Tuesday, February 27, 2007

Obey!

Eyes downwards, fellas. Fu Ah Kiow, the Malaysian Deputy Internal Security Minister, wants you to know that freedom is nothing but blind, uncritical obedience of the masses. Ah Kiow wants you to know that standards for good morals can only be interpreted by members of the Barisan high-office.

See, Ah Kiow is pissed with 'irresponsible' Malaysians on the internet.

Hence swollen with piss and looking for a target to scalp, Ah Kiow now plans to prosecute those who have uploaded clips of Mat Rempits doing 'dangerous' stunts on YouTube and other websites. He terms this as inciting unrest and taunting the police.

Reports Malaysiakini (subscription req): "Action will be taken against these people ... We have to stop this now as others could post more harmful materials which could threaten security and racial harmony," the New Straits Times quoted Fu as saying.

Stretch it, Fu, stretch it.

Mat Rempits on YouTube can rile up the police, imagine that! Are they still on formula milk? Surely there's a lot more to be riled up in real-life episodes as it is.

Rather here it comes, people: A sure sign the govt will be taking a heightened hardline stance on local content over the internet. My gut feel is that they'd like to see a cyberscape cleaned out like the hills in Nusajaya before the announcement of the oncoming G-Elections. Then bombard us with feel-good stories and fresh repaved roads.... yep, it's all coming soon.

So sock it to them. By all means, eyeball them and make 'em blink. Unless of course you can handle the idea of reading lame bakkutteh reviews forevermore.

Sunday, February 18, 2007

Rock on, Tony Pua

A model citizen-blogger lays down his cards.

Tony Pua, who runs two blogs (Education in Malaysia and Philosophy Politics Economics), has decided to do more for the country. The man, a proper Oxford jantan, has joined the opposition party DAP, reports Malaysiakini (subscribe lah, sayang).

"... there was a time I had given serious thought about joining maybe a think-tank of the government because I saw hope in the reform pledges that (Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi) made so I thought there would be hope for Malaysians," he told Malaysiakini.

"But that quickly fizzled out and that made my decision to join DAP an easy choice."

Adoi, gomen... sakit.

Tony will be economic adviser to secretary-general Lim Guan Eng and executive editor of the Rocket; might we expect a richer, potent brew to counter the limpid socio-economic efforts under Sleepy Hollow?

Moreso, will we witness again a surge of highly-dedicated people entering the political arena under the flags of the opposition parties? People of fibre and constitution, of all colour and creed, who have decided that enough is enough, and that although the road is long and treacherous, choose that path exactly because it allows them to say a hearty goodnight to their sons and daughters knowing that they've put in a day's good fight for a better tomorrow.

It would be very, very nice, wouldn't it?

So good on you, Tony. And good on you, DAP. May you help realise the true soul of Malaysia.

Saturday, February 17, 2007

Cheap excuse

It's true, as Abdullah observed, this country may be short of thinkers. At least in the right places.

The country's boss lamented on Thursday how 85 per cent of projects meant for Bumiputera contractors ended up in non-Bumis' plate. What a waste, he moaned. So here comes along a smartass, one Sufri Mohd Zin executive chairman of TRC Synergy Bhd to provide answers.

Reports Bernama:
A construction industry player said today the issue of Bumiputera contractors "losing" their contracts to non-Bumiputeras can only be overcome when the Bumiputeras control the vital elements that support the industry.

... The Bumiputera contractors have no alternative but to buy the raw materials and hire the construction equipment from non-Bumiputeras, hence the leakage of the business potential of the government-awarded contracts.
(bold face mine)


Seems like acuity isn't exactly a Malaysian trait.

Sufri, you sound like a typical embittered Umno bigot. Handing off your allocated contract to another party in exchange for a fat tip is wa-aaaay different than keeping your contract and working with sweat dripping from the brows even if it so happens that suppliers of vital goods are of a different kind.

See, if you aren't aware, you're in charge; you're supposed to control the destiny of the project, you can control the efficiency, the scheduling, the material flow, and ultimately the quality of the work you do. Each time and every time.

Riches? They follow naturally if you do good, smart, honest work. Do you?

And as for leakages... leakages is when the many authorities' technical officers ask for bribes, when project managers ask for bribes, when consultants ask for bribes, when clerk-of-works ask for bribes, when politicians ask for bribes... and so are factored into the ballooning contract sum. You know why govt projects often meet with high cost overruns yet those in the private sector prove to be more prudent? Surely you know, but you cannot know - they've been OSAed.

Hence, leakage is not the same as selling off your contract, Sufri. And leakage is certainly not because you're forced to buy critical building materials from a Chinaman.

So what's there to moan, buddy? To ask for govt intervention in the vital elements aspect of the industry is to add another tear in the social fabric which already has more holes than fabric and goes to prove that you're nothing but a crybaby.

TRC Synergy is big enough; go start your own concrete batching plant, initiate your own steel bars import arm, go into fabricating windows and doors. Diversify. Compete. Whatever gives you a hard-on, but leave the govt out of this.

****


A call such as this exposes the expired nature of the Bumi/non-Bumi formula, albeit a very successful political decoy for decades. If anything it allows "connected" parties - both Bumis and non-Bumis - to profit madly while the millions of commoners - both Bumis and non-Bumis - bear the burden. It's neo-feudalism.

Wealth is locked up there in the nethers of cronysphere, fat as nimbus clouds, except it doesn't quite rain down. That is the strata we must break. Look, i'm chink-yellow, but there's no way in hell i'm in approval of the chinks who Ali-Baba their way to their 15th Mercedes. Rather put me shoulder-to-shoulder anyday with Dr Hatta Ramli of PAS, who walks away from the easier life in defiance of unfair toll hikes, who risks freedom with arrest after arrest over human rights issues.

The Bumi/non-Bumi narrative belongs on a shelf of latterday 20th century Malaysia. It's done its part, water under the bridge - reorganized the nation's skills, labour and consequently wealth. But like all strong medication, it comes with side effects and the most serious of these are racial polarisation and lack of competitiveness in the regional and global arena. And a spreading cancer - cronyism - which feeds under the folds of racial fragmentation.

Yes, there is much that needs to be done. But it has to be executed via a different lens. Not a cheap effort called the National Integrity Plan, not a silly slogan "work with me, not for me". But a lens which shows no mercy over "special privileges" of connected fatcats who have been so far protected by obtuse rules such as the OSA, ISA, and a flaccid ACA/Police force, all of which incidentally are under the ministership of Abdullah.

So quit moaning, Sufri. It's not about your race or mine, and which is greedy and which is lazy, and who should dominate what, which is a whole load of crap. That's for the history books. It's about being proud with what we do and how well we do it. It's about sharing for a better good and helping a less fortunate strata of Malaysians find their way forward.

It's about coaxing those fat nimbus clouds to break into warm, nourishing rain. For you, me, and all brethren who toil honestly and passionately on this land.

Friday, February 16, 2007

Who's happy?

Tonight’s Bernama reports AAB as referring to a study that showed Malaysians are comfortable and happy – 8.2 points out of a possible 10 konon. This comes hot on the heels of the "we're so happening" news streak we've been inundated lately.

Abdullah must’ve milked the jugs dry over this cos, judging from the Bernama story, it seemed like a long-drawn speech. A lot of shiok sendiri. From the story, everything’s coming up roses. Even in the courtesy sector, we scored a 7.2. (Remember KL was voted 3rd rudest city by a Reader's Digest survey?)

We're so in love. And happy. Happy, happy, happy.

Except for one basic flaw – there was no mention of who conducted the study. No source cited. Just that the Dollah guy said it. Very gospel, baby. Blogs may be more guilty of such things : ) but could you expect the Prime Minister? Never for such an office, surely. That's how loose mouth we've allowed our leaders to become.

If there was a methodology used, I'd like to read more cos there has to be some serious issues. See, I’m not happy. And it so happens, the people I meet and know aren't happy. Almost all of them. I doubt only my path is so cursed it's filled with grumbling old nags from bus-drivers, builders and contractors, noodle store owners, car mechanics, lawyers and engineers. It's true I don't know of any crony. Those can't help but be happy. I know only the common person, the rakyat-types, the ones who drive a Kancil or Proton, who shop at Giant or the wet market, who eat at mamaks and kopitiams, who have to tighten their belts because of unfair toll hikes sanctioned by the govt. Were they excluded in the study, commoners all?

What about you; met any happy people? You know, those whose happiness and comfort would score an 8.2 upon 10 because of the fine deeds of this Dollah govt?

I'd like to meet them; have a chat, learn to see anew, breathe in the beauty. Cos if that's indeed the vast majority, I need serious therapy.

Monday, February 05, 2007

Protests: Our Eye on Malaysia


This boy, no more than four years old, had a vantage view from his father’s shoulders at the Balai Polis Puchong. He was looking at the ebullient crowd that had gathered awaiting the release of the 15 toll protestors yesterday. I remember his big, beautiful eyes that seemed to drink in the scene. He has many years left in him. Will he grow to see a fairer Malaysia after this generation passes on?

This little girl – six years old maybe? – was happy to play model when I asked her. She gamely posed this demure look. She had oversized white gloves on. Was her dad a cop? Years later, when she's a demure woman, will she recollect this evening? Will she remember this period as a transition in the country, that even as the Eye on Malaysia spins lazily over at Tasek Titiwangsa, many more citizens’ eyes are being trained onto the misdeeds of the existing govt. And the eyes are now matched with a growing voicebox.

The toll protests continue. As do the arrests. Higher-ups requested for it. How high up? High as the chopper that circled inquisitively over this peaceful assembly, one suspects.

Where on earth the organizers get their strength, I wonder but I am thankful. I am thankful that fists and cuffs amidst a sea of red armour cannot snap the sinew of those who demand fairplay. I am thankful for the many who stand because they are sick and tired of a baron-style Cabinet hiding behind every crony deal, vesting more and more power onto itself, and being the padang’s bully.

I am thankful that more and more are asking for their end of the deal... of a pathetic leader's Promise yet unkept.


ps more posts here, here and here