Nut dropped near spine has patient very worried..

Nuts! When I read this news report, Nut dropped near spine has patient very worried.. I didn't know whether to feel very relieved, or, very worried. Relieved that we poor citizens are protected from the wrongdoings and negligence of rich and influential members of the medical profession. But worried tool because it looks to me that unless we appeal the the MCA Complaints Department, and the influential Datuk Michael Chong, we may not be able to seek adequate recourse. If such a case had happened in the USA, UK or even in HK or Singapore, the doctor would have been sued till "his pants are down". Why, in Malaysia, we have to seek the MCA Complaints Department for help? Are Malaysian patients being trampled over by those whom they seek for help in their hours of need? Coming back to this case, I can't imagine anyone telling anyone else that a foreign object accidentally left in the body during an operations, can be safe, and knowing that it has been left there, NOT taken the effort to take it out at that time... This is really a nut case (sorry for the pun). It's time we discuss openly our rights in such cases of Medical negligence

Furore over missing jet engines to be "explained"

The 2 pieces of news that appeared in The Star today sadly illustrates the sorry state of affairs in our country, in terms of integrity in the Government, and the courage to face up to the truth. Whereas Thailand, in spite of being mired in serious political instability and a dangerous situation in the South has chosen to be upfront and honest when confronted with corruption in its Govt Thai Health Minister quits in graft scandal (also in the Star 30/12) I quote " Thailand's Public Health Minister resigned on Tuesday after being implicated in a corruption scandal over a health care scheme .... Witthaya stepped down after an investigation found he was negligent in his handling of a three-year, 86 billion baht ($2.57 billion) procurement project. ....The panel recommended that Witthaya and his deputy, Manit Nopamornbodi, be disciplined for backing ministry plans to build facilities and buy medical equipment deemed unnecessary and grossly overpriced by local health officials....... "

In our local front, in the comments made by our politicians in the wake of the "missing Jet Engines" Furore over missing jet engines to be "explained" the relevant Minister just said.. " We will reply to criticisms from the opposition who had used the missing jet engines and other issues to confuse the people...." His comments have left a dirty taste in the mouth. I would like to ask the Govt., if the missing engines were a result of 'opposition manipulation', what about the Report of the Auditor General? Why do we get the feeling that the latest Report has been filed and has started to collect dust? I am not even going to waste anybody's time to repeat concerns about the PKFZ and the Teoh BH /MACC inquest, among the many unresolved corruption cases that have come to light in the past year or two. Suffice to say is this... Is the Government and the Prime Minister prepared to walk the talk in 2010, stifle political shenanigans in the dealing with dishonesty among the conniving politicians and make 1Malaysia more than just an empty slogan , which is what it is now :-(

Happy New Year and don't 'screw' up our lovely country

vacation in China.. be careful with what you buy!

This is a true story. I met my friend VC last week; we were going to the wedding of a friend's son, having not seen him for almost 2 years after our vacation to Philippines together. I was shocked at his condition! He was pale and weak and had lost some weight, more than 5 kilos. When we expressed our concern, he showed us his legs, which were still reddish as if covered with angry rash, and told us that he is almost fully recovered. He had suffered from Hyper sensitivity Vasculitis..for more than 3 months, and had spent 10 days in HUK (Hospital UK in Cheras), What brought on this disease, we asked. He had gone for a tour of Beijing, China with his wife, and in one of those 'mandatory' visits to a pharmaceutical company in Beijing, he was "diagnosed" by a very slick 'doctor' who had correctly guessed that he has been having cholesterol and blood pressure problems since he was in his 30's (he is 60 now) and warned him not to take 'too much' medication. The 'doctor' suggested some health supplements which he eagerly bought, together with his wife, who was also told they were great for Arthritis too.. Cost RM10K. One week after taking those health supplements, the symptoms started.. When the inflammation on his legs did not subside, and he almost could not walk because of the pain and the inflammation, he admitted himself to HUK, and that was when he discovered that the "health supplements" almost cost him his life.. The toxic stuff are filling up a landfill now..

Please be forewarned and trust your own doctors, even though sometimes they behave like vultures

VULTURE BRAINS AND LOTTO

Toto Players, read this, also in TheStar today ------> VULTURE BRAINS AND LOTTO

Quote: " Everybody asks for the brain. You see things that people can't see. For lotto, you dream the numbers,........... He prescribes mainly vulture heads, which he says bring visions of the future, endowing users with the bird's excellent vision that helps them fly out of nowhere to descend on carcasses....."

Comment: In Malaysia, we don't have those vultures, but we can replace it with brains of our Members of the Parliament, or Doctors... But don't expect to see a vision of the future with politicians' brains...hahahahahahh . ROFLOL

WE DON'T NEED THE GST TO BOOST REVENUE!.. JUST corruption free EFFICIENCY

The letter by 'Tax Accountant' WE DON'T NEED THE GST TO BOOST REVENUE! is a very revealing letter, and has also demonstrated his willingness to "get to the root" of some of the more serious problems of raising revenue and improving productivity in the country. I will not repeat the details of what he has written, but the gist that can be gleaned from the letter is that,.. if the Government will just put in more effort in ensuring that the tax laws that are in existence are properly and strictly enforced, THERE IS NO NEED FOR THE INTRODUCTION OF THE GST!!

The first suggestion he gave, and which gave me a shock, is that the IRB has outsourced and paid billions to "private contractors" to sort and file the Return Forms received every year. Horrors! From my very superficial understanding of the Tax Form filing process, the IRB has from inception, sorted and filed the Return Forms on its own, without "outside" help. I would have thought the workload would have lessened when the IRB computerized and encouraged taxpayers to use E-filing, thus having less forms to file? Besides, when the IRB introduced "self assessment", the workload would have been further reduced? if having made its operations more efficient by reducing manual effort, why then do you need to pay "private contractors" to sort out the Return Forms? Also, will the confidentiality of our financial and personal information be compromised by this 'intrusion'?

The second suggestion given by the writer, is even more startling! He is declaring that the present Sales and Services Tax collection process is blatantly corrupt, and that has spawned very serious under collection of the SST, and which has also apparently made the Customs a "laughing stock" of the business community, and a "favoured" posting for officers who dream of living the "good life". His assertion that proper collection of the SST can increase our revenue 500 times (and thus obviate the necessity of the GST) over is something we cannot ignore, if we are really serious about tackling corruption, at the same time increasing revenue without causing hardship to the people. Perhaps the Govt should make this target a measurable KPI for the Customs, AS WELL AS for the MACC?

Members of Parliament, MISSING in Parliament?

Dear Editor,
While it is laudable that measures are taken to ensure that MPs do not miss parliament sessions, Koh proposes mass SMS to force MPs to attend parliament sessions this action has immediately begged the questions..:

• What are the duties and responsibilities of our elected representatives?
• Have they forgotten the promises they have made to the rakyat, before the votes were cast?
• Are the big salaries and bigger perks being paid to them, just for fun and frolic?
• While it is agreed that MPs too have private lives, is it not their moral responsibility to schedule their holidays and vacations, so as not to clash with parliament sessions? That must be the minimum they should do, to "pay back" to the community for the confidence shown in them through the ballot box.
  

To me, it should not be necessary for such systems to be in place to remind the MPs of their duties and obligations to the country. It should be in each of their consciences and in the oaths they have made . Have they already forgotten this already?

Will a thief "catch" himself.....?

I refer to the news MACC will help Ministry evaluate open tenders... and wish to comment on the statement by the Rural Development Ministry that it will seek the assistance of the MACC in evaluating open tenders. This is not a good move, as we all know that in order to ensure good practices, monitoring agencies like the Auditor General or the MACC, cannot be involved in the decision making process, as without the proper separation of duties and responsibilities, the regulating agency will become mired in the process and cause conflict, thereby making it biased in its subsequent actions. Moreover, if, in spite of the involvement of MACC, there is still subsequent 'aberrations' and corruption in the tender process, will the MACC be able to carry out its investigative tasks independently?

Exercise, Chest pains and Heart problems...

During our walk this morning, we talked about how some specialists seem to be specialized in grabbing our money, and serendipitously, this letter appeared in The Star, Heart conditions: GO FOR TESTS ONLY WHEN NECESSARY from which is the confirmation that most of our doctors behave more like vultures than caring professionals.. I quote... " When Malaysian cardiologists order such tests, they should do so according to internationally recognised guidelines. If they do not, one might be tempted to think that they are being over-influenced by financial considerations..." Need I say more. Relating to your temporary discomfort that commences at the start of the walk AND WHICH DISAPPEARS LATER AFTER YOU HAVE SUFFICIENTLY WARMED UP, you may want to look at this Exercise Induced Asthma.. and since the exhaustive tests by specialists have confirmed you are in optimum health for your age, there is nothing to worry about. There is also an alternative treatment for people who previously have sought to do angioplasty and the expensive stents. Have a look at this with an open mind. chelation therapy for coronary heart diseases. I have a very good friend who went for this to remove blockages in his artery and he is still fit and well after 13 years of the treatment.

Nazri calls Dr M a racist ...!

After so much demoralizing news in recent days, this comes as a shaft of blinding light... that a politician dares to face the truth,and call a spade, a spade. Maybe we the long suffering rakyat, can see some dim light at the end of the tunnel, that smart Malaysians of all races will turn away from the racist bigots. it's important that high profile politicians show Malaysia the way, as there are many other equally high profile politicians and ex politicians who cannot stop spewing hatred and bigotry even when left to pasture. May the almighty give them the strength and Will to continue the fight.

World Financial Crisis... who pays??

A very simply written column that almost everyone will understand, though a fat lot of good it will do to us.... Governments exist to "help" those who should be "shot" and even Obama's efforts now seem Machiavellian :-( ....A year in Crisis-- who pays?

Extracts:

1. The tragedy with very low yields on stocks, real estate, bonds and zero deposit rates is that the super saver has very little income to retire on.
2. For those savers whose returns are not higher than the inflation rate, they will share the burden of the inflation tax.
   
3. What is quite clear is that most of the world is going to pay for this crisis. So, please send a Christmas card to those Wall Street bankers who are enjoying record bonuses to remind them that all of us are paying for their party.

Quake prone areas: Safety issues

In view of this report Tremor hits Bukit Tinggi, again... and the fact that tremors have been occuring in this region several times within these few months, it may be prudent for all companies who have public buildings and infrastructure used by tourists and the public to make a statement that there is NO damage to structures and properties in the vicinity of Bukit Tinggi, Janda Baik and Genting highlands. We cannot deny that, with the existence of hot springs in the country for example in Setapak, Pedas, Sungkai, etc., certain areas in Malaysia maybe situated in 'weak fault' areas, which recent seismic events may have further weakened the sites. A Public assurance statement, after detailed evaluation of the properties, roads and infrastructure would demonstrate that the various parties have been proactive and have the public's safety at heart.. And don't classify the investigation under the OSA

CAN A BANK SAY "SORRY, WE HAVE RUN OUT OF CASH"?

Reading this letter about maybe one of the biggest banks in Asia, A SORRY EXCUSE FOR MAYBANK initially gave rise to a feeling of incredulity, but which was later overtaken by a deep sense of sadness! Imagine a bank of this stature giving out such an answer to a customer. If this sorry state of affairs is allowed to continue, will the bank subsequently tell its customers, "sorry, we have run out of cash"?

anachronism? or foot in the mouth disease...

I was wondering if anyone cared to comment on the statement by the Minister that we should go "spinning" when I was pleasantly surprised by your column,Why we should not have to spin.. which you have correctly explained that 'spin doctoring' is, " In the world of public relations and lobbying, it’s basically about finding the positive about what is essentially a negative thing and high­lighting that...."

I am not sure what the Minister actually wanted to mean, but in my humble opinion, I have read a few instances when the same Minister seems to have "put his foot in his mouth" with his profound utterances. I am sure your archives will bear me out with the details. Going back to this case, Yes, spinning connotes that we are trying to put a gloss on something that stinks. i am wondering why the task of "marketing" Malaysia has not been emphasized as the roles of our Ambassadors which incidentally is defined in the dictionary as " an authorized and high level messenger sent to represent a country" Ex president Bush must be glad he found an "equal"

DON'T POLITICIZE NATURAL TRAGEDIES AND PUBLIC INTEREST!

Your report, Landslide details CANNOT be made public really shows that the Federal Govt does not care a bit for the plight of its citizens, and have taken the stand that politics is more important than the rakyat's welfare. Don't the families of the dead victims and the traumatized survivors have a right to know what actually happened, regardless of their 'political inclination'? As I have also mentioned in my earlier letter which you have so kindly published, Make public the report on Landslide.. keeping the details 'secret' will just erode the last remnants of any nascent public trust that the Govt has earned by declaring "People First, Performance matters". Can the Works Ministry or the Cabinet let the public know the reasons for keeping the reasons of the landslide 'secret', other than to spite the State Government? Is this the meaning of "people first'? In my earlier letter I had commented ".. it seems to me that we still cannot trust the Government to tell the truth. We still have a government in denial, telling everyone that things are fine and, like this case, sweeping problems under the carpet. Changes must start from the top, if we are to change at all..." As time passes, I think the comments are turning out to be sadly true.. What a shame!

We have no time for our Seniors....

Your article More Seniors in Japan killed by relatives....:-( should be read by the relevant authorities very seriously, with a thought to the growing problem of caring for the aged in Malaysia. In particular my attention was riveted by the statement, Quote::"..It blamed the trend on care-givers buckling under the pressure of having to nurse the elderly while also facing economic difficulties. .." and immediately it came to my mind the living conditions of all Old folks in Nursing homes in our country.

From my experience of having visited many such homes, I have observed that most of the caregivers are paid very low wages, and in recent times many homes have taken to employ foreigners to do the job, some of them without proper training and experience. I have also met locals who take care of the old folks in the Homes at the same time having to cook for all of them. Some have been forced to take more than one job to make ends meet. Under such conditions, can we expect our elderly be taken care of at all? No wonder there are even stories of the old folks being given cold showers together every morning, to save time and effort. We maybe able to go into Space, but have we forgotten to leave some space in our hearts for our golden generations?

Govt Change, Local Administration... It's "Deja Vu"

Reading this report in the Metro HOTEL PLAN GIVE PJ FOLKS THE BLUES! gave me the creeps! I am also a resident in the vicinity, and always, I have looked at the development of the area at the junction of Jalan Utara and Jalan Semangat with incredulity. As described by the President of Section 12 Rajasoorian, the area is really over developed. Imagine having commercial complexes like Armada Hotel, Jaya 33, the new Jaya to be built, Hussein Onn Eye Hospital, Intan Square, Crystal Crown Hotel, Ehsan Ria Condos, a new Commercial complex under construction, crowding the schools (Bukit Bintang, Sri Petaling, Abdul Samad, Alam Shah Primary) all situated in Section 12. I do not believe even for a moment that a proper traffic study has been conducted. Will MBPJ confirm that an independent consultant be appointed to verify the TIA report submitted by the developer. I also agree that having 2 hotels (3, if you include Armada) in an area occupied by 4 schools is not a good idea.

But what struck a note in my mind is the comment by the President of the RA I quote.. " Rajasoorian also expressed his disappointment at the then Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) councillors who approved the commercial project without residents’ knowledge. If the present council under the current state government closes an eye to the problems we are facing here, we would be back to square one,” said Rajasoorian..... " This statement resonates at the core of our democratic system, where citizens change their 'administrators' through the ballot box when they have been found wanting, dishonest, arrogant, etc. Do the new councillors now follow up on their election promises, and evaluate all projects, especially those awarded close to the end of the previous Govt's tenure, for propriety and honesty? In this example, have the councillors taken cognizance that the residents have not been 'consulted' on such a big project, and in fact it has been pushed down their throats, as the statement has intimated? I am just a layman, but I know that area well. It is a low lying area where rainwater find a way to flow in heavy rain, and thus maybe reducing the possibility of floods in Sections 12 and 14. The T-junction has been susceptible to minor landslides several times already, as the slope at the top of the T appears to be weak. If a 19-storey hotel is built with basement carparks and ingress and egress roads, will the "concretization" of the whole area make these sections more vulnerable to floods in the rainy season? Besides the Traffic Impact study which should rightfully be publicly discussed, have studies been made on the environmental effects of building the hotel? Like effects of flood and traffic gridlock on the surrounding schools, for example. We must not allow "big business" to cajole and browbeat us into accepting anything that will have long term deleterious effects in our area. Our elected representatives must see to that, or, are we going to agree that what Terence Fernandez feature in 'The Sun' Spoilt New Kids on the Block is ominously prophetic??

Govt gag orders on matters of public interest

Your report that the Federal Govt has put a gag order on the JKR report on the Bt Antarabangsa landslide, Gag order on Bukit Antarabangsa landslide report :-( will not only distress the residents in the area affected by the landslide, but will also be viewed with consternation by all right thinking citizens of the country. On what reason has the gag order been given? If a Government is fully transparent, its citizens MUST be informed of all anything that affects their lives, be it good or bad, as hiding facts will only breed negative rumours. In this instance, will the revealing of the landslide report be detrimental to the nation, and thus have to be protected under the OSA? If the report reveals that some parties have been negligent, why should those parties be protected? It does seem to me that we still cannot trust the Federal Government to tell the truth, regardless of who has been involved. We still are a Government in denial, telling everyone that things are ok, and like this case, sweeping problems "under the carpet". Changes must start from the top, if we are to change at all..

Make public the report on landslide

Are Malaysia's forests being destroyed?

Reading your report M’sian timber exporters see strong demand from India brings up several issues that will have long term impact on our country as an environmental friendly place, and a country which heeds to the call to preserve our forests, and do our part to control and push back Global Warming. With this in mind, some statements made by the company have cause for concern:

• Quote: "Last year, Malaysia exported timber and timber products to India worth US$362.8mil, a robust 17.1% jump compared with the previous year..." This raises the question that If this company is to continue to be a "going concern", it is necessary to continue to increase is timber felling operations, and even at a rate of increase of 10% per year, can our diminishing forests withstand the onslaught? We are not talking of only this company alone that is destroying forever our pristine jungles, but also the 'needs' of our Palm Oil industries and farms. I do not believe even for a second, that sustainable forest management scheme works. Can anyone believe that it is possible to replace a 100-year old tree that can be chainsawed and felled in a matter of minutes?
  
• More worrisome is this statement; quote: " India’s ban on most domestic logging plus the rising prosperity of the middle-class Indians continue to fuel demand for timber and wood-based products, making it the second largest importer of tropical logs in the world after China..." My question is, If India sees fit to ban most of its domestic logging to protect its forests, and get Malaysia to exploit its own for the sake if its (Indian) middle class, are we not stupid to do that? Does Malaysia want to see its beloved country being reduced to 'wasteland' in 20 years' time, in return for short term profits of a few companies and State Governments? And China is even a more voracious consumer of our timber, while preserving its own by designating them as Heritage sites.

The Government seeks to push Malaysia into a 'high income' country by promulgating various policies in its annual budgets. If we look at most developed countries having 'high incomes' and good quality of life, those countries have balanced development, and they take care of their natural assets, and guard it from greedy businessmen and parochial politicians. Do we have the political mettle to do it?

PRESERVE OUR FORESTS!

Are Malaysia's forests being destroyed?

Reading your report M’sian timber exporters see strong demand from India brings up several issues that will have long term impact on our country as an environmental friendly place, and a country which heeds to the call to preserve our forests, and do our part to control and push back Global Warming. With this in mind, some statements made by the company have cause for concern:

• Quote: "Last year, Malaysia exported timber and timber products to India worth US$362.8mil, a robust 17.1% jump compared with the previous year..." This raises the question that If this company is to continue to be a "going concern", it is necessary to continue to increase is timber felling operations, and even at a rate of increase of 10% per year, can our diminishing forests withstand the onslaught? We are not talking of only this company alone that is destroying forever our pristine jungles, but also the 'needs' of our Palm Oil industries and farms. I do not believe even for a second, that sustainable forest management scheme works. Can anyone believe that it is possible to replace a 100-year old tree that can be chainsawed and felled in a matter of minutes?
  
• More worrisome is this statement; quote: " India’s ban on most domestic logging plus the rising prosperity of the middle-class Indians continue to fuel demand for timber and wood-based products, making it the second largest importer of tropical logs in the world after China..." My question is, If India sees fit to ban most of its domestic logging to protect its forests, and get Malaysia to exploit its own for the sake if its (Indian) middle class, are we not stupid to do that? Does Malaysia want to see its beloved country being reduced to 'wasteland' in 20 years' time, in return for short term profits of a few companies and State Governments? And China is even a more voracious consumer of our timber, while preserving its own by designating them as Heritage sites.

The Government seeks to push Malaysia into a 'high income' country by promulgating various policies in its annual budgets. If we look at most developed countries having 'high incomes' and good quality of life, those countries have balanced development, and they take care of their natural assets, and guard it from greedy businessmen and parochial politicians. Do we have the political mettle to do it?

Caught 11 times, and STILL allowed to operate?

I just can't believe your report with the banner,61 GROs held in 11th raid at outlet and this in spite of my highlighting this case on October 19, Why is outlet still operating? asking these questions :

• Are the fines and other penalties so trivial that the business owners gladly pay them and then continue with their “monkey business”?

• Don’t the authorities have the power to close down the business, and prohibit it from doing the same business again?

I am now asking further questions.

• The fact that the owner ( and obviously the Police and the Local Authorities will know him/them) is engaging in illegal gaming, and 'employing' illegal foreign workers call for a stiffer punishment, AND a jail sentence?
• Should the owner not be charged with 'human trafficking" even though he may not be directly involved in the enslavement of women? He is 'working' them under slave like conditions, that the public can see
• Can't the police use laws to put this obdurate and obnoxious businessman under 'restricted' residence, in Kelantan for example?
• Has the owner been operating with a local authority licence? Why does he feel so "confident"?
  

The continuing episodes of closing down the outlet, and arresting the poor ladies is apparently NOT the way to stop this illegal and immoral activity. As a saying goes, to stop the pain of a troublesome tooth, you have to go to the roots.

If I were the Police or the Local Authority in charge, I would take this news report as a slap on my face..

And we are all talking about 1Malaysia and performance NOW! It's really shameful

Why no action against outlet?

Giving bonus to ALL results in a lackadaisical Government

Reading this article Cuepacs accepts Government decision that the Government will not pay all Government Servants the 2 month bonus claimed, gave me a huge sense of relief. The Government should not kowtow to such requests arbitrarily, but instead adopt policies used by the private corporations when deciding on bonuses and other meritorious payments to its workers. Since the Government is touting the implementing of KRAs and KPIs to gauge and measure the performance of all government sectors, (and has also roped in the services of Idris Jala to do it), the Govt should extend such measuring mechanism to evaluate government servants at all levels. In short, Bonuses should only be paid to workers who have performed, and not to all. With the present policy, even the "dead woods" will get bonuses, while the hard working ones will be "demotivated". The end result of this 'generosity' will be a lackadaisical Government, which is precisely what we are getting now..

bonus payments; reward only the deserving..!

Bank has got its priorities wrong!

I read the letter from D. Soon of Kluang Scam victim seeing red over bank’s lack of urgency with a deep sense of deja vu, and am moved to comment on his justifiable frustrations with Maybank. The writer has been duped by an Internet scam, and is urgently seeking the bank's action to prevent or minimise "collateral damage", ie false charges to his credit card. The fact that he was apparently given the run around with all sorts of internal banking requirements to prove his identity and to stop the fake transactions is testimony that the Bank has got all its priorities wrong. I have had a similar experience before, but I use a bank whose policies are progressive and enlightened, and I managed to resolve my problems with just one call to the Call Centre. Let me explain. When a customer calls in to report some loss or scam, it is the bank's most important responsibility to prove that the caller is the genuine owner of the card. That can be done fairly easily as there are now standardised procedures used by all banks.( pin number, old i.c number, mother's maiden name, secret question etc). Once the identity is established to be authentic, the bank must as far as it can accept the customer's requests, even if it is to stop any payments already made. The bank does not have to worry, as it will then be the responsibility of the customer to resolve the issue with the merchants, be it a fake or a genuine case, why the payment has been stopped. This is similar to action taken by a customer to stop a cheque payment. Why, when it comes to a credit card payment, this bank has to make the customer go through the rigours of proving himself, as if HE is the crook? In the age of the Internet and global communications, speed is the essence, for crooks to operate, and as well as for us to protect ourselves.

I really hope our Bank Negara would get the banks to streamline their procedures of their Call centres, so that we achieve an international benchmark in our banking operations and financial services.

Malaysia a moderate Muslim Nation??

For those who have no time, or "no stomach" to read TheStar for various reasons, this is a piece of opinion you should read, nevertheless. Whither Moderation, by Zainah Anwar To make sure you read the whole column, I have extracted some of it below, and therein you can find ALL the reasons why the non Malays do not trust the Govt, even though they believe that 1Malaysia is a good thing as well as Single Stream Schools. Islam in Malaysia is being "portrayed" by the so called 'learned' men in cloth as an 'exclusive' religion, and any indirect involvement in it by non Muslims is seen as tainting the religious purity.(the latest example being the issue of non Muslims not allowed in mosques). In a nutshell, you can see the superficiality of those "in charge" of religious affairs from the incident of the harassment and arrest of Dr Asri. One of the enforcers purportedly shouted, "what if you are a graduate, I am also a graduate" thereby proving his total insecurity and lack of rationality in his actions.. As Zainah has commented, do we have the political leadership to overcome all these what has been so elegantly expressed.. " Malaysia to take the lead as a model moderate Muslim country – only to find its Islamic agenda hijacked by the very ideology that has contributed to the decay of other Muslim countries, where Muslims killing other Muslims for their belief and political affiliation have become the norm.

Well ,we have to see, but I am not sanguine, and certainly not in my lifetime.

Tam

Extracts:... What kind of Islam does the Prime Minister envi­sage in his 1Malaysia? Certainly not the Islam of the Selangor State Religious Depart­ment (JAIS) and the PGSM who accused Dr Asri of all manner of dastardly insults to Islam as they perceive it.

Dr Asri’s position on issues such as freedom of religion, differences of opinion in Islam, the imperative for reform, his criticisms of the delays and bias against women in the syariah courts, of khalwat laws and invasion of privacy, book banning and fatwa against yoga and kongsi raya have put him on the wrong side of the conservatives who dominate the religious bureaucracy and the Islamic state ideologues and their supremacist thinking.

For too long in this country, those who claim to speak in God’s name have cowed too many into silent submission and perpetual ignorance. For too long, our political leaders have not shown the courage or the will to fully deal with the threat posed by these religious zealots within government and their own parties.

What is desperately needed now is leadership, courage, and vision to stand up for what is right for Malaysia – that there is no place in a country like ours for an Islam that is punitive, cruel, misogynistic, and intolerant.

Hot Air breathing politicians...What else is new?

Dear Editor,
I write in response to the statement made by the President of MCA, OTK:: Interact with other Etnnic Groups in which he said, and I quote, " living in harmony with people of other ethnic groups did not happen by coincidence but that such culture should be cultivated from young.". I couldn't agree more with what has been said, but I recall that when the Prime Minister suggested that the Single Stream School be evaluated and discussed as a medium to foster long term multiracial unity, MCA was one of the first voices to immediately object, without giving the idea a chance to be even debated. Of course there were others who said that Single stream schools may taint "cultural purity".. In this context, I feel that the statement made is facetious, and there is not intention to 'make it happen'. How do we propose that our young mix with their peers of othe races, when they spend the first 11 years of their school lives in vernacular and religious schools, each practising his own language, culture and religion. Children are brought together only to celebrate Independence Day, and sadly even Sports seem to have taken on a race bias( eg football, equestrian, swimming, basketball, lawn bowls). We always only talk, but do not 'walk the talk'

Do not let the Public Suffer because of politics!!!

COMPLAINTS TO MBPJ FALLING ON DEAF EARS ! :-(

Extract.. " Kota Damansara assemblyman Dr Nasir Hashim, who visited a seven-year-old PPR flat in Section 8, was so peeved by the condition he saw that he said that the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) must have practised double standards.I am totally disappointed with the MBPJ, I have been highlighting to them the deplorable living condition of PPR occupants since the day I was elected but nothing has changed until today,” he said, adding that other PPR flats in Kota Damansara had similar problems.

“The residents here have been totally neglected. What has MBPJ’s Health Department been doing so far? Where’s the maintenance schedule for these areas The department deserves a complete overhaul,” he added.

He said he had made numerous complaints about the condition of the flats in his capacity as the assemblyman as well as the chairman of Local Agenda 21 Community Development committee for MBPJ, but the responsible parties did not seem to have moved a finger while the people are still suffering everyday.

Dear Richard, (MBPJ)

I told you I will not complain to you anymore about the mosquito breeding in the backlane of Jalan 11/5, and I will not, as from the above news extracted for the information of everyone, I understand apparently nothing will be done by MBPJ, even if someone dies of dengue in my area. What I find unbelievable is that even State Assemblymen and State Councillors have been "cursing" at the ineptitude of MBPJ, and I am sure MBPJ is NOT the only Council in Selangor that is so leaden footed. I think you all politicians have to tell us the rakyat if we are the pawns in your political game, and if that is the case, then we should just throw the slogan for 1Malaysia into one of those Alam Flora trucks that have been so maligned. Why should we want to race in the F1, when we cannot even "keep our houses" in order first. We the rakyat must be sick to the stomach :-(

Are the Organisers criminally negligent?

This is indeed a great tragedy, Hanging bridge collapses, 22 pupils drown in motivational program training.... and it illustrates once again the "tidak apa" attitudes of those who have been entrusted to do a job, and to ensure the safety of our children. Its hindsight comment unfortunately, but it has to be brought out for public opinion the question; "did the organisers actually went through the "course content" and the sites designated for the program to ensure that every part is in tip top condition (or repairs made) and the routes safe for the children, BEFORE the commencement of the training. I think answers have to be givien in order that the aggrieved parents and relatives know that their children's safety have not been compromised. Lessons will have to be learnt from this needless tragedy

Can an Aussie Expert save our motorcyclists?

I have read the letter WHY DON'T WE HIRE AUSSIE EXPERTS ON ROAD SAFETY? and I share the writer's concern over the mounting road deaths in our country especially of our motorcycle riders. I agree also with his comment that issuing police summons which largely remained unpaid and unenforced, and have to be collected through the giving of huge discounts, but I disagree with his suggestion that we hire an Aussie Road Death expert to study our problem and offer solutions. We know the problems causing such unnecessary deaths, we only need to brainstorm the solution. Hiring an expensive "Aussie Expert" who does not understand the local social and political culture in the country, will only be a waste of our funds on solutions that do not fit our needs. The causes of our high road deaths are as follows:

• The inadequacy of our motorcycle "testing" program. We all know of our infamous testing schools with "guaranteed" passes that can produce motorcyclists who have not learned how to ride properly
  
• Australians, by and large, follow all traffic rules, including putting on the indicator light when changing lanes, failure of which will result in a fine. Do Malaysians indicate when they change lanes?
  
• Australians generally are polite; cars which reach a cross junction first will be the car that leaves the junction first. In Malaysia, it's the bravest or the most reckless who will jump at the crossroads.
• Motorcyclists in Malaysia generally shoot the Red lights, or make U turns anywhere there is a space.
• Most motorcyclists have expired licences and insurances. Most of them also wear helmets that are not tied properly to the chin. Yesterday I saw a motorcycle with a pillion rider shoot the red light at a junction, crash into the side of a big car, and both the riders fell off the bike, and their helmets went hurtling somewhere else.
  
• 50% of our foreign workers use motorcycles. Are they properly "tested" and covered with insurance?
  
• the police seems to be ineffectual in catching these rogues, but with such reckless attitudes and selfish riders, doubling the police will not make much of a difference.
  
• In the outskirts of a city, finding 3 or more persons on a motorcycle is not unusual. Sometimes without helmets.
  

So, what will the Aussie expert tell us to do to solve our traffic woes? Unless we can change the attitudes of Malaysians (and the foreign immigrants) when riding, there will be little that we, or the Aussie Expert can do to help ourselves. Unless Malaysians know the laws are there to protect them, not otherwise, the deaths will mount....

One million summons, 4 arrests and 50% discount on fines.

I read through this article in Metro MPSJ says there are about 900,000 summons still unpaid..and I wish to quote from the column the statement made by the Honorable president.. "Adnan said that there were 900,000 unpaid parking summonses at MPSJ. He urged those with the summonses to pay quickly to avoid legal action. “We are giving a 50% discount until December and people can even make their payments online via our website. “Out of the 13,627 cases, we have issued 9,522 arrest warrants and 694 warrants have been successful served. “We are planning a big scale arrest operation for repeat offenders from mid-November until December with the help of the police. “So far, 4 arrests have been made and the offenders will be brought to court,”

What can be gleaned from the statement is that out of the almost one million UNPAID summons, only 4 arrests have been made, and a mere 694 warrants have been successfully served. It is a sorry statement of performance (OR NON PERFORMANCE) by MPSJ and the offer of 50% discount to those who have not since paid their fines must be sending absolutely the wrong message to those perpetual offenders. No wonder we find that parking and littering problems continue to be unsolved in PJ and KL ; in fact they seem to be getting worse! Rather than offer discounts, the authorities must redouble their efforts to nab the offenders. It would appear to me that issuing tickets and summons are not effective at all, IF the authorities are not serious in enforcing those summonses. Every offender now knows they will get away cheap, and the chances of being apprehended is next to nil. I am aware that this is not an easy problem to solve, but to continue issuing millions of summonses and letting offenders get away with their "crimes" is just a slap in the face of the Authority.and a waste of everybody's time..

Outlet still operating after more than 10 Police Raids.

Dear Editor,
Reading your report on a raid made by the Police state anti-vice, secret society and gambling branch.Police sources said the outlet(a karaoke joint with illegal foreign workers) had been raided at least 10 times., it is somewhat unsettling to read that the entertainment outlet which employs illegal workers and GROs have been raided AT LEAST 10 TIMES by the Police and the local anti vice authorities! I am not sure what to think of the enforcers, that they have allowed the continued operations of the business blatantly done in defiance of the laws. This begs the questions:

• Are the fines and other penalties so trivial that the owners of the business gladly pay them and then commence again their "monkey business"?
• Don't the authorities have the power to close down the premise, and prohibit it from doing the same business again? In this respect, I am aware that in the licensing of gaming and 'entertainment' outlets, a SPECIFIC Police approval is required before such a licence is approved.
• Does that mean the police have approved the business to be carried out there, IN SPITE of having raided this particular outlet at least 10 times?

It would be good if the Public can know of the reasons why such outlets have been approved to cotinue their businesses in spite of regular "enforcement". Personally i would be terribly embarrassed, if the illegal business have continued to flourish in my jurisdiction in spite of raiding it and closing it down for more than 10 times. It must show that the authorities have not been serious in doing their jobs?

Why is the outlet still operating??

Sex Predator in School?

I am reading this news report with disbelief,Man (secret health research assistant?) tries to con teacher into having sex I can glean the following from the details of the news article:

• Police Report made on August 18, after continuous sexual harassment made by the "teacher"
• The person has been remanded for 7 days, but subsequently released and is still apparently teaching in the same school
• Sate Education Officer and State Police have confirmed the case.
• Report of harassment also reported to Health and Education Departments.

I cannot imagine the stress that the lady teachers of the school must be enduring as the alleged sex predator is still in the same school. I also cannot imagine that this guy will ever be voted as the "most dedicated" teacher too, as I think his mind is only on "statistics" of the other female teachers. Will the Ministry come up with a decision that the correct action will be taken to address this issue. It is morally wrong to subject female teachers to such duress, and whether the case is proven or not, administratively, some action should be taken to allow the teaching atmosphere in the school to return to normal.

3 years to get the DNA of a dead bird??

After reading your report SWIFT DECISION and the statement that Swiftlet Farms in Sepang are to stay, I was however struck by the statement made by Mr Mah, the apparent spokesman for the Swiftlet farmers. I quote below:

"...The airport authorities suspect that the birds getting tangled into aircraft were swiftlets but there was no proof from Perhilitan to back their claims.It will take between two and three years for a DNA report to determine the species of birds that get tangled in the engines. They should get proof and provide data on how many accidents have been caused by swiftlets before asking the farmers to relocate...."

I was dumbfounded by the statement that it takes up to three years for somebody to identify the DNA of swiftlets? Other than the obvious cleverness in titling this report a "swift" decision, I feel such an important issue being treated so frivolously is NOT FUNNY at all. Firstly, if the airport authorities and MAS suspect that the birds that were sucked into the engines were swiftlets, the Department of Wildlife and Perhilitan should take immediate measures to ascertain the facts of the case, and that the swiftlet farms in Sepang DO NOT cause such dangerous incidents.Does Malaysia want to be the centre of some notoriety if one of the planes using the airport is brought down by swiftlets crashing into the Engines causing the deaths of hundreds of passengers? Knowing the fact that swiflet farms are in the vicinity, will Malaysia Airports Holdings be then deemed to be negligent, and be held responsible for the deaths? Why does Perhilitan allow the spokesperson of the Swiftlets Merchants Assocation to justify their existence (and to speak on Perhilitan's behalf) by announcing that it takes up to three years for anyone to determine the DNA of the birds that were sucked into the jet engines? Are our Ministries and Departments involved in this issue so inefficient that they cannot find a way to determine the DNA of the dead birds, say in three months? I think the travelling public deserves a proper explanation and better protection, from Malaysia Airport Holdings, not from the Swiftlet farmers..

City Hall must be joking!!!

Reading the news City Hall: It is beyond our jurisdiction to act against cybercafes with tinted glass and the subsequent letter written by me Bar tinted glass at Internet cafes I cannot believe that City Hall and other local authorities have made the excuse that it is beyond their jurisdiction not to allow massage parlours and Cybercafes to have tinted glasses on their doors to "hide' the activities happening inside. Let us make something clear. The issue of a business permit for the premise comes from the Local Authority or City hall, and it is accepted that certain conditions are always stipulated for compliance, or the licence can be withdrawn. What is the difficulty for City hall to stipulate that the Cybercafe or Massage parlour must operate in conditions that are easily visible or accessible to the public and the authorities, and NO effort must be made to hide or avoid such activities from being observed by the public. Such conditions to the licences conform to reasonable Moral requirements of our society. Failure to comply can mean the forfeiture of the licence. The excuses "cooked" up by City Hall that MCMC is "in charge" is laughable at best, and is the worst example of an indifferent Govt at its worst...

Come on, why are we having KPIs when such nonsense is continuously being perpetuated?

Have Toll conscessionaires got the BEST toll system?

Thank you for your report on "Toll Tales" No chance for toll collectors to pocket change and I was struck by the comment of one of the concessionaires, responding to a question by your reporter, I quote, "..However, one big question remains — the treadle would not be able to differentiate taxis and private cars as both have four tyres and two axles. Litrak admitted that it was the only setback but the company was aware of the pattern, as in the number of taxis using the highway, thus it was capable of spotting any unusual collections..."

This is surely NOT a satisfactory situation to be in, and I feel the concessionaire, has not properly evaluated or installed a system with proper controls, to completely eliminate this weakness. I understand that there are concessionaires who have eliminated this menace, by installing CCTVs on each lane, which takes as snap shot (frame grab) of the vehicle each time a Class 4 or taxi is indicated. At the end of shift, these 'frame grabs' are viewed by the supervisor, and if for example, a "non taxi" is classified as a taxi, appropriate action will be taken against the toll collector. Such a system will remove any doubt, and enhance the security of the Toll collections..I wonder if this concessionaire has considered this option, instead of relying on "traffic patterns" to do his job

What's there to hide, if Cybercafes are legal?

I am relieved to read that regular checks are made on illegal Internet Cafes,Raid on Illegal Cybercafes! but I have one comment to make. I am sure the local authorities have guidelines on how an Internet Cafe should be set up, but I am wondering, if the Cybercafes are legal, why do they ALL have dark tinted glass on their doors and windows? I have just noticed a new Internet Cafe being opened in my Section in PJ , and I noticed the glass door is dark and the activities cannot be viewed from outside. Is the dark glass a REQUIREMENT, for Internet Cafes? I would like to presume that since licenses have been issued to these cafes, it would be easier to monitor and enforce the rules, if the premise can be easily viewed by the public from the outside. We then can see if, for example, there are kids playing in the cafe, when they should be in school (by the way, a primary school is less than 50 metres from the shop), or if the cafe is engaged in Gambling or other undesirable activities. If the dark glass is a requirement for the licence, so as not to unnecessarily "attract" patrons to the cafe, then based on the same principle, it would be consistent to require all Gaming outlets** to have dark glass doors to cover up their gaming activities...

Bar Tinted Glasses

Malaysia a "politically maturing" society??

MCA battle enters its final round

Extract... " The public punishes even the slightest indiscretion. Tainted leaders are condemned, discredited and hounded out of office without mercy. An example is what happened to Shoichi Nakagawa, a rising Japanese leader of prime minister material who quit as finance minister after appearing to slur at a press conference in April. Nakagawa, who was found dead on Sunday of yet unknown causes, apologised and resigned for the mere appearance of slurred speech. It cost Nakagawa his job and his career, what more a big-sized sex scandal like the one that hit Dr Chua in 2007...."

Dear Barada,
I think most of of us, who do not care a hoot about MCA and its shenangins, (those members putting self interest over national interests), cannot but detect that your article is biased, to say the least. The MCA president must be pleased. I actually do not have any dislike for Dato OTK, but I am not particularly fond of Dato CSL either, though I feel he could have been a moderately successful "actor" in some movies. But I am writing to dispute your view that we are maturing society (though chronologically speaking I agree), and that we will not stand for any "tainted" politician or Government official to continue holding on to his position. You further illustrated this by describing what the Japanese Minister S. Nakagawa did, to the extent that he may have taken his life for some drunken impropriety while represnting the country. Give us a break!!! I am sure you have read all the news in the mainstream media, but mainly on the Internet, that our politicians are still alive and kicking after being deluged by all sorts of scandals and crimes, like rape of young girls, blatant corruption, staying in residences far beyond what their proven wealth would allow, alleged murders, being caught wearing only a towel with a young actress, overseas "training" junkets using Govt funds, proven to be involved in money politics, and many many more.Have you seen these guys declining to stand for elections, or even commit harakiri? Also, if you look at recent examples that English MPs getting into trouble using Govt funds to buy horse manure for their gardens, you can see how "corrupt" our politicians are. My personal view is that whether CSL or OTK will lose will not depend on MCA members voting "maturely", but rather on " politics" which actually will mean anything goes....................... God save us Malaysians....

Malaysians are "slave drivers"

I have read Mr Gursharan's letter Try and Live without a Maid... and then the Human Resources Minister's comments, More Job openings but the locals are not keen... and herein lies our problem. We locals do not want low paying jobs with long hours and no off days, but we are not happy to pay more than RM500 for an Indonesian Maid who is forced to work beyond what is fair and humane. While locals will only tolerate for a few days such long hours of tiring labour, as Gursharan has mentioned, many Malaysian employers see nothing wrong or immoral, to force the maids to work from 5 am to 11 pm daily, and even bring the maids to other relatives' homes to clean up, bring cars from other families to be washed daily, and I have known, besides such cases, an employer and neighbour, asking the maid to cook for his mistress's family, including taking care of her 8 dogs! On a recent visit to NASAM, the National Stroke Rehabilitation Organization, we were told that many Indonesian workers who are asked to be 'care givers' to recovering Stroke victims often double up as maids, and usually work through long hours doing house work BESIDES looking after the disabled person. Malaysians have to erase the thinking that the quality of life and dignified living is restricted to those who can pay for it, and learn to treat with sincerity other human beings as human beings, with a right to respect and basic comforts too. We must be grateful that we can pay others to do our "dirty" jobs, don't treat them like dirt!!

hired help: treat them with dignity

treat maids with dignity

Online Gambling... a Curse??

I have read the letter Legalise online gambling, by Ken Ng and would like to provide further views on this issue, which if not properly resolved, will have far reaching impact of the economic and social health of our society. While it is true that it will be quite difficult to eradicate Online Gambling because of the pervasiveness of the Internet, and its exponentially growing popularity, it is also true that uncontrolled gambling will destroy the moral fibre of our society. The writer has correctly mentioned that the Govt, through the Home Ministry and Bank Negara will do its utmost to stem its spread. With tough laws and tougher (and incorruptible) enforcement, online gambling can be retarded, if not eliminated. Having clear and tough laws that prohibit financial institutions and banks from supporting ANY FORM of fund transfer relating to any gambling site, having the Police (eg Bukit Aman's D7 unit) manned by honest and fearless officers who understand the destruction that online gambling can cause to our denizens, we can ensure that online gambling do not take a foothold in the country. It might be good for us to realise that although Malaysia allows certain types of gambling to be patronised here (casino, horse races, numbers forecast, sweepstakes and Lotto), they are permitted to do so on a CONTROLLED basis; that is, those who knowingly want to gamble would know where to go. Gambling companies are not allowed to "lure" unsuspecting or innocent bystanders to partake in the betting. In short, you just cannot gamble anywhere you like. Now, if we allow online gambling to take root, think of the moral consequences and the loss of productive time, besides the innocents getting trapped in the quagmire on a daily basis. Anyone with a computer, a notebook, and very soon a Mobile Phone will be able to gamble ANYTIME and anywhere. Will such pervasiveness of Internet Gambling not have a terrible negative impact on our population? Will an increase of Govt revenue atone for the loss of integrity and morality in our citizens, especially in our youths? Think about it

Socially Responsible Bank?

I have observed that HSBC " is committed to lead the way in eco-responsibility" and "keep the Earth green" and it was no surprise to me to see the bank's advertisement on TV that used the example of the business of a trawler fisherman to illustrate that commitment. In that advertisement, the fisherman woke up very early to go out to sea and trawl. In the rough seas, the crew pulled up the net, only to find a dolphin among the catch. Rather than capture and kill the dolphin, the fisherman cut his net and released the creature back into the sea. I have to understand from the advertisement, that HSBC, as a socially responsible bank will actually sacrifice profits and good business deals, if those transactions involve businesses or investments that destroy the Earth or its denizens in any way! That's a fantastic statement to make, and by walking the talk, I would presume that the Bank will not invest or finance businesses or projects that

• destroy the forests (ie not finance or invest in Timber companies)
• manufacture plastic bottles and bags, which if left in the oceans, can be swallowed by turtles and the dolphins that it seeks to save
• construct residential properites on agricultural land
• construct premium properties on slopes of Hills that are more than 30% in gradient, and that includes Golf courses
• emit toxic effluents into our rivers
• are destructive to the land, eg mining and development of Golf courses
• have detrimentai effects on the environment

I am curious. Does the bank have any internal guidelines such as those that I have outlined above? If they have, how does the Bank enforce them? I am writing to you, because I feel that advertisement is a VERY POWERFUL one and besides I have to answer my wife's question.. "What is the relevance of the advertisement to the Bank?" I hope I can give her a good answer..

The Doctor is an Animal !!

Veterinarian’s service that really sucks

Question: Did the Squirrel die from over excitement, or did it die of asphyxiation?

Can Malaysians rise above Religious bigotry?

Dear PM again,
I am glad to highlight the letter written by my brother, Cowhead Protest a dastardly Act in which he has echoed my views on the matter, but which, he being the widely read one, has illustrated the despicable act by describing the bloody horse heads used by the Mafia to threaten their 'enemies'. We understand from many political blogs in the Internet, that there are 'godfathers' in UMNO too, but is 1Malaysia going to be sabotaged by these guys for their myopic interests? Or, I repeat, is the Government signaling its "intent" to win back the next elections at all costs? I think this time the rakyat is not stupid, and they will know sincerity and humility when the see them. Unless Dato PM wants to rule over a country filled with chaos and mediocrity... I will be dead by then, but my heart bleeds for our children...


Trying to see this episode objectively, and reading a random sample of the 100+ comments arising, I can see that the vast majority of the rakyat IRREGARDLESS OF RACE OR RELIGION ABHOR the cowhead incident, and the troublemakers at the dialogue called by the PR Govt. Vocal discontent, dissent and despair at temple talks Can the Federal Govt see beyond narrow political lines, and parochial localised politics, and realise that we the citizens REALLY want to have peace and harmony hinged on mutual respect? If the police AND the Home ministry have been reluctant to act against those hooligans because they are Muslims, they will know that the silent majority will approve the crackdown. Or, do you want us to think that the Fed govt is in cahoots with some 'warlords' to perpetuate this fiasco? When are we going to stop "using RACE and RELIGION" for political gain? Is 1Malaysia about such things?? It's a sad day that we have to witness such acts of "open" hatred and 'bullying' that goes unpunished. The Home Minister needs to pull up his socks,!!

Social Responsibility and Tokenism

Dear Editor,
I have been watching the Prime Time News on NTV7 on a regular basis ( 8 pm), and I have observed a short advertisement on the felling of trees. The short clip first shows a screen full of trees, and they are being 'felled' to the sound of chainsaws, until only a single tree is left standing. The punchline came.. " What will we do when all the trees are gone?"

It's great to have programs that raise the public's awareness of our social responsibilities, and the things they do that destroy the environment and the Earth, leaving nothing for our future generations. However, I think this TV clip is directed at the wrong audiences. To be frank, what good can we do, even if we made aware of the plight of the diminishing forests? We can stop buying wooden furniture, not have wooden floors and houses, and try to plant some trees wherever we can find some space. But who is solely responsible for the felling of trees and the destruction of Primary and virgin forests around the world. The main culprits must be the timber corporations and the large plantation owners.Timber companies, for example, in order to survive MUST increase or at least maintain profits from their primary businesses each year, and that means they MUST continue to obtain new forest concessions and new trees to fell. Not doing so, would mean the certain demise of their companies. Likewise, plantation owners who must also continue to grow more crops and food for the world. Sustainable forest development to me, is just a dirty word. There is never an adequate replacement for a 100 year old tree, that has been cut down in less than 10 minutes.

So, my point is, what is the reason for showing that clip on TV? The only way we can prevent the punchline from happening ie "What will we do when all the trees are gone" is to STOP ISSUING ANY MORE APPROVALS FOR TIMBER CONCESSIONS, AND HAVE THE UNITED NATIONS PROTECT THE JUNGLES IN BORNEO AND THA AMAZON. Anything less than that will make all these 'shows' and 'statements' a symbol of sycophantic tokenism..

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/9/2/focus/4631437&sec=focus

http://www.sun2surf.com/article.cfm?id=37571

Perils of an Expatriate life

Dear Thelma,
Reading the letter from 'blissful Mama' In love but in crisis!! I would like to express my heartfelt sympathies to her, and I appreciate your 'diplomatic' wording of your reply and advice to her. You are really trying to help her, and put a positive spin to the matter so that you will not make the situation worse than it is. But speaking as an ex-expatriate, I would like to share my views of some perils of a family man working alone in a foreign country. The stresses are real, but so are the perks and the elevated stature that normally such a posting gives. I personally think that the husband is not telling the "exact" truth, when he says .." that sex makes him feel sick and weak (and) He constantly falls ill....." Coming from a previously happy marriage and a passionate wife, he must have loved the sex part of the marriage. If he loves his wife still and with the availability of Viagra, Levithra and Cialis, he would have still managed a happy marriage each time he returns from Dubai. I would read another reason for his sudden "disgust" with sex. It's most likely he is enthralled in a hot steamy love affair in the Middle East. With his expatriate earnings and elevated stature, many ladies will succumb to that heady 'mixture' of power and money. It's a natural aphrodisiac. Of course sex with his wife will make him "weak and tired", he has expended all his energy on his new found obsession.

I think it is the "correct" thing for you to say to 'blissful Mama', but I just want to let you know it is more likely a 'sinister' reason for the man to behave the way he does. It is a bit naive to think otherwise....

Carlsberg.. how to increase Sales.

Dear Carlsberg,
We were distressed to read this bit of news this morning CARLSBERG PROFITS DOWN 22% and this is inspite of our unwavering and fervent efforts supporting the Golden Brew during Friday nights at Restoran Kor Kee in PJ Old Town (behind the decrepit bus terminal). We feel that even though you have a beer that beats the "others" pants down, you have not done enough to protect and increase your market share. We are sorely disappointed with your marketing team. In order to prevent further slide in your profits and to push Carlsberg to the Winner's pedestal, which it deserves, we humbly suggest the following:

• Increase your efforts to prevent the "Import" of foreign beer which, in spite of heavy duty, is selling cheaper than Carlsberg. A few examples of the foreign beers:.... Kingfisher Strong, Bavaria, Hollandia, Roberts Stout, San Miguel, Blue Ice, etc etc.
• Petition the Government and the Local Authorities under the Human Rights Freedom of Action principle, that Malaysians must be allowed to drink any brand of beer in coffee shops and the 'dirty' restaurants. Limiting the shops to sell (God Forbid) Tiger and Heineken is a breach of our constitutional rights. Talk to the Chinese coffee shops and dirty restaurants that it is to their benefit to provide more choices of beer, as that would naturally attract more dinner crazy customers
  
• Finally, and this is the most important suggestion; we do think you should employ lady promoters to push Carlsberg, more frequently, and most essential, send them to Restoran Kor kee on Fridays... Preferably filipinas, as they understand how we feel

REASON TO REDUCE TOLL FARES,... A FACTUAL STORY

I just read this column Paying toll to sit through traffic jams and observe that there is apparently yet another development to the "Rising Toll Saga". It was mentioned that " A few weeks ago, rumours surfaced that some former employees of UEM Group want to take over PLUS. They want to bring down toll rates by at least 20% and do a lot more for the rakyat." This is coming after recent agreement by the Government and the Concessionaires to reveal the contents of the Toll Operations Agreements to the Public, and to the reluctance of the Governement to re-negotiate the lopsided contracts, and the need to pay compensation to the concession holders, in the event the contracts are breached, and toll fares not allowed to be increased, as per agreements. Much water has flowed under this "toll fare" bridge, and the arguments for both sides of the question will continue, to the frustration of the road using public.

Let me tell a factual story and put things in perspective. In 1996, one of the largest infrastructure construction and toll operations company in Malaysia, which I will call 'A', entered into a joint venture agreement overseas, with the government of an Asian country, which shall be 'B', to rehabilitate an existing segment of a highway, and to also construct new segments through one of the busiest sections of the country. Government B was responsible for the acquistion of land for the road, called the right of way(ROW), and Company A will bear all the construction costs, provide the systems and also training for the operations and maintenance of the completed highways. The joint venture agreement (JVA) signed between A and B, among other things, stipulated the Revenue Sharing arrangements. The JVA stipulated that until the construction costs, finance charges and interest have been FULLY recouped by Company A, the toll revenue (nett of operations costs) shall be shared in the ratio of 90:10 to A and B respectively. However, when those costs including loans, finance charges and interest have been fully recovered by A, the revenue (nett of operations costs) shall be shared in the ratio of 40:60 between A and B respectively. Unfortunately company A eventually disposed off the business to a local Investor, as Govt B could not raise the funds to acquire the ROW for continuation of the project.

Now what does the story tell us? It shows us undeniably that there is a need for concession companies in Malaysia to re-visit the toll rate, once they have collected sufficient revenue to repay their loans and other finance costs. It is then clearly immoral for these concession companies to continue raising toll fares, AND for the Government to approve it under those agreements. The fact that Company A in my story can agree to take a 50% less revenue in Country B after recovering their Finance costs shows that there is no need for such high toll fees, after the completion of construction of the expressways. It is not surprising then that the former UEM employees, in proposing to buy over PLUS, has also proposed to cut the toll rate by 20%.!!

The moral of the story? However which way the government decides to resolve the high toll fare issue for the public, the end result MUST be the drastic lowering of toll fares. We, the public have suffered for too long. Let us not wait longer...

Illegal smuggling of wildlife

Illegal smuggling of wildlife

Something must be wrong with the IRB

It is interesting to note that in spite of frequent letters of dissatisfaction and utter frustration at the IRB's snail like progress of refunding taxes overpaid and over deducted, to the taxpayers, What tax refund? and Speed up refunds the IRB has apparently come up with more work for the employers, and has also shifted the onus of computing accurate monthly deductions to the taxpayers themselves, Tax deductions – a better tomorrow?.. As reported in the column, " Employees can now ask employers to deduct less STD or more STD by submitting Borang PCB/TP1 (1/2009) (less deduction) and Borang PCB/TP2 (1/2009) (more deduction)..." and " For employers, it means increase in compliance costs, a familiar phenomenon in this day and age...." the 2009 Schedulat Tax Deductions (STD) are supposed to provide the mechanism for accurate deductions, and hopefully less clamour for quick refunds, but I can see that this effort is just like "trimming the golf course with a nail cutter", ie, doing more work less effectively.

If the IRB has included in making one of its KPI's as, .." All refunds of taxes of the previous year MUST be completed by September of the following year", we will not need that "fine tuning" that has been proposed and envisaged in the STD 2009. We have shifted to self assessment for about 10 years now, so I am at a loss to understand why it's still so difficult for IRB to pay refunds to the loyal taxpayers, especially those who are retired and depend on such refunds to survive, IN A TIMELY MANNER.. Maybe you should scrap the present computer system, and get a better one.?

Well meaning, but are we not sending out the wrong message

I have been listening to the same advert on the Radio (Lite&Easy), for some while now, and there has been a regular appeal on the radio that if we pay our parking or speeding tickets issued by the Police through an Online Portal (MyEg.com.my), we can get a 50% discount. While this strategy may encourage perpetual offenders to pay up, help the Government to collect some badly needed revenue, and at the same time, give the perception of 'improved' performance by a Govt department, I feel that such a gimmick is only sending the wrong message to vehicle owners. Police Tickets are issued primarily as deterrents and must be effective in eradicating or at least minmising such offences as illegal and inconderate parking and speeding. Giving discounts to offenders, whether they are first time, or repeat cases, gives the message to the guilty ones that it is not "painful" to commit an offence, AND that the enforcement is so weak that the Authorities see fit to give a discount to get the fines resolved. The Govt should be serious about monitoring the performance of all the departments, and a good measure of performance is the TIMELY collection of fines and compounds by these departments. Offering discounts is just a lazy way of solving the problem, and will never deter the inconsiderate driver at all...

The "route" that we all must take.....

Reading this letter Sometimes we have to leave old folks be by 'the sandwiched generation', I think this problem of the seeming lack of love of their parents by some Malaysians is just going to be more complicated and acute, by the day, as our population ages, and the size of the family unit dwindles because of high costs of living. Looking at ways out of the quagmire, we have seen views like legislating the non care of parents as a punishable offence as is being done in a neighbouring country, building more and better Nursing homes, keeping medical costs down for the aged, and lately I have even received the suggestion of a friend, that this is the time to make 'caring for the aged' a respected and 'high income' profession in line with Malaysia's objective to reach the next level of competence.

However, I feel that in all such discussions and in the case as addressed by 'the sandwiched generation', wherein, he, as a retired person having children to look after, and is suffering from cancer, while taking care of his disabled mother who requires very expensive medical treatment, we have not considered a more holistic approach to terminal patient care as practised by the Hospice Organisations in the country. Such organisations, led by Hospis Malaysia, offer palliative care to those who ask for them, in homes of the patients, and encourage communication between family members and the hospice person involved. Aged parents and terminally ill people need to be loved, they understand the difficulties faced by the persons looking after them and do not want to b a nuisance. Sending those who are ill or disabled by illness to homes are at best good only for the conscience, and at worst will subject to the loved ones being abused by care givers who may even be illegally employed by the Homes! The Government should raise the national awareness of the availability of the services provided by the hospices and the 'angels' who tirelessly work to make the aged and terminall ill feel they are still loved. The Government should also strongly support ALL Hospice organisations in the country, as they form a bridge between the sufferor and the sufferees, besides making medical treatment and palliative care affordable. In the long term of course, the government should ensure that ALL Malaysians are covered by medical insurance, though in this era of an aging population and merciless profit making insurance companies, I fear it will not be possible..

I would like to end this by quoting from the Hospis newsletter that a terminally ill person " only wants what is in your mind and in your Heart". Malaysians must learn to care more.....

TOWARDS SAFE CITIES

Reading this news, TOWARDS SAFE CITIES I must commend the Govt for its efforts to make our cities safe. The CCTV system that was launched under the enthusiastic gaze of the Home Minister, is impressive, and no doubt would be quite effective in curbing crime, if they are used and monitored regularly and positively. However, we know the Malaysians are notoriously 'famous' for their lack of focus and short attention spans to projects and tasks that require continuous care and maintenance, and I hope that this beautiful project will not follow the fate of many CCTV projects and Cameras installed at Traffic lights, which have sadly fallen into disuse, even during their guarantee periods. I would like to suggest that the Govt be proactive in this matter and include the Performance and Proper functioning of this system as part of the KPIs and KRAs of the Ministry and Departments involved, in short, the success of this project should be used to measure the performance of those involved with it, along with accompanying punishment for failure. Can we do that? Otherwise, I fear this will be just another "white elephant' in a year's time

Nation Building.... by an architect.

OPEN LETTER TO THE PRIME MINISTER

I have taken the liberty to send you this feature Absolutely floored, ARCHITECHTURE INSIDE OUT,By MOHAMAD TAJUDDIN MOHAMAD RASDI by Prof Dr Mohd Tajuddin, in part because I know you will not have to time to seriously browse through the papers, given the mess that those MACC guys got you into, but also because I was surprised and very impressed to have read such views from an unexpected source, a feature on buildings and architecture. Nonetheless, I think we would agree with what he has said, {if we really WANT to believe in 1Malaysia} and I take the chance to extract some of his views for us to ponder. :

Extract.... " How can there be racial unity and tolerance if one ethnic group is sidelined right where they live?............But because town and city administrators are predominantly from one racial group, the sentiment seems to be “why should I help these immigrant groups”, or “my religion forbids me to help these people spread their religion”. Again, as a Muslim, I have to say that I feel such attitudes are far away from the true teachings of the Prophet Muhammad that I have come to understand..........Do you see why I wonder whether we’re serious about achieving racial unity? How can we say we are when we cannot even provide a proper neighbourhood gathering place?....."

Herein lies our problem. The attitudes of those in the administration are almost all against what your notion of 1Malaysia is about, and unless there is a revamp of thinking and attitudes at all those levels, Dato, you are bound to fail.I am no politician, only a humble old man, but I know you need more than just political backbone to change Malaysia, and I am reminded of a story about Gandhi.. In the midst of violent racial riots in India, a Hindu came to him and told him his son was murdered by Muslim mobs, and he wanted vengeance. And I understood that Gandhi instead took him aside, and told him to adopt a Muslim child whose parents have suffered a similar fate! In fostering multiracial unity in Malaysia, can we "adopt a child" of a different religion in our midst, say, can we see temples in the midst of a Malay kampong, and mosques in the midst of 'Chinatowns'? Can we have multiracial worhsipping places in schools, wherein no one religion has seemng superiority over the others? Of course it's not easy, and I never said it is. But if all those in the Administration do not want to "listen" to Gandhi, then I guess we can say goodbye to 1Malaysia, and Vision 2020, whatever that is...

Calling a spade, a spade.... Susmaryosep!!

Reading the letter in TheStar , Forced to be maids due to poverty... I have to say that I am amazed at the simple truths expressed so well by a person so looked down by our politicians, and I am pressed to quote from her... " I feel sorry for those who are willing to improve their knowledge by learning English because individuals like you are a hindrance to their efforts. With due respect, Sir, you are a perfect example of someone who doesn’t know what he’s talking about. " What is there for me to add, except that maybe the politician involved should be magnanimous enough to issue an apology to the offended party. Suffice to say that, giving all sorts of excuses and blame to parties who have absolutely nothing to do with one's inadequacies represent the thinking of a VERY shallow mind, which maybe improved by some voracious reading of English books?

Air New Zealand grabs attention...

I would like to think that, more than just attention grabbing, AIR NEW ZEALAND GRABS ATTENTION the airline must be also trying to improve Sales? I can't see how a 'naked' body will help me learn how to wear my safety belt, after having flown for more than 30 years; more likely I would forget to buckle up.... hohahah

The Perils of Screaming Sex

The Perils of Screaming Sex, or Soundproof your room!!! =))

"..................A 16-year-old girl thought she heard her mother being assaulted by her boyfriend and rounded up some friends who beat him up, only to learn later that the couple actually were having sex, the woman and police said. The girl misinterpreted the woman's amorous screams,..............""

This news reminds me of an ex neighbor, more than 25 years ago, whose wife makes long moaning sounds like a cat on heat.. At first, we neighbors thought it was just that, 2 horny cats making out, but when it got too long and too loud, we came out to check, and found out the moans came out of the window next door, (52 Jalan 11/10).. Susmaryosep!! Another neighbor, a lady, was quite embarrassed by it, and had to tell the newly weds to quieten down the music.

Miaaaooooo!

Import Skills, not Stupidity

I read the report Dr M: Govt can consider PR status for skilled foreigners to attract investments to Cuberjaya (by the way, where is Cuberjaya?), and as usual our ex PM Tun Dr M has again hit the nail on the head of our country's policy makers.

May I quote him.. " “If I were in the Government today, I will allow intelligent people to come in. Give them a permanent resident status then, maybe later on, citizenship....We don’t allow intelligent people to come in while we allow our intelligent people to go out. At the same time, people with less intelligence are coming in and with great numbers,” Mahathir said, adding that as a net result, Malaysia would become “more and more stupid.”

While I feel Tun M should bear a portion of the blame, for "all the stupid" people that have crept into the country legally or illegally, I think it's not too late that the present Govt heed his call. From what little I know of the labour policies of most countries, including that of the Philippines, these countries like Australia and the rest of the Asia Pacific region will only allow skilled workers to come into their countries to work, reserving all menial labour and those NOT requiring special skills for locals. In Malaysia, the reverse seems to be true, as the Govt prefers to allow businesses and homes to "import" foreign workers to work, often under 'slave like conditions'.. Try interviewing the workers in factories, restaurants and plantations and you will understand what I mean. On the other hand, I have a VERY senior Govt official friend whose foreign wife, a Phd holder was unable to get a job, even after residing in the country for more than 12 years, besides being pushed about annually on her PR status renewal. Malaysians, especially those in Govt., should really learn to like and trust all other races, and not feel that anyone who has a diploma will be a threat to our security and 'culture'. It is quite "stupid" thinking, to borrow Tun M's word, for Malaysians to accept certain types of foreign workers while distrusting the more 'intelligent' types.

Is it because Malaysians in their hearts, like to practise slavery? God forbid

Malaysia, haven for Gambling?

Reading this article Syndicate offers 'live' betting through the Internet gives me the eerie feeling that this is just the tip of the iceberg. Malaysia already has numerous gambling opportunites in the form of our own casino, the Horse Races, and of course the ubiquitous "Numbers Forcast" companies and their normal and special Draws. I almost forgot, we also have numerous slot machines in those "clubs" conveniently located in all parts of the country, who appear to be untouchables. Likewise the rampant illegal betting on football and Four digit Games. We do not need more than these to bankrupt our citizens. A statement in your news report made me curious, " It remains unknown how the syndicate is able to provide such clear video conferencing as it would require a big bandwidth..."

Are we taking effective actions to curb this gambling menace, or are we, to quote an erstwhile famous politician, "closing one eye" to this new internet 'business' in town? It takes very little intelligence to realise that, the next step that will be taken by these "operators" is to provide exactly the same 'mini casinos' right in the comfort of our homes. What can we do about this.?

"Brainy" people

YB Tan Sri,
Reading your comment to the question, extracted for ease of reference below, Service with an attitude I must say that you certainly know how to 'skew' some facts to justify the government's failings. While I do not dispute the fact that the 'smarter' non Malays have always opted for the private sector, I think it's a grave fallacy to think that the Malays in the civil service got promoted because they are 'brainier'!! How do you explain those non Malays, in spite of better performance and better confidential reports, STILL get overlooked for promotions, ALL the time in the Civil Service. Ask me, I can provide Tan Sri with some 'live' examples. And I leave it to my friends to comment on your statement that the Malays got promoted in the Civil Service because they are brainier.


Extract..(underline, mine) "Why do you think people are not applying? Is it because the non-Malays believe their prospects will not be so good?

If you are talking about perception, please help me address that with the public. When I joined the civil service in 1974, I had 10 Malay housemates. Some of us had received degrees with honours, but none of us had first-class or second-class upper honours. I got second-class lower.

Some of my housemates got general degrees and couldn’t join the government. So, the best Malay brains joined the government. Those who got general degrees joined the banks and the MNCs (multinational corporations). My Chinese friends who had done well (in university), joined their fathers’ companies or the MNCs, or started their own businesses.

The not-so-clever ones joined the government. So when there are so many Malays in civil service – and the best ones at that – who joined the government, who gets promoted? The brainy Malays, of course.