M'sian Chinese must read this: Get lost, MCA!

I want to vote for PAS

Written by Stan Lee, Malaysia Chronicle Friday, 07 October 2011

It has become the tradition for MCA to use hudud to attack Pakatan Rakyat especially now when we are in the last lap to the 13th general election. Hudud is of course the part of the Islamic criminal law that pertains to 6 specific punishments that includes amputation of limbs, whipping and stoning to death. But this time around, the shocking thing is how the Chinese community reacted in the scocial media network. No one rushed to condemn hudud, no one took pity on the MCA. On the contrary, they attacked MCA with gusto, hurling foul words at its political hypocrisy and cheating ways. It is not surprising then that MCA vice president Gan Ping Sieu has quietly dropped his debate challenge to Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng over the hudud issue. An accurate reflection of how the Chinese feel Outstanding among the cyberspace scoldings heaped on the MCA is an article entitled Chinese Malaysians must read! MCA, I want to vote for PAS! It was written by a writer nicknamed Yue, which means moon. The article was published by his friend on Facebook at around 2 pm on October 4, 2011. It went viral and in 48 hours it was shared by some 1,500 Facebook. The article is a revelation of the mood of the Chinese. Although it is filled with derogatory words towards MCA, it is an accurate reflection of the sentiments of the Chinese community towards the MCA and why they are defending PAS. Quite the opposite reaction from the previous years, when the community ran to the MCA for refuge against the extremists in PAS. Now, uppermost in the Chinese minds are how to scold MCA for bowing to Umno, while PAS is praised for having the courage to shift to the middle ground. The Chinese community appears to appreciate the recent efforts made by PAS to open its doors and to try and explain its religious beliefs more freely to the non-Muslims. It is archaic but ... Nonetheless, this does not mean that the writer supports hudud law. Frankly, most Chinese do not support hudud. It does not belong in the present time and neither is it any good to say that non-Malays will not be affected. The Chinese and Indians don't want to have their arms chopped off if they steal or to be stoned to death if they commit adultery. They don't want such horrible things to happen to their Malay friends either. If they didn't care and just said, never mind lah, only the Malays 'kena' or suffer, they would be very selfish people indeed. Don't you agree? In any case, the writer Yue also acknowledges that hudud is part of PAS' ultimate goal and at the same is happy that political reality does not allow the implementation of hudud based on the Pakatan's Common Policy Framework and the Orange Book. Lastly, the writer says if the Chinese really can't tolerate hudud, they can always switch back to the BN in GE-14. Here is an edited version of "Chinese Malaysians must read! MCA, I want to vote for PAS!" As a Chinese Malaysian, there is no Rocket or Keadlian contesting in my constituency, only a direct clash between UMNO and PAS. Now, I'm officially announcing it here - in the next GE, I will vote for PAS! Looking at the MCA leaders attacking Islamic hudud laws during their annual general assembly on the pretext that they are protecting Malaysian multi-culturalism, I wish to say, MCA, go to hell! As a Chinese in Malaysia, now I wish to tell MCA, in the next general election, I will vote for PAS! I don't wan to entertain you anymore! Don't tell me that by forming an Islamic country, hands and feet will be chopped off. Malaysia under your rule and Umno - even Teoh Beng Hock can fall from a building! Cops can shoot as they please! Not to mention the ones that died in custody! Before our hands and feet are chopped off by PAS, we might die abused by you - the authorities! MCA, a pathetic party, tarnishing PAS in the papers everyday. Do you know, PAS allocates land to 'support' Chinese secondary schools in Kelantan. In Perak, the same thing happened when a PAS leader was the Menteri Besar. @#@ MCA, you've been the government for many years, but failed to institutionalize allocations for Chinese schools, and now you're telling us not to vote for PAS, crazy!

@#@, MCA you are a huge party but in your general assembly, the time was used to attack Islamic idealism, but at the same time you quietly bow to Umno's narrow racist mind, what kind of a pathetic party is this? A pathetic party that cannot be saved! When Umno attacked, saying Chinese are "immigrants", telling us to go back to Tongsan, it was PAS who came forward to defend us! When Umno prohibits non-Muslims from using the word Allah, it was PAS who came forward to defend non-Muslims' rights! When Umno prohibits non-Muslims from entering mosques and suraus, it was PAS who came forward to oppose Umno! When the pro-Umno Perkasa attacked Pakatan Rakyat for betraying the Malays, it was PAS who came forward to stop them! @#@, what are you doing, MCA? Only capable of saying Umno should not be like this, like that. If you are really great, why is is that the Chinese are still second class citizens? If you really do have a backbone, the get out of Barisan Nasional, stupid! My anger is raging.For so long you've taken money, one PKFZ project you took RM12.5 billion, one Facebook you took RM1.8 million, and the other ones? You took the people's money! PAS? Have you heard of PAS taking bribes? PAS is known for its honesty, 20 years of ruling Kelantan, not one corruption case, the Menteri Besar is still living in a 'kampung' house, eats nasi lemak! You guys simply say if you win you'll eat lobster, and you still want us to vote for you?" MCA, get lost! When the Prime Minister announced he will abolish ISA because of pressure from the people, like a dog, you immediately agreed! @#@, for so long you've been supporting that draconian act, and now you've changed in a blink of an eye? You think the people are stupid? For so long, PAS led the people to fight, either in the anti-ISA rally, Bersih 1.0 or Bersih 2.0, PAS is always in the front-line to fight against tyranny - facing tear gas, and water canons! On 9 July, Umno attacked us for rallying on the streets. At a critical moment, Unit Amal PAS made way, and said "Let the Chinese out first, we protect them!" @#@, where were you MCA? Where did you hide at the time? Now you're telling us not to vote for PAS, to hell with you! @#@, for so long you've been ruling us, that porn video president is still on the stage urging the government to do this and that. Have you ever thought of yourselves as the government? If you yourselves can't do it, then switch! Stupid! The best thing is, Liow Tiong Lai, challenged DAP to get out of Pakatan Rakyat. When Islamic law was passed in Kelantan and Terengganu, Umno state assemblymen supported by raising both of their hands. Not one vote was given by DAP. Why don't you lead MCA to get out of Barisan Nasional? PAS wants to implement hudud Laws, this is the party's ultimate goal. It is like the Progressive Democratic Party in Taiwan who fought for independence, which surely won't happen, because it is not allowed in the political reality. Furthermore, PAS is cooperating with the other two party components in Pakatan Rakyat, who will surely govern based on the Orange Book - not just the ultimate goal of PAS or DAP. Maybe some will ask, what about Kelantan? I would like to ask them, even if it is implemented in Kelantan, what's the fuss? If you're not a Muslim, what has it got anything to do with you? Furthermore, you should wait until PAS wins two-thirds majority to amend the constitution. For now, the government has yet to be even changed. Now with the amount of phantom voters, it would difficult for Pakatan Rakyat to win one third of the seats! Still a lot of Chinese are saying, we'll die if the Pakatan Rakyat gets two-thirds majority. I say @#@, my foot, if Pakatan Rakyat wins two-third, DAP will surely have 50 seats. If DAP would not vote for it, there would be no amendments. And then, more Chinese are asking, what if DAP become cowards and support the implementation of hudud laws? If you don't like it, then switch back to Barisan Nasional! Is it that there can't be no more elections after the change of government in the next GE? Aren't elections about giving us the opportunity to change the government if we don't agree with its policies? Some Chinese are just stupid, I'm saying it openly here. If in the next election, we support a government that have been corrupt for so long, just because we are afraid of hudud laws that are not even there, then the Chinese are a real disgrace. The fate of the Chinese community will be destroyed by their own hands! Wake up, and don't be fooled by MCA! Only when we vote for Rocket, Keadilan and Moon and unite to change this pathetic government can we fix the conditions of the Chinese community in the country. If you love your race, if you love your people, if you love your country, share this writing with all your friends. In the next election, we sing together the song "Moon is the shape of my heart" (a famous Chinese song)!

Malaysians' deplorable state of English

Written by Douglas Tan Friday, 07 October 2011 00:43

The ability to communicate effectively is what makes or breaks a business. For those involved in the management of any company, big or small, local or multinational, we all know that our companies are as strong as our weakest link. Therefore, the recruitment of good people has become a pseudo art form, with head hunting agencies pouring through potential candidates and our own human resources department, thumbing through job applications one by one to determine who is worth their salt. With this in mind, I have become increasingly discouraged of late with the quality of candidates applying for positions. The issue is not so much the pay, as opposed to the grey matter between their ears. Although this is perhaps not such a major problem for middle or higher management, the language abilities of the candidates I had to interview of late have been extremely poor. When the business requires one to deal with foreign clients, can you possibly ask them to converse in Malay or Chinese? Problem with the education system? Of the ten candidates who have sat across from me who applied for the position of a sales executive, I can confidently say that only one could hold a decent conversation with me. The rest were uneasy, shifting in their shoes, with some to the point that I had to allow them to speak Chinese or Malay in order to express themselves. Is this how it should be? Personally I find that by allowing them to speak their mother tongue, I am probably wasting my time. If my customer in the UK or US are unable to understand their e-mails or their verbal explanations, is that not going to be more costly than not to have them at all? The level of education is no longer a factor to determine one's proficiency in the English language any longer. I had recently interviewed a masters degree holder from a top local university who was clearly unable to string a grammatically correct sentence together. What hope is there then for the fresh graduates who are looking for employment? Poor English skills are also giving rise to overall deterioration in customer service. In the United States, staff are trained to address the customer as "Sir", "Madam" or "Ms." and they use words and phrases such as "Certainly", "Not a problem" and "How else may I be of service today?" This is in stark comparison to the "Ya, OK" responses which we are so accustomed to. Is this a fundamental problem with our education system? Should we not be looking to make English taught at school more practical for everyday usage with more emphasis on oral skills? Co-existence A columnist commented today that our kids no longer can read or comprehend English literature. Although this is heartwrenching enough, I would go so far to submit that in 10 years time, our kids would not longer be able to speak English let alone read it. Does this mean we get rid of Bahasa Malaysia or Chinese as mediums of instruction? Absolutely not! Parents should have every right to choose what medium of instruction their children should partake in. There is no doubt we all should also be proficient at Bahasa Malaysia as it is our Bahasa Kebangsaan. However, we need to observe education systems in countries where their populations are proficient in English although it is not their mother tongue. Those from Nordic countries, Germany, and the Netherlands are famous for their ability to communicate in English despite it being rarely spoken amongst their own people. The Education Ministry should take a leaf out of their book to see how to reform our current system, rather than stick to the status quo. The PMR English exam is being sat across the country today. I pray that these kids do not underestimate the value of the language, and when they eventually come out to work in the next couple of years would enable Malaysia to take that step up towards a more confident, international nation. - Douglas Tan is a reader of Malaysia Chronicled. He obtained his law degree from the University of Nottingham and currently works in the manufacturing industry.

The Man Without A Plan

Written by P Dinesh, Malaysia Chronicle Sunday, 09 October 2011

Hunting around for an apt description for Najibs budget, we finally had to settle on mindless. No one in the entire overstaffed Finance Ministry, or their inept leader, appears to have bothered to apply their mind to the serious challenges facing the nation. Outrageously, Najib has themed his budget as one for national transformation when it is anything but. The issues unaddressed include: Jobs How will this budget help to create new jobs? How many jobs will it create? Will these jobs be in high wage sectors? Will any jobs that are created only be for foreign nationals? New Industries What new industries will the government encourage in Malaysia? What kind of incentives will be offered for these industries? The Environment What initiatives (supported by what budgets) will the government undertake to protect the environment? What investments will the government make into promoting green technologies and their related industries? The Poor The poor need higher income jobs and reskilling, not a one-off, arbitrary hand-out. It is unfortunate that the government treats the poor as a collection of beggars. We are back to being a medieval kingdom and Najib goes around tossing coins to the masses. Scrabble, guys! What plans has the government to increase the earning power of households with incomes below RM3,000? Rising Prices Prices of all food and goods are rising every day. And it is rising more than the government says it is. This more than anything contributes to the hardship of all citizens. It is going to get worse, as the government plans only to maintain, not increase, the subsidies. What plan does the government have to combat rising prices? How does the government plan to reduce the price of food and basic necessities? The Disabled No concrete measures have been put in place to help the disabled. The government appears to have neither objectives nor interest in helping the disabled. We suggest policies like 100% employment for all the disabled who can work. There are enough GLCs to accommodate them. The Civil Service Civil servants were thrown scraps, a half-month salary, in return for their efforts. The government, being a poor economic manager, is unable to award them a better bonus. What monies were not wasted on mismanagement, were lost to corruption. In the end, the biggest losers were the people of Malaysia. Whatever small short-term gains some may think they receive, they will find it turning to ashes in their mouth. Literally. For example by the time the poor receive their promised RM500, they will find its purchasing power greatly reduced due to rampant inflation. What is clear from this budget is that the BN government is lost and it is desperate. They have absolutely no clue on how to tackle the economic ills afflicting the nation. They are reduced to self-destructive populism in a last-ditch bid to survive. Najib may be a short-term thinker who does not look beyond ensuring his own survival in the next election; but Malaysians should look at the long-term damage that the BN will wreak on Malaysias economy if they are allowed to stay on.

GE-13 unlikely to be in November after Najib's Budget fails to excite

Written by Maria Begum, Malaysia Chronicle Sunday, 09 October 2011

PKR leaders do not expect Prime Minister Najib Razak to dissolve Parliament on Monday, pointing to the public's muted response to his Budget 2012 despite its array of unabashed cash enticements to "buy voters". "Unlike in matured democracies, where the timing of the general election is fixed, here in Malaysia, it is completely up to the whim and fancy of the PM and his bedfellow, Rosmah Mansor. Pakatan Rakyat will stay on the alert but the signs are clear, they will cling on longer," PKR vice president and Johor chief Chua Jui Meng told Malaysia Chronicle. Jui Meng was referring to Najib's wife Rosmah, who is well-known to play a very large role behind the scenes. Some even regard her as being the power behind the throne. Cool response a sign of how low Najib's credibility has sunk On Friday, Najib unveiled a RM232 million Budget stashed with cash assistance and bonuses targeted at his Umno party's core electorate, such as land settlers under the Felda scheme and the civil service the main beneficiaries at the expense of other segments of society. Despite the co-ordinated blitz of propangda from the government-controlled mainstream press and TV, reaction was cool as Malaysians themselves had expected Najib to resort to such measures. "Now, I believe Najib won't be confident enough to dissolve Parliament. GE-13 will be in February or March after the people have received their 'ang-pow' from Budget 2012. It is actually a sad reflection and something for Umno to take note of - the people just don't trust him anymore and even when they get cash assistance, they are smart enough to know it is their money," PKR vice president and Batu MP Tian Chua told Malaysia Chronicle. Oddly, even Najib's main contender for the Umno presideny, Muhyiddin Yassin, has refused to deny that Budget 2012 was an election. Unlike Najib, who criticised those who pointed out the flaws in his spending plan, Muhyiddin said it was up to the people to decide how they wanted to view the Budget. Former premier Mahathir Mohamad also sent out a veiled warning to Najib's outrageous spending spree, pointing out that Malaysia and the rest of the world were in for a huge financial crisis that will take years to pull out from. The great financial crisis will be with us for a long time. Even when it is resolved the aftermath will see slow recovery for the giants of the West, Mahathir wrote on his blog on the same day Najib unveiled Budget 2012. Foreign investors take cognizance of the foolhardiness in Najib's 2012 spending plan Completely absent, and this will be noted by foreign investors and rating agencies, were long term structural programs including returing integrity and transparency into Malaysia's judicial system. For long, Malaysia's institutions have been criticised for bowing to the beat of Umno's poltical drum rather than to follow the letter of the law and to put the interest of society and the economy first. This has harmed Malaysia's image tremendously, as well as Najib's own corruption scandals regarding the Scorpene submarines and the purchase of falsely positively news programs. These programs were slotted into international TV networks so as to paint a fake image of Najib's leadership and projects, and despite his administration closing a stoic eye into the probes by UK regulators, revelations of his attempt to do so has dented Malaysia's credibility and foreigners now doubt what they see and hear about the country. "Umno will perform poorly in the GE unless they carry out real reform. They have tried to fob off the people with fake reforms but the people are not fooled," PKR vice president N Surendran told Malaysia Chronicle.. "Instead of focusing on the economy they continue to focus on attacking and persecuting the opposition. For example, the trial of Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim and the way it has been handled doesn't boost investor confidence because the health of the judiciary also has direct bearing on the economy." Surendran added that investors would only be convinced that Malaysia had restored order into its systems when Najib, or whoever his succesor is, launches politically tough reforms that immediately punished corruption and returned independence to the judiciary.

Najibs Upside-Down Budget

Written by Ismail Dahlan, Malaysia Chronicle Saturday, 08 October 2011

The average Malaysian has to budget his monthly expenditure based on his monthly income. For example if you earn RM3,500 a month, you can only spend up to RM3,500. Spend more and you are in debt, or deficit if you like. Najib Razak, however, has apparently decided that he is not bound by any such economic rules. In Najibs wonderland, he first figures out what he needs to spend to win the election. He then adjusts his growth figures to fit his expenditure. He insists on defying the laws of economics! If Najib were to attempt to defy the laws of gravity in the same way, he would fall splat on his face. That is the trouble with economics, we suppose, you simply have to play around with numbers on excel spreadsheets to defy its laws (for a while). But eventually it catches up with you. And it wont be Najib who pays the price, it will be all of us. Bankruptcy and the SF Golden Bridge The individual who exceeds his budget to the frustration of his creditors and the state which does so will meet the same end; bankruptcy. And that is precisely and unerringly where Malaysia is headed now. And what is this in aid of, exactly? What is the cause? So that we can have another five years of Najib and Najibonomics where 2+2 somehow adds up to 6! Not satisfied with handing out vast sums of cash from non-existent income sources, Najib declares that he will alsotake a deep breath.reduce the deficit! And if you believe that, then I have a gold-colored bridge in San Francisco that I would like to sell to you. The fact is that Malaysia will be fortunate to grow the economy by 4% based on the prevailing conditions in Europe and the United States. And this is provided there are no major jolts to the worlds economies from unforeseeable circumstances. Baseds on this we would end up with an enormous deficit next year. And how will Najib solve it? Yet another fantasy budget? Deeper into the quicksand of deficit budgets we will sink. One-off, then what happens next month? Let us now examine this RM500 that Najib is promising households with incomes below RM3,000 per month. There is a catch, of course. It is a one-off payment. So what are the poor supposed to do the next month? Its back to good old destitution. What Najib should be doing is addressing the issue of runaway prices which is the real problem facing Malaysians. And he should be looking at how to increase disposable income for Malaysians. That Najib does neither is clear proof of his, and BNs, incompetence at managing the economy. And it is a damning indictment of his tenure as Prime Minister that where there should be energetic leadership and visionary plans; there is only a leaderless vacuum. Where there should be prudent economic management, we are presented irresponsible, empty populism. Handing out cash in scattershot fashion will not increase economic activity or output. Nor will it create jobs. What we need is focused investment in sectors where the country can compete internationally. Najib knows the mess we are getting into with this irresponsible budget he has proposed, but he presents it regardless. His only objective is to win another term even if the entire country is to tumble headlong into the ravine of insolvency. See you at the bottom!