Making The Best Out of Twitter

Learn from my mistakes. Only follow those whom you know or care about - basically those who matters to you. Don't go into a following frenzy and follow unnecessary people - its not worth it. Especially sales and marketing people. I used to follow Joel Comm and Steve Pohlit and others. And boy was I getting tonnes of useless updated from the them. Why would I ever want to know what Joel Comm's dog had for dinner? I don't give a rat's ass about his dog. I follow him for his supposedly Internet marketing ideas since I've purchased a few of his products. And Steve Pohlit keeps sending the same darn updates every day. He must be automating it because I don't think he's that stupid to manually type them in daily.

So, don't be a fool like how I was. Only follow the people who care about and want to learn from. Don't get me wrong, if you love to learn from sales people, go follow them. Just make sure their messages don't swamp the ones you really care about.

Malaysian Government Playing Dirty?

Making Opposition States Suffer

Another classic example of how the Malaysian government is playing dirty to win back its lost power (and corrupted money) from the Opposition party.

Best method to achieve this is to deprive the Opposition ruling states from money, which these states are entitled to under Malaysian laws.

Deprive an Opposition ruled state of money will lead to its people wishing for a better life under Barisan Nasional.

Depriving an Opposition ruled state of money also teaches a lesson to those who voted against Barisan Nasional.

The more I see this, the more disgusted I become of Barisan Nasional.


Malaysia's Brain Drain

Another example of how the ruling party, Barisan Nasional, is further degrading Malaysia is by looking at the number of intellectuals fleeing the country for a better life overseas.

Read this excellent article on Malaysia's Brain Drain.

Why Whip Only The Women?

Just as I suspected, in Islam, women is second rated.

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2010/2/18/nation/20100218192616&sec=nation

Adultery or extra marital sex involves two people, not only the women. But while the men escape scot free, the women are punished.
I am thankful at least my God respects me and doesn't treat me any lesser than men in my religion.



 

Only in Malaysia...

Only in Malaysia does the government, under Syarikat Prasarana Negara Bhd, buy close to 1300 buses for RM93 million (USD28 million) and then scrap the buses two years later, citing the busses were deemed unit for operation. When the Malaysian public and foreign investors hear this, all their hearing is the sound of money going into someone elses pocket, which is a local Malay businessman. This is the typical hypocrasy in Malaysia that has caused the downfall of the ruling government, Barisan Nasional (BN). And yet, they refuse to learn their lesson. They forget that as more and more Malaysians get discriminated and marginalised, the more powerful the backlash will be. I really wonder how these ministers, and now lawyers and judges, can go about their daily lives knowing that nearly half the country thinks no higher of them than pieces of garbage. I guess they dont care as long their milknig money, thanks to Tun Mahathir who started rotting the country by making it dumber and dumber.

This is probably why, as other countries improve their economic and political situation, Malaysia is going backwards. Now with the trial of Anwar Ibrahim, we're becoming more and more like Mynmmar's millitary government. And all this is happening because the ruling government, under the leadership of Najib, is scared that its going to get heavily beaten in the next 2012 election.

Barisan Nasional is not going to let this happen. They will, through manipulation and severe intimidation, pull all stops in winning the next election. And the losers will be people like you and me. We're like fat toads in a boiling water. We're just waiting to be boiled to death. We will only make fuss and cry when we feel the water boiling but by then, the time is too late.

Can you see how corrupted our country has become. But the politicians try to hide all this from us by playing up racial conflicts. They do this because they know that Malaysians are a lazy and forgetful bunch. We're like little fat childen - we sit on our butts all day long as ong as someone feeds us sugar-coated crumbs. And we cuddle up in fear when they threaten us with a repeat of May 13.

When are we going to wake up and stop all this corruption. I dont mind the national policy of helping the unpreviledged races. There has to be a balance in everything. But when some people take more of their cut like certain former Menteri Besar's and flaunt their illgotten wealth in public, this is becoming ridiculous.

I am not asking you to do anything drastic. Check the online newspaper of Malaysiakini or other Malaysian political blogs like Crankshafted, Zorro Unmasked or Jelas and many others. Let them open your mind to what is really happening in our backyard.

Take a look at this short clip.

Good for You Malaysia.

I am proud that my country is still peaceful despite provocations by certain parties. This does show that Malaysians, as a whole and thanks mainly to BN's greed, has matured.

The issue over Allah is something that can be settled amicably, with both sides listening, not throwing home made bombs.

Well done Malaysia.

A Stink Is Brewing in UMNO: How Will the Chips Fall?

As Malaysia moves into the last stretch of an inevitable political transformation, the risks of civil unrest and emergency rule have increased, and neither appearances nor declarations made by its ruling elite - whether verbal or written - can be taken at face value or for granted anymore..

By Wong Choon Mei (Harakah)

So when Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin urged his party to return to the middle ground, warning that its current hard line approach over the Allah issue may spell political doom, quite a few pundits were surprised by his courage and questioned his motives.

KJ - as the son-in-law of former premier Abdullah Badawi is also known - was stating what was obvious to most Malaysians and issuing a most needed wake-up call to his party, which has ruled Malaysia since independence in 1957. However, his remarks came at a time when his bosses, including Prime Minister Najib Razak and Deputy PM Muhyiddin Yassin, have chosen to bury their heads in the denial mode perfected decades ago by leaders such as former premier Mahathir Mohamad.

Unlikely therefore that KJ's comments will bear any fruit for moderate Malaysia, which is trying to fend off yet another attack from a bullying Umno against its constitutional rights - this time, the religious freedom guaranteed by the Federal Constitution.

So whatever Khairy's motive was - whether to pose as a moderating light amidst the groundswell of Umno belligerence or to signal to these hawks (some say on behalf of Najib) that it is time to cool down - is immaterial. Because above him, a bigger game with higher stakes is being played, and unfolding much quicker than anticipated.

Hard-nosed Malaysia

Weeks before the December 31 High Court ruling allowing non-Muslims to use the word Allah, rumblings were already growing in Umno that a power tussle at the very top - between Najib and Muhyiddin - may finally be breaking into the open.Two incidents fired the rumours. One was the sudden call by Defence Minister Zahid Hamidi - previously regarded as a Najib loyalist but lately believed to have switched over to Muhyiddin - for Gerakan to surrender the Penang BN chair to Umno. The other was the messy way in which Zahid chose to expose the theft of two jet engines from a military base.

Both incidents embarrassed Najib. The Umno president is really not sitting as pretty as his minders have tried to make it appear. No doubt there have been gushing news reports and 'independent' polls that try to portray growing popularity, but the reality is that hard-nosed Malaysians have already had a whiff of the future and they don't like what they smell.

In 2009, along with Umno cronies and several Government-Linked-Companies, Malaysians shifted billions out of the country - about 50 percent of its GDP, which in 2008 was some RM739 billion. In its latest report, UBS Securities Asia wrote: "Question: which Asian country had the biggest FX reserve losses in 2009? The answer is Malaysia, and by a very wide margin; we estimate that official reserves fell by well more than one-quarter on a valuation-adjusted basis."

"Why is this bizarre? Well, in the first place because Malaysia runs a current account surplus - and not just a mild surplus but rather the largest in Asia, around 17% of GDP. Other structural surplus neighbors like China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan and Thailand have all seen sizeable increases in FX reserves over the past 12 months and yet Malaysian reserves nearly collapsed. How did this happen? In short, Malaysia must have seen massive foreign capital outflows - and sure enough, when we measure implied net flows, the numbers are simply

stunning: peak outflows of nearly 50% of GDP, i.e., more than twice as large."

Indeed, it would appear that hard-nosed Malaysia is not at all convinced that Najib can hold the fort. Neither is it willing to bet that Muhyiddin can do better. And judging from the massive outflows recorded, it would seem that neither the cronies nor the GLCs have faith either.

Will Umno be matured and civilized?

The future may be more complex than we can imagine. Even if Pakatan Rakyat fails to sweep to federal power in the next general election, it can still win further ground.

Can Umno accept this, when already it has shown itself prepared to push to the limit its war to regain Selangor, as witness the Teoh Beng Hock catastrophe? When it has shown itself ready to turn upside-down the judiciary and the Federal Constitution just to grab and cling to power in Perak?

Should the Pakatan win decisively - and this is looking more and more probable - will Umno be matured and civilized enough to accept such an outcome? Seriously, what are the odds that Umno can rise above brute force and intimidation? Small and as of now, it would be fairer to say that civil unrest and emergency rule are the more likely scenarios to follow a Pakatan victory at the next general election.

Indeed, these are the eventualities that Malaysians must confront and prepare themselves for. They must overcome their fear of trouble and think of the type of future they want for the children.

Otherwise Malaysia will become whatever the hawks in Umno say it is supposed to be, and this will be whatever they believe is to their advantage and not the nation's - both politically and financially.

The new Pak Lah vs the new Mahathir

Already, the country's largest political party is being overtaken by opportunists who see nothing wrong in using strong-arm tactics to maintain their positions and benefits. Former premier Mahathir, who still wields considerable influence, is also plotting his next move.

In his corner is Muhyiddin, who has been alarming moderate Malaysians with a rash of hawkish statements. He has made it clear that he is DPM for the Malays first, and only then the other races. Will this be palatable to the non-Malays, should they accept him as the next Prime Minister?

As for Najib, it is obvious that he has been playing a double game, but can he hold out against their onslaught?  Born into a privileged background, Malaysia's sixth PM is - at the personal level - liberal and progressive. But he also believes that he has to show that he is willing to play hardball to keep his party in power. Or be ousted like his indecisive predecessor Pak Lah, who won himself the nickname Sleeping Beauty during his four years in office.

So for Najib, it has been a case of trying to do both. Win the hearts and minds of Umno and also the rest of the country. Unfortunately, the two prongs cannot meet or be reconciled, simply because the Umno of today has more political thugs than talent on its membership lists.

The Umno president may have found out the hard way that when you give an inch, they want a yard! This has left the PM's 1Malaysia, People First, Performance Now stuck and unable to get off the ground.

Just as Najib is now increasingly seen as another Pak Lah, Muhyiddin is regarded as a new Mahathir. But neither men are the solutions that Malaysia needs. Neither men can take the country forward.

For now, only one thing is clear - Malaysians need to be brave if the current tailspin into backwardness and poverty is to be arrested and reversed. Otherwise, from becoming a developed country by 2020, we may well slip further in the ranks of the third world, economically overtaken by Vietnam and politically comparable to Myanmar.

(Wong Choon Mei is a Consultant Editor for Harakahdaily)

The Trouble with Islamo-Tribalism

From Turkey's Daily News:

The trouble with Islamo-tribalism

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Mustafa AKYOL

 

Nasty things are happening in Malaysia. Nine Christian churches have been vandalized or burnt just over the last weekend. Thank God, nobody has been hurt, yet, but the terror unleashed is terrifying enough for the Christian minority of this overwhelmingly Muslim nation.

Also thank God that the attacks were the work of a fanatic minority among Malaysian Muslims, or Malays. Many others, including government spokesmen, denounced the barbarism. Some volunteers from Muslim nongovernmental organizations have even begun patrolling churches to protect them from possible future attacks. This is, of course, commendable.

Yet still, I think that Malays should deal not just with the radical symptoms of the problem. They should also deal with the problem itself.

A copyright of God?

The problem itself is a "copyright issue," as Marina Mahathir, a Malay commentator, rightly put it. Christians in the country have been using the word "Allah" to refer to God in their services and publications, whereas the Malays believe that they have a monopoly on it. Hence the Muslim-dominated government recently put a ban on non-Muslims using the term. Yet last month the High Court overturned the ban. And hell broke lose.

As a Turkish Muslim, I strongly disagree with my Malaysian coreligionists who disagree with the Christians. The word "Allah" simply means "The God" in Arabic, and Arab Christians have been using it for centuries without any trouble. In Turkey, too, Bibles published by Turkish Christians used to have the term "Allah" until the recent "modernization" in their discourse. The change is their choice, and none of our business.

Most Muslims, in other words, don't have a problem with hearing the word "Allah" from non-Muslim theists. And this is how it should be, because the Koran repeatedly says that Muslims worship the same God with Jews and Christians. "We believe in the revelation which has come down to us and in that which came down to you," a verse orders Muslims to tell these fellow monotheists. "Our God and your God is one."

Whence, then, comes the Malay possessiveness of Allah?

The Malaysian government argues that making Allah synonymous with God may "confuse Muslims and ultimately mislead them into converting to Christianity." Wow, what a great sign of self-confidence. Why don't they rather think, one wonders, that the same thing might ultimately "mislead" Christians into converting to Islam.

Besides the obvious immaturity, what is really disturbing to me here is how Allah, the "Lord of mankind" according to the Koran, is reduced to something like a tribal deity.

This was all too obvious in the slogan of the protesters at the mosques of Kuala Lumpur: "Allah," they said, "is only for us."

But who do you think you are, one should ask. Who gives you the authority to claim that the name of God of all men is your private property?

The answer, as you can guess, lies not in theology but politics. As a piece published in these pages yesterday (Gwynne Dyer, "In the Name of Allah") explained well, the Muslim Malays, despite making up 60 percent of Malaysia, "feel perpetually insecure." They worry that if their numbers in population decrease so will their dominant role in the country.

Hence comes Malaysia's tyrannical bans on apostasy from Islam, limitations on mixed marriages, and the current obsession with the Christians' language. The main intention behind these is the preservation of the dominance, and the "purity," of a certain political community – say, a big tribe. (The medieval Islamic ban an apostasy, which has no basis in the Koran, was similarly a product of political motives.)

But pursuing the perceived interests of a political community that happens to be Muslim, is not the same thing with upholding the religious values that God has bestowed on Muslims.

The difference between the two is subtle but crucial. It is the difference between serving God, and making God serve us.

Jihad, Victory and Empire

The latter motivation, I suspect, is imperative in the makeup of the self-righteous, authoritarian and violent movements in the contemporary Muslim world. These movements always strive for some victory, some political dominance, which will elevate their very selves above all other men.

The words of Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, the 23-year-old Nigerian who tried to blow up a passenger airliner near Detroit two weeks ago, are quite telling. "I imagine how the great jihad will take place," he reportedly said, "how the Muslims will win ... and rule the whole world, and establish the greatest empire once again!!!"

The yearning for glory here is not too different from what a revolutionary communist expects from the dictatorship of the proletariat, or what a chauvinist expects from an imperialist agenda that will make his nation the master of the world.

The Muslim thing to do, however, is to be more humble, modest and openhearted. The Koran tells Muslims that they are supposed to be "the best community that has been raised up for mankind." Yet they really can't serve that purpose if they begin by despising the rest of mankind, and claiming an ownership of God.

And Malaysia can't really uphold the values of Islam through Islamo-tribalism.

What Will You Do Mr. Prime Minister?

What do you think the Malaysian Prime Minister will do?
 
Ban non-Muslims from using the word Allah completely and risk losing the votes of all Christians in the East Malaysia, which by the way, was the main reason the ruling goverment came into power because if it were not for the Sabahan and Sarawakans, Barisan Nasional (BN) would have lost control of the government.
 
Or, allow non-Muslims to use the world Allah and risks the wrath of fanatical Muslims?
 
What is the right thing to do?
 
The government gave an excuse earlier about the Muslims in Malaysia being different from those overseas? Does he mean their stupid or something? Allah is just a damm word! How stupid can one be to confuse God's?
 
 

---

Windows 7: Simplify what you do everyday. Find the right PC for you.

Allah in Indonesia

This picture goes to show a lot about the difference in mentality between Malaysians and Indonesians. While it is acceptable to have the word "Allah" as the name of the church, and prominently displayed, in Indonesia; in Malaysia, you cant even have them printed in Catholic newspapers.

Go figure that out.

I guess Malaysia's reputation as a moderate Muslim country just went down the drain. The whole world is watching how the Malaysian government handles this issue because it says a lot about them.

When the majority of the people do not object to something, does that mean they silently vote for it?

How Malaysia Can Possibly Fall into Anarchy?

Let's look at the current situation.

The Malaysian government is in a quandary. It wants the tension to remain in the air because it gives the government an excuse to implement whatever they want. However, they also know that if they ban Christians from using the word "Allah" for good, they risk losing all those votes from Sabah and Sarawak that helped them win the last general election by a hair's margin.

Do they please the Muslims or the Christians? Tough spot to be in.

If they lose Sabah and Sarawak to the Opposition, I hope BN manages to win enough states in Peninsular Malaysia or risk losing control of the government to the Opposition. If this happens, knowing the type of people running the government now, they will incite riots and possibly another May 13 because they simply do not want to lose power. Not to mention, bringing up religious issues and letting the army take control of the country, the current ruling government is capable of doing anything (does a recent bombing of a model bring back memories) to keeps its hold on power.

This is the dilemma Malaysia is in now.

Can the Church just let go of the issue of using "Allah" in their publications? They could but they what would the people in Sabah and Sarawak call God once their forbidden to use the word they have been using for the past 40 years?

As it is, Malaysia is losing most of its non-Malays to other countries. Give Malaysian another 10 years or 20 at most and it will be 90% composed of Malays, which is exactly what the ruling government wants. I have seen my friends leave the country for a better life outside. I know, for I am one of them. It's hard to forget the country that you grew up in but when things like this happens, you know you've made the right decision. I was lucky - I am rich and I could afford to find a better quality life outside. But what about those who do not have money - they stay behind and continue to be oppressed?

If you want to know how good the current government has been, in ruling Malaysia for the last 50 years? Just look at how much Vietnam and other poorer countries in South East Asia who has overtaken Malaysia in terms of GDP and FDI. The current government is really composed of incompetent individuals who are just waiting out their time and amassing all the wealth that they can.

Violence Against Churches in Malaysia

The intimidation and bombing of churches in Malaysia by religious fanatics only goes to prove to the world how narrow minded these religious fanatics are. If we thought there was hope among religious fanatics in Malaysia, I guess now we know better.

Now I know why the Middle East is in such a mess.

Tolerance and obeying the law is something these people have a hard time comprehending. Is it simply because of the lack of education or are certain peolpe just simply stupid. Do we blame their parents for their upbringing? 

Is This How Civilised Malaysians Behave?

It's sad to see events like this take place. Some parties just cannot accept the truth or the facts of the matter. And they can influence future decisions just because their the majority. 

This is intimidation. 

How do we react?

Not in anger for we cannot allow ourselves to be fools like them. We must react intelligently for history will reward us by comparing our intelligent reactions to those of much lesser intelligence.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/top/all/6803686.html

Only in Malaysia

Only in Malaysia does the word "Allah" (meaning God) belong to Muslims. The government cites that if the word "Allah" was allowed to be used by the Christians to refer to God, this would lead to confusion among Muslims about the true identity of God. Did you know that in Malaysia, and only in Malaysia, Islam is controlled by law. Which means once you become a Muslim, you're not allowed to leave the religion - you're trapped in it. I have many Muslims friends around the world and even they are surprised at how immature the Malaysian government is. Currently, the Christians are in court battling for the use of the word "Allah" in the Malay section of the Christian weekly, Herald. The Malaysian High Court ruled last week that Muslims do not have a hold on word "Allah" and anyone can use it, but the Malaysian government appealed the decision the very next day. I really find this ridiculous. But maybe it means something. If a mosque were to suddenly acclaim, "Oh Lord, my God," would Christians rush to the mosque and pray? We wouldn't. But what the Malaysian government is implying is that Muslims in Malaysia are dumb enough to do so if the word "Allah" was uttered in church or published in the Christian weekly newspaper. Go figure.

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2010/1/6/nation/5419866&sec=nation

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2010/1/6/nation/5420303&sec=nation

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2010/1/6/nation/5420300&sec=nation

http://www.mysinchew.com/node/33591

Also, only in Malaysia does a conspirator to a crime able to walk free from punishment, especially when the stolen goods were military aircraft engines!

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2010/1/6/nation/20100106103000&sec=nation

The Malaysian economy is floundering but yet the Malaysian government is focused on minor issues that doesn't help its people. While countries like Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia has surpassed Malaysia in terms of foreign FDI, Malaysia is still focused on attracting FDI through cheap labour. When will the Malaysian government learn that we have to rise up the chain of labour from low technology to high technology. And this involves education and long term planning. Do not discourage or stop people from other races, who are much more proficient in English, from being English teachers. Why stop those who are good in something in doing what they like. Preferential treatment only makes one race weak. The other races have to fight in order to survive, making them more versatile. That would explain why, despite preferential treatment, it is the other races that earn the high wages and the best jobs. Doesn't the Malaysian government see this? I have to admit that not everyone in the Malaysian government is as highly educated as their Singaporean counterparts, but give me a break. Not being alert to things likes these only makes the world laugh at these elected officials. Come on, how stupid can the PM and his people be? While I agree that certain races need some protection, don't make it so obvious. This creates ill-feelings among the other races.

Malaysia Truly Asia is a wonderful tag line, if only it could be believed. I see some third world countries giving better treatment to their citizens that what my country gives to me. My country didn't allow me to study in the local university, giving my place to someone else with lower entry qualifications. I have to beg for a bank loan because the Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA) was too busy playing politics to give me even RM10. I now earn a 5-figure salary and this is thanks to the government preferential treatment, or else I would have been lazy and have had to be reliant on the government.

But I have to be fair. Quite a number of my Muslims friends are very hard working. I have the utmost respect for them. And they earn much higher salaries than I do. And I am not complaining. It is always good to work with people who are equally competent. It is only working with incompetent people who get the job because of preferential treatment which irks me. Even if you know you've got the job because of some "preferred" criteria, the least you could do is work hard in your job and not slack and have someone else pick up the pieces.

Do you see where I am going with this? This is why despite having first world infrastructures, we're still basically a kampung (village) society.

An In Depth Glimpse of Malaysia's Brain Drain

JULY 11 - There is a boy I know who scored 10 A1s. His mother is a

primary school teacher and Andrew has two younger brothers. His

father, a civil servant, had already passed on by the time the son sat

SPM in 2006.

 

Armed with his excellent result, Andrew applied for a scholarship to

study mechanical engineering. The government rejected his application.

Petronas rejected his application too. Can you imagine how

disappointed and frustrated he was?

 

As soon as I learned of Andrew's difficulty, I offered him financial

assistance to do accountancy in Utar. He has been scoring top marks in

every exam to earn a scholarship from the university. Although Andrew

is now exempted from paying fees, I still bank him RM400 a month to

cover cost of living.

 

I have given assistance and allowances to more than 40 poor students

to study in Utar in Kampar, Perak. Andrew is typical of their calibre;

he prefers to get what is his due on merit, and his university has

seen fit to waive his fees.

 

On my part, I expect nothing from those that I've supported except for

them in future to help young people in similar circumstances, and to

hope that they will all stay back in Malaysia so that they can lend

their talents to building up our nation.

 

There are others with deeper pockets who have extended a helping hand

to our youngsters. One of them offers the cost of school and exam

fees, hostel accommodation, RM5,800 a year for expenses, RM1,200

settling-in allowance, and transport/air ticket. Furthermore, the

recipient is not bonded. In other words, the giver asks for nothing

back.

 

I'm talking about the pre-university Asean scholarship extended to

Malaysians by 'the little red dot' Singapore.

 

Of course, Singapore is not doing it for purely altruistic reasons.

The country is giving these much coveted Asean scholarships to build

up her national bank of talent.

 

Some Malaysians accuse them of 'poaching' the creme de la creme of our

youngsters. I don't look at it as poaching. Their far-sighted

government is doing it in their national interest.

 

And why not? Singapore can afford it. It has three times our GDP per

capita. On another comparative note, the GDP per capita of Taiwan and

South Korea are 2.5 times and double ours respectively. Before the

NEP's introduction in 1970, the four countries were at parity.

The big question is why are we surrendering our assets which Malaysian

parents have nurtured but the state neglected?

 

Tens of thousands of young Malaysians have left our shores on the

Asean scholarship. I am not sure if Singapore is willing to give out

the figure.

 

But I am pretty sure the Malaysian authorities do not give two hoots

about this, whatever number they may have arrived at. If they do,

there seems to be no policy change to stem the outflow.

 

Malaysia is optimistically indifferent to the continuous brain drain,

little caring that it is detrimental to our aspiration of becoming a

developed country (I hate to say this) like Singapore.

 

Behaving like a failed state

Consider this startling statistic: There are more Sierra Leonean

doctors working in hospitals in the city of Chicago than in their own

homeland. More Malawian nurses in Manchester than in Malawi. Africa's

most significant export to Europe and the United States is trained

professionals, not petroleum, gold and diamond.

 

The educated African migration is definitely retarding the progress of

every country in Africa. Today, one in three African university

graduates, and 50,000 doctoral holders now live and work outside

Africa. Sixty-four per cent of Nigerians in the USA has one or more

university degrees.

 

If we carry out a study, we are likely to find a very large number of

non-Malay graduates emigrating to Singapore, Australia and other

countries that is proportionately similar to the African exodus.

However the compulsion is different, seeing as how some African

countries are war-torn and famished, which is certainly not the case

with Malaysia.

 

The push factors for our own brain drain lie in NEP policy and this

needs to be addressed with urgency.

 

State Ideology: Be grateful you're Malaysian

Try putting yourself in the shoes of an 18-year-old. This young

Malaysian born in 1991 is told that Umno was very generous in granting

citizenship to his non-Malay forefathers in 1957. Thus as a descendant

of an immigrant community - one should be forever grateful and respect

the "social contract".

 

Gratitude is demanded by the state while little is reciprocated. Under

the NEP - and some say this policy represents the de facto social

contract - every single Vice Chancellor of every single Malaysian

public university is Malay.

 

Promotion prospects for non-Malay lecturers to full professorship or

head of department are very dim, hence we have the dichotomy of

non-Malays predominant in private colleges while correspondingly, the

academic staff of public institutions proliferate with Malays.

The civil service is staffed predominantly by Malays, too, and

overwhelmingly in the top echelons. The government-linked corporations

have been turned into a single race monopoly.

 

Hence is it any surprise that almost all the scholarships offered by

government and GLCs seem to be reserved for Malays?

 

Youngsters from the minority communities see that Malays are the

chosen ones regardless of their scholastic achievement and financial

position. Some are offered to do a Master although they did not even

apply (but the quota is there to be filled, so these disinterested

Malays are approached).

 

Our lesson today is ...

How the government apparatus conducts itself and the consequences of

its policy implementation will upset an individual's innate sense of

justice.

 

The government pays about RM1.8 billion in annual salaries to

teachers. A child is taught moral studies in class but he learns in

life that adults condone and conspire to immorality by perpetuating

the unfairness and injustice which impacts on Malaysia's young.

On the other hand, the favoured group is given more than their just

desserts without either merit or need. When one is bred to think that

privilege is only his rightful entitlement, we would not expect this

young person to pay back to society in return.

 

Our Malaysian education system has been flip-flopped, pushed and

pulled this way and that until standards dropped to alarming levels.

The passing mark for subjects in public exams have fallen notoriously

low while the increasing number of distinctions have risen fatuously

high with SPM students notching 14As, 17As and 21As.

 

With top scorers aplenty, there will not be enough scholarships to go

around now that the Education Ministry has decided to put a cap on the

SPM, limiting takers to 10 subjects.

 

The human factor

It's unrealistic that the education system can be effectively

overhauled. Even tweaking one aspect of it, such as the language

switch for Math and English, created havoc.

 

It's not that our educational framework is so bad as, after all, a lot

of study and planning did go into it.

 

It's only when the politicians dictate from on high and overrule the

better judgment of the educationists - Dr Mahathir Mohamad being case

in point - that we slide deeper into the doldrums.

 

The politicisation of education and the hijacking of the country's

educational agenda has clearly cost us heavily in terms of policy

flip-flops and plummeting standards, and the loss of a good part of

our young and talented human resources.

 

Matters become worse when Little Napoleons too take it upon themselves

to interfere with teachers. For instance, the serial number assigned

candidates when they sit public exams. Why is a student's race encoded

in the number? What does his ethnicity have to do with his answer

script?

 

There is further suspicion that the stacks of SPM papers are not

distributed to examiners entirely at random (meaning ideally examiners

should be blind to which exam centres the scripts they're marking have

originated from).

 

A longstanding complaint from lecturers is that they are pressured to

pass undergrads who are not up to the mark, and having to put up with

mediocre ones who believe they are 'A' material after being spoilt in

mono-racial schools.

 

Letting teachers do their job properly and allowing them to grade

their students honestly would arrest the steep erosion of standards.

And, unless we are willing to be honest brokers in seeking a

compromise and adjustment, the renewed demonising of vernacular

schools is merely mischievous.

 

Either accept their existence or integrate the various types of schools.

But are UiTM and its many branch campuses throughout the length and

breadth of the country, Mara Junior Science Colleges and the

residential schools willing to open their doors to all on the basis of

meritocracy if Chinese, Tamil, and not forgetting religious schools,

were abolished? Not open to a token few non-Bumiputera but genuinely

open up and with the admission numbers posted in a transparent manner.

 

Finally, there are teachers genuinely passionate about their

profession. There are promising teachers fresh out of training college

who are creative and capable of inspiring their students. It's not

only Form 5 students who have been demoralised. Teachers are human

capital that we seem to have overlooked in the present controversy.

 

Conclusion: Ensuring fairness for the future well-being of our young

A segment of Johoreans cross the Causeway daily to attend school in

Singapore. Many continue their tertiary education in Singapore which

has among the top universities in the world. Eventually, they work in

Singapore and benefit Singapore.

 

Ask around among your friends and see who hasn't got a child or a

sibling who is now living abroad as a permanent resident. I can't

really blame them for packing up and packing it in, can you?

It's simply critical at this juncture that we don't let our kids lose

hope and throw in the towel.

 

The system might be slow to reform but mindsets at least can be changed

easier.

 

It starts with the teachers, the educationists and the people running

the education departments and implementing the policies.

Please help Malaysian youngsters realise their full potential. Just

try a little fairness first. - cpiasia.net

 

 

 

 

A Long Malaysian Story of Contractors

This article is too important not to be read by more people. It is

written by Koon Yew Yin. Who??? Well, if you like Mudajaya, IJM or

Gamuda, Mr. Koon was one of the founders for all three companies. We

certainly do not need more contractors - we must ensure that our

resources are put into creating value to industry and economy, not

creating layers after layers of profits being hived off.

The article was taken from Center For Policy Initiatives:

http://english.cpiasia.net/Article by Mr. Koon can be linked to:

http://english.cpiasia.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1783

:bumiputera-contractors-a-wasteful-national-mission-to-date-&catid=211:koon-

yew-yin&Itemid=156

Note on the Author

I am a 76-year-old chartered civil engineer and one of the founders of

the three larger construction companies listed in Bursa Malaysia.

These are Gamuda Bhd, Mudajaya Group Bhd, and IJM Corporation Bhd.

I was a member of the Board of Engineers, Malaysia for three terms. I

was also on the Sirim Board responsible in writing the Malaysian

standard specifications for cement and concrete. In addition, I was

the Secretary General of Master Builders Association, Malaysia for

nine years.

These days, I am completely retired. My intention in writing this

article is honourable. Many people may not like reading what I have

written and the truth may be difficult to accept. Nevertheless, this

is my considered analysis for the benefit of my country, the

Bumiputera contractors and the construction industry.

-------------------------------------

Written by Koon Yew Yin

Wednesday, 18 November 2009

It is an indictment of our system that IJM is able to compete

internationally for contracts but yet is required to work as a

sub-contractor to Bumiputera companies on the North-South Highway in

Malaysia.

On Oct 25, 2009 our Second Finance Minister Ahmad Husni Mohamad

Hanadzlah said that government has vowed to cut down on wasteful

spending to lower its budget deficit and all major public projects

must go through the open tender system.

Earlier, the Auditor-General's report for 2008 revealed continuing

financial management weaknesses at every level of the government.

Delays in project completion seem to be a perennial problem and the

lack of oversight by various ministries and departments in the

procurement of goods and services continue to cost the government

hundreds of millions of ringgit.

These statements indicate perhaps that our Prime Minister Najib Razak

may want to reverse his announcement on January 9 in Kuala Teregganu

that the government would always look after Class F contractors. (Non-

Bumiputeras cannot register as a Class F contractor).

The government had in fact already set aside RM900 million, which was

RM300 million more than last year, for works to be undertaken by Class

F contractors this year.

Producing competitive Bumiputera contractors

As reported on May 1, 2005, Malaysia had one contractor for every 614

persons. Most likely there are more contractors by now. This ratio is

again likely to be amongst the highest in the world and is obviously

costing the public a significant amount of money besides affecting our

overall economic performance.

I would like to pose a few questions which may appear unkind or

insensitive but nonetheless need to be asked.

Out of hundreds of high-rise buildings in Kuala Lumpur does anyone

know of any Bumiputera contractor who has won any of the building

contracts through an open competitive tender process? Out of hundreds

of kilometers of highway in Malaysia, can any Bumiputera contractor

who won any part of the highway contracts through open tender be

identified?

The answer to the above questions unfortunately is in the negative.

The evidence is that all the government's well-intentioned efforts in

trying to produce competitive Bumiputera contractors since 1957 have

failed.

Why this has happened needs to be openly discussed rather than swept

under the carpet. In this note, I share my experiences as a contractor

and my knowledge of why Bumiputera contractors have failed in the past

and what needs to be done by the government to correct this unhealthy

situation.

Facts of life in the contracting business

Contracting is a very difficult business yet it is so easy to register

as a contractor.

To register as a Class F contractor one has only to show that he has

RM5,000. He does not even require a pass in Lower Certificate of

Education (LCE). But it will take at least 10 years to learn how to

overcome all the inherent difficulties and become competitive and

efficient. Continuously giving out lucrative and over-priced contracts

without open tenders will only make the recipients less competitive.

Secondly, studies have shown that there are more failures and

bankruptcies in contracting than in any other business, and also

almost all construction projects are NOT completed within the original

scheduled time.

The delay will cost the contractor more and that is why you can often

see uncompleted buildings and abandoned projects which have been

undertaken by inefficient contractors. There are many reasons for this

peculiar phenomenon.

1. Open tender system

Although this system is the best way to ensure completion of any

project/contract at the lowest price, it is the most difficult

obstacle any contractor has to face in the real competitive world. He

must know his business very well and be efficient to face the open

competition all the time. Like a good athlete, he has to keep fit and

constantly be aware of the market conditions and his competitors.

There is a classic saying, 'a cheap thing is not good and a good thing

is not cheap'. But contractors always have to produce good work at the

cheapest price.

In order to submit the cheapest tender, the contractor must be very

optimistic in all his assumptions to get the cheapest rates. He must

assume that he will not encounter any cash flow difficulties and that

he will always get his progress payments on time to pay his creditors.

He must also assume that he will not encounter any difficulty in

getting all the required materials on time to avoid any delay and also

that there are ample workers for him to pick and choose from.

Furthermore, he must also assume that the heavens will be kind to him

and he will not meet any inclement weather during construction.

Invariably, many of these assumptions are proven wrong and thus

completion delayed, and the infrastructure will cost more to complete

than provided for in the contract.

2. The importance of teamwork

Teamwork is important in all business endeavours. It is more so in the

contracting business. Every contractor must realise that his success

is not going to be determined by his own knowledge, talent or

abilities. It is going to be determined by his ability to develop a

great team. Those who are closest to him will help determine the level

of his success.

Every efficient contractor must have a reliable team comprising

managers, sub-contractors, material suppliers, foremen and skilled

workers. All the team players must cooperate with one another, bearing

in mind that the main contractor's survival depends on their

contribution. Their main goal must be saving cost. If they cannot

complete the contract within the tender price, all of them will also

be affected.

3. Construction material pricing

There was no material price escalation clause in the conditions of

contract before I became the Secretary General of the Master Builders

Association. During the unprecedented oil crisis, building material

prices shot through the roof. As a result, many contractors could not

complete their contracts for schools and other projects. After several

appeals the Public Works Department (PWD), now known as Jabatan Kerja

Raya (JKR), eventually allowed only cement and steel for price

variation reimbursement.

This was only a partial solution as hundreds of other items were excluded.

Without a protective price fluctuation clause for the other items,

contractors are exposed to risk. At the same time, knowing that they

have to undercut their competitors during the tender process,

contractors would normally under-price to achieve the lowest tender.

Invariably, most materials would increase in price due to inflation

and other reasons. Contractors require many years of experience to be

able to anticipate such price changes and to make adequate provisions

for them whilst at the same time not overpricing their tenders and

losing the bid.

4. No contract is exactly the same

No two high-rise buildings in KL are the same.

Construction of a building, a bridge or a stadium is always akin to

making a prototype. The process is much more difficult than

manufacturing any product where there is repetition. For example in

making cars, the first prototype and the initial few cars may be more

difficult to make but once everyone gets used to the routine, the

manufacturing process will normally proceed smoothly.

However, in the construction of buildings or any civil engineering

works, there is very little repetitive work. Every construction site

is different and most of the people involved have never worked

together before.

On top of this, there may also be inexperienced supervisory staff that

can create a lot of difficulties for the contractors. Invariably, by

the time all parties get used to the routine, the scheduled time is

over.

5. Financing

Most contractors do not have sufficient capital to finance their

undertakings.

Contractors generally do not have fixed assets like most

manufacturers. They usually do not have land and buildings but,

instead, they have construction equipment. Unfortunately, banks do not

accept these moving assets as collateral for a loan. Without bank

financing, contractors will obviously find it more difficult to

undertake their business.

Beginning at the bottom: The key to success

I have provided some insight into why contracting is not a business

that is as easy or profitable as it is commonly perceived to be.

There are other factors explaining why or how some of the most

successful tycoons associated with the building or construction

industry have managed to get where they are.

Firstly, it should be noted that the majority of listed companies were

started by Chinese merchants most of whom incidentally did not have

tertiary education. For example, Lim Goh Tong of Genting began his

working career as a scrap iron dealer and a contractor; and Yeoh Tiong

Lay of YTL Corp. started off as a small contractor.

Generally, Bumiputeras are not interested in working long hours in

managing small businesses earning marginal profit. Because of the NEP,

many have hopes of securing permits or concessions for big deals so

that they can become instant millionaires. There are relatively few

Bumiputeras involved in small and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs).

More Bumiputeras should follow the humble footsteps of the Chinese to

become traders and merchants for building materials and similar goods.

The business skill they can learn from these humble beginnings will

carry them a long way. I am very sure some of them will eventually

become good contractors and successful businessmen if they learn the

trade at the bottom and not try to parachute into the contracting

business.

The importance of skilled workers

Although there are already many Bumiputera engineers unable to find

employment, most of the universities are still producing more and more

engineers every year. But without a sufficiently skilled workforce,

all the engineers in the world would not be able to complete a single

project.

There are so few Bumiputera construction foremen, carpenters and other

skilled workers. If you were to go into any building construction

site, you would see the truth of what I am saying. How many Malay

carpenters have you seen in KL?

Without skilled Bumiputera workers, it would be more difficult for

Bumiputera contractors to succeed. In fact, most of the Chinese

contractors started as apprentices and rose from the bottom to become

successful contractors. More Bumiputeras should be encouraged to work

as apprentices in construction sites. This is a necessary good

practice to produce really good Bumiputera contractors.

The role of trade schools

There should be more trade schools and more Bumiputeras should be

encouraged to learn construction skills like carpentry, welding,

plumbing, bricklaying, etc. Very soon, skilled tradesmen will be able

to earn more than degree holders as is the case in Australia or

England.

The government should build more trade schools and not hesitate to

offer scholarships to Bumiputeras to be trained in these trade

schools. Presently, the construction industry is not short of

engineers but it is very short of skilled workers and supervisors. If

more Bumiputeras are properly trained in various crafts and blue

collar skills, some of them will go on to become good contractors.

Time and more time

They say Rome was not built in a day. It is easier to produce

engineers, doctors and other professionals than to produce efficient

and competitive contractors who do not need government financial aid.

Just giving out lucrative contracts to Bumiputeras is not the answer;

in fact it is counter-productive as it simply makes them more

inefficient and less competitive.

IJM Corporation Bhd has taken more than 40 years to attain a

competitive level of competence. The record shows that IJM has secured

on competitive tenders five toll road concessions in India. Three are

currently in operation and two are under construction. The total

length of the roads exceeds 1,000 kilometres, longer than our

North-South Highway.

In addition, IJM completed a toll bridge in Kolkata and sold its

interest for RM65 million profit after a short period of three years.

IJM is also a very reputable LRT builder, having to date completed

15km of the elevated sections of the New Delhi Metro and it was

recently awarded another 8km.

Based on open competitive tender, IJM won the contract to build the

tallest building, a prominent future landmark for the Delhi

Municipality, in New Delhi.

It is an indictment of our system that IJM is able to compete

internationally for contracts but yet is required to work as a

sub-contractor to Bumiputera companies on the North-South Highway in

our own country.

Conclusion: Half-baked contractors are not in our national interest

Contracting is one of the most, if not the most, difficult business

and it takes a very long time to produce competent contractors.

It is very dangerous to quickly produce half-baked ones as they will

soon find themselves in financial difficulties and require bailouts.

The bankruptcy record shows that a large number of debtors are

Bumiputera contractors with many of them unable to pay back the loans

given by government-controlled financial institutions.

The government must change its methods and policies which have proven

unworkable. There is no urgency in producing more Bumiputera

contractors as many of the key industries e.g. the banks, plantations,

motor vehicles, taxis, rice etc are already under the control of

Bumiputeras.

Our government must not be narrowly communalistic and should make use

of all the groups, irrespective of race, that are more efficient in

the contracting business.

Giving out contracts without a full tender process is akin to

corruption. I urge the government to stop this corrupt practice and to

utilize the savings from these enormous sums to implement the options

suggested above.

Malaysia Going Down the Drain?

Read both these excellent articles about Malaysia to know that its going backwards under the current governments ruling.

1. Beware of 'terrorist's Within by Marian Mahathir

2. Malaysia to Export Maids by Lee Wei Lian

Both articles highlight how the current government is struggling to manage the country as the Malaysian leaders focus on power and money. Ms. Lee is right on the dot when she said Malaysia produces less expats now that we did 30 years ago. 30 years ago we have professionals who could command a job any where in the world. 30 years later, only a tenth of those can do so. Doesn't it point out so clearly that since 1980, the Malaysian education system has been going down the drain. No wonder all our best students opt for Singapore and other counties who gladly provide Malaysian students with scholarships, which the Malaysian government refuses to do mainly because of racial preference.

Why Would Daul Kim Kill Herself?

How could someone, who has everything and so much more to come, take her own life at the tender age of 20?

Daul Kim, Korean supermodel at the age of 20, took her life at her Paris flat.

Apparently she had been feeling depressed and lonely.

What the hell - there are lots of people who are depressed and lonely in their lives - only the stupid give up and take their lives.

We're all in control of our lives. There is always a way out or a way to change the course of our lives.

Ending such a beautiful life is such a waste of talent and very hurtful to loved ones.

To end your life just because you're lonely - so pathetic  and shallow - I guess if you're that pathetic and shallow, then the loss of your life wouldnt mean a thing to the world. 

Enjoy.

Three Times in Bed And He Lost Everything

Steve Phillips did what all successful men would do, if they could. He slept with a young, beautiful play thing. And when he had enough, the dumped her. 

And then the phone calls to the wife started. 

Ouch.

And what did he end up losing - possibly his multi-million dollar house, half of his wealth, and of course, his marriage.

Read the story on ESPN.

 

Women Too Have Sex!

And who said only men enjoyed it, read the full article online (http://news.yahoo.com/s/usnews/20091008/ts_usnews/whydowomenhavesex;_ylt=A0wNdPJssd5KgFIA8gmGOrgF;_ylu=X3oDMTE1Z3RvcW5uBHBvcwMyBHNlYwN5bi1jaGFubmVsBHNsawN3aHlkb3dvbWVuaGE-)

or below: 

Why Do Women Have Sex?

By Deborah Kotz

Why do women have sex? It's an intriguing question once you get beyond the obvious reasons: to perpetuate the species and because it feels good. Two University of Texas researchers wanted to dig deeper to find out what specifically drives women to go to bed with their partners. They conducted an online survey of more than 1,000 women ages 18 to 87 and found, to their surprise, that women aren't all that different from men. The survey asked women if they have ever had sex for one of the 237 reasons identified by the researchers in a previous study. If their response was yes, they would then be prompted to describe a specific sexual experience. The researchers Cindy Meston and David Buss incorporated the findings into a new book, Why Women Have Sex. Here are excerpts from my interview with Meston.

What are the biggest reasons women have sex?

The No. 1 reason is because they're attracted to their partner, followed by their seeking of physical gratification. Lower down on the list, the reasons were connected to love or emotional bonding. This sort of knocks down the stereotype that men have sex for pleasure while women have sex for love. Personally, for me--in my 17 years treating women who have sexual problems--it's reassuring to see that most of the women who participated in our survey are having sex for the pure physical pleasure of it.

Who are the women who participated in your survey? Is it possible those who take the time to fill out an online survey are more likely to seek out sex?

You bring up a good point. There's a natural selection bias in any sex research in that those who are more sexually liberal are more likely to take part in a study. We hope we eliminated that by keeping the answers confidential so people would be as honest as possible, but it's still hard to know if this is a representative sample. We did get a wide range of ages of women responding and had respondents from several other countries besides the U.S.

Did any of the motivations for sex surprise you?

While we expected a wide range of reasons, some specific stories really did surprise me. Many women said they had sex to bring them closer to God. And revenge sex was a big theme--getting back at partners who weren't faithful by having sex with someone else. Competition sex was also surprising: A bunch of friends go to a bar and see who can get the guy to have sex with them. Many young women wrote about having sex simply to get another notch on their belt, which we typically think of as something men do. Some women simply wanted to get rid of their virginity. Still other women engaged in "sympathy sex" because they felt sorry for their mate for any number of reasons, like he was too unattractive to get any dates. Women also admitted to having sex as an economic exchange to land a job or promotion or to get money or drugs. Some of the reasons made me laugh, and others were very sad.

Did women ever express regrets for acting on their impulses, like having a one-night stand?

Some did, while others didn't. For instance, one woman who had sex out of loneliness said a one-night stand helped her feel better and more connected afterward. Another woman, though, said it made her feel even lonelier. It's hard to say what drives this remorse; it's probably a complex mix of religious attitudes and values and what a woman deems to be appropriate behavior. Self-esteem also plays a role in the choices she makes and how she feels afterward.

Did you see any differences between men and women?

Yes. Based on our previous research and this new study, we see that men are still more likely to engage in uncommitted sex, like one-night stands, but that this gender gap has narrowed dramatically since the 1950s, when these [kind of] surveys were first conducted by [Alfred] Kinsey. More women still make the connection between love and sex. And overall, men are definitely more willing to have sex because of physical attraction, while women place less emphasis on physical attraction and more on a man's scent, personality, and breadwinning abilities.

Were there reasons women said they didn't have sex?

We didn't really explore that; it's really a separate study. The number of reasons is so vast, from not having a willing partner to having psychological or medical problems.

Oil Drilling in the Ice Caps?

With world oil supply dwindling, the big oil companies have started stamping their footprints in the ice caps regions of the world.  

Greenland is the latest outpost of the world under siege from the oil giants.

Drilling for oil involves a lot of crude technology. A lot of precious environment stands to be destroyed when these oil companies lay their pipelines on the seabed. If the seabed doesn't conform to their needs, they modify it, either by throwing large rocks onto the seabed to make a path for their pipeline, or, at times, blast a sand dune to make way for their pipelines. All these have repercussions to the natural environment. You lose the wild life, wild sauna, corals and much more.

Save our polar ice caps. 

Say NO to OIL DRILLING IN THE POLAR ICE CAPS!