Friday, May 22, 2009

Anak Malaysia or Anak Laos?

Anak Malaysia or Anak Laos? From the surface view, it seems that both do not differ except in terms of nationality. But when it comes to the aspect of social concerns, there is a wide gap that is sandwiching both.

Few days ago, I was approached by a volunteer from the Spastic Children's Association of Selangor and Federal Territory (SCASFT). I had a thought in my mind - is the Community Service Overseas Trip to Laos relevant? The anwer is definitely a No for the time being. I stress again, for the time being!

The Singaporean Najib is playing all the irrational cards again. Have you ever come across the situations in Sabah and Sarawak? I bet most would only know the existence of the states and have the perception of both the states are occupied by the orang asli. I have nearly forgotten that Singaporean Najib is from Singapore. How on earth would he understand the problems faced by the people there?

Have you heard the cries of Sabah and Sarawak? We never experience blackout of electricity or shortage of water supply so frequently where it could be four or five times a week. We never think of their standard of living. We never see their niche, the environment that they live. Don't you think that Sabahans and Sarawakians deserve more than anyone else? What more in such a trying time, where we are facing one of the worst ever economic crisis in a century.

I concur to what Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has said "Anak Melayu anak kita, Anak Cina anak kita, Anak India anak kita...".

And I now say Anak Selangor anak kita, Anak Sabah anak kita, dan Anak Sarawak juga anak kita!

He has put his personal agenda above the national interest. Obviously, even a dumb can tell that to travel to Laos would cost more dearly than to travel to Sabah or Sarawak. But the question arises when they have difficulty in raising the amount needed, and yet they insist on going to Laos.

Perak? Negeri Sembilan? Why not consider these states? Has the state government achieved zero poverty and ensured that every single disabled person gets the full support and backing from the concerned departments? Answer me!

Travelling locally is definitely cheaper. And for the accommodation, I am sure that the local authorities can lend a helping hand. So why sell keropok so desperately?

From an internal source, it says "So, I really wish to develop in each of you the CSC's spirit (impacting lives, imparting love), by giving out the best of us whole-heartedly in every visit, just like the difference which Melissa is trying to make in the coming visit to Tmn Megah. I can tell she is truly spirited and passionate in contributing to the lower society."

Now I understand that only the person above is trying to make a difference and has put every single soul into the visits and the others are just embedded with prima donna attitude. Try to make it simple, it indirectly means that if you do not attend the weekly visits, and you will be slapped with the not-spirited-and-not-passionate tag!

Tell me people, any scale to measure how passionate a person can be in contributing to the society through weekly visits?

All in all, Anak Malaysia is still the one that needs the utmost support and backing. for the time being. Conjecture about it!

Monday, May 18, 2009

JPA Scholarships – Seeking A Fair & Equitable Policy

An Email received from Erica Hew Li Huang, Special Assistant to YB Tony Pua.

Read about all the renewed controversy over the JPA scholarships recently?

Well, in the light of the neverending controversy over the award of government scholarships by Jabatan Perkhidmatan Awam (JPA) of the Prime Minister's Department, DAP will be holding a forum/dialogue session to obtain feedback from:
  • aggrieved students
  • current and former local and overseas scholars
  • academics
  • the general public
The forum/dialogue will be held as follows:
JPA Scholarships – Seeking A Fair & Equitable Policy
Venue: KL & Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall
Date: 19th May 2009 (Tuesday)
Time: 8.00 pm
The panelists will include:
  • Lim Kit Siang, DAP Parliamentary Leader and MP for Ipoh Timor,
  • Anthony Loke Siew Fook, MP for Rasah and DAPSY Chief,
  • Tony Pua, MP for Petaling Jaya Utara,
  • Dr Dzulkifli Ahmad, PAS Research Centre Director and MP for Kuala Selangor
  • Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, Selangor ADUN for Seri Setia
Dr Goh Cheng Teik, eminent academic, former deputy minister and interviewer for Harvard University admission programme in Malaysia will also be a special guest for the evening.

In addition, for students and scholars who are not able to make it for the forum (e.g., if you are overseas or if you live outstation, you are welcome to submit written submissions to the panel. Please write to: dapscholarship (at) rocketmail (dot) com.

Please put up on your respective blogs or forward details of the above forum to all parties concerned, especially those who have failed to secure scholarships despite outstanding results. We will be making a compilation of the complaints, appeals and suggestions made during the evening.

For further reading:

Sunday, May 17, 2009

From May 13 to 1 Malaysia

On Wedneday night, 13th May 2009, it was exactly 40 years since the occurrence of May 13 that is still vividly embedded in the minds especially for the elderly. One of the DAP branches in Selangor organised a forum themed From May 13 to 1 Malaysia last night at the MPSJ Civic Hall. It was supposed to be a forum with targeted a small crowd of audience but it turned out to be a mammoth ceramah.

The speakers present were YB Lim Kit Siang (Ipoh Timor MP), YAB Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin (Bukit Gantang MP), Khalid Samad (Shah Alam MP), YM Tunku Abdul Aziz (DAP Vice Chairman and former Transparency International Chairman), K. Ragunath (Bar Council Chairman), Dr Azmi Sharom (Faculty Law Lecturer from UM), N.H. Chan (retired Judge), Tricia Yeoh (Researcher for MB Selangor) and lastly Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to grace the function with an opening speech.

Most of the speakers said that it was great to see people from different races gathering in the hall. Have Malaysians really dumped the idea of racial difference and adopted the identity of Bangsa Malaysia?

It is certainly a meaningful topic to discuss about. What has been the barrier to the progress of our beloved Malaysia? The only and one answer to it is no other than Racial based politics and policies.

The political tsunami in March 2008 has certainly depicted the willingness of the people in Peninsular Malaysia to move forward, each and every envisaging a new dawn. However, it is sad to see that some politicians are still playing the racial cards, trying to divide us (in particular the people from Sabah and Sarawak).

Though I am a hardcore supporter of the Democratic Action Party (DAP), but I have to say that none of the political parties in Malaysia have actually achieved the multiracial platform. Not even Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) where it was claimed by the former secretary to Tun Abdul Razak, "I see PKR as the closest component party of Pakatan Raykat in achieving it". Why do I say so?

Let's recall the recent two by-election in Bukit Selambau, Kedah and Bukit Gantang, Perak. Both the seats were contested on a PKR ticket. Try to think meticulously, if Bangsa Malaysia factor was really instilled, they would not have chosen the candidates based on the racial majority. Even though it is learnt that there were increase in votes from the Chinese and Indian communities. If we are really Bangsa Malaysia, we will not be talking about which community voted for which candidate.

It would only be a Bangsa Malaysia voting for a candidate of Bangsa Malaysia!

I came across a few notions regarding the grievances on the recent scholarship matter which is indirectly correlated with racial issue. An alumni of Chung Ling High School Penang appeared to have emailed a letter to National DAP Advisor cum Ipoh Timor MP, YB Lim Kit Siang about the matter mentioned above. In his letter, he touched on the sensitive racial issue, viz:


"Well, I can see this happens every year. Every year, to the same victims (Chinese Top Students), at the same time(after SPM results released), the same thing happen continuously in our country. Every year, I see the problems occur non-stop, it seems like unsolved cases even though those ministers, parties promised it could be solved. I have lost my confidence over their creditability,
how can you give scholarship to someone, who his/her result is poorer than the others, just because of the skin colour."

Through the Rage by the Star, I found out this question: What will it take for you as the youth to think 'Malaysian' first and Chinese/Malay/Indian next? by Datuk Seri Tony Fernandes, CEO of Air Asia.

A Malaysian citizen from Petaling Jaya named Meng Yean responded "Start with getting rid of the RACE column which appears in nearly every form across the country. If you do so, we’ll probably adapt to Bangsa Malaysia, rather than the Melayu/Cina/India/Lain-lain mentality."

The May 13 tradegy has taught us valuable lessons. Have we not learnt from it? It is time for everyone to pack up the mindset of being diverged into racial components and bury it.

Saturday, May 16, 2009

Member of Parliament for PJ Utara - YB Tony Pua


with YB Tony Pua.


with his assistant - Joo Shin (centre).