Khalid Ibrahim and Khir Toyol: A tale of two Menteris Besar

a humble chap 

Tale 1

One fine summer in the United States or specifically in Washington DC more than 30 years ago,  I was with  my friends from the same university  visiting parts of the White House when suddenly one of us suggested that we go and visit the Washington monument which was not far from the infamous No. 1 house. While walking there came a reasonably tall handsome guy wearing a brown track suit with blue trim  greeting  us "Melayu ke?" He looked as if he had  just finished sweating out at a nearby area. My friends and I  quickly  responded " Melayu la". He introduced himself as Khalid Ibrahim but we  didn't know who he was. We told him that we were students studying in the state of Kentucky, a southern belt state. And  he told us    that he worked with PNB. After a short exchange he  invited us to his hotel. I don't remember exactly which hotel but  it was not far from the White House and quite cozy and the room was quite  big more like a suite. At the hotel room there was some "Serunding"  that his wife had prepared  and he offered  some to us.  The suite  had a  fax machine ( a very modern device then) which was working non stop.Mr Khalid said that he  had to be given updates of the companies that PNB owned. He even mentioned that PNB just performed "dawn raids" on two British owned  plantation companies-Harrison Crossfields and Sime Darby. Later after a short chat ,we went to a Tandoori restaurant not far from the White House. He spent almost 300 us dollars for the best Tandoori lunch we ever had.

Khalid Ibrahim was a very humble guy. He was a teacher and also a lecturer at UM. From my understanding, he decided to join politics because he wasn't satisfied with how some  ruckus politicians treated him when he was the CEO of PNB. To me, he's truly a gentleman and a patriot. I heard he's  not a corrupt person like some UMNO  and Pakatan members. The only problem with Khalid Ibrahim is that he's wearing the  wrong hat. I don't think he has millions like other ex Mentris Besar, Selangor have in their bank accounts.

Tale 2

After completing my studies from the States, I was sent to a school in Bahau, Negeri Sembilan. A few months later  I applied to work in a place not far from Kajang town. Kajang then was a cowboy town serviced by the Foh Hup Transport Co.. The main bus station was located opposite a Mamak restaurant where now you see the Metro Kajang Shopping Center . The bus station was really a run down building with half exposed toilets. The toilets were really in unbearable conditions and  unfit to use. Not far from the dilapidated bus station behind the then Bank Bumiputra there's a children's clinic manned by Dr. Kwan , a pediatrician and I think the only one at that time in Kajang. On top of Dr. Kwan's clinic or on the first floor was a dental clinic. I don't remember exactly the name of the clinic.But I remember the difficult-to -smile dentist . He would always wear a  white uniform that a dentist normally wear.  He was a short stocky guy with round glasses. One thing I remember about him was that he liked to wear a very strong perfume. The smell was so strong that one would smell the perfume first before you see the person.

Dentist turned politician and  now a rich man

It happened that after 10 years of marriage I was bestowed a son and    at the age of 8 he had a toothache. In fact, two of his front  teeth were really in bad conditions and they were also wobbly. I wanted to pull the teeth out as I felt that it was really easy to  do it. But my wife was very discouraging and would not let me pull them out . So I relented and instead took him to the dental clinic in Kajang . At the clinic  the two teeth were pulled out rather easily  by hand by  the dentist at a cost of RM 60 -RM 30 a piece .At the clinic,I  also requested that the dentist  warned my son from continuing sucking his  pacifier by telling him that  he (the dentist) would give a jab at the buttock  if my son continued with his bad habits. Surprisingly, my son stopped sucking it immediately after the dentist's appointment.

24 million bungalow?

Then a few years later I heard that  the dentist that helped me get my son stopped sucking his  pacifier was made the Menteri Besar of  Selangor. I believed his appointment as Menteri Besar  was  Dr. Mahathir's way of trying to fight corruption by appointing  a young idealistic corruption free man. But that was not to be. He really accumulated his wealth to the brim. He built a huge bungalow that allegedly   cost about  24 million ringgit. Think how much money you have in your account if you built your dream house that costs that much. A really sad tale.

I don't understand why... Bahasa Malaysia

Malaysia achieved its independence in 1957 from England. English was the official language of then Malaya when it was still  part of the British Kingdom. Most people who worked for the British government then were able to communicate and spoke in English very well. Even the clerks could communicate in  English and my late grand father was one of them. Even my dad who was a policeman and used to work under a British superior could utter and spoke some English. His English could probably shame some university students in Malaysia. However, only a small number of the population or the elite  could use and understand the language. The majority still used Bahasa Melayu.

Later after the Razak Report, Bahasa Melayu was made the official language of Malaysia. It is now the language used in schools and universities in the country. It's now known as Bahasa Malaysia  to make it politically palatable to the non-Malays and now majority of Malaysians could speak and understand the language. I can safely presume that virtually all Malaysians are able to communicate in the language. Even foreigners such as Bangladeshi, Africans, Burmese, Indonesians and Pakistani could speak the language some impeccably after staying in Malaysia only for a few months. Despite being the national language and understood by virtually all Malaysian and non-Malaysians in the country some and people still insist on  English.

1) I don't understand why Malaysians when communicating with  each other use English . I know we need English to communicate with foreigners but why use the language amongst Malaysians. I once dealt with a Chinese mechanic and he greeted and spoke to me  in English. But why  used the language? Is this to show that he despises Bahasa Melayu that much.

2) I don't understand why the waiters in the established  fast food restaurants such as McDonald's , KFC, Pizza Hut greet in  English when they see a Malaysian making an order. To me they are downgrading our national language. They only show  no respect to Bahasa Melayu .

3) I don't understand why important meetings such as the cabinet meeting is conducted in English. I don't  think the politicians themselves respect Bahasa Melayu as the national language. Most of them just pay lips service. Even meetings at managerial level or mid level are conducted in English. There is no justification for this. They could just express as effectively in the national language.

4) I don't understand why most commercials by ASTRo are in English. Cant they use Bahasa Malaysia. I believe most of ASTRO customers are Malays. It looks like ASTRO take Bahasa Melayu and the Malays for granted.

5) I dont understand why some Malays themselves use English and communicate in English with other Malays. Don't they  have the sense of " jati diri "?

I'm not against the use of English. I think we should ;learn as many languages as possible. But I also feel that they must be some sensitivity on the part of the person using the English language to evaluate whether it s
's appropriate  to use it with another Malaysian especially a Malay.

Why Malaysia is still a third world country

Despite boasting world-class airports, super smooth highways, Multimedia super corridors, Formula 1 racing circuit, the tallest twin structures, super tall buildings almost everywhere, Malaysia is still a third world country by any standards. I don't think we are in the developed status category yet. Not for a long shot. These are some of the reasons as to why we are still a third world country:

1) We still have a third class mentality. This is clearly reflected by the mentality of the top guns. Our so-called high ranking officials still have the upper hands in terms of deciding when to resign or stay on. They are immuned to pressure from the public or from the pressure groups. One classic example is the SPBA fiasco. We could not forget how those in the Premier group rewarded themselves handsomely with allowances and backdated salaries and letting those in the lower categorizes bone dry with a pittance of ringgit of increment to survive in these financially challenging times. One thing is clear is that the public seems to blame the KSN and the KPPA for the blunder. Do you know what their reaction is?. Nothing. There are still there in their present positions running the public administration as if nothing had happened. In Japan, the leaders would have immediately resigned. In the States as well, the accused personality would have resigned. These thick skin guys just smirk and continue with their daily chores. Talk about the mentality of our leaders. Mind you these are PTD officials.

2) We don't have much freedom. I believe if we want to be in the premier league of nations we have to give our people some freedom. The government must loosen up its strangulation of freedom and rights. The bureaucrats must be made aware that this freedom is our right as a human being. We have to move on and let go of the status quo. The Arab spring has clearly demonstrated how the lack of freedom has resulted in the worst tragedies. I know we can't be compared to those countries in the Middle East in terms of the democracy but we must be better than then them in the freedom index if we want to be in the first tier nations category.

3) The perceived high corruption level among the government agencies and their enforcement officers. We still feel that the government is still beset by corrupt mentality and attitude. One good example is the police force. Have you come across situations whereby cops stopping suspected vehicles at the road shoulder and negotiating for something at the side of the vehicle. I don't understand why they have to hide from the view of the people. An honest cop would not discuss at a place that is questionable by the public. This kind of thing leads to nothing good.

4) We have leaders who would enrich themselves. Nowadays, it's very difficult to get a true leader. A leader who is not selfish and who would work for the people. We don't want leaders with a 24 million ringgit bungalow built with Bali motives. We don't a leader whose wife showing off her 24 million dollar diamond ring. We don't want a leader who won an election thru the use of money politics and spending close to 20 million ringgit. We don't want a leader with 600 million ringgit in bank accounts in Singapore and Israel.  We don't want a leader who swindles the people close to 1 billion ringgit. We don's want a leader who spent close to 5 million ringgit on a daughter's wedding in a posh hotel at a nice island.

Without a doubt, Malaysia is still a third world country. A developed country would need physical and mental changes before it can become a highly developed country.

Dong Zong and Jiao Zong

To the Malays these are difficult words to pronounce and to remember. They could be associations from mainland China.But these are the names of  the two most vocal and rasist organizations in Malaysia. They are more racist than Perkasa led by Ibrahim Ali . They are the United Chinese School Committees Association (Dong Zong) and United Chinese Schools Teachers Association (Jiao Zong). Recently, they make demands that the Ministry of Education should not send teachers without Chinese language qualifications to  Chinese primary school.

What they want is that only Chinese or Chinese educated to teach in the schools. Mind you we are talking about schools in Malaysia and these racist Chinese educationsts are promoting Chinese only domain. A Malay or an Indian can't teach in the Chinese School in Tanah Melayu. That's why I said that they were more racist than the Malay Nationalist led by Perkasa.They are now making persistent demands and somesimes showing  threatening attitude towards the BN government especially in view of the coming general election. I hope Najib will not kow tow to them. Its a dangerous precedent.

UMNO must realize that its not worth pandering the Chinese for their votes. They have already decided who to vote fo. I'm very sure they will go to the extent of voting for PAS not that they love YB Nik Aziz but they hate the Malay dominated government of BN. I hope the BN government will stand firm and follow the model of Singapore. Singapore would not tolerate a Chinese school.This is Malaysia not a Chinese Utopia. Even the China mainland is opening up. They are learning English everywhere even in Malaysia.We must not be held ransom by these Chinese rducationist who are extreme, chauvinistic and completely racist.

Malaysia is for Malaysians for all races. There must be some form of tolerance and accomodation. We cannot live in a vaccuum. We need each other and understand other people's culture. Their  extreme demands should not be entertained. Reasonable demands could be tolerated but what they asking for is too much. They will not stop here as they will ask for more until a republic is established.

What UMNO must do to stay relevant

Thre are many ways to pronounce the accronym UMNO. It you listen to the CNBC channel that  is based in Singapore the word  is pronounced as /oomno/, but the usual way to say it is /amno/. What ever way you pronounce the word UMNO the fact is that it is the strongest political party in Malaysia. It has been with us for quite a while maybe since 1946. But the party now is at a crossroad. Its invicibility is now being challenged from all sides-from Keadilan, DAP, PAS and even within its own members. Its praying and hoping  that it would not suffer the same fate as the LDP in Japan. This is because voters in general and the young voters specifically  are now more aware of what is going on politically in Malaysia. They get in info from the Internet. The old way of feeding information using the taditional way is no longer working for UMNO.It would have to decide whether it wants to stay relevant in the coming decades which is much more challegimg. To stay relevant these are the things that it should strive for:

1. It must stop all forms of corruption. The top echelon of the party must show that it despises corruption to the core. It must be seen to combat the evil of corruption. Combating corruption should not be done on a seasonal basis especially prior to election just to gain some votes. It must be done continually and consistently through out the year. The best thing is that the top leaders in UMNO would have to declare their assets to the UMNO members. Umno members must get rid of corrupt members like KJ.

2. It must stay true to its objective of protecting Islam, the Malays and the King. Please don't try to become too moderate in its political orientation and shift to the  center to please the non-bumiputeras especially the Chinese. The Chinese would not support the party or the Barisan Nasional even if it dismantles the Constitution. They have actually decided who they want to vote for. Trying to gain the support from the Chinese will result in loosing the support that it gets from the Malays.

3. It should not be in control of the Malay newspapers in Malaysia. Malay based  newspapers like Utusan Malaysia must to be free from the clutches of UMNO. The Malay newpapers must be independent and fair. They must appoint editors who are independent of UMNO and have credibility and integrity.The Malay newspapers should do a check and balance and expose corruptions and misdoings in UMNO and the nation as a whole. There must be  a strong sense of conviction to seek fairness and justice. The newspaper must be the mouthpiece of the grassroots members

4. It must revise the way it elects the President of UMNO. The present way of electing UMNO is not very democratic.UMNO members should be given the the freedom to chose their leaders. It must be seen to be very democratic.

5. It must get rid of money politics. It must not be seen to condone money politics. UMNO must identify the culprits  and get rid of them politically.


These five pillars are just the small part that UMNO should adhere to. There are others that it should take notice and follow. If they refuse to change from within its demise in inevitable. UMNO is not perfect but it is less evil from the others.                             

diabetes

When I was in the United States doing my post graduate degree I would often listen to the song by Olivia Newton John entitled " Lets get physical" . The gist of the song basically suggesting to us that we need to do some exercises. I know its not that easy to find time to get physical. We are all  bogged down with our office tasks and a host of other problems. By the time we reach home at six pm  we would already be exhausted physically and mentally. We just would want to rest quietly  and  would be  hoping that there's " pisang goreng panas" or "cucur udang" on the table ready to be consumed. "Cucur udang" tastes better when it is served with "Teh tarik" or Nescafe "tarik". And "Cucur udang" and "teh tarik" always come together  during the tea time

At home, there's no way we could do anything. The only thing that we are will to do is probably munch the snack and read the newspaper. We are  couch potatoes. The drawback of  not doing anything physical  is  obesity. When you are obese there's a greater chance that you will get diabetes. They too come together  in a package.

I recently heard that 3 out of five women in Malaysia are obese. This is definitely true  and I often observe that there are many women who are fat. In fact, I notice that there are more fat Malay women that that of the other races.The interesting thing is that I see  young Malay  girls before they get married  as really shapely and thin. They look so sexy and cute. But soon after they get married especially after getting their second or third child they will start to  balloon up. From 53 kilos on the wedding day they  now have grown bigger to almost 80 kilos and still adding up weight. The men too are obese after being fed continually by their wives. They have "nasi gorreng, mee goreng, nasi lemak" and all those spicy and oily dishes. You will see that their belly will start to become really round and big and it starts to protrude. From the size of 28 the men will start wearing size 40 or 42 in just a few years.

When you are fat  the first disease that you get accustomed to  is diabetes. Most people don't realize that they are diabetic until its too late. They would just collapse and would be in a daze. A female friend of mine who just turned 50 recently collapsed in her home and had to be rushed to the hospital after having the feeling of nausea and experiencing vertigo . After some diagnosis the doctor concluded  that she had diabetes and had to undergo insulin treatment. She now faces some nerve problems as a direct result of the diabetes. She now faces what those in medical sector called peripheral neuropathy.

When we reach 50 we really need to get physical. We can't give the same excuse of not having  time to exercise.We really need to reduce our calorie intake too. We should cut down on the carbohydrates that we take. Most importantly,cut down on the sugar consumption. No more teh tarik and nescafe tarik but just plain warm water. Now , "Lets get physical".......

Rosmah Mansor vs. Wan Azizah Wan Ismail vs. Hasmah Ali

I really love reading about cars. I spend  a lot of money buying car magazines published locally and abroad. I would buy a car magazine if I see a car comparison. Normally before I buy a car I would see what the review says. This afternoon I would  do a comparison but I won't compare cars but would compare the wives of our political leaders from the Barisan Nasional  and the Pakatan Rakyat. I would also include the wife of our ex- Prime Minister Tun Dr. Mahathir-Tun Dr. Hasmah  Ali. All these contenders will be evaluated based on four  criteria namely 1) Beauty 2) Intelligence 3) Loyalty and 4) Leadership skills. They would be ranked based on a scale of 1 to 5. 1 being the least and 5 being the best. Lets begin with  the comparison:
1) Beauty
I think of the three ladies Rosmah Mansor is probably the prettiest. Her skin is flawless. Look at her nose its really a pointed nose. I don't know whether it has gone under the knife but its pretty albeit a bit too perfect. I also  find it a bit unnatural.  Overall, she really looks like a doll. I would rate her 4/5 on beauty. I can't give her 5/5 as its too much. Najib must be happy with Rosmah's performance. The second on the list is Wan Azizah. To me she's also pretty. Her beauty is on the inside more like a kampong girl. She's the kind of girl that you want to marry and have lots of children. She does not look pretentious or have  that arrogant look like Rosmah.  She has a fair skin and not too stocky  like Rosmah. Rosmah is  a little too  short and if she gains a bit of an extra weight she will look chubby. I would give Wan Azizah 3.5. The third prettiest is Tun Hasmah Mohd Ali. She gets 3/5.  Dr Mahathir might not agree with me.To him, Hasmah is the prettiest lady.

2) Intelligence
I believe all three are intelligent. Hasmah was a doctor. Wan Azizah a dentist and Rosmah was an executive with  a multi national company. I would give Wan Azizah a 4 considering that she was the leader of Keadilan when DSAI was jailed for sodomy 1. Hasmah Ali should get a 3 as she was among the first Malay doctors during her era. This is definitely an achievement. The last on the list goes to Rosmah. I think she deserves 2.5 for intelligence. Please don't underestimate her cognitive ability. She spearheads the Permata Pintar UKM. But looking from another angle Rosmah could be the most cunning and I would not  hesitate to label her a good strategist.

3) Loyalty
This is the most important criterion for a housewife. Even in politics this trait is demanded and practiced strictly. Dr Mahathir would only choose his most loyal friends. Loyalty is relative in politics. There's also  no permanent friends in politics. For loyalty,  I believe Wan Azizah deserves a 5/5. Considering what DSAI has done to her and that she is still with the person is truly amazing. She is an icon for loyalty. I suppose a kampong type woman is always loyal to her husband. Next on the line is Hasmah. I think she should get 4.5. She is the person who is always behind Mahathir and they have been married for so many many  years.Last but not least is Rosmah. I think I would give a mere  2.5 for loyalty. Najib is Rosmah second or third husband, Najib might not agree with me but thats my perception of her. Perception is reality. The reality is Rosmah does not do well in this criterion.

4)Leadership skills
Again for this criterion I would have to give it to Wan Azizah. She should get 5/5 for this.She can really communicate and charm people. She could mix with people from all levels and walks of life. Next is Hasmah. She is almost as good as Wan Azizah but more courteous and polished. She is really a mild mannered person. 4/5 marks for leadership skills.But the downside is that  she looks like a a grandmother. Last on the list is again Rosmah. It is so difficult for her to smile. If she smiles it looks so unnatural and very plasticky. I think there is a problem with her neck. She probably has CSM or cervical spondylotic mylopathy. It is a problem with the neck .She can't seem to turn naturally to the left or right.

In short, the winner here is Wan Azizah Wan Ismail. She is  a clear winner here and  by a big margin. Second is Hasmah Ali and the third place goes to Rosmah. Rosmah might not be happy with the results  but this is how ordinary people see her. I personally feel that Rosmah is actually a liability for Najib. If I were Najib I would keep her out from the limelight especially for this coming general election. Najib should advise Rosmah to be more like Hasmah Ali. Tun Hasmah  conducted herself beatifully as the wife of the Prime Minister. Instead, we see Rosmah acts more like the Prime Minister of Malaysia. She is perceived as more powerful than the Deputy Prime Minister. I think she is. Some people interpret NKRA as "Najib Kerja Rosmah Arah"

Honda Accord

I bought my Honda Accord in the month of April in 2008. I think I was among the first to get the car which was just recently launched in that year. Of course I was a proud owner of the Japanese marque which is known for its perceived quality and some amount of prestige. I mentioned prestige because all these while I could only afford a Proton. In fact, I traded in my manual Proton Waja 1.6 which I used for 6 years. I thought I would get quality buying an Accord but it was not so. The story of the Accord to be told after the part on my Proton Waja.

I really missed my Proton Waja 1.6- WKS 413... Despite the general negative perception of the car manufacturer, my Proton Waja  was really a good car. The car felt really solid and heavy- the feeling that you would associate with a continental car. I like the steering too as it felt solid and twirling the steering was really easy as if you were driving a Range Rover and I also like  the handling of the car particularly  when negotiating around the corner. It felt so sharp and accurate when cornering . I believe it was tuned by the people at Lotus. My only problem with the car was its driver's side window which fell slightly half way into the groove of the door while I was driving to Cameron Highlands a few years back and I think it costs me about RM 200 to fix it. That  was the only fix that I could remember. The car was also very  reliable. Overall, it was an enjoyment owning and driving the car. Notwithstanding the price of the car which was about RM 50,000 when bought new ,there was some amount of quality  with built in feeling of  solidity.

But owning the Accord was a different story. It was more of a mixed feelings. Not everything is bad about the car. There are some fine features. First, I really love the engine. It is so economical despite having a 2000 cc displacement. I think its more economical then  my Gen 2 which I sold  after driving it for 3 years. The Gen 2 was a gas guzzler and refused to be driven fast. Unlike the motor in the Gen 2 , the engine in  the Accord was very refined and I think its quieter than a Toyota or a Mercedes. It just purrs like like a happy cat. Another aspect that I like about the car is the handling although  its not not as good as my Proton Waja.

What about the drawbacks? Off course there are lots of them. For one is the ride of the car.Its a little on the hard side  especially for an executive sedan. I think it is too jiggly for a reasonably expensive saloon. I don't think  Honda engineers have managed to sort it out .  It feels more of a sports car which it is not. My second displeasure has got to do with its NVH. The Accord is quite noisy when compared to any B class Japanese or Malaysian sedans for that matter. You could really hear the noise when the car is moving . In this aspect the Camry is a better choice. I wish the Accord is a little quieter. Thirdly, is the lack of the feeling of solidity. I don't think there is any. My Waja felt more solid than my Accord. I hope that the revised version should have more sound insulation materials put in. Last but not least is the lack  of quality and durability . For one, I have to change my power steering pump. Its leaking oil and making a whining sound when cornering. The replacement  would cost me almost RM 2000. I guess you have to pay to drive a reasonably expensive car. Another problem with the car is the brake. I had to replace the front brake pads only after a a year of normal usage.The front  brake pads cost me almost a few hundred ringgit.

I think I would go back to buying a Proton. I heard that there is a new model to be introduced. Spending hundreds of thousands of dollars does not ensure quality and trouble free motoring. All the negative perception about Proton is not always true. These are  are created by some unhappy people who tend to exaggerate some little quality issues like what some people say-making a storm out of a tea cup. Hello Proton and good bye Honda.

Kementerian Pengajian Tinggi (MOHE)

I always read in the newspaper that Malaysia strives to be the center of excellence in education in the region. I also came across many  articles that Malaysia wants to be the education hub  in Asia. I also read in lots of reading materials that Malaysia intends to attract up to 150,000 international students by the year 2015. Wow this is really an incredible feat. Can we really achieve it? I mean can we really achieve  quality in education? I think we can but after looking at  the Ministry of Higher Education's website I am really pessimistic and I really doubt that we can really be the center of excellence in education. One main reason why we have little chances of achieving the status is that the PTDs ( Pegawai Tadbir dan Diplomatik) are running the Ministry of Higher  Education.

 If you look at the organizational structure of the MOHE,  the 3 top posts are run by PTDs or people who are have no background in  education. I'm referring to important posts including  the post of the KSU which means  "Ketua Setiausaha Kementerian". It's the highest post in the ministry.I think if i'm not mistaken before being elevated to the post of KSU he was an officer at  MAMPU or something of that sort. He probably had ample experience in running  an organization that is non-teaching or non-education related entities. But I doubt he has the  academic credential required of a KSU of an  education ministry.The two timbalans KSU of the ministry are also PTD officers who have no experience in teaching and have never become teachers or instructors in the university.These people are probably transferred from the Ministry of trade and Industry  or any other non- education related ministry.  They are actually  true blue administrators who are more appropriate and suitable in running non- education related organizations. But alas they are actually the ones deciding the future of education in the country. They seem to tell us that they are in the positions and in the know to run the education ministry. What  a sad day for the ministry and the people who are truly  into education namely the teachers and the lecturers.

These  PTD officers are also going abroad to  important conferences  to give lectures propagating  the directions of education that  Malaysia is heading.Mind you these people have no experience at all in education and suddenly they are the ones representing Malaysia in important conferences and seminars. These PTD officers will touch on and discuss education but we know that they have no passion for teaching and they are not teachers or professors. I truly believe that we can have PTD officers in MOHE but their tasks should be confined to administrative matters and things related to  handling of funds or money. Education matters should be run and managed by educationists namely teachers and academics and not PTD officers.

I have also heard that young inexperienced PTD officers who came in at M41 when the Ministry of Higher Education was created is now in grade M54 after only 10 years of service. They bypassed a lot of long serving DG and DH officers who are still in their 48 grade.These young PTD officers have little experience  are now Pengarahs at the various levels of the Ministry of Higher Education and Department of Higher Education. The sad thing is that the really experience teachers especially  those in the  DH posts  are sidelined and not considered for  the pengarah's posts. It is not uncommon to see that the PTD officers have greater promotional prospects than those in the DG and the DH. Mind you quite a lot of these are experienced teachers  have Masters and PhD's. It is also common to see that the  PTD's Pengarahs just delegating or "tunjuk" ( pinpointing) to the DH officers  of the the work to be done  without any input for them to work on. They are more like the "keranis" (the clerks)-sad but true situation.

I'm skeptical of the future of higher education in Malaysia if the present structure of education still persists. The Ministry of Higher Education should be led by people who are into education and a true academic. The PTDs have no locus standi in education. I hope our Prime Minister and those concerned should look into this matter. Our future greatly depends on education.

SBPA

SBPA is now the acronym that permeates in all discussions among civil servants. If you ask the young civil servants or the ones who are not so productive it is actually "Skim Buang Penjawat Awam". Some skeptics in the government sector like to call it "skim Bodek Pekerja Atasan". Whatever the description, it is actually the latest scheme pushed down the throat of the civil servants in the country. It was literally forced upon the civil servants to accept or leave it offer. The poor civil servants were just given a few days to ponder and evaluate the newly proposed scheme. Being a good worker , you actually sign onto the scheme and you don't question much.Briefings were given but they were not complete. They speakers themselves were not very clear of the scheme and an incomplete picture was given. We were left still unsatisfied with the briefing not knowing what the future holds.

One thing that we know about the SBPA was that it was not very beneficial to people like me who have served the government for so long ( I think almost 30 years) and have reached the ceiling in terms of the salary. It's called "Langgar tembok". From the offer letter that I got it stated that I would be getting an increment of only around 280 ringgit. Well I grumbled a little considering that the amount is not much. And I found that my colleagues were also grumbling especially the women who are in their 50s. Probably the increment is not enough to cover the services they pay for like having the manicure or pedicure at the local salon. But being good civil servants we sort of accepted the fate. However, our dissatisfaction with the SBPA continues.

Later we found out that the scheme really benefits those who are  in the JUSA category and what they call the PREMIER group. We heard that even those in the C category within the JUSA group will be getting an increment of RM 5500 or more than half of their basic salary under SSM. What was more astounding was that the civil servants in the Premier group such as the KSN and KSUs would be getting around RM 40,000-80,000 ringgit of increment. On top of that they would also be getting back dated salaries of between Rm 800,000-1,000,000 (Not rupian but Malaysia ringgit) . Phew... I remember that during the briefings of the SBPA there was no mention of this. This info was kept silent. No wonder they "forced" the 54 and below to sign on the scheme in which most of us abide by it. Pity those under 54 and below.

I don't really understand the rationale for giving too much to those in the JUSA and the Premier categories. What are they trying to do? I don't think this big jump is inline with the government's new  economic model of moving to become high income economy. I think there must be some difference in the increment but it should not be that far apart. I hope our prime minister really looks into the matter and rectify this blunder by JPA. I also feel that those responsible for this fiasco should be brave enough to accept the blame and do the honorable thing and you all know what I mean. They say we have to think like the first class country but they refuse to follow. They refuse to walk the talk

50s

There 's a Malay saying that goes by  " Masa itu emas". This is truly an accurate description of time. Time just does not wait for you. It will just go on and it does not make sure that you are on board. It just continues ticking. What you do with you life determines how much you have contributed. to your own well being or your contribution to the society. I have to admit that I myself have not contributed much and I wish I could do more. But you don't have much time left especially after you reached fifty. We just don't realize that we have reached that magic number. Time really flies.Well for  men it is not too obvious at least physically. You don't really look like half a century man. Sometimes you still look young. Well i'm talking about what other have said about me with regard to my age. They say that I  look like late 30s or early 40s. When I mentioned this to my wife she would just keep quiet. This brings the issue of 50s among the women.

I think most women just refuse to accept that they are half a century old. And they tend to act as if they are much younger. At the place where I work they are a lot of women colleagues who are  in their 50s. They really act like  teenagers and youngsters. Believe me they would  be wearing tight blouses and some of them even have the urge to wear attires that are actually meant for teenagers.When you look at them at a glance you would definitely pass them off as a young person. But after a not so close inspection you will see that they are in their 50s. Hey ladies it OK to put a nice make up; it also OK  to wear nice beautiful clothes but you have to remember that you have reached the 50 mark. That's a great milestone in one's life and it would be nice if it is celebrated in a proper manner and not degrading it.

Yb Nik Aziz

YB Nik Aziz

The PRU 13 is just round the corner. All political parties are working 24/7 to potray good party image to the public and potential voters. If you look closer party flags are mushrooming along the roads. An average voter like me could not care much. I'm refering the the flags lined along the road. But I do care whats happening to the country politically , economically and socially.

But one thing that I would like to share is my disdain for some political leaders be it UMNO leaders or the PAS Ulamas. One such leader that I would like to focus on  today is Yang Berhormat Dato Nik Aziz, the spiritual leader and adviser of PAS. I would like to refer him as YB because I think lately he has become more of a full time politician rather than an Ulama. I think his views are changing and fluctuating according to his own interpretation of Islam. His belief is no more grounded on the  theological perpective but more of a political one. Because of this he does not deseve to be called an Ulama. He has made many inconsistent decisions and blunders that run paralel with his political actions and views. My respect for him as an Ulama has gone and diminished. The many wronged decisions made by YB have of course  benefiited UMNO members  to the chagrin of the thousands fence sitters.

One great political inpact of his non theological decisions is the diunity among the Malays. The Malay Bumiputeras are breaking up to the extend that their polical base is now weakening to great advantage to the Non Malays particulaly the racist DAP party. The power base of the Malays are eroding very fast and political landscape will become more centrist just like our neighbour in the south. I'm not surprised that one day we will become more like a republic

My hope is that the Malays realize this great challenges that are facing them. The Malays must be united and I believe that UMNO is a better political party to protect the religion and the race. Voting for PAS at this jucture will greatly weaken the Malay pillars and tend to benefit the racist non-Malays particularly those in DAP.

MUET

Malaysian University English Proficiency Test  or widely known is MUET is a kind of English for Academic purposes test. It started in early 2001 under the directive of then Datuk Najib Razak . One of the objectives of the test is to serve as mechanism to check the slide of the standard of English among pre university students in Malaysia. The Malaysian Examinations Council is given the task to manage the test. The test is now offered three times a year for students to take. The fees charge  is around 60 ringgit Malaysia.

The test is actually designed and developed by a steering committee formed by the Examinations Council. The members of the committe are mainly university lecturers who have years of teaching experience. There are approximate 10 people in the committee. It was headed by a person who lacked the knowledge of language testing.Now I believe the committee  is headed by someone who is very knowledgeable in language testing and is  very good in the English language. When it was first formed the members were invited from universities in Malaysia and the first test that they designed lacked proper construct and undermined purpose. But I believe now the test is a reasonably good test with a clear sense of purpose.

Hari Raya Aidil Fitri

This year Hari Raya was a mixed kind of celebrations for me. I would describe this year's raya as being cheerful and at times somber. The happy part is that I got to "Balik kampung" to my hometown in Sungai Petani a fast developing town that has become crowded because of the penangites who are coming in droves to make it their new homes.

The journey back home was tiring because of the traffic crawls all the way from KL to my hometown. The traffic would ease a little but then would return to a crawl once as it hits a major town. I reached my kampung half an hour before midnight after starting my journey at 3 pm after the Friday prayers. The happiness is in the travelling. What makes the raya is the traffic crawl. Once in my dad's home, all the so called modern amenities are not there anymore. I talking about the air cond, the flat screen tv, the wifi, the hot water shower and the toilet bowl. Mind you at a veteran age you find it difficult to use the squat toilet. I don't know how my dad does it. He's already 80 plus years old.

A fiend of mine who is a very successful lawyer would tell me that his children refused to balik kampung because of the lack of these modern amenities. A a result he and his family  would stay at a hotel in his hometown and would visit his parents only during the days . They would return to the hotel for the night. I think we are changing. The society is changing. I think it is much more acceptable now to stay at the hotel when you "balik kampung".

I really ope that the notion of balik kampung would continue in perpetuity. It is part an parcel of the Raya. I heard that the Indonesians would in drove would return to their kampung halaman in droves during the Raya holidays. Jakarta is a dead town during the Raya.

Selamat Hari Raya to all.

Perodua Myvi 2011

Today I will discuss  slightly different topic. I want to talk about cars specifically about a new car that I just bought for my son who is still studying at IIUM. I'm referring to the Myvi 1.3 Mystique purple which was just recently launched. I bought it in Kajang for approximately Rm 50,000 The car itself  is quite nippy and very economical. It looks  small from the outside but once you are inside the car you will be surprised by how spacious the car is. You can really stretch your legs to the fullest.

One thing that I like about the car is how responsive the engine is. A slight tap on the accelerator will move the car instantly. This is unlike the car that I drive which is a Honda Accord 2000 CC. You really need to depress the accelerator to the floor to get enough power to motivate the car. Despite flooring to the floor it only lazily moves forward. .Despite being overly eager to rev the engine is slightly noisy. Of course I'm comparing it to the Honda Accord. The engine in the Myvi would growl when it is pushed but make a claty sound on the lower rev. Overall I I find the Myvi as reasonably refined for a small car

Another feature that is sorely lacking in the Myvi is the lack of he arm rest for the front passenger and the driver. It makes long journey very tiring to the driver. Your need to relax your arm after a long journey. Dont expect that the driver to put his arms on the wheel all the time. I suppose Perodua would listen to this and start to consider placing an armrest in the Myvi.

Although the Myv has many pluses, one negative feature that I notice is the sponginess of the brake. It is so spongy. You really need to press harder and deeper to get the car stopped. This kind of braking is unsatisfactory especially for male drivers. In a hard dive you really need a quite sensitive brake to stop the car. I believe many people who bought the latest Myvi would complain about the brake.

Overall I find the car reasonably good with good plastics used in the car. The colour scheme is also quite good a good departure from the grey anf dark dashboard in the earlier models. I think it is a reasonably good buy. However I'm not surprised of the good quality of the car because of the Toyota heritage in it. Anyway the Perodua is just an assembler not like the proton which is  a full fledged manufacturer