PM announces 11 measures to slash public sector spending

PM announces 11 measures to slash public sector spending

PETALING JAYA: The Government has announced 11 cost-cutting measures for the public sector in line with its intention to practice more prudent spending in 2014.

The Prime Minister in a statement Monday said the decision to undertake the measures was made after discussions with his deputy Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and the Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Ali Hamsa.

“Other savings measures for the public sector will be announced from time to time based on needs and the current situation,” Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said in the statement.

The measures include cutting the entertainment allowances of Minister and Deputy Ministers by 10%; requiring all government ministries, agencies and premises to cut their electricity bills by 5%; cutting the toll payment facilities for senior government officers by 30%; and reducing the use of event management companies and door gifts for conventions and government functions involving public servants.

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In the coming years, the people will feel the pinch as expenses and cost of living increases. I foresee that jobs will be hard to come by, salaries, bonuses and perks will shrink as businesses have to contend with rising costs. In other words, the people will be angry.

What the PM has announced so far will not make any impact in terms of cost savings. But it will be seen as an act of empathy.Hopefully, he has plans to implement measures that will actually address the problems.

The people will be watching very, very closely on the actions of the government, both state & federal, in the years to come. These days, it is no longer possible to hide behind official reasons or excuses. This should be applied to the State level as well. Pakatan Rakyat supporters should keep a close eye on the doings of the Pakatan ADUNs & MPs. They are just as fallible. Some of them were ex-BN, mind you.

We should not be distracted by rhetorical issues. Focus on real, tangible issues. Issues that have a direct impact in our lives. Don't let the politicians make use of you to fulfill their agendas.

Instead of them asking us what we can do for the country, from now onwards, WE should be asking them what they can deliver/do for us, the people. Why must the people let themselves to be led by the nose?

1. THE PEOPLE should be setting the benchmark for THEM!

2. THE PEOPLE should set THEIR agendas.

3. THE PEOPLE should demand TANGIBLE results from THEM.

4. THE PEOPLE should not let themselves be USED.

5. THE PEOPLE should be proactive, not wait for THEM to get things done.

Lets get back to basics, shall we. A few examples:

Rising Prices
There is actually nothing much that can be done. The only way to reduce prices is through subsidies. But since everyone supports the removal of subsidies, (which I don't agree fully), increase minimum wages, then you have to accept rising costs. You have a choice. Either you cut your expenses, or you work harder to earn more. Back in the days, it is common for people to hold 2 or more jobs or side business for extra income, and are prudent with their spending. These days, workers demand high pay, short working hours, long vacations and even longer loans to enjoy first world lifestyle. Well, like they say, there's a price for everything.

Education
Everyone gripes about our lousy education system, but the more they meddle with it, the worse it gets. Since we know it will be ages before we see any improvements, if any, it's about time parents themselves take on the responsibility. Which should be the way in the first place. Why are educated parents outsourcing their responsibilities to others in the first place? The basic role of parents are to provide food, shelter, and guidance for their children. Impart values and ethics and the skill to seek knowledge, so that they will grow up to be independent and responsible adults. When your kids grow up to be undisciplined spoilt brats, it's your fault.

Medical Care
Medical care is getting out of reach for many people. Why are the people not concerned about this? They are so preoccupied with freedom of speech, democracy, corruption, and a host of other issues, while totally oblivious to those that have a direct impact on their well-being. The truth is, globally, people cannot afford to get sick. Getting sick is expensive. But the people have forgotten that affordable medical care is a basic human right. As you get older, this will be your major concern. So, wouldn't it be better if the people ensure that the government provides this to all?

Housing
It is obvious that housing is getting out of reach for the average population. If nothing is done, our future generations will be homeless. There must be a system in place to address this problem. Governments cannot put the responsibility on the developers. Housing developers are businesses. The responsibility rests with the government. In Penang & Selangor, for example, prices are skyrocketing. The developers are building expensive houses that give them higher profits.

Common Sense
Humans are driven by the herd mentality. It's human nature. It is the number one force that drives politics, stock markets, or any type of speculation, and even public rallies & protests. Why? Because humans react differently in different situations. That is why politicians like to put the people in a state of panic. When human are in panic, their brains reacts accordingly. They will follow the herd and do what they are told. Common sense and critical thinking shuts down.

That is how people are made to do terrible things to other people. For every kind of conflict, wars, killings, clashes, involving large groups of people, the participants are always in a state of panic, hysteric even. The way soldiers are trained reaffirms this concept. They are trained not to think, and only to obey orders. Which is why, when these soldiers return after their missions, many require counseling, suffering from guilt and depression.

So as the New Year is just around the corner, I would like to wish all A Happy New Year!

And my new year wish for Malaysians is to take a step back, calm your minds and see things as they really are. Not what you think they ought to be. Choose the middle way.

Zaid: Crackdown on conversions the way out of ‘Allah’ impasse

Zaid: Crackdown on conversions the way out of ‘Allah’ impasse

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 26 — Stronger anti-conversion and proselytisation laws will let Putrajaya address Muslim apostasy and allow the Christian use of “Allah” to end a growing standoff over the Arabic word, former minister Zaid Ibrahim said today.

Accusing Putrajaya of having taken the “lazy way out” in 1988 by banning non-Muslims from using the Arabic word for God, Zaid said the government could still return religious ties to how they were before the now-soured interfaith relations and “widespread animosity” between the Muslim majority and the Christian community here.

“If Christians say ‘Allah’ is integral to their Scriptures and their faith, then let’s accept that and move on. Equally, Christians should affirm that they will respect the rights of Muslims to practise their faith undisturbed,” the former Umno leader wrote in a blog posting today titled “The way to end the ‘Allah’ row”.

“No one should engage in deceitful, coercive or unlawful activities to convert anyone else — it’s not only illegal but morally repugnant,” he added, acknowledging fears by the Muslim community of alleged conversion attempts directed at them.

Earlier in his blog post, Zaid said that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak should recognise that “Christians consider the use of ‘Allah’ to be integral to their faith despite the ‘finding of fact’ by the Court of Appeal that it was not”.

Najib should also have a special sitting with the Malay rulers to solve the “Allah” controversy and revisit the 1988 decision to ban non-Muslims from using the Arabic word for God, Zaid said.

Pointing to the “repeated public display of utter confusion” by the government on the effects of the ban, Zaid said the conflicting opinions amounted to “international embarrassment” and needs to be stopped with clear discussions by the country’s leaders.

“The prime minister and the Malay rulers must discuss this issue with detachment and clarity. They should begin by returning to the pre-1988 status quo,” he wrote.

The former law minister said that a review of the then Home Minister Tan Sri Syed Hamid Albar’s reports and consultation of the religious departments in different states would show that there was “real concern” prior to the 1988 ban that certain Christian evangelists “were aggressively converting Muslims”.

The ban only served to treat the symptoms rather the real problem of Muslim conversion, he said, referring to the federal government and the state religious authorities' ban.

“It merely gazetted a few regulations banning the use of some words and thought the problem would go away. The state religious authorities took a similar route by passing laws to prevent ‘Allah’ and other words of Arabic origin from being used by non-Muslim. They thought this would stop the process of conversion,” he said.

Anticipating the outrage of the Muslim community over the reversal of the 1988 ban, Zaid suggested that the prime minister bolster his move by beefing up anti-conversion measures.

“The prime minister and the Malay Rulers can make this point to Muslims: that in exchange for the use of the word ‘Allah’ by the Christians in their prayers, publications and the Malay Bible, Christians in turn will support the enactment of special laws and enforcement mechanisms to protect the Muslims from any conversion,” Zaid said.

Earlier, he said that most Christians respect the country’s laws and would likely not mind a “special task force” by the government to look into conversions of Muslims.

The tussle over “Allah” arose in 2008 when Catholic newspaper The Herald was barred by the Home Ministry from using the Arabic word. The Catholic Church had contested this in court and won a High Court decision in 2009 upholding its constitutional right to do so.

Putrajaya later appealed the decision and successfully overturned the earlier decision when the Court of Appeal ruled this October that “Allah” was not integral to the Christian faith.

Since the ruling, churches in Sabah and Sarawak have become more vocal in pressing for their right to use the term that they say is entrenched in the 20- and 18-point agreements with the two states, insisting they will continue their age-old practice of referring to God as “Allah” in their worship and in their holy scriptures.

Islamic groups and authorities have of late also stepped up their “vigilance” against non-Muslims over their use of the word “Allah”, with a closed-door Christian event in Selangor now reportedly the subject of an investigation by the state Islamic religious department.

The Catholic Church has since appealed to the country’s top court for clarity on the religious row that has drawn deep lines between Malaysia’s non-Muslim minorities and its 60 per cent Muslim population, with the Federal Court fixing February 24 next year to hear the application for appeal. - SOURCE

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Islamic groups and authorities have of late also stepped up their “vigilance” against non-Muslims over their use of the word “Allah”, with a closed-door Christian event in Selangor now reportedly the subject of an investigation by the state Islamic religious department.

1. The only non-Muslims insisting on using "Allah" for their worship are the Christians (and Sikh community? or so I heard). People, especially politicians are fond of using general terms whenever it suits them. "Non-Muslim" means people from all other religions other than Muslims. I don't remember Taoists, Buddhists, Hindus, Jewish, Animists, and others ever making such demands. So, it is sometimes prudent to be more specific.

2. I am in full agreement with the banning of conversion and proselytisation of ALL religions. In Malaysia, it also includes Taoists and Buddhists and perhaps others as well. Everyone should be protected against each other. Proselytisation and conversions, sometimes not done willingly and even abused, have caused untold amounts of problems to the people. The Christians have been doing it for years. So have the Muslims. There are many such incidences past and present if we care to search.

3. There have been numerous cases, especially child conversions in the past. Read my previous post

Religion: Children's Conversion

There's one particular case not too long ago, in 2010/2011, which hardly got much publicity. It's the case of Tan Yi Min, a 7-year-old Chinese girl, secretly converted by her mother to Muslim without the father's knowledge.

Tan fails to obtain temporary custody of daughter

GEORGE TOWN (Jan 4, 2011): The George Town High Court here has rejected the application of assistant marketing manager Tan Cheow Hong, 36 to obtain temporary custody of his seven-year old daugher pending the disposal of the custody case.

High Court judge Justice Datuk Yaacob Md Sam, in reading out his decision today, said that the interim custody of the child, Tan Yi Min, is given to her mother, Fatimah Fong Abdullah @ Fong Mee Hui, while Tan is granted access to his daughter.....

.....Tan claimed that the incident occurred on Nov 8 when Fong showed up at their daughter's school in Butterworth, accompanied by the police and Islamic Affairs Department officials, to take away the child.

Now, why didn't Zaid offer this solution then? How come it is only seen as a problem only when Islam is viewed to be under threat?

Of course there are even more cases of Chinese as well as Hindus converting to Christianity as well. The Chinese & Indian community has been living with this for years. And more and more are being converted each year, especially the young.

The fact is, conversions to another religion from the one born into, more often than not, will create problems for the families. Both Christianity & Islam are proselytising religions. And people of other faiths should be accorded the same protection too.

I would also strongly suggest we prohibit religion in politics. Political parties should not be allowed to be associated with any type of religion at all.

If only we left each other alone and keep religion personal, it will be a much peaceful world.

Fukushima: Surge in cancers among young

Surge in cancers among young in Fukushima, but experts divided on cause

Anti-nuclear protesters gather at a rally in Tokyo. Photo: AP

Fifty-nine young people in Fukushima prefecture have been diagnosed with or are suspected of having thyroid cancer, but experts are divided about whether their illness is caused by nuclear radiation.

All of them were younger than 18 at the time of the nuclear meltdown in the area in March 2011. They were identified in tests by the prefectural government, which covered 239,000 people by the end of September.

At a meeting hosted by Japan's Environmental Ministry and the prefectural government on Saturday, most experts were not convinced radiation leaks from the Fukushima nuclear plant could trigger thyroid cancer in children so soon, the Asahi Shimbun reported yesterday.

Among those who voiced alarm was Toshihide Tsuda, a professor of epidemiology at Okayama University. He called upon the government to prepare for a possible increase in cases in the future.

"The rate at which children in Fukushima prefecture have developed thyroid cancer can be called frequent, because it is several times to several tens of times higher," the newspaper quoted him as saying.

He compared the figures in Fukushima with cancer registration statistics throughout Japan from 1975 to 2008 that showed an annual average of five to 11 people in their late teens to early 20s developing cancer for every 1 million people.

Tetsuya Ohira, a professor of epidemiology at Fukushima Medical University, disagreed. It was not scientific to compare the Fukushima tests with cancer registry statistics, he argued.

In November, prefectural officials deemed it unlikely that the increase in suspected and confirmed cases of cancer was linked to radiation exposure.

In the Chernobyl disaster of 1986, it was not until four or five years after the accident that thyroid cancer cases surged.

"It is known that radioactive iodine is linked to thyroid cancer. Through the intake of food, people may absorb and accumulate it inside glands," said Dr Choi Kin, a former president of the Hong Kong Medical Association.

Children might absorb more of it than adults because they were still growing, he said, but it remained to be proven that the radioactive iodine came from the nuclear disaster instead of the normal environment.

The 2011 earthquake and tsunami crippled the Fukushima plant, causing the meltdown of three of its six reactors. More than 23,000 people were killed. - SOURCE

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It's been 3 years since the accident, and people are still clueless as to the real impact it will have on the people of Japan and the rest of the world. Why has so many countries across the world developed & used this technology for so many years, not knowing about the dangers & consequences? Or perhaps they know, but chose not to acknowledge and instead deny it.

Are governments taking the easy way out by advocating nuclear plants? Populations & cities are growing, and they require more and more energy. Developing countries especially, are starting to turn to nuclear power for their energy needs. But only for those who are not deemed as a threat to western powers. One such country is Malaysia.

Malaysia has plans to build not one, but 2 of these things. There's already the Lynas plant built & despite protests, has already started operations. I have a feeling that the people will live to regret the decision... one day. Just like the people of Fukushima.

The fact is, developing countries have become a dumping ground for these highly polluting & dangerous facilities which all western and developed countries are trying to get rid of. Bear in mind, the cost to run & maintain these plants are very high. And these developing countries have to rely on foreign companies & expertise to run and maintain these nuclear plants. Which translates to billions and trillions of dollars in the long run.

Anyway, back to Fukushima. Scientists predict that we will only see the effects on those affected 20-30 years from now. By then, those responsible will not be around anymore. Moreover, it is difficult to ascertain the real cause of the cancer in a person and link it to nuclear radiation.  So, in the meantime, the government & the nuclear providers pretend everything is fine and it's business as usual. Life goes on.

I wonder, currently, how safe are Japanese food in Malaysia & other countries? Since most of the ingredients are produced in Japan and assuming that some parts of the country will be contaminated with radioactive fallout, especially the water and land.

Personally, although I like Japanese food a lot,  I would rather err on the side of caution.

Syed Ali to Wee: Don’t try to be a champion

PETALING JAYA: Former MCA Youth leader Wee Ka Siong was ‘advised’ by Umno Cheras division chief Syed Ali Alhabshee over the former’s remarks made at the MCA Youth annual general assembly yesterday.

“Having been a deputy minister, he should know better that whatever he’s not happy about can be brought up during Barisan Nasional (BN) meetings.

“Don’t try to be a champion. He’s trying to show that he’s championing the Chinese. However, he’s saying it for his self-interest without thinking about the people,” Syed Ali told FMT....

.... “Umno is a fair party. Although we are a Malay party, we have never neglected the Chinese,” he said.

Syed Ali said it was instead MCA’s responsibility to explain matters to the Chinese community.

“We know how most of the BN component parties did not do well in the last general election. But they must find ways to tackle the people,” he said..... etc... etc...

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“We know how most of the BN component parties did not do well in the last general election. But they must find ways to tackle the people,” he said.

You know, looking at both UMNO & MCA these days, I wonder how long BN would last. Many, especially those hardcore Malay UMNO supporters failed to comprehend that they are part of the contributing factors towards the near demise of UMNO's partners. Gerakan, MIC, and now MCA. It's a matter of time before the others would be forced to take the same path.

1. Do you honestly think that these component parties just lost support out of the blue? Their non-Malay electorates had it up to their eyeballs with the constant threats and insults to their community! The truth is, they lost faith in you guys!

2. Although MCA is a mess to begin with, it is also unfair to put the blame squarely on them. It takes both hands to clap. Do you mean Gerakan, after donkey years ruling Penang, lost everything just like that?

3. Politicians...and I mean both BN & PR, please don't patronise the public. Don't talk as though the people are idiots, although many are indeed borderline. For the other thinking ones, it's just insulting.

4. Wee Ka Siong is plainly playing to the gallery. There is a Chinese saying, "Do not wear a hat that is bigger than your head".

5. With leaders such as these two in BN, the circus is complete.

6. Since UMNO can win on their own, please do the Chinese a favour... stop the charade of "winning" back the Chinese votes with your silly antics. If this is all you guys are capable of, at least spare a thought and save your time, and let the Chinese keep whatever little dignity they still have.

Enough of the empty rhetorics and sideshows already. The Chinese are not stupid, so stop all these condescending acts.  It's the Malays you should be more concerned about... They are the ones who will determine the fate of BN.

Focus instead on the economy and Chinese schools. The Chinese schools are in a mess. Funds are short and not used efficiently. The poor quality of teachers and the ever changing system & syllabus causes much hardship to the students and parents. Parents are very, very unhappy!

Our education system is failing!

Race on for MCA leaders who can stand up to Umno

Race on for MCA leaders who can stand up to Umno

That headline speaks volumes about the the delusional leadership & members of MCA. This is testament to how far the party is disconnected with the community it claims to represent.

1. MCA is a part of BN. UMNO is the leader of BN.

2. If you need to stand up to the leader of your group, who happens to be the dominant partner, then what is the point of staying in BN?

3. MCA will never be on par with UMNO within BN. It is unrealistic.

I would like to ask the MCA leaders, and to a certain extent the delegates, members and supporters:

1. What have you guys been smoking?

2. Ask yourselves this: What benefits/contribution can you offer the Chinese community and the nation? What is your role in BN and the government? If UMNO is seen as a big bully in BN, what makes you think that you have any clout over them? What is your role in the government anyway?

3. Next, please take a good look at your candidates, especially for the top 2 posts. Do you really expect anyone with a normal functioning mind to believe that they are even close to this? ->

4. Most importantly, do you guys actually think that it is all about you, standing up to big brother?

Honestly, I see the MCA's prospects getting dimmer by the day. If this is all you guys can muster, there is no hope. Among the contenders for the top 2 posts, Ong Tee Keat has the most appeal to the Chinese electorate in general.

What drives 95% of a community to throw their support to a coalition comprising of a Chinese party led by Christians, an Islamic party, and a personal cult party? It seems to me the people in MCA haven't the slightest clue. MCA is grasping at straws, looking out for their own interests. The ministerial, government positions and party assets are too tempting to pass over.

I believe MCA's grassroots support is still intact, up to a certain degree... but national issues tend to eclipse party loyalty and traditional voting trends. The keywords are still education & economy, both which are apparently in a mess.

MCA should not take up minister posts!

It's called having a backbone... At least one of the 3 contenders have openly declared his intention of doing so. If they do, this will be their last term.

The result of the years of blaming & using the Chinese as a scapegoat by UMNO especially with the intense and vicious Chinese bashing after the 13th GE which continues to this day, is irreversible. The days of MCA even trying to stand up for the Chinese is long gone. We have crossed the threshold. The politicians have done it in. In my mind, I have no doubt that the original spirit of BN, or whatever was left of it, has officially died. UMNO does not want you anymore...

The consequence resulting from the current political developments appears to escape most people in the country. The future Malaysia will be one which religion, Islam specifically, will play a central role in government as well as politics. The Malays, as opposed to popular assumption of being more united, will actually be more divided, politically & socially. When the Malays are divided & fight among themselves, the minorities will suffer. Religious & social class differences will be the undercurrent driving national issues. As usual, the Malays will blame the Chinese, and vice versa, with the Indians positioned at the ringside.

The next GE, the Chinese voters will be much lesser than the last one. Many will not even bother to vote. I don't expect the Chinese to participate in any rallies or protests in large numbers anymore. They are fed-up.

The Chinese, if they are smart, should be neutral and not take sides. Place more emphasis on your spiritual well-being. Reconnect with your culture & religion. Think rationally rather that emotionally.

Take the middle way. And hopefully, things will find a balance. 

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KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 16 — The hunt for a strong, decisive leader in MCA kicked off today with delegates seeking a chief who is able to rise from under the shadow of Umno and place the Chinese party on par again with its Barisan Nasional (BN) partner, after a humiliating performance in the 13th general election this year.

At the close of nominations, three hopefuls were confirmed to be in the running for the president’s hat: maverick one-term former chief Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat; incumbent deputy president Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai; and incumbent vice-president Gan Ping Sieu.

The results of who will take the top post will only be known after the party votes this weekend, but delegates at the large nomination hall within the MCA’s headquarters with whom The Malay Mail Online spoke with today seemed to have firm opinions on the man who can revitalise their flagging spirits and put a fresh wind in their ship to win back support from Malaysia’s sizeable Chinese community.

“In these challenging times, the best pair would be Ong Tee Keat, with number two, Wee Ka Siong.

“My view is that these two are the most articulate... strong, decisive and they are fighters,” Tan Foong Luen said, when approached.

The Negri Sembilan MCA legal bureau chairman voiced the sentiment that has been bubbling beneath the party’s surface these past few month since the May polls, and which its grassroots members have found to have chafed their pride.

“A lot of Umno people have ventilated very damaging statements against MCA,” he said.

He added that whoever among the trio was picked as captain should be able to stand up to both Umno leaders to the opposition force.

The Pakatan Rakyat (PR) bloc, especially the Chinese-dominant DAP, had succeeded in wresting bigger support this year, especially from the ethnic Chinese voters who resided mainly in the cities.

This is despite Datuk Wee Ka Siong who is nominated as the deputy is a strong backer of Liow, while Datuk Donald Lim, another contender for the number two post is aligned with Gan.

Wee was outspoken in his support for Liow especially during outgoing president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek’s attempt to censure his estranged deputy in October.

Another delegate however said both Liow and Gan have 45 per cent chances of winning the top post, while Ong only has 10

He was also hopeful that the new leadership would unite MCA members, while admitting it would be an extremely challenging task.

Meanwhile, the Wanita chief race is between Datuk Heng Seai Kie and Tan Ching Liang.

Heng is Perak Wanita Chief while Tan lost in her bid for the Penang Wanita chief post last month.

The race for the Youth chief is between Chong Sin Woon and Datuk Goh Gaik Meng.

Chong is the national youth education bureau chief while Goh is the Batu Youth Chief.

The Youth election will be on Thursday, while Wanita elections will be on Friday.

The MCA election for the top leadership will be on Saturday, followed by the annual general assembly the next day.

All eyes will be on the race as one of the outcomes could be the reversal of the previous presidential council’s decision to reject Cabinet positions.

Delegates who spoke to The Malay Mail Online said it is crucial to have MCA representatives in the Cabinet to be able to look our for the interests of the Chinese community.

One party leader who declined to be named lamented, however, that the Chinese should have voted for the party in the 13th General Election if they truly wanted representatives in the top Cabinet posts.

The party’s political fortunes has been on a decline since 2008 but eyes continue to watch developments at the head of the party as it entails control over the billions of ringgit in assets and shares that include Malaysia’s best-selling English language newspaper, The Star.

MCA only won seven of the 37 federal constituencies it contested in Election 2013 with two of these coming from Wee and Liow.

Dr Chua sat out the polls although his son, Tee Yong, won the Malay-majority Labis federal seat.

The Chinese, Malaysia’s second biggest community voted for the opposition.

- See more at: http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/race-on-for-mca-leaders-who-can-stand-up-to-umno#sthash.Gnw7Qcch.dpuf

Singapore Riot - Little India

Singaporeans in disbelief 

SINGAPORE: Singaporeans are still in a state of disbelief that a riot by a group of foreigners at Little India actually happened in this relatively trouble-free island late Sunday night.

Bank employee Eugene Leong, 28, said that it was difficult to digest the images of about 200 foreigners attacking several police patrol cars, ambulance, a bus and setting them on fire.

"Its not something that you would think would ever happen, especially in Singapore, as we are famed for our stringent regulations.

"Watching the incident on the news was shocking and scary and now many of us want to know what action will be taken to make sure it doesn’t happen again," he said when interviewed along Race Course Road where the rioters ran rampant.... - SOURCE

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Eighteen injured as foreign workers riot in Singapore's Little India district

Police said about 400 people on the scene began rioting, attacking the bus as well as police vehicles after officers responded to reports of a commotion.

Officials said 10 policemen, four civil defence staff and the bus driver and conductor were among the injured, but none were seriously hurt.

A total of 27 workers were arrested on charges of rioting, which is punishable by up to seven years in prison plus caning. - SOURCE

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Many people in Singapore, Malaysia and across the globe, has expressed disbelief that this could happen in Singapore.  Well, like they say, whatever that can happen, will happen. The question on everyone's mind is "Why?". People want to know the reason behind it. The accident, involving a 33-year-old Indian man, was the trigger for the riot. I suppose we will have to wait for the investigations to be completed.

However, I can't help myself from speculating that it is due to pent-up frustration, and the accident provided the trigger. Perhaps these foreign workers were not treated well, or were even exploited. One thing for sure, they were definitely angry.

Before we point fingers at those rioters for being trouble makers, we should first establish the motive and cause. Well, I am fairly certain that they were not trying to overthrow the government of Singapore... :) and the cause can't be a traffic accident, else we would have riots everyday.

In almost every case of rioting, except for those involving revenge, ethnic hate, subversive or political in nature, the perpetrators were usually the discontented, angry, and powerless in the society they were in. Riots like these are an expression of victimhood.

Employers & governments should treat foreign workers (legal or illegal) fairly and more humanely. They should not be exploited and abused. They come to your country to work & earn a living by doing jobs that your own citizens do not want to do. Governments should ensure they have laws and regulations in place to deal with these workers' welfare and safety. Else, do not allow these workers into your country.

Anyway, Malaysia has had her fair share of similar riots involving illegal immigrants. Click on the titles to read more.

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1998

Malaysia Riots Kill 8 Immigrants and an Officer

Published: March 27, 1998

Eight immigrants and a policeman were killed in rioting today as Malaysian authorities put nearly 1,500 Indonesians on boats in a mass deportation, the police said.

The deaths stemmed from a clash between the police and hundreds of inmates at a detention camp for illegal immigrants near the capital.

Rioting also broke out in two other camps when the police moved in before dawn to repatriate Indonesians. Many of them are from the Aceh region of Sumatra, where there was a separatist rebellion that has largely subsided....

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2001

Illegal immigrants riot in Malaysia

More than 2,000 illegal immigrants have rioted and set fire to a detention centre in southern Malaysia.

Police fired teargas at the inmates to regain control during the overnight disturbances, but several buildings at the centre in Pekan Nenas in Johor state were razed to the ground.

No serious injuries were reported.

Officials say most of the immigrants who rioted were Indonesians, who were due to be deported on Saturday.

Last week the Malaysian Government announced it would deport 10,000 Indonesian illegal immigrants each month.

It says their presence has led to a growth in crime and fewer jobs for locals affected by the economic slowdown.

Officials figures say there are almost 500,000 Indonesian immigrants in Malaysia.

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2010

200 illegal immigrants stage riot at Ajil detention camp 

 KUALA BERANG, MALAYSIA: Some 200 illegal immigrants from Vietnam and Myanmar went on a riot at the Ajil detention camp late last night.

It is believed that the immigrants had tried to torch the main administration building at the camp at around 9.15pm, sparking a melee.

It is also learnt that several of the immigrants were also injured during the incident and had been warded at the Hulu Terengganu Hospital....

... In 2005, 131 Thai Muslims who were seeking temporary shelter from unrest in Southern Thailand were housed in Ajil camp.

While on July 1 last year, 700 Myanmar illegals had caused a ruckus at Semenyih camp.

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2011

WIKILEAKS: IMMIGRATION DETAINEES RIOT AFTER RELA BEATS PRISONERS

On April 20, after more cigarettes were found, Immigration officers beat an Indonesian and a Pakistani detainee. One refugee described how the officers struck the men on the soles of their feet and along their shins, and administered electric shocks. The Pakistani detainee reportedly cried out for help during his beating and, unable to walk, tried to crawl away until another detainee was ordered to drag the injured man back to the detention block... 

Selangor's High Income ADUNs

Selangor MB suggests Federal government review salary of PM and MPs - Bernama

Amid growing criticism over the pay hike for Selangor state assemblymen, Menteri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim (pic) today proposed that the Federal government review the salary of the Prime Minister and Members of Parliament. He said it was about time the Federal government take a similar approach to that of the Selangor state government... Source

Name your charity, Selangor tells assemblymen unhappy with pay rise

The Selangor government has taken its controversial “donation” call to assemblymen who reject the salary increment to the next level by preparing pledge letters for them.

Exco member Datuk Teng Chang Kim said those who felt the increment was too high should sign the letter authorising the assembly to donate their increment to charity.

"We will be glad to help you donate the money," he said, adding that the letters had been circulated by Sekinchan assemblyman Ng Suee Lim. - Source

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I suppose the whole country is already aware of the Selangor state assemblymen, both BN & PR, impending windfall. Rejoice, people of Selangor, for starting next year, you will be represented by incorruptible, high income earners!

You know, the lack of common sense of some people never fails to amaze me. And their arrogance are even more amazing. Those that take the cake, however, are those who blindly defend and make excuses on behalf.

1. Income levels have absolutely no relation to corruption. Lack of integrity & morals is what leads to corruption.

2. Public office is not private sector. One just needs to be elected, the other have to prove their capabilities and knowledge or skills to be hired.

3. Politicians can give themselves raise their own salaries, employees can't.

4. Lastly, pointing out that you are less corrupt does not mean you are not.

Reasons given to justify such obscene increments are just plain dumb. Come on. Don't insult our intelligence. And it was most entertaining to see the 2 persons who got the highest increments, the Speaker & MB, trying to defend their ridiculous pay hike. I mean, do they seriously think they are talking to farm animals?

"Bad excuses are worse than none."

Actually, they can't even come up with a single good reason for it, because there is none. The only reason is greed. What else could it be when they give themselves half a million a year because they say they deserved it? To me, it is corruption. Only that it does not qualify to be termed as such because it is done legally. Why not go all the way then, since you think you deserve it?

Selangor is touted as a rich state with about RM1Billion in reserve. Again, rejoice Selangorians! After all the cost saving and frugal administration all these years, and telling the world how well they have performed, what do they do with the money? Help themselves to it of course! And the MB even tells BN to do the same so that he can have his cut? Do they even listen to themselves talking?




Tell me honestly, did any people from the state benefited directly from the state's funds? Has your life improved tremendously, if at all? A PR supporter I know in his 60s, who requires medical treatment, still has to find work to pay for his medical and living expenses. What is the point of going gaga over these political parties and their politicians if you don't benefit? Or were you mislead into supporting the wrong things in the first place? Things like governance, freedom, rights, ideologies, etc. are abstract, non-tangible.

Voters should be demanding for tangible things, like free medical care, affordable houses, clean water, free education, child allowance, benefits, subsidies, and such. Get the allocations for schools, childcare, medical care. You yearn for the way of life like those of developed countries? Well, Selangor is a developed state!

 Demand these from your State Governments now when they have the funds. It is your right. If you don't, after they are done, there won't be any left. What is the point of voting them to office when you don't get anything? Think, people. Think! They are going for the money!

 Politicians think they DESERVE it? Don't you, the people who put them there, think you DESERVE it too? 

Today, the road conditions are still bad, water still dirty, open burning still going on, etc. The only thing the PR state govt. has done as soon as they took over the state in 2008 was to penalise consumers by implementing the stupid "no plastic bags day on Saturdays" and making shoppers pay 20 sen for each bag. That is all they are capable of?

In light of recent events, it's about time the people of Selangor start questioning their ADUNs exactly what they have done FOR the people. Anyone with a bit of common sense can see that these politicians, both in BN & PR, are increasing their own salaries and incomes in light of rising living costs and inflation. Other states are following suit, Perak, Penang, Johor. Next will be the MP & Ministers' turn. In the coming years, they will be buffered and will lead a rather comfortable life while the people will be struggling to cope with rising costs. I doubt any employer out there will be as generous to their employees.

In the first place, there should not even be any increments at this time, amid a sluggish economy. Shouldn't governments be prudent and help the people instead of rewarding themselves? Afterall, they keep telling the people to be frugal and change lifestyle.

The voters have indeed been taken for a ride, and deservedly so. They were indeed a passionate lot when protesting fuel hikes, toll hikes, electricity hikes, or any other hikes. They were the loudest when in comes to criticising the Federal Government, but when it comes to their favoured political parties, they are apologetic.

Hypocrites! Birds of a feather do indeed flock together.

It's sad to see the people taken advantage of like this. Now that you've seen their real intentions, do the decent thing and start looking out for yourselves for a change.

Stand up and demand what is due. Do not let them take you for granted! It's about time they did some real work instead of getting free rides!

The Teaching of Maths and Science in English

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Dr M slams Education Blueprint for ignoring him on the teaching of Maths and Science

Former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad today reiterated his earlier stand that schools must teach Science and Mathematics in English.

He was commenting on the National Education Blueprint 2013-2025, which was unveiled last month by Education Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.

Dr Mahathir went on the offensive today, claiming that he had given a lot of input for the blueprint and yet, very little of what he said was used by the Government.

"The Government is focusing too much on Bahasa Malaysia. The Malays, however, are not experts in science and technology. This kind of knowledge comes from the West and the information is mostly in English," he added.

Noting that the Government had instead followed the advice of National Laureate Datuk A. Samad Said by reverting to teaching both subjects in the national language, Dr Mahathir said this would only hamper the country's development.

"He (Samad) only knows about Bahasa Malaysia. He is not a Science man. I am a Science man and I can still speak in Malay," he pointed out, adding, "This is why I keep talking about it."

Meanwhile, Dr Mahathir joked that he would like to be the prime minister again, after being told that he was recently voted the most popular Umno leader.

Malaysia's prime minister of 22 years scored 79% satisfaction level among 600 Umno supporters in a survey which was conducted last month by the Merdeka Centre.

"I financed them," he quipped at a press conference today, causing the room to erupt in laughter.

Even though he resigned as prime minister 10 years ago this month, Dr Mahathir fared better than Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak who scored 69%, Home Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi (58%) and Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin (54%). - October 1, 2013. - Source

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I agree with teaching Maths & Science subjects in English. It is the correct thing to do. Unfortunately, it faced a lot of objections from various quarters including teachers. I noticed that parents, in general, are quite supportive of it, in urban areas anyway. Not too sure about the rural folks. But the most vocal group are the educator themselves.

I suspect it is due to the language barrier, or rather the lack of English language proficiency of the people in the ministry & schools. Teachers in national & vernacular schools struggled with this policy. The question is, when the government decided to abolish it, was it done in the interest of the students or the adults.

Why does the government like to do things on an ad-hoc basis? It's always firefighting. Everytime a policy is changed, it involves not just huge amounts of funds, it also affects the students, parents & country. It proves that the Ministry of Education & Education Department is inefficient.

Obviously, the teachers of these 2 subjects must possess a certain level of English proficiency. Those who are lacking in this department should be retrained. Else, find a suitable candidates.

The overall standard of English must be raised. It has a direct bearing on the country's competitiveness and human capital.

I wish, for once, they would stop political meddling in education.

I'll end this post with a piece of good news regarding education.

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Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan arrive in Kuala Lumpur, capital of Malaysia, on Thursday. Photo: Xinhua

RM100mil boon for Xiamen University Malaysia campus 

KUALA LUMPUR: Xiamen University – China’s first university to be set up outside that country – received a boon with a RM100mil donation by local tycoon Tan Sri Robert Kuok for its campus in Malaysia.

Kuok, based in Hong Kong, gave the money to build a university library, which will be part of the main building.

This was announced by Tan Sri Ong Ka Ting, the Prime Minister’s special envoy to China, during a luncheon attended by President Xi Jinping here yesterday.

Tan Sri Robert Kuok

Present were Kuok, businessmen and representatives from non-governmental organisations.

The Malaysian campus of the Chinese university will be built in Salak Tinggi, about 16km from the KL International Airport in Sepang.

It is expected to be operational in September 2015.

“While Chinese education is well protected here in Malaysia, the Chinese community here mingle with other races and live in harmony,” said Ong.

Xi, in his speech, said the Chinese diaspora in most countries were successful.

He joked that some China nationals thought that Malaysian singer Fish Leong was from China.

“We have 40 years in strong diplomatic ties with Malaysia and I hope this will last,” he said.

Speaking to reporters later, Ong said Xi told him that he and his wife Peng Liyuan tried durians on Thursday night and enjoyed it.

Ong said this was Xi’s second visit to Malaysia after visiting Sibu, Sarawak, 20 years ago. - source

MCA - The knives are out!

Dr Chua Soi Lek - pix source

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 7 — The storm in a teacup that is MCA’s dismissal of veteran politician Datuk Lee Hwa Beng is an indictment of how little its affairs still mattered to those outside the party, according to two political analysts. Saying the ripples of the unexpected intrigue will not resonate beyond the walls of Wisma MCA, they brushed off the move as just another by president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek to consolidate his power in a party struggling to reconnect with the Chinese community it professes to represent. “It has come to a point where we are just looking at how low MCA can go... a political party that does not win elections is not a political party,” political analyst Khoo Kay Peng told The Malay Mail Online when contacted. .....

... Lee has set tongues wagging since Thursday, after he posted a series of tweets claiming that he was sacked from the party for apparently inviting DAP stalwart Lim Kit Siang to the launch of his book, “PKFZ: A Nation’s Trust Betrayed”, last year. Lee, once Port Klang Authority (PKA) chairman, later alleged that his sacking was aimed at stopping an “Anything but Chua Soi Lek”, or ABC, movement that he professed to have started in a few states. The boot also came just a week after Lee was elected as a central delegate for MCA’s Kelana Jaya division. ...

.... Chin was equally dismissive of the consequence Lee’s expulsion would have on the party, noting that he was not a party warlord, a power broker in the party or a leader with a strong support base. ....

.... “Chua Soi Lek is in control. There is no suggestion that he is not in control at the moment. No other leader is able to challenge his control of the party and they have not pulled themselves together.” Khoo noted that the EGM was a calculated move by Dr Chua, since little support among party delegates was going Liow’s way ― even key leaders formerly in ex-president Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat’s camp were now seen as aligned to Dr Chua, despite the two’s bitter rivalry over the presidency previously. “We don’t see many lining up behind Liow and some key people who were with the Ong Tee Keat camp are now aligned to Chua... he is a very smart politician,” Khoo said, referring to Dr Chua. ....

- See more at: http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/lees-sacking-just-another-hole-in-sinking-mca-ship-analysts-say#sthash.FnJF6Kam.dpuf

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Lee Hwa Beng - pix source

Looks like the campaign ( “Anything but Chua Soi Lek”, or ABC) against Dr Chua has claimed it's first victim, Lee Hwa Beng (ex-State Assemblyman for Subang Jaya). MCA just loves to fight don't they. It must be a Chinese cultural thing. Fight, fight, fight.

Anyway, Lee Hwa Beng will not be missed. Especially not in Subang Jaya where they have found a new Christian leader who trounced Gan Meng Foo of MCA last election & Lee Hwa Beng before that. When a 3-term state assemblyman (Lee) can be defeated by a first-timer with no experience, what does that say about the incumbent & his party?

If the reports are correct, that Chua Soi Lek indeed commands the the majority of grassroot support, then I don't see any reason to force him to resign. They have got to stop mucking around with the grassroots. If this ends up with another "peace plan" arrangement like the the previous ones, they might as well dig in at MCA's assets and call it a day.

And the Chinese can go suck on an egg, figuratively speaking of course :)

National Service Programme

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All in the name of racial integration. All these ideas, efforts and programmes are implemented with the excuse of promoting racial integration... using our kids.

My question is, is it the kids' fault for racial polarisation in the first place. No? Then why are we blaming them & using them?

Isn't it the adults who are the cause for racial & religious problems? If so, should it be the adults who should attend these camps, starting with the politicians first?

What is wrong with people these days. Some defend this NS programme with silly reasons. Some oppose it for a myriad of reasons as well.

To me, logic prevails. I do not agree with this NS programme. Most parents do not agree.

But yet, despite strong and vocal opposition, it was forced upon us, all in the name of racial integration. Since 2003, it's been 10 years now. Did it achieve the desired results? I highly doubt so. What it managed to achieve is to make parents hate the government more, especially those whose kids suffered injury, and death.

It's always easy to prescribe solutions for symptoms. The real cure is too difficult, if not impossible, to carry out. They target schools, vernacular schools, force non-Malay kids to mix with Malays. They set up camps to force non-Malay kids to mix with Malay kids. When you force people to do things against their will, do you expect them to respect and like you? Will it create more animosity or less, towards the government?

More importantly, why muck around with people's life & kids?

If you must insist on carrying on with this silly programme, make it voluntary instead of compulsory.

Read more here

Rupert Sheldrake - The Science Delusion

This is an interesting video which I would like to share. 

Rupert Sheldrake is a biologist and author of more than 80 scientific papers and ten books. A former Research Fellow of the Royal Society, he studied natural sciences at Cambridge University, where he was a Scholar of Clare College, took a double first class honours degree and was awarded the University Botany Prize. Apparently, he was once based in the Botany Department of the University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, from 1968 to 1969,  where he studied rain forest plants. Read more here

Anyway, back to his talk about scientific dogmas, debunking what is believed as constants. He speaks about the speed of light, which experiments have shown, does not travel at a constant speed. And gravity as well. Towards the end, he briefly mentioned the human mind.

People should be able to question and enquire. People should learn to investigate instead of believing blindly. Find the truth. Kids are born to be curious. It is nature's way to help them learn. Unfortunately, it's the adults who suppress and impose conformity upon them. The kids then grow up losing that ability to think. Such a pity.

Balik China, India - Part Deux

What can I say. Racism is thick these days.

Hot on the heels of SMK Alam Megah Principal Pn Hjh Missyati Binti Dani, is an assistant principal of SMK Engku Husain in Semenyih. Seems to be a monthly trend. See my previous post last month.

Previous post: Balik China, Balik India

Ok. Apparently this time, the kids were told to "go back" for not singing the national anthem. Before anyone scream "Unpatriotic" or "Traitor" let's put things in perspective. These are school kids. Teens. During school assemblies, there are bound to be a group of naughty kids mucking around at the back. Even if these are really unruly kids, the remarks are still uncalled-for. Where did they train these teachers?

There are many ways to discipline a kid. Making racial insults is definitely not one of the most effective way however you try to justify of defend it.

There seems to be a lot of cases like this these days. These people take out their frustration and anger towards a particular community on the kids. I strongly suggest counseling.

This is the reason why I maintain that racism & bigotry starts with adults. But many still insist that we must close down vernacular schools for racial harmony, and force school kids from different races to mix. That is a flawed concept. It's the adults who are teaching racism to the kids.

Will this go away, or will it drag on like the Sri Pristina case? We shall see...

Principal: Abdul Ghafar Kunchi Mohd

Assistant principal under probe for "balik India, China" remark

PETALING JAYA: An assistant principal of a secondary school is being investigated for allegedly telling some students to "balik India, China."

Deputy Education Minister P Kamalanathan said the ministry was waiting for a report on the matter from officers handling the case.

"If indeed the allegations are true then the ministry will take appropriate action," he told The Star Online.

The teacher allegedly became angry after some students did not participate in singing the Negaraku during the weekly assembly at SMK Engku Husain in Semenyih, Kajang a few days ago.

School principal Abdul Ghafar Kunchi Mohd told The Star Online that the school had reported the matter to the ministry and the Selangor Education Department.

He said a meeting was held on Thursday over the matter with ministry representatives and the school's Parent-Teacher Association where both he and the assistant principal were present.

He declined to comment further saying that the matter was now in the ministry's hands.

PTA president Prof Datuk Ali Hasan lambasted teachers who felt it was acceptable to tell students to return to where their ancestors came from.

"In my opinion they need serious re-training to refresh their minds on acceptable teacher-student behaviour," he said.

Ali said that teachers and educators who were found to racialise education should remember their roles in guiding children.

"The spirit of bangsa Malaysia should be inculcated in them, so they will extend it to their students instead of dividing issues racially."

He said that educators who caused racial issues should be dealt with, regardless of position.

The incident comes shortly after several racially-toned incidents involving schools, including a case in August when a Shah Alam school principal was made to apologise to students for telling them to "go back to India, China or Indonesia".

Another case was that of SK Seri Pristana, where headmaster Mohd Nasir Mohd Noor was accused of being racist after non-Muslim students were found eating their meals in a changing room during the Ramadan month.

- Source

Bus crash at Genting Highlands

Photo: Fire & Rescue Dept of Malaysia's Facebook page

A terrible tragedy indeed. The accident happened this after around 2:30pm on the road going downhill from Genting. The driver lost control of the bus ferrying 53 passengers plunged into a 60 metre ravine.

Latest death count is 37. 
The dead: 24 males and 13 females
Injured: 16

I do notice that some cars and buses plying that route at unsafe speeds. Some impatient ones will even tailgate the vehicle in front and overtake dangerously.

Condolences to the families of the victims.

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37 dead in Genting bus crash (Updated) 

PETALING JAYA: Thirty-seven people were killed in the country's worst road tragedy, after a bus carrying 53 plunged into a 60m ravine near Genting Highlands around 2.45pm Wednesday.

The dead included 24 males and 13 females. Sixteen people were injured in the incident.

The 2.45pm accident happened when the ill-fated bus was descending a steep slope.

Fire and Rescue Department principal assistant director (Operations) Datuk Soiman Jahid said some 450 personnel from his department, the police and Civil Defence Department were involved in the search and rescue operation, which was finally called off at 10pm.

He said the cause of the accident had yet to be determined and that they had yet to interview witnesses.

"But the descent was very steep and if the bus was not controlled well, it could have skidded and plunged into the ravine. This is the initial assessment of the rescue team," he said.

He said the dead included the driver of the bus.

It is believed that the driver lost control of the bus, which then rammed a divider before plunging down the gorge.

Some of the passengers were flung from the bus during the incident.

According to the police, more than half the passengers on the bus were foreigners, from China, Bangladesh and Thailand

The bus was also overloaded as its capacity was 44 passengers, authorities said.


The accident occurred at KM36 of the Genting-Kuala Lumpur road, some two kilometres from the Chin Swee Caves Temple, as the bus carrying 53 people was coming down from Genting Highlands and heading towards Kuala Lumpur.


Earlier, rescuers worked frantically to reach people trapped in the bus. Some 30 policemen and nine ambulances were at the scene.

Traffic in the area was at a standstill as police ensured rescue vehicles could reach the scene of the accident.

Bentong OCPD Supt Mansor Mohd Noor confirmed the incident to The Star but could not give further details.

Pahang Sultan Ahmad Shah (in blue jacket) at the scene of the accident in Genting Highlands Wednesday.

"I can confirm that there were passengers on the bus but how many there were I don't know yet.

"Authorities are en route to the site now," he said.

- Source

Vernacular Schools = Polarisation?

 

A bigot's views.

It seems that a certain group of misguided people have found a new passion in life, which is whacking vernacular education. They are obsessed with Chinese & Tamil Schools. You can sense their deep hatred with anything that does not conform to their narrow mindset. And one such person goes by the name of Narinder Singh, who works for FMT.

What's with these people and their fixation with vernacular schools anyway? They think they know better that the communities themselves? Do they think those parents who put their kids through vernacular education are stupid? Do these bigots  think that they are perfect role model citizens?

These people are perfect examples of bigots. And they are really starting to get on my nerves...

Below are excerpts from Narinder's article, blaming vernacular schools for, what else, the racial polarisation in Malaysia. Actually he whines and complains about pretty much everything, but hardly offers any solutions.

Race-based education policy and polarisation

by Narinder Singh
Full article here.

The fragmented education system has indeed “polarised” the minds of the different communities.

.... Racial schooling

"It is baffling that despite vernacular schools insisting that they adhere to national policies in delivering the education system, then why the need for such schools which revolve around a particular mother tongue?"....

If the writer is even "baffled" by the existence of vernacular schools, why on earth is the writer even writing about something he has zero understanding of? Did he ask his Chinese or Tamil friends? If he has any to begin with...

....It is time to abolish vernacular schools. Historically, they came into play as a by-product of settlements during the British Occupation. We stubbornly held on to it and what we have today is an in-direct culmination of racial sentiments in these establishments. Deny as much as we want, but the fact remains that when one is put thorough a homogeneous system, the outcome can only be biased and it is due to conditioning.

The same can be said for the his biased and ill-informed views. Don't you just love it when these people selectively quote history to justify their points? The British left behind more than just vernacular education. ..

Imagine a six-year-old being nourished for the next six to 11 years in a system where only one majority race exist. What do you expect if “racially inclined” thought process does not breed in the mind?

It is proven that the early formative years of education is the most vital and critical in carving the minds for future behaviour. In the same tone, why the issue of racial polarisation being heavily politicised by the opposition and even the government alike? ....

It is true that the formative years are important for a child. That is precisely the reason parents send them to vernacular schools at that age. The writer tries to be politically-correct by using "racially inclined" thought process, but it just highlights his hypocrisy. Just say what you mean, "racists". 

A racist will be a racist in any environment.

The fragmented education system has indeed “polarised” the minds of the different communities. This is the root problem in our society today. Every stakeholder shoves the blame on another for the racial discontent that we experience today. Nevertheless, they are nothing short of being hypocrites.

Take the bull by its horns if they indeed dare to look into the truth. The irony is at every change of guard at the education ministry, the game plan takes a twist.

Pot calling the kettle black. The root problem is people like you Narinder. People who cannot accept different cultures, races, languages. The real bigots are people like you, who tries so hard to hide these facts, and refuses to see the truth. They want everyone to live and believe in their make-believe world. They are living a lie.

...Racially-oriented education will only blossom into race-based polemics in all levels of our society. Almost every issue nauseously has been skewed on the lines of race. ...

What the heck is "racially-oriented education"??? You mean they actually teach kids to be racists in school??? There you go... the real reason for his discontent. Race again. And it is so convenient to blame vernacular schools because kids are easy targets. The writer doesn't even have the guts to be honest. You have a huge problem with race. That is your problem. Don't blame others, ok?

....Visit any tertiary education or even primary schools; you see groups of students socialising only with their own ethnic group. Having gone through the system, racial polarisation is indeed magnified multiple folds at tertiary level. We have race-based student societies, activities and even formal social gatherings.....

Again, blaming students, the helpless... why can't he just be honest. I suspect he doesn't go out much... My advice to him; come out of your cave once in a while, and take a stroll in the real world, go to the nearest restaurants for example, what do you see? Adults mingling with their own race. What about during festivals? People of the same race again! He would certainly find it a very disturbing sight. I'm sure after that he will be running back to his cave...

....We need a gigantic, herculean scale revamp of the education system. Racial polarisation will resolve only when we have a “Malaysian Education” and not race-based especially in the formative years of the young. It may take another generation when a citizen of this country identifies himself as a “true Malaysian.”

A dish goes wrong when either its ingredients are incorrect or you have a half-past-six cook or both. In our education system, we have the perfect blend of both being lousy.....

You know what they say about empty vessels. His obsession with the Malaysian identity shows that he doesn't relate to his own culture and identity. Hence his crisis.

At the end of his tirade, he has failed to even mention the core issue with education, which is the quality and standard. All he can see is just race, race, race... Race is his real issue. Vernacular education is his excuse.

My observation has shown me that when someone tries too hard to show they are not racists and bigots, they usually are. If you are not, you will not have any issues with other races, cultures or language to begin with. You will be quite comfortable with who you are, and who the other person is.  

Kids don't form prejudices in their formative years in schools. At that age, it can only happen at home. 

It is formed in their later years, teens and adulthood, when they face the realities of life.

In life, polarisation exists everywhere. You will meet bigots or racists from every race. It doesn't mean that you have to carry racial stereotyping through life.

This Narinder Singh comes across as a very confused person, perhaps even someone with an identity crisis. And there are many of his kind running loose in this country who considers themselves as "true Malaysians". True nut-cases would be more accurate.