Malaysian-born appointed Cabinet Minister in Australia

This is indeed a proud moment for Malaysians. An inspiration to all aspiring politicians.

Aged 38 year old, born in Sabah and migrated to Australia at the age of 8, Penny Wong was made Climate Change and Water Minister by the new Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd. Penny was described as a brilliant strategist in the Labour Party, playing a part in the downfall of incumbent Prime Minister John Howard's government.

The appointment illustrates the political maturity of Australia. A foreign-born woman is elevated to the top ranks of the Australian political house based on merits. No fuss about race, colour, gender or background.

Lets look at Malaysia's political landscape. The government always tout Malaysia's multiracial diversity as the country's attraction, yet, it continues to pretend that the racial harmony is strong. It refused to debate the issue, labelling any attempts to openly discuss the NEP, the power-sharing formula, religious issues, etc. as either seditious or a threat to national unity.

UMNO is the big brother, the political elite. It's decisions is de facto government's decisions. MCA, MIC and other smaller component parties that make up the ruling National Front Party, has no real bargaining power with UMNO, which meant that frequently, new legislation that are unpopular with the minority races are pushed through without proper consultation. These weak component parties are then pushed to do the dirty job of explaining the "merits" of these new laws to their supporters and to the electorate to whom they were supposed to be fighting for.

The damage to Malaysia will not be immediate. If the minority races cannot have an equal opportunity in education, work and politics, there are other countries which will gladly take them. "Bring on your well-educated, your strong, your brightest," they will call out. And the brightest minds will certainly move. Penny Wong is a good example. She may not have left Malaysia because of frustration. But she is a good case of Malaysia losing precious human resource to another country when it should have actively sought the return of these Malaysian born talents.

Well done, Penny.

Is there a future for us in Malaysia?

Let me start off by saying that I love Malaysia. I love Malaysia for its food, or more precisely, its cheap food. Unhealthy it may be, nothing beats a cuppa of teh tarik with a crispy roti canai to start your day off. The variety of food, the fusion of tastes, is simply amazing.

I love Malaysia for its tranquility and peace. Compared to our other South East Asian neighbours, we have had an almost uninterrupted era of harmony among the major races since Independence. Our Prime Ministers, from the princely Tunku Abdul Rahman to the eloquent Dr. Mahathir, has done a commendable job in building this nation into a economic powerhouse with a strong middle class.

I love Malaysia because I am Malaysian. I was born here, bred here and definitely will be buried here when I leave this world. Whislt I was pursuing my education overseas, not a day goes by where I do not miss home. Malaysia is my home.

Yet I an distressed at all the opportunities foregone to make Malaysia a truly developed nation. The Malaysia that I love is increasingly being tainted by a bunch of inept people whom we know as politicians. A bunch of politicians who cannot debate a proper motion in Parliament without uttering sexist remarks. A bunch of politicians who should be strategizing on how to counter the might of China and India, whom is threatening our traditional manufacturing base, but instead spend their time ridiculing divorcees and single mums. A bunch of politicians who are bickering over scraps of the national pie where over the straits our neighbour is concentrating on enlarging the pie. This bunch of politicians is dividing Malaysians by projecting the notion that we are unable to prosper unless at another person's expense, when they should be uniting Malaysians to compete and win against other countries with vastly inferior economic well-being.

We are a nation with immense potential. However, the air is filled with too much negativity, fuelling an undercurrent of disatisfaction and discontent. We are made to believe we are living in good times, yet petty crime appears to be rising. And winning. The interpretation of what constitutes religious freedom is not allowed to be debated openly. Politicians are flouting the rules blatantly and allowed to go scot-free. Corruption, abuse of power, unjust judicial process - are painting a bleak picture of where Malaysia is heading. This discontent is causing many Malaysians to rethink Malaysia as their home. In an era where might is represented not by the nation's weapon of mass destruction but by its people intelectual prowess, Malaysia is suffering from an acute people flight. Maybe not now, but if I read the sentiments right, many young professional parents are looking to uproot so their their children can have a fairer playing field.

When our natural resources run dry (which they will); when our financial resources run dry (which it will); our politicians will come to realize that they have neglected to energize a resource that never runs dry, the People. Once thing is for sure, we sure will never run out of incompetent politicians.

Sexist MPs...

No wonder it is said that sarcasm is the lowest form of wit. Groups slam MPs for making sexist ‘joke’ against women (Star May 12th 2007), highlights the gross misconduct of 2 so-called parlimentarians who is allowed to go unpunished by the House Speaker. Responding to an issue concerning leaks in government buildings, 2 backbenchers, the "distinguished gentlemen" for Jasin and Kinabatangan made a completely distasteful remark on women's menstrual cycle: "member for Batu Gajah also leaks once a month".

How can any Malaysian women allow them to get away with this? Vote these 2 sexists out. They turn a valid issue on poor maintenance of government buildings into a farcical circus. Word play? Come on.

The sad thing is that women politicians from the ruling party hardly made a dent in their protests. Wanita UMNO and Wanita MCA demonstrated clearly why they are bullied and received no respect from their male counterparts. If they do not raise their fists and bang on tables, it is likely their dignity as MPs and assumed leaders of Malaysian women will continued to be trampled on by our oh so refined gentlemen MPs.

Malaysia Boleh!

Nanny State or Ninny State?

Women, Family and Community Minister Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil today commented that it is not the time yet for the government to punish those who abandoned their parents. (The Star, 12th April 2007)

Wow - not the time yet? Has the government really given serious thought on this policy? Or this is yet another press statement that is carelessly uttered to win support from the elderly electorate? Several MPs called for those who abandoned their parents to be produced in court or have their salaries deducted (I am laughing as I am typing this). Certainly, these people may have thought that their suggestion is a noble one, however, it is overwhelmed by their sheer naivety.

The government, or any government for that matter, has no business in family management. Encroaching itself into family affairs is certain to cost the country hefty resources while achieving nothing.

Without even going into what is defined as "abandoned", how are the government going to enforce the policy? Are we going to create a squad of "Parents' Police", who will go around checking on old folks around the country? If we do find elderly folks who are "abandoned", are we certain to be able to trace their children? And even if we are able to trace the children, which children are we going to prosecute if there are more than 1? All of them? The eldest?

How much are we going to deduct from their salaries? Will the government then be responsible for these elderly folks? Are we going to have a National Old Folks Home in every town and city? Or are they going to coerce the children to "un-abandon" their parents? And if they refuse? Are they going to jail?

There are a thousand complications on implementation and enforcement. What is the Minister thinking when she mooted this idea?

A simpler idea would be giving subsidies or tax incentives to those who are taking care of elderly parents. Those who have to shoulder their parents' expensive medical expenses can be given full tax deductibility off their income tax. Or those supporting their parents livelihoods can be given a tax-deductible allowance, depending on the age and number of parent(s). Children who buy medical insurance for their parents can enjoy tax deductions for premiums paid.

The Malaysian government should think carefully before they recommend any policies in public forums. I shudder to think that our Malaysian MPs is making our country a laughing stock by uttering anything under the sun which they perceived to be clever or popular without thinking it through first.

Please, Malaysian MPs, think before you speak.

South Johor - Venice of the East

Yet another round of flooding, and a worse one at that.

The government insisted all sorts of warning were given but it went unheeded during the 1st round.

In this 2nd round of flooding, there are reports of inadequate warning, insufficient food, and the last straw as reported in NST today," BREAKING POINT: Number of flood evacuees soars to over 100,000" (15.1.2007, relief centres are overwhelmed.

Shopkeepers who restock their shops saw their new supplies being destroyed again; families who have bought new furnitures for their homes looked in pain as the floodwater damaged their new ones; parents once again scramble to get their kids to safety after assuring them all is fine now.

The 9MP evisioned Johore to be a world class tranportation, medical and technology hub. Perhaps it should also promote this region as "flood city" of the world - the Venice of the East.

RM120mil to upgrade, repair sports complexes nationwide

Star 12.1.2007

Yet more money down the drain. We have the habit of building facilities, let it disintegrate into a state of disrepair, then announce a massive repair programme.

The Sports Minister also announced the construction of multiple sports arenas to further boost sports development. "We plan for these complexes to be managed by the local youths and will start a training programme to teach them to maintain sports complexes," she added.

Sounds odd, huh? We are building sports complexes for our youths followed by training programmes on maintenance. Looks like Malaysia is heading for a Olympic Gold in the 4x4 Maintenance Sprint.

1st Class PM, 2nd Class Government, 3rd Class Civil Service

The NST's tagline, "Held Up by Bloopers" (5th Jan 2007), that PM Badawi's excellent plans for the country is thwarted by poor implementation does not bring relief to the man on the street.

Batu Pahat MP, Dr. Junaidy stated that he “hoped executing agencies such as government bodies and civil servants will take the trouble to understand Abdullah’s aspirations for the country and would assist him in implementing the policies”. Come on, are we pushing the buck to our “world class” civil service here? Are we saying that should the PM’s “first class plan” fail because of “third class execution”, then it is not the PM’s ultimate responsibility but our civil servants’?

Lets take an analogy with Malaysia as a corporation, PM Badawi as the CEO, the Cabinet the Board of Directors, and Malaysians as the shareholders.

The CEO has the duty to lay out a vision and long-term plans for the company. His vision’s ultimate goal is create enhanced value for all stakeholders - the employees (the civil service) and the shareholders (the public).

The next crucial step is convincing the rank and file, i.e. his employees, of the critical need to turn his vision into reality. It is relatively easy to formulate a grand strategy, adorned with big words, big goals, grand potential rewards. The devil is in the details. The dirty work is getting it done. Afterall, a good plan implemented today is better than a perfect plan implemented tomorrow.

The CEO cannot expect employees to have the initiative to fully grasp the specifics of his vision. He has to walk the talk - go to the ground to explain his plans, let them understand why his vision is vital to the company’s survival, and make it very clear that it is in everyone’s interest to make his vision a reality. His employees (the civil service!) must be convinced that failure to execute his plan will mean “heads will roll” (including perhaps the CEO’s); successful execution leading to the desired results means better bonus for everyone. Communication of the vision, in this case, must be top-down.

Should the CEO’s words fail to be translated into concrete action and results within a reasonable period of time, the first “head to roll” is rightfully the CEO’s. He wields the greatest executive powers to get things DONE. Should the CEO hide behind his employees’ incompetence with the excuse that he was let down by poor managers, it is likely shareholders will soon vote him out of office, and next the Board. Rightfully so too, since the CEO fail to manage his managers.

Hence, PM Badawi should take heed. We know for years that our civil service is stifled by unnecessary red tape, held down by inefficiency and probably run by bureaucrats who are unqualified and unmotivated to serve the people. But we did not vote this people in. We voted for the PM (well, indirectly). If PM Badawi wants to be remembered as a great PM, he has the opportunity to do so by translating words into results. We do not want a situation where we have a “1st Class PM; 2nd Class Government; 3rd Class Civil Service”.

EPF - SUCKERS ON THE JOB?

"...deal halted after several former directors alerted the EPF, but not before the fund had paid the RM1.5m deposit". The statement as highlighted in the Star (Jan 5 2007) suggests that the EPF panel in charge of performing initial due dilligence on the aquiree company must have been sleeping on their jobs.

The EPF has the cheek to say that "stringent procedures and guidelines are in place to ensure all investment transactions are carried out in the most effective and transparent manner.". Effective? Then how on earth did they they issue RM1.5m cheque to a director whose company is already defunct (on on the verge of it), and now they have to incur expenses to retrieve the deposit? As for transparency, how did the EPF part with such a large sum of money to one single person who does not even own the whole company but sold 100% of it to EPF? Who was involved in this particular negotiation from the EPF side? When can EPF retrieve the sum? Can it be retrieved?

Let us have the answers for the sake of transparency. This is the people's money, and it is sickening when a single person can walk up to EPF selling a company on the verge of collapse and walk away with RM1.5m.

Road Tax Relief leads to Car-Buying Frenzy – Malaysian car market is boosted, leading to stronger economic growth and higher government receipts.

The above is a headline you will not see as a result of the “peanuts” given by the government in the form of a road tax reduction.

In general, any tax cuts or tax relief is deemed to be beneficial to a country's economy. As consumers spend the extra money in their pockets, businesses thrive, and via the multiplier effect, the overall economy is boosted, correspondingly, tax revenues increase.

However, the recent news of lower road tax in the Star (dated 31.12.2006), “Relief for Motorists" is at best a bad policy and at worse, an insult to every Malaysian who has seen prices of various everyday staples increase.

The "tax relief" ranges from RM10 to less than RM55 per YEAR. Assuming that the majority of Malaysians enjoy the maximum RM55 reduction, that works out to less than RM4.60 a month. RM4.60 a month, or RM1.15 a week, is nothing to shout about.

For any tax relief to be really effective, it has to make each and everyone of us feel richer. Not substantially, but sufficient to make us spend a little bit more of our income, or work a little harder (since the taxman is taking less). The incentive has to be significant enough to gently nudge consumer spending or corporate investment upwards. Implemented correctly, the tax reduction may even pay for itself via increased government receipts spurred on by a mini boost in economic activity.

You have to forgive the average Malaysian if they do not bring out their champagne bottles in reaction to the news. RM4.60 savings a month is miniscule - it hardly cause a dent in creating a "feel-good factor". Does it "lessen the financial burden" of the people? Hardly (unless we are talking about the hardcore poor in Third World countries who are surviving on less than USD1 a day - but they will have to buy a Malaysian car first).

It does not make sense for the Government to lose this RM250m revenue per year over this poor policy. It does nothing for the average taxpayer and the economy. It does not generate any financial or social returns for the foreseeable future. This RM250million should have been channeled to other areas where it can make a significant impact on the economy. How about assisting 1st time home purchasers so we can reduce the housing glut by subsidizing their home loans? How about sponsoring deserving students to pursue their education in Ivy League universities? There are so many ways to spend this large sum of money where the government can be assured of positive socio-economic returns , whether in the long-term or in the immediate term.

And why should the road tax savings be extended to those who own a (or a few) Ferrari or Porsches? The few dollars hardly matters to them as it cannot even cover the costs of polishing their already gleaming cars sitting in air-conditioned garages.

This is really bad, bad economic policy. Lets hope the next goodie from the government is really worth the money.