NATIONAL PROBES
These are the headlines that screamed out of the main pages of the local dailies these past few days:
"Carry out full probe, says PM"
"ACA: Probe on"
"Johari: I welcome probe"
"Cops probe if more are freed"
"The denial. The Probe"
Who are being probed, you ask? The head honcho of the ACA and the Deputy Minister in charge of Internal Security, respectively for corrupt practices and graft allegations.
Well. There are so many probes going on these days that they could be our new national pastime. Apart from the current probes, there are a few other probes that have been going on for a while.
Yup, probes here, there and everywhere. Probes left, right, front, back and centre.
Yes, probe them. Fully. Get to the err, bottom, of the allegations.
And let the whole truth and nothing but the truth surface, smelling like roses ...
WE ARE A BLESSED LOT ...
Last night, at a dinner organised at Hotel Istana's Urban Cafe to celebrate a friend's birthday, someone made a remark that our circle of friends is a truly blessed lot.
We've known each other for ages, and we've known each other so well. We may not see each other so often, but so often we are in each other's thought and prayers.
We get together may be once or twice a year, but our get-togethers are such memorable, wonderful and brilliant occasions that make us and our friendship so strong and special.
I thank God for all my friends. To all my friends, old and new, I thank you for you. Thank you for being my friends all these years and the years to come, for sharing all the moments great and not so great, and for being who you are to me and to all we love in our truly blessed circle of friends.
Through each of you, through each other, we have learnt that the art of making friends is simply to be a friend.
Have a great weekend, everyone!
STEPPING BACKWARDS ... INTO THE BACKWOODS
A club in KL's recently trendy Jalan Doraisamy is barring tomboys (read lesbians), gays and tranvestites from its premises because these people "intimidate" its other patrons and because it has an image to keep.
And no, the club insists, this policy is not discriminatory, but is necessary as the patronage of these people is not good for the club and its image.
I guess if the image that the club wants to project is that of a bigoted, backward and prejudiced outlet, then all is well, it can continue snubbing these people (although I'm rather curious about how the club determines people's sexual preferences -- its staff must have got a pretty strong gaydar).
Anyway, to be totally bigoted, backward and prejudiced, the club shouldn't just stop there. Its list of persona non grata should also include the ugly, the stupid, the ignorant, the mats or minahs, or the ah bengs or ah liens, or your cousin-brothers or cousin-sisters.
Once these people are shut out of its premises, then it'd have its ideal set of patrons, right?
Perhaps we should remind the management of the club that ours is not an ideal existence, and it is precisely because of this our life is much more interesting, exciting and colourful.
And if the club has good business sense, or any sense at all, it should go the way another established club has to love all, serve all.
FEWER DEATHS, SO OPS SIKAP A SUCCESS ...
The recently concluded Ops Sikap XII, carried out during the weeks to and after the 2007 CNY holidays, saw 207 road deaths compared to the 226 deaths during the previous year's CNY holidays. And this has been declared a "resounding success" by the federal traffic police.
I guess if the goal of all Ops Sikap is to reduce death toll, yeah, I suppose you could call this a success. But hey, take a look at the total number of road accidents. The 2007 CNY Ops Sikap recorded 14,930 road accidents, as compared to 13,153 in 2006. That's 1,777 more accidents than last year!
A "resounding success?" I think not. A marginally less number of people died in an astoundingly higher number of accidents hardly qualifies as a "success". To me a "success" (if you can call it a "success" when you talk about deaths) is when you have a lot less deaths in a lot less accidents.
I was also astounded by the news reports that say a lot of our motorists do not even have licences to drive or ride their vehicles. Out of the 16,493 traffic offences recorded during the Ops Sikap XII, 28 per cent were committed by those without driving licences.
I've known all along that most road accidents are caused by stupid people. Little did I know that they are caused by moronic idiots who are too stupid to pass their driving tests, or too stupid to know that they need to have a licence to operate their vehicles.
Speaking of Ops Sikap XII, I too am part of its statistics. During the drive from KL to Johor, I painfully adhered to the highway's speed limit, arriving at my relative's home more than one hour later than usual. It was when I hit the trunk road -- just a few kilometres away from my destination -- that I was flagged by a traffic policeman. Apparently I was doing 72 km/h on a 60 km/h stretch.
Yup, geram ke tak? RM300 gone, just because I was too busy having a nice conversation with my extremely curious twin godsons to notice the speed limit signage.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY ... TO ME!!
Well, folks, today is my birthday. Although a year older, I'm much, much happier, and thankful for all of God's blessings, for my family, my close friends, my twin goodsons through whom I learnt the true meaning of unconditional love, my colleagues, and for all the people who have touched my life and heart in one way or another.
A dear friend posted this on her blog, and I'm touched beyond words (Che Man is the name she fondly calls me by):HAPPY BESDAY CHE MAN DEARIE
By New Zealand's time and date, it is already February 21st, way past midnite. Therefore, HAPPY HAPPY BESDAY CHE MAN DEARIE AND MANY MORE AWESOME YEARS TO COME. LURRVEEE YOU MUCH.
I pray for your good mental and physical health, I wish you happiness and joy, I pray for your wealth and may life be generous with you - always, I wish good friends will always be with you, I pray for what your heart desires, I wish you never ending smiles and I pray that ALLAH will always take care of you ... Amen.
Che Man and me - we came a long way. We started more than 15 years ago and how we came about to be good friends, remains an enigma. We never count moments, days or years. We just sail through in and out of the relationships ... We had our good moments, sad moments, peculiar meoments, awkward moments, ha ha ha moments, tender moments and all sort of moments - the ups and downs. Through it all, we became closer and wiser in our relationships.
Che Man is not just a friend - but part of my family. Che Man was there when Tuya was bawling away when she was a baby. Che Man was at most of the family's celeberations - besdays, raya, just makan2, just gathering, just nothing ....
Just before I left for Christchurch, I was looking at some photos at mama's place and found Che Man's pictures with Kak Long and family at the zoo, a day after I left for London. Che Man was there, with or without me around ..... Just like most of my close friends (Kash is a splendid new addition - thank you Che Man for Kash).
Che Man is a man of few words but whenever he speaks up - it comes straight from the heart. I tried to fully understand him but I decided that it is best that we went with the flow and grow .... We flow in the relationships and grow within it. And we have grown into where we are today. Thank you God for Che Man. And thank you Che Man for having me in your life. It has been a pleasure and will always be.....
Che Man...whatever you do in your life, wherever you go and whichever way you decide...I will only pray the BEST for you. And I always believe that we are allowed to make many mistakes in our lives but not mistakes that destroy us (Paulo Coelho, 1998).
I am so sad for not able to be there on you birthday and the celeberation. I am sure that you're gonna have a blast just like the years before as you are especially loved and appreciated by your friends.
And thank you very much for the awesome celeberation for my birthday that you thoughtfully organized for me. I appreciate that very much. And you know that you will always have a special place in my heart, Insyallah.....
Lurvve Always, Che Wan - Christchurch, February 21st, 2007
Needless to say, I shed a couple of tears. I miss her, although she has only been gone 10 days....
And to those who have also extended your good wishes and kind thoughts, wherever you are, thank you very much. May God bless you and your loved ones, too.
CELEBRITY VALENTINE'S FANTASY
I was at a relative's home in Johore for the recent CNY break and came across the latest issue of hot, tagged as Malaysia's favourite entertainment magazine. The publication carries a lot of stories and gossip on Hollywood/western celebrities, with a smattering of coverage on local artistes. And apparently the relative's eldest daughter is a fan and a subscriber.
Look-wise, hot tries a lot to be another Hollywood entertainment rag, or a copy cat, at least. Personally, I feel the editors/writers could do much better without the juvenile captions and quotes that accompany certain pictures on certain pages. These captions and quotes are immature, unprofessional and quite annoying. You have to read them to see what I mean.
I was drawn to a two-page spread where some celebrities, mostly foreign, were asked about their dream Valentine's Day date, or something to that effect. Decent and straightforward answers came from most of them.
Then I saw quite a familiar face. It belongs to a local Malay male TV host. His Valentine's Day dream is to ask "Angelina Jolie's left breast out" to dinner, if her breasts were detachable, that is.
Yezza. Quite daring, huh, this TV host. I'm just wondering whether his bravado was partly because he thought that his comment wouldn't be read by people who matter (read: his Malay/Muslim fans); or because he just plain didn't care what they'd think.
I remember not too long ago, some stupid sexual fantasy almost killed a local songstress' career. But I suppose time's changed, huh. And it helps if you are a man.
YOU JUST CAN'T STOP TALKING...
"With Longevity Calls, you just can't stop talking", proclaims DiGi in its latest print and TV promos. Not even at the dinner table, during what looks like a reunion dinner, the most revered occasion during the Chinese New Year celebrations.
I don't know about you, but I want to take issue with DiGi on this one. I'm sure you have come across its CNY print and TV ads that show a family at a dinner table where all nine of the family members are on the phone, talking.
I find the ad extremely offensive. I mean, what kind of values DiGi is promoting? That it is OK to talk on the phone while having dinner with your family at this very auspicious occasion lest you miss out on its great promo?
All people with basic manners would agree with me that it is extremely rude to talk on the phone at a dinner table, especially when you have company. Let alone during a reunion dinner where you're supposed to reunite with your loved ones and cherish the moment, kan?
It's already bad enough when people with no manners talk on the phone everywhere -- in public transport, in crowded elevators, in movie theatres, and (believe me) in the toilet. Remind me to recount this one later.
And thanks to DiGi, it seems talking at the dinner table should now be encouraged. A lot this would do to our budi bahasa campaign, kan?
FEBRUARY 14. WHAT A SPECIAL DAY!
Yesterday, February 14, was a very special day. The day saw the official launch of the Tan Sri Azizan Zainul Abidin Integrity Circles for Young Professionals, a networking programme to motivate and inspire young professionals to subscribe to and promote the basic values of honesty and integrity.
Tan Sri Azizan Zainul Abidin was the former Chairman of PETRONAS. The programme is the initiative of the Malaysian Institute of Integrity.
That the programme is named after the late Tan Sri Azizan is a further recognition and fitting tribute to a man who during his whole life-time epitomised strong values and ethics, a man highly and widely regarded as the beacon of integrity and moral fortitude.
In the words of Tan Sri Mohd Hassan Marican, President of PETRONAS, the late gentleman and true statesman "breathed life into the concept of integrity". He regarded values, particularly integrity, as a moral compass, guiding the choice of right over wrong. And without the firm foundation of values, all our efforts will be rudderless, a journey embarked without a purpose.
I had had the honour and privilege of participating in a few events and initiatives which required the involvement of the late Tan Sri, and my limited contact and discourse with him were real treasured pleasures. He truly was what everyone says he was and more.
"Make serving a desirable objective or we will succumb to greed which will undermine the fabric of society," he reportedly used to say.
I wish they were a lot more so-called leaders within our midst who would be guided by the example of the late Tan Sri. But I guess this would be too much to wish for. You can't really teach greedy old dogs new things.
Alas, all is not lost, I suppose. The onus and responsibility of propagating the culture of ethics and integrity now should fall on the shoulders of our young professionals who are members of the Integrity Circles.
To be nominated to the Circles' 2007 session, you must be below 35 years old, have 2 to 5 years' working experience, and demonstrate exemplary leadership and interpersonal qualities.
Interested? Please call 03-6209 2000/2065/66/68/69.
BLOOD-BOILING STORIES, HEART-WARMING STORIES, HEART-WRENCHING STORIES
Oh my Gosh. It's been ages since I last posted. And yes, I might as well admit it, I was afflicted with a terrible disease: I was sick to my stomach! There were so many things going on in this country that made me not want to write. I thought to myself: What's the point of writing at all? What would I achieve? Who would read? Or take heed?
No one.
The stupid, the ignorant, the arrogant, the inconsiderate, they will remain as they are. Certain people can go on purchasing luxury yachts, leasing executive jets, building extravagant homes, raising fuel prices, hiking toll rates -- and not many would care. Certain other people can go on wasting public fund in certain other ways, and only a few would raise an eyebrow.
But, let anything happen to a favourite reality TV product, the whole nation would be in an uproar.
And this makes my blood boil. What's happened to our sense of responsibility? And as a people, where is our priority? Or have we, as a people, given up trying to influence those leaders we duly elected?
Amid all this, I came upon a story both heart-warming and heart-wrenching, and I suppose quite a few people have read this also.
In 1982, a Thai woman residing in Narathiwat took a wrong bus home after a shopping trip to Malaysia. The bus took her all the way to Bangkok, about 1,150 km north from her home. According to AFP, the woman only speaks Yawi, a Malay dialect spoken only in Narathiwat. So, unable to read nor speak Thai, she boarded another wrong bus that took her to Chiangmai, another 700km further north.
In Chiangmai, she ended up as a beggar for five years, before she was sent by the authorities to a shelter for the homeless. There she lived for 20 years, where no one understood her, until a group of students from Narathiwat came to the shelter to do their research on the problem of the homeless.
To cut the story short, the woman, Jaeyana Beurahing (her Muslim name -- I suspect -- is Zainab Ibrahim) was soon reunited with her family, after 25 years! And days after the reunion, her children and grandchildren were still kissing and hugging her.
What a story. What a detour!! And there are a few lessons to be learnt as well. Which I would leave to your imagination...
TO SERVE OR NOT TO SERVE
I was in Singapore recently for work (yes, I'd only step foot in that tiny kiasu republic only for work), a short stay made bearable only by dear, dear friends who made the time to visit and catch up (thanks Kak Mush, Kak Ruzi, Zak and Ming).
I was in Singapore recently for work (yes, I'd only step foot in that tiny kiasu republic only for work), a short stay made bearable only by dear, dear friends who made the time to visit and catch up (thanks Kak Mush, Kak Ruzi, Zak and Ming).
Despite what the country is, I was very much impressed with the level of service I experienced this time around (my last trip there was in April). Not counting the grumpy Immigration lady at the passport control, everyone was courteous and polite, from the taxi driver, to the hotel's check-in clerk, to the hotel's waitress, and some shop assistants.
I stayed at M Hotel on Anson Road, right in the middle of Singapore's central business district. The check-in personnel (can't remember his name now) was extremely professional and efficient, the waitress at the hotel's cafe -- I think her name is Amelyn -- was extremely courteous and attentive. Her conduct made up for a not so pleasant prior reception Ming and I received at another outlet at the hotel.
I guess these people understand their role as service personnel, and they must love and are proud of their job. Unlike some people in KL. For example, some of the staff at a Malay kuih/delicacy outlet at KLCC are horrible -- they think they are doing you a favour when they serve you.
I have a breakfast meeting with my colleagues every Friday, a very informal affair to update each other on things. We take turns to pack breakfast, and this particular kuih shop is one of the most convenient places for us. But the attitude of the staff, ai yoh, they made me want to swear. In French. Now I have stopped patronising this shop completely.
Another place that I would never set my foot in again is a restaurant on an upper floor of the Amcorp Mall. A couple of friends and I ventured in there one night at about 8.15 for dinner, as we had heard many good things about the food. The restaurant was closing, although it was not so apparent to us. Instead of getting up and saying, "Maaf encik, kita dah nak tutup," a young lady (the term is too polite for her) who looked like a supervisor rudely gestured with her hand that the she was about to close shop.
At that point, I felt like making a hand gesture as well, but I checked myself, took a deep breath, thanked her and politely left. And I will never return, no matter how berselero its food is....
BEFORE THE SONG IS OVER
I don’t know about you, but coming back to the office after a weekend is something that I always look forward to, especially if the weekend is particularly long.
I’d normally feel refreshed, re-charged, and raring to resume work -- although I’d have to admit that after certain weekends it’s hard to feel refreshed and re-charged, what with loads of chores and scores of screaming children.
And raring to resume work? Rarely, actually...
Anyway, I would always try to come in a little bit early to settle outstanding matters, and clear as much correspondence as possible before my day starts. It is quite amazing to see what your email box accumulates over the weekend – junk mail, business proposals, queries, as well as notes from friends and distant acquaintances.
I used to feel a bit uneasy when friends, family or acquaintances send personal correspondence to my work email box, especially when the correspondence contained nothing else but recycled Internet jokes.
And I did voice my concern to a couple of friends, who in turn advised me not to be “too uptight” about this. After all, they said, the correspondence – however nonsensical it may have looked or sounded – was the senders’ way of keeping in touch, of saying they were thinking of me.
Well, when they put it that way, my friends made a bit of sense, although I still make it a point to attend to these “you’re on my mind” notes after hours or through my personal computer at home.
My personal favourite email is a poem called “Slow Dance” (see my Sept 5 post) sent by a friend years ago, which I still keep. The gist of the poem is, slow down, set your priorities right – keep in touch, with your children, family, friends. “Hear the music, before the song is over.”
Come to think of it, it is true that some of us do not keep in touch enough with our family and friends. It’s not that we do not want to, but work schedule or things that happen around us somehow always manage to prevent us from sending that “I’m thinking of you, too” email, or making and/or returning that phone call, or making that trip home.
It’s only after when we lost our loved ones or friends that we start to regretfully reflect that we ought to have made more efforts, call more often and do all the other “could-haves” to keep in touch.
I lost a younger brother to a terminal illness a couple of years ago, just as we had just begun to get to know each other better as adults.
I lost a younger brother to a terminal illness a couple of years ago, just as we had just begun to get to know each other better as adults.
We sort of drifted apart, even when we were children, as I was always away from home – at school, university and on to work. When we were in school, would only see each other during term breaks, and after we both started work, only at family gatherings during Hari Raya or extended vacations. Even then, our encounters or conversations always seemed more like those between two strangers.
But after he got married and had his son, we started to warm up to each other, and he opened up to me more than to my other siblings.
I realise now how little I knew him and wish circumstances had been different. Alas, there’s always a lesson to learn. Now I go the extra mile to ensure that I don’t miss my weekly telephone calls to my mother, and the bimonthly calls to my other brother and sisters. And I try to visit as often as I can.
I also make the time to keep in touch with friends. It’s quite easy, actually, once you set your mind to it. I would call friends while driving home from work where I just go through the names listed on my phone and start dialing.
It feels good even if I could only talk to one friend per night. If you have 30 names, by the time you dial the last number, you’d have called everybody on that list once a month.
Now, if only my friends would reciprocate!
OF NET SCARES AND SCAMS
A few weeks ago, I met up with a couple of old friends at a restaurant within the vicinity of Suria KLCC. Anna, who now resides in Switzerland, had briefly returned to Kuala Lumpur to solemnise her marriage to a German citizen. Magda, the other friend, and I attended the same university -- oh my God -- aeons ago.
After dinner and coffee, which was rather late, they began fidgeting. It turned out that they were both nervous about fetching their cars from the shopping centre’s underground car park.
They told me that they had read, and heard, many horror stories about the KLCC car park: from tales about riff raffs and rogues to rapes and robberies, all transmitted to as far as Geneva and Munich via the Internet.
I walked them to their cars and told them not to believe everything that they read, or heard, especially if the stories came via the Net. Most of them were the products of over-imaginative, and sometimes demented, minds.
Admittedly, the cyberspace has become the fastest and most efficient conduit for news and information, whether they are true or conjectured. Because people have this perverse habit of forwarding information or email -- the more horrible or exaggerated the content, the better -- something that originates in Kuala Lumpur on Monday may find its way to email boxes in Los Angeles on Tuesday, if not sooner.
It is not so bad if the information is valid and would actually benefit the recipient. However, it could be quite disastrous if the forwarded mail contains little else but lies, or if it is meant only for a limited circle of recipients.
I came across some newspaper reports about some guys who got fired from their jobs after the email they sent to trusted friends boasting about their sexual adventures made the rounds across the globe, tarnishing both their reputation as well as that of their employers’.
The first case involved an executive of a New York-based financial institution who had just been transferred to Hong Kong. Life -- especially the sexual part of it -- in that former colony was apparently so, well, satisfying, that he had to share it with his friends in the Big Apple.
And his friends thought the good news were just too good not to share with everyone else, on a world scale. Yes, we are living in a borderless global village, after all. After his bosses found out, they decided that they’d have no place in their employment for this potential liability.
The other two cases I read about happened in the UK; one had become a national sex triangle fiasco!
And there are those email from some exotic countries in Africa, soliciting for assistance in what would be the transfer of money – sometimes to the tune of hundreds of millions of US dollars – out of these destinations.
And there are those email from some exotic countries in Africa, soliciting for assistance in what would be the transfer of money – sometimes to the tune of hundreds of millions of US dollars – out of these destinations.
The stories are similar, whether the mail is sent from the Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Kenya, Nigeria, or South Africa. The senders would claim that they are relatives – and sometimes lawyers – of some deceased, formerly high-powered persons who had during their service or tenure in these countries amassed a small fortune.
Somehow, this huge amount of money cannot be accessed unless it is transferred into a foreign bank account, and that’s where they would like the recipients of their mail to come in. If you help, a handsome percentage of the money would belong to you, they entice.
I would send a short, curt reply, something along this line: “Please stop sending unsolicited nonsense like this to us. We are not idiots.”
But you would be surprised that quite a few Malaysians have fallen for this scam. Some time ago, a local daily carried a story about a lady who became a victim. And she was a lawyer, no less, who ought to know better.
When she responded to the email sent to her, she was asked to electronically transfer a few thousand dollars, a few times, as certain fees before she would receive her share of the fortune.
The poor woman (well, she is, now) followed the instructions, blindly. In the end, she gained nothing, and lost tens of thousands of ringgit.
Hmm, a fool and her money are soon parted, you’d say? Me, I’d only say: “Orang tamak selalu rugi."
Note: A longer version of this post was previously published elsewhere.
OUR DOOM LOOMS ...?
According to a local daily, our national crime rate has risen exponentially over the past year. This year's January to September period recorded a total of 170,481 cases, compared to 151,444 cases the whole of last year.
Year-on-year, the crime index rose 12.6%, and if you break this down, you'll see that violent crimes went up by 18.01%, property crimes 13.87%, commercial crimes 17.98%, while narcotic crimes went down by 8.07%.
The article says rape cases went up to 1,833 in the nine-month period this year, compared to 1,384 cases in the same period last year. Armed robbery: 13,537 cases against 9,548 cases; gang armed robbery: 54 cases against 27 cases; and murder cases rose to 473 cases compared to 475 cases last year.
And the crime rate has been on the uptrend the third year running. Who to blame? I don't know.
The article also says with the crime rate on the rise, so is the number of cases or incidents where peole/civilians take matters into their own hands -- and violently too -- when they encounter crime perpetrators.
A case in point: a foreign woman who was caught stealing was pounced upon and hit by a group of men, who then stripped her naked, all the while while cheering and jeering, for about 20 minutes before the police arrives.
What does this all say about us as a nation, as a people? I don't know.
What I know is that things are not looking good. The whole country is in a big freaking mess, and no one seems to be in charge.
Makes me wish that I could just go hibernate and wake up when some semblance of order has been restored...
CREDIT, DISCREDIT ...
A lot of things have happened in the past few weeks. A four-eye meeting took place, a helicopter crashed, a mansion mentioned, an editor copied, a body blown to bits. All fodder for mamak stall and boardroom conversations for weeks on end, I suppose, until something else comes along.
Me, I took particular interest in three other recent topics, which I think were relatively more obscure but needed to be put in perspective.
One. The swiftness of some newspapers in giving credit to the police over what they (the newspapers) thought was the success of the most recent Ops Sikap. Remember the police reduced the speed limit on federal roads to 80 km/h from the usual 90 km/h during the past Deepavali/Hari Raya festive season?
According to some newspapers, the move was proven to be successful as the rate of road deaths went down by, get this, entirely five people compared to the previous year's campaign. During the 2005 Ops Sikap, there were a total of 233 road deaths, compared to 228 in 2006. Wow. But, get this also. The total number of road accidents increased by more than 2,000. If during the 2005 Ops Sikap there were 13,659 accidents, the number for 2006 was 15,716. So what success crap were these newspapers talking about?
Two. A certain former/sacked Deputy Prime Minister who is now advisor to a certain political party issued a Press Statement questioning the wisdom of a "half billion-ringgit contribution" to Cambridge University. The statement was issued through the party's information bureau.
According to him, the Malaysian government had agreed to allocate more than RM500 million to the said university, with Petronas and Khazanah Nasional each agreeing to cough up RM190 million. The rest would be obtained from foreign banks based in Malaysia.
Excerpts of his Press Statement:
"The amount of more than RM500 million is too excessive to be donated to any foreign university or institution for education or research.
Do the government leaders have no confidence in the capability of our universities, specialists or research centres to increase the quality of their research and performance?
And is the proposal intended to satisfy the extravagant desires of any personalities to be associated with prestigious foreign universities?
It is regretted that the government are not at all sensitive to the problems of the country and lack the ability to deal with education and research issues of the country. Furthermore, what is more worrying is that this irresponsible decision is made at a time when our economy is sluggish."
Needless to say, the statement was picked up by a couple of Opposition publications, which, like the issuer, had not bothered to verify the accuracy of its contents.
A simple check/internet surf with would have informed him and his party's so-called information bureau the following:
- there was a proposal by the government to set up a Malaysian branch of Cambridge University, mooted some time last year by a certain minister who was then a Special Envoy of Education.
- the proposal was in line with the government's aspiration towards making the country a centre for educational excellence (whatever that is).
- the money was supposed to have meant to cover the cost of setting up the branch university.
- the proposal is still at a proposal stage, and no money has been "contributed".
But I suppose the search would have been too much work and would not have served his agenda. This I find "worrying" and "irresponsible".
Three. Then there is this Cabinet Minister who called on the rakyat to congratulate the current administration, particularly his boss, for successfully concluding two deals in China recently. Which almost made me puke. Good thing I was still fasting.
Just because his boss was there to "witness" a signing ceremony does not mean that credit should go to him. In clinching deals, particularly in countries like China, negotiations would have to start a few months, if not years, beforehand, and not during a one- or two-day official visit.
Which makes me wonder -- why the desperate (and lowly) need to credit his boss for everything in the first place?
SELAMAT BERCUTI. MOHON MAAF DARIPADA SEMUA
Well, Deepavali and the Eid are less than a week away. A lot of people are finalising their travel and holiday plans. A lot more are still spending lots and lots of money in preparation.
Personally, I always feel good about the season. Spiritually I feel somewhat elated and blessed. Emotionally, I look very much forward to reuniting with family and relatives, to catching up with them, to see which cousin is doing what and to meeting new additions to the clan.
Everybody seems to have new stories to tell. Everybody but me, that is. The only thing they would want to know about me is when am I settling down. Yup, that one million-ringgit question. Last year, when a relative asked, “Balik sorang je?” I retorted “Yes, and that’s the answer for next year, the year after and the year after that.” Apart from that, Hari Raya is always a joyful occasion, which is more than worth the long drive home.
Another thing that I look forward to is celebrating the season, kampung-style, where an open house literally means an open house. Your doors remain open to a steady stream of visitors – whether known and not so known to you. My siblings and I would normally draw a schedule for us to go visiting so that at least one person would remain home at all times to receive visitors.
Back in Kuala Lumpur, or in any other big city, the concept of open house takes on a totally different meaning and dimension. Attending one is more like a chore than a pleasure, if you ask me. You have to have an invitation, and some hosts even allot a certain time window for you to come to avoid having too many guests at any one time. A wise move, this, as we all know what would happen when there are too many guests. We have witnessed, heard or read tales of certain corporate and public open house disasters where people behaved in total disregard for basic human courtesy, let alone the spirit of the season.
Which is why I would normally decline open house invitations, unless the host and the guests are fairly known to me, and the events are fairly small scale. I have long made it a point to as much as possible avoid situations where I have to stand in line for food. It would be quite tolerable and not so degrading if the guests were well behaved. But more often than not, they would have no shame and act like they have been starving for months.
Anyway, I would like to wish for a really Happy Deepavali and truly Selamat Hari Raya. I pray that this year's festivities would be the most enjoyable, memorable, wonderful occasions for everyone and his or her loved ones.
REVAMPING THE NATIONAL MUSEUM
A RM20 million facelift for the tired, lack-lustre Muzium Negara is in the pipeline, with the hope of making it more attractive to local and foreign tourists. Apparently, a recent survey among KL folks shows that the museum is definitely not their choice visit destination. About 11 per cent of the respondents in the survey say they only visited the museum once in the past decade.
The revamp, says the Culture, Arts and Heritage Minister, will be in time for the Visit Malaysia Year 2007, and will give the museum a fresh look to excite visitors.
"There will be a new style of exhibition, better presentation, more artifacts and attractive lighting display," he was quoted by a local daily. He also said city folks bypass the museum as they take things for granted. "They assume that if they don't visit the museum, they won't miss anything."
I fall into that 11 per cent category of people, I guess, as the last time I visited the museum was about seven years ago. Not because I take things for granted. I love our history, because it is an integral part of what we are today and where we should be heading as a nation. When I travel to foreign countries, I always make it a point to visit their museums. And I always come out of these museums feeling that I have learnt something.
In all honesty, I cannot say the same about our national museum. The exhibits are poorly displayed or documented. Description of the artifacts is inadequate or non-existent in some cases. At the end of the visit, you feel you learn almost nothing. So is it surprising to see the number of visitors to the museum has dwindled?
I hope the people overseeing the RM20 million revamp will also look at the museum's official website. I visited the website recently and was appalled at the horrendous standard of English used in the homepage. Grammar mistakes, spelling errors, poor sentence construction and choice of words are in every single sentence! No one seems to care! If I were the museum's authorities, I would send the website's writer(s) back to grammar school -- that is if I was in a good mood. Otherwise, I'd just fire their sorry arses. Memalukan!
If you're not convinced, please visit the website (www.museum.gov.my), and you'll know what I mean. You don't have to read every single page, if you don't have the time. Just sample the Director's Message, which I reproduced verbatim below:
A Message from the National Museum Director
Welcome to the National Museum Homepage. Similar to other museums, the establishment of the National Museum is as; " a non profit making, permanent institution in the service of society and of its development, and open to public which acquires, consignee, researches, communicates and exhibitions for proposes of study, education and enjoyment, material evidence of people and their enviroment."
Efforts to realize this definition and concept of a museum is a continous effort which has become an upholding priciple for those responsible for maintaining the National Museum. Numerous approaches undergone is a small attempt by the National Museum to communicate with the society regarding the knowledge found In reply the context of the intrinsic values of elements in cultural and historical heritage. There are more approaches and techniques still to be applied by the National Museum in its endeavor to be an institution based on unique brand of general education that can adapt to the changing needs of time. However, all efforts and approaches requiere support and cooperation from everyone as it involves a high level of cost and expertise in an assortment of fields.
We appreciate all constructing reviews from every level of society to together help ensure that the National Museum become a sign of the dignity for all of us."
Efforts to realize this definition and concept of a museum is a continous effort which has become an upholding priciple for those responsible for maintaining the National Museum. Numerous approaches undergone is a small attempt by the National Museum to communicate with the society regarding the knowledge found In reply the context of the intrinsic values of elements in cultural and historical heritage. There are more approaches and techniques still to be applied by the National Museum in its endeavor to be an institution based on unique brand of general education that can adapt to the changing needs of time. However, all efforts and approaches requiere support and cooperation from everyone as it involves a high level of cost and expertise in an assortment of fields.
We appreciate all constructing reviews from every level of society to together help ensure that the National Museum become a sign of the dignity for all of us."
And this is among the not-so-bad write-ups in the homepage. Sad, isn't it.....?
SNUBBED BY SNAPPY, SNOOTY SNOBS
A few weeks ago, I saw an old friend at a reception. As we had not been in touch for more than four years, I was naturally quite excited to see him.
A few weeks ago, I saw an old friend at a reception. As we had not been in touch for more than four years, I was naturally quite excited to see him.
I went up to his table, which was just next to mine, said my greeting and shook hands with him. He gave me a perfunctory smile and turned back to his companions.
Surprised by this social faux pas, I asked him whether he remembered me. He said yes, and resumed his conversation with his friends at the table.
I felt a bit humiliated, but my face was saved a few minutes later when the reception came to an end and everybody left the room.
On the way home that night, I tried to remember what I might have had said or done four years ago that could have offended him so, but I couldn’t think of any. As far as I know, we were always on good terms. In fact, our last conversation had been over a very, very happy subject. A lady had found his lost wallet and called me (my business card was among the wallet’s contents) to find out how to return it to him.
So I got in touch with him with the good news and asked him to make arrangements to get his wallet back. It certainly was a happy occasion. No sour note, no harsh words, and he was very grateful.
And I had always made it a point not to make any comment about his then receding hairline.
So what was his problem that evening? I don’t normally speculate, but perhaps now that he is some corporate hot shot he has become such a snooty snob that he doesn’t associate with the little people like me.
Disappointed as I was, I did not lose any sleep over it. People change, I suppose, and life does go on.
And I took comfort in the fact that I still have a headful of healthy, shiny black hair while the only thing that shines about him now is his chrome dome.
Note: A longer version of this post appeared elsewhere some time ago.
AND THIS IS ROCKET SCIENCE?
The New Straits Times quoted duly elected Science, Technology and Innovation Minister recently as saying that the country's bid which started 11 years ago to woo home Malaysian scientists who resided overseas has failed. He said, in 10 years, only 23 scientists came back, only to return to their adopted countries.
And the Prime Minister, said the Minister, was now expected to announce a new scheme soon to woo such talents again -- with new and better perks.
And what would these perks be, you ask?
The Minister said the scientists would not need relocate completely but would just need to spend three to six months a year here. It would be as if they were enjoying the "Malaysia My Second Home" programme, he said.
Other perks would include better pay.
"We understand the problem. For example, a Malaysian professor in an Ivy League university in the US, whose wife is also an American and receiving a high salary, may not want to return to Malaysia", he was quoted.
That was really rich, almost rocket science, coming from a Minister in charge of Science, AND Technology, AND Innovation. And 11 years later!
Now tell me that I should not be worried.
Earlier this month, the Government proposed next year's budget that would appropriate about RM159.4 billion, which is 16.5% higher than the 2006 budget. This is highly expansionary, as public spending rose by only around 5-9% a year in each of the previous five years. (And if I'm not mistaken, the Government's annual spending used to be capped at RM100 billion).
One reason why the Government believes it can afford such largesse is that income from the petroleum sector has been strong and is expected to remain so in 2007. The budget assumes an oil price of US$70 a barrel, and the Government expects nearly 40% of its income next year to be oil-related, boosted by dividends from PETRONAS and from petroleum income tax.
Total revenue is expected to rise 11.8% to RM134.8 billion in 2007, with oil-related revenue accounting for 40% (about RM54 billion) of the total. In 2006, oil-related revenue is said to account to RM45 billion (37% of total revenue); in 2005 it was RM30.0 billion (29% of total revenue).
Taxes account for more than 70% of the Malaysian Government's total revenue.
Now, tell me again why I should not get worried.
I said before that I'm not an expert in the economy, but it sure looks like the Government is overly reliant on oil-related revenue for its income. Oil prices will not remain at US$70 per barrel forever. Last week, it touched about US$60.
It is also a known fact that the pool of taxpayers in the country has gotten smaller.
If no one is not doing something, and quickly too, about expanding this pool again or diversifying the sources of revenue, I would imagine we are heading for disastrous times.
So, tell me again why I should not be worried.
TSUNAMI. TWO YEARS ON ...
I read with much, much sadness, distress and dismay recent newspaper articles based on the latest Auditor-General Annual report on the poor management of funds and relief programmes for the 2004 tsunami victims.
Apparently, two years on since the tragedy, many of the victims are still not completely "relieved". The emotional trauma will always remain with them for as long as they live, but one would think that the millions of ringgit collected on their behalf from so many caring and generous Malaysians should have already assisted all of them to get them on their feet towards a (physically) better life.
Alas, this hasn't really happened. Based on the A-G report, some of the funds --administered by the National Disaster Relief Fund -- were misused and were inefficiently managed. The relief programmes were poorly implemented. The construction of houses for the victims, as well as the repair jobs on surviving homes, were poor and shoddy at best.
Repair and purchase of equipment for affected fishermen were mismanaged, and much of the repair jobs were not to specifications. There was even a payment for the construction of a repair workshop which was in fact never built. New boats supplied to the victims were of poor quality and had to be constantly fixed.
The A-G report also said the Fund was slow in disbursing aid to the victims, with delays of between 24 and up to 527 days. Bloody hell, 527 days? That's close to one and a half years!!
As in other fiascos in Malaysia, a Minister in the government now proposes an investigation. And, if the investigation is approved (although I'm not quite sure how useful would this be), it would take months before we get to know the reasons.
I don't know what to say. Really. I am shocked, sad, and disgusted.
I was in Langkawi when the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami struck. I missed the giant waves by mere minutes, as I had decided to have breakfast away from the beaches. But I saw the destruction first hand, both on the island and in Kuala Muda, Kedah two days later when I had to cut short my vacation to be in a team mobilised by my company to extend immediate assistance to the victims.
Our mission was simple: to distribute monetary aid to the victims as soon as possible, as we knew the money pledged to the Fund by all those corporate and other bodies would take a long, long time to reach the victims. And we wanted to do it quietly, unlike many of those "generous" Malaysians who smiled and posed with their mock cheques for the newspapers. Our intention had received the endorsement from the highest powers that be in the government.
So we identified a number of relief centres where we would disburse the money to the victims. Little did we know that we would encounter so many obstacles. The powers that be in Kedah were not very happy with what we wanted to do, but they reluctantly furnished us with the list of the families occupying one of the smaller centres. However, as we were in the process distributing the money, a top police brass came and stopped us.
The reason he gave -- no party was to give money or aid directly to the victims. Donors needed to channel aid and contributions through a central committee. Stumped, we tried for the next couple of days to accomplish our mission, as we had about RM1.5 million in cash with us. We were stopped at every turn.
Noticing that one of the centres had ran out of cooking gas one morning, we thought it would be nice to buy breakfast for the victims. So we quickly ordered 1,000 packets of breakfast and delivered the packets to the centre. And, yup, you guessed it, we were not allowed to. It would have to go through the central committee.
Next, we proposed to distribute personal hygiene packages (soap, shampoo, the likes), as we saw the victims bathing/taking shower without these necessary items. Again, we were not allowed to.
So, after three days of trying, we gave up, packed our bags and cash and headed back to KL, mentally and physically exhausted. The money eventually found its way into the account of a highly-reputable and very professional NGO that has an active role in the tsunami and other disaster relief efforts here and overseas.
Kita serik. Even in a tragic situation like this, personal glory (and gain) to a bunch of (rather useless) people and ineffective/inefficient bodies always takes precedent over the real and immediate need of the victims.
So, the lesson we learnt was: it's always smarter and more meaningful to partner with parties that know what they are and should be doing, with the passion and commitment to match.
SLOW DANCE
(I'm feeling a bit melancholic, and thought of a poem that someone sent a long time ago....)
Have you ever watched kids on a merry-go-round,
or listened to the rain slapping on the ground?
Ever followed a butterfly's erratic flight,
or gazed at the sun into the fading night?
You'd better slow down, don't dance so fast.
Time is short, the music won't last.
Do you run through each day on the fly?
When you ask "how are you?", do you hear the reply?
When the day is done, do you lie in your bed,
with the next hundred chores running through your head?
You'd better slow down, don't dance so fast.
Time is short, the music won't last.
Ever told your child, "we'll do it tomorrow",
and in your haste, not see his sorrow?
Ever lost touch, or let a good friendship die,
because you never had the time to call and say "hi"?
You'd better slow down, don't dance so fast.
Time is short, the music won't last.
When you run so fast to get somewhere,
you miss half teh fun of getting there.
When you worry and hurry through your day,
it's like an unopened gift, thrown away.
Life is not a race, do take it slower.
Hear the music before the song is over...
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