Malaysia Flip Flop: Rampant academic dishonesty is alive and well in Malaysia

Excerpt:

'ONE of the more destructive traits of Malaysia society today is academic dishonesty. It runs throughout many facets of society. Academic dishonesty is not just an education issue, it’s also prevalent within the civil service, business, and even political walks of life.

A few high profile cases of academic dishonesty have arisen over the last few years. Two Federal deputy Ministers, Richard Riot (Human Resources) and Dr Ewon Ebin (Science) were found to have fake degrees a couple of years ago. An executive director of a private college of higher education affiliated with a UK university, and pop star Fazley Yaakob was found to hold two fake degrees, and two public company directors were also found to have fake degrees.

Many prominent figures in Malaysian society have bought ‘bogus degrees’ from unaccredited universities to enhance their qualifications and CVs. There are also cases of Malaysians trying to use fake degrees to get work overseas in countries like New Zealand. However, this lack of academic integrity is not limited to acquiring fake degrees.

A prominent academic has developed a collection of awards that could be considered dubious. Awards such as the Socrates Award in Education, Best Manager Award, and ‘The Name in Science’, awarded by “a designer award mill” called the Europe Business Assembly (EBA), purportedly located in Oxford, UK, appear to grant awards on application and payment, rather than being scrutinized by any international panel. Other such dubious awards include the “Merit of Commandeur” conferred by an organization called the Belgian Chamber of Inventors (BCI), of which any trace cannot be found through internet searches. This is not the first time such awards have been controversial in Malaysia and the region.

There have been numerous issues in regards to plagiarism. Back in 2013, an Utusan Malaysia writer Ridhuan Tee was accused of plagiarism by a Universiti Teknologi Malaysia lecturer Dr Aril Yasreen Mohd. Yassin. Although the matter was never resolved, Ridhuan Tee was appointed an associate professor at Universiti Pertahanan Nasional Malaysia (National Defence University).'

Rest of article: http://malaysiaflipflop.blogspot.my/2015/11/there-are-more-bogus-scientists-in.html

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Examples of people without common sense

The guy who doesn't know how to block the sun

The man who forgot how to use an umbrella

The guy who is more concerned about his hair's safety

The singer who forgot how to hold the mic

The person who is wondering why her/his bike is always stolen

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Oxford's response to PC idiocy

I haven’t been able to verify the veracity of this item, but if it hasn’t been said, especially on all “institutions of higher learning” here in the Colonies, perhaps it should be?

This message came from a Family in South Africa. It appears that some black students from South Africa are studying at Oriel College, Oxford, on Rhodes Scholarships. They have taken exception to the presence of a bronze bust of Cecil John Rhodes, the great imperialist and the one who established the trust from which the scholarships that bear his name are funded to this day. They are demanding that it be removed. This is the wonderful response by the Dean of the College. Students at that College are known as "Scrotties" for some reason.

“Dear scrotty students,
Cecil Rhodes’s generous bequest has contributed greatly to the comfort and well being of many generations of Oxford students – a good many of them, dare we say it, better, brighter and more deserving than you. This does not necessarily mean we approve of everything Rhodes did in his lifetime – but then we don’t have to. Cecil Rhodes died over a century ago. Autres temps, autres moeurs. If you don’t understand what this means – and it would not remotely surprise us if that were the case – then we really think you should ask yourself the question: “Why am I at Oxford?”

Oxford, let us remind you, is the world’s second oldest extant university. Scholars have been studying here since at least the 11th century. We’ve played a major part in the invention of Western civilisation, from the 12th century intellectual renaissance through the Enlightenment and beyond. Our alumni include William of Ockham, Roger Bacon, William Tyndale, John Donne, Sir Walter Raleigh, Erasmus, Sir Christopher Wren, William Penn, Rep. Adam Smith, Samuel Johnson, Robert Hooke, William Morris, Oscar Wilde, Emily Davison, Cardinal Newman. We’re a big deal. And most of the people privileged to come and study here are conscious of what a big deal we are. Oxford is their alma mater – their dear mother –and they respect and revere her accordingly. And what were your ancestors doing in that period? Living in mud huts, mainly. Sure we’ll concede you the short lived Southern African civilisation of Great Zimbabwe. But let’s be brutally honest here. The contribution of the Bantu tribes to modern civilisation has been as near as damn it to zilch. You’ll probably say that’s “racist”. But it’s what we here at Oxford prefer to call “true.”

Perhaps the rules are different at other universities. In fact, we know things are different at other universities. We’ve watched with horror at what has been happening across the pond from the University of Missouri to the University of Virginia and even to revered institutions like Harvard and Yale: the “safe spaces”; the blacklivesmatter; the creeping cultural relativism; the stifling political correctness; what Allan Bloom rightly called “the closing of the American mind”. At Oxford however, we will always prefer facts and free, open debate to petty grievance-mongering, identity politics and empty sloganeering. The day we cease to do so is the day we lose the right to call ourselves the world’s greatest university.

Of course, you are perfectly within your rights to squander your time at Oxford on silly, vexatious, single-issue political campaigns. (Though it does make us wonder how stringent the vetting procedure is these days for Rhodes scholarships and even more so, for Mandela Rhodes scholarships). We are well used to seeing undergraduates – or, in your case – postgraduates, making idiots of themselves. Just don’t expect us to  indulge your idiocy, let alone genuflect before it. You may be black – “BME” as the grisly modern terminology has it – but we are colour blind. We have been educating gifted undergraduates from our former colonies, our Empire, our Commonwealth and beyond for many generations. We do not discriminate over sex,  race, colour or creed. We do, however, discriminate according to intellect. That means, inter alia, that when our undergrads or postgrads come up with fatuous ideas, we don’t pat them on the back, give them a red rosette and say: “Ooh, you’re black and you come from South Africa. What a clever chap you are!” No. We prefer to see the quality of those ideas tested in the crucible of public debate. That’s another key part of the Oxford intellectual tradition you see: you can argue any damn thing you like but you need to be able to justify it with facts and logic – otherwise your idea is worthless.

This ludicrous notion you have that a bronze statue of Cecil Rhodes should be removed from Oriel College, because it’s symbolic of “institutional racism” and “white slavery”. Well even if it is – which we dispute – so bloody what? Any undergraduate so feeble-minded that they can’t pass a bronze statue without having their “safe space” violated really does not deserve to be here. And besides, if we were to remove Rhodes’s statue on the premise that his life wasn’t blemish-free, where would we stop? As one of our alumni Dan Hannan has pointed out, Oriel’s other benefactors include two kings so awful – Edward II and Charles I – that their subjects had them killed. The college opposite – Christ Church – was built by a murderous, thieving bully who bumped off two of his wives. Thomas Jefferson kept slaves: does that invalidate the US Constitution? Winston Churchill had unenlightened views about Muslims and India: was he then the wrong man to lead Britain in the war?” 

Actually, we’ll go further than that. Your Rhodes Must Fall campaign is not merely fatuous but ugly, vandalistic and dangerous. We agree with Oxford historian RW Johnson that what you are trying to do here is no different from what ISIS and the Al-Qaeda have been doing to artifacts in places like Mali and Syria. You are murdering history.

And who are you, anyway, to be lecturing Oxford University on how it should order its affairs? Your Rhodesmustfall campaign, we understand, originates in South Africa and was initiated by a black activist who told one of his lecturers “whites have to be killed”. One of you – Sizwe Mpofu-Walsh – is the privileged son of a rich politician and a member of a party whose slogan is “Kill the Boer; Kill the Farmer”; another of you, Ntokozo Qwabe, who is only in Oxford as a beneficiary of a Rhodes scholarship, has boasted about the need for “socially conscious black students” to “dominate white universities, and do so ruthlessly and decisively!”

Great. That’s just what Oxford University needs. Some cultural enrichment from the land of Winnie Mandela, burning tyre necklaces, an AIDS epidemic almost entirely the result of government indifference and ignorance, one of the world’s highest per capita murder rates, institutionalised corruption, tribal politics, anti-white racism and a collapsing economy. Please name which of the above items you think will enhance the lives of the 22,000 students studying here at Oxford.

And then please explain what it is that makes your attention grabbing campaign to remove a listed statue from an Oxford college more urgent, more deserving than the desire of probably at least 20,000 of those 22,000 students to enjoy their time here unencumbered by the irritation of spoilt, ungrateful little tossers on scholarships they clearly don’t merit using racial politics and cheap guilt-tripping to ruin the life and fabric of our beloved  university.

Understand us and understand this clearly: you have everything to learn from us; we have nothing to learn from you.


Yours,
Oriel College,
Oxford

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Nurul Izzah Anwar: KEADILAN's Five Rising Stars: A Commitment Towards Reform and Change by 2021

In 2015, the United Kingdom elected its youngest Member of Parliament since the 17th century, 21-year old Mhairi Black. Her maiden speech in the UK Parliament garnered the attention of more than 10 million people worldwide and the praise of many fellow Members of Parliament. 

 

Back in Malaysia, Barisan Nasional has always criticised the young opposition candidates, citing inexperience, forgetting that the youth is the future leaders of our country. At KEADILAN, we believe that it is imperative to support the youth in their endeavours to strengthen their voice for Malaysians. In the face of the 11th Sarawak elections on 7 May, KEADILAN is fielding numerous young, promising candidates.

 

Abdul Raafidin Majadi, a 32-year old of Melanau descent is representing the party at N55 DUN Nangka. Formerly a Government Legal Officer at the High Court of Miri and the High Court of Kuching, Abdul Raafidin is now a full-fledged civil lawyer and Syariah practitioner in Islamic law. Abdul Raafidin calls for the people of Sarawak to vote with integrity and to choose wisely for a competent leader.

 

Athina Klaywa Sim makes Malaysian history as she becomes the first Bidayuh woman to run for state elections in Sarawak. Running for N18 DUN Serembu, the 27-year old lawyer at Baru Bian Advocates And Solicitors criticises BN for its disappointing track record of not having fielded a single Bidayuh lady for state elections. She concedes to being a young face in Malaysian politics, but cautions that “a novice but sincere politician, is far better than an experienced but dishonest one.”

 

At N20 DUN Tarat, 34-year old Musa Anak Ngog has stepped up as KEADILAN’s candidate. Although bearing a full-time job as an IT Engineer, Musa has remained an ardent supporter of the party’s efforts as the KEADILAN Coordinator at Tarat. Musa is especially concerned towards the marginalised indigenous people of East Malaysia, publishing a book titled “The Lost Aborigine in His Own Country Home" to narrate the neglected history of the Dayak-Bidayuh. For Tarat, he aspires to reform education to put an end to illiteracy and poverty.

 

As AMK Malaysia’s Environmental Bureau Chief, Jamilah Baharuddin has always been a budding youth leader at KEADILAN. In three days time, she will be running for the Sarawak state assembly at N25 Simunjan. Currently 30-years old, she is a lawyer for Baru Bian Advocates and Solicitors. 

 

Mohamed Salleh Shawkatali, 35 years old, will be standing as the KEADILAN candidate for N8 DUN Satok. He is an entrepreneur passionate about matters pertaining the youth. Currently, he is the Chairman of local NGO, the Association of Sarawak Youths. Salleh has unveiled a five-point manifesto outlining his plans for Satok, inclusive of many entrepreneurship programmes to boost the local economy and free tuition programmes to improve education quality. 

 

Just as how young Mhairi Black has drawn the attention of the UK Parliament to the concerns of the Scottish, I believe these young leaders of KEADILAN will play a pivotal role in surfacing the concerns of the Sarawakian population, in a bid to better their lives.

 

On 7 May, these rising stars in Sarawak's political landscape will make their first bid for public office. Each of them continues to fight the good fight and campaign tireless, against forces that possess Goliathan resources. But what these young politicians have is a deep passion and commitment to the future of Sarawak. It is young Sarawakians like these five who hold the key not only to the future of PKR Sarawak but also to the fate of Sarawak in the next great battle of 2021.

 

Help them realise their dream and aspiration for Sarawak by donating through Hong Leong Bank, PARTI KEADILAN RAKYAT - JPRP,  account number: 22500010828.

 

On 7 May, I urge all my Sarawakian brothers and sisters to vote for these candidates not only for a stronger opposition in the state assembly but also for a stronger future for Sarawak! 

 

Ngap Sayot! Demi Sarawak!

 

Nurul Izzah Anwar
KEADILAN Election Director
KEADILAN Vice President

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Citizen Nades - It’s not know-how but know-who

Because it had been mentioned over the years, the phrase has become a cliche. And also because Umno-led coalition had been in power since 1957, the corruption modus operandi continued and has become even more blatant. There is no fear of display of ostentatious wealth (not commensurate with official incomes) among political leaders and their key supporters. They seem immune to possible investigation by MACC. Recent arrests of top civil servants by the new head of the agency attracted comments like 'for show only, after the court case, they will be set free'; 'why no mention of names? If it involved opposition leaders, there would be maximum publicity in the mainstream media'; and of course, 'why is MO1 still untouchable?'

Anyway, excerpt from Nades' article in The Sun:

'IF the government wants to buy a baggage handling system to replace the current one at KLIA, it will have to go to manufacturers like Beumer, Zafire, Daifuku or Siemens, just to name a few.

Perhaps, a tender notice in the International Herald Tribune or the Financial Times inviting qualified manufacturers.

On a much smaller scale, if it wants to buy stethoscopes or plaster, it invites medical supplies manufacturers.

In the absence of manufacturers, the invitation to tender ought to go to their appointed local representative.

Why is it necessary to call Mr A to get the supplies.

He would then go to the supplier, place his order and then inflate the price and sell it to the government.

This is the Malaysian malaise where political cronies have thrived and lined their pocket much to the loss to the nation.

In almost all developed countries, the open tender system is the foundation of their good governance – Malaysia being the exception.

For several years, it is no secret that the key in winning government contracts is not the know-how but it is the "know-who".'

Rest of the article: 

http://www.thesundaily.my/node/389777

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An apology from 'Sorry is the hardest word' is a big deal indeed

Our ex-Prime Minister, Tun Dr Mahathir, is known for not making an apology. Events of late seem to suggest Tun is a changed man. He seems to be trying to correct all that were wrong which he was responsible as PM for 22 years.

He is all out to oust PM Datuk Seri Najib: from dropping heavy hints to open insults; taking part in Bersih rally; allied himself with former political adversaries like Lim Kit Siang; and acting as patron for new party, Bersatu, helm by ex-DPM, Tan Sri Muhyiddin. There is going to be a grand alliance in an attempt to win the next general election.

He was mentor to DS Najib, who turned out to be uncontrollable now that he is all powerful as PM. Formerly, with Pak Lah, it was easy to request for his resignation. But not with Najib. It was like having created Frankenstein and unable to control it. Most people know the reason why Najib is not going to give up his post is simply because he knows that without power, he is likely to be charged with various offences and be jailed.

Excerpt of Tun's apology:

'1. I would like to apologise for the amendment to the constitution which made the approval and signature of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong no longer necessary for the legalising of an act of Parliament. It would seem that because of the amendment, the new National Security Law has become operational even though the Yang di-Pertuan Agong has not signed it.

2. However I would like to point out that the amendment is not for all laws. Some laws passed by Parliament will still need the consent and signature of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong. In fact there are more than thirty proceedings listed out in the constitution that still needs the Agong’s approval frequently without the advise of the Prime Minister.

3. Among these rights and power is that of declaring a state of emergency. The state of emergency is reserved for the Yang di-Pertuan Agong because it’s implications are serious. It gives the Government the right to suspend laws. With this right the Government can arrest and detain any person without trial.

4. Clause (I) of Article 150, Proclamation of Emergency states “If the Yang di-Pertuan Agong is satisfied that a grave emergency exists whereby the security, or the economic life, or public order in the Federation or any part thereof is threatened, he may issue a Proclamation of Emergency making therein a declaration to that effect.”

Rest of it:

http://chedet.cc/?p=2234

Tun is swallowing his pride in making that apology. It is also a sign of being willing to do almost anything to oust Najib.

For a more interesting article on Tun's rare apologies...

http://cilisos.my/mahathir-just-made-a-public-apology-has-this-ever-happened-before-o-0/

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P. Gunasegaran's take on the proposed High Speed Rail Link from KL to Singapore

Before I post the excerpt of the article, just wish to point out that I cannot find it from The Star's link. Very strange indeed. Is it being blocked?

The following is from another site, Transitmy, which commented on it...

'Why we should look for cheaper alternatives before embarking on an expensive rail link to Singapore

STRANGELY, one reason given for a high-speed rail link between Malaysia and Singapore is that it will increase property values in Kuala Lumpur.

The way it is phrased is interesting, “unlock property values in Kuala Lumpur.” Tell me, who locked property values in Kuala Lumpur in the first place? Perhaps that is key to understanding this convoluted logic.

I can understand that it reduces travel time between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore considerably – by land that is. I can see how it might – might – improve tourist arrivals here, though I don’t see why the ingresses into Malaysia right now are insufficient.

Thailand and Indonesia don’t have high-speed rail links to anywhere but that has not stopped a burgeoning in their tourist arrivals. In fact, the easiest access to these countries continues to be by air. Lack of rail links has certainly not hampered Bali, for instance – the planes make a beeline to it.

The Government through one of its agencies, the Public Land Transport Commission, expects to finish a feasibility study in eight weeks. But let’s do a back-of-the-envelop, quick feasibility study here, which may take, oh, about eight minutes.

The cost, we presume before land acquisition and rolling stock (trains to you and me), is expected be RM8bil–RM14bil. Let’s take the upper end, because by the time all approvals are obtained, that’s how much it will cost and add to it a further RM6bil as land acquisition and contingency costs.

That brings the figure up to a nice neat RM20bil. And let’s say we need a return on this of 10% a year. That means a net profit of RM2bil a year, a huge amount which only a handful of public-listed companies achieve. And let’s say that takes a revenue of 10 times that or RM20bil a year!

That RM20bil is less than the entire revenue of both AirAsia and Malaysia Airlines in a year, implying that we will not in the near future get anywhere near the revenue required to make this rail link profitable on a standalone basis.

Conclusion: It is not commercially viable.'

Source: https://transitmy.wordpress.com/2011/03/22/hsr-update-the-stars-managing-editor-comments-on-high-speed-high-cost-rail/#more-5100

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M Bakri Musa: 1MDB – Malaysia’s Enron and Watergate Combined

Excerpt:

'The suit by Husam and Chang differs from the earlier DOJ’s in that the defendants are individuals and firms, not assets. They include the usual culprits Jho Low and Reza Aziz, plus his principal accountant Debra Johnson, Goldman Sachs’ bond salesman Timothy Leissner, and film producer Joey McFarland, together with their respective enterprises Metroplex Capital Advisors, Goldman Sachs, and Red Granite Pictures respectively.

Lawsuits are complex and expensive, both to initiate and defend. As for costs, we are looking at high six figures or even millions. That’s US dollars, not devalued ringgit. I do not know about Chang, but I am certain that Husam does not have the kind of resources to engage the high-powered law firms of Louis F Burke PC of New York and Ajamie, LLP of Houston. I do not know their arrangements.

America has the wonderful concept of contingency fees where plaintiffs’ lawyers would get paid only from the awards. Meaning, they have to prevail in order to get paid. That’s laudable public policy as it would ensure that the poor get access to good legal representation.

It would be in the plaintiff lawyers’ interest to ensure that there is a good or at least winnable case, as well as a pot of gold at the end of the trail, or trial. To put it in the colloquial, their defendants must have deep pockets.

Reza Aziz’s and Jho Low’s major assets are now tied up in the DOJ’s forfeiture lawsuit, while Low’s are also frozen in Singapore. Reza Aziz may have a super rich stepfather or donor somewhere. As for the other defendants, Goldman Sachs has the deepest pocket, tantalizing enough target by itself.

While the other defendants and their enterprises may not have deep pockets on cursory examination, they may have generous liability and other insurances. It would be a hollow victory, not to mention a very expensive one, if in the end you could not collect your awards.'

Rest of the article:

http://www.bakrimusa.com/

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Joseph Schooling's Olympic gold: who should get the credit for his achievement?

A Singaporean retiree's opinion:

"As a nation, a people, a country, a govt., and as individuals, we did almost nothing to help Schooling get to the gold medal. We did not finance him, did not support him, the PAP choose not to groom and encourage this boy.

Very little of our money went to training him, and providing him the necessary support, compared to the millions we lavish on 3rd class athletes from China and elsewhere. Not only did we not support him, we almost killed his career by making him do NS. When I say we, I mean the 70% of the morons that supported and elected the PAP.

If his mother May did not fight MINDEF to get his deferment, he might still be in the SAF now doing NS. There was no mass petition from singaporeans calling for his deferment. there was no mass calling by the MPs to support him. There was no media support for him, and certainly no support from the Singapore National Olympics Committee for his deferment.

Instead, 2 angmos (one was his swim coach in University of Texas, Gregg Troy) and the other a technical director, Bill Swetenham of SSC, wrote in their support to ask for his deferment. Not one PAP asshole or Notable sinkie stood up for this boy.

But now that he won the Gold, everyone wants to jump on the bandwagon and be proud of him. I say that you don't have that right. Singaporeans have not earned the right to claim the limelight with him. Where were they went he needed them? Sinkies are really pathetic hypocrites.

Although I am born and raised in singapore, I am ashamed of our treatment of this boy, and I certainly cannot rejoice without a hint of embarassment that we as a people almost killed this great moment."

Only a Malaysian fought for him. His mom.

From reports, he was nurtured from young, so his Filipino maid should get some credit too?

As a young student, he used the Royal Perak Golf Club as well as the MBI public pool, and he broke state or national swimming records. Like Nicol David, the first initiative from the parents seems the most important.

What his country should do is to at least make things conducive for him, not hinder.
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Friend's funeral was a grim reminder of our mortality and eventuality

In 2014, my mother-in-law passed away and within less than a year, in 2015, my brother-in-law too. My children were badly affected because when small, they lived with my in-laws. They were closer to them than my own family.

 When I was diagnosed with cancer in 2016, they felt that being away from home, they could not spend more time with me. My youngest, daughter, felt the loss of her grandmother and uncle most because she did not attend their funerals. It must have been one of her considerations which made her decide to work in Malaysia instead of Dubai. My elder daughter who had been studying and working overseas for 13 years, even booked to come back for holidays in September and December. Knowing how close I was with a classmate, KC Cheah, they were saddened when they knew about his demise. All 3 of them worried over how I felt about it. It was a shock to me and I couldn't help but reminisce about our times together, and the friends who were involved then.

Since his death, I have posted the following in Facebook:

'Still trying to get over the demise of my dear friend, KC Cheah early yesterday morning. He was my school classmate and we went to Leeds together, stayed in same room in MIH. He accompanied me on my first visit to meet someone (introduced in a letter by another classmate, Pearl), who became my wife. When I was working in KL, I used to visit him every week and chatted until midnight. 30 years ago he opted to work from home as IT consultant initially and then as stock market player. He was a Tai Chi and Gigong instructor but sadly diagnosed as suffering from idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, an incurable degenerative disease. In June, he wanted to accompany another classmate from Australia to visit me after my operation. I actually told him not to, and visited him instead. Weeks ago, I bought his Yamaha keyboard and had lunch with him. Days ago, I tried to sell his remaining musical instruments to David Chin who mentioned whether he should have jamming in his Kedai Makanan Basikal Stopover in KKB. So it was a shock to me when I got the news.'

'At my late friend's funeral wake, I had to betray him for not covering up his white lie. I was asked by his widow about the drum set which she thought was mine. In fact, just recently he told me to admit it was mine if asked by his wife. It was a case of telling his wife what she wanted to hear which was the reason for the lie. Friends advised her to forgive him for that. I hope he would for me. Rest in peace KC.'

'Met an old friend who I haven't seen since we were in same hostel in Leeds. I could recognise him but he couldn't. Leong Hee, Doeu Swan, KC and I were on the same Czechoslovakian Airline flight to Heathrow in 1973. Then we hired a car to Leeds. It was the first time for KC and I, but LH and DS were there a year before. My father and I actually visited Koon Swan and asked if his brother could travel with me since it was my first time to UK and DS actually changed his flight to accommodate me! Anyway our discussion with LH touched on his present residence in Meru Valley Golf Resort in Ipoh and that See Foon Koppen is a good friend of his wife. When I showed him my pic of her in Asia Magazine (1967), he asked for a copy which he sent to his wife. He texted back to say she was thrilled. He commented that I have very good memory. I replied that I remember only unimportant stuff... like the names of his brother and 4 other cousins who were with us in Leeds. Come to think of it, YB Dr Tan Seng Giaw was there in Leeds too. So was HK singer Cheong Kok Wing. There were a number of his HK textile coursemates staying in MIH.'

'When I asked Leong Hee about his cousin, Swee Joo, I was told he died 2 years ago, a week after a brain operation. Before he migrated to Canada 30 years ago, he took over his father's motor repairs workshop in Sentul, after graduating from UK. They were supposed to be good at repairing Volvo cars. He bought over my RX7 (from a newspaper advert) just to learn how to repair rotary engine. One of their mechanics was introduced by my brother to a niece of Ong Ka Ting and they got married. I can still remember on my way from BG on NSE, a Mercedes sped past my car. Sure enough, at the wedding dinner, it was Ong Ka Chuan, who was then a Perak Executive Councillor. I also learnt that his sister's daughter's surname Ong (same as mine) is different from the politicians' in Chinese.'

Malaysian pioneering biometric passport: if it isn't broken, don't fix it

Before I read about the real situation, I commented on this on August 9 in Facebook:

I commended the dept before for its efficiency. Wonder what happened. Hope it is not because of a political decision to change supplier. Sometimes if it is not broken don't fix it.

So I guessed right about the change in supplier...

Passport fiasco: Who to blame?

'Wikipedia wrote:

Malaysia was the first country in the world to issue biometric passports in March 1998, after a local company, IRIS Corporation, developed the technology.[3] In December 2002, thumbprint data was added to the biometric data on the passport chip. Similar technology is used in the Malaysian identity card, MyKad.'

 'Iris was given the contract to supply after developing the technology. However, in early 2015, Iris contract was up for renewal and there was a tussle for it. Focus Malaysia reported:

Battle for lucrative government contracts ...'

' It would not be a surprise that the lobby for the contract would have raised the issue in the Bloomberg report and lay various other complains on Iris's system. By December, The Star reported the following:

Tuesday, 15 December 2015 | MYT 3:46 PM

Datasonic wins RM319mil contract to supply M'sian passport chips 

KUALA LUMPUR: Datasonic Group Bhd has clinched a RM318.75mil contract from the Government for the supply of Malaysian passport chips.

In a filing with Bursa Malaysia, Datasonic said its wholly owned subsidiary, Datasonic Technologies Sdn Bhd (DTSB), had accepted the letter of award (LOA) from the Home Affairs Ministry for the supply of passport chips.

The contract is for a period of five years from Dec 1, 2016 to Nov 30, 2021 for the provision of 12.5 million passport chips.

Read on here.

That takes off Iris off the blame for the current fiasco. The supplier for the Malaysian passport chip today is Datasonic. They are supposed to be able to supply 12.5 million chips but why only 500 a day?

Iris can claim that when they were the one supplying the chips, there was no problem and within an hour passport are issued.'

Rest of the article:
http://anotherbrickinwall.blogspot.my/2016/08/passport-fiasco-who-to-blame.html#more

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Thought I could reduce my waiting time at the general hospital...

but it backfired!

From past experience at the Ipoh GH, the waiting times average at 10 minutes to get a number at SOPD (Sugery Out Patient Department) and 2-3 hours to see the doctor; 2-3 hours at the UPD (Unit Pengambilan Darah) if given the normal queue number beginning with 1, or 20-30 minutes if given the fast track number beginning with 2 (patient needs to take the sample to the lab himself); half an hour to get the medicine from SOPD pharmacy; 10 minutes to get medicine from pharmacy at Kompleks Rawatan Harian (Day Care Complex).

There are different queues at different departments like Xray to get an appointment for CT Scan, Endoscopy for endoscope, and so on.

So for any patient who needs to go to different departments, he or she has to know where to go in the right order. Knowing the locations helps and to get from one place to another, if at different floors, even walking on upper floor instead of the ground floor enables one to walk faster because of the lesser human traffic.

Thursday before last, I was pleasantly surprised at the UPD when given the usual queue number, and it took only 1 hour to have my blood sample taken. It normally takes at least 2 hours of waiting. The reason was simply because of an additional person to help out: 6 instead of the usual 5. This cut waiting time by more than half!

Last Thursday, I tried to be clever in trying to save time. I had to have my blood sample taken as well as see the doctor. Previously, after getting the fast track number and taken the sample to the lab, then only I would place my appointment card at SOPD. I lost out on the queue number, for eg. my previous number was 4015. Last Thursday, I went to SOPD first to get my number, 4005, before going to have my blood sample taken. Alas, this time, I noticed the number 1 desk at UPD, which normally takes only from fast track patients, also takes from the usual patients. This effectively slows down the fast track queue. It took me one hour to have my sample taken before I could make it to SOPD to wait for my turn to see the doctor. Because it takes an hour to have the blood sample analysed, I actually hoped it will take longer to see the doctor! But because my number was 5, and by the time I went there, it was at 4002, it took only 45 minutes before my number was up on the queue system. I had to apologise to the surgeon that I was late in providing my blood sample and she said I should wait outside for the result before she could decide on the next cycle of treatment.
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The late Arthur Ashe asked, "Why not me?"

Arthur Ashe, the legendary Wimbledon player was dying of aids which he got due to infected blood he received during a heart surgery in 1983.

He received letters from his fans, one of which conveyed: "Why did God have to select you for such a bad disease?"

To this Arthur Ashe replied:

50 million children started playing tennis,
5 million learnt to play tennis,
500,000 learnt professional tennis,
50,000 came to Circuit,
5,000 reached Grandslam,
50 reached Wimbledon,
4 reached the Semi-finals,
2 reached the Finals,
and when I was holding the cup in my hand, I never asked God, "Why me?"

'Little Red Dot' basking in White House limelight

Asiaone: 5 best moments from PM Lee's trip to the White House

Why This Matters?

Singapore is the first Southeast Asian country to have a political leader honoured with a US state dinner. It is also the fifth Asian nation after India, China, Japan and South Korea. The dinner shows a strong sign of ties between the two countries.

Much hype has been given to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's visit to Washington DC this week.

US President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle welcomed PM Lee and Mrs Lee at the White House on Aug 2, as Singaporeans watched from their homes via Facebook live.

Late that evening, Mr Lee became the first Southeast Asian leader to be honoured with a US state dinner, and only the fifth in Asia after India, China, Japan and South Korea. 

Here are five of the best moments from the event:

1) Obama knows the Singapore lingo

2) Obama and the "little red dot"

3) A techie for a Prime Minister

4) PM Lee takes over The White House Instagram account

5) "Majulah Singapura"

- See more at: http://news.asiaone.com/news/singapore/5-best-moments-pm-lees-trip-white-house#sthash.i3qNacC9.dpuf


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Jho Low a high profile fugitive now?

The problem with being high profile is that when things go wrong, everybody knows about it, including the fact that you are now just the opposite, as in that of man avoiding publicity like the plague.

Many Malaysians would find his quote four months ago as ironic, given the perception that he was the mastermind behind 1MDB's scandal...

'"Trust is the fundamental aspect to our way of life," concluded Mr Low. "It's about how each deal changes a community, a country and the world."

His last entry on his blog linked to his company website was made four months ago, on March 30.

It was about jaguars.'

More from The Straits Times:

Hong Kong office of Malaysian businessman in 1MDB scandal appears deserted

http://www.straitstimes.com/asia/east-asia/hong-kong-office-of-malaysian-businessman-in-1mdb-scandal-appears-deserted

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Who should succeed LGE should he be jailed?

We have so little faith in our judicial system that DAP seems resigned to the fate of Chief Minister being jailed as a result of his purchase of a house below market value. DAP had even considered having a snap election to prove they still have the people's support despite the corruption charges.

Personally, I feel it is difficult to convince people that the snap election proposal has nothing to do with YAB Tuan Lim Guan Eng's case. We can theorise that it is good strategy now than wait for GE14, and that we should decide when to have the state election instead of leaving to BN. Elections cost money to the political parties, as well as to the voters. Even to those living within the state, it needs time off as well as travelling cost to vote. What about those working or living in other states or overseas? Most people feel their one vote is unlikely to make a difference, so it is likely they might decide not to take the trouble. On the other hand, BN offers 'buy' election goodies in the form of cash and in kind. To those open to persuasion, a few hundred Ringgit in the pocket is better than promises of good governance, which may or may happen, and might even take years.

We have seen how PKR's Kajang move to have Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim become Menteri Besar of Selangor was scuttled by the court's verdict which sent him to jail instead. Dr Wan Azizah had to take his place as candidate and her victory did not see her become the new MB. Many people complained about the strategy which involved having a sitting ADUN resign to make it possible. There were no shortage of brickbats for having a perceived unnecessary by-election. Just imagine the people's dismay at DAP's proposal to have a snap state election! PKR was reluctant to join in and DAP had decided to put off the proposal. To me, good sense prevailed, as the strategy might backfire a la David Cameron's Brexit referendum.

On the topic of who should succeed Lim Guan Eng as CM of Penang, some Indians asked why not Dr P Ramasamy since he is the present DCM? As my wife used to say, 'How can we not be racial in Malaysia?' So when it comes to high positions of office, race matters. I would say having Dr P Ramasamy as DCM is already a big concession by DAP, in view of the small number of Indian DAP ADUNs. Based on the last election results, there are only 4, and if we were to include the one from PKR, only 5.

Penang state assembly has 40 seats and based on GE13 results, DAP has 19, PKR 10, PAS 1, and BN 10, ADUNs. Based on race, there are 19 Chinese (DAP 15 and PKR 4); 16 Malays (BN 10, PKR 5 and PAS 1); and 5 Indians.

Unless the appointments can be solely based on merit and not political, race will always be an important factor. In this case, being DCM does not mean automatic promotion to CM. We have seen a few DPMs being sacked in Umno, a case of so near yet so far. Hypothetically, it is like having a Chinese as DPM, but never expect him to ever be PM of Malaysia.
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We are now at the mercy of PM: National Security Council Bill 2015 gazetted into law

'The National Security Council Bill 2015 has been gazetted into law, without royal assent despite calls by the Conference of Rulers for the legislation to be refined.

The Bill did not receive Royal assent from the Yang Di-Pertuan Agong.'

Read more: https://www.malaysiakini.com/news/344610

Dec 19 2015: Ambiga: NSC Bill the worst piece of legislation I have seen

'The National Security Council (NSC) Bill 2015 is a dangerous piece of legislation which allows a government crackdown even on ‘perceived’ and ‘possible’ threats.

Bulldozed through Parliament two weeks ago and up for debate in Senate next week, it allows security forces to use reasonable force against ‘perceived threat’, which senior lawyer Ambiga Sreenevasan said is “not acceptable”.

"This is really the worst piece of legislation I have seen. This is not about security; this is about insecurity and power...'

Read more: https://www.malaysiakini.com/news/323905#ixzz4G3XbPqR2

Though the present law does not need Royal assent from the King, to ignore his advice shows disrespect for His Majesty.

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