Maximus's meaningless maxim

The coming general elections might as well have a no-campaign period as there is nothing the opposition can criticise or act without falling foul of the laws, like the Sedition Act, and being put in the slammer under the Internal Security Act. Opposing the system is treated as opposing the government and can be considered traitorous, at the whim and fancy of the Minister of Home Affairs or Minister of Internal Security.

Now, we have Maximus’s statement prohibiting racial statements and comments during the coming general election campaigning. Taking his statement at face value, it means Umno's policies cannot be criticised at all! All its unfair discriminatory racial policies and the opposition’s analyses of election results based on racial parties like Umno, MCA and MIC, which showed Umno’s disproportionate power in relation to its total votes, cannot be mentioned as well.

Though we try not to be racist, it is the Umno leadership that is forcing the ‘nons’ to react against racial discrimination and bullying. Unless and until the present leadership end its racial parties, they have no moral right to stop people from criticising their racially unfair policies. Are we to accept their patronising 'do what I tell you to do but not what I do'?

The people complained but without effect, when the system slowly encroaches on the rights of the minorities, and the leaders enriched themselves with impunity, because they can decide who not to prosecute. With a 90% majority, they were prepared to amend the Constitution to retain the indispensable Election Commission Chairman, whom they have relied on for the past six general elections. But in addition to Maximus’s statement, to have the PM’s son-in-law telling us that we do not even have the right to comment on the date of the General Election must be the last straw!

I had a dream...

no, actually, in my dreamy state, I was thinking of how different Malaysia would be if only the leaders have a different mindset. This is like my wish list for the new year of 2008.

In view of the past 50 years’ political control, UMNO decides to become United Malaysian National Organisation and run with the mindset of an NGO, more like United Magnanimous National Organisation.

They were grateful that the other coalition partners have suffered enough humiliation and told MCA that they can behave, instead of like cowards, cocky for a change, while MIC can conquer instead of be conquered, in view of their relatively small number.

The ISA was amended to target murderers, robbers, snatch thieves and rapists, instead of opposition members, to improve the security of the country.

The FRU is now in charge of street security and their water canons given to the Bomba instead.

Merdeka Square is now like Hyde Park Corner in London where anyone can give speeches. People actually got fed up after the initial freedom!

Special Branch was told to help those who criticise the government by forwarding recordings of their speeches direct to the leaders concerned, without fear of retaliation.

Online news portals like Malaysiakini and Malaysia Today; opposition newsletters like Harakah and Rocket; were given permits to publish like newspapers, or better still, no permit is required.

Bloggers were considered as friends instead of foes of our Ministry of Information and paid according to their popularity, for helping disseminating information to the public. Zam, if he decides to stay on, becomes like Zorro helping those in need of vital information instead of suppressing it.

Khazanah took over Plus and overnight, Malaysia becomes toll-free. Jalapang toll accidents and casualties were never reported since. Samy Vellu retired as Robin Hood for successfully concluding the deal.

Government’s reserves actually increased since there were no corruption and leakages and almost everything is based on merit. The majority race was told to prove it before grants and subsidies were given instead of the reverse. The allocated but unused funds were rolled over until they are genuinely needed. They feel secure because they are in political control and the people actually support them.

Petronas’s subsidies remain and it was able to continue with new explorations to find new reserves because there is no need to finance mega white elephants or bail out mega flops. More people benefited as a result.

Plantation companies involved in oil palm and oil mills made their contributions to ensure there is no shortage of cooking oil. Can you imagine the irony and shame of being the largest palm oil producer in the world and yet the people had to be limited to 5 kg for each purchase and many shops were actually out of stock?

In recognition of his unwavering opposition for the past umpteen years, Lim Kit Siang was awarded the title ‘Tun’, one up on Tan Chee Koon’s Tan Sri, and he accepts by saying ‘phai seh, phai seh, ai peah tak eh eah!’ and I was woken by the dogs barking at the SYS students.

Why can’t Batu Gajah Town Council (MD Kinta Barat) get it right the first time?

The latest ‘addition to Batu Gajah town are the electronic clocks with traditional clock face, on four sides of the new clock tower, as you drive down its first railway flyover which was built since our Sultan became the Yang Di Pertuan Agong umpteen years ago.

It was only months ago that a new digital one, which showed the temperature as well, was installed, in time for the SMK Sultan Yussuf Centennial celebrations. Someone, (was it the Sultan? as many changes have been attributed to comments by our beloved Sultan who loves BG because he was born here), must have commented that the digital clock and thermometer cannot be read with the morning sun shining on it. I was one of those who commented privately but surely it was not because of me. The original structure took months because it was decided halfway that it was too short! (Again, was it because the Sultan commented?)

There is a clock tower-like structure with a royal headgear on top, built a few years ago, on the left, as you are about to enter BG town. Initially, it was painted brown and someone must have commented that it looked like a lump of s***, and it was repainted cream colour!

Then, there is the Batu Gajah Plaza, which had an original red polycarbonate roof, which was changed to a more suitable turquoise. Kellie’s Castle was once signposted as Istana Kellie until strong protests from the locals must have put paid to it. The question was, whose bright idea was it to call it Istana in the first place, translated from a mere castle?

The new Bus Station was built to accommodate more buses but reality set in and only a quarter of it is being used for its original purpose, with the rest rented to used car dealers!

The new Railway station was completed, at a guess, a couple of years ahead of the access road, which is still being built. Until it is ready, the train users (those desperate enough) have to go through rural roads without proper directional signs. I am not exaggerating to say that I got lost a few times before I found it and I am unsure if the station is actually open to the public. I cannot imagine anyone using it, knowing the arrival time is at an ungodly hour of say, 3 am, without first confirming that someone will be coming to pick him, or her (worse).

I think it is symptomatic of the problems facing our country’s administration where development funds were spent without justification based on proper evaluation of proposals. The problem is compounded by the fact that the opposition Member of Parliament, as a rule, is not allowed to decide on the use of development funds, which use is decided by the District Officer and BN nominated town councillors who are yes-men to make up the numbers. Yes, I am in favour of local elections rather than political nominees who are not accountable to the public but their masters.

It would be interesting to find out the original contract sums and the revised amounts resulting from the changes.

Malaysiakini's problem with 'then' and 'than'

I have pointed this out to the editor before that someone in his team is having problem differentiating the two words. Is it me or him? I wish someone else would agree with me on this small mistake which reflects on the standard of editing expected of a highly respected online news publisher. Perhaps Hantu Laut can confirm if his original word has been 'corrected' to make it 'incorrect'!

I wish to refer to the fourth paragraph of his letter, 'Hypocrisy can save you but honesty will kill' published on Jan 4:

"Does a person holding public office become public property? To a certain degree, yes. If you are married and you have an illicit affair or sexual escapade, than your integrity becomes questionable. Cheating, in whatever form, is not a good credential to have while holding public office."

While on this subject of sexual escapade, I wish to refer to excerpts from my own posting, It's my way or the highway... in my blog on November 27, 2007:

"With the recent legal reform which criminalizes marital rape, I just wish to highlight a minor aspect from a different perspective.A married man with a menopausal wife will have to contend with being celibate or try to be imaginative. While he contends with his sexual needs, the master-bedroom which turns into a masturbate room is no longer a joke.

Being a reasonable man, he has to decide among the options of monk-hood, straying or divorce. In the meantime, his health suffers as a result of being humiliated with the wife’s rejection and it is contributing to his likely erectile dysfunction problem. Imagine with a ‘don’t touch me partner’, all romantic and erotic thoughts, which he relied on before, disappeared and he is at a loss as to how to make it work again."

At the time of posting, I seemed to be the only one seeing this as a problem. But I think, it is a problem faced by senior citizens who are likely to have post-menopausal wives. We can easily classify them as 'with ED problem himself', 'with sexual drive but wife not responsive', 'already committing adultery with prostitutes or mistresses' and so on. We can go on and on with arguments based on morality and legality and with males and females taking sides with their own kind, without a satisfactory answer.

As Ong Ka Ting said, "All party leaders must know the Dos and Don'ts when they become public figures to avoid being caught in any embarrassing situation." I take it as 'make sure you are not caught if you are doing something you are not supposed to do'! Is that solving the problem I posed? Ong Ka Ting, like Azmi Khalid, has young wife... maybe that is one way of solving it! Even my son, told his friends that they will be facing similar problems in 30 years time. I told him to look for a younger wife to delay having to face this problem.

Goliath hitting below the belt...

I still cannot get over NST’s cheap shot at Tony Pua.

I would tend to agree with the blogger, whose posting I have read and from which I have the following excerpt, I think, from Malaysia Today’s website:

“I take it as a sign of weakness. When Tony spearheaded a full alternative budget, he probably accomplished something pretty unprecedented. You can imagine BN getting very nervous about this sort of thing.

I have never bought the argument that the Opposition is not ‘qualified’ to form an alternative government, and this is just further proof.

In fact, the government ignored the document completely, refusing to debate its obvious merits. All they can do is to resort to undignified attacks which have nothing to do with Tony’s abilities as an economic advisor.”

I do not know Tony Pua personally, but I think his credentials look good and I was happy for DAP that they managed to rope him in. For someone with the right qualifications and experience in business, it must have been the passion for politics, which made him decide to take the plunge. I also think Tony considered the timing was right, with the General Elections just round the corner.

What has DAP got to offer? I am sure he envisaged the struggle ahead, pitting against the juggernaut of an entrenched political party which had ruled since Independence in 1957 and never been ruled. BN’s lack of empathy with the people was so apparent with the many illogical, contradictory and ‘we know best’ statements made by the leaders. Yet, DAP in particular, and the opposition in general, will never be able to form the next government. So the 'alternative budget' in question is rather academic to start with.

Though Tony has similar academic qualifications as Khairy, with PPE from Oxford University, the former has the nation at heart while the latter's 'self interest comes first' was pretty fast and obvious.

We all know that besides qualification and experience, we still need exposure in whatever fields we are joining. To expect Tony to be able to second guess down to the last details, without the benefit of a ‘hands-on’ experience in government policy making, is really absurd.

To discredit him based on the performance of the company he had sold off is like expecting a matchmaker to guarantee that the bride will bear children!

Off hand, I can think of allegations that our de facto Finance Minister, Nor Yaakob, was responsible for billions of ringgit lost in forex speculations, yet he was recalled to manage the country’s economy.

I dare say, a capable opposition candidate can do a better job by just being transparent and accountable, without the political baggage of cronyism and political patronage to perpetuate the party in power. Just imagine the amount of reserves the government would have accumulated over the years if not wasted on major corrupt practices and leakages.