RM2.70
Update (10.13pm):
At the bottom of this post, I mention that I’m too depressed to link to any sites. But I just saw this one titled Malaysia will launch another astronaut into space tonight … - which is bloody hilarious - and this one titled Petrol price hike … again!, which I thought was rather interesting.
Sigh.
Don’t suppose much needs to be said. If fuel is the current buzzword, then those three digits have got to be buzz numbers.
The sigh says everything I feel at the moment. That’s all I have to say on the subject.
I drove out (using mum’s car! heh heh) to Bangsar Village earlier to buy something and thought I’d drive past some petrol stations to see what’s going on (I had already pumped a full tank yesterday). I passed one Petronas and there were cones in front of all the petrol stations. Not sure if they ran out or they didn’t want to sell it (are they allowed to do that?).
Anyway, this was about 7.10pm and by the time I passed it again at 8.30pm on the way back (I wasn’t buying that many things, but the traffic was crazy), there were lines and lines of cars waiting to fill up. This was the same scenario at three different petrol stations I passed although, I have to say, that Petronas and BhP were the most popular, I could actually count the number of cars (17) at Shell.
Can’t even call these people kiasu - after all, at the moment, my Waja’s full tank is about RM110 - tomorrow, it’ll be about RM155-160. That’s like RM40-50 bucks saved man.
And that, by the way, explains the jam I was stuck in.
Oh, and I’m still sighing by the way. (Too depressed to link to any articles etc).
9.56pm
Tags: fuel, petrol, price hike
Struggling to understand politicians
May 29, 2008 News Breaks, Rantings
So I was reading this article today about Former Parti Keadilan Rakyat Youth leader Ezam Mohd Nor rejoining UMNO when I came across this quote by Pak Lah:
“He wants to come back to Umno and he will continue with the struggles of Umno according to the party’s goal and direction, and not Parti Keadilan.”
I don’t know what the implications are (if any) of this “rejoining” so I was rather disinterested in the news, but what got me wondering is the use of the word “Struggles”. This term has been used very frequently by local politicians and local media with relation to political parties.
Now, I really wonder what kinds of struggles these MPs and Ministers have. I mean, I know that the term is often used in the context of issues - the struggle for women’s rights, for example, or even class struggles - but politicians? I can’t be sure, but I really don’t recall this term being used by politicians in other countries - or at least I’ve not come across it to notice.
Is this even the proper term to use, does anyone know?
I only wonder because to be honest, it makes them sound rather kesian (or pitiful for those who don’t understand Bahasa Malaysia), no?
From what I see, the only thing these people seem to be struggling with is figuring out how to move up the political ladder. ;)
Although, after yesterday’s incident at Parliament where many MPs had to rush in for a block voting, they may have a new struggle - that is, the struggle to stay in Parliament when House is in session … especially if what Deputy Speaker Datuk Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar predicts might happen - that Parliament sits throughout the year.
And I wonder, since all political parties appear to be struggling to keep their members (either as a sign of protest ala Tun M or crossovers - New Malaysia broke news that another Anwar aide, Anuar Shaari, has joined UMNO, fellow former PKR leader Khairil Anuar did too), if it’s a smart move to ask your members to leave when they are given a job by your opponents as was the case with Gerakan’s Datuk Dr Tan Kee Kwong.
He is the second Gerakan leader to take on a post offered by an “opposition”-run state. The first was when former-Gerakan deputy secretary-general Lee Kah Choon was offered the posts of InvestPenang executive chairman and Penang Development Corporation director and accepted. Dr Tan, our former Deputy Land and Cooperative Development Minister, was named co-chairman of Selangor’s special task force on land issues.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib has said that Dr Tan, who is also FT Gerakan chief, cannot maintain his places as a Barisan Nasional leader since he has joined an opposition Government.
I wonder if we shouldn’t be judging these people so quickly, and be happy that people with the experience and know-how is given the opportunity to work, as opposed to just putting anyone there since he or she is correctly aligned politically? Maybe some politician are struggling to see beyond just politics and focus on the good for the people.
Maybe they are right after all. Maybe Malaysian politicians are strugglers after all.
Tags: Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Anuar Shaari, Ezam Mohd Nor, Gerakan, Khairul Anuar, Malaysian Parliament, Najib Tun Razak, New Malaysia, Pak Lah, Parti Keadilan Rakyat, PKR, politicians, struggles, Tan Kee Kwong, Umno, Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar
Election blues
May 26, 2008 Rantings
Running around today, I totally forgot that I hadn’t read the newspaper. I also forgot that the article on the BRATs programme which I am currently facilitating was out. So after I returned from an exciting trip on the Penang-Butterworth Ferry (the original subject I was going to blog about - later, perhaps), I took a walk out to buy a copy of today’s The Star.
The first thing that caught my eye (as it should) is the main headline:
The subhead read:
Everyone will have to register anew under EC’s proposal.
My first thought was, “What??!!”
I mean it had to be a joke right? Apparently not. The article quotes EC chairman Tan Sri Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman saying that because the current electoral roll has come under heavy criticism, there is a need for a fresh list.
“The new registration exercise will be held if the Government accepts the proposal,” he was quoted as saying.
Poor man. Damned if he does something, damn if he doesn’t do anything.
I’m sure this is the first of a few other proposals to come, considering the kind of attention the EC has got over the past few months. Of course, to be fair, talk of a ‘rigged’ electoral roll have been going around way before he became chairman but you have to admit that it hit him pretty hard this year.
The thing is, in my humble opinion, the idea is ludicrous. How can he really belief that this would be a good way to improve the image of the EC?
Who’s to say, if the current roll is indeed fixed, that the new ones will be taint-free? What would they be doing now that’s different from the last time. And if what he’s been claiming all this while, that the roll is as accurate as it can possibly be, then why is there the need to change it?
Besides, wouldn’t it be easier to just spend all the two years (the Tan Sri said it will take that long to re-register the 10.9mil voters currrently on the list) updating the list? Maybe spend the resources that this “fresh list” project would take on just examining and fixing the current list?
In a country where there are so many ways to identify an individual - birth certificates, MyKad, driver’s license, school certs, credit cards, passports, death certificates etc etc etc - surely you will be able to fix it if you had the right resources?
It may sound overly simplistic, but I do think that it’s really simple.
I think that this new idea is rather problematic - I worry that you will not be able to inform all the current 10.9mil to re-register (and many people will show up at the next election - whenever it will be held - thinking that they are already on the list). The mass media does not reach out to everybody, and if the argument is that one will be able to contact them through letters/phone calls etc, then wouldn’t that be a verification process already?
I met so many people - youths especially - during the recent General Election who thought that you could just walk up to the booth, show your MyKad and vote. This will surely confuse people more.
Of course, lots of people have their own opinions with regards to the issue. The Star is running a poll to see what you think, click here to vote. Among the blogs I’ve seen, I Know What You Think feels that there are political motives involved.
Sorry for being cynical, but I wonder if maybe this is just ‘cosmetics’, a way to show that the EC is doing something to fix their reputation (whether or not the allegations are true), but they know something we don’t … as in this exercise won’t happen because … jeng jeng jeng … a snap election might be called soon.
I’m just assuming but along with this statement, the EC chairman also talked about how he has instructed his officers to be ready for any snap polls that might be called (there have been, after all, lots of talk about it). I know this is very conspiracy theorist but you never know, right? :o)
Susan Loone’s Blog said something funny about that …
“But me thinks, it is only for this reason a snap poll will be called - to make use of the 48,000 bottles of indelible ink!”
Heh heh. That cracked me up.
Tags: EC chairman, electoral commission, general election, snap election, snap elections, tan sri Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman
I want to be a Billionaire too!
May 23, 2008 Rantings
Just a quick note before I get on with my post. Am in Penang for a few days to run The Star’s BRATs programme. Access to the net isn’t a problem, but not sure if I can find the time. Will try though but just wanted to give the two people (hi mum, hi dad) who read my blog a heads up in case I don’t blog much until mid-next week.
And on to the post.
Okay fine, I’ll settle for just 10% of that but hey, it’s nice to dream, no?
I am, of course, talking about reports in the papers today (like this one from The Star) about how businessman Tan Sri Vincent Tan, the chairman and CEO of Berjaya Corporation Bhd has joined Malaysia’s billionaires club with a net worth close to US$1.3billion. This figure was released by Forbes Asia.
He is now in 9th spot, up from 14th last year.
Those in the top 10 are (Click here for all their pictures):
1. Tan Sri Robert Kuok
2. Tan Sri Ananda Krishnan
3. Tan Sri Lee Shin Cheng
4. Tan Sri Teh Hong Piow
5. Puan Sri Lee Kim Hua and Family
6. Tan Sri Quek Leng Chan
7. Tan Sri Yeoh Tiong Lay and family
8. Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar AlBukhary
9. Tan Sri Vincent Tan
10. Tan Sri Tiong Hiew King
Notice a trend? They are all Tan Sris (well, short of Puan Sri Lee Kim Hua but she is the wife of the late Tan Sri Lim Goh Tong and is appearing for the first time in the list). I know this ‘revelation’ is of no significance but I noticed it when I saw the graphic accompanying this story in today’s NST and thought I’d share my astute observation (yes, you may puke now). Shame they didn’t post up the image to accompany their story online. (Oh yeah, if I recall correctly, the NST image named Ananda Krishan as a Tan Sri, some sites did too, but others don’t so I’m not 100% okay?).
What is interesting however is this other article in The Star. The headline is:
Rich to pay more under new subsidy scheme
In the article, Second Finance Minister Tan Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcop said that the new scheme for subsidised items - including fuel - will be announced by the Prime Minister. The article didn’t mention when.
It also reads: “According to the current calculation, the Government has to spend RM45bil in fuel subsidy based on the oil price of US$120 (RM390) a barrel.”
That’s basically how much the top 40 Malaysians are worth ($46bil), according to the Forbes report. Of course, the report cites in US dollars so its wayyyyyyyyyyy more than that after conversion to the Ringgit ( and I don’t think I own a calculator that can covert that figure :P).
I can’t wait to see what the details of the scheme are, but Nor Mohamed has hinted that it will benefit those from lower- and middle-income groups.
I wonder how much those in the Forbes list will have to contribute each. Now, that will be interesting… heh heh.
Aiyah, just throw in a few million each and spare the rest of us the misery, can ah Tan Sris (and Puan Sri)?
Tags: Ananda Krishnan, billionaire club, forbes asia, Lee Kim Hua, Lee Shin Cheng, malaysians, Quek Leng Chan, rich, richest, Robert Kuok, Syed Mokhtar AlBukhary, tan sri, Teh Hong Piow, Tiong Hiew King, vincent tan, Yeoh Tiong Lay
School uniform uproar! (was Malaysian school uniform: Sexayyyy!)
May 22, 2008 Rantings
Update:
Many blogs have highlighted this issue so I think it’s safe to say that the statement caused an “uproar”. Reading the comments on the posts, some people have even gone as far as posting the link to the Friendster page of Munirah (the person who released the statement), which I suppose isn’t so hard to find. A search on Facebook showed that there is one such Munirah Bahari, but her profile is inaccessible to anyone who is not in her Friend’s list.
I won’t repost the Friendster link because I think a person’s personal profile is, well, personal but she does have a blog and you can visit it here to read the statement she released in its original form (in Bahasa Malaysia). She is also referred to as “naib presiden hal ehwal wanita” which either means she’s the vice president overseeing women’s affairs, or she’s the women affairs department’s vice president.
Lots of interesting comments on the blogosphere, though. My boss refers to Munirah and her group as Little Talibans, while Cake Eating Fool called the incident the Joke of The Month. A reader at I Know What You Think wondered what the statistics were for nurses who gets raped because of their white uniforms, while Scott from Burning Hot has a cute image of the “Tempteresses“.
George Michael was on Idol! *cardiac arrest* And United is the King of Europe. Wooo!!! ANNNDDD Congrats David (not gonna say who so as not to spoilt it for some of you guys)!
And on to the post.
Woke up early this morning to catch the American Idol results show which is on now. Some of the performances were great, and some are okay only lah, so I decided to read the papers while passing time.
Then I came across this headline in The Star:
School uniform sexy, says group.
WTF?
The story, a wire story from AFP, states that National Islamic Students Association of Malaysia released a statement saying that the white blouses that are part of a young girl’s school uniform encourages rape and encourages pre-marital sex.
“The white blouse is too transparent for girls and it becomes a source of attraction … It becomes a distraction to men, who are drawn to it, whether or not they like looking at it,” the article quoted the group’s vice-president Munirah Bahari.
Yes, the statement was released by a woman. How can a woman actually believe that this is true? Surely, you must have more dignity than that. Statements like this send the women’s right (let’s not even talk about the feminists) movement back centuries.
This is a long-argued debate, criticising women who wear make-up, wear “revealing” clothes etc and how this entices men to want to do horrible things to them - rape, included.
Again and again we argue that men have to take responsibility for their actions. Surely, the need to abide the law, a sense of propriety and, yes, even will power has to prevail. How then, can anyone, a woman at that believe that the way a woman dresses is to blame … what more young girls, most of whom are below 16 (the age of consent)?
This is really sad (and upset) … and I know I’m not the only one who feels this way. Already a couple of bloggers have posted their opinions. Here are two (one and two) blogs that I read this morning. Marina has also blogged about it.
Speak out, speak out against these people! Let’s put some sense in their heads! God gave you brains to think right?
Tags: Malaysia, rape, school uniforms
