of them are becoming as extreme as their counterparts in PAS. Examples are clear as day, with regards to the religious department and the mockery they are making of our country and people, and our "moderate government" tolerates this?
Have a read of this article extracted from The Star (http://www.thestar.com.my/). It's a clarion call, hear it and hear it well fellow Supreme Council and Leadership of UMNO, because many of us will vote for the opposition just to put you where you belong. Change your methods and your attitude and perhaps you will regain our confidence.
Factors that swayed Chinese vote
PETALING JAYA: The swing of some Chinese votes to the opposition in the recent Ijok by-election was due to unhappiness with the service of the previous assemblyman as well as several sensitive national issues, MCA president Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting said.
He said the Chinese voters in the constituency had complained that they were unhappy with the service rendered by the Barisan Nasional."During campaigning, they (Chinese voters in Ijok) asked us why we were doing this and that now (during the election) and not earlier. There were also some rumblings on national issues," he said after attending a Wesak Day celebration at the Kwan Inn Teng Temple here.Elaborating on what he meant by "rumblings on national issues", Ong said some voters had expressed unhappiness over statements made by "some leaders" which they considered hurtful."We got this feedback although we had explained that the implementation of policies is based on collective decision-making with a multiracial perspective and not on certain statements by individuals."However, they did not accept our explanation," he said without elaborating on the statements.
Giving the party analysis on the Chinese voting pattern in the Ijok by-election for the first time, Ong said there was no doubt that "to a certain extent the Chinese votes in the area had swung to the opposition".He said that in Ijok town, for example, the BN won by a majority of only 21 votes."In Kampung Ijok, next to Ijok town, we lost 116 votes. I think that in certain areas, the swing was not big. Overall, the BN still obtained the Chinese vote, particularly in the new villages but the question now is by how many per cent because some of the ballot boxes had votes from mixed areas."In southern and northern Batang Berjuntai — two predominantly Chinese areas — the BN managed to secure about 500 Chinese votes.Ong said that the MCA, being a party that represents the Chinese community and the second largest BN component, did not deny that there was increased Chinese support for the opposition compared with the previous election."We will work hard and go down to the ground to get their feedback.
"There is a sign of some swing in Chinese votes from the BN to the opposition. This is something we cannot deny."Compared with the 2004 general election, there is some change of mood. To what extent, we can’t draw the percentage yet." Asked whether the party’s internal problems had played a role in the reduced Chinese support for the BN, Ong said: "I don’t think that was a big factor."In the by-election, K. Parthiban of the BN beat Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim of Parti Keadilan Rakyat by a majority of 1,850 votes.However, despite the better performance by the BN compared with the 2004 general election (when BN received a 1,649-vote majority), Chinese support for BN had reportedly dropped by about 10 per cent. — Bernama
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