Sidang DUN Kedah: Bajet 2006 defisit RM19.7 juta

Sidang DUN Kedah: Bajet 2006 defisit RM19.7 juta
Thursday, November 17 2005

Di merata tempat BN akan menggunakan dakyah membawa kemajuan, termasuk
sekarang ini berjanji di hadapan rakyat Permatang Pasir, Kelantan tetapi
di Kedah sendiri, mana... Oleh HELMI KHALID

ALOR SETAR, 17 Nov (Hrkh)-Sekalipun sedang mengorak langkah sebagai sebuah
negeri maju lima tahun lagi, Belanjawan Kedah 2006 yang baru dibentangkan
Pemangku Menteri Besar Kedah, Dato' Mahdzir Khalid 15 Julai lalu
mencatatkan defisit sebanyak RM19, 794, 322.00.

Ia hanya kurang sekitar RM1 juta defisit berbanding belanjawan tahun 2005
iaitu sebanyak RM20,923,246. Bagi Pesuruhjaya PAS Kedah, Ustaz Haji
Azizan Abdul Razak yang juga Ahli Dewan Undangan Negeri (Adun)
(PAS-Sungai Limau), tidak ada satu pun perkara baru dalam bajet kali ini.
"Apa yang saya nak ulas, defisit semua orang dah jangka, kalau tak
berani berhutang bak kata orang berniaga, macamana nak untung,
perkembangan mengenai Kedah Maju 2010 langsung tidak tercatat," komen
beliau sebaik sahaja selesai pembentangan Bajet 15 November lalu. Dalam
perbahasan bajet, Ustaz Azizan banyak menegur sikap pemimpin kerajaan
Barisan Nasional (BN) Kedah yang masih tidak berubah sejak negara
mencapai kemerdekaan. Misalnya, beliau memberi contoh di mulut pemimpin
kerajaan sentiasa terpacul negara dan Kedah bakal maju, bagaimanapun hujah
beliau dengan memberi contoh segmen Bersamamu terbitan sebuah stesyen TV
swasta mengiakan dakwaan beliau. "Dalam Bersamamu masih terdapat rakyat
yang tak makan nasi, makan siput babi, susah, menderita, ini semua bukti
BN gagal membela nasib rakyat," ujarnya.

Ucapan selama lebih sejam oleh beliau pada sesi pagi 16 November langsung
tidak 'diganggu' oleh mana-mana wakil BN. Begitu juga katanya, di
merata tempat BN akan menggunakan dakyah membawa kemajuan, termasuk
sekarang ini berjanji di hadapan rakyat Permatang Pasir, Kelantan.
"Kalau dah buat pembangunan buat apa nak dijanjikan lagi, ini sebagai
contoh masih belum banyak pembangunan yang dilaksanakan, hanya diucapkan
ketika BN tersepit menghadapi sesebuah pilihanraya," tegas Ustaz Azizan
lagi. Pembangunan Kedah yang tidak terancang Menurut Ustaz Azizan
lagi, beberapa projek mega di Kedah gagal menunjukkan ia adalah satu
perancangan yang rapi, hanya mencipta projek tanpa sebarang strategi.
"Saya mengambil contoh projek Kota Perdana di Bukit Kayu Hitam, Pekan
Danok di Selatan atau sempadan Thai maju, ramai, tetapi di sebelah
Malaysia, sunyi sepi, langsung tak ada !
daya tarikan.

"Pun begitu, nak buka lagi satu bandar sempadan di Durian Burung yang
diberi nama Kota Putra, dah siapkan jalanraya ke sana dari Kupang,
Baling, Kota Perdana belum berjaya dah nak bangunkan pula Kota Putra,
rancang macam mana ni?" soal beliau. Contoh kedua yang diutarakan
beliau adalah rancangan menjadikan Pulau Bunting (di Yan) sebagai sebuah
pelabuhan laut yang dianggap berdekatan dengan Taman Perindustrian Gurun.
"Waktu zaman Sanusi Joned (Tan Sri) kata nak buat tempat bakar arang
batu yang diimpot dari Australia kemudian disalurkan ke kawasan IMT-GT
(Indonesia,Malaysia, Thailang - Golden Triangle) melalui aliran sungai
milik MADA ke Bukit Kayu Hitam.

"Lepas itu kata pula nak jadikan Pulau Bunting pusat proses minyak mentah
yang diimpot dari Iran, proses di situ, salurkan ke Tok Bali, Kelantan
melalui paip bawah tanah, dari Tok Bali kapal dagang dari Korea, Taiwan
ambil dari sana, tetapi dua-dua tak jadi. "Bajet tahun ini Pemangku MB
sebut nak jadikan pelabuhan pula, ini perancangan yang tidak rapi, lepas
satu, satu, lepas ini kita tak tahu apa nak jadi pada Pulau Bunting,"
sambung beliau lagi. Beliau turut mempertikaikan kepentingan 1000 ekar
tanah sawah di kawasan Mergong, Alor Star yang diambil oleh kerajaan
untuk dijadikan zon perindustrian. "Sebelum ini ambil seluas 435 ekar
tanah pertanian di Jabi (Pokok Sena) sebagai tanah perindustrian,
malangnya tidak digunakan sepenuhnya di sana, bukannya jauh dari Alor
Star, sekarang nak ambil di Mergong pula, tanah pertanian semakin kurang,
tidak diganti, lama kelamaan ia akan terus berkurangan," kata Ustaz
Azizan. Projek pertanian tiada pasaran Selain itu beliau turut
menegur sikap acuh tak acuh kerajaan Kedah dalam memasarkan hasil
pertanian negeri ini. Tegas beliau, penanam padi, kelapa sawit dan
getah boleh dianggap berjaya kerana ada aliran yang baik untuk pemasaran
hasil pertanian tiga sektor itu, bagaimanapun penanam sayur, penternak
ikan, pegusaha kebun buah-buahan menemui jalan buntu.

"Kerajaan kata tanam, rakyat tanam, galakan tidak diberikan, sayur dah
hendak dijual, kerajaan tak bantu pasarkan, di mana petani di kampung nak
jual. "Sebelum ini buat projek ternak ikan dalam sangkar dalam sungai,
itu saya setuju, pasaran pun ok la, hari ini umum pula nak jadikan pusat
ternakan ikan hiasan, ikan ini manja, susah nak bela, nak jual lagi lepas
tu, mungkin akan terima nasib macam sayur tadi. Jangan ulangi insiden
Hospital Sungai Petani Sebagai Ketua Pembangkang Dun Kedah, Ustaz
Azizan juga menegur kelalaian yang berlaku hingga menimbulkan kerisauan
pelbagai pihak mengenai tahap mutu perkhidmatan Hospital Sungai Petani.
"Kes pertama bawak lari budak, katanya kurang waras ka, tak apa lah, kes
kedua tak pasti jantina, ini pelik sikit lah, harap ia jangan berulang.
"Kes di Hospital Yan, wanita berumur 28 tahun ini bersalin pada 8 Oktober
lalu, discaj 9 Oktober, 12 Oktober keluarga bawa semula wanita ini ke
Hospital Yan, katanya uri keluar tak habis, dia masuk wad pukul 10.00
pagi, wanita ini meninggal dunia pada jam 3.30 petang hari yang sama.

"Kalau kes itu serius kenapa tak dibawa ke Alor Star, ajal maut di tangan
Allah tetapi jika berpunca dari kelalaian ia memburukkan imej hospital
terbabit," kata beliau. Setahun penduduk Kampung Dulang tiada Masjid
Selepas setahun penduduk Kampung Dulang, Yan menunggu untuk menunaikan
solat Jumaat di kampung mereka sendiri namun ia masih menemui jalan
buntu. Kata Ustaz Azizan, pihak Jabatan Agama Islam mendakwa tanah
kawasan masjid itu masih belum diwakafkan, sedangkan jelas beliau tanah
itu telahpun diwakafkan oleh seorang hamba Allah, bagaimanapun sekarang,
hamba Allah itu telah pun meninggal dunia. "Inilah hasil buat kerja
lambat, waktu orang kampung panggil pihak pejabat agama dulu mereka tak
datang, sekarang nak selesaikan, mesti kena selesaikan secepat mungkin,"
desak beliau. Sijil Insaniah Illegal! Pendedahan kemungkinan sijil
yang dimiliki pelajar Institut
Agama Islam Kedah (Insaniah) adalah tidak sah di sisi undang-undang oleh
Ustaz Azizan membuka mata ahli-ahli Dun Kedah.

Ini ekoran pengumuman Pemangku MB Kedah bahawa mulai Januari 2006 Insaniah
akan bergelar Kolej Universiti Insaniah (Kuin). "Zaman Tan Sri Osman
Aroff dia dah bentang Enakmen Insaniah, saya dan Ustaz Fadzil Noor lawan
sebab tak betul, langsung tak ada jawapan dari pihak kerajaan, akhirnya
Osman Aroff tarik balik pembentangan Enakmen itu. "Mai zaman Sanusi dia
bentang lulus terus, jadi saya nak persoalkan dulu Institut, sekarang
Kolej Universiti, Insaniah ni di bawah undang-undang mana ni? "Kampus
pun tak ada, dulu kata nak bina di Ruat (Yan), lepas itu kata di Gurun,
lepas Gurun pi sewa di Mergong, lepas tu pindah ke Kompleks Yayasan
Al-Bukhary (Alor Star), duduk sat keluar balik ke Mergong," katanya.
Tegas beliau, "kalau undang-undang pun tak jelas, kita bimbang satu hari
nanti, ada pihak yang mempertikaikan kesahihan sijil Insaniah, waktu itu
siapa yang mesti dipersalahkan."

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[MGG] Why is Tun Ghafar's grave dug when his still alive?

THE GRAVE HAS BEEN DUG at the National Mosque, and those who went to
the National Mosque in Kuala Lumpur were told it is for the former
deputy prime minister, Tun Ghafar Baba, now in London for medical
treatment. He may not survive the treatment in London, as Tun Razak
did not, but the officials have decided he would not return alive.
But the grave. ghoulishly, had to be dug three times because the
length of the grave each time not correct. The National Mosque has
graves for six who laboured for Malaysian independence. The former
deputy prime minister, Tun Ismail bin Abdul Rahman, was first,
followed by the two prime ministers, Tun Abdul Razak Hussein and Tun
Hussein Onn. The man who should be there and the first prime
minister, Tengku Abdul Rahman, a member of the Kedah royal family,
decided before this death that he would be buried at the royal family
masouleum there. Another man, Dato' Sir Onn bin Jaffar, is not
counted by the officials, and died a lonely death because he was in
the opposition. His son, Tun Hussein Onn became prime minister, and
his grandson, Dato' Hiihamudin, sits in the present cabinet. But
Dato' Sir Onn, who is related to the Johore royal family, is buried
at the royal masouleum in Johore Bahru.

In today's Malaysia, those who were important in the past are not
now. Who ordered that Tun Ghafar be measured for his coffin? Why was
it necessary to dig his grave while he was still alive. Admitted he
is in very poor health, and taken in an ambulance to London after he
was comatose. Almost any one who reaches high position in Malaysia
will wear charms to ward off their enemies. I travelled with a
cabinet minister into the bondooks more than twenty five years ago,
found this out at first hand. Five star appointments, let alone
sufficient rooms, are not available, and in one rural town, we ended
up in the same room. I noticed the minister was wearing charms. He
explained to me why he was wearing it. It did not help him in all
circumstances, but it saved him from the most violent backstabbing in
the UMNO supreme council. Almost everyone, including the non-Malay
men in the cabinet, wear charms to ward off their rivals. It all
depends on the power of the 'master'. So different 'masters' are
consulted. In one famous incident, the state executive councillor
could only be killed over water. He took great pains to not even go
to Singapore. He was murdered over a stream!

But this search for a 'master' can have hilarous results. One
minister's gardner had the same name as the master, and the
politicians who asked a go-between to fetch the 'master' approached
the gardner instead. And the gardner, who had told his employer about
this strange request, was brought to Kuala Lumpur and put up at the
Crown Princess hotel. The gardner was asked to give charms to ward
off his employer, and give them successful terms in UMNO politics.
All failed, and none of them are in prominent positions today. The
minister knew who his enemies are, and took evasive steps against
them. And he told the prime minister about them. Their other charms
were effective in rising in UMNO politics, but their future in
cabinet is zero. The minister told me this at the time the gardner
was in Kuala Lumpur.

One lady did not die until her charm was passed on to one who was not
in her family. She lingered for months until it was done. She had
taken a charm to ensure her husband did not stray as long as she
lived. After she died, he took a second wife amost immediately after
the mourning period. Ordinary men and women takes charms as a matter
of course. I was given two on my wedding day nearly 40 years ago. I
still have them on my body. Whether they had an effect on my life, it
is not for me to say. Perhaps my life would have been different. I
believe in the efficacy of charms when properly done. It goes against
the grain for the Western educated, who believe in proof, but almost
all Asian and African people use them. They may in the Western
education decry them, and wear them by saying that there is no harm
in it.

Most people while believing in rationality would delve in the
irrational. People are always afraid of the dark. The Western mind is
very logical and dismiss the fears people have. But they delve in the
supernatural and supranatural. In the West, where rationality is
supposed to reign, the people do go in for charms. I know of may in
the West who dismiss the supernatural but wear charms and the like.
They take the attude of the late Malcolm Muggeridge, who was asked on
BBC why after a life time of atheism he had embraced Roman
Catholicism. "What if I am wrong," he replied. We do not know the
afterlife. But the rationalist is defensive when he delves into the
supernatural. No so the Asian, African or even the South African. The
further you move from the land, the stronger the rationalist becomes.
That is why even in the United States, the rationalist and the
"modernity" of life is challenged by those who believe in charms and
the like. In modern day life, it is considered backward if you do not
accept the West's belief. So, to be modern, countries in Asia, Africa
and even South American take Western trappings. But in their every
day life, they take on the traditional beliefs which are often
apposite to it.

So Tun Ghafar wearing charms is not odd. But digging his grave is.
They had to dig his grave three times, because each time it was found
not to fit his body. They had to dig it again and again. That is why
those who went for Tun Hussein's tahlil on what would have been his
birthday found an open grave. The grave diggers had no qualms about
telling those who asked who it was for. They could not dig it and
fill it with earth so it was easy to use it when required. It could
not be hidden from the most observant who attended the tahlil for Tun
Hussein on what would have been his birthday. But is this necessary?
Why was not the grave dug up after he died? It is alright to have the
grave earmarked, and could have been dug after he died. But in this
official rush to make the prime minister a dictator, all niceties are
forgotten of those before him. Tun Ghafar was ignored in retirement.
His police protection was removed. I used to visit him often. Never
did I seen an official from the government or UMNO visit him. And not
a cabinet minister. But he has been active well before UMNO. It was
he who turned Dato' Sir Onn's Rural and Industrial Agency into MARA.
It was his support that hade Tun Mahathir turn UMNO from a
nationalist movement into the political party it is now. He did not
agree with much of what has happened, but that does not allow him to
be forgotten. He may not hold public office now, but when the history
of UMNO or Malaysia come to be written he would have a prominent role
in it.

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

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Why Did the Chicken Cross The Road? What The Experts Had To Say

Why Did the Chicken Cross The Road? What The Experts Had To Say...

Kindergarten teacher: Because it wanted to get to the other side.

Aristotle: It is the nature of chickens to cross roads.

Ronald Reagan: I forget.

Richard M. Nixon: The chicken did not cross the road. I repeat, the chicken
did NOT cross the road.

Jerry Seinfeld: Why does anyone cross a road? I mean, why doesn't anyone
ever think to ask "What the heck was this chicken doing walking around all
over the place anyway?"

Bill Gates: I have just released the new Chicken Office 2000, which will
not only cross roads, but will lay eggs, file your important documents, and
balance your checkbook.

Tun Dr M: You know, I am tired of all this...'apa-nama' chicken-chicken
bisnes...the foreign powers should stop
intervening in our domestic affairs and just leave our chickens alone.. If
they want to... 'apa nama' cross the road, they should be allowed to cross
the road... Malaysia is a democratic country; we let our chickens do
whatever they want to do... as long as they don't threaten the Malay
unity and try to topple the government...and if they plan to do
so... we won't hesitate to use the ISA...

Pak Lah: Ini semua adalah khabar angin sahaja...jangan percaya khabar
khabar angin ini semua...biasalah ini adalah taktik pembangkang untuk
memecahbelahkan perpaduan ayam-ayam semua...jangan percaya... jangan
percaya...

Sammy Vellu: Ayyooyoo... belakang cerita lain kali, kita sude bikin
banyak jembatan, itu ayam musti guna
jembatan untuk lintas itu jalan lagi pun kalu itu ayam mau pigi
jalan-jalan, beritau sama saya juga, saya bolley buat lebbey banyak
toll........

Karam Singh Walia: Seperti yang saudara dapat lihat, kelihatan ayam-ayam
itu sedang melintas jalan. Mereka bukan sahaja melintas jalan, malah
membuang najis di atas jalan dan ini adalah pencemaran yang paling hebat
di maya ini. Bapa-bapa dan ibu-ibu ayam haruslah mengambil inisiatif untuk
melatih ayam-ayam agar menahan najis sewaktu melintas jalan, sekian saya
sudahi dengan.........Ayam di jalan dilintaskan; Ayam di reban mati tak
makan.

Colonel Sanders: I missed one?

Bill Clinton: I've had so many chicks, I can't remember...

Wan Kamarudin (edisi siasat ntv7): Ape kejadahnyer ini semua, KL dah
jadik reban ayam, mak bapak ayam asyik menganga saje.

Zainal Ariffin Ismail (Jejak Rasul): Ada "Ayam siapa kalau bukan ayam
kita..." saksi menyatakan yang mereka dapat melihat ayam-ayam ini
melintasi jalan-jalan di kampung ini pada waktu malam. Ada yang menyatakan
ayam-ayam ini merupakan penyamaran jin. Dan ada juga mengaitkan ia
berkaitan dengan peristiwa silam di kampung ini. Apakah sebenarnya
maksud tersirat ayam-ayam ini melintas jalan? Oleh itu saya akhiri,
"Jangan biarkan hidup anda diselubungi misteri........."

Cut the Subsidies!

Asian countries move to cut oil subsidies

07/11/2005

Asian countries have moved swiftly to reduce oil subsidies costing
billions of dollars,
to relieve the unbearable burden on their budgets. Thailand, Indonesia and
Malaysia have
announced plans to remove or reduce fuel subsidies by 2006.

Subsidies are a huge problem for developing countries, says William
Ramsay, Deputy
Executive Director of the International Energy Agency (IEA). Indonesia has
"good social
reasons" to subsidise fuel, he says, but as oil become more expensive, the
money will
have to come out of other areas, such as health. This will lead to the
erosion of
welfare services in Indonesia, he told ATI.

The total cost of subsidies in Indonesia is almost a third of the budget.
As Ramsay
spoke, Jakarta announced plans to raise fuel prices on October 1 to reduce
the fuel
subsidy, but to cushion the blow and prevent protests, 15.5 million
families, who
survive on less than Rp175,000 (US$17) a month, are to receive monthly
payments of
Rp100,000.

Early in 2005, diesel subsidies in Indonesia were cut. Industry sources
say subsidies on
fuel for the mining and export manufacturing sectors have been removed.
However,
subsequent increases in crude oil prices mean that expected budgetary
costs of all
subsidies have swollen and now exceed their 2005 appropriation.

In June, Jakarta increased its budget allocation for fuel subsidies to Rp5
trillion
(US$7.9 billion), from Rp19 trillion in the October 2004 budget. It has
subsequently
estimated the subsidy in the 2006 draft budget at Rp101 trillion.

Thailand has announced that fuel subsidies will be removed by February
2006 and has
stopped all diesel subsidies. The cost of subsidies to Thailand has been
calculated at
US$2.2 billion over an 18-month period to July 2005.

Malaysia has adopted a graduated approach and has, so far, lifted petrol
and diesel
prices three times in 2005. Even so, direct fuel subsidies are expected to
cost Malaysia
RM6.6 billion this year - up RM4.8 billion in 2004. The Asian Development
Bank (ADB)
says tax exemptions on petrol and diesel will cost the Malaysian
Government an
additional RM7.9 billion. Malaysians pay only RM1.62 (US$0.43) per litre
for premium
petrol. The Government also plans to suspend excise taxes on petrol and
diesel.
Malaysia, a nett oil exporter, gains directly from higher global oil
prices - nett oil
export revenues jumped RM1.1 billion to RM7.4 billion in the first half of
2005.

In Bangladesh, the State-owned oil distributor, Bangladesh Petroleum
Corporation, is
accumulating very large operating losses, to an estimated US$445 million
(equivalent to
0.7 per cent of GDP) in the 2005 financial year.

In its 2006 budget, Bangladesh reduced oil taxation and cut the duty rate
on crude oil
from 25 per cent to 7.5 per cent. It also lowered rates on petroleum
products from 25
per cent to 15 per cent, and the supplementary duty on products, which
were taxed at 15
per cent, was removed. Despite these moves, but without a substantial
pass-through of
international prices to consumers, losses will remain large.

The ADB says the Government will eventually need to deal with the
accumulated losses -
its oil import bill jumped by US$540 million to $1,540 million last
financial year.

In India, the ADB says, fuel subsidies are increasing very rapidly and are
likely to
undermine the budget deficit programme the Government has in place.

An unintended consequence of subsidising fuel is smuggling, where cheap
fuel is taken
out of those countries with subsidy programmes to those where consumers
pay full price
for fuel.

"No-one knows how much is being smuggled. I have talked to the governments
and they
suggest that large volumes are involved." says Ramsay. As long as there is
a price
differential, he adds, the problem will exist. And if the borders are
porous (as is the
case of Indonesia), it is difficult to patrol the coastline to stop
smuggling. He says
smuggling takes place through piracy or simply hooking up with a refinery
for cargoes of
petrol. If increases in oil prices are passed to consumers, it will remove
the incentive
to smuggle.

Indonesia was a nett exporter of oil until a couple of years ago. Ramsay
says Indonesia
has the potential to return to exporting oil, but has to attract
investment first.
Industry sources say that, with more than 600 million barrels of estimated
oil reserves,
and oil fields in Cepu and Central Java, Indonesia could reestablish
itself as an oil
exporter. But Exxon Mobil and Indonesia's State-owned oil company,
Pertamina, have been
locked in negotiations since 2001 over how to split revenue from the Cepu
fields.

China, which now imports about 30 per cent of its oil requirements, was
also a nett
exporter until the mid-1990s. However, Ramsay does not see a reversal of
this trend. He
says that in the greater Asian region, there are considerable reserves in
East Siberia,
which, if exploited, eventually could give the region a much better
balance of supply
and demand. To fully exploit the reserves in Russia's eastern regions,
such as Sakhalin,
will require serious investment to build pipelines and other
infrastructure.

Similarly, Central Asia holds good reserves where commercial production is
already
extracting oil. But many of these countries have geographical constraints
and the oil
can only leave the region through Russia. By contrast, Ramsay says, there
is a better
balance of gas production and usage in the region.

Source : Asia Pulse 04 Nov 2005

NEP - route to insincere partnerships

NEP - route to insincere partnerships
Pauline Puah, Malaysiakini
Nov 8, 2005

The New Economic Policy (NEP) was intended to push bumiputeras into
business between 1970 and 1990, but their lack of experience - some say
acumen - led to even more shortcuts being taken.

Enter the ‘Ali Baba partnership’, the name given to a business arrangement
that was ostensibly a win-win deal for the parties involved.

It enabled bumiputeras to be brought in as ‘sleeping partners’ of those
already in business, but who were no longer qualified to obtain
government contractors on their own merit.

“Malays know the government agencies very well, while the Chinese have a
lot of money. So they came together. There was no genuine partnership,”
said Syed Amin Aljeffri, president of Kuala Lumpur Malay Chamber of
Commerce.

It may have worked at a basic level, but not without stereotyping those
involved - typically, this painted the non-bumiputera as ‘greedy and
grasping’, and the bumiputera as ‘lazy and useless’.

In this respect, the NEP also tainted those seeking sincere partnerships
and whose business arrangements were beyond reproach or based on genuine
ability and mutual respect.

Loss of trust

Mistrust and suspicion were other manifestations of the fallout from
implementation of the NEP.

Federal Territory Malay Contractor Association president Mokhtar Samad was
candid in claiming that non-bumiputera entrepreneurs are still unwilling
to help their bumiputera counterparts.

“Malays just own about 18 percent equity, the Chinese own the remainder
because they are capable and developed. The Chinese don’t have to make
noise lah....they should support the Malays to be as developed as them,”
he said.

“They (the Chinese) just shout out that they want to help us. But actually
they do not give us a chance. Of course I know that I can’t force people
to help.”

Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall president Bong Hon Liong said bumiputeras
should move away from relying excessively on the government’s assistance.

“I don’t deny that, to a certain extent, some of them still need help. But
they must first change their attitude,” he said.

Bong said the NEP did not encourage competition on a fair platform or on
merit and that has led to mistrust among the business community.

“To get their way, the Chinese use Malays to get licences, while Malays
use Chinese capability in businesses. This is not competition, it is
using one another,” he noted.

Ting Chee Seng., Federal Territory Engineering and Motor Parts Traders’
Association cultural and education bureau chief is more inclined to
believe that only a small number of people are insincere.

“Chinese are cheated by Chinese, too. Cheating is a human trait that has
nothing do with the ethnicity of the person. Do you think only Malay are
lazy? They are many lazy Chinese, too,” he said.

Policy to blame

So what is at the root of the suspicion and mistrust?

Paul Low, vice-president of the Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers,
said this was due to the NEP itself.

“Obviously with the circumstances, it encouraged insincerity to come in.
It set the environment that the basis of partnership is through
affirmative action. So could the non-bumiputera be sincere?

“If required to comply with the 30 percent bumiputera equity rule, I would
identify a partner who will give me the least problems just so that I can
comply with the rule.”

He said even a sincere partnership between entrepreneurs of the same
ethnic group has to be based on trust and friendship.

“Two Chinese cannot go into business if they don’t know one another. Even
they can be exploitative,” he said.

In addition, two opinions prevail about going into business - while the
bumiputeras still believe they need government help, non-bumiputeras are
already learning how to succeed on their own.

“If bumiputeras have this insecurity, then they will always think that
they need help. But after so many years, they just have to believe that
they can compete and learn things. Of course the government could give
some support,” Low said.

“The earlier they realise the need to help themselves and become more
confident of their capability, the better for them. They should be more
self-evaluating and should not blame others. If they depend other races
to share (wealth), it will take a long time. So why not do it
themselves?”

This is especially since the “real world” and current global developments
demands survival skills of everyone, he added.

Need for transparency

One issue over which those interviewed found consensus was that the
transparency is very much required in any business sector.

“I hope the government will call open tenders for projects (to force)
bumiputera contractors to compete. The practice of negotiation to get
projects should be stopped,” Mokhtar said, claiming that the policy has
allowed inexperienced contractors to obtain large projects.

Syed Amin said there is a need to stem leaks arising from poor
implementation of policy because this has thwarted the objective of
producing successful Malay entrepreneurs.

This is illustrated by the experiences of a non-bumiputera entrepreneur
based in Kuala Lumpur, who declined to be named.

He said the government has wasted money by handing out projects under the
NEP without calling tenders.

“I still make profit by providing goods to bumiputera entrepreneurs who
obtain the government’s projects. But the government has to pay double or
even more when it can get the goods direct from us,” he said.

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Debate rages over NEP revival

Debate rages over NEP revival
Pauline Puah, Malaysiakini
Nov 7, 2005

Those who understand Malaysia’s economic and political landscape will
agree that the New Economic Policy (NEP) is not merely an instrument to
achieve equitable economic growth.

Born in the aftermath of the 1969 racial riots, it was intended to create
national unity within a multi-ethnic scenario by removing the causes of
socio-economic disparities inherited from the colonial government’s
administration.

The policy, which took effect in 1970, rested on two planks - eradication
of poverty regardless of race, and restructuring of society to eliminate
the identification of race with economic function.

Particular emphasis was placed on assisting bumiputeras to come out of
poverty by allocating them 30 percent corporate equity over a period of
20 years.

In 1991, the NEP was replaced with the National Development Policy (NDP),
which nonetheless picked up the main objectives, as Asian Strategy and
Leadership Institute chief executive officer Dr Michael Yeoh pointed out.

By then, government data showed that bumiputera equity had risen from 1.5
percent to about 18-20 percent. It is this objective that continues to
generate dispute.

So, when Umno Youth called for it to be revived in July, sparks flew yet
again.

Time needed

Interviews with several entrepreneurs revealed strong and often opposing
views, as well as embedded suspicion and resentment.

Federal Territory Malay Contractors Association president Mokhtar Samad
argued for continuation of government support to those in this sector.

“I have 30 years’ experience as a contractor. Without the government’s
support, by awarding big projects, even Chinese contractors will not be
successful,” he said.

He resorted to metaphor to explain why he thinks Malay entrepreneurs, in
particular contractors, need help to succeed.

“Even if you think your son’s IQ is low, you can send him to school. But
if you demand good results, you must give him tuition. Malay contractors
are very new in the field...of course their results are bad because they
are being asked to compete in a smart school.

“Malay still need help but not because their IQ is low....To train them in
businesses, you need time. To help Malay entrepreneurs to grow is not an
overnight work.”

Syed Amin Aljeffri, president of the Kuala Lumpur Malay Chamber of
Commerce, agreed that most Malay entrepreneurs in the organisation have
not been successful.

“Their foundations are not strong or solid, so how can they advance? They
need assistance and accommodation so that they can grow,” he said.

He asserted that the affirmative action policy must continue because it
has yet to achieve the objective of helping the bumiputera community to
advance in economic terms.

“A lot of people like to say that we (bumiputeras) have achieved some
(success), but I say ‘No’. The NEP does not state that (achieving) 15
percent is okay or 19 percent is also okay. The objective is 30 percent
(equity). If it’s not 30 percent, it means we have not succeeded.

“I don’t like to comfort myself with the fact that we now see a greater
number of Malay professionals. This is not what the NEP is about. The NEP
is about getting 30 percent (equity).”

He said the NEP requires time to get past the “experimental” stage.

“Why haven’t we met the target? This is because, from 1971 to 1990, we
were experimenting with the policy. We were searching for a formula, so
we wasted a lot of time,” he said.

Opposing views

Both views, however, were not well received by non-bumiputera
entrepreneurs like Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall president Bong Hon
Liong.

“I don’t agree with reviving the NEP. It goes against reality. It also
goes against international developments that are more conducive today for
open market competition,” he said.

One aspect is that non-bumiputeras will have wider opportunities to take
their business to newly-opened markets like China and India if they feel
stifled at home.

“Does the government still want to set a 30 percent equity rule? Does it
know that countries like China, India, Thailand and Indonesia allow for
100 percent foreign equity?

“Malaysia would lose its competitiveness if it insists on a fixed
bumiputera equity, and investors will be frightened off.”

The call to restore the NEP also did not go well with J F Jerome, who owns
a financing company in Kuala Lumpur.

“Any plan or policy must benefit all races. No single race should be
superior,” he said while highlighting a hidden hazard of decisions that
benefit those with a narrow interest.

“If the Chinese, for example, transfer all their business to Singapore,
Malaysia’s economy will be gone (destroyed).”

Bong buttressed this sentiment with a Chinese proverb to describe the
possible flight of entreprenuers as a result of too many restrictions
being imposed.

“Ci chu bu liu ren, zi you liu ren chu. (If we are not welcome here, we
can always go somewhere else)...this will be a loss for the country.

“If the policy is revived, Chinese entrepreneurs will have no choice but
to look for opportunities abroad. I hope our political leaders will take
this into account.”

Jerome is certainly one such entrepreneur - 90 percent of his investments
are in countries like India, South Africa, Hong Kong and Taiwan.

“I am not interested in getting government contracts because I have to
give away 30 percent (of the business) to bumiputeras. You know,
corruption (in this sector) is beyond imagination...It’s no secret,” he
claimed.

Selangor and Federal Territory Engineering and Motor Parts Traders’
Association cultural and education bureau chief Ting Chee Seng was
equally adamant that the shelf-life of the NEP has long expired.

“Malays have been very progressive in economics and education. I think
it’s time for them to be truly independent,” he said.

Last word?

Asked if the NEP should be brought back, each interviewee stuck to his
stance.

Syed Amin said: “No Malay will question the fact that bumiputera
entrepreneurs must become established in business. The pro-bumiputera
policy must be continued, but we need not call it the NEP.”

Mokhtar too urged the government to continuously help bumiputera
entrepreneurs.

Asked to respond to the view of the current and previous premiers that
bumiputeras should not rely on the government, he said: “I too want my
son to be independent. But before (this can happen), I must send him to
school, give him knowledge and let him experience how to survive. If he
is still not smart, then I have to think again.”

Ting disagreed: “The policy was implemented in 1970. I think bumiputeras
have been given enough opportunities to develop themselves. They should
not wait for opportunities, but must be more progressive. They can’t
request others to stop and wait for them or the nation’s economy would be
jeopardised.”

Jerome had even stronger feelings, saying flatly: “I don’t agree. This is
2005 and they have been given a handicap for 35 years already. Do they
want it to continue until 2020? Do you think this is fair? I don’t think
this is fair.”

Bong said he does not mind helping other races to advance economically
“but this should be done on the basis that the benefits that should
accrue to other races are not sacrificed”.

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Failures of NEP must be addressed

Failures of NEP must be addressed
LETTER: Eric Koh, Malaysiakini
Nov 14, 2005

My company was formed with a "muhibbah" mindset and we the board of
directors and shareholders were bent on providing jobs to all races
without prejudice. The company was registered with the Treasury to enable
us to be a registered vendor with Petronas.

Th Petronas license for a vendor is good for two years before it is
reviewed. At each review, new rulings would apply. At the first review,
it was said that the number of bumiputeras in our company should comprise
30%.We met the requirement.

At the second review, we were advised that bumiputera-owned shares in our
company must exceed 51%. In this instance, we complied.

At the third review, they said that our board of directors would have to
comprise a majority of bumiputeras. My chairman turned down the request
and automatically we are de-registered.

Now, I understand, Petronas prefers to deal with only 100 percent bumi
companies. Those non-bumi contractors who have worked and grown with
Petronas over the years will feel cheated.

What NEP are we talking about? What irks the public - especially the
non-bumis - is that government policies are never monitored and each
time, the elite class cries out for more goodies and wants the NEP
maintained. The government of the day just succumbs to such pressures.

Will those super-rich bumis share their wealth with the poor bumis in the
kampungs? Will the government of the day be bold enough to say enough is
enough?

Look at our corruption index. Look at our unemployed graduates. Look at
our educational system. Look at the "untouchable" ministers tainted by
corruption. What is our PM doing about this?

Divide and rule is what the government cares as along as they are in
power. The loss of trust and suspicion does not happen overnight.

We do not need the Chinese Chamber of Commerce nor do we need the Malay
Chamber of Commerce nor do we need the Indian Chamber of Commerce. What
Malaysia needs is a Malaysian Chamber of Commerce.

Do we honest Malaysians think that we are going to achieve the developed
country status by the year 2020 with racial, religious and ethnic
segregation and discrimination by the government?

Our PM has a very important role to play. If he keeps on keeping mum on
the issues at hand and allows them to take its own course, in no time,
the country will plunge deeper into oblivion.

The failures of the NEP since its inception over the last 35 years must be
addressed and for this the government has to be realistic and bold. Not
only for all Malaysians but also for the future generations.

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The never ending problems at MAS

An Email from inside MAS
13 November 2005

THE NEVER ENDING PROBLEMS AT MAS

AN internal memo circulated by MAS chairman and acting managing
director Munir Majid has made it to the press. The memo laments the
ongoing problems faced by MAS. Recently MAS announced losses of
RM280.0 million for the 1st quarter of 2005. Well the second quarter
lossed (to be announced soon end November 2005) was another 260.0
million. That is RM560.0 million losses in six months. Conservatively,
MAS can be expected to make losses totalling RM1.0billion for its
financial year 2005/2006. MAS has serious problems ahead.

Internal cash flow projections indicate that by June 2006 MAS many
not have cash to pay fuel bills and meet operational requirements.
When that happens what it means is that the planes will be grounded.
But MAS has contingency plans. They plan to sell the MAS building in
Sultan Ismail to raise cash. MAS is hopeful of selling the building
for about RM350 million but the very old building is only valued at
about RM250 million. And you cannot sell a building like that in one or
two
days. The bigger question is who is going to buy the building, even
for RM250.0 million?

Petronas already has enough unused building space at the Twin
Towers. KTM also does not need a high flying building. Maybe the
REITs (real estate investment trusts) will be asked to do national
service?

Many things in MAS are now being set aside pending the arrival of the
new MD Mr Jala from Shell Sarawak. A lot is expected of Mr Jala, who
sings and plays the guitar. Recalling his Dayak heritage, Mr Jala has
suggested a 'long house' type management technique. This means MAS
employees may soon share smoking a native peace pipe or worse eating
lunch from a common bowl in the cafeteria.

All of MAS' collective agreements have expired and are up for
renegotiation with the Unions. All salary increments for staff have
been postponed pending the arrival of Mr Jala. But the pilots have
been given a salary increment of 25%, even before the arrival of the
new MD. The Unions are complaining about this.

What will really happen when (not if) MAS runs out of cash by June
2005? MAS will most likely go to the Government for emergency funds
to meet operational costs. This is bad, really bad. MAS has undergone
almost everything that a turnaround situation would warrant including
restructuring, outsourcing, streamlining, financial reengineering
etc. The only thing that has not been done yet at MAS is brain
surgery on the people who run the airline. Perhaps this is an option
the Government may want to consider.

Another problem that MAS has to contend with is that the company now
reports to Tan Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcop, the Second Finance Minister.
If King Midas turned everything to gold with his golden touch,
everything Nor Mohamed touched went bust. He put Bank Negara into
technical bankruptcy with his forex deals which caused RM17 billion
in losses that are still not understood even by himself, let along the
average Malaysian. After Bank Negara, Nor Mohamed worked for Anwar
Ibrahim who got him a job at Rashid Hussein Research. Both Anwar Ibrahim
and Rashid Hussein went bottoms up, Anwar quite literally. Then Nor
Mohamed became Chairman of Abrar which not only went bust but was wound
up. During his tenure as Chairman, Abrar bought over Mun Loong Berhad
which went bust and became a PN4 company and lost its identity
completely. It is now
known as Kamdar Singh Textiles. Then Nor Mohamed worked for Tan Sri
Ali Abul Hassan who lost his job. After that Nor Mohamed worked for
Mahathir Mohamed who has also stepped down. Now Nor Mohamed works for
Abdullah Badawi and has the country's economy in his hands. Just
because he is Finance Minister Two now, can we expect Nor Mohamed to
have miraculously developed an ability to avoid disasters? I shudder
to say this but shall wait and see?

The appointment of Mr Jala also shows more short sighted thinking.
Why appoint an oilman? The simple reason is because 40 per cent of
MAS' operation costs are fuel bills – aviating fuel. It is hoped that
Mr Jala's experience as an oilman will help MAS do a better job in
buying aviation fuel on a futures basis (futures contracts). The same
futures markets that caused Bank Negara's RM 17.0 billion debacle.
But the fuel problem is not specific to MAS alone. The whole industry
suffers high fuel costs. MAS has other serious problems which may not
be in Mr Jala's domain or job description.

MAS suffers significant waste. For example the Prime Minister's
brother is a shareholder in SkyChef – a joint venture with Lufthansa
– which has taken over the job of MAS Catering. This is a very
lucrative deals for SkyChef but a bleeder for MAS.

Even if the flight to London is half full, SkyChef puts on a full
load of food on every flight. At the end of the flight, the extra
food is thrown away. MAS to pay for that wastage. Each meal in a
plastic try can cost more than RM25.00. How is Mr Jala going to deal
with that?

SkyChef has also negotiated the catering contract such that a full
load of mineral water is put on all flights that adds to the
airplanes' weight and burns more fuel. When the plane returns, any
unopened bottles of mineral water are put back on the flight and
charged to MAS again. A net way for SkyChef to milk MAS.

MAS serves salads in its meals, which were made using lettuce grown
in Cameron Highlands. Two months ago MAS stopped buying letruce from
Cameron Highlands and opted for very expensive imported lettuce from
Australia. No one (other than certain folks at the Purchasing
Department) seem to know the reason for this expensive switch.

In Engineering, MAS may have three test pads to check out avionics –
two in Kuala Lumpur and one in Penang. Because all avionics are
tested out in KLIA, the test paid in Penang is never used. Each costs
over RM200,000 a piece.

When MAS presented its quarterly results, they carefully avoided any
mention of Professional Services. This means 'consultants'

MAS has employed more than 17 different consultants and are still
employing more consultants. There are so many Australian and British
consultants that the MAS office in Subang looks like an orang putih
outfit. One consultant is paid RM5,000 per day. Other consultants
are paid in excess of RM 2.0 million per year. Considering that the
company's total losses are increasing, no one seems to know just what
is the positive impact of all these consultants.

The latest addition to this list of consultants is a lady hired from
Citibank Singapore who is paid RM60,000 per month. The headhunters
who hunted her down were paid RM180,000. This lady is in charge of
Services – to handle the outsourcing of MAS support services like IT,
ticketing, administration, etc. Outsourcing has been quite disastrous
for MAS too because it has cost the company even more money.

After outsourcing IT, response time to fix computer glitches at the
non front line departments have been slowed down (two to four days).
Some of these outsourcing contracts are also been eyed by companies
related to Directors that sit on the Board or MAS. One of them is the
Symphony Group that is controlled by Dato Azman Yahya (formerly of
Danaharta) who is a MAS Board member.

To bring the company around, Munir Majid has asked senior executives to
take voluntary pay cuts up to 30 per cent. This is childish and not even
foolish thinking. As a good example Munir says that he has not taken his
acting MD allowance for the past month. MAS folks say Munir's comments
are justified because he is not fit to be an MD.

But Munir's financial loss is consoled by the fact that despite the
company making so much losses, he has recently bought an oil painting
for over RM1.0 million using company funds that hands in his office.
What have financial losses got to do with appreciating art?

The people who know exactly what is wrong with MAS are the rank and
file. At meetings with the management they have voiced their opinions
but to no avail. The ringgits involved in MAS are huge. Many hands
are in the cookie jar.

Ends

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Derita rakyat biayai kos rawatan hanya disedari PM selepas Endon tiada?

Derita rakyat biayai kos rawatan hanya disedari PM selepas Endon tiada?
Wednesday, October 26 2005

Oleh HAFIZ MOHD BAQI

SEORANG lelaki termenung di beranda Masjid Pusat Perubatan Universiti
Malaya (PPUM). Sebentar dia berbaring, kemudian bangun dan duduk di satu
sudut agak jauh daripada bangunan masjid sambil menghisap sebatang rokok
sebelum kembali semula ke dalam masjid dan mengulangi perbuatannya tadi,
adakalanya dia terlelap seketika sehinggalah bergema azan Isyak.

Kelakuan lelaki tersebut bukan lagi asing kepada beberapa jemaah tetap
masjid itu yang datang untuk bersolat terutamanya waktu Magrib dan Isyak.
Sudah berbulan-bulan lelaki tersebut menjadi pengunjung setia rumah Allah
yang dibina untuk kemudahan para kakitangan atau pengunjung PPUM.
Bahkan kadang-kadang, terutamanya hujung minggu susuk lelaki berumur dalam
lingkungan 30-an itu bukan sahaja kelihatan pada waktu malam tetapi pada
siang-siang hari (antara waktu Zuhur dan Asar) pun ada.
Lelaki itu mula berada di situ apabila anak sulungnya ditakdirkan menjadi
salah seorang penghuni salah sebuah katil di tingkat lima bahagian
Pediatrics Intensive Care Unit (PICU).

"Rawatan di wad RM45 sehari, kalau sebulan berapa, kalau berbulan-bulan
berapa pula…itu belum dicampur dengan kos lain seperti pembedahan, kos
berulang alik lebih kurang 18 kilometer dengan kesesakan Kuala Lumpur
serta bayaran parkir kereta lebih kurang RM3-RM5 setiap hari, mana aku
mahu cari duit," getus lelaki itu dalam hatinya.

Mungkin jumlah sebanyak itu bukanlah menjadi satu beban atau masalah besar
bagi ‘orang besar’ yang menetap di Bangsar Heights, Bukit Damansara, Taman
Tun Dr Ismail atau Bukit Tunku yang kekayaan mereka terlihat daripada
pagar hebat rumah mereka itu yang biasa dilihatnya sama ada ketika dalam
perjalanan dari Keramat ke PPUM atau ketika bersiar-siar di sekitar
Lembah Klang waktu pada lapang.

Tetapi bagi lelaki yang bekerja dengan gaji cukup-cukup untuk membayar
sewa rumah dan ansuran bulanan kereta dengan sedikit baki untuk sara
hidup, tidak perlu dengan jumlah beribu-ribu...jumlah beratus-ratuspun
boleh menjadikannya tidak tentu arah atau setidak-tidaknya bayaran
ansuran kereta untuk bulan itu 'terkantoi'.

"Ahh..duit rokok lagi, yang aku bodoh sangat jadi hamba benda tak
berfaedah (makruh, sesetengah ulama kata haram) tu buat apa!" getusnya
lagi dalam hati. Masakan tidak, belanja untuk rokoknya sahaja boleh
mencecah RM150-RM200 sebulan.

Sedar tidak sedar, dalam pada beliau mundar-mandir dan kadang-kadang duduk
termenung di tepi masjid PPUM itu, sudah lebih lima batang puntung rokok
'ditenyehnya' ke simen konkrik yang menjadi tempat orang berjalan kaki
sekali gus sebagai penghalang kepada kereta-kereta yang ingin memakir di
bahu jalan (untuk mengelak daripada dikenakan bayaran) dalam kawasan
hospital tersebut.

Berbulan-bulan berada di hospital, lelaki itu dapat melihat betapa sistem
yang diwujudkan di sekelilingnya tidak memudahkan orang sepertinya.
Beliau merasakan ruang untuk orang susah atau miskin di negara ini semakin
sempit dan tersepit. Kadang-kadang beliau bertanya sendirian apa
rasionalnya kerajaan mahu menswastakan hospital sedangkan tidakkah
kesihatan itu merupakan suatu perkara yang asas, yang perlu menjadi
tangungjawab kepada kerajaan terhadap rakyatnya yang membayar cukai.
Lelaki itu bertanya, adakah rugi kerajaan memberikan rawatan percuma
kepada rakyatnya yang mana apabila rakyat itu sihat dia boleh bekerja
atau yang belajar boleh terus belajar dan hasilnya nanti untuk negara
juga.
Lelaki itu bertanya bukan kerana dia tidak tahu...dia sememangnya tahu
tujuan kerajaan berbuat demikian untuk menjadikan perkhidmatan di
hospital-hospital lebih cekap dan efisyen seperti mana yang dia baca di
dada-dada akhbar.

Tapi lelaki itu tetap mahu bertanya kepada dirinya kerana ketika itu
beliau sedang berurusan dengan hospital yang memerlukan beliau membayar
beribu-ribu ringgit sedangkan beliau tidak pasti mampu atau tidak. Kalau
melihat kepada gaji bulanannya, alamat tidak berbayarlah bil hospital
itu.
Lelaki itu juga tahu bukan dia seorang menghadapi masalah itu.
Berbulan-bulan di hospital sudah ramai orang yang ditemuinya merungut
perkara yang sama. Ada Orang Asli yang sumber pendapatannya hanya
bergantung kepada kerja kampung, ada juga penoreh getah dan ada juga
pekerja kilang dan mereka semua bukan daripada kalangan orang yang mampu.
Itu belum dicampur dengan cerita yang dia baca di akhbar, tentang
kanak-kanak memerlukan beratus ribu ringgit untuk menjalankan pembedahan
hati sehingga terpaksa mengemis.

Menghembus nafas terakhir

Ada yang lebih menyedihkan apabila dia membaca kanak-kanak itu
menghembuskan nafas terakhir sebelum duit yang dirayunya cukup bagi
membolehkan rawatan dijalankan.

Walaupun lelaki itu tahu kerajaan ada menyediakan tabung bantuan perubatan
dan hospital juga boleh bertolak ansur dari segi bayaran untuk mereka
sepertinya, dia tetap mempersoalkannya...tidak semua orang mendapat
bantuan itu, bahkan ditambah dengan birokrasi dan segala macam
karenah...memang memeningkan.

Lagipun dia fikir, perlukah semua orang miskin terpaksa merayu-rayu
apabila menghidap penyakit yang rawatannya mahal.
Kebetulan lelaki itu ada memohon tabung bantuan untuk membeli sebuah alat
yang hampir sama mahal dengan harga sebuah kereta Proton Wira.
Beliau berterima kasih permohonan itu diluluskan dengan cara kumpulkan
dahulu segala duit yang ada, sama ada di dalam bank, dalam belanga, bawah
bantal atau dari saudara mara dan baki yang belum cukup akan ditambah oleh
tabung bantuan.

Tapi dalam kes lelaki itu, yang ditambah lebih banyak daripada yang dia
kumpulkan (dia memang berterima kasih). Kadang-kadang lelaki itu
merasakan dunia ini tidak adil kepada orang miskin. Mereka mendapat
rawatan dan layanan ala kadar sedangkan layanan bagus-bagus diperolehi
oleh orang berada. Kerisauannya itu bertambah apabila ada cadangan
kerajaan untuk menswastakan wad di hospital kerajaan.

Dalam hatinya terfikir sudah tentu doktor dan jururawat terbaik akan
bertumpu ke wad tersebut. Manakala kelengkapan dan kemudahan wad seperti
alat penghawa dingin, bilik air, keselesaan katil hanya akan dinikmati
oleh mereka yang berduit sahaja.

Masakan fasaliti wad biasa dengan wad swasta sama, kalau begitu baik semua
orang bertumpu kepada wad biasa yang murah atau percuma.
Tiba-tiba lelaki itu teringat sesuatu, rupa-rupanya sudah berbulan-bulan
isterinya mengambil cuti tanpa gaji.

"Makin parah," katanya dalam hati lagi. Tetapi lelaki itu tidak mahu
memikirkan masalah di tempat kerjanya, hanya menambah kerungsingan
sahaja.

Semakin lama lelaki itu di hospital semakin dia tertekan. Semuanya dilihat
tidak betul, ‘operator’ pengutip duit parkir kereta yang sebelum ini
sentiasa dia lemparkan senyuman setiap kali mahu memakir atau keluar
daripada kawasan pakir dirasa mahu ditinju sahaja apabila melihat
mukanya.
"Sudah lebih tiga bulan aku berulang alik ke hospital dengan caj wad RM45
sehari, takkanlah tidak boleh bagi parkir percuma, tidak bolehkah pihak
hospital mengeluarkan satu pas percuma untuk pesakit atau penjaga
pesakit.

“Kalau pelawat lainlah, mereka tidak datang setiap hari. Dicampur RM45
dengan RM5 untuk bayaran pakir...ahh…susahnya," beliau merungut seorang
diri.

Kini, setelah berbulan-bulan lamanya lelaki itu sudah tidak lagi ke
hospital. Dia tidak tahu adakah selama-lamanya atau selepas ini dia perlu
berulang alik ke hospital lagi. Terserahlah kepada Tuhan.

Tetapi suatu hari lelaki itu terkejut dan tergamam, pelik lagi hairan
apabila membaca satu laporan akhbar: 'Perdana Menteri menyatakan iltizam
mahu memastikan rakyat yang menghidap penyakit kanser payu dara mendapat
rawatan dan ubat dengan harga berpatutan.'

Lelaki itu terkejut dua kali, pertama beliau terkejut kerana yang
beriltizam itu adalah PM, bukan ketua pembangkang atau Presiden PAS.
Adakah seorang PM perlu meperjuangkan bayaran murah untuk rawatan kanser.
Lelaki itu mula keliru antara kuasa PM dengan kuasa seorang presiden
parti pembangkang.

"Bukankah seorang PM boleh terus melaksanakan dasar rawatan di hospital
kerajaan secara percuma dengan memberikan arahan tertentu melalui
prosedur tertentu?" dia menyoal tetapi dalam hatinya sahaja.
Keduanya lelaki itu terkejut kerana PM mula bercita-cita untuk
mengurangkan kos rawatan satu penyakit hanya penyakit itu terkena kepada
arwah isterinya (semoga Allah merahmati Datin Seri Endon).
Tidakkah PM tahu berapa ramai rakyat di negara ini telah merana atau
meninggal dunia kerana kesukaran untuk mendapatkan rawatan?
Tidakkah PM tahu bahawa bukan rawatan penyakit kanser sahaja yang
membebankan rakyat. Dan tidakkah PM sedar bahawa rawatan itu sepatutnya
memang perlu diberi percuma atau dengan kadar bayaran minimum?

Dia menyoal lagi, perlukah keluarga atau orang terdekat dengan PM
menghidap penyakit bengkak hati, leukemia, hepatitis B, kanser otak,
serangan jantung, jantung berlubang, masalah paru-paru atau seribu satu
macam penyakit lagi yang rawatannya memerlukan kos yang tinggi baru
membolehkan rakyat negara ini menikmati rawatan perubatan murah atau
percuma.

Mujurlah laporan itu dibaca kebetulan pada bulan puasa dan jam belum
menunjukkan pukul 7 malam, lelaki itu tidak mengambil rokok seperti mana
yang biasa dia lakukan apabila dia kekeliruan, kegelisahan, kerungsingan,
kebingungan, kekenyangan, kegembiraan atau kesedihan.

Tetapi dia menghantukkan kepalanya beberapa kali ke meja. – lanh

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[MGG] The Japanese won us our Merdeka

The Japanese won us our Merdeka in 1957. They had defeated Russia in
1905, the United States, France, Great Britain, Netherlands between
1939 and 1942. That they were subsequently defeated in 1945 is
neither here nor there. For that victory by 1942 showed that the
'white man' did not have any special magic with their race and could
be defeated, and slowly the 'white man' gave up his belongings in
Asia: From India to Macao just off Hongkong. Malaysia got its
independence in 1957 after Britain was forced by the Communist Party
of Malaya, which had forced the British hands into giving power to an
Oxbridge elite, who could be manipulated from behind the scenes, who
declared its independence in 1957. That elite continues to run the
country, though the leadership is not Oxbridge educated. But the
unpalatable fact is that it was the Japanese who by defeating the
five European powers set in motion the string of countries that
became independent in the 50 years since the Second World War.

And they were aided by the Malayan Communist Party, whose leader Chin
Peng was awarded the OBE for his help against the Japanese during the
Second World War. The British were forced to let get of Malaysia,
and held on till 1957 by which time they had enough Malaysians
educated (and brainwashed) by then. Just as the British-belever
Gandhi did in India, and Osama bin Laden, the CIA operative turned
intractable enemy of the US, Chin Peng was forced to confront the
British. Chin Peng is not allowed to settle in Malaysia as the other
communists are, and whether he can is before the courts here. The
next history of Malaya will reveal all this.

The politicians who say otherwise are off their heads or know which
way their bread is buttered. The Islamic agenda has taken over with
even UMNO joining it. It is UMNO's death wish, for in the end, it
will be the Islamists and the local educated who will take over.
That the British has won, for the moment, is clear. It remains in
power through their local satraps in what used to be British
terroritories. But this will be their downfall. The constitutions
have been amended, as it has in Malaysia, to remove their secular
preference for a religious state. And this is driven by the very
people it has supported. Malaysia is now as Islamic state, made in
fear by UMNO of the Islamically inclined PAS. It made the laws in
Kelantan and Trengganu states that allowed Islamic practices, which
PAS made use of to widen their agenda, which is a nation-wide Islamic
state.

UMNO, in power since 1955 – two years before independence, has had to
alter its tactics over the years by PAS and the extreme conservatism
of the Malay hinterland. The other races do not matter, though they
represent 35 per cent of the population of 20 million. People in
Sabah and Sarawak, mostly Christians and animists, suddenly found
they were in the minority although they form the majority in that
part of Malaysia which is larger than the peninsula. Malaysian
military officials have no concept of Sabah and Sarawak as part of
Malaysia, as I found in their papers during my years as a lecturer at
the Ministry of Defence, and it is UMNO which governs in the state of
Sarawak. There was an agreement solemnly signed by the Malayan
government and the governments of Sarawak and Sabah before their
accession to Malaya to form Malaysia. The fact that only Muslims can
be yang di-pertuan negaras in what is largely a Christian and
animists rankles. Sarawak and Sabah would secede, if they are allowed
to under the constitution. One third of parliament is to have come
from Sabah and Sarawak, but that is in the document not in practice.

We have nothing to celebrate on the 48th birthday of Malaysia. In
Malaysia, the Chinese and Indians are relegated as
"pendatang" (arrivals). Those who trace their background to the
early days of british rule in Malaya cannot still get their
citizenship while those from the Indonesian islands can get it after
a year's stay here for that would increase the Malays here. In the
1931 census, the Malays in Selangor had their parents born overseas.
Part of it is the British probem. They could not persuade the
sultans to issue citizenship except by an involved procedure. It was
only after the war, with the formation of the Federation of Malaya in
1948, that sultans could issue citizenships to those who had lived in
their state for a number of years. My father became a subject of the
ruler of Johore in 1952, 22 years after he had decided to live here.
It was only in 1957 that he became a federal citizen, and I, who was
born in Johore Bahru, became one as a result. But my father had
thrown in his lot to Malaysia early on, and he was criticised by the
Malaysian Indian Congress (now part of the BN) for forsaking his
Indian citizenship! Now it is an obstacle course for a Chinese or
an Indian to take his citizenship.

The government agencies are closed to the Chinese and Indian, so both
have written off the civil service. The government is composed of
UMNO, MCA, MIC, Gerakan and the other parties of the Barisan
Nasional. But the leaders of these parties have remained in the
cabinet for decades, and reluctant to talk of their compatriots in
government-run establishments. UMNO had taken this one step further.
The prime minister, Dato Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, has stated that
those in the government are not required to resign if they lost the
party election, as many in MCA and MCA have, and MIC is due to have
its elections soon. In the Gerakan elections for the party president,
the loser is therefore allowed to remain in the government. Unless he
chooses to resign. But resign he would not, if others are an
indication. The former health minister, Mr Chua Jui Meng, resigned
from the cabinet when he lost the MCA elections.

Now this desire of the political party leaders to remain in office as
long as they can, has caused the man in the street – the Malay,
Chinese and Indian in West Malaysia, and the Christian, animist,
Muslim in East Malaysia – to take matters in his own hands. He has
asked the BN his own desires, which include a more equitable use of
the 30 per cent bumiputra requirement, that the Chinese and Indian be
allowed to partake in the 30 per cent bumiputra requirement, that
more Chinese and Indians be allowed in the government services, the
police especially, and the special requirement in place after the
1969 racial riots be dispensed with. A token is not what is needed,
although the Chinese and Indian leaders may think so. In Merdeka day
2005, it is safe to predict the end of UMNO as a valid political
force – if not in the next general elections, the one after that.
The Chinese and Indian leaders in BN do not recognise these trends,
but they have been in office for decades, and are not likely to. You
can threaten potential candidates for party elections so much, but
the day will come when the average man in the street will not be
frightened, and bring the Opposition in. Then it will be a matter of
time the BN is confined to the Opposition.

As it is, UMNO is controlled by warlords, and the Prime Minister is a
puppet. His refusal to sack the two ministers from his cabinet for
proven wrong doing comes with the curious argument that if he were to
sack them, they could join the opposition to him. So, he manages
only the non-UMNO members of his cabinet. But not from East
Malaysia, where the chief ministers of Sarawak and Sabah, though
aligned to UMNO, would not allow UMNO in West Malaysia to interfere;
not least the Prime Minister himself. Malaysia has become a fascist
state so that BN can remain in power. But the hinterland of Malays
with the Chinese and Indians are slowly cutting the ramparts down so
that the BN is reduced to making slogans while it loses power to a
new conglomeration of a multiracial coalition. This National Day is
a transition to an Islamic state, because the BN had cut off the
average Malaysian's interest in left wing politics, and is forced to
go into Islamic politics. The new politician is more likely to join
PAS is an added worry for the BN. The 48th Merdeka Day celebrations
is the beginning of the end for BN. If that is a matter of
celebrations, then so be it.

[I thank all those who inquired, and sent good wishes, and who
scolded me for not writing since 26 June not knowing I was ill, for
the two mild strokes I had had since July 6, and had been
recuperating at home the last two months. Please take this as
acknowledgement of the emails.)

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[MGG] More battles will take place worldwide in this war on terror

THE RIOTS IN FRANCE, of which there is much in television these days,
has paralysed not just France and the Western world. I have yet to
hear the argument that Muslim youths rioted as digits of the global
war on terror against Islam. It may not be, and it could be just the
reasons the French have so far given. But one cannot escape from the
reason that is not stated. France did send troops to Iraq after the
American invasion, as did many other countries, including Germany, to
help the coalition forces. The Muslims score a victory in France. It
tells the world that any country which helps the coalition forces
and have a Muslim population can expect a retaliation. The Muslim
youths throughout France had committed havoc in two weeks of rioting.
The French government, like the British, have taken harsh measures
against them. But will it stop the rioting? When the Muslim youths
find it convenient to add the anti-Islam attitude to their list of
grievances? The rest of Europe had better watch out. The European
Union's rejection of Turkey is a hot potato but wrong for two
reasons. One it should not have considered Turkey for membership. The
European Union is a Christian grouping. It should have remained so.
Turkey has applied for membership of the EU for domestic reasons. It
should not have.

But the European Union members cannot live without cheap labour from
Turkey. It needs Turkey and other Muslim nations to provide that. The
most European of the Muslim states in the Middle East is Turkey, and
so taking it as a member will solve all its problems. So it thinks.
There is much opposition to it in Turkey as there is in Europe. The
more historical members of the European Union remember that Turkey
came into Europe by conquest, and its entry into the European by
invitation would be by peaceful means. But the US wants Turkey in the
European Union and the civil code requires Turkey be equally treated
as all other European nations. Now that Turkey is rejected, the Turks
who have settled in Europe, or those who had gone there in search of
jobs, would be the next boiling point. Just as the United States take
on the world as its oyster, so does Islam. More trouble is in store.
It is already difficult for a citizen of a Muslim country. The United
States will end the global war of terror soon for it hurts their
institutions which survive on the Muslims. The war on terror is one
thing, their institutions another. But having started the war, it
cannot end it unilaterally. It has to sign a peace treaty where he
must state the reasons for ending it. Islam will then have won again.

Islam has become the opponent in the American crusade on terror. We
saw a glimpse of that in the bombings of the three American hotels in
Amman last week. Those killed were Arabs, but the news networks
failed to mention that they had more in common with the West than
their compatriots. There was hardly any reaction to the already
suffering Muslims in Jordan. When the Americans and later King
Abdullah of Jordan blamed the bombing on a dead man, and went into
detail of how an Iraqi couple was involved, the point was missed. Al
Qaeda or Muslims would attack American and European institutions
anywhere in the world at will, just as American does now. "Al Qaeda
in Iraq" has subsequently taken responsibility for the attack,
erasing any doubts who was responsible. And the West has taken that
as proof. But a bomb which exploded was in the celing. These Al
Qaeda fellows are so smart that they put the bomb there, we are told.
The intelligence agencies are on the ball. They found that out. They
are guarding the hotel round the clock, as is common in the Middle
East for decades. How come they did not catch them? The 57 Arabs who
died and 300 wounded in the bombings will only be relevant if the
United States can treat the 100,000 it killed, often at weddings,
during and after its invasion of Iraq.

But in this information war, the enemy is stupid, reacts to what the
Americans do, and cannot think or act on their own. But they are not.
The Americans thought Ho Chi Minh stupid. But and his advisers, one
of whose books on guerilla warfare is taught in military schools in
France and the United States. They blame them for not fighting set
piece battles. But they will not. In guerila warfare, they fight when
the enemy is not looking. Any damage it causes is victory for them.
Ho Chi Minh wrote poetry in his free time while he was leading the
guerilla warfare or as President of North Vietnam or as President of
Vietnam. Osama bin Laden was a Saudi Arabian son of privilege who
exchange a cave for a big house, and riches for poverty. He is
obviously a strategist. The Americans recruited him to drive the
Soviet Union out of Afghanistan, and gave him weapons and everything
needed. But Osama had a different aim. And that aim he is perfecting.
The more the West particularly the Americans blame him for their
difficulty in Iraq or in the Middle East, the more his support grows.
He remains intractibly opposed to the West, has touched base with the
poor Muslims around the world in which the Muslim leaders are
supportive of American global war on terrorism. Malaysia's rather
harsh words on the bombing of Amman is a case in point.

The West pulversises its enemy in words. Its people believe it. But
not the enemy's. The enemy reacts often answering many of the
questions raised. But that is not given any in credence in the West
but lapped up by its supporters. I have been criticised by many
people, including ambassadors from the West, over my articles about
the Amman hotel attacks. They have already accepted the perceived
wisdom that Al Qaeda was responsible, but they believed it well
before Al Qaeda itself acknowledged its role. But can it not be the
Western agencies which wanted Al Qaeda blamed, and did the bombings?
Al Qaeda could have admitted it to boost its profitle among its
supporters. I have heard many intelligence agencies involved in the
bombings. When I say this, I am accused of being a conspiracy
theorist. I was accused of being a conspiracy theorist in Vietnam in
the 1960s, but I met chaps in the 1970s, including several American
diplomats, who did things in Vietnam so that the Vietcong could be
blamed. The media can never be independent. They are usually part of
the corporate world, campaigning on behalf of their masters, and
reporting so that their masters are not. What they report, we are
told, is the truth. But people go for alternate sources of
information to find out just that. Are the conspiracy theorists then
in the mainstream? It is easy to label one a conspiracy theorist,
especially when he does not read later literature on the subject.

But conspiracy theories are hurled at one if one's arguments cannot
be challenged. People are expected to accept the perceived wisdon.
Accepting the contrary is not allowed. To prevent that, anyone who
does that is immediately labelled a conspiracy theorist. There are
many perceptions of truth in real life, and one truth is more
truthful, we are told, than other truths. Blaming the enemy is just
that. The riots in France, the bombings in Amman, the invasion of
Iraq all proves it. But it is the enemy who benefits in the short and
long term even if they are blamed for it. But in a war, the ordinary
people in both sides get hurt. That is what is happening on this
global war on terror. The battlefield is not limited, as in South
Vietnam. That is why the deaths outside Iraq should be the work of
enemy not terrorists. And more will come.

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

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'Over-borrowing' civil servants take home zero income

The Sunday Mail, Kuala Lumpur

'Over-borrowing' civil servants take home zero income
P. Selvarani Nov 13:

THOUSANDS of civil servants in the country are believed to be taking
home "zero" income after having their salaries deducted for various loans,
especially those taken from co-operative societies.

Many of them are even owing the Government money as their salary
deductions exceed their monthly income, thus breaching the maximum 60 per
cent limit on salary deductions imposed by the Public Services
Department (PSD).

A majority of the civil servants in this financial quagmire are those
who have taken numerous loans from co-operative societies, in addition to
their existing Government housing and car loans, where repayment is done
through monthly salary deductions through the Biro Perkhidmatan Angkasa
(Angkasa), the umbrella body for co-operative organisations.

Under PSD regulations, civil servants are allowed to have a maximum
of 60 per cent of their salaries deducted. Among the deductions are
repayment for Government housing and car loans. Those who exceed the limit
on salary deductions are not allowed further loans.

Sources said the problem of "over-borrowing" is so prevalent that
many civil servants have resorted to borrowing from loan sharks to make
ends meet.

"The take-home pay of some of these employees is zero while others are
taking home barely RM200 a month. How do they feed their families on
such a meagre sum? They are forced to borrow from loan sharks.

"This is where we get cases of people going into hiding when they are
unable to service their loans with the 'Ah Long'," said a source.

The situation is most acute in Sabah where 3,372 civil servants were
recently found to have breached the 60 per cent limit on salary
deductions and were taking home pittance.

The problem is so worrying that earlier this month, Sabah Chief Minister
Datuk Musa Aman had expressed fears that loan sharks were becoming
the "best friends" of civil servants in the State.

Musa had, on October 6, said that the debt problem among civil
servants had become so serious that it was affecting their work.

It is learnt that most of these borrowers were able to secure loans
from the co-operatives and other organisations through forged pay slips.

"It is either the work of syndicates or an inside job where the
payslip of the civil servant is falsified to show a higher income, thus
making
him or her "eligible" for another loan without breaching the 60 per cent
limit.

"These forged payslips are done so professionally that it is difficult to
detect them.

"Some unscrupulous co-operative officials also work hand-in-glove
with the applicants by abetting them in forging the payslips as they are
eager to give out loans even when they know the applicant is not
eligible," the source said.

It is learnt that the Sabah branch of Angkasa recently detected a
case where several members of a particular co-operative had submitted
forged payslips to apply for loans.

Sources said despite the Sabah Angkasa branch rejecting the
applications, they were subsequently approved by the Angkasa headquarters
in Petaling Jaya.

"Obviously, some people within Angkasa are aiding and abetting those who
flout the 60 per cent limit. This has been going on for some time now
but Angkasa does not seem to be taking action against those who breach
the PSD ruling," the source said.

Ends

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Preparing for competitive life

The New Straits Times, Kuala Lumpur

From The New Straits Times
13 November 2005

HARDCOPY: Preparing for competitive life
Syed Nadzri

Sixty thousand is equivalent to more than the population of Kangar or
full passenger loads of 150 jumbo jets. And this is not the recession.

So this mismatch is too adverse to ignore and we ought to ask this:
are students actually getting the right kind of teaching (or perhaps
career counselling) in schools and colleges?

The above number, according to a New Straits Times report on Nov 3,
was based on the latest census by the Economic Planning Unit of the
Prime Minister's Department.

And this figure is said to be more accurate and authoritative than the
varying estimates given previously, that ranged from 8,000 to as high
as 80,000.

Human Resources Minister Datuk Dr Fong Chan Onn was quoted on Thursday
as saying that nearly half of the 60,000 are doing casual and
temporary work, such as being cashiers and waiters, while awaiting
proper employment.

But what's even more alarming is the finding that the vast majority of
the graduates who cannot find employment fall in this profile: Malay,
female and from public universities majoring in either information
technology or business studies.

On top of that, being from poor backgrounds, they are further
encumbered as they cannot pay back loans taken from the National
Higher Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN).

I say "more alarming" because, apart from the straight-forward case of
an enlarged pool of educated jobless, the situation can lead to a
destabilised society where restlessness is created among what is
clearly only one section of the Malaysian community.

But why is this so? It could mean that graduates, especially Malays,
tend to take up the wrong courses.

It could mean that even if they are academically qualified, they don't
measure up in other areas, that is, they cannot communicate well
enough in English and lack self-confidence.

Or it could mean there is discrimination in the job market against
Malay graduates.

If it is the latter, which we all hope it isn't, then we should weep
for Malaysia and take the painful but necessary steps to correct the
imbalance.

But if it is because there are too many IT and business graduates in
the market and most of the job-seekers lack proficiency in English,
then there is something wrong somewhere in the education system.

Being trained in IT or business alone, however, cannot be such a big
handicap because both fields are said to be versatile enough for the
employment market.

Therefore, it has to be the x-factor in communication and other soft
skills that make the difference.

It is clear from the findings that graduates from poor families - and
hence mostly those who have studied in schools in the rural areas -
are the ones who suffer most when it comes to getting jobs or getting
past job interviews.

A thorough review of the kind of teaching and facilities they get in
school is therefore required.

It has to be remembered that the primary goal must be to prepare them
for the competitive life - not just the routine school stuff of
passing exams, qualifying for university places and graduating.

Without this focus, there is the tendency by policy-makers to take the
easy way out by giving special privileges and opening the back door to
university places using the argument that being from rural schols,
these students are at a disadvantage compared to urban students.

This system brings more harm than good, and the 60,000 jobless
graduates could well have stemmed from this short-sightedness.

But why do we allow the uneven plane in the first place? A better way
therefore is to expose them to the best from early schooling,
including the teaching of English by the best teachers.

Sadly, as has been pointed out many times, education in Malaysia is
highly politicised.

It is never politically correct to suggest that more hours in the
school timetable be devoted to the learning of English rather than
religious subjects.

Even the teaching of Science and Mathematics in English introduced a
few years ago is now being questioned as some quarters are calling for
a reversion to using the mother tongue to teach the two subjects.

Emotionally expressed, this clarion call will definitely win a lot of
applause in Malaysia's race-based political system.

But with 60,000 jobless graduates out there, it could well be menang
sorak kampung tergadai which roughly means winning the battle but
losing the war if things are not properly handled.

Remember the 80s when, before the North-South Expressway was built,
the hot topic in every conversation on Hari Raya was inevitably the
long arduous balik kampung journey?

Everyone would be engrossed in exchanging stories about the eight- or
nine-hour trip from Kuala Lumpur to Penang or anecdotes about the
"endless crawl that was made worse by the accident near Ipoh" and "the
reckless overtaking by some motorists along the killer stretches".

Well, those days are back again, 10 years after the full-stretch of
the expressway was completed.

It appeared like the whole of Malaysia was on the road during the
recent Deepavali and Hari Raya holidays.

The highway was so congested that it took me seven hours to drive from
Penang to Kuala Lumpur last Saturday, twice the time taken normally.

According to reports, traffic was exceptionally heavy on all routes,
including the old Federal roads and trunk roads. The coastal road
through Sitiawan, Teluk Intan and Sabak Bernam also experienced
bumper-to-bumper traffic.

Anticipating that the situation would be bad all the way on the long
hilly stretch of the NSE just before the Jelapang toll in Ipoh, I
tried to be smart by exiting the highway at Kuala Kangsar and proceed
through the old trunk road past Ipoh and re-enter the highway at
Simpang Pulai.

I thought that I would be beating those horrible jams at the Jelapang
and Ipoh South toll plazas.

Smart indeed. I was caught right smack in a traffic jam as soon as I
took the very first turn towards Kuala Kangsar.

I guess everyone else tried to be smart too and the bottleneck at
Talang was only the start of a long crawl.

There were easily at least 30 traffic lights from Kuala Kangsar to
Ipoh - in Kota Lama, Sungai Siput, Chemor and Mengelembu - and each
time the lights turned red, the traffic build-up appeared to get
longer and longer, backlogged to several kilometres in some places.

Almost all the petrol stations along the way were full of cars as
motorists took toilet breaks.

When I re-entered the highway through the Simpang Pulai intersection,
the traffic was still heavy but at least it was moving quite smoothly.

One thing that struck me throughout the ordeal was that the drivers
appeared to be more courteous this time around.

And except for a handful of incorrigibles, nobody was driving on the
emergency lane and irritatingly overtaking you on the left.

Anyway, it would be quite premature to suggest that the North-South
Expressway has outlived its usefulness just because of that nightmare
of a journey and the other seasonal traffic jams.

The highway remains relatively clear about 350 days in a year.

Perhaps what is actually lacking in times of congestion is regular
traffic updates on the highway.

Such reports, made over the car radio, would be most useful to
motorists before they enter the highway.

If they know before hand that the highway is congested, motorists
would have the option of either deferring the journey, taking an
alternative route or proceeding regardless.

The designated radio station could be operated jointly by the
concessionaire who, with the best information about current traffic
conditions, can make suggestions about alternative routes.

It is understood that the Government gave this specific licence to a
private company several years ago but the radio station deviated from
its original aims.

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[StarKL] Veiled threat to nation building

The Star, Kuala Lumpur
13 November 2005

Veiled threat to nation building

By SHAMSUL AKMAR

IN 1997, a Year One Malay schoolgirl in Selayang came home crying. She
cried because she had lied to her teacher, a deed her strict parents
had said was unforgivable. But she was forgiven after she explained
that she had lied to her ustazah (religious teacher) about her mother
donning the tudung.

“My friend who admitted that her mother did not wear the tudung was
told by the ustazah to go home and tell her mother that it was sinful
not to don the tudung.

“My friend was embarrassed. When it came to my turn, I lied and said
that mum wears the tudung,” she explained to her parents. The little
girl who lives in Selayang was born to parents who neither opposed nor
supported the wearing of the tudung.

In 2004, the girl entered secondary education in a national school
also in Selayang. She was asked if she was a Malay. When she said she
was, the teacher told her that it was wajib (compulsory) for her to
wear the tudung.

Her father was not satisfied and went to the school to ask if it was
compulsory for his daughter to wear the tudung. And if it was, was it
a directive from the Education Ministry?

The teacher said it was not compulsory and neither was there any
directive from the Ministry. The matter should have ended there but
the next day, the girl was scolded by another teacher and accused of
being keras kepala (stubborn).

The father, tired of the whole thing, applied to transfer his daughter
to an all-girl's school in Selayang where the student as well as the
teacher composition was more multi-racial compared with the previous
school.

The girl is now in the new school and does not seem to face much
pressure to don the tudung, at least for now.

There have been other such stories shared among friends and families.
It is quite baffling that such an issue could have persisted for years
and is not about to come to an end anytime soon.

In fact, the tudung issue has taken numerous dimensions, twisting and
turning, dragging and choking anyone that walked its path.

Hence, it was not surprising that when the International Islamic
University required its female students receiving their scrolls during
convocation to don the tudung or headscarves for non-Muslims, it was
viewed suspiciously by the non-Malay community.

The question is whether that policy should be viewed as a religious
statement or merely a specific dress code that IIU had instituted from
its inception.

If it had been there from the start and made known to prospective
students, then those wanting to study there would have considered
whether they are comfortable with such requirements.

If the policy was introduced recently, then it must only be applied to
those who were aware of it when they joined the IIU. It should not be
applicable to those who entered IIU prior to the policy.

The problem in the IIU is actually the tip of the iceberg and is
expected to come to public debate as it involves non-Muslims who are
suspicious of the motives of the dress code.

The bigger issue is actually where the government stands on the tudung
issue. It is not a government policy to impose the wearing of the
tudung but some employees have taken it upon themselves to enforce it
on their Muslim subordinates.

Some schoolteachers are the worst of the lot. They prey on children
who have yet to determine their religious conviction.

Worst positioned are those whose parents are believers in letting
their children make their own choices, neither forcing them to don the
tudung nor stopping them if they wanted to.

Many of these children succumb to peer pressure and become ashamed of
their parents who do not don the tudung.

The values these children learn from such circumstances are anything
but noble.

And the Muslim authorities are keeping mum on the issue, hoping that
it will blow over. To comment on it, either way, can result in a
political disaster.

Supporting the tudung cause may result in Umno losing the support of
non-Malays and less orthodox Malays, but opposing it will earn them
the wrath of the Islamists. Hence, the shrouded opinions.

Shamsul Akmar is a writer and a journalist of almost two decades. He
writes on political Islam, Malay politics and regional and
international issues.

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