Speechless

It is totally disgusting, seeing a group of protesters carrying a severed cow’s head marching on the street, protesting relocation of an Indian temple to their area. I thought that this kind of thing only happened in the ancient times, like those headhunting practiced by certain tribes, or an ancient ritual where animals were beheaded for celebrations or ritual practices. In the present day, this sort of thing should not happen at all as it is uncivilized and too provocative, but too bad that it actually happened in our own country, a peace loving country, a multi-racial country where everybody respects each other even though they are different in terms of origin, religions, culture and many other things.

Along with the caning of a Kartika for consuming alcohol, this incident will surely attract wide coverage from the media around the world. Peace-loving people, human right activist and perhaps animal lovers throughout the world will surely condemn such inhumane act. It will surely tarnish the image of the country.

To sack or not to sack?

Apparently OTK is having a different standard, or shall I say moral standard, as compared to his predecessor OKT. Chua was not sacked when his infamous sex video scandal surfaced in the late 2007. But how come about 2 years later, he is sacked for the same offence after so long, and after being elected as the deputy president of MCA? How MCA could prosecute a person for an offence committed 2 years ago, I wonder. But that is politics; you can have a thousand of reasons to sack a person, especially if the person is not in tune with the president.

Fong Chan Onn pointed it out precisely the dilemma of MCA. He said MCA do not have any more capital for unrest in the party. The sacking of Chua would certainly trigger a further split in the party which already loses supports of the Chinese majority during the 8 March, 2008’s general election. Don’t forget Chua was elected as the deputy president even though the grassroots knew very well about the sex video, which to many was a frame up by his political enemy. Chua can only have himself to be blamed for not knowing that the safer place could very well be the most dangerous one.

To cane or not to cane?

Out of the sudden, Malaysia is in the international limelight again. This time around is because a Muslim lady was sentenced for 6 strokes of caning in offending the syariah laws of drinking alcohol. Then again, the Syariah Appeal Court has decided to defer the caning sentence as it is now the fasting month.

The Prime Minister has openly urged Kartika to appeal against the Syariah court to cane her. Sharizat, the minister of Women, Family and Community Development reiterated that the caning sentence meted out to Kartika is too extreme and the former Prime Minister, Tun Mahathir also opined that the punishment was too harsh especially for a woman committed the offence the first time. All these experienced politicians and leaders know that the caning sentence meted out to Kartika has already attracted wide coverage of foreign media. Certainly, our prime Minister would not want to let the whipping sentence on a woman because of drinking beer to tarnish the image of our country. Such punishment will surely be deemed too extreme and violation of human rights by foreigners who drink beers just like we drink coca-cola every day.

The problem now is that Kartika is willing to accept the punishment. Unlike others who committed the same offence and getting the same punishments but went on to appeal, she didn’t appeal and thus the authorities got caught up. Now, to cane or not to cane is not just a simple decision to call for but a rather complicated and in-depth review on the present laws is needed to better shape up our legal systems so as to avoid such confusion from recurring.

Change....

In life, change is inevitable. Some changes are too drastic to bear with. Some people lost their family, house, belongings everything over a split second which is too drastic a change, so unbearable, just like those who lost everything during Morakot typhoon struck Southern Taiwan on 8 August. To the victims, such a change is too cruel as they lost everything including hope over a split second, not the fault on their own doing, just a bad verdict from mother nature.

My office is going to be closed down end of this month. I shall be relocated to Lukut, not too bad as compared to my colleagues who were earlier transferred to Banting or Carey Island. At least Lukut is nearer to Seremban. Unlike my colleagues who need to wake up early in the morning to make in on time to Banting office, I can still continue to enjoy my sleep until 7.00am then only take a shower, breakfast then drive slowly to my office, not bad, not too bad at all.

I have been comfortably working in Seremban since 1999. Well, a good ten years, sweet memories which I hope will last much longer but with the merger, a change is in the way to break the complacency that I have enjoyed thus far. That is what it is, life goes on no matter rain or shine. We can only hope that the change is for betterment.

Cadbury NZ stop using palm oil

The oil palm growers have initiated the RSPO (Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil) a few years ago knowing the consequence of bad impression of westerners on palm oil production. The cultivation of oil palm has long been associated with the destruction of tropical rain forest and also its biodiversity. The planters are always in a defensive mode when talk about the lost of forest and biodiversity due to the expansion of oil palm cultivation. We have to somehow admit that oil palm is growing on huge areas which were formerly rain forest. Just like any agriculture activities, lands are getting scare and therefore evasion into forest reserve is happening.

Agriculture is a mean to improve social economy for developing countries like Malaysia and Indonesia as the industry provide work opportunities and also improve infrastructure especially accessibility in remote areas. As an agronomist visiting plantations in remote areas in Sabah, Sarawak and Indonesia over the past 10 years, I can appreciate the development of remote areas brought about by the opening of oil palm or rubber plantations. From year to year, I can see the development of township or prosperity of remote areas as a result of plantation expansion.

However, there are irresponsible planters which are simply disobeying the good agriculture practices while doing the land clearing activities. One such example is that they use burning to clear land knowing very clearly that zero burning policy has been mandated by the government. Of course it is easier to burn as everything will turn into ash and that will make planting work much easier. At the same time, there are good planters who dedicatedly carry out agriculture activities according to the RSPO requirements. Now, can you tell me whether palm oil is good or bad as far as environment is concerned?

Whatever it is, it boils down to supply and demand. Very good example is that Cadbury New Zealand has bowed down to the pressure of NGOs to stop using palm oil in their products. Palm oil has been associated with the destruction of forests and wildlife by the environmentalists. As much as we want to dismiss the claims by the NGOs on the issue of rain forest destruction due to cultivation of palm oil, the oil palm planters must also be more environmentally conscious when clearing up new lands for oil palm. Rain forest should indeed be deemed as a world heritage and should be protected as it plays a key role to slow down the process of global warming. We can’t be felling down trees indiscriminately as these trees are also meant for future generations.

Bigger payouts for directors despite economic woes??

Since the occurrence of world economic crisis, the employers have retrenched millions of workers or exercised pay cuts affecting the wage earners around the world. Not too bad for me, still keeping my job but the increment for this year was cut and the bonus is going to be affected as well.

But how come the public listed companies such as Genting, IOI, SP Setia, Ancom, Hiap Teck, Public Bank and so on can still afford for bigger payouts for their directors in the bad time likes this? Are the employers cut our increment and bonus so that they can better pay their directors? This is something that deserves the attention of Bursa Malaysia as it is clearly a victimization of the public listed companies on the wage earners.

Lack of empathy

Ma Ying-jeou is strongly criticized for inefficient rescue effort and also lack of crisis management when Morakot Typhoon struck on 8 august. People at Southern Taiwan are increasingly disappointed with their charismatic but lack of empathy president. More and more internet users have jointly asked for his resignation due to the high death toll arising from slow response of Ma’s government to exert timely rescue efforts. The severe flood brought about by Morakot has left a few villages in Southern Taiwan completed wiped out and a few families with all their family members killed.

Comparatively, the first lady Chow Mei-ching was seen to be giving genuine concern to the victims by listening attentively and hugging them. She was given a thump-up by the people for her empathy. Even the ex-President Lee Tung-hui was rated highly for his prompt actions and more efficient rescue efforts during the 921 earthquake occurred in 1999. That earthquake had certainly changed the political landscape of Taiwan as people in Taiwan were increasingly unhappy with the long ruling Kaomintang and went on to unseat its candidate in the following year’s Presidential election.

Ma Ying-jeou grown up in a political family and groomed by his father to be the President of Taiwan. He has never gone through the difficulties of life endured by most of commoners. With such a background, no wonder his lack of human touch in a time of crisis attracted so many critics.

What's wrong with mother nature?

When the sky is pouring down 2500mm of rain in a single day, you know that it is going to cause havoc. Morakot 2009 is breaking the highest known precipitation induced by tropical cyclones, causing catastrophic losses. More than 500 people in severely affected areas in Southern Taiwan were fear death. Most of them buried alive due to landslide, some killed by flood water. The government of Ma Ying-jeou is accused of slow response and lacking of crisis management leading to high death tolls.

What's wrong with Mother Nature? Why is that a quantum of rains which supposed to be precipitated over a year period being poured over a day? Well, there would be any answer to that. As we mourn for the deceased and pray hard so that more victims can be salvaged in time, we should perhaps think more deeply as to why the intensity of tropical cyclones become more severe and the weather change so erratic. NGOs and nature lovers are constantly warning the people the severe consequences of global warming and environment conservation, but is there any concrete measures being taken to prevent a further rot in this world full of sinners?

Smoke gets into your lungs

A friend from Sibu, Sarawak told me that when he was undergoing his routine medical checkup a week ago, he felt disturbed when told by the doctor to quit smoking. He told the doctor that he quit smoking 30 years ago and have not been smoking since then. The doctor was obviously puzzled as he told my friend that his chest x-ray reminiscent of a heavy smoker. My friend became worried as he thought that there could be some hidden causes to his unhealthy lung conditions.

Both of them looked at each other and then came to a conclusion that it could be the prolonged occurrence of haze that contributed to such unhealthy lung conditions. My friend is working in a plantation in Sibu where there seemed to be ongoing burning activities by plantation operators causing serious hazy conditions. Sometimes you can even get the burning smell all day especially over the past few months due to prolonged drought.

A couple of days ago when I was in Batu Niah, I noticed that plantation companies in interior areas were still carrying out burning despite of the unhealthy API in Miri. The authorities seem to close one eye on the burning activities carried out both by the natives and also plantation companies. As we always blame Indonesia for exporting smoke to our country year in year out during the dry spells, how much have the local authorities done to totally eradicate illegal burning?

Unhealthy air quality in Miri

Ban on acohol, might as well ban on cigarettes?

Moderate consumption on alcohol is not likely to pose a more serious threat to health as compared to smoking. Sometimes, it is quite disheartening to see teenagers smoking so freely at the shopping centers, bus stands, and some worst still, wearing school uniform wondering and smoking on the street. As we have to face with the reality that although the ban on alcohol is made on the religion ground, we also need to look into the adverse effects of health posed by heavy drinking and for that matter smoking.

To build a healthy nation, we have to keep our children from the influence from alcohol and cigarettes at least during the puberty period as when they grow up, they are free to do whatever they like. How are we going to avoid teenagers from getting alcohols or cigarettes? Can stopping convenient stores in selling cigarettes or alcohols deter teenagers in getting supply? Or is there any better way to educate the teenagers from staying away from cigarettes or alcohols? Along the way we know that the influence of religion is only work for people who are truthfully religious. If everyone is following strictly to their religion teaching, there will be no war, no criminals, and no corruptions. There will be peace and harmony throughout.

While human being human and not angel, how are we going to contain the demons that lurk inside our heart is not something that can be fixed by merely imposing laws and rules.

2009 a good year?

2009 is not a good year as of to date. Everyone in one way or another is being affected by global economic crisis although some smart investors who dared to pick up some cheap stocks over a year ago could have reaped in substantial returns of late. But how many have actually recovered their investment prior to the global recession?

Not a good year in terms of political stability as well especially after the death of Teoh Beng Hock with a lot of conspiracy theories started to surface. The street demonstration recently, to protest against the ISA had resulted in massive traffic congestion and chaotic conditions in KL. Business entities especially retail shops claimed that they suffered huge losses during the street rally.

H1N1 is another big worry. More and more young students are infected resulting in numerous schools being closed down for quarantine purposes and the death tolls keep climbing. The government needs to contain the infestation of H1N1 as well as more efforts must be put in to address the public outcry. H1N1 is affecting the health and safety of the people while political unrest and chaotic condition is also not doing any good for the stability of the country and also the strength of our nation. If these two issues are not handled aptly by the government, how are we going to think about economic recovery coming our way.

H1N1, a new mom dies, leaving behind a baby girl

Life is so beautiful for some, but so unfortunate for others. Fate is an inevitable course of events, we have no control over it, like it or not.

Accepting a new life should be celebrated with joy and gratefulness. But it may not always be the case. The body of a newborn baby was reportedly dumped in a toilet bowl at a government aided religious school in Alor Star. I wonder how coldblooded can the mother be, killing her own baby and dumping her infant in the toilet bowl. There is a Chinese proverb saying that a tiger no matter how cruel will never eat its cubs. Homo sapiens, highly sophisticated creature with all the religion teachings, apparently is worst than animals. Dumping a newborn baby, her own fresh and blood into a toilet bowl, how can that be?

Incidentally, an unfortunate baby just lost her mom due to H1N1 in Miri Sarawak. A 24-year old mother contracted H1N1 and lost her life merely 2 weeks after giving birth to her baby. Her heart could have broken into thousands of pieces, knowing that she is going to die soon, not being able to hug her baby anymore, could not even breastfeed her, seeing the little girl growing up. The poor girl will be growing up without knowing what the love of the mother is.

Sometimes, I wonder why things are always at the two extreme. Some babies are born rich, some are dumped inside toilet bowls, some are abandoned by their parents, and some are handicapped. Unless there is punishment attached to the newborn babies due to the original sins committed in the previous life, otherwise how could we explain all these ill-fates in a logical way?