250 posts tagged “malaysia” (page 2)

So now that petrol is expensive, let's all look towards our Prime Minister and ask him an extremely viable question that I think all of us Peninsular people especially should ask him.

Prime Minister, where's our "improved" public transport system that you promised during the first hike?

Now that the prices have been brought up yet again, it is time the government ante up on their promise made beforehand.

As far as I know, I'm still experiencing KTM Komuters disappearing without a trace. I'm still a victim of lousy bus schedules.

And oddly enough, I don't see much improvement in the number of trains to cope with the impending influx of the public taking these mass transportation systems.

So please tell us all. Where's our public transport to cope with all these hikes, which you promised us?

Or shall we take it at face value that after failing to bring transparency to the government, and failing to rid corruption within the government, you are now failing in keeping the promise of a better public transportation system to that list?

If so, can you blame me for branding you the lamest Prime Minister in Malaysian history...?

And this is coming from a loyal supporter, mind you.....

Starting midnight, Malaysian will be paying 40% extra for petrol, an entire ringgit extra for diesel, and 16% extra for electricity.

Announcement of outstanding increments in salaries all around....0 percent so far.

Meanwhile, public transport within the nation's capitol, and everywhere else in this beloved country of mine still remains in the shitter.

But, fret not. Our government in it's infinite wisdom has found it suitable to grant the following to lessen the burden of the common people.

"Abdullah also announced a RM625 annual cash rebate per vehicle, for owners of private vehicles with engine capacities of up to 2,000cc, as well as pickup trucks and jeeps with engine capacities of up to 2,500cc.

Owners of private motorcycles with engine capacities of up to 250cc will receive RM150.

Payment will be made via Money Order upon renewal of road tax, from July 1.

For owners of private vehicles with engine capacities exceeding 2000cc, road tax will be reduced by RM200.

Owners of private motorcycles with engine capacities above 250 cc will get RM50 reduction in road tax."

So as you can clearly see, we Malaysians are now so blessed with this government. (/sarcasm)

What the hell am I going to do with an RM625 rebate money order?! Road tax itself, minus RM200 will cost me RM1080.

That just means I'll fork out RM455 to renew my road tax, and still have to pay extra for petrol and electricity.

You know, it is times like these that make me question just how far my loyalty is to my country. I mean, I've basically stayed here almost all my life, paid my taxes with no grouses, took the last price hike without question, get paid enough to live without any meaningful activities whatsoever, and even written more than just a good word for this current leader of ours.

Dearest Prime Minister,

Do you know what you are causing?

You are causing the people to lose faith in your leadership, and while there are no better replacements to fill your post so far, right now you're in a weakening state that makes some of us citizens of the country think that perhaps the catacomb which is Najib's closet, filled to the brim with skeletons, isn't as half as bad as another year with you at the helm.

And I think in the next General Assembly, you might just lose the top post. Heck, with things going right now, I'd vote you out.

Yes, yes I was at the Walk For Media Freedom. Heck, I think I see my head in the picture, grinning like an idiot.

Anyways, barring the fact that I was about 15 minutes late for walking from the LRT station, it was a very informative meeting. For one thing, was anyone there not expecting Zaid Ibrahim to be put in front of a firing squad and not be on a defensive?

Even more surprising was the outburst from some individuals who were just a tad emotional to the point of forgetting decorum, in front of kids, even.

But Zaid Ibrahim's points have merit. We continually have individuals come out to call for more freedom for the media, but never as a large collective, and never on a continuous scale.

And no, it's not press freedom, whoever started shouting it at the Dataran yesterday. It's media freedom.

As a collective, we do not have full representation from the sectors of television, film and radio involved in this call for more freedom.

And even when we had an ex-radio guy there, all he did was be obtrusive and incoherent.

What we had on Sunday were a huge number of bloggers and members from the alternative press, as well as the Center for Independent Journalism Malaysia.

As for the making this call continuous and to gain momentum, there has to be a timeline of activities to garner the support of the people as a whole. Now while a memorandum handed in in 1999 with a few thousand signatures is good, it does not exactly represent the 27 million people of Malaysia.

That was Zaid Ibrahim meant.

Another mentioned critique was the formation of a regulation committee to replace the government as the watchdog for the media.

Recently the Health Ministry has come up with the brilliant idea of asking women to carry condoms around wherever they go, which is interesting because I thought that girls who were actively having sex would actually take a pill the next day.

That's right, there's a pill. Think they call it the morning after pill.

But then, this stops pregnancy, not STDs.

Personally, I would like to question what is the purpose of the condoms.

I mean, if it's to stop the dumping of babies in Malaysia, then we have condoms which work 95% and the morning after pill.

If we're talking of STDs, there are a lot of ways these can spread. For example, if one were to scratch sores caused by syphilis and touch someone, they'd be infected as well. Learned that one from Dr. House.

Marina Mahathir (happy belated birthday to you) brought up a brilliant point. There are guys who carry condoms around in their wallets. However, some of the guys I know of have been carrying them since high school.

The very same condom from high school. And I happen to know that these guys are not virgins, otherwise their wives.....never mind.

Giving out free condoms, putting those vending machines in the restroom of nightspots, and if you go to Thailand, having condoms in your welcoming basket at hotels is a good start.

However, it is always, always important to stress on education and crime prevention.

I'm sure that there are guys who testify that they can't get it up with the rubber glove and would prefer to have it raw.

I understand, somewhat.

So stop having random one night stands and stick to one girlfriend or boyfriend at one time, and get an STD test when you go for a medical checkup. Heck, do it with your partner as well.

If not, at least once a month, go for an STD test if you're a sexually active individual.

If you hear a rumor that someone you slept with now has an STD, go for the test as well.

Bottom line, it's really up to the couple to determine whether or not to use a condom, or some other way of birth control. And if a couple goes for STD checkups without any random one night stands, it should not be an issue.

Reading "Today's Men Are Not Like Our Fathers", I couldn't help but recall the fact that out of most of the guys I know, none of them come close in comparison.

I mean, let's take a look at even the household duties, even before we go into all the relationship details.

I have met 27 year old bachelor yuppies with wives who don't know how to iron a shirt. His excuse? His wife does it for him. Now while I praise the wife for being so caring, but to the point of not remembering how to iron a shirt?

Oh. My. God.....

Another wonderful friend of mine goes out to eat at night all the time. Reason being?

He does not know how to cook. Even worse, he doesn't know how to work an electric kettle. I repeat.

HE DOES NOT KNOW HOW TO WORK AN ELECTRIC KETTLE.

So for his birthday I got him one of those electric hot water dispensers. So now he prides on being able to make instant noodles in a cup.

Personally, I myself have my misdoings. I have no sense of direction, seriously. I got lost driving to work i which is why I take the train and walk half a mile whenever I have to go there.

So believe me, I am not infallible.

Now on to more serious undoings of the Malaysian male.

Beating up your spouse is never a good thing, even if she is into rough....never mind. I think S&M is not exactly high on the interests of Malaysian locals. However, I find it intriguing that we don't mention that most women in abusive marriages stick it out.

Something I personally find as loathing as the guy who beats women up. How does one find the delusional mindset that being beaten up by your spouse is something you deserve?

I remember listening to how one wife was beaten up for not using enough coconut milk (santan) in her cooking. What was more ridiculous was the fact that she admitted to it and thought she deserved getting a black eye because of it!

Another one was hit because she ironed a shirt and it still had a crease. Another for mixing a colored sock while loading the whites into a washing machine.

And finally, another one for being a virgin!

That's right. She was beaten up for being a virgin and not knowing....well, you get the idea.

So as Dina Zaman points out. Guys are no longer as articulate and understanding as they were in the past.

And even when they are, they're...well, gay.

This topic brings up a very good memory of an argument erupting in a kopitiam and my elder brother, Ahmad Farris Baharom. Perhaps you've read of him before in the Metro section, though somehow he lost his "Ahmad" in all his articles.

The argument was purely political. Before the election, I thought Tony Pua had good credentials to be an MP, and Farris didn't. That's right, I think Tony Pua, a DAP fellow, would make a good MP and no, I'm not on hallucinogens.

After such an argument, we didn't talk for three or four months.

But that is exactly how deeply rooted our political beliefs affect our relationships and looking back at it, sure, it does sound utterly ridiculous.

Take the current situation into consideration. We now have two Gerakan figures working for the state government of the Opposition party, and both of them have been defamed because of it.

And of all political parties to be so critical of switching sides, Gerakan?!

May 13th aftermath? Joining the government?

Ring any bells?!

Why the serious show cause letter? For working for the benefit of the entirety of the state of Penang and Selangor?

This makes me not talking to my brother look like peanuts. It utterly sounds like a scenario where a couple divorced due to one preferring a Macintosh over Microsoft PCs.

When we are looking towards the good of a community as a whole, it is the duty of every person to do what's best for the nation, not their party affiliation. This is something I think our idiotic politicians on both sides need to take note, and I thought was made very clear with the recent "political tsunami".

Grow up, dear politicians. You are there to serve your constituents, not your party, not your boss, nor the PM. You are there to serve the people.

We're your boss. And if we say that you have to go across party lines to make our lives better, you do it!

And for a party like Gerakan, stop trying to be an UMNO and be independent! You were, once. Go back to that!

First and foremost, it's sad to know that the last Kennedy brother now has a brain tumor.

With that out of the way, back to Malaysian politics.

Should Pak Lah step down now that Mahathir, the grumpy old man who has been extremely critical of his governing, quit UMNO?

Of course not. Quoting Tun Musa, Mahathir was a thorn in UMNO's side. He basically got rid of everyone he didn't like or had dissenting opinions and literally worked to Sinatra's "My Way" for 22 years.

Now suddenly when all his misdeeds are dug up after being compost for 22 years, he's gone all sentimental and states that nobody cares about him and quits UMNO?

This is exactly why Pak Lah should stay, because it just goes to answer the question. Are people loyal to the stances and agendas of the United Malay National Organization, or simply being cronies to Mahathir?

156 cronies from Kedah answered that question rather well.

Mahathirs' own son, bless his soul, saw through his father's BS and made the right choice.

While Sharir Samad states the gloomy predicament of preparing for another general election, I honestly think otherwise. Abdullah Badawi still has the mandate to rule, regardless of dissenting voices within his own party.

If they want him gone so badly, they need to step up to the plate and answer this question for me.

Who's going to replace Pak Lah?

If you tell me Najib, I'd rather vote Anwar Ibrahim as next PM.

Same goes for Khairy, Hishamuddin, or even Tengku Razaleigh and Syed Hamid Albar.

Muhyiddin Yassin shows promise.

If you say Sharir Samad, I may vote UMNO after all....depending on who you put up in Shah Alam, of course. Not going to vote for no 70-year-old 4 term MP who doesn't do much.

I hate it when Wong Chun Wai beats me in writing something....

But what he says is correct. The federal government currently in power had better watch out for the interests of the Sabahans and Sarawakians, because like it or not, they've got Semenanjung BN by the balls.

Not exactly the most polite way of saying it, but it gives the description of just how easy it is for the ruling coalition to lose power nonetheless.

The recent announcement that the government is not even thinking of changing the oil royalty rates to be granted to Sabah and Sarawak was a dumb move by the government. With the Opposition offering a fifth, or RM2 billion equivalent, the ruling coalition really ought to try and top it.

The age of depending on loyalties without question is gone. Now comes the age of mutual benefits.

And Dr.M has got it wrong. The Malays are not losing power, just that the Malays now have to prove that they belong in power through reason, and not 22 year ruling by an iron fist.

For those who do not know by now, this young and greenhorn MP is the son-in-law of Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

While I object to this fellow on a personal level, the fact that his line of logic is parallel to mine is downright disturbing and unnerving.

Here are the points brought up by Khairy Jamaluddin, MP of Rembau, in his debating the Kings Speech.

1. The formation of a Judiciary Commission in charge of promoting judges is a good one to restore faith in the Malaysian Judiciary after the crisis in 1988.

2. The restructuring of the Anti Corruption Agency to be an independent commission known as the Anti Corruption Commission plus the forming of the Protection Act for whistle blowers is timely and appropriate. The power to prosecute should also be given to this commission.

3. Fight bribery through technology. Fight corruption with technology.

4. A freer media by abolishing the Printing Press Act.

5. Put a quota on the petrol subsidy to avoid abuse.

6. Focus more on food production with technological advances.

..... And after that all hell broke loose because he kept taunting the Opposition, but not giving them any leeway to rebuke his statements.

Not so smart, Khairy, but damned slick.

If I were to base his speech only on the points, I would definitely state that his was one of the better ones. But then, I simply don't like this guy personally.

So I'll stick to liking his points.

Right.

Next up: Datuk Abdul Ghapur Bin Salleh (who?), internal opposition?