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.