Proton will Make Great Profits if They Make This Car

Let’s face it. Dirty drinking water and frequent flash or massive floods are going to be part of the criteria we have to endure to achieve developed nation status by 2020.


Nowadays it seem that even something as basic as wholesome drinking water is difficult to achieve on a consistent and continuous basis. People in JB should be thankful that the high quality and standards of Singapore’s PUB have provided us a water quality that is far superior to KL. However I am not sure how long the local operators will keep up the quality now that SAJ has taken over the water treatment.

All we get are pathetic excuses about the exceptional rainfall and the coincident high tides. If only those responsible had paid more attention to proper maintenance and good drainage instead of those study tours, perhaps the damage would have been minimised.

Since the APs issue is still simmering, perhaps all those affected by the recent flood should be given one AP each just to import this car which will solve the problem of those boats not arriving as people were all caught napping. There would be no need then to even to maintain those boats as everyone could just get into the car and reach higher ground in a few minutes. After all the state government says it cannot pay compensation for all the flood damage.

Why we can even have an annual festival for this car to coincide with the annual flooding! That should bring in a few thousand tourists.

All we need to do is to start building our houses on stilts, just like those in some seaside resorts. Once these cars have proved their worth, Proton should get the licence to assemble them. This should not be too difficult as they don’t have window motors that many complain about.

Better Learn to Swim or Sail

It is quite sad when thousands of people have to be evacuated and millions lost in flood damage.

It is even more disturbing when we hear that officials have to wait for reports to try and explain the cause of the massive floods when many people have been protesting over the massive clearing of forest reserves.

The area that was flooded is not in Bangladesh, where millions have to live in flood prone areas. Floods are happening in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor,two of the most developed areas in Malaysia.

Perhaps our infrastructure experts have concentrated only on land clearing, housing construction and flyovers without considering important factors like proper drainage (that is not choked), greenery and river bank maintenance.

At one time, Environmental Impact Studies were only necessary when large areas were cleared so developers became smart and developed large tracts of land bit by bit to avoid the consultants’ fees for the EIA and the necessary approvals.

Looking at the map of the areas around Subang and Shah Alam, one will observe that there are two major rivers here, the Sungei Klang and the Sungei Langat.

It is therefore not surprising that Shah Alam could be a major flood plain but I understand that Geography is not taught in many schools nowadays.

There is a RM2 billion project for the SMART tunnel to alleviate flooding in Kuala Lumpur but one worries if the outlet from that tunnel 1s going to drown Shah Alam during the next major storm in the Klang Valley once it is operational.

Clearly what is required is for the Irrigation and Drainage authority to carry out a major reassessment of the drainage in the Klang Valley and make recommendations so that residents can once again experience flooding only once every 50 years or some acceptable yard-stick.

Definitely a flood once in three months does not qualify for a nation that hopes to achieve Vision 2020.
The Klang Yacht Club should find it easy to enroll new members and sell all those residents a small dinghy.

photo:http://octopus.gma.org/lobsters/boats/mainelobsterboat.gif

An Unfulfilled Quest

I wonder how the soul of the late Onn bin Ja’faar must be feeling today.

Sixty years after he formed UMNO to fight for Malaya’s independence, the party honours the man who could have been the first Prime Minister of Malaya.

A man of great vision, Onn bin Ja’faar knew that communal politics would not be good for the future but he could not persuade the Malays to accept the other races into the party and so he left the party he founded. Maybe Ariel Sharon followed his example when he left the Likud Party of Israel that he founded 30 years ago.

Sixty years after the founding of UMNO, race based political parties are entrenched in the nation’s psyche and no one knows how to get rid of the “us and them” thinking that is so potentially dangerous especially when we have racial discrimination policies like the NEP.

The NEP in the original plan was to eradicate poverty but after 35 years, it has become mainly the tool to enhance the wealth of rich and well-connected while the poor still struggle to eke out a mere existence.

Onn bin Ja’afar resigned from UMNO in 1951 as he was disillusioned with the party. I wonder if UMNO will also mark that occasion with a call to reform its politics so that its great founder will finally rest in peace.

photo:http://www.edwebproject.org/balkans/pics/istanbul.tombstones.jpg

Unintended Consequences and the NEP

This story shows how things do not often turn out as one hopes.

In the pursuit of some robbers, this woman placed herself and her young child in danger. The thief was captured in the end but just look at the consequences.
She caused damage in excess of RM50,000 and only one of the robbers was caught.

In order to retrieve her loss of RM1000, she caused so much damage that will eventually cause each one of us to bear part of the damage, as insurance companies need to cover the public liability loss. If you understand insurance, that damage is borne by all those purchase insurance.

In a way this accident is akin to the NEP policies that have been implemented over the past 35 years. The government is represented by the woman driver who is hell-bent on gaining that elusive 30% equity stake whatever the consequences and in the process endangered national harmony, represented by that young child.

The crash is related to the realisation that the 30% cannot be met as the escaped robber represents those who have benefited the most, the crony capitalists who are still out there demanding more hand-outs.

After the accident, that young child must have been really traumatised. Of course the entire population would pay for the damage caused by that woman driver.

So don’t you think we should remove this driver from the wheel before she causes more damage and destruction?

I think it was foolhardy of her to allow her photo to be published. That escaped robber could be desperate enough to seek revenge. Also the newspaper could have exercised a little more discretion in this respect even if she had agreed to her photo being published.

photo: http://cache.tias.com/stores/friedrich/pictures/rusb96a.jpg

Becoming Oversensitive About Religion

Way back in the 50s and 60s, it was common for school children to make fun of each other's race and religion but after the usual fist fights and flare-ups, students got back to studying together.

Of course it was not all honky-dory but people in those days learned how to tolerate each other’s differences.

Minorities like Sikhs and Eurasians probably endured the most as the turbans were a constant object of teasing while Eurasians often had to explain their heritage.
Racist teachers were also present and some of them probably contributed to the ear squat routine.

As minister Nazri admitted, Islam has been misused by the government to try and counter the moves of PAS and it appears it has not benefited the country much. It appears that people nowadays have become more extreme and oversensitive.

Looking at the killings being committed by even followers of the same religion in Iraq to try and control their government, all Malaysians should seriously ponder if we should continue on the path of religious fervour or try and get back to the secular nation that was the basis of the formation of Malaysia.

It seems the proclamation of Malaysia being an Islamic country by the previous PM was a grievous error in order to score points with the OIC. But not a single MP dared to challenge the PM except for the Opposition.

Now we have the cartoons controversy that has generated so much anger and even caused the deaths of some demonstrators. The original cartoon was in poor taste but the reactions it produced show that unscrupulous leaders can instigate many people to violence.

Most of Malaysia’s Muslims are moderate but also too complacent and compliant. The minister is appealing for your help to make sure that religion is not abused to gain power or we may end up like Iran where the tyranny of the minority ensures that the majority lose their mandate.

I think the Prime Minister did the right thing by not penalizing the NST for publishing the second cartoon that merely suggested the name as the name was blanked off and it was a autosuggestion.

Other religions too have been ridiculed in the past. Just take the book, “the Da Vinci Code” or the movie, “The Last Temptation of Christ” and millions of Christians too can take to the streets.

So what can happen next? Will World War 3 happen not because of terrorist regimes and nuclear bombs but because someone drew an anti-religious cartoon?

photo: Evening view of Statue of Liberty taken from Staten Island ferry

A Wake-up Call to the Silent Majority.

This very interesting news feature was not reported in any of the main English dailies.
Just imagine that. A minister goes on record that UMNO has been misusing the Muslim religion in order to fish for votes.

This is indeed a revelation coming from the minister himself. He is appealing to the silent majority of moderate Muslims to make their voices heard lest the extreme element gain control of the government.

Isn’t that a scary thought? The silent majority must awake from their slumber and become proactive or we will end up like another Iran or Iraq.
Admitting an error is the first step to correcting it. Let us hope that the minister will take concrete measures to rally the support of the complacent Rip van Winkles.

Seeing that Malaysia cannot progress much further with race based political parties, perhaps Nazri will be courageous enough to get UMNO’s support to start a new party within BN that is not race based.

For example, this party could be called BN Party and made up of existing MPs from UMNO, MCA and MIC. Perhaps one third of all MPs should be asked to join this new party if they ascribe to the “secular nation” concept that Malaysia was founded on.

This BN Party will contest in the General Elections against all other parties so that the silent majority will get their chance to provide necessary feed-back.

This is one route to take to enable Malaysia to escape from the scourge of money politics.

Not for Curling Enthusiasts

Curling is one of the sports in the Winter Olympics.
After observing the competition, I think this sport should be introduced in Malaysian schools as it will help to solve problems we have in keeping our public toilets clean.

If you visit a public toilet in Malaysia the usual scene is a foreigner manning a table and collecting RM0.20 just to use the facility. And they also sell tissue paper if you want some.

The cleanliness of the toilet can be varying degrees of revulsion so try not to use it after a nice meal.

So what has curling got to do with clean toilets?
In curling, a polished stone is pushed down a lane like a bowling alley and two other members of your team vigorously polish the lane just before the stone so that it will travel to the correct spot and score points.

Observing the two polishers work with such enthusiastic and excited shouts, I thought if such vigorous brushing is applied to all our toilets, Malaysia will indeed be a spotless nation. No I did not say uncorrupted as that is still an ongoing issue.

The other aspect of curling that is useful is that a proper flat and polished surface is required.This will be a good trade test for those contractors who cannot even construct a properly sloped floor for good drainage.

Now if we encourage all school children to take up curling, we will effectively train thousands of Malaysians in the art of scrubbing toilets and kitchens and who knows? Maybe we may even produce a team that will be able to compete in the Winter Olympics.

Apologies to curling fans for associating your sport with the gutter.

photo: http://epi.gavle.se/upload2/_Kultur&Fritid/gavlerinken/Curling-VM-380.gif

Looks as if Consumers Will Be Shafted Once Again

This is an interesting story about crony capitalism that appears to be thriving in Malaysia despite all the Tak Nak hullabaloo.

Earlier there was a report about fake medical certificates for public vehicle drivers and it seems that the RTD has plans to introduce the computerised system to reduce the medical scams.

Of course there is a price for modernisation but one did not expect the administration costs of such a system to escalate the costs to double what a bona fide medical practitioner charges. After all it is a computerised system and a good yard-stick would be that such a system should not add more than 5% to overall costs.

It is also interesting that the Primary Care Doctors Organisation Malaysia were able to develop a similar system that adds only RM1 to the medical exam costs.

Whatever system is adopted, there is still some physical audit that has to be done by the RTD as even computerised systems can be compromised.

Public vehicle drivers costs are one component of the overall transport costs and unjustified cost increases will only raise the cost of living and cause inflation.

It is surprising that the RTD did not call for open tenders for a simple matter and instead chose to deal behind closed doors and shuttered windows.

photo: http://www.saraphina.com/moseyfr/082599/082599-window%20shutters%20remain%20mostly%20closed%20in%20the%20quiet%20summer%20morning.JPG

The Basic Rule for Investors is Caveat Emptor

There was a letter in the press recently about the use of EPF funds to buy unit trusts and how some poor retiree lost quite a bit as he probably got convinced by some slick saleman.

Investing directly in the stock market is no less risky as seen in the IPO of one reliable and apparently low-risk company namely Ranhill Utilities Bhd, the company that owns and operates the water supply in Johor.
This company went public in June 2002 with the usual platitude of giving the public and consumers the opportunity to own part of the utility giant.

Within seventeen months of the public listing, Ranhill Bhd made a partial General Offer to acquire 70% of the company via a share swap without a cash alternative.
This is where the Securities Commission failed to protect minority shareholders when a cash alternative is not offered and simple investors have to consider offers at dubious valuations.

Meanwhile analysts still recommend a buy on this stock that has made good profits but still not paid a single sen in dividends since it went public in June 2002.

Shareholders of Ranhill Utilities will be pleased to hear that the company produced another set of good results last year.
Perhaps you should write to the directors that instead of giving themselves another fat bonus, they should consider declaring a maiden dividend of at least 5sen.

Even with a company with good income streams, you can lose much of your capital and receive no dividends. Compared to other utility companies, Ranhill Utilities can be considered a nightmare investment.

The True Malaysian We Lost

Singapore is mourning the passage of S Rajaratnam, one of the founding fathers of the republic.
According to the tribute on ChannelNewsAsia, he was the son of a Ceylonese plantation worker who studied in Victoria Institution in Kuala Lumpur.

I am not sure how it came about that he ended up in Singapore but he entered politics and became the great communicator for the PAP.

To me the most memorable and lasting contribution he has made for Singapore lies in the pledge that has not been changed since 1966 when Singapore became an independent nation.


This is what school children recite at each assembly.

“We, the citizens of Singapore,
pledge ourselves as one united people,
regardless of race, language or religion,
to build a democratic society
based on justice and equality
so as to achieve happiness, prosperity and
progress for our nation.”

It is so simple and yet so effective. Do you think Malaysia can also use this pledge?
Just change the word Singapore for Malaysia and you have it.

An all-inclusive uniting pledge and to include more modern thinking I would add just one word in the line
“regardless of race, language or religion,”
to
“regardless of race, sex, language or religion,”

Don’t Attack Us Now, We Are Not Ready

That seems to be the message from the Army when they announce that all the Alouette helicopters are being grounded pending a technical report.

It is sad that armed forces personnel have to risk their lives to undertake emergency procedures like a simulated crash landing. Perhaps the Army could make better use of flight simulators so that the pilots can pass a few simulated tests before they are allowed to try out the actual test?

This report of the grounding should have been kept secret as it does compromise national security just like the earlier one of those expensive armoured vehicles running out of spares after two years.

Let’s hope the Army will soon come up with a report that the Alouettes are ready to fly again. We don’t want to be caught with our pants down, do we?

photo: http://homepage.eircom.net/~eihelicopters/196.jpg

Before Building that Bridge....

Readers of this blog will note that I have written many good things about how things run in Singapore.

As a resident of JB who travels quite regularly to Singapore, I have the opportunity to travel by public transport on trains and buses and this gives me a good idea of how systems have been organised.

Just considering the nightmare of the multi-system public transport that is KL, the Singapore system is seamless and one does not have to walk far to make a connection with a bus or train.

However there is one glaring problem that the Singapore authorities have not been able or willing to solve. I refer to the Woodlands feeder roads that lead to the Causeway.

During the recent CNY holidays, I observed that they even made a temporary sign that read “Causeway delay” which meant that the Causeway traffic was backing up and causing the check-point to be choked.

If you are a careful observer of the Causeway, you will notice some strange phenoma like the following:

1. Causeway choked with buses and lorries that encroach on the car lanes causing cars to be choked off.

2. Causeway free but traffic choked off at the Woodlands crossroads as four lanes of cars converge into one lane complicated by traffic lights and a yellow box junction that few observe when the cops are absent.

3. Causeway free but cars choked off at the viaduct as too many motor-bikers block the car lane.

Usually there are traffic police but the situation is really too complex for the police to help in the traffic flow.
Some mention that the jam at Woodlands has not been resolved so as to discourage Singaporeans from shopping in JB; similar to the three-quarter’s tank rule.

I am sure that the planners did not intend to have traffic police directing traffic on a regular basis.
However the traffic system during peak periods does not work well and sometimes it takes 40 minutes just to get across the traffic lights coming from the BKE.

Apart from heavy traffic flows, the different vehicles have to separate into various streams like cars, lorries and buses and this takes place too close to the traffic lights just before the CIQ.

I am sure the LTA has enough bright sparks to solve the Woodlands conundrum but I would like to offer the following suggestions to ease the traffic flow problems around the Woodlands CIQ area. To me, improving the flow here will make Cuaseway travel much more convenient and stress free for motorists and also reduce the pollution exposure for the traffic police.

I would suggest the LTA to try out the following arrangement during a peak period like 5pm to 7pm.

1. All cars to JB will be required to use only Woodlands road to approach the CIQ. No right turn allowed from Woodland Town area into the CIQ road.

2. All lorries to JB will be required to use only BKE to approach the CIQ. No right turn allowed from Woodland Town area into the CIQ road.

3. Only buses allowed right turn from Woodland Town area into the CIQ road.

4. The viaduct to CIQ will be reserved for motor bikers.

By separating the traffic streams way before the CIQ traffic lights, it may ease the traffic congestion around the CIQ and improve conditions for everyone.


Photo: http://www.channelnewsasia.com/imagegallery/store/phpRBCWPN.jpg
Note how the cars from Woodlands have to encroach on the yellow box in order to cross-over.

Needing Time is One Thing, Opposing IPCMC is Another

Our national leaders should clarify their thinking on this important aspect of the findings of the Royal Commission on the Police.

First of all, the RMP is not a new organisation that was set up a few years ago. It has been around for more than 100 years.

Secondly, the force is not independent of the government. It derives its authority from the government in power and subject to all relevant laws and regulations.

Thirdly not all recommendations of the Royal Commission have to be implemented by the police themselves. The formation of the IPCMC is one that should be done by the government, as it is independent of the police.

It is good that the police have been able to implement 80% of the 125 recommendations but perhaps the Deputy Minister should provide the list of the 20% that have not been completed.

80% may seem an impressive figure but what the public would like to know is the significance of the remaining 20%.

The IPCMC is only one recommendation but without it all the other 124 items become rather meaningless.

photo: http://www.dur.ac.uk/~dla0www/c_tour/clock.jpg

Well Done to the Police

It is not all doom and gloom in the police department and we should heartily congratulate them for having busted a gun-smuggling ring.


We hope they continue with the good work and also hope that the defence ministry keep up their defences against thefts of such nature.

The police deserve the cooperation of all citizens and it is hoped that more of them realise that the IPCMC will also benefit them in the long run.

After all it has been estimated that only 5% are rotten cops and these 5% should not be tarnishing the other 95% who are performing a sterling duty for the nation.

SYABAS!

photo: http://www.floraworld.com/images/occassion_location/congratulations.jpg

JB's Sick Library Syndrome

Missing This Symbol of a Progressive Nation
I like to visit libraries as I can spend hours-browsing books in bookshops.
I used to be a member of the public library in Johor Bahru but have not visited there for many years now.

I think I became a little annoyed when they started imposing all kinds of dress regulations years ago as if the way you dressed had some impact on your reading habits.
The toilet in the library was also an item for a horror story.

At the time they still had the old system of physical check-ins and checkouts. They used the card system where a card was inserted in a pocket in each book.

When you returned the book they had to search for the card and insert it back into the pocket and the book would be considered returned and then placed on the book trolley.

Fortunately my children studied in Singapore and they all love to read. So it was natural that they would join the National Library of Singapore.

I remember the first time I observed their library system I had the impression. “Wow! That’s fantastic.”

For basic membership that is free for Singaporeans and PRs, you can borrow 4 books free for 3 weeks. These can be renewed once at $0.50 if others have not reserved the books.

All you need to do is get the books you want and then use the computerised system to check out. The procedure is simple and quick.

All you need to do is:

1. Insert your library card in the terminal
2. Place your book in the designated zone
3. Follow the instructions on the display screen
4. Take your receipt

You can visit the library and get the books without having to wait for service.

Returning books is just as simple. All you have to do is return to any of the branch libraries by depositing in a special drop bin that will record your deposits. Again it is very easy and convenient.

You don’t have to go to the library to renew. Just get online and renew in the comfort of your home or office.

Overall I believe this computerised library system is not really that difficult to implement. It probably uses an RFID system and a network linking the main and branch libraries.
I mean it should not necessitate a study trip overseas to deliver!

Before this article was published, I made a check at the Sultan Ismail Library just to make sure that things are still the same. Unfortunately Yes. They still do not allow non-members to enter the Reference Section and use the same old system that is probably 100 years old.

They are building a new library in JB closer to the town center. I hope it will not be a replica of the present library. As for the Sultan Ismail Library, may I humbly suggest to the Johor Royal Family that the library authorities in JB should upgrade to a modern system or stop using the name?

A modern library in JB would do so much more for the citizens than all those ill-implemented pavement works.
Does anyone know how the KL libraries function?
So that I am not accused of seeing only rosy things about Singapore, I will write soon about a problem they have not been able to solve.

Photo: http://www.internationaleducationmedia.com/malaysia/Discussion%20at%20Library.jpg

Macbeth's Take on the New Cabinet

There are many comments on the latest Cabinet line-up and I think the following words by Macbeth on learning of his wife’s death are appropriate.

“There would have been a time for such a word.
To-morrow, and to-morrow, and to-morrow,
Creeps in this petty pace from day to day
To the last syllable of recorded time,
And all our yesterdays have lighted fools
The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle!
Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage
And then is heard no more: it is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing.”

From Macbeth by William Shakespeare

In a thousand years, literature students will still read these words but if we are not careful in choosing those who lead the nation, some people will only read of Malaysia in history books.

Photo: http://www.cornwellscribeworks.com/Images020102/GP16.jpg

An Easy Problem to Solve

Every year we read the depressing statistics of road accidents and so far all the Ops Sikap have done little to reduce the accident rates.

To my simple mind, if during the whole year little action is taken against traffic offenders, one cannot expect a change in behaviour during the periodical campaigns. In my estimation, only ten percent of all traffic offences are recorded and booked and of that, probably 50% is for speeding.

In the meantime, we are creating traffic demons on the roads.
What more if these unqualified persons get their licence under a false declaration?

Apart from the JPJ launching “sting” operations to nab the syndicates involved and that would mean having a special team from outside, the JPJ can make use of technology to beat the crooks.

The Immigration Department uses this method in the annual screening of maids and perhaps they can negotiate with FOMEMA for a better rate like RM50 for the annual check-up as pregnancy tests are not needed.

photo:http://insidecostarica.com/dailynews/2005/may/21/bribe.jpg

To Err is Human, to Forgive Divine

Humans have this great ability to compromise and overlook the mistakes of others.
It is a good sign of a mature society that the ten elders have decided not to sue
the government and the police for the CNY incident.

The police need the support and cooperation of all loyal citizens and cannot function effectively unless Malaysia becomes a police state like the South American countries that had military juntas.

All Malaysians need to have a basic understanding of the functions and duties of the police and we also need a mechanism to weed out the few rotten apples that have caused the current loss of morale in the police force.

The recommended IPCMC is one way that good cops can safeguard their reputation and make the RMP a world-class police.

Senior officers have the duty to report to the civil authorities on how the IPCMC can operate for the benefit of the nation. It must be a “win-win” solution if Malaysia is to progress.

photo: http://news-service.stanford.edu/news/2002/january16/gifs/forgive_book_180.jpg

Make Love, Not War

This would be a good motto for most countries for we all know that war only brings untold suffering, especially to ordinary citizens.

Even the religious uproar over the cartoons insulting Islam show that many innocent victims are affected because of unintended consequences like the suspension of the Sarawak Tribune.

To protect national security, we need a framework of the armed forces that is operationally ready; that is prepared to defend the nation at short notice and with the weapons at its disposal.

Therefore it comes as a shock to learn that within 2 years of new equipment being purchased at high prices, the armed vehicles are now adorning a very expensive parking lot.

Is the armed forces strategy one of, “We will only fight a war until the tanks run out of petrol?”
Maybe we hope to follow the Israelis tactics during the Seven-Day War?

How many officers do we send abroad each year to military colleges? Is all that training being wasted that a simple procurement and maintenance contract has not been planned for such vital equipment?

Who is responsible for such a glaring blunder? This seems to be another case of savouring all the benefits of a large project without much thought into the future.

One wonders how the contracts are being evaluated when maintenance costs are not being considered.
In most companies, the cost of any equipment is weighed together with the running costs for at least two years before any equipment is selected.

If our military planners cannot cope with such sophisticated equipment, perhaps we should convert some of the Armoured Corp into bicycle soldiers who carry the shoulder grenade launchers. That would be more effective than those expensive sitting ducks that are immobilised.

It is also scandalous that the Air Force faces similar problems. One hopes that our courageous flyboys are not using aircraft that have expired their “fly by” date or does this explain the numerous air crashes we have experienced?

As for the Navy, well we know all about the ships that are docked in Lumut. We should sign peace treaties with all the ASEAN countries pronto.

Time for the Summer Holidays?

Malaysians really know how to enjoy the good life.
Which other country is so generous to provide overseas junkets to government officials to check on the prices of goods?

Let us hope that today’s report on Customs officers visiting car manufacturers to check on prices is not a precedent for other ministries to follow suit. Maybe the agricultural officers will want to visit NZ and Australia to check on milk and butter production costs?


One flaw with visiting car assembly plants is that most AP holders probably do not deal directly with the manufacturers but with a master distributor for the country. Also car manufacturers will not want to entertain hundreds of officials from different countries snooping in their plants.

It seems to be a sheer waste of taxpayers’ funds for these study tours when much information on car prices can be obtained even through the Net.

I googled “UK Car Exporters” and received 735,000 hits. Some of these sites provide price data for export tax free, CIF.

The other resource that we can make use of is that Malaysia has embassies in Europe and Japan. Can we not ask the trade official there to get provide information that is readily available in car magazines?

Such data can provide a firm basis for establishing the proper evaluation when importers try to under-declare. The tax officer has the final decision on the values.

We know the Customs Department like the Income Tax Department collect obscene amounts of revenue but this cannot justify spending monies on such overseas junkets.

Surely our Customs department can operate more effectively than just wanting to get a nice paid vacation?

photo:http://202.184.114.102/msiacommerce/infrastructure/images/masplane.jpg

To Shave or Not to Shave, That is the Question

In an age where so much information is available on the Net, it seems that our system of catching and holding suspects before they are charged is related more to the dark age of the Inquisition rather than a nation that is striving to achieve Vision2020.

Coming so soon after the Squatgate incident that needed another Commission of Inquiry, we now have to bear the embarrassment of eleven senior citizens being treated like hardcore criminals.

No one questions the important role that our law enforcers play to safeguard our cities and protect our lives and properties but we must always remember that all powers of the police come from laws that are passed in Parliament as Malaysia is a country that follows democratic rules. The police officers are part of this administration and cannot be a law unto themselves.

Even as all citizens are subject to the country's laws and rules, we need those who uphold such laws to conduct themselves to a higher standard of behaviour.

Some may not like to operate with many rules and regulations and it is understandable that a few may not be able to acquit themselves well when the IPCMC is operating. These officers will need retraining or they should consider a transfer to other departments.

Any police apparatus can only operate effectively if there is good cooperation from the general public. Once the public loses faith in the police, the task of upholding law and order becomes untenable unless we evolve into a police state where family members become informers.

As many OCPDs do not subscribe to the lock-up procedures followed in Kajang, it becomes important that approved lock-up rules should be published so we need not hear more horror stories of this nature.

People should be treated to different procedures for different charges.

Top leaders are simply spending so much energy on issues that a proper management and control system should be able to handle. Looking at the many senior cops who will retire in 2006, it seems that succession planning has been solely missing in the police organisation.

One would imagine that to upgrade the force, the following steps would be necessary each year:

Send the top 15% of officers aged below 45 years to police graduate school that should last at least 2 years part-time study during alternate weekends.

And

Select the best 10% based on work performance and exams for fast-track promotion to be able to reach the top levels within three to five years.

Reading today’s report, it seems that the Kajang OCPD is a gentleman when it comes to the women detainees. They do not get their hair cropped as per rules. So can he be accused of sex discrimination?

It is unfortunate that this “botak” incident happened to elderly Chinese men who were celebrating the Lunar New Year. It seemed a heavy-handed action that could have an impact on racial harmony.

Malaysians are a pragmatic lot and can give proper feed-back when the situation warrants it. We need to continue to be vigilant against those who want to upset the equilibrium of good law and order or the next photo of a shaved head could very well be yours if you end up in the Kajang lock-up.

photo: malaysiakini

The Authorities Still Don’t Get It

This case should not have occurred as surely the police should be using their energies to combat more serious crimes like murder and attempted rape.

It seems that the Squatgate scandal and also the Reports of the two Royal Commissions have made some police officials annoyed with the public.

The police are also resistant to the IPCMC as there are four bodies to monitor them. I agree that having four bodies can result in duplication and just passing the buck. Perhaps there should be only an Internal Affairs Department and the IPCMC. Suhakam can be an interested party for human rights issues.

What is now needed is for the police to publish all their SOPs so that the public can be assured that they are being fairly treated by the police. All SOPs except those involving grave national security must be public knowledge so we do not have to waste so much energy on trivial cases like a simple gambling offence.

It would seem that if you play any game and keep a score, even Scrabble could become a gambling charge.

The other issue that bothers me is that these old men were jailed as they could only attend court the next day to post bail as they claimed trial.

We should consider establishing a night courts system so that no one needs to be jailed before making a plea. I am sure we have all seen the American programs like NYPD Blues where people are hauled before judges in a night court. We don’t have to travel far to study how a night court operates.

Such a system will also clear up the huge backlog of cases pending. We should start with having a night court in all the major cities like KL, Ipoh, Penang, Malacca and Johor Bahru; followed by all the state capitals.

That would benefit the population more than sending a man to outer space!

photo: malaysiakini (Observe the different body language)

Pity We Did Not Hire this Lady

Malaysia missed a golden opportunity to get the anti-corruption campaign off to a flying start.

We could have got this anti-graft crusader for a few months and that could have helped us in the battle against corruption or are all the words being spouted just for PR purposes?

This lady must have ruffled some important feathers that they got her suspended but the authorities now have to reinstate her and we can expect more feathers to fly.

Even Indonesia appears to be coming to grips with corruption with the jail sentence imposed on the Acheh governor.

For Malaysians, I guess we are all not holding our collective breath as perhaps we are allowing the Almighty to pass judgement on the major corruption scandals that are widely discussed but never forwarded.

Maybe the AG should spend a few weeks in Bangkok and then tell us what are his real challenges?


photo: http://pics.manager.co.th/Images/549000001728501.JPEG

Bridging the Gaps

Much water could have flown under the bridge to replace the Causeway but it seems the stance taken by the Malaysians from the start was not a good way to deal with Singapore which is after all a sovereign state.

Malaysia managed to get its knickers in a twist by bundling together too many items in one package and these included:

The new bridge
Railway land in Singapore
New water agreements
Air space for Singapore military training
CPF withdrawals

Negotiating with another country is quite different from passing new laws like the IFL that can be simply bulldozed in Parliament. Maybe the authorities have become so used to bullying Malaysian citizens that the deal with Singapore was considered a fait accompli and that Singapore would just have to agree as it desperately needed Johor’s water.

The Malaysians become so confident that they even awarded a RM1.8billion contract with such indecent haste that it could enter the Guinness World Book of Records as the most expensive project to be awarded in the shortest period with the least transparency.

The crooked bridge concept is creative but also displays great desperation of the proposers. It also confirms that we cannot agree on matters that should benefit both countries.

Most taxpayers want to know how the new bridge will affect end users as the bridge cost is not that cheap. The present Causeway toll is about RM2.60 at each end. With the bridge costing RM640 million one can expect the toll to be at least RM8 each way unless the bridge costs have been offset by the development of commercial projects as part of the deal.

There are some interesting comments in Malaysia Today on the bridge and one writer compares the bridge cost with one constructed in France for about the same amount. That bridge is 2.5km and has a 2-lane dual carriageway but it is built at a height of 250m.
Thus far, taxpayers have not been informed of the proposed new tolls. Dare we hope that the tolls will remain the same?
My guess is that with a toll above RM5, there will be much fewer day-trippers to Johor Bahru and business owners will see a dramatic drop in turnover.

Do you think the JB Chamber of Commerce has done any studies on how business would drop based on the new tolls like:

Toll Business Loss
RM5 10%
RM8 20%
RM10 30%

So how do we untie that Gordian knot?
Suggest we forget about a new water agreement as Singapore is already developing new resources like the Barrage and new technologies in water treatment. Furthermore Malaysia may not have enough water to spare in 2061. Fixing a price now for a future requirement is not good business.

Forget about CPF withdrawals as this is a private matter that gets smaller as members become eligible to withdraw and no new members are enrolled.

Railway land is easily evaluated by location and development plans. What is required is to agree on the profit-sharing ratio. One further aspect is that the railway is corporatised, which means Malaysia should let the company do the dealing. After all they do have a competent BoD?

Which leaves only the air-space problem to be sorted out.
I would think we could allow them use of the air space provided some insurance is provided to the area affected.
This would be in the form of noise pollution compensation and also public liability insurance in case of an air crash.

For noise pollution there would be placed noise metering stations and compensation paid for levels above the agreed levels. Public liability insurance would be about RM10 million.

Reasons that 30% Equity Target Remains So Elusive.

There is more talk of the NEP or similar program having to be extended as the Bumiputeras have not yet been able to achieve the 30% target for equities even after 35 years of government hand-outs the value of which no one has even bothered to tally up.

If we assume that RM5 billion is the average cost of the NEP in RM handouts over the years, the NEP has already cost the nation RM165b as far as monetary values are concerned. If we add 100,000 highly qualified Malaysians who can contribute RM1 million each year to our GDP, that means the economy loses another RM100b each year in terms of lost opportunity as those graduates stayed away from Malaysia and some of these are even medical scholars, paid for by taxpayers’ monies.

Today’s NST provides another reason why that target remains so elusive. Do you keep RM1 million in cash or valuables at home?

A few years ago, there was also another incident of a landslide that unearthed bags full of cash at a senior officer’s house. Apart from the initial report, there was no follow-up on why the officer had so much money in his house.

The most famous incident thus far was the former MB of Selangor who was arrested in Australia for not declaring he was carrying monies in excess of the permissible amount.

Policies like the NEP do nothing to increase the long-term competitiveness of the nation if people just use the benefits to live a life of luxury and such policies will not succeed even after another 100 years.

If you are a taxpayer, you should know that the NEP is mainly to benefit only a few ala Metramac. Do speak or write to your MP if you think policies like NEP have been abused and should be discontinued. It should be replaced by a needs based policy.

Of course if you are a crony, you will only say, “NEP Forever! Please pass the caviar.”

photo: http://www.911caviar.com/images/recipes/Egg-Parfait-Caviar.jpg