Leavin' on a Jet Plane

I'm leaving for Canada on Saturday to attend my daughter's graduation.
The first and last doctor among my four children!

No I don't think she will be back anytime soon. We plan to tour Cape Breton and Niagara Falls so I probably will not post anything for 2 weeks.

It will also give me some time to reflect on this blog.The number of readers is growing very slowly but most you never give feed-back and it is a little discouraging to be just another voice in the Malaysian wilderness.

Any suggestions would be much appreciated. Donations too! :)

Part of the Da Vinci Code?

I just wonder how the JPJ could have come up with this puzzle. The registration plate WPA1 was assigned to a minister for RM60,780 and the Transport Minister now has to make a public apology.

Is it really necessary to massage the egos of ministers with special plates when someone out there is willing to pay thousands of ringgit for special plates?

If we just take RM50,000 as a conservative number and there are 1000 desired number plates each year, the JPJ can earn RM50,000,000 each year. So if 100 such official plates are given free each year, it costs taxpayers RM5,000,000.

What happens when the minister retires? Does the plate get transferred or does it remain with the official vehicle?

photo: http://deseretnews.com/photos/0513davi.jpg

Time to Ban These Altogether?

You see these vehicles at construction sites. Badly kept and without proper safety fittings like bumpers and wheels exposed.

These are the “lorry hantu” that have no road tax and not subject to vehicle inspection. The tyres could be bald, steering faulty and brakes non-existent.

Sometimes they even use public roads when the police “close one eye.”

When this type of vehicle is allowed to operate on an elevated construction site we should be prepared for this kind of incident to occur.

The rules should be changed so that “lorry hantu” can only operate with special permits for specified sites only such as:

 On ground level

 Where mishaps will not endanger others.

We should be thankful that commuters were only inconvenienced. But we should not tempt fate by ignoring all the ample warnings.

photo: The Star

Don’t Run for the Bus

Some people say that having sex is like running for the bus. If you are not in good condition you will end up panting and gasping for breath, no not heavy breathing but really getting very exhausted.

I guess this guy must have had a heart condition and was trying too hard or he could have been under great stress as he was cheating on his partner.

The report concluded,
“Police do not suspect foul play, and have classified the case as unnatural death”

If it was not foul play it must have been fair play and I just wonder why it is classified as unnatural death? Is having sex with a prostitute unnatural?

photo:http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/caroline.mathews/IOMT78_20Sep05.jpg

If We are Not Prudent Money Will Really Fly

I hope Bank Negara will provide stringent measures and controls for this scheme or we can surely say goodbye to this fund.

It is suggested that some guidelines like the following be required:

1. Public listed company with profitable track record overseas – for example Top Glove; maximum funding to be provided perhaps RM20 million with loans repaid by pledging 20% of receivables.

2. Public listed company with good track record locally - maximum funding to be provided perhaps RM10 million with loans repaid by pledging 20% of receivables.

I will not permit funding for unqualified companies as BN really does not have the resources to monitor them. Let the other companies work with the approved companies to expand overseas.

It is all too easy to lose money especially if it is obtained easily and we should all learn the expensive Italian business lesson ala MV Augusta.

photo: http://images.animationfactory.com/imagedir/animations/money/misc/money_flying_out_the_window/money_flying_out_the_window_lg_wm.gif

A Makeover for Malaysia

Looking at all the recent events over the past months like

 AP Scandal

 Proton Investments

 Nude Squat Incidents

 IPCMC Still birth

 Close One Eye MP

 Police abetting unruly mob

It is perhaps time for us to have a new image to show the world. Perhaps the picture is an appropriate one. Can you think of a better image?

Photo: http://ccdf.ca/NewCoach/english/newimages/Module%20C%20Graphics/C28%20Woman%20with%20her%20eyes%20closed.jpg

Tell That to the Police

Our leaders are ever ready to pontificate that Malaysia is a peaceful nation and yet here we have a case where the police allowed a mob of 500 persons to disrupt a peaceful gathering that was discussing how Malaysians could better understand each other.

It seems that the police have their own agenda. They should have asked the illegal gathering to disperse instead of allowing the approved meeting to be disrupted just like what happened some years ago when participants on East Timor were arrested by the police even though they were meeting in a hotel.

This incident proves that we really need the IPCMC now. The government’s vacillation with our “close one eye” MPs has resulted in a sorry state of affairs. Some of them have adopted the stance of the three monkeys.

When the police operate with favoritism and disregard of our laws, Malaysia becomes a nation where tyranny will flourish.

Let us hope the Minister will back up his words with some ACTION.

photo: http://www.westone-ornaments.co.uk/images/2009monkeys.jpg

Change Bad Attitude? We Need to Change the Driving Test

People claim that things get better with time but it seems that the fiends on Malaysian roads are getting worse.

Each year we have some sorry official lamenting the high accident rate especially among youths and no one knows the solution.

My son recently passed his driving test but I will not allow him to drive unsupervised until he has at least 3 months of driving under my supervision or my wife’s guidance.

That was the routine we followed for our two daughters after they passed their driving test. Even that did not prevent one from a serious accident after uncontrolled braking but luckily no injury except a smashed front end.

It seems the driving test is designed so that learners are subject to minimum stress. For example:

1. There is no instruction and test on a highway stretch above 80kph.

2. There is no instruction and test on emergency braking. I asked my son what he learned about emergency braking and he said, “It is in the theory section. It mentions you must “pump, release and pump the brake.”

With these two serious defects it is not surprising that more youths are being killed on the roads. I wonder when and why the emergency braking procedure was removed from the driving test.

For new drivers I would advise you to get an experienced driver to demonstrate how to do emergency braking and try it yourself on some deserted road. The proper technique may save your life the first time you actually need to do it.

photo: http://media.apn.co.nz/webcontent/image/jpg/Cellphone_driving.JPG

To Forgive is Divine

We often hold grudges for years and do harm to ourselves as the sentiment eats into our very existence like a cancer of the soul. We all need forgiveness and also to forgive.

It was therefore good of UMNO to arrange for the meeting of the two mothers whose sons were involved in a fight that resulted in a death.

In today’s news the DPM was quoted as saying, "I would also like to express my gratitude for the parents’ noble deed as it dispelled any notion that there was a racial element in the tragic incident."

I wonder how many readers were misled by the headscarf into thinking that the second mother was also Malay.

Parents if your child is selected for NS, please advise him or her to avoid getting into fights. Another bit of advice is get him or her to make a few friends in the dorm so that his/her friends will at least go for help in case he/she is in trouble.

Photo: NST

Protecting our Young Trainees

It seems that the Armed Forces Manual needs to be properly documented if a case like this is not to be repeated.

Surely those affected by the mass hysteria should have been removed to a properly supervised area like a sick bay or a something like a hospital ward. Or are we saying that the naval training base does not have such a facility?

Resting in the trainers’ rooms is simply asking for trouble. Even West Point was affected by scandals involving young cadets who were abused.

On a medical note, these trainees should be properly evaluated for competence, as it would be really foolhardy to place such people in charge of modern weaponry.

photo: http://www.rhydin.org/uniform/usarmy/CBT99_14.jpg

Something Very Fishy Here

The usual practice among most reputable companies when they have special offers or competitions is that all staff members are disqualified from participating.

Hence this story about Customs officials owning cars that were confiscated somehow does not sound like good ethics.

First of all contraband and seized goods should be properly auctioned off and the public given adequate notice. In fact someone from the Auditor-General’s office should be present at such auctions so that this type of story is history.

Or are the relevant authorities exercising the “close one eye” syndrome?

photo:http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/40924000/jpg/_40924904_brazil.jpg

For Your Week-end Pleasure…

Sorry folks, we did it again.

That seems to be the pathetic message of the MPSJ when they admit that they have not bothered to maintain the drains in their area as they believe Malaysia is in a desert that has rain only six times a year.

They really needed to spend the council’s funds to travel overseas for ideas on how to do more important projects like beautiful landscape and coloured lights and other useless paraphernalia like beautiful costumes.

But drains and pot holes? No glamour lah! We take care of those when a few hundred homes get flooded or some poor biker gets killed in an accident. We have a quick response team you know. And of course we can offer our humble apoligies.

Why don’t we get voted out? Are you kidding? You did not choose us – we chose you. So please grin and bear it.

photo: the Star

Another Nail in the Coffin of Freedom

Malaysia takes another two steps backwards with this ruling.
Why impose a complete ban when the products can be easily labelled so consumers can choose?

This is the level of thinking(?) that permeates government bodies. Just take the easy way out and not bother about consequences.

In this case, we can have a ruling that cosmetics must be properly labelled as “Halal” if they qualify. As for the others, I am sure our ordinary Malaysians can use their brains better than some officials.

Sorry about the coffin reference. That grave yesterday needs a body to be filled!

photo:http://www.istockphoto.com/file_thumbview_approve/214801/2/Coffin_nail.jpg

INTEGRITY – The Missing Ingredient in Malaysia’s National Recipe

If one observes all the goings on in government, Parliament and even in society it seems that integrity is a major ingredient that is missing in our lives.

In fact this ingredient is so rare that when a BN MP rose to support an Opposition’s motion to investigate a fellow MP’s improper behaviour it made national headlines and even now the ripples are being felt in the nation’s conscience.

But maybe our nation does not have a conscience. We have marginalised so many of our own citizens with affirmative policies that somehow empower the rich to get richer while the poor just look on in despair.

It is a debate whether an MP has to do the “right thing” by voting with his conscience and upholding his personal integrity or “doing things right” by blindly following the party discipline without even any consideration of the issue.

For those MPs who want to learn about integrity, this is a useful reference.
If MPs cannot debate issues on integrity, how in heaven’s name will they be able to discuss issues of grave importance?

We are at a crossroads of sorts. People need to claim back their rights and our MPs are our means. Otherwise Malaysia as a nation is headed to the grave.

photo:http://www.chapelofthecrossms.org/IMAGES/gravediggerTom.jpg

The Price of Overdevelopment…..

If one checks the newspaper reports over the past 4 years, it seems that the whole of the Klang Valley has become a flood zone similar to many places in Bengladesh where millions are subject to floods during the annual monsoon.

In Kuala Lumpur and the Klang Valley though, we created our own disaster zone with the insatiable demand for cars caused by the apathy towards public transport of the authorities and the public.

The ever increasing spread of massive road networks to “park” the millions of cars seems to be a conspiracy of sorts by the authorities, the car makers and the toll collectors.

Apart for the billion ringgit SMART project is there any masterplan to halt the development in an area that is just bursting with too much construction?

I am not against development but it should be at a sustainable level. Perhaps what is needed is a 5-year freeze on approvals of new construction projects until the planners have in place a proper master-plan that enables the citizens to enjoy a flood free existence.

I lived in PJ from 1971 to 1987 and during those years I can count on two hands the number of times I was inconvenienced by flash floods that used to affect only a few places like the Jalan Pantai area.

Photo: the Star

77985 Survey Participants Can’t be Wrong about SEX

This is an interesting feature
about a survey done about sex and love.
It seems that women have become happier and more aware of what they want and they know how to get it.

As for the guys, they seem to lose interest after a few years when the thrill of the chase wears off.

Communication problems still affect many relationships and you can get some background on this from the book “Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus” by John Gray. You can read a critique of this book here.

So gals maybe you need to play a little harder to get or play a few more exciting games in the bed-room.

Maybe our DPM Najib can lend you his whip sometime?

photo:http://www.flatcreeksaddle.com/images/full/bullwhips/bw3_whips_saddleacc.jpg

The Emperor is Dead, Long Live the Emperor!

Of late the name of the great Napoleon Bonaparte has been bandied about to compare government officials who thwart government policies. I used to admire Napoleon during my history classes as he was the one who made France a great empire after the French revolution. He made one great mistake by marching on Moscow and that brought about his downfall. Comparing our mini-officials to the great Napoleon simply shows that our leaders are ignorant about history.

It is quite disappointing to hear Pak Lah’s comments that MPs will not be able to vote according to their conscience even on matters pertaining to morality. It appears that our top leaders are scared of losing the control of their reins. Instead we have the myopic policy that everything that the Opposition proposes is evil.

Let us all tell the BN MPs that if they cannot even get this small concession from their dictatorial leaders, they should simply resign just like what Shahrir had the guts to do.

Our top leaders need to realise that their powers are derived from a mandate given by the people and they are always subject to the will of the people and not the other way round.

Shahrir is right - they all made a mistake. He himself, the Speaker, the Opposition leader and the Chief Whip who should have allowed some time for a debate. We have a Comedy of Errors in Parliament - which would have been more entertaining than Just for Laughs.

Some smart entrepreneur should buy the rights to televise the parliamentary proceedings. With the correct comments between the antics of our MPs “closing one eye” etc it may win some awards.

Not sure if it will be in the drama or comedy category.

Photo: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/ab/Kaiser-napoleon-I_2.jpg/180px-Kaiser-napoleon-I_2.jpg

When does a YB become a Tidak Berhormat?

So a senior UMNO MP has resigned as the President of the BBC, no not the British Broadcasting Corporation but the Back Benchers Club, the group of BN MPs who were not fortunate enough to be included in the oversized Malaysian Cabinet.

It seems that all BN MPs are not allowed any independent thinking but must blindly follow the principle that any motion proposed by the opposition must be opposed.

Never mind that the motion was a call for the MPs to decide if a fellow member had brought the Parliament into disrepute by interfering with the job of the Customs who had seized some illegal logs and were being asked to “close one eye.”

Many MPs were quoted as saying this is the usual role of MPs and their constituents can approach them to get the authorities to “close one eye” if they run foul of the law.

I don’t recall asking my MP in JB to cancel a parking coupon offence that was issued on my wife’s car that had been sold more than 10 years ago.

Asking authorities to “close one eye” is not good enough as it provides the opportunity for the parties involved to exchange favours with the other eye that is open.

Granted that some MPs have to do favours for well connected clients but they should not be allowed to instruct government departments on how to operate like “closing eyes.”

Is this the main reason that MPs are so reluctant for the IPCMC to be created? I mean they will lose a major channel to ask the police to “open and close eyes”.

As for the party whip, they should have lifted the whip and allowed a good debate rather than treat the BN MPs like mere morons. Or are they?

http://www.carrie-underwood.info/photos/fullsize/carrie-underwood-wink.jpg

How Much Would You Pay for a Painted Pole?

It seems the the Perak state government has excess funds as they paid RM349,000 for a glorified flag pole in their bid to have the highest flag pole in Ipoh.

Granted it is a 50m pole but how can it cost almost RM350k? Is there some gold plating somewhere or perhaps the top has some diamonds encrusted to give off a brilliant sparkle?

If it is a painted pole, it should not have cost more than RM100k and if made of stainless steel perhaps RM250. But RM350?

Maybe some of those diamonds were replaced with zirconium ones and the real rocks now stored in someone’s house now.

What do you think of this project? If you follow their train of thinking(?) Perak will soon have a Petronas like twin towers!

photo:http://www.natashahaslam.com/JournalFiles/Images/8497.jpg

Congratulations to the Immigration Department!

I have just returned from a trip to get a new international passport from the JB office. The staff there are really working hard to meet the deadline of 31st May 2006 after which the Restricted Passport will be no longer valid for travel to Singapore.

In one of my earlier rants, I complained that holders of international passports should not be penalised for the rebate given for the Restricted Passport.

In fact I went to the department yesterday and my application was about to be processed when the officer asked me if I had a Restricted Passport.

“Yes.” I replied. “But I thought I could not get a rebate according to the newspapers.”

“Now it will be given.” She advised.

“It’s too late now. So I have to return tomorrow.”

“OK. Just come and take another number.”

Luckily I qualify for a little special treatment for those above 55 years of age. The crowd for the general public was really awesome but the officers are really working with great dedication.

I went this morning at about 9:30am and was able to get a new passport at 12:45pm. This is a major improvement compared to about 4 years ago when you could get a new passport after 3 or 4 working days.

I have only a few suggestions to improve their operations.

1. The counter for “borang” is closed during lunch time. Suggest they also get the post offices to sell these forms. The other useful thing is to post a notice advising the public the rebate is being given to ALL. At least the public can go home and not get a queue number that has to be replaced and also waste everyone’s time.

2. The section for the elderly, those with children and pregnant women is really too small and stuffy. I suggest this section be moved upstairs to where the passports are being collected.

3. The collection center should take over the vacated space on the ground floor as usually the collection time is more precise and most people will not wait the 3 hours time for processing. Less space can be allocated for this purpose.

The Passport office has made tremendous strides to improve their service and the officers deserve a word of appreciation.

Photo: http://static.flickr.com/32/57914722_448a869293_m.jpg

Malaysia “gutless”? No but “brainless” sometimes..

The present leadership has been accused of being “gutless” with the sudden cancellation of the “crooked bridge” project.

One cannot be gutless to cancel a mega-project connected to the rich and powerful. It is more probable that the leadership was “brainless” to embark on an international project before the ink was placed on the bridge agreement.

Without an agreement signed by both countries it was really a no-brainer that the new CIQ should not have been started in the first place.

This is not the first time that we create policies out of thin air and then rescind them after a few days or weeks. Some of the “brainless” events that come to mind:

1. The sudden clampdown on illegal immigrants that created havoc in many local companies. Today one hardly reads about such operations.

2. The hand-phone OK and then outright ban for school children.

3. The refund of the restricted passport was only given to those without international passports. Someone in Immigration got inspired and now everyone gets the rebate.

Do you have other “brainless” acts to add?

Better Policing Needed

It is quite sad to hear of another fatal shooting incident where a policeman allegedly shot his friend after the revolver under his pillow went off.

Then in today’s papers there is the case of cops being caught for extortion.

Fortunately the police were able to catch the culprits before the crime progressed further.

Studying the two incidents, it seems that better policing methods are needed.

The first incident indicates that some people are not fully aware of how to safeguard their firearms as placing a loaded revolver under one’s pillow is rather foolhardy. The least the guy should have done was to remove the bullets from the weapon and store them separately.

It had been reported that the armoury was closed when the raid was over. Is it the common practice to allow off duty cops to keep their weapons?

One would think having a night safe at the police station for temporary storage would be better than allowing policemen to take home their guns.

If that is the case it surely provides the means for a few rogue cops to smear the name of our police force.

It is time for the government to establish the IPCMC so that the public can be assured that these types of incidents are eliminated.

photo: The Star

Malaysia Needs Leaders with a Stronger Mandate

As one reads the exchange of views with the past leaders and the current government it seems that we are the victims of a system where leaders do not really earn their spurs but are the recipients of a patronage system.

While this has served the country with a reasonable measure of success it is not without weakness. For example if we study the method by which the Prime Minister is appointed, it appears that perhaps a hundred Malaysians the majority of which come from the UMNO Supreme Council have the most influence on who becomes our PM.

Reading the vitriolic attacks on the present leaders by Dr M, it seems that the latter is offended, as the new leaders did not continue his preferred projects like the “crooked bridge” and Proton.

In a system where the majority of the population chooses the top leaders, such a situation will seldom arise and the people will rally behind the leaders they have selected. The leader also knows that he has the full support of the people and will not feel intimidated by the person who appointed him.

To our Prime Minister I would say in the words of Shakespeare, “Screw your courage to the sticking place and we’ll not fail.”
Create more mechanisms where the people can show more support for your objectives and Malaysia can improve to become a more just and civilised nation.

Another Act of God or Man's Folly?

The recent lightning strike that caused the explosion in Pasir Gudang is an event that could have caused a major catastrophe.

Even though no one has died from the major fire it is surprising that no public inquiry has been started for what could be the most serious fire to date in Malaysia.

The first report in the newspapers stated that no lightning protection had been installed but a later report stated that such equipment had indeed been installed.

Even if such equipment had been installed a public inquiry will assure the public that the following measures were in place:

1. Was the lightning protection properly installed?

2. Was the equipment adequate for the purpose?

3. Was the equipment properly maintained according to the supplier’s specifications?

4. Were operating procedures for storm conditions properly documented and followed?

5. Were public security measures and response of authorities adequate and properly executed?

This site gives a good insight into the design of lightning protection. It should be noted that even painting over the lightning protection can adversely affect the performance.

Of course it is so easy to say it was “an act of God” but the next time round we may not be so lucky.

photo: The Star