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, June 12, 2011

Ipoh is becoming a fine city

Within a 3-month period, my son, my wife and myself were summoned for parking offences. We do not live in Ipoh: my son lives in Petaling Jaya and we live in Batu Gajah, so our visits to Ipoh were few and far between (we average twice a week which include Sunday market when parking is free!). We are not habitual offenders, just being unlucky for the few times out of necessity (as in being held up for longer than expected) or not being mindful like on Saturday. To us it seemed like a Sunday because my son was with me on Friday (which seemed like Saturday). Just imagine, I parked at the other end of 'Concubine Lane' and walked along it to Kwong Hing coffee shop. I had my bowl of noodles and coffee before I realized about the parking coupon, so I told my son that I will go and check and bring the car round. Barely twenty minutes parking and the summon was already under a wiper.

I still cannot get over being given a ticket a few years ago, for parking opposite Heritage Hotel, Ipoh, on a road off Jalan Tambun between 10pm and 12 midnight! The undoubted efficiency of the parking wardens seems to me that they are on a commission basis. It also reminded me of the time when an OCPD of BG set a quota for his men to issue tickets! Just imagine policemen, like salesmen, looking for 'victims' and meeting 'sales' targets.

I am not complaining about efficient enforcement (I am all for it), but the different standards of enforcement in different cities and towns. I have actually seen a traffic policeman in BG, who actually tried to find out whose cars they belonged to (instead of issuing immediately), in front of the usually congested roads outside a sinseh practising from home. We also have this nagging feeling about people who parked illegally outside designated parking lots getting away, like what I experienced in Kepong Baru, KL. Anyway, I sure miss the system where parking attendants issue tickets for us to pay later, and we get fined only if we did not pay up. Very often, we get held up in the bank, for instance, for longer than expected.
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