VOTING RIGHT: Bidah Sengin, 105, had her finger marked with indelible ink before voting on May 5. — Photo by Nick Fletcher of Utusan Borneo.

WHILE the GE13 results tally showed BN39, PR2, a SMS came in, saying opposition Pakatan Rakyat de-facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim had declared victory.

Congratulatory messages to the new Mr Prime Minister flooded the social media sites within minutes.

Amidst all the brouhaha, there was a faint voice crying out: “This is incredibly irresponsible when the votes are still being counted.”

But nobody cared.

By midnight, we finally heard Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak declaring victory over television, followed by his speech.

What the winner said was a letdown to Malaysians.

A not-too-jubilant Najib, clearly crestfallen over the denial of a two-thirds majority for BN in parliament, said: “We have tried our best but because of several factors that have happened, particularly the lack of support from the Chinese community to BN, we fell short of our target.”

Najib went on to attribute the defeat of out-going Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Abdul Ghani Othman in Gelang Patah parliamentary seat mainly to the Chinese Tsunami which reportedly saw a massive swing of voters’ support to the opposition.

He alleged racial polarisation in the voting trend and feared this could lead to conflict in society.

“Therefore, we will undertake a process of national reconciliation so that we can set aside any extremism and communalism with policies based on moderation.”

At the other camp in a hotel, what the loser said was also a letdown.

Anwar Ibrahim, flanked by Pakatan top leaders, said: “It is unfair to expect us to form a decision based primarily on the results of an election that is considered fraudulent.”

There were no victory cheers regarding Pakatan’s success in defending its states and making inroads in BN strongholds.

Even though he had uttered Chinese Tsunami himself, Najib rose – commendably – above the realm of ethnicities to talk about national reconciliation.

Yes, it’s time for healing and reconciliation but first, we must stop all the race-based rhetoric and the blame game.

To many, two of the best GE13 results are the defeats of Perkasa’s Ibrahim Ali and Zulklifli Nordin – both known for their rhetoric with thick racial undertones.

The fact that they lost in predominantly Malay areas shows even the Malays have rejected their extremism. But will their defeats doom them to political oblivion – or just silence them for a while?

No. The person allegedly linked to them has spoken again! You, of course, know I am referring to Tun Dr Mahathir who seemingly always needs to say something to stay in the public eye.

“The Chinese community rejected the hands of friendship of the Malay community, resulting in the Chinese Tsunami in the GE13.”

It is now two weeks after GE13, yet the racist remarks from politicians, former law enforcers and academicians continue.

Many believe as long as Najib allows extremists in UMNO to express racist and extreme views every now and then, not only will his 1Malaysia programme be negated, his national reconciliation and ‘looking beyond race’ thrust will also remain just a dream.

Najib’s transformation cabinet has been announced this week. More issues surrounding races are expected to be raised over the next few weeks. It’s another letdown for many.

Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) president Tan Sri Dr James Masing, for one, is disappointed that his party has been allocated just one full minister and one deputy minister post (the latter for Datuk Joseph Salang has been declined).

Noting that the winners were not given due recognition, he stated categorically: “But what I can’t understand is the promotion of Riot (Datuk Richard Riot) as his party SUPP did badly in GE13. They only won one out of seven seats contested.”

His reasoning may not be along racial line but generally, the Dayaks are not happy with their representation in the cabinet lineup since ineffective representation may lead to disinformation and misinformation on the ground, as is commonly believed.

The show will go on but for goodness sake, can we stop all the sabre-rattling and rabble-rousing and start “fulfilling the promises in the election manifesto” and also allow the people to have peace without holding noisy rallies?

For many of my older friends, amidst the disruptive rallies and the tiring blame game, the vote of Bidah Sengin, aged 105, on polling day brought about much hope and thought.

The centenarian’s effort to exercise her democractic right despite advanced age, should serve as an apt reference point for Najib’s future victory speech (should he again win GE14).

Essentially, it is an inspiration drawn from Barack Obama’s address after his presidential victory last year.

The US president, albeit basking in the glory of his second-term victory, did not forget to mention the courage of fellow American Ann Nixon Cooper, who, at 106 years old (one year older than Bidah Sengin), and like her elderly Sarawakian counterpart, still made the effort to come out and cast her ballot in her home state, Atlanta. It’s a heart-warming and inspiring story. Let’s do an Obama the Sarawakian way.

GE13 in Malaysia produced many firsts and stories that will be told for generations. But the one on my mind is about a woman who voted in Padawan.

She’s a lot like the millions who stood in line to make their voice heard in this election except for one thing – she is, as you might have already guessed, Bidah Sengin and she is five years past her 100th birthday.

She was born at a time when there were no cars on the road and planes in the sky.

And today, I think about all that she has seen throughout her century in Malaysia and Sarawak in particular – the heartache and the hope; the struggle and the progress; the times we were told we CAN’T and the people who pressed on with that Malaysian slogan: Yes, Malaysia Boleh.

At a time when women’s voice was silenced and their hopes dismissed, she lived to see them stand up, speak out and reach for the ballot. Yes, Malaysia Boleh.

When there was despair in the dust bowl and depression across the land, she saw a nation conquer fear itself with new jobs and a new sense of common purpose. Yes, Malaysia boleh.

When the bombs fell on our land and tyranny threatened the world, she was there to witness a generation rise to greatness and a democracy was saved. Yes, Malaysia boleh.

She was also there to witness an Earthling take a giant step for mankind on the moon, a wall come down in Berlin and a world connected by our own science and imagination.

And this year, in this election, Bidah Sengin had her finger inked so that she could cast her vote because after 105 years in Sarawak, through the best of times and the darkest of hours, she knows how Malaysia can change.

Yes, we can.

As Malaysians, we have come so far, seen so much but there is so much more to do.

So let us ask ourselves if our children should live to see the next century, if my children should be so lucky as to live as long as Bidah Sengin, what change will they see? What progress will we have made?

This is our chance to answer that call. This is our moment.

I always believe the young voters decide their own future with their votes. But with Bidah Sengin, I believe we are all equal in our ability to bring about change. That one vote makes a difference, no matter the age of the one who casts it.

Being old, well, it’s not a complete letdown.

UNHAPPY VOTERS: Reach out to them. — File photo

THE voters have spoken; the popular vote has gone to the Pakatan, but Putrajaya, the seat of government, has remained in the hands of the Barisan Nasional.

Next time around, it’s everybody’s guess.

The outcome of the GE13 may look illogical but it is a product of the system – ‘first past the post’ or the Westminster model – which Malaysia has adopted for better or for worse. Sir Winston Churchill, despite his strategies which helped win the last war for Britain, lost his job as premier because his party had lost the election to Labour. Of the system, he commented, “A majority of one is still a majority.”

The system in place here can be improved upon, of course, if we have the political will to try out another called ‘proportional representation’ like many countries have done. New Zealand, for instance, used the Westminster model for many years until the past several parliamentary elections when it modified the system into one considered more equitable than previously.

Before the 1970s, the Maori community had four parliamentary seats reserved for them. They had to slog it out among themselves within the four constituencies; they could stand in European areas but very seldom won. Pakeha (New Zealanders of European descent) candidates were not allowed to stand in those four constituencies. No longer the case – Maoris and Pakeha can stand in any constituency and the Maoris now have more representatives in parliament as a result of the revised system – reflecting the feelings of the voters as far as possible.

Study the New Zealand system if need be – one model worth looking at; there may be others to choose from.

Otherwise, the present system in Malaysia will continue to be used for the subsequent elections, warts and all.

That system

In this system, it is possible that the winner who gets the largest number of popular votes cast is the loser, in the present case, the Pakatan. That group of parties won more than 50.3 per cent or 5,623,984 of the total votes cast while BN obtained 47 per cent or 5,237,699 of the same total votes cast. In other words, the Pakatan obtained 386,285 more votes than the BN got at the recent federal elections, assuming the sum is correct.

However, the bottom line is that out of the 222-member parliament, the BN managed to get 133 seats and by this number claimed victory and the right to form the government while the opposition secured the rest and none for the independents. Pakatan will continue to form the opposition or the alternative government for the next five years. That’s a strong opposition needed by a vibrant democracy.

Sometimes logic defies reality; in this case, blame the system. Ubah it, if you can.

I can understand the great disappointments and sheer frustrations of those politicians who wanted badly to be at the helm at Putrajaya in order to effect changes in the administration of the country but by this system missed the trophy by a whisker. Can’t blame them; supposing you were in their shoes. They were almost there!

Another factor contributing to the weakness of the present system is the device by the Election Commission called gerrymandering by which population of voters is manipulated in such a way that minority communities are more adequately represented than the majority. The way the constituencies have been drawn up every eight or 10 years has something to do with this illogical election outcome, making popular votes irrelevant. A clever device may be, but it is not necessarily fair. Nonetheless, it is part and parcel of our political life here and now unless there is an alternative.

Moral victory

Whether they like it or not, the parties which could not achieve majority of seats in parliament will have to accept the fact the popular votes that they have obtained are useless for the purpose of forming a government, however high the percentage is. As simple as that. However, it does mean a moral victory for the opposition. Nothing more, nothing less.

Have another go and the rules will equally apply unless the goal posts are changed in the meantime.

I can understand their disappointments and frustrations at having gone so near and yet so far to Putrajaya. If they have a good reason to grumble, why can’t they? They have the right to protest if they think there is some injustice done to them by the system itself or by those who manage that system of elections. Apart from that, though, there are avenues in which to seek redress if justifiable: the courts of law. Use that facility which does not cause traffic jams.

In a sport, there is ecstasy in victory and agony in defeat. So it is with this system, inherited from somewhere.

I remember reading in the ‘Evening Post’ years ago about the former Labour Prime Minister of New Zealand Sir Walter Nash complaining bitterly about the behaviour of voters after his Labour party had lost to the National Party in the early 1960s. He had said of them, “They came in rags when they voted Labour in, they came in cars when they voted us out.”

Although the term tsunami did not exist at the time, it was a vote swing by the New Zealand voters who wanted a change of government, from Labour to National after the war.

Reconcile, not alienate

Some people call this the Malaysian Tsunami or one of the ‘aftershocks’ of the Tsunami of 2008. This is a better description of the swing of urban voters against the ruling coalition for reasons best known to the voters themselves. Political analysts may disagree with this observation – one viewpoint that should be tolerated.

For the ruling parties the best thing to do now is to find out the reasons why these urban voters have shown their preferences for candidates from the opposition. The government has been installed with powers and authority and the means with which to reach out to them. Do not alienate them because they may take it as a punishment that they do not deserve. And that can be counterproductive to all efforts at reconciliation, urgently needed to heal the rift caused by too much partisan politics.

They cannot be forced to choose a party that they do not fancy. When they don’t, don’t talk about their being ‘ungrateful’. Each citizen has a right to vote as he or she sees fit. Blaming voters for ‘ingratitude’ is feudalistic; the attitude of a man who sees himself as master and the voters as his servants – jangan lawan tauke. Not all those voters bite the hands that feed them.

Many do not owe the politicians a living. They are not happy with the parties in power for all sorts of reasons. Next time around, when they are happy, they may vote for those parties. Or has someone ruled that out?

Anyway, for the next five years, we are looking forward to a federal government with a conscience for the poor, the disadvantaged, the underprivileged; region wise, for the under-developed parts of the country.

We are looking forward to seeing a government in action by paying attention to the equitable distribution of wealth, giving a fair deal to the small businessmen and women, protecting the Native landowners from the exploitation by plantation companies, caring for the health of the environment and of the people who rely on the rivers for clean water and the jungle for survival.

Itu sahajalah yang rakyat mahu – That’s what the ordinary people want.

It refers to the promotion of fraudulent or unproven medical treatments. Of course you may have heard of the term ‘quack doctor’, a charlatan who professes medical knowledge and skills.

Anyway, the reason that quackery is used quite frequently by yours truly is that social media, especially Facebook (FB), has become a billboard of sorts for ‘recommended’ treatments and ‘proven’ cures for ailments from headaches to cancers!

From drinking concoctions made from certain roots or plants, the selling of uncertified slimming products to unscientific claims about the dangers of vaccines, quackery has become even more widespread these days thanks to social media.

In fact, in some countries it has become so serious that British and American scientists have developed a computerised monitoring system which alerts experts of quickly spreading rumours, outright lies, misinformation, and legitimate public concerns, about vaccinations.

It is harder to monitor or control other claims to cures and treatments, particularly those that originate from old wives tales or ancient treatments and practices.

The reason being that there are at times (not all the time) some truth in these olden practices which involve the use of herbs.

Yes, some people will adamantly argue that there is no harm in taking herbal concoctions because they are all natural.

The problem with these claims that are spread on social media is that they are promoted as a one-size-fits-all treatment.

Meaning? That everybody and anybody suffering from a particular condition can take the concoction or herbal product just like that because it is natural.

According to a close friend, each person, even if suffering from a similar condition as the next person, has a possibility of reacting differently to a treatment. Yes, these concoctions may be natural, but plants or herbs are still made up of biochemicals which can mess with your system.

And if a person is already on modern medication, these online cures and treatments may even interfere with the medication, cause a reaction or even render the medication useless.

The Eye is not a scientist or a doctor, but this is common sense speaking.

The other problem is that a certain segment of those on social media (yes, those gullible ones who believe everything posted on FB), will immediately go on a sharing frenzy the minute they come across such posts.

And they even argue that the posts are ‘verified by doctors’ or ‘researchers’ just because it mentions the name of a doctor or research establishment which, for all we know, does not even exist.

At a more advanced level, there have been cases where unconfirmed research work has somehow found its way to social media and caused people to start jumping and immediately rushing out into their gardens.

And then there are isolated cases where, someone claims that taking some herb seemed to have cured him or her of a terminal illness. Remember the ‘Sabah snake grass cures cancer’ episode?

It became an overnight online frenzy that people were actually sending the seeds of the plant through couriers, which, on its own is an illegal act. The transfer of plant materials has its own legal requirements, which include permits and stringent checking and quarantine procedures.

Sharing information (or misinformation) like this is as bad as handing out a prescription meant for you to another person who happens to have the same symptoms as you do. This again is technically illegal, because it can potentially cause undesirable effects in that person!

Surveys conducted the world over have come to one general conclusion – people who live their lives on the net often prefer to self-medicate and self-diagnose.

Surveys have also found that people do not usually tell their doctors they have taken herbal supplements while on medication.

And there are those who are so gullible or desperate (especially when it comes to losing weight and slimming), that they ignore the fact that some tips are blatant quackery, while others could have side effects on their health.

Seriously, if these were true and a 100 per cent foolproof as the postings claim to be, then this world would be free of diseases, illnesses and everyone would be sporting a supermodel-like physique!

Social media has definitely made it more likely that people learn about such therapies, without necessarily learning about their potential limitations or dangers.

So the next time you come across a seemingly miraculous cure, treatment or medical tip on social media, do the smart thing – first, take it with a pinch of salt. Be sceptical, check your facts, ask your doctor.

FB is not your doctor and neither is it a scientist. As it is the case in politics, social media users still have a long way to go in learning to be discerning with the (mis)information overload.

SEE NO EVIL, HEAR NO EVIL, SPEAK NO EVIL: Just because you do not take an interest in politics doesn’t mean politics won’t take an interest in you.

I made a resolution recently, and now barely a week later, I am driven to break it. Having been punched almost silly by the avalanche of political rhetoric in the last month I vowed that I was not going to touch on political subjects and much less on politicians. However, the proliferation of incendiary statements and very bad political remarks by some public figures compels the opinion columnist in me to put my two-cent worth in print.

My friend James hit the nail on the head when he said, “How can you dwell on the subjects like flower arrangement when there is a political storm brewing in front of you. That would be very Nero of you.”

I am flattered to be compared to a Roman emperor, albeit not the most able one. James was referring to the story that Emperor Nero played the fiddle while Rome burned, during the great fire in AD 64. Talking about getting one’s priority wrong, indeed!

After the elections most of us were mentally tired with all the political arguments and resolved not to think of politics anymore, well, at least for a while. Idris Jala, the transformation master, in his column, advised Malaysians, “. . . when elections are over, it’s over. It’s time to get back to life and to unite under one flag.” This is very wise but in our case, somewhat idealistic. In Malaysia another quotation is more pertinent: “Just because you do not take an interest in politics doesn’t mean politics won’t take an interest in you.” So said Pericles (495 – 429 BC) a prominent and influential Greek statesman, orator.

Last week none other than the newly minted Home Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi made the utterly inappropriate suggestion that Malaysians unhappy with the political system to leave the country. It would have been just plain silly had it not been dangerous. This is a man whose signature might be enough to send someone to detention. Since then, some politicians tried dilute the absurdity of the situation by claiming that the remark was purely a personal opinion. Perhaps the good minister should be reminded that “with greater power comes greater responsibility”. I know it is such a cliché but it is eminently relevant in this case.

I believe that Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s suggestion is not merely an off the cuff remark or a slip of the tongue. For a while already people of his ilk, when ran out of ideas in arguments, have resorted to such primitive diatribe. One such persons, a so-called motivational speaker and who earned the moniker of “Miss Listen Listen”, was famously caught on video similarly haranguing a student who had the courage to express a contrary opinion during the infamous Miss Listen’s lecture. “Migrate to Cuba . . . (she rattled off a few countries)” she was heard to say.

There were calls for opposition leaders and bold critics of the government to be stripped off their citizenship.  Some netizens also posted “why do people complain so much about things here. If they don’t like it here they can just emigrate.” How misguided these people are. In a democratic country, of which ours professes to be one, people don’t leave. Rather, they stay to vote for what they think is a better system and for better custodians of the country’s treasury. It is up to the political coalition to show that they are such and therefore worthy of support.

Democracy is about choice. What Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and such likes try to do is deny that right to the citizens. Because they do hold great powers in fact and total control over what can legally be broadcast, their calls are very intimidating. If that has the effect of driving dissidents out of the country it would be indeed a brilliant move for perpetuating their position as rulers. This is particular telling especially in the light of the “alleged” illegal issuance of identity cards to foreigners to allow them to impact on the result of the elections. However, what is no longer merely an allegation is the case of the 200,000 foreigners who were given citizenship in Sabah. A Royal Commission of Inquiry has come to that conclusion, and the person who authorised the granting of the instant citizenship has admitted to it and, in fact, justified his action.

As I said it is a brilliant strategy (if it works): get rid of those who disagree with you and give power to those, who by virtue of their vulnerable position, are going to be compliant.

Note that I merely said “alleged”. I neither support nor reject this serious claim. However, it is a very serious claim. The PM in a speech relating to the Suluks incursion into Sabah said: “We will not allow even an inch of our beloved land to be lost to anybody.”  We applaud him for such fighting patriotic statement. We will applaud him even more if he can authorise a vehement investigation into this serious allegation that our sovereignty has been compromised, and take action whichever way the chips fall.

Just as disturbing are the various political remarks that seem to aim to polarise our society along racial line — remarks such as “Chinese Tsunami”, “greedy Malays”, “ungrateful Chinese”, “Malay backlash” and other provocative statements. It is no wonder that Malaysia has earned the dubious honour as one of the most racist countries in the world.

But wait a minute, is it true that we are a racist country and that our people are racialist? Not in my personal experience – I have always enjoyed the good friendship of my compatriots of different races. As we sit round cups of coffee or teh tarik enjoying round of ribbings and bantering, race is the furthest thing on our minds. We may be of different racial origin but all of us have made this corner of the world our home. All of us, except for the natives and the orang asli, have come to this land from abroad, some from longer ago than others. Our ancestors, by the sweat of their brows and the strength of their backs, have helped to build this country. The present generation, as have the previous ones, by the kindness of their spirit have made this a land of harmony.

That is the Malaysia that we all love. I am not concerned which side of the political divide you represent but if you can work to ensure that is “land is truly for you and me”; that you focus on creating a bigger pie rather than merely fighting for a bigger slice for your group; then every five years you will have my vote..

Comments can reach the writer via dunstandesee@theborneopost.com.

At midweek in Kuching, three women had their belongings forcibly taken by snatchers riding a motorcycle.

In the first attack in front of Tun Jugah Shopping Mall at Jalan Padungan, the pillion rider grabbed the victim’s gold chain worth about RM600.

The second attack near the Sungai Maong Market followed a similar pattern except the victim’s gold chain which was taken, was worth much more — about RM3,000.

In the third attack, along Jalan Kampung Lintang, Petra Jaya, the victim lost her handbag containing about RM400, two moble phones and some personal documents.

More cases could, of course, have gone unreported.

Snatch thieves are hard to nab because their modus operandi is based on the element of surprise. They appear seemingly “from nowhere” to catch their victims completely off guard and are gone just as quickly as they have struck.

It pays to be streetwise while walking about the city nowadays. For instance, if you have bad vibes about a particular area, avoid it. But if you really have to go there, then make sure you have friends to accompany you. Don’t tempt fate by going to the area alone.

Another useful ‘anti-snatch’ tip is being sensible about the handbag you wish to carry in public.  Put aside branded handbags and opt for cheaper ones. This way, you can avoid injuries should your bag get snatched.

How so? As one criminologist explains, since the straps of a relatively low quality handbag snap more easily, the likelihood of the owner getting hurt is much less during an attack as the snatcher will use only minimal force to pull off the bag and flee.

Conversely, expensive handbags are made of tougher materials and, therefore, harder to tear and break. So in a tug-of-war with the snatcher, the owner could get seriously hurt.

While inferior quality handbags could help their owners aviod serious injuries during an attack, it does not mean designer handbags should be kept in the cupboard to collect cobwebs.

The wise thing to do when you go out with your Prada or Gucci is to take due care to not become targets of snatch thieves. Expensive handbags are tell-tale signs that their owners are rich – just what the criminals are looking for. Exercise care when you walk with these branded bags slung over your shoulders. Be smart – that’s bottomline.

Snatch thieves deserve no mercy. They are able-bodied people who can find jobs but choose a life of crime by preying on the innocent and the defenceless, especially women who account for over 70 per cent of victims, and the elderly.

There should be no qualms about putting these criminals who feather their nests with stolen properties, behind bars – and for a long time!

Even as we are trying to grapple with the malaise of snatch theft, it is no comfort to know there are hitmen killing people in our streets.

These assassins on motorcycles wear visor-attached helmets, making them hard to identify even in broad daylight. The question that goes a begging is where did they get their guns so easily from? One shudders to think that firearms could be so readily available in the country these days.

This disturbing trend is accentuated by the recent killing of a deputy director general of Customs in Putra Jaya and the spate of drive-by fatal shootings in both the state and the peninsula.

It’s perhaps time to consider banning helmets with visors. A stipulation for this was in place in the early 90’s but where is it now? Criminals are taking advantage of this lapse and threatening public security and safety.

As their faces are fully covered, their identity is difficult to establish even with CCTV cameras which, under such circumstances, are ineffective.

Police action to prevent crime can include deploying more personnel to the “black” areas. The presence of the police will give the public a feeling of security.

Fighting crime is, of course, no stroll in the park as the threats posed by criminals are as vast and varied as they are dangerous and condemnable.

Since the list of crimes is long, society at large need to join hands with law enforcement in putting criminals and like-minded elements out of commission.

With all parties concerned pulling their weight, there is every reason for the crime rate to be reduced even further.

Let me attempt to be more objective.

First, here’s the bad news from me. I think a 32-member cabinet is too big. Do we really need that many ministers? Are there not too many ministries? Eight ministers in the Prime Minister’s Department, what?

I recall a statement years ago from a British Lord commenting on the 22-member cabinet of one of Great Britain’s prime ministers remarking that “Hell, we used to run an empire with less people.”

I believe David Cameron’s current cabinet is much smaller than his Malaysian counterpart’s. Consider the size and population of the two nations and we can deduce the differences.

I like Datuk Seri Najib’s idea of putting together the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Higher Education.

Perhaps the same should have been done for green technology, environment, water, plantations and natural resources. How many ministries are there for these groups? It sounds rather confusing to me.

Up to now, I’m not sure which is which actually. Is science under green technology or the environment? You tell me, I’m lost.

Then, I feel that some long sounding names of ministries are unnecessary. Why the need for the Ministry of Education and Higher Learning? If higher learning means tertiary education, I think the ministry of education suffices.

Then for the first time, we have the Urban Well-being, Housing and Local Government Ministry.

I understand that urban well-being is meant to tackle urban poverty. But what is the difference between urban poverty and rural poverty? To me, being poor is the same. It matters not whether you are homeless living it out on a city street or squatting in a makeshift hut by the river.

Why not just bring back the former Welfare Ministry? No confusion – plain and simple!

Now, here’s the positives. We have to understand why Najib has to line up 32 ministers. He has to accommodate 13 component parties of the Barisan Nasional.

Whatever his critics may say, I think Najib did great in accommodating and rewarding BN winners of the just-concluded 13th general election.

I would take the disappointment expressed by PRS as an isolated case. Even God cannot please the devil.

Let’s get real. Politics is also about rewards and distributing the ‘spoils of war’. Had Pakatan won, we could expect the same proceedings.

If rewards are not given and ambitions not fulfilled, we can expect internal strife to erupt within the ruling party.

Look at the recent tussle within PKR over the Selangor menteri besar’s post.

Now, can anyone seriously chide Najib for rewarding his winners?

To me, the most positive news in Najib’s line-up is the appointment of an anti-corruption minister in Datuk Paul Low.

I have to say I’m impressed that the prime minister has chosen a non-politician to look into the grave issues of graft, transparency and accountability in the governance of the nation.

Paul Low does not belong to any political party and he is not beholden to any political leader. Needless to say, that is a great advantage. Low stands a better chance of becoming an effective and credible minister given his non-alignment status.

But will he really be given a free hand to tackle corruption head-on? Only time will tell.

Somehow, I have a feeling that Low will have not have an easy ride as the government’s official graft crusader. I expect him to clash frequently with his cabinet colleagues and the MACC commissioners in the months ahead.

As the chairman of Transparency-International Malaysia (TI-M), Low has an unblemished record in exposing corruption in the country.

He has been very outspoken on several high profile graft cases and even called for the resignation of political leaders allegedly involved in corrupt practices.

Indeed, corruption is a serious issue in Malaysia. To be fair to our former prime ministers, they had tried their best to curb the menace. Perhaps, their best was just not good enough.

Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad had openly admitted that corruption existed during his tenure but that there was only that much the authorities could do.

Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi launched the National Integrity Plan and the National Integrity Institute among many policies to reduce corruption.

He established the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) to replace what was then described as the lame and stale Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA).

Najib Razak continued with the crusade. To his credit, Najib has formally recognised the scourge of rent seeking culture, institutional leakages and institutional degradation.

He has ambitiously stated in his New Economic Model and his Government Transformation Plan that there will be zero tolerance for corruption in his administration.

Unfortunately, it was reported that the results however did not augur well for Najib. The perception created thus far is that corruption under the Najib administration is at its peak in Malaysia.

Perhaps, this was the reason Najib roped in Paul Low to join him in his anti-corruption drive.

Asian Strategy and Leadership Institute director Tan Sri Ramon Navaratnam commented that Paul Low’s appointment as minister was likely in response to Malaysians who had voted against graft on May 5.

“I would assume that he would be put in charge of overseeing the MACC and to curb corruption and cronyism.

“These two issues were paramount in voters’ minds at the time of election and for this reason it is a reflection of the aspirations of the people to fight corruption,” Navaratnam said.

Indeed, Low’s appointment has raised the bar for the new Najib administration. It is a reiteration of the prime minister’s commitment towards good governance of the country.

As Malaysians, I’m sure we all want to see results. There have been too many big sharks swimming happily. Let us see if action will be taken against those found guilty.

And people, if we want results, we just cannot be sitting pretty at home with folded arms and doing nothing. Paul Low needs your help and mine.

Fighting corruption is everybody’s business. We should all know what to do.

Comments can reach the writer via columnists@theborneopost.com.

STRONG BOND: Rafidah with her daughter Janna, who has cerebral palsy.

DURING the third trimester of her pregnancy, Rafidah Rafizah Ahmad was told she carried twins but that one had died.

The situation put the surviving twin at risk of suffering heart and brain problems. Further tests revealed that the surviving twin indeed had a heart condition.

“I was heartbroken,” Rafidah said of the moment she heard about her unborn baby’s condition.

“It happened so quickly, one bad news after another. First, I got to know that I had twins. Then, I was informed that my other surviving baby has a heart problem. Doctors told me that she may not even survive. I just bought new baby clothes and washed the old ones.”

Izdihar Janna was born prematurely at 33 weeks. Contrary to the doctor’s prognosis, Janna survived. When she was six months old, Rafidah noticed that she was behind in developmental milestones of a child of similar age. She put her little daughter through therapy to improve her functional skills.

It was only when Janna turned four that the doctor specifically diagnosed her as having cerebral palsy, a condition that affects the way the brain controls movement and posture. At that time, Rafidah was working as an engineer while her husband was a university lecturer.

They were lucky that they found a reliable babysitter who took care of Janna and her brother who is four years older. Rafidah and her husband’s flexible working hours also allowed them to arrange Janna’s therapy appointments so that both parents could go together.

When her husband was given a scholarship to further his studies in New Zealand in 2008, Rafidah was reluctant to tender her resignation as a promotion was forthcoming.

However, she also realised that New Zealand provided opportunities for Janna to get a better education and treatment. She felt torn as it was a difficult choice to make. Unfortunately, Janna was denied a visa due to her condition.

By then, Rafidah and her husband believed that they could afford to live with a single income. She got her promotion anyway, to become a full-time home manager, and the best of all was that she could devote more time on Janna’s schooling and treatments.

Rafidah shared what a typical day is like for Janna, now that she has begun schooling.

“Normally, I’ll prepare food for her, get her ready and drive her to school. I’ll go back home after that to do some household chores and cook, and pick her up again at noon.”

After school, they will go straight to physical and occupational therapy sessions, usually two to three times per week, sometimes more. When Janna does not have any appointment, Rafidah will help her with home therapy and school work.

Apart from quarterly appointments at the neurological, rehabilitation, dental and cerebral palsy clinics at the hospital, Janna also goes for alternative and unconventional treatments such as acupressure, Rolfing, traditional Chinese medicine, guasa, kinesiology taping, massages and Islamic treatments.

According to Rafidah, these therapies and unconventional treatments are important to minimise the effects of cerebral palsy on Janna and also to teach her to perform her activities of daily living.

Although she spends a lot of time with Janna, Rafidah does not think that she is giving her daughter any special treatment.

“I always ensure that I attend to my son’s needs as well and fortunately, he does not mind spending more time with my husband. We treat both our children equally and as typically as possible. They both have their fair share of getting punishments and rewards based on their acts.”

As a parent of a child with cerebral palsy, Rafidah discovered that information on this topic relevant to the Malaysian context is scarce.

Together with other parents she met online, she created a Facebook group called Malaysian Advocates for Cerebral Palsy (MyCP) in June last year.

It began with parents of children with cerebral palsy but quickly expanded to a network that included other advocates such as doctors, therapists, educators and activists. MyCP was successfully registered as a society in December and has 430 members to date.

When asked what she had to give up to provide a better life for Janna, Rafidah’s response was, ‘My career’, but added that it was no longer something she regretted giving up.

She is also in the process of setting up a trust fund to make sure that her daughter’s financial needs in the future are secure.

Rafidah has some advice for parents in similar situations: “Taking care of a special needs child can be draining. We are also normal persons and it is all right to cry and to feel down once in a while as long as we do not let our emotions cloud our judgement and affect our lives. Join support groups to share experience and information and improve your relationship with God.”

She is of the opinion that the Welfare Department should provide support to families with disabled children regardless of the household income.

Rehabilitation equipment and monthly expenditure for medication, special supplements and essential disposable items are very expensive and a drain on the families’ finances.

At the same time, she emphasised that rehabilitation and education services should be made readily available and easily accessible with a good transportation system.

Rafidah is a mother par excellence. She gave up a promising career to spend long hours ensuring that Janna gets the best treatment, education and everything else.

A mother’s work is never done but like she puts it, “It is all worth it.”

Truly, a mother’s love knows no bounds.

Comments can reach the writer via columnists@theborneopost.com.

Bringing in outsiders via the unelected house only works for a small number of individuals, and they require seriously good credentials to compensate for their lack of democratic legitimacy – which appears to be true from my previous encounters with the new senators – Ministers in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Paul Low and Datuk Seri Abdul Wahid Omar.

In Malaysia, cabinet appointments are also influenced by the need to reward component parties or states that performed well for the coalition in the election. This notion that parties need to be rewarded and racial representation sought is a major factor of why we have too many ministries.

Decades after his deposition, Tunku Abdul Rahman said: “In my time we had a cabinet of 13 Ministers. Even then they didn’t have enough work. What they do now with 45 [including deputies], I don’t know.”

Today our population of under 30 million is served by 31 full ministers; the UK’s 60 million has 22 full ministers while the USA’s over 300 million has 15 to 23 depending on the definition – and the US system of appointment is quite different, with all appointees undergoing grilling in public Senate hearings.

Remember also that because we are a theoretically decentralised federation, we have the State Executive Councils (or State Cabinets) too.

Finally, for this cabinet, two more key forces are at work: Datuk Seri Najib’s desire to triumph at the party election later this year and the next general election. One view holds that the dream cabinet for the first objective is completely opposite to the dream cabinet to secure the second, but when pressed with survival, any politician will prioritise the short-term.

Still, one important dynamic is how the appointees will now behave. The burden of ministerial responsibility or a fresh portfolio can change people: impatience can morph into arrogance, ambition into complacency, or service to the people into servitude to persons (or money).

However, if new Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin and Urban Well-being, Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan wisely deploy their superior education, professional experience, and ability to connect to younger Malaysians, they may well emerge as saviours of the coalition in years to come. Even amongst the veterans, the fact that they have been retained or reshuffled by a prime minister with a fresh mandate may help align their thinking more closely to his transformation agenda.

There is another moderating factor in play, though, and that’s the civil servants. The new ministers will have to familiarise themselves with their bureaucrats, and the internal relationships, while invisible to citizens, will influence in the way in which policies are implemented.

In the meantime, there are still discontents using racial issues to provoke already agitated quarters. It’s comforting that May 13, 2013 was like any other working day, but some were goading for something explosive to happen to confirm their prejudices: that only one party, and one arrangement, could secure the interests of their race.

An irony would have been made clear to anyone watching the appointments of Menteris Besar in the state palaces, especially in Selangor. Only after the Sultan’s procession accompanied by nobat did Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim, bedecked in Malay ceremonial dress, hold firm to a royal spear as he recited his oath as Menteri Besar. There could scarcely have been a more quintessentially Malay ceremony than this, and yet this was the candidate agreed to (in the end) by a coalition of 15 DAP, 15 PAS and 14 PKR representatives. The idea that one community must rely on one political arrangement for their survival is discredited nonsense.

Of course, distinct state identities featured too. In Negeri Sembilan, the Yang di-Pertuan Besar reminded representatives from all parties in the historic lobby of the Istana Besar Seri Menanti that the state’s unique culture should be cherished by all, while in Johor, the appointment of the Executive Council triggered references to the state’s 1895 Constitution, though perhaps the historical context since the adoption of the Kangchu system in the early 19th century could also have been mentioned.

Contrary to what paranoid ethno-nationalists may think, the institutions of this country are fully capable of performing their constitutional functions without interference from an all-mighty centre. And that includes responsibilities to Malaysians of all ethnicities.

Tunku Abidin Muhriz is president of Ideas.

After applying for jobs for many months without success, they gradually become discouraged and the rejection makes them start to doubt their abilities and qualifications.

For some individuals, they will be so disappointed that they actually stop looking for jobs. They will feel that they are failures, especially when they compare themselves with their friends who are able to get employment.

If no attention or help is rendered to these individuals, they will eventually lose their self-confidence and find it hard to get out of this unfavourable situation.

The support of family members and friends is very crucial at this point of time. Individuals at this stage are unable to see things clearly and have very low opinions of themselves. Hence, those around them should constantly encourage and help them to see their strengths and capabilities.

Some individuals do not dare to apply for jobs because they are afraid to face the possible rejections. It is important to encourage them to keep looking for jobs and help them understand that there are many reasons why they are not selected.

Being unsuccessful at getting a job does not necessarily mean that one is not good. Timing is an important element in many circumstances. Some individuals take too long to apply for a job and by the time their applications reach the company, the employer may have already recruited other applicants.

Sometimes the staff member who resigned may decide to stay back and as a result, the company will stop the recruitment process. Some companies might prefer certain qualities and personalities that unfortunately are not found in some applicants. Hence, the applicants are not shortlisted simply because they do not match the criteria and not because they are incompetent.

And if in any case, the recruiters highlight the reasons for not selecting the applicants, they should be thankful for the invaluable feedback that is given to them. Instead of complaining or being defensive about the remarks, the applicants should reflect on their shortcomings and make the necessary changes.

It is important for individuals not to focus on their failures when they are unsuccessful in getting a job. Instead of feeling defeated, it is best that they try to improve the situation by taking corrective actions.

They could for instance, stop procrastinating, work on refining their resumes, improve their interview and presentation skills, pay attention to grooming, attend short training courses to improve employability, etc.

The key to getting a job is simply to keep applying, applying and applying until a suitable one comes along. Those with low success rates should get advice from experienced professionals among their friends and relatives. They will most likely be able to point out the areas of improvement for them to work on.

If necessary, engage the service of a professional consultant to give guidance on writing a good resume, developing essential skills that will help make a good impression, build up self-confidence, etc.

Unemployed jobseekers should not keep dwelling on the fact that they are without a job. If they spend too much time lamenting, they will not have the strength and time to apply for a job and get themselves out of the unfavourable situation.

They should instead stay positive at all times and believe that they will be able to find a suitable job soon. They should be willing to put their hearts and minds completely into job-hunting and make it their first priority.

Priscilla Hiu is a career guidance consultant of Gracia Management and a certified behavioural consultant of DISC Personality Profiling System, Institution of Motivation Living, USA and Extended DISC Personality Profiling System, Extended DISC Northgate.

Let me start with the idea of the atom first. It comes from the Greek a-temno, which means I cannot cut. Greek and Indian philosophers imagined cutting a substance repeatedly until it cannot be broken down further. Thus was born the idea of the atom as a constituent of matter. Chemists started using the idea of atoms but nobody clearly understood what an atom is.

Undeterred, the chemists went even further to conceive of molecules formed by atoms joined by hand like bonds. Thus carbon has four hands and oxygen has two. So the structure of carbon dioxide is represented by O=C=O (CO2). Do you see that carbon and oxygen have joined their two hands and that carbon has four hands? Carbon can form a diverse number of chains with other friendly atoms. But even more outrageous was the idea of carbon compounds with a ring structure. The German chemist, Kekule said that he discovered the idea in a dream in which a snake had seized its own tail thereby forming a ring. The structure was proposed first for benzene molecule, which consists of six carbon atoms and six hydrogen atoms. Carbon has four hands and hydrogen one. There is no way of representing benzene by a chain. In Kekule’s structure, six carbon atoms are joined to one another in a ring with one hand on one side of a carbon atom and two hands on its other side. The fourth hand of each carbon atom holds a one- handed hydrogen. So, all atoms and their hands have been accounted for.

There were many objections, but Kekule’s dream led to the study of many molecules with ring structures. It was not until 1928 that Linus Pauling explained the hands (or bonds) through the use of quantum mechanics.
However, the idea of an indivisible atom has been disproved. Atoms can be divided into particles and these particles can be subdivided. But could chemistry have progressed by discarding the feelings of atoms and their hands?

“Come on, don’t give me old tales,” you might say. Well, Einstein’s theory of relativity was discovered through ‘gedanken’ (thought) experiments or gut feelings. More recently, a carbon molecule consisting of 60 carbon atoms was felt and proved to have the structure of a geodesic dome designed by the architect Buckminster Fuller. These molecules are now called Fullerenes or Bucky balls in common jargon.

What about mathematics? It has many unproved feelings called conjectures. Lack of space allows me to describe only a simple and famous one – Fermat’s last theorem. This conjecture was made by French lawyer and amateur mathematician Pierre De Fermat. Consider the equation 4²+3²=5². You can calculate the left hand side and the right hand side and show they are equal. To do this you need to know that 4² is 4 x 4 (two 4s multiplied together) and so on. All the numbers here are integers which are whole numbers like 1, 2, 3 …. The superscript 2 is called power. Fermat’s conjecture asserts that we cannot find this type of equation with integers for powers greater than 2. For example, we cannot find three integers a, b and c which will satisfy a³+b³=c³.

Around 1637, Fermat wrote in the margin of a book: “I have discovered a truly marvellous proof of this, which this margin is too narrow to contain.” Nonsense, it was just gut feeling. Fermat’s proof has never been found. It was only in 1995 that the conjecture was proven by Andrew Wiles. That proof required over a hundred pages. Would you like to take a shot? There are quite a few conjectures in mathematics awaiting proof or disproof.

Going back to the ‘feeling’ viewpoint in the arts, thinking is just as important in the arts. One may have a wonderful feeling, but to express it as a beautiful painting, a poem or a song, one has to think of say, suitable colours/words/tunes. Success requires some talent. So, although we may be highly proficient in English, few of us will be able to write an ‘Ode on a Grecian urn’ – a poem by John Keats.

Arts, science and mathematics – all of them require feeling and thinking. Feeling often comes first. But scientists and mathematicians will insist that their feelings come only after some thinking. That feeling need not be highly rational. It is often quite weird.

Dr Manas Kumar Haldar is associate professor with the Faculty of Engineering, Science and Computing at Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak Campus.

ONE thing struck me strongly when Senator John McCain and Senator Joseph Lieberman visited Malaysia about a year back. Although they were on opposite sides of the divide, McCain being a Republican and Lieberman a Democrat, they represented the US when they were here.

They spoke at the Kuala Lumpur Business Club and  they were clearly non-partisan, speaking up always for US positions and interests, almost with one voice. The idea of Republican and Democrat was not there at all and both firmly supported US President Barack Obama, a Democrat.

But both Lieberman and McCain, although good friends, have crossed swords many times in the political arena and the fight between the Republicans and Democrats is a regular affair. They fight really big time, fair and unfair, during the elections. Almost no punches are pulled.

But when elections are over, it’s over. It’s time to get back to life and to unite under one flag. In or out of the US and especially when they are out, they are first and foremost Americans before they are Republican or Democrat, black or white or brown or red or yellow, Jew or Christian or Muslim or Hindu or Buddhist or anything else.

We Malaysians must learn to do that, accept that elections are over, and overcome the disappointment. And these elections must have disappointed everyone  — perhaps 90 per cent of the people — but election results anywhere never satisfy all.

There is still so much to do. We have to continue to transform and improve ourselves and the economy to achieve high income and a better quality of life for all whilst ensuring this is done sustainably and in an inclusive manner so the entire population benefits.

As you probably remember, our true north is an income per person of US$15,000 by 2020, less than seven years from now.

For Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Rakyat, surely we can identify common ground and put our hearts and minds to work towards that. Of course, we are not saying that differences disappear, but the idea is to find out where we agree and make fast progress with those. For instance, both sides want better education for all. So lets get on with it and work towards that and look at the best means to get the quality and reach of education up by the most efficient ways possible.

We are working on a health metropolis, both education as well as facilities, to be located within Universiti Malaya. And since it is located in Petaling Jaya, we need approvals from the local authorities and the state. And yes, Pakatan has retained Selangor but we want to and will work with them.

That’s just one example. No matter who controls the states, we want development and progress for all states. Otherwise people’s income and well-being will be seriously affected.

No matter who controls the states, we need local and foreign investment. We must work together, coordinate and help one another to encourage the investments to increase output efficiently, create jobs and raise incomes.

No matter who controls the states, we need infrastructure such as roads, railways, public transport, Internet etc. The Performance Management and Delivery Unit is prepared to work with the states to facilitate all projects which contribute towards increasing income and improving the overall well-being of the people.

Let’s stop the mudslinging which was part of the electioneering season. We now have to do what is sensible and right for the people. It’s a time for reconciliation, forgiving and forgetting.

If Nelson Mandela, who spent 27 years in a South African prison before eventually freeing the country from the dreaded apartheid which kept blacks in shackles for centuries, can forgive his tormentors and forget his own enormous sufferings, surely we can when there is so much less to forgive or forget.

We have to move forward from our various stages of unity – from merely tolerating each others’ diversity and differences, move forward to accepting them wholeheartedly and leap up to celebrating them and harnessing them for our common benefit and good.

Once we reach that final stage we will all be truly Malaysians, always no matter what. But we have to start now.

(Datuk Seri Idris Jala is CEO of Pemandu, the Performance Management and Delivery Unit, and Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department. Fair and reasonable comments are most welcome at idrisjala@pemandu.gov.my.)

SPEEDIER RECOVERY: The rehab team, comprising (from left) Mr Haja Mydin, Dr Tan Swee Yaw and Ms Tan Suan Choo, attending to Mr Dineshan Vallil Parampath.

AFTER  surgery, heart patients need a cardiac rehabilitation programme to get back on track.

Mr Dineshan Vallil Parampath is not your typical heart patient. He is quite the opposite. He swims regularly, does yoga, does not smoke or drink, and dislikes oily food. Yet, this 44-year-old mechanical design engineer, with a son and daughter still in school, needed heart surgery in August last year.

The first sign that something was wrong came in December 2011, when he started having breathing difficulties while climbing stairs or swimming for a long time. “It was very uncomfortable as I was not getting enough oxygen,” he said.

A check-up revealed that his aortic valve had shrunk by around 40 per cent. “The doctor at the National Heart Centre Singapore (NHCS) told me it would be better to replace the valve immediately or it would continue to get smaller.”

Mr Dineshan believes his heart problem stems from a bout of rheumatic chorea he had when he was 16. Rheumatic chorea is a nervous disorder associated with rheumatic fever, occurring chiefly in childhood or during pregnancy.

Mr Dineshan had surgery to have a mechanical valve implanted. It went well and, after five days in the ward, it was time for the second phase of his recovery – cardiac rehabilitation – in which patients are slowly reintroduced to exercise, diet and a healthy lifestyle.

Initially, he was afraid of exercising so soon after surgery. “But the nurse and doctor told me not to lie down, but get up and walk, so I did.”

At the hospital, physiotherapists taught him breathing techniques to improve his lung function and helped him get out of bed and walk. They also gave him advice on things to do and avoid in the first two months after surgery, and how to exercise at home.

“After a while, I managed to sit by the bed. By the time I was discharged, I could walk a little with help,” he said.

Three weeks after discharge, he started his twice-weekly cardiac rehabilitation programme at NHCS.

Initially, he exercised on the stationary bicycle and was closely monitored by ECG (electrocardiogram) for vital signs.  “After two sessions, I felt more comfortable, so I started exercising on the treadmill for 20 minutes and walking for five to 10 minutes,” he said.

Dr Tan Swee Yaw, Senior Consultant, Department of Cardiology, and Director, Cardiovascular Rehabilitation and Preventive Cardiology, NHCS, said cardiac rehabilitation is vital for recovery after heart operations, including coronary artery bypass graft surgery and valvular heart surgery.

Dr Tan said: “The standard of care 30 to 40 years ago after a heart attack was complete rest in bed for a month. Actually, that’s the worst thing someone can do. Now, usually one and half weeks after a heart attack, patients are encouraged to move about.

“Of course, it’s not very intense activity, but it’s for them to get mobile, regain their confidence and get back their full functional status as quickly as possible. Becoming mobile early reduces the risk of blood clots and helps speed up recovery.”

But cardiac rehabilitation does not involve just exercise. It also incorporates patient education. “We need to educate the patient so he understands his condition, how it happened and why.

“The next thing he must understand is what to do if it happens again, so he is empowered with the capability of preventing it from happening again. Studies show that attending a cardiac rehabilitation programme can reduce mortality by 25 per cent,” said Dr Tan.   At NHCS, doctors review heart surgery patients two to three weeks after their discharge, and arrange for them to be on the cardiac rehabilitation programme, which consists of 16 sessions. There are usually about 15 patients per session.

Ms Tan Suan Choo, Senior Staff Nurse (Clinical), Cardiovascular Rehabilitation and Preventive Cardiology Unit, NHCS, said that at the start of the programme, patients attend an hour-long orientation and assessment session.

“They visit the rehabilitation unit and meet the physiotherapists and nurses there. Patients and their caregivers are taught to recognise the signs and symptoms of heart disease, the possible side effects of their medicines and risk factors such as obesity and smoking. We also give them dietary advice.”

Physiotherapists assess and group them into low-, moderate- or high-risk categories. Exercise regimes are prescribed to allow them to exercise at a safe maximum intensity with optimal benefit.

Those who complete all sessions are discharged with advice on exercise intensity and suitable exercise programmes, based on their recovery and progress during the sessions.

Mr Haja Mydin, Executive Physiotherapist, Cardiac Physiotherapy, NHCS, said joining a cardiac rehabilitation programme early allows patients to interact with others in the same situation.

He said: “It helps them overcome their fears and share ways of coping and managing pain, limited function and other symptoms. This helps them regain their confidence and function.”

• This story was first published in Singapore Health, May/Jun 2013.

AWAITING IMMEDIATE ATTENTION: Fort Alice is seen in a sorry state in this file photo.

SOMETIME in January last year, there was news about an allocation of RM5 million from the government for the repairs of Fort Alice in Simanggang, now Sri Aman. The history buffs were so happy that at long last something was being done about the dying landmark. I knew that an architect/consultant was working on how to reconstruct the building.

Many people would like to see it restored to its former glory but that, unfortunately, belongs to the past. It would be good enough if the basic architecture of the building could be maintained and whatever salvageable materials, like the belian posts, used.

Go back in time and visualise for yourself what Fort Alice looked like in 1899 when AB Ward, a cadet officer in the service of the Brookes, first saw it.

In his book, ‘Rajah’s Servant’, Cornell University, 1969, Ward writes: “Like most of the outstation forts of Sarawak it was built of massive ‘belian’ or ironwood in an oblong enclosing a small courtyard. The exterior was protected against the attack of spear-armed natives by a latticed screen from the eaves, and formidable chevau de fries. The hill itself was sheer on the river side, but elsewhere its slopes were shady with trees and bright with flowers – the cannas, jasmine, Honolulu creepers and the mauvy blue morning glory.”

About the interior of the fort itself, Ward records: “The front facing the water was the great Court Room, containing an adequate table shrouded in green baize from which justice was administered, some wooden safes, also a few small tables ranged along one side for the junior officers and the two Chinese clerks. Down the centre forming a nave were racks of Snider carbines for the garrison of Rangers or Malay levies. One rack was full of interesting relics – blunderbusses, flintlocks, ancient Tower rifles, a revolving five-chambered rifle, and Sir James Brooke’s fowling-piece. Sir James’ duelling pistols also were hung in the room, while on brackets behind the seat of justice were some grotesquely hideous earthenware heads, the gift of a former Resident of credulous mind who fondly imagines Dyaks might collect them instead of human trophies.”

Resource centre

Obviously, in the newly repaired fort, most of those things mentioned by Ward would no longer be available unless the Sarawak Museum has kept them. An effort should be made, if not already done, to source documents and artefacts from the Brooke family in England and other museums. It would be interesting to display James Brooke’s pistols.

Certainly a library containing the many books about the Brooke Rule and other important documents would be a great lure for the history enthusiasts as well as the tourists – foreign and domestic.

When do we expect work to start?

More than a year has passed and there should be some sign of activity on the site by now. What could be the hiccup?

It’s natural of those who love Alice to express considerable concern because the old lady is dying. Unless and until the plans for repairs to her are soon carried out she may not be able to survive the fight with the elements and the looters of the axe-hewn belian timbers.

The importance of restoring the fort

Why is the Great Wall of China important to China or the Taj Mahal to India or, nearer home, the Red Fort to Melaka? They all have one thing in common – they tell the story of the civilisation of a country. A landmark like the Great Wall is part of China and so is Fort Alice, being a piece of the history of Sarawak and by extension of Malaysia. There are several other landmarks that need repairs, of course, but save Alice first.

During her heyday, she had served as an important government post, a fortress as well as the seat of administration of the Second Division. Even during the Japanese Occupation it was useful as a prison and after Malaysia it was used as a temporary office while the present District and Resident’s Office was being built.

Charles Brooke, who later became the Ruler of Sarawak in 1868 after the death of his uncle, James, in the same year, had worked there for quite sometime, so had many Englishmen and Brunei officials in that district. When the famous novelist Somerset Maugham was in Simanggang around the time, he must have paid a visit to the fort as evidenced by his reference to an incident in which he was almost drowned in the bena (bore). In an article ‘Yellow Streak’ by him in a collection of short stories, there is an oblique reference to the prisoner who rescued him from drowning in that bore. That prisoner was employed to row the boat.

We don’t know whether in those days there was a practice to keep ready a visitors’ book at the fort. If there was, there would most likely be Maugham’s comment about the place. Wonder what his signature looks like.

The Ranee and the Kayan chief

Ranee Margaret, wife of the Rajah, stayed at the fort whenever her husband was away on headhunting expeditions upriver in the Iban country.

On one occasion, the Ranee was alone in the fort, except for a couple of servants and Mr Maxwell’s dog for company. Peeping through latticed screen of the fort, she spotted a flotilla of 60 boats carrying Kayan warriors coming upriver and landing near the fort. The leader was Tama Paran who declared that his men were there to assist the Rajah in fighting the Ibans. Margaret did not believe it was their aim; they were there, she thought, because they wanted to look for heads for themselves in the surrounding areas.

Margaret’s bluff

She delayed approval of the Kayans’ request to join the bala raja (Rajah’s force). After almost a week in town, the warriors from the Rajang became restless. The Ranee panicked, did not know how to tell the Kayans ‘to go to hell’, but managed to think out a ruse.

Had the Short Message System (SMS) and the radio been invented then, she would definitely have communicated with her husband instantly. As it was, all she did was pray for the immediate return of her husband. She invented a dream knowing that the warriors believed in dreams. She told the Kayan chief that she had a dream the previous night but was not supposed to tell about it until the following day. The chief believed her. By a coincidence or something inexplicable, the Rajah and his bala returned the next day and the Ranee’s delaying tactic worked!

These – Maugham’s accident, the Ranee’s bluff – are only a couple of incidents recorded in and around Alice, the fort, and those made her well known to the outside world. If the people in the tourism industry are innovative, they can capitalise on such a piece of history. And that’s one very good reason why we should keep her there fully restored as far as possible. Don’t let her die before our very eyes.

Will we be able to see some work on the fort before the next Festival of the Bore?

Keep your fingers crossed, for Alice.

How’s she doing?

TODAY is Mothers Day and I wish all mothers the love and blessings they deserve and also thank them for giving me a reason not to write about politics – we have an overdose of the ‘p’ word of late.

Strangely, as I ponder over what to write on Mothers Day, my thoughts drift back to the tragic helicopter crash off the coast of our state last year which claimed the life of two people.

One of them was a woman who just managed to make a final phone call before she died – and significantly she rang her mother.

Her last words – ‘Mak tolong’ (mum help) – must have stabbed her mother’s heart with fear and one can only imagine what she went through after receiving that call.

Yet, on looking back at that tragically poignant moment, it must also give her much comfort to know that the one person her daughter thought of when staring at death in the face was her.

The woman’s mother or anyone else could not have done anything to save her but in her despair, she needed the comfort of her mother’s love more than anything else.

Thinking of our mothers when we are in mortal danger is an instinct in all of us, nurtured by her unconditional love.

We know she will always be there, even if she might not be able to actually help, her genuine concern is a balm to our troubled mind.

Knowing that someone cares always gives us courage to face our challenges and the one person we know who will always care is our mother.

One of the best loved quotes about mother’s love is from the actress Sophia Loren who said: “A mother always thinks twice – once for herself and once for her child.”

Indeed, the first thought that comes to a mother’s mind when faced with a decision is often that on her child.

Often she instinctively knows your fears and your needs – she understands what you do not say.

As far as a mother is concerned, her child will always be a child, no matter how old the child has grown.

You may be a king, a multi-millionaire or an ordinary clerk, you will never be more than a child to your mother.

As WR Wallace famously said: “The hand that rocks the cradle rules the world.”

But a mother is also faced with a dilemma in her love for her child because while she wants you to be her child always, she also shoulders the responsibility of preparing you to leave home and start a life of your own.

Often letting go of her children is the most daunting challenge a mother faces. Of course, a child cannot be always receiving from his or her mother – a time will come when the table is turned. When the mother is old and infirm, it’s time to give back.

However, the mushrooming old folks’ homes in our urban society shows that giving back is not as simple as making room in the house for an aging mother.

I will not mount the high steed and preach to you the virtue of filial love because circumstances often make it impossible for families to take in their aging parents.

We all have to face the reality of modern society where both spouses work and do not even have time to look after their own children.

Old folks’ homes are the last option but very often, they are the only option.

Placing parents in a home for the aged maybe a forced decision but visiting them is often an option for the children.

I have seen the joy of a mother when her daughter visited her at the home and how she loathed seeing her leave.

Today is Mothers Day and for those of you who have mothers living in such homes, are you planning a family visit to see her?

What about mothers at your home? What’s in store for them from you?

On their special day today, let us all salute mums everywhere for their selfless love.

HAPPY MOTHERS DAY!

Actually, the mudslinging began even before the official results were announced. The minute the media reported Barisan Nasional (BN) was winning the bulk of the seats in Sarawak and Sabah, there were supporters of the opposition in the peninsula already calling Sarawakians and Sabahans names for being ‘blind’ and accusing us of being ‘bought’ by BN.

Perhaps they have forgotten how much Sarawak and Sabah have contributed to the revenue and development of the nation.

If the mudslinging was not enough, after the official results came in, the term of the day was ‘Chinese tsunami’ from the BN side.

The Eye does not particularly favour any side. Both have their respective strengths, which the Eye respects, and weaknesses which should be overcome. In other words, both political coalitions are not entirely faultless.

But what the Eye does not agree with is how some politicians and supporters aligned to either side reacted to the election results.

BN, having been given the mandate to form the government for the next five years must look at the outcome of the 13th general elections in a holistic manner.

Branding a certain community for creating a so-called political tsunami can prove to be detrimental to the coalition in the long run.

They must not forget that there are rakyat from other communities in the country who also voted against them, and it was not just one community.  They must not forget that the community has not entirely abandoned them as well.

The fact that the BN has now formed the federal government with several seats less than before should be a wake-up call for the coalition to step up action on key issues highlighted by the rakyat, namely corruption and the escalating cost of living.

Having said that, the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) must also remember to respond rather than to react to not being able to form a government.

Instead of organising rallies and claiming that every loss was the result of BN’s ‘black magic’ or sabotage (as claimed by PR supporters online), PR should instead now work out why they could not reach out to certain segments of the rakyat.

And while netizens were glorifying the massive gathering of PR supporters at the Kelana Jaya stadium on Wednesday night, they forgot the innocent bystanders caught in the massive traffic standstill, who were frightened out of their wits, wanting nothing more than to just reach home safely amidst the chaos and commotion.

A friend who found himself caught in traffic that night could only pray for his safety all the way and thanked God when he had finally reached home after three hours of being stuck on the NKVE highway.

It is also disheartening to note supporters of PR pulling what they called a blackout on social media. Some posted that they had lost hope in the country. Some mulled migrating to other countries. Some put up photos of young punks desecrating the Malaysian flag.

Others, being naturally gullible, began sharing seditious rumours online without even a second thought!

A few put up pages for petitions to send to the UN and President Obama to protest the poll results. Unfortunately for them, the US and other world leaders have extended congratulatory messages to the Prime Minister.

Some business owners have openly expressed their bitterness towards the government for not having done anything to help them and attribute their success to their own blood and sweat. Shouldn’t they feel proud of this instead of feeling bitter?

And to say that the government has never contributed to your success is not entirely true. If there was no platform for peace, stability and economic environment, or if you had to endure famine, dodge bullets and bombs daily, would you even have a business to run?

What about the fact that the government itself also makes up your pool of customers?

Their negativity gives outsiders the wrong impression – that the situation in the country for the past 50 years or so has been oppressive and depressing.

Have you not been able to put a roof over your heads and food on the table? Have you not been able to take vacations, if not overseas, within the country itself?

A friend had this to say just a day prior to the elections: “It’s great that we are democratic and get to vote and have been blessed in many simple ways over the years, but what happens when you are literally left with little choice when both political divides present clowns to you to vote for? For many people, it becomes a case of better the devil you know, than the devil you don’t know.”

No democracy in the world is perfect.

And, so rather than react emotionally to the election results as some members and supporters of both political divides are now doing, it would be advisable to respond with maturity to work towards national unity.

And even if a change in government may not happen within Anwar’s or Najib’s lifetime, the outcome of the recent elections shows that change is inevitable even within both political divides, which, if taken positively, is really a good thing.

The opposition should not perceive it as a loss, but a gain. Every outcome of an election is meant to keep the ruling coalition on its toes. It means that the BN cannot rest on its laurels and has an uphill task of addressing the issues which have cost them some of the rakyat’s trust.

And it also means that the PR has to somehow rework its strategies to reach out beyond the urban areas and prove that it understands the uniqueness and complexities of the nature of states like Sarawak and Sabah.

Whatever side you favour or represent, you just have to move on and learn to approach change or transformation in a peaceful, mature and holistic manner, instead of pointing fingers or taking it to the streets.

BEFORE AND AFTER: The roundabout at Padungan in Kuching cleared of banners after the election. (Inset) The same place festooned with banners before election.

I was standing on, what was last week, the site of “ground zero” of the battle of the flags. Last week this piece of ground was festooned with banners and flags flying the colours and symbols of the contending political parties.

There were also a number of giant billboards showing the pictures of the political candidates smiling benignly underneath slogans like, “just and clean”, “ubah” and other idealistic exhortations. Although the ground was absolutely cluttered with all those “noise” we did not mind them because they were in congruent with the moment then — the moment before the election. However, once all the hoo-ha has calmed down we begin to see them in a different light – the flags, the banners, the billboards are blight on the gentle landscape of Kuching.

Sarawakians are known for their gentle nature. We may have the most diverse ethnic composition in Malaysia but we co-exist in easy harmony. It is a harmony in reality, not one contrived out of some political parties’ slogans. The period before the election was a testing time for many of us. Friends were separated by the chasm of the political divide. The red, blue and green could not partake in their usual routine of having breakfast together. At first we did sit together and we set a strict rule of “no politics”. However, as the momentous day drew close it became impossible and temporarily we were estranged.

Then as I looked at the once again neat ground of our city I couldn’t help but utter a sigh of relief. I was thinking that with the issue of who are going to be the custodians of our country for the next five years settled we could go back to our normal life. We could go back to our routine of “chia tua pau” (blowing the big cannons) over bowl of noodle and cups of coffee and tea with our friends who may happen not to share our opinion on the choice of the nation’s leaders.

However, as always there are kinks in smooth fabric of our racial harmony. The amazing thing is this kink was initiated by none other than the victors of the recent election. Prime Minister and Umno president Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak fired the first salvo when he blamed the election results on what he called “the Chinese tsunami”. I think he was referring to the glaring anomaly where 51 per cent of the popularity votes went to Pakatan Rakyat and 49 per cent was achieved by BN and yet BN came away with 133 seats and the opposition 89 in the Parliament. Perhaps he was stung by the diminished return of the votes to the BN and thereby rendered him as the worst performing leader of the ruling government. Maybe the PM was playing to the Umno gallery and its string of pretenders to the throne. The memory of the former Prime Minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s political demise is still fresh.

With his back to the wall the man has to look for a reason for BN less than perfect performance. The downfall of the traditional Chinese parties in the Barisan National obviously points to the fact that Chinese community had voted overwhelmingly for the opposition and thus, become the obvious scapegoat.

Not to be outdone Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad came out with an almost rabid attack on those who did not vote for his party. He said he was shocked by Barisan Nasional’s poor performance in Election 2013, and laid the blame on ‘ungrateful’ Chinese and ‘greedy’ Malay voters.

He said incomprehensively, “Most of the Chinese had rejected the Malays’ hands of friendship … and that was what we call the ‘tsunami’. . . At the same time, we cannot deny Malays who have become greedy. They all want power without considering the means, if they needed to sell out their race they will sell it out.”

I am nonplussed by this remark. What has election got to do with the hands of friendship and how is it that a Malay who voted for the opposition is considered to be greedy?

Now that he no longer holds any official position in the country this former statesman is totally unstrained in his utterances. This former prime minister accused the opposition of spreading “propaganda” that influenced educated Malays (sic) into perceiving the “Malay” Barisan Nasional (BN) government as corrupt.

“DAP’s propaganda is this government is corrupt and this is a corrupt Malay government. This propaganda touches the hearts of the educated Malays.”

I wonder if the man is aware of the silliness and the damaging impact of his statement. Firstly, the essence of democracy is that the people are free to make their choice. Why should people be demonised when they exercise their choice not in your favour.

This reminds me of the quote ascribed to Motor magnate Henry Ford referring to his Model T Ford car (which came in only one colour) “the customer can have any colour as long as it is black”. That was in 1922.

Secondly, his statement that the educated Malays“. . . want a clean government and are influenced by the lies that if the DAP fights against corruption and for that reason must bring down this Malay-led government” is at once insulting to educated and the so-called uneducated Malays.

There is a saying, “Before you speak, let your words pass through three gates: “At the first gate, ask yourself, ‘Is it true?’At the second gate ask, ‘Is it necessary?’At the third gate ask, ‘Is it kind?’

To that I want to add, “With great power comes greater responsibility”

As I look at the neat green fields in our city, devoid of the clutter of the propaganda flags I want to thank the Good Lord. In spite of all our complaints this election has passed smoothly and except for some little skirmishes here and there it was violence free.

I pray that those who have been given the great power over our nation will heed the example of our people and take their responsibilities seriously and honourably.

Comments can reach the writer via dunstandesee@theborneopost.com.

However, with the scathing political squabbling, a worrying racial divide and the proliferation of partisan hate on the social media in the lead-up to the just-concluded 13th general election, what is important now is to make a serious and earnest endeavour to diffuse the destructive effects of polarisation in the country.

Although two candidates notorious for making remarks with serious racist undertones were defeated, let’s not pretend race-based politics does not exist.

Call it whatever you like – Chinese tsunami, urban tsunami, national tsunami or even triple whammy – the fact remains that under whatever name, a ruinous negativity such as polarisation in a multi-racial society like ours smells just as bad.

The truth of the matter is that at the end of the day, we all still have live together in the country we call home – Malaysia. And as such, it’s imperative that we are receptive to the need to put national harmony, stability and prosperity above all else by reconciling our differences after a bitterly-fought election and move on.

Reconciliation is the wisest course to take. Political leaders from both sides should not be so blinded by personal ambitions that they refuse to see and acknowledge the larger picture and interest of the country.

They owe it to the people to ensure the country continues on the path of peace, stability and progress and NOT taken down the road of perdiction.

Despite objections from some disgruntled quarters, the election results have been well-received on the whole. The DAP has declared its happiness and satisfaction with its huge gains while PAS has expressed similar sentiments, despite losing Kedah.

World leaders have also congratulated the Prime Minister on a hard fought but well-deserved electoral victory.

In this election, what the BN was looking to achieve was regaining the two-thirds majority in parliament that it lost in the 2008 polls. But it won 133 seats – 15 short of the required number.

However, nowadays, governing with the coveted two-third majority no longer gells with the realities of a modern democracy.

For instance in Britain, the Tories have to coalesce in a partnership with the Liberal Democrats to form the government while in Australia, Julia Gillard’s Labour government leads the country with only a very slim majority.

Even in strait-laced Singapore, the all powerful PAP government has been losing by-elections.

Of course, a two-thirds majority is a bonus – if you can get it that is.

The stark reality is that in the present globalised world, people are becoming increasingly aware not only of their rights but also the avowed obligation of the candidates they voted into power to protect such rights.

It is, thus, vital for governments of the day to realise that the onus is on them to provide good governance, stem out extremism, promote transparency and ensure that democracy and citizens’rights are safeguarded.

Elected representatives from both sides of the political divide could, of course, choose to ignore their sworn duty to uphold these sacred principles but with an increasingly discerning electorate quite capable of telling substance from superficiality, elected parliamentarians and assemblymen who break their election promises do so not only at their own peril but also that of their party.

In the Malaysian context, there is no denying the need to address the problems affecting the Chinese community – and for that matter, all the communities in the country.

A critical re-look at the root causes of the gripes – not just the symptoms – is, therefore, not only timely but mandatory as well.

The election is done and dusted. The time for inveigling and fibbing is over.

The successful candidates must now to get down to the brass tacts, roll up their sleeves to fulfill the promises spelt out in their party’s election manifestos.

Anything less will mean a betrayal of the voters’ trust and if this infraction translates into disaster for the present elected representatives in the next polls, they will have none but themselves to blame.

To move the country forward after a highly emotive election, the Prime Minister has called for national reconciliation. His commitment to harmonise race relations in the days ahead should be given all the support in order to move the country forward – and towards greater peace, harmony and unity.

DATUK RICHARD RIOT: Newly re-elected MP for Serian.

WHEN the Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) broke into two feuding factions, its deputy president, 62-year-old Datuk Richard Riot, like all party members, was affected by the divisive internal conflict but he never lost his direction in the ensuing turmoil.

From the beginning of the crisis until now, he has stuck with the party president Datuk Seri Peter Chin and still remains the only bumiputera elected representative in SUPP Central Working Committee.

After retaining the Serian parliamentary seat with a majority of 13,151 votes in the 13th general election on May 5, the former Deputy Foreign Minister finally broke his silence not only on SUPP’s protracted inside row but also on the days he was sidelined as the non-Chinese representative in a party where 82 per cent of its membership is Chinese.

The sixth-term Bidayuh MP from Kampung Piching, Serian, believes that for SUPP to sail through the chopping waters of factional discord, reconciliation is the prequisite – nothing less.

He is even willing to give up his deputy presidency if that could help to restore party unity.

Here he spoke to thesundaypost about his commitment to continue serving all the communities, including the Chinese, in Serian, his fervent wish help end the internecine bickering within the party and his aspiration to be re-appointed at least as a deputy minister so that he will have stronger ground to mend the rift in SUPP and also help recruit more bumiputra members to make SUPP a truly mult-racial party.

Q: When and why did you join SUPP?

A: I was with Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak (PBDS) before joining SUPP. I left PBDS and stood as an Independent in Serian in 1990 and won.
After that, in the best interest of the Serian community, I decided to join SUPP — on May 3, 1993 — after getting the blessings of Chief Minister Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud and the then Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
When I first left PBDS for SUPP, there was a lot of kacau (disturbance) I had to put up with. But I told the Serian community if I didn’t join SUPP, there would be no development for the area. The progress seen in Serian today proves that I have made the right decision.

Q: As the only bumiputera leader in a predominantly Chinese-based party, are you ready to serve the Chinese community?

A: Everyone in Serian knows I’m a representative of all, regardless of race. I work for the Bidayuh, the Iban and the Chinese. The people of Serian know that. I will make sure the rights of the Chinese community will not be ignored.
In Serian town itself, out of the total votes cast at the Serian Chung Hua School during the election, I managed to garner only 480 votes against 1,039 by DAP. In other words, I lost by 559 votes in Serian town.
In another Chinese area, I also lost by 87 votes to DAP. Even so, I believe as a responsible leader, I must make sure no other races will be left behind, including the Chinese.
I’m not going to say I will ignore the Chinese community just because they did not vote for me. No, that’s not my way.
Though my colleagues such as Datuk Francis Hardin (Semanggang assemblyman), Dr Jerip Susil (Bengoh assemblyman) and Ranum Mina (Opar assemblyman) are still SUPP Central Working Committee members, the prevailing situation in the party means (as a bumiputera representative), I am sitting alone in the CWC.
I expect to shoulder a much heavier responsibility because as the sole SUPP candidate who won (the party lost all its six seats — five to DAP and one to PKR), I will not only be grilled by DAP or the opposition on many issues — I know all issues pertaining to the Chinese seats will be thrown at me. And I’m ready for it.

Q: Why were the Chinese in your area not supportive of you?

A: I think the Chinese had fallen for the trickery of the opposition, believing in the opposition’s propaganda in cyber space.
For example, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim (Parti Keadilan Rakyat de-facto leader) said they would definitely form the next government, and as such, a lot of people were inveigled into thinking the opposition might succeed. Because of that, a lot of Serian Chinese wanted to give it a try.
To be frank, I had fought five elections before this particular one in Serian. From the very beginning, I knew I would win.
But of course, when I was asked to comment, I just said I was optimistic.
This time round, my majority decreased by slightly over 200 votes but my total number of votes had increased to 19,494. I lost in one Bidayuh area only by one vote and I defeated DAP candidate in his own village with 150 votes against his 116.
In my victory speech, I told the Serian people to close ranks and stay united for the progress of the area. I am sure some will not be happy when I said I will take care of all communities even after the Chinese community had voted against me.
But under Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, I will make sure the Chinese will not be punished for not voting for me. They are still part and parcel of Malaysia and their needs must be taken care of.

Q: Do you agree with the view that the May 5 election result was a Chinese tsunami?

A: This is a national phenomenon. Not only SUPP but MCA and Gerakan also lost. MCA only managed to retain seven out of 37 seats. My answer is that it was a national tsunami.
I think it happened not because of anything else but the opposition’s propaganda that they would definitely form the government. For this election, the opposition were very well organised in their campaign, especially in terms of their propaganda and strategies.
I don’t think this 13th election was a Chinese tsunami. We must not forget that a lot of the urban voters are non-Chinese. What upsets me most is that the efforts put in by Datuk Seri Najib over the last four years such as the many transformation plans have not been appreciated by them — Chinese and non-Chinese included.

Q: How do you feel as the only bumiputera leader in SUPP? Did you feel sidelined when SUPP was strong?

A: I will have to be very frank. The answer is yes and no. There was at time SUPP was given three quotas for permanent secretary posts.
I knew I was recommended — but fourth on the list. I was very disappointed. I knew they put my name in fourth place just to please me but I would never get the job.
There were other occasions before that. The Chinese leaders would be given the chance but we, the bumiputera leaders, just sat there for window dressing and our contributions were not acknowledged.
However, things are changing. As you said, I’m the only bumiputera in the CWC which consists of 24 members.
When the meeting started on Thursday, Datuk Seri Peter Chin congratulated me on my big-majority victory. Then, he immediately suggested I should be recommended to the Prime Minister to become a full minister as I was the sole SUPP winner in this election.
The CWC unanimously agreed. I’m grateful for the support of the CWC as well as the president’s. SUPP has proven itself to be a multi-racial party.
This batch of SUPP leaders is very professional and sincere, especially the secretary-general Dr Sim Kui Hian. He doesn’t think along racial line. That’s the leadership quality we should have in SUPP.
Hopefully, the word sidelined will, after this, be a thing of the past. If made a full minister, I believe more bumiputera will join SUPP as they can see for themselves that a full minister from SUPP is a Dayak.
In the course of my campaign and even after the election, there are young, intellectual and highly qualified Bidayuhs who indicate that they would like to join SUPP.

Q: Do you see the need to recruit more bumiputera members to make SUPP a really multi-racial party?

A: To be very frank, I have been appointed by the CWC to take charge of bumiputera affairs. I have not been very aggressvie in exercising my duty as the chairman of the Bumiputera Committee. I will do so after the dust has settled — after everyone has cooled down and, hopefully, after I have been re-appointed at least as a deputy minsiter.
I will work extra hard to recruit more bumiputera members for SUPP but, at the same time, taking into account that while getting more bumiputeras to join the party, I must never pinch members from other BN components. To me, this is tantamount to killing BN.

Q: As deputy president, where do you think SUPP is heading following the recent debacle in party?

A: Datuk Seri Peter Chin was very serious about wanting to resign as party president at the CWC meeting on Thursday. He meant it but we managed to retain him to lead us until the next Triennial Delegates’ Conference (TDC).
The next thing the CWC has to do is to settle with Registrar of Societies (ROS) the so-called irregularities during the elections in seven party branches.
Once the irregularities are straightened out, as the deputy president, I really hope the two fractions — one led by Datuk Seri Peter Chin and the other by Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh — will come to be one.
We will have to try our level best to make it happen because if we continue to squabble, there will still be two fractions and the next state election will be disastrous.
We will not even be able to win one seat — apart from the bumiputera-majority seats of Semanggang, Opar and Bengoh. What happened on May 5 or the 2011 state elections will happen again.
In the immediate two to three months, we will try to revamp the party. First, the so-called irregularities of the seven branch elections will have to be settled. As soon as it is done, we will try to talk to the other fraction, led by Soon Koh.

Q: Do you think SUPP is still fit to meet the needs to urban voters? The party has been talking about revamping but this does not seem to take off.

A: What happened was that after the defeat in the 2011 state elections, we had come up with a five-year masterplan to get back the support of the Chinese, especially the young generation.
But the plan could not be implemented because the party had broken into two fractions. Reconciliation is, therefore, a must.
As long as we don’t reconcile, whatever plan we have will not work and SUPP will suffer the same fate — like this time and the last time.
No amount of effort or work can unite SUPP or bring back the party’s glory days unless the two fractions bury the hatchet and close ranks.

Q: Will you help reconcile both sides by first talking to the Dayak leaders in the other faction?

A: I have tried and would like to think I have managed to slow them down – that’s an indication things are coming around to where we want them to be.
Under normal circumstances, SUPP’s next TDC will held in December, 2014. But it is going to be brought forward, especially after Peter Chin’s strong indication at retirement as party president.
If, during the TDC, the delegates want Soon Koh to lead, that’s the right time to decide. That’s why I urge my fellow bumiputera state representatives who are with Soon Koh to think seriously about it and come back to the party. Come for the next TDC where we can vote for the leadership we want.
At Thursday’s CWC meeting, while announcing his desire to step down, Peter Chin recommended that I take over as acting president until the next TDC. I was the one who declined and asked him to continue to lead.
I told the CWC that for the sake of party unity, I’m even ready to let go of my deputy president’s post. If we keep fighting, SUPP may fold up as others are saying and predicting.
I’m willing to let Soon Koh take over my post. And I think the message has been well-recieved by the CWC. It’s very sad to let the longstanding leadership crisis (since 2011) linger and kill the party slowly.
We are the party with the longest history in Sarawak. The problem we are facing is not small and I hope the situation can be resolved in the very near future.

Q: It seems that for a Sarawak politician, being a minister or deputy minister in Putrajaya can be such a tiring job that some MPs such as Datuk Yong Khoon Seng preferred to quit. So how do you juggle the busy schedules of a deputy minister before this election?

A: I have my way of serving the people even though the opposition had used it against me by calling me an Agogo YB.

But it backfired on them. It’s tough to be a politician who is serious about serving the people. I work hard but I also like to have a bit of fun afterwards. For me, after I give the speech at the function, I start to have fun with the people.

I would be like anyone one of them, enjoying myself so much so that it had been used against me. But the people in Serian know me.

When I dance, I dance with the village people, mostly the elderly. There are about 200 villages in my area.

During the campaigning, I couldn’t go to all the villages, so I organised a gathering, inviting about five from each village over. I expected only 2,000 to turn up but nearly 5,000 came. This was because I have been spending time with them. My having fun with the people actually made me a part of them.

You see, the voters had made up their mind even before the election. Campaigning was just reminding them to vote for me.

For me, as a politician and a deputy minister, time management is important. The moment I enter my car, I will get as much rest I can so that by the time I reach my destination, I am already refreshed.

In politics, you may do a thousand good things for the people but you will be criticised for the two small things you may have overlooked. So l have learnt to ignore criticisms when my conscience is clear.

In that way, I free my mind from unneccessary stress. I make sure I don’t make empty promises. When I’m not sure about delivering, I don’t promise but tell the people I will try my level best to talk to the top.

Healthwise, I don’t abstain from any food but I do maintain a healthy lifestyle by exercising every alternative day — waking up a bit early and remaining physically active.

She looked better nonetheless. There was a glow in her face, an encouraging change from a few days ago when it was all sallow. She was suffering from severe anaemia. The doctor had forcibly admitted her into the hospital for immediate treatment. The two units of blood transfusion had done her good.

Her cheerful disposition somewhat dissipated my worries. She was still weak and would become breathless quickly, but her appetite was slowly returning. Things were finally looking up after days of uncertainty.

I sat beside her bed and looked out the window. The sun was setting behind the hills.
The cacophony of birds returning to roost outside was punctuated by impatient drivers caught in a jam outside revving their engines.

Far in the distance, beyond the hills, was our apartment. We had moved there four years ago and made it into a cosy home. The air was fresh. The neighbours were friendly and helpful. We liked living there.

I wished she could go home soon. The hospital was not a conducive place to recuperate. There was little privacy in the open ward. Moreover, the food was bland. That did not help much with improving her appetite.

It was Mother’s Day that day. I remember very clearly. I had wanted to buy a cake but hesitated. We had never celebrated it before. It never crossed my mind to honour her on this day in previous years.

Celebrating in the hospital felt odd. “Next year,” I told myself. She surely would have fully recovered by then. We could feast on a hearty meal of her favourite food. I was not even sure what thosewere.In my 37 years as her son, I had never bothered to find out.

My mother was a humble woman. She was thrifty personally but generous with relatives and friends. She seldom turned them down if she could help. They sometimes took advantage of her but she continued to lend them a hand anyway.

The Japanese invaded and occupied Malaya when she was 16. She sought refuge at her grandfather’s plantation deep in the hills of Penang island. They had heard of the brutality the soldiers had inflicted upon the population in the city.

Life was difficult then. Food was scarce. She supplemented the family’s food rations by cultivating tapioca and vegetables. Long after the war, every time we had tapioca, she would recount how it had carried the family through those lean times.

After World War II, she worked as a domestic maid, a cook and a nanny for British families in Penang and Singapore. In her mid-30s, she finally saved enough to enrol in a tailoring course. That had always been her ambition. She graduated and became a seamstress.

She found joy in the simplest of things. With her trusty sewing machine, she churned out clothes, curtains and quilts. She also loved gardening. Everything that she cultivated flourished. Flowers bloomed. Trees fruited. Her thumbs were that green.

One of the traits that I admire most is her perseverance in the face of adversity. It was also that trait of hers that pulled me through the darkest hours of my life after the accident. She simply refused to allow me to give up.

Despite her tenacity, she could not fight the ravages of the disease that weakened her by the day. It was very painful to see her wasting away and not being able to do anything. We never got the chance to celebrate our first Mother’s Day together. Two months later, I held her in my arms as she breathed her last. Losing her was the saddest moment of my life.

This is the 10th year I live in regret for that one act of procrastination. It is such an irony that I never thought of telling her how much I appreciated her when she was around. Now that she is no longer here, there is so much that I want to say to her. I still mourn for those lost opportunities.

This Mother’s Day, I dedicate my work on disability advocacy in her memory. She cared for me selflessly and unconditionally from the day she gave birth to me until a few months before her passing. I am who I am today because she believed in me and gave me all the support she possibly could.

I also want to give a shout-out to all mothers of disabled children. Thank you for being our pillars of strength. We may never be able to fully express our gratitude but please know that deep in our hearts, we truly appreciate your sacrifices and all that you have done for us. Thank you and Happy Mother’s Day!

Comments can reach the writer via columnists@theborneopost.com.

Oh, and if you managed to obtain some cash from some ‘extremely generous’ politicians, good for you! Spend the handout wisely, for the next one is five long years away. Santa Claus does not come at Christmas every year in this case, if you know what I mean.

Yes, yes, yes, now that the Barisan Nasional is back in business again, we can expect the prime minister to keep his word of dishing out RM1,200 in BR1M Three for each family who qualifies for the aid.

I don’t know why it never crossed my mind to apply for BR1M One and Two. What an idiot I was! RM500 is good for a few hearty meals, if not anything else.

When BR1M Three comes along, I think I must make an effort to look into the application process. That’s the hard part. I have been too lazy to do that.

But the toughest job of it all is how to manipulate the household income of less than RM3,000. I’ve heard that many got away with that. Shame on you, Malaysians!

You know what? We, Malaysians have a reputation of rushing for handouts. Anything that is free, we go for it. It does not matter that we may not need it in the first place.

Take the case of the recent ‘Fly A Voter Home’ programme initiated by a Sarawak NGO. It was intended to assist needy Sarawak students in Peninsular Malaysia to fly home to vote.

Soon, others got hold of the news and started applying for the airfare subsidy. Some applicants, as the NGO discovered, were people who could well afford the flight tickets.

See, some of us can be real greedy and selfish. It’s a great shame, really!

Well, I was glad I came back to Sarawak and observed the elections in various parts of our vast state at an intimate level.

I managed to speak to many of the candidates from both sides. Some were old friends whom I had not seen in years. It’s good to learn that many of them, despite their decades in politics, still have the fire raging in their bellies.

The adage that ‘a politician only retires when he is six feet under’ certainly rings true for many in the business in this country. Honestly, I wish that wasn’t true. There must be a limit to everything.

After almost a month of watching the electioneering and assessing the battles of certain keenly contested seats, I think I have had enough of politics for a long time to come.

When I returned to Kuala Lumpur on the evening of March 8, I was all worn out. All I wanted to do was to get back to my home in Kelana Jaya and sleep.

But it turned out to be one long journey home. The Pakatan rally at the Kelana Jaya stadium, just 3km from my home, caused a massive traffic jam.

From Kuala Lumpur Sentral, it would have taken me about 40 minutes to reach home. Last Wednesday night, it took me four hours.

Oh yes, my first thought was to blame Anwar Ibrahim for causing me so much misery that night. He wanted to be prime minister but he could not make it. So, he got the people to protest against alleged polls irregularities. What the heck!

I was really tired and needed to get home quickly. That was a time when politics was furthest from my mind. It was a moment when I wished that politicians did not exist. They were a real nuisance.

Then again, I thought Anwar and his supporters have every right to protest if they felt that they had been wronged in any manner.

It so happened that the rally caught me at the wrong time and I was not in the mood for politics, let alone a mass protest.

Inside the vehicle, the equally not amused Malay taxi driver remarked, “this really makes no sense to me”.

“Whoever wins, I’ll still be a taxi-driver. It’s better for all to move on quickly. No need for such rallies,” he said.

The taxi driver and this statement from the Malaysian Social Science Association speak for what is on my mind. Indeed this is what most of us would sincerely want to say too.

I’ll leave you with excerpts from this well meaning statement from the civil society.

The Malaysian Social Science Association, together with other concerned academics and members of Malaysian civil society, strongly condemn the inflammatory and racist rhetoric being used by various political figures and now being reproduced in the mainstream media, with some extremist quarters threatening racial violence.

“Allegations of a ‘Chinese tsunami’ leading to the 13th general election results ignore the evidence that the swing towards change is much more firmly embedded in socioeconomic and urban/rural stratifications than in race.

“What we see is an urban middle-class led tsunami which is multi-ethnic in nature. The results show that people of all ethnic groups across the country, particularly in urban areas where 72 per cent of the country’s population live, in the main want change for a better Malaysia.

“We are of the view that in a genuine democracy, each qualified citizen has the right and is free to make his or her own choice, especially during an election, like the recent GE13. For such a democracy to flourish, the citizen must be able to exercise such a right without having to fear being condemned for choosing the ‘wrong’ side or for being ‘ungrateful’.

“Such threats and accusations only serve to widen the racial divide and to hide the weaknesses of one’s policies, strategies and practices, and go against the spirit of reconciliation and building a united Malaysian nation.

“As concerned members of Malaysian society we call upon all parties to let cool heads prevail and stop making unjust accusations against any ethnic or religious group.

“We also call upon leading politicians from all political parties and other leading members of society, including civic, religious, business leaders, the police, and others to speak up with one voice against racism and violence at this critical juncture in Malaysia’s development.

“We are of the opinion that all parties, especially the prime minister and his newly-installed government, must come to terms with this emerging reality, call for an end to race baiting, stop the blame game, undertake serious soul-searching, bite the bullet and get on with the business of national reconciliation as promised.

“We should realise that our uppermost agenda is moving forward as a united, multi-ethnic nation that is respectful of our diversity, as enshrined in our Rukunegara.”

And a final word from me. People, elections are over! Can we stop bickering now and just move on?

If you are unhappy with the election results, you have 21 days to file an election petition.

Take your case to the court and not to the streets, please.

The majority of us who are not politicians have had enough of politics.

To the politicians, let me appeal to you not to make a nuisance of yourself.

Comments can reach the writer via columnists@theborneopost.com.