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 :-(