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A weblog about life / politics/ impressions of Malaysia through the eyes of a foreigner




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Monday 30 June, 2008
25 Jumada al-Thanni 1429AH

A weblog by Albert. From my home in Yan Kedah. I reside here since 1992. See here to know where Yan is.

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Blog category: all categories. - September 2005
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 Budget wishes..... - by @lbert
  Posted:27/09/2005 - 17:53 - in category: politics Malaysia
A few budget wishes, can think of plenty more...
1. Tax deduction on alcohol (this is a tax that only hurts one half of the population). The current rates are outrageous. (i dont drink myself, except some wine to push up my bp)
Tax sigarettes up to RM 15- a pack.

2. Drastic increase in fines for motorists. Fines like a max. of 300- for speeding, overtaking on double lines, red light jumping. All these should be raised to at least 500- and 1000- for the last 2. (Also for motorbikes! Sames rates apply, no discount)

3. Abolishment of ALL petrol subsidies. This subsidy is only for the rich.

4. Real help for real poor without tons of paperwork.

5. Renegotation or nullification of all TOLL contracts. After all PLUS=UEM=Khazana and UEM=Penang Bridge, so it is all already a majority goverment holding. Compensate the small share holders, and abolish the tolls (or at least minimize them). As compensation goverment can raise road tax.

6. Abolish double road tax for green diesel car/lorry. The diesel price now is just a fraction below the petrol price, and does not justify double road tax.

7. Put this double tax on all the stupid 4 wheel drives who only polute, and gulp petrol. (Unless you realy can proof you use it in a ladang)

8. Abolish import duties on all imported food stuff. Malaysians nowadays also like foreign stuff.

9. Give every Malaysian the option to the same education.

10. Scrap the word Bumiputra from the Malaysian language forever.

That were 10 only... can think of 100 more i think.

P.S.
11. Speed up the judicial system by a factor 10! Now it really stinks
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 Bird flue worry? - by @lbert
  Posted:26/09/2005 - 15:16 - in category: general
Dont worry is what the Malaysian goverment says.
Crap!! that is what is say....i am worried.
A new flu virus in 1918-1919 killed 50 million people all over the world.....
You think Malaysia is sealed? That is the most dumm idea people can have.
Birds migrate, and Malaysia has millions if not billions of migrating birds (they dont go through immigration).
Than Indonesians migrate too (illegal) so who checks them?
Than the very dangerous bird-nest collection places in/on many rooftops in many housing projects or unsold property they are a sincere danger to the population and should be cleared. Than the residents would also be freed of the bird noises from all the speakers. What a relief.
No the slogan dont worry is really absolute crap!
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 Blog about Saudi Arabia - by @lbert
  Posted:26/09/2005 - 14:50 - in category: internet / computers
I recently found this blog, written by a Saudi living in London.
I find his blog amusing and sometimes really can laugh, but it is actually ashame that such a feudal state still exists in the 21 century.
Religeous Policeman If you want to learn about Arab thinking, and a modern country with 12th century thinking ... read it.
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 Corruption? Malaysia slides again - by @lbert
  Posted:22/09/2005 - 15:00 - in category: general
Malaysia has seen fit to get an even worse place on the 2004 CPI (Corruption Perception index)
For the complete story here
Malaysia shares its 39th place (2003 =37th place) now with Tunesia. Even countries like Quatar and UAE are doing better.
Seems that the anti corruption effords dont have much effect.
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 Customs party - by @lbert
  Posted:22/09/2005 - 09:03 - in category: politics Malaysia
I wont say much about this 5 million bash where others say its 220.000 (only)
This Tan Sri Abdul Halil Abdul Mutalib is a typical Malaysian style arrogant ruler of his department. Time they disappear from the scene, high time.
Than even when it is just 220.000 for a farawell party it is still ridiculous.
I have not in my live seen in Europe a department head that gets a 220.000 party.
Maybe they get a reception and thats it.
Than why do meetings of the goverment have to take place in resorts? The already have a multi billion resort called Putra Jaya.
The so called 'meeting' where the afternoon is spent on golf...... ridiculous.
Playing golf during the time you are supposed to work, nice job. Thats only possible in boleh land. That is why the heads of departments can never be found, always have meetings (on the golf course). And the public who needs their signature for something can come back again and again because noone has a proxy!
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 Celcom can screw you till you die. - by @lbert
  Posted:20/09/2005 - 23:22 - in category: general
I recently went through the smallprint of the rules and regulations Celcom (thinks) they can apply.
And this is really a laugh, they can screw you all the way. (they think)
Let me give some samples:
Termination:
--Celcom reserves the right to suspend or terminate the Services without assigning any reason whatsoever for such suspension or termination
--Cellcom shall not be under any obligation to refund the Customer any credit balance of the Airtime Credit upon termination.
MEANS: they can terminate when they like and screw you out of your money!!

Celcom's Right :
Celcom reserves the right at any time during the duration of the services to vary charges without notice to the customer.
MEANS: they simply can charge whatever they like, you gotta pay.

Read on.... They can amend the rules and regulations whenever they like and you are bound to them
No right to disagree.

Did anybody ever brought these stupid fineprints to a court??
I dont know about Malaysia, but in Europe they would be declared NULL AND VOID.
I have not seen a more consumer unfriendly thing than this.
With exeption of Rangkaian Segar (Touch n Go, they are world champion). These people dont even answer to any complaint or email.
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 Chinese Opera - by @lbert
  Posted:18/09/2005 - 19:30 - in category: Penang
I was lucky this week when i was in Penang there were several Chinese Opera's around.
This dying breed of entrepreneurs is certainly gone in a few years time.
I was lucky they allowed me to take some backstage pictures, that speak more than what you see in the front about a dying 'institution'. The troupe i took foto's of was doing the opera in Hokien, which is probably only found in Penang.

What you see is: Backstage makeup/Artists
And the music.......
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 Invest in Malaysia? - by @lbert
  Posted:18/09/2005 - 19:23 - in category: general
How competitive is Malaysia?
Actually we should add to this: for how long has Malaysia any competitiveness.....

Rafidah Aziz can go anywhere and ask investors to come in, but as long as Tenaga National is incapable in supplying power to certain industrial areas.
Or Tenanga cannot guaranty a constant supply, and factory losses run into the millions because of shoddy work by Tenaga, and Tenaga cannot held accountable by law for this, investors will run out of the country instead of coming in.
As long as goverment or goverment linked companies are not up to a 21 century standard, Malaysia will loose out.
Labour charges in Malaysia are already to high to be competitive.
Factories that want to be connected to Tenaga are requested to pay sums of RM 30.000 +!
This for getting electicity on which Tenaga is making billions of profit, imagine.
They cannot be held accountable for power interruptions, mind you, would you invest in a place like that?
Try to call Tenaga when there is a power outage, you get one silly answer after the other.
If you ask how long does it take to repair, noone knows.
But they grab billions of profit!
Tenaga should be held responsible for its faillures, and be liable for claims.

You still want to invest?

You are not allowed to critisize any goverment institution, otherwise any form of assistance you need from them is delayed.
On certain occasions factory owners are 'blackmailed' into certain contributions to goverment festivities, because otherwise renewal of licenses my take longer next time.
Prove it? Well thats the usual thing....what to prove, its a well organized thing, nothing to prove....
Ask around and it will be confirmed all around.

Than political harasment of areas which are 'ruled' by the opposition.
These areas are declared black areas, nothing will move there.

You still want to invest?

Than politicians that still talk about maintaining preferences for a certain group of the population.
Even have the guts to do it with a kris in their hands.
Brainless remarks by all kind of politicians and ministers on all kinds of things, which is not under their ministry or their concern.
A remark like: Malaysia is an Islamic country, if you dont like it get lost! (Jerai MP in Parliament)
Will it do any good and pull investors in?
Ex PM's who do not want to shut up after their pension.
No goverment official is ever responsible for what he does, no head will ever roll, its allways semua ok.
Ministers will never be fired, never mind how corrupt or useless they are.

You still want to invest?

As i said wages......Indonesia wages 1/3 to 1/5 of Malaysia.
China wages 1/3 of Malaysia.
Infrastructure....everything is based on toll, toll and toll.
Public transport? A disaster, everybody has to run Bas Kilang to get their workers in.
City planning, what is that? Never heard of. In Malaysia they think of city planning when everything is build and all pockets are filled.
Quality of building? Terrible, everything based on making as much as possible in a minimum of time.
(Have a look in Sungei Petani or Koh's super Penang State)
And besides that a city council/state exco has not to answer to its citizens, only to the goverment. Real democratic.
This means you can have a nice strategic located factory now, and in 2 years time you cannot even reach your factory, just because of poor planning.
Than half the factory workers are already Indonesian, and not Malaysian....
So it would be more easy to invest directly in Indonesia.
At least you know its corrupt and a mess, so you add that into your calculations.

You still want to invest?

China is pulling, Indonesia is pulling, India is pulling, even Bangladesh is pulling.
And dont forget Thailand, very quiet, but very active.
All are noticable cheaper than Malaysia.
Unless Malaysia really improves, they will completely loose out within 1-2 years.
The shine of Petronas Towers, F1 circuit, KLIA and other unneeded things are long gone.
Look at the latest white elephant, an innercity marina in Penang, costing millions.

Multimedia corridor? Already a flop. High Tech park in Kulim already a flop.
One white elephant after the other, billions wasted!

But we have a Putra Jaya (financed by Petronas), wow Brunei cannot even copy that.... yes for now.
And if half Malaysia is out of job in a few years time?
Than they still gotta pay for all the glitter noone asked for.
Everything is taken for granted. Look now, goverment workers already expect the goverment to pay 2 month bonus!
Why i ask, a bonus is a bonus, so you should expect nothing.
And it is crazy that as long as the goverment runs a deficit in its budget, its employees get a bonus.

I am scared, scared for Malaysia, and no NEP no Hishamudin no Khairy, or AP permit will or can change that anymore.
The basis is not solid anymore and on a unsolid basis nothing can be build.

If i was a foreign investor... Malaysia? I would have my sincere doubts!
Yes it is political stable, they say... (how stable if preople appear with krisses on the frontpage).
Racial harmony, well even that is taking a back seat.

You still want to invest?
Well at least i would think twice.
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 Communists and mudslinging - by @lbert
  Posted:13/09/2005 - 11:18 - in category: politics Malaysia
It seems that the kindergarden of UMNO called UMNO YOUTH still has not finished its mudslinging.
These 30+ year old 'youth' are a pathetic bunch of children. Hishamudin is a disgrace to his grandfather.
But in this country UMNO 'youth' seems to be above any law.
Now the whole oposition are all communists.
Communists played an important role in fighting the Japanese in this country during WW-II, but were denied any role in a goverment after the British.
The rest is history!
But i want to add one thing........have a look in Europe right after the war, many countries were having very,very strong communists representations in parliament.
Holland for sample 30%+, Italy even more and that up to the 80th. And dont forget France where a few times the communists actually almost could form a goverment.
The system just managed to keep them under control by among others creating minority goverments.
The way i read history and have read many writings about the independence of Malaysia, it is far from only the glory of UMNO. And that is nicely said.
Than when the 'peace/surrender' agreement was signed with the communists in Thailand, it was agreed that they were allowed to return to Malaysia. Makes me wonder why this right is denied to its former leader.
Why cant they stop bickering about the past? Comeon we live in the present and have to think about the future!
But it seems the so called 'bangsa malaysia' is falling apart more and more......give that a thought. That is a worry for the future!
Having said this, now i probably get all the buckets of shit over my head.........
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 Free speech for dr M? - by @lbert
  Posted:09/09/2005 - 11:25 - in category: general
British High Commissioner and three western diplomats walked out of Suhakam conference when dr M delivered his keynote address.
Dr M said against all the protests to his appearance that he also had the right of 'free speech'.
That from the mouth of the person who created stiffling press laws, stepped on every human right you can imagine, denied all free speech in Malaysia, really sounds very very funny to me.
Suhakam could have easily cancelled the invitation to dr M after all the protests. The answer that all invitations were already send out is a no sence answer.
Do they really think the people who attend the conference came to hear dr M? I think everybody by now has enough of him.
He is retired, and should stay retired of everything for the betterment of Malaysia!
REMARK:
The Star mentioned the walk out in its pages. NST kept dead silent, but what can you expect from this objective newspaper...
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 I feel like a pauper.... - by @lbert
  Posted:09/09/2005 - 09:37 - in category: general
I picked this up from Jakarta Post who took it from Forbes Magazine:
Malaysian tycoon Robert Kuok, whose vast empire includes media, hotel and mining properties, is Southeast Asia's richest person with estimated wealth of US$5.3 billion, Forbes magazine said on Thursday.
Malaysia's Ananda Krishnan, who owns cable TV operator Astro and phone company Maxis, remained number two with a net worth of $5.1 billion.
Singaporean banker Lee Seng Wee was ranked the sixth wealthiest individual with a fortune of $2.7 billion, followed by Malaysia's casino king Lim Goh Tong on $2.6 billion
I feel like a pauper now!
Actually i find these amounts sickening......
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 Curry Puffs - by @lbert
  Posted:08/09/2005 - 23:17 - in category: Yan Kedah
Where do you find the best curry puffs (Karipap) in Kedah?
Well i tried them here there and everywhere, but so far the best I ever found are still sold near Yan Besar on the roadside In front of the school).
They are spicy, juicy, tasty in one word gordious.....
And all that for 20 sen a piece (not raised after the petrol increase!)
If you are in the neighbourhood go and try.
They sell from around 3 till finished, and thats mostly around 4.30-5.
I have even brought them back to europe...
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 5 month for stealing RM1.- - by @lbert
  Posted:06/09/2005 - 20:59 - in category: general
That was the news. A boy got convicted to 5 month jail for stealing RM 1.00 from a car.
Was this judge sound of mind? Is this the justice in Malaysia?
Ministers can build gambling debts of millions, curruption money pocketed by the millions and go scott free, yet a stupid boy gets 5 month for stealing RM 1.00 this is the bloody limit.
Malaysia boleh!
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 No more RM1 coin... - by @lbert
  Posted:06/09/2005 - 12:12 - in category: general
Bank Negara wants back all the RM 1 coins.
So Malaysia is stuck with the filthy pieces of toilet paper called RM1 notes.
Well the RM1 coin was a monster from the beginning. Way to heavy and way to thick. Another well planned thing by BNM. (What happened to RM2 notes?)
Now we get plastic RM5 notes who noone hardly ever uses.
But back to the coins... HELLO BNM this is the 21st century, we have invented vending machines and other things! Have to fill them up with 50 sen coins (another sample of a monster coin)?
Why can Europe have 1, 2 Euro coins and have no problems? (and the value is 5 times as much)
Why has thailand a nice 10 baht coins and even Indonesia had a same style 1000 rupiah coin.
Malaysia now has nothing only monopoly money. In modern times a country cannot do without coins for smaller nominations!
To many falsifications of the RM1 coin, well if that is so, either the rods are to easily available or the design was way to simple.
Because really you have to stamp a lot of coins before you turn a profit with false coins, really a lot.
Than redesign but not simply leave the country without coins. Remember 2020 is coming nearer and nearer......developed nation remember.....
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 Anti Ayah Pin Blog. - by @lbert
  Posted:04/09/2005 - 21:42 - in category: religion
I found this blog on the web here.
I did not know that this country was having still people like this narrow minded or mental sick idiot running this blog.
If this shows the compassion of Islam than i am shocked, deeply shocked.
Unbelievable that not even the smallest idea of religious freedom lives in these peoples 8th century brains. And than hiding himself behind a name Pin Vader.... well may the force be against you narrow minded creap!
I am not against or pro Ayah Pin but i am 110% in favour of FREEDOM!
The destruction of his skykingdom is a scandal and remains a scandal but Malaysian style everything will be swept under the carpet again.
I actually wonder how this website is allowed, as it is seeding hatered amongst people, something for blogspot to think about...
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 Out of the running - by @lbert
  Posted:04/09/2005 - 17:23 - in category: general
After coming back from Bali where i already felt sick, things went worse and i had to admit myself into Lam Wah Ee hospital in Penang.
Luckily after a quick action by the doctors things turned for the better and i am up and 'running' again.
Lam Wah Ee is really a very impressive run machine. It is amazing how well organized this hospital is, up to the smallest details.
And yet they still they have their human touch. I am really deeply impressed by the thoughts the management of Lam Wah Ee has given to every detail of their operations and yet be very reasonable priced. Well done!
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