Kuantan Woman Road Bully

The incident happened in a parking lot in Kuantan. Many viewers expressed their disapproval after viewing the violent footage peppered with racially prejudiced remarks. It was only a minor accident which could have been settled amicably, but instead, the woman decided to take matters into her own hands, and displayed her uncouth behaviour to the world.

When everyone has calmed down, we will see what a sad state our society has become.

In the video, we can observe a few things:

1. Road rage is becoming more prevalent in this country.
2. Women drivers are getting more and more aggresive.
3. On-lookers' apathy even when seeing the elderly man being threatened.
4. Her remarks, "You think you are Chinese, you think you are better than us! You are very stupid!" and "Dia Cina, saya tahu...." shows her prejudice towards the Chinese community and probably thinks that the elderly man did it on purpose.
5. Her remarks bears a striking similarity to the type of speech dispensed by some politicians, NGOs and the likes.

Many a true word is spoken in anger. The reality is, her words echo the views many Malays have towards the Chinese. Many from the Chinese community too, hold similar prejudices towards the Malays. It seems like Malaysians pass on such prejudices from one generation to the next.

Anyway, young adults should try not to let emotions cloud their judgements. Some mistakes could ruin your life and your future.

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Young woman attacks elderly man's car with steering lock after accident

PETALING JAYA: An enraged woman spewed verbal abuses and repeatedly hammered an elderly man’s vehicle with a steering lock after he accidentally hit her brand new Peugeot.

A video of the incident which occurred in Kuantan was uploaded onto Youtube and instantly went viral.

In the footage taken by a nearby motorist, the screaming assailant called the man ‘very stupid’ and hurled racist remarks. She also demanded that he pay RM2,000 in compensation.

The elderly man remained calm despite the woman’s outburst and offered to pay the damages, repeating that accident was unintentional.

“You don’t have to do that,” he was heard saying. He also said that the woman had taken his keys and refused to return them.

The woman was recorded telling passers-by to call the police.

Netizens incensed at the unnecessarily violent tantrum and rude behaviour, exposed the woman’s identity, contact details and Facebook account, including information of the bridal company where she allegedly works in.

This further attracted a flurry of criticism and angry retaliatory remarks on the woman’s personal pages. The Facebook account has since been deactivated.

Her car plate number is also now public knowledge.

Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin has spoken out against the cyber-mob, urging them to refrain from taking actions into their own hands.

“We can criticise her actions, but naming, shaming & cyber bullying her just makes you the same. CDM25,” he wrote via his official Twitter account @Khairykj. - http://www.thestar.com.my/News/Nation/2014/07/16/Road-rage-in-Kuantan/

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Kuantan road bully apologises to victim

PETALING JAYA: The woman who allegedly spewed verbal and repeatedly hammered an elderly man’s vehicle with a steering lock after the latter accidentally hit her brand new Peugeot, has apologised to the victim.

“Please spread the words of my sincere apologies to all Malaysians about my actions. That's not my intention. That's my personal mistakes and anger. I’m alone to be blame in this event,” she said on her Facebook page, adding that the bridal company she works at had nothing to do with the incident.

A screenshot of a text message from a police officer was also posted. The officer had requested the woman’s presence at the Puchong police station to record a statement.

“There is time in your life that you should forgive others,” said the woman, in response to tweets she had received after a video of the incident went viral.

“I just want people to remove all my videos. Respect my privacy and consider this thing happen to your family,” she said.

In another post, the woman said she would be meeting the victim in the video soon. She said she would also be changing her car plate number (CDM 25), which has become public knowledge and has resulted it’s own trending hashtag on Twitter.

The elderly man, affectionately nicknamed “uncle” by Netizens, will not be pressing charges.

Although traumatised, the victim decided to not take action after receiving strong support from Malaysians of all races and backgrounds, his son Robin Sim said when contacted by The Star Online through Facebook.

Police however, will be investigating the matter as it is classified as a road bullying incident, said Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar.

A video of the incident, which occurred in Kuantan, was uploaded onto YouTube and instantly went viral.

In the footage taken by a passing motorist, the screaming assailant called the elderly man “very stupid” and hurled racist remarks at him. She also demanded that he pay RM2,000 in compensation.

She repeatedly hammered the man’s vehicle with a steering lock.

The man remained calm despite the woman’s outburst and offered to pay for the damage.
Netizens incensed at the unnecessarily violent tantrum and rude behaviour, exposed the woman’s identity, contact details and Facebook account, including information of the bridal company where she works. - http://www.thestar.com.my/News/Nation/2014/07/16/Kuantan-road-bully-apologises-to-victim/

Removing the race column – a move towards unity or suppression?

I share most of the writer's views on the subject matter. So, instead of repeating the points, I'm reproducing this article in it's entirety.

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Removing the race column – a move towards unity or suppression?

Will doing away with stating a person’s race on official forms really help enhance national unity? Or is it merely a temporary measure of sweeping the real issues at hand under the rug? A political diversion perhaps?

The Tired Eye, The Borneo Post

BORN and raised in Sarawak, the Eye does not understand how racial and religious tension in the peninsula has come to a stage where there is now a suggestion to do away with the ‘race’ column in identification documents.

The Eye does not understand why people cannot be proud of their respective ethnicities and yet celebrate the differences that make up this country, together in peace and harmony.

The recent suggestion by a federal minister, Joseph Kurup, to remove the need to state a person’s race on official forms seems to have received support from the National Unity Consultative Council and ordinary Malaysians.

Superficially, it seems like a good way to encourage national unity and do away with racial profiling.

But this suggestion has gotten the Eye both worried and annoyed.

Worried because it shows that Malaysians – those in the peninsula specifically, have to resort to such a move, just because they are unable to celebrate their differences.

Annoyed because this whole issue does not seem to have been well thought through by those who immediately jumped at agreeing with Kurup’s suggestion.

Some say that race doesn’t count and what matters most where national unity is concerned is the fact that everyone is Malaysian. Others say that the move to do away with filling up one’s race on official forms also augurs well with those who wish to protect their privacy.

But seriously, the country’s administrators will have to sit and really put their heads together on this one, before they go ahead and make another blunder. Will doing away with stating a person’s race on official forms really help enhance national unity? Or is it merely a temporary measure of sweeping the real issues at hand under the rug? A political diversion perhaps?

Eye suppose that some people have lost sight of what really makes Malaysia, Malaysia.

For years, we have promoted our nation’s tourism, bearing themes of diverse races, religions and culture living together in peace and harmony.

For years we have prided ourselves as ‘Malaysia Truly Asia’, where Malaysia is made up of a little of every country in Asia.

In some tragic turn of events, again, particularly for our fellow countrymen in the peninsula, one is no longer able to be proud of his individual ethnicity and yet still be Malaysian at the same time.

Let’s just say, thank goodness things are different here in Sarawak.

We are proud to be Iban, Bidayuh, Melanau, Malay, Chinese, Kelabit, Lun Bawang, Kayan, Kenyah, Berawan, Penan, Punan, Saban, Bukitan, Selako, Bisaya, Kedayan, Ukit, Sebob, Tagal, Murut, Kajang, Kejaman, Lun Dayeh, Lakiput, Tabun as well as a host of other indigenous groups found here.

Each with our own distinct language, cultures and beliefs. Yet we have no problems with intermarriage, or with living under the same roof despite different religions and beliefs.

And, what’s more, as proud as we are to be Sarawakians and Malaysians, we are first and foremost proud to have these ethnicities stated on our official identification papers. For these are our true identities.

Any social anthropologist will say that to have race erased from official documentation is easily saying that we are dismissing our individual histories.  And such a move will prove disastrous as it will mark the beginning of a loss of culture and identity.

To play down our individual ethnicities when filling official forms in the name of unity is as bad as saying our ethnic backgrounds are the reasons of the religious and racial rife that has come up of late in the peninsula.

What will we tell our children in the future? That we cannot be identified by our own individual ethnicities just because it might spark some conflict?

That Malaysians are so immature to the extent that we can only be identified in a homogeneous manner because that is what unity is about?

The problem of race conflict or disunity lies not in our individual ethnicities, but in the minds of bigots and extremists who are, in reality, cowards.

Cowards because they have within themselves an inferiority complex. Cowards who refuse to open their minds to the cultures and beliefs of others. Cowards who choose to be ignorant and hide behind their bully-facade.

Let us take a look at the recent US Superbowl advertisement brouhaha and how it brought out the ugly in Americans who have forgotten what it means to be an American.

A beverage company’s advertisement featured the American patriotic song ‘America the Beautiful’ sung in eight different languages, featuring people of different ethnicities and religions. It’s a beautiful advertisement, really.

But it immediately drew the fury of bigoted Americans who felt that it was unpatriotic to sing ‘America the Beautiful’ in any other language than English. They called for people with coloured skin to “go back to where they came from”. Sound familiar?

They forget that America was built on accepting immigrants from all over the world. They forget that no one in America, other than Native American Indians, can today claim that they are truly people of the land.

Yes, those who claim to be true blooded Americans today are descendants of immigrants. They are the ones who have forgotten their roots by adopting closed, homogeneous minds that shut out even the true natives of the land.

Malaysia is very much like America. A melting pot of Asia. Do we want to lose our own identities too, as what has happened in the big US of A?

Here in Sarawak, we are brought up to acknowledge and respect differences.  We work hard to preserve our diverse cultures, languages and dialects. We want our children to grow up wealthy, not in the monetary sense, but as wholesome people who are proud of their own backgrounds and still respectful of one another.

We take pride in our own ethnic backgrounds and make an effort to learn about others, so that we may better understand their lifestyle, and join in celebrating our diversity.

And yes, say what you want about Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud, but as far as unity between different ethnicities in Sarawak is concerned, the man has done well to keep negative influences from the peninsula out of Sarawak. A true force to be reckoned with, he has clearly stated that there will no play of the superiority of one race over another here in Sarawak.

We now put our faith in his successor to carry on defending the unity that is uniquely Sarawakian.

As for the policymakers over there in the peninsula, address the root of the problem, instead of making blunders which will eventually destroy what makes Malaysia truly Asia. - SOURCE

 

Li Ka-Shing's advice on how to be rich

I have no idea as to the authenticity of the article. Well, for what it's worth, it is up to the individual to judge if his advice is applicable to his or herself. People come from different backgrounds and hold different values and outlook in life. Personally, I don't subscribe to all the advice given in the article. But I've seen people doing those things in real life and ironically, I tend to avoid those people. I suppose it depends on how much a person craves money.

Our modern but materialistic society judges the success of a person by his/her wealth. That is one of the worst values to impart to the young. And we wonder why the younger generations are so materialistic. Anyway, success is relative. It's how you acquire & what you do with the wealth that is important.

From my personal experience with such people (those who want to be rich kind), they tend to view friendships & relationships through materialistic benefits. Everything and everyone is judged on the benefits which can be derived from the relationship. To them, it is normal. Once they have no use for you, you will be discarded. It is best if you keep your distance because they will be suspicious of your motives if you contact them. Or when they are finally rich, they will be arrogant and will look down on you, because that was how they were treated when they were poor.

Such is life.

A person actually do not need to be rich to have a happy and fulfilling life. Everything you own now is only temporary. When you die, someone else is the owner. At least if you are not wealthy, the people around you will not wish for you to die soon so that they can get their hands on your wealth. :) just kidding... but seriously... how much does a person need to live? Certainly not billions.

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Hong Kong billionaire Li Ka-Shing shares some of his money wisdom, outlining an inspirational five-year plan to improve one’s lot in life

This article is translated from the original Chinese by Edmund Ng at CeoConnectz.

Suppose your monthly income is only RMB 2,000, you can live well. I can help you put money into five sets of funds. The first $600, second $400, third $300, fourth $200, fifth $500.

The first set of funds is used for living expenses. It’s a simple way of living and you can only be assigned to less than twenty dollars a day. A daily breakfast of vermicelli, an egg and a cup of milk. For lunch just have a simple set lunch, a snack and a fruit. For dinner go to your kitchen and cook your own meals that consist of two vegetables dishes and a glass of milk before bedtime. For one month the food cost is probably $500-$600. When you are young, the body will not have too many problems for a few years with this way of living.

Second set of funds: To make friends, expand your interpersonal circle. This will make you well off. Your phone bills can be budgeted at RMB 100. You can buy your friends 2 lunches a month, each at $150. Who should you buy lunch for? Always remember to buy lunch for people who are more knowledgeable than you, richer than you or people who have helped you in your career. Make sure you do that every month. After one year, your circle of friends should have generated tremendous value for you. Your reputation, influence, added value will be clearly recognized. You’ll also enhance your image of being good and generous.

Third set of funds: To learn. Monthly spend about RMB 50 to RMB 100 to buy books. Because you don’t have a lot of money, you should pay attention to learning. When you buy the books, read them carefully and learn the lessons and strategies that is being taught in the book. Each book, after reading them, put them into your own language to tell the stories. Sharing with others can improve your credibility and enhance the affinity. Also save up $200 per month to attend a training course. When you have higher income or additional savings, try to participate in more advanced training. When you participate in good training, not only do you learn good knowledge, you also get to meet like-minded friends who are not easy to come by.

Fourth set of funds: Use it for holidays overseas. Reward yourself by traveling at least once a year. Continue to grow from the experience of life. Stay in youth hostels to save cost. In a few years you would have travelled to many countries and have different experiences. Use that experience to recharge yourself so that you’ll continually have passion in your work.

Fifth set of funds: Invest. Save the $500 in your bank and grow it as your initial startup capital. The capital can then be used to do a small business. Small business is safe. Go to wholesalers and look for products to sell. Even if you lose money, you will not lose too much money. However, when you start earning money, it will boost your confidence and courage and have a whole new learning experience of running a small business. Earn more and you can then begin to buy long-term investment plans and get long-term security on your financial wealth being of yourself and your families. So that no matter what happens, there will be adequate funds and the quality of life will not decline.

Well, after struggling for a year and if your second year salary is still RMB 2,000, then that means you have not grown as a person. You should be really ashamed of yourself. Do yourself a favour and go to the supermarket and buy the hardest tofu. Take it and smash it on your head because you deserve that.

If your monthly income is at RMB 3,000, you must still work very hard. You must try to find a part time job. It will be great to find part time sales jobs. Doing sales is challenging, but it is the fastest way for you to acquire the art of selling and this is a very deep skill that you will be able to carry it for the rest of your career. All successful entrepreneurs are good sales people. They have the ability to sell their dream and visions. You’ll also meet many people that will be of value to you in the later part of your career. Once you’re in sales, you will also learn what sells and what not. Use the sensitivity of detecting market sentiments as a platform for running your business and in the identification of product winners in the future.

Try to buy minimal clothes and shoes. You can buy them all you want when you’re rich. Save your money and buy some gift for your loved ones and tell them your plans and your financial goals. Tell them why you are so thrifty. Tell them your efforts, direction and your dreams.

Businessmen everywhere need help. Offer yourself to do part time for any kind of opportunities. This will help to hone your will and improve your skills. You will start to develop eloquence and soon, you’ll be closer to your financial goals. By the second year, your income should be increased to at least RMB 5,000. Minimum it should be RMB 3,000, otherwise you would not be able to keep up with inflation.

No matter how much you earn, always remember to divide it into five parts proportionately. Always make yourself useful. Increase your investment in networking. When you increase your social investment, expand your network of contacts, your income also grows proportionately. Increase your investment in learning, strengthen your self confidence, increase investment in holidays, expand your horizons and increase investment in the future, and that will ultimately increase your income.

Maintain this balance and gradually you will begin to have a lot of surplus. This is a virtuous circle of life plans. Your body will start to get better and better as you get more nutrition and care. Friends will be aplenty and you will start to make more valuable connections at the same time. You will then have the conditions to participate in very high-end training and eventually you’ll be exposed to bigger projects, bigger opportunities. Soon, you will be able to gradually realize your various dreams, the need to buy your own house, car, and to prepare an adequate education fund for your child’s future.

Life can be designed. Career can be planned. Happiness can be prepared. You should start planning now. When you are poor, spend less time at home and more time outside. When you are rich, stay at home more and less outside. This is the art of living. When you are poor, spend money on others. When you’re rich, spend money on yourself. Many people are doing the opposite.

When you are poor, be good to others. Don’t be calculative. When you are rich, you must learn to let others be good to you. You have to learn to be good to yourself better. When you are poor, you have to throw yourself out in the open and let people make good use of you. When you are rich, you have to conserve yourself well and don’t let people easily make use of you. These are the intricate ways of life that many people don’t understand.

When you are poor, spend money so that people can see it. When you are rich, do not show off. Just silently spend the money on yourself. When you are poor, you must be generous. When you are rich, you must not be seen as a spendthrift. Your life would have come full circle and reach its basics. There will be tranquility at this stage.

There is nothing wrong with being young. You do not need to be afraid of being poor. You need to know how to invest in yourself and increase your wisdom and stature. You need to know what is important in life and what is worth investing in. You also need to know what you should avoid and not spend your money on. This is the essence of discipline. Try to avoid spending money on clothing, but buy a selective number of items that have class. Try to eat less outside. If you were to eat outside, do make sure you buy lunches or dinners and foot the bill. When buying people dinner, make sure you buy dinners for people who have bigger dreams than you, and work harder than you.

Once your livelihood is no longer an issue, use the remainder of your money to pursue your dreams. Spread your wings and dare to dream! Make sure you live an extraordinary life!

Famous theory from Harvard: The difference of a person’s fate is decided from what a person spends in his free time between 20:00 to 22:00 . Use these two hours to learn, think and participate in meaningful lectures or discussion. If you persist for several years, success will come knocking on your doors.

No matter how much you earn, remember to split your salary into five parts. Take care of your body so that it will still be in good shape. Invest in your social circle so that you will constantly meet new people where you can learn new knowledge from. Expanding your network will also have an important impact in how much you earn eventually. Travel every year and expand your horizons. Also keep abreast with the latest developments in the industry. If you follow this plan diligently, you will soon see big surplus in your funds.

Whatever happened in the past is over. Do not dwell on past mistakes. There’s no point crying over spilt milk. Everybody makes mistakes. It’s what you learn from the mistakes, and promising yourself not to repeat those mistakes that matters. When you miss opportunities, don’t dwell on it, as there are always new opportunities on the horizon.

Being able to smile when being slightly misunderstood is good upbringing. When you’re wronged and you smile with calmness, it is generosity. When you’re being taken advantage of and you can smile, you’re being open-minded. When you are helpless and you can do a philosophical smile, you’re in a calm state. When you’re in distress and you can laugh out loud, you’re being generous. When you’re looked down and you can calmly smile, you’re being confident. When you’re being jilted in relationships and you can smile it off, you’re being suave.

There are many people who are struggling to make ends meet. It doesn’t matter if you are rich or poor. There are lessons for all to learn from Li Ka Shing. - SOURCE

Peace & Harmony

Regardless of which party wins, politicians and their supporters must understand 2 things:

1. It does not give the winning party the right to step on or insult the losing party.
2. It does not mean you should ignore the voices of those who oppose your stand or views, regardless of the size or political affiliation, or religious or racial composition of that group.

That is the meaning of democracy and the fundamentals of a civil society. The day you ignore these values is the day you will pay the price. Sadly, there are many unqualified & irresponsible politicians being elevated into leadership positions. This is the consequence when the people let emotions cloud their judgements.

As history has shown us, when the going gets tough, these politicians and leaders are the first to plead their innocence or disappear altogether seeking refuge in other countries. Very few would be willing to take responsibility or even walk with you through thick and thin. When things go well, they are the first to take credit. Mostly, it's the common folks, those who actually have to work for a living and provide for their families, who will end up suffering for the actions of their elected/unelected leaders.

Many seem to forget that Malaysia is an Asian country, made up of peoples with Asian values and traditions. Some people are so obsessed with western ideologies and culture that instead of adapting themselves into an asian society, they instead want to change the country to fit them. It is unrealistic, especially when compounded by the multi racial and religious composition of this country.

Look around you today and you will see that there are only a handful of countries where the people get to enjoy peace, harmony and a relatively comfortable life. If we narrow it down to developing countries such as our, the numbers are even less.

Perhaps, it is time to re-evaluate your priorities in life. What do you want to leave behind for you future generations?

The Young Generation

21 Malaysians were arrested for staging a protest on 8th May 2013 over the 13th Malaysian general election results at the Merlion Park in Singapore despite being warned by the Singapore police not to do so. - SOURCE

Judge recuses himself from Queen insult case - SOURCE

This article appeared in The Star in June 2013.

.... A High Court judge has excused himself from presiding over a revision to set aside a 30-day jail sentence on a factory worker for insulting the Raja Permaisuri Agong.....

..... In February, Leong was sentenced to 30 days’ jail and a RM8,000 fine by the magistrate’s court in Balik Pulau for showing an obscene sign in the direction of the Raja Permaisuri Agong and a police officer at the Penang International Airport in Bayan Lepas on Feb 11 at 11.50am.....

.... Justice Zamani was quoted in the application as saying “I am worried about the younger generation today ... I am worried because the younger generation does not respect older people ... The Chinese should respect the Malays, and the Malays should respect the Chinese, the Malays should respect the Indians and, the Indians should respect the Malays and Chinese ... Saya risau apa yang akan berlaku kepada cucu saya, cicit saya (I am worried for what will happen to my grandchildren).”....

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The above quote from the article struck a chord in me, not because I'm anywhere near his age group, but I suppose it is a view most parents would relate to. I noticed that the younger generation has not only become disrespectful, but lack manners and values. Not all, but it's prevalent enough to be noticed.

Respect. or the lack of in this case, is something that transcends race. The incident which the article referred to involved a Chinese, showing insulting gesture to the Queen. It is unacceptable.

Probably the one finger salute?

Malaysians have so much hate now. However, we must differentiate the object of hate. A person may hate a situation, certain policies, environment, actions, conduct, etc. But when it reaches a point where the hate is race, religion & persons, it is indeed the highest level of hate.

Which brings us back to politics. When both BN & PR emphasise so much on hate, there will be consequences. But then, what kind of politicians do we have? There are certainly many young faces these days but are they being used? Perhaps they are easy to manipulate? They are definitely being groomed, into the images of their handlers.

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Damansara assemblyman Yeo Bee Yin

Bukit Gasing representative Rajiv Rishyakaran

Lau Weng San of Kampung Tunku

DAP trio in bid to amend Selangor law behind Jais raid

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 3 — As confusion reigns over yesterday’s shocking raid by Islamic authorities on the Bible Society of Malaysia (BSM), three DAP state representatives today banded together in a bid to amend the state law at the centre of the controversial action.

Criticising the so-called enforcement by the Selangor Islamic Religious Department (Jais) and police yesterday as reckless and unprecedented, Damansara assemblyman Yeo Bee Yin, Bukit Gasing representative Rajiv Rishyakaran and Lau Weng San of Kampung Tunku called the raid a wake-up call to address the 1988 state law barring “Allah” and 34 other words to non-Muslims.... - SOURCE

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Apparently, these 3 relatively young & inexperienced politicians has proposed for an amendment to the Selangor Non- Islamic Religions Enactment 1988... Wow. Impressive... One would think such proposals could only come from the likes of Karpal, LGE, LKS, etc... since this law was drafted in the 80s when Karpal, Lim Kit Siang and co were already established politicians then.

It would be naive to think that the trio would issue such a proposal on their own, without orders from their senior party members. Come on, it's as plain as day.

Lately, there's a marked increase of young & inexperienced members elevated to public positions. You will also notice senior politicians are surrounded by them. Their inexperience and lack of grassroots support are precisely the reasons why they are put there in the first place. They pose no threat to the leaders and they do their bidding without question.

They can be sacrificed... politically speaking of course... when they draw flak and things get too hot to handle, they back down as fast as they can. Doesn't matter if they would end up looking stupid, it's their job to be.

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DAP reps to consult leaders after jumping gun on Selangor law

(MM) - Caught in a religious fire, two DAP assemblymen said today they will consult Selangor Pakatan Rakyat (PR) leaders on their next move after receiving flak for their hasty call to tighten a controversial state law that touches on minority rights.

Damansara Utama assemblyman Yeo Bee Yin (pic above) and her Kampung Tunku counterpart Lau Weng San said they stood by their proposal to amend the Selangor Non-Islamic Religions (Control of Propagation Among Muslims) Enactment 1988, after the state’s Islamic guardians raided the Bible Society of Malaysia (BSM) and seized over 300 copies of the Christian holy books that contained the word “Allah”.

“Individually as a lawmaker, [I think] this enactment should be amended for the long-term benefit of the people,” Yeo told The Malay Mail Online when contacted.

“But [because] we want to move as a coalition, we will have to get all the lawmakers to agree,” she said.

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Of course you would need to consult other lawmakers silly girl... That's how the system works. Didn't they teach the 3 of you that during your first-day orientation? hahahaha...

But then the reward is too tempting to ignore isn't it? When the time comes, first becomes last, and last becomes first... your reward awaits you. In this life and beyond...

Is the Selangor government's performance impressive?

Is the Selangor government's performance impressive?

In the wake of Pakatan Rakyat politicians patting themselves on their backs for ostensibly their 'good' performance in governing their states, while their cheerleaders at large trying their best to justify their leaders' ridiculous paychecks and new cars, I thought it would be fun to list down my own set standards, just for the fun of it. More so, since PR politicians & their supporters like to set their own standards with regards to their accomplishments and achievements.

The general perception is that the people of Selangor are very happy and satisfied with the performance of PR. Among the achievements touted by the PR state government are; 2 Billion of surplus funds, transparency, corruption-free, increased investment, free water, etc...

Despite all that, has any of those factors had any meaningful impact on the people's everyday lives?

All I've seen and heard throughout the 5 year before GE13, and continues till now, are promises, excuses, and accusation. Day in day out, it's more of the same, BN and Federal Government's weaknesses, corruption, racism, religion, etc. Is this all the people want to listen to year after year?

It seems to me that the people are more interested in the wrongdoings and negative news about the  BN government rather that their own welfare. Are Selangorians satisfied with what PR delivered so far? Do you still think PR politicians are still the victims, bullied by the big & powerful BN? Take a good look at the GE13 results... PR today is not the same as the PR in 2008. They have gained tremendous power, and today, we are starting to see the symptoms of arrogance brought about by having too much power.

The people believe everything they are told without question. Question! Always question! Don't let yourselves be led by politicians. Utilise your common sense and think!

There's a saying, power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.

The people should not make the same mistake twice.

For me, being a rather down to earth person, I would just focus on the very basic issues, Things that have a direct impact on the everyday lives of the people. The basic needs of modern human society:

1. Food & Water
2. Shelter
3. Clothing
3. Healthcare
4. Education
5. Sanitation

Water

Sure, free water is nice... but water is dirty with frequent disruptions. They predict that there will be water shortage in the future if additional treatment plants are not built. The reason they give is that the current water concessionaires are BN cronies and refuse to cooperate. Is that my problem? Am I the Mentri Besar? Stop giving excuses! You are supposed to solve the problem. It is your job. It will become the people's problem when you FAIL in your job! Why do the people vote you into office if you can't do anything? 5 years have passed...

Housing

Can the state government build affordable housing for the people? OF COURSE they can! States have land. They have PKNS. The people have waited 5 years for a concrete plan to address this basic need. But instead, we see more and more luxury housing mushrooming everywhere. None are even remotely affordable to the average person.

Healthcare

It is no secret that healthcare is already unaffordable in not just Malaysia, but countries worldwide. Healthcare has become highly commercialised. I've yet to see any initiative by the state to help the people. Can't they at least set up state-sponsored clinics and hospitals that charge minimal fees? Or mobile clinics? Community health centres? At least something, however small would be better than nothing.

Education

At the state level, can't the state provide assistance for education? For example, Chinese schools are always short of funds. They are practically privately funded. Every year, without fail, parents are requested to make donations for expenses, maintenance and expansion. Could the state provide some funding? provide land? subsidise school buses? subsidise student's uniforms or books?

Sanitation

This needs no further highlighting I think. Selangor is still as filthy as before. The level of cleanliness is still as bad as 20 years ago.  Partly to blame is the people's lack of civic-conciousness. Partly is the inefficiency of the states' municipal councils. Rubbish collection is inconsistent, drains are not maintained, pests not controlled, parks & gardens not well-maintained. However, they are very, very efficient when it comes to issuing compounds for illegal parking, illegal placement of tables and chair by coffeshop owners, basically, they are excellent in the collection of revenue.

Roads

States are responsible for non-federal roads, and the federal government has allocations for it. There are recent reports that says that Selangor has only used half of the allocation of more that 1 Billion (NST). Which explain the 3rd-world condition of the roads. Most neighbourhood roads have not been paved for more than 15 years. Sometimes, you can see them paving ONE stretch of road, and then disappear leaving the rest untouched. ONE stretch of road! Or they would just repaint the lines.

It's the same modus operandi as before, those visible will be dealth with. Those out of sight, is out of mind.

So, the question is, have they performed up to expectations like they claim they have. Have they improved the people's quality of life since 2008? Are they delivering the results they promised? I've not heard of a single enthusiastic comment from the common folks about how efficient state councils have become, or how tremendously their neighbourhood has improved, or initiatives that improved the people's welfare and alleviated their burden... something that the common people can be proud of. Perhaps the people's expectations are low...

Well, to me, to be honest, I have seen and felt little difference since Pakatan Rakyat took over the state. Perhaps I'm staying in the wrong part of town...

To be fair, it has not deteriorated badly either. It's just that why take credit which are not due and blow your own horns. There is so much that can be improved.

Let face it. PR took over developed and rich states. It does not take any effort at to administer it on their part. Where else in Malaysia will development take place if not in Selangor? If they can turn Perlis into Selangor, then I will be impressed.

The Radicalisation of Chinese Malaysians

It's been a busy week.

As things become clearer, I've been contemplating this issue lately. I've noticed, through the years, the Chinese are becoming more politically aware and vocal, especially the younger generation. The question is, was it's a natural progression or was it by design?

I suppose it can be considered a good thing, that today's youth are more aware of issues. It's partly due to the internet. Information flows freely and travels in lightning speed. Gone are the days when governments can do things covertly or cover up certain issues. It is also a two-edged sword. It's often not easy to sort out the truth from untruths. Today, because of the declining credibility of MSM, people have resorted to get information from online sources.

The Chinese, especially the younger generation of today, are more outspoken than their elders. And they are also more impressionable, which makes them easily influenced by trends, as well as propaganda. The internet, through social media, forums, etc, plays a big role.

I'm not saying the others are not being radicalised. I think this phenomenon is happening all over the world. The whole world is so connected today, that events that take place in other countries can and do, influence other countries. Malaysians are not spared.

When the Occupy movement happened in the US, Malaysians followed suit. Then, there was the Arab Spring, and Malaysians are taken it by it as well. It is like a trend. But some times, we can't just adopt a movement without considering the context. For example Arab Spring. Do we want or need that in Malaysia? What was the original context in Egypt, which spawned Arab Spring in 2010?

Back to the Chinese Malaysians.

They remained quite docile from the 80s till the late 90s. Perhaps they were busy making money. But since 2004, during Pak Lah's tenure, things began to change. Online news portals mushroomed. Facebook was popular. Then there was a campaign against Pak Lah, and it was fought online. Bloggers, especially political ones, were very active and organised. The most popular was Raja Petra's Malaysia Today, which published many inside stories about BN and the government.

Political parties & politicians & mercenary (paid) bloggers

Non are more aggressive and took greater advantage, than the politicians and their hired minions. The event that managed to lure the Chinese out were the Bersih rallies. Taking part in rallies, which by tradition were mostly a Malay affair, has never appealed to the Chinese. The Chinese were always wary of street rallies or protests especially those which are political in nature. But slowly, but surely, with assurances and cajoling from these blogs and civil society leaders, they joined the crowd. The Indians, too, were not spared. They too were drawn out through the Hindraf rallies.

circa 1998: Hmmm... where are the Chinese?

Remember, in 1998, the Chinese did not participate in the Reformasi rallies. Why? Because it was an UMNO political fight between Anwar & Mahathir.

In the 1999 elections, Umno lost 50% of Malay votes. It was with the Chinese votes that BN managed to win. Did UMNO thank the Chinese then?

But when the opposite happened in 2013, when the Chinese votes went to Pakatan, the Chinese are blamed, despite BN retaining power.

On the surface, these rallies looked like the people's effort, so called 'people's power'. In my opinion, nothing like this ever happens spontaneously nor organised by normal laymen.

Ten years later... here we come!

So, the Chinese seeing the Malays and Indians coming out in numbers, were lulled into joining in. This continued until GE13 in 2013. Rallies after rallies, they came out in full force, young and old, cheered by the pro-opposition bloggers, NGOs, civil society personalities and opposition-friendly news portals. Up until the GE13 election campaigns, with each rally, their enthusiasm increased to fanatical proportions. Pakatan Rakyat did a splendid job in misleading the Chinese into thinking that their Malay countrymen were leading the 'Ubah' or change.

The Chinese need to realise that they were used, and are still being used, by both BN & PR and the NGOs like Bersih, Himpunan Hijau, paid mercenary blogs, news portals, etc. for their respective agendas.

The Chinese will always get the shorter end of the stick, politically, whether they like it or not.

I have not included any BN or UMNO in the examples below because they are already in the open. Their bloggers and NGOs, such as Perkasa are well known and visibly pro BN and Malay. They did not covertly lure the Chinese out. They very openly pushed the Chinese away, which they have been doing all these while. Everyone knows Perkasa=UMNO (a certain group within UMNO).

White ang pows for old folks. What's the message? Why do this? The the man in yellow, is Collin Tiew, an MCA branch chief. He brought the old folks there to be insulted.

However, if the pushing and whacking of the Chinese is done too long and too much for their political gains, it is going to destroy the Chinese people. There is a limit to everything. I think the damage is irreversible already. Looking at MCA & Gerakan now, it doesn't take a genius to see it. It saddens me to see even the elderly Chinese are not spared by politicians like these (both Chinese & Malay ones).

Now,  the more sinister ones are those pretenders, those with a hidden agenda, that are more dangerous. They are the ones who mislead the Chinese into supporting their often noble-sounding causes. These are the ones, that will really do the Chinese in.

How it is done? Hidden agendas. Hidden Hands.

1. One very good example is Malaysia Today. 

RPK has always been instrumental in getting the Chinese to 'rise up' against the government, to join the other races, specifically the Malays. He has made this know from the start, lamenting the fact that rallies seemed to be only attended by one race, the Malays. Whatever his intentions are, noble or otherwise, we will never know for sure. But one thing for sure, the Chinese were lured into the open, without any safety net. In any event, he and his family is safely living it up in his home country.

Before the GE13, the articles that were published then,  seemed to appeal to the Chinese readers. Some were even critical of Islam & Malays, and that gave the impression to the Chinese readers that this blog was liberal and all that. Whenever articles critical of Malays or Islam or Government appeared, the presumably Chinese readers would comment, often echoing the writer's views. Of course, the presumably Malay readers would feel offended and posted their displeasure.

Anyway, this went on for the whole of 2012. Usually, the webmaster would censor comments deemed too offensive. However, right after the GE13 polling date was announced, RPK decided to allow all comments to be published. Of course, there were a lot of comments which were not too kind to the Malays, UMNO, BN and government. RPK would put on a show, to 'warn' the commenters that the Malays would be offended and cause opposition to lose Malay votes, while at the same time still allowing these offensive comments to be published.

After the elections, as we are aware of the results that followed, it was clear that majority of Chinese votes went to Pakatan, and Malay votes swung to BN. RPK then blamed it on the presumably Chinese readers, telling them off that their offensive comments caused the lost of Malay votes. With that excuse, he has absolved himself from any blame, and for his part in misleading the Chinese.

The funny thing is, not long after that, RPK admitted that he knew all along that Pakatan would lose. That the Chinese had themselves to blame for not understanding the Malays and Islam. That vernacular education made the Chinese into chauvinists. That it is the Chinese's own doing that they are being blamed and insulted now.

His Chinese readers don't even realise when RPK openly used them, and after that, mocked and insulted them. He hates everything about the Chinese, from their language to the schools. He is a half-Malay, half-caucasian, and the Chinese think he adores them?

These Chinese Malaysians, fans of his, are still oblivious to the knife stuck into their backs. 

2. Organisations (Bersih, Himpunan Hijau, etc.)

Bersih. This has to be the mother of all cons. Before the elections, they were viewed as a neutral organisation. That was the image they cultivated anyway. It was during Bersih 3.0, that it became very apparent that they were very pro-Pakatan, specifically towards PKR.

Their role, in the deception, is to provide the impression that these Bersih rallies were indeed non-political. But it is clear today, that they just wanted to topple BN. That makes it political. Who were those that were managed to be lured into the streets? Everyone. Including the Chinese.

They managed to lure the Chinese into the streets in big numbers, which hadn't happened since 1969.

Himpunan Hijau. The protest against Lynas has been political from the start. Although I am against facilities such as Lynas, which harms the environment and people, it disgusts me to see how low politicians can go. I suppose by now, everyone is familiar with the con-job of DAP's lackey, Wong Tack. I'm still amazed at the number of votes he got in Bentong. Again, the Chinese were lured into the streets, thinking that it was for a good cause, to save the environment.

3. Politicians & their minions (news portals & such)

The truth is, politics in Malaysia was and still is, very much about race and to a certain extent religion. Which explains why these issues are always played up by politicians. It is surprising that there are people who believe those politicians who say otherwise.

Crowd during GE13 at one of DAP's 'ceramahs'

The politicians themselves, have become somewhat like celebrities, going from town to town, entertaining the crowds, collecting donations. The Chinese, already lured into the open since 2007, are again enticed to attend these ceramahs. The content are the usual fare of hate and insult towards the ruling party and government, often whipping the crowd into a frenzy.

With the help from pro Pakatan portals such as Malaysiakini, the Chinese were served their daily doses of hate, hate towards the government and BN. News highlighting the mistakes and  inefficiency of various branches of government, agencies and leaders are published daily, 24/7. The other news merely serve as fillers. Their main purpose are to disparage and discredit the country's leaders, and the government.

During rallies, they will post pictures, videos and updates in realtime for the readers, free of charge. Although it seems that it is a natural function of news portals, which is true, but the intention might not be so altruistic. It is actually a way to get more people, Chinese included, to join in.

Is it any wonder, that the Chinese, with continuous whacking from government owned mainstream media, and hate propaganda from the alternative media, that each generation is getting more radical than the previous? That they have become, to their detriment, anti-establishment by the day?

This is my worry for the Chinese Malaysians. I don't like what I see happening.

DAP -This party is led by veterans. They are an old hand at ceramahs. However, it is the younger leadership that has managed to captivate the Chinese. They knew PKR do not have enough Malay votes. They knew Pakatan won't be forming the government. They knew the Chinese would end up in the opposition in big numbers. They would do whatever it takes (even shaving their heads) to retain Penang. This is the number one party that has managed to galvanise the Chinese to be vocal towards the government, BN, UMNO, MCA, etc. They have managed to transform the unsuspecting Chinese into photocopies of Lim Kit Siang and son. Since MCA abandoned the Chinese, it didn't take much effort on the part of DAP to woo the Chinese. They were literally herded into DAP's corner. DAP, in cohorts with PKR & PAS have misled the Chinese into believing that the majority of Malays were with Pakatan, ready to change. As the results show, it was far from the truth.

MCA - No words could describe this party and their leadership, specifically their president. They literally told the Chinese to f**k-off to their face. Knowing the dynamics within BN, it is safe to assume that they did so with full knowledge and blessing from UMNO. So, in truth, it is MCA that has abandoned the Chinese. And they have the cheek to say otherwise. The sheer arrogance. Until today, the president, Chua Soi Lek, sees it fit to punish the Chinese by refusing posts and shutting down their service centres. Who in their right mind would threaten their voters to vote for their party while at the same time, chickening out from facing his opponent in Gelang Patah?

This is a good example of how politicians actually feel about their supporters. The people are just pawns to them, to be used and discarded.

So, did the Chinese have a choice in the first place?

The Chinese politicians and their cohorts know very well that all this will cause insecurity among the Malays. The Malay politicians also know very well that the constant sabre rattling against the Chinese will also do the same to the Chinese. But they still do it. Because the people let them. These politicians, the pretenders, the liberal bourgeois wolfs in sheep's skin, would have no qualms sacrificing peace, harmony and in this case, the Chinese community, just to achieve their agendas.

Do the Chinese Malaysians, as a community & race, deserve to used and abused like this? To suffer fools like this?

After all that been said and done since 2007 leading up to GE13, through all the deceptions and lies, in the end, it's the Chinese community who're left holding the bag.

The most comical were the overseas Chinese, who specifically flew back just to vote. They were among those most vocal against the government. They are the ones who says they love Malaysia, but do not live or work here. Hahaha. Talk about hypocrites.

Where are they now? Well, except for the price of a plane ticket, they are living quite comfortably as immigrants in one of the first-world countries, which they love to use as examples how a perfect country should be. And in any statement they make, they always, always, without fail throw in their favourite phrases, "We still love Malaysia" or "...beloved country..." or "I consider myself a Malaysian first...", while in the same breath finding fault with and running down the country.

Would any of these people, these parties and personalities, step up to defend the Chinese community? What do you think they care about more, your welfare or their own agendas?

Will these people be able to or have any interest to safeguard Chinese customs, culture, religion, language, schools, business, etc. ?

Be wary of those who claim to champion your race, religion or community, especially those who seek power. These people will not be able to solve your problems, but instead, would most probably create more problems for you.

Remember, always take the middle path. Moderation is the key.

Don't surrender your fate to others. Think about you own priority and interests first. Your family, your future, your happiness, peace, harmony.

The young are impressionable. They are naive. They are perfect candidates to be radicalised. Then, they will be used. Soon they will be discarded. Worse, they will be blamed.

After radicalisation: Is this a typical Chinese characteristic? Is this something to be proud of?

Before radicalisation: This is you, the Chinese. This was once held in high esteem by society. Don't forget that.

" observe developments soberly,
maintain our position,
meet challenges calmly,
hide our capacities and bide our time,
remain free of ambition,
never claim leadership. " 

~ Deng Xiaoping

Religion: Children's Conversion

M. Indira Gandhi with her two children

2013

Don't fear conversion law, public told

.....Politicians from both sides of the divide, civil society groups and the public have described Section 107(b) of the Bill, which allows a minor to be converted with the consent of only one parent, as unconstitutional......

.....Various groups have argued that the provision is not only unconstitutional but goes against an April 2009 Cabinet decision that children of an estranged couple should remain in the common religion of the parents at the time of marriage should one parent convert.....

......Malaysian Consultative Council Of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism, in a statement, objected to some of the provisions, which it said affected the rights of non-Muslims, created social injustice and went against the spirit of the Federal Constitution......

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Selangor, Perak muftis tell critics of child conversion law to back off

(Malay Mail) - The Cabinet’s 2009 ruling against unilateral child conversions to Islam is not applicable to Muslims, said Selangor Mufti Datuk Tamyes Abd Wahid, insisting that children in mixed-creed marriages must embrace Islam when one parent does so......

......In terms of custody law (child care), young children fall under the care of the mother. But in cases where there are different religions, the child should follow the religion of Muslim parent,” Tamyes (picture) was quoted as saying by the Sinar Harian news portal today.

“For example, if the father embraces Islam but the mother does not, then the religion of their underage children must follow the father’s,” he said......

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2012

Mother gets custody of children in Muslim convert case

A kindergarten teacher will have custody over her three children who were converted to Islam by her Muslim-convert former husband.

This is because Muhammad Ridzuan Abdullah, or K. Patmanathan as he was known before conversion, has lost his chance to appeal to the Federal Court the decision of an Ipoh High Court which granted custody of the children to M. Indira Gandhi.

A five-member panel led by Chief Justice Tun Arifin Zakaria dismissed Muhammad Ridzuan’s application for leave to appeal....

....On March 11, 2010, the Ipoh High Court granted Indira the custody of Tevi Darsiny (Ummu Salamah), 15, Karan Dinish (Abu Bakar), 14 and Prasana Diksa (Ummu Habibah), four, but allowed Ridzuan to visit his children once a week.....

....Ridzuan embraced Islam in April 2009 and subsequently converted his children to Islam without Indira’s consent.....

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2009

Conversion without consent

.....Mother fights back

The mother of the three converted children has started legal action in order to get her children back as Hindus.

Indira Gandhi’s story was front page news on two days in Makkal Osai. The first on 16 April was headlined My children should be returned to me as Hindus, Indira Gandhi appeals. In that report, she said she had no objections to her husband becoming a Muslim, but she wanted her three children back as Hindus. “This is a mother’s fight for her rights and I will not back down,” she said......

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Religion is a sensitive issue, especially here in Malaysia. By convention, the child would automatically take on the parent's religion, the religion the child is born into. It is only natural. However, when something like this happens, a Hindu father after converting to Islam, and secretly converting his children without the consent and knowledge of the mother who is a Hindu, it causes great distress to the family. Although this is a family matter, it raises concerns about the rights of other religions in this country, especially for children.

The issue in this particular case, I believe, is not so much on religion, but doing the right thing. Is what was done by Muhammad Ridzuan Abdullah morally right? Despite knowing it will cause distress and unhappiness to the family. It is the way it is done, that has created problems, questions and suspicions. Because of Malaysia's laws on religion, in particular Islam, conversions should not to be taken lightly.

In my opinion, in this case where the children would have to live with the decision for the rest of their lives, the right thing to so is to obtain the consent of both parents. Perhaps, since they were born Hindu, in the meantime, they can be schooled in both Hinduism and Islam. When they reach adulthood, they can make their choice. The parents should think of their children's happiness and well-being.

The children can only enjoy childhood once in their lifetime. With a bit of give and take, at least they will have happy memories.

Muhammad Ridzuan Abdullah aka K Patmanathan, the husband & father.

Crime: Dirang murderer to hang

Pix source

Labourer gets death for Dirang's murder

JOHOR BARU: Odd-job worker Muidin Maidin was brought out of court crying and kicking in anger at photographers after he was sentenced to death for the murder of Nurul Nadirah Abdullah, better known as Dirang.

High Court judge Datuk Abdul Halim Aman meted out the maximum sentence yesterday after ruling that the prosecution had proved the case beyond reasonable doubt.

But not before raising a string of questions over the circumstances leading to the death of the four-year-old.

The judge drew attention to the combination of factors which played roles in Dirang's death public apathy during the girl's abduction, irresponsible parenting as well as the characteristics of the killer.

 “A child of that age should have been accompanied by her parents and not given a piece of paper with items scribbled on it, and allowed to walk to a nearby shop to purchase the items on her own,” he said, adding that it was obvious that her parents were irresponsible......

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2012

Charred remains of missing Nurul Nadirah, 5, found

JOHOR BARU: Charred remains of 5-year-old Nurul Nadirah Abdullah, missing since March 1, was found at a plantation in Nusa Damai, Johor.

The remains were found on Thursday and subsequent DNA testing with a sample from her mother, Roselyn Alan, 25, confirmed her identity, said Seri Alam OCPD Superintendent Roslan Zainuddin

"We managed to get DNA samples from bone fragments found at the scene. The Chemistry Department found the samples matched her mother's DNA," he told reporters here.......

Girl killed over grudge

 People angry over Dirang‘s murder by drug addict

PUBLIC outrage over the murder of Nurul Nadirah Abdullah, 5, escalated yesterday after it was revealed that she was killed over a grudge and that the main suspect is a drug addict neighbour.....

Jobless man charged with Nurul’s murder

JOHOR BARU: An unemployed man has been charged with the murder of five-year-old Nurul Nadirah Abdullah (pic) at an oil palm plantation.

Muidin Mydin, 24, nodded his head after the murder charge was read to him at a magistrate’s court here yesterday.

The charge said the crime was committed on March 1 at the plantation where Muidin previously worked as a labourer......

Muidin Mydin - the suspect

Roselyn Alan - Dirang's mother

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Justice is served. But a child is lost, in a most terrible way. Parents should not take safety for granted. I see a lot of kids roaming freely in neighbourhoods and public places without adult supervision. As a parent myself, it breaks my heart whenever I see crimes like this. I must say that Malaysia is not as safe as it used to be, compared to, say 30-40 years ago. Perhaps it might be due to more closely knit community those days. Or perhaps it is the degeneration of morals and ethics in modern society. Today, communities in neighbourhoods mind their own business and do not know each other. It is especially so in urban areas.
It is getting very difficult to provide a safe environment for our children. Is safety one of the price we have to pay for progress?

Deepest condolences to Roselyn and Dirang's family. May they find closure and peace.