UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE


Tuesday, August 26, 2008

A FRANK DISCOURSE BY A BUMIPUTRA OF MALAYSIA

The Olympics are over and done with. It was a pleasant distraction from the realities of Malaysia's, or to be more specific, UMNO's dirty politics of intimidation, character assassination and lies.

Recently, I received an email and would like to share it with you. It is about two nations, one is resource rich, while the other is a tiny city state with virtually zero resource! After reading the email I just wished that there are more such Bumiputras! The following is the email in full.

A frank discours by a bumiputra of Malaysia.


THIS IS A MUST MUST READ: LEE KUAN YEW : AT 85 , THE FIRE STILL BURNS BY AHMAD MUSTAPHA

The writer is a nephew of Dr Mahathir.
Excellent one !

By Ahmad Mustapha

Singapore's Minister Mentor, Lee Kuan Yew, who was Singapore's founding father, has always been very direct in his comments. This was the man who outsmarted the communists in Singapore (with the innocent help of Malaya then and the willing help of the British) and who later outwitted the British and outpaced Malaysia in all spheres.

Singapore practices corrupt-free meritocracy and Malaysia affirmative action. The former attracted all the best brains and the latter chased out all the brains. The Singapore cabinet consists of dedicated and intelligent technocrats whereas Malaysia has one of the most unwieldy cabinets. Not only that, brain wise it was below par not even good for the kampong.
Wi th that kind of composition, one that is very brainy, naturally Singapore , with no natural resources could outstrip Malaysia in every aspect of development. Malaysia, on the other hand, was too much preoccupied with its Malayness and the illusory 'Ketuanan Melayu' and was also more interested in useless mega iconic development rather than real social and economic development.

Whenever Kuan Yew utters anything that deemed to be a slight on Malaysia , voices were raised admonishing him. Malaysia would never dare to face reality. That Singapore had shown that it could survive was a slap on those who believed that Singapore would fold up once it left Malaysia . Therefore it was natural that these doomsayers would try to rationalise their utterances to be in their favour to combat on whatever Kuan Yew commented. Its political jealousy.
Singapore achieved its developmen t status without any fanfare. But here in Malaysia , a development that was deceptive was proclaimed as having achieved development status. It was trumpeted as an achievement that befits first world status. This was self delusion. Malaysians are led to believe into a make believe world, a dream world. The leaders who themselves tend to believe in their own fabricated world did not realise the people were not taken in by this kind of illusion.

Lee Kuan Yew believed in calling a spade a spade. I was there in Singapore when the People's Action Party won the elections in 1959. He was forthright in his briefing to party members as to what was expected of them and what Singapore would face in the future. Ideologically, I did not agree with him. We in the University of Malaya Socialist Club had a different interpretation of socialist reconstruction. But he was a pragmatist and wanted to bring development a nd welfare to the Singaporeans. Well! He succeeded.
Malaysia was so much embroiled in racial politics and due to the fear of losing political power, all actions taken by the main party in power was never targeted towards bringing wealth to all. Wealth was distributed to the chosen few only. They were the cronies and the backers of the party leadership to perpetuate their own selfish ends.

Seeing the efficiency and the progress achieved by Singapore caused the Malaysian leadership to suffer from an inferiority complex. That Malaysia should suffer from this complex was of its own making.

In a recent interview, Kuan Yew said that Malaysia could have done better if only it treated its minority Chinese and Indian population fairly. Instead they were completely marginalised and many of the best brains left the country in drove. He added that Singapore was a standing indictment to what Malaysia could have done differently. He just hit the nail right there on the head.
Malaysia recently celebrated its 50th year of independence with a bagful of uncertainties. The racial divide has become more acute. The number of Malay graduates unemployed is on the increase. And this aspect can be very explosive. But sad to see that no positive actions have been taken to address these social ills.

Various excuses were given by Malaysian leaders why Singapore had far outstripped Malaysia in all aspects of social and economic advancement. Singapore was small, they rationalised and therefore easy to manage. Singapore was not a state but merely an island.
There was one other aspect that Malaysia practises and that is to politicise all aspects of life. All government organs and machinery were 'UMNO-ised'. This was to ensure that the party will remain in power. Thus there was this misconception by the instruments of government as to what national interest is and what UMNO vested interest is.

UMNO vested interest only benefited a few and not the whole nation. But due to the UMNO-isation of the various instruments of government, the country under the present administration had equated UMNO vested interest as being that of national interest. Thus development became an avenue of making money and not for the benefit of the people. The fight against corruption took a back seat. Transparency was put on hold. And the instruments of government took it to be of national interest to cater to the vested interest of UMNO. Enforcement of various enactments and laws was selective. Thus a 'palace' in Kelang, APs cronies and close-one-eye umno MPs could exist without proper procedure. Corruption infested all govt departments, the worse is the police and lately even in the judiciary.

Singapore did not politicise its instruments of government. If ever politicisation took place, it is guided by national interest. To be efficient and to be the best in the region was of paramount importance. Thus all the elements like corruption, lackadaisical attitude towards work and other black elements, which would retard such an aim, were eliminated. Singapore naturally had placed the right priority in it's pursuit to achieve what is best for its people. This is the major difference between these two independent countries.
Malaysia in its various attempts to cover up its failures embarked on several diversions. It wanted its citizens to be proud that the country had the tallest twin-tower in the world, although the structure was designed and built by foreigners. Its now a white-elephant wasting away. It achieved in sending a man into space at an exorbitant price. For what purpose? These are what the Malays of old would say "menang sorak" (hollow victories).

It should be realised that administering a country can be likened to managing a corporate entity. If the management is efficient and dedicated and know what they are doing, the company will prosper. The reverse will be if the management is poor and bad. The company will go bust.

There are five countries around this region. There is Malaysia , and then Indonesia . To the east there is the Philippines and then there is that small enclave called the Sultanate of Brunei . All these four countries have abundance of natural resources but none can lay claim to have used all these resources to benef it the people. Poverty was rampant and independence had not brought in any significant benefits to the people.

But tiny Singapore without any resources at all managed to bring development to its citizens. It had one of the best public MRT transport systems and airlines in the world and it is a very clean city state. Their universities, health care, ports are among the best in the world.

It is impossible to compare what Singapore has achieved to what all these four countries had so far achieved. It was actually poor management and corruption, and nothing more. Everything is done for the vested interest of the few.

Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines and the Sultanate of Brunei need good management teams. They would not be able to do this on their own steam. I would advise that they call on Kuan Yew to show them what good governance is. Why look East to Japan when it is just next door across the causeway.





Wednesday, August 20, 2008

WATER POLO



You guys get to see this during the olympics? Happen to see it on a blog. Just check it out.
Christina Chrysoula Tsoukala of Greece.





Gemma Beadsworth of Australia.

A slip of the tongue is no fault of the mind, but a slip of the nip is who's fault then?

Monday, August 11, 2008

Intermission

It's the Olympics! Taking a short break to follow the Games. As such, there shall not be much activities around here for a while. My apologies.

Saturday, August 9, 2008

Let the Games begin

One World, One Dream
So goes the Olympic theme
While China harbors great hope
Malaysians hope against hope
While the world watches the medal tally
Malaysia is still engross with the fanny

So let the Games begin
It does not matter who wins
Is it consensual or is it rape
In time the case will take shape
And you won’t need a pundit
To reveal the asshole bandit

Go for gold, Malaysia!
In carnal intercourse against nature!

Friday, August 8, 2008

UMNO(MAL)'s FARM

The recent on-goings in the Malaysian political scene brings back fond memories of my school days. Particularly, it reminds me of literature class. How so? You may wonder. Well, apart from Shakespeare, there was this other book that we had to digest, Orwell’s “Animal Farm”.

Late last month, his one time aide accused Anwar Ibrahim of sodomy, an accusation he vehemently denies. After the usual police reports and medical examinations, and the sub-plots laced in between, Anwar was charged in court yesterday.

He was charged under Section 377B of the Penal Code which reads: ”377B. Whoever voluntarily commits carnal intercourse against the order of nature shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to twenty years, and shall also be liable to whipping.”

From what we read and the way it was presented in the local press, and also statements by the powers that be, one would have expected Anwar to be charged under Section 377C of the Penal Code which reads: “377C. Whoever voluntarily commits carnal intercourse against the order of nature on another person without the consent, or against the will, of the other person, or by putting the other person in fear of death or hurt to the person or any other person, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term of not less than five years and not more than twenty years, and shall also be liable to whipping.”

Anwar has rightly questioned why his accuser was not charged similarly. The charge is on consensual sodomy as opposed to a charge under Section 377C which interprets as sodomy rape! So, will they charge the accuser, Saiful?

“No” says the Home Minister, Syed Hamid. Though Saiful apparently participated in this consensual sodomy, he is a witness, and therefore, will be protected????? That immediately reminded me of Napoleon in Orwell’s famous satire. While I liken Syed Hamid to Napoleon in George Orwell’s “Animal Farm”, I cannot help thinking that there are quite a few more parallels in character in UMNO (MAL)’s FARM.

As an illustration, I see lame duck Prime Minister Badawi as Napoleon’s chief rival, “Snowball”, SIL/Kali as “Squealer” responsible for the propaganda machinery.

Though Marxism has no place for religion, Syed Hamid, as with most UMNO leaders, has, especially in their speech, exhibited an uncanny resemblance to the Bolsheviks. “ALL ANIMALS ARE EQUAL…… BUT SOME ANIMALS ARE MORE EQUAL THAN OTHERS!"

REMINDER

Wednesday, August 6, 2008

AL JUB SUMMONED


This is a kangaroo warning in Australia, but in Malaysia, it simply means the Court's in session! You shall soon see this sign from tomorrow after they charge DSAI for sodomy!

KANCHANABURI RENDEZVOUS - History and Wildlife


The Penang 4x4 Adventure Club shall be organizing an overland drive trip to Kanchanaburi, Thailand. Highlight of the trip shall be the famous bridge over the Kwai River and the nearby Wat Pha Luang Tha Bua, better known as the “Tiger Temple”.

Details of the trip are still vague for me (I am not a member of the Club, though I get to be invited on the trips because I have friends in the Club). All I know is that it is going to be a 9 - day affair. Sounds like 4 days in Kanchanburi, 3 days in Cha’am and probably the last night at Nakhon Si Thammarat. Will confirm itinerary later.

This is a trip that caters to all. There are historical sites to visit; i.e. the Hellfire Pass Memorial Museum maintained by the Australian Chamber of Commerce for the purpose of honoring all Allied POWS and conscripted Asian labor. Also in the vicinity, the Hellfire Pass itself, 73m by 25m high, the rock cutting was done by hand, all done by POWs. There is a second pass, 450m by 8m.



Accommodation is by the river, which means stuff like canoeing and visits to nearby waterfalls are things one can do to kill time. I think there is a very beautiful waterfall called the Erawan Waterfall. Got to check that out and confirm.

A visit to Thailand would be incomplete without visiting at least a temple. Of course the more well known temple is this area is the “Tiger Temple”, but one should not be deceived by its popular name because apart from tigers, there are also other wildlife found in this temple. There is a lesser known one called Muang Sing, a Khmer temple complex and military outpost.


If the above activities are still inadequate for you, there is also a nearby resort where you can actually have a round of golf!

Will be getting the itinerary soon and shall fill you guys in later. Meanwhile, here are some more pictures from the Internet. Shall post my own after the trip.



Tuesday, August 5, 2008

ITO & PURPLE HAZE


ITO(Blues Gang) & Purple Haze

Got enquiries today about this Blues band. They play mean blues and rock and roll. Karim(Blues Gang) was the former drummer for this band. He succumb to diabeties and recuperating now. At times he still plays with the band. Azizi(left) the axeman, was with the Blues Gang when Julian left and was considered as the top blues guitarist in Malaysia right now. Jim(next to Azizi) was the Blues Gang bassman. Ito, no introduction needed coz, to the public, Blues Gang is Ito and Ito is Blues Gang. Last but not least, Munir, a music teacher by profession, sessionist, orchestra, you name it he has it. But with the blues in him, you'll definitely catch him jamming with Purple Haze, doing what Karim does, drumming.

A gig in Penang is on the way for this guys...One of these Saturdays..Check it out..

Monday, August 4, 2008

THE ALTANTUYA TRIAL - A Layman's Perspective


I am a common man on the street with no formal training as far as the law goes. However, with what little I know of the legal process, I somehow believe that the “Altantuya trial” is a complete sham (though I firmly believe in the old adage “that a little knowledge is a dangerous thing”).

If my observations/opinions are flawed, please, do feel free to correct me. It is rather disturbing to note that hours before the case, the entire prosecution team was changed! Why that was done was never satisfactorily explained by the AG’s office. In fact, there is a host of questions a layman like me would like answered.

One cannot help noticing that as the case progresses, it raises more questions than answers. The failure of the parties concerned to react to these revelations is equally mind-boggling. For instance, the expunged immigration records were never pursued. A witness testified under oath that she saw a photograph of a threesome, one of whom, she declared was Najib Razak. This matter was also not pursued by both prosecution and defense. The use of Mindef controlled C-4 explosives was never questioned, two of the three accused were members of an elite squad assigned to the DPM, who had no reason whatsoever to murder the Mongolian girl (or if they had, the court did not see fit to question why) unless they were acting on orders!

A recent Statutory Declaration by a private investigator, revealing some very juicy details of the case, his subsequent disappearance after his retraction in a second Statutory Declaration, the failure of the Court to recall this witness; all these makes one wonders if the Malaysian courts are here to dispense justice or to protect the elite in Malaysian society!

I may be very wrong, but this is the first time I know of a case where both the prosecution and the defense went to great lengths to discredit their own witnesses! Not only that, they have also put in tremendous effort to ensure that the name of the “Malaysian government official” does not surface in the case.

“A prosecutor is supposed to seek justice for the deceased victim's family against the murderers, so how come the prosecutor is now ganging up with defense lawyers to oppose the victim's family lawyer? Is this a case of prosecutor vs. defense or a case of prosecutor plus defense vs. victim's family? Obviously, the prosecution and defense seem to have plenty of common interests. What are those common interests?” so asked Kim Quek of “Asia Sentinel”.

And we thought there was hope when they announced the reformation of the judiciary!

Saturday, August 2, 2008

Beyond the sanctuary of the Dusun

Nice to know that Bangsa Malaysia has managed to take time off his heavy workload to unwind. The fruits sure looked succulent and inviting, wished I were there. Well, while you were in the dusun enjoying the fruits and reminiscing with old school/classmates, this is what goes on outside the dusun, in other parts of Malaysia.

The Sore Loser

Recently, the Penang State Legislative Assembly passed a motion demanding RM 4.7 billion as compensation from the Federal government for its (Federal govt.) failure to make good on electoral campaign promises such as PORR, monorail, etc.

While campaigning, they gave the impression that there was a need for these projects. However, upon loosing the Penang State government, they immediately reneged on their campaign promises, just so to punish the Penang electorate. It is tragic that the BN government has responded so negatively to the election results and thereby exhibiting their true colors, i.e. they never had the interests of the Rakyat at heart.

And, like a spoilt brat throwing his tantrums, the dimwit Prime Minister BADawi even declared "What money? For what? What has it spent on that it wants compensation for?"
"No need for it,"

My response here.


DUSUN

Hiya guys,

Its been a long time since I last blog. The project I'm working on is at its commissioning stage now, so lots of documentations to prepare and well kind of took its toll on me.

Last week me and a few friends arrange a reunion for our schoolmates. The mates were like from Std 1 till form 5. Just imagine the chaos when it has been like 40yrs ago when you last talk to each other?

It was...nostalgic? 60+ of us x-students turn up. 4 of our teachers turn up to. I kick off the gathering by asking all the x-students to stand up which everybody did. I wish "Selamat tengahari cikgu", to which all the x-students followed. Hhahaah..Thank you guys. The teachers were so touched...

What I really wanna share with you guys was when Hamsan, an old mate who invited us to his "dusun", the morning before the gathering after we had finalise everything for the afternoon's gathering.

Look at the mangosteen man...Direct from the tree...

Rambutans or "moqtan" to the local malays...(Kedahan)

Dukong...


Had a really nice time there..Reliving the past for a few hours.

By the way, the place is Jitra. About 45mins to Danok....