GIGO.... "Garbage in Garbage Out"

At first, when I read this letter, Why wasn't I asked ALL 51 questions?? :-( it struck me that this was a simply a case of of some incompetence. But, on reflection, I realised that the enumerators who came to 'interview' me also did not do much better, as she asked me only for our names, ages, religious affiliation, and profession. She then left hurriedly. I have since spoken with my neighbours, and it seems that only the basic 3 or 4 questions were asked.

Now, projecting this superficial work of the enumerators country wide, we can see that the effect of the results of this Census on Government strategy and planning can be disastrous! I remember in my days studying computer systems and programming, we were always told of the acronym "GIGO", and that is "Garbage in Garbage Out". I also read today the comments of the author of the book "Analytics" who said, and I quote.. ".. in cases where data is of the low quality, you have to trace it back to the source. If the person collecting the data has not paid enough attention to the quality, the company he is working for would then be unable to analyse them at all...... "

I am now wondering if the current census exercise is turning into an exercise of futility. What will these mainly incomplete and/or inaccurate data do the Government planning and analysis, (and we need to be right first time), when we have to plan for the country to move forward and to the next level of prosperity.

Sadly, it looks like another botched job for a Govt department, and I wonder how this will impact its KPIs and KRAs .

I hope to be corrected.

In computer terms, it's garbage in, garbage out

Cameron Highlands, soon to be renamed Cameron Lowlands..

The letter by Rev.Dr Vijendra Daniel Stop the desecration of Cameron Highlands... is a cry from the heart, and it really pains me to see that it will again fall on deaf ears! Why do I say that? I have the chance to follow TV3's progam "Aduan Rakyat" helmed by Karam Singh Waliah and in the 2 episodes that was aired a few weeks ago, it was clear that the Highlands is fighting a losing battle with selfish vegetable farmers and nonchalant politicians to preserve its virginity, or what's left of it. In the second episode of the program, it was disgusting to see the farmers who have encroached on reserve land, shouting down the TV crew, and at times seemed to be threatening violence. At the same time, the govt officials seem to be so helpless, and had on their faces 'tidakapa' looks. Of course the debacle would not be complete without some politicians jumping into the 'fray', on the side of the "aggrieved". In the backdrop of this 'drama', I can see bare brown earth exposed to the scorching sun, carcasses of cut trees waiting to be dragged away, and streams of brown polluted waters, flowing morosely

Unless the State and Federal Govts. take a uniform step towards the preservation of Cameron Highlands for the future of this nation, very soon we will have to change its name to Cameron Lowlands, not to mention to suffer the loss of a huge water catchment area, and a rest and recreation place for our folks.

Why can't we stop thinking politics for a second, and do something for the country?

How does "trauma" center treat a Dengue case

My wife and I went to visit an old friend (Florence) Chang Yin Yoke at the Assunta Hospital in Mariam Ward room#4316 as we heard she is recovering from a Dengue attack since last week. We found her up and about, and is recovering quite nicely, but she almost lost her life due to apparent abject negligence on the part of some medical personnel at the Trauma Section in UMMC, also famously known as the University Hospital Petaling Jaya.

Let me relate her story. Sometime early last week, Florence was down with fever and went to her family physician for the normal check up. When the fever did not subside and she began to suffer excruciating pains, especially around the shoulders, the family physician took a blood test and found that her blood count was low, and getting lower. Being a retired Govt servant (Intan), and also the wife of a retired Police Officer, she went to UMMC(UH), on Thursday I think, and was sent back with some medicine. On Friday evening, when she started vomiting, and still in agonizing pain, she went to UH again this time to the Trauma centre, armed with a letter from the family physician saying that she is likely to have the Dengue and her blood test showing that her blood count was dangerously low. The doctor in charge, apparently of a Middle Eastern countenance (observed through pain filled eyes), told her she was ok, no need for further blood tests and prescribed her 5 types of medication and sent her home! Florence knew she was in bad shape, and vomiting all the way, her daughter drove her to Assunta Hospital, the nearest hospital around. Immediately on examining her, the doctors at the emergency section of Assunta warded her and gave her blood transfusion, and also sent word to the health authorities to fog the location where she purportedly got the dengue (Subang Jaya).

Today, when I saw her at noon, she is fit and chirpy. But I dread to think, if she had followed the instruction of the doctor at the UH Trauma centre on Friday, and went home, would she be too late to be saved??

Quite a harrowing thought for us Government Pensioners, who have no medical Insurance :-((

near death experience for patient

Ineffective Raids on Cybercafes.

Zari Malaysiana in her letter Ineffective Raids on Cybercafes... raised some important issues on the continuation of the "cybercafe" business which the Govt should address. The fact that these cybercafes are continually raided means that they are a haven for illegal internet gambling, and the other fact that in spite of these frequent raids, these cybercafes still suffer from the "closed today, open tomorrow" syndrome, as eloquently described by the writer. Are the authorities so powerless to stop the illegal gambling menace? Again, as I have written to The Star previously, why are these cybercafes using dark tinted glass as doors? Is it to keep the "business" from curious eyes?

From my own experience, I have seen computers and furniture being carried out of a "internet cafe" in Section 11 during a daylight raid by MBPJ, only to observe such computers, monitors being carried back to the cafe a few days later. We assume the business has been deemed legal now..

It would be good if someone in the Govt or the local authorities give a written answer to the issues raised by Zari Malaysiana, to dispel any ambiguity. In my personal view, we really seem to be drifting around like headless chickens.

Shady business at cybercafes

Powerless to stop illegal gambling

IRB owe taxpayers RM10billion

It is indeed a 'shocking disclosure' on reading your column Does the Govt owe me money? by P. Guna and the news Taxpayers cry foul over delay that taxpayers, in spite of diligently paying their taxes and on time, do not have their refunds made to them with the same alacrity. We understand that the IRB is indeed doing its best, but a reported case that a taxpayer who is owed RM15000 by the IRB still received a demand from the department to pay RM3000, conjures up images of total confusion in the IRB. Surely it's not impossible in these days of the Internet and ICT, for the assessment and collection systems of the department to be 'communicating' with each other instantaneously, and not have to depend on phone calls and onerous paper trails from the various units in order to obtain a complete 'picture' of a taxpayer and his debt position? It seems to me, up to today, in spite of millions spent on the latest technology and e-filing, what a taxpayer is assessed for and what he pays are under the control of two discrete entities, each not knowing exactly what the other is doing? As a corollary, what will a person think of his Bank, if the manager tells him his credits and debits cannot be shown in one statement?