How to fill the top post of an organization

Was it last saturday that i saw a job advert for FINAS, Perbadanan Kemajuan Filem Malaysia. They were looking for a Director General. An organization looking for a head. Nothing wrong with it. Their webpage confirms this here. See the pdf file.

What appeared wrong was, interested applicants are to forward their application to "The Director General, FINAS, c/o HR Unit of Finas".

Funny how the HR unit is the one vetting applications for the post of CEO. Even if the existing Director General is in office, it doesnt appear logical for him to be the one receiving such application.

This country never fails to amaze me on how to do things wrongly.

tiring..

Money or more specifically the greed for money, makes the world, no, people go crazy. How did they have it within themselves to end the life of a 7 year old child, stuff him in a bag and dump him into a river? Reading the front page of The Star paper today was disturbing. The papers were so insensitive to the extent of showing the photo of the boy's legs lying out of the bag.

Then there was this young girl who was about to be sexually assaulted and pretended to be dead, and was almost put on fire by the assailant. She courageously went through the charade and lived to tell the miraculous escape. What was not acceptable was the fact that at least one english daily published the photo of her lying in hospital, with her parents (i think) beside her. Whatever happened to the law of protecting the identity of juveniles???????

Not only is this world rotting, the newspapers are also sensationalizing such news. Reporting is good. Sensationalizing to sell more papers at the expense of the privacy of victims and their families, is insensitive.

On kids, a few of us were having lunch this afternoon. A big extended family walked in and immediately our attention was drawn to a cute young girl, perhaps about 4 to 5 years of age who was crying. The father was fiercely trying to get her to stop. It didnt work, not surprisingly. Instilling fear only works once a while, on kids. Not always. When it fails, youve got to use other methods.

They sat two tables away, and we continued with our lunch. All of a sudden, the father got aggresive, and pulled the little girl hand leading her out of the place.. and out of the blue, while being behind her, slapped the side of her face hard. We heard it so clearly. It was violent. One loud thud. We were stunned. So were a number of people there. Everyone was murmurring amongst themselves. More than half the crowd there were lawyers. For heavens sake, a kid is a kid. Theyre meant to be like that. Why the hell slap, and that too from the back towards the cheek. She could have easily fractured her cheekbone.

After a few minutes, they came back to their chair, and the girl was obviously shaken up. They finished their meal and left.

We were talking about this. Deep down, i felt guilty. As a human being, perhaps the right thing to do would have been to confront the guy and tick him off for abusing the child. And yet, being the typical malaysian in a state of apathy or fear of confronting, i let him get away with it. I dont know why i write about this now, when in the first place i failed to act. In a fit of extreme anger, human beings have the tendency to react irrationally.

Deep down, i prayed that she would be well. She looked about the same size as my elder one, who is 5. I reminded myself again, hitting kids is not the way. And prayed that i will have the strength to always have the patience to do the right thing in their upbringing. That they will always be safe and well. It is not too much to pray for, i hope, in this wretched world.

A region of hope?

There is potential for the southern region to explode and transform itself into a new and exciting place.

The average growth rate of Johor State’s economy was 4.5% for the first 9 months of 2005 and projected to grow by 5.0% for the entire 2005. In 2006, a growth rate of 5% to 6% would be achievable if the global economy grew at 4.3% as expected. (Source: Economic Report 2005/2006, Stock Economic Planning Unit)

At the national level, the economy grew at an annual rate of 5.2% in the fourth quarter of 2005, i.e. at about 5.3% growth in real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for the entire 2005, as against 7.1% in 2004. GDP growth is forecast to expand at 5.5% in 2006. (Bank Negara Malaysia Press Release). The Malaysia Institute of Economic Research forecasts the growth to be 5.5% in 2006 and 5.8% in 2007.

The near to mid term future presently a challenging environment for the property sector. The “Draf Rancangan Struktur Negeri Johor 2020” has outlined the Federal and State Governments intentions to earmark Johor Bahru District generally and Kulai-Senai specifically, as a Transportation and Logistic Hub, which amongst others comprise the following components.

i. Johor Bahru Sentral Station (transportation hub).
ii. Sultan Ismail Airport in Senai as a cargo centre and regional logistics centre.
iii. The building of a highway from Senai to Port of Tanjung Pelepas, Pasir Gudang and Johor Bahru Sentral.
iv. Dual track electric train and monorail from Johor Bahru Sentral to Sultan Ismail Airport, Port of Tanjung Pelepas and Pasir Gudang.

Since late 2005, there had been an air of expectation that the Southern Johor region, will come under special focus of the Federal Government. The recently announced 9th Malaysia Plan has specifically targeted the South Johor Economic Region, which covers an area bounded by Kulai at the north, and Mukim of Serkat (Port of Tanjung Pelepas) and Pasir Gudang on the western and eastern flanks, and Johor Bahru in the south, to expand the services sector from the highly developed Klang Valley. The region contains Johor’s logistic hub, which included two international seaports and an international airport.

The state’s new administrative centre will be relocated to Bandar Nusajaya in a few years while the RM7.8 billion coal-fired power plant at Tanjung Bin is under construction and slated to begin partial operations in August 2006.

There is also the impending major involvement of Khazanah into the Danga Bay project. Not to mention the casino and mega entertainment projects planned in Singapore.

The region has the potential to be substantially transformed. Yet, at the back of my mind, the fear is the region has also the potential to be permanently scarred by ad-hoc decisions, bad implementation and lack of long term comprehensive planning. Not the mention the long list of the usual crowd waiting for handouts.

(R) Copyright Reserved. No part can be re-produced in any form without the written consent of the author.

same ol same ol...

Some days back there was this pic in the papers about our Minister of Housing and Local Government officiating some sports event for the Town and Country Planning Department. Didnt pay much attention to it.

Two days back, I asked one of my staff to urgently head to the Johor Town and Country Planning Department. We needed to check details of a new housing development. It was needed to completed an urgent assignment.

After an hour, my staff got back. Guess what....

"Sorry ya. Semua pegawai pergi bersukan. Tolong datang balik hari Khamis (or is it ..lepas Khamis)"

That was the sorry ass reply. Theyre one of the more friendlier departments.

So much for paradigm shifts in mentalities. So much for aspirations to be in the First World league. So much for civil servants serving the public. Theyre still having social events with tax payers money, during office hours.


Updated noon:

Went to the said planner's office. The file was being used by someone. So they cant offer us any information. Simultaneously, another staff who went to the Majlis Daerah about 22 kilometres away, calls back to say the pegawai in charge was not around and the staff cannot release information to us.

$%$#@@!@$%&**#!!@#! just as i had feared.

Of prince of the land, nationalism and religion. Contradicting concepts?

A major diversion, but one thats in line with the flow of thoughts thats been prevailing for quite some time. No intention to offend anyone.

I had a doubt. I did a search online to get confirmation and found this info.

"The life of human beings began with the creation of two people, a male and a female named Adam and Hawwa (Eve)."

and,

"From these two individuals, generations of human beings have inhabited the earth. "Oh humankind! We created you from a single pair of a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, so that you may know each other (not that ye may despise each other). Verily the most honoured among you in the sight of Allah is the who is the most righteous of you. And Allah has full knowledge and is well acquainted (with all things)" (49:13)."

Ok, here is my view. If we all began from the same source, why do we then need to have the term "prince of the land", and accord special privileges to them? In the first place they all happen to come from other places a few hundred years or even tens of years earlier than the rest. If the entire population is considered to be from the creation of the One, why this mad pre-occupation to use race as the supreme divisive factor to justify dominance over others? Isnt this, as usual, another act of supreme hypocricy purely to justify holding on to political power and selfish accumulation of personal wealth at the expense of the masses?

I have come across some radical ones online who professed the idea that theres no room for race or nationalism. Everything has to be looked at from the religion grouping. I find it difficult to accept such a thought, for i would think nationalism would be the best starting point. You belong to a country. And you look at everything from the "country" point of view. Religion would be between you and your Maker. A personal relationship. Naturally if you commit a criminal offence, you cant hide behind that argument and you must be judged by your fellow humans.

These are just thoughts that came to mind this morning. How contradictory some issues in life are. Am no philosopher, neither a politician wannabe. With such thoughts in mind, I am just putting them into written form. Perhaps one fine day to be thought about and discussed deeper with the right wise persons.

On the above, if the divisive factor was religion, i wouldnt have an issue with it.

We're not even going to talk about the world being one village, WTO, free trade blah blah blah.

I must get away from all this and get high.

Top 100 sites Malaysians go to online

This list refers to the most popular sites among users in the country, not sites hosted in the country.

Alexa Web Search - Top 500: "Top Sites Malaysia
Browse the most popular sites on the web. Learn more."

Distractions

Life was somewhat simpler during the pre-internet days. No disractions from stuff like internet chatting, porn and real news, not the doctored censored ones you find in the print media. Information was scarce. To obtain information on the economy for example would require one to collate newspaper clippings, or spend lots of money accumulating annual reports of BNM for example. To obtain diverse views and opinions on technical matters would require one to attend seminars at ridiculous prices or buy expensive books.

But at least those days, we were resigned to the situation and made do with whatever we could have. Life went on. We didnt worry much.

But with the internet over the past few years, life has been not been a bed of roses. Ones eyes are forced open by not only the amount of porn thats too easily accessed, but more importantly how unjust a world we seem to live in. We begin to learn how our lives are indirectly or directly screwed by the powers that be. That theres always a hidden agenda in whatever thats been decided up there in our gomen aka government. We learn how the police appear to be the licensed thugs in this country. How politicians have a hand in the economic pie. How percentages are what they live for. How almost every project in the country is done at such an inflated amount so that someone gets their percentages. How the bright are deprived of the chances thats due to them either career wise or education wise. How the colour of skin dictates how you progress in the civil service.

You also realise how the ones screwing this country, are the very ones getting screwed by smarter people overseas. You would also learn that there is a lot of talk but action of the opposite nature in the real world. For example, to have a brain gain program to encourage our smart ones overseas to migrate back, but make life almost a living hell with red tape when theyre here. And in the same breadth allowing our young smart ones being pinched by other countries all because the colour of their skin prevents them to have fair access to opportunities here.

I know i can go on and on. This morning it hit me. Wouldnt life be simpler if this technology wasnt around. Would i be not that distracted if i wasnt a bit enlightened by what i come across online. As exciting as its been, is the distraction worth it? Wouldnt i be spending time doing productive work rather than hammering out frustrations here. As usual, thats something i dont want to think about too much. Another few minutes wasted.

MGGPillai.com :: The racial divide in Malaysia is now a fact

The racial divide in Malaysia is now a fact

THE NON-MALAY CABINET MINISTERS who complained to their prime minister, Pak Lah, about non-Muslim voices being unheard, is ordered by Pak Lah himself to withdraw it and not let it be discussed by outsiders, i.e. Malaysians. Why they took this extreme stand, especially when they agreed with Pak Lah in the cabinet what they protest now is easy to explain. The non-Malay ministers are beholden to UMNO, and they nod their heads when the prime minister tells them to. This time, their ground is in revolt. But most of them have withdrawn their memo as the prime minister requested. One minister even said he was surprised the press took great interest in the memorandum. He of course chose to forget which were the media. But among the two ministers who signed the memorandum is the MCA and MIC presidents. The president of the two parties signed the agreement which gave this country independence. Now they have to express their dissatisfaction in a memo the the prime minister. It also revealed, though not for the first time, that Pak Lah is prime minister not of Malaysia but of the Malays. UMNO has decided, though that becomes less and less decisive, that they will lead the Malays. But he looks after the Malays only, and helps divide the country into racial units.

Thirty years after the New Economic Policy and that of Malay Dominance, by which non-Malays will hold no position in the government service that they cannot be promoted to any supervisory position in the lower services, and the promotions in the upper services are limited. After the nude squat scandal, the lack of non-Malays were highlighted. The official explanation is that they will not join the government services or the uniformed branch because they are paid better outside. It is the non-Malay view now. They took this view when they found they touched a glass ceiling early. There is an attempt to get non-Malays now, but the non-Malays do not trust the government now. A non-Malay promoted in the civil service means the Malay who recommended him would be penalised. No one wants that for himself, Malay or non-Malay. In the armed services, they retire as lieutenant-colonels or colonels, that latter rank given them in the last year of their service, while most of their Malay juniors had jumped over them. One examples will suffice: a non-Malay police officer retired as assistant superintendent of police, but his batchmate died as deputy inspector-general of police. They had retired in the 1970s, which means they jointed the force in the 1950s, after Merdeka. This would not happen now because the non-Malay would not be selected.

It became more of a Malay government with the passing years. The prime minister was concerned with what the Malays, usually from UMNO, felt. As the years went by, and the opposition within the Malays became sharper, he gave up all pretence of being fair. He would lose his job otherwise. UMNO has got the other parties in the National Front to obey its dictates. A Chinese or Indian minister would argue for a Malay concession. Tthis is supposed to show the government's concern for all races; but the reverse will not happen. As the non-Malay ministers sent their memorandum to Pak Lah, the Malay ministers queued up to attack them for not saying their peace in the cabinet, out of publicity. The 1969 riots was to remove the first Prime Minister, Tengku Abdul Rahman, from office. He was friendly, so it was reported at the time, to the Chinese. The NEP and Malay Dominance became UMNO policies then. It was made easy by the then MCA president, Tun Tan Siew Sin, pulled out of the coalition. He was brought back after UMNO had framed its new policies. The non-Malay ministers were not given any policy making portfolios, a policy that is in force 30 years later.

Malaysia would rather get westerners for which non-Malays are capable. All government-linked companies employ only Malays in senior positions. All university vice-chancellors are Malays, the non-Malays leave after a time into the private sector. As opposition to UMNO spreads down to the undergraduates, no UMNO ministers dare visit the universities. Before Pak Lah could visit the University, intense negotiations took place so that the students would not rebel or protest. The police are afraid of its own shadow since they took the position as guardians of the regime, especially against Malays who rebel. When the then deputy prime minister. Dato' Seri Anwar Ibrahim, was arrested, Malays came out in their thousands to protest. This surprised the authorities, which acted against them irrationally. Over the years, this has worsened. Today, about half the Malays are against UMNO. The federal government uses the police as its goon squad in states like Kelantan, governed by the opposition PAS.

What makes this dangerous is that Pak Lah and his government cannot right the state of affairs, without watching their back. He has delayed his long-promised cabinet reshuffle, for he is not sure those he drops will go the UMNO opposition. His son-in-law forced Dato' Isa Samad to resign from the cabinet. He went out of his way to make his departure painless. But he does not know to this day whether the man is with him. He controls about 50 votes in the presidential election; that can be disastrous if it went to his opponents. Many long standing cabinet ministers will remain by on different portfolios. He has to work out if they would then remain with him or against him. His inaction now, whatever the mainstream media says, would not help him. Since he uses the mainstream media to douse his opponents in UMNO, he is on a dangerous game. He announces policy, often on the run, but which is regarded in the press as 'earth-shattering'. But it is not. There is no discussion, his civil servants and personal staff do not care, and what he says or does is by rote. He tells Malaysians to not discuss the memorandum of the non-Malay ministers: the cabinet will discuss it. Most of the non-Malay ministers fell into line. But that shows divisions that never existed before 1970.

M.G.G. Pillai
pillai@streamyx.com

MGGPillai.com :: UMNO got rid off the Tengku with a riot, but did not think through its plan afterwords

MGGPillai.com :: UMNO got rid off the Tengku with a riot, but did not think through its plan afterwords: "MGG Commentary

\'\'
25-01-2006 11:13 pm

UMNO got rid off the Tengku with a riot, but did not think through its plan afterwords

WHAT HAPPENED ON MAY 13 – whether it is the Malays who orchestrated it or the DAP which started it – misses one important fact. It was to get Tengku Abdul Rahman, the first prime minister, out of office. The deaths in the riots do not matter, only that the man must go. The MCA felt that the Chinese had let it down, and quit the government. It played into UMNO hands. The racial riots happened because UMNO wanted the Malays to look upon it as the only leader they will have. The Tengku was reduced to negotiating his departure so that he would be prime minister for a day under the new Yang Dipertuan Agung, his nephew the Sultan of Kedah. UMNO succeeded in their political aim in the last 35 years, but at what cost. UMNO the nationalist movement had made way for UMNO the political party in 1987. The Tengku did not join the political party, and died, with Tun Hussein Onn, out of the political party. In fact. the only ex-president of the political party is Tun Mahahir Mohamed. In 1969, the Tengku's namesis was Tun Mahathir, who plotted against him.

When Tun Mahathir came acalling on the Tengku in hospital on his terminal illness, I, who had gone to see him before Tun Mahathir, was asked to say. There was a tug-of-war of sorts between Tun Mahathir's security detail and the Tengku. He finally made me sit on the bed beside him. So when Tun Mahathir came in, I was also in the room. The Tengku had known me since the early 1950s, when as president of UMNO he shifted to Johore Bahru, and stayed near the edge of the Wadi Hana area where I stayed. When my father died in 1963, he was already prime minister and I did not inform him. When I returned to Reuters in Singapore from leave after the funeral to the night shift, I found the Tengku there. He told me to see him for breakfast at the Hotel Adephi, now no more. "M.A.G. Pillai was the Tengku's friend, not the prime minister's." giving me a wigging as only he could. He was in Saudi Arabia when my mother died in 1978, so I sent him a cable, and two of his personal staff turned up before the cremation. He used to say he was the happiest prime minister in the world because "he had as his deputy, Tun Razak". Tun Razak's premiership was spoiled for this reason. But little did he know, until it was too late, that Tun Razak was plotting against him. Tun Mahathir and the future deputy prime minister, Tan Sri Musa Hitam, were some of the plotters.

The May 13 riots, ostensibly because DAP celebrated their victory at the 1969 polls by taunting the Malays at Kampung Bahru after the opposition had got a tie in the state assembly seats in Selangor and Perak. The UMNO reaction as swift. Apart from the NEP and the policy of Malay Dominance, it separated Kuala Lumpur from Selangor, altered the constituencies that the Malay would always have the majority in the state assemblies. The MCA could win only in mixed or Malay majority. The MIC could win only in Malay majority seats. The Indian voters were spread to other constitutiences so that they could not be a threat. Areas like Brickfields were variously of Damansara, Siputeh, KL Bandar in the thirty five years since. The people in power, having made sure their version is the dominant, blame the Chinese for having started May 13. The DAP may have provided the catalyst, but the riots was the result of a deliberate plan. UMNO had the political power and the Chinese are blamed for it. The May 13 riots was to remove the Tengku and downgrade the non-Malays in government. They lost the policy making powers they had from independence. It was a far cry from signing the MCA and MIC presidents signing with UMNO the independence document with Britain to being a digit of the National Front in power today.

Over the years, money has taken over national policy. The NEP and Malay Dominance could have survived if it had followed the plan Tun Razak had worked out. Now the Chinese made sure the Malay in government was compromised. The policies were downgraded. UMNO had no thinkers of the Malay agenda. It showed. Tun Mahathir set up Proton so that the Malay will lose his fear of technology. It is now irrelevant, because its social purpose had given way to money. And it cannot be justified on that grounds. The death throes of Proton must be seen in that light. The Indian car firm Ambassador used the Morris Oxford for its model, and Premier cars the Fiat 1100, for more than 40 years, spawning a cottage industry of repairers throughout the country. but they hold ltheir own when foreign cars are brought into the country. That would not be with Proton, whose reason for existence went overboard when Tun Mahathir retired as prime minister. The is unfortunately true of all its industry. Proton could have been a force, an oditty in the world of automobile makers. Malaysia will lose out intially allowing cars in with reduced duties. But in the end, it would have held its ground. Not any more. Today when money rules, the relevance of Proton to national policy disappears, and with it out car policy. As Proton goes, so shall NEP and Malay Dominance.

M.G.G. Pillai
pillai@streamyx.com

MGGPillai.com :: The crooked bridge and cultural enmity

The late MGG Pillai wrote this. He was all for the bridge. He implied security as the prime purpose. To make it hard for the tanks to come over here. An interesting read. Not sure how long his site will be up, so have copy-pasted the article here.

MGGPillai.com :: The crooked bridge and cultural enmity: " MGG Commentary

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14-04-2006 08:53 am

The crooked bridge and cultural enmity

WHY DID DATO' SERI SYED HAMID, the foreign minister, and others in the cabinet, make a fool of themselves days before the Prime Minister, Pak Lah, said the crooked bridge to replace part of the causeway with Singapore would not be built? Why had they not been penalised for making the Malaysian government look stupid? What was the basis for Pak Lah making his decision? Was it because his son-in-law, Mr Khairy Jamaluddin, is reported to be close to Singapore and many believe is its representative here? Why did Pak Lah defy his cabinet ministers? He cannot say he is boss, and can do what he likes. He was a member of the Mahathir cabinet which approved the bridge. Much money has been spent in preparing for it. Just because Singapore says the crooked bridge is unworkable? The public reasons for the crooked bridge is as obscure as against it.

Politicians and academics from both sides of the causeway agree with Pak Lah's decision. But they will be proved wrong. Pak Lah had agreed to a cabinet decision in the past to build the bridge. Johore support it for economic, political and cultural reasons. But the problem is that it is sold to the man-in-street, and journalists, as an exercise in fantasy, and a way to make money. I knew it had a security purpose, which is not mentioned. Singapore would have known it, and told everyone who would listen it is not viable, changing the public attitude, for it would have a difficult time for its tanks should it ever invade this country. The people at the top in Malaysia forget their priorities when money wathe prime consideration.

I learnt of the crooked bridge when mooted in the 1990s, accepted why it had to be built. But what the prime minister's office said then in public and private were contradictory, but this was politics, and par for the course. Countries like Malaysia and Singapore, neighbours and rivals, have the other in their policy planning. Look and India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka. One cannot consider a policy except in reference to its neighbours. In Malaysia, the problem is complicated further because Johore has its own reasons for wanting the bridge, and its agreement is necessary. All agreed to it because it would have money in the promotors', and individuals', pockets. There must have been an equally good reason for Pak Lah to not have the bridge built, having approved it during Dr Mahathir's time as prime minister. But he does not say what it is.

It is fashionable to criticise Malaysia in public. It is difficult to see officials. Junior officials threaten local journalists with detention without trial if they ask the minister if he keeps a mistress in a love nest in a housing estate. Foreign journalists rarely go to Putra Jaya, where the most important officials are, unless they have to, and those they meet in Kuala Lumpur, including the Singapore high commission, tell them otherwise. Transport to Putra Jaya is not easy, and set you back about RM150. Contrary to official belief, people, even foreigners, are not wealthy. The Malaysian government is becoming aware, the first word in the ear, frequently repeated, that this is bound to get the public ear, and that it is often not Malaysia's. The public perception now is the crooked bridge is wasteful and irrelevant, and rightly for those reasons attacked.

I have been allowed into Singapore on a visit pass. specially applied for, from 1971, and banned permanently from 1991. It did not bother me since, an Italian journalist wrote in his book, I had done my shopping. I had written in an Indian paper of Israeli-made Singapore tanks and why they were bought. It was true, but local journalists could not write about it as they can never could get official confirmation. In defence matters, Singapore is touchy. The speeches I gave to the military staff college here on Singapore led me to be banned from it, a Singapore lecturer was invited to give the lecture instead. I still talk to senior military officials on Singapore privately. Malaysian officials do not want to hurt Singapore even if that makes Malaysia look silly. But is not time for Malaysia to take decisions that are for Malaysia's good and not other countries?

But there is one difference between Malaysia and Singapore, apart from the majority in one being Malays and the other Chinese. Malays think long term. Singapore short term. Coupled with good public relations, Singapore will steal a march in the short term over Malaysia. I believe in 2061, when the water agreeements expire, Singapore will be part of Malaysia, not as a state but as an adjunct to Johore. Singapore made that possible when it rejected a Malaysian proposal to shore in the profits of the water sold to commercial enterprises. That led to the then prime minister, Mr Lee Kuan Yew, coming to Kuala Lumpur in 1987 to sort it out with his Malaysian counterpart. It was at this meeting that Malaysia took the upper hand culturally from Singapore, which has tried to wrest it back by other means. In public, though, the Singaporean is seen as a go-getter, a Malaysian a bumbling fool harping on his past but quite happy to fill his pockets with money from any source.

It is not that the Singaporean is not corrupt. He is, but the government controls that: certain people are authorised to be corrupt, but not others. I know of Singaporeans in high positions who got there because they had views different from the others. In Malaysia, this is not allowed. But given the society Singapore is, he would not do anything unless ordered. The Malaysian will take a different view in public even if he is pushed aside. But his view will eventually gain the public eye if sound and relevant. He would go against the government if he has to. The government is in trouble because of this. In Singapore, the naysayers tend to make known their ways in private or in closed quarters. In Malaysia, publicly. So we have, to the outside world, a disorganised, disoriented, speaking at cross purposes Malaysia and an organised, oriented and united Singapore in what matters today, the short term. But Malaysia will have its day in 2061. To paraphrase a saying: He laughs best who laughs last.

M.G.G. Pillai
pillai@streamyx.com

organizelah some protest around your neighbourhood????

and forfeit the right to cari makan and try save enough to migrate? and get a one way ticket to Simpang Renggam detention centre or worse yet revoked citizenship for being unpatriotic in the eyes of those in power?

This is after all an autocratic sort of asian country. Criticism of any kind is branded as an act of a traitor against the country. An act of a thankless immigrant whos been granted the privilleage to cari makan as well as enrich "them".

Protests wont work in this country, at this point of time, in these circumstances. Things have got to be so rotten, and only then possibly will the mass rise up in numbers. Only then will the silent majority act. I'd probably be dead by then.

Come to think of it, when ruling party Ministers themselves dont have the right to present a memo to the PM, when ruling MPs cant even vote based on what is right and wrong, when civil servants are almost always the servant of such rulers and yet be little emperors in their own right, what chance has the normal men and women on the street have?

Getting people to rise now? Bloody hell. I cant even get people to voice opinions or present alternate views or criticize in academic and professional seminars ive organised or attended. A few months back, i even directly hit out at the attendees of a seminar on this "tidak-apa" attitude amongst us malaysians, and asians generally. 99% of the people are content to just listen and read and go back to their normal routine. And true enough, nobody reacted to my comments.(maybe they were pissed off by my comments)

And so, thats why i say, the discontent lot have to be content with waiting impatiently for the day when it gets rotten to the core, or die, whichever comes first, for things to possibly change for the better.

Why is Lelaki Komunis Terakhir banned in Malaysia?

First was the disappointing yet not surprising response by the PM on the Shahrir controversy. Vote along party lines, my foot. Its just an attempt to divert people's attention to the widespread misdeeds amongst the MPs.

and now...

Lelaki Komunis Terakhir (The Last Communist): Why is Lelaki Komunis Terakhir banned in Malaysia?: "Why is Lelaki Komunis Terakhir banned in Malaysia?"

For the past few years, as every day passes, my confidence in the future of this country reduces further..and further. The future is bleak. Am a pessimist in the midst of capitalist corrupt cronies. Perhaps the country has to get rotten to the core, before there will be "light at the end of the tunnel". There will be those screaming "leave if you dont like it", but unfortunately am not rich like those ruling fellas or their cronies. So, we suffer...and wait.

Shahrir supposedly resigns..

Its obvious, all the recent issues played up by the newspapers are nothing more then a smokescreen. To distract the public from the core problems. Petrol, Police.

Wonder whats next in the minds of the puppet masters.

The Gatal incident - Hansard transcript

Tuan Haji Abdul Fatah bin Haji Haron [Rantau Panjang]

Saya rasa ada peluang bagi saya untuk meminta penjelasan serta memberi penjelasan terhadap persoalan yang ditimbulkan suatu (sewaktu) soal jawab tadi oleh Yang Berhormat Menteri berkenaan dengan kenapakah wanita yang kehilangan suami hasil dari penceraian di tinggal begitu atau tidak diambil kira oleh masyarakat, sedangkan suami yang meninggal kerana kematian itu banyak simpati daripada orang ramai.

Apakah Yang Berhormat sedar sebahagian besar perempuan yang ditinggalkan oleh suami ini ada masalah yang menyebabkan berlaku penceraian. Satu. Yang keduanya apabila masyarakat melihat seorang perempuan yang ditinggalkan oleh suami sudah tentulah mereka ini ada sebab-sebab yang boleh dipertikaikan.

Kalau kita lihat di dalam majlis-majlis yang besar, perempuan yang ketiadaan suami hasil penceraian ini ada gatal sedikit. Tidak seperti yang kehilangan suami kerana kematian. Yang kematian ini, nampak dia insaf, sedih dan nampaklah air muka itu ada sedikit keimanan. Tetapi sebahagian besarnya, yang kehilangan suami hasil pencerian ini" kalau di dalam majlis-majlis, dia nampak gatal, sebab itu hilang simpati. Harap komen daripada Yang Berhormat."

blah blah blah from Shahrizat. Asks him to retract.

Abdul Fatah continues:

Saya sebut ini sebahagian besar, saya tidak kata seluruh. Bukan tuduh, sebahagian besar. Kalau tengok di majlis-majlis, katakanlah di party, private partu kalau kita tengok yang mana. Janda yang macam mana yang gatal, yang 'gelenyar', bahasa Kelantan. Kelantan kata 'gelenyar', bahasa persuratan gatal. Yang mana? Yang kematian suami ataupun yang diceraikan oleh suami. Sebahagian besarnya yang gatal itu ialah yang bercerai kerana sebab-sebab tertentu, samada si suami itu jahat ataupun si isteri itu ada masalah. Terima kasih.

Memartabatkan bahasa

Its a photo i took in December, but only now got to upload here.

Apresiasi???????????? Apresiasi puisi?????????? Appreciation. Please tell me there is no other word in the Malay language that conveys the meaning of appreciation.

The end of the crooked bridge saga

Been a bit busy of late, thus not responded to comments on my own blog. Well, here goes.

I tend to believe a bit of what TDM has stated. He has done his homework. We have the right to do as we please, and give 6 months notice, where water pipes are concerned. Even for railway line, as long as re-connection is done within a specified period, as per the related law/agreement, our assets at spore remain intact.

As for sand and airspace. Yeah, its possible some bolehlandputras aka umnoputras have a stake in the sand business and want to include that in. As for airspace, perhaps spore pushed for this from day one.

What do i make of all this crap thats been dumped on us by your incompetent and spineless Govt? I am beginning to suspect that PM wanted to use this as a smokescreen to divert people's attention away from the rising oil prices. Halt the bridge and save a billion ringgit.

Why give the go-ahead a few weeks earlier for bridge? So, GP can do a bit of work, and then claim RM100 million for work done aka compensation for project being cancelled.

PM probably didnt count on TDM coming out guns blazing.

The price we paid? The whole world got to see first hand how bad our politicians were in decision making, diplomacy and politics.

Remembering the past..

"Chatting, friendship, intimacy or for that matter almost any relationship, is a two way affair. When its almost always only one party making an effort, then over time that person is going to just decide to fade away, not in anger, but in disappointment."

"Life is a continuous process of new beginnings. The past is just that, the past. To be cherished or remembered or.... feared (vic - 2005)"