Social service : H1N1 advisory

Since H1N1 has claimed more and more lives, it is good to practice preventive measures than to be sorry later. The following images are produced by our southern neighbour... courtesy of an e-mail from a friend. Look how informative their graphics are compared to our Health ministry who seems to be at lost and clueless.

More than that, please follow the guideline provided.










Stay healthy...


Till then...G'nite M'sia...wherever u are... Read More

KJ defends Utusan, so what?

And mind you that the man from Rembau is not off the mill guy. He is the UMNO pemuda youth chief. The one, as some friendly ronin claimed, nearly wrest Manek Urai from PAS. The one from Oxford and at one time said to be the richest unemployed man in Malaysia.

1. Mingguan Malaysia, datelined 26th July 2009 printed an article by Mohd Ridhuan Tee titled "Nasib Melayu di bumi Melayu". An online news portal, Malaysian Insider upload it and registered 83 comments regarding the article.
2. Following the article, a family member of a recently deceased politician demanded Ridhuan to retract his statement and to offer apologies to the family. To this, Ridhuan replied in Mingguan Malaysian on 2nd August.
3. Utusan did not stop there. On 4th August 2009, Utusan printed out an article "Melayu jangan jadi bacul".
4. When asked about Utusan's writing, Muhyiddin says that it is press freedom. Is this press freedom applicable to all? Or is it special for Utusan and the select few? Will Muhyidin says the same if other newspapers touch on the same subject but with opposing views?
   
5. In due course, Utusan was heavily criticised for running "sensitive" issues. Our man from Rembau comes running, defending Utusan and in the process :-
   • claim that the public has been unfair in targetting Utusan only;
   • accused DAP for being responsible for racial tension;
   • was surprised that he was accused of being a divisive leader;
   • stressed that Malaysians should not be too sensitive;
   • stressed that Malaysians learn to respect the interest of other communities;
   • said he will not accuse MCA or Gerakan of being racist if they bring up issues that involve their race like Chinese schools or the use of Chinese language;
   • added that Malaysians should not be quick to label people as racists;
   • he did not want people like Jeff Ooi calling Islam extremists;
   • said that opposition led by DAP was the responsible party that began racial labelling;
   • said we (does he mean UMNO?) only want to protect Malay rights and not attack other people;
   • ridiculed PR for being an unregistered party;
   
   
6. Now, the catch is his statements were not reported on MSM. Instead, Malaysian Insider picks up the statement. Why? Is he not newsworthy? Are the MSM sending a subtle message here? Is this another of those selective coverage by the MSMs'?
7. And mind you that the man from Rembau is not off the mill guy. He is the UMNO pemuda youth chief. The one, as some friendly ronin claimed, nearly wrest Manek Urai from PAS. The one from Oxford and at one time said to be the richest unemployed man in Malaysia.
8. Jesting aside, it will be good if this man can rebut our rebuttal :-
   
   
   • Utusan has allowed the sensitive articles to be printed in it's papers. Utusan should know that the sensitive articles will have adverse response and as such should not blame the public for questioning Utusan's motives;
   • he should not start blaming DAP for causing racial tension when he himself has cause an uproar years back when he was UMNO deputy pemuda head. This is like calling the kettle black;
   • there is nothing surprising about allegations that he is a divisive leader.
   • Malaysians should be sensitive because if we failed to be sensitive, then one day we will lose our identity;
   • Malaysians has been known to respect the interest of other communities. We care for the downtrodden, we send aids to areas affected by natural disasters;
   • if he will not accuse MCA or Gerakan, why can't he extended the same to other political parties? Isn't Gerakan suppose to be a multi-racial party? If Gerakan can be included, why can't he include DAP, as well? Or PAS or MIC or PPP?
   • who is quick to label others as racists? Isn't this the works of his followers in Pemuda UMNO? Why must he make a general statement? If it is his own followers who are quick to brand others as racist, call them so. If it is others, name them. No need to beat around the bush.
   • UMNO protect Malay rights? I don't think so. What UMNO protects is their own. UMNO has been proven to take away Malay rights. Remember when the King's powers were reduced by Mahathir? Isn't that the works of UMNO? Is that protecting Malay rights?
   • ridiculing PR will not lead him anywhere. PR is unregistered (for the time being) because they do not have the pre-requisite 7 party to form a coalition, as called by the law. Why should he be a busybody to matters not related to his party?
   
   
9. To me, the man from Rembau should ask himself - why isn't he given the coverage in MSM? Why were his statements defending Utusan not reported in Utusan itself? Is his statements defending Utusan appreciated by Utusan? Is he "hidung tak mancung, pipi tersorong-sorong"?
10. Maybe MSM will pick up the statements and consider it newsworthy later, perhaps during the height of Permatang Pasir's campaign period.
11. The man from Rembau should start thinking hard whether his presence is essential in Permatang Pasir or not. Why not he take a break and give Permatang Pasir a pass? See how BN fare in his absence. Someone says "Absence makes the heart grows fonder", maybe that is the best move he should make and let BN and UMNO big shots beg for his presence in Permatang Pasir. After all, if Permatang Pasir falls to UMNO, does he think that he can claim the credit? Does he think that the leaders will see his true worth?
12. As EC has already warned of pondok panas and last minute canvassing, his absence will surely calm things down. His presence and antics has always become a flashing point leading to "near blows", without fail. So, in this coming Ramadan, the man from Rembau is better off visiting the many dotting suraus and masjids in Rembau. What say you, do you agree?
    
    

Till then...G'nite M'sia...wherever u are... Read More

EC's asking - rare, medium or well done?

50 foot tall replica - will it still be standing after 25th August 2009?

Finally, EC's chairman announced that the nomination day for Penang N11, Permatang Pasir shall be on 17th August 2009 and if there is contest, the polling day shall be held on 25th August 2009.

The telling clue is in a small byline, MStar datelined 10th August 2009, reportedly mentioned that EC had discussed Permatang Pasir's by-election date on 5th August 2009 in Kuching, Sarawak. So what has that got to do with rare, medium or well done?

1. By virtue that EC normally set by-election date after their meeting, this scribe suspected that EC determine the nomination date and polling day as 12th and 19th August respectively, thus avoiding the hassle of having polling day in the holy month of Ramadan. That's rare because it will not give any advantage to the ruling BN to set up their strategy.
2. As EC has already informed that they will be making their announcement on 10th August and true to form EC decided that the nomination and polling day shall be held on 17th and 25th August 2009. To me, that can be regarded as medium cooked dish. BN has an advantage of 5 days advanced info (I am not accusing here) and has already capitalising on Kg Buah Pala and beer ban sales in Muslims (Malays) majority areas in Selangor.
3. Given that the seat fell vacant on 1st August and EC has 60 days to call for by-election, the last date for by-election shall be on 30th September which is barely a week after Eid. This can be considered as a "well done" dish as everybody can expect it to happen since the law has stated the requirements.
   

Where do we go from here? Najib is desperate for a win. And how sweet it will be for him if the victory comes in the form of Permatang Pasir. To do that, Najib wooed the Hindus by becoming the first PM to visit Batu Caves since the past 30 years. Garlanded and with an almost 50 feet high replica, Najib stands tall in Batu Caves. Will he still stand as tall on 25th August 2009?

PAS needs the win badly too. In part to prove that they are still a force to be reckon with. PAS has to prove that the "so-called" split in PAS is just another political propaganda.

Being a state by-election, local issues will hog the limelight. For Penang, it will be :-

1. Jeff Ooi's statement which has been construed as bunching JIM as an extremist group. Although Jeff has apologised for any misunderstandings caused by his statement and brush it off as a minor hiccup, UMNO and BN will naturally use it to belittle DAP and PR;
2. Kg Buah Pala will be an issue with the Indian voters. MIC may use the issue to gain some symphathy votes for BN whilst PR will use the issue to prove that it is a caring government;
3. H1N1 may be an issue if the Health ministry is not seen to take any concrete efforts to educate the masses and to contain the health threat;
4. PR will be looking forward to list out their uccess story whilst BN will be looking into PR's failures. Another issue that may be brought up by BN shall be the local councillor's appointment. BN is banking on personal grudges to catch PR off guard;
   

Enough for now. EC has choose to cook Permatang Pasir as medium-cooked dish. Let BN and PR offer the available sauces whilst the voters will choose whether they want to stick with PR or BN.

As I see it, Permatang Pasir will not be as hot as Manek Urai and the cool Ramadan nights will melt angry and militant souls...Will Najib pray Terawih side by side with Anwar? Will Muhyiddin "moreh" together with Hadi and Nik Aziz? The answer will be in Permatang Pasir...

Till then...G'nite M'sia...wherever u are... Read More

PR's problems? It's beer, housings and pigs...

Only PR can answer, if they are sincere. Or else, we will all be going for another wild goose chase in GE 13...

Frankly, I am not sure how this posting is going to end up, really. And the main reason for that is this scribe loves writing straight to the PC, no editing required. So, follow the transformation as it goes along...shall we?

It has been over a year since PR triumphed in 5 states giving Malaysians a taste of what could be, if PR forget their differences and join their resources to battle BN. That was the easy part. 1 year on, PR proves that their battles are far from over. In their quest for a just society, PR's path is now full of little stones and thorns that can either trip or hurt PR. In a space of 1 year, PR has shown that Malaysians are still a nation of races.

Although there were calls of Malaysians as a nation and a race, the fact is we are still lurking and grappling in the dark. As a nation, we are still like blind men not knowing exactly what are the do's and don't of our friends and neighbours. And for this posting, let's see how PR approached these differences in our cultural values...going down alphabetically.

1. Beer One of the most sticking points in the country makes its headlines again when Hassan Ali, PAS commssioner and Selangor State EXCO, calls for ban of alchohol sales in majority Malays (Muslim) areas in Selangor. MBSA's seizure of alchoholic drinks off convenience stores' shelves has not been taken lightly with some "jumping to conclusion"forcing Khalid Ibrahim requesting the sellers in the area to "self-regulate".
   
   It must be made to understand that Muslims (Malays) shun alchoholic drinks out of their religous commitments. Admitted that humans love to defy God's instructions. Although alchohol has been specifically barred in the holy Quran, there are Muslims (Malays) out there who loves to interprets it differently. Some use the excuse of health requirement, some claim that they will not be intoxicated and some concocted their own "fatwas" to consume alchoholic drinks.
   
   For ordinary Muslims (Malays), they must not consume alchoholic drinks not only for religous reasons but also to prevent "social problems" that are associated with it. However, it must be noted that Islam does not forbid non-Muslims if they yearn to consume it. So, here is the catch - what do you do when facing with the issue?
   
   I did not see anything wrong with Hassan Ali's call to ban achoholic drink sales from outlets within the Muslim (malays) majority areas. It may cause some inconvenience to non-Muslims but the inconvenience does not reach critical levels. Not with our good roadwork system. A leisure drive of less than 30 minutes will bring one out of Muslims (Malay) majority areas. Thus, I did not see it as a big issue.
   
   Nonetheless, this issue has been constantly highlighted. By not naming parties, there are groups who questions the sincerity of Hassan Ali. Is he highlighting it for his personal gains? his political mileage? his commitment to Islam? Along the same line, there are groups who dwells on this differences, adding fuel to an already sensitive issues. Offers of "togertheness" in defending Islam comes a plenty. Is this done out of sincerity or is it offered in the hope of splitting PR?
   
   Malaysian Muslims (Malays) are highly sensitive when it comes to alchoholic drinks. I might be wrong but beer ban in majority Muslim (Malay) is not wrong. If it inconvenience beer drinkers, it is a minor inconvenience. Something that they can with. And banning alchoholic sales in Muslims (Malays) majority areas is something that Muslims (Malays) embrace with open arms.
   
   
2. HousingsPearl of the Orient, Penang, is also facing their own problem. Kampung Buah Pala highlights the problems faced by "lifetime squatters" when the place they call home has been earmarked for development by a private developer.
   
   Whether the problem is inherited from the previous government is no longer an issue. This is not the time to pass the buck. This is the time to face reality and the reality is approximately 20 families will be rooted from their homes to make way for development.
   
   Initially, most sided with the residents including Penang state government. However, the residents predicament became a political circus when MIC, Hindraf, HRP and the rest turned it into tehir own cause. One offered to buy the land from Penang state government whilst another present their case to include the village as heritage village.
   
   I have to admit that I do not not know much about the village and its significance to be included as heritage village. What do Kg Buah Pala offer to be included as heritage village? From the many news reports and the photos, I failed to see anything of heritage value. And if I am wrong, correct me...
   
   When Lim GE managed to sit down with the developer to work out an amicable solution, the villagers' focus seems to be more on capitalising on the situation asking for a bigger space and monetary values. To me, that's it. Enough is enough. The state and the developer has offered a good deal but when the villagers are asking more than they bargained for...I say, good riddance...This is the attitude of the throdden.."Dapat betis, minta peha"...all at the expense of PR's good governance.
   
   
3. Pigs
   
   From "Negeri jelapang padi",the issue revolve around pigs which coincidentally happens to be another sensitive issues to Muslims (malays).
   
   When Kedah state government demolish a 30 year old abatoir in Alor Setar, one of PR's state partner temporarily withdraws from the government.
   
   What they failed to realise is the abatoir has been the bane for the neighbouring houses for the past decades and the demolition of the abatoir is a blessing in disguise.
   
   For some, this is an opportunity to attack Azizan and use this as an excuse to likened him with talibans. And in their haste to condemn Azizan, some has conveniently forgets about Azizan's plans to relocate the abatoir to a more conducive environment. Those who attacks him only see the potentital loses of pork sellers but never quantify the sufferings of families living near the demolished abatoir.
   
   On the other hand, Muslims (Malays) seriously abstain from getting associated with pigs. You can call them names but never call them "pigs". However, understand that in between his commitment to run the state, Azizan needs to juggle with many issues and has to be fair to all, or at least to the majority of Kedahans. This is not a matter of satisfying the needs of the few but to meet the expectation of the people of Kedah, regardless of race and religion.

What shown above are three issues happening in 3 states governed by PR. What is more interesting are :-

1. Selangor is headed by PKR's, Penang by DAP's and Kedah by PAS;
2. Out of the 3 issues mentioned, 2 are related to Islam and the Muslims;
3. For the purpose of this posting, Muslims are equated with Malays;
4. All the issues are politicised by various people;
5. The MSM prominently highlighted the issues;
6. Some quarters are using these issues to belittle PR;
7. Some used these issues to question Muslims on their religous stand against "universal human rights";
8. Some seek financial gains from these issues
   

PR needs to re-evaluate their stand and make known their stand. Will they still stand united in years to come or will they seek to go their own separate ways. It is time for PR politicians to honestly answers :-

1. Do they recognise that Islam is the official religion of Malaysia?
2. Will they subscribe to "universal human rights" or use Islam as the guidance in their decisions?
3. Will they listen to the Sultans or use the courts to achieve what they want?
4. When will PR be officially sealed, complete with its rules and regulations?
5. When will PR's internal bickering resolved behind closed door on a win-win situation?
6. Will the market forces PR to backtrack in their decision?
7. Will PR stand for fairness and fight against threats, as in Kg Buah ala?
8. Will PR prioritise humans over animals, as in the Kedah's abatoir's case?
9. Will PR stick to banning sales of alchohol at Muslims (malay) majority areas?
10. When will PR introduce their line-up? Who do they refer to when there are differences in ideas?
    

There are many things to write but for now PR needs to find its directions. Once PR ties all the loose ends then that's the time Malaysians can look forward for a better Malaysia...When? Only PR can answer, if they are sincere. Or else, we will all be going for another wild goose chase in GE 13...

Till then...G'nite M'sia...wherever u are... Read More

JJ's fly...Rompin?

Let's not dwells into JJ's personal hobbies like cigar smoking, jogging with animals and his taste for Italian...(you guys feel in the blanks). As long as JJ's fly is intact, we have no problem with that, do we?

1. Whilst Muslims readies for Nisfu Sya'ban, Jamaluddin Jarjis receives his credentials from the King as ambassador-designate to US of A. Congrats to JJ for passing US of A screening.
2. I will be cruel if I did not take this opportunity to explain what Nisfu Sya'ban is. Nisfu Sya'ban is the day where 1st Ramadan (fasting) is 2 weeks away. It is also the day where our "book of records" are lifted to heaven and a new "book of record" is open to record our deeds (and misdeeds).
   
3. Now that the prelims are over, JJ is expected to fly to US by end of August and is expected to present his credentials to Obama in September 2009. Hopefully, everything goes as plan in the White House since the post had been left vacant for the past 14 months.
4. The previous ambassador, Datuk Rajmah Hussain retired from the post in June 2008.
5. Although this is not the first time a politician is appointed as an ambassador, some took the opportunity to question JJ's appointment for obvious reasons :-
   • how can JJ perform his MP's task when he is physically thousand of miles away representing Malaysia?;
   • who will take care of his constituency when he is away?;
   • who will ensure that developments will come Rompin's way?;
   • will JJ wilt under the heavy responsibility of promoting Malaysia's views in DC whilst at the same time respond to the needs of his constituents?;
   • how many days in a year will JJ be available to attend "meet the people" sessions?;
     

6. Let's not dwells into JJ's personal hobbies like cigar smoking, jogging with animals and his taste for Italian...(you guys feel in the blanks). As long as JJ's fly is intact, we have no problem with that, do we?
   
7. Although I am happy for JJ, at the same time I pity Najib because now he has to weigh another 1Malaysia decision of :-
   • requesting JJ to vacate his Rompin parliamentary seat and go for (another) by-election;
   • requesting JJ to shoulder 2 responsibilities, that of Malaysian ambassador with Ministerial rank and MP for Rompin;
   • getting Adnan Yaakob to declare Rompin parliamentary seat vacant (and how to do that when BN has already announced that it is not their practise to get their MP to vacate their seats);
   • getting BN to prepare for another by-election (knowing fairly well that BN has a track record of 1 - 7 post March 2008);
   • letting JJ go to Washington when he is circled by incompetent advisers and enforcers
     

8. Behind Najib's smiles is "Telan mati emak, luah mati bapak".
9. The credentials are already given, Najib could not turn back and for the next few days he has to think hard - what is his best option for Rompin.
10. If Najib choose to allow JJ to vacate his seat, is Najib man enough to go for another by-election? Rompin is his home state and if he fails to defend Rompin, he can kiss good-bye to his 1Malaysia theme.
11. Me? I will go for the by-election and use it to assess one own's strength. Even if BN loses Rompinn, it will not alter the big political picture. If BN lose, it will be another good wake up call for BN and Muhyiddein cannot say much because Rompin is Johor's neighbout, meaning that if Rompin can falls, Johor will be next.
12. However, if BN can retain Rompin, it will be a good boost for Najib's 1Malaysia campaign. So how about it? By-election for Rompin?
    
13. If Najib opts to allow JJ to wear multiple hats, he is not being fair to UMNO Rompin and the constituents. Someone out there has already having wet dreams becoming the new Rompin MP.
    
14. Najib is at the crossroads - will he seek advice from his political brother, AAB or will he runs to his political father, Mahathir Mohamed? Others may not be watching but those UMNO warlords will be following this closely.
15. Maybe Najib will not seek advise from his predecessors. Instead he may seek Rosmah's guidance since word has it that Kerajaan BN stands for "Kerajaan Bini Najib". Don't ask me whether that is true or not because I don't share my bed with Najib, neither did he share his bed with me...
    

Till then...G'nite M'sia...wherever u are... Read More

On board...next stop, Permatang Pasir

Is there anymore brave "crystal ball" gazing ronins willing to spend time in Permatang Pasir wooing voters to vote BN?

Election Commission shall be deciding on 10th August 2009 the nomination day for Penang's N11 Permatang Pasir and if there is contest, the polling day date.

UMNO , boasts Muhyiddein, is confident of certain strategies to win the hearts of Permatang Pasir's voters. Zahid Hamidi announced that they had shortlisted 5 names from a list of 2o for selection as BN candidate. In or out, Abd Jalil, the UMNO chief of Permatang Pauh has openly decline to be BN's candidate.

Wait a minute! Before we go any further, let's digest some of the info from the various quoted news reports :-

1. Is Muhyiddein confident that his "Manek Urai" approach will win him Permatang Pasir? Another "bridge" inducement? Another "golden adopted constituency"? How many golden adopted constituencies will be created? Mind you that Muhyiddein's record stands at 1 win - 3 losses since becoming DPM;
2. Zahid Hamidi, Penang's UMNO chief, wants to prove to Najib that he is able to deliver Permatang Pasir to UMNO when Mustapha Mohamed failed in Kelantan;
3. Abd Jalil has openly declined to be BN's candidate. Is he one of the 5 shortlisted names or is he one of the 15 who failed to be shortlisted? Is this a face-saving move?
4. Why is UMNO so cock sure that one of their members will be the candidate for Permatang Pasir? Has they got the consent from other BN component parties? Or is this one of their typical bulldoze ways of doing things, bullying Gerakan and MCA into accepting UMNO-nominated candidate as BN's candidate?

Briefly, Permatang Pasir has 20,350 voters with 72 % Malays, 25 % Chinese, 2 % Indians. Without going into details and assuming that the Malay votes are split 55:45 in favour of PR, that means PR will have an advantage of approximately 1,466 Malay votes. If BN were to choose a candidate from Gerakan or MCA (who are both hungry for a win to prove that they are still a factor in Malaysian politics), there is possibility that the Chinese 5,087 votes will swing to BN.

As for the 407 Indian votes, this is the time for P Uthayakumar to prove that he still has the Indians' support by placing a candidate from his newly formed Human Rights Party (HRP). If P Uthayakumar can get 407 solid Indian votes here then his HRP may survive, if not we can start saying good bye to his HRP...

With that scenario in place, is BN creative and bold enough to place a Gerakan candidate to stand in Permatang Pasir? Why Gerakan and not MCA? Gerakan's internal problems are related to the now-suspended Gerakan's VP, CG Huan. If Gerakan is given the mandate to placed their candidate there, it will be a barometer to gauge the Chinese support to Gerakan's decision to suspend CG Huan for 3 years. Any failure to get the solid backing of Chinese voters means that Gerakan is rejected in Penang and at the same time indicates that the Chinese objected to Gerakan's decision to uphold CG Huan's suspension.

There are many ifs', buts and possibilities for BN in approaching Permatang Pasir. The question is - will BN be matured enough to work on 1Malaysia approach as per repeatedly called and promoted by Najib? Or is 1 Malaysia a lip-service and not a heartfelt slogan? BN's ball is at UMNO's foot, will they shoot or will they pass?

On the other side, since PAS previously held the seat, PR is expected to maintain the status quo and let PAS work out who their candidate shall be. Speculations are rifed that PAS may named Mohamad Sabu as their candidate. After all, PAS has only 1 single state seat in Penang.

As for the independents, the only possible candidate coming to mind now is the "umbrella" man who previously stood in Bukit Gantang and Penanti. Will he make another entry to push for his yet to be party PIS? Or has he run out of funds to match the big boys?

As for the former PKR Penang woman chief who contested as independent in Penanti, this seat is not her fight. Her grudge is against PKR and it is best for her to sit out Permatang Pasir by-election.

Whatever it is, as train porters like to say....."On board....next stop, Permatang Pasir".

Me? With BN failing to live up to its expectation to wrest Manek Urai from PR, I am waiting to see if there is anymore brave "crystal ball" gazing ronin willing to spend time in Permatang Pasir wooing voters to vote BN. Any takers?

Till then...G'nite M'sia...wherever u are... Read More

Our young embracing corruption as a way of life?

Is corruption dragging us down?

This news by Bernama datedlined 30th July 2009 should be worrying us.

It is reported that a survey carried out by Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) showed that students have no qualms about accepting and giving bribes. The survey showed :-

1. 30.5 % of the respondents were willing to accept bribes if they have the power and the opportunity;
2. 15 % of the respondents were willing to offer bribes to facilitate business deals;
3. 23.7 % of the respondents were willing to offer bribes to prevent actions against them.

To be fair, the sample size and the students background was not mentioned. So, if there is any interested party out there who wants to know more, you may want to check the report with UKM.

If this is the trend of our future leaders, it is not a healthy sign. Instead it is a sign of a sick society and supported the 2007 observations of Hong Kong-based Political and Economic Risk Consultancy (PERC).

On 14th March 2007, STAR reported PERC's annual survey of 2006 placed Malaysia on number 7th spot out of 13 nations in terms of corruption, meaning that expatriates business executives rated Malaysia as bad as China with a score of 6.25 (10 being the worst). Back then, Philippines, Thailand and Indonesia are ranked to be more corrupted than Malaysia. Are we heading their way?

What I see from this news is that our university students aka future leaders :-

1. did not see corruption as a crime;
2. see corruption as an opportunity to be exploited to the max;
3. relates power with corruption;
4. views corruption as normal in business deals;
5. will not hesitate to offer bribes to get off the hook;

As I see it, this trend need to be nickfrom the bud. Malaysian Institute of Integrity (IIM) must take the lead to educate the students on the perils of corruption. Social and moral values should be inducted into their thinking to build a preventive shield against corrupt practise.

However, this is easier said than done. Look around us and see who drive glamorous cars? Who owns the trendiest electronic gadgets? Who party through the nights? Then ask the next question - how do they maintain their lifestyle? Where does the money comes from?

Looking back further, see how much Malaysia has degenerate in terms of our corruption level. Way back in the 70's or the 80's, corruption is seen and treated as evil. Those caught practising corruption were publicly charged and there were no "political immunity" defending them. In many ways, government servants depended fully on their monthly wage to scrap through. Could you recall any young graduates or newly minted division A officers driving the benzs' or big continental cars in the 70s and the 80s'? All this perception change after mid 80's...when the "new malays" and "yuppies" hit the scene.

Now, try joining the "yuppies" and you will see the difference. Latest electronic gadgets, powerful cars are the craze with majority of them living in "uptowns", openly talking about "free lunches, dinners and commissions", courtesy of "Malaysia boleh". Everything comes with a price and nowadays they don't talk about descent salary anymore...For those who stick to their principle of honest living will be outcast and labelled as "ignorant or worse stupid" for failing to capitalise on the bountiful opportunities....

Maybe, it is not longer a big thing if a Terengganu assemblyman is nabbed by MACC for allegedly demanding 10 % commission from a Rm 1.5M project. Is that all our MACC is capable of investigating? What about bigger fish? Is this the reason why Malaysian is seen as a corrupt country?

It is time for the MACC to be directly under the King or under the parliament so that "political immunity" can be effectively eradicated. And it is time for MACC to have a new more dynamic commissioner who is clean and not a political stooge nor indebted to any political figure for his post. It is also time for our younger generation to be implanted with hatred towards corrupt practise.

Now, Malaysia is at number 7 out of 13 nations. Let's work on improving to be the least corrupted nation amongst the 13 and not working equally hard to be the most corrupted nation amongst the 13 nations across Asia. We still have the time...let's set the target...

Off tangent: SPR announced that they will meet on 5th August 2009 to discuss on the nomination and polling day for Permatang Pasir by-election. Apparently, the meeting has been carried forward from the initial set date of 10th August 2009.

Based on this new development, I foresee that the by election will be held before 1st Ramadan. By simple calculation, is it possible for the polling day to be set on 10th August 2009 and polling day set on 17th August 2009. That is my best bet for the moment. Hope it will come true and spare everyone the pains of campaigning during the fasting month.

Till then...G'nite M'sia...wherever u are... Read More