With that income, you will never be able to get a car, not even a motorcycle perhaps. Even hopping on a bus, the LRT or monorail, may be too costly over time. So the poor fellow will have to walk.

You can forget about buying a roof over your head. Even a low-cost flat will be out of reach. So you have to rent and probably share a room or a cubicle with some colleagues. Consider yourself lucky if there are company quarters for workers.

If you have a family to feed, they will probably have only one decent meal a day. Hungry at other hours — go eat some leftover bread or make do with instant noodles.

Educating your children will be furthest from your mind unless education is free. And pray every day that none of your family members will get sick. If they do, chances are that self-medication is the only remedy.

Yes, people, in case you are unaware, the minimum wage in Peninsular Malaysia was set at RM900 per month and RM800 a month in Sabah and Sarawak.

This is pocket change to many Malaysians, yet this is the stark reality for others – a take home of a mere RM800 to RM900 to feed you and your household for a month. Hey, I thought God is fair.

Yet, Malaysian employers are reluctant to part with this meagre sum for their workers.

So what do we understand about a minimum wage? Wikipedia explains. A minimum wage is the lowest hourly, daily or monthly remuneration that employers may legally pay workers. Equivalently, it is the lowest wage at which workers may sell their labour. Although minimum wage laws are in effect in many jurisdictions, differences of opinion exist about the benefits and drawbacks of a minimum wage.

Supporters of the minimum wage claim it increases the standard of living of workers, reduces poverty, reduces inequality, boosts morale and forces businesses to be more efficient.

Critics of the minimum wage, predominantly followers of neo-classical economic theory, contend that a minimum wage increases unemployment, particularly among workers with very low productivity due to inexperience or handicap, thereby harming less skilled workers and possibly excluding some groups from the labour market.

Additionally, it may be less effective and more damaging to businesses than other methods of reducing poverty, according to Wikipedia.

Malaysia introduced the Minimum Wage Policy in July last year, and employers were given until early this year to begin complying with the new regulation.

But they have not done so.

And surely, they deserved the tongue-lashing from Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak late this week.

Many employees are still being paid below the minimum wage despite employers earning huge profits and the minimum wage policy introduced last year, he said adding that “this was a travesty of both logic and justice”.

“If we wish to become a more developed and more inclusive society, the welfare of employees must be prioritised.

“I ask all employers to commit to paying their workers a living wage,” he said in his keynote address at the Invest Malaysia 2013 last Thursday.

I think Najib said it best. Not even paying the minimum wage of between RM800 and RM900 is a travesty of both logic and justice.

Why? It’s only the minimum wage tagged at a logical sum employers were asked to implement. Justice demands that workers who have toiled for at least a minimum of eight hours a day be paid that amount in a full working month.

Now, I wonder whether the PM is aware that employers in small and medium enterprises (SMEs) have been allowed to defer the implementation of minimum wages for their foreign workers.

Employers in the sector have been permitted to defer it until Dec 31, said a statement from the National Wages Consultative Council early this week.

Employers in sectors, excluding SMEs, who are facing difficulties implementing minimum wages may opt for deferment by submitting their applications to the council in Putrajaya by June 30.

“It is hereby announced that the government’s decision to give deferment for foreign workers in SMEs is to be in force from the date of the amendment of the order,” the council said.

Here we go again. When the government drags its feet on such an issue, one cannot blame the workers for feeling that justice has been denied them.

This is something which workers and the unions have been fighting for for years. The government’s deadline for the minimum wage implementation should not be deferred because enough grace period has been given.

I believe that the PM wants to get this issue out of the way not because it is a delicate one but because it involves the survival of many workers, both Malaysian and foreign.

We can all agree what is a minimum wage of RM800 or RM900. It is a meagre sum and is hardly enough for one person to survive on in a city, let alone a family.

So why are these employers still unwilling to get it off the ground?

Najib is probably right. He had stated that although employers have been making huge profits, workers were still not paid the minimum wage.

Thus, this is my answer to my own question. It’s greed, nothing but pure greed. The bottom line for them is profits and more of it.

Needless to say, my support lies with the prime minister on this issue.

I hope the government will find some more avenues of taxing these unyielding employers in hugely profitable companies who have no qualms about exploiting their workers by paying them peanuts.

They should be told in no uncertain terms that their workers are not monkeys but humans who also need to earn a decent wage to feed themselves and their families.

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

That’s the feeling I get when friends from Kuching started asking for updates on the rallies, particularly the ‘Big One’ scheduled for June 15 in Kuala Lumpur.

I can only guess why. Perhaps politics in Sarawak has gotten boring after the May 5 elections. Politicians in the state have more or less recovered from the GE 13 fever and have returned to work.

There is also very little political fireworks in the state. All’s well on the eastern front, we can say. The opposition in Sarawak is relatively tame compared to their counterparts in the peninsula.

There are also no Black 505 rallies planned for Sarawak so far. Even if such events are held in the state, I doubt the crowds will be there.

While Bersih rallies used to attract 100,000 to 200,000 people in the streets of Kuala Lumpur, only a few hundred turned up in Kuching for similar events in the past.

Sarawakians are just not into street protests and demonstrations. But there are those who are more than willing to participate if there is already a big crowd.

I think I’m not way off in describing the majority of Sarawakians as the ‘join-in-the-crowd’ type. They will never take the lead.

If there is only a small group of 10 or 20 people, they will never dare to tag along. They are the ‘kiasi’ type – the ‘play safe’ species who are worried about getting into trouble, even when they know that they are not breaking the law.

Why? Am I insulting Sarawakians? No, I’m also a Sarawakian and I’m merely stating the truth about my own kind after years of observation. Unlike the Singaporeans who are ‘kiasu’, Sarawakians are really ‘kiasi’.

Okay, I’m prepared to accept a slap from those who feel offended but I maintain that the majority of Sarawakians are ‘kiasi’.

Aha, I’m not sure whether my Kuching friends who have booked their flights to attend the June 15 Black 505 rally in Kuala Lumpur would be prepared to join a similar event in Kuching if there is no crowd. That’s how it is with us, ‘kiasi’ Sarawakians. There I go again.

But hey, for once I have to declare aloud that as far as the current post May 5 public rallies go, I’m actually proud that my fellow Sarawakians are ‘kiasi’ and may be reluctant to take part.

My biggest question is this – why should we partake in such rallies when we are not sure if they will resolve anything? Will the rallies help resolve the current political impasse in the country? Honestly, I doubt it.

The first Black 505 rally on May 8 was organised to garner people’s power not to recognise the election results because of the alleged widespread fraud.

Later, the objectives became less clear and turned murkier with internal Pakatan differences over the staging of the rallies and the involvement of NGOs. Some senior Pakatan leaders even questioned Anwar’s decision to hold the rallies and were conspicuously absent from the events.

Can the rallies bring about a re-election in the seats under dispute? No.

Will the rallies be able to sack the Election Commission chairman and his team? No.

I can agree that that the electoral process in the country could be tainted. I’m all for Bersih’s mission for free and fair elections as we all should be.

I can also agree that the current batch running the show in EC must be replaced by professionals and independent personalities.

But the public protests cannot resolve such grievances. At best, they will keep the issues alive.

Can the rallies overturn the first past the post system that has been practised since independence and recognise the popular votes secured by Pakatan? No.

Can the rallies install Anwar Ibrahim as prime minister? No.

Are they held because Pakatan Rakyat does not recognise the current BN government? Not sure. Why? Pakatan MPs are also willing to take their oath of office later this month. How can they recognise their own victory and not those of the BN legislators?

Are the rallies meant to topple the government? Some NGOs taking part say that’s part of the plan while Pakatan says no. So which is which?

I beg to differ with PKR strategy director Rafizi Ramli’s statement that public rallies are needed because it is the “only language” that the BN government understands.

“BN does not respond to intellectual arguments. The same applies to the EC. The only language they understand is the people’s power, which is manifested through the huge rallies,” said Rafizi, in an interview with a news portal.

I’m somewhat disturbed that a young, intelligent man such as Rafizi should think that public rallies are able to resolve political problems.

I have this poser and I need an answer. Assuming that Pakatan is able to topple the BN government via street protests, wouldn’t the leaders and supporters of BN retaliate in the same manner?

So where do we go from there? In time to come, we will become a people and a nation who live by the laws of the streets. Is that what we, Malaysians, want?

So what do I, as a Malaysian, want? I want the politicians whom we had elected to public office from both sides to get down to work. They have already wasted one whole month (since May 6) squabbling and bickering.

In case we have forgotten, these politicians have been paid one month’s salary by us, taxpayers, for doing nothing except to quarrel among themselves over the past month. What?

A lot could be achieved in one month if they had focused their energy on the nation-building process.

I expect Najib Razak and Anwar Ibrahim, whom I believe have well-meaning plans for the country, to start the process of national healing.

As the two political leaders who matter most in the country today, it is their duty and responsibility to restore national understanding and nurture national unity among a people and nation that have been deeply divided.

Sceptics and pessimists will quickly reject the notion that Najib and Anwar will work together in a Barisan-Pakatan unity government but the dreamer in me wants to believe that will happen one day.

Politics remains the art of the possible. It takes great humility and courage for the duo to come together but if they exert the politics of conscience and put aside the politics of pride and ego, they might just be able to see the light. Meantime, if my friends come over to KL on June 15, I may suggest a trip up Fraser’s Hill instead of listening to politicians badmouthing others and running them down at the top of their lungs. What else is new?

I think I’ve really had an overdose of politics of late. I don’t mind being labelled a ‘kiasi’ Sarawakian for now.

Well, if you haven’t had enough, join the rally by all means. Don’t let me stop you.

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

I have not written much about Gawai in this column in the past. So allow me to do justice to this popular harvest festival on this Gawai Day today.

This is supposed to be a week of festivities and merrymaking. It’s the holiday season and time for families and neighbours to get together. Cries of jubilation and happiness should fill the air.

But then it had to happen!

The Belaga boat tragedy must have dampened the celebratory mood for many of us. So it was too for me. I share the grief of the families of the victims and my heartfelt condolences to all of them.

It is unfortunate that people should lose their lives on the eve of Gawai. It is even more heart-breaking that they were on their way home to celebrate Gawai when tragedy struck.

Some politicians are saying that if only a road has been built from Sibu to Belaga, the express boat accident would not have occurred and lives would not be lost.

But what an irony it really is!

In Peninsular Malaysia, we have super highways all the way from Perlis to Johor. Yet, road fatalities during the balik kampung rush on festive occasions keep rising year after year.

A few thousand motorists and other road users lost their lives every year in the country. Road accidents certainly claim more lives in Malaysia than river mishaps.

So who should be blamed here? You tell me.

One life lost is too many. Let us be vigilant and watch out for our own safety at all times. In public areas, it is even more crucial to think safe and act safe.

Well, the show must go on. Let’s move on to celebrate Gawai.

The celebration falls every June 1-2 for the Dayaks of Sarawak, similar to Kaamatan on May 30-31 for the KadazanDusunMurut (KDM) groups in Sabah.

These public holidays, at the state level, form part of the Malaysian government’s national unity strategy to persuade Sarawakians and Sabahans that they are not left out of the ‘nation-building’ project. This government strategy is certainly working well in the two Borneo states. If the just-concluded 13th general election is any indication, it appears that the Dayaks of Sarawak and KDM communities of Sabah are truly happy with the current government.

The communities voted overwhelmingly for the BN to help retain the two states as the coalition’s ‘fixed deposits’.

As this is my first Gawai article in years, let’s take a trip down memory lane and look into the history of Gawai Dayak.

Believe it or not, although I’m a Sarawakian, I still had to do some reading about this famed festival of my fellow Sarawakians. For writers, it’s a learning process every day and I think that’s a blessing of the job.

Here’s an interesting take on the history of Gawai Dayak from a tourism brochure.

The traditions celebrated during Gawai Dayak are ancient, but the holiday is not. The first Gawai Dayak festival took place in 1965 after several years of renewed cultural pride within the oppressed Dayak community.

When first asked to create a public holiday in celebration of the Dayak people in Sarawak, the colonial government refused; they were afraid that other minority groups would make similar demands.

Instead, the government declared June 1 as Sarawak Day. Eventually, once Sarawak gained independence, the holiday was officially changed to Gawai Dayak.

Since 1965, two years after Sarawak gained independence from Britain by forming the new nation of Malaysia, the Dayaks have been celebrating the

Gawai annually on June 1 without fail.

While Gawai is a thanksgiving day for the bountiful harvest and a time to plan for the new planting season, it is also religious ritual in accordance with the animist belief of the indigenous people of Sarawak.

For centuries, the Dayaks have lived on their land by shifting cultivation. The land they live on is not property or capital in modern economic terms. The land is their backbone, their soul, their mother.

Their jungle and the rivers are full of spirits. The god Pulang Gana – the son of the god father Patera – presides over the land on which they depend for their sustenance.

Throughout the entire process of growing their precious rice, from clearing of the jungle, to planting the first seed, to the final harvest, the Dayaks have to make various offerings to their gods in various Gawais of different names.

Celebrated with enthusiasm across Sarawak both in cities and rural villages, Gawai Dayak is a multi-day festival to honour the indigenous people.

Gawai Dayak translates to ‘Dayak Day’ – the Dayak people include the Iban, Bidayuh, Kayan, Kenyah, Kelabit and Murut tribes which once roamed Sarawak and relieved unsuspecting traders of their heads.

Although steeped in headhunting traditions of the past, the only head removed these days during Gawai Dayak belongs to a chicken sacrificed to honour a successful rice harvest.

More than just a touristy demonstration of indigenous culture for tourists, Gawai Dayak is celebrated with genuine joy and enthusiasm. Weddings take place, singing and toasts fill the air, and families are reunited with one another after being separated all year.

According to a Bernama story, the Gawai festival starts on the evening of May 31 with the miring (offering) ceremony in the longhouse ruai or common space, or in the community centre if the community lives in a village.

This is where the feast chief would give thanks to the gods for the good harvest and to ask for guidance, blessing and long life as he sacrifices a cockerel.

At the stroke of midnight, the ai pengayu (tuak for long life) is out with everyone sharing a toast. There will be eating and drinking, singing and dancing until the next day.

The longhouse never sleeps during Gawai. In the morning, those who are still sober would be doing the ngabang (visiting friends and relatives).

Gawai is the time for the Dayaks to showcase their rich cultural heritage and a time for the non-Dayaks to learn the tradition.

Like in any celebration, when there is a beginning there will be an end.

Celebrated over two weeks, Gawai comes to a close with the Ngiling Tikai or rolling up the mat ceremony.

And the Dayaks would again go about their daily lives and routines; until the next Gawai comes around, that is.

Today, let us join our Dayak brethren and celebrate Gawai with them. Let us bask in their warm hospitality and appreciate their rich cultures and traditions.

Selamat Ari Gawai. Gayu Guru Gerai Nyamai.

To our friends in Sabah, Kotobian Tadau Tagazo Do Kaamatan (Happy Kaamatan Festival).

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

Then, in a move which surprised everyone in court, the burglar made an astounding offer to his victim. He promised to pay back the banker double the amount of what he had stolen from him.

The burglar explained that he actually came from a wealthy family and that he burglarised the banker’s home just for kicks.

He is not a thief who steals for a living but a young man who got caught while having fun of the wrong kind.

The banker, taken in by the man’s attractive offer, decided to withdraw his case against the burglar.

He told the judge that he was prepared to forgive the perpetrator and that the young man should be given a second chance in life.

Assuming you are on the bench in this fictitious case, how would you handle it?

Let the thief go after ensuring that he honours his pledge to his victim or let the law run its course.

I believe we should know what to do. A crime is a crime. The guilty must face the long arm of the law. Let there be no two ways around that.

This is what should be carried out in the recent rape case in Sabah, which has caught people’s attention nationwide.

Initially, there were concerns that the rapist would get away with his heinous crime just because he had married his 13-year-old victim.

Riduan Masmud, a 40-year-old restaurant manager, was charged in the Kota Kinabalu Sessions Court on Feb 28 with statutory rape of the girl inside a parked car in Inanam, near Kota Kinabalu, at about 10am on Feb 18.

On May 7, the court postponed the case to May 20 after it was told Riduan was seeking the permission of the Syariah Court to marry the girl and the prosecution said it had no objection to the case being withdrawn.

Last Monday, his counsel Loretto J Padua told the court the couple had married and the syariah marriage certificate had been presented to the investigating officer.

This caused an uproar among religious and women’s groups who rightly stated that the perpetrator should not be allowed to get away with the crime just because he had made amends for it.

Later in the week, Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail was compelled to give a public assurance that he would press on with statutory rape charges against Riduan Masmud.

In welcoming the AG’s statement, Sisters in Islam said it was a matter of public interest and it was incumbent on the civil and syariah legal systems to “ensure justice is served and seen to be served for all our children”.

“The decision to go ahead affirmed the position that statutory rape is a very serious matter that needs to be dealt with firmly by the law and that marriage is not exploited as a means to absolve sexual crimes committed against children,” said a SIS communications officer.

All Women’s Action Society (Awam) senior programme officer Lee Wei San said laws to protect children from statutory rape and underage marriage should be enforced.

“How can we allow our 13-year-old daughters to become brides? And for marriage to be used as a way to avoid criminal charges for statutory rape?

“This will have serious repercussions on all future rape cases,” she said, adding that young girls were individuals with dignity and rights, and not property to be sacrificed because of poverty, culture or religion.

We can only agree wholeheartedly with the concerns expressed by these well-meaning groups. They speak for all of us.

I think we can now heave a sigh of relief with the AG’s assurance because of the confusion of how the authorities deal with crime involving violence against children in this country.

It is statutory rape where an older man has sex with a minor who is below the age of 15. There are numerous cases to show this. There are young men languishing in prison being convicted for statutory rape, despite many appeals.

So why should Riduan be allowed to go scot-free?

Riduan’s case brought up another issue of great concern to all of us – child marriage.

You imagine a 13-year-old being married to a 40-year-old man. What is wrong with our society, people?

I thought that only happened with some nomadic tribes where parents pair their children for marriage as soon as they are born. Literally for these tribes, the only law that exists for them is the law of the jungle.

In their case, we can only watch from afar and reason that their customs and traditions must have served them well.

In the recent Sabah case, I don’t think we should only watch from afar. Besides the heinous crime of rape, the perpetrator has now embarked on another ‘path of darkness’ – taking a 13-year-old as a wife.

In his letter carried by a news portal, Suriana Welfare Society president James Nayagam asked all the correct but depressing questions on child marriage.

“Do we as Malaysians support child marriage? Look at the age gap. Is it fair to a child to marry someone who is old enough to be her father? Then again, what kind of message are we sending out to criminals, that they can rape and marry the girl. Where then is the meaning of crime does not pay?

“What about the rights of the child. According to the Convention of The Rights of The Child to which Malaysia is a signatory, it states that the child’s well-being is of utmost importance above all else. Is marriage of the best interest to her after her rights had been violated?

“She has lost her right to enjoy her future and choice in life. Society has failed to protect her rights and worse, has placed her captive in the hands of an alleged criminal, who may later abuse her as well. What kind of legal system are we practising in this country?

“Is the child ready for the life of a wife? What if she becomes a mother at this young age and not of her choice.

“We cannot be selective in responding to crime or have selective prosecution in matters involving children, where the law clearly states the procedure and punishment. If we do not speak up for the rights of children, what hope is there for children in the hands of abusers,” Nagayam wrote.

Well articulated indeed, James Nagayam.

To update Nagayam and all readers, the Sabah authorities are now taking steps to annul the 13-year-old rape victim’s marriage to her alleged rapist and to move her into the care of welfare officials.

That is the right thing to do. The law of the nation must ensure that nobody gets away with rape and other heinous crimes against young girls and children.

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

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.

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.

I’m sorry but I can’t help it as this is a historical week too for English football and the two Malaysian owners of English clubs. So let me quickly get it out of the way. Please excuse this football fan.

It was a case of one up and one down. That was the fate of the two Malaysian-owned teams playing in the English Football League over the past week.

Congratulations are in order for Tan Sri Vincent Tan, who saw his Cardiff City gain promotion to the Premier League after emerging top in the nPower Championship.

Not bad for a guy who claimed that he knew next to nothing about football before he bought a controlling stake in the club last year.

Wales remains my favourite country of all that I’ve visited and Swansea, not Cardiff unfortunately, is my city of choice. The cliffs, beaches and castles in Wales, Swansea in particular, are sights to behold.

I’ve a feeling that I’ll be watching Vincent Tan’s club play a Premier League game or two in Cardiff in the year ahead. It’s a pretty good excuse to return to Wales after more than a decade.

At the other end, Tan Sri Tony Fernandes’ Queen Park Rangers, after a rather disappointing season, was relegated to the second tier.

Well, Mr Air Asia, you just can’t win everything, can you? Better luck next season, Tony!

And hey, make sure you keep Harry Redknapp in wraps. He’s one hell of a manager!

A friend in Melbourne asked me whether there will be trouble in Malaysia after the May 5 elections.

I didn’t have to ask him what he meant by ‘trouble’ but I could guess that he was referring to political violence, street riots and chaotic rallies.

I replied I don’t think so, stressing that I have faith in our security personnel to maintain law and order.

Do I? What with the rising crime rate around the country? But seriously, what choice do you and I have really? If we don’t trust our police to do the job of maintaining law and order, who else can we turn to?

The many reports of political violence in the run-up to Sunday’s polling have not brought much comfort surely. It’s sad but they are happening.

Those responsible for instigating acts of violence must be reminded that using violence as a weapon to secure votes is a bad strategy.

Malaysia professes to be a democracy and swears by the ballot box and therefore it must not condone acts of foul play. I doubt the political leaders from both sides have anything to do with the on-going acts of violence. However, their overzealous supporters may have to shoulder part of the blame at least.

I am also concerned that the spate of political violence has been prominently reported in the media. But we can defeat violence by showing restraint and not believe in the media’s tales.

The assurance from the Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Ismail Omar that the police would be around to ensure public safety tomorrow is timely.

Speaking at a Kuching function last Thursday, he urged Malaysians not to listen to rumours or be wary of coming out to vote come May 5 as police are fully prepared and committed to ensure the smooth running of the 13th General Election.

“Don’t listen to rumours being bandied around by unqualified people. Let’s work towards ensuring peace and harmony. The public could help make things easier for police by being responsible on polling day,” Ismail said.

Well, it makes perfect sense to heed the police chief’s advice.

Still, I did not manage to convince my friend in Australia that it’s perfectly safe to be in Malaysia after May 5. He’s decided to adopt a ‘wait and see’ stand by sitting out a week after polling before purchasing his flight ticket over. That’s the power of the press – it scares people too!

Tomorrow, D-Day will finally dawn on us. The 13.3 million Malaysian voters, including 3.9 million first-timers, will be exercising their democratic right in what has been touted as the ‘mother of all elections’.

By now, most of us would have made up our mind on who to vote for. In fact, many must have decided long ago.

I wouldn’t want to waste space here in dwelling on the manifestos of the contesting parties. Most of us would already know the offerings through their presentations which were well publicised by both sides.

What remains for us to do is to go out and vote tomorrow.

Here’s what will be on my mind tomorrow as I mark the ‘cross’ on the ballot paper.

I must have the best interests of Sarawak and the nation at heart. For the past five decades, we have traversed the twists and turns of nation building and have now reached a critical crossroads.

Now, which way to go? For us in Sarawak, what kind of future holds in the next 50 years?

With the future of my dear home state uppermost in my mind, I will surely vote with love and affection for Sarawak.

I will vote with my conscience, fully realising that at my age, there is nothing much more I need to take but need to give. The future of the younger generations of Sarawakians is paramount. Their interests must be served and served well.

This great state of ours has an abundance to give and every Sarawakian can have a share. What we need are sincere, hard-working, humble and God-fearing men and women to manage, guide and lead us towards attaining those goals.

Yes, we must vote with love and with our conscience tomorrow. That’s our sacred duty as citizens of a free nation.

Finally, I must applaud the initiative taken by a private company in Kuala Lumpur for ‘A Time for Healing’ programme beginning May 6.

It said that no matter what the results of the 13th General Election may be, there is a need to allocate time for healing.

“Our country has been split into partisan blocs where we throw hurtful words at each other. This has wounded the vibrancy of our peaceful society, thus let us begin the healing.

“To heal our country, let us work hand in hand, heart in heart. Together we can put back love, respect, and dignity in this country.

“The election has caused extreme partisanship that has drawn us apart. As we are trying to progress we may have overstepped on each other’s foot in our overzealousness to make the country better. While this may continue there must be a safety valve; a time we spend to be positive,” the company asserted.

I look forward to participating in the ‘Healing Malaysia: Putting back some love into the nation’ programme when I return to Kuala Lumpur after the election.

The nation has been badly bruised, if not severely wounded. Malaysians have been torn asunder because of differing political beliefs. We badly need the time for healing.

Meantime, come out in droves tomorrow to the polling stations. More importantly, remember to cast a vote of love for your state and nation and do it with the best of your conscience.

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

This is true as I do not reside in my home town of Kuching and I have not seen the MP, Datuk Yong Khoon Seng, for more than 10 years.

Although I can consider Yong an old friend, it’s not my nature to hang around VIPs and busy people.

In my line of work, I think I have enough of ministers and VIPs. While many are generally sincere people, there are some who can act so unnatural and can be perceived to be hypocritical.

Now, I feel more comfortable sitting in coffee shops and mamak stalls with friends from the ‘kaki lima’ planet.

This week however, I returned to Kuching and decided to give the Stampin incumbent a tinkle. I managed to obtain Yong’s mobile number from a mutual friend.

I was glad to learn that Yong was his usual cheerful and friendly self in hearing from me after so long. When I suggested that we have a chat over coffee, he invited me to visit him at his service centre the next morning. So now I know the location of his service centre, which doubles as his political office.

I met a journalist friend in Yong’s office and he jokingly asked me later whether I went to see the MP to ask for a wheelchair.

Aha, my friend recalled I had written in jest in this column that I would possibly need to see my MP only when I’m old and feeble, to ask for a wheelchair.

Oh, it’s great to see Yong as healthy as ever. For his age, he’s truly blessed. He has no major health issues.

Goodness me, he’s still smoking his favourite brand. I told him I have already been given the ‘red card’ by my doctor about puffing, so I had to quit.

I remember those years in the late 90s when Yong was a parliamentary secretary and I also had to attend parliamentary sessions because of my work. We would both sneak out to the smoker’s corner at the parliament canteen at regular intervals for our much needed dose of nicotine.

It was good to see Yong cheerful and lively. He is such a likeable character, really.

Yong has always reminded me of former Kuching Mayor Datuk Song Swee Guan. Both were very popular figures in Kuching because of their pleasant personality and jovial character.

Like Song, Yong is a down-to-earth politician who is comfortable in the company of labourers and hawkers, as he is with the prime minister.

Following the retirement of Song from politics, I think Yong Khoon Seng is the last of the second generation of SUPP leaders in Kuching who is still politically active.

He belongs to the group with some semblance and links to the party founders. Yong was the protege of the late Tan Sri Stephen Yong, the founder secretary-general of the party and a true Sarawak patriot.

The incumbent Stampin MP was asked to defend his seat by his BN chief and this must have given him added pressure. But he is taking it all in his stride, telling me that it’s up to the voters to judge his track record.

“I’m offering my services to the people again. I promise that I will do my best for them. What I promise, I will deliver. I do not lie.

“Let me advise them to vote wisely. Election is a serious business. It’s about choosing a government to run and manage the country. Vote with a clear mind and with your conscience,” Yong said.

On nomination day last Saturday, I decided to observe the event in a rural constituency for once. So I went to the Selangau District office to catch the excitement of the day.

My decision to go to Selangau was generated by the hype over the tussle between two sworn political enemies – Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) and the newly-formed Sarawak Workers Party (SWP).

The long journey to Selangau was worth it. I was not disappointed.

It was vintage Datuk Sng Chee Hua, the SWP founder, at his best that day.

Love him or loath him, you have to give it to Sng when it comes to rural politics. It’s difficult to find another Chinese politician who is so at home in a rural setting.

SWP may declare itself as BN-friendly but if the nomination day is any indication, BN candidate Datuk Joseph Entulu may find SWP not so friendly up till May 5 and beyond.

I believe this is the first time in a rural constituency where the BN entourage and supporters were out-numbered by the opposing camp on nomination day.

SWP supporters easily swelled to almost 3,000 by the time the candidate arrived with his proposer and seconder. BN had about 1,000 flag bearers.

I have to commend Sng for his wry remark that he was contesting in Selangau because he did not want to disappoint Entulu as he (Entulu) had invited him to several times.

I had a good chuckle at Sng’s sarcasm.

Selangau has been classified as a ‘white grey’ seat by the state BN, meaning that the opposition could well spring an upset.

The focus could well be accurate. Sng could win but it would not be an upset. The Sng family is not known to contest elections and ending up on the wrong end.

Pundits are predicting a victory for the father in Selangau and son, Larry, in Lubok Antu.

It was also nice to meet another good friend, Joshua Jabeng, the PKR candidate that day.

I wish the trio the best. May the best man take Selangau.

I must confess that I’m very pro-Sarawak and my priority and choice is for anything local. So it is too with political parties.

It does not matter whether the party is a powerful, well-established entity or a mosquito outfit.

SWP and the State Reform Party (STAR) are small parties. I’m watching the performance of their candidates closely.

If they manage to win one or two seats, that will be a start to their survival and future growth.

It’s good that SWP and STAR are taking part in the elections. They are Sarawak-born parties and are led by Sarawakians.

I’m particularly glad that STAR is also contesting in the unfamiliar territories of Miri and Santubong. After 16 years, STAR has finally stepped outside its comfort zone of Bidayuh and Chinese seats in Kuching Division.

The party also has an attractive sales pitch now – the Borneo Agenda. In time to come, I believe it will resonate with the people of Sarawak.

I wish these local parties, mosquito outfits or not, the best. The journey is long and arduous. It takes patience, perseverance, great strength and faith to keep going.

And hey, it’s okay to dream dreams in politics. After all, dreams are free.

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

This is in the parliamentary constituency of Bukit Bintang, the stronghold of the opposition DAP. The seat was formerly known as Kuala Lumpur Bandar and it is right in the heart of the nation’s capital.

For many, Bukit Bintang is synonymous with fine shopping, food galore and glitzy entertainment. But this is election time and it is clear why this Federal Territory seat is the bastion of the DAP.

Along the busy Jalan Changkat Abdullah, only DAP flags and buntings were seen. Not surprisingly, not a single BN banner was found.

The BN, represented by the MCA in this Chinese constituency, has never won Bukit Bintang since I ndependence.

The last time the seat was in the hands of the BN was by default.

DAP’s Wee Choo Keong was disqualified as the MP because of a court ruling and MCA’s Dr Lee Chong Meng warmed Bukit Bintang for about three years from 1997 to 1999.

The seat is currently held by DAP national treasurer Fong Kui Lin. I dare venture to declare that the seat will be Fong’s as long as he wants it and as long as he contests for the opposition camp.

In a constituency as affluent, as opposition-minded, and as Chinese as Bukit Bintang, the DAP can field a monkey or a donkey or any animal from the zoo and they will also win.

The animal can file the nomination papers, return to the zoo to sleep, and wake up on counting night to be declared victorious.

No, this is no longer a joke. What do the voters in Bukit Bintang need from the government that they do not already have? They do not even sound cocky to tell all that they need no help from the government at all.

I’ve also noticed Fong’s tiny one-shop house operations centre situated in an obscure lane next to the main Jalan Changkat Abdullah thoroughfare.

If anything, this indicates the supreme confidence of the DAP in the area. The centre is geared more towards logistics than to cope with any heavy campaign purposes.

Hah, there is no necessity for the DAP to do any campaigning in Bukit Bintang.

In fact, I think that it is even unnecessary for the party to put up posters and banners. Such paraphernalia does not garner votes in most cases.

BN’s lack of interest and hence, their lack of presence in Bukit Bintang is understandable. All the while, the MCA has only given token resistance.

Expecting the BN to win Bukit Bintang is like expecting DAP to defeat Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah in Gua Musang.

Betting is now a common feature during elections in the country.

Malaysians have been told many times not to bet on election results as that form of gambling will have adverse effects on the electoral process.

Well, one can liken that call to telling a hardcore addict to stay off drugs.

I was chatting with a banker friend early this week and one topic we veered into was gambling.

My friend expects heavy betting in this mother of all elections which should not be surprising at all. Why? Malaysians are known to indulge in excessive gambling and heavy betting during elections.

Worse, certain sections of Malaysians are such hardcore gamblers that they will gamble on anything, even on two ants racing. We have heard that many times.

While gambling is a universal sin, the scourge in Malaysia is perpetuated by those who should actually be helping to curb the menace. This is most unfortunate.

The frequent extra draws of the 4D gaming operators in the country is a case in point.

One can only guess why the 4D operators are allowed to conduct extra draws every Tuesday at such frequent intervals. Your guess is as good as mine.

With four draws a week, imagine the agony and pain of faithful punters and the tendency for them to bet more hoping to recoup their losses. Most refuse to believe that this is hoping against hope.

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

Many of her supporters in the Perak constituency have expressed sadness over her departure. So too her party chairman Karpal Singh.

He has appealed to his protege to reconsider her decision to sit out the 13th general election.

This was the DAP chief’s glowing tribute to Fong as reported in the media two days ago.

Calling Fong a “priceless asset” in parliament, Karpal said it was “in the public interest” that Fong reconsiders her decision not to seek re-election.

Karpal, who was informed of her decision last September said Fong “is an anchor” for DAP in parliament and that losing her would be a “great loss” for the party.

“She has sacrificed her legal career to devote full time to politics. Her departure from parliament will deprive this august house of one of its priceless assets,” he said.

However, the DAP chief’s glowing review could not sway the fiery orator, who debuted in parliament in 1999.

In an immediate response, Fong, who is taking a step back for “personal reasons”, said her decision was final.

Winning the Batu Gajah seat with a majority of 7,927 votes in 2004, Fong more than tripled her gain, winning with a mammoth majority of 24,627 votes in 2008.

When I read the report of her decision to quit, I was also very surprised.

She is only 39. Nobody retires at 39. So I’m actually very curious about her “personal” reasons for quitting.

I have witnessed Fong debate in parliament several times and found her to be an articulate person.

She was a legislator who did her homework and was prepared for the questions posed about her views and thoughts.

Fong was quick on the rebound and could be witty in her responses, particularly at her male peers who tried to be funny with her in the house.

She was also very supportive of her fellow MPs from Pakatan Rakyat and would be the first to rise and speak declaring her full backing whenever there was an opportunity to do so.

Her party colleagues rightly described Fong as a consistent team player.

Her astuteness and courage in daring to take on the male MPs, at ‘point-blank’ range often times, earned her the ‘Cili Padi’ moniker.

Oh yes, Fong Po Kuan could be as hot as cili padi when in her element.

She has shown that she is certainly not the weaker sex to be bullied by the men.

Today, I join her supporters in wishing her the best in her retirement.

Earlier, I stated that I was interested in Fong’s reasons not to seek re-election.

One thing we do know is that Batu Gajah is a winnable seat. It’s as good as in the bag for DAP.

Why then did Fong want to give it up?

Perak DAP is controlled by the powerful cousins of Ngeh Koo Ham and Ngo Kor Min.

It is well known in the state DAP that those not in their good books have to go.

Fong Po Kuan has not been on friendly terms with the cousins, for whatever reasons we do not know.

Sour ties have been simmering for years and it was because of Fong, the sensible and loyal party woman, who did not wish to wash dirty linen in public, that the bad blood was kept at bay.

I suppose those familiar with Perak DAP only know too well the constant public bickering between M Kulasegaran and the DAP cousins in the state.

My focus this week is on women politicians and why I think that they are more responsible than men in general.

Let me take Fong, Kulasegaran and the Perak DAP as an illustration.

Today, DAP is on a roll. The party is in control of Penang and a major player in Selangor.

Many Chinese with political ambitions have joined the party, hoping to be selected as candidates for GE 13.

Not surprising lah! Everybody loves a winner and DAP is a winner today.

Why then did Fong Po Kuan want to leave? Surely, she knows that she could easily retain Batu Gajah.

Should Pakatan take Putrajaya on May 5, she would be in the running for a cabinet position.

At least, she would be a deputy minister as there are only a few women legislators from the DAP.

But Fong chose to quit and forgo her political ambitions.

Few politicians are prepared to let go when the going is so good for them and their party.

Surely, had she wished to continue with her political career, she could easily have continued to take on the DAP cousins like M Kulasegaran did.

Mind you, Fong is not alone. She has her party chairman Karpal Singh on her side. She could easily have been selected as candidate again and her political career would be intact.

Perhaps, Fong was able to think more rationally because she is a woman. Perhaps, she was able to act less selfishly because she is a woman. Perhaps, Fong was able to let go of power and status more easily because she is a woman. Perhaps, she was able to think that there is still life after politics because she is a woman.

I like to think there is some truth in the above.

Because of all that, I think female politicians are more responsible.

Gender differences are endlessly fascinating and insightful but declaring one group better than the other at something should often be delivered with a certain degree of caution.

And I believe I have been respectfully cautious.

Women may not be the more effective politicians, but they are certainly more responsible. And I have said that for the second time.

Women outperforming men makes complete sense once you consider the challenges they’re up against to get into politics, including defying gender expectations and carving out time from work and family to make it happen.

Britain’s Iron Lady, Margaret Thatcher, who passed on a few days ago was an example of a fine woman politician and one who easily outperformed her male counterparts.

It has been reported that women make up a large portion of the undecided electorate.

Given that women comprise 49 per cent of Malaysia’s 13.3 million voters, it could work to the advantage of political parties to field more women candidates.

I hope to see more women entering the political arena during GE 13.

Listen to this. I pledge to give my vote to a woman fielded in the constituency where I’m registered to vote. It does not matter if she is from Barisan Nasional or Pakatan Rakyat.

One up for women!

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

It does not matter what you think of my stand on this matter. We have heard so much of mainstream media bashing. There have been calls for the boycott of this newspaper and that newspaper.

Well, let’s take a look for once at the other end of the spectrum.

I did not like it one bit when one news portal carried a report meant to sneer at Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak’s slip of the tongue when he announced the dissolution of parliament on April 3, 2013.

Few noticed that Najib inadvertently said 2012 when it should have been 2013. Now was this a very serious mistake? Did Najib commit a mortal sin?

No, I don’t think so.

His slip of the tongue showed that he is only human. I think he was reading from the prompter, which at times could show the next sentence seconds before the speaker could finish the previous one.

In the blink of an eye, the one important line of a sentence could disappear to make way for the next sentence or paragraph.

This is also partly the fault of technology besides a human failing.

Of course, the article highlighting Najib’s mistake was meant to demean the prime minister in the worst way possible.

Oh yes, it works to a certain extent!

In the reader’s comment section below the story, you get a remark like, “How can we expect Najib to run the nation when he could not get the year correct at an all important announcement?”

Let me say this. I don’t think much of this idea to slap Najib in the face over a trivial error. In fact, I believe the tactic has backfired.

An opposition supporter who has a brain to think and evaluate the issues brought up by opposing contenders will surely consider such a barb a bad idea.

I asked an editor friend attached to an online media what he thought of the move to mock Najib for goofing at the event.

He said it was a lousy idea. It’s true that the dissolution announcement was a highly anticipated event but Najib’s minor mistake should not be faulted in such an acrimonious manner, my friend opined.

If you were to ask me whether that attempt to sneer at Najib would make me think less of the prime minister, my answer would be a firm, ‘No’.

I would think that some of those so-called media brains behind the opposition parties could come up with more attractive and brighter ideas than merely sniping at the nation’s chief executive over an innocent gaffe.

Hey, didn’t the first public oath-taking of President Barack Obama in 2008 go awry as well?

Chief Justice John Roberts completely fumbled the oath he administered to then Senator Obama. It had to be repeated in private the next day in the White House.

Then in January this year, millions of Americans witnessed President Obama take his oath of office for the second term on the steps of the Capitol, yet no one is really talking about the president’s gaffe while he recited the oath being read to him by Chief Justice Roberts.

When repeating the words,”I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States,” Obama got a bit tongue-tied, or perhaps zoned out for a split second, when he said, “State” instead of “States”. Was it intentional? Does he mean that he sees the country as being a ‘United State’ and not the United States?

These things happen to all of us. But Obama’s opponents did not heckle the president over the ‘mishap’ on the ‘s’. It was all respect for the president and the chief justice.

This is how it should be. This is the discipline and decorum in politics we would like to see here.

I thought Najib sounded quite statesman-like at his April 3 dissolution speech when he promised that there will be a peaceful transition of power should there be a change in government after the 13th general election.

In that ‘live’ telecast which I also tuned in, the prime minister pledged that should a change in government happen, be it at federal or state level, there will be a peaceful transition of power.

“We respect democracy, we are committed to our political transformation, we are committed to respect the voice of the rakyat,” Najib stressed towards the end of his 15-minute speech.

He also urged political parties from both sides of the political divide to give a “commitment to the democratic process”.

While it is a politically correct statement from the prime minister, I also think it is a reflection of Najib’s magnanimity.

Najib is no green horn in politics. He was already an active politician at 22 and reached the nation’s highest post at 55.

This is his first dissolution of parliament as prime minister. Whether this will be his first and only occasion has yet to be seen.

However, one thing is certain. With the news of parliament’s dissolution, months of politicking will be intensified in the next few weeks. And this is where our nation and our peoples will be judged.

There have been reports of electoral violence in the run-up to the polls but let’s hope we will witness less of such undesirable activities.

Our elections must not be marred by violence and it’s our responsibility, the public at large, and that of political parties and security personnel as well to ensure a smooth and incident-free democratic exercise.

Another important thing for the coming GE 13 is that Malaysians must seriously consider all factors that will determine their future before polling.

Study the manifestos of the contesting parties diligently and understand their plans and programmes for the country. Our future and that of our future generations are at stake here.

More importantly, let GE 13 be a demonstration of the political maturity of Malaysians.

Let us all go to the polls and make it truly free and fair for the first time.

If you ask me, I don’t think the caretaker government under Najib will ever make use of the state apparatus to win the elections in an unfair manner.

I want to believe that will not happen, naive as I may be.

Yes, battle it out with Najib by all means but don’t get petty with him. At least accord him a little respect as PM.

By the way, have you never make a mistake while delivering a speech?

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

I must qualify that this is in the context of seeking help of a personal nature and not on general matters affecting public interest.

There are many tasks we are able to handle ourselves, so we do not bother our members of parliament unnecessarily.

Imagine a constituency of 40,000 voters. If everyone has a problem for the MP to resolve, he will have 40,000 problems and issues to handle. No wonder some of them go AWOL at times. That’s just too much on the plate.

Let’s be fair to our MPs. They are only human. There is only that much they can possibly cope with.

On certain matters, they are just as powerless as you and me even though they may be elected legislators. This is particularly so when your MP is from the opposition.

I am a voter in the Stampin constituency of Kuching. My MP is Datuk Yong Khoon Seng. He is also a deputy minister. Because of his ministerial duties, he can be quite busy at federal level.

I believe I have not actually seen Yong in person for the past 10 years.

No, it’s not that the MP is never around or not doing his work in serving his constituents. In fact, I’ve heard that Yong is a popular personality and a grassroots politician.

It’s just that there is no reason for me to see him. Why go and meet busy people when there is no reason to do so?

To be honest, I don’t even know where Yong’s service centre is located in Kuching. I didn’t bother to find out because I can’t find a reason yet to locate my MP and seek his help.

Perhaps the day will come when I will need to ask my MP for help — like when I’m feeble and old and cannot walk any more. Aha, then I would probably see my MP and ask him for a wheelchair. That will be the day!

Well, another thing is that I don’t actually live in Kuching now although it is my home town. That’s why I do not get to see my Stampin MP. Not that I need to see him anyway.

Even though I now reside in Petaling Jaya, Selangor, I also do not see that MP or ask him for any assistance over that side.

My residence is actually in the Kelana Jaya constituency and the serving MP is Loh Gwo-Burne of PKR. Well, he is the guy who became famous for releasing the VK Lingam video clip back in 2007.

Although I am not a registered voter in Kelana Jaya, I consider Loh as my MP because I am a long-time resident in his constituency.

I only met Loh in person once just before the 2008 general election when he came to my office in Kuala Lumpur. After that, I have yet to meet him or bump into him anywhere in KL or PJ.

That’s not to insinuate that Loh is not around to perform his tasks as an MP. It’s that I have no reason to meet him — the situation is similar with my Stampin MP.

Then, MPs must be mindful that not every constituent is like me and others who do not bother elected representatives. There are many who need their help with a myriad of problems.

While I do not need to meet my MP physically and seek his help personally, that does not mean that I have no expectations of him.

Oh yes, I do. My expectations of my MP and political leaders in general are pretty high up there, I must say.

Off hand, I want answers to issues and problems. I want responsible leadership. I want stability and prosperity.

I expect to live in a safe, healthy and clean environment. I expect a functional and very efficient city council or local authority.

I want a good school in or near my neighbourhood where my kids can go to. I expect places in local universities for my children and later, good jobs waiting for them.

I expect prudent management of our resources and a resilient economy even in the worst of times. Banks should be ever willing to help SMIs at all times.

I don’t wish to see my fellow citizens poor and miserable and abject poverty should be eradicated.

I want to see that every citizen has access to good, medical care and it should be free.

Of course, these are our expectations for political leaders and the government we elect to power.

It may be almost impossible for them to fulfil those expectations if the MP elected in your area is from the opposition.

As elections are near and politicians are busy canvassing for your votes, this is the perfect time to tell them what you expect of them. Otherwise you may not see them again – possibly only in five years during the next election.

Let me direct these messages to the younger set of politicians serving their first term or making their electoral debut.

It’s almost impossible to expect veteran politicians to change. I think most of you can readily agree with me on that.

Top of my list is that I wish to see a God-fearing candidate. A person who believes in God and has a religion is more likely to have a conscience.

A person who has a conscience will think twice about getting involved in unsavoury conduct and illegal activities. I want to believe that such a person is unlikely to be corrupt. Being incorruptible is the hallmark of a good political leader.

Sadly, we have hypocrites too among our politicians who profess a religion. They hide behind the veil of religiosity and abuse their position and power for their own selfish ends. These people will have to answer to their Maker one day.

I also wish to see an MP who is humble. A man or woman who is humble and able to enjoy the simple pleasures of life is more likely to understand and feel for the common folk and their everyday struggles. Humility is another important trait in political leadership.

As I write this during Holy Week, I am reminded of the great humility exerted by Pope Francis. As Archbishop Emeritus of Buenos Aires, he chose to live in a small apartment, cooked his own meals and travelled by public transport.

Soon after being elected Pope, he personally went to the Vatican hotel counter to settle his bills and refused to sit on the Papal Throne but opted for a white chair instead.

Back home, a great example of humility is Kelantan Menteri Besar Datuk Nik Aziz Nik Mat. He is the only state chief executive I know who chose to live in his simple kampung house, carried his own bags and frequently ate at roadside stalls with the public.

I also hope for an MP who is diligent, intelligent, caring and responsible. It might be too much on our part to suggest that anything more than that will be a bonus but let me say it anyway.

No, I don’t expect a saint for an MP but surely, there is no excuse for not being saintly in living your life as a people’s representative.

Hey, lest you forget, you must have declared at some point that you are in politics because of your burning desire to serve the people. There you go!

Have a blessed and happy Easter.

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

I think we can safely say that everything should be over before April 28. But it’s still up to the man who has the final say on when to dissolve parliament  – Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

However, there is still 60 days after April 28 for the election of a new government. By law, it’s all game and set by June 28.

Malaysia’s 13th General Election (GE 13) has taken on a new dimension. There is much excitement in the air and we can expect a bigger, vigorous and fiercer campaign, perhaps one unparalleled to previous elections.

I expect more people to be involved in this once-in-five-year national exercise. The Election Commission (EC) will have to engage more field officers as there are more voters to handle and more polling stations to be staffed.

Security will definitely have to be beefed up with more policemen and other security personnel deployed at strategic locations. Political parties will also have more cadres and volunteers to campaign for their candidates.

But let’s hope and pray it will be a peaceful and incident-free campaign, the subject of this week’s column and a very important aspect of our democratic exercise.

Politicians must be allowed to campaign in a peaceful environment and voters must never be intimidated by fear of violence.

But the sad part is that political violence is already happening before the general election.

Recent incidents of intimidation and threats, including attacks during ceramah should stop. Malaysians expect Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Rakyat leaders to end political violence as they demand the highest level of integrity and discipline from them.

When acts of violence occur, there is the tendency for both sides to blame each other. If you were to ask me, I would say both sides are to be blamed because of their inability to manage and control their supporters.

Retaliation will lead to a rapid ignition of more violent acts. This is where leadership skills have to be at their best to contain further outbursts of emotive anger.

Political violence is a symptom of elections that are not free and fair. Surely, we can appreciate that if things are done correctly and justly, there will not be unhappiness and dissatisfaction. If people are satisfied and happy with the electoral process, they are not likely to turn unruly.

The EC is the most important player in a general election. In fact, once parliament is dissolved, technically the EC is the organisation which runs the show.

Although there is a caretaker government in place, the EC is the only body which can ensure that a new government is in place to run the country for the next five years.

It decides the dates for nomination and polling day. Once the election days are fixed, all contesting parties including the caretaker government have to follow.

The EC has come under heavy scrutiny over the past few years and for good reason too. The commission has not given all contesting parties an even playing field.

Then came Bersih’s eight demands for free and fair elections, which culminated in two mammoth street protests in Kuala Lumpur.

These public protests plus the heavyweight voice from Bersih’s undisputed leader Datuk S Ambiga left the EC with little choice but to sit up and take notice.

That the EC had openly conceded its failings and weaknesses and promised reforms is already a huge credit to Bersih although the movement’s demands were not met in totality.

Where peace and security are concerned during a general election, the EC also carries a huge responsibility. For example, if any EC officer acts in an unethical manner and is caught doing so, this may cause a disruption at the polling station. There is no telling where this would eventually lead to.

Perhaps the EC must be reminded that many election agents, volunteers and observers are now being trained to spot any discrepancy, particularly on polling day.

EC officers can expect election agents, polling agents and alert voters to ask questions. Gone are the days when voters were generally passive.

So the returning officers in charge of their constituencies had better caution their field officers of this new trend of voters. They should not take things for granted as in the past when voters would take ‘instructions’ from EC officers without question.

Ultimately, if everything is conducted in a fair and just manner, we do not expect to see trouble. Herein lies the vital role of EC and all its good men and women.

Another black spot in political campaigns which I feel must be stopped is personal attacks.

I strongly feel that character assassination among politicians should stop. It breeds bad faith and constitutes cheap, impure conduct.

At times, character-assassination appears to be a favourite past-time of some politicians. I think Malaysians are bored with sex videos or still photos of a certain political leader alleged to be caught in compromising acts.

We must also be fed up with the repeated tale of another leader’s exploits in a Port Dickson hotel with a certain starlet some 20 years ago or about the wife’s obsession with diamonds.

Those are old songs from a broken record which have grown stale and dull.

My advice to these people is to learn to play some new tunes or sing new songs. Otherwise it is just one big yawn.

In these areas of security and personal attacks, I feel that Sarawak can stand tall. So far, there has not been a single incident of violence in the state in the run-up to the parliamentary election.

I like to believe that Sarawak politicians hardly character-assassinate each other. Even if they do, they do not spin the same old record. So old tales are quickly forgotten and people move on.

We do not find people posting sex videos about Sarawak politicians on YouTube or speakers washing dirty linen about their opponents on the ceramah circuit.

There has been no heckling, no throwing of rocks or stones and no smashing of vehicles during ceramah either in our kampungs, longhouses or in our towns and cities.

Another significant difference about the election for us in Sarawak is that in general, we do not keep shouting about changing a government but more of correcting the system.

The power struggle ‘flavour’ is felt less in Sarawak than over in the peninsula. This is possibly because Sarawak is the only state in the country which holds its state elections separately.

Even then, the last state election in 2011 was also peaceful and incident-free.

Surely, Sarawak has set the example for peaceful elections. The state  should continue to lead the way for we do not wish to see political violence anywhere in the country during the coming elections.

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

The first night was a disappointment for many as it was for me.

For the first 24 hours, the 115 cardinals did not manage to elect a candidate, even after four rounds of balloting.

By 2.10 am (Malaysian time) on the second day came the moment the world’s 1.2 billion Catholics have been waiting for. White smoke started billowing from the chimney in the Sistine Chapel where the conclave was held.

I think I woke up several of my Catholic pals when I texted them at that hour. I just couldn’t contain the excitement.

I also posted on Facebook that I would not go to bed until the identity of the new pope is revealed and the papal name he has chosen is announced.

By just past 3am, our new Pope appeared. And Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio chose a papal name that shocked and elated me at the same time. Pope Francis – ho ho ho, a name I’m very familiar with. Why? Let that remain my secret.

At that time, a dear friend in Vancouver named Francis chatted with me online declaring in humour and glee that he has been ‘elevated’. All those named Francis should feel very honoured and proud, he said. Yes, and rightly so too, I agreed.

Even at the sleepy hour, I managed to crack with Francis in Canada telling him to be wary as the last Argentinian name of the pope sounds like “gigolo”.

Why, we Catholics must also be able to laugh at ourselves at times and the pope is only human like all of us.

But seriously, it is also worth reminding all those named Francis that they must now ‘behave’ themselves for they have a great namesake to live up to.

Come on, there are many cradle Catholics named Francis, I’m sure.

Of all people, I think I should know.

If you are a Catholic named Francis, perhaps this is a good time to reflect in depth on what it truly means to be a Catholic and to keep a strong faith.

This is the first time that the Roman Pontiff has chosen the name Francis. It has been said that the new pope’s life reflects that of St Francis of Assisi who was known for his great humility and loving care for the poor.

Much has been written about Pope Francis over the past few days. I was particularly interested on his philosophy in the areas of politics and social justice.

These brief reports about Pope Francis are enlightening to me.

“Bergoglio’s legacy as cardinal includes his efforts to repair the reputation of a church that lost many followers by failing to openly challenge Argentina’s murderous 1976 to 1983 dictatorship.

“Many Argentines remain angry over the church’s acknowledged failure to openly confront a regime that was kidnapping and killing thousands of people as it sought to eliminate ‘subversive elements’ in society. It’s one reason why more than two-thirds of Argentines describe themselves as Catholic, but fewer than 10 per cent regularly attend mass.

“Under Bergoglio’s leadership, Argentina’s bishops issued a collective apology in October 2012 for the church’s failures to protect its flock.

“But the statement blamed the era’s violence in roughly equal measure on both the junta and its enemies.

“Bergoglio has been very critical of human rights violations during the dictatorship, but he has always also criticised the leftist guerrillas; he doesn’t forget that side.”

Pope Francis is also the first Jesuit to lead the Catholic Church. Is it any coincidence that in Malaysia, the most vocal Catholic bishop is also a Jesuit.

Bishop Paul Tan of the Malacca/Johore diocese has earned himself a name as the most outspoken and respected voice from the Catholic community.

He has been very vocal on a number of controversial issues of late … so much so that all his brother bishops in the country are now seen as lame and weak.

Interestingly, there is now an email discussion going on among some of my Catholic friends on “why is the church so lukewarm about GE 13 and politics in general”.

It started in early January when a Kuching Catholic friend emailed me asking “is there something we can do to get the church more involved?

“There seems to be a general rule that says politics and religion should not mix. In my own experience and understanding it is impossible to separate the two,” he wrote.

I have since opened the subject for discussion within a Catholic group and a healthy discourse is still ongoing. At this point in time, I’m not at liberty to reveal the course of action we may take on the issue as I’ve yet to get the consensus from the group.

I believe I am not too way off in stating that each bishop has full autonomy over his diocese in all aspects. Just as the bishops pledge total allegiance and obedience to the pope, members of the clergy in the diocese are also bound to obey the bishop at the local level.

Each country also has its own peculiarities, issues and problems. I believe that the pope is not likely to interfere in the decisions of the local bishops even if their decisions run contrary to the wishes of the local Catholic community.

Take the people’s power revolution of the Philippines in 1986 as an example. I do not think Cardinal Jaime Sin had to obtain the permission of Pope John Paul before he rallied the priests, nuns and the Catholic community to the streets of Manila. This ignited a revolution which eventually ousted the despotic regime of Ferdinand Marcos.

It is early days for Pope Francis. It’s an enormous job and the burden is heavy on his shoulders. Let’s pray for him that he may lead the church with great courage, dignity and wisdom.

Malaysia is too far from the Vatican but let us hope and pray that our local bishops may be guided to act by the spirit and grace of the Holy Father.

The Catholic Church is not seen at its best for now. The baggage of sex abuse and financial scandal still weighed heavily against the Vatican.

But Catholics should remain hopeful that Pope Francis will uplift the spirits of Catholics as he set about his holy tasks of breathing new hope and life into the Catholic Church.

I’m sure all of us look forward to the papacy of Pope Francis with great anticipation.

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

The crisis in Sabah today is about defending the honour, dignity and sovereignty of the country. It has escalated into a war against terrorists who have invaded our nation. This is bigger than any political game there is to play to outwit each other. I hope our politicians get the message loud and clear.

Ask the people of Sabah today, particularly those in Lahad Datu, Semporna and the east coast and they will surely tell you that their security and livelihoods are more important than any general election.

Those living so far away in Peninsular Malaysia will never be able to feel what their fellow citizens in Sabah are going through today. So can we accord them a little respect and be more careful with our choice of words when commenting on the incident?

I posted this message on Facebook a few days ago. “For once, can our politicians from both sides shut up and stop their silly, stupid and outrageous comments on Ops Sulu and Ops Daulat? Stop criticising the work of our security forces there. This is a time when the nation has to come together. So put aside your political differences for once. If you are that smart and that brave, go and join our policemen and soldiers at the front line. If not, then shut up!”

For the past week, particularly since we lost two police officers and then six more a day later, I was very disappointed with the antics of our so-called political leaders.

Thankfully, the politicians concerned are not top leaders of their respective parties. Nonetheless, they have inflicted damage on their personal integrity and that of their party too in some ways.

What is worse is that an alleged remark has hurt the feelings of the families of those who were killed in the Lahad Datu standoff. This is unacceptable no matter how hard the politician concerned tried to explain that he was quoted out of context.

It is during times of crisis that we see the true colours of some politicians who are out to score political points.

The Sabah crisis should never be about politics but about protecting our nation’s sovereignty. Politicians should be careful not to step overboard and infringe the perimeters of social decorum. There is no room for unfounded remarks or contemptuous and callous remarks.

Why is it that politicians from PKR and Umno are almost always guilty of engaging in unnecessary and silly quarrels with each other? It’s the case again this week with the Lahad Datu standoff.

What is even more outrageous is that these politicians are nowhere near the league to comment on such an enormous and delicate issue as the battle in Lahad Datu. What do they know about invasions and tactical warfare? The trouble is that some politicians just do not know when to shut their trap.

The PKR vice-president who allegedly remarked that “the Lahad Datu shooting was an Umno conspiracy to divert attention and frighten the people” was even told off by none other than Selangor Menteri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim, a party colleague. He also made it clear that he was distancing himself from the stand of his party’s trigger happy trouble-shooter.

So far, not less than 10 police reports have been lodged against the PKR politician over the matter. Even some DAP leaders in Selangor, his allies in Pakatan Rakyat, have publicly criticised him.

Then we have another rabble rouser of an Umno Youth leader from Penang who warned the PKR veep to apologise failing which “there will be trouble”. This is an outrageous and gangster-like threat. I think we can now grade that Umno guy in the underworld class of undesirables.

I also think it was absurd of some quarters in Umno to accuse opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim of supporting the intrusion. This is unbelievable. You can accuse Anwar of being power crazy but a traitor to the nation he is certainly not.

Then we have a new PKR recruit, a former army general, whose first comment as a politician was to criticise the security operation in Lahad Datu, saying that there was “a lack of clear chain of command”. He also said that a clear assessment of the ground situation was needed and this was apparently missing.

Perhaps the retired general could volunteer his services on the ground in Lahad Datu rather than making negative remarks about the very institution that had provided him a career and a living for decades.

It’s sad that when a good man becomes a politician, he suddenly changes into a different person, not necessarily a better one.

However, I must agree with the ex-general’s warning to the government against using an information war to black out incidents such as what was going on in Lahad Datu.

“We will weave a tangled web if we begin to deceive with information warfare,” he rightly cautioned.

On this, I believe that Malaysians have been updated daily with the correct information as soon as they became available.

Since Ops Sulu and Ops Daulat were launched, IGP Tan Sri Ismail Omar and Army Chief Tan Sri General Zulkifeli Mohd Zin have done very well with their daily press conferences.

I honestly doubt they would want to withhold any information from the public other than for security and operational reasons.

This is my second article on the Lahad Datu standoff. Two weeks ago in this column, I expressed the hope that we would learn some real, hard lessons from the crisis.

I think we have but sadly, only after losing eight of our brave policemen. This is a heavy price to pay for our sovereignty, honour and freedom.

We can expect the Lahad Datu standoff to go long haul. Even after all the intruders have been killed or arrested, there is now a clear threat from armed groups operating from southern Philippines. We must remain vigilant at all times.

There has been a lot of speculations and conspiracy theories written about the crisis. We should not pay too much attention to rumour-mongering which does nothing except to cloud our thinking.

What is important for all Malaysians today is to give our full support to our brave soldiers and policemen in the battlefields in Sabah. They are there, ready to face any consequences including making the ultimate sacrifice to defend the country.

Think of their families, wives and children who worry day and night for the safety of their husbands and fathers.

Think of what the families of DSP Michael Padel and the seven of his colleagues who perished have gone through and are going through now and in the months and years to come.

So to the politicians who always feel that they have something to say in order to score brownie points, this is my message to you: If you cannot help and do not have the guts to join our security personnel at the front line in Lahad Datu, I suggest you shut up.

The least you can do is not to say anything.

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

I’m rejoicing because of news that the new airline has chosen to fly the Kuching-Kuala Lumpur sector for its inaugural flight. I hope it continues to prioritise the East Malaysia-Kuala Lumpur sector.

Well, I rejoice in a selfish way perhaps – I’m a frequent flyer on the East Malaysia-Kuala Lumpur sector. More importantly however, we need competition in the aviation industry otherwise the travelling public will suffer in a monopoly of the skies.

I miss Firefly and its Kuching-Kota Kinabalu-Kuala Lumpur route. It became my favourite Malaysian airline as soon as it started its East Malaysia-Kuala Lumpur sector with two brand new Boeings.

That was some three years ago. I remember writing glowingly for Firefly in this column at that time too, so I will not repeat myself.

That Firefly had to discontinue its services on the sectors it was doing so well smacked of something that is just not right, if not fishy. In my suspicion, I can only point to an intense struggle in the corporate boardroom.

You may recall at that time the ‘shot-gun marriage’ between MAS and AirAsia but like most shot-gun marriages in the animal kingdom, a divorce was imminent. As MAS and AirAsia parted ways, Firefly was swallowed up along with the acrimonious divorce.

It was a loss to travellers in East Malaysia. To me, Firefly was the best alternative to Malaysia Airlines and AirAsia. Since then, I’ve never flown Firefly although the airline is very active on the domestic routes within Peninsular Malaysia. Of late, it also started flying to Indonesia.

I’m glad that some of our elected representatives on the government side also saw the need for competition in our Malaysian skies. At least, it’s an indication that certain airlines are not being over-protected by the government.

Several months ago, Pasir Salak MP Datuk Tajuddin Abdul Rahman proposed in parliament that the government award another low-cost carrier licence to give some competition to AirAsia.

A national daily quoted Tajuddin as saying that he used to support AIrAsia but was now saddened by some of its business tactics.

A Sarawak NGO then concurred with Tajuddin’s negative statement about AirAsia, saying the airline has continued to come up with ‘ingenious’ plans to impose unfair charges on passengers.

Its leader cited the new RM10 counter check-in charge and the exorbitant baggage charges as examples of passengers’ grouses against AirAsia.

“AirAsia insists that passengers deal with the airline online. Those who want help from an AirAsia staff will have to pay a fee. AirAsia should know that there are still many Sabahans and Sarawakians who are not tech-savvy and are not used to dealing with a ‘faceless’ airline,” the argument went.

There was a suggestion that the new licence be given to the Sarawak and Sabah governments to jointly establish an airline to serve the interests of East Malaysians.

The NGO added that the new airline could also cater for the greater Borneo and Asean regions and that an airline owned by Sabah and Sarawak is long overdue.

Although Sabah and Sarawak did not get the new low cost carrier licence, we now hope that Malindo Air will be able to satisfy the needs and expectations of passengers in East Malaysia.

According to Malindo Air chief executive officer Chandran Ramamuthy, the airline will begin flying from March 20-30.

This is pretty fast for a new airline to take off as it was only a while ago that the government announced the establishment of Malindo Air. I think the interested parties must have worked on the plan for some years.

Malindo is a joint venture between Malaysia’s Nadi Sdn Bhd and Indonesia’s largest domestic carrier, Lion Air parent PT Lion Grup.

The name ‘Malindo’ came from the name of respective countries: Malaysia and Indonesia.

It has been reported that the entry of Malaysia’s AirAsia on the home turf of Lion Air has encourage the airline to enter Malaysia’s market with a subsidiary airline. AirAsia’s subsidiary Indonesia AirAsia, in partnership with its parent firm, bought Indonesian carrier Batavia Air to gain a foothold in the Indonesian market. The deal resulted in a turf war between Lion Air, Indonesia’s biggest low-cost carrier, and AirAsia.

Observers opined that Malindo’s entry would not only ramp up competition in the market, leaving consumers spoilt for choice, but also prepare Malaysia for the ensuing competition when Asean’s skies liberalise.

Much as all nations want to protect their skies and ensure the survival of their national or home-grown airlines, demands of their travelling citizens and global expectations only make an open-sky policy look sensible.

Even within the country itself, it does not work for the benefit of travellers if they are beholden to their own national carriers. The result is an oligopoly that gouges travellers and takes their business for granted.

Remember the days when we, Sarawakians, had only MAS to depend on. How often did we travel by air at that time? A return Kuching-Kuala Lumpur ticket cost about RM750. A wage-earner Sarawakian would probably fly once or twice a year.

Malindo Air is not totally Malaysian-owned. It has Indonesian interests. Supporting the new airline does not mean that we are less patriotic.

I am all for an efficient competitor in our skies that values its customers. It does not bother me whether Malindo has Indonesian or Singaporean interests as long as it does not hold me ransom with hidden costs and other unprofessional business tactics.

Yes, we need more competition to discipline our airlines and their bosses.

I wish Malindo Air every success. Let’s see some real cat fights over our Malaysian skies!

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

The conflicting reports of the number of gunmen are confusing and that is not helping our confidence at all.

Initially, it was reported to be a group of 100. Then it was said to be 100 to 300. In between, there was another report claiming the group to be 400-strong. What if there are 4,000 foreign gunmen on our shores? I shudder at the thought.

Now, do our authorities concerned know how many there are exactly? What is the difficulty in doing so? Don’t we have access to them now that they are on our shores?

Or is the situation that of what we fear the most – our security forces dare not even go near them and hence are unable to know their exact number.

How can we fight our enemy without knowing their strength? Are we not supposed to have high-tech surveillance aircraft and super-duper Scorpene submarines? Why can’t we even detect this group of invaders?

Our borders have been breached by a group of armed intruders. Are we sitting ducks on our own soil?

This ‘drama’ has been going on for about two weeks now (since Feb 9) and Malaysians have been fed conflicting reports of the situation. I am concerned that the authorities have no clear stand in dealing with the group of invaders, which our Home Minister has now claimed are neither militants nor terrorists.

Does it mean that the minister feels satisfied that these invaders who entered the country illegally do not pose a threat to the nation’s security?

He reported that they are malnourished and old and the Malaysian security forces have been tolerant to prevent bloodshed.

I suppose that’s acceptable on humanitarian grounds. But the larger issue is that of our national sovereignty.

These are armed intruders from another country. Their claims, though not new, are still preposterous. They are in Sabah to renew their claim over North Borneo. And they claim to be from the Royal Army of the Sulu sultanate.

If anything is worth a laugh over this incident, it has to be the claim from a Sabah businessman that he is the rightful sultan of North Borneo. A national daily quoted him as denouncing the claim from the Sulu sultan to the territory of North Borneo, the former name of Sabah. And he also produced a ‘calling card’ to stake his claim.

Aha, I have lost count of the number of people claiming to be the sultan of Sabah or king of Borneo. In this case, we can say that even history can contradict itself and its records.

Seriously, it does not matter whether these gunmen are old and malnourished or that their number is small. Any intrusion on our soil should be taken as a threat to our national sovereignty.

In this context, former Kuala Lumpur top cop Mat Zain Ibrahim said it best.

“Armed intrusion into the country must be confronted without hesitation, regardless of the nationality of the people involved.

“The intruders must be told in no uncertain terms that they are now in our territory and must observe and conform to the laws of our country.

“Whatever is discussed must be on our terms, not theirs. We talk, they listen and not the other way round.

“They must be made to put down their arms and surrender, and face the full weight of our laws. If they refuse to obey, the security forces must apply their rules of engagement. It is not that we want to see bloodshed, but this is how our sovereignty should be preserved and defended,” Mat Zain stressed.

It takes a policeman or a soldier to say it in that no-nonsense way. The police officer’s declaration was made with great loyalty, passion and courage.

You intrude into my land, you do not dictate terms. We set the conditions, you listen. Indeed that’s the way it should be. But why isn’t it going that way?

I can concur with former Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Yong Teck Lee’s statement that the lack of firm action by the authorities to end the incursion may encourage ‘copy cat intrusions’ in future.

This is a blatant challenge to Malaysian sovereignty, and in the longer term, the government, the armed forces, the police and other security agencies will lose moral and political authority over our own people, Yong had said.

I think the most important lesson Malaysia must learn from the standoff in Lahad Datu is the weakness of our border defence.

Yong Teck Lee rightly questioned why the Malaysian armed forces and police which have the capability to repel the armed intruders had not been aware of the invaders’ presence until the group had set up camp.

The breaching of our Sabah borders by Sulu armed intruders is a frighteningly clear message: the state is not well protected and any armed group can walk in and wreak havoc.

There is nothing much the people can do in the face of such a large, aggressive force. The genuine citizens of Sabah depend on the state apparatus for protection, but it appears that even the security personnel were taken by surprise by the brazen act of the Sulu intruders.

Like many Malaysians, I’m very concerned with speculation that the Lahad Datu standoff would be used an excuse by a desperate government to declare emergency for fear of losing the coming elections.

I do not believe in such talk and I hope the people will stop rumour-mongering on the incident.

It is heartening to note though that at last Philippines President Benigno Aquino has advised the Sulu gunmen to give up peacefully.

“Going there with arms is not the way to resolve this. When you brandish arms naturally the other side has only one way to respond to such a challenge,’’ Aquino was quoted as saying in his first public comment on the incident late Thursday.

Aquino also stated that his government had been talking to all parties, including the Sultan’s family, to find a peaceful solution.

Now that the Philippines President is directly involved, we hope that the matter will be resolved expeditiously.

More importantly for Malaysia, the lesson to be learnt has to be over the exposure of her weak national defence.

An invasion of our shores should no longer be taken for granted. It is real and it is frightening as events over the past two weeks have shown.

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

The Pope is not only the Vicar of Christ and supreme Pontiff. He is also the head of state of the world’s tiniest nation, the Vatican, and has the second largest population (think Catholics), only after China.

As the Successor of St Peter, the Pope also holds the title of Bishop of Rome. The primacy of the Bishop of Rome is an ecclesiastical doctrine concerning the respect and authority that is due to the Bishop of Rome from other bishops and their sees.

The Roman Catholic Church attributes to the primacy of the Pope “full, supreme, and universal power over the whole Church, a power which he can always exercise unhindered”.

Malaysia, which established diplomatic relations with the Vatican just two years ago, is also watching developments in the Catholic hierarchy closely.

Why, there are more than a million Catholics in Malaysia too. And the Catholic Church in the country has grown increasingly vocal on a number of issues of national interest.

I read with interest the editorial in a national daily which stated that, “it is not wrong to say that the Pope has to be even more diplomatic than world political leaders in charting the course of his office. It is indeed a heavy cross to bear”.

Surely, we will never be able to comprehend the immense burden of the papal office.

The issues confronting the Catholic Church, from the baggage of history to the challenges of the future, are many. Heavy are the responsibilities for the man chosen to take up the cross after Pope Benedict.

As I write this, there is an ongoing email discussion among several of my former classmates on the Pope’s resignation. As a matter of interest, we are all Sarawakian Catholics living in different parts of the world.

It started with a friend from Vancouver who asked for our thoughts as the matter has been on his mind since the Pope’s announcement.

He lamented the declining number of churchgoers among younger North Americans and Europeans.

He wrote that “in Vancouver, the diocese spent thousands in advertising to attract the lost flock. The church that I attend each Sunday is packed mainly by Filipinos and other Asians. This is sad”.

“I hope the Church’s hierarchy has the wisdom to choose the next pope from Asia or Africa, if it is to remain viable. It seems the church is still very much controlled by the Italians,” he added.

In an immediate reaction, a friend in Hong Kong said he viewed an interesting discussion of the Pope’s resignation on BBC but chose to ignore the comments from the politicians on the TV programme. We can only guess what the politicians are saying.

A priest in our group advised us to read the Old Testament in order to understand human nature better. He warned that wealth and materialism almost always draw people away from God. However, suffering draws people back to God.

On the local front, he said that it was unfair to blame some bishops if they do not take up issues of social justice and chose not to delve into politics.

Many prefer to concentrate on the spiritual mission — that is to get people closer to God, the Kuching-based priest explained.

Recently, Catholics had expressed their disappointment publicly at Kuala Lumpur Archbishop Murphy Pakiam for keeping quiet over the Bible-burning issue.

From Singapore, another friend wrote that bishops and the church must have a hand in politics, albeit indirectly.

“After all, politics determine policies which affect the common people,” he pointed out.

“Jesus never taught us to be docile, sit back and be ridiculed when things went wrong. He chased the gamblers and cheats out of the synagogue and reprimanded the hypocrites.”

A friend in Kuala Lumpur exhorted us all to pray that the Cardinals who will gather together to elect our new Vicar of Christ may be filled with the Holy Spirit and be enlightened to vote the person that Jesus Himself had earmarked to be his new Vicar.

“Let us also pray for this new Pope to be filled and strengthened by the gifts of wisdom, understanding and courage to guide the Church and all God’s children in the way of Christ, especially in the midst of the current challenges including the absence of the divine in many spheres of human life today,” he said.

As for me, I salute Pope Benedict’s sincere and honest decision to step down from his high office.

In a nutshell, he was telling the whole world, “I’m unable to perform the duties and responsibilities any more. Someone has to take over.” The hallmark of a great leader eh!

I believe Pope Benedict also did not want to die in office and spare the world the agony of watching him suffer on his death bed. How could we ever forget the pain we shared with John Paul in 2005?

It does not matter to me whoever becomes the next pope — Italian, Asian, Canadian, American or European again. I stand corrected in stating that the church is a political minefield too and Cardinals involved in horse-trading are not unheard of during the conclave.

At one time however, Cardinal Jaime Sin was my favourite choice after John Paul first got seriously ill. The Archbishop of Manila was the only cardinal I had the chance to interview as a journalist. He was my hero for his role in rallying Filipino Catholics against the despotic Ferdinand Marcos in 1986.

Together with a group of Malaysian journalists, I sat down with him in Manila in 1987, a year after Marcos was ousted.

Unfortunately, Sin also died the same year as Pope John Paul II — in June 2005, two months after the Pope.

While Pope Benedict’s announcement was breaking news of global proportion a few days ago, the attention of the world is now turned towards his successor.

I’m confident that as soon as we see white smoke billowing from the chimney in the Sistine Chapel, the Church will move on well with the new Pope.

As a Catholic, I believe and I have faith that will be so.

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

We can expect tonight to be a noisy one with the firing of firecrackers and fireworks to welcome the dawn of the New Year at midnight. No matter how the authorities try to ban those loud explosive things, people seem to be able to get them somehow. You want to know how? Well, ask them.

To the Chinese, it does not feel like Chinese New Year without the noise, explosions and firecrackers. Letting off firecrackers and fireworks seem to have caught on with other communities too. We also hear sounds of firecrackers during other festivals now. Well, noise is synonymous with merrymaking I suppose.

Chinese New Year is the most important and longest festival of the Chinese calendar. In China, it is also known as the Spring Festival. It is interesting to note that Chinese throughout the world, including Malaysia, celebrate the New Year on the same day as those in their motherland.

The New Year’s Eve reunion dinner tonight is an important tradition observed by the Chinese and handed down from generation to generation.

Those of my generation will surely agree that the reunion dinner would be more joyous and meaningful if our parents were still around.

We have fond memories of our mothers preparing traditional dishes for the whole family. It was not an easy task and our mothers would be thinking, and worrying sometimes, about what to prepare for the all-important reunion dinner.

Forty or 50 years ago, when life wasn’t that easy for large families, the reunion dinner was considered lavish even with two chickens, a duck plus a variety of vegetables.

During better times, we could perhaps find roast pork and dried oysters on the table. Even then, mother would carefully divide them among the children to ensure that each would get a small helping at least.

Dried sliced pork and cashew nuts were luxury items reserved only for guests. Visitors were given priority as the traditional open house was an important part of celebrating Chinese New Year.

Mandarin oranges and bottled drinks were consumed sparingly unlike today when our kids eat and drink as much as they want.

These days,I believe that most of us would be guilty of purchasing too much food to celebrate the New Year, causing wastage in the process.

An example is our tendency to buy too many boxes of mandarin oranges that they would go bad a week or two after the festival. We would all be too busy at work after the New Year holidays that we do not get down to finishing the goodies.

When we see the fruits rotting away, we would feel guilty as we reflect on those days four or five decades ago when we would probably be given our share of just two oranges each. Just how lucky and fortunate we are today.

I’m sure we can all agree that reunion dinners will never be the same without Mum around. It’s not only her cooking. We really need the matriarch of the family to round up all our siblings for this once-a-year event.

Aha, so this is the Year of the Snake. Urrgghh! Snakes! Those slithery ugly things!

When we mention snakes, there is an immediate association with something negative, something not good.

It has been said that most Chinese associate any reference to the snake as bad news. This is made worse by Chinese idioms of the snake, which carry negative connotations.

A person who is hated is labelled a ‘snake’ — a moniker for someone who is unscrupulous.

And the five bad facts about snakes as reported are that: (1) Snake venom is poisonous and can kill the victim. (2) Snakes are cannibals and they enjoy eating each other. (3) The snake’s flexible jaw and muscular body allows it to crush and eat just about anything. (4) Baby snakes are more dangerous than their parents because they don’t have self-control in how much venom they spit out unlike their parents. (5) The Inland Taipan of Australia can kill up to 100 people with just a single bite.

Hey, has anyone reading this ever eaten a snake? I have tasted a python. Python meat is sweet and, if cooked properly, can make quite a delicious dish.

And I caught and killed a venomous cobra some years ago while visiting a friend in the kampung. Funny, when we see a snake, our immediate reaction is to kill it.

But the snake has its good points too. For one, ancient Chinese medical text regards the snake as the most highly prized for its medicinal value. The snake was used in folk medicine for all kinds of ailments such as leprosy, rheumatism and tumours.

Its meat can provide energy and is warming, while snake soup is said to cool down the body system, according to a traditional medical practitioner.

So what does the horoscope have in store for the Year of the Snake? Here is one synopsis.

The Chinese 2013 horoscope shows us that this 2013 Year of the Water Snake is going to be exciting for many. There will of course be both ups and downs, and for some the ups will be quite high and the downs will be quite low. For everyone, there will be good and bad and highlights and lowlights.

What the Chinese 2013 horoscope can show us is not exactly what will happen this year, but the types of emotions that each Chinese horoscope sign is likely to go through. Once you know what to expect, you can do a better job of preparing for each situation. For example, when the Rat knows that it will be an emotional 2013, this can be kept in mind.

As certain situations arise they can take a step back and remember that it might not be as serious as they thought it would be.

Somehow, I don’t find it surprising that previous Snake years have not been all that good.

For example, the previous Snake years have been marked by the Sept 11, 2001 terror strikes that killed nearly 3,000 people, the crushing of the 1989 Tienanmen pro-democracy protests and the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour in 1941. The 1929 stock market plunge that heralded the Great Depression also occurred in a Snake year.

On a less miserable note, Malaysia is set to welcome the most popular Snake man around today, Korean superstar Psy, to Penang on Feb 11. He was born in the year of the Snake and is 36 this year.

Although the event has turned controversial after its heavy politicisation, I hope the people of Penang would just go and enjoy the show on Chinese New Year. It should be taken as pure entertainment.

I’m not worried about ‘Gangnam Style’ Psy at all or how expensive it is to bring him to our shores.

As this is election year, I’m actually more concerned about snaky politicians in our midst.

Come to think of it, politician ‘snakes’ are aplenty. If we find such ‘snakes’ lurking around or offering themselves as candidates, we have to make sure that they do not get our vote.

Meantime, have a happy Chinese New Year and an enjoyable and relaxing holiday.

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

The invitation was to attend a tea party hosted by His Royal Highness Tuanku Muhriz Tuanku Munawir, the new ruler of Negeri Sembilan. It was an occasion for members of the new royal household to meet representatives of the Malaysian media.

It was also to announce the date of the installation ceremony for Tuanku Muhriz Tuanku Munawir as the 11th ruler of Negeri Sembilan in October that year.

At the appointed day, my colleague and I made the trip to Seremban. It was the first time I visited Istana Besar Seri Menanti where the event was held.

Tuanku Muhriz, his consort and their children were gracious hosts. They mingled around and chatted freely, putting aside protocol, with their guests.

That day was also the first time I met Tunku Zain, the younger son of the Negeri ruler. I thought Tunku Zain sending out the invitations personally was a good start in public relations for the new royal family of Negeri Sembilan.

The young prince, 27, we first met at the time, was a charming personality. He was also a very articulate and knowledgeable person and spoke English like an Englishman.

Well, he had lived in the UK since he was 14, spent many years studying and working overseas and only returned to Malaysia in 2007.

Tunku Zain Al-Abidin was in the news this week. No, it wasn’t about what he wrote in his weekly column for a national daily. It was none of his doing, actually.

It all started last Saturday when former DAP vice-chairman Tunku Abdul Aziz Ibrahim claimed that the DAP once tried to entice Tunku Zain to contest in the general election, offering him the Menteri Besar post as the ‘prize’.

He alleged that state DAP chairman Anthony Loke had spoken to him on the matter twice before he quit the party in May last year.

“Loke asked me to approach Tunku Zain Al-Abidin, a bright and well-spoken person, as I was from the royal family myself.

“He asked me to organise a dinner at my home and to talk to Tunku Zain but the learned prince declined the offer,” Tunku Aziz claimed at a ceramah in Seremban.

Tunku Aziz said Loke then asked him to speak to the prince for a second time to ask if he was keen to contest a parliamentary seat.

However, Tunku Aziz said he did not speak to the prince on the matter again.

Contacted by the media later, Loke said “the matter was discussed in private and should have remained in private”.

Of course, we now know the facts of the case. Tunku Aziz was telling the truth. Loke had indeed asked him to speak to the young Negeri prince. This was also confirmed by Tunku Zain himself.

But I wonder why Tunku Aziz decided to go public with the private conversation Loke had with him.

I agree with Loke’s contention that what was said in private should stay private. There is the trust and integrity involved here.

Aha, now we know that we should never share secrets with politicians. Most cannot be trusted to keep secrets.

We know that Tunku Aziz had a bitter exit from the DAP. It was an acrimonious separation from the party he joined in a huge media blitz a few years earlier.

Upon joining the DAP, Tunku Aziz was immediately made a senator but his opposition to the Bersih rally of April 28 last year ignited the war of words between him and the DAP leadership. That eventually led to his quitting the party.

It’s true that politics can bring out the worst in a person. I can only guess that Tunku Aziz’s revelation of the matter during a public event like a ceremah was intended to discredit the DAP. His motive was a negative one, that’s for sure.

But I do not see anything wrong with Loke’s intention to invite a member of the Negeri royal household to enter politics. In fact, Loke’s action was commendable. He wanted to strengthen his party in Negeri Sembilan.

Surely, a Negeri prince’s entry into the DAP is big deal for the opposition party. If I were in the party, I would probably issue a public invitation to the princes and princesses to sign up. No need to keep it hush-hush. Then, people like Tunku Aziz would have nothing to expose.

Yes, let me repeat – politics can truly bring out the worst in a person. Before joining the DAP, Tunku Aziz was a highly respected personality. He was probably the nation’s most well known anti-graft crusader and led Transparency International Malaysia for many years.

Politics changed him. He seems to be a bitter man of late. To him, his enemy No.1 now is probably the DAP.

Of course, enemies of the DAP quickly lobbied for his assistance to discredit the party. To me, however, Tunku Aziz seems to be doing a very poor job.

This is a compliment to him, actually. It’s just not in Tunku Aziz’s league to be involved in a bitter public spat. No, Tunku Aziz is above it all. And he should get back to his old self.

Another interesting point to note from this episode is that it’s perfectly normal for members of royalty to be involved in active politics.

According to Tunku Zain Al-Abidin, five children of Rulers had already done so.

He named them as Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj of Kedah, who was Kuala Muda MP (1955-1970) and Prime Minister from 1957 to 1970 (Umno and Semangat 46); Tunku Panglima Besar Tunku Abdullah of Negeri Sembilan (Rawang MP, 1964-1974, Umno); Tengku Sri Paduka Raja Tengku Ibrahim of Terengganu (Ajil assemblyman, 1990-1995, Semangat 46 and PAS); Tengku Datuk Sri Azlan of Pahang (Jerantut MP, 1999 to present, and Deputy Minister of Transport, 1999-2008, Semangat 46 and Umno); and Datuk Seri Syed Razlan Jamalullail of Perlis (Arau MP, 2004-2008, and Pauh assemblyman, 2008 to present, Umno).

Tunku Zain said Malaysian civil society space had grown significantly in the past few years, and he had long been active in that environment, since before his father was elected the 11th Yang di-Pertuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan.

In conclusion, I think this recent episode involving Tunku Aziz’s attempt to discredit the DAP was unfortunate. It actually misfired.

Tunku Zain has stated that it was not unusual for him to meet leaders of political parties to discuss political affairs.

“However, in my view, no political party today articulates the vision of our Ayahanda Kemerdekaan (Father of Independence) with sufficient conviction and consistency for me to consider joining them,” he had said.

That was well articulated indeed, Tunku Zain. The message to all is loud and clear.

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

I pray that Wong may have a speedy recovery so that he could get back on his feet as soon as possible and resume his good work as a lawmaker.

I’m really glad that Wong’s wife, Irene Chang, has rebutted reports in a blog that she had derided DAP national leaders for not coming to help her husband during their time of need.

Chang had put on record that “since our party leaders have been told of my husband’s condition, each and everyone had been unbelievably supportive and caring”.

I think the article was written in bad taste and aimed at creating a wedge between Wong and top DAP leaders. I doubt the family of the Sarawak DAP chairman would be blasting party leaders over the matter. There was no valid reason to do so.

As a writer myself, I think it is very unprofessional and unethical to turn a family’s challenging situation into something so unpleasant and nasty.

Then again, some cyber troopers are also masquerading as bloggers and their job is to create ill will and animosity among their targets and victims. In a nutshell, the report was politically motivated.

But there was something interesting in the article as well. There are actually a few points brought up in the article which are worth discussing.

The first point of contention is the financial aspect of Wong’s medical treatment.

The article claimed that the family had already spent RM124,000 in the initial treatment and diagnosis in December (in Australia). It further said the total cost of the medical treatment for Wong over the next three months would hit RM500,000.

I think that such medical costs could be valid. I have a personal experience with medical treatment in Singapore.

Twenty years ago, I sought treatment at the Singapore General Hospital for a heart condition. Happily, I was covered by medical insurance but I can say that it was a hefty bill.

In Wong’s case, the treatment for brain tumour could be much higher. And this is 20 years after my case.

It was also reported that Wong is 53 years old and the couple has five children – four of whom are still studying.

The article quoted Irene Chang as saying that “our financial resources are already very strained.

“His legal practice suffered after he was elected the MP for Sibu because he is unable to concentrate full-time on his legal firm which is the main source of income for the family.

As a DAP legislator, he is expected to contribute a portion of his allowance to the party and more often than not, the allowance itself is not sufficient to pay for all the related expenses of serving the people as an MP.

“Every month, we have to top up another RM10,000 as additional expenses for serving the people and maintaining our service centres,” Chang had reportedly said.

I can concur with those statements even if they were not quoted from Irene Chang.

I believe that is somewhat correct as I understand the realities of politics and what an elected representative has to endure. We have to appreciate that being a YB is no bed of roses especially if you are an opposition legislator.

The 13th general election is around the corner. This is the time when aspiring politicians from both sides would be jostling to be candidates.

Some are actually so desperate to become YBs that they would do anything to be selected as candidates. That would include selling their souls, sad as it may be!

I know of one who contested in the Sarawak state election in 2011 on a party ticket but he immediately crossed over to another party when given the chance to become a candidate in the coming general election.

Where are your principles and ideals in politics? Where is your loyalty, one important ingredient in political life?

I’m sorry but I don’t think much of politicians who jump from one party to another just because they want to become candidates. It’s worse if the parties belong to the same political alliance.

I can never vote for such a candidate, even if I support his party. And I have very little respect for political parties pinching members from their allies. What’s happening, people? Where is the declaration of unity and cooperation? All lies and big talk, eh!

Another category of politicians who will never get my vote are those who refuse to step down. These are the people who want to be YB forever and bring the honorific to their grave. Whatever for, I wonder?

There is one MP who has served for five terms. His party openly declared that he would be replaced but he unashamedly went around lobbying leaders from other parties to help retain him as candidate.

Why are there such shameful politicians in our midst? Quite sickening eh!

Then, there are those who would have lobbied to be candidates for years but never had the opportunity to be selected.

There are also those who contested seven or eight rounds but never won. Then there are the lucky ones who came in out of the blue and became YBs in their first attempt.

However, after becoming a YB, they do not know what to do. Some could not cope after a while and would do stupid things like not answering calls from their constituents. Petty as it may sound but such acts put people off.

Every politician will claim that they are in politics to serve the people. There could be some sincere and genuine souls fighting for ideals and principles.

But the majority of politicians are in the game because the idea of being a public figure is attractive. Admit that it’s good for the ego.

Oh yah, some relish the idea of being addressed as YB. What, that is cool in the villages and kampungs. You are known to everybody.

At village events, you are always the guest-of-honour and seated at the main table with the host. It’s great being treated like a VIP. The ego gets boosted every time that happened.

People, try living in a city like Kuala Lumpur and nobody cares a damn even if you are a YB. They do not even know you.

Whatever it may be, aspiring candidates must be warned that being an elected representative is tough.

As the case of Wong Ho Leng has highlighted, it’s difficult if you have to cope on the allowances of a state assemblyperson or an MP. It’s insufficient to do a good job.

I know how difficult it is for opposition YBs to cope day by day. Or even for government backbenchers.

Of course, it’s different if you’re in the government and appointed ministers or to the board of government-linked companies where you are given generous allowances.

So I say to those desperate and dying to be YBs in the coming elections – listen, listen, listen, life as a YB is really tough. If it’s just about ego and being cool being a public figure and being called YB, I suggest you look for another job.

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

At that time, our local women did not mind doing household chores and looking after babies and children. The bottom line for them was to be gainfully employed.

Whatever work they had to handle, seen as menial at times, was irrelevant. I’m very perplexed at the resistance to such an occupation now among Sarawakian women.

I always thought that being a domestic worker was an honourable profession. A domestic worker can be likened to a caregiver – a person who renders services to others who need help.

This is exactly her role when she is employed to look after the sick and elderly. She is doing the work of a nurse and nursing is a respectable occupation.

I haven’t used the word ‘maid’ because I support Tenaganita’s call to the government to reclassify maids as domestic workers in order to crush the perception of a servant-master relationship.

Tenaganita executive director Irene Fernandez stated recently that the Employment Act must be amended to pave the way for a legal framework to protect domestic workers and to prevent slavery.

Domestic worker or domestic helper are more professional terms than maid, which can sound demeaning.

Back to my story of more than two decades ago. My family was lucky to get a Sarawakian domestic worker through the recommendation of a friend.

She was a gem of a help. She did a marvellous job in and around the house. It helps that she was a tidy person and relished living in neat and clean surroundings.

It was also important to us that she could cook. She was a fast learner in whipping up simple Chinese dishes although she was of a different race.

We also felt safe and secure in leaving our baby with her in the house.

When we treated her like a member of the family, she reciprocated and looked after our boy as if he was her own.

How we, employers of domestic helpers, treat them is very important. Let us bear in mind that they are living under the same roof with us. If we are prepared to bring a stranger into our home to live with us, doesn’t it make sense that we should treat her as one of our own?

It was a relaxed and happy environment at home too with her around that she tried to pick up our Chinese dialect and was not shy about poor pronunciation in her spoken English. She attempted to pick up English too, which was to her credit.

I believe she never had the chance to go to school and we were happy to encourage her to recognise letters and simple words. In turn, she could also talk and read to our baby.

A few years later, when I moved my family to Kuala Lumpur, she also came along. That was a real blessing.

She stayed with us for another two years and returned to Sarawak only because she decided to get married.

By then, she was about 26 years old and her long-time boyfriend had saved enough to build a house in the kampung. They were ready to settle down.

We were so happy for her and would always be grateful to her for being a part of our son’s initial growing-up years.

After she left, we had a difficult time in adjusting to putting our young boy in daycare centres.

It’s true that most parents would rather have a domestic helper than send their young children to daycare centres as it is more convenient having a domestic helper. We were in the same boat.

For one, it was a hassle to have to comply with the drop-off and pick-up times of daycare centres.

Having stay-in help cost more but it was a lot more convenient. We also felt it better that our children go home after school, where they could have home-cooked meals.

However, there are also plus points of daycare centres. They offer nurturing by trained child-minders, a service many domestic helpers cannot provide.

It might be more convenient to have a helper at home but daycare centres are equipped with trained staff who can teach, read and do activities with the children under their care.

These activities are important, especially during the first few developing years of a child’s life.

This week, we received the good news that Indonesia will resume sending domestic helpers to work in Malaysia.

Jakarta banned Indonesian women from coming here to work after several cases of abuse of Indonesian domestic workers threatened a diplomatic row between the two countries.

But workers from other countries and not only Indonesia were also reportedly abused. According to Tenaganita, it received more than 100 complaints from domestic helpers last year, who claimed they were not given a rest day and their passports were withheld.

More than half of them also claimed to have not been paid while some 35 per cent were malnourished, Irene Fernandez revealed. She also alleged that investigations by Tenaganita found that almost 50 per cent of maids working in Malaysia were below 21, the minimum legal age for domestic workers.

Fernandez also claimed that in the last eight months, many foreign workers were cheated by government-approved agents.

Indonesian domestic helpers will resume work in Malaysia after March. I’m glad the authorities have given priority to households in need of help to care for small children and elderly people.

Mind you, it’s not cheap to get an Indonesian helper now. A recruitment fee of RM6,700 has been fixed. The monthly salary probably varies but is not expected to be more than RM1,000.

We have heard so many horror stories from both sides – the help as well as the employers.

My family can really count our lucky stars that all these years of having a domestic helper, everything has worked out fine.

The current one at home is a Filipina who has been with us for more than 10 years. She is really such a dedicated soul and more importantly, a respectful lady.

Filipina domestic helpers call the man of the house “Sir” and the lady “Ma’am”. Such is their tradition.

When they respect us that way, shouldn’t we reciprocate? Call them by name. Never ever “hey, hey” or “you, you” them. They have names like we do.

At the end of the day, it pays to treat your domestic helper as a member of your family.

Of course, I know why our help has stayed and worked in our home for more than a decade.

What about yours?

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

I suppose most of us would be happy as long as we’re able to wake up every morning to greet a new day. If you aren’t, then there must be something seriously wrong with you.

Is it because your life is so pathetic and miserable that you have no desire to wake up at all? Please go and seek help if you are in such a fragile and vulnerable situation. You need all the support you can get.

What will 2013 have in store for us? Let’s take a philosophical look at it.

Someone said that in reality, the new year is not duty-bound to have anything in store for us! It is we who have to organise and plan for the new year. We plan what we get. If we do not plan, we will not get anything at all.

Somehow, I can agree with that. I’ve said from the outset that I wasn’t looking forward to anything in particular in the new year.

Perhaps it’s good to look back at times. It’s beneficial to spend some time to critically examine what we have achieved or where we failed in the past year. Then, we can make the necessary adjustments and strive to perform better in all our endeavours in the new year.

And yes, someone also brought up the poser over the purportedly unlucky Number 13. Why should we be deterred by the digit ending 13 of the new year 2013 as 13 is not always a bad omen.

Of course, those who dabble in feng shui or in the occult are wary of certain dates or numbers. Talk of Friday the 13th and they will probably scream their heads off.

Talk to you and me about the number 13, we would most probably respond, “Oh, number 13, so what? No big deal!” With the most profound respect to numerology, we have to accept at times that whenever anything goes wrong, the fault lies with us and not with any numerals.

It is most absurd to put all the wrongs on suspicion and superstition. If things do not turn out the way we expected them to, chances are that it could be our fault.

We should examine ourselves and take a serious look at our own weaknesses and follies. Some have a habit of just sitting back, doing nothing and leaving everything to God.

I’m sure we do know of some people who do nothing except to pray for glad tidings to come their way. While we can appreciate the power of prayer, we must also accept that God only helps those who help themselves.

So please do the needful for yourself in the new year. Do whatever you can within your capacity to improve yourself and your way of life.

Should things go wrong in 2013, don’t blame the number 13 or find fault with your suspicion and superstition. The fault could be your own undoing.

The last New Year greeting I received via SMS on Jan 2 was from a businessman friend who wished me: “Happy prosperous New Year … in health and wealth.”

Needless to say, prosperity and wealth always feature prominently in the lives of business people. Why not? People are in business to make profits, aren’t they? They want to create wealth and prosper. Nonetheless, it pays for our business community to take note of these words of wisdom from German writer von Goethe who reminded that “everything in the world may be endured except continual prosperity”. Confucius also cautioned that “when prosperity comes, do not use all of it”.

Well, if you ask me to choose between wealth and health, the latter is priority.

I would be contented and fulfilled if blessed with good health throughout the year. Seriously, if you have all the money in the world but are constantly sick, you would not be able to enjoy your wealth. Wealth is meant to be enjoyed, right?

As one gets older, there’s nothing one would treasure more than good health. It’s just awful being sick and worse, if you have to be hospitalised.

On this issue of health, I do have a New Year wish and that is for the government to initiate programmes for Malaysians to lead a healthy lifestyle.

The government has spent billions on medical care by building better infrastructure and engaging more medical personnel. Can our good people in the Health Ministry also seriously consider developing a new healthcare plan to encourage the people to lead a healthy lifestyle at an early age?

The agenda should involve the government’s commitment to assist the people in their long-term goal of staying healthy.

For example, the government can help the people to get in shape if they are willing to exercise and eat right, reduce their stress level or willing to get help to quit smoking.

I’ve seen ‘stop smoking’ clinics at public hospitals in Kuala Lumpur but sadly, there is hardly any publicity about them. Sometimes, I wonder whether the ministry is serious about their regular quit smoking campaigns. That’s a case of apathy on display.

I believe many smokers want to quit but they need help to do so.

The government can win over the hearts and minds of the people with the right plans and strategies to get them to be more health conscious. Helping people to stop smoking or kick their substance abuse is one area to focus on.

The people must be constantly reminded that good health isn’t just about healthy eating and exercise. It also includes having positive mental health, healthy self-image and a healthy lifestyle.

We do need a new health agenda and the government must have the political will to put this through. Our prime minister has introduced many transformation programmes of late. We need a tangible plan for the health sector too.

Life, like wealth, is for us to enjoy and we should not be bogged down with unnecessary health problems later on in our lives.

Helping Malaysians to stay healthy also reduces public medical costs in the long run.

Finally, think of sustainable living too. Lead a healthy lifestyle – eat and exercise right so that fewer resources will have to be allocated to take care of the sick and weak.

In order to protect and preserve the earth, the people have to be mindful that they too can play a vital role in greening the earth.

Come to think of it, living healthily can be quite complicated eh! But take it as a challenge.

Once we’re able to accept life’s challenges and take them up with gusto, then we’ll feel that life is really worth living.

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

I believe I have only written two or three articles of a religious nature in my more than 10 years as a writer for this long-running column.

I have probably never spoken on the podium about a religious subject, except for reading a Scripture passage as a lector during a church service.

However, as we are still in the Yuletide season of peace, joy and goodwill, I seek the indulgence of The Borneo Post readers to pen and share these thoughts of mine as a Christian in this article. Ha, talking of an excuse!

Oh, I must also caution readers that this is a boring article – a very plain piece with nothing controversial. It is actually one big yawn. Now, talk of playing safe, or rather writing safe.

So I would suggest that you give this a skip should you find religion not in your comfort zone. For those who simply enjoy any taste or smell of religious fervour, just read on.

No, do not agree with me or my thoughts. Those who love to post hate mail against writers, please feel free to do so. Enjoy your silly habit. I will readily accept all the negative remarks with an open heart.

Hey, I didn’t think that you would be reading this article despite my cautioning you that it is a mundane piece. What? You read through this whole boring stuff? Did you really?

Of course, the above swipe is targeted at those who enjoy posting hate mail. You know, these people derive pleasure by viewing negatively everything written by others.

They sit behind their computers every day, probably jobless with nothing to do. Now, they aren’t working not because they are unemployable but because they are plain lazy. They laze around online, taking great joy criticising and spewing venom on others.

And what a shame – they always hide behind the cloak of anonymity. These people are actually cowards in cyberspace. They have no guts to reveal their true identity.

Actually, I sympathise with them for they are very insecure and miserable people. You know, it’s their selfish attempt to drown their own miseries thinking that they would be able to do so by making others miserable. But that does not happen most times, with them ending up more edgy and miserable because their cruel intentions backfired.

Now, let me get back to being a Christian, I mean writing a Christian article.

Okay, I will start by conceding that I don’t think I’m a conformist by nature or by instinct. But there are times when one has to wake up to the realisation that one cannot play the rebel role all the time.

In life, there is always the necessity to make adjustments at the right time on the appropriate issues.

If we feel that taking a step backward will help resolve a festering problem, then why not? It’s okay to chuck out our ego at times. What is a bruised ego if we can create peace and joy among men of goodwill? Isn’t this the message of Christmas?

Let’s look at one nagging issue – the contention by some that Malaysia is an Islamic state or a political party’s long ambition to turn the nation into one.

We have been debating, arguing and quarrelling over this for as long as I can remember. And who do we blame for this – the politicians, of course.

They always want to play God. Some even think they are greater than God. This is the crux of the whole problem – people with an agenda playing up issues for self-interest or glorification.

At times, I like to look at the issue this way. Since the majority of Malaysians are Muslims and they practise the Islamic faith, it is not wrong to describe Malaysia as an Islamic nation.

Similarly, it is also not wrong to describe Sarawak as a Christian state because the majority of Sarawakians are Christians.

Islamic nation, Christian state – that sounds fine to me. Malaysians are people of great faith what! They are men and women of God here. So let’s accept all that is good by viewing it from a positive angle.

If people ask me whether Malaysia is an Islamic country and Sarawak a Christian state, I will answer ‘Yes’ to both.

I’m not wrong. All of you will have to agree with me on that, even if it’s only taking the demographic point of view.

That being the case, why are we still quarrelling over the issue? The demographics are proof enough.

Of course, there are other considerations. For one, non-Muslims are worried of the imposition of Islamic religious laws in an Islamic nation.

This is where the complications set in. This is why we have the endless debates and disputes. Not that they are totally invalid.

What I wish to say here is that there is another way of looking at all these differences in religious views. We have to learn to give way and look at the whole issue from another perspective.

That is why I deliberately shut down the intrigues of religions from my mind. We know there will be no end to a religious debate.

Take another issue which is also a long-standing one and which cropped up again this week – the Allah controversy.

This is despite the fact that the court had ruled in favour of the Catholic Church on the matter in 2009. Yet, there are still certain quarters taking their unhappiness into the public arena. Oh no, the judge, a human being, cannot be right about Allah, they seem to harbour this thought.

If you ask me how I would resolve the issue, I would say that “my Lord and God is not worried how I call Him. He is probably more concerned about my faith in Him than any term of address”.

If some people feel that I should not call my God, Allah, that’s all right for me. I can still call Him Lord, God, Father, Yahweh, Tuhan, Saviour, Messiah etc.

So what’s the big issue here? Oh, it’s about the written Allah in the Bible! What, use Tuhan la – end of problem.

No, no, no – many of you will disagree with my stand. Call me stupid, reckless and idiotic if you wish.

That is my way of being a good Christian even if you think I’m an idiotic or a stupid follower of Christianity.

If it takes one to become stupid and an idiot to stop all those quarrels and rising tension over religious differences, then it’s all worth it.

Then again, in our private moment at home or in church, who cares if we whisper Allah in our prayers? There you go!

Happy New Year, everyone. May Allah bless all of us.

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

Children will look forward to the holidays planned by their parents. The luckier ones may get to spend their vacation overseas but many will just be as contended with local holiday destinations. A holiday is still a holiday no matter where you spend it.

We also look forward to Christmas – the season of carols and merriment and one of glad tidings for all. Christians welcome the birth of the baby Jesus in the manger and churches are a hive of activities on this joyous occasion.

I still enjoy putting up the Christmas tree at home and wrapping presents. That’s something many of us relish during Yuletide. There is always this special feeling of joy and warmth during Christmas.

And of course, we eagerly await the year-end bonus too. It’s something extra we can pamper ourselves with. Why not? Life is not just about working and toiling for our daily bread. We also have to relax and enjoy what life has to offer.

But this December is not actually a very happy and carefree month. In fact, it started off on a gloomy note.

As I write this in the early hours of Dec 21, I am reminded of ‘Doomsday’ today. There is this hype of the world coming to an end today.

But it’s business as usual. I’m still able to pen this article and this will probably be in print tomorrow. So what Doomsday? We are all still alive and kicking.

For those keen to know the science of it all, here’s an interesting article entitled ‘Why the world didn’t end yesterday?’

The preamble is catchy. “NASA is so sure the world won’t come to an end on Dec 21, 2012, they have already released this news item for the day after.

“Dec 22, 2012: If you’re reading this story, it means one thing:  The World Didn’t End Yesterday.

“According to media reports of an ancient Maya prophecy, the world was supposed to be destroyed on Dec. 21, 2012.

“Apparently not.

“The whole thing was a misconception from the very beginning,” says Dr. John Carlson, director of the Center for Archaeoastronomy.

“The Maya calendar did not end on Dec. 21, 2012, and there were no Maya prophecies foretelling the end of the world on that date.”

The truth, says Carlson, is more interesting than fiction.

Readers can read the full story by following this url : http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2012/14dec_yesterday/

I believe such so-called prophesies of Doomsday will crop up again and again. There will be more of such talks of the end of the world. I wonder why people seem to enjoy harping on such a negative prophesy.

Why don’t they focus more on positive vibes? There are enough pains and sorrows around us. We could do with more good news.

Talking of pains and sorrows this December, here are two incidents which are troubling.

Firstly, we have a Malaysian terrorist, Mohd Noor Fikrie Abd Kahar, who was shot dead in Davao, Philippines last week.

There is cause for concern that terror cells are now able to draw young Malaysians into their ranks via cyberspace.

The violent death of Mohd Fikrie must not be treated as an isolated case. We now know that terror groups are able to cast the net wide in the country and the region.

If they are able to recruit one Malaysian and get him to carry out terror attacks, it is possible that more young people could be drawn into such clandestine groups.

We must seriously investigate how our young Malaysians got caught up with such senseless criminals.

One rehabilitated former Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) member, who spoke to a national daily recently, said Facebook had become the most popular means of luring new members.

The former militant confirmed that when they were ready, they were sent for training as fighters. It is no secret among counter terrorism experts that Malaysia is one of the countries favoured for recruiting new followers.

My second most troubling news this December is the shooting massacre in America where 20 children – aged six and seven – and six adults were shot in an elementary school in Connecticut by a lone gunman.

Their killer, Adam Lanza, was a mentally unstable 20-year-old man whose mother had taught him to shoot and unwittingly supplied him with the weapons for his deadly rampage. She was also his first victim.

As we, Malaysians, sympathise with the grieving families, we must also be wondering why the United States seems hell-bent on inflicting gunshot wounds on itself time and time again. Why are the Americans still obsessed with the “right” to bear arms?

This year alone, there were 12 other shootings in public places all over the country. The sooner the Americans resolve this issue on guns control, the better it would be for their citizens.

On this issue, we in Malaysia can count our blessings.

Well, not everything is gloomy as we enter the close of 2012.

Ah, I was over the moon that Cassadee Pope won ‘The Voice’ early this week. The 23-year-old lass, coached by Blake Shelton, beat two other guys in the Season Three finale.

It’s great for the show that a lady won after the first two seasons were dominated by men.

And perhaps the best news of all this December for Malaysian Christians has to be the government’s announcement of relaxing its restrictions for religious visits to Israel.

Israel is considered a place with many holy sites – including Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus Christ and Jerusalem.

The quota of 700 Malaysian visitors to Israel a year has been lifted and they are now allowed to stay up to 21 days at a time.

Well, Israel isn’t such an inviting place. But so is Timbuktu. Yet many have returned from Timbuktu with amazing tales.

Hey, where on earth is Timbuktu anyway?

Have a holy and blessed Christmas and enjoy the holidays.

Comments can reach the writer via columnists@theborneopost.com

I have not heard of Peter being ever seriously ill as having to be hospitalised. Hah, I have been in and out of hospitals these past years but my pal is doing just fine.

I suppose there is such a thing as being born lucky and blessed with good health. You see, Peter does not really lead what one would describe as a healthy lifestyle.

He still smokes his favourite pipe – as he has done so for a good part of his seven decades. He used to tell friends that he was born with a pipe in his mouth. Think Popeye.

Peter always enjoys his beer but he is cautious about his alcohol intake now. Good for him.

One reason why Peter is hale and hearty is because he maintains an active lifestyle by continuing to work. A businessman, he sees no reason to retire saying that ‘one only retires when one is dead’.

There are many Malaysians like Peter. The decision by the government to raise the retirement age to 60 effective July next year has no bearing on this group of people.

I can agree with my friend on this. One should continue to be active in mind and body as one gets on in years. The best way to do this is to work, not so much for the monetary returns but to stay alert and be useful to society.

I’m glad that some corporations in the private sector are actually helping to keep senior citizens active by creating jobs suitable for their age. Some are also gainfully employed part-time doing jobs they had excelled in previously.

This is also necessary as the average life span of Malaysians is now 75 years. A healthier senior society will also reduce public medical costs.

For many Malaysians working in the private sector, the extension of the retirement age has been a long time coming. Many are very happy that they are now able to work and be gainfully employed for five more years.

The extension now puts Malaysia closer to the practice of neighbouring countries such as Brunei, Thailand and Indonesia, which all have a retirement age of 60.

Singapore’s retirement age is 62. Some have negatively remarked that the workaholic Lee Kuan Yew probably wanted his fellow Singaporeans to work till they drop dead. But you could also sense that the patriarch of the island state knows what’s good for his nation and people. I think that many will agree that fixing the retirement age at 62 is a sound idea.

If Sarawak could have a separate retirement age, I’ll say 65. Why not? Sarawak is still basically a rural state and people living in a greener and cleaner rural setting are generally healthier.

Visit a kampong anytime and I can bet you’ll find many residents in their seventies or eighties making themselves useful within their environment.

Put Peter Kuek in that setting and you’ll probably find him fishing every day – sitting by the river with his line, puffing his Smokey Robinson pipe and gulping his favourite Long Cool Dane. No, he wouldn’t call that the joys and pleasures of retirement. It’s ‘actively working’ to him.

Now, let’s review the passage of the new retirement age as reported recently. It is also important for employees to understand the situation better to enable them to seek redress in the event of a dispute over their retirement.

The Minimum Retirement Age Bill 2012 was passed by Parliament last June. This is the first time that Malaysia has a compulsory minimum retirement age. The previous retirement age of 55 was merely a norm set by most private sector companie

The Employment Act 1955 does not state any age for retirement, but the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) Act 1991 sets the age for withdrawals at 55.

In the new Bill, it is stated that an employer shall not retire an employee prematurely before he attains the minimum retirement age.

Notwithstanding the minimum retirement age, an employee may retire when he reaches the optional retirement age agreed upon in the contract of service or collective agreement.

An employee who believes he has been prematurely retired can file a complaint in writing to the director-general of the Labour Department within 60 days of the retirement.

If the director-general finds the complaint justified, the employer may be directed to reinstate the employee in his former employment or pay his salary arrears from the date of the premature retirement until the date of reinstatement.

Alternatively, the company may be directed to pay him a compensation in lieu of reinstatement, not exceeding the amount of total salary that is calculated from the date he has been prematurely retired until he attains the minimum retirement age. If the employer fails to comply with the directive, he can be fined not more than RM10,000 if convicted.

However, the Bill does not apply to a person who is employed on a permanent, temporary or contractual basis and is paid emoluments by the Federal Government, any state government, any statutory body or any local authority.

It also excludes a person employed on probation, a non-citizen employee, a domestic servant, a person who is employed in any employment with average working hours not exceeding 70% of the normal working hours of a full-time employee, a student who is employed on contract for a temporary term of employment, and a person who is employed on a fixed-term contract of not more than 24 months.

Those who have retired before this law comes into effect (July 2013) will also be excluded, even if they are re-employed.

While it’s good news all round for employees, the employers seem to be a little more cautious.

Malaysian Employers Federation (MEF) executive director Shamsuddin Bardan was quoted as saying that while employers welcomed the move, they are a little “jittery on the implementation”.

“Employers have to be ready for this shift from 55 to 60. The infrastructure to support retirement at 60 is not yet ready. The issues surrounding EPF withdrawals, Socso and insurance have not really been settled,” he said.

Whatever the reservations may be, I feel it’s just not right to prevent people from being gainfully employed in any manner, particularly if they are healthy and excel in their job.

The government has good reasons for extending the retirement age, so let’s not pour cold water on what’s generally good and positive for our citizens and nation.

Finally, to my Facebook friends holding a ‘Do You Remember’ gathering of seniors in Kuching today (Dec 15), do have a smashing time and remember, “you don’t retire until you drop dead”.

A final dose of advice from Harry Emerson Fosdick – “Don’t simply retire from something; have something to retire to”.

Comments can reach the writer via columnists@theborneopost.com

Why? I did not want them to worry about me. That’s the first thing. Secondly, I didn’t want them to go out of their way, wasting their time by visiting me. Thirdly, I’m not particularly fond of receiving visitors when I’m sick and hospitalised.

Also I somehow loath the sight of the nice fruit baskets and foodstuff colleagues and friends brought over when they visited me on my hospital bed in the past.

It’s not that I do not appreciate their warm thoughts and concern for me. But deep in my heart, I would also ask: “Why didn’t they buy me the nice stuff when I was hale and hearty and able to enjoy them? Damn it!”

Hah, you must have heard this many times. But isn’t it true? So let us sometimes consciously do something nice for the people who are dear to us. Don’t wait until they are sick and dying in hospital before we show our care and affection for them.

Talking about eating well and good foodstuff, I can’t help talking about my late mother in passing. She taught her children to be generous with food. She felt it was worth it to budget more for good food than splashing out on non-essential items like clothes and accessories, for example.

Finally, if I may add, I’m quite sure I wasn’t going anywhere yet! After a night’s rest in the hospital, you will know and be able to feel your own condition.

After I was wheeled out of the emergency room into a normal ward, I could feel I was out of danger.

Next would be the routine procedures of carrying out the necessary tests and monitoring my condition.

Why the need then to inform so many people when you are hospitalised?

I don’t expect everyone to agree with me but I feel we should allow the sick to have a good rest in hospital, instead of ‘bothering’ and ‘disturbing’ them with our unnecessary and unwelcome presence.

Of course, it would be a different situation if a loved one is critically ill. A final or last visit is in order in this case.

I have to say this. In my last three hospitalisations over the past several years, bad hospital visitors were the ones who actually made me, a sick person, even sicker.

I do not understand why some parents have to bring their children along when visiting the sick in hospital. Are they on a picnic or what?

At times I try my best to understand the situation of those who have to travel long distances from the kampungs to visit a sick relative in hospital. Surely, they cannot leave their young kids behind.

I can appreciate the importance of family support in a patient’s healing process but let us all, hospital visitors, be on our best behaviour. And if we have our little ones in tow, teach them to be good hospital visitors too.

While I applaud the Health Ministry’s initiative to look into extending visiting hours in public hospitals, I feel there is a necessity to limit the number of visitors for a patient at any single time.

The longer visiting hours may provide the right timing and opportunity to carry out this process. The big family entourage of hospital visitors must be discouraged as government hospitals already have a greater volume of visitors.

Now, let me share with you all this article of ‘How to be a good hospital visitor’ from a British medical website. Only excerpts are published here.

It is also interesting to note that the article also agrees with me on discouraging children from visiting the sick in hospital:

“Visiting a loved one in the hospital seems simple enough, you go to the hospital, say hello, stay for a while, then leave. It may seem simple, but it really isn’t as simple as it may seem. Many well-meaning friends and family members get it wrong, and make it difficult for the patient to get the rest they need to get well.

“Don’t Stay Too Long: Patients typically get very little rest. They are being woken up throughout the day and night for vital sign checks, medications, to be weighed and for procedures. Patients are normally exhausted because their sleep is constantly being interrupted. If you can tell that your loved one is exhausted and in need of sleep, it may be time to cut your visit short. If your loved one insists that you stay, consider sitting quietly in the room and allowing them to doze, rather than expecting an ongoing conversation.

“Don’t Go If You Are Sick: If you have a cold or the flu, do not go to the hospital. There is a good chance that you could make already sick people even sicker. Also, you are exposing yourself to the germs and viruses that are present in the hospital environment.

“Small Talk: Let the patient guide the topic of conversation. Let them decide if they want to talk about their condition beyond the basic, “Are you feeling any better today?”

“Visiting Hours Apply: The hospital has visiting hours for several reasons. First and foremost, the hours insure that the patient gets some sleep. The visitor-free hours also give the staff time to help the patient with things that friends don’t need to see, like baths and grooming. Many hospitals restrict visitors during shift change, this is so friends and family members don’t overhear private health information that is exchanged between staff members.

“Too Many People Can Overwhelm: Many facilities restrict visitors to two at a time, as some patients have very large circles of friends and family. Typically, if there are many people who would like to visit, the visitors will be in the waiting room and take turns going to the bedside in small groups. More than two visitors at a time can make it difficult for staff members to do their job and move around the room. Requesting permission from the nurse caring for the patient for additional visitors is possible, and may make it possible for more people to visit for a short time.

“Don’t Wake the Patient: Do not wake hospital patients. Remember that the patient is in the hospital to get well, not to entertain guests. Waking them to say hello or to let them know you have arrived is not beneficial to their well-being. Sit quietly in the room and wait for them to wake or leave a note, but don’t disturb their sleep.

“Don’t Bring Children to the Hospital: Unless there is an extremely good reason to do so, avoid bringing children to the hospital. Many hospitals restrict young visitors unless there are special circumstances such as an extremely ill family member or the birth of a sibling. Hospitals can be very scary places for children. They don’t understand what is happening, and if their loved one is in the ICU, they are likely to be terrified by the appearance of the patient. Also, small children often want to be on the floor, touch equipment and be on the bed, which is not safe for them or the patient.

“Many people think of hospitals as a very clean place, but in reality, no matter how clean a hospital is, it is full of germs and viruses that can make children ill. Avoid bringing a child to the hospital whenever possible.

“Respect the Staff: The staff taking care of your loved one is there to help restore them to good health. Be respectful of their requests and needs.”

Guess what? The next time I’m hospitalised, I will keep this list handy. If I feel disturbed by the overwhelming presence of large family entourages, I will quietly slip it into the hands of one of them.

Come on, people. Being sick in hospital is already miserable although it is not necessarily so. Let us not add to the miseries of those already weak in mind and body by being a lousy hospital visitor.

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

The only exception perhaps would be my wife – the only female who is allowed to be near me, as far as I can comprehend of the Syariah laws imposed in Kelantan by the PAS-led state government.

If I go shopping with my mother or my sister or my daughter, we also have to be separated at the payment counter. There are separate queues for males and females.

If my wife is with me, do we also have to queue separately? Or would we be allowed to get to the payment counter together, me holding my wife’s hand. Or is that also prohibited?

And are there religious sentries or moral policemen stationed at shopping centres to ensure that men and women do not mingle?

If I want to queue together with my wife, must we announce to all and sundry that we are husband and wife? Is that what is expected of non-Muslims in Kelantan today?

I’m sorry but I’m unable to tolerate an infringement of my rights and no religion, other than the one I profess, should impose its values and rules on me. I will never accept that.

Come on, PAS, please be reasonable. It is absolutely wrong to infringe on the rights of non-Muslims. This is a universal understanding.

These past two weeks, we have heard a lot of how hairdressers in Kota Bharu, who gave haircuts to their male customers, were accused of an offence and if they pleaded guilty, they were required to pay a fine.

A number of them paid the fine; yet others simply moved their businesses elsewhere. But I see no reason why they should move out or go elsewhere if they are Kelantanese.

I think something is not right somewhere. It does not augur well for the future of non-Muslims in the state, particularly for the business community.

It must be appreciated that the hair grooming industry caters to both genders, and obviously there isn’t an equal number of male and female workers in each salon.

The salons will not be able to survive if each worker is only allowed to cut the hair of customers of the same gender. Apparently, there are people in the local council in Kota Bharu who do not understand this or just refuse to see reason.

This is a classic case of the abuse of one’s faith to impose one’s set of values upon someone else. This cannot be accepted in our multi-religious society.

Malaysian Hairdressing Association (MHA) president Billy Lim has rightly described the ruling forbidding female stylists to cut non-Muslim male customers’ hair as “ridiculous”.

Without a doubt, it would adversely affect the industry and eventually cause the salons to close down.

I share Lim’s concerns as I share the sentiments of those who vehemently oppose the ruling.

In Petaling Jaya, A Cut Above founder and creative director Winnie Loo said that the ruling was “Jurassic and a hindrance to the industry from moving forward”.

In Penang, state Wanita MCA chairman Tan Cheng Liang said the gender-segregation at hair salons in Kota Bharu was outrageous and caused unjust income loss to non-Muslims.

She said the summonses issued by the local council to non-Muslim female hair salon owners have once again proven that the MCA was right in sounding the alarm that PAS’ policies would affect non-Muslims.

“The hairdressers’ case is just another example as to how PAS policies cause unjust income loss to non-Muslim entrepreneurs trying to earn an honest living,” Tan said.

Gerakan deputy Youth chief Oh Tong Keong urged the DAP to stop fooling itself by claiming that hudud law would not be applied on non-Muslims and therefore has no impact on non-Muslims.

In this instance, I think the young man from Gerakan has a point. This is exactly what is happening in Kelantan. Non-Muslims are adversely affected as a result of an Islamic ruling which should have no bearing on them whatsoever in the first place.

Surely DAP must tell its Pakatan Rakyat partner, PAS, a thing or two. It’s about time too that other top DAP leaders, other than Karpal Singh, come out strongly against this particular irritant in Kota Bharu.

While I understand that it’s not appropriate to mix religion with politics, this is a case of the infringement of the rights of non-Muslims as a result of an Islamic ruling. Hence, it also involves the rule of law and the question of constitutional rights.

Those hair salon owners in Kota Bharu would surely welcome the offer of legal assistance from the MCA. Although the party’s help would surely be for political mileage, it does not matter for the suffering salon owners. They need all the help they can get.

Towards the end of this week, it was somewhat comforting that top PAS leaders, including party president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang and Kelantan Menteri Besar Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz, have commented positively on the issue.

Nik Aziz admitted that there was an “oversight” by the authorities in not considering the consequences of Syariah-based by-laws on non-Muslims.

“Maybe it is because no other government (in Malaysia) has yet to implement this system,” he said.

On whether he would consider the appeals by hair salons to either scrap or review such by-laws, Nik Aziz said he would bring it up at the state exco meeting for discussion.

Meanwhile, Hadi Awang said the Kelantan government did not intend to implement any Islamic “moral” laws on non-Muslims and that PAS views seriously the fears of non-Muslims over the unisex hair salon issue in Kelantan.

He added that the Kelantan government was ready to consider suggestions from non-Muslim groups on the best ways of solving this problem based on the concept of freedom of religion for non-Muslims.

I think we should all be glad that both the PAS president and the party’s top spiritual advisor are also looking into the matter. Let us hope they would review the ruling and not impose it on non-Muslims.

As for me personally, I have no problem at all because I’m not affected by the ruling. Why? I do not go to unisex salons.

My haircut is usually a quick crop at the all-male Indian barber shop. Ha, with a receding hairline, there’s nothing much left on my head anyway.

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

But I would not describe Hadi as a statesman for now. He has not earned that position yet and I’m sure many of his party loyalists are waiting for him to be elevated to that esteemed level.

One important attribute of a statesman is his ability to exhibit great wisdom in directing the affairs of a government or in dealing with important public issues.

I’m not sure that being Menteri Besar of Terengganu for one term qualifies him as a great director of the affairs of government. His experience was just as the head of a small state government.

But PAS believers want to ensure that their president is destined for bigger things, one of which is to be prime minister.

Pushing their president forward as the candidate for prime minister is nothing new as PAS loyalists had done so in the past. However, they were bandied about during those times when PAS could only dream of attaining power at federal level.

The situation now is different. For the first time in Malaysian history, there is this serious talk of a possible upset result in the coming general election.

PAS ulama’s push for Hadi to be prime minister at their 58th muktamar recently is more serious than what some party leaders would want it to be.

This could also be possibly due to the split in the party between the conservative ulama and the liberals. It is an open secret that the PAS liberals are close to PKR adviser Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and they share the DAP’s ambition to make Anwar the prime minister should PR attain power after the polls.

The push for Hadi is a heady notion indeed, or as Hadi himself put it, syiok (thrilling). Of course, the PAS chief did not realise that his syiok remark would provide fodder for the media.

After Anwar said snappily that he was willing to discuss the matter, the mainstream press went into overdrive. As expected, the issue was played up negatively against PR, so much so that the PAS leadership has to step in.

Vice-president Salahuddin Ayub, CEC member Datuk Mujahid Yusof Rawa and deputy Youth chief Nik Abdul Nik Abdul Aziz called for focus on the polls instead of on Hadi to be made prime minister if PR came into power.

PAS secretary-general Mustafa Ali also quickly moved to dispel the polemic about Hadi ‘syiok’ to be PM. He also clarified that it is not the party’s official stance to endorse Hadi as PR’s next premier.

Mustafa also reminded coalition leaders and supporters that the question of who would be the prime minister under a PR government should not be turned into a polemic.

He pointed out that the matter was only raised during the debate and was not part of any declaration at the party’s muktamar.

That is a valid explanation, of course. But the timing of such a request so close to a general election does not sit in well for PR.

Call it democracy and freedom of speech all you want but I would have thought that certain topics should be disallowed for debate at the muktamar.

It does not speak well for the opposition coalition to bring their disagreement on major issues out in the open, or to wash their dirty linen in public at the eleventh hour.

If nothing else, it only exposes the glaring disunity and lack of understanding and cohesion among PR partners.

BN leaders are now saying that the ‘PM dispute’ between PAS and DAP exposed PR’s greed for power

A section of Malaysian voters must now be wondering whether they should go for such a fragile partnership like PR. Some could be thinking that perhaps Barisan Nasional, being more stable, is a safer bet. Talk about the devil you know, to quote Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

It does pay to think and think again before you bring up a topic deemed sensitive or controversial for discussion in a party assembly conducted in a public setting.

Party delegates must be advised to put their emotions in check and not to be too gung-ho when speaking at party conferences. They must weigh their words very carefully particularly on matters involving inter-party relations.

So is PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang PM material?

It depends on whom you talk to. Popular blogger Raja Petra Kamaruddin, in his usual sarcastic tone, ranted, “Oh, Hadi Awang is not acceptable. It must be Anwar Ibrahim. PAS leaders are not suitable or good enough. They are not intelligent enough. They can’t even speak English the Winston Churchill way. PAS leaders are more suited for the kampung, not for the international stage. PAS leaders will never be able to run the country. They can’t even run the state properly.”

PAS deputy president Mohamad Sabu, who is not an ulama, doesn’t think his boss is PM-material too. Ha, we can only guess what the boss feels about his deputy now.

At the assembly last Sunday, Mat Sabu said Anwar was the undisputed choice but the following day, said the final decision rested on the pact’s leadership.

Meanwhile, we only know too well that DAP and PKR leaders have been stressing on the consensus that Anwar Ibrahim is the anointed one.

This week, DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang repeated his party’s stand in backing Anwar, saying that in terms of choosing the prime ministerial candidate, the DAP insists on supporting Anwar as PAS has not yet given up the hudud law agenda. Making Anwar the default prime minister could calm the Chinese community.

“Anwar is also more suitable than Hadi Awang in terms of capacity, because Anwar has a wealth of administrative experience, while Hadi Awang is an expert in religion, but not economy,” added Kit Siang.

But PAS loyalists insist that their party president has the best credentials to be PM as he has no scandals plaguing him, is a devout Muslim and is president of the biggest party in PR.

Whatever it may be, Pakatan Rakyat must decide once and for all who they want as prime minister if the coalition came into power – Anwar Ibrahim or Abdul Hadi Awang?

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

Most of us would be in Primary 6 (now known as Standard 6) when we were 12. So was I.

As we look back to those days, more than 40 years ago in my case, we were considered ‘backward’. There were no computers, no mobile phones, no Internet, no cyber cafes and thus, no cyber gambling. It’s true, technologically, it was backward then.

However, we should really count our blessings knowing how ‘normal’ we were compared to the sophistications and distractions of life today.

Today, we can look back and say, “Thank God, we were ‘backward’ then because we could only indulge in normal activities.”

I was in St Joseph’s Primary School in Kuching. I can still recall vividly what I enjoyed during primary school days.

Reading was one hobby I enjoyed tremendously. Enid Blyton was a favourite author. Her Secret Seven and Famous Five series were diligently digested. My classmates and I also formed the Famous Five club. Wow, receiving a letter from Blyton’s office in London with the Famous Five badges was big deal, man!

The small library in school was a favourite place for many of us during our free periods. I wonder how many primary school children today enjoy going to the library.

Exchanging comics among ourselves was also a joy. I also loved playing table tennis and football which was more fun in the rain.

Well, these were normal activities for us when were 12 and in Primary 6.

Nay, we knew nothing about gambling of any kind, let alone cyber gambling which was non-existent at that time.

A few days ago, The Borneo Post reported the arrest of a Primary 6 pupil in Sibu for involvement in cyber gambling. He was among four boys nabbed by the police that day. The other three boys are not more than 15 years old and all are students.

Although the boys were only gambling with coins, with each betting not more than RM1, those who witnessed the police raid said such an indulgence was bad enough to destroy their future.

I agree. Gambling at 12 years old is no laughing matter. It is a serious issue and of great concern to the parents, family and the community.

When you start gambling at 12, you can expect to be in trouble big time in your adult life.

Bad influence and little or no interest in studies are two reasons why young children roam around cyber cafes. Such unhealthy habits are likely to breed other vices. This is the biggest worry.

Gamblers are likely to resort to criminal activities to “fund” their habit. Some of them will do anything, including stealing and robbing, to get hold of the cash.

Most will start by stealing money from their parents and family members, and gradually move on to the streets. Soon, they will become habitual gamblers.

We can expect the growing number of illegal online gambling outlets in Malaysian cities and towns to lead to more crime.

According to a report, Sibu has more than 300 illegal internet gambling outlets while Kuching, Miri and Bintulu each has more than 100. There must be thousands of such outlets in the peninsula.

I’m glad that this worrying situation now has the attention of Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein.

This week, he directed the police to take firm steps to wipe out illegal online gambling in Sabah and Sarawak

“We believe that there is a syndicate involved and we suspect that they are trying to get the younger generation hooked on gambling,” a report quoted him as saying.

Hishammuddin added that his ministry was also working with foreign agencies on solutions to overcome cyber gambling activities.

When we discuss the issue of gambling in Malaysia, I do find it somewhat confusing.

On one hand, we seem to be encouraging Malaysians to gamble by allowing the mushrooming of 4D outlets throughout the country. More such gaming companies are also granted licences and what is worst is that they are given many extra Special Draw days. Punters are the ones to suffer more with the extra draws.

Because of the popularity of 4D in the country, many Malaysians are now known habitual gamblers. And the gaming companies are introducing more games like the Jackpot and 6D, offering multi-million ringgit prizes to attract more punters.

Well, so who is encouraging Malaysians to gamble? Who is responsible for this sorry state of affairs? And I have not mentioned the popular Genting Casino yet.

On the other hand, we are trying to curb illegal gambling. Of course, doing anything illegal is against the law.

The question here is, if illegal gambling is bad and should be curbed, how is legalised gambling okay?

Even if we leave out the issues of ethics, moral, cultural or religious sensitivities of gambling, it is bad in all its forms.

That is why I find this issue of gambling in Malaysia very puzzling. I have no clear answers to this state of affairs. I can only guess why we allow more gaming companies to introduce more games and conduct extra draws.

But let it be known to one and all that gamblers can never win. Problem gambling can be so destructive.

Those who gamble habitually often suffer enormous social, economic, and psychological implications. Individuals, families and communities all suffer from problem gambling.

And if you are a 12-year-old student, please go to the library in your free time. There are thousands of books there for you to enjoy. The real wealth is knowledge, not winning an extra ringgit or two in the cyber cafe.

Get involved in some sports. Play ping pong, badminton or football. Once in a while, go and enjoy a movie. These are ‘normal’ activities which will never land you into trouble.

Please stay away from cyber gambling.

Comments can reach the writer via columnists@theborneopost.com

It’s true. Smokers smell or stink of nicotine and tobacco. That’s what an ashtray is filled with – ashes from paper, tobacco and nicotine. Add in bad breath and really, who wants to kiss a smoker.

Anti-smoking campaigns are back in the news again this week. It is unfortunate that no matter how the government tries to get the people to stub out smoking, the number of smokers in Malaysia continues to increase.

Smoking is an addiction. It’s so easy to pick up the habit and so difficult to kick it. Ask me. I should know. I was a smoker – a two-pack-a-day ‘chimney’ before I finally had enough of it.

A smoker for 25 years, I actually stopped twice – once for a year and the second time for almost two years. I had a relapse on both occasions and being younger and supposedly much healthier then, it was easy to console and comfort myself that it was okay. But smoking, at any age, is never okay.

One funny thing about smokers is that they seem to enjoy bluffing themselves. I was in the same boat, telling myself that it was all right if I just puff a few sticks a day.

So I went back to buying the small packs (six-stick packets were available in those days). In no time, I would be back to the big packets and smoking like a chimney.

It’s really a bad habit. Ask a serious smoker whether he really enjoys puffing away three 20-stick packs a day and the answer is likely ‘No’.

Why? You will not enjoy anything that is overkill. When you have too much of even your favourite dish, you will find little pleasure in consuming it.

Smoking is the same. It’s all paper, tobacco and nicotine plus hundreds of deadly hidden chemicals. Chain smokers will not be able to enjoy the pleasure of smoking a cigar or puffing a pipe, for example. It’s just a bad habit of desiring to put something between your lips and puffing away.

Real smokers can truly enjoy a cigarette after a meal or while having a beer with the right company. Many will also tell you that it’s pleasurable to smoke while doing your business in the toilet. Oh yes, smokers do have strange habits.

I’m now in my third stop-smoking mode and so far, I’ve been holding on fine. There will come a time when you have to face reality and tell yourself the ugly truth. That smoking is a health hazard and that is as much as your body can take.

In its recent anti-smoking campaign, I’m glad that the Health Ministry has planned to label each cigarette with the label ‘Merokok Membahayakan Kesihatan’ (Smoking is Hazardous to Health), increase the size of pictorial warnings by 10 per cent and non-smoking areas to include five-foot ways or the entire area of a premises within the perimeter of the wall.

Also on the cards are getting tobacco companies to sell cigarettes in plain packaging, writing to the ministry for every cigarette price revision as well as reducing the content of tar and nicotine.

Of course, there is no guarantee that these latest efforts will work. But such continuous campaigns are carried out because the government is seriously concerned about the rising number of smokers in the country, particularly among young Malaysians.

According to the Resource Centre of the Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance (Seatca), the prevalence rate of smoking among men in Malaysia is just over 50 per cent.

However, given that an increasing number of young people and even children, as young as 13, have grown addicted to smoking, it means the number of smokers is far higher.

There has also been a sharp increase in female smokers in Malaysia, especially among young women, girls and even expectant mothers.

It was reported that cigarette companies have been targeting female smokers in their campaigns and it seems that they have been effective in Malaysia.

Just visit any busy street in Kuala Lumpur, for example, and don’t be surprised to see at least two out of 10 young women lighting up.

Thankfully, we do not find such a worrying situation in Kuching or Sibu just yet. It seems that if our young women in Sarawak want to smoke publicly, they would probably do it more discreetly. Others may feel that they are less conservative now as smoking is becoming ‘trendy’ and ‘cool’.

Overall, close to a third of our Malaysian population are confirmed smokers and that number is growing.

Another area of concern is the national healthcare costs for tobacco-related diseases, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, ischemic heart disease and lung cancer.

It has been estimated that for a population with a smoking prevalence rate like ours, healthcare could amount to almost 2 per cent of GDP, or nearly 20 per cent of the country’s total healthcare budget and this is rising.

Also, typically, such smoking prevalence rates could account for up to 25 per cent of all deaths in the population. So, do you want to be another number on the death statistics of smokers?

Smokers are only too aware of the dangers of smoking. But they must also be fair to others and realise that the health hazard of passive smoking is worse than actual smoking.

We need to inculcate in people that acting responsibly when smoking is necessary just as we need to educate people about the dangers of drink driving and road safety. Public education is the best method of achieving social change.

The government has passed legislation and designated no smoking zones in many public places like hospitals, airports, shopping malls, restaurants, cafes and other food outlets but sadly, enforcement is lacking. This is one nagging problem in our system which we must fix.

Public education and stringent enforcement are two areas which our government must focus on in ensuring the success of anti-smoking campaigns.

As for helping smokers to quit, here’s my advice.

People will stop smoking when they find a good reason to stop. As the saying goes, “If there is a will, there is a way.”

Yes, people, find a reason to quit and stick to it. Wanting a healthier life and saving money are good reasons but may not be strong enough as many have gone down that road and failed.

The best motivation, as many can attest to, is to do it for love.

It could be because you really want to prove your love for your spouse, children or a dearly beloved. Whoever he or she may be, just do it.

And of course, you wouldn’t want them to kiss an ash tray, would you?

As for me, I quit because I love myself. Selfish eh!

Seriously, if I don’t love my own body and do not take care of my own health, who would?

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

Although Nov 6 is Election Day, the results on that day will not be conclusive. This is because the American president is not elected directly by citizens of the United States.

The final presidential election results are not made until the vote of the Electoral College in December.

But the Nov 6 results will give an indication on which candidate is the frontrunner.

Finally, on Jan 20 next year, the new president takes his oath of office at his swearing-in ceremony and immediately starts his term as President of the United States.

Many of us, particularly keen political observers, would have followed the US presidential elections closely – the current one as well as previous elections. The Americans are electing the most powerful leader on the planet and whatever he does or says will have a bearing on the rest of the world.

He is also the supreme commander of the world’s most powerful and sophisticated army. If you could still communicate with Saddam Hussein or Osama bin Laden, they would be able to tell you a thing or two about how powerful the American President is.

So how do President Obama and his challenger stack up in the final lap to the White House?

I have always had this perception that the incumbent president has the edge to win a second term. George W Bush won his second term in 2004. So did Bill Clinton in 1996.

If I were a politically ambitious politician in the US, I would tactically avoid going against a sitting president vying for his second term. Though not impossible to kick out the president at the end of his first term, it would be more of an uphill climb.

But weaker presidents have been knocked out after their first term in office. Two of the more recent one-term casualties were George HW Bush who was ousted by Bill Clinton in 1992 and Jimmy Carter by Ronald Reagan in 1980. Carter himself defeated Gerald Ford in 1976.

It must be noted that the past two presidents before Obama, George W Bush and Bill Clinton, were popular presidents and known to have made tough decisions which went down well with their fellow Americans.

Clinton was an economic wizard who managed to turn round huge deficits and was also able to create jobs for a suffering nation then. Bush was a war-time president who dared to take on Saddam and the Talibans shielding Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan. While he was seen as a goof too, he nevertheless stood gallantly against terrorists and terrorism and Americans approved.

This year, I believe many ambitious Democrats are willing to give Obama a free ride towards his second term. I think it’s not because they love him that much but because they know it would be difficult to unseat him.

On the Republican side, many are also prepared to wait till 2016 when the contest will be more even as it will be two new candidates vying for the presidency.

I have written favourably for Hillary Clinton and Sarah Palin in this column in the past.

I believe I even rooted for Clinton when she was fighting neck-to-neck for the Democratic ticket with Obama in 2008.

And I was ecstatic when John McCain chose unknown Alaska Governor Palin as his running mate for vice-president.

Both women are known to be politically ambitious and it is no secret that both have set their sights on the presidency.

Besides being America’s popular First Lady from 1992-2000, Clinton is current her country’s top diplomat. As Secretary of State, she has performed admirably and there is little doubt that Obama will retain her services if he wins a second term.

Clinton also did well not to rock the Democratic boat this year. But there will be no stopping her in 2016. The only setback could be her age. She will be 69 in 2016. Then again, Ronald Reagan became president in 1980 at 71.

On the rather hand, Palin is relatively younger than Clinton and will be at a nice, comfortable age of 52 in 2016 if she decides to run.

Palin has also wisely stepped down as Governor of Alaska, a job which would have prevented her from securing many lucrative deals she expected with her new found fame in national politics.

I really look forward to a Hillary Clinton-Sarah Palin challenge for the presidency in 2016.

As to how Obama and Romney stack up in the current bout, I find this report in the New York Times a fair deal.

President Obama and Romney enter the closing week of the campaign in an exceedingly narrow race, with more voters now viewing Romney as a stronger leader on the economy and Obama as a better guardian of the middle class.

The president is holding his coalition together with strong support from women and minority voters and is supported by 48 per cent of likely voters, an ABC poll found, while Romney holds a wide advantage among independents and men and is the choice of 47 per cent.

In the final days of the campaign, the most intense competition between Obama and Romney has narrowed to seven states, but the poll illustrates why the Romney campaign is working to expand the battleground and seize upon the deep concern in the electorate about whether the president should win a second term.

The economy continues to be the overwhelming issue on the minds of voters, with about three-quarters selecting the economy as either their most or second-most important concern. Twenty-three per cent named the budget deficit as one of their top two issues. Most voters consider Romney the better candidate to deal with both of those challenges.

However, the president has a slight edge on terrorism and foreign policy.

The poll found that Obama is supported by 52 per cent of women and 44 per cent of men, while Romney is preferred by 51 per cent of men and 44 per cent of women.

My personal take is on Obama to get four more years. But I earnestly look forward to 2016 where hopefully, we will see the mother of all battles for the US presidency – the Hillary Clinton-Sarah Palin contest.

There have been female presidents and prime ministers in other parts of the world but a lady Commander-in-Chief remains elusive in the United States.

Will it become a reality in 2016? Why not, it’s time we get to see the most powerful woman in the world!

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

The deposed Iraqi dictator was sentenced to death by hanging, after being found guilty and convicted of crimes against humanity by the Iraqi Special Tribunal.

Saddam, one of the world’s cruellest despots, was found responsible for the murder of 148 Iraqi Shi’ite in the town of Dujail in 1982, in retaliation for an assassination attempt against him.

When a person is found guilty of murdering 148 people, most would probably not feel a thing when he is sentenced to death and hanged. In fact, many would probably feel that the sentence is justified. So what do the opponents of the death penalty have to say in this case?

Then on May 2 last year, we saw the death of Osama bin Laden, the world’s most notorious and wanted terrorist.

We are only too familiar with his acts of terrorism and how he gloated and celebrated the 911 ‘victory’ when more than 3,000 people were killed during the World Trade Centre attacks in New York.

Osama was also given the ‘death sentence’ — through the barrel of a gun. Of course, we did not expect the raiding SWAT team to take him alive.

So Osama’s death sentence was carried out during the early morning raid on his hideout in a suburb in Pakistan. He was shot dead in an exchange of fire and his body was buried at sea.

Then what about the death of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi at the hands of his fellow citizens a year ago? He was dragged out of a rat hole, paraded and beaten to death on the street by his captors, begging for his life in the process.

The world is now watching the trial of deposed Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak. At the end of it all, we can expect him to face the same sentence as the others before him. Like Saddam Hussein, we can expect him to be hanged too.

Back home, we are now considering abolishing capital punishment. While the issue is centred on drug trafficking, I feel it is important to look into it in its totality.

I still remember how we embarked on an all-out war against drugs in the 70s — how we saw the destruction and damage it inflicted on the nation’s soul. Those hooked on drugs were condemned to a life of living hell.

When the head of the family is a drug addict, the whole family is destroyed. Lives of the young and old are ruined. Drugs only leave a trail of destruction. Drugs show no mercy.

Drugs were declared Malaysia’s public enemy Number One then. It was also during this period that the death penalty for drug traffickers was legislated. We meant business in the war against drugs then.

Until the statement by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Mohd Nazri Aziz last Wednesday, I must concede that it never crossed my mind that there are actually some 900 locals and foreigners currently on death row for drug trafficking.

The figure is a total surprise to me, if not a shock. I thought naively that there are probably about 60 to 80 people in our prisons waiting to be hanged. I was thinking more of convicted killers. Surely, there could not be that many murderers in the country.

Now, it is clear that the majority on death row are those involved with drug trafficking. What a tragedy! What a waste!

I have no personal experience with drugs. What I know and feel about drug abuse are the stories told to me or those I’ve read from somewhere. And I can tell you they are not very happy stories.

There was this case of the family members of a former minister whose lives were ruined by drugs. The family fortune went up in smoke soon after the minister’s death because several of his sons were drug addicts. I believe the poor family never recovered.

The question before our legislators today is whether the death penalty should be abolished for drug trafficking.

It seems that our de facto law minister Mohd Nazri is in favour of the move.

One of the reasons for abolishing it, he said, is that it is difficult to appeal to other countries not to hang Malaysians when our country has the same penalty for the same offences.

I do not buy the minister’s argument. If Malaysians overseas commit crimes, then they have to face the wrath of the law there. Period!

If they are aware that the penalty for drug trafficking is death and still commit the crime, then they must face the consequences.

But I agree that the justice system must be fair and transparent. Those sentenced to death must be convicted beyond reasonable doubt. The justice system, in this case, must be perfect. But where can we find a perfect system?

A retired Court of Appeal judge stressed this importance because “if a mistake is made, it would be irreversible”.

He also hoped that parliament would abolish the death sentence because there are other ways of dealing with heinous crimes.

Of the 58 nations that still have the death penalty in their statutes, only 18 are known to carry out executions.

Malaysia is among those countries where the death penalty is mandatory for crimes such as murder, possession of firearms, waging war against the King and drug trafficking.

I would review the death sentence for possession of firearms and waging war against the King. The areas and scopes are far and wide.

But it’s quite straight forward for murder and serious drug-related offences.

I’m sorry but if you kill another human being for whatever reason, then you deserve what’s coming.

I’m sorry but if you want to make easy money by trafficking drugs and ruining lives and destroying families in the process, you also deserve what’s coming. Go get a job, people. Others have to eke out a living too.

Amnesty International says that the death penalty is the ultimate denial of human rights. It is the premeditated and cold-blooded killing of a human being by the state.

Amnesty International says it opposes the death penalty in all cases without exception regardless of the nature of the crime, the characteristics of the offender, or the method used by the state to kill the prisoner.

But Amnesty International, I didn’t hear a squeak from you when Saddam was hanged, Osama was shot dead by an American soldier and Gaddafi was slaughtered on the street by his fellow Libyans.

So the death penalty must be okay for some people and not for others eh? As for me, I think it should be a sentence across the board.

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

The statistics do not lie. No one wants to paint such a gloomy picture of the fatal carnage on our roads.

According to Dato Sri Michael Manyin Jawong, deaths due to road accidents in the state are projected to exceed 470 cases this year based on the number of cases reported thus far.

In the first eight months of this year, the number of road accident deaths in the state totalled 315, lamented the Minister of Infrastructure Development and Communication.

“This equates to mean 1.3 persons die from road accidents every day,” he said.

With 1.3 deaths daily, it means that more than 400 people will die on our roads in Sarawak next year if we continue to take things for granted.

Most times we will say to ourselves, “No, that will not happen to me or my family.” So our ‘tidak apa’ attitude will continue.

We do not bother to send our vehicles for regular servicing. For most car owners, as long as the car can run, it must still be okay. That the vehicle may not be roadworthy is furthest from their minds.

Poor condition of vehicles is also a major factor of road mishaps. When your machine is not road worthy, you are driving into danger and worst, you are also endangering the lives of other road users.

Besides the regular change of engine oil and oil filter, the other major things I focus on with my car are the tyres and the wheels. While a bald tyre is considered a danger, particularly on a wet surface, an out-of-alignment wheel is equally dangerous.

I think we have often been told that as the tyre is the point of contact with the road surface, we must pay special attention to it. Tyre rotation, wheel balancing and alignment must also be attended to on a regular basis.

One of the main causes of a car spinning out of control is tyre blowout. When that happens, the driver will probably panic and an out-of-sync wheel will add to the trauma and danger on the road.

So please people, it’s so important to get your vehicles serviced at regular intervals. Like our body, which will weaken when we get sick, the various components of a car will also get worn out and needed to be fixed.

Another interesting point raised by Michael Manyin is that Malaysian drivers are some of the most indisciplined.

Quoting from a study, he said that 65 per cent of road fatalities in the country were due to the “human factor”.

Surely, we must have experienced the misbehaviour of our drivers on the road or perhaps we are also guilty of such negative traits ourselves.

Failure to give the correct signals when turning, speaking on mobile phones when driving and smoking are among the common bad habits of our drivers. Worse, people are now texting on their mobiles when driving.

We also seem to relish jumping the traffic lights. It’s a thrill to some to whiz past oncoming traffic, missing them by inches. Then we also enjoy overtaking in similar fashion, even against double lines, as if to get our adrenalin up. People, be warned – that could be the last time we’ll see you in one piece if you continue with such road antics.

The survey results conducted in Sarawak as revealed by Manyin are no different from that conducted nationwide in the past – the negative attitude of Malaysian drivers is a major contributing factor to the rising road fatalities in the country.

Two years ago, an online survey on ugly Malaysian drivers revealed that the selfishness and bad attitude of drivers fuels the high incidence of road accidents and deaths on Malaysian roads.

The finding of an online poll conducted as part of the Malaysians Unite for Road Safety (Mufors) initiative is no different – Malaysians should bow their heads in shame as they are really indisciplined drivers.

The Mufors poll revealed that out of 1,500 respondents to date, 36.6 per cent or 549 felt that bad attitude and selfishness were the main reasons behind the high rate of road accidents and deaths on Malaysian roads.

The poll also revealed that human error and careless drivers (30 per cent or 450) are also viewed as factors that contribute to road accidents and deaths.

According to the online poll, road conditions (15 per cent), lack of enforcement (10 per cent), punishment for traffic offences not harsh enough (6.9 per cent) and questionable decisions like discounts for traffic summonses (6.6 per cent) were also seen as reasons for the high incidence of road accidents in the country, albeit to a lesser extent.

According to government statistics, an average of 18 deaths occur on Malaysian roads daily, while road accidents cost the Malaysian economy a staggering RM9.3 billion annually.

These are alarming figures indeed. So what are we going to do about it?

I think we can all start off by getting rid of our negative attitude and bad habits while driving. We know our own negative actions and we have to tell ourselves to act more responsibly when we are behind the wheel.

Lives are at stake. Eighteen people killed a day means 6,480 a year throughout the country. That is more than the total number of people killed during the Second War World in Malaya. Less than that is the number who died in the Egyptian uprising which saw the ouster of a dictator. What a tragedy! What a waste!

In Sarawak, some 400 people are expected to join the statistics of road deaths. If there is a plane crash killing 400 people in the state, that would be described as the worst tragedy in Sarawak and even in Malaysia. But when some 400 people are killed on our roads in the state every year, it seems to be something normal.

I don’t really know what is wrong with us – the drivers. I cannot understand why so many of my fellow Sarawakians or others have to die on the roads in the state.

What I do know however is that driving has to be a pleasure. If we do not enjoy getting behind the wheel, then I suppose we better use public transport.

By doing that, perhaps we could prevent another road accident, another death, another fatal statistic.

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

Among other things, I was informed that I had an outstanding bill of RM3,823.40 from an Internet subscription and that I was to dial ‘6’ to connect to the company for further information.

This was the first time I received such a voice mail from the company. It didn’t sound like a prank. Pressing ‘6’ to connect to the sender was also not a difficult task and I dutifully did so.

I was glad I did. Although the news I received from the supervisor (who told me he was from the Billing Dept) was a surprise, I was not altogether shocked as this was a scam which had occurred all too often. Only this time, I happened to be the victim.

I listened patiently to the details the guy on the other end listed to me. ‘I’ had applied for the VIP package on June 5 this year at the Ampang Point branch in Kuala Lumpur.

It was a package for a monthly fee of RM249. As the package denotes, this was a VIP deal and speedy connection was its main attraction. Of course, when you know that you have no intention to settle any bill, you would ask for the most expensive package.

I was also informed that in the two and a half months, ‘I’ had incurred a total RM3,823.40. Wow! That package was for RM249 per month. How on earth did they run up that whopping amount over such a short period? How did
they manage to slip through so easily?

I later posed this to the supervisor and he told me that the company would only disconnect the subscription after non-payment of bills for two and a half months. I think this is something they have to seriously review as the department is now a target for Internet scams.

In the application form for the VIP package, ‘I’ had also given a phone number (a land line which I never had of course). ‘My’ address was listed at Flat Kenanga in Jalan San Peng, Kuala Lumpur. I have never resided in that part of Kuala Lumpur. For the past decade, the only home I have had and my only residential address is in Petaling Jaya.

The most interesting thing about the whole scam was that ‘I’ had given instruction that the bills were to be paid by auto-debit from ‘my’ bank account.

I was provided with the account number which was given to the telecommunications company for the purpose of auto-debit. I hold an account with the said bank, but when I cross-checked my account number with that given to telecommunications company, the two account numbers were different.

This means only one thing. Someone had used my MyKad to subscribe to the VIP package as well as open an account with the bank.

I’m more interested about how they did it rather than who did it. Why they carried it out is obvious.

The moment I told the supervisor over the phone that I was the victim of a con job, it seems that he believed me almost immediately. I can only say that the guy must have handled many such cases previously. Hence, he wasn’t surprised at all when I told him that I had never applied for the VIP package.

What I subscribe to now are a WiFi service for my home use and broadband, which is convenient when I go travelling. My bills for these two services are less than RM200 a month.

The supervisor then advised me to lodge a report with Bank Negara as he suspected someone had opened a bank account using my ID. He was kind enough to refer me to a Bank Negara number.

He then repeated the details of my case and asked that I noted them down carefully as Bank Negara would need as much information as possible.

I was attended to by a Mr Yong when I called the central bank. The guy was very professional and guided through lodging my complaint promptly.

I was also told not to utilise my bank accounts for three days as Bank Negara would be monitoring any fraudulent attempt to open bank accounts using my ID.

What Mr Yong told me next was something all of us have reason to worry about! That the scam was an inside job. People in positions of authority are responsible for ripping off unsuspecting, innocent victims like you and me. Or they are using you and me, or rather our identities, to rip off other institutions.

This is a very serious matter. It is about public trust. When we deal with people running respectable and dignified institutions, whether private or public, such as banks and government departments, a certain degree of trust comes into the picture.

When we hand over our personal documents such as our MyKads or passports for verification purposes, we trust that they would not be misused.

When that trust is betrayed even by a few people in authority, then the whole system is in danger of collapse. Herein lies the real danger. When public trust no longer exists, the public system no longer works. As Mr Yong of Bank Negara suspected, I also have reason to believe that the opening of ‘my’ account with the bank was an inside job. There have been occasions when the bank requested to photocopy my ID whenever I utilised their money transfer service.

The financial system, especially banks, depends on trust, confidence and integrity more than any other. When we cannot even trust people working in our banks, people who handle our money and who have access to our personal documents, what else can we do except to hold our breaths?

Yes, I am aware that identity theft is a new crime. But I have always been wary about disclosing personal data such as my MyKad number and bank account numbers online. In fact, I have a certain phobia about Internet banking and other than purchasing airline tickets online, I hardly buy anything using my credit card on the Internet.

Even after taking such precautions, I still fell victim to a con job.

It’s sad but I have to say that I will find it a little more difficult to trust those holding positions of authority in our public and private institutions from now on.

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

Some may say that internal party feuds are not uncommon. That’s true. Party leaders do quarrel and fight among themselves at times. Trading tirades among political comrades is common. But the recent episode in Penang is far from ordinary. It’s a serious matter and PR leaders should get to the bottom of the issue quickly.

It was a serious act of sabotage within Penang PKR. Some senior state PKR leaders, who attended a closed-door meeting, leaked an audio recording of the event where Deputy Chief Minister I Mansor Othman had reportedly described his boss Lim Guan Eng as “cocky and arrogant”.

The recording of the meeting held on March 19, was featured on TV3’s prime time news last Tuesday night.

Mansor was clearly heard using the words angkuh (cocky) and sombong (arrogant), as well as describing Lim as a tokong (deity) to the Chinese community.

A news portal reported that ties between the two top state leaders are now at the lowest ebb, with PR sources claiming that “Lim is really pissed off with Mansor”.

Mansor had allegedly voiced these words during the meeting between him and some local Chinese leaders, including incumbent elected representatives.

What is interesting is that this week was not the first time the incident was highlighted in the media. This unpleasant episode emerged in June and is believed to have been resolved soon after following a clarification from Mansor.

But the DCM’s explanation three months ago surely cannot hold any more and he is believed to be ‘guilty as charged’ for casting aspersions on his boss, who is no ordinary man on the street but the chief executive of a state government.

As the Number Two, Mansor should know what should be said and what should never slip from his tongue. Anyone would be pissed off with a deputy who badmouths you behind your back.

Mansor has apparently forgotten that the party he was heading in Penang also has a sizable Chinese membership and some of them may not take lightly of Mansor’s criticism of a Chinese chief minister.

Say what you like. Penang Chinese are happy with Lim’s performance as CM and Chinese members in PKR are naturally proud that it is a PR Chinese leader running the state. They may not be that happy to hear people ridiculing him.

Even for those who claim they are colour blind, Penang is the only state with a Chinese CM and the community is proud of Lim and more so when there is a general consensus that he is doing a decent job.

Penang is a new government and DAP and PKR are the senior partners. It’s already a thankless task to rule a state without any experience in governance and Lim surely expects and needs the undivided loyalty and support from his cabinet colleagues.

Perhaps Mansor is raw and a political newbie. He is Anwar’s man and the second guy chosen to be Lim’s deputy representing PKR.

Let’s put it this way. Both the two men chosen by Anwar were unknown political material. It’s a risk to try out inexperienced hands at the top and perhaps Anwar knows now the risks were not worth it. He is now feeling the heat from Penang DAP, who have to defend their boss naturally.

The first guy Anwar put up as DCM for Penang was a total flop. I can’t even remember the young man’s name now – that’s how irrelevant he is!

Mansor was supposed to be a better candidate than the younger DCM, being much older and more academically qualified. But we are not too sure about that after what happened this week.

His alleged remarks at the meeting were cruel, crude and definitely hitting below the belt. It could be true that Lim has become arrogant and cocky but there are more diplomatic ways to tell off the boss.

This is Utusan Malaysia’s account of Mansor’s uncouth remarks, “Dalam rakaman itu yang disiarkan oleh Buletin Utama malam kelmarin, Mansor dipetik sebagai berkata: Tidak tentu … Belum finalised, dia very arrogant I tell you … Cocky and arrogant. It’s not easy. Now more arrogant. Because dia menang banyak. They are sure of winning 19 and they want more. Because by two more they can form their own government and they can, any two from us to be on their side and abandon us out.”

It’s clear Mansor’s words were spoken in relation to the seat distribution among PR parties for the coming elections.

What’s obvious here is that each party wants more seats. As the next election looms in the horizon, the scramble for seats gets more heated. It’s the same everywhere.

So we now know people from both sides are equally greedy and selfish as they slug it out among themselves for a bigger slice of the cake.

I would just state one important point here — there should be a ‘one candidate one seat’ policy among the PR partners. I agree wholeheartedly with Karpal Singh’s contention on that. There are many able and qualified candidates around now and more people should be given the opportunity to become legislators whether in the state legislative assembly or in parliament.

I think the same policy should be implemented in Sarawak. If there are state assembly representatives who still want to vie for parliamentary seats, I don’t think I’m prepared to support such candidates.

I think there are no more Sarawak BN politicians holding both the state and parliament seats now. PR should follow suit.

Why? Don’t they realise that the mad scramble for seats among PR partners is because there are more candidates than seats available?

This is what prompted Mansor to describe his boss as cocky and arrogant – the DAP leader who wants more seats at the expense of the other partners. And this may well cause Mansor his job as DCM.

So people, keep on quarrelling and fighting over who should be candidates and who should be YBs. You can bet I will never vote for you.

You know why? I find it difficult to believe that there are people who will really fight for the mandate to serve others. He has to be a saint to do that. And we all know that there are no saints among Malaysian politicians.

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

The reality star opened up about her past to Oprah Winfrey as they chatted about the Kardashian family’s rollercoaster celebrity life recently.

The 31-year-old revealed during the in-depth interview that her mother Kris Jenner agreed to put her on birth control as a young teen.

Kim told Oprah she was “almost 15” when her mother gave her the go-ahead because she wanted to lose her virginity to her boyfriend of two years.

“When I did want to have sex the first time I was almost 15.

“I was like, ‘I think I’m going to, or I want to,’ and she was like, ‘Okay, so this is what we’re gonna do, we’re gonna put you on birth control,’ and she was like, really open and honest with me,” Kim related to Oprah.

Wow, how we wish all mothers are that open with their teenage daughters about sex – really open and honest.

Don’t you think it’s about time too that Asian values and cultures should not be taken as excuses for not talking about sex with our children and teaching them how to handle their raging hormones and ever-changing bodies? Why must we always think of sex as a taboo subject? Why can’t we be as open as Westerners, be they Americans or French in implementing sex education in schools early and be able to discuss the subject without shame and reservation?

Nay, there is no need for us to be as candid as the American celebrities in exposing their sex lives on television. At least, we should start with a little sex education at home with our teenage children.

But it isn’t fair to expect only mothers and daughters to do the ‘dirty’ job. What about fathers and sons? Aren’t fathers supposed to talk to their teenage sons about sex too? After all, it takes a boy and a girl to get into ‘trouble’ – in producing an unwanted baby.

Let us be very serious about this issue now. I think we’ve had enough of teenage girls dumping their unwanted babies in dumpsters or by the roadside or flushing them down toilets.

In the case at the Desa Mentari Apartments in Petaling Jaya last Sunday, the frightened unwed mother threw her newborn baby out of her apartment.

As I write this, there was a report that a baby was left in a surau in Terengganu. How many more will be abandoned or dumped in rubbish bins in Kuching, Miri or Johor Baharu over the next few months?

I don’t know whether the police statistics revealing that a total of 400 dumping cases were reported throughout the country over the past five years is serious enough to warrant the authorities to take concrete remedial action.

I read a posting by a former colleague on Facebook on the baby dumping issue and this is what the single woman wrote: “I had a heated argument with mum this morning on this issue, which was being scrutinised over national radio without touching on the need for sex education and preventive measures (as expected). But her only point of contention was ‘how such things rarely happened before and bla bla bla about the good ol’ days’… *haih*”

This is an interesting mother-daughter dialogue (I wouldn’t call it an argument) and an enlightening one too. Hey, it’s ‘sex-lightening’ and this is how it should be. Mothers and daughters should be talking about sex and be as understanding as possible with each other.

Let’s get real. Our young people are going to have sex and they are likely to indulge in sexual activities at an early age. This is something we cannot stop.

Surely, we are aware that our children are being inundated with sexually-charged messages through the media and Internet. It’s quite impossible to watch over what our children are doing in front of the computer at all times.

But what have we offered our young people so far? We only tell them to abstain from sex as if life is really that uncomplicated. Eventually, our teenage daughters will feel ashamed of their bodies and sexuality.

Our so-called Asian values and cultures lead to the creation of a veil of ignorance, and the result will be babies born out of unwanted pregnancies.

We cannot continue to be in denial and think that engaging in premarital sex is a moral issue. Young people (meaning your children and mine) being sexually active is also a public health matter which requires pragmatic solutions.

The reality is our young do not have easy access to reproductive health information and services; some of these young mothers didn’t even know they were pregnant. There are also few facilities and services for them to learn about and prevent unwanted pregnancies, and protect themselves from sexually transmitted diseases.

But beyond all that, we need to stop the condemnation and do what is right for our children. We need to end the shame, remove the stigma and instead offer compassion and support when they need it most.

It does not matter whether we are Asians or Americans or Europeans. Sex is colour blind and it does not discriminate between East and West. We cannot allow our values or cultures to prevent us from doing the right thing – in this case, educating our children on the dangers of unprotected sex and unwanted pregnancies.

This is what is expected of us, parents, teachers, community leaders and politicians in power. Our children must be taught how to handle and tackle their sexuality because a wrong act or a wrong decision may ruin their future.

No, we don’t expect all our mothers and daughters to be in the same league as Kris Jenner and Kim Kardashian. There is no necessity to go on television to reveal your intimate secrets.

Just do what is necessary to know the dangers and stay out of trouble.

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

Oh, was I disappointed. The young dentist did a very poor job. I went to the clinic to have my bridge tightened as it was getting loose. It was a task that requires cementing the bridge which has three teeth.

It was a quick job – all over in less than 10 minutes. Half an hour later, I went back to the clinic after discovering that the cemented bridge was tilting slightly. I believe it happened when the dentist started scrapping the cement residue. She did not take my complaint seriously and said that since the cement had dried, she could not remove the bridge to redo the job.

So I actually have a tilted bridge in my mouth today. You bet I will never go back to that dentist again.

As a matter of interest, the dentist, probably about 30 years old now, studied in Universiti Malaya (UM) as denoted in the patient registration card.

I was wondering whether she was one of those who applied to study medicine in UM but was denied a place. Then she was slotted for dentistry, which possibly was a course she lacked interest in but took up anyway just to get into UM. This is not uncommon.

Herein lies the problem. When students are not particularly interested in a course, they are unlikely to excel in it. Worse, they are not likely to do well in their careers later.

I was reminded of this incident with the dentist after noting the Prime Minister’s speech last Sunday asking medical schools to get serious about offering high quality medical education to lessen the need to send students abroad.

Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak said fewer schools offering high quality medical education would be a far better strategy than having too many offering substandard education.

He said, currently, some students were sent to substandard medical colleges overseas and this had become a perennial problem.

We can all agree with the PM’s statement. The keyword here is ‘substandard’. Sub-standard colleges produce substandard graduates. Imagine a substandard doctor giving a wrong diagnosis of your ailment and a wrong prescription of drugs or a substandard cardiologist performing an angiogram on you.

In the case of the dentist, I received substandard treatment either because UM produces substandard graduates or the graduates themselves did not even qualify for the course in the first place. Whatever way it is, the standard of our graduates is worrying.

This brings us to the standard of education in this country. Guess what? We have a new education blueprint, just fresh from the oven and proudly unveiled by the PM. Of course, this was Education Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s baby.

Let us first be clear about this preliminary education blueprint released last Tuesday. It is the government’s effort for a complete turnaround of the education system so that Malaysians, hopefully, can become better educated.

We must take this opportunity to change direction and move forward from a steady, relative deterioration in our educational standards. A review of our education system in the blueprint has shown how far behind we are.

But we are only too familiar with such blueprints. In the past 13 years, we have had three education ministers and each has produced an education blueprint, but Malaysian educational standards have gone from bad to worse during this period.

Surely, we must find out why the two previous education blueprints of the two former education ministers were not up to the mark and why the results have been negative.

So what do we have to do here? We can always come up with new plans, programmes and blueprints. Ultimately, we really need the political will to pull things through and ensure that the programmes are carried out successfully.

While we must have the political will to see the programmes through, it is also vital that opposing parties in power must really think out of the political box and cooperate by coming up with viable constructive suggestions to improve the education system.

It did cross my mind as to what will happen to this education blueprint in the event of a change of government over the next six months after the general election. Will the new government with a new education minister come up with another blueprint?

Education is not something for politicians to quarrel over. Education should be above politics.

We have already messed up education in this country. See how we flip-flopped over the English issue and the teaching of Science and Mathematics. We were not consistent in our education policies and that was how we went under education-wise.

One distinct improvement with Muhyiddin’s blueprint this time is that there are targets for achievement, timelines and action plans to get our education there. This is a welcome change for what is a plan if there are no targets to achieve.

While we must commend the report as it has extensively collected views of different parties and addressed the fact that the primary and secondary education standards of our country are lagging behind international ones, the Education Ministry must also take note of the concerns expressed by other groups.

For example, I find the issues raised by Asli Centre of Public Policy Studies (CPPS) chairman Tan Sri Ramon Navaratnam worthy of mention here. He pointed to these five major gaps in the report. These are:

• Recommendations on how to improve Bahasa Malaysia and English language proficiency in vernacular schools need to be spelled out to ensure proper implementation;

• There is no mention of the need to maintain the ‘ethnic balance’ of the teaching staff;

• The causes of ethnically homogeneous environments in schools were not adequately noted nor addressed;

• The document lacks “substantive data and statistics” such as the breakdown of data among the 20 categories of schools across the nation, unlike previous education plans; and,

• There is no mention of how national-type schools can be incorporated as fully-funded and national schools.

I also find Ramon’s statement that many of the community concerns raised by ordinary citizens and parents have been censured by some professionals and foreign and local consultants rather disturbing.

I am highlighting his concerns not only because he is a friend but because he is truly apolitical and a former senior civil servant who has served the government and country with distinction all his working life. I can trust that he wants nothing but the best for the nation and people.

But I am also comforted that the government is seeking public feedback on the preliminary blueprint for education (2013 to 2025), with the final plans to be presented to the cabinet in December.

We must never politicise an issue as important as education. Education is about our children’s future and in turn, it is about the destiny of our nation. Education should always be above politics.

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

On Wednesday, I watched the former president on television delivering a spirited defence of President Barack Obama’s handling of the nation’s struggling economy and giving him an enthusiastic endorsement as president for another term.

When he delivered a lecture in Kuala Lumpur several years ago, Clinton spoke in a low, soft tone. That too captured the audience’s rapt attention.

After all, it’s not every day that we have a former US president speaking before us in Malaysia.

The Bill Clinton on Wednesday in North Carolina was different. In a fiery speech formally nominating Obama for a second term, Clinton argued in his distinct, raised voice that the president has spent the past four years putting in place policies that will lead to a more vibrant and balanced economy and asserted that, despite problems, Americans are “clearly better off” than they were when the president was sworn into office.

Everyone present had only praises for Clinton, who at 66 now, projected the very image of an American senior statesman.

Indeed, Clinton is a statesman. Four years ago, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama were political foes when Hillary Clinton and Obama were locked in a bruising battle for the Democratic presidential ticket.

But we can witness how top American politicians are able to move forward with pride and dignity and how political rivals could set aside their differences and come together to work in the interests of the nation.

The Democratic National Convention and Bill Clinton’s statesman-like endorsement of once-rival Barack Obama should compel us to draw comparisons back home.

The US presidential election is due in November this year.

It’s a fixed deal. Every four years, the Americans will elect a new president or re-elect the incumbent for a second and final four-year term.

The man elected president in November will be sworn into office the following January. It has been clockwork precision all along – November elections, January swearing-in every four years.

Unfortunately for Malaysians who favour a fixed election date like the US presidential polls, that’s not the case with the Westminster system of parliamentary democracy practised here.

We have elections every five years but then, elections can also be called anytime within the five-year period by the prime minister or the leader of the ruling party.

This has given rise to a lot of speculations, rumours, anguish and anxiety too.

For these reasons, I also favour a fixed election date.

Interestingly, last year the Parliamentary Select Committee on Electoral Reform said it would study a suggestion for the date of Malaysia’s general election to be made known months ahead for voters to be well prepared for it.

Its chairman Datuk Dr Maximus Ongkili said the suggestion, raised by the Penang PKR, had its merits and demerits.

Ongkili said while the suggestion could help reduce politicking, as people would know the election date much earlier without the element of surprise, some quarters might exploit the situation to start campaigning early.

It has been over a year with no new development on the matter.

This is disappointing.

This week, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak gave the strongest hint yet of the election date. Like the US presidential election, he pointed to a November polls.

Speaking in Sabah, Najib brought his favourite number 11 into prominence, saying that the double digits were “significant” this year because 2012 is the 66th year of Umno, with Malaysia marking the 55th year of Merdeka and Sabah Umno notching 22 years.

“All these numbers could be multiplied by 11,” he said. “Six times 11 equals 66, five times 11 equals 55 and 2 times 11 equals 22. The factor of 11 appears in all. It is unique and good.”

Even though I pay little or no attention to astrology and feng shui, it’s interesting to read what one astrologer has to say about Najib’s electoral hint.

According to astrologer Master Yuvaraj Sowma of Tamil Nadu in India, the “auspicious” election dates for Najib, based on Vedic astrology, are Nov 5, 14 and 23.

“The dates were regarded suitable when read with the Prime Minister’s date of birth – July 23, 1953,” he said.

Yuvaraj was quoted in a national daily as saying that the plus point for Najib was that he shared the same moon of Virchika (Scorpio) with Barisan Nasional, formed on July 1, 1974.

Yuvaraj said November and December appeared to be the most favourable period for Najib to call for the general election because the planet Jupiter would have a strong positive influence on his zodiac sign.

“The good period continues until May 2013 and the Prime Minister should take advantage of the favourable planetary position,” said Yuvaraj.

He said that although Barisan was expected to face a tough challenge because the planet Saturn would also have some similar influence in November, the ruling coalition would emerge better than in the last general election.

“This is simply because the ruling stars governing Najib’s horoscope are strong and favourable,” he said. Yuvaraj said the 11th month symbolises “gain and divinity” and would also be the best period to woo voters because they would be in a more cheerful mood. Whatever hint, whatever astrology may predict, one thing is certain – the 13th general election must be held before June next year.

Another issue which bugs me is how unforgiving our Malaysian politicians can be.

Unlike Bill Clinton who let bygones be bygones (and certainly not because Obama appointed Hillary as Secretary of State) and supported President Obama because he was a good man to lead the nation, our politicians seem to bear grudges against each other forever.

I need not mention names here because these examples involve prominent personalities. We have a former prime minister who is still unable to forgive his deputy whom he sacked 14 long years ago.

Now and again, he would remind Malaysians of the personal weaknesses of his fallen but ambitious deputy so that he would not be elected to lead the country.

I feel sad and pity the octogenarian for being so unforgiving. After all, people make mistakes and many could turn over a new leaf. But this man could not forgive, nor forget.

Then, we have a sitting PM and an aspiring PM, once buddies in the same party but now sworn enemies and bitter to the core.

You can feel that every day, one would be waiting for the other to make a wrong move so that he would be surprised with a lethal punch to end his political career.

We have only heard all too often how they tried to run each other down with allegations and accusations of intimate details of their personal life.

This juicy material may be media fodder but is hardly what we need and expect from our top political leaders. If the top guys have such negative characteristics, what can we expect from the others below them.

A wise man once said, “A politician thinks of the next election while a statesman thinks of the next generation”.

It wouldn’t be difficult for us to choose the category the majority of our Malaysian politicians belong to. Hey people, still anxious about the elections? Are you sure you know the type of politician vying for your vote?

Is he a mere politician or do you think that one day he would make a statesman?

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

America’s richest and most well-known talk show host regularly brought up the ugly, violent incident in her life during her show. She had good reasons for doing that.

Rape, in Oprah’s own words and nightmarish experience, is a heinous crime which leaves permanent scars, both physical and emotional, on the victims. Therefore it is important for victims to be prepared to testify against their molesters in order to see that justice is served.

There is no doubt that Oprah has been a great influence, and an effective one at that, in bringing perpetrators of sexual crimes to book and seeking redresses for victims.

To Oprah, it does not matter whether it was a man raping a girl or a woman raping a boy. In one of her shows in 2010, a man who said he was raped by his mother when he was a boy, shared details of his horrific childhood. His story inspired even more victims to come forward.

“That is exactly the reason why I wanted to do these shows,” Oprah said. “To get people to step out of the shame, to come forward, to tell somebody. Rape is dirty. If committed against innocent children, it’s the worst crime ever.”

Back home, rape against minors became a topic of great interest and intense debate this week when two young men were bound over after being found guilty of raping their underaged girlfriends.

I cannot recall such judgements in our courts in recent times. So it must have been quite extraordinary cases to fuel a national debate of such intensity. Almost every group has a thing or two to say about it.

The two men in question were former national youth squad bowler Noor Afizal Azizan and Penang electrician Chuah Guan Jiu.

Noor Afizal took his 13-year-old girlfriend to a hotel to spend the night with while Chuah ‘coaxed’ a 12-year-old schoolgirl to his flat instead of to school. Both the two men are 21.

Noor Afizal and Chuah were found guilty of raping the underaged girls, but were not jailed. They were bound over for five years and three years respectively on an RM25,000 good behaviour bond. Their young age was said to play a major role in their ‘light’ sentences. Noor Afizal was 19 when he committed the crime.

Most of us will not be able to fully comprehend the decisions of the two judges but any layman will know that in this country, and indeed in any civilised community, it’s a crime to rape another person, let alone a minor. The law on statutory rape in Malaysia is clear.

Section 375(g) of the Penal Code states unequivocally that a man has committed statutory rape if he has sexual intercourse with a girl under 16 years of age, with or without her consent.

It is rooted in the presumption that girls below 16 have not attained the mental maturity to consent to sex, and this law was enacted to protect children from abuse. It places the onus on those around her to not have sexual intercourse with her, even if she gives consent, because she is not deemed mature enough to give consent.

With this Penal Code section as clear as daylight, the growling voices coming from across the board against the lenient sentences were understandable.

Suhakam, NGOs, politicians, lawyers, women’s and children’s rights groups have expressed their surprise and disappointment. Even Bukit Aman seemed uncomfortable with the judgement, although the IGP diplomatically claimed that the police were not demotivated by the lenient sentences.

That these cases may set a precedent in future is a legitimate concern which warrants a second, serious look at the whole issue.

It starts a precedent that it is all right to have sex with minors. Hey, people it’s okay to have sex with those below 16 as long as it’s consensual. Young people can now have sex openly because if you’re caught, you would not be jailed. Just bound over – so lenient, don’t worry! Is this the message we are sending out to sexual predators out there?

Let me create a familiar rape scenario in Sarawak. If a 19-year-old timber camp worker were to rape a 12-year-old girl in the Baram, it’s okay lah! The guy is young, has a bright future. He is a breadwinner for his family too. No point to jail him lah. Let him go.

The conclusion: The rapists have bright futures, the victims have bleak futures. No one will probably speak for the girl who was raped just as not a squeak was heard for the 13-year-old girl Noor Afizal took to a hotel to spend the night with, or the 12-year-old schoolgirl who was ‘coaxed’ to go to her 21-year-old electrician boyfriend’s flat instead of to school because he said he was too sick to take her.

Let it be made abundantly clear to all, whether we are humble laymen or judges who can virtually decide whether we live or die, one fact that stays – the girls were only 12 and 13. Are there not still considered children?

To me, it does not matter whether they were prepubescent girls who were deemed to have consented to sex with the older boys they were dating. I find it impossible for kids that age to decide whether it’s right or wrong to engage in sexual activities.

Seriously, they are not even old enough to consume alcohol, legally buy cigarettes, or even obtain medical treatment if they have contracted sexual transmitted diseases.

I’m glad that the public outcry over the light sentences has prompted the government to sit up and take notice.

The Ministry of Women, Family And Community Development said on Thursday that the government will re-evaluate existing laws on statutory rape to ensure victims are adequately protected and perpetrators receive sentences that match the crime.

“The ministry respects the decision of the courts in sentencing the two adult men who were found guilty of statutory rape recently. But at the same time we view seriously the views of the public who consider the sentences light and not commensurate with the crime,” it said in a statement.

I hope the matter would be placed as a top priority in the ministry’s agenda because it would be fatal to send the wrong signals to the public.

Sadly, the Oprah Winfrey Show is no more. After 25 years of history-making, life-changing television, Oprah bade farewell to her show in May last year.

Otherwise, I would love to have the foursome (rapists and “consenting” victims) brought before Oprah.

And surely, the vocal TV host would have a thing or two to say of the lenient sentences.

You know, some things are better said by those outside the country, including ticking off the bench.

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