Taking on the army

by Khairy Jamaluddin | The Nut Graph
I’VE always wanted to join the army. I remember telling my parents as a teenager that I wanted to be a soldier. Maybe it was initially a boys-with-guns thing, or later, a higher calling to serve the nation. There are also generals in my extended family – one was Chief of the Armed Forces. That heightened the appeal.
But after diving into active politics shortly after graduating, my GI Joe dreams were put on the back burner. I settled with the thought that I would perhaps live my commando fantasies through my sons.
Then a few months ago, I met General Shahrom, Commander of the 508 Regiment of the Malaysian Territorial Army or Rejimen Askar Wataniah. He had heard of my interest and wanted to get me involved in his Negeri Sembilan-based regiment. The deal was to use my public-figure endorsement to attract more participation, especially from youths. I wouldn’t have to do much beyond visiting the camp’s recruits to instill them with semangat.

Huddling with the platoon (All pics courtesy of Khairy Jamaluddin)

In return, I would be bestowed an honorary commission, either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Major. I would receive an officer’s accompanying accoutrements, and be saluted by real but lower-ranking soldiers. Ours is a society obsessed with titles and ranks. Undoubtedly, an honorary military commission is another grace awarded to public figures who, mostly, don’t deserve it.
Not wanting to offend the commander, I asked, “Sir, if, God forbid, we were ever at war, would the army mobilise their honorary officers?” The answer was, of course, “No.”  I then said, “In which case, I don’t deserve to wear the uniform that you’re offering me.”  Instead, I asked the commander if I could join as an ordinary recruit and gradually move up the ranks like anyone else.
He said they had never had a sitting Member of Parliament (MP) join as an ordinary recruit, what more one with my “profile”.  I convinced him there was a first time for everything.
And so, after General Shahrom convinced an initially skeptical army top-brass that an MP had agreed unequivocally to be treated like any other recruit, I joined the reservist army on 26 April 2010. I reported to the 508 Regiment headquarters in Rasah as 6210405 – my Yang Berhormat-less military number.
Broken down
During the next month, 87 of us were broken down daily through a series of physical and mental challenges. For regular recruits, basic training lasts six months. For reservists, this is condensed into four weeks. While we miss out on a fair bit, the intensity is multiplied because of the shorter period.
As with any military boot camp, the first week is all about the parade square. From dawn till sunset, we were put through marching-in-formation drills, where we learnt the most fundamental lessons about discipline and working as a unit. If just one person stepped out of line or got his or her sequence wrong, the entire squad had to repeat the drill or get down for 20 knuckle push-ups on the boiling tar.
Drill sergeants don’t care about the midday sun or one’s thick, suffocating army-issue camouflage and woolen beret. They keep going even though one by one, recruits fall like dominoes. Some genuinely fainted. Others simulated blackouts. For the record, I did neither. Our breaks were all of five minutes to dash to the cookhouse, where the only drink available was boiling water.

At the shooting range

Unsurprisingly, the first week saw the most dropouts. We lost around 10 recruits. One came back to camp a day after quitting. We later found out he returned because his army father gave him a beating worse than anything he would experience in the barracks.
After taking our stamina to the brink during the first week, classes on handling weapons, military tactics, and army laws and regulations were introduced. We were tested on everything. I hadn’t crammed for written exams in over a decade. Having to switch from extreme physical to mental exertion within just hours was annoying and challenging in equal measure.
Punishments were also generous. From the vomit-inducing side rolls across the parade square’s width, to more subtle but ultimately torturous penalties, we were made to pay for the slightest disciplinary breach. One night, we were subjected to the notorious “change parade”, where we had to run up and down from the square to our dorms to change outfits no less than seven times. The first two changes seemed fun. But on our seventh outfit – full battle dress unit camouflage – past midnight, the urge to just break ranks and quit was overwhelming.
Facing the odds
I also had the added misfortune of being, perhaps for the first time in recent memory, the oldest member of a group. Being 34 in politics is embryonic. As an army recruit its geriatric. The problem was not the training’s academic and tactical aspect, but the physical modules.
I had to keep up with largely 18-year-old kids at the prime of their growth spurts. In anticipation of being embarrassed by younger and fitter recruits, I trained beforehand and dropped 5kg. I would lose another five in camp.
By the time we entered our final week, which involved field exercises in the jungle, we were transforming into soldiers nicely. I no longer needed an alarm to wake up at 4:30am in order to be the first to use one of only four bathing cubicles. We became immune to mosquitoes and the absence of air-conditioning and iced beverages.
Everything up to that point was meant to prepare us for our field exercise. This exercise involved, among other fun and games: a 30km advance; digging a six-feet deep trench in the middle of the day; and carrying a 30kg backpack full of battle rations in addition to our M-16s, our surrogate spouses that we had with us at all times.

With Rajasekar, digging a trench

During the exercise, we were paired off with field buddies with whom we would share a trench or tent. I was paired with 19-year-old Rajasekar, a happy-go-lucky odd-job worker from Semenyih. By day, he was an ox with boundless energy. By night, his snores made it clear he wasn’t built for sentry duty. As is the case with relationships forged in challenging circumstances, we continue to be friends.
What matters
Raja also happened to be one of two non-Malay Malaysians in the entire recruit squad. I was told that the ethnic profile for recruits at other Wataniah regiments in other states were similarly mono-ethnic. This, to me, was the programme’s greatest missed opportunity.  By not being able to attract more non-Malay Malaysians, the reservist programme is denied the opportunity to be an effective platform for national unity.
In the army, where one is deconstructed and trained to survive, it doesn’t matter what ethnicity the person in the trench with you is. What matters in battle is that you help each other live and defend your country.
On the day we passed out as Privates, I looked back at the month with obvious relief. No more drills and parades. No more forced marches and trench digging. No more memorising weapons specifications and cleaning a disassembled M-16. But I also looked back with satisfaction that a physical and mental threshold had been crossed.

More than the personal challenge that the army presents me, it is the fraternity borne of a rigorous, regimented environment and the sense of national service that excites all of us in the reserves. I now look forward to the next phase, whether the officers’ training or the airborne paratrooper course that I have applied to.
Still, I understand why Malaysia has no compulsory military service. Any attempt to build a public consensus to introduce it today would be near impossible. Besides, as attracted as I am to the virtues of military training, I still believe that the decision to enlist or volunteer is an extremely personal one.
Joining the reserves is clearly not for everyone. And I don’t mean that as a reflection on someone’s physical ability, mental resilience or patriotism. Those virtues, especially the last, can be manifested in many different and equally meaningful ways.
In the increasingly cynical world of postmodern Malaysian politics, honour is a diminishing virtue on both sides of the divide. In the army, honour – in particular, the soul-stirring honour of serving your nation – permeates in abundance.  For me, that’s the only reason I need to keep reporting back as 6210405.

MELAYU KEMANA

1. Melayu menentang Malayan Union kerana rancangan British ini akan memberi hak kepada sesiapa sahaja menjadi rakyatnya.

2. Melayu pada masa itu takut jumlah rakyat bukan Melayu yang rata-rata lebih kaya dan lebih terpelajar akan menguasai bukan sahaja ekonomi tetapi juga politik Malayan Union. Dengan ini akan terlucutlah kuasa Melayu ke atas negeri-negeri Melayu.

3. Sebab itu apabila mereka tewaskan Malayan Union, persekutuan yang menggantinya secara rasmi dinamakan Pesekutuan Tanah Melayu. Dalam Persekutuan ini 80 peratus lebih rakyatnya terdiri daripada orang Melayu. Kelebihan yang tinggi ini meyakinkan mereka yang nasib mereka akan ditentukan oleh mereka.

4. Dalam Pilihanraya 1955 mereka bersedia untuk memberi kawasan-kawasan yang majoriti pengundinya Melayu kepada calon kaum-kaum lain daripada parti-parti rakan dalam Perikatan. Dengan undi yang ada pada mereka, mereka tentukan calon-calon bukan Melayu ini mendapat kemenangan. Tujuan korban ini ialah untuk meyakinkan penjajah British yang orang Melayu tidak akan menindas kaum lain apabila berkuasa.

5. Dengan ini British pun memberi kemerdekaan pada tahun 1957, iaitu hanya dua tahun selepas korban yang dibuat oleh orang Melayu.

6. Atas tuntutan Sir Tan Cheng Lok supaya ditambah rakyat bukan Melayu, Kerajaan pimpinan Tunku Abdul Rahman bersetuju untuk mengurangkan peratusan rakyat Melayu daripada 80 peratus kepada 60 peratus dengan memberi kerakyatan tanpa syarat kepada penduduk bukan Melayu. Satu kontrak sosial dibuat supaya pengurangan ini diimbangkan dengan agihan kekayaan yang lebih saksama kepada orang Melayu. Bagaimana ini hendak dicapai tidak pula dijelaskan.

7. Pemimpin Melayu berpendapat dengan 60 peratus daripada warga negara terdiri daripada Melayu, mereka masih menjadi majoriti dan masa depan mereka terjamin. Angka ini tidak banyak berubah apabila terbentuknya Malaysia.

8. Dalam sistem demokrasi memanglah majoriti akan berkuasa. Tetapi yang tidak diambilkira oleh kepimpinan Melayu ialah Melayu akan berpecah dan bermusuh sesama sendiri. Apabila ini berlaku kelebihan jumlah mereka tidak lagi akan menjadi mereka kaum majoriti dalam negara.

9. Perpecahan bermula apabila ulama-ulama UMNO memisahkan diri mereka untuk menubuh Parti PMIP (Pan-Malayan Islamic Party). Pada mulanya PMIP tidak berjaya menghakiskan sokongan kepada pertubuhan utama orang melayu iaitu UMNO.

10. Kemudian kerana rebutan kepimpinan dalam UMNO, parti serpihan Semangat 46 ditubuh.

11. Walaupun Semangat 46 dibubar dan diserap semula kedalam UMNO tetapi ramai yang tidak dapat terima percantuman semula ini. Dengan itu sedikit sebanyak UMNO Kehilangan penyokong.

12. Kemudian Timbalan Presiden UMNO terpaksa disingkir daripada UMNO dan ianya berjaya dengan cara-cara tertentu mengheret keluar ahli UMNO untuk menyertai satu lagi parti Melayu. Perbuatan ini berjaya membahagikan orang Melayu kepada tiga buah parti, iaitu UMNO, PAS dan PKR.

13. Dengan adanya tiga buah parti, orang Melayu yang dahulu menjadi majoriti warga negara dengan jumlah 60 peratus daripada seluruh rakyat Malaysia sudah berpecah dan terbahagi kepada tiga kumpulan. Tidak ada satu pun daripada kumpulan ini yang disokong oleh majoriti rakyat. Ketiga-tiga mendapat sokongan tidak lebih daripada 30 peratus rakyat negara. Dengan perkataan lain orang Melayu sudah jadi puak minoriti dalam negara.

14. Sebagai puak minoriti mereka tidak mungkin lagi menjadi kuasa utama dalam parti-parti campuran yang disertai oleh mereka.

15. Mungkin mereka diletak sebagai pemimpin tertinggi dalam Kerajaan-Kerajaan Pusat dan Negeri. Tetapi mereka terpaksa mengikut telunjuk rakan-rakan mereka.

16. Kita lihat di Perak umpamanya apabila Kerajaan yang diketuai oleh Melayu dijatuhkan, kaum tertentu menganggap bahawa sebuah Kerajaan milik kaum itu yang dijatuhkan.

17. Mungkin di peringkat pusat juga akan ada ketua kepimpinan yang terdiri daripada Melayu tetapi duduk dibawah telunjuk orang lain.

18. Dengan ini besar kemungkinan Melayu secara sebenar sudah menjadi puak minoriti yang tidak berkuasa di negara sendiri. Kalau mereka berpendapat mereka akan diberi layanan yang baik apabila sudah tidak sebenar berkuasa, lihatlah sahaja nasib kaum mereka yang sudah menjadi kaum minoriti di negara jiran.

19. Masa sudah tiba untuk orang Melayu memikir dengan mendalam akan nasib masa depan mereka. Bersatu teguh, bercerai roboh. Pilihlah yang mana satu.

20. Saya akan dituduh "chanuvinist" dan "racist" kerana menyuarakan pendapat saya ini. Saya sanggup dilabel dengan apa sahaja label. Niat saya ialah untuk memperingati kita semua sebelum nasi jadi bubur. Berpecah dan berebutlah. Akhirnya yang dikendong akan berciciran dan yang dikejar tidak tercapai.

Wahai Melayu,

Kemana kamu?

Malaysia in the Era of Globalization #19

By Bakri Musa

Chapter 3: Lessons From The Past

The European Reformation

The Reformation refers to the religious revolution that took place in Western Europe during the 16th century. The pivotal event occurred in October 31, 1517, when the German preacher, Martin Luther, publicly posted his Ninety-Five Theses challenging the authority and practices of the Catholic Church. Needless to say, the Pope was not amused. Luther’s aim was to reform the institution; instead his protest ended up splitting the church, hence the terms Reformation and Protestant.

Luther was not the first, nor the only one to protest against the excesses of the Church. To understand why there was such widespread discontent among Christians then, an account of the behaviors and practices of the church establishment at the time is warranted.

The Church during Luther’s time was more than a pan-European religious institution. It was also the unchallenged social, political, and even economic power. Having wielded unchallenged authority for so long, it was inevitable that corruption, nepotism (or to put it in modern political term, cronyism), and other unsavory practices would emerge among Church leaders.

A few examples will illustrate the decadent state, both with personnel as well as practices. The clergy was less concerned with ministering to the spiritual needs of the faithful than being powerful potentates indulging in the material offerings of their followers. The masses and the educated disliked the clergy class, offended by both their lifestyles and theological practices. The clergy class reserved unto themselves the sole right to interpret the bible, written as it was in the ancient and dying language of Latin. Mere mortals need not partake in such intellectual and spiritual exercises. Suffice for them to listen to the Sunday sermons and pithy wisdom dispensed by the priests and bishops.

While the peasants were struggling, the Church continued to use its funds to build ever larger and grander churches in Rome and elsewhere. Egregious abuses of power by the clergy were rampant. One Cardinal John of Lorraine, for example, received his first religious appointment at the tender age of three! No less scandalous, his nephew received the archbishoporic of Rheims, a significant position, at age 14. Church properties and titles became possessions of great families to be dispensed at their pleasure. One prelate, Albert of Brandenburg, spent his time traveling in style, attended by his mistresses tactfully dressed in male costumes. Well, at least they were not the choirboys!

The Church was no less ingenious in raising funds. Apart from the standard solicitation of gold for church appointments and dispensing repentances for the princes and other aristocrats, it initiated other novel schemes of extracting wealth from the masses. One such practice is “indulgence,” where the clergy would dispense pardons for the presumed sins of the faithful (or their loved ones), all for a fee of course. We are familiar with the Catholic confessionals, where every Sunday the faithful would confess their sins to and receive repentance from the priest sitting behind the closed curtain. Presumably the slate would thus be swept clean, ready for the following week’s transgressions. The only problem was that there was no exchange of cash or coins, but this was soon corrected by the avarice of the clergy. Enter the “indulgence” box.

With the tinkling of every dropped coin into these boxes, supposedly the doors to heaven would open for the salvation of a designated soul, or so the faithful were told. It was a sophisticated theological rendition of the old “wishing well” idea. The concept was a resounding success, with the rich and poor rushing to deposit their gold coins to save the souls of their departed loved ones. I can imagine at the end of the day the bishop coming home with the boxful of glittering gold. If he had not been tempted before, he would certainly be by now. Besides, he could always blame the devil for tempting him!

As a revenue-generating scheme, the indulgence box was pure genius. It certainly beat taxes and tithes where you would be forced to cough up the money. With indulgence boxes, the faithful willingly parted with their gold. The ploy was even better and more lucrative than church-sponsored bingos! With bingo there are eager participants too, but there will only be a few winners; the majority will receive nothing. With indulgence boxes, perversely all the participants felt that they were winners as they parted with their hard-earned coins. One could not concoct a better scheme than that! No wonder it was so popular, especially with the clergy class.

The indulgence boxes epitomized the corruption and depravity of the church that so enraged Luther and others. When he nailed his Theses on that church door, he was frontally challenging the establishment. He enumerated the egregious abuses and outright fraud perpetrated by the priests, a long list eloquently spelled out in a common language understood by the masses, and not in some obscure fancy Latin. The results were electric: the masses overwhelmingly supported him. The Church in turn demanded that he retract his accusations or face excommunication. Or worse! Luther did not budge but became even more strident in his denunciations.

In truth Luther was not the first to be incensed by the excesses of the Church. Two centuries earlier, England’s John Wycliffe too rebelled against the tyranny of the clergy. For that, he and his followers were persecuted. John Huss of Bohemia amplified on Wycliffe’s ideas and ended up by being burned at the stake. The risks to reformers then, as now, were indeed severe.

To appreciate why Luther succeeded and did not end up being burned at the stake as others before him were, it is necessary to examine other parallel events occurring at the time. He was helped considerably by four converging trends. First, the excesses and abuses of the church had been going on for centuries and that sooner or later they had to end, to implode. Luther appeared when conditions were just ripe, resentments and anger had reached a critical stage. Second, there appeared throughout Europe universities that were outside the influence of the church. At such centers like Oxford there emerged the new movement of humanism that emphasizes the centrality of man and his ideas. This directly challenged the hegemony of the church that hitherto felt it had the final and sole authority to interpret everything.

Third was the ready availability of the printing press that enabled ideas to spread far and wide, and very quickly too. Luther took full advantage of this new medium to disseminate his ideas. With the masses now able to read and reading materials widely available, the clergy no longer had the monopoly on knowledge or information. Last, with the emergence of the political idea of nation-state, Luther was able to capitalize on the national sentiments of the Germanic people against those of Latin Europe, in particular, Rome. Luther was greatly helped when the local bishops shipped off the gold (after their have taken their generous portion) to Rome for building yet another monument there.

What are the relevant lessons from the Reformation? The first is that institutions and people with entrenched and unchallenged power will inevitably be corrupted; the greater the power, the worse the corruption. It matters not who these individuals are, for even the most pious are not immune. Second, the more entrenched the power, the more difficult it would be to eradicate the abuses without dismantling the whole structure. The European Reformation resulted not only in the formation of many breakaway Protestant sects but it also spawned a counter reformation within the Catholic Church.

Third, Luther had been through and excelled in the system; thus he had great credibility when he challenged the existing order. Fourth, he personified the very opposite qualities for which he criticized the Church. Where the clergymen were ostentatious, Luther was modest; while they hid behind their obtuse Latin, Luther used the language of the common folk. Being highly educated, Luther was facile with Latin but he chose to communicate in the language of the masses. Additionally he had a complete and viable alternative program ready. He had written not only his Ninety-Five Theses but also a whole set of sermons, hymns, and catechisms for his new church so that when he was expelled from the Catholic Church, he had a ready alternative. Luther did not have to scramble from scratch.

By far his most important strategy was to align his movement with the emerging new ideals. He shrewdly capitalized on the burgeoning nationalism, effectively exploiting the “us versus them” theme – the “them” being the distant church in Rome and the Italians. Similarly, he aligned himself with the growing humanist movement of the day. All these convergences helped him succeed.

When I compare Luther’s reformation with the Malaysian reformasi, (at the risk of flattering Anwar Ibrahim, its leader, by comparing him to Martin Luther!) a number of glaring differences emerge. Like the Catholic Church in the Middle Age, Malaysia’s ruling party is also burdened by corruption and cronyism, a consequence of being in power for so long. Like an overripe jackfruit that was still hanging, UMNO is ready to fall anytime. Unlike an overripe jackfruit which gives off a sweet smell, an overripe ripe gives off, well, an overripe smell!

Anwar however, is no Luther. For one, his reformasi forces aligned themselves with foreign elements rather than domestic ones. It was as if Luther was trying to co-opt the Italians for support instead of his own German followers. For another, reformasi activists did maximize the use of the new medium of the Internet to galvanize support and to discredit the ruling Barisan government as Malaysians generally were not quite savvy with this new medium. At least not yet then! [Note: Things changed materially by the time of the 2008 general elections with Internet penetration reaching a critical mass. No longer having control of information, the ruling coalition suffered its greatest loss.]

While Luther’s Theses was detailed, articulate, and down to earth, Anwar’s Permatang Pauh Declaration (its “Mission Statement”) was brief, pompous, and pretentious. Luther’s views were well known as he had articulated them well and often. He even put down details of his church services right down to the hymns and sermons. He wrote voluminously.

In striking contrast, reformasi and the political party it spawned, Keadilan was not quite ready for prime time. Undoubtedly, Anwar’s jailing took the momentum away from the movement. Without him, the party was fumbling with such pivotal issues as the role of religion in a plural society, inequities within and between races, and special privileges for Bumiputras.

But the most critical lesson is how to prevent the government and other institutions in Malaysia from degenerating into a medieval Catholic Church. Distressingly Malaysia today is acquiring many of the unsavory characteristics of the medieval church. Malaysian institutions are under tight government control. Additionally, the government is a significant player in the economy, controlling many major corporations. As a result corporate decisions are influenced less by market factors than by political calculations. The most glaring example is Malaysia Airlines, which stumbles from one major crisis to another. Despite that it continues to be led by less-than-competent political appointees. Current political leaders in Malaysia are control freaks, unable or unwilling to relent.

The differences between the medieval Catholic Church and the Malaysian political establishment today are merely quantitative, a matter of degree. Unchecked, Malaysia too will meet the same fate as the medieval Catholic Church.

Family Of Five Died In An Accident

PEKAN, June 17 (Bernama) -- Family of five died in an MPV which collided with a trailer at KM88 Kuantan-Segamat road at 7.46 am Thursday.

For the people, by the people

  Malay Mail
by LIM KA EA

What they don’t show you on 'Malaysia Truly Asia' advertisements — Part 2

THE UN Millennium Development Goals call on all member States to provide universal education by 2015.

If the world collectively declares that education is key to eradicating poverty and ensuring gender equality, how then do we reassure the Orang Asli that their identity and values will not be compromised if they fully partake in our national education system? (Bear in mind that there are others we have met who do want their children to be educated but complain that education facilities have not been adequately provided to them by the authorities.)

The Philippines may have the answer to this social conundrum.

In 2005, the Asian Council for People’s Culture assisted different indigenous tribes in that country by setting up the Schools for Indigenous Knowledge and Traditions (SIKAT). This programme envisions a system at par with mainstream education but founded on the ways of life, traditions and culture of indigenous people (see: www.unescobkk.org).

What is most interesting about SIKAT is that the idea originated from the indigenous people themselves. Therefore, they own the concept and results of its implementation.

Important decisions are made by the SIKAT Council of Elders, consisting of 15 elected members of different tribes in the Philippines.

The programme has been successful despite various obstacles such as the lack of funding from the government, obtaining recognition from the Department of Education and in trying to develop a suitable and balanced curriculum.

This is perhaps something that our own government and civil society should look into. However, there is a need to ensure that while every possible option is being explored to help preserve the Orang Asli’s way of life, it is necessary to ensure that they feel part of the collective Malaysia.

It is unreasonable to expect them to integrate fully into mainstream society but it is equally erroneous to treat them as "foreign" or "exotic" groups of people. We should be careful not to regard them as part of Malaysia’s unique wildlife.

At the moment, there is simply insufficient information about the indigenous people (Orang Asli or OA) that can easily be accessed by the public. What we see or know of them is largely from our beautifully produced and expensive tourism advertisements and brochures and they are far from reality.

Since there is little opportunity for interaction with the OA, we often view them as "marginalised" people who are in need of our charity. It is not far from the truth as the only time we do actually interact with the OA is when we visit them with the intention of "giving" something.

My trip on May 22 to Kampung Bertang Lama, home to a Semai community in Pahang, allowed me to examine myself more closely. I saw myself in others when I was working in all those under-developed countries.

We entered the village having full confidence that we were doing something good. We treated the community with much caution and sensitivity that we were afraid of offending them or making them feel as if we were treating them differently.

At the same time, by doing so, we did not realise that we were actually magnifying the differences. We were telling them that we are not "equals", that they are weaker and more fragile. I remember telling my friend that they are not porcelain dolls. They’re just like us.

We told them that they have rights. We played with their children. We smiled and fussed over how cute the children are when there’s really nothing cute about scabies, malnutrition or illiteracy. We took photos of them as if they are rare finds or a disguised way of announcing to others the good deeds we had done over the weekend.

Yet, we could not name the faces on the photos. We could embrace the endorphin triggered from the trip so easily because once we were out of the village, we were no longer confronted by the ugliness whereas the ugliness does not end the moment we left. It continues.

We left feeling good just as I had left Timor Leste, Afghanistan, Ethiopia and Cambodia feeling good and convinced that I had done something good. The only difference is that the OA are Malaysians. I can never leave them behind but only return to them.

I finally realised that unless we leave behind something sustainable, everything else is only temporary like the endorphin.

Article 8 of our Federal Constitution states that all persons are equal before the law but my experience tells me otherwise. The Chinese believe that the outcome of a person’s life is determined by his/her destiny but my father has proven this theory wrong.

In the end, what really makes one person different from another? Noam Chomsky said that freedom without opportunities is the Devil’s gift. If the mouse that was born in the sewer was given an opportunity to find its way out or given access to rice, do you think it would have a chance at living a better life?

My father is who he is today because he embraced all the opportunities he has been given in life. Above all, he did not have to worry about feeding his family when he was a boy. He also did not have to walk for 20 kilometres every day just to have an education or wait for weeks before he could get a wound treated.

Poverty, illiteracy and fear are all debilitating diseases. They are devastating and ugly. But it is how we forgive our leaders or authorities (who are supposed to assist all Malaysians), whereas these Malaysians are paying for it, that makes it a crime.

We are all guilty of that crime and will continue to be until the day we no longer consider the OA cause as "charity-driven cause", or treat them as a "species threatened with extinction".

* LIM KA EA is the executive officer of the Constitutional Law Committee (ConstiLC) of Bar Council Malaysia (http://www.malaysianbar.org.my/constitutional_law_committee/).

The views expressed in this article are personal to the writer and may not necessarily represent the position of the Bar Council.

The ConstiLC is running a two-year nationwide MyConstitution campaign launched in November last year. The campaign was born of the collective desire of the ConstiLC’s membership of more than 150 members made up of lawyers, academics, students, media persons and activists to increase awareness of the Federal Constitution among all Malaysians – “Untuk Merakyatkan Perlembagaan”.

A unique, first-of-its-kind “The Enlightened Rakyat Workshop”, jointly organised by ConstiLC and Leaderonomics, will be conducted on July 10 (9am-6pm) at Menara Star in Petaling Jaya, as a means of enabling Malaysians to learn about themselves — the choices you are able to make, the impact you can have over Malaysia and the skills you have as a leader. Youths are especially encouraged to sign up, and space is limited to 50 participants only.

Visit http://www.perlembagaanku.com/2010/06/the-enlightened-rakyat-workshop/ to register and go to Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/MyConstitution for more information, or Twitter at http://twitter.com/MyConsti

Canadian property market receives lift

(Anil Netto) Hey, maybe I shouldn’t have gone into journalism.
Perhaps I should have gone into politics or property investment. But where to find all that money to invest?
I would be interested in some of these exclusive properties displayed on the Sarawak Report website.
The Canadian property market appears to be thriving. The Canadian government must be welcoming investors with foreign connections into the country’s property market.
What do you think? Did I choose the wrong line?

Probe potential Felda irregularities, MACC urged

Vasanthakumar says he wasn't arrested ...

Milton mother who killed baby detained indefinitely

Julia Lovemore was detained under the Mental Health Act

A mentally ill woman who killed her six-week-old daughter by sitting on her has been detained indefinitely.

Julia Lovemore, of The Rowans, Milton, near Cambridge, earlier admitted the manslaughter of baby Faith on the grounds of diminished responsibility.
Her daughter was declared dead on arrival at hospital on 17 June 2009.
The judge at Cambridge Crown Court said the 41-year-old was "profoundly mentally disordered and suffering from religious delusions at the time".
She was detained indefinitely under the Mental Health Act.
The court heard the mother-of-two had suffered mental health problems since the age of 26 and had recovered, but had a relapse after the birth of her first child in July 2006.
She and her husband were described a "religious fanatics" in court.
Julia Lovemore was visited by a community psychiatric nurse and a health visitor on the day of the killing.
When they arrived, they found her husband David Lovemore, 39, downstairs praying for his wife, and their older child was sitting on the stairs.
The 41-year-old and Faith were not seen by the visitors, who left to call for more help because they were disturbed by Mr Lovemore's behaviour, the court heard.
Prosecutor John Farmer said: "Unfortunately, neither of them sought to see the defendant and the best interpretation of events is that by then Faith was dead or dying because there would be no other reason why the husband of the defendant was so intensely engaged in prayer."

Continue reading the main story

I felt very unsettled, I would almost go as far as to say I was scared

Rebecca Hughes Community psychiatric nurse

Rebecca Hughes, the community psychiatric nurse, told police Mr Lovemore was stamping his feet and saying: "Take the devil out of Julia."
She said: "I have never ever seen him like that before. It was as if he was in a trance.
"I felt the situation was unstable. I was very worried about David, I feared he may be becoming psychotic.
"I felt very unsettled, I would almost go as far as to say I was scared."
Mr Farmer told the court Mr Lovemore walked into a doctor's surgery shortly afterwards with his elder child who had been doused in white spirit, and Faith who was dead.

Gordon Jeyes, of Cambridgeshire Safeguading Children's Board, said the family was visited regularly

Authorities were called after Lovemore hit the child over the head with a hairbrush in November that year, the court heard.
She was reported to police by her husband who himself suffered from "profound mental health problems", Mr Farmer said.
He said the child was put on the "at risk" register and in February 2009, when Lovemore was found to be pregnant with Faith, she was seen by a consultant psychiatrist who said she was at high risk of relapse.
The court heard the couple, both "religious fanatics", insisted on having the birth at home without any medical attention at all.
Several meetings were held after Faith was born on 3 May last year, and Mr Farmer said there were no concerns "apart from the administration of extreme religious views".
A meeting was held early in June 2009 which determined both children should remain on the "at risk" register, the court heard.
Lovemore's husband was originally charged with allowing Faith's death, but the prosecution was abandoned in April.
'Parent's responsibility' A serious case review into Faith's death was carried out by the Local Safeguarding Children's Board.
It said lessons learned included a need to improve the understanding of the nature of psychotic episodes and make sure it was shared and used in child protection processes.
The report added that maintaining key information about family history was essential in assessment of risk.
The link between the parents' religious beliefs and their mental health was only partially understood, and that monitoring plans between agencies must be clear about expectations on practitioners and followed, it added.
After sentencing, Det Supt Dan Vajzovic said: "This was a tragic case which saw a young life ended deliberately.
"Every child has the right to be protected and feel safe in their own home and it is a parent's responsibility to ensure this is the case."

Anwar Ibrahim, Lim Kit Siang and Hadi Awang’s by default racist, supremacist and segregationist Higher Education Policy against especially poor Indian students by omission.

PKR top leader and Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim, DAP Supremo Lim Kit Siang and PAS President Hadi Awang’s pin drop silence on the issue of especially top Indian students being excluded from being granted JPA Scholarships, Matriculations and Universities places speaks a thousand words.

This can only mean that they support UMNO’s racist, supremacist and segregationist. They have no intention to rectify that if and when they come to power. Higher Education Policy in Malay-sia especially against the poor Malaysian Indian students.

On the Gaza Flotilla issue these PKR, DAP and PAS leaders, visibly excited and energised, on the very first day of this Parliament session on 7/6/10 had rightly supported an UMNO motion on the same.

But that Indians are being excluded and segregated problem by UMNO from the mainstream National Higher Education Policy of Malay-sia for 53 long years has never been seriously opposed by the opposition Leader in Parliament and the top leaders of PAS and DAP. Why? But they all claim to be multi-racial! What multi-racialism is this other than to fish for the Indian votes?

But to divert and dilute from this critical Indian problem Anwar Ibrahim, Lim Kit Siang and Hadi Awang’s political rhetoric is that there are also poor students among the Malay, Orang Asli, Kadazan and Iban. But the issue is not that of being economically poor. The issues is that of being denied entry places even if qualified.

And the reality is 99% of the victims are the poor Indians. The Kadazan and Iban run the whole Sabah and Sarawak state governments to secure their welfare and well being of their people, or are not prepared to take up the higher education opportunities as they may be contented in their ancestral villages and land safety net. The sky is the limit for Malays, Kadazans, Ibans and Orang Asli in education. Is this not so?

The orang asli may be similarly contended and in any event has the Jabatan Orang Asli to take care of their welfare and well being.

Anwar Ibrahim and Hadi Awang keep silent because the Malay muslims are benefitting from this UMNO racist religious extremist and Malay muslim supremacist Education and Higher Education discriminatory policies. So Anwar and Hadi do not care.

Lim Kit Siang keeps silent because most of the Chinese community who control about 70% of the country’s local economy can afford and have avenues to send their children overseas or to the local private universities to persue Higher education. So he and DAP does not care. It is not that big an issue for the Chinese community. It is not critical as it is for the Indians. So their lackadaisical attitude!

The simplest of logical explanation is that in a quota based country a loss to the Indians is a gain for the Malays and Chinese! It is a zero sum game! The MIC and Indian elite pick up the crumbs thrown by UMNO, or are in a position to similarly send their children overseas or to local private universities. So they too do not care about the 99% poor wage earning and the lower middle class Malaysian Indians.

Some middle class and lower middle class Malaysian Indians end up selling their only house or land, utilize their Employees Provident Fund, life savings to fund their children’s higher education. In fact the dying breed of Indian doctors, lawyers, journalists, etc came by their own financing and with no or very little government financial help.

We agree that UMNO’s continuous rule of Malaysia without a break in the chain has to be put to an end at all cost. In the circumstances we are not going to give PKR, DAP or PAS a blank cheque to Putrajaya. We will be the check and balance on PKR, DAP and PAS like how the Liberal Party is to the ruling Conservative Party in Britian

HRP’s Project 15/38 creation of 15 and 38 Indian majority parliamentary and state seats is the only forward.

P. Uthayakumar

Video HINDRAF & HRP: ABOLISH STPM

Video: HINDRAF / HRP Memo to PM Najib Razak at Parliament 15/6/10 Part 2

SB plant ASP Vasanthakumar’s solo “arrest” but no arrest of 200 Hindraf & HRP SPM demo outside Parliament yesterday 15/6/10

Beware of this police Special Branch E3M who has been given the letter of appointment as one of the five “Hindraf leaders” and then in their operational warfare to lead the supposed “Team B” “within” Hindraf and to split up Hindraf in PDRM’s Ops Padam Hindraf.

A google search  on this police mole will reveal zero involvement  in any form of social activism in any NGO or political parties in pre 25th November 2007.

This ASP is now also being used by ex UMNO PKR leader Anwar Ibrahim to reutralise HRP/Hindraf, and to divert attention away from the present up to 13As top Indian students being denied scholarships, matriculation and university places.

And now as usual PKR, DAP and PAS, ala BN, is “to set up” a committee to “look into” this SPM problem and Anwar Ibrahim gets this police ASP mole to announce this in the Tamil media (MN 16/6/10 front page).

It is a wonder  why Anwar Ibrahim is yet to co-opt this ASP into the PKR Supreme Council or PKR’s political forum. After all Anwar publicly recognizes this ASP as a “Hindraf leader and “ex ISA detainee”!

Karunai Nithi @ Compassionate Justice

 

UMNO’s PPP Deputy Minister mandore performs his mandore job at “Govt fair in PSD scholarships."

(See The Star 14/6/2010 at page N16)

You see now how UMNO has got away scot free by practicing racism, segregationist and supremacist policies against even the fifth and sixth generation Malaysian born Indians using their MIC and PPP mandores, and now ably aped by even the PKR, DAP and PAS state governments in Selangor, Penang and Kedah also using their Indian MP DCM II Exco, Adun, Councilor, JKKK and Ketua Kampung Indian mandores.

They have Unisel largely for Malays but none for Indians and Chinese, and this is not an issue for the Pakatan Indian and Chinese mandores.

P. Uthayakumar

UMNO: No pay rise for security guards because substantial number of them are Indians

(See The Star 14/6/10 at page N17).

Vide the Hindraf 18 Point demands dated 12/7/2007, we have demanded minimum wage of RM 1,300 per month for all Malaysians (reviewed at RM 100 increment per year).

P. Uthayakumar

UMNO says NO Tamil POL during school hours

But UMNO beats around the bush and plays kosong obsolete political rhetoric by the Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin that POL is ‘not compulsory’ etc (NST 16/6/2010 at page

11 Indian DAP, PKR and PAS MP mandores but zero emergency motion top SPM students

MIC of P.R PKR, DAP and PAS does not mandate them to speak up on Indian issues.

Anwar Ibrahim, Lim Kit Siang and Hadi Awang merely use these eleven (11) Indian MP mandores as their mandores, like how UMNO/BN had been using the MIC and PPP as their Mandores in the last 53 years.

A Indian DAP Senator mandore was quick to file within days an emergency motion on Aminulrasyid being shot dead by the police. And suck up to his bosses. Similarly all these PKR, DAP and PAS Indian MP mandores spoke up and pro-actively on Teoh Beng Hock’s police murder.

These 11 PKR, DAP and PAS mandores are only a la MIC showcase in PR. Their party policy prohibits them from speaking up on Indian issues. They know this and we know this.

The only hope left for the Malaysian Indians now is HRP’s project 15/38 ie the creation of 15 and 38 Indian majority seats and winning the same.

P. Uthayakumar

Government distances itself from Perkasa

KUALA LUMPUR, June 16 — The government today denied that it has been backing the Malay rights group Perkasa, adding that administration does not focus solely on any ethnic group.

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz told the Dewan Rakyat the formation of Perkasa does not mean the government has failed to protect the interest of the Malays.

“The government has nothing to do with the formation of Perkasa. The group is a non-governmental organisation (NGO), which has no ties with the government of Malaysia,” said Nazri in a written reply to the Parliament.

He was responding to a question by Tanah Merah MP Amran Ghani who asked if the government was behind the setting up of Perkasa.

“The matter has nothing to do with the question of whether the government is able to protect the interest of the Malays because the government of Malaysia is a government for all and will act for every citizen of Malaysia,” said Nazri in a two-paragraph answer.

Perkasa was formed soon after Election 2008 by independent Pasir Mas MP Datuk Ibrahim Ali who claimed that it was a response to increasing threats to the Malays.

The group has successfully turned into a pressure group in ensuring the government continues to protect what Perkasa calls the constitutional position of the Malays, in particular the pro-Bumiputera policy in awarding of government projects and scholarships.

Late last month a Perkasa-led Bumiputera Economic Congress passed a resolution rejecting the New Economic Model (NEM) which the group claimed abandons the pro-Bumiputera policy.

The government’s decision to retain the Bumiputera agenda in the Tenth Malaysia Plan (10MP) tabled last week, was seen by Perkasa as a sign of the congress’ success.

Pay us or get sued, DAP warns 'millionaire' defectors

By Rahmah Ghazali - Free Malaysia Today,

VIDEO INSIDE KUALA LUMPUR: DAP today revealed that all its elected representatives have inked a loyalty pledge, and those who breached the contract must pay RM5 million to the party.

According to Perak DAP chief Ngeh Koo Ham, the representatives inked the document before contesting in the last general election.

Yesterday, Malim Nawar assemblyman Keshvinder Singh became the second DAP rep in Perak to quit the party since last year. The first was Hee Yit Foong, the assemblywoman for Jelapang.

Speaking to reporters in Parliament, Ngeh said if the two, whom he alleged could have received millions to abandon ship, paid the money, it will be channelled to the people.

"Hee and Keshvinder signed the agreement when they became candidates stating that they will pay RM5 million in compensation to DAP if they quit or joined another party,” he added.

Legal action threat

Meanwhile, Ngeh warned that if the two do not settle their debt, the party will initiate legal action against them.

"First, we will send them a letter of demand. If they can pay up immediately (with the money they had allegedly received), we don't need to go to court," he said.

According to him, DAP did not want to reveal the existence of the contract previously because it might give the public the wrong impression.

"People will think that DAP is trying to punish the state reps or benefit from this contract. But these people must not benefit from betraying the voters.

“Action will be taken against them over this contract, and rest assured, whatever sum we make from this will be for the people," he said.Ngeh said DAP will prepare the letter of demand after the party's central executive council meeting next Monday.

DAP to hold rally soon
Meanwhile in IPOH, the state DAP has decided to hold a rally in Mambang Di Awan New Village explain Keshvinder's defection.

Perak DAP secretary Nga Kor Ming said today DAP chairman Karpal Singh, DAP advisor Lim Kit Siang, DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng, and PAS MP for Bukit Gantang and former Perak menteri besar Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin would attend the gathering. No date has been set for the rally.

He said a meeting of the Perak DAP late last night also decided that a DAP community service centre be set up in the Malim Nawar state constituency, to be administered by Keranji state rep Chen Fook Chye.
Watch DAP secretary-general and Penang CM Lim Guan Eng's comments on Keshvinder's defection.

Cabinet drops plan for new Parliament building

By G Vinod and Syed Jaymal Zahiid - Free Malaysia Today

KUALA LUMPUR: Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Mohd Nazri Aziz said today the government is mulling moving Parliament to the Putrajaya International Convention Centre (PICC).

The move is awaiting Cabinet approval pending a report from the Works Ministry on the cost of the relocation, Nazri told a press conference in Parliament.

He said that the Cabinet, acceding to objections from lawmakers of both sides, has rejected the original idea of spending RM800 million on a new Parliament building in Putrajaya.

It learnt that the renovation and the refurbishment exercise on the current PICC building to accommodate the parliamentarians may cost the taxpayers about RM50 million.

Nazri said the government was considering PICC as the cost of improving the current building would cost about RM150 million.

"We can stay here but we would need RM150 million for wiring, roofing and others to improve the building. But while the renovation takes place, Parliament has sit to somewhere else and the Public Works Department estimated RM50 million for this," said Nazri, who added that renovation work would also take about two to three years.

"There was a suggestion in the Cabinet that we take the PICC. It is under-utilised and the revenue was not enough to recover the cost," he said.

PAS MP: A waste of funds

Despite the latest development, Kuala Selangor MP Dzulkefly Ahmad was least impressed by the plan.

The PAS central working committee member said though the price tag for the renovation work is expected to be around RM50 million, he's not convinced by the figure.

“The BN government has a penchant for escalating its costs during renovation works. It may cost RM50 million now but by the time the refurbishment works are done, the price would have escalated to hundreds of millions,” said Dzulkefly.

He also said that embarking on massive projects at a time where the nation is facing financial constraints did not make sense and it would be prudent to channel funds to critical sectors.

Dzulkefly added that having a new Parliament building does not mean we will have quality lawmakers at hand.

“It is more important for us to elevate our parliamentary practices to world-class quality instead of wasting funds erecting more buildings.

“Plus, the current august House has an aesthetic and historical value. Even the British are using their old Parliament House which is hundreds of years old,” he said.

On June 9, the Cabinet announced its plan to move Parliament house to Putrajaya at a cost of RM800 million.

PICC another white elephant

PICC, a state-of-the-art convention centre, had only generated a revenue of RM2 million last year, said Nazri.

The government had spent RM600 million for its construction and Nazri said it would take 300 years to cover the cost, given its failure to generate high revenue.

"So rather than spending money on something that is temporary, it would be better (to spend) on something permanent," he said.

The Cabinet had decided on the matter three weeks ago, he said, adding that PWD has been instructed to prepare a report on the cost of relocating Parliament to the PICC.

The government had already spent close to RM100 million on the existing Parliament building's internal refurbishments and improvements five years ago.

Najib comes under fire for 'security breach'

By G Vinod - Free Malaysia Today,


KUALA LUMPUR: An opposition leader has taken Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak to task over the proposed relocation of the Sungai Besi air force base in lieu of a development project there.

PKR vice-president Azmin Ali also suggested that in its desperation to revive the economy, Najib's administration was willing to compromise the nation's security, dignity and sovereignity.

“There is a trend under the new administration to make national assets disappear through the sale of strategic areas to family and cronies,” said the Gombak MP when debating the 10th Malaysia Plan (10MP) in Parliament yesterday.

On June 10, Defence Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi announced that the Sungai Besi airport will be relocated to make way for the “Greater Kuala Lumpur” development project under the 10MP.
The minister said the plan is still under discussion, and talk is that the new air force base might be housed in Dengkil.

However, Azmin stressed that its current location was vital from a security viewpoint.
“The airport is the only strategic facility in the frontier city. It also houses the Air Force Operations Centre (POTU) which has the integrated air defence radar supplemented by the Malaysia Air Defence Ground Environment (MADGE),” he said.

Azmin explained that MADGE is an integrated satellite system that has real time battle air picture with direct communication with Butterworth, Kuantan and Bukit Ibam.

“It took about 10 years for the military to perfect this system. Can the government guarantee that during the relocation process, the radar system will not be compromised?” he asked.

Azmin also said the cost to relocate the high technology radar system will inflate the national defence budget, which is already shrouded in secrecy.

He also noted that the Sungai Besi aiport is also where mercy flight operations are handled such as in providing relief for victims of tragedies.

Is Bukit Aman and Putrajaya next?

On a sarcastic note, Azmin asked when the government proposed to sell the Ministry of Defence, Bukit Aman and Putrajaya.

The PKR leader also lashed out at the government for not offering an open tender system in selling the 400 acres of land in Sungai Besi.

Prodding further, he said the proposed development project involves two companies, 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) and Malton Bhd.

“1MDB is linked to one Jho Low who is regarded as a 'mystery man who spends a lot of money in New York night clubs' as reported by the New York Post,” he added.

Azmin also questioned the role of one “Datin Cindy” in the awarding of this prime land to the two companies.
“I have been told that Datin Cindy is the shopping partner of the this country's top leader's wife,” he said, referring to Najib's wife, Rosmah Mansor.

Mahfuz: Too little information

Meanwhile, PAS deputy president Mahfuz Omar echoed Azmin's views in stating that the plan to sacrifice the Sungai Besi air force base for commercial development was both dangerous and against the concept of overall defence.

“The move will cause the country to lose a strategic defence base in the centre of town. TUDM is a key element in national defence and an integral part of the concept of overall defence.

“It is not appropriate to do away with this strategic defence base merely to fulfil the needs of a crony, ” said the Pokok Sena MP.

Mahfuz also wanted to know the risks involved in the transfer of highly sensitive and critical Electronic Warfare Support Centre (EWSC) facility when the base is relocated.

“Why is the government pretending not to know about the facility when electronic warfare is crucial and critical to our defence. 

He said the shifting of the facilities would take a long time and in the process the country would lose control over its air force operations systems.

He also said the government has given no indication as to where the new air base would be located.

“The defence minister has only announced that the air base will be transferred to another site that will be announced later. He has not said where it will be.

“He has also not disclosed any information on the costs of commissioning, compensation and other indirect expenses. All these payouts will have to be borne by TUDM, the military and the people,” he said.

“I just hope the government is not making another blunder like it did with its sale of the Majidee and Ampang transit camps in Penang and its army quarters in Batu Uban. Those decisions left the country without a back-up defence facility,” he said.

Eli's sex scandal resurfaces: 'Anwar promised us videos'

By Syed Jaymal Zahiid - Free Malaysia Today

FULL REPORT KUALA LUMPUR: Independent Bayan Baru MP Zahrain Mohd Hashim today accused his former boss Anwar Ibrahim of trying to cover up the sex scandal involving Selangor executive councillor Elizabeth Wong.

He also told the Dewan Rakyat that Anwar was the one who instructed Kulim Bandar Baru MP Zulkifli Noordin to attack Wong in a bid to pressure the Bukit Lanjan assemblywoman to quit.

"He promised us a video of hers... even of her eating ice cream (performing oral sex) but until this day we have yet to see it," he said during the debate on the 10th Malaysia Plan.

Zulkifli was then an MP from PKR. He has since been sacked and sits in the House as an independent.

Zahrain said Zulkifli's sacking reflected what he described as Anwar's hypocrisy and excessive politicking within PKR.

"She (Wong) was retained as an exco but Zulkifli was instead criticised for attacking her and defending Islam," he added.

Wong had volunteered to resign but Selangor Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim decided to retain the first-term assemblywoman, saying the sex-video scandal was a personal matter.

Wee joins in

Backing Zahrain was Independent Wangsa Maju MP Wee Choo Keong who said that the alleged cover-up could be a sign that Anwar and PKR condoned such acts.

Both Wee and Zahrain quit PKR recently, citing loss of confidence in Anwar's leadership and the party.

Chaos erupted in the House when Yusmadi Yusof (PKR-Balik Pulau) rose to defend Anwar and demanded that Deputy Speaker Ronald Kiandee stop the two from making "malicious" allegations.

Kiandee, however, said that Wee and Zahrain had the right to demand an explanation from Anwar on his allegation that the reps who quit PKR had received RM2 million.

Zahrain had earlier said that Anwar had failed to back his allegation and had used the sex-scandal issue to retaliate against his accuser.

His speech, believed to contain more allegations against Anwar, was cut short following instructions by the deputy speaker.

They are voting with their feet

So the government wants to address this problem by keeping Malaysian students at home in local universities. Would this solve the problem or would it just mean we would be churning our second-grade students? Are we addressing the brain drain by churning our brain dead students?

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

Nazri Aziz says that if Malaysia stops sending students overseas then this will reduce the brain drain that the country is suffering from. He proposes that to stop Malaysians from leaving the country we must not send them overseas for their education but instead educate them in local universities.

Well, read the various news reports below. Then you will see the real reason why the government is going to stop sending Malaysians overseas.

It is not really about the money, then, as they first said it is. After all, we are building a new palace and a new parliament building that is estimated to cost RM1.6 billion in total after spending about RM150 million to renovate these two buildings not that long ago. And, over the next five years, we are going to spend RM63 billion on 52 massive projects (see here: 10MP - Conspiracy of the Rich).

So it looks like we do have money to burn. It is just that we are not going to spend this money to educate our students in overseas universities. Instead, we are going to spend it on massive projects, which would most likely end up in the hands of crony-companies or negotiated without tender like what normally happens.

The government is worried that if Malaysian students are sent overseas they may get exposed to a better way of life and would open their eyes to how much better other countries are compared to Malaysia. And once they have celik (woken up or opened their eyes) they may not want to go home to Malaysia. And the news reports below not only show that this problem is real but that the government is very worried about it as well.

By ‘locking up’ the students in local universities and by not allowing them to see that the grass in greener on the other side the government hopes that this will reduce the brain drain. Maybe the government forgot that we are now living in the age of the information revolution and even though these students can’t physically be in another country they certainly are aware of what is going on beyond our shores.

It makes sense that it is more difficult for Malaysians to migrate when they have never left the country compared to if they have already been living in another country the last three or four years. It is a sort of mental thing. Since you never ‘tasted’ another country you will not long for it. So the government keeps the students at home to prevent them from developing a taste for another country.

Instead of ‘imprisoning’ the students at home to prevent them from ‘escaping’, the government should explore the reason why many Malaysians want to leave their country of birth and take their chances in another country. What can another country offer them that Malaysia can’t?

The number of Malaysians leaving for greener pastures is very high. And it is no longer just Chinese and Indians. Many Malays are leaving as well. In short, one million or so Malaysians have voted with their feet. And this is a vote of no confidence for Malaysia. What more can I say? The people have given up on their country. And they have shown this by voting with their feet.

You may say that one million Malaysians leaving is no big deal when two or three million foreigners have taken up Malaysian citizenship. True, one million leave and two to three million replace them. But these one million are quality one million. They are high-income earners and more than half possess a tertiary education, mostly from overseas universities. The two to three million ‘replacements’ are low-income labourers with no or very little education.

Also, don’t forget the cost to bring up and educate these Malaysians. From standard one up to university level, that is a total of about 15 or 16 years, it could cost up to a million to bring up and educate each Malaysian (what both the parents and government have to pay). Even if it were just up to form five or college level it would still come to a lot of money. And all this money would be ‘lost’ to another county that now gets these people for free and paid for by Malaysia.

Then these people earn good money in another country and pay local taxes. This money does not go back to Malaysia. So Malaysia, again, loses. The two to three million ‘new’ Malaysians, however, are from poor families so they do not spend their money locally -- they do not even pay taxes -- and they send this money home to support their poor families that depend on them.

Malaysia is losing billions in foreign exchange every month because of this.

So Malaysia does not really benefit from these foreigners now holding Malaysian papers because they do not contribute to the economy other than provide a source of cheap labour for jobs which Malaysians do not want anyway. Malaysians want better and higher-paying jobs, which they can get by leaving the country. And these high-paying jobs attract taxes, which overseas Malaysians pay to the country of their adoption.

So the government wants to address this problem by keeping Malaysian students at home in local universities. Would this solve the problem or would it just mean we would be churning our second-grade students? Are we addressing the brain drain by churning our brain dead students?

Let us not forget, education is not just about academic results. It is also about how you are developed and taught how to rationalise. And the fact that Malaysia stifles students and prevents them from thinking lest they become anti-government means we are not allowing Malaysians the best education and the freedom to flourish.

Sure, we would get ‘compliant’ students, those who toe the line and do not become too ‘independent’. But this also means all we would get are robots who are unable to think for themselves and can only think what they have been programmed to think by their universities, BTN, and whatnot.

Finally, Malaysia is going to become a country with a true third-world mentality.

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Nazri says ending scholarships may stop brain drain

Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz has defended the government’s plans to redeploy bright students to study locally instead of overseas, arguing that this could prevent a further ‘brain-drain’ of talent.

“Sending overseas students causes brain-drain where some of them won’t want to come back after studying there for a few years.”

“If you keep sending students overseas, when are we going to improve our standards (locally)?” Nazri told The Malaysian Insider earlier this week.

He also believed that the money saved from the scrapping of the Public Service Department’s (PSD) overseas scholarships will be put to better use in ‘improving the facilities’ of local universities.

The Minister in the Prime Minister’s department said that if the federal government keeps sponsoring billions of ringgit for students to go abroad to study, local universities would never get to improve.

Nazri claimed that by channelling funds as well as the country’s brightest students within the confines of local universities, the “infrastructure” as well as quality of these institutions would gradually improve.

“We are concentrating on increasing the number of local universities, learning institutions at home. The money can be better off used to improve facilities here,” said Nazri. -- The Malaysian Insider

(READ MORE HERE: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/nazri-says-ending-scholarships-may-stop-brain-drain/)

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350,000 Malaysians are working abroad

Between 1960 and 2005, the world’s registered migration increased to an average of 919,302 per nation, an increase of 2.4 times. However, Malaysia’s emigration numbers rose to 1,489,168, an almost 100-fold increase over the 45-year period.

The recent report by the National Economic Advisory Council (NEAC) on the New Economic Model (NEM) laments that “we are not developing talent and what we do have are leaving”.

The report says that currently, some 350,000 Malaysians are working abroad with over half of them having tertiary education.

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2010/5/16/nation/6273783&sec=nation

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304,358 Malaysians reported to have migrated from March 2008 to August 2009

The number of Malaysians who surrendered their citizenship has almost doubled in this year, according to Deputy Foreign Minister Senator A. Kohilan Pillay, who revealed today that about 3,800 Malaysians have given up their citizenships to date compared to 2,000 last year.

This figure, however, is much smaller than the 304,358 Malaysians who were reported to have migrated from March 2008 to August 2009.

There was nevertheless a sharp rise in the number of Malaysians who registered themselves as having moved abroad with 210,000 of them doing so from January to August this year compared with 94,000 from March to December 2008.

http://jelas.info/2009/12/02/migration-of-malaysians-increasing-exponentially-whats-the-real-reason/

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Malaysians migrated: almost half a million since 2007

The Deputy Foreign Minister Senator A Kohilan Pillay announced in the Dewan Rakyat on November 30 that the number of Malaysian citizens who had migrated overseas from March 2008 to August the same year was 304,358. He said the figure from the same period in 2007 was 139,696.

It is quite normal for citizens of various countries to migrate elsewhere for various reasons. But the large numbers of Malaysians who have chosen to just uproot themselves and move to live and die in another country is really quite shocking.

Extrapolate these numbers to a long period of a few decades, and we can then begin to grasp the extent of this outward exodus of our citizens to countries like Australia, New Zealand, UK, USA, and Canada!

http://www.theborneopost.com/?p=3158

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Unofficially, a figure of 1 million talented Malaysians working overseas has been bandied about

So far, there is no concrete or official data to gauge the number of Malaysian professionals working overseas.

In a study done by Winters, et al (2007), which the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (Mosti) quoted last year during the Brain Gain Malaysia workshop organised by the United Nations Development Programme, it was estimated that in 2000, there were 785,000 Malaysians residing overseas, with about 40% of them being based in Singapore; 30% in member countries of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development such as the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and United Kingdom; 20% in other Asean countries including Brunei, Indonesia and the Philippines, and 10% in other regions of the world.

Unofficially, a figure of 1 million talented Malaysians working overseas has been bandied about.

http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2010/2/6/business/5614304&sec=business

Malaysia university drive against terrorism

(AFP) - – Malaysia's government will enlist the help of universities to stop Islamic militants using campuses as recruitment centres for their violent struggle, according to the deputy premier.

Muhyiddin Yassin said police would hold a special briefing for university administrators following the recent deportation of 10 foreigners for trying to recruit Malaysian students to wage holy war overseas.

The militants were detained earlier this year for trying to revive the Southeast Asian terror group Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) by attracting new members from Malaysian universities.

The organisation has been linked to Al-Qaeda and blamed for major attacks in the region, including the 2002 Bali bombings.

"A special briefing will be given... it will discuss the form of cooperation that can be taken among all parties to curb this unhealthy trend which can affect national security," Muhyiddin told the Bernama news agency late Tuesday.

"The police have a lot of information and know movements, so the cooperation of all parties is very important to safeguard national security," added Muhyiddin, who is also the education minister.

Police chief Musa Hassan said two university campuses were being monitored as some local and foreign students from the Middle East and Africa were spreading jihadist ideology, the New Straits Times reported Wednesday.

"Action will be taken if they (the foreigners) go overboard," Musa told the paper, without naming the universities. The police chief could not be reached for comment.

Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said Tuesday foreign militants were using mainly-Muslim Malaysia as a base, confirming there were both religious and non-Islamic militant groups operating in the country.

He said the militants were using Malaysia to carry out financial transactions, share information and recruit new members.

Diskin: Removing Blockade Dangerous

By BY REBECCA ANNA STOIL AND AP
16/06/2010

Shin Bet Chief: There is no humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip.

Shin Bet Chief Yuval Diskin warned Tuesday of the danger of giving in to world demands to lift the naval blockade of Gaza, dismissing international checks of ships’ cargoes as a possible solution to the problem.

Speaking to the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee a day before a key security cabinet meeting to discuss the future of the Gaza blockade, Diskin said there was room to further relax the import of products to the Gaza Strip through land crossings.

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“I find the opening of the naval blockade to be a very dangerous development,” Diskin warned MKs during the closed-door session.

“The possibility of Gaza building a port would be an enormous hole [in security], despite the possibility that international checks of cargo could be carried out before the ships reach Gaza,” he added, ruling out suggestions aired in recent days that Gaza-bound boats be inspected by international observers at a neutral port, such as Cyprus, before entering Israeli waters.

World attention has been focused on Israel’s blockade of the coastal region following the attempt by the Turkish-sponsored international flotilla to bring products, including wheelchairs and building materials, into Gaza two weeks ago.

But in the face of international claims, Diskin emphasized that “there is no humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip.”

“I have no problems with an easing-up regarding the transfer of goods into Gaza,” said Diskin, adding that the truly dangerous items were smuggled into the coastal area through tunnels in the southern border with Egypt. Among those items, he warned, were a number of rockets capable of reaching the Tel Aviv area.

‘5,000 Rockets in the Gaza Strip’

According to the security chief, Hamas and Islamic Jihad together have an arsenal of approximately 5,000 rockets in the Gaza Strip, of which some 80 percent are held by Hamas.

Abu Ahmad, spokesman for the military wing of the Islamic Jihad, would not confirm or deny Diskin’s estimate, but added, “The attempt to link this information to lifting the siege on Gaza reflects the enemy’s bad intentions. Israel is cooking up excuses and pretexts to maintain the unjust siege.”

The majority of the estimated 5,000 projectiles are homemade rockets with ranges of up to 40 km., but the “imports,” Diskin said, came through tunnels connecting to the Sinai – and the quality of these tunnels, he added, was “improving.”

“Smuggling in Sinai is an integral part of daily life there,” Diskin emphasized, “and it is a central source of income for the local Beduin.”

He added that “Sinai is a focal point for al-Qaida ‘refugees’ fleeing Iraq through Jordan. All kinds of terror associates come to Sinai from the Gaza Strip, as do representatives of Hizbullah. Sinai is a large area that is difficult to control through the entry permits that are issued.”

General Election Is Going To Be A Surprise, Says Najib

TUMPAT, June 16 (Bernama) -- Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said the government would not dissolve parliament to make way for the general election based on one opinion that people favoured him, but the election date would in fact be a surprise to all.

Without giving any indication that the elections would be held soon, he said a lot of factors had to be considered before fixing the general election date.

"I cannot say one way or the other. If it (general election) happens, it will be a surprise.

"What is important is to work hard in the spirit of 1Malaysia," he told reporters after a meet-the-people session at the Machimmaram temple, here Wednesday.

He was commenting on former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad's suggestion that Najib consider calling for a fresh general election soon, now that he is enjoying his highest approval rating since assuming office in April last year.

Dr Mahathir said that going by the latest survey carried out by the Merdeka Centre for Opinion Research, Najib stood more than a good chance of leading the Barisan Nasional (BN) to a handsome win.

From the Merdeka Centre survey made public last week, 72 per cent of Malaysians were satisfied with Najib's performance, which was higher than the 69 per cent he received in April.

Divided into ethnic groups, the survey found 77 per cent of Malays, 58 per cent of Chinese and 80 per cent of Indians expressing satisfaction with the prime minister's performance.

Najib said BN must first concentrate on strengthening itself before preparing for the next general, while it also needed a strong line-up of leaders.

He said BN could not depend on one survey to decide when to call the next general election as a lot of factors must be considered.

On his visiting the Sultan of Kelantan Tuanku Ismail Petra on Wednesday, Najib said it was a personal and not a working visit.

"The Sultan's condition is improving based on the briefing by the Sultan's personal doctor," he said.

Penang Botanic Garden arch leans further

Who needs the Leaning Tower of Pisa when we have the Leaning Arch of Penang!

To find out once and for all whether one of the two arches there is really leaning, ’someone’ set up two plumb lines last night at the arch.
He found that not only is the arch tilting dangerously, it has worsened since the use of the theodolite in early May. It was then five inches off the vertical, but is now 15 inches.
The upright stick corresponds to where the string starts at the top of the arch. The lead plumb that you can see (metal upside down pyramid thing) should be where the stick should be IF it is perfectly vertical. You can see that the plumb is way off, by about 15 inches.
It also looks like its tilting both along the major as well as the minor axes, assuming the two arches were perfectly aligned to start off with.
Thanks to this mysterious ’someone’ for this expose and the public service rendered.