Stemming the Malaysian Exodus

Recently, YB Teresa Kok asked me "Why are Malaysians so keen to leave this country? Life overseas is not necessarily easier!" I agree that life overseas is not necessarily. In fact my cousins living in Hong Kong, Singapore and London tell me regularly that they miss the food and that things are much cheaper at home. They complain about the weather, high cost of living and their long working hours. Despite this, when the possibility of coming back home is raised, they give me a smile and a shake of their heads. 

Is living in Malaysia really so bad? What is it that other countries have that we don't? Lim Kit Siang posted on his blog in December 2009 that more than 630 Malaysians are migrating overseas everyday, and that number is increasing year on year. 

This is a worrying statistic and the brain drain issue is one that the current government acknowledges that it is a problem. However, the best they can come up with to make them come back are tax breaks, and tax free vehicles. From day one, it has become apparent these 'perks' would simply not work. 

This government has a habit of tackling problems in this country by providing quick fixes. The 2012 Budget should really be called the 'quick-fix' budget as RM232 billion is mindlessly spent, with unrealistic economic growth forecasts to back it up. 

Yes, 60% of households would receive a RM500 relief and we thank the government for it. What then? RM500 does not combat rising costs, or inflation. How far can RM500 bring us nowadays? Not very far.  In no time at all, that RM500 has become a distant memory and we are back to square one. 

The Kedai 1Malaysia initiative was put in place by the government to sell cheap products subsidised by the government, and more are to be opened across the nation. Shop owners are now screaming in displeasure as they cannot possibly compete. If the government is intent on handing out subsidies, subsidise the shops which are already operating! Another poorly planned quick fix that provides no long term solution. 

Where is the long term economic plan? Where is the investment in our children's future? Fixing school buildings is an excellent initiative, but the real problem lies in the fabric of the education system. 

Our children are taught to be robots, to regurgitate material and not to question their teacher. Many scoff at the lowering of standards in the ongoing PMR exams, and an Additional Mathematics SPM paper was allegedly leaked out to tuition centres. Is all this in the name of grades, just to make the Education Ministry look good? How can this system prepare our children to be competent, effective members of society? The biggest losers in all of this are our nation's children. 

A friend over dinner told me earnestly that he was preparing to leave the country for the sake of his children. As disheartening as it was to hear, he proceeded to tell me why. 

His vision for his children was for them to grow up in a society in which they would not be discriminated against. Although racism is also prevalent in other countries, in Malaysia racism is institutionalised and sanctioned by the Barisan Nasional government. 

Furthermore, corruption is rampant throughout all levels of government. The payment of corruption money in cases of obtaining building or business licenses is so prevalent, that many businesses have included such a payment in their expense budgets. How can this continue be the case? 

These issues are all correlated, and opportunities continue to be stifled. Talented people leave because Malaysia appears to have no appreciation for their abilities. Nepotism and favouritism are practised on the basis of the "Lu tolong gua, Gua tolong lu" principle rather than getting the best person for the job. 

Our English standards have been lowered in order to record more exam passes, but quality is sacrificed as a result. If even masters degree holders from local universities are unable to speak proper English, how can we then become a globally competitive nation? 

After this budget, more and more people are convinced that this BN government cares only about staying in power and not for the long term development of the nation. The exodus of talented individuals will continue unless necessary reforms are put in place. 

On a recent trip to the United States, on our stopover in Hong Kong, a fellow passenger remarked that they could finally talk about issues of Malaysia as they dared not voice out their displeasure at home. Recalling so many holding up their fingers to their lips to shush their friends from bringing up national issues, it is obvious that many feel that we are living under oppression. 

Finally, one of my old schoolmates residing in Australia told me that he wanted to come home to take care of his parents. "But the biggest thing stopping me from coming home now is the government". A change in government may not automatically bring Malaysians home, but what it would do is provide hope for the future of our nation, and hope for our future generations. 

Change is needed, and change has to happen now. 


Published in:


Free Malaysia Today (http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/2011/10/13/stemming-the-malaysian-exodus/)
The Malaysian Insider (http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/sideviews/article/stemming-the-malaysian-exodus-douglas-tan/)
Malaysia Today (http://www.malaysia-today.net/mtcolumns/from-around-the-blogs/44095-stemming-the-malaysian-exodus)
Malaysia Chronicle (http://www.malaysia-chronicle.com/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=21042:stemming-the-malaysian-exodus-easier-said-than-done&Itemid=2)

'Nasi-lemak' pipe dreams: Najib vs KL

Prime Minister Najib Razak went for a nasi lemak breakfast in Village Park in Damansara Utama last Sunday.

Apparently so many people wanted to take pictures with him that he could barely have his meal in peace. It is not clear how many of them were hired by Najib’s PR consultants.

One man came up to Najib and told him that this was the best budget ever tabled. It is not clear whether the man was being sarcastic or was merely a gibbering idiot.

Falsely emboldened

Apparently motivated by this event, Najib felt emboldened enough to encourage BN FT to win back Kuala Lumpur. Winning back KL, Najib argued, would prove that BN is supported not just by uninformed people in the rural areas but also by urban dwellers. Clearly Najib cannot differentiate between empirical and anecdotal evidence.

The problem with Najib’s argument is that the BN is, in fact, a party supported only by the uninformed masses in the rural areas. And the BN will not win back the parliamentary seats in Kuala Lumpur.

Residents of Kuala Lumpur are shortchanged at every general election. Where their fellow citizens in surrounding states get to vote twice, once to decide on their representative for Parliament and once to decide on their local (state representative), the people of KL only get one vote. KLites therefore, have no say in who runs their local administration.

Instead, KL is run by the barely competent DBKL which neither listens nor cares about what the people of KL think. The head of DBKL while ostentatiously calling himself the Datuk Bandar, is appointed by fiat, not suffrage. He is always a tired old civil servant who is about to retire and who has no reason to be concerned with the views of KLites. No matter how incompetent he is or how unfit for office he is, he can neither be sacked nor voted out by the people of KL. He is beholden only to the Federal Territories Minister, a member of the Federal Cabinet.

In the current case, Raja Nong Chik, the FT Minister, is  not an MP from Kuala Lumpur. In fact, he is not an MP at all! He is there only by virtue of having been appointed by the Prime Minister; in his questionable wisdom. So there we have it, the two individuals who run KL are in complete disconnect with and do not in any way represent the people of Kuala Lumpur.

Local council elections a must for KL

The Datuk Bandar and councilor positions must be made elected ones; there is no alternative to this. KLites must be returned their right to vote, and the incompetent, unrepresentative rule of DBKL must come to an end.

Kuala Lumpur has a population higher than Penang, Kedah, Kelantan, Terengganu, Negeri Sembilan, Malacca or Pahang. Yet it is run, and run badly, by a town council under the thumb of the BN Federal Government. The people of KL should be able to decide on their local administration the same as other citizens of Malaysia.

The current state of affairs is untenable. The only popular indication of who KLites want representing them is the parliamentary elections. There are eleven parliamentary seats in Kuala Lumpur. In the 2008 elections, KLites voted for Pakatan in ten of them. Pakatan therefore is the rightful representative of the people of Kuala Lumpur.

Yet none of the councillors in DBKL come from Pakatan ranks. In fact, they are all BN apparatchiks, from UMNO, from MCA and from MIC. They are from the ranks of the parties that the people of Kuala Lumpur have roundly rejected. The people’s wishes are stomped on by the heavy soles of BN’s undemocratic jackboots. To add insult to injury, DBKL ignores the Pakatan MPs and ignores their recommendations.

No idea of what KL wants

And Najib now has the gall to declare that BN FT will win back Kuala Lumpur. It will not happen as long as KL is run in such incompetent manner. And it will not happen until Najib addresses the concerns of urban dwellers which include, but are not limited, to the following:

> Eradication of rampant corruption.

> Ensuring the independence and integrity of public institutions, such as the judiciary, the MACC and the Election Commission among others.

> The establishment of the IPCMC to avoid excesses by the police, another example of which we saw during the green rally in Kuantan last Sunday.

> The prosecution of corrupt figures, including those who hold or have held high office, but who are not charged and in many cases, not even investigated.

> Freedom of the press.

> Freedom of speech.

> Free and fair elections.

Najib will not, and cannot, fulfill even one of the above. And he cannot buy off urban dwellers with one-off 500 ringgit payments based on irresponsible, unsustainable budgets which will drive Malaysia into dangerous deficit.

So Najib will not get the urban vote.

And he will not win back Kuala Lumpur.

Malaysia Chronicle

Much ado about Hudud

The media frenzy surrounding the PAS Supporters Congress (PSC) is seeking to blow the issue of hudud law further out of the proportion.

Their chairman, Hu Pang Chow, mentioned that he could not justify to their 20,000 members how hudud law could be implemented upon non-Muslims without prior consultation. He also took the PAS led Kelantan State Government to task, saying that they would take their support elsewhere if they did not receive an adequate explanation.

Personally, I do not like the idea of any citizen of our country being dismembered, even after being found guilty of a crime. However, hudud is well known to be Islamic law, which would be governed only by the Syariah courts if they ever were to be implemented.

Both Nik Aziz and Anwar Ibrahim have made it abundantly clear in the press that hudud would apply to Muslims only, and the rights of non-Muslims would not be affected. This is common sense, as Syariah law could never apply to a non-Muslim in Malaysia, nor could hudud law if it is ever implemented.

Put simply, the reason that there has been no road show about the implementation of hudud law is simply because immediate implementation is simply not possible! Only now has Nik Aziz ordered the set up of a committee to look into the legalities of enacting hudud law, but it would certainly require parliamentary approval to be given first, even if it is only meant to be in Kelantan.

Furthermore, as approval by parliament would almost be impossible, it would be unrealistic to suggest that the framework of hudud law could even be drawn up. Only if PAS became the majority party in parliament could such approval be sought. Given the current political structure of the country, hudud law should continue to be confined as a pipe dream.

The Prime Minister has openly criticised Pakatan Rakyat to be divided over the issue of Hudud, and on that basis they are not fit to govern the country. I would put it to the Prime Minister that there is also dissent within Barisan Nasional itself about certain policies, but because the culture of BN is so dependant on UMNO, no one dares to voice it out.

Hudud is also an item which is neither included in the Pakatan Rakyat "Buku Jingga", nor is it in their common framework policy. The three main parties within PR have differing ideals, but what they are united in is the goal to stamp out graft and corruption, liberalise the economy to become globally competitive, improve the education system, improve the country's infrastructure, enable press freedom, enable freedom of speech, guarantee "freedom after speech" and freedom of religion amongst other crucial reforms.

If the people of Kelantan are calling for hudud law, there should be a state-wide referendum to truly gauge whether this is the will of the people. If a referendum is impractical, all parts of Kelantanese society should still be consulted, to ensure that everyone is happy and comfortable with the proposals before acting. As a maturing democracy, all political parties must turn back to the people when considering such a major reform.

The hudud trick has once again been employed as an election strategy by a desperate UMNO/BN to instil fear and doubt back into the hearts of the people. Their modus operandi is to make the Rakyat fear the unknown, and make us believe that life would always be better under their oppressive regime.

The public should not be fooled by this sandiwara. If anything, it is UMNO who are dead against hudud law, as many of their leaders may find themselves with missing limbs!

Published in:

Free Malaysia Today (http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/2011/10/10/much-ado-about-hudud/)
Malaysia Chronicle (http://www.malaysia-chronicle.com/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=20860:too-much-ado-over-hudud&Itemid=2#)
Malaysian Digest (http://www.malaysiandigest.com/opinion/33002-much-ado-about-hudud.html)
Malaysiakini (http://www.malaysiakini.com/letters/178237)

Budget 2012: Too many goodies, not enough substance

After listening to Dato Seri Najib Tun Razak make the 2 hour budget announcement on TV1, it really appears that it is business as usual for middle Malaysia despite the goodies being poured out.

There are a couple of points which are of interest. Firstly, what hits you immediately is the sheer size the budget. RM232.8 billion is a lot of money, especially when we are looking at a 9.4% rise in expenditure. However, the country's deficit will be reduced to 4.7% from 5.4% of GDP. How this is going to be achieved is yet to be seen. However, the fact remains that in terms of amount, it would be the biggest deficit in Malaysian history.

Economic growth expected at 5.0-5.5% for 2011 and growth of between 5-6% for 2012 despite tough economic conditions. Even if this is the case, there will be the fundamental question as to whether this would be enough to pay for our bills as a result of this budget?


Goodies galore across the board, from patients above 60 being exempted from outpatient registration fees, RM15 million for 150 futsal courts, RM200 vouchers for school children and the abolishment of school fees. A proposal taken from the Pakatan Rakyat "Buku Jingga" was a RM500 relief for families earning a household income of under RM3000. Apart from the futsal courts, these are welcomed steps taken by the BN government.


One part that I find particularly exciting is the tax exemption for donations to mission schools and houses of worship which is a big step in respecting the practice of other religions. However, in their sincerity, licenses for building places of worship should be dropped as well.


Good news for foreign investors include the liberalising of 17 services sub-sectors which would allow 100% foreign equity. This is not good news for local investors who are still subject to 40% bumi equity, which would have companies such as Genting and YTL taking money out of the country. Why are we giving incentives to foreigners at the expense of our own citizens?


Apart from the lifting of duties for hybrids until 2013, there is a complete absence in the mention of Green Technology. After the Prime Minister's vision of Putrajaya and Cyberjaya as green technology centres, RM1.5 billion in soft loans for green technology companies and a pledge to reduce Malaysia's carbon footprint by 40% by 2025, why suddenly shelve it?


We just had a massive Green Technology exhibition in September called IGEM hosted by the Ministry of Energy, Green Technology and Water (KeTTHA). The minister Datuk Peter Chin was around for the entire duration of the event over 4 days, but in the end, was it all lip service to the environment?


The other losers are the middle income earners, and incentives for business. Although there is substantial allocations for entrepreneurs starting out new businesses, liberalising business by dropping taxes such as import taxes on cars or eliminating the controversial APs would have been a very popular move. No allocation for improving public transport and access would also disappoint the daily commuter.


What was extremely disappointing is the announcement of more mega projects such as the Coastal Highway JB-Nusa and the Taiping Heritage Tourism Project at a cost of RM978 million. These would certainly go into cost over-runs, be subject to closed tenders and croynism. No change from the past.


The big winners are the civil servants, who will be getting their half month bonuses, pay rises from 7-13% per annum, and a time based pay scheme for civil servants to climb pay grades faster. With 1.3 million civil servants, that is a massive number of voters which would be affected by this measure.


With all these goodies, it is certainly shaping up as an election budget. Our Prime Minister was careful to mention that the RM33.2 billion subsidies package would not be removed as a gesture of putting the "people first", but many still question why RON 95 is still RM1.90 despite oil prices falling.


There are many quick fixes and incentives, but the fundamental infrastructure of the nation has been ignored. Handouts cannot eradicate hardcore poverty, nor combat rising costs. There are no moves to make our economy more competitive or additional incentives to bring our overseas talent home.


To the Prime Minister's credit, it is not a bad budget. But given the fact that the money spent is merely aesthetic, and does not change the divisive, corrupt and oppressive system it is built on, Pakatan Rakyat is looking increasingly capable of being an effective government. Given the fact that the alternative budget was well received, and with the promise of accountable and graft free government, we may yet uncover billions more which Barisan Nasional has been concealing from the Rakyat.


Do your duty at GE-13 for your country!


Published In:


Malaysians Must Know the Truth (http://malaysiansmustknowthetruth.blogspot.com/2011/10/budget-2012-too-many-goodies-not-enough.html)
The Malaysian Insider (http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/litee/sideviews/article/budget-2012-too-many-goodies-not-enough-substance-douglas-tan/)
Free Malaysia Today (http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/2011/10/07/too-many-goodies-not-enough-substance/)
Malaysia Chronicle  (http://malaysia-chronicle.com/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=20786:budget-2012-too-many-goodies-not-enough-substance&Itemid=2)
Malaysiakini (http://www.malaysiakini.com/letters/178093)

M'sian Chinese must read this: Get lost, MCA! I want to vote for PAS

It has become the tradition for MCA to use hudud to attack Pakatan Rakyat especially now when we are in the last lap to the 13th general election. Hudud is of course the part of the Islamic criminal law that pertains to 6 specific punishments that includes amputation of limbs, whipping and stoning to death.

But this time around, the shocking thing is how the Chinese community reacted in the scocial media network. No one rushed to condemn hudud, no one took pity on the MCA. On the contrary, they attacked MCA with gusto, hurling foul words at its political hypocrisy and cheating ways.

It is not surprising then that MCA vice president Gan Ping Sieu has quietly dropped his debate challenge to Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng over the hudud issue.

An accurate reflection of how the Chinese feel

Outstanding among the cyberspace scoldings heaped on the MCA is an article entitled Chinese Malaysians must read! MCA, I want to vote for PAS!

It was written by a writer nicknamed Yue, which means moon. The article was published by his friend on Facebook at around 2 pm on October 4, 2011. It went viral and in 48 hours it was shared by some 1,500 Facebook.

The article is a revelation of the mood of the Chinese. Although it is filled with derogatory words towards MCA, it is an accurate reflection of the sentiments of the Chinese community towards the MCA and why they are defending PAS.

Quite the opposite reaction from the previous years, when the community ran to the MCA for refuge against the extremists in PAS. Now, uppermost in the Chinese minds are how to scold MCA for bowing to Umno, while PAS is praised for having the courage to shift to the middle ground.

The Chinese community appears to appreciate the recent efforts made by PAS to open its doors and to try and explain its religious beliefs more freely to the non-Muslims.

It is archaic but ...

Nonetheless, this does not mean that the writer supports hudud law. Frankly, most Chinese do not support hudud. It does not belong in the present time and neither is it any good to say that non-Malays will not be affected.

The Chinese and Indians don't want to have their arms chopped off if they steal or to be stoned to death if they commit adultery. They don't want such horrible things to happen to their Malay friends either. If they didn't care and just said, never mind lah, only the Malays 'kena' or suffer, they would be very selfish people indeed. Don't you agree?

In any case, the writer Yue also acknowledges that hudud is part of PAS' ultimate goal and at the same is happy that political reality does not allow the implementation of hudud based on the Pakatan's Common Policy Framework and the Orange Book.

Lastly, the writer says if the Chinese really can't tolerate hudud, they can always switch back to the BN in GE-14.

Here is an edited version of "Chinese Malaysians must read! MCA, I want to vote for PAS!"

As a Chinese Malaysian, there is no Rocket or Keadlian contesting in my constituency, only a direct clash between UMNO and PAS. Now, I'm officially announcing it here - in the next GE, I will vote for PAS!

Looking at the MCA leaders attacking Islamic hudud laws during their annual general assembly on the pretext that they are protecting Malaysian multi-culturalism, I wish to say, MCA, go to hell!

As a Chinese in Malaysia, now I wish to tell MCA, in the next general election, I will vote for PAS! I don't wan to entertain you anymore!

Don't tell me that by forming an Islamic country, hands and feet will be chopped off. Malaysia under your rule and Umno - even Teoh Beng Hock can fall from a building! Cops can shoot as they please! Not to mention the ones that died in custody! Before our hands and feet are chopped off by PAS, we might die abused by you - the authorities!

MCA, a pathetic party, tarnishing PAS in the papers everyday. Do you know, PAS allocates land to 'support' Chinese secondary schools in Kelantan. In Perak, the same thing happened when a PAS leader was the Menteri Besar. @#@ MCA, you've been the government for many years, but failed to institutionalize allocations for Chinese schools, and now you're telling us not to vote for PAS, crazy!

@#@, MCA you are a huge party but in your general assembly, the time was used to attack Islamic idealism, but at the same time you quietly bow to Umno's narrow racist mind, what kind of a pathetic party is this? A pathetic party that cannot be saved!

When Umno attacked, saying Chinese are "immigrants", telling us to go back to Tongsan, it was PAS who came forward to defend us!

When Umno prohibits non-Muslims from using the word Allah, it was PAS who came forward to defend non-Muslims' rights!

When Umno prohibits non-Muslims from entering mosques and suraus, it was PAS who came forward to oppose Umno!

When the pro-Umno Perkasa attacked Pakatan Rakyat for betraying the Malays, it was PAS who came forward to stop them!

@#@, what are you doing, MCA? Only capable of saying Umno should not be like this, like that. If you are really great, why is is that the Chinese are still second class citizens? If you really do have a backbone, the get out of Barisan Nasional, stupid!

My anger is raging.For so long you've taken money, one PKFZ project you took RM12.5 billion, one Facebook you took RM1.8 million, and the other ones? You took the people's money!

PAS? Have you heard of PAS taking bribes? PAS is known for its honesty, 20 years of ruling Kelantan, not one corruption case, the Menteri Besar is still living in a 'kampung' house, eats nasi lemak! You guys simply say if you win you'll eat lobster, and you still want us to vote for you?"

MCA, get lost! When the Prime Minister announced he will abolish ISA because of pressure from the people, like a dog, you immediately agreed! @#@, for so long you've been supporting that draconian act, and now you've changed in a blink of an eye? You think the people are stupid?

For so long, PAS led the people to fight, either in the anti-ISA rally, Bersih 1.0 or Bersih 2.0, PAS is always in the front-line to fight against tyranny - facing tear gas, and water canons!

On 9 July, Umno attacked us for rallying on the streets. At a critical moment, Unit Amal PAS made way, and said "Let the Chinese out first, we protect them!" @#@, where were you MCA? Where did you hide at the time? Now you're telling us not to vote for PAS, to hell with you!

@#@, for so long you've been ruling us, that porn video president is still on the stage urging the government to do this and that. Have you ever thought of yourselves as the government? If you yourselves can't do it, then switch! Stupid!

The best thing is, Liow Tiong Lai, challenged DAP to get out of Pakatan Rakyat. When Islamic law was passed in Kelantan and Terengganu, Umno state assemblymen supported by raising both of their hands. Not one vote was given by DAP. Why don't you lead MCA to get out of Barisan Nasional?

PAS wants to implement hudud Laws, this is the party's ultimate goal. It is like the Progressive Democratic Party in Taiwan who fought for independence, which surely won't happen, because it is not allowed in the political reality.

Furthermore, PAS is cooperating with the other two party components in Pakatan Rakyat, who will surely govern based on the Orange Book - not just the ultimate goal of PAS or DAP. Maybe some will ask, what about Kelantan?

I would like to ask them, even if it is implemented in Kelantan, what's the fuss? If you're not a Muslim, what has it got anything to do with you? Furthermore, you should wait until PAS wins two-thirds majority to amend the constitution. For now, the government has yet to be even changed. Now with the amount of phantom voters, it would difficult for Pakatan Rakyat to win one third of the seats!

Still a lot of Chinese are saying, we'll die if the Pakatan Rakyat gets two-thirds majority. I say @#@, my foot, if Pakatan Rakyat wins two-third, DAP will surely have 50 seats. If DAP would not vote for it, there would be no amendments.

And then, more Chinese are asking, what if DAP become cowards and support the implementation of hudud laws? If you don't like it, then switch back to Barisan Nasional! Is it that there can't be no more elections after the change of government in the next GE? Aren't elections about giving us the opportunity to change the government if we don't agree with its policies?

Some Chinese are just stupid, I'm saying it openly here. If in the next election, we support a government that have been corrupt for so long, just because we are afraid of hudud laws that are not even there, then the Chinese are a real disgrace. The fate of the Chinese community will be destroyed by their own hands!

Wake up, and don't be fooled by MCA! Only when we vote for Rocket, Keadilan and Moon and unite to change this pathetic government can we fix the conditions of the Chinese community in the country.

If you love your race, if you love your people, if you love your country, share this writing with all your friends. In the next election, we sing together the song "Moon is the shape of my heart" (a famous Chinese song)!

Merdeka Review/Malaysia Chronicle

The Bersih Truth Hurts

While our Prime Minister receives accolades from most quarters for the repeal of archaic acts such as the Banishment Act 1959 and the Restricted Residence Act 1993, questions must be asked about when the true reforms would be made.

Only now has Najib Razak instructed the Attorney General to draft the two pieces of alternative legislation to the Internal Security Act, and he has continued to chide the opposition for claiming to be the champions of the repeal of the act. Clearly, the Prime Minister has not come prepared by announcing that the ISA would be abolished without having anything prepared to replace it.

The circus does not stop there. The Medical Device Authority act gives the police the authority to seize any medical devices as evidence with the approval of the Health Minister. In our system where Ministerial authority for criminal matters should be diminished, the wide scope of the act shows that this Barisan Nasional government is as authoritarian as ever, and has no intention to change.

Question Time was intriguing as it forced Ministers to come clean with the information behind their recent actions. Actions are not without consequences, and as it transpires, the justification given for their actions are nothing short of laughable.

No rally has been publicised as much as Bersih 2.0, branded by the mainstream media as the July 9th illegal rally. Home Minister Hishammudin Hussein has been put under an enormous amount of scrutiny as to how the event was handled, and now the spotlight has been redirected at him as he attempts to explain the actions taken and the cost.

As we all now know, there were over 11,000 police personnel at a cost in excess of RM2 million borne by the taxpayers. This enormous figure compared with their official claims that only 6,000 people turned up for the rally and that almost 1,700 people were arrested smacks of inefficiency and waste in itself!

Or could it be that there were really 50,000 on the ground that day and the police presence and cost was a proportional response to keep public order? The Home Ministry can argue about the facts, but when it comes to footing the bill, it becomes difficult to justify the sheer cost of it all.

Repealing the ISA would make Malaysia the best democracy in the world, chimes the Prime Minister, but the Home Minister continues to deem Bersih as an illegal organisation as they intended to "overthrow the government".

This line of reasoning is a result of paranoia rather than fact. The intent was to reform the electoral system, not to overthrow the government! This is not a justification, rather just a convenient, albeit far fetched, explanation to defend the indefensible.

Finally, Health Minister Liow Tiong Lai once again has egg on his face. After his public denial that no tear gas or chemical laced water was shot at Tung Shin Hospital, the Home Ministry report conceding that the police has breached their own Standard Operating Procedures is a massive slap on the face.

After all the fuss about Lim Guan Eng apologising for his gaff about Johor security, can we also expect an apology from the Health Minister? Or shall we expect more excuses, and the same holier-than-thou hypocrisy that we are used to?

Either way, BN have displayed their true colours yet again by failing to walk the talk. With these half-hearted measures taken to reforms, they are asking for punishment from the Raykat in the looming General Elections.

Published in:

Free Malaysia Today (http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/2011/10/06/the-bersih-truth-hurts/)
Malaysia Chronicle (http://www.malaysia-chronicle.com/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=20653:the-bersih-truth-hurts&Itemid=2#
Malaysian Digest (http://www.malaysiandigest.com/opinion/32724-the-bersih-truth-hurts.html)
Malaysia Today (http://www.malaysia-today.net/mtcolumns/letterssurat/43946-the-bersih-truth-hurts)

Deplorable State of English

The ability to communicate effectively is what makes or breaks a business. As a person involved in the management of a public listed company, we all know that our companies are as strong as our weakest link.

Therefore, the recruitment of good people has become a pseudo art form, with head hunting agencies pouring through potential candidates and our own human resource department, thumbing through job applications one by one to determine who is worth their salt.

With this in mind, I have become increasingly discouraged of late with the quality of candidates applying for positions in my company. The issue is not so much the pay, as opposed to the grey matter between their ears.

Although this is perhaps not such a major problem for middle or higher management, the language abilities of the candidates I had to interview of late have been extremely poor. When the business requires one to deal with foreign clients, can you possibly ask them to converse in Malay or Chinese?

Of the ten candidates who have sat across from me who applied for the position of a sales executive, I can confidently say that only one could hold a decent conversation with me. The rest were uneasy, shifting in their shoes, with some to the point that I had to allow them to speak Chinese or Malay in order to express themselves. Is this how it should be?

Personally I find that by allowing them to speak their mother tongue, I am probably wasting my time. If my customer in the UK or US are unable to understand their e-mails or their verbal explanations, is that not going to be more costly than not to have them at all?

The level of education is no longer a factor to determine one's proficiency in the English language any longer. I had recently interviewed a masters degree holder from a top local university who was clearly unable to string a grammatically correct sentence together. What hope is there then for the fresh graduates who are looking for employment?

Poor English skills is also giving rise to overall deterioration in customer service. In the United States, staff are trained to address the customer as "Sir", "Madam" or "Ms." and they use words and phrases such as "Certainly", "Not a problem" and "How else may I be of service today?" This is in stark comparison to the "Ya, OK" responses which we are so accustomed to.

Is this a fundamental problem with our education system? Should we not be looking to make English taught at school more practical for everyday usage with more emphasis on oral skills?

Columnist Erna Mahyuni on The Malaysian Insider commented today that our kids no longer can read or comprehend English literature. Although this is heart-wrenching enough, I would go so far to submit that in 10 years time, our kids would not longer be able to speak English let alone read it.

Does this mean we get rid of Bahasa Malaysia or Chinese as mediums of instruction? Absolutely not! Parents should have every right to choose what medium of instruction their children should partake in. There is no doubt we all should be proficient at Bahasa Malaysia as it is our Bahasa Kebangsaan.

However, we need to observe education systems in countries where their populations are proficient in English although it is not their mother tongue. Those from Nordic countries, Germany, and the Netherlands are famous for their ability to communicate in English despite it being rarely spoken amongst their own people. The Education Ministry should take a leaf out of their book to see how to reform our current system rather than stick to the status quo.

The PMR English exam is being sat across the country today. I pray that these kids do not underestimate the value of the language, and when they eventually come out to work in the next couple of years would enable Malaysia to take that step up towards a more confident, international nation.

Published in:

Free Malaysia Today (http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/2011/10/05/deplorable-state-of-english/)
The Star Newspaper (http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/10/6/focus/9640145&sec=focus)
Malaysia Chronicle (http://www.malaysia-chronicle.com/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=20714:manglish-malaysians-deplorable-state-of-english&Itemid=2)