1,500 turn up for Pandan MP’s Deeparaya Open House

by Leven Woon on 25 Nov, 2010
Komunitikini

About 1,500 Pandan community leaders and residents turned up at Pandan MP Ong Tee Keat’s Deeparaya Open House at Pandan Mewah recently.

The event saw Ong handing out 100 food baskets sponsored by the women, family and community ministry to underprivileged Pandan folks.

In his keynote address, Ong said screening is important to ensure deserving targeted group receive aids from government.

“Like today, the 100 recipients’ background has been screened and they are all confirmed in the low-income or poverty group,”

He also trusted that the Satu Azam programme, which was initiated by women ministry; will help eradicate poverty in Malaysia in the long run.

The event featured a solo Indian classical dance performance and a surprise birthday cake for Ong, who turned 54 on November 22.

Ong was greeted with a Happy Birthday song and he vowed to further consolidate the local community and the country.

Mt MERAPI in Indonesia

Hands!

Hands!


 A basketball in my hands is worth about $19.
A basketball in Michael Jordan's hands is worth about $33 million.
It depends whose hands it's in. 


A baseball in my hands is worth about $6.
A baseball in Roger Clemens' hands is worth $475 million.
It depends on whose hands it's in.


A tennis racket is useless in my hands.
A tennis racket in Andre Agassi's hands is worth millions.
It depends whose hands it's in. 

A rod in my hands will keep away an angry dog.
A rod in Moses' hands will part the mighty sea.
It depends whose hands it's in. 


A slingshot in my hands is a kid's toy.
A slingshot in David's hand is a mighty weapon.
It depends whose hands it's in.


Two fish and 5 loaves of bread in my hands is a couple of fish sandwiches.
Two fish and 5 loaves of bread in Jesus' hands will feed thousands.
It depends whose hands it's in. 

Nails in my hands might produce a birdhouse.
Nails in Jesus Christ's hands will
Produce salvation for the entire world.
It depends whose hands it's in. 

As you see now, it depends whose hands it's in.
So put your concerns, your worries, your fears, your hopes, your dreams, your families and your relationships in God's hands because...
It depends whose hands it's in. 
 

This message is now in YOUR hands. 
What will YOU do with it? 

It Depends on WHOSE Hands it's in!

Ong Tee Keat MP by the Rakyat for the RAKYAT

What's this Yen Yen, a shopping trip?

What's this Yen Yen, a shopping trip?
Wed, 10 Nov 2010

Free Malaysia Today
By Syed Jaymal Zahiid

KUALA LUMPUR: DAP today claimed there are discrepancies in Tourism Minister Dr Ng Yen Yen's overseas trip expenses which varied from those given to Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Rakyat MPs.

DAP Youth chief and Rasah MP Anthony Loke said that the  minister's written reply to him on Monday stated that the total costs of her trips from January to October this year amounted to RM1.28 million.

This was in contrast to the figures given to former MCA president and Pandan MP Ong Tee Keat on Oct 26, where she said the ministry had spent some RM 1.58 million for the same trips.

Loke opened “fire” when he said sarcastically that he was “touched” when Ng handed a written reply personally to him yesterday, but a notice handed today said there were "errors" in yesterday's reply.

The Rasah MP then noted that based on the reply given to him, Ng’s trip to Dubai, Qatar and Kuwait from May 4 to 12 cost RM97,000 but in another reply given to Batu MP Chua Tian Chang on Oct 19, the figure was RM240,145.

“We do not know which one is the correct answer. We are directing the minister to please tell us... clarify this. This is unprofessional on the part of the minister. Please do not give us answers which are contradictory,” Loke said at a press conference at the Parliament lobby here.

Loke then zoomed in on Ng’s week-long trip to Europe, from May 25 to 31, which cost RM491,987, saying it was exorbitant and demanded an explanation.

“Half a million spent in seven days for trips to London, Munich and Milan? What is this? A shopping trip?"

On Oct 26, the tourism ministry stated that Ng spent RM3.5 million on "official" overseas mission since she was appointed minister last year.

However, a different figure was given to Ong in a written reply which stated that the ministry had spent RM1.67 million for the same official overseas trips.

The same reply also boasted higher tourist receipts and that the ministry’s efforts overseas had earned Malaysia a ninth out of 10th placing in the most popularly visited countries in 2009.

Pakatan lawmakers have accused Ng of excessive spending overseas, saying she was being more of a “tourist” than “minister”.

Ng dismissed the accusations, insisting that the ministry was on promotional activities abroad and attributed the purported expansion of the country’s tourism industry to her trips.

Tourism Ministry's travel expenses have ballooned by 40% since 2008 while its promotion budget decreased by nearly 70% in the same period.

DAP wants Ng to clarify travel expenses figures
Hemananthani Sivanandam
newsdesk@thesundaily.com
KUALA LUMPUR (Nov 10, 2010): The DAP today urged Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen to "come clean" over the written answers on her travel expenses which were given by the ministry’s officials to Pakatan Rakyat and Barisan Nasional MPs.

Anthony Loke (DAP-Rasah) told a a press conference that according to a written answer he received, Ng’s  travel expenses from January to October amounted to RM1.28 million.

However, in a written reply to Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat (BN-Pandan), the ministry said the cost was RM1.58 million.

"There is a RM300,000 difference. Is it because the minister is jet-lagged that she mixed up the figures?" he asked.

Loke also said that in a written reply given to him by Ng, the minister’s trip to Dubai, Qatar and Kuwait from May 4 to 12 cost RM97,000, but in a written reply given to Tian Chua (PKR-Batu) on Oct 19, the ministry stated that the trip cost RM240,145.

"We do not know which is the correct answer. We are asking the minister to tell us. Do not give us answers which are contradictory," he said.

Loke also questioned the rationale for Ng’s trip to Europe from May 25 to 31 for seven days which cost RM491,987.

"Half a million spent in seven days for trips to London, Munich and Milan? I want the minister to justify why the need to spend that much money for this trip. Was this a shopping trip? Please clarify," he added.

Loke, who is also the DAP Youth chief, said he hoped that Ng and her ministry will be more professional  and diligent in performing their duties.

"We will read and compare our answers with the answers previously given, both to Pakatan MPs and BN parliamentarians, to make sure (the numbers are) consistent," he added.

Facts about “CO2 emission”

May 11th, 2009 | Posted in Energy Efficiency - news
Facts & figures about CO2 emission

Generally, the car manufacturers give the “CO2 emission” in g/km.
Other interesting figures to know is the quantity of CO2 produced per litre of fuel:
- for diesel:        2.62 kg/litre
- for gasoline:    2.39 kg/litre.

So every time you put 50 litres (or 13 gallons) in your tank, you are going to produce around 125kg of CO2.

Amazing, isn’t it?

For heating purposes, the relevant figure is the quantity of CO2 emitted per kWh of energy produced. Here are the figures for different heating sources, in kg of CO2 per kWh:
- Natural gas:    0.19
- Fuel oil:          0.27
- Coal:              0.32
- Electricity:      from 0.08 to 0.8 (0.4 is the European Union average)

By far, natural gas is the “greener” fossil fuel. Electricity is even better where it is mainly produced by hydro or nuclear power plants.

Jacques Schonek

Water & Energy

June 4th, 2009 | Posted in Energy Efficiency - news

At the time of the World Water Forum  that just occurred in Istanbul, Turkey, it is interesting to remind how water and energy are linked.

Hydropower is generating 19% of the electricity worldwide, and as much as 85 % in Brazil and 98% in Norway.

Blue, clean, and no CO2 emission!

On the other hand, providing drinkable water to the population and wastewater treatment are requesting electricity. In the US for example, 3% of the nation electricity is used for water systems :  distribution and treatment.

The average amount of energy necessary for production and delivery of drinking water is 0.5kWh par m3. 

The same amount of energy is requested for wastewater treatment.
wastewaterThis means that from source to discharge, every m3 is spending 1 kWh. Based on the European Union average, 0.4kg of CO2 is then emitted per m3. This is one additional reason to avoid water waste!

But this nothing compared to what is necessary for desalination (getting drinkable water from sea water). The most advanced technology is called “reverse osmosis” and is requesting around 4.5kWh par m3.

In other words, desalination of 1m3 of sea water is producing as much CO2 as the combustion of ¾ litre of gasoline!

Jacques  Schonek

Appreciating Ipoh's past

Saturday August 28, 2010
Navel Gazer
By ALEXANDRA WONG

A heritage walk around Ipoh’s historical section kindles our columnist’s interest in old buildings and bygone events.

I stifled a yawn as I alighted from my car and walked towards the small crowd in front of the Ipoh railway station entrance. My history teacher would surely fall off his chair if he knew why I was here.

Alex Wong — who used her thick, brick-like history books as shields for Mills & Boon romance novels and thought only crazy people would go gaga over dilapidated buildings and dead people — volunteer for a heritage walk?

Call it serendipity. At a recent assignment, I met one Mr Rajasegaran, a tourist guide who just happened to be conducting a newly-launched heritage walk around Ipoh Old Town. Since he supplied an interesting insight which I eventually used for that story — pomelo wood can be turned into spinning tops — I could hardly say no when he invited me to join him one fine Saturday.

Concubine Lane and Ipoh Railway Station (below) built between 1914 and 1917

“Good morning!” Mr Raja beamed at the motley group.

Aside from me, there were men in bermudas, sun-hatted middle-aged ladies, a schoolteacher with three sleepy-looking students and a chatty couple from Singapore who seemed more excited than us locals.

Mr Raja launched into a lively overview of the railway station. Ipoh’s most famous landmark was, naturally, the day’s first pit stop. To my surprise, instead of zeroing in on the usual Taj Mahal comparisons, he asked a curious question: “Have any of you noticed a mechanical elevator inside Majestic Hotel?”

He was referring to the lodgings attached to the railway station.

“It carries an interesting message.”

“Yes!” the teacher piped up. “It looks quirky, though I’ve never paid attention to the message. What does it say? Is it still working?”

“Yes, it is. I can’t recall the exact words, but it goes something like: ‘I am as old as a grandmother, don’t touch me suddenly or I will fall apart’,” Mr Raja replied.

The crowd chuckled at this humorous tidbit. Maybe this would not be the snoozefest I had expected . . .

On that cheerful note, we strolled towards the memorial park.

“During its heyday of the tin mines, it was like a gold rush. Ipoh had so much money. The first car in the country was driven in Ipoh by a chap named Eu Tong Sen (founder of the famous Eu Yan Sang medical hall).”

A dozen pairs of eyebrows flew up in surprise.

He smiled like a sous chef about to unveil his signature dish.

“That is why Ipoh number plates start with ‘A’, you see. The next state to have cars was Selangor. And as you know, their licence plate starts with ‘B’. Pahang was next . . .”

Pity we did not have these bits of trivia to connect the past to the present. I might have done better in history.

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed a middle-aged lady staring at a plaque which bore the names of the British soldiers who died during the two World Wars.

“History should never be erased,” she spoke up. “It tells you how we move along in life and how we became what we are today.”

Mr Raja nodded feelingly.

“The other day, another lady who joined the tour told me she had driven along this road for 20 years and never knew its significance. Incidentally, this road, formerly Station Road, is the oldest road in Ipoh.”

We crossed the street over to the Town Hall. I was seized by nostalgia. As a little girl, I followed my parents here to attend their friends’ wedding dinners and concerts. It is still a popular events venue, Mr Raja said.

“Rabindranath Tagore once conducted a course for English teachers here. Are you familiar with him?”

His question met with utter silence.

I volunteered, “The Indian poet?”

“That’s right. This hall has had its share of illustrious visitors. During the 70s, I had the chance to attend an Indian wedding and watch a performance by a famous Malaysian singer. His commanding voice brought the house down.” He paused for effect. “Do you want to guess who it was?”

We shook our heads.

“P. Ramlee!”

I shot Mr Raja an admiring glance as we continued on. Leading a historical walk involved a lot more than reading off a script. The guide had to engage, entertain AND inform his audience. He also had to read his audience well and improvise on the fly, never knowing for sure what would resonate and what wouldn’t. Like when Tagore’s name didn’t strike a chord. Fortunately, he had the P. Ramlee anecdote at his fingertips.

A ripple of shock seized me when a familiar narrow alley came into sight. I glanced at my watch. Two-and-a-half-hours already?

“You see that peephole up there?” Mr Raja’s voice grabbed my attention. “It’s for the house tenants to see who their visitors are.”

I squinted up at a tiny opening on the second floor of one of the houses. “Ah, my grandfather’s house had one of these, too. So it wasn’t a mistake by the builder,” I recalled with a laugh.

As I drank in the tumbledown buildings, the birdcages of mistresses past, the antiquated sliding doors of Concubine Lane — as the alley was once known — I was suffused by a new sense of appreciation.

My eyes fell on the three schoolchildren in our group. They were the only ones who didn’t seem fully engaged; their faces had registered blanks even at P. Ramlee’s name. I couldn’t blame them. Perhaps this was why I never enjoyed history in school. I was too young to grasp its nuances and appreciate its relevance to my life.

After thanking Mr Raja for a job well done, I headed back to the railway station. The walk was not quite over for me. Filled with purpose, I raced past traffic lights, honking cars and sun-soaked streets. Upon reaching the station, I headed straight for Majestic Hotel. To my dismay, only a grilled door greeted me. I peered down the elevator shaft. Nothing.

Then, another thought struck me. Silly me. A lift goes up and down between floors. I galumphed up the carpeted stairs leading to the second floor, the wooden steps creaking beneath my heavy steps.

“Do you still have the elevator with the funny message?” I blurted out to the uniformed chap at the lobby.

If he thought my question was silly, he gave no outward sign as he graciously led me to the object of my pursuit and opened its paintworn wooden door. Bingo!

Hi Dearest Girls & Boys,

I am as antique as your grand

grandpa is

I move slow and re-act slow

If you push/pull my door when

you use me

Then I will shock there & stop

there . . .

I laughed at it like the mischievous schoolgirl I was, or perhaps, still am, at heart.

Then it dawned on me that I was standing on an open balcony, where a bird’s eye view of Ipoh’s oldest section lay before me. A most fitting finale to a most enjoyable two hours.

History dry, stuffy and boring? Not anymore, thanks to Time, that most patient of teachers.

o Alexandra Wong (bunnysprints.blogspot.com) is glad she had the chance to learn why the town that tin built became known as the City of Millionaires.

The Ipoh Heritage Walk, an initiative of the Kinta Heritage Group, departs every Saturday from the main entrance of Ipoh Railway Station at 8am. For more information, e-mail kintaheritage@gmail.com

ORIGINAL POSTING http://thestar.com.my

Eight reasons why Pakatan lost

Bridget Welsh
Nov 5, 10
3:59pm
 

ANALYSIS The BN deservedly should claim and savour yesterday's victories. The combined gains in Galas and Batu Sapi show significant swings across ethnic minorities, which proved to be decisive in determining the final outcome.

This is the first major turning point in the political stalemate between the BN and Pakatan Rakyat among all of the 13 by-elections since March 2008.

From the ground, it was clear that the BN had the advantage in both seats, and I expected both wins. The results, however, are even larger than expected.

What happened?

It is important to understand that these two seats typify a particular form; they are mixed semi-rural seats, like Hulu Selangor. They represent the opposition's political periphery – places where the opposition won unexpectedly in 2008 – and, importantly, are the current battleground for national power.

The BN's double victories showcase their ability to win this type of seats and hold onto its dominant national position in government.

Allow me to elaborate some factors that shaped the results in what I have grouped under the 'semi-rural' category combined with some changes in the national political landscape.

1) Machinery and the personal touch

The BN was ready for these two battles. They had, as one party worker described, the “guns and bullets” to deliver the results. The preparation for the campaign began early and unlike the opposition which did not develop momentum until days into the campaign period, the BN was off and running from the onset.

The opposition was stretched and imported their party workers from nearby, as they lacked effective local networks. The fact that the two by-elections occurred on the same day weakened the collective Pakatan effort and points to the weakness of Pakatan nationally.

What is particular to semi-rural seats is the presence of the personal touch. BN's strong local networks provided voters in these areas with people whom they could connect to and trust. The grassroots house-to-house approach worked well in these semi-rural areas.

In contrast, the deluge of Pakatan 'outsiders' did not translate into effective machinery on the ground, particularly since most came for only a few days and campaigning lacked the needed personal touch.

2) Political infighting

What weakened the opposition further was infighting, especially in Sabah. Granted, both sides had divisions, but Umno and BN were able to manage them better. They focused on their target - victory.

Cooperation was noticeably missing in the opposition, with people staying away from supporting the team. This was most obvious in Batu Sapi, where physical violence occurred at the start of the campaign, but this occurred as well in Galas, where PAS was internally conflicted about the need to win Galas and expend resources.

The divisions in the opposition extended beyond internal component parties to the relationship among the opposition actors, as tensions simmered over the choice of contesting in Batu Sapi and dissatisfaction over the pace of the campaign in both places.

One factor in particular that overshadowed the contests was PKR's party polls. The Batu Sapi contest showed the negative impact of non-consultative decision-making. Many in PKR are still smarting from the perceived bully tactics of the West Malaysian party leaders. The failure to put aside personal ambitions and build bridges for the good of the party contributed to the losses in both places.

The electoral contest was a proxy arena for the internal party fight between an approach that is exclusionary and one that is more inclusive and decentralised. In order to win the political periphery, the opposition needs to be united. The unity in the BN made their victories decisive.

3) The role of local warlords

BN gains should also be credited to the local warlords - Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah and Musa Aman. These leaders reinforced the personal touch and provided the organisational base and local understanding for effective campaigns. They minimised infighting. What is striking here is the deficit of local leadership on Pakatan's part.

The BN has returned to its approach of working effectively through decentralised decision-making and it earned dividends.

4) Limited appeal of national leaders

The crucial role of local intermediaries stands in contrast to the minimised impact of national leaders.

While Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin was on the ground, and should be credited for his success in the campaign, the absence of Prime Minister Najib Razak due to chicken pox was striking. He won by not going to the ground and making the campaign about the BN as a whole, not his persona or personal leadership. 

For Pakatan's national leaders, their presence did not yield the expected results. This was most obvious in Batu Sapi and for PKR leader Anwar Ibrahim, who was not able to move the party's vote share to striking distance of victory as the BN won three times more votes.

While these leaders did win support, the contests showed that they cannot do it alone. The two by-elections are a wake-up call to Pakatan leaders to move beyond focusing on their own personal successes and issues and to lay out the policies and platforms to address the needs of the electorate.

Voters are rightly concerned that for Pakatan – with the slogan 'The road to Putrajaya' – the focus is on winning personal power for themselves, as it remains unclear exactly how supporting them will benefit voters.

5) Better multi-ethnic messaging

This issue connects squarely with the need to have consistent and clear messages. The 'change' rhetoric has lost its appeal, not only in Malaysia as Tuesday's US election results show. Now it is more about the delivery and the content of the change.

One area in particular involves multi-ethnic cooperation. Pakatan's approach has been to showcase individual leaders from different ethnic groups as a symbol of their ability to work together across races. Yet, Pakatan has not laid out a clear multi-ethnic platform that addresses the concerns of all groups in areas of rights and religion.

A focus on personal relationships is not enough. In Galas, questions percolated about Malay rights, for example, and PAS was not able to effectively address the concerns of voters who are less politicised and less familiar with the debates.

In Batu Sapi, the concerns of older generations of Sabahans regarding the new citizens were not adequately addressed, and in fact the focus on winning the support of the new Filipino voters backfired in a reduction of support among Chinese and Malays.

In the racialised polity of Malaysia and in mixed seats, appeals to individual groups need overarching platforms on how groups can co-exist peacefully. BN's 1Malaysia rubric – although also limited in actual substance – provided much greater security to voters. This framework provided some traction in semi-rural areas, as it did in Hulu Selangor.

Another dimension on the messaging in these two seats is the fact that many voters in semi-rural areas do not read this article. They do not use online media and are less politicised. The BN's use of the mainstream media gave it an advantage, and allowed it to reinforce its more accessible multi-ethnic framework and slogan.

Yet, this highlights the fact that connecting to the semi-rural periphery is a challenge for Pakatan.

6) Relative economic prosperity

It is particularly a challenge given that economic conditions in many of these semi-rural areas have changed. The issues of inflation and decreased commodity prices are no longer as salient.

Palm oil, rubber and logging provided relative gains for voters in these seats, as most – except the hardcore poor – believed that conditions had improved economically and credited the BN – and Najib – with these gains. Bread and butter issues are the main concern of voters in semi-rural areas.

The Chinese swing-back to the BN, estimated at 5% in Galas, can in part be contributed to better economic conditions there. A similar swing among Batu Sapi voters did not occur, as 3% more supported alternatives in Sabah, but these votes were split and the BN won the lion's share of 42% of the Chinese vote.

The opposition faces an uphill task winning national power when economic conditions favour the incumbent government.

7) Young generation swing

This dynamic played out especially among younger voters, who did not support Pakatan to the same level as before. There was understandably lower turnout among younger voters who did not come back to vote, given that this election happened on a weekday. Yet, even among those who voted, BN support increased.

This was most obvious in Galas where an estimated 7% of younger voters moved toward BN. In Batu Sapi, younger voters moved to BN by an estimated 5%. This is an important national trend, given the large number of younger voters nationally. They want jobs and better wages. BN has capitalised on this more effectively.

8) Goodies

This brings me to my last point, intentionally placed last. There is a tendency to focus on the 'goodies', and excuse losses due to the uneven playing field in the allocation of resources.

This is always a factor in by-elections and clearly took place, although many voters are still waiting for their promised items. This support only goes only so far, and cannot exclusively explain the comparatively large gains that the BN made.

Winning the political periphery

The two by-elections show that the BN is gaining ground, and Najib's policies are having an impact. They, however, are more effective in semi-rural areas – where development concerns, comparative economic prosperity, less political engagement and information, and less machinery and connections for Pakatan are present.

The victories cannot be extended to all seats, especially in the urban areas, and they are not a national phenomenon. Yet, they do suggest that the BN's hold on national power is stronger and gaining. The momentum for the opposition has stopped as they have failed to win the political periphery of semi-rural mixed seats.

The BN was noticeably breathing easier – Batu Sapi and Galas have given them good reason to smile. But Sarawak – with its mix of seats – will provide a much better national test.
DR BRIDGET WELSH is associate professor of political science at Singapore Management University. She was in both Batu Sapi and Galas to observe the two by-elections. Welsh can be reached at bwelsh@smu.edu.sg.

POSTING FROM Malaysiakini

Learning the basics of an MBA from a Shanghai Taxi Driver

I needed to go to Xujiah Airport, so I hurriedly concluded a meeting and I was looking for a taxi in front of the Meiluo building.  A taxi driver saw me and very professionally came in a straight line and stopped right in front of me. 

Thus followed the story that astonished me greatly as if I had attended a lively MBA course.  In order to faithfully preserve the intent of the taxi driver, I have tried to reproduce his original words according to my memory.

"Where do you want to go?  Good, the airport.  At Xujiahui, I loved to get business in front of the Meiluo building.  Over here, I only work two places: Meiluo building and Junyao building.  Did you know?  Before I picked you up, I circled around Meiluo building twice before I saw you!  People who come out of office building are definitely not going to some place nearby ..."

"Oh?  You have a method !"  I agreed.

"A taxi driver must also have scientific methods," he said.

I was surprised and I got curious: "What scientific methods?"

"I have to know statistics.  I have made detailed calculations.  Let me tell you.  I operate the car 17 hours a day, and my hourly cost is 34.5 RMB ..."

"How did you arrive at that?" I asked

"You calculate.  I have to pay 380 RMB to the company each day for the car. The gas is about 210 RMB.  I work 17 hours per day.  On an hourly basis, the fixed cost is the 22 RMB that I give to the taxi company and an average of 12.5 RMB per hour in gasoline expenses.  Isn't that 34.5 RMB?"  I was a bit surprised.  I have taken taxis for ten years, but this is the first time that a taxi driver has calculated the costs this way.  Previously, the taxi drivers all tell me that the cost per kilometer was 0.3 RMB in addition to the total company fee.

"Costs should not be calculated on a per-kilometer basis.  It should be calculated on an hourly basis.  You see, each meter has a 'review' function through which you can see the details of the day.  I have done a data analysis.  The averarge time gap between customers is seven minutes.  If I started counting the costs when someone gets in, it is 10 RMB for about 10 minutes.  That means each 10 RMB customer takes 17 minutes of time, which costs 9.8 RMB (4.5 x 17 / 60).  This is not making money!  If we say that customers who want to go to Pudong, Hangzhou or Qingpu are like meals, then a 10 RMB customer is not even a bite of food.  You can only say that this is just a sprinkle of MSG."

Great!  This driver did not sound like a taxi driver.  He seemed more like an accountant.  "So what you do then?"  I was even more interested and I continued my questioning.  It looked like I was going to learn something new on the way to the airport.

"You must not let the customer lead you all over the place.  You decide what you want to do based upon the location, time and customer."  I was very surprised, but this sounded significant.  "Someone said that the taxi driving is a profession that depends on luck.  I don't think so.  You have to stand in the position of the customer and consider things from the customer's perspective."  This sounded very professional, and very much like many business management teachers who say "put yourself in others' shoes."

"Let me give you an example.  You are at the entrance to a hospital.  There is someone holding some medicine and there is someone else holding a wash basin.  Which person will you pick up?"  I thought about it and I said that I didn't know.

"You take the one with the wash basin. If you have a minor complaint that you want to be examined and to get some medicine, you don't usually go to a faraway hospital. Anyone who is carrying a wash basin has just been discharged from the hospital. When people enter the hospital, some of them die. Today, someone on the second floor dies.  Tomorrow, someone on the third floor dies. Those who make it out of the hospital usually have a feeling of having been given a second life and they recognize the meaning of life again -- health is the most important thing. So on that day, that person told me, "Go ... go to Qingpu."  He did not even blink. Would you say that he wanted to take a taxi to People's Plaza to transfer to the Qingpu line subway?  Absolutely not!"

I began to admire him.

"Let me give you another example.  That day at People's Plaza, three people were waving at me.  One was a young woman who had just finished shopping and was holding some small bags.  Another was a young couple who were out for a stroll.  The third one was a man who wore a silk shirt and a down jacket and holding a notebook computer bag.  I spent three seconds looking at each person and I stopped in front of the man without hesitation.  When the man got in, he said: ' Yannan Elevated Highway .   South North Elevated Highway ...'  Before even finishing, he could not help but ask, 'Why did you stop in front of me without hesitating?  There were two people in front.  They wanted to get on as well.  I was too embarrassed to fight with them.'  I replied, 'It is around noon and just a dozen or so minutes before one o'clock.  That young woman must have slipped out at noon to buy something and I guess that her company must be nearby.  That couple are tourists because they are not
  holding anything and they are not going to travel far. You are going out on business.  You are holding a notebook computer bag, so I can tell that this is business.  If you are going out at this time, I guess that it would not be too close.'  The man said, 'You are right.  I'm going to Baoshan.'"

"Are those people wearing pajamas in front of supermarkets or subway stations going to travel far?  Are they going to the airport?  The airport is not going to let them enter."

That makes sense!  I was liking this more and more.

"Many drivers complain that business is tough and the price of gas has gone up. They are trying to pin the cause down on other people. If you keep pinning the cause on other people, you will never get any better.  You must look at yourself to see where the problem is." This sounds very familiar. It seems like "If you cannot change the world, then you should change yourself" or perhaps a pirated copy of Steven Covey's "Circles of Influence and Concern."  "One time, on Nandan Road , someone flagged me down and wanted to go to Tianlin. Later on, someone else flagged me down on Nandan Road and he also wanted to go to Tianlin.  So I asked, 'How come all you people who come out on Nandan Road want to go to Tianlin?'  He said, 'There is a public bus depot at Nandan Road .  We all take the public bus from Pudong to there, and then we take the taxi to Tianlin.  So I understood. For example, you look at the road that we just passed. There are no offices, no hotels, nothing. Just a public bus station. Those people who flag down taxis there are mostly people who just got off the public bus, and they look for the shortest road for a taxi.  People who flag down taxis here will usually ride not more than 15 RMB."

"Therefore, I say that the attitude determines everything!"  I have heard dozens of company CEO's say that, but this was the first time that I heard a taxi driver say that.

"We need to use scientific methods and statistics to conduct business.

Those people who wait at the subway exits every day for business will never make money. How are you going to provide for your wife and kids at 500 RMB a month? This is murder? This is slowly murdering your whole family. You must arm yourself with knowledge. You have to learn knowledge to become a smart person. A smart person learns knowledge in order to become a very smart person. A very smart person learns knowledge in order to become a genius."

"One time, a person wanted a taxi in order to get to the train station.  I asked him how he wanted to go.  He told me how to get there.  I said that was slow. I said to get on the elevated highway and go this other way.  He said that it was a longer way. I said, 'No problem. You have experience because you go that way frequently. It costs you 50 RMB. If you go my way, I will turn off the meter when it reaches 50 RMB. You can just pay me 50 RMB. Anything more is mine. If you go your way, it will take 50 minutes. If I go my way, it will take 25 minutes.' So in the end, we went my way.

We traveled an additional four kilometers but 25 minutes quicker. I accepted only 50 RMB. The customer was very delighted for saving about 10 RMB. This extra four kilometers cost me just over 1 RMB in gas. So I have swapped 1 RMB for 25 extra minutes of my time. As I just said, my hourly cost is 34.5 RMB. It was quite worthwhile for me!"

"In a public taxi company, an ordinary driver takes three to four thousand RMB home per month. The good driver can get around five thousand. The top driver can get seven thousand RMB.  Out of the 20,000 drivers, there are about two to three who can make more than 8,000 RMB a month. I am one of those two or three. Furthermore, it is very stable without too much fluctuation."

Great!  By this point, I admired this taxi driver more and more.

"I often say that I am a happy driver. Some people say, 'That's because you earn a lot of money. Of course, you must be happy.' I tell them, 'You are wrong. This is because I have a happy and active mind, and that is why I make a lot of money.'"

What a wonderful way to put it!

"You have to appreciate the beauty that your work brings.  Stuck in a traffic jam at People's Plaza, many drivers complain, 'Oh, there's a traffic jam again! What rotten luck!' You must not be like that. You should try to experience the beauty of the city.  There are many pretty girls passing by. There are many tall modern buildings; although you cannot afford them, you can still enjoy them with an appreciative look.  While driving to the airport, you can look at the greenery on both sides.  In the winter, it is white.  How beautiful!  Look at the meter -- it is more than 100 RMB.  That is even more beautiful!  Each job has its own beauty.  We need to learn how to experience that beauty in our work."

"Ten years ago, I was a general instructor at Johnson's.  Eight years ago, I had been the department manager for three different departments.  I quit because there was no point in making three or five thousand a month. I decided to become a taxi driver. I want to be a happy driver.  Ha ha ha ..."

When we arrived at the airport, I gave him my business card and said, "Are you interested in coming this Friday to my office and explain to the Microsoft workers about how you operate your taxi? You can treat it as if your meter is running at 60 kilometers per hour. I will pay you for the time that you talk to us. Give me a call."

Then I began to write down his lively MBA lecture on the airplane.
   “It is your attitude, not your aptitude, which determines your altitude in life.”

Sincerity is the key to a United Malaysia

Submitted by webmaster on Sat, 2010-11-06 09:51

MUCH has been argued by various quarters after Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak announced his 1Malaysia vision, concept, policy, motto or whatever you choose to describe it.

It will surely be just another post-Merdeka rhetoric if there is no sincerity to forge a truly 1Malaysia.

For 1Malaysia to be realised, Malaysians must be really united for their country.

Whether this can be achieved will depend on the sincerity of the people, their leaders and the government.

Suspicion is a damper in efforts to forge unity. Malaysians cannot afford to go on quarrelling over pre-Merdeka communal issues forever and hope for Malaysia to transform into a prosperous nation.

Malaysians must cast aside all their suspicions and work together united as one towards a progressive and prosperous nation.

There cannot be socio-economic progress if Malaysians continue to bicker over pre-Merdeka issues with the government having no political will to take the lead towards a United Malaysia.

The first and foremost acknowledgment for the government is to recognise and accept the growing post-Merdeka generation and the Information Technology (IT) era.

As short as 20 years ago, the people’s access to information was limited to the middle class and the rich.

Today, our children are attending IT classes and schools are equipped with internet connections.
Information is King and it is now almost a borderless access. Therefore, the days of double-talk and deceit will not work anymore. Words must be backed by sincere action.

For example, on the issue of corruption, we cannot just remain rhetoric and hope the people will back us.

That is why I was willing to risk my MCA presidency and even my cabinet post by exposing the Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) multi-billion-ringgit  financial scandal.

Today, as an ordinary Pandan MP, I still refuse to back down or back out. Those who benefitted from the scandal at taxpayers’ interest must face the music.

ORIGINAL POSTING http://ongteekeat.net

出访公干为名, 公费旅游为实

Submitted by webmaster on Tue, 2010-11-02 10:35

 2010年11月01日

日前国家总稽查师的年度报告书出台, 引起民众哗然, 乃意料中事。观此举国关切之情, 这可说是民众对监督施政认识的提升。

纵观全书, 普罗大众的观感是政府的采购与建设项目中, 委实 存有太多〝物非所值〞的个案。这种积弊造成大笔公币的浪费与国家资源的流失。

书中的弊案个例, 不胜枚举。贯串其间的积弊, 可用〝假〞、〝大〞、〝空〞三字来概括。

〝假〞---顾名思义, 泛指涉案的官员或承包商弄虚作假、虚支冒领, 迹近诈骗政府, 榨取纳税人公币的行径。这不是一般的〝揩油〞或牟取暴利, 而是计划性的巧取豪夺。

〝大〞则暴露出规划者好大喜功的虚骄心态。它或许可以抚平虚骄表皮下的自卑, 可它的代价是虚掷公币, 以纳税民众的血汗钱来换取华而不实的建设工事或宏伟场面。当然,真正从中得利者, 不外是贪婪的政客及其朋党。这类政客当中, 除了牟利的考量, 亦或多或少相信宏伟的硬体建设或活动场面, 能够为他们的政绩加分。

〝空〞的流弊则充分体现在公家产业的使用率方面。花钱采购而弃之不用或难以派上用场的物品设备, 固然是一种奢侈浪费, 可一栋又一栋竞相林立的政府办公大楼, 到底又有多少楼层空间真正付诸使用,而不致于平白空置?

关注国州执政党议员拨款

其实〝假、大、空〞的积弊陋习又何止于采购与开发项目? 国州执政党议员的拨款流向与实效, 同样值得国人的关注。它的金额虽然不大, 可年复一年, 多少拨款能够真正用在点上, 惠泽人民? 这倒是常在众目的聚焦以外。人们看不到政客如何慷公家之慨,巧用选区拨款,充当喂饱朋党跟班的饲料, 更无以想像一些土著承包商如何将牌照外借以赚取干利。当然, 他们高达20%-40%的净赚额, 同样是羊毛出在羊身上, 由纳税人来买单支付。

犹记得数年前, 我率先在自己的网页公布选区拨款的流向时, 党内领导对我的群呛, 可说是卯足马力的。其中一位现已升正的领导同志当时面无愧色的说: 〝翁某的这种哗众取宠的行径, 叫我们情何以堪! 〞

尽管当时受尽冷言冷语的羞辱, 可我始终坚持不撤下已公布的数据明细, 因为这毕竟是我身为民选议员对人民的一种责任承担, 与他人无尤。

不相信短暂官访赚外汇

而今〝情何以堪〞四字似乎更适用于滥用公币、假公济私之辈。但对那些打从心底就以万民为刍狗的当权政客来说, 面无愧色者还是亳无羞愧如故,横眉冷对千夫指, 丝毫不以公费旅游的指责为忤。

平心而论, 政务官包括正副部长及州行政议员等的出国公干, 理所当然须由公币支付, 可他们的公务绩效应该也同样受到适当的监督与检核。任何担任公职者, 总不应仗着本身的部门单位能为国家赚取一定的外汇, 就振振有词说:其出访所花费的每一元公币,就能为国家赚取多倍盈利云云。

言下之意不外是指有关的外汇盈利全是政务官个人的出访成绩使然, 全部驻外的促销办事处形同虚设, 所花费的开销仿佛就不是公币。这种论述非但有独揽功劳之嫌, 也赤裸裸的暴露出这类政务官的心态咀脸。举凡对政府行政体系有所认识者, 都不会相信单凭正副部长或州行政议员的短暂官访, 区区一两天的酬酢交往, 就能轻易坐收赚取外汇之效。

出国开会不过政治酬庸

具此心态, 以出访公干为名, 公费旅游为实的劣行, 实已蔚然成风。多年前, 我曾以国会副议长身分出席英联邦议会协会大会, 阵容鼎盛的马来西亚国州议员代表团, 除了在开幕式亮相以外, 其它的会议研讨环节, 则只能仰赖寥寥无几的数位议员苦撑。讽刺的是, 其它团员只在回国的航班上遇到, 且是满载而归, 显然是极尽购物的兴致。打听之余, 才知悉多位团员的英语欠奉, 敢情出国开会只不过是政治酬庸的方便借口而已。

公币滥用及此, 国人对政务官的公费出访,又焉能毫无监督的意识? 〝人民是老板〞不应只是选举季节的口号。国人要遏制国家资源的浪费流失, 就务须加强认识及认真行使公民监督施政的权利。毕竟选票的力量还是有其震慑性的。

ORIGINAL POSTING http://ongteekeat.net

Pemilihan parti secara langsung melibatkan ahli

Submitted by webmaster on Tue, 2010-11-02 10:28

Pemilihan parti secara langsung dengan melibatkan ahli-ahlinya bukan sesuatu yang baru dalam politik antarabangsa, tetapi ia tetap baru dalam persada politik Malaysia.

Tempoh hari ketika saya diundang menyertai satu forum anjuran sebuah akhbar Bahasa Cina mengenai topik berkenaan, terpaksa saya menyingkap kembali kepada peristiwa lampau yang melibatkan diri saya dalam usaha memperjuangkan pemilihan parti secara langsung dalam MCA. Saya tidak berniat langsung untuk bersifat masuk bakul angkat diri, khasnya apabila PKR mula mengamalkan sistem pemilihan parti yang dimaksudkan.

Pengalaman saya dalam memperjuangkan pemilihan parti langsung boleh disifatkan sebagai satu-satunya yang penuh ranjau. Saya julung kali mengesyorkan idea tersebut pada 2005 sebelum bertanding untuk jawatan Naib Presiden dalam pemilihan parti MCA. Namun begitu, syor itu malangnya telah ditenggelami ejekan yang pelbagai dalam kalangan pemimpin parti.

Tiga tahun kemudian, saya berjaya menerajui tampuk kepimpinan parti dan sekali lagi hasrat untuk merombak sistem pemilihan parti terus berkobar. Meskipun kali ini syor saya yang juga salah satu janji saya dalam manifesto pemilihan parti saya diterima sebagai satu ketetapan dalam Majlis Perhimpunan Agung Tahunan, namun rintangan terhadap pelaksanaannya adalah jauh lebih mencabar daripada jangkaan saya.

Dari pelbagai kesangsian yang dibangkitkan, saya sedar pihak yang meragui bahkan yang menentang sistem pemilihan langsung sebenarnya mempunyai agenda berselindung. Ia menepati pengamatan saya mengenai beberapa kelemahan struktur parti dan gejala politik yang terus mengganggu-gugat kesejahteraan parti.

Mungkin apa yang menghantui MCA selama ini boleh juga dijadikan iktibar kepada parti-parti lain. Gejala dan kelemahan yang dimaksudkan sebenarnya adalah hasil secara langsung atau tidak langsung dari sistem perwakilan parti yang sedia ada. Ia termasuk:

(1) Gejala rasuah politik, atau lebih dikenali sebagai ‘politik wang’

Kini amalan rasuah politik semakin terserlah lagi canggih caranya kerana ia tidak lagi terhad kepada sogokan wang kepada perwakilan yang dikuasai sikap tamak, malah habuan yang terlibat boleh dirangkumi dengan istilah 3P, iaitu: Payroll, Project, Pingat.

Sesetengah perwakilan yang sanggup disogok lazimnya ditawarkan, sama ada dengan pemberian elaun bulanan tetap, atau projek. Paling minimum tidak kurang daripada perakuan untuk mendapat anugerah pingat bintang kebesaran. Dalam erti kata lain, habuan tawaran sekarang bukanlah sekadar ad-hoc semata-mata tetapi secara lestari. Itu pun satu cara menawarkan rezeki mudah kepada perwakilan. Tugasan mereka yang diharapkan tidak lain daripada memberi, melobi dan memantapkan sokongan perwakilan kepada pemberi rezeki masing-masing. Ini jauh lebih penting berbanding peranan mereka untuk mendapatkan sokongan rakyat terhadap calon parti dalam pilihan raya.

(2) Gejala Keahlian Palsu

Kewujudan ahli-ahli palsu akan terus berleluasa selagi bilangan ahli dalam sesebuah cawangan atau bahagian parti menentukan bilangan perwakilannya. Lantaran masing-masing berlumba-lumba untuk memperbanyakkan ahlinya, baik dengan cara yang wajar mahupun tidak.

Perlu dijelaskan, ahli palsu disebut tidak semestinya insan yang tidak wujud, kadangkala yang dipalsukan itu ialah permohonan keahlian seseorang individu.

Dalam kata lain, sesetengah ahli parti yang berdaftar itu mungkin tidak tahu menahu langsung mengenai keahlian partinya. Dalam keadaan sedemikian, tidaklah hairan mengapa ramai ahli parti kelihatan tidak menyokong calon parti sendiri dalam pilihan raya.

(3) Gejala Kelesuan Jentera Parti

Walaupun pertambahan bilangan perwakilan tetap dikejar sesetengah pemimpin akar umbi yang berniat merebut kerusi dalam pemilihan parti, namun ini tidak bermaksud mereka sanggup mengamalkan semangat keterbukaan dalam pengambilan ahlinya. Ada kalanya, terdapat mereka yang keberatan mengambil individu-individu tertentu, khasnya yang berpengaruh atau berpelajaran tinggi menjadi ahli parti kerana takut diguling dan diganti kepemimpinannya dalam parti.

Dalam senario ini, sesetengah mereka lebih cenderung mewujudkan ahli-ahli palsu daripada mengambil mereka yang ikhlas dan hendak menyertai parti.

Semua pihak memang mengerti ciri-ciri kelebihan sistem pemilihan parti secara langsung walaupun pelaksanaannya bukanlah semudah kita fikir. Namun mereka yang berdolak-dalik agar menggagalkan ura-ura pemilihan langsung kebanyakannya berbuat demikian atas desakan perhitungan politik peribadi.

Mereka yang ghairah mengamalkan rasuah politik sudah tentu rasa tertekan seandainya pemilih yang mengundi tidak lagi terhad kepada perwakilan yang mereka boleh kuasai. Ini bermakna jumlah wang atau habuan sogokan mereka dijangka berlipat ganda.

Bagi mereka yang tidak berpolitik wang pun, turut perlu menanggung risiko politik yang tinggi kalau mandat mereka rebut itu kena diperoleh daripada semua ahli parti.

Di samping itu, mungkin terdapat satu lagi perhitungan berselindung yang melibatkan maruah parti pada keseluruhannya. Kita sedia maklum tentang wujudnya ahli-ahli palsu. Sekiranya pemilihan langsung, sudah tentu gejala politik berkenaan akan terdedah dengan mudah kerana mustahil ahli-ahli palsu boleh mengundi dalam pemilihan parti.

Cuba bayangkan kalau peratusan ahli parti mengundi terlalu rendah, ia akan membawa pengertian sama ada ahli-ahli parti berkenaan telah kehilangan komitmen atau kepercayaan terhadap hala tuju perjuangannya; ataupun lebih tenat lagi jika ia mendedahkan terserlahnya ahli-ahli palsu.

Pemimpin-pemimpin yang mengamalkan politik wang dan ahli palsu melalui sistem perwakilan sedia ada mungkin boleh merebut lagi menguasai tampuk kepimpinan sesebuah parti. Namun pemimpin pilihan perwakilan tidak semestinya diterima masyarakat, khasnya kalau mandat pemilihan itu dipengaruhi habuan.

Keadaan sebegini perlu kita renungi bersama kerana penolakan seseorang pemimpin parti dalam kalangan rakyat hanya akan merugikan parti itu dari segi kewibawaan parti serta bilangan kerusi yang boleh dimenangi dalam pilihan raya. 

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