My visions for Malaysia

One thing we haven’t been good at is how we approach our development. Take KL, it’s hot, suffocating, roads are jammed, public transport is crowded and unsafe and everything else you can think of to moan and complain about. Little can we boast of to compare with beautiful cities that incorporates the environment within its development context – I’m thinking Zurich, Johannesburg (well, according to my wife), St Louis – well, Frontenac anyway, perhaps Singapore from the pictures that I’ve seen. Having said that, we’ve followed the path of London, Seoul to a certain extent, Munich – from what I can remember – where industrialization priorities overrides all else.

That was my opinion until I came across pictures of the Belum Resort (link here: http://www.belumresort.com/hotel.html) and I was blown away. This just looked the most pristine location that I’ve seen here in Malaysia. So, there is something we are good at, and perhaps this can be a model for our development, where our co-existence with nature is emphasised, and sustainability is a design element.

The unravelling of the fabric of society... what is Gen Y's motivations?

1. There is no real point when discussing society nowadays, except that individualism has created a soulless society, unable to see beyond ourselves, and without faith, has nothing to look forward to. It’s very depressing, but, there is some semblance of truth to it, and it’s something to take heed.
2. Internet, PS2, Cable TV. Accessible porn. Free newspaper. Gazillions of songs to suit your mood and reinforce your attitude to any given issue. What else is there for a Gen Y to need outside of these? Generally, wealth – even for middle-class families – ensures there’s food on the table, a school to go to no matter how reluctant you may feel as there is inadequate equitable return to the child’s feelings relative to the emotional sacrifice to attend it, so really there are no basic human necessities to ponder over.
3. Society’s needs should be handled and managed well by the Government of the day, failing which we shall change them as it is now our democratic right.
4. A bit hedonistic these values if I may say so. But the thing about values is the relativeness of it all. What’s right for you isn’t right for me. Might is right, and hence political power determines who decides on societal values.
5. At the end of the day, these are all driven by values. And judging by headlines of babies chucked in refuse chutes or flushed down toilets, Mongolian models being blown up, illegal racin

broad positions - ISA and societal constraints

1. Two opposite positions stand when discussing ISA. Any discussion is bound to fail if we don’t subject this within a context, and the only relevant context is society-building, and we can’t run away from providing a framework of providing justice for all citizens and equitable distribution. Isn’t this the maqasid and the cornerstone of all civilized societies?

2. Hence, ISA is an injustice, where pre-emptive detentions and no recourse for trial is an obsolescence, and a Bushism to boot. Mahathir was crowing on how the US imitated Malaysia’s ISA when Bush introduced Gitmo, but was strangely silent when Obama removed it. ISA is, by all accounts, an injustice that should be consigned to the history books, like slavery and other inequity society has outgrown. These are strong words, indeed, fully knowing the argument it is to enhance internal security and peacekeeping, but these are relics of a military dictatorship of an administration insisting that it alone knows best and the nation’s citizens should disavow thinking. And we still wonder why we are relatively immature.

3. Has the ISA succeeded in keeping the communist threat? I believe the communist threat was nullified through good intelligence, strategies and execution of our military troops back in its day. Yet even in the 60s, we have seen that the ISA has been abused to dissolve political threats, rather than threats to the country. So, why still keep it?

4. In that respect, ISA should be removed.

5. So, when people demonstrate on the streets, knowing there are lives affected NOW… listen and take bloody action, and I don’t mean spray laced water at demonstrators and labeling them traitors. From Barisan’s strategic point of view, the best way to overcome this growing dissident voice on the ISA is to take concrete action steps now, not to hide behind “we will review” remarks.

6. Next question will be – is the demo justified? I would say yes, until the bloody thing is repealed, and wiped off our law books. It is not an escape clause for desperate and immoral politicians, of which it has become an obedient and hateful lapdog to its political masters.

7. Innovation in Malaysia is hindered. And the reasons for these are? I would like to point out to our education system, but also more importantly, how society utilises and celebrates success, while rare, is hardly ever featured prominently in the national psyche. We celebrate solo round-the-world voyages, world-class sportsmen, make-it-big businessmen living off easy licenses but who then spins story of how difficult things were if it were not for his intrinsic capabilities (step forward, Francis!) and of course, Datuk Siti Nurhaliza and Mawi for making it big. That’s quite a list.

8. The point here is that, society is too confused when looking at role models, some more eligible than others judging from my list above. Whence innovation, scientific inquiry and endeavour, fact-finding and research? In the meantime, we’ll live off rumour mongering yet again. Omar may be the next Chairman of Petronas and Azman his CEO, haven’t you heard?

Delayed residuals

010609

A few thots which i need to lock-in. Firstly, being transparent and honest in relationships are fine, particularly when dealing with feelings of perceptive and sensitive people. Workplace, however, is different and entails getting a bit cleverer and manipulative in terms of getting to where we want to be.

Secondly, i need to carry myself better. Or risk others seeing me as LSS's assistant. I've probably subconsciously taken pride when being referred to as OTH's right hand hatchet man, but at a point in future, beginning now- I'm in charge of my destiny. What i do affects what i become, and hence every action should be done with vigour and commitment- and that includes everyday 'mundane' things that I've taken for granted like solat and do'a and interacting with the kids and wife.

280709

Quite heartwarming to find that my desire not to be underestimated (blogpost 010609) has not been plaguing me continually.

As things stand, i'm slowly developing this execution mindset- what do i do if i'm C-level? What do i do if i'm board-appointee? What are the trends that could affect us? How would this implicate us? What do we do now? Long may this continue.

It should also be noted that uncertainties abound looking into the future- hence, humility in this fact and in the face of greatness of Allah's Knowledge is all-important. Looking at trends and scenaric approach should be second nature by now.

Execution mindset also demands that i stick to a disciplined and regulated schedule daily, and deviations only as reward of completion. Otherwise, the nearly man tag, "potential", not up to mark will be labels that could be quite difficult to move away from. There is also a need to be a bit more "kiasu"- and wanting the best, and only the best, not settling for second, and good is the enemy of great mentality- as this is the differentiator with my competition, or even with Islam's competition. If i dont start talking in these terms, then whatever agenda i profess to pursue will always be overwhelmed.

DAP and Kit Siang approaching its expiry date

The Star today reports on a blog "alleging" of abuses of funds of Selangor DAP assemblymen, and predictably Kit Siang has dismissed these allegations as a conspiracy. Just as DSAI has done whenever he's faced with similar allegations. And a quick look at his blogs show, anyone who questions LKS is a brainless UMNO brainwashed Malaysian citizen.

I absolutely abhor these unsubstantiated stereotypes. I have only voted once before in 2004, as I was a disenfranchised voter in 1999, and was a PKR party worker in 2008 for a different constituency to which I was eligible to vote in. And the only time I voted, and I am indeed very embarassed to admit, I voted for the DAP and for this old man's party.

If Kit Siang continues with his holier than the whole world attitide, and continues thsi arrogant and condescending attitude that he shares with Karpal, (which I have shared in previous blogposts before), they will only bring down the whole PR alliance. TBH's death is tragic, but the excessive attacking stance that DAP has taken in response, is revolting to me. I can't believe that all DAP assemblymen will pass a 'fit-and-proper' assessment if such a test was applied. The Perak assemblywoman was as much to be blamed for Perak's fate as Mr Postman and the other guy from PKR were, and in my eyes even more so as it was her seat which caused the swing, so what's there to prevent all these inexperienced, wide-eyed first-time assemblymen to make procedural mistakes which could be viewed as "abuses".

As long as Kit Siang attempts to cloud people's mind through these "unjustified" attacks on the still-nascent MACC by equating these to DSAI's troubles in 1998, then he is also a true-blue politician, as dishonest, arrogant, blinded from the truth as his political opponents he so enjoys to make fun of. His true colours only comes out once his party becomes part of the governing establishment. I say down to the DAP and down to this old man!

Residuals - Ekuinas

Ekuinas - Funny name as it reminds me of horse-racing. Perhaps in the spirit of MIHAS’s halal beer, we can also have halal gambling? But I digress.

Not too sure what the proposition is to create another PE funding scheme in tourism, education and O&G, but it does look like a brilliant opportunity to tap into innovations and quality management products within the larger GLCs. We could possibly deploy the funds into “real” fundamental changes rather than “financial” funded opportunities, which after the hype, slowly descends into a tormenting, lingering death when unable to find the appropriate management directions to create lasting change. Food for thought?

DAP "leaders" who are unfit to lead

If news reports are to be believed, the Kedah DAP plans to quit the Pakatan Rakyat due to several issues, amongst which is them disputing the demolition of an ILLEGAL pig abattoir in Alor Setar. Heck, DAP leaders in Kedah – are you representing pork eaters or the law? And, another thing. Let’s ferret out these numbskulls and ensure that they are removed, nay – prevented, from holding office again, ever. Lim Kit Siang, please, open your eyes. Karpal – you’re a lawyer I hear? Oh I forgot, lawyers represent their clients, not the truth. Anwar – stop all this drama about PPSMI as a treachery of the Malay language and such political trivialities. Please, you’re in a position to instill real, sustained change in Malaysia, so leave behind your personal ambitions and glory-hunting tendencies. Seek your conscience, and indulge them, please, not for your sake, but for ours.