Just Checking the Stage...

As expected I didn't get mush response (in fact no response at all) for my last entry. People are so hooked on Facebook, Whatsapp, Twitter etc no one reads the blog anymore unless its about current political issues,movie stars, humour, or keeping friends informed of ones latest exploit.
Ah well…..that's lfe. The purpose of the blog seems to be defeated by the SMS where one can just let off steam in whatever form you like (includes cursing, ranting and exchanging obscenities) without a care for the general readers. Blogs are too tedious and responsible for the message they carry. So few bloggers want to carry on, unless they have many sponsors.

So. I'll just try to put my current thoughts on life in Malaysia, for my one reflection. After the BN landslide victory in Sarawak State election, the opposition seems to be quite meek, or at least not as boisterous as before the election. Another two parliamentary seats are up for grab soon and the outcome will be another indication of how PRU14 will go- in fact how the future of politics in Malaysia will be.

the striving

Will it be more of the same (however you want to interpret it) or do we see some new development, however challenging it could be. Is money politics going to rule the country and the billionaire of Malaysia rule the day? Is GST going to be imposed on everything that we buy with the 10% service charge still in force for all services rendered?

the rich

With many form of subsidies being taken away, will we face another upsurge of price increases in the things that we buy and the services we need as an essential part of modern days living? Will the water and electricity rates, rentals, property taxes (cukai tanah and pintu), and the price of everyday foodstuff increase another fold?

the poor

It is said that our GNP per capita has gone up to USD15,000. There have been some salary increases
recently and a minimum wage has been set at RM1200.But with the increase in cost of living are people enjoying a better life? What about those who are earning their own living without any stable income, the farmers, the fishermen, and the roadside food and fruit sellers that are often being harassed by the authorities concerned. As far as I know only Negeri Sembilan are issuing food and fruit-stall licences FOC.

While we strive to be a developed nation, let's not forget the relatively poor, made relatively poorer by the increase in cost of living.Is BRIM able to bridge the income-expenditure of the relatively poor. Income concentration is increasing with the increase in the number of billionaires and millionaires in Malaysia.

Is this the future that we want?

Starting Again….

I've stopped blogging for a long time, preferring to write fiction in Bahasa. My friends don't seem to like reading heavy stuff on this page. The Facebook seems to be the better choice where you can be brief, joke around, be as cynical as you want, deliver a death blow, and smile with satisfaction. Well, the choice is yours of course.

But you can't run away from some serious reflections on life. Unless you prefer to be just laugh around at the distress and miseries of other people, join them only in their joy and laughter, and make fun of the happenings around you, especially with the antics of modern day politicians manipulating the life of the people they lead in the way they like. What can you do if the legitimate government decides to impose a tax on the air that you breathe? Or double the charge on drinking water since many rivers are now running dry?

Change the government? Ho, ho it's not that easy as you know it. You can howl and curse in the Facebook but the government must continue to govern as it thinks fit for your own good. After all the opinions expressed in the fb are just opinions, just meant for fun and laughter. If you take the comments in the fab seriously, you'll go crazy. But then again, life todays seems to be full of crazy things. All crazy things get full news coverage like all bizarre happenings. Cheating, deceiving, thefts, robberies, killings, murders, rapes, destructions etc are the stuff the make the news today. Anything else is humdrum.

But, thank God, there are still the ordinary people who lead an ordinary life in the world today. They live together happily with their family and neighbours, earn an honest living, accept the trials and tribulations of political infringements of their life like ordinary health hazards, and try to live in peace even when there are wars and killings around them.

These are some of the pics that attract my attention for now.Add caption

That's the aspect of life that makes me want to restart or revive this blog. Somehow or rather it's more difficult to see the beautiful aspects of life today than the sordid ones. That's the challenge I hope to take. Even if I've to look at the ludicrous aspects of life and people.  

the global village…..

Some time ago someone described the world as becoming a global village. Anything happening in one secluded area will soon be known elsewhere because news travel fast in a village. With all its exaggerations and embellishment. Especially so in the case of a scandal.

the public knows

I'm beginning to love reading about sex scandal more than that involving mega corruptions, stark misuse of power and public funds, threats and counter threats by and between powerful leaders, massive protest movement, racial enmity etc.etc.

The global village is now rife with stories of such scandals as spawned by the social media while the mainstream public media never print the truth about anything that can satisfy the curiosity of the people.

This little village called Malaysia seems to have been the source of many such scandals. And the global village is savouring them.

What has happened to this once progressive, stable and reputable country fast on the track of becoming a developed nation? A peaceful, multiracial village.

The push for material progress had, it seems, made everyone so greedy and intent on making it rich as quickly as possible. Those in position of power had made their quest for wealth so transparent that the unethical and or immoral moves involved cannot any longer be hidden from public attention and wrath.
Those in position of power are enjoying the glory of rapid development, becoming millionaires and billionaires by employing all the tricks of political manoeuvring, at public expense.

That's not entirely a new thing. It happened in all less developed countries that are progressing rapidly tafter gaining independence. The ruling elite that emerged after settling down to the job of developing the country soon felt that they have the right to sample the cream of progress achieved. and the sampling continues to become a right of way. The leaders can have the best of everything while the [ublic must work harder and harder to earn their keep and the new luxury they could now afford.

Make a complain and the reply is:

current and past leaders

 Hey you guys forget that we have given you the comfortable and even luxurious life that you now enjoy. Ain't that being ungrateful, thankless and rebellious? Just shut up and everything will be all right. Make a noise and we'll throw you in jail…..

Certainly the public doesn't mind if the leaders take what they can in a modest way and don't flaunt their newfound power and wealth. But some of them are living living like a new kind of feudal lords
with powerful servants doing their biddings. Their men are untouchable, could bend the rules and regulations as long as they are done in the interest of the lords, and are loyal to the core. It doesn't matter if they are a little dumb or have a few screws loose in their heads. They some time are more haughty than their lords.

one common allegation

That makes life in this village miserable. that is what the public is against. Some of the lords are okay but their lackeys are intolerable. And these lackeys go right down to the village level. Some village heads, of course picked by the lords, could literally do anything they want and divert rural development funds to serve their interests. The big lords in Kuala Lumpur wouldn't know and wouldn't bother to check what the smaller lords in the little villages are doing.

Thus, the disappointment, dissatisfaction and wrath of people in the little villages are not known or reported realistically. A report by any other than the lackeys will not be accepted anyway, nor given any attention.

Thus the little village known as Malaysia is becoming full of scandals as spread and devoured by the global village. Who is going to set the picture right by removing the cause(s) of the scandals?

Must we wait for the next GE to know the answer?

A Poem for 58th Independence Day

( let's sit and ponder)

amidst the montage of wealth and modernisation
jammed up highways and luxurious condominiums
crowding the skyline,
a nation celebrates its 58th birthday
with pomp and ceremony, but nay
too many misgivings keep true joy and smiles away.

the national pride and honour is scathed
by allegations of bribes and corruption among leaders highly placed
involving billions of ringgit when petty infringements
of work ethics and regulations
are severely dealt with to deter emulation.

goodwill and camaraderie among racial groups
built up through decades of mutual respect and common interest
is shattered, by greedy pursuance of material wealth
and ethnic pride stirred up by political snide
breeding hatred and suspicions
among good and friendly citizens.

as economic downturn disturbed the world
prices of things shoot up and the value of the ringgit  plunges down
making meagre income a dole and the BRIM a frown
yet the rich and the leaders jet around in luxury
while the GST makes life for the common man a misery.

yes, the nation still progresses through momentum
with natural resources, agro-products and industries taking the lead
but tourism is sick with the flu from a bad image
while distrust of the current leadership adds to the damage
and urgent need for atonement is met with derision.

all citizens who loved this country must sit back and ponder
how this far we'd lived together in peace and prosper
the coalition government had before been wise and fair
giving us all what we have today and which  can be here to stay
if  we can remove the insulting haze that's causing the mess
and respect each other again
without the leaders that's causing the pain.


September 1,2015

Malaysians: Let's Save Our Nation!!!!!

Every Malaysian who loves this country on which his/her life and fortune depend, must now feel threatened. Never before had this country and nation made us feel so insecure politically, economically and morally, not even the bloody May 13th incident which was promptly quelled. The once stable, harmonious and  progressive nation had now been branded with all sorts of humiliating and degrading names that can make a Malaysian blush with shame.

There is no need to adumbrate or recount all the possible causes. Such an effort will only meet with all sorts of denials, allegations and counter allegations, controversies, and more washing of dirty linens in the public. Even school children can itemise a number of them. What's important is to find a way to recover our good name and image both locally and internationally, without sending the country into a traumatic shock or total destruction.

Noting the public sentiment at this moment, it's easy to conclude that the head of the government is the cause of all the problems. But I 'm sure  not everyone is certain that removing one or two master cogs in the wheel of government (which has thousands of wheels, beltings and gears) will solve all the problems. Politics is a necessary evil of modern government and no effective political leaders in the world had retired without some social scars or blemish. They will ultimately be judged by the legacies they left and whether  the country they led now remains stable, progressive and peaceful or not.  How they did their work as a politician is always debatable and controversial. "Dirty" and "devious" ways of getting things done is  often the norms rather than the exception, since the means often justify the ends in politics. Ethics and morality have no absolute standard of excellence except in religious terms.

So,  how can we dispel all the shameful and dishonourable names that Malaysia had been dubbed with and resume our status as a stable, progressive and peaceful nation? No one can give a direct answer, let alone provide a solution that can be agreed to by everyone. So, just start with the most urgent thing to be done.

 Firstly, stop the sliding value of the ringgit and the rising prices of goods essential for a decent living.

All leaders of the government should stop politicking and concentrate on how to do the above. Use all the brains in the country and not depend on the advice of ministers who put political and party interest above everything else. Stabilize the value of the ringgit and ensure that the essential things for a decent and modern living in this country is affordable to all. Spend money and efforts on that  and nobody will
complain. But harping on what the party had done in the past, that the party in power must consolidate it's strength and that the Malays will become "terbangsat" (destitute) if the party is thrown out, would not solve any problem. In fact it can create more animosity and resentment.

Secondly, stop the  "monopolisation" of development  projects by companies with political source of power. This includes companies owned or headed by political bigwigs.

Through the so-called open tender system, government related companies and/or companies headed by prominent politicians will get the project with  promise of certain benefits to the party.  The political contribution involved can push the price of such projects sky-high.

Use the cost-plus method where the profit margin had been decided and there's not much room for marking up prices to accommodate political interest. Actual costs should be left to the professional experts to evaluate while the profit margin allowed is predetermined. Thus total cost can be effectively controlled and the cutting of corners to increase profit margin at the expense of product quality can be
reduced.

Thirdly, let the administrators in government reapply all procedures and measures provided by the various GOs and Circulars designed to curb misuse of power and  corruption, in handling development projects.

This has been frowned upon before due to delays and bureaucratic tardiness. But it's the short cut which allows misuse of power and authority. Violations of  bureaucratic  rules and regulations can be easily detected and the culprit made to face the music. But not  when the political masters decide to get things done their own way, forcing the administrators to ignore all standing orders and procedures. Yes,
they can be asked to find all sorts of excuses to get things done in a hurry, involve huge additional cost, and favour certain groups of political supporters. Therein lies the 'injustice' of service to the rakyat. Who is to check on such injustice?

These three things are enough to ensure that things will start moving in the right direction, rather than let politics rule the day with the nasty reputation that some politician have acquired for themselves. The rule of law must be enforced and administrative justice restored. The administrators should have more say in getting things done while the political leaders should only set the goals that the voting public wanted them to focus on.

In other words POLITICAL LEADERS SHOULD STOP POLITICKING AND  BRING BACK GOOD AND RESPONSIBLE ADMINSTRATION  INTO THE GOVERNMENT.

Unanswered Questions..

I found this draft for my blog dated April 8, 2015. It was not completed and I stopped blogging for there was no response from the public.

………

From the day MH370 disappeared into thin air, the people of Malaysia had been asking a lot of questions which remained unanswered to this day. The questions keep piling up wit the Barisanh every new tragedy that rocked this country. The shooting down of MH315, the crash of an Air Asia flight, the resurrection of the Altunya case, the sentencing of the PKR de facto leader to a five year imprisoment for sodomy, the detention of several opposition MPs for participation in an illegal assembly and the recent hellicopter tragedy which killed six people, all generated a lot of questions which had not been satisfactorily been answered by goverment.

The information teleased by government on these matters had not satisfied the public. The public want to know more about what actually happened….

……….

GST - Get Set To….

The long awaited GST day has come and everyone is anxiously waiting to see what happens to the prices of things in Malaysia. Many many people feel that the prices of things - almost everything - in the market will just shoot up. And the signs that we see around us suggest that they are right. Various Fares, Rates and Charges will go up as already heralded by the Newspapers and more important, what was not taxed before will face the cut.
Must the Hawkers collect GST?

Interestingly, the price of patrol which had made people very happy some months ago when RON75 fell to RM1.90 per liter will go up to RM2 plus again. And since the price of crude is going up again, you never know when it will exceed the maximum reached before. And when the price of patrol go up you know what will happen. The flame will spread to increase even the price of "nasi lemak","roti chanai" and "teh tarik" - the favourite breakfast dishes of the common Malaysians (those nurtured and bred in a foreign country or culture excluded).
How to monitor their sales?

So GST is get ready to …what? Certainly the first thing to do is just watch. The common men-in-the-street cannot do anything to prevent their strong government from passing any law they want, in the name of trying to pursue the objective of making this country a developed nation by 2020.
Yes, everything is costly is a developed nation like in the West and in Japan. But the pay structure and the salary of government servants are different. Much much higher as in Singapore.
We want to be a developed nation with very low pay, and inflation eating up the increase that had been approved. Hence everyday we here of enterprising public officials "making hay while the sun shines" via corrupt practices. What can you do if you can't even make ends meet?
thoousands of them around the country

Maybe if Government raises the income level of people to qualify for BRIM to RM5000, many many more Malaysians will qualify for the handout. Then we will have a nation of BRIMMERS - instead of social welfare recipients as in other developed countries. I don't think we can have a developed nation full of BRIMMERS. Unless the mark of being developed is through the traffic nightmares full of bright, shiny and expensive cars owned by the rich towkays and politicians with private jet planes to hop around in, we won't have a developed nation if people depended o BRIMS to have a decent life.

Well, why grouch? Let's see what GST will will do to the people. We know it worked well in developed countries where salaries are high and cost of things pretty much under control. I wonder if all street stalls selling "pisang goring", "keropok leko", "nasi lemak" etc must now have cash registers to keep track of their sales and tax that must be paid? How else can the GST be collected from the thousands of small stalls in the country?