Sarawak: a Most Important Test of Public Confidence..

Just a day away and we will face a most cricial test of public confidence on many issues facing the nation. While the political scenario in Sarawak may not truly reflect the situation in Peninsula Malaysia, the feelings and aspirations of the people are pretty much the same after so many years of development under the same leadershit style and political philosophy. Many aspects of the political culture and sentiments which prevail in Sarawak are also prevalent in Semenanjung.

At least Sabah has gone throuhj some kind of a change before. If a change of leadership is bad when a country is working hard on its development, we know now that a change does not necessarily spell a doom. It brings about the best in people to save the country from going under. It can even force known enemies to work together, putting their personal interests away to make sure that the ship of state keeps on even keel and stay afloat. More importantly if a crisis does develop out of the change, the true savior(s) of the nation will come forward to take the lead. Only then do we get to know who are the real leaders and who are the opportunity seekers but cloaked in the mantle of vociferous leaders, saying a lot of things but doing nothing of note as a national leader.

What are the major sentiments we face today? To point them out will be to agitate and provoke, causing a lot of denials and refutation.
They best remain unsaid for we all know what they are but cannot say them out, lest you'll be called an extremist, a racialist, a regionalist, a pro this and that. Amazing. More than 50 years of independence and we cannot even face our haunting fears ( the emotional hantus) bravely and honestly to deal with them like intelligent and resposible citizens. We still have to hide between unsaid fears and unmentionable taboos. Must we remain so forever? How can we ever deal with a deep seated emotional problem if we are not prepared to bring it out and deal with it openly. Ask a psychotherapist if he can do that.

Be that as it may, there are many unarticulated issues that bother us all today. The state election in Sarawak will I'm sure indicate some of the sentiments that have remained unsaid and unexplored. Once reflected by the outcome of the election the federal government can use them as a guide for facing GE13.

YESSS.... ....BN GAINS TWO THIRD MAJORITY IN SARAWAK. CONGRATULATIONS.

The Dividing Line between Right and Wrong.

It seems to me that the dividing line between RIGHT and WRONG today depends entirely on where you stand and what you can do to hold your stand. People don't do things or abstain from doing them because it feels RIGHT or WRONG to do so but because there's much to be gained by doing them or the penalty is too high for doing them if found guilty when charged in a court of law.
As such the line between RIGHT and WRONG can be pushed to wherever you want it to be.

It means that there is no longer any moral, ethical or civil standard underlying all actions. There will only be a punitive or a monetary penalty to pay if you are caught, charged and found guilty for doing the wrong thing, even if you knew it was wrong from the beginning but decided to let your lawyers handle the matter once done. If the penalty is small and manageable (transmutable into cash payment), who cares. Pay and be damned.

This situation is most obvious in traffic offences. Millions of summons for traffic violations are issued and millions are collected as penalty, But the offence keeps increasing. The rich ( and even not so rich) can just pay and walk away with a smile, his self-pride not in the least affected. But what if there's no monitory penalty? Intead you'll be publicly scolded for your traffic offence and required to attend a day's lecture to be held at a selcted detention center, failing which a jail sentence will be imposed depending on the seriousness of the offence you committed. This might even be a better deterrent than a sentence to do some community work which a celebrity will accept with pleasure. He or she might even get more publicity.

What about the crimninal act of corruption which is bedevelling many governments. Has the fear of being caught, jailed and fined become a sufficient deterrent? No, especially since the chance of being caught when working with strong cables is most unlikely. Corruption charges take years to be brought up in court and more years for the legal battle to be fought. Yes, in Malaysia itself we have begun to see some big and powerful names being dragged to the court but the outcome is dubious for each case seems to drag in more and more big names that are not covered by the investigations. Only when small fries are involved will the charges easily stick . A new development in the battle against corruption in Malaysia is that people interrogated or called on to help investigation by the Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission begin to disappear or meet unfortunate deaths. . On another front, in as far as political campaigning is cocerned, what offers are made to the electorate during an election campaign is not considered as corruption. No wonder offering money to get elected to a political post (also known as money politics) is not considered a serious crime and can just be subjected to disciplinary action by the political party concerned.

Again, a jail sentence, monetary penalty and a ban from politics, footbal, or other professional activities for a period of time following a conviction on a charge of corruption, is not going to stem out the crime. It must begin with us appreciating what is right and what is wrong at a conscious moral or ethical level. That appreciation is nurtured from family to school and later through our professional training.
When the members of society has no more sense of right and wrong, no more ethical and moral concern about doing what is right and avoiding what is wrong, corruptuion will continue to haunt the current human civilization. Maybe we have to reinvent society again, reinstating the mechanism for distinguishing between what is right and what is wrong which modern soceity has lost over the years.

Need for a Fire Breathing Dragon

The Prime Minister is on an official visit to South Korea. He left the country while Parliament was debating on whether a scandalous sex videotape involving an opposition leader should be shown to the parliamentarians or not and tne police was investigating the death of a seven year student who was being punished by his teacher. The two issues were the hottest of the day. The sex scandal issue is made to be hotter than the forthcoming Statee-wide election in Sarawak. It certainly would be most embarassing if on arrival in South Korea the PM were asked by someone: "How's the sex scandal (or sodomy) issue in your country, Sir."

News travel fast and even if the question is not asked many Koreans would be bursting with enthusiasm to ask. We Malaysians have made a man- takes-a-prostitute case to a national level of importance, following a sodomy trial that drags on for years. Even the case of a seven year old student who died while being punished by a teacher for stealing RM7, did not receive so much attention as the pornographic tape produced by two strong party supporters who were not even prosecuted for arranging a special screening of the tape to reporters and being in possession of such a tape.

Has politics in Malaysia sunk to such a low level of character assassination? It appears that the ruling party ( only Umno at that) is trying to knock out the opposition leader allengedly involved in the scandal once and for all. Have Malaysians thought what politics in this country would be like without a character like Anwar Ibrahim. Have we forgotten how many national issues he had brought up for the attention of the people. Even if no immediate action followed after some of his charges proved highly relevant to national interest, they opened up many sores under the governmental robe. Many of the issues such as the Lingam's case, the commission on the purchase if sunmarines, the PKFZ case etc. are still not satisfactorily concluded.

Do Malaysians want a government without any fire breathing dragons in the opposition again, Even though we still have four States under the opposition rule, the state leaders seem to have their hands full to indulge in fault-finding vi-a-vis the Federal government. They have their own worst critics - the Federal governtment. Under such a situation killing the fire breathing dragon ( there are lesser ones, of course) in Parliament would make it a very peaceful place for pushing through whatever laws the government wants and justifies whatever it does. Any trouble maker in the ruling party would soon find his way out of Parliament. Only the fire breathing dragon (or dragons) can raise the issues that had made Malayians wiser and better informed.

So, must we kill the fire breathing dragon though various charges of doggie-foolery (sodomy) and now philandering might have destroyed his image as a possible national leader. Let justice prevail on the charges leveled at him but but why knock out an assiduous and silver-tongued critic of the government in power when the nation needs more of such people to stem out the cases of corruption and the abuse of power that seem to be on the rise.

Must We Resort to the Use of Murderous Weapons...?

There are injustices going on in all Governments. However good and effective the government in any country is, there will be people who feel marginalized, sidelined, unfairly treated, or forced to comply with laws, regulations and policy decisions that affect them badly. There are protest movements everywhere, some peaceful, some very rowdy, but some causing hundreds of deaths and injuries. Revolts, revolutions and civil wars are not dead, only reduced to a very minor and controllable degree. They remain safe where no firearms and murderous weapons are used.

Firearms and the use of destructive weaponry make the difference. They can turn a small quarrel into a bloody feud, a small protest into a bloodbath, a minor uprising into a goary civil strife, and a populaar movement agaist the government in power, a full scale civil war. Especially when a foreign power is just too ready to support the movement and to get rid of an unmanageable tyrant or despot as called by that foreign power. But if that power is friendly with the tyrant or despot, then the military might of the foreign power will be turned on the supporters of the movement.

Whatever the case maybe, when the sophisticated and murderous weaponry of the foreign power is unleashed on the country in trouble, thousand upon thousand of people will die or suffer serious injuries. The intervention may have the loftiest of human reasons, the kindest of intentions. the sanest of arguments. But thousands will die and the country concerned will be turned upside down. Isn't that just crazy, stupid and inhuman? Call the intervention by any name, it's still inhuman and macabre when thousands of innocent lives are lost, due to the use of the so-called sophisticated human invention - the weapons of death.

Can't we quell an uprising or solve the conflicts between people in the same coountry without the use of deadly weapons. Any idiot or brainless person can solve a problem by shooting people who are causing the problem and killing them all. Is that a solution? A real solution calls for a peaceful unravelling of the issues involved, working out an acceptable bargain for both sides of the conflicting parties, and helping them to achieve a better conditions of life. Yes, any fool with powerful weapons can help destroy a nation in a few days then force its own rule on the people. But helping a troubled nation out of it's conflict and difficulties, without the use of deadly and destructive weapons is a different story.

IS THERE A NATION WITH SOUL SO DEAD, WHO TO EVERYONE HAS SAID. WE'RE ONLY TRYING TO HELP, EVEN IF WE HAVE TO KILL EVERYONE.

When Will Malaysians Stop Being Petty?

When I read the newspapers and see so much space being devoted to sex scandal and rape of the anus, and think of the amount of public money and official time (legal and law enforcement) spent on such maatters, I start to think that we are being so petty and picayune. Other countries and people too have such problems. But they're quickly resolved and public officials involved,removed themselves voluntarily, ( Hat off to Dato Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek}.

But why are the Malaysians, especially theMalays, so hung-up on such matters? Is it because of their religious implications or just a personal vendetta of a political nature? But the whole nation goes agog about them, overshadowing concern about corruptions and "kowtim" arrangements where millions are shared among insiders and friends while the bona fide entrepreneurs get the left overs. Such matters can never be brought to book because....why mention it when everyone knows but no hard evidence can ever be obtained. hy again? Because any things can be condoned when there's mutual consent, except when one party suddenly "blows the whistle" due to discontentment.

The trouble with allegations about corruption today is that, mention any case and there'll be fingures pointing up to the hills and the sky. So many levels of authorities seemed to be implicated that even the beest police force in the world would not be able to sieve out the truth. Only more public money will be spent for the investigations and inquiries which will lead to an impasse or will otherwize fizzle out. Only God knows who were really involved and He doesn't tell. The Malays and Muslims will conclude things with "wallahu alam" just as they will reply "insyaallah" to any request that they are not sure of being able to comply with. At least the English speaking non-Malay might say "I'll try my best, buddy!"

Back to the question of sex scandal and rape of the anus, the court and the neswspapers have brought out things that I would have blushed with shame to even hear them being mentioned as a young boy decades ago. I thought the modern pop and rap songs are already bad enough with their suggestions and invitations to sex ( touch my body, make love to me, f... me etc). But the lawyers in court are doing better with their detailed descriptions of the sex act eagerly soaked up by the newspapers. And the trial goes on for years...

Take any case that is brought to court and even a man-on-the-street can mewntion a good number that are not. Why? Because the alleged violater of the law is a VIP or the vic tim is a nobody. Even police officers and officers of the religious department are sometime involved, They are human beings and human beings do get involved in kinky sex. Bring them to book for heavens sake but why make such cases a national issue or given sensational coverage in the newspapers. To boost up sales of the newspareps? To assasinate the character of undesirable politicians. Must the nation as whole become the laughing stock of the world when the front pages of the newspares talk about sex skandal and the rape of the anus when
Libya is about to become another Iraq, Bahrain a possible Afghanistan when its fight against the Russians was first supported by the US, Yemen is in a turmoil, and many other North African and Middle Eastern countries are facing a revolt of some kind.

Sarawak is facing a State GE while Malaysia as a whole will be facing it soon. Are we going to talk about sex scandal and rape of the anus as the problem of the nation to keep away from the real problems and dilemma? While the PM is talking about economic and social transfromation are the public to be fed with the juicy stories of the alleged sexual adventures of some of our leaders that had been brought up while others remained to be blown open by some discontented insiders?. Someone said in the papers that there are a number of those SS ( Sex Scandals) tapes waiting to be shown. I suppose those tapes will surface before the GE.

Aren't we being petty and overconcrned about certain things while bigger and more important matters are being swept under the carpet?

The Wrath of Nature

We've seen or experienced it again and again. Earthquake, flood, tsunami, drought t fire etc. The most recent catastrophe that hits Japan with earthquake, tsunami and nuclear plant explosion (with possible meltdown and radiation occuring in quick succession) is the worst that can happen and we still don't know how it's going to end. It beats the calamities that have hit the USA, New zealand, Chile, Acheh, the Philippines etc. in the recent past. Our prayers, condolence and sympathy go to the Japanese snd all those who have suffered the wrath of Nature..

Can natural disasters be considered as the wrath of Nature? i wouldn't want to say the wrath of God for I am not qualified to do so although as far as the Muslims are concerned the al-Quran stated very succinctly that Allah had in the past destroyed many human communities for going against His injunctions and the teachings of the prophets that He chose for them. Even the big flood and Noah's Arc was His way of selecting who and what would continue to livre on the earth.

What have human beings done to incur the wrath of nature in the form of earthquake although Science says it's only the natural result of some geophysical adjustments in the tectonic plates? No one can give a definite answer to such a question but we do know that human beings have been continuously tempering with the earth surface. We built huge dams and artificial lakes which impounded billion metric tonnes of water weighing on the earthcrust in places where nature had not decided to create a lake naturally. We pumped out million upon million barrels of oil everyday, leaving a vacuum which when even refilled with water will not be able to bear the same weght. This happens in many parts of the world especially in the offshore areas. Aren't we threfore not disturbing the narural balance of the earthcrust?

To a lesser degree human beings also keep hacking away at the hills and the mountains. No we don't disturb the really collosal mountains and the plateaus such as the Rockies, the Andes, the Tibetan Plateu, the Fujiyama and the Kinabalu. But we flattened the smaller hills to build homes and residentisl areas towns and cities. We dig tunnels and underground pathways to facilate trasportation. We build bridges and heavy structures to cross rivers, lakes and even the sea where the earthcrust could be rather thin. Aren't we, therefore, not adding on a lot of wieght on the land surface without actually knowing how thick the earstcrust is in the areas concerned.

What about floods. Can that also be a sign of the wrath of nature? Floods resulting from earthquake share the causes of the esrthquake itself - the unending and indiscriminate human activities which shift the weight and the pressure sustaiened by the earthcrust. But there other other things that we do which can cause flooding from rivers and rivulets. We cut away trees, hacked the forests away and denude the land surface. We also construct cement walls, roads and pavements which interfere with the natural process of draining rainwater away. Yes we make our own drainage and irrigation plan but not for all the rivers. Too m any water catchment areas of the world had been converted into towns, cities, and residential areas, while forestland which absorbed the running waters from the hills and mountains had beeen denuded.

So, is Nature (if not God Himself) not angry with us human beings for our many failures to live by its/His rule? The most disasterous earthquake in Shanxi, China, in 1556 killed 830,000 people, the Acheh disaster killed 283,106 oeople and many earlier disasters killed hundreds of thousand. We pray that Japan got away with lesss lives than the loss of properties and wealth which can be regenerated. It's time for human beings to rethink of what they have done to incur the wrath of Nature ( and God), and desist doing those things. If we don't then don't be surprised when Nature hits back, however sorrowful we are of the tragedies that hit us.

Quarter way through 2011.

We're now ending the first quarter of 2011. What do we see in the horizon at the national and international level? New hopes, inspiring promises. more of the same as last year or more impending problems and trouble? Is our country and the world moving towards a betterment of human relations, peace annd prosperity or adding more stress and strains, spreading more misunderstanding and hatred, and generally moving towards another catastrophe?

In our interest to promote our own ideals and aspiration, our believe and values and our idea of world peace, we sometimes forget that God created Men and Women with different looks and characteristics, different blessings and destiny, and different needs in life. That differences also apply to different countries and climes, different habitat and habitations. Man cannot try to make everything the same in the name of modernization and development, freedom and justice, equitability and equality. Nothing in the world is equal as are our fingers (and many other parts of the body) in length and size.

So, can we have a system of government that applies throughout the world? That will please and satisfy everyone? That will bring peace and prosperity to every part of the world?

I think the answer is clear. No matter how similar things are outwardly, how uniform and homogeneous they look, there certainly are essential differences that make them stand apart. Difference in essence and spirit, even if they are the same in name, structure and functions. All hearts are different in men and women although the heart specialists and cardiologists don't see the differences and treat any malfunction and deformities in the same way.

Now think of people and the different countries, cultures, and habitats that constitute the world. Can we ever say that what is good for one country is also good for all the rest of the world, what makes people happy in one country will also make others happy in other parts of the world, and what satisfies an Eskkimo will also satisfy an Arab living in the desert or a Tibetan living on top of the Tibetan Plateau 4,400 meters above sea level.l. Similarities in certain basic needs ( like food and water) there must be. But even that may differ in the way they cook and prepare them for consumption.

Having said that. think of the American idea of bringing justice, freedom and equitability to all parts of the world through their concept of democracy. Is that logical at all - and acceptable? A new wave of protests and revolts is now sweeping through the Middle Eastern and North African countries and the American are activating their mighty warships and armament in readiness to "protect" the innocent protestors and rebels against the forces of the government. How? By ensuring that the existing leaders be removed, lock stock and barrel ( like what happened in Iraq).

The amazing thing is that, the world just stands by and watches, as if in support of the American heroic initiative. We certainly see some of the glaring inequalities, injustice and shortcomings of the governments that are now under seige - as seen from OUR OWN point of view. But is turning the guns towards thhe established leaders of those government, the way to affect a remedy? We all know what the Americans want by coming in immediately to HELP the innocent people, perhaps through local bigwigs who are working for the Americans as it serves theeir interests to do so. But why is the world so easily persuaded by the good intention of the self-appointed world police (SWOP)? Couldn't the world help out in correcting the wrongs of certain governments by other peaceful measures like helping out the unfortunate?

So. in moving towards the second quarter of 2011. can we see our country and the world moving further towards peace, harmony, prosperity and progress or towards greater tension, more messy problems and conflicts? Don't answer the question. Just convince yourselves over the answer that you give to yourself. All the others are probably doing the same while the world power continues to do what they want to serve their own interest.