I was told by someone that when he was in University, when people talk about Finance, the immediate association would be banker. And banker here does not mean your sexy Investment Banker, but actual bread-and-butter deposit, loan etc. banking.
Nowadays, there’s a myriad of opportunities for those who did Finance or its ilk in university. Everyone wants to be an Investment Banker, and for good reasons too.
The world economy has moved beyond the simple import export of goods and services. Some very clever folks have decided that simply dealing with real, tangible products are no longer enough to satisfy their lust for money.
So they created the futures market, short-selling and other kinds of financial razzmatazz that deals not with the present, real and tangible. Instead, the vast amount of liquidity going around the world these days are based on perception, on anticipation, on hedging for the future and sometimes, just plain old speculation.
What this means is that the market is never rational and never perfect (Adam Smith would be disappointed, no?). And that means it works based on the herd mentality. Once a sign is picked up by everyone that the market is heading for a bull run, they will immediately act upon it. In other words, it’s a self-fulfilling prophecy.
IB folks are smart, no doubt about it. But they are also not immune to follow the herd, simply because if they don’t, and based their assessment on the plain old “boring” fundamentals, they might lose out to their peers. And losing out here means losing a huge paycheck at the end of the year.
This is what pisses me off a bit about all these Finance and Investment Bankers and Analysts. They get paid for the performance of their portfolio in any given year, and in a bull market, the payout could be astronomical. Unfortunately, the reverse is not true. If next year that very same portfolio loses value (most of the time back to square one, or even worse, a negative figure), the payout given in the earlier years would not be returned.
Gordon Gecko: Not an Investment Banker, but runs Wall Street...damn cool!
Some might argue that this is the same for every profession and you can only get compensated for your current performance. But actually, it’s not. If I get a bonus for sales, I have already done the sale, and I have already completed by KPI. If I manage to settle a case, I would get a portion of a done deal. There’s no more follow-up per se. But with investment, it takes years and years, so why should IB folks get compensated for an increase in value for one year when that value is not sustainable in the long run?
The yachts, the houses, the trophy wives, the fancy cars…will still remain with these guys. True, they run the risk of getting fired. But the effect of their actions affects a whole lot more people who have entrusted their hard earned savings on to this people who then proceeded to speculate and manipulate the market until one find day, and unfortunately it’s today, the fundamentals would catch up with them.
Anyway, this note is just an expression of my frustration with what’s going on with the world economy nowadays….so it’s a bit disjointed and ….well, I’m tired too with this heavy but exciting new job scope.
Hope that this does not discourage anyone from taking Finance. I might need a CFO one day for my company.
First of all, thanks for the wishes. I guess with everyone on Facebook, it’s easier to remember (or be reminded) of birthdays. Special thanks to the wonderful souls who managed to squeeze in a few minutes to wish me on the stroke of midnight and those who called. I wouldn’t do the same…and that’s sad… (but I will try).
I was told that no one really famous was born on 21st September. I checked, and unfortunately, they’re right. Brad Pitt, Hitler, Mandela, Clinton and the rest of the world’s most famous people…nope, not on the 21st. Of course there’s a list of famous people born on the 21st, but none are…legendary. I guess that will have to change sooner or later right?
Only one notable person that I don't mind being associated with sharing a birthday: Liam Gallagher..
On that note, I stumbled upon a Wikipedia entry on Virgo, the astrology sign. I had a laugh reading through the characteristics listed as associated with us Virgos:
Analytical / critical / insightful
Precise / meticulous / anal-retentive
Orderly / methodical
Practical / pragmatic
Mental / intelligent / inquiring
Responsible / reliable
Perfectionist
Shrewd / witty / clever
Conservative / conventional
Refined / polite / well mannered
Hygienic / clean
Reserved / cool / undemonstrative
This is what pisses me a bit about astrology. I mean, you lump together these general traits, and any sane person is bound to tick a majority of it. Anyway, I’m confused about my own traits so I shall leave this to those who know me best.
25 Years Review
I had fun at High School, and did well enough in my studies. I had MORE fun at University, and came away with a law degree. I am now working hard, learning far too many things in too short of a time, but I kind of like that. I have friends, and they still take the time to watch football with me. I am independent (partially). I am married. I am a father-to-be. I am still 25 years old. Damn.
Manchester United
I almost had the perfect birthday gift yesterday, but Manchester United continued to frustrate the hell out of me with their insistence on defending deep on a lead and playing direct football. United controlled the game in the 1st 25 minutes because they were willing to pass the ball, willing to attach, forming intricate triangles to bamboozle Chelsea’s expensively assembled midfield.
Then, through their own sheer stupidity or Ferguson’s, they decided to drop deep and defend with two backs of four. At least Van Der Sar was removed before he could do further damage, and I guess that’s what saved us from defeat.
Van Der Sar: Only good for Penalties?
Interesting observation: Kalou scored for Chelsea from a stupid freekick given by an incompetent referee. Notice how all the defenders pushed up, with Rio leading the line? That’s why they were insistent that Kalou was offside. He wasn’t. Because Dimitar “Dracula” Berbatov didn’t follow the line. He was slow last night, a bit like a lumbering giant, who couldn’t fathom why United were asking him to win headers.
Fergie, get your act right (And get Carrick fit…asap).
Once they were deemed forever doomed with the emergence of all the Hypermarkets. Now they’re ubiquitous with presence in almost all major townships. In fact, here at USJ, we have 1 for every housing area.
So imagine how pissed I was when I went to one last Sunday morning after futsal and found that the outlet was closed. No, it wasn’t “officially” closed. Just that the store assistants decided to “temporarily” close it (from 2 a.m – 6 a.m…).
The sign was written on a piece of A4, looks cheap and we could all see the two store assistants inside doing I don’t know what with a bunch of products on the floor at the back of the store.
I thought, okay, maybe there’s something wrong with the machine and all. But imagine my surprise that as soon me and my friend turned our back, a few more cars stopped in front of the store. I remarked, “Looks like we’re bringing in the business…”.
Imagine my bigger surprise when I saw the store assistant sheepishly calling us back after noticing that there’s going to be a sort of mini riot (hell, there’s more than 5 people out there at 3 a.m pissed about a closed 7-11).
Was there something wrong with the teller machine? Nope. Anything wrong with the air-conditioning? Nope. Were they out of stock of everything? Nope. So the only reason the two clowns almost turn away potential customers was…nothing. There was no reason other than sheer laziness.
I’m pretty sure the management would be pretty pissed if they found out about this.
The whole concept of 7-11 is that it is a 24 HOURS convenience store. Get that into the thick skull of these lowly motivated store assistants.
Here’s a business idea: Introduce an incentive scheme that is directly related to sales. For every RM 50 of sales, the person who serviced the customer would get RM 1. If you think that a normal Hotlink top-up would cost RM 30, then you’ll see that these guys could be earning a lot, IF they have the right incentive in place to promote sales.
Imagine the store assistant initiating cross-selling and up-selling. Imagine buying a bottle of Coke and the guy saying, “Hey, would you like to try cracker X, because it taste great with Coke…”. Or something like that.
In the future, advertising is no longer sufficient. You need people marketing.
In Thailand, embattled Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej was forced out from office by the country’s Constitutional Court. If you think the Courts found him guilty of graft, corruption, abuse of power, blowing up girls with bombs or inciting religious hatred, think again.
The Constitutional Court actually found him guilty of violating the Constitution by appearing in a cooking show and accepting payment for it! A freaking cooking show!
What's Cooking?
If that’s not funny, ponder this: As a replacement to the dismissed Samak, guess who would the ruling P.P.P government nominate to fill in the vacancy? Why, it’s Samak Sundaravej! Sounds crazy, but it’s possible in Thailand.
Now over to the land of “serious” democracy, the United States of America, the race to the White House continues to be a tight one but only in America, where it really matters.
But do the Americans feel the same? In the U.S, both candidates are neck-to-neck, despite the Republican’s disastrous two terms under President Bush and despite McCain’s old age, antiquated world view, and general lack of charisma, the Republican campaign is still buzzing along merrily.
It’s a mystery to most of us outside of the U.S why such an obvious choice be so “not obvious” to the average Americans.
Well, just like we accuse them of viewing things locally and in isolation, we also tend to view the US for what they do internationally and in relation to other nations. We failed to appreciate that, despite their global presence; America is just like any other nation in the world with its own unique domestic subtext.
We dismiss the existence of a rising Christian community in the U.S. We ignore the number of registered gun owners. We forget the deep insecurities jobless Americans face through globalization. We laugh at the hillbillies and rednecks, but they’re still voters.
Our view of America is shaped by Desperate Housewives (Bree must be a Republican), Gossip Girl and other shows that perpetuates some myth about America being the land of the promiscuous, the prosperous and the glamorous. The reality is there could be just as many Joe Dirts as there could be Seth Cohens , if you get what I mean.
So don’t be surprised that McCain is still in it. After all, they can’t understand our fascination with sodomy either.
Well, it was pretty late, and Jimmy Kimmel sucks, so I switched to 712. That's E! Entertainment Channel for you folks without Astro. So in the Daily 10, a sort of Buletin Utama for entertainment news, Malaysia gets a mention!!!
But imagine the embarrassment when I found out that the news was about Avril Lavigne’s concert here in Kuala Lumpur, scheduled for the 29th this month. Again, we are in the news for all the wrong reasons, and are made to look a bit foolish in the international media.
It all came about when PAS protested against the concert, apparently because Avril’s too sexy (are you freaking serious? They’re Malay girls wearing less clothes walking around Sunway Pyramid!). When the news was featured yesterday, no decision has been made yet, and I was quietly optimistic that this would just blow over.
KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 19 — Malaysia today cancelled a concert by Canadian rock singer Avril Lavigne, saying it may taint the Muslim-majority country's Independence day celebrations after the Islamic opposition slammed her show as being "too sexy."
The Arts, Culture and Heritage Ministry said it had decided not to permit Lavigne's show because it was unsuitable to Malaysian culture and could not be held on Aug. 29, two days ahead of Merdeka.
"It is not timely. It's not in the good spirit of our National Day. If we go ahead with the concert, it is contrary to what we are preparing for," said Shukran Ibrahim, a senior official from the culture ministry's department that vets all foreign artistes.
The decision came after the youth wing of a fundamentalist opposition party, the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (Pas), called for the show's cancellation.
Kamarulzaman Mohamed, a party youth official, said yesterday that Lavigne's show was "considered too sexy for us" and would promote the wrong values just before Merdeka.
"We don't want our people, our teenagers, influenced by their performance. We want clean artistes, artistes that are good role models," he said.
Lavigne, who became famous with her 2002 debut album "Let's Go," had planned to launch her monthlong Asia tour in Kuala Lumpur.
The show's promoter, Galaxy Group, can request a new date for the concert, which will be considered by the ministry, Shukran said. Galaxy officials couldn't be immediately reached for comment.
Galaxy began advertising the Grammy-nominated rock singer's concert this month even though it had yet to obtain a government permit, which is mandatory for all foreign music shows. It said yesterday about half the concert tickets had been sold.
Last year, R&B singer Beyonce moved her show from Malaysia to Indonesia, and Christina Aguilera skipped the country on an Asian tour after a controversy erupted over a dress code for foreign artistes.
Malaysia requires all performers to wear clothes without obscene or drug-related images and be covered from the chest to the knees. They must also refrain from jumping, shouting, hugging and kissing on stage.
Still, members of Pas and other conservative Muslims often protest against Western and even Malaysian music shows that they deem to be inappropriate.
The local organiser of a Pussycat Dolls concert in 2006 was fined RM10,000 after the US girl group was accused of flouting decency regulations. — AP
Phnom Penh - The Football Federation of Cambodia is up in arms over widespread reports of hairy-legged, mustachioed players taking the field in the first nationwide under-15 championships, the federation’s secretary general said Tuesday.
Cambodia has been named one of the most corrupt countries in Asia by the Berlin-based watchdog group Transparency International, but the country’s football federation has said it is determined to buck that reputation and prove itself clean so it can earn funding and international respect.
Frustrated secretary general Ouk Sethycheat said in light of these efforts by the federation, the latest example of bending the rules was beyond the pale.
The cheating involves ’several’ of the 24 teams involved in the championships, he said while accusing them of abandoning all attempts at subtlety.
‘We decide who is under 15 using two criteria - documentation and by looking at them,’ he said. ‘If Cambodian players are under 15, under no circumstances do they have hairy legs and moustaches.’
He said that after questioning the more hirsute players, it was found their documentation was forged.
The fiasco is particularly embarrassing for the federation after it was fined 4,000 dollars by the Asian Football Federation in February for fielding an overaged player in a regional Under-16 Youth Championship qualifying match. Cambodia’s football governing body has pleaded ignorance.
It was not clear what punishments the cheating teams would face.
Cambodia’s national team is currently ranked 169th in the world
This is just too funny. And suddenly, thoughts of over-competitive schools here in KL importing foreign players (because the locals are rubbish?) and passing them off as under-15s left me in stitches.
Of course, it doesn't mean one cheat will win the game. The other team might just do the honorable thing, and pay off their opponents. Mustache or not, money shaves points off better.
It has been a while, and a lot has happened since. I’m sure most of you are aware of the political situation here in Malaysia, and there’s no need for me to comment further. In fact, I sense an increase in the number of socio-political blogs from Malaysia since GE 12, a sign of maturity or another one of those short-term “hangat taik ayam” situation.
Well, shouldn’t say much about “that” because I have failed to update THIS blog (hint: there’s another blog lurking around, but it’s not something I should share).I don’t know if you guys know this, or if I have mentioned this before, but here’s just a quick recap of my life:
Life as a married man has not been as challenging as some made it out to be. I guess it’s about finding the balance in life.
Work has been challenging and interesting thus far. Maxis, through MGTP, have provided me with a great platform to learn a lot about the corporate world...and NO, I am not doing anything remotely related to legal work (which is a waste apparently to some people).
It’s getting harder to meet friends and do things I used to do. But it just makes hanging out with them even more precious. Sometimes, I do get pissed off when we talk nonsense, but then I realized that’s what makes hanging out so much fun!
I’ve been on a real tight budget nowadays – and I love it! I carpool with my wife most of the time, take public transport daily, and no longer have lunch at KLCC, ever since the fuel price hike. Somehow, it has made me a bit more responsible.
I still am learning, every day. In fact, I think I may have overloaded my brain with information, until books I read become just another piece of dead tree, which is sad.
So, now that I’ve started writing HERE again (another hint), I guess readers would like to know the direction I’ll be taking. Well, looking back at my past posts (spanning 4 wonderful years, right?), I noticed no discernible common thread, except a genuine desire to be as creative and interesting as possible. I guess that’s what you could expect – the expected and unexpected all rolled into one.
Remember, I am a walking, breathing, living contradiction. Go figure!
Really, must it make the prime time news show on one of Malaysia’s most watched TV Channel? I am referring to TV3’s sensationalism of an issue that should be buried – the “sexy” school girls’ uniform.
Or should it be buried? Forget about TV3. RTM has overtaken them in terms of credibility anyway. Let’s look at the issue, or non-issue, whichever way you want to look at it.
My interpretation of their statement: Girls’ uniform are too thin and white resulting in their inner wear and skin easily seen by young boys who are swayed to suddenly commit social ills including those of the sexual kind (is there any other when it involves skin and inner wear?). Girls are also responsible because they use this to their advantage by teasing guys, leading to even more social ills.
I disagree with putting the blame on uniforms for the rise of social ills and sexual experimentation amongst the young. The actual causes require a deeper discussion which I have neither time nor inclination to delve into now. Clothes do not make a man (or woman in this case).
But fundamentally, let’s look at the typical girls’ uniform. It’s white, and it’s thin. Does it allow for the inner wear and skin to be easily seen? I hate to admit it, but it does, doesn’t it? I certainly remember those girls at my school...well, I should stop there.
Let’s just say I think we could all agree the white material is pretty see-through comparatively to other materials and colors. Does this arouse interest amongst the boys? You could argue that pornography has taken away a lot of our sexual innocence, but nothing’s quite the same as the real thing.
So a few things about their statement actually makes sense (damn it), though I’d be hard-pressed to find one to admit to this, especially in blogosphere.
So, as much as I wish I could totally dismiss their claim, it does warrant a discussion. A small one, perhaps. It’s a fact that the uniform is white and thin. It’s a fact that comparative to other colours, white allows more light to pass through and therefore is more see-through (if all other things are equal).
It’s a disputable fact that boys are interested in seeing what is behind a female’s uniform (I believe they are). It’s a disputable fact that some girls do tease boys by wearing sexy inner wear underneath their school uniforms (I can personally attest to this phenomenon).
The only portion of the statement that we can say is rubbish is their direct correlation between see-through uniforms and social ills and rise in sexual experimentation amongst the youth. Even this could not be dismissed quite so easily if you use logic.
The association may not have framed it in this way, and perhaps they didn’t think about it this way. Perhaps they just wanted to speak out for the sake of speaking out (like most members of society today...so yesterday man). But the validity of their claim shouldn’t be dismissed. If there’s an alternative, shouldn’t we explore it?
Oh, is it sexy? That’s totally subjective isn’t it? But could you say it’s 100% NOT sexy? Go figure.
p/s: But isn’t the guys uniform also white, thin and see-through? Damn. I guess I was sexyback before Justin made it cool...hehehe
As expected, the consequences of Mahathir’s resignation dominated the headlines this week.
Mukhriz is caught between a rock and a hard place. He may believe in reforming from within, but there’s always this lingering doubt – would he have stayed if he wasn’t in a strong position to be Ketua Pemuda? But to his defence, it could be said if he did win the post, then he has a stronger mandate to lead for a change.
But what changes are we talking about here?
There are two issues that need to be addressed in UMNO. None has a stronger claim than the other.
There is the need to regain the trust of UMNO members. The grassroots within UMNO has a lot to say about Pak Lah’s leadership style. The lack of conviction and direction in implementing policies remains a problem. But more importantly, there’s this perception that Pak Lah is constantly reacting rather than initiating, defending rather than attacking.
This would be addressed by the proposed change in leadership.
But there is this other, equally important, issue of regaining the trust of Malaysians. No matter who leads UMNO, that person must realize that the game has changed. Some say the issue can never go away as long as UMNO remains a Malay party.
I disagree. Although that plays an important part in swinging the non-Malay votes, the arrogance of UMNO in its actions must rank as the actual catalyst. The sharp rise in debates on N.E.P and Malay rights came as a consequence of UMNO’s own delusional view that it could appeal to both the hardcore Malays and also the non-Malays. UMNO has always and must remain moderate in its views.
Furthermore, the rejection of a portion of the Malays can be directly attributed to the WAY UMNO has actually carried the torch for the Malays. It’s one thing to say you’re acting on behalf of Malays; it’s another to actually carry that out as equitable as possible. Not all Malays get it as easy as some non-Malays think they do. The rise of the UMNOPuteras should be addressed immediately.
Are these two issues exclusive? Could UMNO actually appeal to both its grassroots and Malaysians?
One goal can co-exist with another. The actual process of leadership change should be viewed as the perfect opportunity for UMNO to refresh itself, infuse itself with new blood. The choice of the next leaders of UMNO must not be viewed by the members simply as another change for UMNO, but also a change for all Malaysians. Strong, competent, compassionate, intelligent and morally righteous leaders of UMNO benefits all Malaysians regardless of race.
The upcoming branch meetings, culminating in the party elections at the end of the year, are interesting for UMNO. If the grassroots could lay the seed of change from even the branch level, all the way to the top, then there is that hope that most of the problems that exist within UMNO now would eventually be weed out.
At the end of the day, the people must always believe that anything is possible. It is difficult, of course, to think of UMNO as anything but a corrupt, racist party. And nothing UMNO has done thus far can change this mindset. The image of UMNO is tainted. But what is UMNO if not a collection of individuals?
Unlike the entrenched theory of relativity, UMNO (the image, the association) can change if there is a collective effort to see changes in the people within UMNO itself. The only problem is – do the members realize that this is the time for them to choose how they want UMNO to be? The choice is not only at the top, but at the roots of the tall, strong, tree known as UMNO.
Tun Dr. Mahathir has resigned from UMNO. This is the man, a larger than life character, whom I’ve grown up with as the leader of my beloved nation. The man who best defined Malaysia Inc. Malaysia’s meteoric rise in the mid 80’s and especially into the 90’s was, to many, directly attributed to this great man.
Without a doubt, he has his flaws. In his desire to mould his vision of what Malaysia should be, and can be, Tun M has taken Machiavellian-like moves to quash his opposition and stifle anything he deems (and that, in essence, is the problem) as against the nation’s interest.
Unfortunately, at this moment in time, a lot of Malaysians seem to remember only this side of Tun M, without realizing or refusing to realize how great his impact has been on Malaysians, Malays or otherwise.
Could his patriotism and nationalistic pride ever be questioned?
This is the man who refuses to kow-tow to foreign elements, who believes that though it is always good to learn from others, we must never be subservient to them.
Unlike some politicians today who are all too happy to believe that we Malaysians will always need other people from “developed” nations to progress. Unlike some who believes that “this principle” or “that system”, imported from other “developed” nations, is the best for Malaysia. Unlike those who argue that we are the same as other countries in the world, thus we must also be like them in the way we think and act. Unlike my fellow colleagues who despite their claim of “patriotism” would not hesitate for one bit to jump ship and leave Malaysia for another land.
Tun M believes that we can do things on our own. He believes that Malaysia is Malaysia, so why should we always believe that the concept and ideas of others are better suited than ours. He believes that we are unique in our diversity, culture and manner. He believes in Malaysia and Malaysians. Of what they are capable of, and what they should aspire to be.
Some may say he is a dreamer. But is it a dream because we didn’t believe? Is it a reflection of our own failure, Bumiputera policy or not, that his vision increasingly became a mere fantasy? Mahathir truly believes in this nation and in our capability to achieve greatness.
And this will, despite my own misgivings on certain policies, guarantees my never-ending respect for the man who defined UMNO for me, who defined Malaysia for me, who defined what being a Malaysian is for me.
Imagine Manchester United lost the title. To a team like Bolton. Despite having millions to spend, and having won the title comfortably for the past decade, Man United suddenly finds itself losing its grip on the domestic league.
The players are old. The tactics are quaint. While other teams are buying younger players, this new manager prefers buying those entering the twilight of their careers. While other teams can play total football, the new manager prefers putting in 10 Paul Inces’ in the squad. Squad rotation becomes a joke when players are brought in 5 minutes before kick-off.
Tactics, player selections, game plan, strategy, mission and vision are all aligned to the manager. If a manager is unable to adapt to the modern game, then one who is must be selected. Go figure.
I’ve missed politics. Here are some events the past few weeks that has caught my attention:
Parliament is better than Akademi Fantasia I love reading what’s going on in Parliament. Most importantly, I realize that Malaysians are now paying a great deal of attention to Parliament. This is likely because a lot of the Parliamentarians themselves were giving firsthand account on the lively debates through the Internet.
The entertainment provided will turn into something cool in the very near future. Watching the sessions would suddenly become the latest reality TV craze. But just like in any reality TV talent contests, the talented may not be the winner. We Malaysians might just be enamoured with another Mawi of politics. Let us not be fooled. The price is too high.
Shooting Oneself in the Foot It’s a problem with UMNO, and it’s also a problem with Pakatan Rakyat. It’s not the party itself that is fundamentally flawed, but the people currently in the leadership position. Karpal Singh just made life a bit more difficult, NOT for DAP, but to PAS and PKR.
At the heart of the matter is the political ideology of DAP and its elderly statesmen. I just cannot ever see them understanding and accepting the position of the Malays in this country. And their overt comments touching on Malay issues are making it hard for even their own supporters to accept especially in the fragile state the PR alliance is at this moment.
They are as stubborn headed as some UMNO leaders. They could also be said to be as racist as some UMNO leaders are. Like one of my friends said, Malaysian politics will turn for the better as the older generation pass on the baton to younger, more dynamic, and hopefully more tolerant leaders.
RPK and Sedition The Sedition Act is an oppressive legislation that infringes on some basic human rights. Supposedly such laws shouldn’t exist anymore, yet it does, not only in Malaysia but also in other countries all over the world, even those that went to war under the banner of “Freedom” and “Democracy”. Why? Maybe those shouting for “freedom” here in Malaysia should decipher this mystery. It could be a long debate.
When blogger-royalty Raja Petra was arrested for Sedition, we hear the typical cry of political persecution from the Opposition and “freedom of speech” by the Bar Council. We will leave the validity of their claims for another time, because surely it will be raised again. I just want to say that I find RPK a bit too dramatic for a person who supposedly is willing to fight the fight. When he was arrested, he refused to fork out bail, stating that he’s willing to be in jail until trial. And then, we hear that he’s on “hunger strike”. Then we hear that he’s posting bail because life in prison would be “dangerous” for him.
A bit too in love with the concept of his importance really. How many people actually turned up to support him? Was there a wave of protest against his arrest? In fact, the only loud voices I hear are those racist (Malays are not the only racists here in Malaysia. Don’t believe? Just read the comments in RPK’s blog) fans of RPK. Is he that important to kill? I think not.
Oh, he claims he “knows” things. Okay. Let’s accept this claim. Isn’t it in the interest of the general public if the truth is disclosed as soon as possible? Why all the “sandiwara” in the blog? Why politicize, if he is indeed the Rakyat’s champion, the truth? Could it be because at the end of the day, armchair activists can only take so much heat before being burned? Could it be that self-sacrifice is no longer a pre-requisite to become “hero Rakyat”?
The most amusing aspect of this is the reason for the “hunger strike”. He doesn’t want to eat “duit rakyat”. Hmmm...isn’t the road financed by the rakyat? What about the subsidised food he’s eating at home? That’s duit rakyat too, right?
I know what the reply will be. But let’s not pre-empt that shall we. I still enjoy reading his articles. It’s damn entertaining and highly recommended, but take it with a pinch of salt. Or not, if you don’t want to eat “duit rakyat”.
Chaos and Anarchy It is one thing to demonstrate peacefully. It is another to act like hoodlums. The residents of Bandar Mahkota Cheras may have a valid claim, but they (well, some of them) have alienated some sympathizers (including myself) and degraded their efforts by acting like gangsters in the Grand Saga...saga (pardon the pun).
The legal aspect of the road closure is still unresolved, so shouldn’t a lawyer like the MP from DAP (who is lauded as a hero...sigh...how the silly rise quickly) representing the “people” be responsible enough to prevent the violent skirmishes with the police? When will it end? It’s good that we see the rise of social activism, and yet this violent clash only seek to reinforce my belief that sometimes people fight just for the sake of fighting, especially if it push forward their own personal agenda. The Opposition must not instigate anarchy, and insidious behaviour, just because they have the momentum. With great power comes great responsibility. Go figure. ...
Millions of Malaysians spend their hard earned ringgit on the only option they have when it comes to satellite TV - ASTRO. As such, is it too much for us to expect that they treasure our very existence, considering that their major cash flow comes from the domestic market?
Let’s forget about the abysmal coverage when there’s rain or the exorbitant amount we have to fork out for channels we don’t want but is part of some capitalist-driven package. Let us talk about the core element of a “service provider” – customer service.
I never really had to deal with ASTRO previously, so I couldn’t understand when others were moaning about their customer service. After the past few weeks, I not only understand, but couldn’t accept how we Malaysians could tolerate this obvious lack of care on the part of ASTRO for its customers.
At the very least, we expect our calls to be picked up. Unfortunately, that is seldom the case. I have just put down the phone, without speaking to a consultant, for the second time tonight. Both my calls to their “direct” line resulted in me waiting for the almost impossible-to-reach consultant.
In fact, after having to deal with ASTRO the past one month, I noticed that my waiting time is never less than 5 minutes and often surpasses the 10 minute mark (if you managed to get into queue, which is almost impossible if you try the hotline”). To me, this smacks of arrogance. ASTRO’s unwillingness to spend money, and of course time, improving their system or training their consultants or even hiring more consultants is certainly business-wise BUT it merely says “our time, and our money, is MORE important than our customer’s time AND their money”.
Make no mistake; the problem doesn’t end once you reach a consultant. The lack of training is evident, and I can forgive that. But the lack of respect for one’s intelligence is hard to swallow. If I were to say to a consultant, “The decoder can’t be switched on, there’s no power running through the decoder, I have tried different power sockets and it still won’t light up, the decoder is spoilt”, I certainly wouldn’t expect the consultant to ask me to insert a smart card and try to switch it on. But that actually happened! I might not work for ASTRO, but I can certainly tell when the decoder can’t even be switched on.
That is just the tip of the iceberg. One consultant can check the account using an old IC number, another one says that that is not possible. One consultant said that in half an hour’s time I would get back my channels, but it’s been one day now and there’s no difference. Hence, my persistent calls to the call centre.
Unfortunately, it went unanswered. And where do Malaysians turn to when this happens? Do we have any choice but to wait for the perfect moment (when the stars are aligned and there is a full moon, maybe) when everything falls into place? No, we don’t.
I will still watch ASTRO. I will pay every month. But ASTRO must realize that as soon as an alternative appear, it cannot count on its customers’ loyalty because quite simply, there is none. We are here because you’re the only one, not because you’re the best.
The past one month has been nothing short of hectic. Work has taken on a more real dimension, with me participating in two Six Sigma projects within Customer Service of Maxis. As part of the Process Improvement team, I basically act like an internal consultant for Customer Service.
I guess that’s enough about work. More importantly, the past one month has been an eye-opener in terms of real politics for me. Although I haven’t really gone into the nitty gritty of grassroot politics, I have been fortunate enough to participate in some events that has played an important part in developing my views at this moment.
However, I apologize for not sharing to you folks considering the abundance of materials recently. Partly this is due to the sudden increase in political activism in the blogging world, with everyone suddenly joining the bandwagon. You know something’s weird when even Mat Taib started blogging.
This growth was probably led by the strides made by Malaysian bloggers. We are the first nation in the WORLD to have a blogger as an elected representative in the national legislative assembly. And another blogger even got himself in the CLEO’s Most Eligible Bachelor finalist list (despite the rather obvious … well… he has a cool AND popular blog though, which is more than you can say about this humble collection of ramblings).
So bloggers are pretty hot stuffs, so hot that one of them had to take some time to cool off in prison. Raja Petra or RPK as he is more famously known, has been one of Malaysia’s most prominent “opposition” blogger with his straight forward, no holds barred style of writing. But his recent ranting on the Altantuya murder trial has landed him in hot soup with the authorities charging him for sedition.
Never shy from a battle, RPK has refused to post bail (of course he pleaded not guilty). Instead, the RM5000 needed was raised via RM1 contribution from his readers, though I doubt they would just contribute RM1. In just one day, they managed to collect RM25,000.00, showing that Malaysians will support just about anyone willing to stand up against the present government or more importantly, against members of UMNO.
UMNO must look at this as another example of how the people have openly rejected them. Instead, from my experience in the past one month, we (and I do mean us, as I am an UMNO member…*what the hell?*) are living in denial. We are busy with our own problems without realizing that we are fighting over a cause that will or will not exist if doesn’t take remedial actions immediately.
This is evident from the discussion some of my friends organized with Datuk Zaki Zahid and some of the 4th Floor Boys, my meeting (1st) with my division’s Wanita UMNO chief and the recent Sekretariat Melayu Muda’s forum featuring Mukhriz and Akramsyah. The Malays are lost and confused. And when a group is lost and confused, it tends to develop a siege mentality. Everyone is against us, what did we do wrong kind of self-inflicted conundrum.
So the natural reaction is to capitalize on these emotions amongst the UMNO members to further one’s own political ambition. No doubt some of the points the Malays have raised are valid in my point of view. For example, when Kelantan Prince made his remarks about “Ketuanan Melayu”, the press had a field day reporting it which sensationalizes what was otherwise a pretty straightforward, even humbling speech, about the Malay dilemma.
His respect for the Chinese, his advice for the Malays, was all left out. Instead, the Malays were once again played out as racists. Not dissimilar to the sensitivity of the black community in the United States, the Malays have to thread carefully when the rest can just lambaste their actions without being called racists. Never mind. We shall leave this at that for the moment.
More importantly, this inward approach by UMNO is based on the assumption that it has lost the Malay support. Unfortunately, I have to disagree. A strong, moderate UMNO has always been the basis for Barisan Nasional’s successes. In 1999, the Chinese and Indian community came out in droves to support Barisan and UMNO because it was seen as the moderate voice that could keep PAS and Malay fundamentalist at bay.
Its actions leading up to 2008 led the rest to believe that UMNO has progressively turned ultra-Malay, especially the overt statements and actions by its leaders. This was perhaps prompted by their desire to capture even more Malay votes from PKR and PAS. What they didn’t realize was perhaps these votes were never there to be won anyway. The Malays are definitely split between UMNO, PAS and now PKR.
Actually, UMNO did rather well in the seats it contested despite the obvious dislike by the general public against the government in the past election. The Malays are not turned off by the rhetoric. Instead, the Chinese and Indians were alarmed by the way UMNO is acting, and this is shown by the absolutely dismal showing by MCA and MIC. We have lost the confidence of our non-Malay friends by our actions.
The previous administration has shown that UMNO can further its cause while at the same time manages to hold on to the support of the non-Malays. These two are not mutually exclusive, and one can go hand-in-hand with the other. It’s just a matter of who’s managing the situation. Go figure.
*Sorry for any factual mistakes...arrghhh...screw it.
Sorry for not updating. I’m busy with work, though that primarily consist of attending pointless meetings and drawing up Six Sigma action plans without actually thinking of the solution and implementing it. A bit like the Government, you might say. But which Government are we talking about? Since 8.03.08, things are different.
Or so they say. But looking at UMNO, and their clever leaders, it’s hard to imagine that they’ve changed at all. The whole pig-farm issue in Selangor was the lead in several leading Malay newspapers. Obviously, in the interest of UMNO, they chose to pin the blame on the new PKR-DAP-PAS state government.
And as usual, Pakatan Rakyat had an easy time in kicking the ass of these UMNO folks. They made a decisive blow by proving that it was actually approved by the previous UMNO-led state government. There’s even a photo of an UMNO assemblymen (who was one of those loudly criticizing the project) smiling with a thumbs up at a pig farm in Netherlands. Crazy.
Don’t the Mainstream Media realize that they no longer can pull off this one-sided shit? Can’t UMNO themselves think before they speak? History have shown that UMNO is not past electing less-than-savvy (very PC, don’t you think?) representatives. Datuk Zam, our former Information Minister, immediately comes to mind for his almost comedic performance on Al-Jazeera.
It is at this juncture, when information flows uninterrupted from the grassroots to the top, that UMNO must take strategic steps to educate its members on the virtue of that very important ingredient of leadership – THINKING.
Well, at least Pak Lah has announced his plan to reform the judiciary. This is a good first step towards gaining back the public’s confidence. But it must be noted that the Pakatan Rakyat’s state governments are pushing in even more reforms, further proving that if PR comes into power, the same could be done at the Federal level. BN is playing catch-up, and the score now shows P.Rakyat leading the way in terms of reform and action plans.
I’ve just got a slight issue with Karpal that I wish to raise. If it’s true that he’s trying to bring up a judge on a charge of misconduct JUST BECAUSE of an innocuous statement made in the course of the judge’s duty, then he really is abusing the PR’s influence in Parliament for his own personal use. He should be a grown-up and stop with trying to get everything his way. It’ll just backfire in the long run.
"As I had anticipated, my comment on (Minister in the Prime Minister's Department) Dato Zaid Ibrahim's suggestion that the Government should apologise for the action taken against Tun Salleh Abbas would draw accusations against me for my alleged misdeeds during my tenure of office.
I regard this as an attempt to shut my mouth should I find occasion to criticise the present Government. It is always about "You were worse when you headed the Government", even if it is obvious that I had not done badly.
Param Cumaraswamy's letter (The Sun, April 2, 2004) falls in that category. He wants to know why action had not been taken against me over the allegations made by Datuk Shafee Yahya (former director-general of the Anti-Corruption Agency) during the Anwar Ibrahim trial.
The statement may be a sworn testimony in court but the accuracy of it cannot be accepted unquestioned. There were omissions and inferences which mislead.
Counsel was of course interested in proving that Anwar did not inveigle Shafee into doing something wrong. But during the trial it was revealed that he did get a senior police officer to threaten and intimidate his accusers.
I admit to calling up Shafee to ask him about the raid by the ACA on the office of the director of the Economic Planning Unit. I did that because I received a complaint from the director that the ACA had been very offensive towards him during the raid. He also said that he believed the Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister had set up the whole thing.
I knew that Government officers were sometimes overzealous and would overstep or abuse their authority.
I could not verify whether there was any truth in what the EPU director said. Accordingly, I called the director of the ACA to find out what actually happened.
I asked many questions, many more than what he said in Court. I also asked him if he had been directed by Datuk Seri Anwar to carry out the raid.
He denied it but he became angry when I asked whether he intended to pursue his investigation. Raising his voice, he accused me of trying to stop him from carrying out his duty. Angrily, he said that he was a senior civil service officer and that I had no right to question him about his work.
I was shocked at his loud accusation against me. No civil servant however senior had spoken to me like that. I was rendered speechless.
These exchanges were carried out in my office. No other person was present. No notes were taken, nor was there any recording at least by me. So only the two of us would know what really happened or was said.
What he said in court is his version. There is nothing to verify what he said nor is there anything to verify what I say now is wrong. It is a case of his words against mine, sworn testimony notwithstanding. He had obviously omitted his shouted accusations against me. Had what he said in court was all that happened, then it would not have taken more than three minutes. But what he said and what I said took longer than three minutes.
I wonder how counsel knew of what happened in the privacy of my office. Even the Chief Secretary, the only person who was informed by Datuk Shafee could not have told counsel. Obviously it was Shafee who volunteered information. Why did he do this?
I was not a party to the trial of Anwar. If I was to be accused, I should at least be heard. But clearly Shafee saw Anwar's trial as an opportunity to make statements detrimental to my reputation.
Shafee was an angry man and what he said in court was opportunistic and seem to reflect his desire to take revenge against me. I can only assume that this was what motivated him, because what he divulged did not help Anwar much. But it did put me in a very bad light.
As to why this case has not been followed, I can only assume that the courts are busy and there are tens of thousands of cases which have yet to be heard. Maybe the fault is with the Attorney-General or Police. I would not know.
Still I welcome any investigation by impartial people as to the truth or otherwise of what I say in this letter.
As for Param Cumarawamy and Karpal Singh, their hatred of me is well known and apparently has not abated even after I am no longer Prime Minister.
Many lawyers were angry with me because I had quoted Shakespeare during a Cabinet meeting which says "the first thing we do, we hang the lawyers". I was only joking but they heard of it and believed I meant what I said. The judges also felt unhappy with me.
Besides I had criticised the judiciary for disregarding the intention or objectives of the laws formulated by the legislative wing but instead interpret them based on the words used. Was I committing a crime for saying this? I was merely stating a fact. Can no one comment on the judiciary at all even when they disregard the interest of the country? In many developed countries it is common for the public to criticise the judiciary.
As for Param, he made libellous remarks about a fellow Malaysian when he was a member of a Untied Nations Commission. He should have been hauled before a Malaysian court but he claimed immunity due to his appointment by the UN.
My stand was that his immunity was only with regard to the specific work for the UN. If he breached Malaysian laws on matters not related to this work, then he cannot plead immunity.
His libellous words against a Malaysian individual had nothing to do with his work for the UN. He should therefore be liable, and his immunity could not be invoked. But he got the UN to back him. It was even hinted that if Malaysia prosecuted him, then our case before the International Court of Justice on the issue of the ownership of Sipadan and Ligitan would be jeopardised.
Accordingly, I agreed that he should not be prosecuted. Luckily it was only libel. Had Param Cumaraswamy murdered a person, and he claimed immunity, then there would indeed be a miscarriage of justice.
I do not think my recalcitrance over his immunity endeared me to him. Now that I am not a Prime Minister, he has expressed his delight at saying that I should not criticise anything the present Government does because I was guilty of worse.
I maintain that in the case of Tun Salleh Abbas, I did what was required of me under the Constitution and Malaysia's laws. I consider the suggestion that I should apologise as frivolous, unwarranted and stupid.
If Param or Karpal is not convinced perhaps they should use their considerable knowledge of the law to shut my mouth."
A lot has been going on these past few days in relation to UMNO’s leadership. A forum organized by MyKMU.net was heavily covered by the media. Tun again goaded Pak Lah and basically asked UMNO members to openly revolt against the embattled leader. Ku Li has already made it clear that he wants Pak Lah to step down.
Today Najib declared that he will support Pak Lah. Muhyidddin has been coy about his future, using very clever (cleverer than most UMNO politicians) tactics of avoiding taking a stand while at the same time making a stand.
Hishamuddin is moving up into the senior ranks, perhaps sensing that a challenge from Mukhriz might be too much for him to take. This perhaps leaves Mukhriz with a possible showdown with Khairy, his favorite victim thus far.
Again, they’re barking up the wrong tree. All this call for the change in leadership because the people are unhappy with the corrupt practices is a smokescreen to blind UMNO members from the real issue that they have to face.
The blogs, the sms, the vcds…these are merely medium to convey messages that have already been around for years. It is the ignorance to deal with the primary message that led to BN’s defeat, and from the looks of it, UMNO still haven’t learn their lessons.
UMNO, instead of merely changing leaders, must also change their mindset. Not one of the top UMNO man have been brave enough to come out and say that their “business model” is no longer applicable. Just like in any business, you must constantly re-invent yourself to remain relevant, but this fact is not even addressed by the top echelon.
They’re more concerned with who’s going to be in power next, instead of actually thinking that what they’re fighting for may no longer be relevant OR IN EXISTENCE if they continue down the same path.
It is not about the non-Malays not accepting Malays, but more like them not accepting underperforming Malays. Their huge approval of Anwar, Wan Azizah and other Malays from the Opposition must serve as a lesson to UMNO. UMNO must not be stuck in the mindset that their political will is god-given. They must revisit their standings, their attitude and their mindset to become relevant again.
This is not unique only to UMNO or Malaysia. Previous demarcation of political parties based on ideologies and territories have slowly disappeared with Republicans now having some Liberal views and Democrats having some Conservative views in the United States. The Labor party, under Tony Blair, have changed so much in terms of their values that the battle is no longer under the old ideological banner.
Labor, Conservatives…these are just names. Now, the true form of democracy is choosing your candidates based on specific policies dealing with current issues. If the issue in Malaysia is corrupt practices, then UMNO must start by arguing to the people that it is taking measures to combat it. Instead, by arguing over who is going to lead (a party that’s probably slowly disintegrating anyway), they have just shown to the people that they don’t really listen. They just let you speak, but they only hear the words that they want you to hear.
I am for removing Pak Lah, as a matter of principle. I just think too much effort is being put into the drama instead of looking down and realizing that…hey, we don’t HAVE credible, intelligent leaders! Go figure.
The Opposition – PAS, DAP and PKR – has agreed to form a new coalition known as Pakatan Rakyat.
"Pakatan Rakyat pledges to uphold the rights and interests of all Malaysians, regardless of religion or race, as enshrined in the Constitution." said Anwar.
Previous attempt at a coalition (Barisan Alternatif) failed as DAP could not accept PAS’ central theme of forming an Islamic state. This time, Abdul Hadi Awang has expressed that this new Coalition is not part of PAS’ constitution – in other words, they are still pursuing the Islamic state agenda.
It raises a few interesting questions. What’s PAS intention? Is it simply concerned with being in power instead of pursuing its own constitutionally adopted agenda? What about its supporters? Are they really for an Islamic state, or are they now evolving and changing when they realize that it’s becoming almost impossible to implement their Islamic agenda? Or are they being played around by another political party?
The fear is that if this coalition is put into power, it would be nothing more than another Barisan Nasional with each component party pursuing its own agenda and there would be a silo mentality – only PAS can take care of Muslims, DAP the Chinese and PKR the “Malaysiana”.
Let’s not forget about the mentality of each of the races within those parties and their supporters! Why should DAP argue that there should be this many Chinese, or the PKR to argue there should be this many Malays in Selangor or Perak? Why should there even be such a discussion if you believe in equality?
Even the supporters of these parties are confused when on one hand they trash-talked Barisan’s race-based politics but at the same time exhibited some form of xenophobia when it actually comes to their part in choosing their leaders.
This is already evident in Perak when newly elected DAP Assemblyman A. Sivasubramaniam resigned (and later retracted the resignation…even in a card game you can’t just call off a bet…aiyoh) because only ONE INDIAN was chosen as an Exco member. In his letter, he claimed that DAP’s victory has a lot to do with Indian voters (which I am not objecting).
The point is this Mr. Siva – it doesn’t matter! According to DAP and PKR rallying call, Makkal Sakthi is applicable to everyone! That’s what your voters voted for…not because you’re Indian. It shouldn’t matter to supporters of A. Siva, but it does, as evident from some comments we read through Malaysiakini’s Vox Populi. Or are the voter themselves delusional by believing that it’s not about race?
Let’s get back to Pakatan Rakyat. PKR’s position, due to its multi-racial platform, becomes even stronger as people will start asking for “intergration” – forming one party to be led by DSAI. We all hope that all political parties have the interest of the people at heart, and we should not give up on that hope. My only fear is that there is still a huge question mark on DSAI and though I know DSAI’s supporters are very vocal when it comes to protecting his character, as an until-now objective observer, I have listened to stories from people who has worked with him when he was in power. Power corrupts…I just hope that 6 years would have thought him some lessons.
Malaysia & Halliburton
Slipping under the news radar for most people is the recent investment by Halliburton in IDR valued at RM200 million. While our quest to develop all these corridors remains a noble one, shouldn’t we also look at the companies investing in it and what they stand for?
For a country that publicly condemns the Iraq invasion, and openly criticized the US government’s foreign policy as opportunistic capitalist “invasion”, our acceptance of a company that is a major part of these policies smacks of hypocrisy.
Halliburton is at the forefront of the war on terror – allegedly an attempt by US of A to control the growing influence of Islam while at the same time increase their presence in Arab countries (for the oil of course). Halliburton has been closely associated with the US government, especially as Dick Cheney is its chairman.
Halliburton’s subsidiary, Kellogg-Brown & Root, was an integral part in all major US operations overseas since the Vietnam war, supplying equipments and also being part of the major reconstruction company awarded with “no-bid” projects from the US government. It was also awarded contracts to build detention facilities for suspected terrorists – not the most humane of places I should say.
Halliburton is the only company in the world mentioned by Osama bin Laden when he claimed that this war on terror is actually a war to control oil resources. Halliburton’s track record is not only questioned around the world but also in its native country with allegations of fraud and accounting malpractice common. The U.S public’s growing concern prompted its CEO to move their office to Dubai, as part of an effort to concentrate on the “Eastern hemisphere”. Malaysia is now part of that plan.
I recommend you read Economic Hit Man where the author, a former “EHT”, revealed how the world is now commanded not by States but corporations like Halliburton.
Malaysia should seriously consider aligning its business policy with its moral standing. I'm sure my pal WMF would have something to say...if he reads this:) ...
Since GE 12, Tun has been more than willing to share his views on many things, especially the present situation in UMNO. His long-standing disapproval of Pak Lah was partially vindicated by the stunning lost for Barisan. Recently, he was even more forthright in interviews and forums.
It was reported in the Star today that Mahathir was very candid (and a bit non-pc for my taste…but that’s Tun) of his views on Anwar. Below are excerpts taken from the Star:
On de facto PKR leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, he said cynically that “everybody loved Anwar.”
“When he is with the Jews, the Jews love him. When he is with the Muslims, the Muslims love him. When he is with the temple groups, they love him too.
“Everybody loves him. He is a convincing orator. He talked bad about me to foreigners. He told them I put him in jail,” he said.
On talks that Anwar stood a chance to be the next prime minister, he said he would make a “good prime minister of Israel”.
Sounds a bit like a bitter old man I would say (regardless of the fact that I think his answers were absolutely funny…in a ha-ha kind of way) although it does raise an interesting point. Is DSAI really a leader for all or does his sway where the wind blows? At least with Tun, you pretty much know his stand on a lot of things (especially with regards to the Palestine – Israel conflict, which makes him pretty much a global giant in the Muslim world)
But Tun has also exhibited some inconsistency recently, and it is this apparent “forgetfulness” of his deeds during his premiership that has been holding up people from taking his words seriously. Despite valid arguments, it’s pretty hard to accept a lot of his ideas and thoughts because people already have a negative perception of Tun.
Below are selected excerpts from his article which was published in the Sun. It was clear, straight to the point and pretty much valid. But at the end, some will get the impression that it’s a bit like Michael Jackson telling Will Smith how to be black.
Dr. M speaks up on Rulers and Politicians by
Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad
…Terengganu is blessed with petroleum deposits. It should get 5% of the total earning from oil production. The Federal Government; fearing the previous PAS government might use this money wrongly had withheld payment. But when the Barisan Nasional (BN) regained Terengganu the money, now called "Wang Ehsan", was lavishly spent by the Federal Government on Terengganu. It is not a small sum. Over these years "Wang Ehsan" totalled several billion.
(Note: Terengganu has been a part of Barisan since 1974 until 1999. Previously, it was with Perikatan. Terengganu was under Tun’s control, as PM, for 18 years. Terengganu has been in the top five of POOREST State in Malaysia, almost always behind Kelantan, for all those years)
We know that since the BN regained Terengganu in 2004, all kinds of projects have been developed in Terengganu. This includes The Monsoon Cup, luxury housing for sale to foreigners, Crystal Mosque and theme park, university, etc. Some of these projects are very good but many are totally unnecessary and wasteful.
But what the Terengganu people are saying is that all these mega projects costing billions of Ringgit have been contracted out to people outside Terengganu. Terengganu contractors got practically nothing.
But additionally, they say the contracts all went to one person and they are suspicious that behind this person are members of the first family. The rumours also say that the previous Mentri Besar was responsible for these things happening and of course, they think that he might have benefited financially.
The rumours went on to say that the Prime Minister might have influenced the Mentri Besar into doing wrong things. These are all rumours. It will be quite impossible to prove anything as the perpetrators are skilled in hiding themselves.
This is not good for a Government keen to abolish corruption and be transparent. To clear its name, an investigation should be made.
But the public is leery of investigations by Government agencies and departments. Even Royal Commissions are not highly regarded. The people believe, not true of course, that the Government has been interfering with the work of the Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA), the Police and the Attorney General (A-G)'s Chambers. The say this is borne out by the results of investigations by these agencies.
When a Deputy Minister was accused of accepting money for the release of a detainee, the A-G said there was no case because the detainee said he did not give any money to the Deputy Minister. It is so easy. If you have a case involving someone, all the enforcement agencies need to do is to ask him whether he was involved. If he says "no", then there is no case.
For some reason, judges are finding that people accused of murder are not guilty because of insufficient evidence by the police. Yet people who are totally not involved in a case, who were not accused of any misdeeds and who did not appear in court at all and been given a hearing are found guilty and publicly condemned.
(Note: Tun Mahathir was Prime Minister when Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim was convicted of sodomy and corruption in a case many legal observers felt was not properly conducted. The conviction for sodomy was later quashed by the Federal Court in 2004.)
The public cannot be blamed for not having faith in Government agencies doing investigations. The public cannot be blamed for suspecting cover-ups by the Government or worse still the Government may be using these enforcement agencies to threaten people. To clear its good name, the Government should get credible foreign agencies to do the investigation. Of course, they must be given full access to the documents etc.
Now my detractors are going to say I did worse things when I was Prime Minister. Well, if that is so, let us have the foreign agencies investigate me also. I am aware that people are looking into possible misdeeds by me during my 22 years so as to threaten me and ask me to shut up. So far they have not found anything.
Not only have I not taken anything that was not due to me while I was Prime Minister but I have given back to the Government and the people everything that I had received as gifts during my tenure of office. The Government had offered me land in Kedah and Langkawi and I had refused to accept. I have a 5-acre plot in Putrajaya which I paid for even though the Government was offering it to me free.
Unless there is a frame-up, I think there should be nothing to pin on me. Even other accusations against me, including the dismissal of judges, were not my doing and I do not feel obliged to apologise. Ask the Tribunal to apologise.
The person asking that the Government should apologise for what happened to Tun Salleh Abbas may have forgotten that as President of the Muslim Lawyers Association, he fully supported the action that was taken. He castigated the Bar Council for condemning Tun Hamid Omar over the dismissal of judges. Now he wants to be more correct than correct. I wonder why.
The Sun, 29th March 2008
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He was a great many things to many people. He is a leader, an inspiration, an icon, a giant among giants. He is a dictator, a nightmare, an embarrassment, a small man trying to do big things.
Me? I am the kind of person who likes to view the bright side of life. The past is the past, but it is what lingers on that matters. KLIA, Putrajaya, LRT, KLCC…we cannot deny how these have changed our lives. The rest, well…go figure.
I received a text message on Thursday evening informing me of a massive police operation going on at PWTC. Then, as I was reaching USJ, I received another piece of message that said that a few ministers have resigned, and there was going to be another “earth-shattering” announcement after Maghrib prayers. This was confirmed by another source, again, via sms.
This is perhaps another example of the latest shift in politics, one which we have seen in more mature democratic societies, but only now being felt here in Malaysia. I am of course referring to the power of information. Information has always been an integral part of politics, but even in terms of world politics, it has seen its importance outweigh other components only in recent times.
No longer does military might or economic prowess supersede the importance of disseminating correct information to the widest target audience possible. The US of A invasion of Iraq is the perfect example of how even a powerful country could be on the wrong side of something just because the information that was being relayed to the widest audience in the world does not support their argument.
Despite their military supremacy, undeniable importance in the world economy and wide impact on societies throughout the world, the Americans could not prevent intense scrutiny almost instantaneously by the entire world. Every mistake is amplified, every perceived victory is scrutinized.
The same is happening here in Malaysia. Ironically, the government’s effort in promoting broadband usage perhaps single-handedly created the “YouTube” culture in Malaysia that spawned an almost one-sided Opposition camp in the World Wide Web. Words no longer mean as much as videos, and even blogs are no longer traditionally text based to maximise its impact on its target audience. More and more people have the time to surf the net, and put in their input, because less and less time are needed to access WebPages.
This is in furtherance to the power of the SMS, which also came indirectly as a result of the government’s effort in promoting mobile connectivity throughout Malaysia. We have all received dozens of SMSes during Election Day, constantly updating us on the results, sometimes hours before it came out on mainstream media. It has left the traditional communication medium, sadly, almost irrelevant (as long as it remains objectively PARTIAL to certain quarters).
When Pak Lah announced (after a lengthy Supreme Council meeting) that UMNO has decided to support Ahmad Said (what else can they say?) and hold the UMNO election this December (good news for us, bad news for Pak Lah?), immediately news were disseminated through SMS. Discussions went off in households throughout Malaysia, just like mine. My guess is for every one person who received an SMS, another 3 – 5 would hear about its content.
I text a friend telling him that December is too long. I e-mailed a friend that Pak Lah has again lost another battle in what’s looking like a long and complicated war for his own political survival by appearing to bow down to pressure from Sultan Mizan. By the time the news was repeated on midnight, I have already discussed, argued and reached a conclusion on the issue reported.
The power no longer lies in the hands of the select few but spread out to those who could provide information. Managing the communication channels remain a thorn on the side of Barisan, who has dismissed alternative channels simply because they themselves remain archaic in their form of communication. Ironically, there’s a YouTube video of Anwar Ibrahim appealing to rural voters by referring to an e-mail (on the latest corruption gossip) he read from his BlackBerry. It worked to perfection because information was relayed instantly to the listening crowd, even though they might think that the BlackBerry is a form of fruit. How many UMNO Supreme Council members who use e-mails (personally, not using their political secretary), let alone a BlackBerry? Go figure
UMNO’s proposed postponement of their party election to next year is a step backward in Pak Lah’s quest to bolster public confidence in the government, which is primarily led by UMNO members.
Accountability and transparency should be at the forefront of UMNO’s struggle. I put the recent election results squarely on the problems within UMNO and the image that UMNO projects to the public, regardless of ethnicity and religion. That is why it was easy to dismiss MCA and MIC (especially MCA) because all the Opposition had to do was say, “A vote for MCA is a vote for UMNO”, and you’ll find everyone deserting MCA.
People may assign fault to people like Khairy and Hisham. Yes, Hisham’s keris-wielding act smacks of arrogance and ignorance (or is it forced arrogance and ignorance?), but these are issues where the leadership could tackle behind close door with a firm hand. As another example, Khairy’s rise as a political force within UMNO DESPITE the public’s general dissatisfaction and suspicion of him could be handled and tackled by the leadership, but nothing was done.
The leadership failed to listen to the voice of the people, the growing dissatisfaction, and failed to carry out its promises which brought it such great joy in the 2004 election. There is a vacuum in leadership that brought with it disharmony amongst grass-root supporters who are tired of being pinned down by various issues brought up by the Opposition but were denied by the leadership.
Let’s not start with the messy handling of picking candidates prior to GE 12, where successful leaders were plucked out from the constituency and instead cronies were put into place. Or even the current long-drawn issue of the MB of Terengganu, where the latest news is that Pak Lah has again lost in another open battle against the monarchy.
These are issues which the grass root could address through an open election. A democratic and free UMNO is the starting point for the revival of Barisan Nasional. This latest move to postpone the election is a blow to any effort of ridding UMNO of the deadweights that held it up and Barisan Nasional in the past election.
It is not merely UMNO’s interest to see a change (if a change is what they wish). It is in our interest as Malaysians to see a change for the better, regardless of our political affiliation. A true champion of a Malaysian cause could see beyond party lines and say that, “Yes, a more honest and truthful UMNO would benefit Malaysia”.
A corrupt and oppressive UMNO is bad news for everyone, because it allows people without real competence in leadership to continue in their position (albeit made weaker because of the Opposition) and this position of leadership determines how Malaysia is being run.
Yes, the easier alternative is to allow the Opposition to run the country. Fair enough. But if the Opposition then conducts itself in a manner that is dishonest and corrupt, can we then turn to a corrupt Barisan to mount an Opposition? Isn’t it better for the fight to be between two corrupt-free parties based on ideals and policies rather than sentiments and fear of corruption?
A balanced, fair and just contest must consist of balanced, fair and just contestants. An UMNO election this year would be the first step towards a new, corruption-free, people-friendly Barisan Nasional which is good for everyone anyway. Whether Malaysians see it that way or not is an open question. Go figure.
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