In Defense of My Comments

The great dynasties of the past in China was bugged by issues with regards to the Emperor’s attitude .

I agree that policies should carry on , RMK 9 has to proceed and let life roll on as usual as we breathe in fresh air each day with a fresh new administration .

Reducing the poverty gap is an issue we must tackle . But to me , these are old plain stories . Do not tell me that we should reduce the income gap , we should care for the poor and we should be charitable and stuff . It has become stale to my ears . That’s like writing an essay in high school .

Poverty gap is being touched on through income taxation and has always been reviewed by each Ministry of Finance in every single country in the world . This of course take place with the exception to war ridden and disease struck countries like Africa and some Middle Eastern country .

The issue of poverty exists due to financial and economic issues . We cannot just make a poor guy rich in a day . This man must prove his worth , must have suitable and proper traits . Why is the rich getting richer ? They were once poor people . Yet they understand the true meaning of materialism and proceed on to gain education , be sociable , have proper network of friends , and they have this status upgrade which in Malaysia we named ‘Social Mobility’ .

However , some lower income folks could not move up . They tend to stick their neck into illegal racing , robbery , time wasting and there does not exist a single pint of self consciousness on the importance of education as stressed in religions and daily teachings in any formal or informal manner . Well of course some of them involuntarily remained poor due to poor health and many other issues . I am not in anyway discriminating poor categories .

I am in every manner a Robin Hood who fight for the controversial policies in certain economies for the poor . But before we blame the government for not doing anything (which obviously they did by laying down free or subsidized education , taxing the rich etc) , we should instead look at ourselves and reform ourselves . I am poor to be honest . Lower middle income to be exact . I came from a poor background a couple of decades back .

I understand how the poor suffered and we move on slowly but surely . Poverty issues are a huge economics problem which I studied in Economic History . But it is not easy to manage without proper health and self reform of the people .

To say that issues about patriotism and ‘minor’ national issues should be overlooked and we should instead focus on huge Malaysian plans is utterly preposterous in my humble opinion . For those non Malaysians reading this blog , Malaysian Government sends 1500 students overseas each year on average . These are selected students out of a total of 15000 aplications or so . And each year , people lodge complaints that their kid did not get a scholarship . So are we to tell these guys to buzz off , get lost and should instead let the government do their job on some missions and objectives laid down in some black and white document saying “Long Term Plan and Objective” ? Are we to tell those local students who failed to get a place in universities to forget it and carry on with their lives ? No way .

Another thing and make it the main reason why I am mad about some issues of the day . The fact that NST is being so obviously biased and having journalism ethics problems are really making me angry and sad at the same time . Read my previous blog entries and you will see why .

Malaysia was doing quite well under the British . In fact , under the ‘umbrella patronship’ of British , we would have done well . We would have prospered to be as rich as United States . We would have been flying the fly so high and everywhere in the Seven Seas with our Stealth Bombers and Aircraft Carriers . Oh yes . It is true . We will succeed . We should not have asked for independence and let the government of Alliance ( Barisan Nasional in those days) rule hand in hand with the smiles of British leaders .

My friends . I am planning to plant a fruit tree in my garden tomorrow . And I have just asked my neighbour whether it is all right with him for me to do so . My neighbors say it is not all right with him . He objects and say that by planting the fruit tree in my humble garden , it will block his view and amount of sunlight that enters his house . So be it , I told myself . Let it be this way .

Oh yes . I am also planning to buy a television and put it in my room in my hostel . But I thought that it would be better if I put it at the hallway of my corridor so that my corridor and neighbors can share the TV with me and we can enjoy all the entertainment together (Not being selfish) . I asked my neighbors whether it is all right for me to put one in the hallway , sharing with them . They objected . They said no way . They said that if I want to put it there , I can do so with the condition that I supply them with some DVDs . And they said I had better not put a TV in my room or they will call they administration to report me of being too noisy and loud with the TV set . So I decided to cancel my intentions . I decided to keep quiet .

Sadly , though I have already bought the TV in the first place , I now have to give it away . But that doesn’t matter . I actually save money by giving it away as I do not have to spend a few more dollars to buy DVDs . Though I have spent $400 to buy the TV , I am actually saving more money by giving the TV and my sovereignty and my rights away as I do not have to incur a few dollars more of expenses on DVDs . Yes . How brilliant .

My friends . This is the case . Follow the example . What we do in our rooms , ask your neighbors first . It is important . The stories I tell above are mere case studies situation and I am not being sarcastic . When I think about certain issues , when I go through my debates in the past , I lay forth my arguments by putting the case in other virtual cases and compare to convince . That is how we should think also . I believe that is the way you people out there argue when you argue with your parents at times . You will put yourself into other families , other kids and argue with your parents that their family let their child have this , allowed them to go here , purchase this and that etc . It is the same way I am arguing for sovereignty .

It is not a matter of why we should not stress over sovereignty issues anymore . That is old fashioned and we should move on , some say . It is true . But for me , to kowtow to another country is utterly nonsensical . Malaysia used to have disputes over some islands with Singapore and Indonesia . Why didn’t we being the gentlemen put it in a silver platter with a broad golden sweet Malaysian Airlines stewardess smile and forget about the islands and shake their hands and tell them ‘You can keep it’ ? Why didn’t we ? I would suggest the next time we want to build a bridge in Penang , we call Thailand to discuss . The next time we want to do reforms or ‘renovation’ in Sabah and Sarawak , we should call Indonesia and Philippines .

Well , maybe I am being too extreme and radical . Maybe there is some security threat till we are forced to sacrifice RM 700 million for nothing when instead if we spend RM 400 million more ,, we could have got the bridge . Maybe there are some things which I do not know . But the current situation , a benevolent , revered and respectable Grand Old Man of Malaysia is questioning . Is he creating a drama ? Is he bored and creating great grandfather fairy tales ? Or is it the truth ? Place your bets . I don’t know which table I am betting on .

I respect the current administration for what they did in housekeeping of corruption and bureaucracy . But the fact that the previous leader is raising these issues are making me wonder what actually is happening and answers provided are not up to the satisfaction of the ex Premier . Does Tun Dr Mahathir know something that we do not know ? Does he have the evidence and are there informers to tell him something is going on and is harming ? We do not know . It is full of mystery and questions .

During Tun Dr Mahathir’s era , people commented that he spends on mega projects , people ask him why his son gets shares in this company and that (which in fact his son is a director and companies do give away shares to directors) . Yet he still answers on the necessity . Why didn’t people support him that time and ask everyone to buzz off and that he should focus on his RMK plans ? He still answered all the small fry issues .

Let the Financiers and Tax Guys do the job to handle poverty . But certain national issues must be kept intact and check and balance should exist . What Dr Mahathir brought up is no small issue . The death of Proton is what we do not want to see , or at least what I never want to see . Now you rich Chinese and Malays and Indians are criticizing Proton . It is because you can afford to buy imported cars . I admit that Proton is an expensive project . So was Honda and Mitsubishi . So was Ford . Be cooperative . Give Proton some time . We are inefficient in our government as well .

Our government departments are operating at a higher cost than other governments like Saudi Arabia perhaps . So , due to popular demand and sentiment that an inefficient firm should shut down due to its costs , then we can all assume that a Saudi government should be replacing our own Malaysian government . This will be better and cheaper for the citizens . This way , our budget allocation can be distributed at a higher percentage to the nation instead of to maintaining a government department . All hail Saudi ? Hmm .

Think about it . Our grudge with Singapore has been a long time . Read Patrick Keith’s latest book ‘Ousted’ . Patrick Keith was a right hand man of Tunku Abdul Rahman . It tells us about the cunning attitude of Lee Kuan Yew . From there you will understand why nationalists like Dr Mahathir and Tunku Abdul Rahman disliked Singapore . If you want me to tell you the story , it will take me a day . When that time comes , hopefully Malaysia’s water supply to Singapore will no longer be 3 cents per thousand gallon .

I admit I am pro Dr Mahathir . But I am not doing this because he fed me with curry chicken or cash till I am so plump ( fat if you want to put it ) . But issues that are worth querying must continue popping up like why Approved Permits were given to two ex Government officials who do not even have car showrooms and why they sell their APs . Questions like why a good CEO like Tengku Mahaleel is removed . Is it because he is not singing the tune of the current government ?

I don’t know . We should not continue drinking our Milo and let the smoke blow past our eyes . Call the firemen . Find the source of the fire , put out the fire . And let there be peace once again with all issues corrected . There is no question of a public revolt , UMNO revolt or whatever government toppling plans . The government of the day must move on . What is wrong must be made right . That’s all we the public want . Any calls to remove the Cabinet line up , I do not exactly agree as long as what is wrong is made right as soon as possible .

Our parents at times make judgemental mistakes on us and we make mistake in life as well . But we are a family and do not ask to remove anyone or kick anyone out of the house . Instead , we use the rotan and incentives ( carrot and stick method ) to make us change ourselves , make what is wrong a right , make our lives carry on as usual and have a happy ending as a family .

Peace mate . Let us continue and let my blog page be the debating page of the day ! I am glad that there are comments that are making me think and rebut and comment . That’s the way pals , guys , peeps . Keep it up and hope to blog another round soon .

Good day mate !