It’s Those Damn Middle-Men…… January 26, 2011

KL and Jakarta still deadlocked over maid issue

KUALA SELANGOR:  Malaysia and Indonesia are still negotiating to resolve outstanding issues related to the recruitment of domestic maids from the republic, said Human Resources Minister Datuk S. Subramaniam.

“We have been discussing the issue for some time, but there are a few conditions which Indonesia wants us to meet, namely granting a weekly day off for the maids and permission to keep their passports.

“From the survey which we have done, Malaysian employers are not keen on these two conditions. As such, both countries would continue to discuss the matter and I hope some kind of flexibility would be given to us to resolve the issue. – Jan 17, 2010, The Star

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Apparently, the shortage of domestic helpers from Indonesia is going to be so overwhelming that the President of the Malaysian Maid Agents have estimated about 50,000 households will be facing problems with domestic help. And from the looks of it, I just don’t see any solution in the near future. Why?

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For one, when diplomats from two governments famous for placing more importance on self-enrichment projects rather than the welfare of their people are placed on the negotiating table, how would you expect a reasonable solution to be worked out? It will always be a tussle of “who gets the most out of it” between the two sides, no?

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And secondly, Indonesian nationals desperate to make a better living for themselves always have had the option of going “illegal”. After all, we’ve heard from the Indonesians themselves about how easy it is to obtain a passport under a different name. So, what’s the urgency, right?

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Well, while negotiation is going on, no one seems to give a damn about the welfare of the employers. Yes, we’ve read about the maids who were abused and their employers who have been found guilty should quite rightly be thrown into the slammer. But you know what? Just as there are that many bad employers in this country, there are just as many bad maids who have caused a lot of anguish to the families who hired them. It really irks me to see the other many good and caring employers being victimised by the greedy and ruthless maid agencies and the equally greedy and useless government agencies, no thanks to the “ever-ready-to-go-on-a-witch-hunt” main stream media.

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I was fortunate to have had a very good domestic help as part of my family. Although she was not perfect, (but then again, who is, right?) she loved my children and was an efficient and hard worker. And for that, she was given many treats such as day offs, shopping trips with pocket money, mobile phones with enough credit to call home, as much food as she can eat, etc and was very much part of the family. After her two years with us was up and she wanted to continue working for us, I called the agent to renew her visa before sending her home for a month-long vacation. So, one would have thought everything was aye-ok, right? Well, when we went to the airport to pick my maid up after her vacation, imagine our shock when we found out that the agent didn’t only NOT renew her visa but had called her earlier to tell her that she is no longer under our employment and will have to go through them again to find a new employer!! That’s what happens when you trust a maid agent!!!!!!!

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Anyway, to cut the long story short, we bought a ticket back to Indonesia for my maid with some cash for her to try and apply a new visa from her side but we found out later that she too got cheated by an agent over there. While I am able to survive temporarily without any domestic help as I was already planning to migrate, I worry, and still do, about the fate of that poor lady.

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I’ve also heard so many horror stories from friends who, after having their domestic help with them for a couple of months, they would come home one day to find that the maid has ran off leaving behind their passports. Or how their maids would suddenly go crazy and demanded to be sent back. How many of you have heard rumours about the Maid Agencies advising the newly arrived maids to run away after the 3-month guarantee period? Just so that they can recycle  those maids, knowing full well that they will be instantly snapped up by desperate households due to the shortage of maids?

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Know what I think? That the dilemma faced by both desperate Malaysian households and desperate Indonesians looking for better paying jobs is mainly due to the unscrupulous ways of the licensed crooks disguised under the title of “Government Authorised Agents“!!!! Of course, needless to say, it’s also all thanks to our governments for approving these sort of practices. They obviously don’t give a fart about us little people, because if they do, they would have and should have:-

1. stamped out the middle-men and agents,
2. created and regulated working visas for domestic helpers like they would for other professions and
3. allowed mutually agreed employment contracts to be signed where both the employers and employees are protected, rather than the current ones where the agents and middle-men benefit most.

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So……………shall we hold our breaths? 

 

Being A Parent Ain’t Always A Walk In The Park….. January 22, 2011

Recently, I met up with a cousin, whom I have known and played with since childhood. So, imagine my surprise when she arrived at our meeting point dressed in matching leopard prints all over and a picture of the albino-looking actor in Twilight hanging off the rear-view mirror in her SUV. Not that there’s anything wrong with it, I know……..just never saw that coming from someone I thought I knew well enough. But as we chatted on, I realised she had little to say about her family and preferred to talk about her new business venture and social gatherings that she attends.

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This cousin of mine has two little boys, the youngest suffering from muscular dystrophy. From the very beginning, many of us could see that the baby had some problems with movements but despite our concerns, my cousin never saw it urgent enough to get him checked. Funny the baby’s pediatrician never noticed anything unusual. It was only recently when he turned 2 and was still lying down on his back with difficulties turning over or grabbing things with his hands and had trouble swallowing solids that she finally relented and sent him to be assessed. And that was when it was confirmed that her youngest son suffers from muscular dystrophy.

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Muscular Dystrophy is an inherited muscle disorder that causes progressive weakening of body muscles. As it is an X-linked genetic disorder, this means it affects exclusively the males, with most boys inheriting the mutation from their carrier-moms. According to most researches, there is no cure for this disorder, but with proper therapy and treatments, the progress of the weakening of muscles may be slowed down. But ultimately, those inflicted with this disorder will die young.

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I may not ever comprehend how it feels to know that your baby only has that few years to live but I do know I would be determined to make those few years in this world as memorable and full of love as possible. While there may be no cure, if therapy helps to improve the quality of life for the child, then by all means, I would go to the ends of the world to get that sort of help.

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When I realised my youngest child wasn’t speaking as he should be at the age of two, I knocked on as many doors as I could locate, trying to get a speech pathologist to assess my child. Although most of them told me to wait till he turned 3 for a proper assessment, I insisted that he started speech classes immediately. I remember those years to be full of sweat and tears, but then again, there were just as many laughter and love, because we decided as a family to do right with one another and to stick together in any situation. I’m glad to say that my son’s progressing really well today, doing awesome at a normal school and although he will still need to go for regular speech classes, we are definitely on the right track.

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From the onset of receiving the bad news about her child, my cousin and her husband have used their busy-schedules in their business as excuses to leave him with her parents or in-laws 24/7. Although there are schools nearby with available physiotherapy treatment for special-needs children, the poor boy has never gone to any because both his parents are apparently just too busy for him. Funny thing is that they don’t seem to be too busy for their tri-annual holiday trips overseas or chilling out with friends in pubs and bars.

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Her eldest boy is also not having it good from his parents either. He suffers from acute eczema but because there’s no one to cook nutritious home-cooked meals for him, he continues to suffer from itchiness and broken skin all over his body due to eating at hawker stalls everyday.

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Giving her the benefit of the doubt, I had wondered if the stress of being a mother to a special needs child had anything to do this state of denial or could it be that she’s just too busy to play mummy at the moment.

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I don’t know about you, but I always believed motherhood, or for that matter, parenthood is a privilege bestowed onto us, where we have been entrusted with the future of our next generation, to mould and guild them as well as we can. So no matter how our child turns out to be, special or super-duper special, we need to give our all in nurturing them, even if this means going to the ends of the earth to look for that pot of gold at the end of the rainbow for them. How they turn out as adults eventually will be a testimony to how we were as parents, don’t you agree?

Malaysia, Oh Malaysia…… January 17, 2011

An eventful 2010 would probably be an under-statement, as far as I am concerned. Being granted the Aussie permanent-residency was really the highlight and having survived the rest of the year, finding our footing in a foreign land, is probably the icing. What probably kept us sane and strong during the highs and the lows was the fact that we faced every situation as a family.

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We came back to KL to celebrate the end of 2010, with renewed and energised hopes for the future of our beloved country. But when a friend recently asked how it felt to be back, I was surprised that I wasn’t quite sure. I wish I could say that it was all awesome and great but it’s not that way at all. To be honest, I’m quite mixed about how I feel to be back.

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Obviously, I’m ecstatic about being back with my family. My sisters and I were always the bestest of friends and I truly missed our chats and meet-ups. And don’t even get me started on the adoring crew of nephews and nieces.

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But other than family and of course retail therapy,  it’s quite depressing to see how little our political situation has improved or how the general Malaysian society has progressed.

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Malaysian driving habits have probably gotten from bad to worst. In fact, there just doesn’t seem to be any rules to be observed anymore on the roads. Where roads used to be reduced to single lanes due to double parking, they’re now half-lane wide, due to triple parking!! Keep to your side of the road when turning into a junction? Are you crazy!!!?? Ever wondered why they even bothered with indication lights?

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And then, there is of course the infamous litter-bugs………there’s just no sense of pride in keeping our streets clean!!?? Is it the fault of the council for not providing enough bins? But is it really that difficult to hang on to one’s rubbish until one comes across a bin? Seriously, why is it so hard to be taught that “RUBBISH BELONGS TO BINS”!!??

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They say crime rate has been greatly reduced. That’s what the government, with their statistics and data, insists. But ask the ordinary man on the street  and they’ll paint a completely different picture. Women still hang on to their bags while constantly looking around to spot a potential thief. Parents are still reminded to hang on to their kids for dear life and schools, if possible, have stationed security guards at entrances. Homes still get broken into, theft victims still get stabbed for not carrying enough money, cars still get hijacked………..

Trust the cops?? Seriously!!??

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Politically, it’s pretty obvious the government of the day is desperately clinging onto power, “…..at all cost“, so declared the Prime Minister. We’re seeing record number of attempts to sabotage the good works of the Pakatan Rakyat state government and endless spins from the main stream media. And how can one not be alarmed when the Election Committee is looking into introducing voter-proxies, when they have yet to solve the riddles of phantom voters of previous elections!!?? Defend Putrajaya at all costs?? I reckon so.

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The education system here is in shambles…..in fact it’s gotten worst. Many family and friends are at their wit’s end, trying to figure out the best solution for the future of their children. The ministry in charge only seem to be interested in pleasing their political masters, while playing with our children’s future.

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Public transport? Unreliable and quite often dangerous to one’s mortality!!!

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Cost of Living? Rising at alarming rates, while salaries remain very much the same, if not for the 3-4% annual increment. The rich becomes richer, while the middle class and poor becomes poorer. With most families being forced to become 2-income families, the children are left to grow up with little opportunities to bond with their parents. Wonder how our future generation will turn out to be?

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So, while my heart will always be with this country where my roots belong, I just don’t see myself and my family coming back……or at least, not in the near future while the current corrupted and greedy government is in power.

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Malaysia is a gorgeous nation with so much potential to be more than what she is now but her people really need to come out of their self-centered mindset and grow up!! If corruption, racism, extremism and stupidity is continually tolerated, all for the sake of keeping the peace, then it’s only a matter of time before this nation faces economic and social disasters.

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Misunderstanding Racism……. August 18, 2010

It used to be when a politician gets caught making a stupid report on record, his first attempt at fixing it would be to say that he was misunderstood and that the press had wrongly quoted his actual intended comment……

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And by golly, Malaysian politicians have gotten so used to using that excuse that they no longer seem to bother to actually guard their words in public……..Said something stupid? It was all a misunderstanding folks!!

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And it seems that this preference for poorly executed cover ups has spread to our civil service too…..

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But when someone, of high authority in a public school….say the school principal, says this, in front of an entire school, (and get this, for the launch of the school’s independance day celebrations….OOOOOHHHH THE IRONY!!!)

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“Chinese students are not needed here and can return to China or Foon Yew schools.”

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And proceeds to add, quite cleverly….or so she thinks,

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“For the Indian students, the prayer string tied around their neck and wrist makes them look like dogs because only dogs are tied like that“

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And then upon realising that these students probably have feelings and possibly have very angry parents who will lodge police reports, gets her boss to tell the rest of us that it’s ALL JUST A MISUNDERSTANDING……(!!!!!!?????)

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Check out the rest of the story at http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/education-dg-says-johor-principal-fiasco-settled/

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How does anyone with an iota of intelligence stomach that!!! And we’re expected to let sleeping dogs lie!!???

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Well, the racist who made that remark and got away is not the first and will certainly not be the last………it does seem like our current government, under their 1Malaysia banner, is intending to reward these ultra-racists, doesn’t it?

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And there seems to be nothing the rest of us can do anything about it……..

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Well, you know what? Perhaps there is nothing we can do about changing how things are going with this current government in power……but I’ll certainly can do something about changing the ones in power!!!!

And They Insisted Crime Rates Are Down……. August 16, 2010

A few days ago, I found out that my parent’s 10-month old Honda CRV got stolen from right under their noses……..the car was all locked up with the usual steering wheel lock and immorbiliser switched on……and of course the heavy duty automatic gate closed, just before they went to bed. Well, they realised all that was in vain, since the thieves managed to unhinge the two gates and drive the car away without a squeak……..

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What did the police say when my parents went to lodge a report?

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“These thieves are professionals….”

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As if we didn’t know!!! I guess hoping for a breakthrough by our police force in finding that car is probably yet another act in vain…….like keeping a brand new car safely locked up behind bars.

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And according to my mum, a few houses away, a Mercedes and BMW were also stolen from the porch at night……in fact, the thieves actually broke into that house for the car keys.

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It’s not so much the loss of a personal possession, but rather the feeling of such vulnerability, that there are criminals who now have mastered breaking an entry into the typical Malaysian fortressed homes, without creating any sort of alert. How scary is that!!!!???

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And it seems crimes against our children are flourishing too…….Remember the recent report about a bus driver sexually assaulting a 10-year old girl? In broad daylight, at the roadside?

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Or the failed attempt by four men to kidnap an 11-year old girl from right in front of her mother, just as they were about to leave for school in their car?

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Is it any wonder that my siblings have asked me to check with the retailers in Australia for any sort of GPS tracking system for children……….

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Should we give our current IGP a round of applause for a job well done? Or perhaps, in all fairness, it’s actually the brilliance of our current Home Minister?

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Of course we can’t blame their ignorance……

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After all, how would these parasites of luxury ever know that when ordinary folks like us go out of our self-imposed prison-like homes, we cling onto our bags and children by our sides, while constantly scanning the horizon for suspicious looking motorists or motorcyclists; or that we would only carry minimal cash in our wallets while stashing our important documents like the IC in the deep pockets of our pants; or that the first thing we do when we get in our car is to lock the doors, but before that, we would scan the area first before heading for our cars…….the list would be long and exhaustive……

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Too troubling for the minds of our great leaders, who most probably have more pressing issues to deal with, such as………which drinking hole has the best entertainment?

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Is it a wonder that I am also suddenly getting emails from friends asking about the migration process? They were the ones who had all said that Malaysia’s good enough for them and their family, as long as they are earning enough…..but now, it’s MORE than just about education……it’s MORE than just about not being victims of apartheid policies………they are really fearing for the safety and lives of their loved ones……..

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Would those so-called caring people-people’s leaders suggest that we’re just being overly paranoid? But at the moment, it seems the sentiment is that it’s better to be paranoid than sorry……..

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For the sake of my loved ones back home, I hope I’m just being paranoid………after all, if all that chaos were upon the nation, our Prime Minister wouldn’t have taken a vacation with his wife recently, right?

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Speaking of vacations, here’s a good example of an excellent leader……….President Mugabe!!!!!!!

http://news.xin.msn.com/en/world/article.aspx?cp-documentid=4275654

The True Sense Of Being A Developed Nation…… June 4, 2010

Kofi Annan, once said that a developed nation is “one that allows all its citizens to enjoy a free and healthy life in a safe environment”. And I do think “citizens” should apply to all living things there as well, don’t you agree?

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I guess I’m pretty fortunate to be able to experience life in a developed country. Obviously while there are a lot of issues that still needs to be looked into, but generally in Perth, I see how aware the Australians are of their obligations to society and the environment. For instance, just the simple act of recycling is now such a big part and parcel of their lifestyle. There is the compulsory 2-bin system where the one with a yellow cover is for all recyclable items and where once a fortnight, the refuse collectors will be picking those up along with the normal household rubbish. And then of course, there’s the emphasis of the importance of treating, not just our fellow human beings but animals too with respect. Perhaps that’s why people love visiting their zoos and wildlife parks………animals are happy and healthy, thereby making the visitors happy too. In comparison, I’ve actually vowed never to visit the KL Zoo because seeing the animals in their pathetic state is just too traumatic!! And I see Australians given the freedom to express their displeasure with their government, be it by letters to the newspaper editors or peaceful protests on the streets.

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Ever since Tun Dr. Mahathir came up with the vision of Malaysia achieving a developed country status by 2020, the nation’s leaders have, very conveniently, peppered their political rhetorics with the “Vision 2020″ slogan….to a point, as far as I’m concerned, that makes me quite nauseous……..Do you realise their version of being developed is so superficial!? That as long as there are tall buildings, some GDP growth of a certain percentage and what nots, Malaysians should be able to proudly proclaim themselves as being citizens of a developed country!!??

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I mean, that’s what the current PM, Najib Tun Razak, is trying to sell…..that if Malaysia achieves a 6% annual growth from now onwards, she will achieve her Developed status by 2020……this despite his appointed top economist, Idris Jala issuing a warning that the country could very well be on her way to bankruptcy by 2019 because of funds mismanagement and subsidies……so how now???? Blaming solely on subsidies is really more an easy way out……..it’s more about the excessive leakages of funds to fellow political cronies but obviously no one’s gonna come right out and admit it, huh?

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But the real question is whether Malaysians are ready to be citizens of a developed country!!??

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How can Malaysia be a developed nation when the Chief Minister of Malacca said, “….God created animals for the benefits of human beings. That’s why he created rats and monkeys … We cannot test on human beings. This is the way it has to be. God created monkeys, and some have to be tested….” and gets away scott free? Does that mean that’s the official stand of the government? That animals in Malaysia don’t warrant any form of rights!!?? Just see how they treat stray animals on the street and one would almost imagine to be on the streets of some backward nation. And when a group of concerned Malaysians decided to protest against such atrocities, they have to answer to the law……there’s just no room for the people to express their disgust, is there???

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And how can a developed nation have a judiciary system that accepts the rationale that a penetration is proven, even though there’s no penetrative wounds, as long as there are traces of bodily fluid???? Just read up on the updates of the opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim’s current legal battle with his so-called sodomy victim and one is guaranteed to really lose one’s head LOLing…..

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And the saddest part of this is that it’s not just the government…..Malaysians in general seemed to have placed more importance on material wealth than anything else…..and judging by the recent event about a girl being burnt alive in her car, it seems that even the fire-extinguisher is more valuable than a fellow human’s life!!!! And for the spokesman of the company to justify the selfish act really takes the cake!!!! I hope these people can sleep peacefully knowing that they’ve caused someone to die in such a horrific manner!!!!

http://komuniti.malaysiakini.com/news/woman-dies-in-fire-as-bhp-staff-refuse-to-loan-fire-extinguisher

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So tell me…what sort of developed country is Malaysia going to be?

Parenthood Today……And Learning To Let Go May 6, 2010

I remember my first day at high school……..we had just moved to the city from a small town in another state and my parents had dropped me off with just a simple “Good Bye” and “Good Luck” at the gates of the public high school. Being rather chubby with glasses and a bad hair-do, you can just imagine how harrowing it was, especially to have later been turned down by my fellow classmates when I introduced myself. Kids can be sooo cruel and cold…..and they still are.

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Well, I was, needless to say, horribly lonely for the next few days, without a friend in the world…….but eventually, I did manage to meet up some other like-minded “nerds”…..LOL…..and we’ve been friends ever since. But during those few days of utter lonesomeness, never had it ever crossed my mind to speak to my folks about my predicament, nor have I ever thought about getting their help……it was almost of an instinct to survive on my own wills, so to say.

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But parenthood today, means being there for their children as much as possible. And which, in my case, would also mean being an almost permanent fixture for the past 2 weeks at the kids’ school grounds during lunch time.

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In my defence, we’ve just moved to a foreign country less than a month ago and my kids, having been enrolled in a foreign school with foreign education system, would need time to fit in, right? Well, my eldest fitted in really nicely on the first day itself but the  youngest, who has always been a little of an introvert, had a little trouble finding lunch buddies on his own….now how can any mother just let that pass by, right? No??

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So, anyway, every lunch hour, mummy-dearest would be there to help point him out to nice looking kids his age to hang out with…..and leave…..so it’s not like I’d linger on and on and on…

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OK…I do realise I’m sort of being a little defensive for being such a protective (or overbearing, you think?) mum…..hehehe……and that’s when I realised how different it was during my younger days.

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I was talking to an aunt the other day about kids being pampered and there fore less streetwise and tough, compared to those of yesteryears and she fully agreed, pointing out that there seemed to be so many more young folks these days with depression seeking treatment. Of course there are those who really do need medical help, but perhaps there may be others, who may not have been allowed to toughen up on their own when they were kids and therefore, at every sign of a crisis, they would turn to the psychologists for help instead of working it out on their own first?

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There was this old Indian couple that I met while ordering food at a foodcourt in Perth city, and the old man, who is still a practising psychologist, confirmed that the statistics of those seeking treatment for depression seems to be on a rapid rise, especially amongst the young……shocking, isn’t it?

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Parenthood is never easy, not in the old days nor is it any easier today….but one thing that I do recognise is that we need to maintain that balance of parental care and providing the opportunity to be independant………..and I’m getting there I hope.

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Anyway, I’m glad to say that I no longer have to hang around to check on my youngest anymore…he has gotten himself a great lunch buddy (on his own without mummy’s interference, mind you) and finally fitting in……..

I’m Grateful………Are You???? March 25, 2010

 

A very grateful 2nd Finance Minister

“….I think the people should feel proud because they are being consulted. As a member of the rakyat, I’ll be very proud because my Government does not impose things on me. It wants me to know what it is doing,”

So said our Second Finance Minister, when addressing the scrapping of the GST threat

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I’m sometimes overwhelmed with amazement at how, those appointed to take care of this nation, view the role of the very folks who put them there in the first place……..that our role in this society appears to be only restricted to providing the necessary funds for these leeches to play around with, and in no way should we expect to be fellow stakeholders of this governmet…..and should there be any form of consideration to the rakyat‘s views, then we, the taxpaying rakyat should be eternally grateful………..

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And so, in the meantime, just shut up, obey and give thanks??????

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I suppose, we should be grateful for a lot of things that this current government has done for us……..I mean, hey, we may have a hand in putting them in power, but heck, they could have turn around and bite the very hands that feed them, right? Erm……..somehow, it does sometimes feel like that though…….

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Anyway, let’s be grateful regardless………

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Let’s be grateful that the government’s MPs are still using derogatory sexist terms in Parliament without the fear of being reprimanded……

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Let’s be grateful that our Police Chief manages to pluck some figures from the sky on much how crime rates have fallen but somehow we ordinary folks are still on constant alert while walking on the streets…….

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Let’s be grateful that the Education Minister has proposed longer hours for English in public schools, but no idea how that is going to work, since majority of his teachers can’t even converse decently in that language………

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Let’s be grateful that our dying local film industry has been given the green light to portray homosexuals in their films but with the condition that these “sinners” must have repented…….

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Let’s be grateful that, although the Americans may have their Health Reform Bill passed, we Malaysians are so much better off……to have been “blessed” with our “1Clinic”s manned by medical aids, as an effective support for  a ravaged public healthcare system??? That, in turn, feeds the prosperous fat bellies of the insurance bigwigs and private healthcare providers…….

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We are also fortunate to bear witness the continuous prosperity of these greedy bigwigs in the insurance industry and private healthcare providers, what with this government’s 1-sided policies…….the latest being the additional motor insurance scheme that our Bank Negara is about to impose………One wonders whether the rakyat has been consulted this time, huh?  

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A very angry Dr. Jacob George had this to vent…

“My irritation and anger is justified arising from the manner they went about pursuing this and the concern that BNM may seek to put in place a scheme which follows existing schemes in other countries.  But these other countries are welfare states – where an accident victim and his family can also rely on existing medical, health, employment and educational benefits available.  For the record – the last time I checked (please do so too!) no such similar benefits are available to Malaysians”

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Yes, there is a lot to be grateful about with the way the BN government runs this country…….

Packing and Leaving….For Now… March 15, 2010

I’m back in KayEl now but my goodness……..what an awesome past few weeks it has been…….Our PR visa validation trip to Perth earlier this month has turned out so much better than we dared to anticipate……..blessings were at every corner, whether small or big, whether it was “manna” or roast lamb……..these miracles, which we would want to see them as, kept pouring in….and we know that this big step towards migration is the right thing after all……

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When we first landed on Perth soil, we were greeted by friendly (but firm) immigration officers…….from those who politely requested for space while their sniffer-dogs went round our baggage, and even allowed my kids to pat the dog on its head, to those at the customs who, after screening our bags, welcomed us as new migrants.

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The efficiency of their system was soooo evident……everything that was needed to be done as new migrants were settled in a blink of an eye……we registered for our Tax File Number, signed up for the government’s Medicare and opened bank accounts all in a day……and the best part of it all…..hubby GOT A JOB on our 6th day!!!!!!

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Yupe……even my aunt, whom we’re staying with while looking for our new home, was shocked at how fast he got employed, as most new migrants would at least take a month to find a job……….See what I mean by God’s blessings……you may wanna pooh-pooh at this, but unless one were to place every blessing like that as being lucky, as far as we’re concerned, only God is able to open doors like that. Though pay is not terrific (although almost on par, dollar to dollar, to our M’sian salary scheme ok?), we’re treating this as a period of training for Hubby to familiarise himself with the Ozzie work culture.

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Kids have also been registered for school…..an awesome primary school in Bateman, a surburb  just about 15 minutes drive from their Central Business Centre, south of the Swan River. Check out their website…..it’s so different from our M’sian public schools, isn’t it? While we were there, the school administrator introduced us to the kids’ class teachers, classmates and the school grounds………and needless to say, kids are looking forward to starting school

http://www.batemanps.det.wa.edu.au/

 

But I think the biggest difference felt is how politics and day-to-day governance are carried out here in Malaysia and in  Australia, or for that matter, in Western Aust…….There is a clear divide between the duties and responsibilities of the government of the day, the civil service and the political parties in Australia……if something goes wrong, the priority is to get to the root of the problem, bring the person in charge to face the music, regardless of ranking and find a solution….but in our beloved country, it’s all about pointing fingers, covering up so that the big fish gets away with his millions of kickbacks while the lowest ranking employee gets the blame!!!!

 

I’m not saying everything’s a bed of roses in the Land of the Koalas, but from what I can see and have experience so far, there’re definitely more beds of roses there than over here in M’sia at the moment……and the root of it all is, sad to say, the government of the day……….

 

Najib’s gang may try as hard as possible to portray themselves as progressive with all their colourful tag-lines and all……..in fact, they may even think by throwing some stupid tea party for some of the internet users would win them some brownie points for being seen as reaching out to the masses……..but, COME ON!!! We’re not “ninnies”!!!!

 

Corruption amongst the leadership is still thriving………Racist and religious policies are still very much the order of the day…….Politicising just about every issue under the Malaysian sun is still part and parcel of how things are run here……….while the people will have to continue to endure sub-standard houses, roads, education system………

 

So, for now, for the future of our children, we have no choice but to pack and leave……..to where our contribution to the society there would be better appreciated, if not by some minority racists, at least by the government, and where there are equal opportunities for everyone regardless of race, religion and political views…..but our hearts will always be with this country where our roots are……..so hopefully, Malaysians will wisen up in the very near future, like the coming election (for goodness sake people!!! Wake Up!!!), and do something about the deterioration of this nation………

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Can You Smell That????? It’s Called Desperation……. February 24, 2010

For most of us Malaysians, it’s pretty obvious that the government and their PR machinery are working overtime on improving their much battered image……and probably with their fingers crossed that the un-enlightened ones would outnumber those who can immediate see through all that propaganda……..

 

If what is reported by our friendly neighbourhood main stream media is anything to believe by, Najib and his men have indeed turn over new leaves…..and their visits to Chinatowns, Little Indias and what-nots have demonstrated exactly their seriousness in working towards racial integration……..(and oh yes, that Rosmah is actually a sweet kitty cat who trembles whenever the manly-man PM stomps his feet)

 

But wait, what the general public doesn’t see is how these ministers move like speedy-gonzales during these walk-abouts……perhaps stopping by to shake some hands for some photo-op…….or how walled-in they are by their hoards of body-guards and hanger-ons………

 

And then there is the much media -trumpetted billions of development fund (RM3.4 billion to be precise) being channeled to Sarawak (hence a big smilling Sarawakian Chief Minister) with a “hands-on-chest” pledge by Najib to supply electricity to at least 95% of the households there………….

 

Don’t think we have any issues with that at all Mr. PM…..but wait……….at the rate the tariffs are going up every year, how many of the households there, especially the indigenous groups, would be able to afford it?

 

Is the government going to subsidise electricity for the East Malaysians then??? Cos I thought you guys are talking about eradicating subsidies all together, no??? If not, at the end of the day, would that mean the billions that would have changed hands with fellow cronies to build the infrastructure needed, come to a naught? Acute under-utilisation of those facilities by then? AS ALWAYS!!??

 

And how would they come up with such funds, if one may were to wonder……….well, that’s what the GST is for…….that’s why they’re working really hard in convincing us that we don’t need subsidies for the essential goods….which is fine so long the government pulls the plug on the same subsidies and bail-outs for their cronies (such as our beloved local car manufacturer)……..and that’s also why Malaysian’s will also be expecting to pay more for fuel, electricity, etc very very soon………..

 

As if having the main stream media at their beck and call is not enough, it seems their desperation to propagate their ”good-works” have spread wings to include the religious bodies……..

 

Recently, an email has been sent to numerous church leaders, solicitating for their allegiance……

 

Check out the content of the email below:

There is a proposal that Christian leaders and pastors come together for the sake of the nation to form a Christian Coalition in Support of 1Malaysia (CCS1M). We have seen the mess created by the Pakatan Rakyat leaders and elected representatives and are fed up with their choatic administration of Perak, Penang and Selangor. The Christian block of votes in the urban areas like Ipoh, Penang, PJ, Subang Jaya, etc has contributed to the Pakatan victory in the March 2008 general election but what happened to those elected, especially the Christian elected representatives.

.

People like Teresa Kok and Hannah Yeoh are riding on a popularity wave and competing with each other in a fashion show parade. They act like beauty queens. There is also Janice Lee who thrive on street demonstrations and does nothing else. The Christian cousins of Ngeh and Nga of Perak did not lose time in awarding themselves with datukship and state award even before they warm their seats of the Perak state exco.

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There is Edward Lee, another Christian lay leader, who got elected and then does nothing at all after that, just collecting his allowance and enjoying regular free meals with his family given by his constituency voters.

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Nothing has changed during the last two years the Pakatan ruled Penang and Selangor, but things have become worse.

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The Najid administration, meanwhile, has done a lot for the people, and churches are among those benefitting from the Barisan Nasional federal government. Just ask Assemblies of God denomination head Rev Ong Sek Leng who is also pastor of the burnt Tabanacle Church or Full Gospel Businessmen Fellowship presidentTan Teck Seng and the defecto NECF leader Rev Wong Kim Kong (although he has retired, he still controls the NECF as executive advisor).

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We are proposing that the following church leaders and pastors form a pro tem committee to set up the CCS1M:

NECF leader Rev Wong Kim Kong,
Baptist lay leader Dato Davy Woo,
AOG Church head Rev Ong Sek Leng,
Methodist Church head Bishop Hwa Yung,
Baptist Church Convention head Rev Isaac Lim,
Anglican Church head Bishop Ng,
Full Gospel Businessmen Fellowship national president Tan Teck Seng,
Christian editor Dato Seri Wong Chun Wait of the Star,
Christian women leader Tan Cheng Liang, and
Christian politician Dato Lee Hwa Beng.

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These are all well-known church leaders who support the Barisan Nasional. Many church leaders, pastors and members are now keen supporters of Prime Minister Dato Seri Najib and Dato Seri Ong Tee Keat. They are fed up with the Pakatan tactics.

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Let us all pray that peace and order will be restored in the states that fell to Pakatan, and work for Barisan victory in these states at the next general election.

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And we hope Christian journalists like Dato Seri Wong Chun Wai, Thomas Lee, Bob Teoh, Soo Eu Jin, Debra Loh, etc will help promote the CCS1M with their commentaries.

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So, Rev Wong Kim Kong and Dato Davy Woo, the ball is in your court to initiate and organise this new movement of God to remove the hypocrites from power.

 

Well, I don’t claim to know whether those names mentioned would actually be part of this so called “movement of God”, but what I do know is that whoever wrote this piece of crap is no God-Fearing person, especially from the way he/she has dissed the Pakatan Rakyat MPs…..who so far, has done more in the last 2 years than any of UMNO’s goons combined in the last decade………..

 

Anyway, Rev Hwa Yung has apparently replied to the sender of the above email….and quite timely too……..

 

It is with regret that I have to write this. But for the sake of clarity on the stand of the Methodist Church in Malaysia, I am obliged to respond….

 

You wrote with respect to the list of names of church leaders which included mine that: ‘These are all well-known church leaders who support the Barisan Nasional. Many church leaders, pastors and members are now keen supporters of Prime Minister Dato Seri Najib and Dato Seri Ong Tee Keat. They are fed up with the Pakatan tactics.’

 

I do not speak for the others whose names you have included. But I do not know how you came to such a conclusion, and by whose authority you are writing. I do not even know who you are and you have NOT identified yourself. As a Christian, I am certainly concerned about Malaysian politics and the mess we are in at the moment.

 

But i do not identify with either side POLITICALLY. IN FACT I RESPECT MEN AND WOMEN OF INTEGRITY ON BOTH SIDES OF THE POLITICAL DIVIDE, AND HAVE GOOD FRIENDS AMONG THEM.

 

To include my name on your list without permission is clearly a dishonest act. It not different from the dishonesty and gutter politics that lie behind much of the mess in Malaysian politics today. Yours is a highly irresponsible act to say the least, and represents political manipulations of the worst kind. You owe the public an apology for such an action. But will you have the integrity to identify yourself and the guts to apologise?

 

I will not say more. But since you purport to be a Christian, I am sure you are aware of these words of our Lord Jesus: ‘I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give an account of every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned’ (Mat 12:36f). May God grant all of us grace to repent !

 

Sincerely in Christ,

Hwa Yung
Bishop, The Methodist Church in Malaysia
23 February 2010

 

The last thing the peace-loving Christian community needs is to have their religion politicised by the ones who know no decency or shame………so LEAVE MY RELIGION OUT OF THIS!!!!