At the dawn of yet another General Election

For the first time in the history of our General Elections... ROS's decision not to recognise the DAP's office bearers means that no one can authorise its candidates to use the party's recognisable Rocket logo.... This, a technical glitch which happened last December, which at that time didn't seem a problem but became one just before naming of the candidates.

And so, DAP will contest under PAS logo in Peninsular and PKR logo in Sabah and Sarawak. Perhaps this might be a new dawn for Malaysian politics. Dato Onn (who could have been the founding father of Malaya) was way ahead of his time when he proposed opening UMNO to non Malays. He was ahead of his time in promoting what would have been known as 1Malaya back then... all races under one single party. We would probably be a different nation today... in all probability, a more dynamic one. 

But Malaya was not ready... He left UMNO. But his IMP floundered and was forgotten. But perhaps, even with this action with this really odd timing from ROS on DAP, might be a new dawn for Malaysia, ushering in perhaps a single identity for Malaysians.

We are way too divided along racial lines. We frowned upon apartheid, we used to join the chorus of voices condemning South Africa. Yet many of our own practices are also questionable. Quotas based on race, in education, business, civil service... and some of these quotas have actually decapitated our abilities to compete with the rest of the world. We have created instant millionaires but not been very successful in raising our ability to stand out. One just needs to compare ourselves with Singapore and Korea, and perhaps even Taiwan to see the difference. These were countries who were behind us in per capita income in the 1950s. Singapore was kicked out of Malaysia. And today, it is among the richest country in the world. What went wrong with us?

Many are beginning to stock up for fear that there might be unrest. The ghosts of 513 have yet been laid to rest. But perhaps too here, we might be heralding a new dawn.. because Malaysians today are better informed... thanks to the Internet. Change is necessary for a better tomorrow. Change is needed for our next generations.

The 13th GE.... it should be an interesting one. For one, MCA has become irrelevant. So has MIC... Together with UMNO they formed BN. And together, they have been practising politics along racial lines... The British divided us to rule us. I think BN style of politics works almost the same way. We have always been a divided nation... the leaders we elected made sure we remain suspicious of each other. A new dawn is needed....

And perhaps this new dawn will bring with it a new openness.... 

Post Bersih

Try moving goal posts with our kids or our friends and see what happens. In no time, trust is damaged and stress builds up. When my boy was younger, I'd give him work to do. He was able to complete it relatively fast in the beginning. Thinking that it would do him good if he were to do more, I'd pile more work after one is completed, even though it meant breaking my word about the amount that I would give him. In no time, he began wizened up. He took his time, copied answers from the back, argued.... all because I moved the goal posts. Things became rather strained very often. And that's what see in Bersih.... the government moving the goal posts, all the time. And that I find very worrying.

Bersih 2.0! Some say Bersih serves an agenda. Some say they are being manipulated. I think we only need to look at why Bersih is there. What they demand is clear for all to see, yet these last few days, Bersih has come to imply the negative. How can asking for a clean and fair electoral process be bad?

And finally Bersih Day! At 11.30 a.m. I passed the Alor Setar Utara toll entrance, and lo and behold, there was an unnecessary roadblock by the police. It looked ridiculous. Unless one drives at breakneck speed, one will never be able to make it it KL. What more with so many roadblocks along the highway and also at KL? At that moment it seemed to me that some people are even scared of their shadows.

So like many, I followed the development of Bersih. Protests ran in other countries too; Australia, Taiwan, England, Egypt, etc, etc... yet only in Malaysia the police used tear gas and water cannons on the protestors. Everywhere I read how orderly and law abiding the Bersih people were. It just didn't feel right; protestors who get water cannons aimed and fired at them are supposed to be rabble rousers, unruly, destructive, rowdy... but that was not seen. Yet the police fired tear gas too. Barricades were put up; the pics seem to show that KL looked battle ready. And police were everywhere. You know sometimes when we complain about how slow the police are at solving cases, they say they are short. Today it didn't feel like the police is understaff.

The people who went. My admiration for their guts. And in Bersih too I see more oneness in spirit than the government's 1Malaysia rhetoric. Malaysians are beginning to show a level of political and social sophistication never seen before. Perhaps that has always been there but the way we've been pitted against each other via religion and race have been the culprit of that diviseness.

At one point it seemed that the gods were smiling at the authorities, and urging the people to believe that Bersih is bad. Convenient caches of Molotov cocktails accompanied by incriminating yellow T-shirts were uncovered. I read in the news that some people saw suspicious characters at the cemetery back in my hometown, wearing you know what colour. And then! A discovery of homemade bombs again. I feels like an all too familiar script. Ad it makes me wonder too whether or not this script has been recycled many times.

Double standards... Some people can seem so blatant and ultra in their utterings, yet the authorities stand aside and let them be. I see double standards and goal posts which constantly seemed to be moved and on the move. I think everyone sees that. It's so shameful that we seem so like the backward African nations.

A city locked down for 24 hours when less than 4 hours of peaceful march was what all the protestors would do. And they blamed it on Bersih. Wonder who is afraid of who and what. It's worrying the reaction of the authorities. But still, they continue to move their goal posts......

Bersih 2.0.... indeed a day to remember in the history of Malaysia. Who knows what may come after this. I salute those who braved all the blocks and inconveniences, the jail time, the sting the tear gas, the water cannons, the intimidation.... To stand up and be counted for something they believe is good for the nation. If that is not courage, what is?

The Pre And Post...

... the cycle repeats. Before and after. Eye opening to see the extent of election fever...

April 16th, 2011... I've never paid much attention to Sarawak State Elections... till this recent one. I remember reading a piece of news on the 14th evening that the PM had approved RM60 million for the construction of a road to link Marudu and Miri. Just like that...so easy!!! Our politicians behave like Santa Clauses come every election. It's just that the presents got bigger this time around. The best part is winning 55% of popular votes still translate into a 2/3 majority. Guess this is what it means by more than what the eye sees.

In the US 1% of the upper class earns 25% of the country's total income. In Malaysia the top 20% earns 50% of our country's total income. And that figure is beginning to mirror the US one by the year. Interesting to note that Sarawak is supposed to be the second richest state (per capita of RM30 318) after KL (RM (50k). I've never been to Sarawak but I don't think the people there are rich. But I've been reading a lot about the select few very rich people in Sarawak on those sites which seem to have gained instant fame cos they were repeatedly hacked into. Why hack those sites if the news are untrue? Guess many of the allegations are true then. There seems to be very little effort in constructively engaging these allegations...

What's interesting about this round of election? First, of course the amount of money spent. It's amazing how much these people can come up with. The rubbish collection in Alor Setar is very bad. I'm sure the Federal Government when awarding the tender to Environment Idaman paid them handsomely too. But these days, rubbish collection sucks! We were better off under the MBAS. This is one privatization effort that clearly does not benefit the rakyat. Maybe if the election is around the corner here, they'll make sure the rubbish is not collected... so that we get really annoyed with the State Gahmen.

1Malaysia.... The office of the Sarawak CM has the right to bar individuals from the Peninsular to enter. This election, 4 people were barred.... all activists. What problem can these people cause to the people of Sarawak, I wonder. Most, if not all spoke out against corruption. I thought that is supposed to be a good thing.

So, who won? The results are out. I am no political analysts. But I learned this... greed is now a virtue. Corruption begets more reward. Those in power seem to regard their positions as a license to do as they please. Outrageous acts are committed and the perpetrators let off with hardly a slap on the wrist. Malaysia loses billions via illegal channels and no one seems to bat their eyelids much. I guess we are the ones who allow this. At the end of the day, it's about toeing the line, supporting those with means and positions. You still get the advantage. It's not just in politics. It's how we humans function. And we take a look around us, that's how it is around of us most of the time. You can even find it at work places and even the house of God!... they just take different forms.

Politicians theorized that the people will continue to vote them in as long as they buy them over. Or if they have served long, they should be let to serve till they want to quit. From democracy to despotism??? Anyway, the pot is calling the kettle black.

Today I read this in the paper... the explanation of the use of Race in the university application. It's almost laughable. Does it matter of what race? If they ever want to find out the racial breakdown, they can always do it when the students register for their courses. Having race in the application form just mean that there is room for a different sort of selection. That's Malaysia!

So, they say the Chinese will not have a representation if the Chinese BN component parties are not voted in. What does it matter? The Chinese representatives been more like puppets than real representations. They are just there to enrich themselves. If they have been speaking out, the voices must have been really soft. We've hardly had any representation to begin with. At least UMNO gave a semblance of representation, the skewed kind.

Anyway, it's just a matter of time before the rest of the races wake up and realize that the other politicians are also there to enrich themselves too. Corruption is a scourge. Eventually it affects the whole body. A matter of time. If it's 1Malaysia we're promoting, it's not supposed to matter whom my MP is as long as he does his job as he should... based on universal values.

Wang Ehsan Kerajaan.... Mangsa Banjir Alor Setar 2010

What a Saturday yesterday! They were giving out the wang ehsan at the new government complex in Anak Bukit. I went along just to get a feel of things. And boy! It was an experience to mingle with the crowd and I observed much too...

First word to describe the whole thing.... CHAOTIC! People who submitted forms at together to the same office found their names missing. The first thing when I got there was the confusion about the forms given by MCA and UMNO... turned out the form given was MCA was not valid. The people were told to get the UMNO form... I got the impression that the government equals to UMNO. Been reading about MCA being the running dog.... after this morning, I tend to agree. What power sharin?? In the end people were scolding the MCA reps because they seemed so helpless.

SECOND WORD.... loads of CRAP! Then I went in to listen to the speech... actually not many were interested to listen to what YB Ahmad Bashah had to say cos they just wanted to get their money and go back to work... regardless of race. I found it funny that the police guy joked that people don't work on Saturday. Obviously he's forgotten his roots. Farmers need to check on the fields, sundry shop owners need to open their shops, stall owners have to prepare for the lunch crowd, etc, etc.... he spoke like a true bureaucrat or is it idiocrat as coined by Citizen Nades. I think he's little out of touch with the man on the street.

Yet another word... the whole exercise felt INSINCERE! Another thought that came to mind.... I think the Buddhist Tzu Chi did a better job at disbursing their aid. They came across as more sincere and better organised. They went house to house, and systematically tagged each house with a sticker after each house had been visited. I also heard they went into the villages too. They distributed food and RM200 cash to each household in the flooded areas they visited. And they did all that within the 2 or 3 weeks after the flood!!!! I saw Tzu Chi members from Taiping in town one of those days. This wang ehsan.... the YB said it's wang kerajaan, Najib is giving it.... I wonder whether he realizes that it's wang rakyat, and that the government of the day is just a trustee to it. The government with its behemoth machinery pales in comparison to this private effort! Isn't it rather shameful!!!

Look at how people had to line up in the open air. Tempers began to fray as the day became hotter. They did not erect any tents. They actually expected people to stand under the hot sun... I don't know whether that's meant to discourage people from waiting, some actually did stand for more than 2 hours! Also, the petugas were rather slow. Certain lines for those with names beginning with L moved so slowly and took a long time.... I learned a lesson, if your surname is L, put an ang moh name in front, preferably with a B, C or any of the upopular alphabets. Whatever it is steer clear from M or L. But surprisingly, the M line moved rather fast compared to the L.

ACCOUNTABILITY... I noticed that the people were given a pink sheet of paper... with no security features. Even cinema tickets have better security. And you are supposed to take that piece of paper to change for RM500 cash!!! One can duplicate it quite easily with a scanner and a colour printer. Why not a check? The way it is done leaves too many holes for money to disappear I should think. There were some who went to check but found that their pink slips had gone missing....

People really wasted time... I had many friends there and many of them had a story to tell. But basically I think many felt that even in giving, there is a racial divide. One Malay chap asked a Chinese man how come he didn't have the Borang (I forgot the name, but it's the one issued by UMNO).... cos the guards kept saying that must have that Borang.... those who don't have were asked to go get one... so some people were sent on a chase round town.... only to find the UMNO office closed since it's a Saturday! One lady retorted that they're Chinese and not UMNO members! So how to get that Borang????

Notice how racial we are... Chinese politicians for the Chinese... Malays for the Malays... what actually does 1Malaysia mean?? Even in giving out aid, UMNO makes people feel that we owe it to them... we don't need the politicians to come make a show of giving the aid... we need the government agencies, the civil servants to be efficient, fair, transparent and accountable in carrying out their duties... not be some lackeys to a political party. I've never felt this racially segregated till I went to look see this wang ehsan thing on Saturday... and it's depressing to see us sink so low. And you wonder why Malaysia is so racially divided???

Checking the names... why not make it available on the Net... as it was, the people had to run around to all the MPs offices to check their names. Many people didn't know about it. They say it's published in the papers... many missed it. Why no letters of notifications? Why not bank into each victim's account? Isn't this an age of electronic banking? It would have been more transparent and made accountable. Electronic banking leaves trails... In an age where technology reigns supreme, they used the old method of checking names....

And the final thought? IRRELEVANCE! We'll slip into irrelevance at the rate our politicians divide and rule us. The rate they sow the seeds of racial mistrust because they want to keep the people suspicious of each other..... I wonder whether we can ever really do rally together!!!

It was an educational Saturday morning out... but it resulted in a backlog of clearing the house up.... more tales coming up.

Gotong Royong...

Gotong-royong means coming together for a community project.... and that can mean so many things; weddings, funerals, cleaning up the neighbourhood and even building houses (in the old days).

Today we had a gotong-royong to clean up our area. A group of residents wrote in to the relevant authorities for approval as well as assistance (such as the Bomba, MBAS, SADA, etc, etc.) Some big guy at MBAS was even supposed to come and give a speech but apparently he didn't show up.

I spoke to the guy who was one of the organizers and he said when they first organized it, they were not sure whether the residents would come out. But I noticed that more of those who turned out were senior citizens. But as they moved around too, they realized that many residents were not aware that there was a gotong-royong going on. However, as my boy drove me around, I noticed that in many areas, residents came out and also tried to do their part. First lesson, we need people to organize us.

I did my small part... helped to clear the sediments from the big drain near the football field. But with only hand tools, it was a mammoth task. The authorities should have come with some machinery. Apparently the Majlis Bandaraya promised to send 20 'muscles' to assist. Many drains are actually blocked. As recent as 3 years ago, the drains would regularly be cleaned. These days, with privatization (by the previous gahmen, word has it), service has gone down the drain. We pay, they make money but don't give the service. Malaysia definitely Boleh!

I saw the tools but not the muscles. Maybe they were in another area... but one guy said the tools came early in the morning.... minus the workers. Second lesson... the authorities, political leaders cakap a lot of kosong things. Maybe that's why they give out goodies nearing election... instantly seen to be contributing to the rakyat. And we are easily 'buyable'.

As it was the first time that this has been done in our area, the organizers didn't forsee some of the problems like making sure everyone knew about it. However, they did a good job in going around with the Pokok Sena Volunteer Firefighter Group... the 'real' Bomba was supposed to assist also but we didn't see them also... maybe I missed them.

The residents were willing to move together but the authorities seemed very 'tidak apa' and lack sincerity in assisting. And of course, in racial Malaysia, there were some mutterings that if ours had been a more predominantly Malay area, maybe they would be more visible.... Actually, I think it's not just Chinese or Malay area that's the real issue here. It's more of the civil service (in this case state civil service also) that is lacking in their professionalism or commitment. We pay this cukai and that cukai and don't know what some more, we elect political reps and all that... kononnya they want to serve the rakyat. They seem very incapable of fulfilling their oath of service....

And we have the Minister of Housing and Local Government from Alor Setar too... but he's from BN... this is PAS state. When the giants don't get along, all the semut kena pijak and suffer. So, we've cleared some drains today but many of the drains looked like they are in need of major repairs... maybe we've to wait for Election season to come, kut?

2Suara, 1Malaysia

I was listening to the news today... and this caught my attention.

What have Suara Keadilan and Suara Perkasa have in common? 1Malaysia standards. Suara Keadilan license is not renewed for bringing up some issues, like FELDA going bankrupt? Suara Perkasa on the other hand continues to publish despite being 'extremist' and extreme.

One highlights what might be wrong in our society while one seems to sometimes stoke some fires. Yet both get the same 1Malaysia standard... dubious standards.

The Little People...

Still remember the story of the The Shoemaker and the Elves?... the elves, little people they were and they willingly (foolishly??) worked for the shoemaker, prospered him... until the shoemaker 'released' them. The little people slogged and made shoes for him yet never thought of making shoes for themselves... LOL!

Little people... the elves. Pittance for their effort they received; a change of clothes and a pair of shoes each. The little people are usually on the other side of the divide. We are little people one way or the other, some of us more than others, some less. Little people take a lot of crap. Little people are overlooked more. Big people like the politicians may say they work for the little people but the fact is, it's actually the other way round.

Recently the PLKN (National Service) came out with this; those who are doing Form Six will not be allowed to defer their PLKN. Last year it was allowed. But those who have gained acceptance in private colleges and Matriculation can. Dah pun, majority of those who stay back for Form 6 are mainly from the 'little people' group. Those who go to private colleges can afford to pay the fees, those who get Matriculation get free money (plus, plus some more) for their education. And the little people.... sudah jatuh, ditimpa tangga lagi. They've to miss a month of school. They're told, "Never mind-lah! Anyway, not much teaching since it's just the first weeks!" Must be small brains the big people have....

Then the DG of MOE came out with this statement that those who were going for Lower Six can come out from NS one week earlier... on June 5th instead of June 12th! Lower Six starts on 10th May-lah! Some people's brains do not seem to be working. They'd be a month late compared to the non-NS people! As though they are trying to show their keprihatinan. Pseudo caring by non-caring big people. Then have the same ruling for all... double standards yet again. Have they forgotten that a good start is important too?

And in the PLKN website, under their FAQ, they say this about the PLKNers and their studies...

Adakah program ini akan mengganggu atau menjejaskan perancangan pelajaran para pelajar yang terlibat?
Kerajaan akan meminimakan kesan gangguan ke atas sistem pendidikan negara. Dalam kes PLKN ini Kementerian Pendidikan telah menyelaraskan kemasukan pelajar ke kelas matrikulasi, tingkatan enam dan IPTA. Namun begitu, jika terdapat kes-kes yang melayakkan penangguhan ianya akan dipertimbangkan mengikut paraturan Akta Latihan Khidmat Negara yang membenarkan penangguhan atas alasan melanjutkan pelajaran. Dengan yang demikian PLKN akan cuba meminimakan penjejasan kepada peluang peserta untuk melanjutkan pelajaran.

Goes to show the inconsistencies... somebody probably calculated wrongly the number of days and now the PLKNers cannot complete the minimum 60 days in order to complete the course..... Try asking these big people to have their kids stay when their studies have commenced... kepimpinan melalui teladan!

And one more thing, it's not like the MOE does not have the data of those students who are more likely to continue their studies as opposed to those who are not. The State Trial Exam marks are keyed into the national database every year. That would provide an inkling to the likelihood of each student's probability of furthering their studies. So, with a little careful homework, it's actually quite possible to make arrangements. Even Son's trainers said that those of them with better results should have been called up in the first batch.

PLKN is actually quite a good experience for the kids... at least there is some effort to create opportunities for integration. It's good for nation building. It allows kids of different races to actually have the opportunity to get to know each other. That is if the politicians and gahmen institutions don't 'sabo' their own good efforts. If only the planners would get their act together and make sure 1Malaysia means 1Malaysia in its planning, implementation and also the welfare of every kid involved.

Big people... little people. Doesn't need rocket science to see who gets everything and who gets the crumbs!

Toll Rates to Go Up In December..

I wrote this post sometime in the middle of the year as a reminder that the will eventually be another toll hike for the 5 major highways. The rates were supposed to be hiked from March 1 2009 for the North-South Expressway (up 5%), Sprint/Kerinchi/Damansara Link Highway (30-50sen more), Ampang Elevated Highway (50 sen), Sg Besi Highway (up 10sen) and New Pantai Expressway (40 sen). Anyway, December has arrived and so far still no news. Let's hope it remains this way!

The gahmen said the increase was supposed to be January 2008 but was postponed and that they had been paying compensation to the toll companies since then.Then a few days after the Works Minster announced the hike months ago, the PM did a flip flop and said it would be deferred till Dec. Reason was plain for everyone to see... by elections coming up, the Perak crisis had further dented BN's reputation in the eyes of many.

There have been calls that the gahmen acquire all minority shareholders of PLUS with a generous offer of 15 per cent premium at RM3.30 per share, costing RM5.2 billion, therefore ensuring that minority shareholders are protected. Khazanah has a 65% stake in PLUS Expressway Bhd... DAP said the highway can be toll free by 2016... so let's see how high the gahmen will let the toll go..

And by the way, electricity tariff is due to go up in 2010. And it's already been sent to the Cabinet for 'discussion' again. Was supposed to go up in Aug 2008, but again, the timing seemed bad. So the gahmen went against their earlier plan to raise the tariff... a respite since the rakyat is feeling the pinch of economic downturn.

Let's see what the new year will bring for us, the common folks... sugar is already on its way up, so soon after the Sugar King disposed of his title and Syed Mokhtar's company took over. When sugar goes up, another round of food hike is definitely to be expected! Wonder how come once Sugar King title changed hands, price also goes up! 1Malaysia kena!

An Afternoon at the Dewan Undangan Negeri Kedah..

That's where I ended up last Tuesday afternoon, after work. A bunch of us from school went to the Kedah State Assembly to attend the tabling of the 2010 Kedah State Budget by the MB, Datuk Azizan Abdul Razak.

Being the first time, it was kinda exciting at first. We took our seats and the bell was rung at 3 p.m. The announcement of the entrance of the Speaker marked the beginning of the session.

Actually I had no idea that it was the tabling of the 2010 Budget. I was expecting to see some 'debates'. So it was kinda disappointing. Listening to the tabling takes a lot willpower to stay awake cos like the National Budget, the MB rattled off lots and lots figures.

Anyway, the first thing that came into my mind when I entered the hall was how small the it was. Noticed that the various Pengarah(s) had seats in the Dewan too. Makes sense cos they need to be at the forefront of policy making. The DUN is after all the state's legislative body. I noticed that only one seat from the State Gahmen was empty but a couple from the Opposition (which is BN) were emtpy. BN reps are well known for their ponteng habit. The High Court declared Seputeh seat vacant because the Rep went missing for two consecutive State Assembly meetings without the permission of the Speaker. The hearing for the stay of execution of the ruling by the Election Commission will be on Monday. The EC had earlier over ruled the Speaker. Sometimes the EC seems like the BN's running dogs.... A rep who keep missing the State Assembly meetings should be booted out.

Spot the sleeping DUN if you can. Many observers took their 40 winks also... including some of my colleagues! LOL! Anyway, the sitting lasted only around 50 minutes before being adjourned to the next morning. It was only to table to the budget and it was utterly boring. But it must be kinda fun being the MB cos I noticed that as soon the tabling ended, all the reporters rushed down to snap his photos.... like movie star only.

Anyway, we were given a simple tea after the tabling upstairs. Not bad. He! He!

This is a shot from the press vantage point. LOL! My friend and I were among the press people! We went down to listen to the press conference while the rest ate. The MB can talk well... that's one of their job requirements I supposed, else how to convince the people to vote them in!

My impression of the sitting.... nothing much! Most of the reps looked bored. Some of them looked 'tak larat'. There's just no 'oomph' from them.

Saya Anak Bangsa Malaysia

Taking a cue from Haris Ibrahim's initiative...

I am first and foremost a Malaysian. I've never pledged allegiance to any other country. But there have been many points in my life when I harboured intentions of migrating but those were brought on by moments and opportunities which I felt I was denied by virtue of my skin colour. But generally, this is my birthplace and so far this is where I've spent all my life.

I think my country is a blessed country. A country of sun and fertile soil. All it takes is some effort. Other Half's grandma used to say this... in Malaysia, you can throw a seed anywhere, and it will grow. She came from China, a land with 4 seasons and natural disasters. Winter months were harsh. Death induced by nature was not something rare.

Technically, I too am also a daughter-of-soil here. I was born here. My race should have nothing to do with the rights that should be accorded to a citizen of this land. Yet, my race has stood in the way of many opportunities afforded to those who say they are the sons and daughters of this soil. I've had to work doubly hard and very often pay more. I get no discount for house purchase too.

In this land, religion which is supposed to be the face of compassion has been used to divide and sow seeds of mistrust. Faith which we say guide our lives are used as tools to entrenched ourselves in the seats of power. We damned the principles of fair play and justice and replace them with skewed values; those that fit into our agendas. So it is no surprise that within that skewed values you'll find even more skewed ones like the Marina Undau plight.

Recently we had to fill in a HR form and in one of the columns we had to tick either Bumiputera or non-Bumiputera. I ticked both! I am Malaysian, no? Najib said so... 1Malaysia.. not 2Malaysia or 3Malaysia. In 1Malaysia, everyone is Malaysian. Everyone is supposed to have 1equal opportunity. But I am still hopeful that change for the better will come. I only ask for 1scale, 1yardstick, 1measure for everyone not the 2standards (sometimes 3) that we seem to be practising.

More craziness...

The news we make.....

1. No case against VK Linggam and co... how not to with so many prominent people suffering from amnesia. Well, the video was not proof enough I supposed as there was no proof that all the things said in it took place. Of course this is so unlike Tian Chua's trial for biting a policeman. In the video there was no clip of him biting the police but the magistrate believed it took place. Everything boleh??
2. Chua and Ong to kiss and make up for the party's sake. Ong allowed PKFZ scandal to be exposed. Chua Soi Lek exposed his promiscuity. Caught in the act, he still feels he has the credibility. MCA was already weakened but 'leaders' cannot seem to do the right thing... perhaps it should just be buried.. not just the differences between the 2 leaders but the whole party itself. Ong did good though in allowing the scandal to be unearthed. But for allowing it, his other partners in the unholy coalition wants him buried deep too.
3. Bagan Pinang remains with UMNO despite a by-election. You've got to wonder what kind of principles UMNO runs on. They found him guilty of corruption then said it was a technical thing. I guess in politics semua boleh... principles be damned!
   
4. The Scorpene-class submarines were not purchased via open tender as it would expose our country's defense secret. So what secret, huh? It is now known to the world that we bought the Scorpenes. But what we do know that some guy got to be the middleman. I wonder how much he was paid. And the Mongolian lady with her secret love interests and intrigues put us onto the world media very explosively... you can find her story in Wikipedia.
5. The Thai pathologist brought in to testify said Teoh Beng Hock's death was 80% homicide.... our pathologists say otherwise. If only we have a third eye which can see the unseen... I think we're likely to see a lot of muka merah padam. Do our pathologists follow their conscience or a prepared script? In a prepared script everything is pre-determined. So professionalism also be damned! What else is left that is not damned, huh? Conscience also gone, professionalism with it also.
   
6. 600 000 illegal immigrants in Sabah! It was alleged that one only needs to pay RM450 to be a voter in Sabah for these immigrants. Are the authorities so tak cekap and blind? So, who do you think these people vote? Over here, we also hear that it's easier for an Indonesian labourer to be a citizen than a professional from other countries! Easy votes? Anyway, crime rates have soared... who do you think contributed to it? So if you think corruption will not affect you and me? Think again....
7. Communal politics... a legacy from the Brits and kept still very much alive by BN. Malaysia is still very much a negara Melayu. To that end, we see religion, laws being bent to keep that notion alive. I thought religion is colourless but in Malaysia it seems religion does have a colour. Communal politics is after all about colours..... of the skin.
8. Year in year out, the Auditor General makes reports of mismanagement, wild expenses, waste and fraud. And we see the same response... sweep under the carpet. The Star just recently exposed the purchase of 2 laptops for more than RM80K! That amount can probably get the college 20 laptops! Maybe they forgot to add the zero behind the 2. So, will heads roll? Your guess is as good as mine. When corruption is the way to go, it's hard to see any other way.
   
9. Open tenders... recently it seemed one patented drug company lost their bid to a local company for a bid to supply a certain medicine by just 1 sen. Patented and generic... Oh the authorities acted very fair this round. But I think if you look into the generic company's ownership, we might find some very interesting details. Is the generic as good quality as the original? I have my reservations... anyway going by our Proton cars, would it be surprising if we are also getting inferior products. Medicine that don't quite work... possible, isn't it?
   

And this rambling comes just after one brief period of sitting at the comp.

So, I wonder if it's actually ringgit and sen that is in contention here. Cos they have made everyone bend in every direction and make strange bedfellows too. A quote from the Bible...

No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other; or else he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You can not serve both God and Mammon. (Matthew 6:24)

And you think it doesn't concern us... this corruption thingy.... it does. It is ruinous to the country.. and don't we live here? Dang.....

Oh Crap!

Read somewhere that the Hassan guy in Selangor felt that SELCAT should not 'embarass' the civil servants as it grilled them about some questionable disbursement of funds. Who's he kidding? Civil servants don't need to be accountable? So, is it a wonder that the culture of Little Napoleans has taken root and is thriving? And never mind if the SELCAT public enquiry has exposed huge amounts of the rakyat money being spent on study tours??? LOL!! The ex-MB and his family certainly travelled, lived and dined in style, macam sama like the rich and famous.

Briefings, courses and meetings are often held as part of an effort to improve various aspects of the civil service. So, these are supposed to be good things for us cos it makes us better civil servants. But these days, such activities are often an exercise to finish the allocations given.

Problem is some courses don't run. Facilitators don't show up yet certificates of participation are issued. Officers who chair meetings babble non-related stuffs. Cos they come unprepared... free cuti, mah! And some are meetings with 100 over people; held at hotels. How much wastage do you think takes place? The quality of briefings is in great doubt these days. They don't even sound sheepish when they do not know their stuff. There is no shame, no pride in themselves... no dignity in their position.

Nobody even thinks about accountability. Cos if somebody does, then there would be no babblings. They would not take gahmen officers away from work and plonked them there. Neither would they send out invites to officers who appear for introduction then disappear for a round of golf or just the hotel stay.... again free holidays??? You've got to think, SELCAT is probably opening a can of worms. And in this worm kingdom, these wriggly creatures scratch each others' backs.

The can inhabitants are civil servants, politicians, corporate figures (look at Kuala Dimensi and their jets). All intertwined, mutually benifitting each other.... on the average Ahmad and Ah Seng, Raju who pick up the tab!

So, if Dr. Hassan feels that SELCAT should not embarrass the civil servants for not checking the allocations, in other words for not doing their jobs then does that mean too that civil servants are above the law? Just makes you wonder. Anyway, I wonder whether it is an affliction in all the other departments and ministries or just mine..... And this Dr. Hassan, whose interest has he in mind and who does he serve?

Alor Setar now...

Been a year plus since PAS took over Kedah...

So what is new? For starters, the Star was dimmed out and replaced by a Setar, a tree with fruits which have bitter and sourish tastes.. well that's one change that came with a new gahmen! Don't understand why they keep picking on the 'E', trivial matter it is.

Life in Alor Setar continues. About the only blimp that has hogged the limelight was the demolishing of the illegal abbatoir in Kg Berjaya... which was politicized. DAP was dumb enough to pick it up as a cause. The abbatoir has been running illegally for the past 30 years! It was illegal to start with and even though a piece of land had been earmarked to build a proper abbatoir, no one wanted to assume responsibility of building it. So, the illegal one continued to operate even though it was against the regulations. Pity those villagers who had to to bear with it. And of course 'BN papers' took the opportunity to widen any cracks that appeared. That's Malaysian style.... issues are always politicized along racial lines.

Life goes on pretty much the same. Except that if you look around carefully enough, you'd notice that the City workers are not as efficient as they used to be... but the rot actually set in even before this gahmen took over. Grass is not cut so regularly now.

Rubbish is left uncollected for up to a week in some places. It's not so bad in the city area but move to the peripheral areas and you'd see piles of rubbish that can only mount so high because they are not collected as regularly as they used to be. Now the mayor says he wants Alor Setarians to become whistle blowers and report those who litter. I find it funny cos the City Council seems inept now. So if we blow and the rubbish is still not collected, would it make any difference?

We were driving through Bukit Pinang town one weekend and the rubbish along the roadside was piled up like a small bukit. Bukit Pinang would be more aptly named Bukit Sampah! It was the same in Pokok Sena. Small hills of uncollected rubbish sit by the road, a real sore to the eyes... not to mention the health hazard that they pose.

Word in the kopitiam has it that this PAS MB is not a very approachable person. But I see posters of his pictures everywhere. His 'eyes' seem to be looking everywhere but he doesn't seem to notice all these things. One of my friends asked the City workers how come they're not collecting rubbish as oft as they used to. The answer? They have more area to cover now and less rubbish trucks to do the job. And don't know whether the tender for the rubbish collection has yet been renewed it seems. First it was slated for August. Then I heard they're going to sign it in September as they were unable to get all the workers to sign the papers. Same workers, different company!

City Council seems less than efficient. The decorative lights put up along the roads seem to be falling apart. You have lights dangling precariously above. I dread to be under one of those lights when they drop. I wonder whether we can sue the City Council if one of their lights drop on our cars.

Alor Setar used to be a quaint town when I first came. I remember being impressed by its cleanliness and safety. Of course both have been seeing steady deterioration over the years... I wish the authorities would buck up. So, for me the ordinary folk on the road... pot holes, uncut grass, rubbish everywhere... these are after all, issues that are important to us, the rakyat. The PAS gahmen ain't doing a good job in making sure that the City Council sees to these things...

How NOT to increase Bumi equity?

This was what Najib said some time back... from The Star - Present Way to Raise Bumi Equity Dead End... LOL! I'm amazed it took him such a long time to realize that. *roll eyes* Could have just taken a cue from this idiom... Easy Come, Easy Go. This cliche tells us exactly that... what comes easy, goes away easy too. Language is a culmination of life's experience and there are many gems of wisdom from language itself.... Najib needn't have relied on data or 19 years to come to that conclusion. The Malays have had life way too easy... so easy that they've never really learned how to be competitive... in short what little competitive edge they had was lost over the last 19 years through the Bumi-first policy, quota system, etc., etc... so much so that it's not just the competitive edge they lost but also their confidence in their own abilities.

Right from Independence, their special position was entrenched in the Constitution... even deemed as sacred. Any questioning of if by the other races would have earned a hail of brimstone and fire.

Easy come... easy go. Adversity, produces human abilities.... just jump right into history....lots of examples there. The other races have been operating under adversity since 1970. The success of the Chinese for example is because they have to work harder. As a result of that, they became more resilient and 'innovative'. Take a look at the second generation American Chinese... they're not much different from the other Americans. Equal opportunity made them just like everyone else.

We need not look far actually. Life today is better for our kids (the non-Malays). And we, he older gen, deem them to have less competitive edge compared to the previous gen. So is it a coincident that they've lost that extra 'sting' that their parents used to have? Or... their good life has also weighed them down? But there's still this little bit of competitiveness in them because they know they've to work doubly hard for anything because this is Malaysia... where quota, racial divisiveness, double standards are a way of life.

Increasing Bumi equity.. the solution is actually there for all to see.. remove the Bumi only requirement. Compete... we have enough middle class to realize the need for hard work. And if after competition the Malays (Bumis) still lag... then theirs is a lost race! How NOT to increase? Carry on this Bumi first policy.... this 'yours and mine' mindset.... it's a sure recipe that the equity will remain at 19% (or less) for another 2 decades! Crutches! I believe in them but only temporary crutches... temporary crutches help to put a person back on track.. permanent crutches debilitate!

Don't Hide Behind the Mouse or Keyboard.

... but can hide behind parties? That's what Hishamuddin says in The Star. Action will be taken against those who incite hatred or insult any race or religion or the monarchy. There goes again... more words. Coming from him who once wielded the you know what... I dunno.

It would have been better if this had been said by someone else who has never had to do things along the line that he did... maybe then there'll be more credibility and hope. Politics make us all damned fools. Straight politicians are a rarity... not that there aren't any. There are a few young hopefuls I see. I hope they stay that way. Then maybe, there'll be better things in store for us all... the anak Malaysia.

Just for the records... anyway, another milestone maybe, race to be dropped from official forms. Should have been dropped long ago... Filling in forms without having to write in Malay, Chinese, Indian... hmmm... that would be one small step forward.

And the DG of Health went on air today to clear some issues... go read it here.

What Does H1N1 Tell Us About Our Leaders?

You know in a time of crisis that we are faced with now... one of the things which would make a big difference would be the type of leadership we have.... at every level. So far, this is what I see.

1. Our leaders say the development of human capital is the way forward. What about preserving the human capital we already have? Many doctors, nurses, lab staff, hospital assistants are already stretched to the limit in this current H1N1 epidemic. I find it surprising that not all the staff are given the N95 masks to wear. The 3-ply mask is what's being used mostly as they also are short of the N95 masks. I find it appalling that the heads don't watch out for the welfare of these frontliners. If these frontline workers were to be incapacitated, then the rest of us would be at the mercy of any advancing diseases.
2. Hospital staff are stretched to the limit. Many of them are working longer hours than usual. Soon, many will be without adequate rest which will lower their immune system. These people need to be taken care of. Hire more contract doctors if necessary. Postpone all elective surgeries and other appointments which can wait and channel the docs from the other disciplines to helping their overworked colleagues, especially those in the Medical and Pediatrics. We cannot afford to have them succumb to the disease. Yet such concerted efforts are lacking in many of the hospitals.
   
3. Leaders in the hospital show no seriousness in overcoming the current pandemic. Family members, from young and old walk in and out of the isolation wards. No effort is put into stopping them. Very minimal effort also to get the message across to these kampung folks the gravity of the problem. Everyone wants to play the nice guy. So, rules are bent even when it is detrimental to the public's health. It's as though they are expecting divine protection on all these visitors. Again poor leadership!
   
4. I find it disappointing that a week plus after the statement that some RM2.6 million had been set outside for the purchase of thermometers and masks for schools, we still have not seen them. Most schools are still without adequate protection. And the Education Director General said that students were supposed to wear masks starting from the 11th of August, according to this report from the NST. Why is it taking such a long time for this to be implemented? Temperature taking? I don't see it happening where I am yet.
   
5. Then the leaders inform the public that anti-virals have been made available to the GPs and private hospitals. The real situation is right now even if you have the money, getting a ready supply of the anti-virals would prove to be a tricky affair. It's still best to take your chances at the General Hospitals if you are made really ill by the H1N1.
6. Meanwhile the figures continue to rise for infection and mortality. Instead of organizing political ceramahs, these leaders should be going into the kampungs to giving ceramahs on the importance of practising good hygiene, the dangers of the disease, etc, etc.... Yet we have UMNO trying to organize a 10 000 gathering in Johor... their time and resources would well be used to educate the public on the dangers of this flu.
7. Passing the buck... leaders are quick to claim credit for the good things and also grabbing what they can for themselves and their cronies. Yet in this crisis, I see a lot of passing the blame. They say the medical practicioners are at fault... how can you blame a Medical Officer for missing out on some of the cases if it's the 150th patient he's seeing and going without sleep the night before because he had been working the whole night? What has the 'leadership' done to reduce these overworked docs?
8. You get the impression that the leaders don't know what actually is going on and they seem to be shooting blanks. For example, the DPM said they are considering announcing the hotspots for infection... and a day later he said it wasn't such a good idea. Do their homework first. What hotspot? The whole country is the hotspot. What they do best now is talk and more talk and even more talk? RM3 million has been disbursed for masks, he said. Well, I haven't seen them in my school yet. And neither my son's. Sometimes, I don't know whether they are telling the truth. There are thousands of schools in the country. Who is to know which school has been given masks? Accountability, integrity, honesty... among the mark of good leaders somehow seem to be missing.
   
9. Then the couldn't-care-the-least attitude by some of the docs... many from the other departments prefer not to answer to the 'call-of-duty' as it will also expose them to the hazards of the flu. Many rather be the proverbial ostriches and remain in their corners.... the call the serve is greatly diminished in many younger docs now. Why not? Our education system is to be blamed. Moral absolutes have been bent for years and they are the products of that system.
   

Failed leadership.. that seems to be what we're experiencing for the past years. Decisive, good and strong leadership is something that is so sorely missed right now when we are faced with this tiny viruses which seem to have a mind of their own. If it's a man, you can organize a rally or demo or ceramah to push your agenda. With this virus... tough luck!

In Memoriam: Teoh Beng Hock

He would have remained a relative unknown to people like me if not for what happened to him. Though a political secretary to DAP to Selangor executive council member, Ean Yong Hian Wah, he was just a name... that was until today.

A young man full of life, about to get married.... took his own life? Fell from the roof? And of all places from a building housing the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) with a well-known fact that he had been in there for interrogation.

What is the general perception of MACC? Not much needs to said what's on most people's minds. New in name, but same in practice as its predecessor. Its boss is the father of a certain young MAS pilot who was caught with some porn stuff in his computer.. but as of today, there is still no news about his disciplinary action. And today too... this leaves a huge question mark on the 100 days of our PM also.

It's difficult to blame us, common folks if we feel that those who walk the corridors of power are behaving more and more like gods. Have they no conscience? Do they not believe that they'll have to answer to a higher authority some day?

That reminds me.. you know there is this lesson that they always drum into our heads... you cannot make a pact with the devil cos no matter what he promises you or how much he wants to give to you... the end result - you still lose your soul. Maybe Nik Aziz understands something that many people don't see.

My heart aches for the living left behind by Beng Hock.. for his fiancee who will now not be known as Mrs. Teoh, for the grief in his mother's heart, the pain in each of his family members.... and the void left in the hearts of those who knew him.... and an unborn child who will not know his father...

And like 'similar' cases, his reports would take ages, denials from the authorities would be the norm... they would make sure that he is forgotten, pushed to the recesses of the people's minds... The PM says they'll probe... the police says no foul play. What kind of probe will it be? And Nazri the Minister in the PM's Dept said... don't blame the MACC. Come on, Teoh was last seen alive on the MACC premise, and more info is coming out about his long and abusive interrogation... we've politicians with huge palaces and why don't they investigate them like that too... now they're implying he committed suicide? Even if he did, weren't they the ones responsible? Either way, they are supposed to be screwed.. but they are not!

Changes afoot???

New JPA Scholarship based on meritocracy... but no clear cut about whether the existing one which is based more on racial prerequisites will become a separate scheme or be totally scrapped to be replaced by this new proposal.

No more 30% quota Bumi holdings for equity holdings... basically we do not have much of a choice here. We are inching towards the state of a failed nation. Years of mismanagement, sanctioned pillage and plundering have contributed to that. To continue the quota system would probably drive out whatever reputable investment left in our country. There may be a feeling of wealth here but if you crunch the figures you will find out that the purchasing power has been diminishing somewhat over the years. Just compare the increase in the prices of cars to our salaries. You will find that the increase in the car price outstrips the increase in pay.

Najib does not have much choice actually. FDIs are dropping and other neigbouring countries seem set to lure in more. Our investors, on the other hand are uprooting and 'fleeing'. FDI for 2008 was RM46 billion. But for this year, the figure till May is only a paltry RM4.2 billion, barely 10% of last year's total; and with only 7 more months to tally up. Like it or not, we have to compete. And our investors don't like 30% quota requirements. So unless we want to insulate ourselves, we have no choice but to comply.

The quota system has been like a motor neurone disease... it slowly causes the nerve cells to degenerate and the result is fatal. Look at our educational institutions... it's been on a slide ever since we practised NEP in earnest. Malaise, incompetence, inefficiency plagues our ivory towers. An example. UM's other twin (NUS) has gone northward... UM, the older twin went on a downward spiral. Our best and brightest have been exiting the country for years; to which some will say good riddance since those who exited are mainly non-Bumis.

In the last couple of days, these announcements seem to offer hope that maybe, the gahmen, UMNO namely, has finally made moves to shed their divide and rule practice. Or it could just be a cosmetic ruse to win hearts back to BN. But for the sake of the country, I hope not. The only way forward is to rebuild our country on principles of moral absolutes. Crutches don't help; they incapacitate in the long run. The law of nature sees to that. A man, if we put him on a wheelchair will lose his ability to walk in the long run as his muscles will waste away. Use crutches, and a whole segment of the society loses their ability to compete! That is what is happening in our country now... and with it, the erosion of ethics and values.

So, I'll be waiting and looking at whether all these measures are for real or just another political ploy to win votes.... this is after all Malaysia and there is always more than what meets the eye.

Next on my wish list.. to make our civil service reflect our racial composition in a truer sense... at this moment, walk into any gahmen department, and the sea of faces will be of the same race. Too much of the same is also killing the quality of service rendered by our civil service. Most will agree that the level of commitment shown by our civil servants lacks those of their earlier counterparts. The same goes for the armed forces... let the other races share the burden of safeguarding the country... if everything is fair, every race will want to participate.

In Perak... the sandiwara continues.

I am no lawyer... and no learned Justice. Thought the Perak Constitution was clear enough. But apparently we have extraordinary judges. We entered extraordinary waters in March last year. And 3 judges who voted unanimously.... no written judgements yet.

Re-election; yet it is feared. By-elections not contested because they do not want to be dragged into a game play, so they say. The people would have spoken through it. And whoever wins it can rightfully claim the right to govern... But right now, from the royalty to the very last ADUN in BN.... *sigh*

Then another rep dies. Another game play? Or grace extended for repentance. Cos sekali kick the bucket, no chance to turn the clock back so that prospects of entrance to pearly gates become possible. Power corrupts... absolute power corrupts absolutely. Seems that way, doesn't it?

The bending and twisting continue...

Malaysian History..

Ask any of our Malaysian student if they like History and most of the time you'll get an emphatic No! It is a subject disliked by many students for a simple reason. Cos one has to read! And read! And read! Rote kinda learning. And then there is also the perception that our history text books is biased, which I think is true. Many of the kids I know say History is boring too.

I think history as a subject is important. Of the many subjects taught, this is perhaps one of the few if not the only subject where one learns about life. Apart from giving us an intellectual run around, it also explains to us the whys and the hows of our identity. History has a civic function. It shapes us and prepares us for nationhood. Nationhood is not possible without the study of history. But to me, the most important thing one gets out of studying history is probably humility. We should be humbled by the the folly committed by Man over and over again, over the centuries. We should be humbled by the fall of great empires.. which seemed to be repeating itself without fail; Roman, Chinese, Turkish, etc, etc. History keeps repeating itself cos each generation lives life all over again. Only the wise learns to avoid the same mistakes... but there are few among us.. 8(

Studying history is like learning philosophy. You are supposed to learn from the mistakes of the past and avoid making them. But Man is foolish... we keep treading the same path. Think of the rites to adulthood and the inevitable - death... the rise (and fall) of an empire takes that same path. So, History as a subject in school should be interesting and fun.... cos we learn about life. But in our Malaysian schools it is not. It is a subject of regurgitation, one learns without much thought. It doesn't educate. It only fills the brain temporarily and then is disregarded after exam ends!

Recently Tun Dr. M has this to say about knowing your history to avoid making the same mistakes. But are our text books accurate? Do we teach history from a fair perspective? Our history is skewed, written to serve our political masters. When I was younger, we learned about Hang Tuah and his 5 friends, the Malacca Sultanate and so on. Then we find out that Hang Tuah may not have been who he was... whatever happened to all the romantic adventures that we grew up with? They're still there, only thing is we don't talk much about them these days cos the skin colour of the main actors have become somewhat lighter! LOL! If we are truly 1Malaysia we'd been proud of them just the same.

Similarly, we learned that JWW Birch was killed because he campurtangan dalam adat Melayu. And the children are also taught that the adat in question here enslaved people and Birch was trying to rid the system of that. Then we laud Maharaja Lela and his followers (who were doing the bidding of the Sultan) for having the guts to kill Birch because of his interference. Wasn't Birch trying to eradicate something bad? *scratch head*

In Form One, a student is taught that interpretation of an event is influenced by a historian's perspective. So, I guess our young kids are taught that killing Birch because he interfered with a bad practice was necessary because from that historian's perspective, it was the right thing to do. *scratch head again* What I find difficult to understand is why not give another reason for his killing?... unless of course, the orang putih actually weren't that bad. The power shift here seemed better for the rakyat. The rakyat did not do the murdering. We didn't read much about how the rakyat felt, the ground swell so to say. For all we know, the orang putih's interference may have been better for the average Ali, Ahmad and Ah Seng on the denai. After all, the pembesar had no more rights to take any pretty lass and turn her into his sex slave or any strong young fler to work his fields. Life became kinda nicer for these rakyat biasa, right? The plot to kick out the orang putih was done by the golongan istana. So what is right and wrong, here? Perspective plays a big role.

Hence the civic function of educating and shaping the young minds fall short of the moral absolutes.

Even in the run to the formation of the Federated Malay States, the role of the Sultans in the rebellions against the East India Company... the actual colonization which took place after the WW2, facts presented never seems quite balanced. We are reminded that the Brits were the colonialists. It was an era of making money... very much like our era now too. UMNO is also doling out contracts and tenders...

The tin mines and rubber plantations were money churning industries (these days, it's the APs, contracts, etc). They came, they plundered. What did the Sultans do? Gave in to the demands rather than fight. After all, that would enable them to continue living a good life in the palace. Meanwhile, the fight for freedom were led by the lower echelon leaders.... probably equivalent to grassroot leaders by today's definition.

But if you look around us, much of what was written in this era seems to be repeating themselves again too.. only this time all the main actors are local. But the plundering and pillaging still go on, albeit with more sophistication. Tun Dr. M is right, we should learn our history, and learn it the right way. Then each of us will truly benefit from the insights and wisdom gained and perhaps leave behind a truly worthy legacy....

So it's back to the Humpty Dumpty thingy... it's not what it's supposed to be but what I want it to be.... Anyway, I think how our history text book is written also reflects the true colour of the gahmen... when the learning of History unites and not divide, then maybe, just maybe, 1Malaysia, Bangsa Malaysia, Anak Malaysia... will work! My one sen!