Dear PM: Don't Start Everything but Do Finish a Few Properly....

As we await the announcement of the next general elections, the PM has come out with a plea for more time to implement his plans.

In the report, he said,
"There was expectation that this or that has to be done. It’s not that we haven’t done anything. I have begun to implement practically everything that I have promised,” .

Of course we all know that unravelling the intricate and widespread web of corruption that engulfs the nation after 50 years of BN administration is tough and we wonder if he is the right person to lead the charge.

There is no point postulating grand visions for the next 20 or 30 years when we know the next 5 years budget is going nowhere when corruption will eat up 30% of the money and the results will not be satisfactory.

We know these two important parts of the body that is Malaysia are sick but the remedies are hardly inspired :

1.We need a good police force but alas the IPCMC could/would not be implemented because the senior officers protested. My goodness - will we scrap university exams if students complain studying to become doctors or engineers is too tough?

2.The Judiciary appears to be wallowing in a deep cesspool as indicated by the ongoing RCI. Based on the former CJ's testimony, he seems he could not reject the lawyer's plans to tag along for days.

We do not know the whole story behind these 2 major mill-stones for the nation's future and we need reforms urgently and within the next 12 months. Can you list the steps to be taken with a new mandate?

These are steps that can be done and all it takes is a change of mind-set that the DPM speaks about so fervently:

1.Abolish the 8 to 15% discounts for Bumi property buyers unless it is the first property being bought. Why grant subsidised property and housing rates to some who may already be millionaires?

2.Stop using taxpayers' monies to fund BN activities. You cannot use your office to hold BN Supreme Council meetings during office hours. No wonder many civil servants run personal errands and conduct private business deals during office hours. They are just following your bad example.

3.Take firm action to bring back the scholarship holders who refuse to return by not renewing their passports abroad. Advise the host nation that these recalcitrants have breached their contracts and inform them the passports will not be renewed.



Photo: Thanks to the Star

Malaysia's General Elections Scam......

Perhaps we should not get scandalised when the CJ of Malaysia suggests that all is well when he allows a lawyer to tag along with him for a few days while on a trip abroad. Maybe he did not know how to read the confusing road signs in NZ where the names of places are so long and look so foreign.

Just look at how the top leaders go about so shamelessly touting their parties while using government facilities on national tours. So far the following lollipops have been given to the kids:

RM10m for Chinese schools.

RM50 increase in allowance fo all NS trainees.

Thaipusam being declared a public holiday for KL and Putrajaya.

A few days ago, the DPM was in JB to disburse some monies for the flood victims in Johor. Of course the traffic police had to hold up motorists wanting to use the Tebrau Highway as his lordship wanted to rush through so as to avoid protesters or terrorists, I do not know. There was even a helicopter riding shot-gun above or maybe it was the news crew.

Yes it looks as if the election campaign has begun in earnest but the BN government does not follow any decent-minded rules but plays by the Queensbury rules. In other words the government plays dirty and cheats the taxpayers of the chance to make an informed decision.

These are the main issues:

The government starts the elections campaign without dissolving Parliament.

The official campaign is very short and gives little chance for the other parties.

All parties contesting the elections are not given proportionate air time on radio or TV to broadcast their political messages.

The ruling parties continue to make use of taxpayers' monies to run their campaigns by using government equipment and facilities.

This has been going on for some time so that even the Elections Commission has come out to say they are beholden to the government and he was then rewarded with a one-year extension of service.

So maybe following the CJ on holiday should not be frowned upon. We have so many other things going on that qualify us as a third-world nation. On the surface it looks good but underneath is a cesspool of iniquities.

The Royal Commission and the General Elections..

The latest Royal Commission on the Lingam Tapes is a good indicator of how sick is the nation after 50 years of the same political parties in charge of Malaysia.

Not too long ago, we had another RCI on the goings-on in the Police. That inquiry culminated in the recommendations for the IPCMC but sadly that independent commission has been rejected by the politicians as apparently it is perceived that the police force cannot be reformed.
Before that, the police officers came out in a public defiance of the government and the top leaders chickened out; but not before they increased the salaries and perks given to policemen so that they will stop taking bribes.

So boths sides are co-exist in an unholy alliance; at the expense of taxpayers' safety and security. And the rape and plunder of the nation's wealth goes unabated.

Just take the latest excuses offered by the former CJ. I would guess that any teenager who reads the newspaper would be able to decide that most of the prominent witnesses have been lying through their teeth and used the answer, "I cannot remember" to cover their crimes.

We can consider the RCI to be like a major medical examination for a sick person who has been taken to hospital. Such examinations are thorough as doctors need to find out what is wrong with the patient before deciding on a course of action.

Sometimes when the patient is really too sick, the doctors may decide not to do anything but maybe just make the patient more comfortable.

Put this idea in the IPCMC context and it appears that top leaders think that the situation in Malaysia cannot be rectified and that is the reason that the IPCMC has been rejected.

That also explains why in the latest RCI, the terms of reference have been limited and some of the commissioners and the ACA lawyers seem to be doing more damage control than letting the truth set us free.

It is possible that the next GE will be called soon after the findings of the RCI are announced. Most Malaysians cannot do much to influence the daily goings-on in government but at the GE, please ponder carefully on how your vote can decide the future of this nation.

A good test of the government's sincerity and integrity is to delay the elections untill 3 months after the RCI ends so that we can really observe how they rectify the perilous and grave situation of the Judiciary.

Not Extremely Close.....

I wonder what you make of this phrase.

To me, I would allow a photo to be taken but probably would not put my arm around the other person unless he or she was a close friend.

If you check out the photo, the other person is about 100mm taller and that requires even more effort if of larger build.

When on holidays overseas, you might be happy to meet a fellow Malaysian but my encounter would be probably last not more than 10 minutes and would be limited to "Hi....where are you going to....how long you are staying?"

If the person is known and there is time, maybe share a drink or a meal. That would be most interaction.

The Star quotes the former CJ on the front page with
"When the man puts his hand on your shoulder, you can't simply shove it aside"

I would let the photo speak for itself.

As the CJ, one look of disapproval should have caused the other party to treat you with respect.
The mind boggles when he allows this person to "tag along" for the entire holiday.

How many of you will allow that to happen unless you are happy with the arrangements?
Did he report the lawyer to the authorities for stalking him and his family?

I think the former CJ should be checked out more with the lawyer for bringing the Judiciary into disrepute.

Total Recall or Totally Forgotten?

The Royal Commission of Inquiry on the infamous Lingam tapes provides some interesting reading on the goings-on within the corridors of power.

It is most remarkable for anyone to have total recall of events or a total lapse of memory and yet the former Prime Minister claims to not remember how and why he chose to reject the recommendations of the Chief Justice as to who should be promoted.

You can read the NST report here.

The former PM's testimony is based on the basic strategy of "Yeah I spoke with many people, I don't remember all the details, No I was not influenced and It is my sole prerogative." Quite a watertight and well thought through defense as people in the RCI are all wearing kid gloves.

I am sure some of you have made decisions on promoting staff and usually a shortlist is made and the various qualities listed so that a proper evaluation is made. Now if you have to consult someone on the names he or she proposes, surely there should be a meeting or discussion on who should be promoted now or during the next round?

We should be moving away from feudalistic practices like leaving the appointment of senior judges based on the whims and fancies of one man who can quickly develop a selective memory.

Please take the Green Poll on the left column and tell us how you think we can improve the quality of our judges. The authorities could have arranged for the live broadcast of this Inquiry as more Malaysians could have witnessed the proceedings live and not just read the dull reports or watch just some news coverage.

In such cases, the body language of the witness can be telling. Too much fidgetting, or pulling the ear, squeezing the nose, scratching the head can be signs that someone is lying through the teeth.

Just watch CNN and you could see the Federal Reserve Chairman being questioned by US Congressmen and he has to answer the questions directly.

Photo: Thanks to http://www.jcnot4me.com/images/Bush-%20Dumb%20Look%20Scratching%20Head.jpg

"An Unjust Law is No Law...."

I did not coin up this phrase but these words are attributed to St. Augustine who lived in the third century.

Neither am I turning religious but this phrase was used in a new movie called "The Great Debaters" starring Denzel Washington that shows the struggle of the blacks in the USA.

Malaysia too has some laws that many consider unjust and some of these laws are draconian; especially the ISA that can deny you your freedom indefinitely if the Home Minister decides to use his unrestrained powers of detention.

Of course many of these laws are always deemed necessary by a few leaders for national security and racial harmony.

In the movie, DW plays the role of a lecturer in a small black college that develops an all-conquering debating team.

Many of us who were around in the 50s and 60s know how difficult was the struggle of the blacks to win equal rights in America.

We all know the great Martin Luther King, Jr. who paid the ultimate price with his life. Here is an inspiring letter he wrote from a jail cell in Birmingham.

To quote a paragraph:

We know through painful experience that freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed. Frankly, I have yet to engage in a direct-action campaign that was "well timed" in the view of those who have not suffered unduly from the disease of segregation. For years now I have heard the word "Wait!" It rings in the ear of every Negro with piercing familiarity. This "Wait" has almost always meant 'Never." We must come to see, with one of our distinguished jurists, that "justice too long delayed is justice denied."

How long have we been waiting for justice? I believe the BERSIH and HINDRAF supporters feel we Malaysians have unjust laws in our nation. Can our leaders rise to the challenge?

WARNING: It is dangerous to hold one's breath too long.

How Cheap are CCTVs?

That is the fashion for this month with people like local council and schools clamouring to install a CCTV system to eliminate crime; never mind if the people watching the screens will also be playing games on their handphones or chatting online - the crooks will not know that and the sign "Area Under CCTV Protection" will deter most petty criminals.

I read that a council will be spending RM3.9m for a system with 34 cameras. Doing a rough calculation, the cost of each camera plus all related equipment comes to an average of RM114,706.

Now that looks like a camera that is encrusted with precious stones and gold-plated as gold has reached its all-time high.

So I decided to take a look at CCTV systems and you can learn a lot from this site.

For really cheap solutions, one can purchase a 4-camera wireless set-up for less than RM1000 so that means each camera integrated into the system comes at RM250.

Now one cannot imagine that such a system would be suitable for outdoors and the reliability would also be suspect but nowadays, such technology is becoming cheaper and even industrial high quality systems do not cost an arm and a leg.

So what do you think a quality system should cost?
TEN Times the home system?
TWENTY Times?
How about FIFTY Times?

This site has a price indication of the products used to set up a CCTV system so anyone can develop a reasonable estimate.

That looks reasonable.
50 x RM250 = RM12,500 for each camera as part of the integrated system.

So it looks like we are paying 10 times more than what would be obtained with a proper tender system. Somehow it looks similar to the horrors reported in the Auditor-General's annual reports.

In the haste to award such generous contracts I wonder if anyone has pondered of the benefits of all these systems being able to communicate with each other without other special equipment?

Graphics: Thanks to http://www.boschsecurity.us/index.html