Maybank, I HEART YOU!

I have to admit, when the whole Maybank racism issue was a hot topic, I was oblivious to it. I did not read the newspapers that whole week, so I had no reaction to it. Then I finally had a whiff of it, and boy am I surprised at the extent of the racism displayed by our very own homegrown bank.
(And they wonder why we choose foreign banks over them)

Firstly, many people, lawyers to be exact were not surprised. According to those in the industry, this practice has been going on for years. It is just "unfortunate" that Maybank was foolish enough to put it on paper and make it public knowledge. Of course it caused an outrage (not to those it will benefit of course) and after being pressured to retract this "un-majmuk" policy, Maybank quickly retraced their steps and said that they will not be sticking to that policy.

Yeah, right.

In the first place, why is there such a need for such a policy? There is the NEP already isnt there? And also the quota in Universities? MARA? Interest Free Islamic Banking(albeit open to Non-Bumis)? Bumi Reserved Land? Bumi Discount? What more is needed before there is a clear message to us Non-Bumis that its ALL about the Bumis? What type of uber racist country are we beginning to morph into?

So, the next would be Elite Schools for Bumis? Bumi only University whereby it is fully sponsored to churn out so called "First Class" Bumis? Bumi Banks where they can borrow money and never return it? Come on, enough already.

Us Non-Bumis have not been making a fuss about it because we still firmly believe (however naively) that there is such a thing in Malaysia, as equal opportunity. We hadnt as much as squeaked when all these NEP policies and Islam Hadhari was introduced(more like forced upon) to us when Takaful issues a statement saying that its Haram to wish Our fellow Malaysians Happy Deepavali, then this Maybank issue rolls right along. (Dont get me started on Kelantan)

And what does the PM have to say about this?Nothing much really. Nothing to ask them to stop. Nothing to say, "hey Maybank, you're promoting segregation and racism. You should stop."
Instead he is livid that MU is not coming to Malaysia! Like who cares about racism and the peacefulness and happiness of all races in the country? MU is not coming!THE HORROR! THE PAIN!

So we ask ourselves, why are we still living in Malaysia? What does the future hold for us?

Ijok who what?

The Government recently revealed that 70% of the youths in Ijok will most likely vote for the Keadilan candidate. So their tact is to "sell" their candidate to the Chinese. To win the by election, they have to concentrate on the Chinese. So they tell the Chinese something along these lines, "Parthiban will work for you. He will serve all races equally. He wont just concentrate on one race."

Then they realise, CRAP! the Chinese are only a minority, even if we overpromise to these people, we might still lose the election, so they extended their MO. They pledge lots and lots of money to the sleepy town of Ijok (some of us are like, I WHAT? Batang Berjuntai where?)And out of the RM30 million pledge to Ijok, some 30%-40% will be spent on building/refurnishing/improving mosques, religious schools and other religious things/places. Then they tell the Malay people there, "Look!Look at how we are spending so much money on Muslims! Vote Parthiban! He wont neglect the Malays! He will serve the Malays well too."

So it does make you wonder doesnt it? If the survey did not find that 70% of the youths in Ijok would have elected the Keadilan candidate, chances are the BN would not even have bothered to address them. After all, 30-40% of the money pledged is used to upgrade the religious facilities for the Muslims. The Chinese would probably benefit from the roads they are upgrading or some other things they have decided to tinker with. I wondered what happened to the Indians...too small a minority so no one in concentrating on them?

The whole by election is nothing but a fiasco. There is the usual over promising and under delivering. The ones who have the money throw in the money. And those who do not, will play the flaws aspect of the opposing candidate. If we were to think about it, it should be more about the candidate and less about the party in which the candidate is from dont you think? Of course Parthiban will have more money to back up his campaign..he is from BN, the ruling party. And Of course Khalid has less money. He is after all from the Anwar Ibrahim and wife led party.

But in terms of their qualifications and what they have achieved so far, I have to say, Tan Sri Khalid is far more impressive. Parthiban was only a teacher. Sure, he was born there, and sure one Indian man, one Chinese man and on Malay man have been interview (numerous times but always the same 3 people) that Parthiban is a good man. Humble man.
But capable of bringing Ijok into further development? With no knowledge of the corporate world the economic or the ways of improving the infrastructure? Sure he will have the money, but will he know how to USE the money?

Khalid has been the forefront of a few big corporations and institutions. And he still heads quite a few of them. No one can doubt his business sense. No one can doubt his skills and abilities....he may not have the cash now, but with his business acumen, I am sure he will be able to find the funds. His only setback is, he is from Keadilan.

If only Keadilan had a fair share of the Government funds, then perhaps the by election will be more about what each candidate can do, and less about who has more posters, who is the "humble man" and how Atlantuya's murder has dented the credibility of some politicians in the Ruling Party.

Its sad to know, its still about race segregation. Its 2007 people. Its time to move forward. Move towards integration. Not segregation.

Easy Money anyone?

What is up with the local councillors and the government and the location of cemeteries? What it up with them deriving pleasure from levelling a plot of land next to an established housing estate and establishing a cemetery? How would they like it if we built a shrine to honour or ancestors right next to their homes? Or level a plot of land, stick a tombstone there just a stone's throw away from their mansions? I am sure they would freak at the idea. YET, they find it appropriate to do that to us.

And what is up with them building more apartments on hilltops? Clearing forests, levelling the land and building apartments perched precariously on top of the hills? Has the Highland Towers taught them nothing? Have the incessant floods in Shah Alam and in Puchong and everywhere else not slapped them out of their hilltop obsession? Overdevelopment has brought nothing but flash floods, landslides and trouble to the people.

So why wont they stop? Why wont they prevent all these inconsiderate, unenvironmental friendly and clear abuse of power?

Simply because there is money to be made I suppose.
There is a reason why Malaysia went up a notch in the Most Corrupt country rankings. (While we want to go up a notch when it comes to being friendly, or being one of the best countries to live in or whatever good, we have to go notch ourselves up as being one of the more corrupt countries. SOMETHING is wrong in the system here...)

We call them little Napoleans. They run the councils like its their own. Screw other people over, endanger their lives, inconvenient them, and all for what? Because they have no conscience? Because their parents didnt bring them up well?(Bad parents!Baaaaddd Parents!) What? I am putting my bet on this: there is money to be made from it. Lotsa money actually.

Ever wonder why the flowers around Dataran Merdeka is changed every other week? Even before the plants can take root, they have been unearthed and removed and replaced with new ones? Why? Wouldnt it cost less money to maintain the plants then to replace them with new ones every other day? Again, there is money to be made from this "system". Instead of spending these money on cleaning the damn fountain next to these pretty flowers ( there is a colony of something black at the base of the fountain, I dare not venture close enough to see what it is) , the money is somehow "used" in the system of replacing the flowers and well, obviously someone is making big bucks from it.

And if you were to take the road towards the North South highway back to Ipoh via Mount Kiara, you will see an obscenely white thingamabob (arch?) which says something along the lines of "Malaysia Indah"? or "Selangor Darul Ehsan Berjaya Bersatu?" or some crap like that above your head and I wonder what purpose it serves. And more importantly, I wonder how much money has been spent building that thing. I would rather the money be used to say, improve on our public toilets ALONG the highway, or hey, use it to pay the toll concessionaires so we dont have to pay so much toll (and still get stuck in a blardy jam when the volume of cars increase ever so slighty over some damn long weekend) or, oh I dont know, improve on the public transport. But spend it on some hideous white arch thing? Obviously there was money to be made from putting that thing there. What other purpose does it serve? Beautification? HAH!
I doubt it. I truly do.

So really, why do we pretend to open our mouths and exlaim in horror when we find out that we're only going one direction (which is up obviously) in the rankings of being most corrupt? What is with all the denial? Its blatant. Its right below our noses every damn day. We see it and as long as top management condone it, why do these Little Napoleans need to change their ways? Who would turn down the opportunity to make money when its presented to you with no strings attached?

Who needs to go educate ourselves and get a degree and get a good job and work hard to earn lots of money?
I want to join a local council. And plant flowers and pluck them out and replant them and pluck them out and replant them and pluck....

Zulkipli tenure not extended

*clap* *clap*

Zulkipli is out.
Kudos to the PM. I had my doubts. But then again, election time is near. Gotta do some spring cleaning before the festivities begin.

Janganlah jaga tepi kain orang....

Did you hear that two Malaysians are held in Guantanamo Bay on suspicions of being involved in Al Qaeda and Jemaah Islamiah? Our Government has through the embassy in Washington requested the US Government to ensure that the Malaysian duo received fair and just trial under the Armed Forces Commission which is established to adjudicate detainees who are suspected to be terrorists.

Isnt that funny? Not funny ha-ha but funny in an ironic kinda way. Funny because the Government is so concerned with Malaysians detained overseas having a fair and just trial, but ignorant about Malaysians having a fair and just trial right here on our own shores. Of course by now everyone would have heard about the infamous Non-Muslims can be subjected to the Syariah Court and its rules. So essentially the Judges are saying, "Constitution? What Constitution? Oh right, the one that says Non Muslims should not be subjected to Islamic laws? Sorry, never heard of it. "

Of course all Syariah lawyers have jumped up(excitedly heaving a sigh of "FINALLY!) exclaiming the correctness of the decision and the fact that Syariah Laws emanate from the Quran and is therefore the supreme law of the Land. And then MPs jump into the fray and say, yes, yes, it is a correct decision. Its not surprising that Gopal Sri Ram dissented in his judgment, the Christian, Buddishm and Hinduism society (I do not know the exact name of the society but its along those lines) as well as Non- Muslim rakyats have disagreed with the decision which is blatantly ignoring the Constitution and of course the rights of Non-Muslims NOT to be subjected to Syariah Laws. And its of course not surprising at all that ALL Muslims have said its right right right and if you do not think so, you just have to "accept it". Credit has to be given to Datuk Zaid Ibrahim who has his head screwed on right when he said that the decision is plain wrong in the eyes of the Constituion. He didnt allow his emotions or his religion blind him in reading the true meaning of the law as enacted by our Forefathers. Syariah Laws are meant to be followed by Muslims and Muslims only. Its as simple as that. Just as Non Muslims do not insist Muslims subject themselves to a say a Hindu Court or a Christian Court, Muslims should not ask us to "accept it" if we are to appear before a Syariah Judge who has no authority over us because we do not practise the religion!
Who cares if Ms. Subashini might win in the Syariah Court (yeah, sure. We believe that!) because the Court is fair and etc etc? Its still wrong from the word GO. We dont want to go to the finishing line and cross our fingers hoping that it will end right. (And if it doesnt end right the Syariah Courts are going to say the same "accept it" line isnt it?)

All calls to the Parliament to settle the issue once and for all have met with a deafening silence. (Like what is new with silence from the Government? Maybe when they said "transparency" they meant being invisible when it comes to resolving issues. So we go, "hey, where the heck did the Government go??")

Just and fair trial? Constitution? Rights?
Pooh.

Innocent until......

So the ACA chief has had some rumours of misusing government vehicles, owning several business interests and property brewing around him. Of course the police have been investigating and they will "reveal the findings of the investigation in due time."

While all these are ongoing, Zukipli's term in office expires this Saturday. So its up to the PM whether to extend it (as he has for the past three times) or say, " Zulkipli, as head of ACA, these allegations are really serious and its damaging to the ACA. Sorry, I think have to have new blood in there. I have to replace you."
However, please people, dont hold you breath for the latter because I am not surprised if his tenure as ACA chief is extended again. After all its suppose to be innocent until proven guilty right?

In theory that is true. However in Malaysia, its more like this, innocent until (if anything is done at all to investigate or follow up on the matter) proven guilty.(p/s: even if found guilty, there will not be punishment, merely a transfer to another department ala Malaysian civil servant style. Unless he pissed someone off and then he will be made a kambing korban for the sake of "transparency and integrity" of the Government)

Of course it is not surprising that Zulkipli has not been called before the Parliamentary committee to explain himself. Why is there a need to? The PM already told him to "explain himself". And he sure did explain himself. It went along these lines, "People like to spread rumours about me. I did not do it. I believe in Allah and as long as I believe in Him, I will be ok."

I guess that was enough for the Government. Of course we the rakyat can see how this has damaged the credibility of the ACA in prosecuting and stomping out corruption. If the chief allegedly did it, how can the whole agency be trusted? And who are the kambing korbans from the Government who were prosecuted? (Those poor people. They must have pissed off someone big time) But of course nobody sees it as a big issue. The Government and the ACA especially are keeping their fingers crossed and hoping this will blow over. Hoping it will go right above our heads into infinity and beyond never to be heard again.

Remember Zakaria Deros? You dont? Well, most of us dont. Cos eventhough he did a lot of things illegally, he was never punished or prosecuted. What about those illegal UMNO "trailer parks" on those land? Oh, nothing was done about them either. Tear them down? How ridiculous, it would make more sense to make something illegal into something legal by issuing TOL. *phew* Catastrophe avoided.

What? A opposition leader rammed his car into a construction site worker (he was actually aiming for the door but that man happened to be in the way) who refused to let him into the construction site everyone is opposing because its bad for the environment? PROSECUTE! ATTEMPTED MURDER!

Which minister accepted bribes to allow the people detained to be released? Please, it was a police CLERICAL error. And by next month, we wont even remember this anymore. Non-issue. Moving on.

So you see, this is how Malaysia works. You just have to know which side you are on. If you were born into the wrong side, well, tough luck.

Kebab Stupidity

Two days ago, I almost cried.

Now, I am not the "Oh, what a sad romantic story " *cue the waterworks*
or,
Johnny Cash proposed to June Carter *cue the waterworks*
or,
Mickey Mouse on parade in Disneyland *cue waterworks* [this is only applicable to my sister, who is quite weird because cartoon characters on parade can reduce her to tears. Then again, she cries at everything, even movies which she happens to flip through and watched a snippet of. She still cries if its a sad scene. She is destined to be an actress in Taiwan. But I love her so.]

Ok, moving on.

What almost reduced me to tears was a newspaper article about this man who is paralysed and how his whole family have to suffer because the breadwinner of the family could not longer provide for them. Then there was an article about the poor boy who survived on RM1 a day.
And then on the next page was an article with an accompanying picture of UKM students making the longest kebab in the world (or was it in Malaysia?same difference) and the cost of making the Guiness Book of records worthy kebab? RM24,000.

Now, this was when *cue waterworks* came into picture.

Why would anybody spend that amount on money on something as useless as making the longest kebab? WTF would you need the longest kebab for?! In the first place, kebabs are not even Malaysia's signature dish! And RM24,000? For a kebab? Seriously?

Would it not make more sense to use that money and donate to the poor paralysed man?Or the poor Indian boy? Or to those who have lost their homes in Johore? Or orphaned children? or even the boy with a hole in his heart?

A kebab? Really?? So what, the rest of the studend body will eat kebabs for the next two weeks? Or are they going to donate the kebabs to poor hungry children? Or homeless people?

You'd think that these children whose parents have spent money sending them to University would put the grey thing between their ears to better use. And UKM is supposed to be the top University in Malaysia. Doesnt it send shivers down your spine that the top University would use their student body to make kebabs? Instead of asking them to perhaps volunteer at the flood relief centres in Johore? Or start a fundraising thing to help the orphaned children or the disabled? Or participate in the Big Walk and contributing the RM24,000 to children who need prosthethic limbs?

Its very typical Malaysian isnt it?

We usually spend money on useless things when we have more pressing issues to settle with the cash. Such as maintaining the roads in Ampang. But what does the MPAJ use whatever money they have for? Building a big mosque. (ok, this is nothing to do with Islam, so nobody should take offence). Does it matter that Ampang is chock full of mosques? Bukit Indah, Kosas, Ukay Heights,...the list goes on. Instead, the money which could be put to maintain the roads is used for building a big (and I mean BIG) mosque. Whatever for?

If only some of us use our brains once in a while. Then at least good things get done the right way.

All hail the Teenage Virgin!

Hving sex at an early age(in your teens) has now been classified by a UKM study as a " deterioration of moral values" and trying to lose your virginity while in your teens, is a "disciplinary problem". Apparently this study caused such a shock to those who conducted it because out of the 887 female students (aged between 13 to 17) with disciplinary problems, all but one admitted to having indulged in the "pleasures of the flesh".
As a result of this study, the State Government aims to formulate a "special training module" to promote high moral values among the young female generation.

I applaud the State Government's initiative in recognising the fact that many children from broken homes may suffer from low self esteem, self control and problem solving capabilities and therefore there is a need for intervention in making their lives better. However, I do not agree that they label the "phenomena" of children who had decided to lose their virginity early in their lives as a "deterioration of moral values".

When did losing your virginity early in your life become a barometer of your moral values? When I was in school, the 66 (or 77 or 88 whichever it was) nilais did not include "preserving your virginity until marriage (or to infinity and beyond)" as part of the Moral syllabus. I remember there was hormat menghormati, tolong menolong, bersopan santun (etc etc) and of course the infamous scenario of having to choose between representing your country in a badminton tourney and staying home to attend a relative's funeral (always, ALWAYS opt to stay home to attend the funeral if you want to pass your Moral paper). Where is the virginity part? Many of these so called lost virginity students may have had someone pop their cherry, but does that make them any less morally inclined than those who have not? Is it not more important that they have respect for their parents, love their siblings unconditionally, help their peers and honour their country? Or perhaps give up their seats in the LRT when they spot an elderly gentleman, or help a blind man cross the street? When did it become morally wrong to choose something which you do in private between two consenting individuals reflect on you as a person fuctioning in a society?

It is pertinent to note that only females have been part of this study. No male students were involved in it. Apparently it only takes females to indulge in sexual activities. It takes two to tango. And it sure as hell takes a woman AND a man to indulge in "pleasures of the flesh" (conventional methods anyways). Why is it that only female students are part of the so called moral decline in the country? Is it A-ok for males to lose their virginities but a No-No for females?

Sure, many of you might think I am merely being a narrow minded bitch and that the Government is trying to help these children. I do not resist the idea of helping children from broken homes, but I detest the idea of labeling them as perpetuating moral decandence merely because of they lost their virginities early in life.

Yes, I agree that is a deterioration of moral values if they indulge in truancy, vandalism and drugs but let us not be sidetracked and blinded by the virginity issues and concentrate on helping these children whatever their sexual choices. If their parents have failed them, their teachers are supposed to step into the shoes of a guardian. Teachers should be trained to not only spew out text books contents but to be a mentor to these children.
FYI, a group of teachers in Ipoh boycotted a retirement celebration for the school headmistress because they didnt like her for being too modern and that the previous conservative headmistress (which they oh so sayang)was booted out for being ineffective in running the school. The same group of teachers whom, and I quote "benci, benci BENCI!" unquote entering the school grounds because the side gate to the main door had two metal bars which looked similar to a cross. The training module to promote high values among children should instead be formulated to promote values among teachers. If teachers who are suppose to lead us are themselves a sorry excuse for a human being, how do we learn anything?

It is heartbreaking to know that our society places such a heavy burden on the shoulders of women to uphold the societal moral values and that our personal choices in life which do not affect others or dishonour anybody in anyway is the main reason we are labeled immoral.

I guess its thumbs up for a young unmarried girl who abstains from sex but never mind that she may kick a cat into the drain or spit at a handicapped man whom she spots on the streets.

Hey, if she s a virgin, she is already on a path to moral superiority!

All hail the teenage virgin!

A Metal Fashion Statement

Oh JOY! Chastity Belts! Chastity belts are like, so in right now.

Whatever the reasons women wore it last time, here in Malaysia, we women are encouraged to wear it because apparently it reduces rape in the country.

A man may stalk you and once they find you alone, they will jump on you, rip your clothes apart and woe is he!There is the CHASTITY BELT! Now he cannot rape us! Because there is this big chunk of metal between his sick desires and his ability to fulfill them.

You see the indisputable logic behind it? Cant you?

You see, we women are the reason for rape being so rampant in society these days. Its the way we dress, the way we entice the men with our "inappropriate" behaviour, and our innate ability to arouse rational sensible thinking men with just the lack of cloth on our bodies. Men have no control over their loins you see? If a woman were to be naked on the streets, these men have no control and have this impossible urge to go forth and multiply, hence the need to rape the woman if he does not agree to his advances.

Therefore, because men have this great urge to go forth and multiply and any temptation before his eyes will not be ignored or avoided, we women have to be the one taking action to stop it. Hence, we don the oh so fashionable chastity belt. (The current bubble skirt trend will go so well in covering the bulk!)

Or dress kids so young they cannot tell the difference between their legs and their noses, in long sleeved tops and long pants as well as tudungs. That is to tutup their "aurat". In the first place, these children are so young, they cannot be viewed as a sexual being. Why should any part (other than the necessary regions) of their body be covered? Do these children actually understand why they are dressed like that? Who views them as being able to entice men?

Ok, so I may have digressed.
So here is the conclusion for part 1:Men in power make stupid statements. We cannot run away from that. Men in power in Malaysia make VERY stupid statements. Unfortunately for us, if we think about it, we put them in power.

Part 2: Parents should understand their religion better before they impose it on their children. And let the child at least be old enough to tell the difference between right and wrong, and sometimes left and right before you insist they cover their bodies. For godssakes, some cannot even tell the difference between spongebob square pants and mickey mouse! Give them a break.

Life is hard enough as a woman and a kid. Someone needs to cut us some slack.

What can the man on the street do?

I am sure anyone who reads my ramblings here would know how I feel about public demonstrations and how useless I think it is.
I am sure many of you have different thoughts on it.

A good friend of mine had this to say about public demonstrations- that it was the only way that the uneducated man can show the Government how unhappy he is with a certain policy. And by being out on the streets and in a group, the Government will take notice. After all, since they are uneducated, they would not know how to write a petition or have the opportunity to speak to a MP or do all those things a "smarter", educated man can do.

So I asked her, how effective have all these demonstrations been? Whether it were a peaceful or unruly one. The answer of course is it was ineffective. Toll rates continue to go up, petrol prices continue to surge forward and in all honesty, the Government really could not be arsed that you took time off to sweat under the sun, shout until your voice was hoarse and walked until your legs could not take it anymore. And I think some of them in the Government thought, "All rite!This is my opportunity to kick some of those opposition people's ass!" So they send FRU units to well, kick their asses.


Like, how is effective is THIS?

So she turned to me and asked me quite huffily " Well, what can a man who is unhappy with what the Government has done, do to show his unhappiness?"

To me its quite easy. I asked her if she has registered herself to vote. She said No. And asked me why. I said if I were truly unhappy with the administration of the country, the first thing I would do is to register myself as a voter.(Yes, I WILL register myself before the next election) And then I will vote for whichever opposition party there is which will stand up for me and agrees with my views. The more these opposition parties have a say in the Government, the more these little napoleans are kept on their toes.
Now they are outnumbered and outvoted. So whatever it is they want to disagree on, they cannot do anything about it. Because Majority always wins. That is what democracy is all about.

Or you can join the opposition party. Be a member. Let those who are educated lead you. Let them speak for you.

Do not waste your time marching the streets. No one cares. You're just causing a traffic jam. And I hate traffic jams.

So, many of you may not agree with me. But I think at least I have an idea which may actually work. I may actually do something which will help change some things I am unhappy with. Will it take long before the majority party can be ousted? Yes, it will. But it is not impossible.

Think about it.

Register yourself. Election is right around the corner.

Hush hush...

Do you remember the election oh so many years ago? Where our then freshly elected PM stood on the stage and loudly declared transparency and accountability as the foundation of the Government and that he will use the mandate he received from the people to good use? And how we all clapped and cheered (some people who knew better might have jeered) . How good we felt that he made rounds in the Government to ensure they were efficient and we thought to ourselves, "Tun M never did that, Badawi gooooddd..."

And then everything went crashing down when the Government decided that the OSA is the best EVER excuse for their failures and mistakes?

Its weird. Parents are made to disclose their income to the school regardless of whether they want school assistance for their children. Soon to be married couples have to disclose whether they have done the HIV test and whether they do have HIV. So while the authorities have decided to make the rakyat disclose more of their personal details, they have decided to keep more from us.

Why was there a toll hike?
Apparently its classified information under the OSA. The Official Secrets Act. The Act that prevented sensitive information being leaked to our enemies and foes alike during the British Occupation and Communist insurgency days. Information which, if leaked to others, will make our Country vulnerable to attack by foreign countries or undermined by them.
And apparently information which, if leaked to the rakyat will let us know how the Government has taken us for a ride and made us suckers. That information cannot be made known to us.

And because some person who thought it was wrong had decided to make some of the details of the toll concenssionare agreement known to us, certain Opposition parties have seen their houses being raided and them being subjected to questioning by the police. Of course it HAS to be the Opposition, becayse everyone in the BN is encouraged not to have their own opinion or thoughts. They are sheep. *baaaaaa* If you DO have something to say against the Government while you're in the BN, you have to apologise, have some shit flung at you and then find ourself cold storaged or if you have guts, resign.

Firstly, the Government is SO insistent that the information cannot be made public. What is the reason? How does that affect the country at all? The Government is suppose to act FOR us. To think OF us. To do the best for the rakyat. Now that we have a hint that they have actually taken us for a ride, we deserve to know the details, dont we? Why is our money being given to someone else for no reason? Why is our well being compromised? Why has the Government acted against us? Who is benefitting from all the extra cash?

All questions met with the deafening silence of the OSA.

Transparency? Accountability?
PM, do you actually hear us? Or is the noise from the jet plane you leased for "official" use too loud?

Has the Government failed them?

So by now, most of you would have known that, last friday at 7.15am right in front of my office, I became part of the crime statistics. My bag got yanked, pulled and snatched away from my two hands. It didnt matter that I placed my whole weight on the bag, they were so determined to get it that they pulled until the strap broke. And along with my favourite bag, went my new hp and all my other wordly possessions. The good news is that my purse fell out, so they only took my wordly possessions minus my purse.

Anyways, of course I have to state here who these two men on a motorbike were. They were two indian men. One tall,skinny and the other a little chubbier. Apparently these two men were on a roll, cos just 15 mins after they snatched my bag, they went over to a nearby spot and snatched another lady's bag. Ok, so I ASSUMED they were the ones because according to the Chinese lady, there were two indian men, one tall and thin and the other chubby. And while I was making a police report, another lady came in and said her bag got snatched right in front of the police station by, who else? Two indian men.

Ok, so the question here would be, has the Government failed the Indians? Why are they resorting to all these crimes? While some of you are hopping mad from my statements because you think I am racist, I think you should see the statistics. Most of these snatch thefts are done by Indian men. How would I know? I spoke to the Inspector who said, majority of the cases that they encounter, the victims always say, there were Indians.
I am sorry if I am racist for fingerpointing the Indians...but from my experience (my sis, my cousins and my friends got their bags snatched too) they always are Indians.

So, I repeat the question. Have the Government failed the Indians? Is it true that not enough is done to elevate their status in the community? To help the poor ones? To educate them? I think the government has not done enough to help them break out from the cycle of poverty and crime. When they grow up so poor, they do not know how else to make money. They do not have the education because Tamil schools are set up in rural areas and there isnt enough students to sustain the school,so eventually it closes down. So its a vicious cycle which can only be broken by the Government's help. I think its about time the Government stops focusing only on special privileges, and the NEP which only benefits one race, I think its time to help the poor and eradicate poverty, regardless of race.

Something has to be done. There is only so many of my worldy possessions that I can afford to lose.

Singapore vs Malaysia

Its quite normal for us Malaysians to envy Singaporeans.

We are envious of their sing dollars because its twice the value of ours.
We are envious of their economy because they are surging forward while ours is chugging along like an old choo choo train low on coal and fire. (sometimes we go backwards, what I term pecutan negatif, while going uphill)
We envy their religious freedom and their focus on the economy instead of religion and its unnecessary forced enforcement.
We also envy their super efficient public transport and their well maintained roads.
W envy their Miliary and their Navy which are one of best in the World.
We wonder why our National Service is crap(we lurve the marching of course!We Malaysians LURVE to march!) while theirs is actually doing something to teach the young about well, National Service.
And my oh my do we envy their National Carrier SIA and their beauties who serve it.
And we can only wish that we in Malaysia were not busy segregating each other according to our race and having one race being put on a pedestal while the rest being told to do it "my way or the highway" and be more like Singapore in terms of just working together as a Nation and making them so important in the world that their small island is on the world map while we are not quite there yet.

However, I sure as hell will not envy their recent rule on single mothers. Apparently, if you are a single mother you cannot apply for maternity leave. (or something along the lines of your leave is shorter than married mothers). However, in the name of change and progress, they have laxed the rules a little. Single mothers can now apply for maternity leave only if you marry the father within three months of the application.

Ok, like WTF?

Why must the mother marry the father? There are reasons why some of them are single mothers. Firstly there are bastardly men who believe in wham bam thank you ma'am. And then there are those who choose to be single mothers because hey, who needs a man? And well, there are some who accidently become a mother. Anyway, whatever the reason, they are single mothers and why are they discriminated? What could possibly be the reason behind this policy? To avoid young women indulging in free sex or something? Or to avoid young men roaming the streets and indulging in their need to go forth and procreate?

What?
I dont get it. Does anybody?

If I remember correctly, oral sex is prohibited in Singapore too. In private or in public. (ok, in public its just gross PDA) .Sex(between two consenting human beings) is an issue which I believe is private. And unless these couples are doing it in Taman Tasik Titiwangsa (as shown on NTV Edisi Siasat) or in a Shah Alam lakeside place(as plastered all over the Internet), the Government shouldnt be regulating it. Come on, must you regulate everything?
FYI, they recently allowed Cosmopolitan mags to be available on the newstands and Sex and the City finally allowed to be aired (after its been taken OFF the air).

So we Malaysians are not that bad. At least we only have overzealous religious officers who barge into a gwailo couple's apartment and demand to have a look at their marriage certificate lest they be charged with khalwat(for Gods sakes, what are the chances of gwailos being Muslims?)

Ok, I lied. Its just as bad.
Ok, I lied again. Its worse because now gwailos have been writing these things on the internet to warn their fellow people to beware the overzealous religious Malaysians and their need to barge into people's homes, jump out of bushes and ambush cars park in "tamans" to see if they are khawalting or not.

Alrite people,its VISIT MALAYSIA YEAR 2007!

The Chinese Association= disunity

So there it was, blatant racist, unexplainable and unjustifiable "unBangsa Malaysia" spirit, glaring at me right in the face.
What was it?
That a Chinese Language Society is not allowed to be registered as an Association in one public university.
The logic being a Chinese Society will cause racial disunity and does not promote "togetherness" of the races in Malaysia, it being an Association that caters only to the Chinese. After all, it is MALAYsia. As much as we try not to make it into a race issue, its quite clear why the Association is not allowed to be registered. I wonder if the Christian Association will have a problem too. Christianity sure does not promote Racial Unity because obviously it caters to an even smaller population than just the Chinese. So NO GO for them too.

I wonder if our PM has time in between his interviews in London, visits to Peru(was it Peru? Or was it Chile? Who knows really) to so call strengthen relations and tete-a-tete with the PM of India, he actually has time to monitor the progress of the nation in terms of becoming a "BANGSA MALAYSIA". While he has given too many advice to his fellow Ministers and rakyat to remember that this country is for all of us, Chinese, Indians, Malays and all other races (sorry people, unless the term "lain-lain" is changed, I have to refer to other races as lain-lain) i wonder if he actually knows that we prefer ACTION and not words. All the yak yak yak and the bla bla bla, its just rubbish. You SAY something, you DO it. If its all about saying, we dont need the PM to say it, everyone else can say it because it doesnt bear fruit and so it doesnt matter.

How can a Chinese Language Society be disallowed from registering as an association? Do we other races make a big fuss if you have a Sisters in Islam organisation? Or a Silat Association (obviously its not a Chinese or Indian thing) or any other organisation/assocation which caters only to the Malays?The last I check, we didnt.

And fyi its Chinese LANGUAGE association, not a Chinese Association whereby non Chinese cannot participate or join. The last I checked, the biggest Muslim population is in China. They speak Chinese right? They have traditional Chinese dances? They dress in traditional Chinese garb? The only difference is that they do not go to the Chinese temple but instead they go to the Mosque.

So, seriously.

Unless this narrow minded thinking can be eliminated, our vision of a Bangsa Malaysia with racial unity is merely a dream.

Specific Sympathies

Remember when Australia made a big fuss about Singapore hanging one of their fellow man who trafficked drugs into the country? And how all Asian countries which had the death penalty were condemned for being inhumane and etc etc? And that those who believed in the death penalty were backward and all that jazz?

Well, I wonder what they have to say about Saddam's very public and much applauded by America and Britain, hanging. I wonder why they didnt go jumping and protesting that it is inhumane, that it is not right, that this and that. So was the whole protest against the death penalty specific to Australians being involved only? Or Australians who have a reason for doing the wrong thing? Such as he was trying to support his family (like what type of lame ass excuse is that for trafficking drugs?) I cannot help but agree with what Tun M said about Australia.
Look, if you want to oppose the death penalty, the least you could do is be consistent about it. You should oppose it lock stock and barrel. For me, I do not oppose it. I do not condone it. But I do agree that if need be, it should be enforced.

Was it right for Saddam to be hung so quickly after his appeal was denied? Was there not another tier for him to explore? Was that appeal Court the last tier? If the Human Rights Watch committee thinks that Saddam did not have a fair trial, should he have been retrialed? Was the trial a fair one? It seemed as if he was not allowed to be upset with anything. If he didnt agree to something, he had to walk out of the Court because everyone who went in there had prejudged ideas as to his guilt and he knew he could not change what was already determined. He committed the crimes therefore he does not deserve a fair trial or an equal opporunity to be heard and to disagree?

While we in Malaysia have reserved our comments on Saddam's hanging, I personally feel that our quest for human rights in the world today is already smeared by the hanging of Saddam. All calls for a retrial have been ignored and as quickly as he was sentenced, he was hanged. Many of us are still in the dark about what happened at the trial. It was so quick and in a nanosecond, it was over and he was found guilty. What does that say about us humans who are so quick to judge? And what about the Australians? Their sympathies are channeled to particular paths and they only take the path that benefits them? If indeed Saddam is guilty, what about Bush? Is he not guilty of sending the troops to fight an unnecessary war? What about Blair? For sending his men to fight a war which does not even concern them? And Australia again, ah, those misguided ones. Fighting a war which they do not even have an idea why they should.

ALL of us are guilty or something or other at some point in our lives, and while that is worrying to know, I can only wish to be comforted by the fact that if I were to stand before a Court for the wrong that I have done, I will be tried fairly. And I suppose it helps that the whole world isnt against you.

Oh Christmas tree, oh, bikini...

Everyone is fussing about the new rules on the dress code in Kelantan (was it in Kelantan?I forget) and while I could not agree more on there being no necessity to fine women who are "indecently dressed", I do believe that there should at least be some code on dressing when it comes to celebrities. Malaysian celebrities anyway.

Before I go any further, I have to exclaim that I cannot believe I am so conservative and old fashioned. Times have changed. And that can only mean I am growing older. Dammit.

Anyway moving on to the issue at hand, there I was just happily strolling in Guardian the other day when I chanced upon a beauty queen turned hot chick of the mo's new christmas album on display. And just in case we might miss her new album on display, it was put at the cashier's counter together with a big poster of her right firmly placed on the wall next to her CDs. So here I was wondering why anyone in Malaysia would produce a Christmas album ( its not like I do not support the Malaysia Boleh spirit but I think there is only SO many Christmas songs one can sing and truthfully, give me Mariah C's version of the Christmas jingles anytime) and more importantly, I was wondering why anyone would pose in a bikini with a santa hat, on her knees in a provocative pose, nibbling "gently" at her finger (to add the kitty sex appeal) on a Christmas album. I get it if you were promoting a club mix or maybe a dance album or maybe even a dangdut album (to rival our Indonesian counterpart we have to put ourselves out there in a bikini!) but a Christmas album? Seriously?

For me I think it is done in poor taste. And of course the target audience being the men. Scenario at Guardian with male counterpart:
Guy: OHMIGOD!She is SO HOT!
Gal: OHMIGOD!How skanky is that? SKANKY HOEEeEEeEE!
G: Huh? She is like SO hot.Ohh, check out the bikini.... I so have to buy the album. (followed by trial of drool)

Now that we have firmly established the reason for her bikini and how it obviously worked, one has to wonder whether there should be some regulations on the celebrities and their dressing. Sure, I do not look in disgust when I see young girls strutting around in clubs with a skirt so short it could double up as a belt and a top so small I wonder if she just tied a scarf around her chest to keep her from catching a cold, but to have celebrities parading themselves in events with those clothes? And to have a bikini on a Christmas cover? Seriously, I would like to backtrack a little from my I am open minded thinking and say, that is just too much. These celebrities are one every damn page of whatever is in print. We see them all the time (even if we do not want to). So perhaps it makes more sense to control THEIR dressing than ours. Perhaps it makes more sense to fine them than to fine us when we are going about our daily lives and doing our own thing (and not photographed while doing it).

We are after all Malaysians and while sexy is accepted, downright skanky should be banned. At least on Christmas albums anyway.

Raising the issue

I think I have just about enough of the whining from the Civil Servants. And MORE than enough complaining from the teachers.

Sure, the standard of living has gone up, in fact every damn thing in this country has gone up in terms of prices, but the only thing that has maintained status quo is probably the service we get from governmental bodies. I still remember our PM doing his rounds(right before and after winning the election obviously, cos what other time does any politician actually go anywhere without a motive?) around the Immigration Department and some other government departments bellowing, SERVE THE PEOPLE! We must be effective!We must stamp out corruption!We must, we must!
So everyone was all geared up to serve the rakyat, then as quickly as it started, it ended. And in terms of follow up on the big speech of improving services to the rakyat, as usual, they are merely words. Simply because the service we get from them is still crap.

Its not unusual to have grumpy faces and "saya tak tahu" standard answers when you ask them something. Here, let me share something with you:

Me: Hello, boleh saya cakap dengan En. Yaakob?
Court: En. Y tak ada kat sini. Cuba cari kat pendaftaran sivil 2.
M: (At pendaftaran sivil 2) En. Y ada?
C:Siapa? Dia tak ada kat sini lah.
M: Dia kat mana?
C: Tak tahu.
M: Boleh saya tinggalkan message?
C: saya tak tahu mana mejanya.
M: Awak tak nampak dia langsung ke?
C: Tak.
M: Kalau saya nak check status file Mahkamah 10, macam mana?
C: Hanya En. Y boleh tolong.
M:Kalau dia tak ada?
C:tak boleh check lah. Saya tak tahu dia kat mana. Saya tak tahu mana meja dia. Kalau you nak check, you call balik lah.

(Repeat conversation on second, third and fourth attempt at calling)

Ahhhh...See why I abhor the idea of giving them a 40% raise in their pay? WTF did they do to deserve it? Its normal for them to practise "tai chi" in the department whereby one person tai chi's the work to another, and the next person repeats the tai chi stance until you go full circle and come back to the same person only to be told the same "Saya tak tahu". If YOU in the department tak tahu, wtf akan tahu???

Its the same with teachers isnt it?They work mostly half day, only on school days and they get very long holidays, they dont work on saturday and sundays. And if they are made to come back for courses during holidays, they whine about it because you know, they are SO overworked! They have to mark papers, they have to do this and that. My mum was a headmistress and a teacher, so yes, for those who think, oh you dont know what us teachers have to go through. I DO know. And my mum worked very very hard and as a headmistress, she had to work during holidays too. And she got transferred from one place to another and did her family have to follow her? Yes, we did. Did she complain? NO she didnt. And the reason being she chose to be a teacher because she loved to teach and educate. And I recently asked her if the complaints from teachers are justified and she said it isnt because teachers work much less today than previously, they get more because if they are invigilators or examiners, they get paid. If they attend courses, they get allowances. If they get transferred they get allowances too. So, what IS with the whining?

A 40% increase in the pay is not only unjustified, its incredulous. Its typical in this country isnt it? Its never a balance. Usually the price goes up, the service remains the same or goes down. Check out our Protons getting more expensive, but does the bumper still fall off after a slight graze? You can count on that. Does the automatic window need some tugging and pulling after a few months? You bet. But does the price reflect the sad, substandard work?Never. It will only go up.

I wish the PM would actualy listen to the rakyat instead of just saying, "I'll do it my way."
Sir, if its your way or the highway, I may just have to start packing my suitcases.

A Non-Alternative

While I was waiting a very, very long for the Komuter to go to Midvalley yesterday after being caught in a massive traffic jam trying to get into the parking, I realised that someone has screwed us over.

The toll rates have gone up and I cannot fathom why it has gone up. The Minister's answer to any kind of hike is the usual "Malaysia has one of the cheapest rates". Sure, if compared to other countries, our toll rates and petrol may be cheaper, but what about our cars? What about the 300% import tax that we pay? What about that? And just because other countries are more expensive compared to us, does that mean that the hike is justified?

The public transport in Japan is super expensive, but for the price that we have to fork out, the service is fantastic. Here, we have to wait for bloody 20 minutes before the Komuter arrives, pay RM1.20 for ONE stop and then be shouted out by the Guard to "Masuk dalam sikit!Jangan berdiri dekat pintu!"
Like excuse me, if we could go any further inside the already packed to the brim aircondless Komuter, we would, ok?
And every other day is a technical failure for Putra and nobody can keep to a schedule for Star LRT.

Let's not even get started on the jams. If only the PM and his ministers were to drive their own car without any police man stopping traffic for them, then they would understand the kind of crap we have to go through every damn day of our lives before increasing the toll rates and the petrol and say its justified. And the new idea of charging us money to go into town to encourage us to use public transport and ease the jams? I would applaud that idea if the alternative to driving our cars does not involve waiting a long time, the hassle of changing trains and getting in and out of the station, paying for a toilet visit in the station, purchasing different tickets for different trains, being crammed like sardines in the infrequent trains, waiting for never-coming buses....

Let me just say it again, its NEVER justified when the alternative is so bad, it isnt an alternative at all.

I remember the petrol increase was to so called improve on the infrastructure and public transport. But the last I checked, its still in the same shitty condition.

So, arent we screwed over by someone?

I think so.

The Big Ban

Its official.

Spongebob Squarepants, the animated book, has been banned. The reason?
Its inappropriate for Malaysian "culture".
Apparently, if we were to read it, we Malaysians would be influenced to run around with hideous too loose shorts, acting like a sponge(presumably by rolling on the floor when we see a damp spot, to you know, suck up the "dampness") and making sarcastic comments. At least I think that is why it was banned.
But I may be wrong.

Perhaps it is deemed indecent like another book which is banned- How to breast feed your baby.
Can you just imagine the horror of reading that book??Malaysians are SO not ready to READ about breast feeding our babies. Like hello!Anything with the word "breast" in it HAS to be banned. Does it matter that women nowadays breast feed their babies in public areas? I myself have on two occasions witnessed two malay ladies breastfeeding their children (one kid who was old enough to actually RUN around the lrt) in clear view of everyone in the train. And the fact that these two ladies were clad in a tudung and dressed in a baju kurung adds to my, well, amazement and amusement.

Who are these so called Moral Guardians of us Malaysians? I didnt elect them. I didnt appoint them and I sure as hell didnt ask them to be my guardian of morals. In fact I have no idea who the heck they are. Does anybody actually know?

Are these the same people who banned the word "Jesus" from the Killer's latest song? How does that affect our morals? Or is it purely a religious thing? An Islamic country cannot have any mention of another religion in songs, movies and books? After all they banned Passion of the Christ from showing in the cinemas. ANY movie which is not about Islam is prohibited because oh you know, its not appropriate for the Malaysian culture and the dominant religion. And if there is the word hell, that would have to go too. After all we Malaysians are such shallow, stupid and VERY easily influenced bunch of idiots. And apparently the Muslims have it worse because any exposure to any other religions will make them defect from Islam.

And for the Indians, suicide scenes would have to be censored from movies because these people apparently get ideas on how to kill themselves from the movies. And by censoring these "inappropriate" ideas giving scenes, the Indians are suddenly left with no thinking power and no "creative" energy to come up with ways to well, kill themselves. And so that solves the problems of high suicide rates among Indians. I mean, it couldnt possibly be because they are in the lower rank income group and they face tons of social problems. No way. Its the movies.

As for Christians, its the Da Vinci Code. Banning it because its blasphemous. And watching it means you no longer have Jesus in your heart and your thoughts. And ALL you can think about is that Jesus may have descendents. Hmmm.....But of course any movie which is widely thought to speak ill of Cristianity will show in the Malaysian cinemas, of course. What does the dominant religion have to lose?

All these so called moral/religion/social guardians irks me.

Simply because we Malaysians are not a bunch of idiots (some unfortunately are, but I shall not name names) and we do not need someone else to tell us what is good for us and what is not.
We know its not good for usthat the government wants to build another Istana costing RM4m or a sports complex costing RM490M in a foreign country, while increasing the petrol,electricity, water and toll charges and deem it necessary for whatever "economical" reasons. We know that is NOT what we want.

I think it would probbly make more sense to guard the interest of the public and the rakyat than to go around guarding our so called morals and religious inclinations. While other Asian countries are moving forward and being more open, stabilising their economy and increasing their revenue, we in Malaysia are just stagnant. In everything.

Come on people, get with the programme already!

The kind Malays

If one were to follow the current UMNO General Meeting and one is not a fellow UMNO member, one would feel quite offended.

Simply because phrases such as the chinese forget that the Malays were KIND enough to let us stay here in Malaysia, and that the Chinese should not question Malay rights because since Merdeka we the non Malays have agreed to give them everything and now cannot make a u turn and decide that perhaps enough is enough. And that if a man secretly converts into Islam and unexpectedly dies, his family member cannot ask for the body to be buried according to any other way but the Islam way because no one should question the Syariah Court decision or the conversion.

If one were to think clearly and not allow religion to cloud their mind, it would make more sense perhaps to discuss in the UMNO meeting the reason why the Malays have not caught up with the rest of the races. Why is it that after almost 50 years of the Government giving and giving and giving AND GIVING to the Malays, they still lag behind? What is the root cause? Have the Malays become complacent perhaps? Or is there truly a problem of there being a huge disparity among the poor and the super rich? Where should the money be channeled into? Instead of building a new Istana on Jalan Duta costing millions and millions, perhaps the money is better used for channeling it to rural ares where the Malay children can receive education. Some UMNO members have taken upon themselves to tell the rest the reason why Malay children lag behind and the way to overcome that is to start educating them from school and not only in university. Those are the ones who have come to the meeting with a reason- which is to help their fellow people who are poor and underprivileged. They were not there to crack a joke and look for approval.

Perhaps it will be wise to discuss how the issue of conversion without one's family members knowing should be addressed instead of saying that Civil Courts have no rights and non Muslims should stop questioning that simple truth.Many do not know that if UMNO sends a strong message that if one is Muslim, Islamic matters is in the exclusive jurisdiction of the Syariah Court, many husbands have secretly converted their children and denied access to their mothers purely because the mother has no right to "fight" the conversion of the children and she being non Muslim cannot go to the Syariah Court. She cannot "unconvert" (if such word exists) the children. What has she to do? Nothing. This is not a pure matter of an attack of the religion. That non Muslims have gone to court to challenge the conversion not because they do not respect the religion or agree to it, but because the conversion has been done with malicious intent. You only need to ask a family lawyer to find that many spouses have converted themselves purely to escape paying maintenance of their children or their wives. Is that what conversion into the religion is all about? There should be some guidelines. Perhaps approval of both parents before one can covert. After all, we need two parents to make a child, dont we?

UMNO members must have a clear understanding of what they utter to the public at large. It is truly regrettable that UMNO has sent a message of "WE ARE SUPREME!WE REIGN!AND NO ONE CAN QUESTION US!WE ARE UNITED AGAINST NON MUSLIMS!" as I thought that Barisan Nasional was the party of and for the people of Malaysia. Therefore being part of BN, UMNO members should not be making such "racist" (I term is racists because it was clearly an attack on the Chinese)speeches. Speeches are not merely to gain support and get thunderous applause. It must be made with a clear understanding and a true appreciation of its consequences to all Malaysians.

While I applaud those members who have attended the meeting with a clear agenda of discussing the flaws of the current system and to improve them, I am disappointed with some who have gone there purely to say, "Screw all of you. We get what we want as long as we are in power. Dont forget, we were kind enough to let you stay."