This week, Ask Lord Bobo ponders when the cops can handcuff you, and reveals the REAL reason behind traffic jams! Under what circumstances can Polis Diraja Malaysia use handcuffs on civilians? @sooncm, via Twitter Chapter IV of the Criminal Procedure Code covers the area on arrest, escape and re-taking. An arrest takes place when the police officer actually touches or confines the body of the person to be arrested [Section 15(1)]. If such person resists the arrest, the police officer "may use all means necessary to effect the arrest" [Section 15(2)]. An arrest is completed when there is a submission to the custody of the police by word or action. In cases where a suspected person is not arrested forthwith, care must be taken that the suspected person remains at liberty. No restraint of any kind may lawfully be exercised over him as long as he is not placed under arrest. Handcuffs are necessarily used to prevent the suspect from escaping. Examples of these can be seen when you watch those crime-busting American TV shows like CSI, Criminal Minds or Law&Order whenever there is a chase scene and they finally apprehend the suspect, the first thing they do is to smack handcuffs on the suspect. Essentially, if there is no resistance, or danger of fleeing, the police officer may not use the handcuffs on civilians. Whilst all the above is true in cold hard theory, reality is different. What is deemed as resistance or danger of fleeing can be very subjective. Perhaps the suspects ankle twitched? Or he scratched his thigh? Or didnt respond! fast en ough to a question? Resistance! Potential to run! Handcuffs! This of course is not to paint a bad picture of our hardworking police officers. This is true of police officers all over the world. But hey, put yourselves in their shoes. If youre a lawyer, when you stand up in court, dont you imagine yourself as someone from Boston Legal, LA Law or The Practice? If youre a doctor doing your rounds, surely you occasionally pretend youre one of those cool doctors from Chicago Hope, ER, Scrubs, or Grays Anatomy? So, heck, if you were a police officer apprehending a suspect, you can be damn sure youd sometimes want to indulge in a bit of Miami Vice, CSI, NYPD Blue, or Criminal Minds style get-down-stay-down, eat-the-road-punk, hands-where-I-can-see-em, which would inevitably lead to slappin on those shiny metal cuffs and hearing the oh-so-satisfying click. Or, er, maybe thats just us. Dear Lord Bobo, why is Jalan Tun Razak always so jammed? @fahmi_fadzil, via Twitter The jams of Jalan Tun Razak are one of the many great mysteries of Malaysia. It ranks alongside the half-built Johor-Singapore bridge and the Crystal Mosque in a Terengganu forest. Occult researchers who have spent many years studying the phenomenon attribute it to the coming of Balroghaugh, Lord Bobos arch-enemy, from Planet Zaboo. Cutting edge astrologers are unanimous it is due to Uranus (no, not yours) wanting to steal one of Jupiters rings in the house of the Bronzed Illama. Despite either of the above explanations being equally plausible, LoyarBurok traffic analysts strongly believe the manifestations of jams on Jalan Tun Razak are due to more mundane factors such as - LoyarBurok would advise you to avoid Jalan Tun Razak whenever able, or better yet, avoid Kuala Lumpur altogether. But then again, that would just move the jams elsewhere, wouldnt it? Heck, whats the big problem anyway? Traffic jams are a part of Malaysian life. Lord Bobo knows that many productive things (no, not those sorta things) get done in traffic jams. Just talking about the blawg, many comments come via mobile devices during traffic jams. Heck, entire articles get thought-up, written, submitted, and published during traffic jams! Also, just like the stereotypical Brit loves talking about the weather, Malaysians love talking about jams. "Wah, traffic today damn bad ah." / "Okaylah, not too bad what." / "Eh, which road you took lah, how come can get here so fast?" / "Come lah, I tell you this shortcut, you turn off after the bus-stop right, then you go left into the lorong at the 7-Eleven there ah, after that you use the left lane you know, the right lane very slow one, ah, then you curi-curi cut the double-line go into the alley there, then you see lah, youre back on the main road but further up. Can save 5 minutes you know!" Imagine if traffic jams suddenly cleared up. What would Malaysians use as a conversation ice-breaker? Worse everyone would get to their destinations early! What would happen to "Malaysian timing"? It would be chaos. The space-time continuum may be jeopardised! So, get to you know your traffic jams. Embrace them. Find out what their hobbies are. Love them. They are an essential part of the fabric of Malaysian society. Although Lord Bobo alread! y knows your question before you even knew you had a question, as a practical display of your true desire to have your query answered, His Supreme Eminenceness has graciously allowed you to communicate your questions by - The first 100 questions published will receive LoyarBuroks ONLY merchandise you ever need (worth a lot for humankind) courtesy of Selangor Times. Now, what the hell are you waiting for? Hear This and Tremblingly Obey (although trembling is optional if you are somewhere very warm)! Liberavi Animam Meam! I Have Freed My Spirit! Tags: Ask Lord Bobo, Boston Legal, CPC, Criminal Minds, Criminal Procedure Code, CSI, ER, Gray's Anatomy, Handcuffs, Jalan Tun Razak, LA Law, Law&Order, Miami Vice, NYPD Blue, PDRM, Polis Diraja Malaysia, Scrubs, Selangor Times, The Practice, traffic, Traffic Jam This entry was posted on 11 February, 2011 at 8:05 pm and is filed under Ask Lord Bobo. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. 
From the Selangor Times Issue 11, 11-13 February 2011. Ask Lord Bobo is a weekly column by LoyarBurok where all your profound, abstruse, erudite, hermetic, recondite, sagacious, and other thesaurus-described queries are answered!
Pakatan Rakyat (PR) Social Political Buzz & Bulls
Ask Lord Bobo: Handcuffed In A Jam
BEYOND UMNO MEDIA SPINNING: ITS ABOUT REALITY OBJECTIVITY THAT PRETENDS THE TRUTH ALWAYS LIES IN THE MIDDLE, BETWEEN TWO GENERALLY EXAGGERATED AND INTELLECTUALLY-DISINGENUOUS EXTREMES
For far too long, the public has suffered under the tyranny of dueling narratives served up by one or another interest group seeking self-serving shortcuts around nuanced truths, all the while shortchanging the clarity of important debates about the biggest issues of the day from health care reform to defense policy to education. Journalists have too often perpetuated the false notion that seemingly any issue can be cleanly divided into right and left, conservative and liberal, because these labels make our work simpler, supplying us with a handy structure we can impose at will on typically uncooperative facts.
Its been a long time since I bought a copy of the local newspapers. Personally, I am fade up with the so called news! To me, what is in the local newspapers is an insult to ones intelligence!
Those with access to the internet should make it a point to educate and keep their family members, relatives, friends and associates who belong to the category of people still reading local newspapers, and who believe in what they hear from spin doctors, informed of what is really hap! pening i n this country. If each and every one of us do this, than more accurate news will reach the ears of those less informed people. In time, if we will open the eyes of these unfortunate people who are being fooled time and again, this may transcribe to correct votes to stir this country away from the destruction which threatens it. Perhaps, the Opposition should concentrate more on this than wasting away on infighting among themselves.
These lies and falsehood published in the mainstream newspapers are a sure sign that the 13th General Election is fast-approaching. The mainstream newspapers must be under tight control and monitoring by the BN Government indeed. Also, efforts have been stepped up to portray Pakatan Rakyat (PR) as being weak and on the point of collapse whereas BN is portrayed as being vibrant and transformed to galvanise the countrys economy to higher heights (including building the very high 100-storey Menara Warisan). This will inevitably affect the general population of voters especially those in the rural areas, not many of whom will bother to verify the facts from other alternative sources.
By winning the media war, BN can increase its number of votes among the fence-sitters. This of course is a cowardly way of doing things in an already unlevel playing field. The mainstream newspapers is playing the role of a supporting tool to BN by helping BN to secure victory in the coming general election by camouflaging facts, slanting facts and now downright publishing lies and falsehood.
When the information from the mass media is manipulated, the rakyat cannot make a wise and informed decision, the rakyat will therefore only be making a manipulated decision.Its been a long time since I bought a copy of the local newspapers. Personally, I! am fade up with the so called news! To me, what is in the local newspapers is an insult to ones intelligence!
Those with access to the internet should make it a point to educate and keep their family members, relatives, friends and associates who belong to the category of people still reading local newspapers, and who believe in what they hear from spin doctors, informed of what is really happening in this country. If each and every one of us do this, than more accurate news will reach the ears of those less informed people. In time, if we will open the eyes of these unfortunate people who are being fooled time and again, this may transcribe to correct votes to stir this country away from the destruction which threatens it. Perhaps, the Opposition should concentrate more on this than wasting away on infighting among themselves.
These lies and falsehood published in the mainstream newspapers are a sure sign that the 13th General Election is fast-approaching. The mainstream newspapers must be under tight control and monitoring by the BN Government indeed. Also, efforts have been stepped up to portray Pakatan Rakyat (PR) as being weak and on the point of collapse whereas BN is portrayed as being vibrant and transformed to galvanise the countrys economy to higher heights (including building the very high 100-storey Menara Warisan). This will inevitably affect the general population of voters especially those in the rural areas, not many of whom will bother to verify the facts from other alternative sources.
By winning the media war, BN can increase its number of votes among the fence-sitters. This of course is a cowardly way of doing things in an already unlevel playing ! field. T he mainstream newspapers is playing the role of a supporting tool to BN by helping BN to secure victory in the coming general election by camouflaging facts, slanting facts and now downright publishing lies and falsehood.
When the information from the mass media is manipulated, the rakyat cannot make a wise and informed decision, the rakyat will therefore only be making a manipulated decision.
Filed underUncategorized
Those with access to the internet should make it a point to educate and keep their family members, relatives, friends and associates who belong to the category of people still reading local newspapers, and who believe in what they hear from spin doctors, informed of what is really hap! pening i n this country. If each and every one of us do this, than more accurate news will reach the ears of those less informed people. In time, if we will open the eyes of these unfortunate people who are being fooled time and again, this may transcribe to correct votes to stir this country away from the destruction which threatens it. Perhaps, the Opposition should concentrate more on this than wasting away on infighting among themselves.
These lies and falsehood published in the mainstream newspapers are a sure sign that the 13th General Election is fast-approaching. The mainstream newspapers must be under tight control and monitoring by the BN Government indeed. Also, efforts have been stepped up to portray Pakatan Rakyat (PR) as being weak and on the point of collapse whereas BN is portrayed as being vibrant and transformed to galvanise the countrys economy to higher heights (including building the very high 100-storey Menara Warisan). This will inevitably affect the general population of voters especially those in the rural areas, not many of whom will bother to verify the facts from other alternative sources.
By winning the media war, BN can increase its number of votes among the fence-sitters. This of course is a cowardly way of doing things in an already unlevel playing field. The mainstream newspapers is playing the role of a supporting tool to BN by helping BN to secure victory in the coming general election by camouflaging facts, slanting facts and now downright publishing lies and falsehood.
When the information from the mass media is manipulated, the rakyat cannot make a wise and informed decision, the rakyat will therefore only be making a manipulated decision.
NCR villagers take on Taib family company
Stephen Tiong, Malaysiakini
Villagers from six kampung in Lundu district at the southern tip of Sarawak came in full forcetodayto file their defence and counter-claims against a company they accused of encroaching into their native customary rights (NCR) land.
Polar Horizon Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary of Titanium Management Sdn Bhd, whose majority shareholder is multi-billionaire Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmuds flamboyant son, Abu Bekir (left), was issued with the provisional leases (PLs) for the land.
The area covers three parcels, known as Lot 176 and Lot 177 of Block 5 and Lot 478 of Block 6 in the Sampadi district and the PLs were issued by the Superintendent of Lands and Surveys of Kuching Division.
The company obtained the PLs for the three lots, covering 1,500 hectares, on Feb 3, 2010.
Armed with the PLs, Polar Horizon shortly afterwards issued notices to the villagers of Kampung Kangka, Kampung Sampadi, Kampung Sungai China, Kampung Stoh, Kampung Ulu Riam/Setia Jaya and Kampung Sungai Belian to move out within 30 days.
When they refused, the company filed court action against the NCR landowners.
Polar Horizon also named Rona Hijau Sdn Bhd, a joint venture plantation company between the villagers and a group of Sibubusinessmen, in its suit.
Penghulu Kipli Lihi, Ambi Uri, Layang Engot, Sintu Layang, Jeae Kamuri, Jamain Mahmud, Borhan Saidi, Kapli Liman and Awang Bohari Awang Ali, representing themsel! ves and the other 481 villagers of the area, filed their defence and counter-claim through Baru Bian Advocates & Solicitors in the Kuching High Court registry this morning.
In their statement of defence, they said the issuance of the PLs was unconstitutional, illegal and null and void as the PLs covered, comprised and encroached into their NCR land.
Land vital to villagers sustenance
They said their villages were established native settlements, with Kampung Sampadi established in 1902 by a group of Malay Kedayan, while the other villages were established between 1920 and 1940 with the approval of the Rajah Brooke government.
At all material times, they said, they had acquired and claimed native customary rights over the land in and around the six villages.
They also said the Lands and Surveys Department had undertaken numerous survey jobs to determine the parcels of their NCR land, and that they would produce plans and the survey reports done on the land at the full trial.
The villagers also said they derived food, valuable medicines, wildlife and other forest produce for their sustenance and livelihood from the NCR land, which comprises farmland and forest.
The land was not just a source of their livelihood but was also fundamental to their social, cultural and spiritual survival as native peoples of Sarawak.
Through their own initiatives, they had formed a joint-venture plantation company with a group of Sibu businessmen in 2007 to grow palm oil on parts of their NCR land.
In their counter-claim against Polar Horizon, they want the court to declare that they hold customary rights over the three parcels of land.
They also want the court to declare the PLs issued to Polar Horizon as un! lawful, improper, unconstitutional and therefore, null and void, and to issue an injunction to restrain the company, its agents or employees from trespassing, clearing, taking possession of or occupying their land.
Filed under: corruption, Native Customary Rights Tagged: Anak Sarawak Bangsa Malaysia, Human rights, indigenous land, NCR, Sarawak politics, Save Sarawak, Taib Mahmud
Never-satisfied Taib wants more development for .. ?
FMT 
Despite being at the helm for more than 30 years, ageing Sarawak Chief Minister Taib Mahmud is still looking for ways to develop the state.
There is nothing more important than to turn Sarawak into a fully developed state because this was the wish and hope of our leaders when they joined Malaysia.
I was one of the politicians then and I cannot forget the wish of the people who had hoped to improve their living standard through independence.
Because of that, up to now, I am still looking for ways to develop the state, the 74-year-old told community leaders here yesterday.
Urging these grassroots leaders to re-examine the struggle of the current BN leaders, he advised them not to focus on issues that would make them angry, frustrated and disappointed.
Dont get distracted from the states main struggle if we want Sarawak to progress further we must look at the issues that can develop the people.
We all know that the state has already achieved so much but we should not be satisfied with what we have, he said.
Consistent focus
Taib said in the early days people had left everything to fate but the situation was different now.
People, he said, should understand that they can achieve many sucesses through their own efforts.
But this, however, cannot be be achieved by the opposition because they never thought about developing the country.
All they have been thinking about is how to take over the government unlike the BN government.
In the BN, our focus is still on developing the state and nation.
We are never satisfied with what we have got We know that there is still a lot more to be done to change the l! ives of the rakyat for the better, he said.
Filed under: corruption, Politics Tagged: Anak Sarawak Bangsa Malaysia, corruption, Sarawak politics, Save Sarawak, Taib Mahmud
Israel Suka Kepada Omar Sulaiman kerana Beliau Berjasa kepada Israel-Wikileaks
Mesti diingat, Israel menentang sama sekali Mesir menjadi negara demokrasi dan diperintah oleh kerajaan yang dipilih rakyat. Israel mahu Mesir terus diperintah oleh kerajaan diktator yang zalim dan korup yang terus menindas rakyat tanpa belas kasihan serta membiarkan rakyat mereka kelaparan dan tersiksa.
WikiLeaks: Suleiman told Israel he would 'cleanse' Sinai of arms runners to Gaza
Omar Suleiman, the new vice-president of Egypt, told the Israelis he wanted to start cleansing the Sinai of Palestinian arms smugglers, according to leaked cables.
Omar Suleiman, the new vice-president of Egypt, told the Israelis he wanted to start cleansing the Sinai of Palestinian arms smugglers, according to leaked cables.
Suleiman promised personally to take responsibility for 'cleansing the Sinai'
Christopher Hope
By Christopher Hope 9:00PM GMT 09 Feb 2011
The news is more evidence of the close ties between Israel, the United States and Mr Suleiman, who is tipped to replace Hosni Mubarak as Egypts president.
The close relationship has emerged from American diplomatic cables leaked to the WikiLeaks website and passed to The Daily Telegraph.
Mr Suleiman is Israels preferred candidate to replace 82-year-old Mr Mubarak. A secret h! otline b etween Mr Suleiman and the Israelis was said to be in daily use, according to US diplomatic cables.
The pledge to cleanse Sinai was made by Mr Suleiman to Yuval Diskin of the Israeli Security Agency (ISA) after he complained about the smuggling of weapons across the border with Gaza. According to a cable sent in November, 2007, Mr Diskin met Rob Danin, the US deputy assistant secretary of state, and Mark Kimmitt, the deputy assistant defence secretary, in Tel Aviv and told them that the Sinai peninsula had now become a weapons and explosives warehouse for operations in Gaza, Egypt and Israel.
The cable said: Diskin told Danin and Kimmit [sic] that the ISA had, on several occasions provided Omar Suleiman, chief of Egypts intelligence services, with detailed intelligence on the names of smugglers.
In 2005, Diskin said he met personally with Suleiman in Egypt, at which time Suleiman promised personally to take responsibility for 'cleansing the Sinai.
The cable continued: Despite these promises and Israeli offers to initiate joint operations, Diskin said Egypt has not acted to eliminate the smuggling networks. In Diskins view, there is a core policy problem in that the Egyptians saw themselves as the primary mediator between the Israelis and Palestinians, and are careful not to alienate either side.
Mr Suleiman worked hard to position himself as the main Egyptian link with Israel. According to the cable, he was blocking attempts by the Israelis to form links with other members of the Cairo government.
This was, according to Mr Diskin, because of Mr Suleimans desire to remain the sole point of contact for foreign intelligence.
The efforts paid off. In 2008, Mr Suleiman was named as Israels preferred successor to Mr Mubarak and the new secret direct hotline was in daily use. By early 2009, Dan Harel, deputy chief of staff at the Israel Defence Staff, was reporting that on the intelligence side under Suleiman co-operation is good.
A cable reported: Co-oper! ation ag ainst smuggling is better with Egyptian Intelligence Chief Omar Suleiman than it is with Egyptian Military Commander Field Marshall Tantawi.
In May, 2009, in a meeting with the Americans, Mr Suleiman was telling them of how Egypt had made the border with Gaza more secure. This included destroying tunnels, and erecting underground metal barricades, although he acknowledged that the smuggling could never be fully stopped.
Mr Suleiman has already won the backing of Hillary Clinton, the US Secretary of State, to lead the transition to democracy after nearly three weeks of demonstrations calling for Mr Mubarak to resign.
Earlier this week, David Cameron spoke to Mr Suleiman and urged him to take bold and credible steps to show the world that Egypt was embarking on an irreversible, urgent and real transition to democracy.
Mubarak is here to stay....
Hosni Mubarak has transferred all powers of presidency to his vice president, but remains Egypts de jure head of state, the Egyptian ambassador to Washington said yesterday.Speaking after Mubarak stopped short of saying he was ending his 30-year rule in an address to Egyptians, Ambassador Sameh Shoukry told CNN: President Mubarak has transferred all authority to the vice president.
Asked if Mubarak remained the head of state, Shoukry said: He remains the de jure head of state. He said Vice President Omar Suleiman is the de facto president.
The ambassador said he had been told by the vice president himself that President Mubarak has transferred all authority to the vice president.
Suleiman, he said, was now undertaking all the authority of the president under the constitution.
Hundreds of thousands of demonstrators in a Cairo square calling for Mubaraks ouster chanted Leave! Leave! after Mubaraks speech, in which he said he was transferring powers to the vice president.
source Reuters
cheers.
Ia yang Indah (Part 1) #LoyarBerkasih
- Snowbound | Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/beth19
S melutut, terpaku, berhadapan dengan nisan kaku yang disaluti ubun-ubun pagi yang melihatkan sisa dari salji semalaman. Salji yang merintik ringan semalaman hampir semuanya ghaib, meluwap dan disejati suria yang menunjukkan muka girangnya sebentar. Tetapi, S tidak girang semalam, dan mungkin tidak lelap juga matanya. Pagi suram yang belum menampakkan fiil sang suria mungkinnya sudah menyelami jiwa S yang menyimpan kemas rintihan tanpa suara.
Sudah lebih 20 minit S melutut di situ, tanpa suara yang keluar dari sebarang lobang derianya. Tubuhnya seiras sekujur patung yang terpacak di hadapan kubur-kubur lain yang lebih kemas dan molek hiasannya. Tiada tubuh panas yang lain di persekitarannya, walaupun kicauan unggas yang bangun awal pagi boleh kedengaran kejauhan.
Jika mendekati S untuk melihat perilakunya yang tersembunyi dari pandangan, boleh kelihatan beliau memegang sejambak kecil bunga geranium yang pagi ini telah dituntas dari sebuah taman bunga dalam perjalannya ke pusara. Geranium itu duduk di dalam genggaman kemasnya, tiada angin untuk mengusap kelopak-kelopaknya yang halus.
Selapas 20 minit terpaku, tersaksi gerakan kecil dari S. Dia letak jambangan kecil geranium itu tegak, mencondong, pada batu nisan itu. Kemudian, beliau menggunakan jari telunjuk kirinya untuk melakar huruf-angka yang terpahat pada batu kapur licin yang menjadi nisan itu.
C
!1 Sep tember 1979 - 9 Februari 2010
Mailakat yang pernah menginjaki bumi
Walaupun nyawa tercolong, keanggunannya menjiwai mereka yang mengenalinya
Sahabat, pencinta ilmu, pengait, kekasih, pengasih dan pendidik yang tiada kata akhir untuknya.
Titisan yang hampir terbenam mulai gugur perlahan dari genangan air di lopak mata sebelum semakin deras. S memerengkan dahinya kepada batu nisan, tangannya meramas lembut bunga geranium yang masih mencondong pada kaki batu nisan itu.
"Aku sayangkan kau, C," bisik perlahan S pada batu nisan itu.
S telah datang ke negara AS enam tahun lepas dengan alasan mahu menyambung pelajarannya pada peringkat pasca-siswazah, dalam bidang sejarah. Dia baru berumur 26 tahun pada masa itu, dan telah bekerja selama lebih kurang tiga tahun dengan satu organisasi yang cuba membela nasib orang asal di Malaysia. Dalam emel yang telah dihantarkan kepada seorang professor di sebuah universiti di Carolina Utara, beliau telah mengkhabarkan minat beliau dalam mengkaji sejarah orang asal yang menetap di selatan AS dan salingkaitan antara perkembangan kebudayaan mereka dengan komuniti lain yang berjiranan.
Realitinya, beliau juga mahu melarikan diri daripada situasi yang begitu menekannya di Malaysia. Walaupun beliau berfikir untuk menyambung belajar dalam setahun itu dan telah memulakan proses ke arah itu, apa yang berlaku dalam hidupnya dalam setahun sebelum dia pergi menguatkan nekad beliau untuk keluar.
Ibunya telah meninggal dunia dari kanser payu dara dua tahun sebelumnya. Kekasihnya untuk tiga tahun tertiba mengumumkan kepada beliau yang dia akan mengahwini seorang jejaka yang telah dikenalinya selama setahun. S tidak terlalu terperanjat kerana dia mensyaki sesuatu dari sikap kekasihnya yang semakin berahsia. Disebabkan kesibukkan bertugas, S tidak banyak masa untuk memikirkan perkara itu atau berkonfrontasi dengan kekasihnya, sehinggalah pengumunan itu. Tetapi beliau tidak bersedia menghadapi kenyataa! n itu. S ebelum pengumuman itu, hubungan merek masih erat, walaupun ketegangan halus menjadi latarnya. Kekasihnya telah berkata; mereka tiada harapan untuk meneruskan perhubungan sebegitu. Dia mahu berumahtangga dan beranak, dan S tidak mampu memberikan kesemua itu kepadanya. Hubungan tiga tahun yang terbina dengan impian indah menghempas dan pecah. Tambahan, S agak regang dengan ayahnya yang tidak pernah mahu memahami kecenderungan beliau.
- Je te dteste (mais je taime) | Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/twistiti
Selepas kekasih meninggalkannya pada lewat 2003, S mulai menghadapi pelbagai masalah di tempat kerjanya. Beliau telah mendapat pengarah baru yang lebih cenderung bermain politik daripada melihat kepada kebajikan komuniti yang menjadi tanggungjwab organisasi tersebut. S melepaskan tekanan dengan menyiapkan permohonan melanjutkan pelajarannya itu, menjalankan tanggungjwab kerja mengikut takat mampunya, dan membantu dalam Pilihanraya Besar 2004. Bila lapang, beliau akan mencipta lagu dan bermain gitar di bilik atau pertunjukkan kecil untuk melepaskan kekangan dan kekosongan yang dirasai.
Dalam pilihanraya 2004, parti yang disokongnya kalah, menambahkan perasaan muram dan ketidakyakinan beliau. Dalam masa itu, beliau telah mendapat tahu yang beliau telah berjaya masuk ke salah sebuah universiti di Carolina Utara yang akan memulakan semester pada awal September tahun itu. Beliau telah meletak jawatan dan berhenti kerja pada akhir bulan Jun. Bulan Julai dihabiskan dengan membuat visa dan menyediakan segala kertas kerja yang diperlukan untuk pemergiannya, menjual barang-barang y! ang tida k lagi diperlukan, membahagikan barangannya kepada badan-badan kebajikan dan berkemas. Awal bulan Ogos, beliau telah berpindah keluar dari bilik sewanya dan terbang ke Singapura dan Australia untuk duduk dengan kawan karibnya dan beberapa sepupu yang rapat sebelum akhirnya menyambung perjalannya ke AS. Dia bertekad untuk tidak akan pulang ke Malaysia untuk selama yang perlu. Dia bercadang, pada masa itu, untuk memohon kad hijau untuk terus tinggal di AS.
Hidup di AS, terutamanya di pekan kecil di Carolina Utara, tidaklah sebegitu mudah mula-mulanya. Walaupun beliau pernah belajar di Australia, kebudayaan sosial dan belajar di Amerika Syarikat agak beza. Dia dapati dirinya sepanjang hari perlu menghadiri seminar dan juga menjadi pengajar penulisan akademik kepada pelajar-pelajar kolej tahun pertama yang boleh sampai lima-puluh pelajar dalam satu kuliah. Disebabkan beban bacaan dan kerja yang berat, S tidak banyak masa untuk melakukan apa-apa aktiviti di luar kampus. Bila ada masa, beliau akan cuba menghadiri pelbagai seminar universiti atau akademik yang berkaitan dengan bidang minatnya, dan juga untuk menimba ilmu lebih yang beliau berharap akan menyumbangkan idea bernas yang akan akhirnya membentuk tesis disertasi beliau.
- Prison Break | Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/chrisk4u/
Pada satu minggu, setelah masuk tahun kedua beliau menetap di sana, seorang kawan sejabatan telah menghantar emel bertanya siapakah yang berminat untuk menjadi pengajar di sebuah penjara untuk wanita yang kira-kiranya 6 batu dari kampus mereka. Mereka secara spesifiknya mahu mencari wanita-wanita pembantu yang ! boleh me njadi model kepada banduan-banduan ini. Pada masa itu, S terasa agak bosan kerana hidupnya hanya berkitarkan belajar, mengajar dan aktiviti-aktiviti akademik, dengan sekali-sekala menghadiri majlis sosial, terutamanya untuk orang-orang seperti beliau. Beliau terasa kesunyian. Beliau teringin untuk kembali kepada satu masa seperti bila beliau masih bekerja untuk NGO. Beliau baru-baru ini membeli sebuah kereta lama untuk lebih senang berjalan di pekan yang tidak mempunyi pengangkutan awam yang kerap. Dia menawarkan diri.
Jadualnya sebegitu. Beliau dan beberapa orang sukarela (lebih kurang 10 jumlahnya) akan bergilir datang antara hari khamis sehingga ahad untuk mengajar kelas kepada wanita-wanita banduan ini. Kelas-kelas ini terdiri daripada kelas membaca, menulis, dan ilmu hisab (peratusan besar wanita-wanita ini tidak pernah menghabiskan persekolahan melebihi sekolah rendah, dan ramai yang hampir buta-huruf), serta pelbagai kemahiran hidup daripada mengait dan menjahit, memasak, bertukang, membaiki basikal dan kereta kepada tutorial subjek-subjek lebih akademik kepada mereka yang mahu mengambil diploma yang membolehkan mereka lulus daripada sekolah menengah. S menawar untuk mengajar kemahiran 3M dan sejarah. Dia juga mencadangkan juga diadakan satu kelas penulisan untuk wanita-wanita ini, tidak kira tahap kebolehan mereka. Bagi S, ini membolehkan wanita-wanita ini merakamkan warna hidup mereka dan memberi suara kepada mereka yang biasanya diketepikan, diseksa dan dijadikan alat sepanjang hidup mereka. Bagi S, ini juga merupakan peluang untuk beliau untuk lebih mengenali kehidupan wanita-wanita ini dan apakah yang menyebabkan mereka terjebak sampai ke penjara.
- Opened Up His Little Heart | Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/beth19
Pada pagi satu Sabtu, S untuk pertama kalinya berdiri di hadapan kelas menulis yang beliau bertanggungjawab untuk gerakkan. Lebih kurang lapan orang wanita duduk mengelilingi beliau. Kelas ini akan berlangsung dua kali sebulan.
"Selamat pagi semua. Nama saya S"
Dalam desiran suara-suara wanita-wanita hadir yang tersekat-sekat, kedengaran satu suara yang merdu dan lancar
"Selamat pagi, S."
Kemerduan suara itu membuat S berpaling. Duduk di hujung kiri adalah seorang wanita yang sukar dikenalpasti rasnya, walaupun beliau berambut perang.
"Selamat pagi," ujar S, "Kau??"
"C," dia balas, separa tersenyum. Kemudian, dia menundukkan kepalanya dan merenung kepada kertas kajang kosong yang terpugau di meja tulis.
Hari itu bermula perkenalanan antara dua wanita yang sungguh berbeza ini. S dapat menhayati kehidupan C melalui prosanya. C, walaupun terpaksa berhenti sekolah sebelum berjaya menghabiskan sekolah disebabkan latar belakang keluarganya yang sukar sekali, merupakan seorang yang pintar dan mempunyai bakat bercerita.
C juga cekap mangait
Walaupun S tertarik dengan keperibadian C yang terserlah antara kesemua wanita-wanita yang hadir, balasan C terhadap S tidaklah sebegitu mesra. Setiap kali S cuba menarik C keluar untuk menceritakan subjek yang menjadi topik penulisannya, C hanya membalas dengan sopan tetapi ternyata ia enggan memberikan maklum-balas lanjut.
Selepas tiga bulan, tinggal hanya empat wanita dalam kelas itu. C adalah antara seorang daripada mereka. S agak hampa dengan sambutan terhadap kelasnya itu yang beliau cuba sedaya-upaya untuk jayakan. Dalam masa sama, beliau gembira yang C masih berminat untuk teruskan
Pada suatu hari Sabtu, seperti biasa S telah ke penjara itu untuk memberi tutorial sejarah dunia kepada banduan-banduan yang mengambil kelas itu. Bila kelas habis, dia telah ke ker! etanya m ahu memandu pulang. Nasibnya malang. Enjin keretanya enggan hidup.
- Such Fragile Broken Things | Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/beth19
Disebabkan penjara itu menyediakan kelas mekanik auto, dua orang banduan, di bawah penyeliaan guru dan dua orang pegawai, telah dipertanggungkawab untuk memeriksa kereta beliau. Hari ini Sabtu, maka sukar sedikit untuk mencari bengkel kereta yang buka di pekan kecil.
Ketua penjara itu mengajak S untuk pergi berehat di bilik riadah sementara menunggu keretanya.
Di situ, S ternampak beberapa banduan wanita sedang menonton TV. Ada yang bermain pool dan beberapa sedang menulis surat, mengait dan bermain daun terup. S tahu yang banduan-banduan yang dapat bergerak lebih bebas ini adalah mereka yang berkelakuan baik dan sedang menjalani sisa-sisa kehunian mereka di penjara itu. Beliau terpandang C sedang duduk mengait di hujung bilik, jauh daripada banduan-banduan lain. Walaupun beliau ingin ke situ, beliau memilih untuk duduk dan menyertai bantuan-bantuan lain yang sedang menonton TV.
Selepas 10 minit, S terasa bosan sebab dia memang kurang minat menonton TV. Beliau berkeputusan berjalan keluar ke taman yang di sebelah sahaja. Selepas memberitahu ketua penjara akan niat beliau agar mudah dicari kemudian, S keluar.
Di situ, dia melihat beberapa orang banduan yang sedang berkebun di kawasan-kawasan yang telah disediakan khas untuk mereka menanam apa yang mereka suka.
Sedang S mengelamun, beliau terdengar suara dari jauh yang semakin mendekatinya. Agak tersentak apabila beliau melihat C di sebelahnya.
"Aku mahu bercakap d! engan ka u," ujar C dalam suara yang rendah, "Tetapi aku segan mahu bercakap banyak di hadapan perempuan-perempuan lain dalam kelas. Boleh juga kita ke hujung sana, lebih ruang untuk berbicara tanpa gangguan?"
S mengikut C ke tempat yang ditunjukkannya.
Dari situ bermulalah perkenalan yang benar antara mereka. Walaupun kereta S berjaya dibaiki (masalah fius dan bateri kereta yang kena diganti), dalam sejam itu, mulai hari itu, S akan menghabiskan dua jam setiap hari Sabtu lepas kelas untuk berbual dan menemani C.
C telah dihukum penjara tiga tahun kerana membunuh sepupunya yang telah merogolnya berkali-kali ketika dia belasan tahun. Alasannya ialah dia tidak mahu anak gadia sepupunya itu yang akan meningkat akil baligh untuk menerima nasib yang serupa. Walaupun sudah lama tidak berhubung dengan sepupunya itu, dalam sebulan sebelum C membunuhnya, dia terserempak dengan sepupu itu ketika menghadiri pengebumian seorang ahli keluarga dan mendapat tahu yang sepupunya itu duda dan mempunyai seorang anak perempuan berumur 11 tahun.
"Mereka tidak percayakan aku bila aku laporkan pada mereka. Penyeksaan itu berterusan selama dua tahun sehinggalah dia masuk Marines pada umur 18 tahun. Aku lari dari rumah lebih kurang setahun kemudian."
- Under Neon Loneliness | Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/vardhana
"Aku tahu dia tidak berubah. Cara dia merenung aku semasa kami berjumpa. Dan senyumannya yang sinis dan jahat. Aku juga boleh lihat cara dia melihat gadis-gadis belasan tahun yang hadir di majlis itu, dan juga cara interaksinya dengan anaknya. Anaknya nampak kurang senang de! ngan si ayah. Tapi siapa akan percayakan aku yang lelaki itu jahat, bangsat yang tidak akan lepaskan anaknya sendiri, sama seperti dia tidak lepaskan aku walaupun aku berkali-kali merayu dengan dia. Dia hanya ketawa, meluahkan kata-kata yang aku tidak akan sesekali ulangi di sini, dan menampar aku. Dia telah menjadi seorang yang berjaya dalam dunia perniagaan. Aku ini, hanya seorang tukang cuci rumah orang lain yang pernah ditangkap polis kerena melacur semasa aku belasan tahun, selepas lari dari rumah."
C dari keluarga menengah rendah. Ayahnya meninggal ketika dia masih kecil. Ibunya telah kahwin lain bila dia berumur 8 tahun, dan meninggalkan C dengan neneknya untuk dipelihara. Walaupun dia hidup dengan gembira dengan neneknya, neneknya meninggal ketika umurnya 11 tahun lebih, dan dia telah diambil masuk oleh pamannya, yang merupakan ayah kepada sepupu perogol itu.
"Nenek aku yang mengajar aku mengait," cakap C sambil tersenyum bila aku tanyakan kenapa dia kerap mengait.
"Hidup aku bagai neraka selepas itu. Jelas keluarga paman aku tidak suka aku, tetapi mereka jenis angkuh. Mereka tak boleh tahan jika ada saudara mereka yang jadi yatim dalam system sosial sini. Mak aku tidak mahu apa-apa hubungan dengan aku langsung. Mereka akan menyeksa aku dalam pelbagai bentuk mungkin. Sekolah menjadi tempat aku rasa selamat, tetapi paman dan isterinya tu melarang aku mengambil bahagian dalam sebarang aktiviti sekolah yang tidak wajib."
Semasa pembicaraan, juri dan para hadirin terdedah dengan cerita hidup C yang menyedihkan. Juga, semasa beliau telah berkonfrontasi dengan sepupunya itu di pejabat sepupu itu, sepupunya itu telah seperti mahu mengganasinya semula. Maklumlah, waktu itu waktu petang dan kebanyakkan pekerja telah pulang. C tidak sedar sehingga terlambat yang sepupunya telah meminta setiausaha beliau untuk pulang awal agar dia akan keseorangan dengan C. C yang sentiasa membawa pistol di mana jua dia pergi, telah keluarkan pistol dari tas tangannya dan menembak sepupunya di muka.
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- Iced | Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/beth19
Ini tahun terakhir C dalam penjara. Dia akan keluar dalam beberapa bulan lagi. Hakim telah menghukum C dengan seringan mungkin, dan menempatkannya di penjara yang membolehkannya belajar kemahiran-kemahiran hidup.
C juga suka bertanyakan aku tentang kisah silam S. Tentang kehidupan S dahulunya di Malaysia. S akan cerita sebolehnya, walaupun beliau kerap tinggalkan butir-butir yang lebih pedih pada dirinya. Tetapi, dia rasa kepedihan hidupnya tidak setara dengan apa yang C pernah dan telah lalui.
"Engkau tidak mahu pulang lagi?" tanya C
S senyap.
"Kau patut pulang. Kau ada masa depan cerah dengan semua pendidikan yang kau terima ini. Aku cemburu dengan kau. Kau masih ada kawan dan keluarga di Malaysia. Hargai mereka sebelum kau kehilangan segalanya. Aku faham bagaimana perasaan itu,?"sambung C dengan lebih lemah.
C telah kehilangan seorang anak yang telah dirampas oleh Jabatan Kebajikan semasa dia ditangkap melacur. Anaknya masa itu berumur setahun lebih. Dia tidak tahu di mana anaknya sekarang, kecuali anaknya itu telah dijadikan anak angkat satu keluarga. Dia doakan keselamatan dan kesejahteraan anaknya itu setiap hari.
"Di mana kau nak tinggal bila keluar nanti," tanya S untuk mengubah topik.
"Entah, tapi aku tahu penjara menyediakan kediaman khas untuk beberapa bulan untuk banduan yang keluar sehingga mereka boleh bermandiri."
Pada suatu hari, beberapa bulan selepas S mengajar dalam kelas menulisnya yang sekarang menampakkan 10 orang banduan disebabkan galakkan daripada banduan-banduan lain yang telah mengambil kelas beliau! , C tela h menghadiahkan selendang yang dikaitkannya kepada S.
"Terima ini sebagai hadiah terima kasih saya. Sebab rela berkawan dengan saya dan memberi saya peluang untuk belajar menulis. Aku tahu kau dari Malaysia. Jadi kau kurang biasa dengan cuaca sini yang kekadang boleh agak ekstrim."
"C, kau datang duduk dengan saya lepas kau keluar nanti. Aku akan carikan sebuah rumah dengan dua bilik. Aku akan pindah sebulan dari sekarang, dan kau akan keluar dalam lebih kurang masa itu juga. Datanglah duduk dengan aku."
C nampak tersentak. Dia tidak bersuara sebentar.
"Aku sayangkan kau, C," terkeluar dengan tergopoh-gopoh kata-kata ini dari S. Muka S menjadi merah-padam sebentar.
C tersenyum pada S dan memegang erat tangan S.
"Aku sayangkan kau juga," ujar C selamba.
Hati S melambung.
Akan bersambung..
Clarissa Lee adalah seorang pascasiswi di sebuah universiti di Amerika Syarikat. Dia akan mengambil peperiksaan komprehensifnya dalam dua bulan lagi dan melihat karya kreatif sebagai cara lepaskan tekanan, atau penambah kepada tekanan sebab melalaikan kerja wajipnya dalam proses berkarya. Dia percaya bahasa cerita adalah cara terbaik untuk menyampaikan idea yang sukar disampai terus, dan juga sebagai penyampai bentuk alegori dan satira. Beliau memblog di http://scandalousthoughts.wordpress.com dan sedang menulis novel bersiri (yang tidak keluar dengan cukup kerap) di http://www.jalantelawi.com
Tags: #loyarberkasih, Carolina Selatan, Carolina Utara, Clarissa Lee
This entry was posted on 11 February, 2011 at 9:00 am and is filed under Let's Talk About Sex. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
Doctored pics of Guan Eng wearing 'kopiah' found
It is in a leaflet and has been circulated only in the Malay areas of Balik Pulau since last week.
In what appears to be yet another attack against Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, a leaflet with a doctored photo of the former wearing a Muslim skull cap is currently making its rounds in Balik Pulau.
NONEThe one-page leaflet depicts Lim, together with PKR supremo Anwar Ibrahim and Penang State Assembly speaker Abdul Halim Hussein at an official ceremony of a surau in Komtar.
All three are in batik shirts, and donning the 'kopiah'.
It is learnt that the leaflets are being circulated only in the Malay areas of Balik Pulau since last week.
Lim, during a press conference in Komtar today, showed reporters the original photos of the trio taken during the event.
"None of us were wearing the kopiah," he pointed out.
"The 'kopiah' is only used by the Muslims and I will never wear it as a respect for the community," he added.
Lim said if Anwar found him wearing the 'kopiah', the former deputy prime minister would have prohibited him from doing so as it was against the religion.
lim guan eng slaughters cow 310810 lim guang eng nizar jamaluddinThe Penang chief minister's photo had been doctored before when he was depicted slaughtering a cow during the Hari Raya Haji last year. The photo was widely distributed on the Internet.
"See how evil certain quarters are... this is another example of slander against leaders of the state government," he said.
Lim denied ever using a 'kopiah' but admitted using a sikh turban before.
The songkok is usually deemed appropriate to be worn by non-Muslims but a 'kopiah' is only to be worn by a Muslim.
However, Lim still managed to make light of the matter when he joked that "when people look at me wearing the 'kopiah', I look handsome", drawing laughter from the reporters present at the media event.
Open attack
Meanwhile, Lim said the photo was probably doctored by a professional and was an open attack against Anwar.
leafletHe accused Umno of using the photo to attack him but revealed that MCA was also using it to imply that he has converted to Islam.
"This is an insult to Islam... how can you call a non-Muslim Tuan Haji?" he queried.
He was referring to Tan Hing Teik, Penang MCA deputy Youth chief, who posted the doctored photo on his Facebook page recently.
"MCA has insulted Islam (by calling me Tuan Haji when the title is only for Muslims)... now what will Umno do? he asked.
"It seems that the racist Chinese and racist Malay are all attacking Pakatan Rakyat... that's why I said we must fight all racists... be it Chinese or Malay," he added.
Lim described the creator of the photo as "evil" and dismissed the matter as "all lies".
When asked what action would the state government take on the issue, Lim said that at the moment, he could only appeal to people to ignore the photos.
SARAWAKS HIDDEN HEALTH SCANDAL MATERNAL DEATHS
. Sarawak Report
TheSarawak Government has been covering up a health scandal by deliberately concealing the true level of maternal deaths, according to exclusive information which has been made available to Sarawak Report.
Concerned doctors and health professionals have been investigating the true level of inadequate health care provided in the state, which is the richest in terms of resources in the whole of Malaysia. They say their findings show that the deaths of women in childbirth are far higher than are being admitted to in the official statistics, yetthe spending on healthcare per person in the state is less than one quarter the amount spent on health carein West Malaysia!
Sarawak is a large state with a small population spread over difficult terrain commented one of the health professionals who passed on their information to Sarawak Report. This means that you would expect far more money to be needed to provide adequate healthcare, not less. ButtheBN Government has clearlychosen to abandon the indigenous people of the interior instead.
No facilities for problem childbirths
The shocking figures bear out the practical experience of doctors working in the field in Sarawak. Another senior obstetrician commented that most women from the interior suffer grave risk in childbirth, because the simple precaution of bringing them into hospital a few ! days bef ore they are due to give birth has been ignored by the authorities.
This precaution would be very cheap in comparison with the flying doctor service, which is a big waste of money he commented. However, he says that since there is no opportunity for profit-making by people in power, there has been no interest in developing this method of savinghundreds of lives.
The obstetrician also commented that poverty and the appalling state of the roads are a major factor in deaths in childbirth. People are getting poorer and costs of food an fuel are getting higher. This makes the women less strong and they cannot afford to go to hospital. If there is an emergency the roads are so bad it takes too long.
Key statistics
We believe the Sarawak Health Department are fudgingits figures. They are quoting the standardised figures for the whole of Malaysia and then just dividing them by the number of pregnancies in Sarawak.Butin fact what available information there is implies that the death-rate is far higher in Sarawak .Apaper published in 2008 based on genuine research inthe 1990s shows that at least 92 in 100,000 women were dying in childbirth then, compared to the 30 in 100,000 currently quoted by the Sarawak Health Department. Therehas been no improvement in Sarawakshealth facilities since then and we challenge the Sarawak Health Department to produce the evidence for their statistics.
The contested figures are to be found in the Sarawak State Health Departments publication Health Facts About Sarawak, published 2008. However, the experts say that itis not based on genuine research in Sarawak, only on Malaysia-wide statistics.
Misleading statistics? 30 deaths in 10,000 births is the story according to the Sarawak Health Department.By contrast the doctors say that a paper published in the book Women and Health Village Mothers, City Daughters 2007, by Adeda Baer, quotes a peer-reviewed report Sudden Maternal Deaths in Malaysia A Case Report byR Jejasothy in the internationally accepted Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecological Research(Vol 28, No 4, pg 186-93) calculates the death rate to be 92 in 10,000 births.
Low spending for Sarawakians less than one quarter what is spent on average Malaysians on health!
The doctors also point to shocking figures that indicate the people of Sarawak receive less than a quarter in health spending per person compared to people in mainland Malaysia, even though the remote communities would indicate the need to spend more money not less.
The same Sarawak State Health Department figures say only RM 422 is spent per person in Sarawak on health each year, whereas World Health Organisation figures state that the average spending per person in Malaysia is RM 1,800.
Shocking Sarawakians receive less than a quarter health care spending compared to the average MalaysianHelicopters Useless for sick patients, but healthy for Jabus bank account!
However, even more shocking is the allegation that what small amount of money is spent on Sarawak healthcare is spent on programmes that will more benefit Ministers bank accounts than sick patients!
The doctors spoken to by Sarawak Report say they blame the BN Government for the shocking death-rate, because they have been more interested in providing expensive facilities which provide Ministers with opportunities to make money, than far cheaper and more practical services that could save lives.
One obstetrician who has worked as a so-called Flying Doctor said he was sickened by the corruption of this service, which costs the country around RM 90 million a year. He told us:
This Flying Doctor Service is a waste of money as far as the patients are concerned. It cannot fit people who are lying down and there is not enough room for the doctors to bring more than a few pills in terms of equipment. We go on scheduled trips and arrive in villages at a time convenient to the service and not when people are actually sick. We hand oura few panadol out and then we fly on to the next place. We very rarely perform emergency rescue trips. These helicopters are good for flying healthy doctors but not sick patients!
The obstetrician told Sarawak Report that it would be far cheaper and more effective to have para-medics stationed in all communities to identify sick mothers and patients and to arrange for them to be transported to proper hospitals in good time. He also said that money should be spent on providing accomodation in District Hospitals for mothers for at least two weeks before their birth date. He said these two measures would save very many lives, while the Flying Doctor helicopters save virtually none.
However, he gave one good reason why the BN Government has always preferred to maintain the helicopterservice.
It is corruption. Ministers compete for who will get the contract for this service! It is worth RM 4,000 for every stop the helicopter makes. We go to four stops in one day and there are 3 helicopters. There are millions to be made for the company which gets the Flying Doctor contract and they like to take it in turns!
Sarawak Report has investigated the ownership of the company that received the latest contract for the Flying Doctor Service, which was tendered in 2009. We can confirm that one of the major shareholders is the son of the Deputy Chief Minister, Alfred Jabu! We therefore challenge the BN Government to answer the charge of doctors that ithas ignored the advice of medical experts and allowed ministers to put illegal profits before the lives of hundreds of vulnerable women in Sarawak!
Conflict of interest How dare the BN Government hand the multi-million ringgit helicopter service to the son of the Deputy Chief Minister?Kam Agong a case in point
Chief Minister Taib himself has referred to the acute shortage of qualified medical staff in Sarawaks rural areas. In 2008 he wasreported admitting that only 22.2% ofmedical officers posts were filled in Sarawaks health clinics!He also admitted that a third of Sarawaks population has NO ACCESS to any hospitals or clinics, ! compared to95% of the rest of Malaysia who do have access. Just last month the PrimeMinister suffered the embarrassment of opening a clinic in Belaga for rural people, only to discover that it will haveno doctors!
Surely addressing this scandaland not providinga useless helicopter service should receive what money is available? The family ofKam Agong, a mother of 8 who died in childbirthdue to medical neglect have waged a determined campaign to publicise the greed and corruption that has drained the money fromhelping women in the interior into helping Taibs ministers get richer. They have condemned the poor roads and transport that mean heavily pregnant women have to travel to clinics by sitting for hours in the back of open jeepson bumpy tracks.
They have shown how the lack of specialist care in all but 4 clinics in thewhole of Sarawak meant that their mother was operated on and killed by an unqualified worker.Read theirwebsite and support their campaign for more trained doctors, more mid-wives and more medical officers. Sarawak is the richest state in Malaysia, so it can afford them if the money can be kept away from greedy ministers!
Thedoctorsstate that the main causes of maternal deaths inMalaysi are caused byhaemorrhage, infection, brain seizures, hypertension, anaemia and obstetric fistulae. These are all conditions that can be managed if women are safely in hospital. However if they are a long journey away they will nearly always die.Because there are so few health professionals working in the interior there is virtually no monitoring of women in their pregnancy and dangerous conditions are not picked up until the woman is already in labour.
However, thedoctors say! thatfigu res being promoted by the Sarawak StateHealth Department are highly misleadingand attempt to give the impression that thedeath rate in the state is no higher than in Malaysia as a whole:
Filed under: corruption, Human rights, Medical, Politics Tagged: Anak Sarawak Bangsa Malaysia, corruption, Sarawak politics, Save Sarawak
Yong slams S'wak speaker for censoring Hansard
| The DAP rep wonders if the recording system is programmed to switch off at the mere mention of the CM, or his wealth. |
DAP joins call for equality panel to reverse brain drain
By Shannon Teoh, The Malaysian Insider
KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 10 — The DAP has joined the chorus to revive the proposed Equal Opportunity Commission (EOC) along with laws to stem Malaysia’s brain drain problem that it says has caused two million people to leave the country.
Secretary-general Lim Guan Eng said that Malaysia cannot become a high-income economy if “the New Economic Model (NEM) is determined not by learned economists but by ignorant racists such as Perkasa.”
The idea of the EOC had disappeared from the NEM, launched last year, leading to claims that Putrajaya had pandered to Malay groups who lobbied against the softening of pro-Malay policies recommended by the National Economic Advisory Council (NEAC).
Some Malay rights groups have opposed the EOC by claiming that the concept of equal opportunity for all races went against Article 153 of the Federal Constitution, which touches on the special position of the Malays and other Bumiputeras.
The issue was reignited this week following complaints from Datuk Zainal Aznam Mohd Yusof, one of the authors of the NEM, that the proposed EOC was “lambasted and strangled” by Perkasa.
Malaysian Institute of Corporate Governance president Tan Sri Megat Najmuddin Megat Khas was reported to have said that an Equal Opportunity Act would allow equal chances to all and develop sustainable economic policies.
Lim (picture) today said the EOC along with the force of a legal act would “allow us to maximise human talent and stop the flow of two million Malaysians who have left the country since Merdeka in 1957.”
Describing the federal government as “caving in to extremist groups such as Perkasa,” the Penang chief minister pointed out that “increasingly many Malays are also leaving, just look at Dubai.”
“The terrible cost we are paying can be seen by the failure to realise our full economic potential, causing Malaysia to lose out to other countries that were far behind us previously,” he said, referring to countries like South Korea and Singapore.
According to Lim, the gross national income (GNI) per capita of South Korea in 1970 was below that of Malaysia (US$260 (RM800) and US$380 respectively), but by 2009, South Korea’s was three times larger than Malaysia’s (US$21,530 versus US$6,760).
“By 2020, Malaysia’s targeted GNI per capita of US$15,000 would not even exceed South Korea’s GNI per capita now,” he said of the government-defined valuation of a high-income economy.
Lim added that although Malaysia’s land mass is 478 times the size of Singapore with a population, at 27 million, nearly six times that of the island republic’s 4.8 million, it had overtaken Malaysia in terms of gross domestic product.
In 2010, Singapore overtook Malaysia as Southeast Asia’s third-largest economy, after Indonesia and Thailand. Singapore’s gross domestic product (GDP) in 2010 was US$210 billion compared to Malaysia’s US$205 billion.
Trending Towards Communism
By batsman
The recent assertion by our PM that the Malaysian government is not bound by any ban on politicians appointed to head GLCs more or less confirms the trend that Malaysia is trending towards communism. This comes close on the heels of Isa Samad, a disgraced politician (convicted by UMNO itself for money politics) being appointed to head Felda.
However since no one complained except to point to Isa’s penchant for money politics, the next politicians being appointed to GLCs, federal agencies or even the civil service was already on the cards.
This is not necessarily a bad thing (Malaysia trending towards communism) since China, a communist country, proves that being communist does not necessarily mean one cannot be rich. Hopefully Malaysians are ready for other side-effects of being communist and not complain when they become apparent.
Brazil seems to adopt a contrarian attitude and now gives prominence to the happiness of its citizens, writing this basic human right for happiness into its laws.
While Brazil cares for its human assets, Thailand goes one step further and places high value on its plant assets. Thailand now prohibits export of its timber and even cares for its animals by taking especially good care of the elephants displaced from work in the timber industry. All this shows that Brazil and Thailand cares.
Malaysia too cares .. for money. The ETP is targeted at making Malaysia a high income economy by 2020. Apparently, it looks as if the UMNO government plans to achieve this by a combination of nationalism and communism.
The first priority of course is for UMNO to stay in power – otherwise the ETP may just be dropped into the dustbin. To stay in power, it strokes the fires of Malay nationalism and cements the ties between political party and civil service by using the communist tactic of appointing its own politicians to head government agencies and maybe even civil service posts.
These are risky strategies. Nationalism has a downside in that it tends to be aggressive and violent. The recent fire fights between the Thai and Cambodian armies along their common border have been attributed to aggressive nationalism on both sides. On top of this it is not Malaysian nationalism that Ketuanan Melayu promotes but Malay nationalism, so there is the ever present danger of the nation splitting apart along racial seams instead of uniting for a common purpose.
The risk of being too attached to communist style policies is also great. For one thing, the people tend to become too dependant on subsidies (the Chinese communists call it the iron rice bowl). Industries and businesses become fettered by an unseeming number of approvals and licenses needed just to do business. This means that a bloated bureaucracy is needed to handle all these extra bureaucratic red tape of approvals and licensing. It is therefore no accident that the Prime Minister’s Department has 45,000 bureaucratic staff.
In the west, the civil service is constantly pressured to be professional and competent so that it is always going against its own grain of becoming laid back and ineffective. By being competent, some government agencies may even come into conflict with each other as their areas of responsibilities may clash as they often do in real life. This is the advocacy system of ensuring checks and balances.
In communist countries, this is not the case. The bureaucracy is a monolithic entity connected by a million and one strings to the political party in power. There is no pressure to be professional and competent – only to be loyal to the political party in power.
This it does by appointing its politicians to head federal agencies and maybe even the civil service, UMNO it seems is trying to turn communist in the sense that the civil service is being manipulated to become monolithic and loyal to the party. It even conspires to appoint its own appointees to head the civil service of the state of Selangor in spite of the fact that Selangor is under an opposition state government. The issue of corruption and corruptibility is a red herring. The real problem is that UMNO is slowly turning communist. It even tries to control religion in the same way that communists control religion – by appointing its own appointees to head religious institutions.
But this is only my personal observation. What do you guys think?
I will try and keep this short. I just need to say that I am opposed to all this obsession with money. Money is good but not at the cost of happiness. I am tempted to wonder about the recent “merajuk berdarah” tragedy. If the people involved had been rich, would the outcome have been different?
Of course money gives people more options. The poor have no options, so the “merajuk berdarah” incident most probably would have had a different outcome if the people involved had been rich, but I am not too sure whether they will be any happier.
The people of communist China now seem to be very rich. However, I still wonder if they are any happier? Do Malaysians really want to copy them after unsuccessfully copying the west blindly and then unsuccessfully copying the Japanese blindly?
Ops Lalang was the Making of a Police State
By Dr Kua Kia Soong, Director of SUARAM
No matter how hard Dr Mahathir tries to whitewash his dark record over Operation Lalang, he will surely fail because there will be many more truth-seeking historians on standby to put the record straight. At least one fact stands out: Dr Mahathir now seems ashamed of his role in Operation Lalang. And so he should be after more than two decades of trying to justify the dastardly act!
But can he wriggle out of the responsibility even though the former IGP Hanif Omar has so graciously come forward to claim credit for it?
First of all, what do you expect of a former IGP who was prepared to walk through the revolving door of a top police post upon retirement straight into the board of a corporation that makes its money from gambling, ie. Genting Highlands? There are two issues here: (i) the ethical problem of top government servants retiring into companies which have a bearing on their previous departments; (ii) the hypocrisy of prohibiting Muslim workers from serving in establishments which serve alcohol but allowing Muslim elite to be in the board of gambling outfits.
The former IGP now claims that the police force he led was responsible for Ops Lalang and not the Prime Minister who was then also Home Affairs Minister.
Is this the way our democracy operates? What has happened to the principle of ministerial responsibility? True, these are mere principles you might say, but it also makes our ministers and former prime minister look like idiots!
Overnight Malaysia Became a Police State
Of course, Dr Mahathir would not want to be remembered as an idiot or weak Prime Minister either. The truth is, as the Tunku said when Ops Lalang happened:
“Overnight Malaysia has become a police state.” (SUARAM /K.Das,’The White Paper on the October Affair and the Why? Papers’, 1989:13)
In a police state, there is usually little or no distinction between the law and the exercise of political power by the executive. It does not mean that the police have taken over the political reins of power. Such a situation is facilitated by the existence of laws that allow detention without trial. People in a police state experience restrictions on their freedoms of expression, assembly and association, while a secret police force operates outside the boundaries normally imposed by a constitutional state which can tell the executive who the “enemies of the state” are.
In 1987 when Ops Lalang was unleashed, our elderly “Bapa Malaysia” could see that the country had become a police state even though the donkeys in the Barisan Nasional could not. He could also see the underlying reasons for Dr Mahathir’s actions and put it bluntly:
“UMNO was facing a break-up. The Prime Minister, Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s hold on the party appeared critical when election rigging was alleged to have given him a very narrow victory against Tunku Razaleigh. The case alleging irregularities brought by UMNO members was pending in court. If the judgement went against him he wou ld have no choice but to step down. So he had to find a way out of his predicament. A national crisis had to be created to bring UMNO together as a united force to fight a common enemy – and the imaginary enemy in this case was the Chinese community…
“If there was indeed a real security threat facing the country, why was action not taken much sooner when (the arrested and detained)…were alleged to have made dangerous racial speeches as far back as 1984?” (ibid, p.10)
The underlying factor, which determined the uncertainty in Malaysian politics ever since 1986, was the power struggle within UMNO. This relentless power struggle was inevitable considering the size of the spoils of the New Economic Policy at stake. The irreconcilable differences between Team A led by Dr.Mahathir and Team B led by Tengku Razaleigh was the destabilizing factor which dominated the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition. This in turn set in train other destructive forces within the coalition's member parties.
Orchestrated Communalism
And as communalism is the stock-in-trade of the BN communal partners in any precarious situation, race politics becomes the order of the day. Not surprisingly, the factions in UMNO began to beat their breasts about Malay dominance which had been aired by Abdullah Ahmad in 1986 while the MCA played out its own orchestrated role as the champion of the Chinese. It was in this communalist climate that the usual “sensitive issues” were bandied around; raising such issues as non-qualified senior assistants being sent to Chinese-medium schools. If one studies the daily papers in the period before 27 October 1987, the characteristic racial exchanges between UMNO and MCA can be clearly discerned. The Amnesty International Report on Operation Lalang confirms this:
“However, informed observers argued that those arrested had done little or nothing to provoke racial or religious tension and that on a number of critical issues government ministers and members of the ruling National Front coalition had played up and aggravated the perennial political and communal tensions that underlie Malaysian society for purposes of their own”. (P.2)
What is characteristic of Malaysian politics is that when the dominant party UMNO has internal problems, these problems are quickly externalised. Needless controversies then seem to break out over various government directives.
In the period we are looking at these included one regarding the recitation of a pledge in Malacca schools in May 1987 which the non-Malays regarded as having Islamic connotations and unacceptable to their beliefs. In July, the “electives” issue erupted over the University of Malaya's decision to scrap elective courses taught in English, Chinese and Tamil in the respective language departments. Meanwhile, within the Islamic quarter, there emerged a hue and cry over the Christianisation of Malays by Christian evangelists.
Then in October, the Education ministry decided to appoint (linguistically) non-qualified senior officials in Chinese-medium primary schools. This met with outrage by the Chinese community who did not want the character and standards in these schools to be altered irreparably. Mass meetings were called in various parts of the country calling upon the parties to resolve the issue. It must be noted that these meetings were orderly and there have been no complaints from the police who actually sanctioned the meetings.
In mid-October, UMNO Youth staged a rally at an open-air stadium in Kuala Lumpur. At this rally, several leading UMNO politicians including a Cabinet minister (now Prime Minister) made racially provocative statements. Banners bearing flagrantly racist and seditious slogans such as “Bathe this (Kris) in Chinese blood” and the like (See the Government's White Paper) were blatantly displayed.
These leading UMNO politicians somehow escaped the ISA dragnet. Perhaps the gracious former IGP would care to explain why?
The Limits to the Freedom of Expression
Were the police powerless in that situation? As I told my Special Branch interrogation officers, the limits to the freedom of expression must surely lie not only where it trespasses upon racial sensitivities but also where the police feel confident of keeping law and order.
In this particular incident, the flaunting of racist and seditious banners and speeches clearly showed that the police had no control unless of course, they condoned it. And if they could not manage a few thousand people, how could they even contemplate allowing the proposed UMNO anniversary rally of some 500,000 to take place? By not disallowing the massive rally plans outright, the racial tension was left to build up and this provided the perfect justification for another ISA swoop on all Mahathir’s dissidents.
Dr Mahathir craftily counted on the ignorance of this foreign interviewer who did not follow through his probing with asking how he signed the two-year detention orders for detainees such as me after the sixty-day solitary confinement. He wouldn’t have been able to wriggle out of that one nor will the former IGP be able to play the gracious government servant…
Valentine's Day: Refuting Tan Keng Liang
By reverie malaya
Referring to the post by Tan Keng Liang click --> here.
Stating my opinion, I would like to express disagreement towards the views expressed by Mr Tan in his post. I feel Mr Tan has poor understanding of Malaysian multiracial and multireligion society and thus leading him to produce such statement.