Malaysia Boleh

2005-08-29T08:37:00.001+08:00

Racial separateness

Being the only Malay in the Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (Utar) student body was not a challenge for Haslina Mohd Hassan.

With her basic knowledge of Mandarin and Cantonese, the 24-year-old from Segamat had no problem making friends or communicating with lecturers and other students.

Haslina, who graduated with a degree in business administration yesterday, said she not only obtained a degree from Utar but also learned more about Chinese culture.

“When I made up my mind to do my degree here, my parents and friends were not supportive.

“But after I got here, I realised that the Chinese were not anything like what they had been perceived as. They are friendly and helpful,” she said.

Haslina, who took up Chinese classes while doing a diploma programme in Universiti Teknologi Mara before joining Utar, said Malays should not be afraid of new experiences and socialising with other races.

“They must try to be different, be willing to change and grab opportunities while they can instead of waiting for help,” she said.

(The Star: 29th August, 2005)

Wise words, indeed, for a 24-year old who exhorts her peers to be willing to change.

It is, however, a very revealing statement, which shows just how far downhill we are from the often proclaimed aspiration of a Malaysian Malaysia. Racial separateness and distrust is now so deep-rooted in the Malaysian psyche that, 48 years since Malaya became independant, we are even more polarised than we were in 1957!

But for such change to come about, Malay youngsters will have to run counter to the mindset of their elders and their parents who, like her own parents, will advise against such attempts.

Such polarisation is often reinforced, from time to time, by young UMNO political aspirants reaching for instant fame and recognition by raising the race issue to fan the flames of distrust.

I have always found it odd that, at such times, none of the UMNO leadership take issue with such statements or admonish the speaker. However, whenever the Chinese and Indians raise such subjects, they are severely warned not to bring up sensitive issues.Strange, isn't it!!

2005-08-28T08:37:00.000+08:00

Orang Asli Affairs

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said "Malaysia has been acknowledged worldwide as number one in eradicating rural poverty. This is a fact that we should be proud of. Now, in many villages, we can see the vast difference in achievement after one generation."

“It is now normal for us to see kampung or Felda houses cramped with big cars during Hari Raya that belong to the villagers' children who are now successful professionals or businessmen,” he said at the Ilham Desa (Inspiration Village) award presentation at the Putrajaya International Convention Centre here yesterday.

The “best village” award went to Kampung Hulu Cuchoh, Sepang, for its successful homestay project involving all households in the village.

(The Star: 27th August, 2005)

Yet, the very next day, the same newspaper carried a piece entitled: "Disgusting – yet, pitiful!" about "dire conditions in the orang asli settlement of Kampung Teluk Jawa" near Johore Baru.

The pictorial report in the StarMetro centrespread yesterday depicted dilapidated stilt houses, murky river water and a riverbank littered with plastic bags, tyres, cans, broken bottles and human waste.

The filthy living condition has started to take its toll, with many people – especially children – increasingly becoming sick. About 40% of the 100 villagers from 18 families there are said to be below 12. A 16-month-old boy recently died of meningcoccal septicaemia, or blood clot, after days of fever.

Johor Orang Asli Affairs department director Mohammad Bakhtiar said they had planned to relocate the villagers to Kuala Masai but had yet to fix a date as some “minor details” needed to be ironed out first.

“The new houses are already completed and the villagers will be shifted under the Ninth Malaysian Plan, as soon as water and electricity is connected to the area,” he said.

Permas state assemblyman Datuk K.S. Balakrishnan said he was shocked and appalled by the living conditions. He added that he would visit the village soon.

He said he would also bring along officials from the department, city council, health authorities and the Department of Environment. “This is really very bad and I intend to look into this matter seriously,” said Balakrishnan.

(The Star: 28th August, 2005)

What happened to the NEP agenda here? Or do the Orang Asli fall outside the ambit of NEP? Since they were the earliest inhabitants of Malaya, why are they not given the same preferential treatment that bumiputras get?

In any event, why was the Johor Orang Asli Affairs department director so tardy in seeing, never mind resolving, these problems? Surely it would be best to have an Orang Asli in charge of Orang Asli Affairs?

And, assuming that the village falls in the Permas district, how is that Balakrishnan remained unaware of conditions there?

Frankly, there is little point in having National agendas unless there is a public scrutiny system where civil service departmental heads are constantly monitored to ensure that they closely follow guidelines laid down in Parliament, and not indulge in little agendas of their own.

2005-08-23T20:59:00.000+08:00

Waving the flag

With National Day just eight days away, the lack of patriotic spirit shown by Malaysians has made Information Minister Datuk Seri Abdul Kadir Sheikh Fadzir a disappointed man.

Abdul Kadir noted that only 10% of motorists had the Jalur Gemilang on their vehicles while big companies were still hesitant to come forward to support the Merdeka celebrations.

“Many shops in the city are not flying the flag,” said Abdul Kadir, who is chairman of the Merdeka Month celebration committee."

“Merdeka is a celebration that belongs to all, regardless of race, religion or political party."

“It’s sad that not many vehicles have the flags as it is beautiful to see lorries and buses on the road with the Jalur Gemilang flapping in the wind,” he said after launching Astro’s Merdeka Month celebrations here yesterday.

(The Star: 23rd August, 2005)

This came hard on the heels of a Johore district-level Jalur Gemilang campaign which boasted a 200-member motor-cycle convoy. It was launched by District Officer Datuk Mohd Naim Nassir on Sunday 21st August.

Is patriotism really just a matter of waving the flag, and just once a year at that? Waving a flag does not make one a patriot, any more than going to a garage makes one a car!

In fact, I have been seeing so many such patriots recently, on the highways and in towns, driving along with one or more flags waving proudly on their vehicles, yet, persisting in breaking all the rules of safe driving. Such conduct brings nothing but disgrace to the flag.

Call me old-fashioned if you like but, to me, the concept of true patriotism was summed up by John F. Kennedy during his Inaugural address on 20th January, 1961:

"... ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country."

To be perfectly frank, Malaysian drivers are so recklessly dangerous that I really would prefer them NOT to bring shame to our flag by putting it on their vehicles. Unless, of course, they are prepared to honour the flag by not flouting all the traffic regulations!

2005-08-22T08:37:00.000+08:00

“Education by itself is dangerous"

Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has expressed his concern about the rising trend of corruption and misuse of power among the highly educated and those holding senior posts in the government and private sector.

“Nowadays, we hear and read about crime and misuse of power, including bad financial management, committed by those who are educated and hold important jobs."

“If an educated person carries out a crime, the consequences are greater for the country compared to (crime committed by) a person who is uneducated,” he said in his speech at the fifth convocation of Universiti Teknologi Petronas in Tronoh.

“Some of them say there is nothing wrong in receiving just a little bit but the problem starts when the practice becomes a culture. A little bit becomes a larger sum while the poor gets poorer."

“These corrupt practices will worsen until corruption is involved in everything,” he said, adding that this was occurring in some countries now."

(The Star: 22nd August, 2005)

This was occurring in some countries now? Not in Malaysia? Hmmmm........!

Fascinating that such a statement should come from someone who, for 22 years, presided over a sustained downward slide into the pit of venality, to the most corrupt period in Malaysian history!

Bribery and corruption, money politics, financial scams, breaches of financial trust, you name it, we have it, and in large measure.

His statement that "corrupt practices will worsen until corruption is involved in everything,” makes one wonder. CAN it get worse? In Malaysia, anything Boleh what!

2005-08-21T08:37:00.000+08:00

Letterboxes

State postmaster Abdul Rahman Kadir said Kelantan Pos Malaysia Bhd faced difficulties in sending between 90,000 and 150,000 letters daily due to the problem.

It was worse in the interior part of the state where almost 95% of village homes did not have letterboxes, Abdul Rahman said.

“This causes a delay in ensuring that letters reach the proper recipients. At times, a letter takes one week to reach the recipient as the mailmen need time to track down the right person,” he said.

(The Star: 21st August, 2005)

Life must be tough for Kelantanese postmen.

But, is the problem really about the lack of letterboxes? Is it one of work ethics or, more correctly, a lack of work ethics?

For instance, I live in a fairly urban setting and have quite a large and easily accessible postbox. Yet, my postman seems to have quite a lot of difficulty with it.

He hardly ever put the letter FULLY into the postbox. He just tucks the front end of my letters under the spring loaded cover of the postbox, leaving the rest of the mail fully exposed to casual passers-by or to the elements.

On windy days, I have often had to retrieve my mail from the nearby longkang. And, on wet days, well, ...... need I say more?

2005-08-14T15:07:00.000+08:00

Updating the medical database

Commenting on a news report that as many as seven people might have died from haze-related illnesses this week, Health Minister Datuk Dr. Chua Soi Lek said:

“Either during the haze or otherwise, deaths will occur. We cannot make the conclusion that the deaths in the hospitals were due to the haze.”

"There has been no death connected to the haze and the public should stop such talk", he added. There has been no post mortem results that stated the cause of these deaths was due to the haze, he told reporters after visiting the Tangkak Hospital here yesterday

(The Star, Sunday August 14, 2005.)

A very surprising statement to come from a doctor - assuming, of course, that he was a medical practitioner before he became a politician!

Surely he must realise that people who are in frail health, the elderly, asthmatics and so on, can lead perfectly normal lives under normal conditions. But, given severe atmospheric pollution, their illness can take a fatal turn for the worse.

In any event, since there are no post-mortem results as yet, your statement must be seen as largely conjectural too!

Thus, my good doctor-cum-Minister, though they may not have died of haze, which is not a known medical condition, they could have died of haze-related illnesses, the haze being THE causal factor! With luck, the graphics (above) will help you refresh your medical database.

Or would you rather wait until a worst-case senario arises before being prepared to admit that haze can cause deaths?

The smog arising out of the 1997 fires spread to Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand, affecting a population of 70 million.

On September 26, all 234 people on board a jetliner died when it crashed before landing in northwest Indonesia. Visibility was poor due to the haze.

An Indian cargo ship collided with a Panamanian vessel in the Strait of Malacca, killing 29 people. Reason: poor visibility.

Seven boat accidents were reported in Kalimantan.s Mahakam River. In one, nine students were killed.

Doctors point out that the smog (haze) can cause a range of ailments from heart and lung diseases to damage to the nervous system, blood, and kidneys. Experts predict that the impact of the forest fires in Indonesia is potentially more dangerous than that of the oil fires in Kuwait during the 1990 Gulf War.

2005-08-13T18:05:00.000+08:00

Hi-tech Malaysia?

The Deputy Prime Minister said that remote sensing technology could be used to check on illegal logging immediately without having to wait for the public input.

"Malaysia can be at the forefront of remote sensing. We don't have to just use it, we can be a provider and also an innovator in this arena," he said, at the joint opening of the Malaysian Centre for Remote Sensing (Macres) HQ here and its receiving station in Temerloh, Pahang.

Pahang Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Adnan Yaakob, at the Temerloh end of this satellite tele-conversation, said, "We will also be able to monitor closely land-clearing and logging activities, and have concrete proof if unscrupulous people try to carry out illegal activities," he said.

(The Star: 6th August, 2005)

Can Adnan Yaakob do better than his Selangor counterpart did? Remember Khir Toyo and the fiasco a few months ago, of major habitat destruction and encroachment at and around Bukit Cahaya Seri Alam, an area destined to have become a National Botanical Park?

How all the officials who should have seen, and reported on, what was happening failed to do so? Frankly, I think it is quite unfair for us to expect senior officials to regularly leave their air-conditioned offices for mundane things like work.

This new technology really has some plus points. NOW, these officers can do everything in air-conditioned comfort!

Yes, it might work, it just might work, provided they do not persist with the "Pentium inside, Idiot outside" approach which, in Malaysia, is a familiar scenario!

2005-08-11T17:32:00.000+08:00

Those lazy hazy crazy days....

It's deja vu time again, Malaysian style, with a major hullabaloo about the latest in four-letter words - HAZE!

The way our illustrious leaders, and the Press Corps, are carrying on, one would think it was a relatively new phenomenon.

It has been with us as long ago as 1990! When forty-six of the world's leading photographers arrived in Malaysia for a seven-day photo-shoot for the book Malaysia: Heart of Southeast Asia, they were greeted by hazy views of Kuala Lumpur. So much so that The Mad Hatter confessed to being quite annoyed by it!

The 1997 and 1998 haze were especially bad but most people seem to have forgotten just how bad it was. A sort of collective amnesia, perhaps? In fact, it had been part of the Sarawak landscape practically every year, even before 1997, and ever since, but who in the Malaysian Parliament has ever worried about conditions in .... Sarawak? Where is that?

For all that, when the four-letter word (dare I say HAZE) surfaced again early this month, the usual knee-jerk reactions came into play. Our Ministry officials and "civil" servants are SO good at it, don't you agree?

One can never accuse our leadership of not being decisive - even our Ministers immediately leapt into action.

When non-governmental organisations had the audacity to suggest that the public had a right to know the API readings since it involved their health and well-being, they were soon put in place. On 9th August, the Deputy Prime Minister, no less, made it crystal clear that the Government would not disclose daily Air Pollution Index.

These API readings, proclaimed to be official secrets in 1997, have not been released since for fear they have an adverse effect on our tourist industry.

"We will just monitor the situation and give advice," he proclaimed (New Straits Times, Wednesday 10th August).

No less decisive was our Education Minister. On the very same day, and not carrying his kris this time, he gave permission for headmasters to close schools for a few days if the haze got bad enough.

"We will not issue a directive. It is up to the teachers to decide what is best for the students" (New Straits Times, Wednesday 10th August).

Not wanting to sound too vague, possibly even to get his own umbrella up, he added, “If they decide to close the school and the situation is not critical, they not only have to answer to me but also to the parents who would expect their children to be going to school,” he said (The Star, Wednesday 10th August)

Fascinating! If the API readings are official secrets, what criteria should teachers and headmasters use to assess critical haze levels?

The Rule of Thumb, perhaps? Something along the lines of:

Headmaster: Wah, that rambutan tree cannot see now, man. Better close school today lah.

Teacher: Ya, I think so too. Yesterday so clear what!

What if an eye-witness had not been there to say:
Eye-witness: Aiyyah, no lah. Orang Majlis came today, cut it down this morning.

Fortunately, they were spared possible trauma when, the very next morning, Prime Minister AB Positive announced the lifting the veil of secrecy on Air Pollutant Index! (New Straits Times, Thursday 11th August)

10th August will probably have to commemorated in future years as Malaysia's National Haze Day!

Following the announcement by AB+ that API readings would no longer be kept secret, and despite the haze, ordinary Malaysians developed a sudden clarity of vision, had their worst suspicions confirmed.

They were told that the air quality in five areas had breached the hazardous API levels between 301 to 500: Port Klang (424), Kuala Selangor (418), Shah Alam (349), Putrajaya (337) and Petaling Jaya (304).

Three areas recorded very unhealthy readings of 200 to 300: Kuala Lumpur (276), Tanjung Malim (205) and Gombak (200).

A further five areas had recorded unhealthy readings of 100 to 200: Kajang (185), Nilai (174), Seremban (137), Jerantut (131) and Bukit Rambai in Malacca (107). And thirty-one other areas, nationwide, had moderate readings of between 51 and 100.

Several schools announced that classes were being cancelled due to worsening air quality.

Subang airport was closed at 12.30pm after visibility fell to 200 metres, and KLIA Sepang registered a visibility level of 500 metres at 1pm, and ran the risk of being closed if it fell to 300 metres.

2005-08-10T19:47:00.000+08:00

Knee-jerk Reactions a.k.a Management Malaysian Style

The Deputy Prime Minister said that as part of the Government's major push for greater business ethics and good governance for the Ninth Malaysia Plan, the Integrity Institute of Malaysia (IIM) would put together a chapter on good governance to help ground the country’s policies in the "highest level of integrity".

"This will be the blueprint for our continuing work to develop human capital that can steer our economic policies ethically," he said when opening a two-day seminar entitled, "NIP: Reinventing The Future Through Good Governance".

He said the NIP’s key objectives for the next five years were:

- reducing corruption, mismanagement and abuse of power,

- enhancing efficiency in the civil service public delivery system and

- improving corporate governance and business ethics.

"These, I believe, are among the key drivers that will further promote continuous growth of the country’s economy," he said. "It is a difficult task for a few individuals but not an impossible one for a multi-cultural and multi-religious nation with a strong political will like Malaysia."

(New Straits Times: 9th August, 2005)

Isn't that wonderful news? I simply cannot wait to see this happen. Back at the ranch, however, we were seeing a horse of entirely a different colour!

On the very same day, interestingly enough, another story encapsulated the Malaysian style of Management, oh, that is, BEFORE they got started on Re-inventing The Future Through Good Governance.

For the past eight years, Mohamad Mansor has been inhaling burnt padi-husk smoke and dust emitted by the Chantika Beras factory near his Kampung Padang in the Tajar area. More than 1,000 other residents and over 250 pupils in nearby schools have also been affected.

Their plight got the attention of Tanjung Seri state assemblyman Fadzil Hanafi who met the factory management today. Fadzil urged the Department of Environment (DOE) to take immediate action.

(New Straits Times: 9th August, 2005)

Interesting, isn't it? Did the villagers quietly endure the situation for eight long years? Have they only just initiated the complaint?

Or did the good Assemblyman completely ignore their complaints and has only reacted because of the impending haze crisis?

And how on earth did the DoE manage not to notice the polluting source during those eight years? Or were they, as usual, waiting for some "big shot" to come along first?

Factory owner Chan Teik Eree said a RM1.3 million smoke-filtering system to trap dust particles would be in operation next week. He said he had spent RM200,000 to contain the smoke but the technology had failed to work. "If the new system also does not work, I will try another," he promised.

(New Straits Times: 9th August, 2005)

I wonder why it took so long for him to start work on it? Hmmm, perhaps, if the State Assemblyman, or DoE officers, had visited him earlier....

2005-08-09T09:06:00.000+08:00

Malaysia Boleh...?

Welcome to Malaysia Boleh...?

The Malaysian obsession to set up new records has gone well beyond the ridiculous.

It started with the onset of the mega-project era which, according to the then Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, was "good for the ego" of a developing nation "... because small people always like to appear tall. If you can't get tall enough, you put a box under you."

Before too long, "Malaysia Boleh!" became a national slogan, ostensibly to encourage Malaysia and Malaysians to go that extra mile along the path towards greatness. Thus, in 1998, the Malaysia Book of Records was born, with Dr. Mahathir declaring the book to be "the answer to the Government's call towards nation-building and to strive towards a developed-nation status."

Every day, Malaysians were exhorted to show the world that they were the best, the brightest, made of sterner stuff. The State paved the way: with the world's tallest flag pole, the world's longest bridge, the world's tallest building, the latter now eclipsed and relegated to the role of the world's tallest twin tower.

And how did our intrepid Malaysians respond?

With deeds of derring-do ranging from the sublime and the ridiculous, to the downright bizarre! With near-impossible and awe-inspiring accomplishments such as the longest pulut inti, the tallest mooncake, the longest popiah, the most number of satay sticks eaten, the longest non-stop kuey teow frying event and so on and so on and so on, ad nauseam!

Even opportunistic local and international companies entered the fray to get loads of free publicity: the largest shopping mall or largest indoor theme park, with Proctor & Gamble sponsoring the most number of heads shampooed in one day extravaganza, and Carrefour, more modestly, settling for the biggest California handroll, the biggest Mexican bun, the tallest vegetable tower, the tallest biscuit-tin tower, the largest potato bread and the largest pizza, the last in the shape of a map of Malaysia, of course!

All these were dutifully listed in the Malaysia Book of Records. Its editor, and former beauty-pageant organizer, Danny Ooi, encapsulated Malaysian philosophy when he expalined the need for such a book. "We will encourage any record people want to create," he said. "It's not that easy to get into the Guinness Book of Records To get into Malaysia's book is easier." Unlike its international counterpart, Malaysia's book turns no one away.

In other words, if you cannot compete on the international stage, move the goalposts!

By then, critics were emerging, worried that such outlandish new records would tarnish the country's image. And it was not long before they were proven right, international and national fame and shame coming in January 2000 when a team of Malaysian skydivers falsely proclaimed themselves the first Asians to parachute onto the Geographical South Pole. Unfortunately, they missed their target!

The expedition leader, in defence, said that Antarctica, where they had landed was "in the South Pole. For example, if we did not land at the Petronas Twin Towers but the Royal Selangor Club instead, we still parachuted over Kuala Lumpur, didn’t we?"

The problem was that they had landed about 1,800 kilometres away from the South Pole itself, which translates not so much near the Royal Selangor Club but closer to Dacca in Bangladesh!

Hishamuddin Hussein, whose Youth and Sports Ministry had sponsored and promoted the event, far from being gruntled, was possibly more than disgruntled!

"We will conduct an in-depth investigation," the minister said. "This is a lesson for us. The government will be strict from now in dealing with proposals which involve our flag and country. We have had too many proposals of being the first, the biggest, the smallest and so on. We will look at such projects strictly from now on."

Yet, the Malaysia Book of Records, very likely to itself end up in the record books as the most redundant piece of literature, still records milestone after milestone of such comedy routines.

These are our heroes, our role-models, our patriots? If this is our measure of true heroism, Malaysia will be much the poorer for it!

Fortunately, there have been a small handful, a very small handful, of Malaysians who have done themselves and their country proud by undertaking more creditable challenges. I have nothing but great admiration for those who have climbed Mount Everest, traversed Antarctica and swum the English Channel. Even for those who tried and failed in such worthy undertakings.

Ah, well, the impossible we do today, miracles will take a bit longer! We still have a long way to go, a long wait, before we get our Nobel Prize winners, or towering intellectuals, who can strut the world stage.

All the same, and you may call me old-fashioned if you wish, I would settle for much much less, for more courtesy, for a reduction in the daily death and destruction on our roads and highways, for fewer crimes such as purse-snatching, rape and murder. In other words, for Malaysia to become a country that puts ethical values and civil conduct way ahead of material gains and worldly pursuits!

Boleh-ka?