How should we judge a government?

In Malaysia, if you don't watch television or read newspapers, you are uninformed; but if you do, you are misinformed!

"If you're not careful, the newspapers will have you hating the people who are being oppressed, and loving the people who are doing the oppressing." - Malcolm X

Never argue with stupid people, they will drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience - Mark Twain

Why we should be against censorship in a court of law: Publicity is the very soul of justice … it keeps the judge himself, while trying, under trial. - Jeremy Bentham

"Our government is like a baby's alimentary canal, with a happy appetite at one end and no
responsibility at the other. " - Ronald Reagan

Government fed by the people

Government fed by the people

Career options

Career options
I suggest government... because nobody has ever been caught.

Corruption so prevalent it affects English language?

Corruption so prevalent it affects English language?
Corruption is so prevalent it affects English language?

When there's too much dirt...

When there's too much dirt...
We need better tools... to cover up mega corruptions.

Prevent bullying now!

Prevent bullying now!
If you're not going to speak up, how is the world supposed to know you exist? “Orang boleh pandai setinggi langit, tapi selama ia tidak menulis, ia akan hilang di dalam masyarakat dan dari sejarah.” - Ananta Prameodya Toer (Your intellect may soar to the sky but if you do not write, you will be lost from society and to history.)

Sunday, October 25, 2009

Journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step

A few days ago, I casually asked a friend whether she would sign a petition requesting KTM to consider having a scheduled stop at the old Batu Gajah train station. Her reply (in Cantonese) shocked me: "I won't sign simply because I cannot imagine ever going on a train anywhere".

Day before yesterday, I met a new friend, George (brother of Tan Sri Augustine) and because I expected a long chat, suggested to go under a tree! He said it was a noble idea and he would readily sign the petition. Yesterday, I visited a retired teacher, Mr. Yap (the tree was diagonally opposite his house) and he is confident that the petition would receive full support from the residents here, simply because of its convenience. He even said that because of worry over leaving his car at the new BG station, he would rather go to Ipoh to take the train! This was a surprise to me and it further illustrated the general dislike for the new station.

Before I start the petition, I decided to give KTM a chance to reply to my suggestion. In fact, I had forwarded my earlier post to them and they have acknowledged receipt.

But to my young friend (who was first in my survey), I dedicate this story:

A mouse looked through the crack in the wall to see the farmer and his wife open a package.
"What food might this contain?" The mouse wondered. He was devastated to discover it was a mousetrap.

Retreating to the farmyard, the mouse proclaimed this warning : "There is a mousetrap in the house! There is a mousetrap in the house!"

The chicken clucked and scratched, raised her head and said, "Mr... Mouse, I can tell this is a grave concern to you, but it is of no consequence to me. I cannot be bothered by it."

The mouse turned to the pig and told him, "There is a mousetrap in the house! There is a mousetrap in the house!" The pig sympathized, but said, "I am so very sorry, Mr. Mouse, but there is nothing I can do about it but pray. Be assured you are in my prayers."

The mouse turned to the cow and said, "There is a mousetrap in the house! There is a mousetrap in the house!"

The cow said, "Wow, Mr. Mouse... I'm sorry for you, but it's no skin off my nose."

So, the mouse returned to the house, head down and dejected, to face the farmer's mousetrap
. . . Alone. . .

That very night a sound was heard throughout the house -- the sound of a mousetrap catching its prey...

The farmer's wife rushed to see what was caught. In the darkness, she did no see it. It was a venomous snake whose tail was caught in the trap. The snake bit the farmer's wife. The farmer rushed her to the hospital.

When she returned home she still had a fever. Everyone knows you treat a fever with fresh chicken soup. So the farmer took his hatchet to the farmyard for the soup's main ingredient:

But his wife's sickness continued. Friends and neighbors came to sit with her around the clock. To feed them, the farmer butchered the pig.

But, alas, the farmer's wife did not get well.... She died.

So many people came for her funeral that the farmer had the cow slaughtered to provide enough meat for all of them for the funeral luncheon.

And the mouse looked upon it all from his crack in the wall with great sadness.

So, the next time you hear someone is facing a problem and you think it doesn't concern you, remember:

When one of us is threatened, we are all at risk. We are all involved in this journey called life. We must keep an eye out for one another and make an extra effort to encourage one another.


2 comments:

Zardoz said...

what a noble cause. why don't you start a facebook page on the petition and send it off to your daughters. i'm sure they still have lots of friends who might want to put this action into motion as well.

do people like us, living overseas, get to sign it off as well? after all if it happens, i could just get a express train from KLIA to sentral then hop on a lrt to the main station and then get a train back to BG!

KoSong Cafe said...

Well, I might have to start on that, if necessary. But I shall wait for any response from KTMB first.

It is better to have local residents' genuine support first before we think of others who might be using the old train station.

Most people agree that if given a choice, the majority of train travellers would use the old station. Perhaps, this might confirm the belief that the new one seems like a white elephant, which might reflect badly on the decision makers. The new station discourages people by having a notice banning, among others (a long list), people selling anything, buskers and so on. It is a clear example of aesthetics over practicality.

KTMB should consider the fact that there could be a large number of would be travellers who are at the moment put off by the location of the new station. Many retirees and pensioners have expressed the wish to visit KL by train because in KL, it is fairly well served by LRT and monorail, IF NOT because of the inconvenient local station.