Youtubes of Syed Hamid Albar talking NEP on BBC's HardTalk

Recently, Malaysian Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar was interviewed by BBC's Hardtalk about the country's treatment of its non-Malay minorities. BBC's synopsis reads:

In a HardTalk programme first broadcast on Thursday 13 September 2007, Sarah Montague talks to Malaysian Foreign Minister Dato Seri Syed Hamid Albar.

Malaysia has just marked fifty years of independence, and there's much to celebrate.

Living standards have improved immeasurably over the past five decades, illiteracy has been virtually eradicated and the economy is doing well.

But do Indian and Chinese Malaysians have as much to celebrate as the Malay population?

Sarah Montague talks to Dato Seri Syed Hamid Albar about whether the law giving preferential treatment to Malay and other indigenous groups is now outdated.

Like a lot of other people, I couldn't get the BBC's Realaudio streaming of Syed Hamid Albar's Hardtalk interview to work on my laptop.

So, here's the interview on youtube. It comes in 4 parts.

Part 1:


Part 2:


Part 3:


Part 4:


So, what did you think?

Do you agree with the son of Albar Sr, the infamously anti-Chinese UMNO strongman in the 50-60s, that the NEP is justified if we look at the overall wealth of each race? Where the total wealth of Chinese exceeds that of the Malays.

My response to that is to simply reproduce Lee Kuan Yew's response to the same question nearly half a century ago, at the dawn of Malaysia.

"Of course there are Chinese millionaires in big cars and big houses. Is it the answer to make a few Malay millionaires with big cars and big houses?

If we delude people into believing that they are poor because there are no Malay rights or because opposition members oppose Malay rights, where are we going to end up?

They, the Malays, have the right as Malaysian citizens to go up to the level of training and education that the more competitive societies, the non-Malay society, has produced. That is what must be done, isn’t it? Not feed them with this obscurantist doctrime that all they have got to do is get Malay rights for a few special Malays and their problem has been resolved…"

Read the entire excerpt of this speech from his memoirs here.

And that is what's making our blood boil. While 100% of non-Malays welcome the opportunity to assist ALL poor Malaysians (ie. that means poor Malays, and poor non-Malays as well), it's the rapacious enrichment of the rich Malays that anger us. It's the transformation of the concept of 'economic assistance' to 'racial entitlement' that makes us so apprehensive. It's the fact that a race-based NEP breeds institutional corruption that infuriates us.

So I ask again. Why not a means-tested NEP, rather than a race-based NEP (that does not discriminate between the rich and poor)?

In addition, since the "average" or "total" wealth of the races is used as justification... read Lesson 101: How to Justify Racial Discrimination about how I think that - as rich Malays get richer, they need to make poor Malays relatively poorer so that the "average" wealth of the overall Malay race does not exceed that of the Chinese... thereby ensuring that the rich Malays have an excuse to get richer and richer in perpetuity. Indeed, isn't the intra-racial wealth gap betweem the rich Malays and poor Malays getting wider and wider?

Do you agree that foreigners are misunderstanding Malaysia's circumstances and that the local non-Malays are actually happy and contented with the current situation?

I don't think so judging by the number of blogs and articles by disgruntled non-Malays. I think no civilised, educated and fair-minded person (non-Malay or no) can possibly condone it. Nuff said.

Need more money? Get a job. Scholarships are gifts, not entitlements.

When I read this letter a JPA scholarship recipient sent to Malaysiakini complaining that his scholarship allowances had not been increased in next year's budget - I was incensed. I could not help blogging the responses below, which on hindsight might be a tad harsh and emotional, but which I'm sure reflects the feelings of many a Malaysian taxpayer. So, I've left my comments as is.

And note the words used in the letter - and the tone with which they were used - which I've highlighted in red! For brevity, I have also edited out some meandering bits which were of no consequence to the objective of the letter.

Budget: Hey, what about us in Egypt
FZ Rosli - published Sep12 on Malaysiakini.

I’m a Malaysian student currently studying in Egypt and am a JPA scholar. Ever since I was in the first year, we had been getting the same amount for scholarship, never more, which was US$220 per month which translates to RM840 per month. This year, as the US currency falls, logically we should be getting more in US dollars to be the equivalent to RM840 but surprisingly, we are still getting the same US$220. The big question is: ‘Where has our money gone?’

(Y)OUR money?! You mean MY money, don't you homie? You mean the Malaysian taxpayers' money, don't you? Let's get this straight. Scholarships are GIFTS! Not entitlements. It's not your money. It's my money... that the govt, in its 50 years of mismanagement, figures you should have.

In any case, would you complain less if the USD exchange rate went the other way and appreciated against the ringgit? Then the RM840 will be worth less in USD terms. Would you therefore complain less if you received less than USD 220? Read your scholarship terms and conditions. Are you sure your allowances are not denominated in USD?

In October 2005, a JPA officer who came with the new students had a meeting with the old students to talk about our allowances and announced a raise of US$40. However, in the end after all the calculations were worked out, it only amounted to a raise of US$3. If you ask me, even in a poor country like Egypt, people will laugh when they know that your government gave you a raise of US$3 per month.

So it was with keen attention that JPA students in Egypt listened to the announcement of the 2008 Budget, with hopefulness in their eyes. Maybe the government was thinking of raising our allowance monies. Imagine our shock when Pak Lah announced that the allowances for JPA students in Egypt, New Zealand and some other countries would remain the same as they had been already been raised last year! I’m not sure whether it’s just me, or us, but seriously, we didn’t notice this ‘raise’.Raise?

A raise is something you get when you are drawing a salary or wage in return for providing a service. In other words, raises are for people who are gainfully employed. You, sir are not. If you have not noticed, you are merely mooching off Malaysians who are gainfully employed.

Egypt, as a developing country, is hit worse than other countries when it comes to economic turmoil. Prices of essential goods have shot up over the past five years. Inflation is close to 50% and yet we are still getting the same amount of scholarship JPA students got 30 years ago.

We need the raise, we truly need the raise and we have the right to get it. But instead of getting it, Pak Lah is saying that the allowances have already been raised previously. Are people up there trying to brainwash us into believing something which is not real? It may work with some but not with all.

Like I said, scholarships are GIFTS. Stop talking as if we owe it to you. Since you have never been employed, you have not worked for it. And if you're like many govt scholarship recipients in the past, you'd probably stay overseas after graduating. Therefore, you won't be working for it after you graduate either.

So HELL NO. You do not have a right to it.

Maybe the real problem is that in Egypt we don’t have a somebody’s daughter or son coming so it doesn’t matter if they don’t raise our allowances. Nobody will say a word. Thank you, Mr Budget Maker for taking care of your children first, and making sure that they get their good night’s sleep even if it is at the expense of other people. Your ‘hard work’ is truly appreciated.

And at whose expense is your scholarship at? My tax payments have been funding scholarships (yours and that of other leeches like you) for the past 10 years. Those payments would have been put towards my own education or that of my loved ones, had it not been for 'your' scholarship.

So, yeah... it is at the expense of other people. Namely ME! and the countless other taxpayers like me.

It's ironic really. My parents and I paid for absolutely all my education ourselves, with not a sen from the govt. And our tax money is now paying for yours,... But you're the one who has the goddamn gall to complain about this 'arrangement'? Screw you, you P.O.S!

If you need more spending money, here's an idea... GET A F*CKING JOB! Wash plates, wait on tables, sell Amway. Show some backbone, why don'tcha, instead asking for larger handouts?

Btw... you are a JPA scholarship recipient. NOT a (JPA) scholar. A scholar is someone who has considerable and significant knowledge, skill and wisdom - to an uncommon extent - as a result of ongoing academic pursuits. Unless you received your scholarship by bettering your peers, and not by the colour of your skin (or the strings pulled by your parents) - you are no scholar.

Finance Ministry Clarifies "Everything?"

DAP had raised the question why there were differing Development Expenditure numbers for 2008 being presented recently. This, according to the Star, is the Finance Ministry's explanation:

The Finance Ministry has clarified that the 2008 Development Expenditure allocation (RM48.1bil) and estimated Development Expenditure (RM40bil) shown in the Economic Report are not contradictory figures in achieving the Government’s targeted fiscal deficit of 3.1% for next year.

A statement released by the ministry explained that the fiscal target was based on the estimated development expenditure, which represented the Government’s best estimate of actual expenditure in 2008.

At the same time, however, the Government was also proposing an allocation of RM48.1bil for 2008, the statement added.

Some simple questions from a non-Ekornomics graduate:

Why is the Govt proposing an allocation which differs from it's best estimate?

Does the govt intend to allocate an additional amount which it was unable to (best) estimate?

If they weren't able to estimate the additional allocation, how then did the govt estimate(?) that it wanted to allocate 8.1bil more than the best estimate?

Or Why is the Govt making estimates which differs from what they want to spend (allocate)?

Does the govt feel that it is good governance to make spending estimates that are not based on spending intentions (allocation)? What's the point of the estimate then?

At the end of the day, answer this: WHAT is the govt actually going to spend? What the left arm estimates (40bil), or what the right arm allocates (48.1bil)?

Read my other postings on more govt financial double talk:
PKFZ bailout: The CRONYNOMIC / EKORNOMIC rationale
What's wrong with NEP's Par Value.

HTC Touch: Review... If I had to do it again, I wouldn't buy it.

It's been nearly 2 months since my previous pre-purchase review of the HTC Touch (see: HTC Touch - A touch of heaven in 112gms) and here's a quick follow-up hands on review.

Firstly, as a Windows Mobile 6 PDA - it's excellent for a low-end user like me.

True, the built-in memory's rather dimunitive and yada-yada-yada... But if you bought the Touch, I'm willing to bet that you did so because of the looks and the touch interface - not so much for the computing power and functionality.

Having said that, it's quite usable. Although I must say I don't use the productivity software as much as I thought I would. I'm very much old-school in that I still use a big, paper desktop diary/planner where I can scribble notes, appointments etc into individual boxes for each day. And notes... well, I have plenty of post-it notes in my wallet to remind me what to buy at the supermarket.

And I don't use the Outlook email or any email of the PDA because I'm too cheap to pay for one of those exhorbitant data plans from the telcos.

I have used the supplied MS Office Mobile... maybe once... since I bought this, and only to test out how it looks.

So, I'm strictly wifi and games only. And in this regard, the Touch fares no worse than other PDAs. It probably is better in real life, because I bring the Touch with me everywhere since it's so light. I'm not one to lug a regular fat, ass-sagging PDA around.

I've installed 2 Opera browsers - the Java-based ultra-lite one as well as Opera Mini. I actually find the simple Java one faster and easier to use.

As for games, I'm into strategy games. I don't mind a game of Minesweeper, but for the fact that it's awfully hard to get a good time using the stylus only (the stylus move that replicates the left+right mouse click to expose surrounding squares is very hard to get right consistently and I keep blowing up mines because of it). I'm finding that a lot of simple games that we take for granted on PC eg. Tetris, are a pain in the ass when it's stylus-only play. And many games are still made for the older Windows Mobile platforms, with their obsolete versions of vb and runtime files etc, which makes installation and operation in WM6 a bit tricky if you're not a geek.

So, right now, my main game is Pocket UFO. It's a Russian port of the hugely popular XCOM game for Windows. And I have to say that they were able to fit nearly the ENTIRE game (with the complete tech tree, turn-based combat, maps, sound and music - albeit a much smaller library) into around 10MBs. And it can be installed into the memory card which is great since the Touch has so little built-in memory to spare.

So, that's the PDA part. Now for the phone.

As a phone... the Touch SUCKS! 3 things...

1. Contacts.

WM6 uses Outlook for the contacts and calls lists. And it's okay... although it takes some getting used to if you've always been using regular handphones. But being able to separate or specify whether to use phone and/or SIM contacts would have been nice. So, if you're like me and like to keep a complete list of contacts in your SIM-card (simply because you switch SIM cards a lot... duh), you're farked. Each contact's doubled up. And the nifty Touch-Flo contacts cube... well, you can only use the contacts in the phone, but not the SIM. So to use SIM contacts only (ie. leave the phone contacts empty) will preclude the use of the Touch-Flo contacts cube.

2. SMS / Messaging

Here, it uses Outlook as well. That's fine as it's actually a pretty good text editor. However, the standard WM6 keyboard is atrocious as the individual keys are half the size of a pea and is virtually useless if you don't use the stylus - which in turn makes one-handed messaging impossible. That's why I installed a copy of HTC Phonepad which is an on-screen T9 phone keypad for touch screens. And voila, one handed messaging is possible again. Albeit, it's fairly uncomfortable to do stuff one handed on the Touch because it's so wide. Unless of course, you happen to have hands large enough to handle at least D-cups single-handedly.

3. Voice calls

This is where it really, really sucks.

Call quality is good. Calls are clear and crisp, and the speaker phone is actually better than most regular phones because the speaker is very loud.

Where the Touch drops the ball, and drops it very badly - is in the transceiver itself. Mine kept losing the telco signal (3 or 4 times a day, I guess) but I don't know about it because the signal strength indicator is showing full strength. You don't know the signal's dropped until someone calls in (and immediately gets routed to your voicemail) or you try to call / sms out (that's when you see the signal strength indicator suddenly change from full to searching).

So, 2 issues here:

a. The hardware or software (I don't know which) is incapable of sustaining a consistent signal.

b. The firmware is incapable of updating the signal strength indicator automatically when the signal has dropped. Either it's not programmed to update or it simply can't detect that the signal has dropped when the phone is idle / standby.

It's is so bad that I have to make missed calls every couple of hours... just to kick the transceiver in the pants and prompt it to (re)connect to the network (if the line has indeed dropped). Sometimes when I have a particularly busy day, a slew of SMS and missed call notifications will flood in after I make a missed call. Seriously, it's that bad. And it's pretty damn frustrating when you're waiting for important calls / messages or simply have to be contactable at all times.

And as a result of putting my thoughts into words here, I have just now decided to switch back to my trusty old Sony Ericsson K800i as my primary phone. As for the Touch, I'll use it for the prepaid Malaysian SIM card that I usually use when I'm home (to avoid roaming charges). At the very least, I don't receive life & death calls on the prepaid line.

In conclusion, if I knew what I know now about the Touch... I wouldn't buy it. The phone bug is a definite dealbreaker... unless HTC acknowledges the problem and updates the firmware.

UPDATE: I've just reflashed the ROM (ie. system) to a newer version from the recently launched Wasabi Green edition of the Touch (to version 1.17.707.2G WWE dated 23/7/07 from the older 1.11.707.1B WWE dated 24/5/07 in the Soft Black edition). It also includes a new radio version 02.097.90 (up from the older 02.093.90). According to internet forums, I read that GSM reception is perceptibly improved. Let's hope that it also fixes the line drop bug.

Ipoh has a prostitution problem - lonelyplanet.com

Have a look at the commentary for Ipoh. The underlined portion reads:

All travellers should take care at night as Ipoh has a prostitution problem.

I'm not sure whether to laugh or be outraged. What the hell kind of patronising tourist guidance is this?

I'd be interested to see what they have to say about Bangkok or Las Vegas or London's Soho...

"These destinations have severe problems with large populations of whores and sluts brandishing pointy tits and wet pussies".

Bugatti Veyron... Fifth Gear Tiff test

This is an actual test of the Bugatti Veyron on the road and track. Seems Fifth Gear managed to pip Top Gear by getting their mitts on the Veyron first. The first-to-TV advantage is significant enough that Fifth Gear slots it into the very first episode of the current 12th season. Enjoy.

Part 1:


Part 2:


Watch also Captain Slow's top speed run: Bugatti Veyron... 407kmh... Top Gear

How old are you... really?

This is interesting.

The calculator asks you some health and lifestyle questions and then calculates your current 'Real Age' and life expectancy.

Nothing really socio-political about this, but is very much in line with my newfound wisdom about living life with no regrets.

Click on the pic to get to the flash tool.

Welcome to Palestine... errr Trengganu?

It was the police on one side. Civilian protestors on the other armed with no more than sticks and stones (which contrary to popular belief, do not actually break the bones of cops in riot gear).

The crowd gets rowdy, the police get riled up. The police actions to disperse turn into actions to suppress. Police firearms are discharged. Protestors get shot.

The police and govt officials come out in force to defend the shootings, citing mortal threats of fully shielded police being killed by dry sticks, loose stones and bra-strap catapults. And of course, the all-important maintenance of law and order, even at the expense of shooting unarmed civilians.

Now... this is what happened in Trengganu. But it is also exactly what happens in Palestine. And it is this very Israeli armed response to the protests of unarmed Palestinian civilians... that forms a considerable part of the very basis of the moral highground, that displaced Palestinians enjoy over their Israeli conquerors.

To me... the adoption of similar tactics by the Malaysian police has only 1 of 2 consequences.

1. The Malaysian govt now acknowledges the right of the Israeli forces to use deadly force in response to unarmed protests by Palestinian civilians. Therefore, they support the Israeli argument that the enforcement of law and order (by any means necessary) on the Palestinian population is a just and equitable objective.

OR

2. The Malaysian govt acknowledges that it has committed the cardinal sin (amongst "civilised" nations)... of firing upon unarmed civilians. And must therefore repent and atone for it. The immediate resignations of the IGP, CPO of Trengganu and Internal Security Minister would be a good start.

So, has the Malaysian govt simply made a great, big miscalculation or is the Internal Security ministry now controlled by closet-Zionists?

Also read The Star: Ceramah clash in Terengganu and Cop was protecting women, kids

and Malaysiakini: Motion to debate 'bloody' ceramah rejected

Will you say 'Enough is Enough"!?

Earlier, we had the RM4.6 billion PKFZ bailout (ref PKFZ bailout: The CRONYNOMIC / EKORNOMIC rationale

We all went "Damn! How bad can this shit get?"

Evidently... much worse:

Premium govt purchases:

Ref to The Star here and here.

How come nobody asked who sold RM50 car jacks for RM5,000?

How come nobody's investigating if the govt official approving these purchases is connected with the seller? It's so basic, I don't have to bloody teach you, do I?

RM23.9 billion oil pipeline project awarded to company with NEGATIVE equity:

This article is from DAP's The Rocket newsletter. Pretty interesting read for 2 bucks.

Drug screening for commercial drivers:

Commercial vehicle drivers will be tested for drugs under a medical check-up scheme when they renew or apply for new licences.

The new scheme, which will come into effect on Oct 1, will also see them being checked for other problems like alcoholism, drug addiction and cardiovascular and mental illnesses.

The move by the Road Transport Department (JPJ) is expected to affect more than 500,000 public service vehicle (PSV) licence, goods driving licence (GDL) and conductor licence (KON) holders.

JPJ deputy director-general Solah Mat Hassan said the scheme, called eKesihatan, aims to ensure that only medically-fit drivers are behind the wheel of commercial
vehicles.

He said that under the scheme, the results would be electronically transmitted to JPJ via a government-appointed gateway provider, Supremme System Sdn Bhd, while payments and registration for the tests would have to be done at post offices before a driver proceeded to the appointed panel clinic.

Those applying or renewing their goods driving, passenger service vehicle and conductors licences have to pay RM80 for the test.

Previously they paid RM50 for new applications and RM10 for renewals.

Asked about the increase, Solah said the tests were more comprehensive...

“The new medical screening will also test for designer drug abuse by drivers and conductors,” he said. - Ref: The Star

Sounds good, but let's hear what The Sun has to say about this:

What makes this venture stink of another money-making scheme involving a chosen few, is that Supremme Systems will not conduct the tests. Instead, it will be carried out by a panel of doctors selected by the company, who will be paid less than half the proposed RM85 fee – RM30; with RM20 going for laboratory tests.

The remainder – about RM35 – will go to the company.

Many medical practitioners oppose the arrangement which they feel is nothing more than a rent-seeking exercise.

The doctors claim that they had, through Koperasi Doktor Malaysia Bhd, submitted a comprehensive proposal to the ministry last year with two scales of fees – much lower than Supremme Systems’.

They argue that it is the doctor who will have to carry out the tests and take responsibility for the certification and that there is no necessity for middlemen to be involved.

"They are getting paid for doing nothing. Any monitoring must be conducted by the RTD," said one doctor, adding that fees can be kept low if such middlemen were eliminated.

"It seems that the main agenda here is to make money and not to have more competent drivers on our roads,’’ said the doctor.

Now... is it not obvious by now why the govt was so against the inclusion of govt procurement in the recently collapsed FTA negotiations with the US?

Did you really think that it was to protect the welfare of local businesses, in terms of fair access to the govt procurement market?

Think about it. It was to ensure that there will be no external scrutiny by the US and other outside parties into this blatant, widespread smorgasbord of corruption that is our country's govt procurement sector. If they let US companies into this sector,... the whole gravy train grinds to a halt. And for all those crony companies supplying the govt, that's like slaying the goddamned golden goose with their own hand.

Okay... so this is nothing new and it certainly won't end here. But to tell you the truth, I don't know what else can be done. The evidence is overwhelming that the current administration is corrupt to the core of their testicles, and yet... Malaysians are no closer to doing the right thing and vote those bastards out.

How is that? How can decent citizens 'tahan' this fucking crap?

Or should I be asking if you voters ARE decent citizens? Indeed... should I be asking if some of you voters are even genuine citizens at all?

A life with no regrets...

31st August or Merdeka Day will now and forever have an even larger significance for me.

If you were wondering why this blog had no updates for over a week, it was because my dad passed away on Merdeka Day (after an exhausting 2 year fight with cancer), and I was home to be with my family. As you'd expect, blogging was not a priority at the time.

So, let my first blogpost in Year 0001 A.D. (After Dad) be a reminder to each of us to put first things first.

Life and loss are immutable things, but regret will haunt you for the rest of your days. If you don't get your priorities straight, regrets will be all that you're left with.

So, what am I going to do today? I'm going to call my mum, book tickets for my next trip home, ask that cute girl in the next cubicle out and maybe... maybe, buy myself a fast car ;)

Remember... "No man ever said on his deathbed, 'I wish I had spent more time at the office.'"

PS. The pic captures the mist shrouded limestone hills that encircle Ipoh on a rainy Sunday afternoon, taken from the carpark on the 2nd floor of Kinta City Shopping Center. Home is where the heart is.