Chaka the Fool

This is a short story told to me by my father many years ago. Anyway, let the story telling begin.

There was a man named Chaka who lived in a village. Chaka was a very religious person. One day, a heavy thunder storm hit the village. The winds were very strong & it was very cold. Within an hour, the village was flooded. People were running to higher ground. Almost everybody in the village got to safety except Chaka.

Chaka was hanging on to a tree branch of a tall tree. Then an old man on a raft came along. He offered Chaka a lift to higher ground. Chaka declined his offer & told the man that God would save him. So the old man went away.

Half an hour later, a rescue boat arrived & offered Chaka assistance. Once again Chaka refused their help & said that God would save him. So the rescue boat moved along.

Within an hour, Chaka died.

Now in heaven, Chaka had a conversation with God.

Chaka to God: Oh God, I’ve been such a good person & never did any wrong. Why didn’t you save me ??

God to Chaka: I tried, but you refused.

Chaka to God: No you didn’t, now I’m dead!!

God to Chaka: You fool, I sent the old man & the rescue boat to you!!

Choosing a Career & it's Reasons

For about 2 years or so, ever since I finished my tertiary education until today, I’ve had conversations with various people about what careers we’ve chosen to do. Sometimes I ask or get told on the reason the person has chosen that career. I can honestly say that about 90% of the time, the reason is $$$ & respect…nothing more.

In my opinion, I feel those reasons are just not right. Everybody dreams of being rich as soon as possible of course. I do too. However, wealth & respect do not come overnight. They have to be earned. How you earn them is a different story.

I feel that whatever career you choose, you should have at least some interest in it. The chances of you being successful in something you enjoy doing is higher than you doing something you’re not interested in. Besides that, it’s also better to make sure you can get a job & be able to progress in that career.

As for the $$$ part, I don’t think it’s relevant anymore to say that only certain careers can make you rich. In the age of globalization & competition, there are many ways to earn/increase wealth. Some people don’t even depend on a single paycheck..or a paycheck at all.

Just because you have a degree that is perceived to get you big $$$ doesn’t mean you’ll get big $$$. A degree is just a piece of paper & a ticket to an interview. Even some degrees nowadays are classified by class such as 1^st class honours, 2^nd class upper & lower honours, 3^rd class honours, & an ordinary degree. This is to ensure the quality of graduates to employers.

Now even if you’re a good graduate in a career you perceive to gain you big bucks, but can’t express yourself or can’t show how good you are to employers, most likely you won’t get the job. Worse, if you’re not good at the work itself, don’t expect to get the job at all.

There are many people out there with fancy degrees but know nothing. Some even buy their degrees! See how much competition there is in the world today ?

However, if you’re good in whatever field you do, & can prove it, your chances of getting a job is higher. You’ll be in demand in the job market by employers. Plus if you can market yourself well, the offers & $$$ will come to you. Of course you’ll have to upgrade your skills to make sure you remain valuable in the job market.

Now earning $$$ doesn’t have to come from a single paycheck or single source. There are many other ways to generate income. The most common way is to buy real estate & rent it out, or you can start up your own business. The sky is the limit. It all depends on how you play your cards.

Another thing is, you don’t need to have plenty of cash or a fancy car to qualify as a rich person. Some people are filthy rich just by the assets they have. Assets are things that a person owns. Assets can be converted to cash. So the next time you see a person driving a cheap car, don’t assume the person is poor. That person may be lacking in cash but could be loaded with assets.

…& don’t think a person with an expensive car is rich too. The person may be struggling to pay the bank loan!!

If everyone chose profession X only thinking it’ll guarantee them big bucks, then X will face unemployment due to too many of X in the market. That would bring up serious competition where only the best of the best will survive.

Before you jump in a pool, learn to swim first….& if you’re good, you’ll be recognized. If not, you need to get yourself recognized. How you do it is your matter.

The bottom line is, your job & wealth doesn’t necessarily have to reflect your degree/career. In today’s world, there are many ways to earn $$$ & earning $$$ depends a lot on how good you are & how you market yourself. It also depends on how you are able to create more sources of income. Choosing a career by just thinking you’ll get rich by doing it is not for sure at all. All this is just my opinion.

Mungkin Hal Kecil, Tapi Saya Tak Kisah

Gambar di atas telah ditangkap daripada laman web Kementerian Dalam Negeri(Home Ministry) Malaysia. Gambar tersebut merupakan keputusan undian laman web tentang pendapat rakyat terhadap ISA. Saya tidak ingin membincangkan tentang keputusan undian tersebut.

Apa yang telah menarik perhatian saya ialah campuran Bahasa Malaysia dan Bahasa Inggeris dalam soalan dan jawapan yang disediakan dalam undian tersebut.

Soalannya telah ditanyakan dalam Bahasa Malaysia. Walaubagaimanapun, sebahagian daripada jawapannya diberi dalam Bahasa Inggeris. Mengapa begitu ?

Jika anda lihat soalan pertama, antara jawapan-jawapan yang disediakan ialah Preventive Law dan Draconian Law. Berdasarkan pengetahuan saya, perkataan-perkataan tersebut boleh diterjemahkan kepada Bahasa Malaysia. Di bawah adalah perkataan-perkataan yang sepatutnya digunakan.

1. Preventive Law = Undang Pencegahan
2. Draconian Law = Undang Kejam
3. Total Responses = Jumlah Balasan

Tidakkah Menteri Dalam Negeri tahu perkataan-perkataan tersebut ? Patutlah kerajaan sungguh keliru untuk membuat keputusan tentang bahasa yang harus digunakan untuk mengajar mata pelajaran Sains dan Matematik. Padahal kerajaan pula yang cakap tentang isu memartabatkan Bahasa Malaysia. Sedih lah saya tengok kerajaan tidak mengikut kata-katanya sendiri.

Reasons to Abolish/Amend the ISA

I'm not fully against the ISA (Internal Security Act) nor am I fully supportive of it. I support preventive laws, but I’m against draconian laws. As the saying goes, prevention is better than cure.The problem is BN has severely abused the ISA as a tool for political persecution & also unnecessary use. Below are reasons why I say the ISA should be abolished/amended.

1. It’s a draconian law.

2. It’s un-Islamic according to PAS…& when it comes to Islamic matters, I trust PAS way more than UMNO.

3. It’s detention without trial. Every detainee deserves a fair trial.

4. The act gives too much power to one person, the Home Minister. Power should be divided between people to prevent stupid incidents.

5. The Home Minister can decide for anyone to be arrested without any charge or trial.

6. Detainees are tortured & treated very badly. This is against simple & basic human rights.

7. It’s used against political opponents from the Opposition such as Anwar Ibrahim, Lim Kit Siang, Karpal Singh, Teresa Kok & Raja Petra Kamaruddin (RPK).

8. Its original intention to fight the communist insurgency is now irrelevant.

9. RPK was detained under the ISA for exposing Najib’s dirty little secrets. So is he a national threat or a threat to Najib ?

10. HINDRAF tried to voice out the problems of the Indian community which were failed to be addressed by MIC or BN. Their rally was clearly peaceful. How were they a threat to national security ?

11. Teresa Kok was under the ISA because of allegations of telling a mosque not to use loudspeakers while making the azan or Islamic calls to prayer. These allegations were proven false. Still, how is this a national threat ?

12. An activist was under the ISA for reporting the police of abuse of power in a controversial eviction of a squatter colony. How are efforts to help a squatter colony or reporting the police a national threat ? Can’t she just be sued for defamation ?

In conclusion, I feel that preventive laws are needed, but they should be used accordingly & not abused by the government. What I suggest is either the government does some serious reforms to the ISA, or totally replace it with something like an Anti-Terrorism Act. In fact, an Anti-Terrorism law was drafted in 2003. Yet it wasn't tabled in Parliament. Perhaps now is a good time for that.

M.A.C.C. is C.R.A.P.

With the Teoh Beng Hock case, now I’m really pissed off with the Malaysian “Anti-Corruption” Commision (MACC).

I’ll dive right in to show you how the only difference between the MACC & the ACA (Anti-Corruption Agency) is just a change of name.

Lingam tape case – big inquiry, no action, no arrests.

Altantuya case - not thorough, two dudes still not executed, main culprits (They who must not be named…..Najib & Rosmah) escape.

Kugan case – bloody slow case seems to have faded out, no arrests.

Khir Toyo’s mansion – inquiry formed, bloody slow as usual.

PKFZ scandal – inquiry formed, bloody slow as usual, no arrests.

Teoh Beng Hock – inquiry formed, bloody slow as usual, no arrests.

UMNO’s countless reported cases of corruption – what has been done so far ? Have Mahathir, Badawi, Najib, Khairy Jamaluddin, Samy Vellu, Ong Tee Keat, Ling Liong Sik..etc...ever been investigated seriously ?

Even the son of MACC chairman, who’s a pilot, was found guilty in Australia for bringing child porn into the country!!

Anything else I’m missing ? Plenty I’m sure, but I bet I’ve made my point.

Typical of MACC to be lightning quick with arrests when it investigates the Opposition….but bloody slow when it comes to investigations on BN politicians. So much for transparency, accountability, bla la bla.

Reverting Maths & Science to BM Makes No Sense

Finally the government has made up their minds. After 6 years, they’ve decided to revert the teachings of Maths & Science subjects to BM. I find the decision to be stupid & senseless.

Firstly, I remember the reasons they changed it to English in the first place 6 years ago was because of the lack of proficiency in the English language among students, globalization, & many graduates were unemployed due to reasons among which graduates were poor in English.

So has the proficiency of English among students improved ? Have we become more competitive ? Are our graduates now more employable ? The scrapping of the policy doesn’t mean that these questions result in a no. To me all these questions are unanswered & no way can you get these answers in 6 years. It takes a full education cycle (kindergarten > primary & secondary school > graduate) to know these facts. That takes about 20 years to get the answers.

How has this policy failed exactly ? Since 2003, every single year it is announced that the number of straight A’s students have increased drastically. Every year the government brags about how students have improved in this & that. So how has the policy failed ? What statistics have the government shown to prove that the policy is a failure ? Show me please. Basically our education system is in a mess. I’ll talk about this in another post.

Then they talk of increasing English lesson hours in schools, bringing back retired teachers, hiring some foreign teachers & so on. Haven’t they announced all this before ? Haven’t they already spent tons of money on training teachers ? While I was in school, half the time some of my teachers were away on training. Yet, they came back the same!

Then they talk of upholding the Malay language. Malay is our national language. Case closed. You want to uphold it, do so during Malay classes or other ways. Don’t jeopardize the education & future of our nation when you know the importance of English. In tertiary levels of education, most things if not everything, is taught in English. Even the reference books are mostly in English.

Besides, almost all scientific & technological terms in Malay, are derived from English! Oksigen, kalsium, karbon dioksida, ekonomi, krisis..etc. Need more examples ? Face the facts that scientific & mathematical knowledge are better conveyed in English than BM. It’s the language of science & technology worldwide.

Plus, it’s clear that the majority prefers the policy of maths & science being taught in English. So why can’t we be democratic about it ? At the same time, the government must be smart on how to implement the policy as effectively as possible.

I feel that this matter is more complex than it seems. Many people have different views & perspectives on going about this issue. Even if the majority (including me) supports the teachings of these subjects in English, there are many things for the government to look into & work out. With our messy education system & politics, solving this to effectively implement the policy is easier said than done.

Honestly, I won’t be surprised if they change their decision again. BN is a flip-flop government & I have proof. Moreover, desperate BN + active Tun Mahathir + pissed majority of people + Opposition = troubled BN. The full reversion would also only take place in 2012. In that time, many things can happen & change…& I’ll just see how things go for now.

In conclusion, if you have a problem, fix it until it’s fixed. Don’t kick the problem out & go back to square one. Don’t quit half way & ignore the problem. All the statements mentioned above are simply my rough opinion.

Michael Jackson (1958-2009)

On June 25^th 2009, the world heard a tragic & shocking news. Michael Jackson (MJ) had passed away. Even I was flabbergasted when I heard it. I didn’t even believe it at first. I thought it was just another one of those dumb rumors about him. Everybody was talking about him & even radio stations were playing only his songs. I went to the nearest computer & checked the news. Sadly, it wasn’t a rumor.

Anyway, MJ is without a doubt one of the biggest artists of the century. He’s a legend & a global phenomenon in his own right. He ranks among the greats such as Elvis Presley and The Beatles, & he’s definitely the world’s greatest entertainer.

While MJ was alive, he began singing with his brothers at the tender age of 5. Years later his dad discovered that MJ was the talented one & literally pushed him to stardom. Therefore, MJ never had a childhood. He spent his whole life performing. His entire life was publicized by the media. Come to think of it, he’s probably also the world’s biggest workaholic.

MJ was also full of controversies. His changing appearance, occasionally weird acts & outfits in public, the child molestation case to which he was acquitted, his lavish spending, also made him famous in the public eye. Yet, I doubt many would think or remember him for all that. Most people will definitely remember MJ has the man who entertained & touched the hearts of millions with his mesmerizing music, amazing dance, & great showmanship.

Now not having a proper childhood, working his entire life, going through scandalous child molestation trials just to make money out of him, surely must have brought MJ mentally, physically, & financially down. He was suppose to make his big return just under 3 weeks before his death…& now he’s gone.

In another perspective, his death can also be seen as a blessing in disguise for him. To be 50 years old, over worked, to do 50 strenuous concert shows, to be in huge financial debt & nearly bankrupt, to live up to all the hype & expectations, the pressure, it must be better to just die.

Since his death, the Internet slowed down, Google slowed so much & thought they were under attack, Twitter crashed, downloads for his songs & purchases of his albums skyrocketed, & the media worldwide is covering his story heavily. Suddenly, the global financial crisis, Iran’s political crisis, global warming, the war in Iraq, North Korea’s nuclear threat to the USA,…none of it seems as important anymore. That alone is enough to show how gigantic MJ is. Who else can get as much media coverage as him ?

In conclusion, MJ united many with his music, he broke down barriers for many especially for the black community, he shattered & created world records, & he danced like nobody else. Elvis, The Beatles, Frank Sinatra, Aaaliyah, James Brown, & now MJ who must be moonwalking on the clouds. Heaven must be having one awesome party.

1 Malaysia - Good Slogan, Poor Implementation

When Datuk Najib became PM in April, he introduced his concept of 1 Malaysia: People First, Performance Now. To me, this is just political rhetoric. Just like when Tun Mahathir became PM, he came in with the slogan Bersih, Cekap, dan Amanah. Similarly, when Tun Badawi became PM, he introduced the slogan Cemerlang, Gemilang dan Terbilang.

Ironically, as lovely as Tun M’s slogan was, & as much contribution & development he brought to Malaysia, Tun M is also the root cause of corruption within UMNO & BN. As for Badawi’s slogan, under him, BN suffered its biggest loss ever in our history of general elections. As much as Badawi tried, he’s definitely the most underperforming PM yet.

Now how about 1 Malaysia ?

Najib’s 1 Malaysia talks of 8 values. They are:

• Loyalty

• Humility

• Meritocracy

• Integrity

• Acceptance

• Education

• Perseverance

• Culture of excellence

Loyalty is good, but it must not be blind loyalty. We should be loyal to those who are loyal to voters, trustworthy & not corrupt.

Humility is related to respecting one another. This requires understanding between the multiracial communities of Malaysia. To understand one another, we need to learn to listen & have more open dialogues.

Meritocracy will only be achieved once racial quotas are removed completely in every sector. Race is not a criterion for merit. Only then we will have the best of the best. For those who are not up to standard, they’ll have no choice but to improve themselves & be better.

Integrity is something that can’t be reached if there’s still so much of corruption. Fix corruption & then only talk of integrity.

If we intend to achieve acceptance, first there must be understanding and awareness. People should be willing to talk & be allowed to talk to attain this. At the same time, the government should be able to accept the wishes of its people.

Education can be given to people, but the educator should be of quality & the contents of the subject should be proper. Education itself should not be politicised so much as it is now.

Perseverance can be gained only if you’re willing to compete to be the best. If you’re given special treatment along the way, don’t ever expect to be able to compete or perform well or accomplish genuine success in any way.

To achieve a culture of excellence, we must adhere to the 7 values above first. Only then a culture of excellence will fall into place.

I personally feel that BN is silly to even talk about 1 Malaysia. BN is not even one. BN = UMNO, UMNO = BN. MCA, MIC, PPP, GERAKAN & the other component parties clearly have hardly any say in any matter. They’re just slaves & puppets of UMNO. Najib himself is full of mega controversies & that makes him highly untrustworthy.

Where is 1 Malaysia if BN keeps talking about Malay unity ? Why is MCA, MIC, PPP, & the other components so quiet about this matter ?....Puppets!! The only reason they’re talking of Malay unity is because they’re losing Malay support to the Opposition. Malay unity is good, but Malaysian unity is better. There should be Malaysian talks instead of Malay talks.

Besides, why talk of 1 Malaysia when BN doesn’t even have 1 Perak ?! Najib & BN do not respect the right of the Perak people to elect a government of their choice. Doesn’t his 1 Malaysia sound like a sham now ?

Where’s 1 Malaysia when there are discriminative policies in areas like education (scholarships, entry quotas), bank loans, NEP, AP, contract distributions, etc..? 1 Malaysia will only show if equal rights are practiced & not the illusion called “special” rights. The excuse of hypocritical BN that non-Malays are threatening the “special” rights of Malays is rubbish. What’s the basis ? The only threat is globalisation. Nothing else.

Where is 1 Malaysia when you have a newspaper like Utusan Malaysia ? A newspaper that is so racist, so pro-UMNO, & consistently publishes articles to incite racial hatred among Malaysians. It’s newspapers like Utusan that is a hindrance to unity.

Where is 1 Malaysia if Najib says that DAP’s Malaysian Malaysia (created many years before) concept is different from Najib’s concept ? What’s the difference ?! One concept is from BN, the other from the Opposition. That’s the only difference I see. Even the excuse given by Najib on its difference is so lame that I’m not going to waste my energy typing it.

In conclusion, I believe 1 Malaysia always existed. I don’t see Malaysians fighting with each other on the streets, but I’ve seen Malaysians protesting over BN and their policies. It’s only BN that is confusing us with their divide and conquer methods of governance. So to solve this, I’m sure you know what should be removed and how.

I’m Sick of BN Talking About Unity

How many times have we heard BN talking about unity ? The latest is Datuk Shafie Apdal asking Malays to unite under BN.Our PM, Datuk Najib has been preaching about unity (1 Malaysia) for over two months now….BUT...he repeatedly reminds us that the “special rights” of the Malays shall not be compromised. There goes your 1 Malaysia. I shall talk about this 1 Malaysia concept in more detail in my next post.

I’m sick of them telling the Malays that the non-Malays are threatening the Malays & on the other side they’re telling the non-Malays that they are all cared for by BN. This is pure hypocrisy. In Malay, this is called batu api (causing fights between parties).

Malays, non-Malays, Muslims, non-Muslims, Bumiputera, non-Bumiputera, who cares !! How does it matter ?! Who created all this ? We are all Malaysians. If these labels are continued to be highlighted on us, we will never prosper & progress. At least, the rate of progression will be much slower than it can actually be.

We have UMNO telling the Malays to unite. We have MCA & GERAKAN asking the Chinese to unite. We also have the great Datuk Samy Vellu of MIC asking Indians to unite….BUT, I’ll tell you what we don’t have. We don’t have UMNO, MCA, & MIC telling all Malaysians to unite...do we ?

Ask yourself, does UMNO have non-Malay members ? Does MCA have non-Chinese members ? Does MIC have non-Indian members ? Even if the answer is yes (which I doubt), it is certainly not the way it is portrayed. Can non-Malays join UMNO ? Can Malays join MCA & MIC ? Can Chinese join MIC & Indians join MCA ? I'm sure it's possible, but what's the point if these three parties are so hard up on only helping their own races & not Malaysians as a whole ??

Now let’s look at PKR, DAP, & PAS. Have you ever heard them telling Malays, Chinese & Indians to unite ? Well, I haven’t. I’ve only heard them telling Malaysians to unite. At least that’s the way it’s portrayed & that's the way it should be.

As for their members, they’re not highly concentrated with a single race like BN & its component parties. PKR has Datuk Anwar Ibrahim, Dr. Lee Boon Chye, & Mr. Sivarasa to name a few. DAP has Lim Kit Siang, Karpal Singh, & Tunku Abdul Aziz to name a few. PAS has non-Malay members too which was potrayed in the media during the General Elections last year. My point is, race-based politics is less concentrated in the Opposition than in BN…& don’t bother denying it because you can never have a perfect ratio of the three main races in any party when the ratio is not even balanced in the Malaysian population.

Now as for BN talking about unity, is just silly to me. How is this possible when certain discriminative policies are still being practiced ? It’s these policies that cause racial tension & even bring down our economy badly, especially in the midst of this global economic crisis. I’m not going to name any of the discriminative policies because if you’ve read up to here, I’m sure you know what I’m talking about.

By the way, besides politicians, who says Malaysians are not united ? Do you see a Malays vs. Chinese vs. Indians battle on the streets ?? Are we physically fighting against each other on roads ?? I don't think so.

When politicians say Malaysians aren't united, I think they mean we're not united under their own particular party. Which is true in BN's case. Looking at candlelight vigils, gatherings, & demonstrations against issues like ISA & the Perak fiasco, Malaysians seem pretty united to me.

The bottom line is, I’m sick & tired of hearing BN talking about unity when they don’t even practice what they preach. My advice, just try to cultivate the spirit of unity within yourself.

Will Police Arrest One for Wearing Black & Drinking Kopi O ?

This Thursday, netizens, mostly activists & non-activists have organised a kopi O (black coffee) drinking session at various Old Town White Coffee outlets. Anybody & everybody are invited & are most welcome to join in with them.

All you have to do is wear black & drink kopi O :) This is basically a simple & harmless (& amusing) protest to the unstable democracy of Malaysia.

Regardless of how funny all this is, I can't wait to see what action the police will take.

Do you need a permit to wear black & drink kopi O in groups at Old Town White Coffee outlets ?

Can you be arrested for wearing black & drinking kopi O ?? ..... LOL.

If the police do arrest anybody, they will look like fools & further ruin the reputation of Najib's administration. The best they can & should do is just monitor people wearing black & drinking black coffee :)

Damn, I can't wait to find out what happens :D

Susan Boyle – Lost the Show, but Won Our Hearts

A few weeks ago, Susan Boyle became a worldwide sensation when she made her debut at the British Got Talent (BGT) show audition. At first sight, we all looked down upon her (I did too). She was old, grey-haired, fat, & wasn’t much of a sight to see….but the moment she opened her mouth to sing, we realized that there is more to her than meets the eye.

Susan Boyle

Her voice was downright angelic. She proved to stereotypes & a world obsessed with looks, that talent comes in all shapes & sizes. After that, many of us thought that here victory on BGT was only a matter of time.

However, a few days ago, many worldwide were shocked to see that she lost to a dancing troupe of 11 dancers !! These 11 dancers, ranging from 12-25 years old, go by the name of Diversity…& yes, they dance bloody well….but their talent is bloody common !! Susan’s talent is going extinct !!

Simon loves Susan :D

With a group of 11 members, I’m sure it will be a case like Nsync, Spice Girls, Westlife, S Club 7, & Destiny’s Child, where the famous/talented one stands out & outshines the other members. The other members will look & feel useless, & the group will eventually break up or die off. Besides, how long can their bodies dance like that ? Singing is an act that can stand the test of time way longer than dancing.

Susan’s loss is sad for me. Based on what I’ve been reading here & there, there are two main reasons for her lost. Firstly, many thought her victory was guaranteed & did not vote thinking that others would vote. Secondly, some say that the voters were bored with the euphoria over Susan & felt like they were being told who to vote for. So they voted for the other finalist. Similar to American Idol 2009, where many thought that famous Adam would win, but the other guy won.

Anyway, I feel that Susan’s career would shine way brighter than Diversity. She can make an album, sing at concerts or theater’s, & make her millions. As for Diversity, I don’t know how well dancing pays nor how long they will stick together.

Britian's Got Talent....of all sorts.

Another issue I see is the show itself. BGT is a show without a properly set objective. Yes I know their looking for the best talent, but it seems like their looking for the more popular talent than the best talent…still it’s not fair. If you’re looking for the best talent, the talent searched for should be the same. As to how American Idol looks for the best singer, what is BGT searching for ?

For example, you’ve got the best singer Susan Boyle, & the best dancing group, Diversity. Now who’s the better talent ? That question is silly because both are good at different things. It’s like comparing Celine Dion with Will Smith, one sings while the other acts. How do you compare them ? So Susan could have won a singing contest like American Idol & Diversity could have won a dancing contest like MTV’s Wade Robson Project (remember that show ?).

In conclusion, always take the initiative to vote as your vote can make the difference ;) …& compare things of equal functions..like Sony Cyber-shot vs. Canon Powershot, not Canon Powershot vs. Sony Walkman....but most importantly, don't judge a book by its cover.

Police - Out of Control, Controlled, or Neutral ?

For quite some time now, especially after the General Elections (GE) last year, the reputation of our police force has turned ugly. Many of their actions lately have not gone down well with the public. So the question is, are the police out of control, controlled (by who ?) or are they still neutral as they should be ?

Below is a list I’ve made on why the reputation of the police has dropped.

1. Police have disrupted countless of ceramah’s made by politicians from the opposition….but almost none by BN.

2. Police disrupting countless of harmless & peaceful candlelight vigils by the public. What happened to Article 10 of the Federal Constitution which guarantees Malaysians the freedom of assembly ? Is it still freedom if a permit is needed ?

3. Countless of harmless & peaceful people who participated in many candlelight vigils have been arrested.

4. Countless detainees died under police custody. The late Kugan is a recent & controversial case. The case was classified as murder. However, nobody has been punished so far.

5. Police seized forensic examples of the late Kugan from the office of a pathologist. Are they trying to cover up something ?

6. 1,535 deaths in police custody between 2003-2007.

7. Police arrested mother & 6-year-old daughter with 10 others when they attempted to submit a letter at the PM Department's office in Putrajaya, appealing for ISA detainees to be freed.

8. Police gave Chang Jiun Haur (below) an a**-whopping a.k.a excessive force, in May 2008. The policemen who did it are still not known & neither has any action been taken so far.

9. Police seized a video camera from a MalaysiaKini journalist during a candlelight vigil in November 2008. There were recordings of the acts of the police attempting to disperse the crowd. The tape was finally returned….edited.

10. Police scalded hot water on a man in December 2008.

11. Police arrested opposition politician, Ronnie Liu, while he was going to a state cabinet meeting in November 2008…Have any BN politician ever been arrested ?

12. Police banned opposition politicians from any mention of the murdered Altantuya during the Bukit Gantang by-election campaign. PKR’s Badrul Hisham Shaharin is being investigated for this “offence”. Have the police forgotten that Article 10 of the Federal Constitution guarantees Malaysians the freedom of speech & expression ?

13. Police banned opposition politicians from any mention of linking Najib with the Perak political crisis. Lim Kit Siang is being investigated for this “offence”. Strangely, the police report was made by the police themselves & not any member of the public. Since when have the police been responsible to protect the reputation of BN ??

14. Police arrested 21 people in Ipoh for participating in a peaceful hunger strike in protest against the unethical, undemocratic, illegal and unconstitutional power grab in Perak.

15. Police told public not to wear black at the Perak state assembly in May 2009.

16. Police break up peaceful protestors while they’re singing the national anthem, Negaraku, at a candlelight vigil held in November 2008. Despite video evidence, Selangor police chief Khalid Abu Bakar denied this.

17. Police allowed a mob to use a public address system to threaten the organizers & participants of a controversial forum held in August 2008. Doesn’t this show that the police supported the mob ? What kind of crowd control or law enforcement was that ? Where were the water cannons & FRU ?

18. Police raid DAP headquarters in May 2009 without a search warrant, first time in DAP’s 43-year history & never allowed to be done by the first five PM’s of the country.

19. Police fired tear gas to the public outside the Palace & into the compound of Masjid Ubudiyyah who were protesting over the Perak crisis.

20. Police sprayed chemical-laced water at about 300 supporters of detained Hindraf leader, P. Uthayakumar.They were accompanying nine people, who intended to lodge police reports alleging that Uthayakumar was denied proper medical attention for his ailment.

21. Police fired tear gas & used water cannons containing chemical-laced water, on a large & peaceful crowd consisting of elderly people who wanted to submit a memorandum to the British embassy in KL.

22. Police fired tear gas & water cannons at demonstrators at Batu Caves Temple in November 2007.

The list above is quite short. It can be made to be longer…but 22 points is enough right. After all that, police brutality, biasness, foul play & what not must be stopped. The police are supposed to be a neutral party without any involvement in the dirty game of politics.

Instead of intimidating people, being busy with by-elections, the Perak crisis, & tackling opposition politicians,…the police should focus more on fighting crime & making the public feel safe to walk on the streets again. That is their primary duty, to serve & protect the country. I hope they make improvements soon.

30% Bumi Equity Gone!!...Hello Open Tender System!!

On April 22nd 2009, our PM, Datuk Najib made a bombshell announcement. He scrapped the 30% Bumiputera quota on equity ownership in 27 sub-sectors with immediate effect. These sub-sectors are health & social services, tourism services, transport, business, the computer industry and other related services. He also announced an open tender system for government contracts.

I was shocked when I read the news at first. Yet, as I thought about it further, it made good sense. Najib is an intelligent man. With all the huge controversies & scandals about him, he knows he won't be PM for too long. So I guess with this announcement, he hopes to finally really help the Malays whom are slowly swaying away from UMNO...& also try to win back the votes of the non-Malays. If all this works in his favour, he might be able to stay in power a bit longer.

Anyway, some might be wondering,...what is this 30% Bumiputera equity ?

It's part of the Malaysian "New" Economic Policy (NEP) which was launched in 1971 by Najib's father who was an ex-PM himself. It's a controversial policy with the intention to increase the status of Malays socioeconomically in a controversial manner.

The 30% equity is compulsory for public listed companies to have a minimum of 30% of their shares owned by Malays, a.k.a Bumiputera's. Or if a foreigner intends to set up a business here, the foreigner must have a Malay partner...at least 30%. If not, the foreigner can't set up the business at all.

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Now to be honest, I see more cons than pros in the NEP & 30% Bumi equity. Mainly because it greatly restricts the amount of foreign investment in the country. Why should a foreigner be forced to have a Malay partner anyway ? They might as well invest their money elsewhere.

Moreover, it only hinders the progress & competitiveness of Malays. Simply because they hardly have to work for getting that equity or partnership. It's automatically given to them regardless of their qualifications. Even for foreigners, it's highly likely for them to only get sleeping partners.

With this quota, everything becomes limited. The amount invested, the profit made, the progress & competitiveness of a company,...are all limited. Without such a quota, a company & its people can go on to achieve much more as there is nothing holding it back anymore. In a globalised world, a policy aimed for protection will only do more damage than good in the long run as business is now carried out globally & not just locally anymore.

The NEP is also known to only help the rich Malays get richer & the poor Malays remain poor. This is due to some Malays having political links & connections. So these lucky ones get all the government contracts & make big $$$. There wasn't even an open tender system for government contracts before...until now. This will help a lot to reduce corruption.

Even though changes are going slow, but they are big. It will help to increase competitiveness, attract more foreign investment, & stimulate the economic growth & financial sector of Malaysia. The Malays will now be able to compete among one another to progress & bring out the best in society. Quality of products & services will increase & the cost will decrease due to competition.

Najib also mentioned that the economy will be liberalised on an on-going basis. Which means that other discriminative policies in other sectors will slowly be removed in the near future. I personally am highly convinced that this is one thing that Najib will really do. He is a controversial man, but intelligent as well.

Najib knows that the Malays will not be able to survive in future if this protection mentality & policies continue any longer. Lastly, I'd like to mention a saying. Fish for your son, & he is full for the day. Teach your son to fish, & he is full forever.

Muhyiddin's Silly Statement

Tan Sri Muhyiddin

Our new Deputy PM, Tan Sri Muhyiddin, gave this statement on 5.5.2009. This was when the Kota Alam Shah state assemblyman, M. Manoharan, was still under ISA. Manoharan was released from ISA detention on the 8th of May 2009...just a day after the chaos & barbaric behaviour displayed by BN in the Perak state assembly. Was Manoharan's release an eyewash from BN ? Hmm...100% YES!! Many are now aware with the countless "coincidences" played by BN.

This statement was made because Manoharan was considering to step down from his seat.

Anyway, while Manoharan was under ISA, Muhyiddin said...

'After winning an election, it's time for him to get to work. He should be responsible enough and not step down unnecessarily as is being done by those from some political parties.The exceptions are when he is declared a bankrupt, convicted or dies'.

Firstly, let me remind you that Manoharan won his seat in the General Election 2008 while he was under ISA. That itself is a great feat & shows that many people are fed up with BN.

As for the statement, how is Manoharan suppose to get to work while under ISA detention ? He's not allowed to leave the detention centre. Every habeas corpus application filed by him to the court to be released was rejected.

Documents nor reports were being sent to him at the detention centre to be reviewed or studied whatsoever. He wasn't being sent to Parliament in the morning & returned to detention to continue his sentence. Neither was he allowed to meet his constituents as he can't leave the detention centre.

So how did Muhyiddin expect him to carry out his duties ??

Now that Manoharan has been released, looking very frail, I hope he gets back into shape & helps his constituents...which I'm sure he will.

British English vs. Malaysian English

This is a humourous post I saw online...Enjoy  ;)

WHEN GIVING A CUSTOMER BAD NEWS

Britons: I'm sorry, Sir, but we don't seem to have the sweater you want in your size, but if you give me a moment, I can call the other outlets for you.

Malaysians: No Stock.

RETURNING A CALL

Britons: Hello, this is John Smith. Did anyone page for me a few moments ago?

Malaysians: Hello, who page?

ASKING SOMEONE TO MAKE WAY

Britons: Excuse me, I'd like to get by. Would you please make way?

Malaysians: S-kew me

WHEN SOMEONE OFFERS TO PAY

Britons: Hey, put your wallet away, this drink is on me.

Malaysians:No-need, lah.

WHEN ASKING FOR PERMISSION

Britons: Excuse me, but do you think it would be possible for me to enter through this door?

Malaysians: (pointing the door) can ar?

WHEN ENTERTAINING

Britons: Please make yourself right at home.

Malaysians: Don't be shy, lah!

WHEN DOUBTING SOMEONE

Britons: I don't recall you giving me the money.

Malaysians: Where got?

WHEN DECLINING AN OFFER

Britons: I'd prefer not to do that, if you don't mind.

Malaysians: Don't want la...

IN DISAGREEING ON A TOPIC OF DISCUSSION

Britons: Err. Tom, I have to stop you there. I understand where you're coming from, but I really have to disagree with what you said about the issue.

Malaysians: You mad, ah?

WHEN ASKING SOMEONE TO LOWER THEIR VOICE

Britons: Excuse me, but could you please ! lower your voice, I'm trying to concentrate over here. Malaysians: Shut up lah!

WHEN ASKING SOMEONE IF HE/SHE KNOWS YOU

Britons: Excuse me, but I noticed you staring at me for some time.. Do I know you?

Malaysians: See what, see what?

WHEN ASSESSING A TIGHT SITUATION

Britons: We seem to be in a bit of a predicament at the moment.

Malaysians: Die-lah!!

WHEN TRYING TO FIND OUT WHAT HAD HAPPENED

Britons: Will someone tell me what has just happened?

Malaysians: Wat happen? ... Why like that?

WHEN SOMEONE DID SOMETHING WRONG

Britons: This isn't the way to do it. Here, let me show you.

Malaysians: like that also don't know how to do!!!!

WHEN ONE IS ANGRY

Britons: Would you mind not disturbing me.

Malaysians:Celaka u.