Single Stream Schools - extraordinaire?

Published: Tuesday November 3, 2009 MYT 7:58:00 PM
Single-stream schools: All must agree, says PM
By JOSHUA FOONG

PETALING JAYA: Malaysians have to collectively agree upon an education system that benefits all and which espouses the values that they uphold, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

“I have heard many have called for a switch to a single-stream system as a way to promote greater unity and integration among Malaysians,” Najib said on his blog on Monday.

“However, ‘many’ do not constitute ‘most’. I have also heard many who feel strongly for the right to choose based on the existing education system.

“I have heard these two different opinions and acknowledge them.

“Are we prepared to shun the right to choose and seek a compromise?” he said, in asking for feedback from the Malaysian people.

Najib also asked if those voicing their viewpoints had given thought to the differing opinions of others.

“While the public is still ambivalent and disinclined to make that collective decision, I do not wish for discord to arise within our society on a subject of great sensitivity,” he said, adding that even the noblest of intentions can be rendered pointless if all Malaysians are not prepared to accept and embrace it.

Earlier on Oct 31, Najib announced that a single-stream school system would not be implemented because Malaysians were not collectively ready for it.

In JOHOR BARU, several non-governmental organisations said they were against the implementation of a single stream in schools as they were worried that their communities’ “unique identities would be lost,” report NELSON BENJAMIN and K.C. CHAN.

They feel that the Government should come up with other policies to promote unity.

The 1Malaysia concept is a good one, “but education is something very important and we cannot do anything that would confuse our younger generation,” said Johor Baru Tiong Hua Association manager Eric Ku.

He said the Government had to consider other races in the country, including those in Sabah and Sarawak, before shifting to a whole new direction.

“I believe all races have their strong cultural and historical backgrounds and they should be given a choice of which education system they prefer,” Ku said.

The National Association of Religious Teachers of West Malaysia Johor branch president Samsudin Samudi said a single stream might not be necessary to unite Malaysians.

“The current multiple-stream system has been working fine. The most important thing is how we infuse the culture of unity in the younger generation,” he said.

He argued that the concept of 1Malaysia did not necessarily have to begin in school but should be implemented at “a higher level with fair and equal policies for everyone.”

“I am not saying we have a perfect education system but it does not mean that by changing to a new policy, we would become more united,” he said.

Malaysian Hindu Sangam Johor chief R. Ramakrishnan said his members did not want any changes to affect students studying in Tamil schools.

He said that if the Government was serious about promoting unity, there should be more opportunities for all races in the public sector.

“Minor things like serving beef during government functions should also be stopped as the Government must be sensitive to the needs of all races, even if they are a minority,” he said.

Last week, Education Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said he was all for single-stream schools to promote unity and 1Malaysia.

However, he said the issue should be looked at in its totality with views from all quarters, including those of the Chinese and Indian communities.

A Trascript of Sabah in the Limbo....

The following is the transcript from Malaysia Today, the commentaries to the letter posted to MT portal by a comrade of freedom fighters - 'batsman'.

Read his full article here - http://mt.m2day.org/2008/content/view/28181/84/#jc_writeComment

I find it read-worthy for those who are interested and will be concerned of the growing of East Malaysia politics - Sabah and Sarawak inclusive - and our brethren in those regions are faced with the limbo which we on the mainland may have ideas and views to extend the feelers into the far east domain, through this border-less and distant-less blogging facility and forum.

GET TO KNOW MORE FROM THE SABAHAN BLOGGERS:-

1) written by RockyMountain, October 30, 2009 10:49:29
You are spot-on ‘batman’. I am a Sabahan and ain't expert on Sabah matters either, but at least I have the so-called first hand eyewitness accounts of events unfolding before my eyes. We the local Sabahans wish to determine and shape our own political destiny within Malaysia. We want to be parts of the policy-making process in the country. We want our voices to be heard. We want to be in the main stream of the nation building programs. But, alas, we are not allowed. Instead, we have been forced to swallow whatever the Central policy-making body (headed by UMNO) thrust down on us, like it or not. They treated, are treating and will treat us perpetually as their colony rather than a part of the nation with equal rights. I am sure I am speaking for the Sarawakians as well.

On top of that, we feel that we have been CHEATED by the leaders of these perpetuators. When our forefathers agreed to form a nation called Malaysia in 1963 Sabah, Sarawak, Singapore and Malaya were supposed to be countries with equal share in terms of political powers as well as and management of our economics and in the control of the administration of the nation. Alas, we were reduced to into one of the states of Malaya. We fought for this in the hope that the Central will recognise our aspirations and rectify the mistakes they made and to right wrongs they had committed. We did this through the ballot boxes. USNO was toppled because it was too close for comfort with the Central UMNO. The BERJAYA Government which took over from USNO too had forgotten the Sabah cause and became a very comfortable bedfellow with UMNO. BERJAYA received the same fate as USNO at the hands of the right-thinking Sabahans so PBS emerged. And can you guess the subsequent responses we got from UMNO? The Muslim Pendatang HARAMs from the Philippines and Indonesia were and are still today given the Malaysian ICs and registered as voters. Their population alone now is 1.7 millions against the locals who only comprised of 1.5 millions.

Now brother ‘batman’ whoever you are, your brilliant input is needed how to overcome this, not just rhetoric, please. Thanks.

2) written by batsman, October 30, 2009 12:21:38
RockyMountain - TQ for your confidence, but I am not Sabahan. Besides I am barely keeping my head above the water in West Malaysia as it is. heeheehee.

Still, I have great sympathy for your struggle. Hopefully most of you guys are not in politics just for the glory of your old mums. Good Luck!

3) written by Zorro, October 30, 2009 13:39:21
Dear Batsman,

The chinese has been around for more than 5000 years and with so much of wisdom and learnings during that period they can survive anywhere in the world presently.

Malays has probably been around for moreless 700 years, and are still a learning race and is no match for the chinese for worldly business knowledge, yet.

As for the natives of Sabah and Sarawak, we probably have existed much lesser years than the malays and the saddest thing is our ancestors did not have any means of communicating written historical datas for their generation to read because they were simply illiterate! My father was the first literate generation.

The real predicament of the Natives of Sabah(Sarawak still enjoys equal majority of natives to that of malays)is that we are now a diluted population whilst when Sabah actually joined malaya to form Malaysia our population were more than 65%! and if it were to grow naturally we should be the majority community in Sabah(as it is now, natives only account for 33% of the population).

By right, the natives should have a bigger voice of the state affairs but as it is now we were being let down by our own leaders and the new colonist master; the malays.

And the problem deepens as time goes by as most of the natives are still at villages living their lives poorly and nobody is telling them that they deserve better because sabah is a rich state with abundance of natural resources which if channeled wisely, the natives childrens would all be able to go all the way to higher education for free and sealed roads should have reached their kampungs long time ago( not like now only when BN is in danger then allocations to build infrastructure are coming in in loads).

We do not trust Anwar because he was one of the masterminds together with TDM to allow those newly made bumiputera muslim in the 1990s ( the practice to attract natives to embrace Islam started way back in 1960s during Mustapha time- many were offered nice positions and promotion if they did).

However, I was willing to put my trust in him last election because I did believe that he would give us a better future in being fair to all the rakyats if he becomes PM. But what he did recently in not appointing the chief of Sabah PKR as what most of the grass roots wanted made me realize that he is still the same Anwar.

Okay, Jeffrey carry a lot of baggage in terms of his conduct with previous parties with and his marital matters but hey, the BN leaders are worst off! Personally I don’t like his ways but the important thing is the common rakyat identify with him because he has been one of the most persistent leaders in voicing our rights and he would have brought in a lot of votes. Our aim is to bring BN down to their knees right?

You should come here to sabah batsman, not just to look at the political situation here..but to enjoy paradise on earth( u should visit kundasang to see the majestic mount kinabalu to get a taste of natural cold whether and then enjoy beautiful beaches and sunshine on islands around kota kinabalu, all possible in a day trip!)

4) written by masterwordsmith, October 30, 2009 14:09:16
Dear batsman,

An excellent write-up by one who has not been to Sabah but who truly loves Malaysia! smilies/smiley.gifThanks! May I request for one on Sarawak which is plagued by similar woes and predicaments as highlighted in this post?

As it stands, they have been hoodwinked left, right and center and stabbed in the back to boot. The saddest part is that their past leaders have hoodwinked them as the chase for money and glory overtakes their loyalty to their own community. Their leaders have quarreled incessantly over private interests and private glory. Even brothers no longer trust each other and belong in opposite camps. In such a situation, it is too easy to get angry and lose direction, retreating into an insular dream world.

I believe the preceding paragraph applies to the rest of Malaysia, not just to Sabah! Sad but true... smilies/cry.gif

Keep up your wonderful work to stir Malaysians flame for change.

5) written by Kopi37, October 30, 2009 14:26:04
"Now brother ‘batman’ whoever you are, your brilliant input is needed how to overcome this, not just rhetoric, please. Thanks. "........

Hi RockyMountain,

We know how much we all have been played out and being lived in the environment of haunting by the hegemonic Umno evil plots for more than half a century, sigh!

All the efforts of our forefathers in fighting for independence, expelled the most fiendish and rapacious occupation by the Japs, then the disguising and hypocritical British as the salvation army was virtually a pandemic of the colonial virus at that point of time, the western civilization was riding rough sod over the third world uncivilized countries! We were one amid the many resourceful primitive countries which were brought into the greedy plan of the Caucasians with Sabah and Sarawak being charted in the map for full exploitation of the richly grown and gifted natural resources, fertile soil, precious minerals underground, timber logs etc. etc. all those were actually the foreign invaders were/are all up to!

The import of the shiploads of immigrants before the cold war was a concrete testimony of those greedy suckers whom they worked on their plan of looting with cheap labors via slavery!

When Umno took over, they were supposed to excel and broke through the ever 'epizoon syndrome' where the Malays were spoon fed with unproductive careers of becoming part of the feudalistic mechanism in the then so-called British administrative system and bureaucracy! Instead they mutated it, they made the then immigrants and hardworking forefathers of ours to slog under the hot sun and sweated for the golden minerals and proliferation of rubber plantations and all that! They then reaped through not by means of weapons and guns, but their mutated way of reaping - via the so-called 'constitutional democracy' which they adulterated with the opium brand of 'Ketuanan', and the action was through - corruption! First they worked through the bureaucracy, blended now with politics aka Umno politico-bureaucracy and they openly reap and loot the national coffer and in the daylight, rob and sabotage the citizen rights of fair shares of hard earned resources, all forms of welfare, the justice had been lost to their acts of expurgating the FC and substituted with the most evilly agenda of racist and bigoted islamist ideology - they tagged it - the Malay Supremacy! They made it a successful recipe for decades liked they were modifying the brainwash tactics of the Japs during the cold war era - the opium war in China!

Hence the handed out of opium and little goodies to pacify their clans in the larger community and the intoxication with the well engineered devious rhetoric and heretical theocracy was managed to be sustained through their eloquent pleas, in modern day terminology, they called it the perception war!

Now that the younger generation has gone through the ebb and rise, the elite groups they have been well trained have become awakening enough to realize that they are virtually one of the victims of such venomous intoxication by their so-called benevolent leaders have shown their true colors of being the real malevolent demons, self-seeking yet bankrupt of any morality!

The youthful intellectuals have also become disenchanted of the cheap marketing strategy of umno which of no national interests but only the parish pump politics which belongs to the ideal cloud-cuckoo-land of umno, the ill famous hegemonic lunatic fringe!

The 308 tsunami is an exert of people's power and the 'sophistication' of the mainland Malaysian and as the onlookers, we definitely hope that the Sabahans and the Sarawakians brethren will join in the formidable force to altogether fight for a notable cause of salvaging our Nation from all these rapacious ravages and stop it from being transmitted like the lethal pandemic to succumb our next generation to victimization, a doom-laden premonition?!...

As one of the fair-minded freedom fighters, shouldn't RockyMountain rise to the mount and preach the vast fraternity with your sermon on the mount with the manifest of the 308 tsunami and join force with all the comrades here from the mainland, made it happens, first from Sabah, then Sarawak?

This i feel is the real action to complement with batman's rhetoric, whatsoever, it's true! As RPK has always said - there's no second way about it!

6) written by batsman, October 30, 2009 16:50:01
Dear Kopi37 - we have our history just as you have yours. In west Malaysia a lot of Malays backed the Japanese in the hope of winning independence from the English. They were betrayed by the Japanese, so they backed the communists, and so on and so on. Often the current is too strong and even if we make the right moves, we still drown. Sad but true.

7) written by RockyMountain, October 30, 2009 16:53:38
Dear batman and Kopi37, thank you for the responses. You two write beautiful comments with brilliant English and fantastic writing skill and flare. I envy you. I wrote the above comment to prove to the MT ardent readers that Sabahans did indeed fight and are still fighting for our rights but failed, not because we lack the fighting spirit and courage but as I said in the above comment we were and are being outmanoeuvred with dirty tactics at every turn and with our hands tied up. Even Anwar who is now in PKR is a big letdown to the Sabahans because apparently the ‘UMNO mentality’ in him is still very much intact. This is also in response to comments from the avid readers particularly from our big brothers in Peninsula that we Sabahans and Sarawakians deserve to be ‘raped’ by these "Monsters" from KL again and again and again because we vote for BN in every election. Hence, we should not be cry-babies said RPK.

Can we really help it and stop crying like a baby?

8) written by mykantree, October 30, 2009 21:14:59
Dear RockyMountain,

I do agree with you that Sabahan politicians are constantly out-maneuvered by the UMNO all these years.Unless Sabahans are able to unite as one, you will continue to be out-maneuvered by UMNO.The way I look at it, the solution is simple.The 1st step is to reject UMNO and all UMNO affiliated Sabah political parties. These parties are no more than stooges of UMNO.

That's the only way Sabahan can regain its pride and a rightful place in Malaysia. Then you can all stop bawling like crybabies and spoilt kids.


LAST BUT NOT LEAST, I must thank 'batsman' for producing such an analytical writeup of the Sabah crisis though he admitted he had never set foot on Sabah land, yet with all necessary concise and precise in his articulation. Thanks Batsman. Viva people's power!

RPK replies to his 'big brother'......

(Malaysia Toady)-Monday, 26 October 2009 15:49
Posted by : RPK

I am very pleased to read the ‘open letter’ from my old friend Megat and thought I would respond with an open letter of my own. Yes, Megat and I go back a long way indeed, to 1963 to be exact. The last time we met was in Tengku Razaleigh’s house in 2007.

NO HOLDS BARRED

(Raja Petra Kamarudin)

Dear Megat, it’s been a long time since I have heard from you. It is certainly nice to hear from you again. I missed you at Tengku Razaleigh’s Hari Raya open house last year because I had to spend not only Hari Raya but also my birthday in Kamunting. And this year I had to spend Hari Raya, as people say, on the run.

But I am not actually running as such, Megat. I wish I was though because, as you can see from this photograph of me with the two Mongolian girls, I have put on quite a bit of weight. Sigh…the good food and cigars are certainly talking its toll on my figure. But let me tell you, Megat, this does not keep the Mongolian girls away one bit, as you would be very pleased to know.

Hey, why don’t you go see Najib and tell him that he and Razak had to share one while I have two all to my own. That should piss him off. No, maybe tell Rosmah instead and then add ‘no wonder Malaysians just love Mongolians’. That should get her panties all twisted into knots.

I can see that you are very frustrated that the longer I remain underground the longer it will take to kick Najib out. However, as I have told Tengku Razaleigh’s boys so many times, Megat, we can only do so much. Tengku Razaleigh has to also do his part and get the nominations. Even if we do manage to bring Najib down it would be Muhyiddin and not Tengku Razaleigh who takes over if he can’t even get two nominations.

Back in 2004, Bul said he can get 60 nominations. Tengku Razaleigh ended up getting just one. Even that can’t be regarded as one but more like half since his own Wanita Bahagian did not nominate him. Then, in 2008, they again said they can get 60 nominations but, yet again, he ended up with only one.

So you see, Megat, what can we do if Tengku Razaleigh’s boys can’t deliver the promised nominations? Therefore, it really does not matter whether I walk into Kamunting or not. It will still not help Tengku Razaleigh become Prime Minister if his own boys are not doing their job. So I hope you do not start thinking that I have turned my back on Tengku Razaleigh.

I know you are keen for me to go to court so that my criminal defamation trial can proceed. Lokman and Nijhar also said exactly the same thing. Actually, my other trial, the sedition trial, is ongoing and far advanced compared to the criminal defamation, which has not even started yet. Why does no one talk about that trial?

Anyway, I doubt that even if the Colonel comes to court to testify that he was the one who informed me about what happened the night of Altantuya’s murder that would be strong enough to bring Najib down. Even Megat Junid and many others were involved in murder but that did not bring them down. I know Bul is hoping that the criminal defamation trial would proceed so that he can line up the witnesses to testify. I seriously doubt that this would be good enough for Najib to fall and for Tengku Razaleigh to take over. Furthermore, it could be Muhyiddin instead who takes over if Najib falls.

I know you are puzzled as to how I can support myself underground. Well, let me assure you of one thing. It is not Najib who is supporting me in an attempt to keep me away so that the truth will not surface. It is in fact the other way around. I am underground so that I can dig up more dirt and shit.

We all felt that if I sit in Kamunting this would not achieve anything. We have to look at what we can gain for the action we take. And we all felt that if I continue to remain free where I could dig up more dirt and shit then this would be better for the cause.

And that is why I am not in Kamunting -- not because I am scared of Kamunting as you suggested. Just see what I have been able to do over the last one year while out of Kamunting. And we have lots more to come, Megat. I am completing my parts 2, parts 3, and so on, for the Carpetman cum Bagman cum Toyboy cum when Rosmah wants him to cum story. I hope to release the story soon. Now that is really going to get Rosmah’s panties all twisted into knots.

Anyway, take care, Megat, and do try to cut down on the booze and girls. You may not want to admit it but age is certainly catching up on us. And see you in Putrajaya when we march in to form the new government. I am really looking forward to that day, which may not be that long away.

READ SOME INTERESTING COMMENTARY HERE:-

1. written by batsman, October 26, 2009 16:05:55

Heeheehee! RPK's in Mongolia! What Najib sows, RPK reaps double! heheheehee. This is a good day for laughing...

2. written by fireduck, October 26, 2009 16:54:06

This is real classic Pete. With one piece he gets to whack Megat so many times. With this one piece he has already put Megat in the 'other' camp. Now Najib's boys will keep an eye on him. Yet, as we all know, Pete also pointed out that Muhiyiddin is all ready to pounce on any opportunity to stab Najib in the back, just like he so deftly did so to that sleepyhead.

And of course, that last paragraph ... another whack on Megat's holier-than-thou ways. Pete can go anywhere in the world and I'm sure friends (and even strangers) will gladly offer him assistance without hesitation.

3. written by malgal, October 26, 2009 15:57:48

u see i always thought you are in ulan bator where the steppes are downy and fine. horse riding and all manner of sports non? marina looks lovely as always in the yurt tent. may the good weather be with you. say hi to gengiz's lovely brood altho i read somewhere they can really wreak bloodthirty revenge on those who ailed them. don't worry about the tummy, it becomes you.

4. written by Kopi37, October 26, 2009 17:48:08

Pete,

You really made everyone man here "stand" jealous you know! See where your left hand had rested, though I am as handsome and macho, I couldn't even have a minute chance of such close body contact with such pretty girls, let alone the intimacy of having to hold the fitness waists of two sisters of Altantuya! You said it right, Najis must be very jealous, he had to share blanket with his aide and you are being shared by two Mongolian fur blankets!

I must say Bravo to Mdm Marina of her understanding not to twist your ears into knots but still allowed you to pose with the beauties with all your organs undistorted! This probably in tandem with what you had just written, big head with broad thinking! Not like the religious bigots, upon close to the sexy girls with V-cuts, their brothers will be agitated and tomorrow, they will set law to ban V-cuts, just like they are banning condom!

So now your 'big brother' received your message loud and clear! His reverse psychology tactic had failed miserably and his anus is now stuck with your BIC pen and i guess he will be jumping with hee-haw the whole night long, even a barrel of whisky will not be enough to pacify his senses of pain, in his anus!

This is how cheap a so-called close friend can be. This Megat bozo needed no further elaboration, sure we know that he's another flip-flop hypocritical Moslem who would only bring shame to his almighty God! A character of cheaper stuff than the condom! Tan sri some more?! ...alamak! smilies/cool.gif

5. written by Bigdawg, October 27, 2009 04:45:28

BTW Pete, while you're frolicking with these 2 chicks in the bunker in Gobi desert,
please don't forget to pay attention to precise aiming of those micro mini space missiles.

Satellite missile control is no child's play, and we don't want to be C4ed and obliterated together with those piggishly things in Putrid Jaya.

Say, you did not trade away MT2day to the Mongolians for those Chinese-made micro mini space missiles, did you ? We badly need MT2day; it's the only free broadcast station in May'sia.

6. written by Ghifarix, October 27, 2009 07:35:01
Oh Goshhhh! Megat Junid kill people too? Maha Phaoun said he prefer Megat though he was not a smart fella but because he'd do anything Maha command.
What booze- You telling us that Tan Sri Megat drinks? This the guys that will do anything for our "Mayau" unity? Tan Sri eh? got the booze in the Palace tak???!

7. written by vox populi, October 26, 2009 20:53:26

How naive, even stupid, can this Megat get! Maybe the booze and girls have something to do with it. And he sits shits on the boards of those high-sounding institutions (no wonder their KPIs are rock bottom)!!!

RPK can survive very well anywhere thanks to his legions of supporters and millions of Malaysians who count on him. Just one word and the contributions will come pouring in.

Anyway, Megat, you don't have to worry about RPK because he is well looked after by Aminah Altantunya=Saaribu Altantunya=Mongolian Government.

The best part of the 7-course dinner our dear RPK served Megat was the desert:

" And see you in Putrajaya when we march in to form the new government. I am really looking forward to that day, which may not be that long away."

RPK,I do hope you really meant what you said. After many an article where you sounded rather pessimistic about PR marching to Putrajaya, it was most reassuring.

Thanks and keep out of harm's way.

8.written by bakas, October 26, 2009 20:18:43

I was reading the Star which was published today. I was actually anticipating RPK to answer his friend, and voila! it came true. What I cannot understand is, if he claims to be a friend of RPK, he would have understand the need for RPK to "run away" so to speak, from the law, until I read it carefully. Read paragraph 2, his role is as 'Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission' (short MACC) advisory committee member. Now this is the same MACC that caused Teoh Beng Hock to 'miraculously' jump off the building, and the same MACC that uses selective persecution in their investigation. Pray tell me, how is he going to make his promise good, when he cannot ensure MACC function with transparency and accountability? He said "people will make noise if there is injustice", but look at Beng Hock! "Public opinion will protect him and ensure he gets a fair trial?". Well, that is if he ever gets to the trial, you cheeky monkey!

RPK, are you sure this is the same Megat that you know? In Bolehland, it may look like him, sound like him, but is not him!

World's Best Cities To Stay In 2009.

[People would rather be in 65 other countries... According to the UN index out today. - Reuters pic]
Vienna is the best city to live in 2009.
Germany has 4 cities listed in the top 20 , followed by 3 cities in Switzerland, 3 in Canada, 2 in Australia and 2 in New Zealand. No US city is listed in the top 20!!! Kuala Lumpur is not even listed in the top 50. Singapore is the only Asean city listed at No. 26.

The world's top cities offering the best quality of life.

(New York City is the base city with a score of 100 points). The world's top cities offering the best infrastructures.

(New York City is the base city with a score of 100 points)


2009/2008>> City<><> Country
======================
1 >>>> =2 > Vienna <> Austria
2 >>>>> 1 > Zurich <> Switzerland
3 >>>> =2 > Geneva <> Switzerland
=4 >>>> 4 > Vancouver <> Canada
=4 >>>> 5 > Auckland <> New Zealand
6 >>>>> 6 > Düsseldorf <>Germany
7 >>>> =7 > Munich <>Germany
8 >>>> =7 > Frankfurt <>Germany
9 >>>>> 9 > Bern <>Switzerland
10 >>> 10 > Sydney <>Australia
11 >>> 11 > Copenhagen <>Denmark
12 >>> 12 > Wellington <>New Zealand
13 >>> 13 > Amsterdam <>Netherlands
14 >>> 14 > Brussels <>Belgium
15 >>> 15 > Toronto <>Canada
+16 >> 19 > Ottawa <>Canada
=16 >> 16 > Berlin <>Germany
18 >> +17 > Melbourne <>Australia
19 >> =17 > Luxembourg <>Luxembourg
20 >>> 20 > Stockholm <>Sweden
21 >>> 21 > Perth <>Australia
22 >>> 22 > Montreal <>Canada
23 >>> 23 > Nürnberg <>Germany
24 >>> 24 > Oslo <>Norway
25 >> =25 > Dublin <>Ireland
=26 >> 32 > Singapore <>Singapore
=26 >> 25 > Calgary <>Canada
28 >>> 27 > Hamburg <> Germany
29 >>> 28 > Honolulu <> USA
=30 > =29 > San Francisco <>USA
=30 > =29 > Helsinki <>Finland
=30 > =29 > Adelaide <>Australia
32 >>> 32 > Paris <>France
34 >>> 34 > Brisbane <>Australia
=35 >> 35 > Tokyo <>Japan
=35 >> 37 > Boston <>USA
37 >>> 36 > Lyon <>France
=38 >> 38 > Yokohama <>Japan
=38 >> 38 > London <>UK
40 >>> 40 > Kobe <>Japan
41 >>> 41 > Milan <>Italy
=42 >> 48 > Portland <>USA
=42 >> 42 > Barcelona <>Spain
=44 > =44 > Washington DC <>USA
=44 > =44 > Osaka <>Japan
=44 > =44 > Lisbon <>Portugal
=44 > =44 > Chicago <>USA
48 >>> 43 > Madrid <>Spain
49 >>> 49 > New York City <>USA
50 >>> 49 > Seattle <>USA

(Research by Mercer Consulting)

THE FOLLOWING IS THE NEWS REPORT FROM THE MALAYSIAN INSIDER:--


Malaysia 66th most attractive country globally, third best in Asean.

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 6 — Malaysia is the third most desirable country to live in the Asean region behind Singapore and Brunei. Overall, it was ranked 66th globally out of 182 countries, according to UN data released this week.

Data collected in 2007 before the global economic crisis ranked Singapore as the 23rd and Brunei the 30th most desirable country to live in.

Both countries were listed as having “very high human development” together countries like Sweden, France, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, Germany and the United States.

[Tan Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcop looking at the HDR report (middle) with Kamal Malhotra (left) and Jeny Klugman (far right). - Picture by Jack Ooi]

Tan Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcop looking at the HDR report (middle) with Kamal Malhotra (left) and Jeny Klugman (far right). - Picture by Jack Ooi
[Kamal Malhotra, the UNDP rep for Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei. - Picture by Jack Ooi]

Kamal Malhotra, the UNDP rep for Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei. - Picture by Jack Ooi
Other Asian countries ranked as having “very high human development” are Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Kuwait, Qatar and the UAE.

Norway retained its status as the world’s most desirable country to live in, according to the UN data, which ranks sub-Saharan African states afflicted by war and HIV/AIDS as the least attractive places.

Data collected prior to the global economic crisis showed people in Norway, Australia and Iceland had the best living standards, while Niger, Afghanistan and Sierra Leone scored worst in terms of human development.

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) index was compiled using 2007 data on GDP per capita, education, and life expectancy, and showed marked differences between the developed and developing world.

Jeny Klugman, lead author of 2009 Human Development Report. - Picture by Jack OoiMalaysia was ranked in the category of countries with “high human development” together with countries such as Romania, Costa Rica, Mexico, Cuba, Hungary, Bahrain, Russia, Saudi Arabia and Lebanon.

In comparison, Thailand was ranked 87th while Indonesia came in at 111th, and were only classified as having “medium human development.”

According to the country report for Malaysia, life expectancy at birth in Malaysia 74.1 years, compared with 82.7 years in Japan.

Malaysia has a 91.2 per cent adult literacy rate which is lower than Indonesia’s 92 per cent and Georgia’s 100 per cent.

Malaysia’s GDP per capita in 2007 was US$13,518 (RM46,495), compared to Botswana’s US$13,604 and Liechstenstein’s US$85,382.

Singapore’s life expectancy was estimated at 80.2 years, its literacy rate was 94.4 per cent and GDP per capita was US$49,704.

Malaysia was ranked 63rd in previous year’s index.

The Meaning of Raya to a Kid....vs the Politicians.

In the olden days, when I was a kid, Raya Cina, or Chinese New Year cerebration in the lunar month, it was full of dreams and expectation for a kid liked me who hailed from a very poor family, my parents were carpenter cum small pigs rearer.

New clothing, fire crackers, angpow and the most yearned for were the F&N Sarsi and Orange aerated juice, which I must make sure they had at least two wooden crates my father would have ordered! Those days, in my time, these two items were the luxury to me, a poor kid who had been brought up from such a family of destitute where even the regular drinks to many affordable kids were so meagre which became the diamond water of today!

As long as there were angpow and firecrackers, even without the new clothing, it was very much a satisfaction to me already! I would then go over to the neighbours and found my peer group and fought with them with the firecrackers, throwing at each others, liked a jamboree! They rest is history....

Hence 50 years had past. The majority of the kids who lived in the skid rows and slumps have become now the parents of the average families, or even leaders of the society. Most of those still kicking have lived through the wax and the wane years along the path of growing of the Nation. Time has seen the evolution of the Society from the days of undeveloped pro-independence stage of the Nation to the present waxed luster of being an advance and developed Nation earning admiration from the many, still, the undeveloped third world Countries. We can proudly proclaim to the world that we are not too much lag behind the modern era, we are in, to level with the western tag, in terms of technology, IT, National developments and living standard of the peoples etc. Except, the inevitable differentiation of cultures and living philosophy, styles and believes. This is normal as to no one is born alike, the coin has also its two sides.

If I would say - the kids are the fortunate and gifted beneficiaries of what the ancestors had passed to them the legacy of today's empire of riches in life styles and livelihoods amid the much more conducive environments of modernization and peace - retrospectively, little will I hear is the objection!

Had we ever heard of the eponym - 'whizz-kid' - one who had been only 13 years old and enrolled Oxford University at the age of 15 after a mere two years to qualify all his Pre-U credentials - when Thomas Alva Edison had only become the great inventor of the first tungsten bulb at the age of 32, near to his middle age, after thousands of failure in experimenting for a year, until the success of creating the first bulb in the world! The founder of Yahoo is also a youngish entrepreneur who was at the age of below 30, had risen to his height of success! All these are the examples of elitist prodigies.

I am not trying to allude that kids nowadays are more brilliant and inventive,and the veteran of those days, less great! I was merely trying to 'stabilo' the difference on how lucky they are the modern kids, they are living in this modern era which provides them all the infra structures to help them develop their cerebral faculties and excel - by their slogging hard forefathers!

Regrettably, the modern kids nowadays are either ignorant or naive they do not even wish to bother how Rome was built, neither the mystery of the Pyramid which made up of millions or billions of bricks without the aid of the modern building technology, is of interests to them! To them, it's all the common phenomena, as common as the kids are dying their hairs with multi-color toners to make them look trendy! Little or no interest they would show - their concerns - of why they should celebrate the festivity with apropos to the understanding of the cultural value which flows from the ancient time, from their great grand fathers as the nearest reference. They just couldn't careless!

What it means to the youngish kids, when all these Raya or Festivals are concerned?

Well, to the small kids below puberty age, the meaning of Raya is nothing more than revelry just like during my olden days, the expectation of new clothing, angpow and firecrackers are put together to mean Raya mood for them. It's a Raya mood which they will concern the most, not that they are celebrating Raya with a spirit of nostalgia and piety, let alone to mention the traditional culture and its value. It's the days of happy hours whereby they have school holidays to forget about the tedious home works, their pet aversions.

For the youngish adolescence, the lads and the lasses - Raya is a festival for holidaying, courting with boon companions and lovers, spendthrift in fashionable wears and entertainments, a time for relax et cetera. Little do they know or wish to know that it's the time for them to engage in the introspection of the past behavioral handicaps, and to take stock of the pros and cons, et cetera. It's too cumbersome for them to rekindle to the 10 or 20 commandments in life. Though not all may have such same mentality, but ten to one, I am assured!

And here, you can see the paradigm shift is taking its course.

Nevertheless, it emerged the opportunity for the Politicians to exploit the Raya atmosphere in the festive holidays, to entertain their voters and serve them with the yearly goodies of buffets and handouts of 'angpow' to the pleasing kids! They have made it a trendy fashion in lieu of and replacing the real cultural meaning and essence of spiritual introspection and rehash to make them the better men - cleansed - to serve the public demands, and changed!

Somehow, these politicians are either hypocritically oblivious or equally naive, they have preferred not to acknowledge with the facts that they are also the descendent beneficiaries of the National relics by the forefathers and began to abuse! First they would lie. Then they would steal! Upon seeing that the national coffer is full of gold. From small pilfering it grew with their lusts to reap, when they are treating the rakyat as non existence and transparent instead of they do things with the required transparency! That's what we call it corruption.

Due to corruption so rampantly worming its way, at every corner, the crates of gold stashed in the national coffer had also been depleted in no time, much sooner than expected! Then came with the high capacity rpm chain saw, the natural resources would become their next target, woods of forests had been cut down to turn into gold bars for their own keeps! Still not satisfied, oversize suction pipes were used to install underground to suck day and night, the oil reserve, non-stop without any sluice valve to siphon and dry up the oil wells until no more reserve, and it's soon! Hence national reserves turn into private reserves solely enjoyable only by the corrupted politicians amidst the cronies connected to them!

So, the Raya is still a Raya. The only distinction is - it has become a National event for the powers that be, for the top banana politicians to buy supports and votes, via the remnant of resources of the National coffer - from the kampung folks - to be precise! The private reserves will be private owned and they will celebrate their Raya in a land far off beyond seen by any of the ignorant rakyat!

Only the old but sociable 'traditional genes' will still be portraying the traditionally cultures and preachings of good values - morally, benevolently and compassionately et cetera - friendly associable enough in celebrating the auspicious Ramadan Raya together with the compatriots in the Country.

Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri to ALL fellow Malaysians!

-END-

Selamat Hari Raya Aidil Fitri......

"SELAMAT HARI RAYA AIDIL FITRI....!"

To ALL Muslim Brethren in our great Nation - Malaysia!

Enjoy this festive mood and always treasure the brother-and-sisterhoods that we have ever been born enjoying it as part of our life cultures in this pluralistic society.

To others, non Muslim, also don't forget to wish all Muslim Brothers and Sisters to during this auspicious Hari Raya Puasa days, in the month of Ramadan, to chew the cud - respect each others - and again --- A VERY HAPPY AND PROSPEROUS HARI RAYA AIDIL FITRI for all MALAYSIANS !

A Swollen Head CAT?

After 308. Today, this morning, was my first time paid a visit to KOMTAR with my good friend Mr Tan to the 52nd floor, EXCO office. The intention was to meet up with YB Chow for an appointment to meet him, since Mr Tan had arranged, to seek his advice on how to resolve a problem entangled with MPPP, to demolish an extension work for his (Mr Tan) sister's premises.

We were both there at the office before 11.00am, an old lady was already therein desperately trying to clarify her problem to the cool listening YB Chow at the reception lobby in his cosy office. From the jittery of gestures the poor lady was in, I could sense that she was in some kind of trouble with her building when she clumsily managed one thick stack of construction drawings trying to explain something to the tired looking YB who stood there without much expression, close to apathetic, if I were to describe the tense situation thence!

Mr Tan and I waited for merely less than 5 minutes and the youngish and petite Secretary was so friendly and efficient, led us into the spacious and newly refurbished office, which prior to 308, and before, I had paid visits quite regularly to it, when Dr Teng, the former EXCO in charge of the same portfolio was occupying.

Probably, due to Mr Tan is also a senior public servant and I, both known to YB, we were received in quite a friendly manner and appropriate hospitality by YB Chow who greeted us and invited us to be seated in the comfortable sofa settee, leather made. We did not mince matter, knowing YB was a busy man having very tight schedule, and the old lady was still awaiting outside for her problem to be solved.

Mr Tan unzip his briefcase and immediately laid his thick file of documents on the chest to commence discussion on his problem.

It was virtually a small problem. Mr Tan was trying to help his elder sister, a PR voter having domicile at Sg. Ara. She had recently obtained an approval for the extension of her double storey terrace house, extending the back portion of her house to include two extra rooms on the lst floor and a kitchen on the ground floor level. Approval plan had also been granted by the Council's Architect.

The extension works had been done and completed according to the approved building plan except the inclusion of two nos. louvered windows which according to Mr Tan trying to explain to YB Chow, they were for the benefits of better aeration and natural day lighting, since one of the two rooms was spared as a reading room for the children. It was nothing near to a serious offense indeed.

The root of the problem came from a complaint from the adjacent neighbor who had filed a complaint through a political party claiming demolition of the already made available new and single panel window. The said complainant claimed that their privacy had been infringed! He accused that Mr Tan's nephew could be a peeping tom through the window into his daughters' bedroom area beside. A very ridiculous sort of complaint he's telling the MPPP officers that his daughters are those nature lovers who like to stay nuddy when anytime they are in the bedroom with their windows wide opened, and sun bathed?!

The Building Inspector of MPPP also took the complaint so seriously that they had issued not less than 3 contradicting summons to Mr.Tan's sister to, first - instructed her to demolish the whole structure of the extended building!

Immediately before any action the Council could take, they realized a blunder and amended the summon to instead instruct the Tan sister to demolish the windows, which was the second summon which in stated!

The third summon came in a form of official letter from the Building Department on the early of August, and this time, she was asked to cover up the openings where there have the glass louvers as the substitutes to party wall! Weird enough as long as I am concerned!

Having explained all those topsy-turvy and very much went awry procedures of serving the summons to the alleged offender, the sister, it was Mr Tan who took the courtesy to indicate to YB Chow the clauses of Building Acts to support his claim of right to his property or the sister's property.

We were both caught into an unexpected puzzle, when YB Chow lost his coolness and broke his all along suave and urbane demeanour, throwing out his statement which I was more than amazed and bewitched it did not befit to be from the mouth of utterance spewed from such a senior ranking Executive Officer of the State, let alone he's the governing Party DAP's state supremo!

"Do you expect me, Mr Tan, being an EXCO, to take care of this paltry problem of a window of your building? And moreover, I am a non technical man knowing nothing the head and tail of all those you complained! I think you have come to the wrong place to complain and I will suggest you deal with the YDP of MPPP!"

Puzzling not?!

And my bewilderment - if such petty issue he considered and he could not even help to settle, what else can an EXCO does? And how about Kg Buah Pala, would it be a bigger issue for him to choose to settle ahead of all these trivial issues they might be nuisance in his golden plated diary!

My end note comment is - Being an EXCO from the proponent of the CAT governance, if he could not prove that he's pious to his pledged Party tag-line, he could have at least behave more relevant to reflect his tallness as an EXCO who is there to serve the rakyat, more so we were also the voters supporting his Party DAP,during 308!

What's so great with an EXCO? When he had forgotten, perhaps, the water could float a boat, can also sink it anytime!

It's still clear in my memory, the political Secretary to the CM had once accused the bureaucratic 'Little Napoleons' who had encountered and blame them caused as obstacles to the revamp of MPPP efficiency, his efforts had been undermined! Have they not now become more of the big brothers of the Little Napoleons whom they were most hatred and cursed by the Penangites, at large!

Before they learn to be a better and rakyat friendly State Government, they have become swollen headed CAT, and not that, the black or white cat which can catch the rats?!

After this incidence, I promise myself, so does Mr Tan, we will reconsider our votes to whom else come the next GE. Last GE, 308, in my area, my family votes all went to vote YB Yeoh, a lawyer by profession, he is from DAP. And ever since he was voted in, he had been an idol for worship and a 'sleeping beauty'. By opportunity, only we can see him in the functions thrown by the temples and his best contribution to the community in my area was at best, and so far - lips service!

I begin to regret!

D-Day or Moo-Day at KBP....

D-Day at Kampung Buah Pala
UPDATE 2
By Neville Spykerman
GEORGE TOWN, Sept 3 — It’s become an all too familiar scene at Kampung Buah Pala: residents facing off with the demolition team sent to demolish the village.
More than 50 police personnel together with 30 demolition team members are standing by while 150 villagers have gathered, along with dozens of journalists.
Residents’ Association secretary J. Steven said, “They are here but we will resist them.”
Discussions were held between village heads, legal advisor, developer, and the court bailiff. The village heads have agreed with the developer to allow the demolition of three houses, whose occupants had already accepted compensation.
However, one of the three owners said he was not ready because his belongings were still in the house. It was then decided only two houses will be demolished today.
To preserve their dignity, the villagers are appealing to be allowed to dismantle the two houses themselves while the court bailiff later verifies the homes have been torn down.
A villager urged the media not to record the move as it was emotionally painful. The reporters present agreed.
Police were forced to intervene after a scuffle broke out between the developer and villagers, when demolition workers tried to enter the village to demolish the two houses.
MIC youth members who came to support the villagers were alleged to have pushed Nusmetro Ventures director Gary Ho during an argument.

>>> I just can't understand, why Nusmetro Ventures the developer and the kampung folks, both parties, prefer to pursue with this acts of loggerhead instead of sitting down on the round table and thresh out things and proceed with the constructive business?!

If only the transparency, the clear indication of terms and conditions, the documented contractual obligation of the developer are all those the kampung folks asked for, what's the heck problem a sincere and honest Developer to just bring along the laptop and a compatible printer to the site and print out the settlement agreements, hey presto - finger print and habis cerita!

What was there Gary Ho doing? Showing his bossy arrogance?!

LGE at this critical crisis should not simply say he's washing his hands! Being a Penangite, and he's alien migrated from Malaka, I am holding my breath to closely watch each and every steps his Nyonya Dance! Don't ever treat all of us Penangites the same hill-billies liken the cowherds of KBP!

And dun take Penangites for a bull-ride!

The fact remains - his DAP did pledge in the manifesto of 308 GE, that the homes of the minority cowherds would be assured if DAP won the State Government, and they are now! Hence the delivery of his promise! Don't ever he dares to push the ball around.....

He must show his tallness as a CM for all rakyat!

I begin to re-read the profile of LGE, and the integrity of DAP to determine if they are truly as described by the Mana Cari Angpow youths, that, Dapat Ang Pow LGE is now sitting on the angpows, and start counting!

Viva 3rd Voice!

A Wish for betterment.

I have just changed the theme and template of my blog, with a brighter background from the previous black and gloomy backdrop which, when I first created this blog, it was exactly the scenario I looked at it in our beloved Nation, a dismal and gloomy future, literally, as what I had felt! So was the background of my blog, all in black!

Though I have changed mine, the dismal situation of the Country has not been changed - rightfully, but exceed worsening! With our new PM - Najit reined in as the Nation's 6th Prime Minister, the more than half a century draconian law of ISA - the archaic and feudalistic law of discrimination - the NEP with all the stench of Malay supremacy - and racist, has been seen with utter disgusts as a policy of apartheid and so on, including the rampant bureaucratic corrupt practices - have all yet to be changed!

Instead, we can only feel and see the more condemnable razz-ma-tazz of political subterfuge, with all the machinery he could maneuver, the Police, MACC, the judiciary, he will never spare a chance of using them to the hilt. For the sake of consolidating his position and the power, anything which happens will only obstruct or caused as hindrance, any one at all, will have to be removed, or even to be burst away like balloon! His fond of high handedness power has thus, won him a nickname - A demon with the velvet glove!

I do not feel any at all some bit of sincerity and honesty, righteousness in his much vaunted for '1-Malaysia' slogan but instead, my little pulsating heart has had more fears which crept in to seize occupancy. It's a presage of doom-laden for the Nation!

I beg for the mercy of the Almighty God, for the exert of His omnipotent powers, and to see the subservient of the formidable and hypocritical character, for his diminishing of evilly power and rights - to continue suppress and trample, yet riding rough shod over the decent subjects' basic rights - with the sanction of retribution day - on him - to end all these plights of the Rakyat in the Country!

Change the mockery of Bolehland to be a real Promised Land which we all, the Rakyat
deserve.

And, that's the dignity in the wake of rule of law!

Amen.

Kampung Buah Pala - episode of sadness.......

I had a brief discussion with one of my old Indian guard, who is also a retired TNB technician.

He told me he has some friends living in Kampung Buah Pala. To my surprise, he did not also support his own clans, and calling them naive and cow-headed!

As an outsider, he saw what we could see, that the kampung folks had been abducted, seduced and ultimately cowed into trusting the cheap politicians - Hindraf, MIC and Gerakan goons....!

When the Developer had offered up to an irresistible compensation scheme even the middle class people are dreaming for, a terrace house which easily worth more than 250K in Penang, they are claiming that it would be too small to accommodate their 3-generation family members, or their extended family members - and rejected the offer! To my astonishment, why didn't they also ask for a multi-level house for their cows and poultry?! It will be difficult for the outsiders and the public at large not to think of their unquenchable greed which is, ultimately, going to drag them into the deeper quagmire of loosing everything, in the eyes of law!

The racist politicians in the guise of their venerable leaders, together with the lackeys, the Resident Association's vice-secretary have been telling them that they are the gifted minority, and they deserve more for their land!

And their land? A Trust Deed allowed them to dwell in the land some many decades ago, which had also been long enough lapsed, could possibly give them the rights to the title?!

Probably only the ex-CM KTK knows the answer. Thus bringing all the herds of cows and poultry to his high mansion and let the cows be grazed with the Taiwan grass in the compound, is one way to demand for justice, and a fair deal, and also, the right thing to do!

They should have now realized, they are the hill billies, the uneducated hoi-pollois they are easily being manipulated and enticed to behave like the cows of ignorant and demeanor - bull-headed! Flaying on the LGE Government is pot shot, the real culprit is the one who sanctioned and approved the sales of land, who is KTK of Gerakan, should be reprimanded!

They are in utter predicament, most of them, of didn't exploit the opportunity to amicably sit down and negotiate with the Developer, also the State Government. They are in the state of panicking and lost direction. Only the so-called RA still remains the lackeys of the politicians and play solo! Of course, they have own a handful of tough nuts or hardcore members whom they are goofy heads, thinking that the land they stay belongs to their great grandfathers! They are totally law-blind and illiterate. Such a pity!

Come Sept 1st, it will be the last day where most probably all the cows will have to be delivered to the slaughter house for meat. No more cows' milk mixed with sap of Buah Pala (nutmeg) in future!



I always maintain my stand - to only sympathize with the women and the children! The pictures of the journalists' creation had attested - only the poor old ladies and the children were on the front line, latched their arms, cried in hysteria and even had fainted some - the children missed their classes and had silly placards clued to their back, behaved mischievously like those we use to see in Botanical Garden..blah..blah...all the charades!

Come back to the issue, after taking a detour - the men of Kg Buah Pala are born cowherds! They are bullish, yeas, but 有勇无 谋 (lack of wisdom)! They are typical cowherds. They must know the rules to be the typical cowherds - first, they should not be swollen headed like the 阿么里肯 (American) cowboys who thought they could chase after the Red Indians! They are the black indians here in Bolehland, they are being chased!

For politics needs double heads, no ordinary cowherds can handle! The rule is - once they are cowherds, they are cowherds! And if they do wish to be generational cowherds, meaning, leading a perpetual cowherd's life, they would have to shift to another pastureland at the Country side so as the cows can graze, the cowherds and the families can graze, lives will only be peaceful!

Kampung Buah Pala doesn't belong to them anymore, the fact which is undeniable, unless there is any miracle! The lush of pasture there is going to dry up or to be rolled under the tar in the soonest time!

Politics is no profession of the cowherds. It's too tough for them. It's the prerogative of the fork-tongue double head vipers! Like the many depraved politicians or their goons - spiteful and venomous!

In politics, the politicians are the cowherds, the villagers are the political cows!

God bless the villagers of KBP and may all the naivety and foolishness be pardoned!