Malaysian school girls bullying

I saw this, do you think its real?
Looks like it has been uploaded 11 months ago. Hvent seen this report in Malaysiakini before.

Malaysian School Girls Bullies. - Amazing videos are here

What is fair wages Mr Prime Minister?

Continuing yesterdays posting, we shall ask this question to our Prime Minister, "What is fair wages, Mr Prime Minister?"
Even though you said that no nation whishes to keep wages artificially low, dont you realise that is exactly what you let your people do?
You have done nothing to dismantle the draconian laws that prevent workers from forming strong unions to fight for their due rights and compensations.
You let in millions of immigrants, most of them illegals to enter the country and compete with local workers for jobs, which results in suppression of wage rate. Has our wage rate gone up in the past 10 years? Has the price of goods gone up in the past 10 years? (Certainly, and by a huge amount.)

See what your Human Resources Minister has done, he formulate a law that disadvantage workers more. Read in Malaysiakini.
Read the letter from JERIT.
“Economic progress should improve the lives of all who contribute to its growth,” he said.
But so far, the people who contribute and sacrifice most for this economic progress have receive nothing, and worse their lives are getting worse by the day.


Abdullah: Pay workers fair wages

KUALA LUMPUR: All workers should be paid wages which are commensurate with their productivity and value addition, said Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

“This is only fair and appropriate,” the Prime Minister said in his speech at the UNI APRO 2nd Asia-Pacific Regional Conference. UNI is short for Union Network International.

He believed that “no nation wishes to suppress wages or keep wages artificially low in order to attract investment.”

Nevertheless, he said what was “fair and appropriate” to employers and employees should also be dictated by prevailing market conditions and relevant commercial considerations.

“After all, companies and nations must be bound by rules of the market economy. Nations can and must establish sufficient protection against unfettered markets,” he added.

Abdullah said nations should understand the law of supply and demand, which ultimately means that nations and workers should ensure that they could offer value to the world’s markets.

“Wages, welfare and well-being (of the people) depend on how much value one can produce,” he said.

It is vital for governments and workers, he added, to share a strong understanding not only of each others’ needs but also of the challenges.

“With a strong understanding, we will see that economic progress and the advancement of living standards of workers need not conflict and can in fact go hand-in-hand.

“Economic progress should improve the lives of all who contribute to its growth,” he said.

Abdullah added that understanding how this could be achieved in the context of today’s world should be a task not only for governments but also for worker groups.

Lets call for Human Resources Minister's resignation.

Sound a bit harsh? Not really.
But what can we do when the Minister concerned does not act in the best interest of workers? I am happy that he got an ear clapping from our Parliamentarian yesterday.
After all, who does he represent? Our workers or the rich taiko? We know that workers, as represented by MTUC dont have big clout or deep pocket.
So the BIG question is, who is our Human Resource Minister acting for? If his interest is to keep wages low so that companies will stay competitive, draw fat profits, then he is not acting in the interest of workers. I can safely charge that he is acting for the interest of neocons, capitalists and taikos.

Which bring us to the next question. Is the Prime Minister acting on our behalf, our interest the ordinary Malaysians? Read this in Malaysiakini article.

It says "No nations want to keep wages low BUT.."
Dont read the "No nation want to keep wages low", instead read carefully the essence after the word BUT.
It means our Prime Minister doesnt care how difficult it is for the lowly workers to make a living on RM400 a month as penoreh getah or RM600 a month as machine operator in a factory. All he cares is that the company that invest in the newly established industrial estates make huge profits, which in turn will spur more investment from overseas. Multinational companies would open new factories here, if we dont have enough workers, let open up our country to foreign workers from neighbouring countries.
Why?
Companies needing land for factories, so our powerful UMNO people could lobby State EXCO to convert agricultural land and hutan simpan to industrial purposes. UMNO people would buy the agricultural land at cheap prices and resell at premium as industrial land.
Remember PKFZ?
Then foreign workers agency would reap more profits bringing in foreign workers to work in the newly built factories.

Money to be made evrywhere, why bother fighting for the lost cause.. our local workers.

Proof: Govt doesnt care about workers, poor and downtrodden.

50 years after independent, Malaysia is still ruled by the same coalition since before the Independence Day. It was a coalition of conservatives back then, and the party within BN has moves progressively to be more and more conservative. Neocons for short. If this is USA, Republicans would have been rubbing their hands and feets with glee.

Just about every time workers union asking for better working condition and better wages, Govt would invent every excuses under the sun to say 'NO'. A big NO. Meanwhile every May Day, on the Workers Day gathering, the PM would invariably say that workers are the backbone of the country, work hard, bla bla, 'our competitive advantage depends on you workers'.
Read this report in Malaysiakini, there is scant disregard for the welfare of workers. Even though workers make up the majority of the voters in Malaysia.

Why does this happen?
Because workers, trade unions or workers unions does not exercise their block voting power. Basically the workers are fragmented, they dont act as a political power broker. How many workers under the sway of MTUC and its affiliates? 10 millions? If they act as a block political power broker, and tell the Govt of the day, "do this or you lose our support" then the Govt might listen.
And MTUC must prove it too, say this coming election MTUC shall withdraw their support to Govt coalition, and make the Opposition win. Then maybe the Govt of the day would listen to MTUC.

See this report here, its as if MTUC is nothing. They are regarded as nuisance by the Govt. Thats why Govt dont even bat their eyelids for MTUC.

Charles Hector sums it up nicely in his letter, that we have ourselves to blame. We are apathetic,
"The biggest problem with Malaysians has been self-centeredness and fear. Fear of being persecuted if it is known that they voted for the opposition. To this, I would say think about the future of your children and their children (or just other Malaysians) and bravely express your dissatisfaction with the BN government with your vote in the coming election."

No Signage, just a quiet sanctuary

Since the past Ramadan, a year ago, I have been to this musalla for Friday prayer more often than Deans Avenue Mosque. Every Friday the khatib is almost always Br Farid, the homeopathy doctor on wheelchair. His sermon is simple, and touch the basics. Not too complicated. Thats why I like going for Friday prayer there. Maybe because I am such a simple person and still cant get to grip beyond the basics. Being on wheelchair, Br Farid cant lead the prayer, so normally Br Ishak lead the Friday prayer.

Another thing I like is that its not too crowded for Friday prayer. Plenty of empty spaces. Everyone is tolerated, people dont scold you if leave some part of your aurat uncovered if you are a woman (hair, wearing jeans etc. Some of the ladies even chat at the back during sermon.
What can we do, people are at different stages of their understanding on Islam. And we should not tell or remind our fellow Muslim in public in a way that would embarass them. If we still cant figure out how to tell our friend this and that, well let it pass, for the time being, until we can figure out how, in a nice way.

One time I even see 3 Shiah followers joining Friday prayer. How do I know they were Shiah? They have this stone in their pocket, which they put down on the ground, in place where your forehead touch the ground, when doing prayer. Or if a Shiah dont bring along this stone, ie dont have one, he will put a piece of cloth, e.g. hankerchief on the ground.
I havent seen a Shiah at the Deans Ave Mosque for years. Shiah followers are not welcome there. The last time a Shiah joined Friday prayer regularly at Deans Ave Mosque was Br Mohsin back in 80's.

Culture and Corruption II

Ove 2 years ago, I wrote about Culture and Corruption, how our culture, Malaysian culture that is, could be the main reason that contribute to the corrupt practices in our everyday lives. That article was in Malaysia-today in 2004.

It seems that corruption, palm greasing is our way of life. In the beginning, politicians court our votes to gain power, on the premises of good governance, development and better lives in their constituency. With this power, they in turn being courted by businesspeople for their power and influence to sway development contracts, even jobs.
I give you one example. Back in 77, my sister was married to a man in Tg Karang. Her brother in law was married to the adopted daughter of Datuk Kamaruzzaman Ahmad, the then Ketua UMNO Tg Karang. He didnt have job back then, so this ADUN and EXCO member told his son in law to apply for a job of general worker at Majlis Daerah Tg Karang. So the SIL applied for the job and attend interview as per normal. When he came in for interview, he heard people in the office talking among themselves; 'Is he the one?' and 'Yes' etc.
Of course he got the job.
That Datuk was well known even back then to be corrupt. And he always played the racial card, that the Malays have nothing but their political power. It was well known throughout 70's and 80's that the Malays of Tg Karang overwhelmingly voted for the Opposition, normally PAS. But BN always win with significant majority because of Tg Karang Chinese votes.
Guess who got the jobs building schools, bridges and roads?

See this report in Malaysiakini of another corrupt practice. And here.

Its all the same.....
The Malay politician, Abd Rahman Palil (that sound like Javanese name, and Klang has many of Javanese descent) through his influence and power secured a deal to buy a piece of land, (whether private or State land, who knows) onsell to this entity PKFZ which is subsidiary of Port Klang (Govt company), with the help of Malaysian Chinese developers and businesspeople (see a Wanita MCA there)...
To cut the story short, they all are in cahoot with each other to ROB our country of RM1billion or there about.

And the money goes.. to fund the next election campaign.. with some small change (which may amount to some millions) to Abd Rahman Palil and sekutu..

Welcome to Malaysia.
Good that Dubai people pull out.

Kawanku; by Namewee

Looks like Namewee, is still in trouble. See this report in Malaysiakini.

See his performance, oops listen to it with some translation in Youtube.



In the end section of this Youtube performance, the Bumi bashing section, he said Malays/Bumi, are practically 'tidor'.
Just say, 'Orang Cina balik China lah' or something to that effect. Chinese go back to China.
So what happen to Malaysia if all Chinese gone back to China? Will everything shut down? Because Chinese Malaysian have a stranglehold on the Malaysia economy?

To answer from a Malay point of view, nothing that bad happen. Who said that Chinese have a stranglehold on Malaysian economy? There are thousands of Malays, Indian, Iban, Kadazans ready to step forward and roll up their sleeves. Just give them chance, they will move and take over.

Chinese businesses managed to stranglehold the economy in the past because they manage to buddy up people in the government, and get preference treatment and use alibaba connections to win business.
I know... I was a supermarket buyer years ago.

There you go, its not that hard to aplogize..

Yesterday, I wrote that Namewee should apologize, and today in Malaysiakini I read this report that He has apologize.
I hope this laid to rest the ghost of Merdeka and Negaraku.

Sometimes we dont understand why we apologize, for we dont think we have done nothing wrong. But, some people might have feel slighted by our actions and words. So its best that we humbly apologize, for humility is good for our soul.

NegaraKuKu: Harian Metro terabai
Wee Meng Chee
Aug 14, 07 4:55pm Adjust font size:

Pada 7 Ogos, saya mendapat tahu dari beberapa pihak tentang surat khabar Melayu Harian Metro dan berita dari televisyen melaporkan hasil ciptaan lagu saya baru-baru ini yang telah melanggar undang undang di Malaysia.

Tetapi selepas saya membaca berita-berita yang berkenaan, saya mendapati bahawa berita yang dilaporkan oleh suratkhabar Metro mempunyai kesilapan yang berat. Pihak pemberita Metro menggunakan cara yang agak subjektif untuk melaporkan berita ini dan menyebabkan masyarakat salah faham tentang hasil karyaan yang telah saya ciptakan.

Pertama, pihak Metro mengatakan hasil ciptaan lagu saya telah menghina negara, bangsa, agama dan kerajaan tanpa memahami maksud tersirat lirik tersebut.

Kedua, pihak Metro tidak menterjemahkan lirik Bahasa Cina ke Bahasa Malaysia agar pihak orangramai boleh memahami lirik tersebut dan menilai maksud yang disampaikan ataupun adakah lirik saya ini telah menghina negara, bangsa, agama ataupun kerajaan.

Disebabkan ini ialah lagu Bahasa Cina, masyarakat Melayu tidak dapat memahami maksud yang hendak disampaikan dan mereka hanya boleh mengetahui maksud lirik ini melalui pihak media. Saya berasa pihak media, disebabkan faktor hasil jualan, telah melaporkan perkara yang tidak benar dengan tidak profesional.

Di sini, saya ingin menerangkan beberapa keraguan dalam isu ini.

1. Sebab apa saya mencipta lagu ini pada awalnya

Saya minat bermain muzik. Kali ini, saya menggunakan lagu NegaraKu sempena hari Kemerdekaan yang akan datang. Saya tidak berniat untuk menghina negara tercinta – Malaysia. Terdapat banyak cara untuk mencipta sebuah lagu dan salah satu cara ialah 'sampling' yang akan menjadikan sebuah lagu mempunya ‘effect’ lain. Dalam kes ini, saya telah memilih lagu NegaraKu.

Apa yang saya hendak fokus atas disini adalah lagu NegaraKu adalah sebuah lagu yang perlu dihormati. Dengan itu, apabila saya mencipta lagu ini saya tidak mengubah melodi dan lirik lagu NegaraKu tetapi saya mengunakan melodi dan lirik asalnya. Namun begitu, saya megubahkan cara untuk mempersembahkan lagu ini kepada cara R&B.

Sebelum ini, terdapat ramai orang mengubah cara nyanyian lagu NegaraKu di pelbagai persembahan terbuka termasuk sambutan sempena Hari Kemerdekaan. Berdasarkan dari segi muzik, sekiranya lagu ciptaan tetap mengamalkan maksud asalnya, saya berasa tidak ada apa-apa yang tidak kena. Tetapi kalau hasil ciptaan saya betul-betul melanggar undang-undang, saya berasa amat kesal.

2. Menegaskan kebenaran

Lagu ini cuma menglibatkan lirik NegaraKu di bahagian korus manakala di bahagian ‘vers’e saya telah menggunakan kemahiran rap. Lirik dalam bahagian rap yang saya mempersembahkan kebanyakan adalah berdasarkan dari apa yang pernah saya atau kawan saya alami. Apa yang saya hendak fokus disini ialah saya menggunakan cara huraian untuk menyampaikan maksud lagu tersebut dan bukannya mengkritik.

Tujuannya ialah untuk membiarkan pendengar menilaikan betul-salahnya. Contohnya, dalam lirik lagu itu, saya ada mengatakan orang Cina sukar mendapat tawaran dari universiti tempatan tetapi saya tidak mengesahkan bahawa itu adalah satu perkara yang baik atau tidak. Saya cuma menghuraikan perkara tersebut dan membiarkan pendengar menentu sekiranya perkara tersebut adakah betul atau salah.

3. Tidak menghina agama

Sekali lagi saya menerangkan bahawa saya tidak mengkritik apa-apa termasuk agama. Salah satu dari bahagian lirik saya ada mengatakan yang sebahagian orang Islam melafazkan al-Quran ‘out of tune’, ada pula yang pecah nada, dan ada yang macam kokokan ayam. Lirik-lirik yang saya huraikan diatas, saya ada menyatakan sebahagian dari mereka yang melafazkan al-Quran dan bukannya semua orang.

Saya sebagai seorang ahli muzik boleh membezakan penyanyi yang ‘out of tune’ ataupun pecah nada. Sekali lagi saya menerangkan yang saya tidak mengkritik sebarang tentang agama tetapi saya cuma menyuarakan kemahiran mereka di bahagian nyanyian seperti apabila kami dengar kawan-kawan kita nyanyi tidak bagus dan menyuarakan pendapat sahaja. Saya harap masyarakat tidak terlalu sensitif terhadap isu ini dan sememangnya saya sendiri amat menghormat setiap agama kerana agama tidak boleh dilanggar.

4. Gangguan yang dialami kerana kesalahan yang dibuat dari pihak media


Disebabkan kesalahan pihak media melaporkan berita ini, ia menyebabkan orang ramai tidak boleh menilaikan betul-salah isi kandungan lirik lagu ini dan ia juga mengancam keselamatan keluarga saya. Saya menerima koment-koment dari sesetengah pihak bloggers yang mengatakan mereka hendak membakar rumah dan membunuh saya.

Di sini, saya berharap orang baik di luar sana akan menterjemahkan lirik Bahasa Cina ini kepada Bahasa Malaysia supaya orang ramai boleh memahami isi tersirat yang ingin saya sampaikan dan biarlah orang ramai tahu yang saya sebenarnya tidak berniat jahat dalam ciptaan lagu ini. Sebenarnya saya sendiri mempunyai ramai kawan Melayu sejak kecil dulu dan saya tidak ingin kehilangan sahabat-sahabat karib saya disebabkan kesilapan laporan berita ini.

5. Sekiranya lagu ini tidak mengapi-apikan masyarakat

Selain dari bersikap tidak adil terhadap saya, pihak media yang berkenaan juga mengatakan lagu ciptaan saya mengapi-apikan masyarakat. Bagi saya, kalau sebuah lagu tidak mengapi-apikan masyarakat, apatah lagi peperangan atau salah faham yang akan berlaku?

Saya percaya bahawa rakyat Malaysia mempunyai kemampuan untuk bernilai sesuatu perkara sama ada betul atau salah. Sekiranya orang ramai faham dengan lirik dalam lagu ini, mereka akan tahu lagu ini semata-mata hanyalah untuk hiburan. Disebaliknya, pihak media yang melaporkan perkara ini dengan tidak profesional dan subjektif. Ini adalah satu perkara yang serious dan saya berharap pihak media boleh memperbetulkan berita yang tidak betul itu dan menjamin saya dan keluarga saya selamat.

6. Lirik lagu patut diterjemahkan

Saya sungguh-sungguh berharapkan sesiapa yang boleh menterjemahkan lirik lagu ini dari Bahasa Cina ke Bahasa Melayu agar orang Melayu mengetahui apa maksud lirik dalam lagu ini. Dengan ini, mereka juga boleh menilai samaada saya menghina negara, rakyat, agama ataupun kerajaan. Dengan ini juga ia boleh memberi saya, masyarakat Melayu, masyarakat Cina mahupun rakyat Malaysia satu pesanan yang adil.





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Nota editor: Wee Meng Chee hari ini mengeluarkan suatu kenyataan untuk meminta maaf terhadap semua pihak yang tersinggung dan terhina oleh kerana klip video yang dibuatnya.

Namewee, Negaraku, Negarakuku, Terang bulan and Memula Moon

Poor Namewee must be pissing in his pants now that his rap creation has blown out of proportion...
It was reported on Malaysiakini that his father was called to Muar? police station to give statement, and his father said that the police advised him to tell Namewee to apologize in all languages, Bahasa Malaysia, Mandarin, Tamil etc.
I would say that the police were right in advising Namewee to apologize. Some people take it as insulting that Namewee sing Negaraku mixed in rap form.
Mind you I dont understand the Mandarin part.
To be honest, he is not the only one in the past 50 years singing Negaraku in different tempo and form, doing mix and match.
When I was in high school, at TIKL, some of us played guitar and sang Negaraku in faster tempo, rock to be exact. The guru disiplin, Cikgu Baharom (if I am not mistaken)heard it and punished us by sending us to work class, doing work cleaning school after class in the afternoon.
We kids thought nothing of it, a more upbeat Negaraku would make us more active and positive. So we thought.
I reckon Namewee should just apologize. There are people who feel being slighted by his song. And these people may cause him no end of trouble.

Watch him on Youtube here.



In America, major TV media advertise a WARNING during prime time, advising people, youngster, well just everybody that the internet/online media is not like notice board in the kitchen or staffroom. If you put up anything on online media, you simply cannot take it back, err, like on the notice board.
No matter how hard you try to take it back, ask and beg people to take down your posting, it would keep propping up.

Welcome to my place, Visitor

I do check visitor page on my blog. Someyimes I check on Google Earth and look at the map, where is that place, and all that.

Some place reminds me that I had been there some time in my life.
Take this for example:

Kampung Suharto, Malaysia Thu, 09 Aug 2007 00:21:49 -0500
Singapore, Singapore Wed, 08 Aug 2007 23:42:21 -0500
Kampong Bukit Lanjan, Malaysia Wed, 08 Aug 2007 23:23:40 -0500

I have been to Kampung Suharto only once, back in 1984. It was a Felda settlement just on the other side of hutan simpan at the back of coastal Tanjong Karang/Sabak Bernam. But back then , even now, there is only one road, near Sungai Besar that connect coastal Selangor with inland Selangor. Back then it was mostly kelapa sawit, with a big Felda factory near Kampung Suharto.

Why I went there? My uncle, Suriadi was a Felda settler and lived there. We always called him by his nickname, Pak Gendu. He is my mother's younger brother. My older brother was getting married back then. As always our custom, we had to physically invite our closest relatives ourselves when we are having a big kenduris. Kenduri kahwin is a big kenduri by any standard. A time for family get together, so we know our kith and kins. Something that is obviously missing in Western societies. Too expensive I suppose.
So that afternoon, some time in December of 1984, three bothers (me, Kang Ron and Kholid drove in a Mini Cooper to Sungai Besar up to Simpang Lima (is that right?) and then inland pass the hutan simpan and onto Tanjung Malim road and then to Kampung Suharto.

Pak Gendu told us stories of big ular sawa, as big as batang kelapa crossing the main road, of his car one time broke down in the middle of nowhere near hutan etc.

That Kampung Bukit Lanjan that I highlighted? Isnt that kampung orang asli across the road from Kampung Sungai Penchala? Been there once. Back in 1993 I was working for a Japanese appliance/electrical products company called Ken Sasaki. One day me and the driver were to deliver this washing machine to a radio announcer/reader who lived in the village. There was a kedai runcit at the entrance of the village, so we asked this person name's house (forgot her name, but I do remember her daughter was good looking) and a villager on a motorbike showed us a house. But it was not the right one. Then to another house, but that house has no electricity, not likely, and finally to a wooden bungalow not far from the kedai runcit!
We installed the washing machine, waited until one load of washing completed, had a cuppa. Nice. Feel like home.

Income Dist, Minimum Wage Etc

I wrote this a couple of weeks a go. Only today this appear on Malaysiakini letter. Been slack since then..
Too much TV..and a bit preoccupied with my listings on www.trademe.co.nz not that I am making millions..

Minimum wage for both foreign and local workers
Noor Yahaya HamzahAug 7, 07 6:22pm Adjust font size:

I refer to the letter Taxing rich to pay poor is daylight robbery.


Ideally, in a free labour market, free capital market and free goods market, everyone would be justly compensated, whether he is an entrepreneur, public/private servant or self employed.

Ideally, all who earn a living would chip in for the care and expenses of those who are unable to work, ie the incapacitated, the old and the very young. In one way or another.

In a civilised society like Malaysia, we elect a government to act on our behalf to do the things that we cannot do ourselves to attain a civilised society, ie defence, policing, taking care or the weak in society and fair distribution of national income.

Why are taking care of the weak in society and fair distribution of national income important? Because that is related to peace and rate of crime. If the rich are hogging a large portion of resources (read: wealth) and the poor are hungry, very soon the poor would just take (read: steal, rob) from the rich. 'What you don’t want to give, we will take.'

We have seen this from many ‘unrests’ and revolutions in history. No one came out the winner, neither the rich nor the poor.

Now back to the main theme of minimum wage. Ideally, I would 100 percent support legislation for a Minimum Wage Law. That is the first choice. Everyone should be paid at least a minimum wage, on ‘pro rata’ basis. I would go further to suggest that it is set on hourly rate basis. Just like in the Western Europe. There is nothing wrong in following a good example.

When I say everyone, it means just that, whether a local or foreign worker. I do not condone discrimination, and I loath to see rampant discrimination in my homeland Malaysia.

If the government is incapable or unwilling to do that, (what kind of government is this?) I would suggest setting a standard minimum living income/wage for at least for the Malaysian citizen. If the employer doesn’t pay the full amount of the minimum living wage, then the government shall top up the said worker's income.

Explanation? Our collective income as a nation (your wage, my salary, employers' profits, etc, totals national income) should be divided more or less equitably and fair to make everyone happy. If employers are unwilling to pay decent wages (because they want to trade profitably) then it would be fair that the government tax their profits to be distributed back to the workers.

This is not 'daylight robbery' but merely redistribution of resources (read: income/money) that the employer unwilling to do. That is the function of a decent government. I merely write about income top up, not full Negative Income Tax (NIT). If we implement full NIT, the bill would be horrendously high, and taxes would have to be much higher.

The easiest, most common method would be to implement Minimum Wage Law. If we care so much about our nation competitiveness, we simply have to lower our exchange rate and improve our efficiency. Minimum wage is about fair distribution of income, it has nothing to do with competitiveness.

Now, would 'pendatang tanpa izin' (illegal immigrants) flood the country? You see, they (these ‘pendatang tanpa izin’) come to work, because there are plentiful jobs. Jobs that pay a pittance (eg, RM10 a day for 12-hour day) that Malaysians don’t want to do. Who want to work for that much money? You are practically subsidising the employer.

If there is minimum wage of RM900 a month for 48-hour week (or RM4.20 per hour) millions of unemployed and underemployed Malaysians would be clamouring for available jobs, and the ‘plentiful jobs’ would soon vanish. Employers would take steps to improve efficiency (because of higher wages).

The spillover effect is that workers have more disposable income to spend in the country which would then improve the economy, which in turn will create more jobs.

As in the West, the government must make a rule that employers first look for local workers/talent first before employing foreign workers. The wages paid to either must be the same, no discrimination.

Nation moving towards Dictatorship

here is my writing that appear on 'Letter' section in Malaysiakini.

Offensive on bloggers: Nation moving towards dictatorship
Noor HamzahJul 31, 07 3:52pm Adjust font size:

The West values freedom of speech, writing and thinking. Where speech is free, opinion is valued, no matter how stupid our views.

So it is a shock to me that Malaysia is moving to curb bloggers on what they write.


Khairy Jamaluddin, the son-in-law of the prime minister, reportedly said: ‘Dakwa penulis blog. Biar monyet lain takut’ (Charge bloggers in court. Let the other monkeys get scared).

Are we priming the country towards dictatorship? Like, ehem, Pakistan or previously, Iraq? Are we reducing parliament to be a mere rubber stamp for the incoming dictator? Notice that Khairy makes the call first, then Umno politicians follow suit and formulate policies which will then be rubber-stamped by the rest of the BN coalition.

I don’t understand how the government is going to muzzle blogs. A blog is like free speech. As long as people have a mouth to speak, believe me, they will. In recent history, dictators started to move by controlling the media, then free speech. We know that prime media in Malaysia are all controlled by the ruling parties, leaving only online media to be relatively free. Is this the precursor to a dictatorship?

My recent attempts to surf Raja Petra Kamarudin's Malaysia Today blog has been thwarted by a 'Site unavailable' page or ‘Server too busy' announcement. Proof that his website has become even more popular as the premier source of news for Malaysia.

My congratulations to Raja Petra. If what Malaysian bloggers write are all slander, all the government should do is to deny it. Or sue the blogger for defamation if they have a strong case.

But rounding up the bloggers and sending them to jail? That’s draconian. That’s sounds like what the late Saddam Hussein would do.