Loud speaker

If you have a person or a few people who talk very loudly in your office, then they could instantly turn your office into a night market when they speak on a phone. it is even worst when the cell phones are ringing concurrently, you will hear all sorts of ringing tones or music which instantly turn your office into a pub. And most of the time, you will notice that a lot of people wasting time talking on some things which are not related to work at all when they speak over the phone in the office. The whole telephone conversation could be a few minutes but just to send across a simple massage and 80% of the time is wasted on gossiping.

That’s bad, I guess but some people just can’t stop talking as though they have a very big idea to share with and this idea is worthy of their precious time for a eloquent telephone conversation. Last night, on the prime time news, there was a piece of news likening the hazards of cell phone to cigarette smoking and instantly I turned to the lady sat behind me who was busying with her computer while talking with her sister over the cell phone for a few minutes, gave her a perfect-timed warning on the health hazard of cell phone. The lady seemed unmoved by the news; perhaps the enjoyment of talking supersedes its health risk, just like smoking. Most of us would not believe that using cell phone, which is such a convenient thing to do, can be as hazardous as smoking.

There are scientists believe that our daily exposure to electromagnetic radiation is 100 millions times higher than it was during our grandparents’ time. Wow….100 millions times is surely a lot but how many of us are actually concerned about it. Some people are even sending SMS while driving and the so-called electromagnetic radiation and so on is just like their mother’s nag. I guess that’s the nature of human, we always put enjoyment ahead of risk.

PSD, what a blunder?

In the olden days, boys and girls were somehow forced to face the reality of life at very young age. Those born in the 70s, 60s or earlier will tell you how difficult life was then, especially those growing up in poor families from kampong areas where even basic amenities were so lacking.

Even our former Prime Minister, Tun Dr Mahathir growing up as a kampong boy selling kuih to lessen the burden of his family and most of my friends went straight to help their parents in the paddy fields or vegetable farms right after school. In those days when machinery was so lacking and expensive, the more family members mean more labour and that’s probably why in those days, it was so normal to see big family, mine included as my grand mom gave birth to 8 children.

Because of harsh circumstances, boys and girls became mature faster as they learned to face reality of life early. Nowadays that we are living in a modern world, albeit a materialistic one, children are often spoilt and more so because of living standard has improved significantly and the parents of present day can afford to provide a better living condition including education to their children.

Time may have past but despite of the vast improvement in living conditions, boys and girls of present days can’t avoid facing the hard reality of life when they receive their examination results and have to make important decisions which may affect their entire life. Those student passing their examination with flying colour will naturally hoping for a scholarship to pursue their dreams in the best university oversea but so often, they have to come to the reality of life; the best may not be necessary getting the best.

It is ridiculous to see so many excellent students not getting the PSD scholarships to pursue their dream courses in the best universities locally or oversea, and these are the best of the best talents who are going to gear the country forward for the greater height!!! But very unfortunately, these young talents were taught a hard lesson at such a young age; the best is not necessary getting the best.

The fact is, if the government is not nurturing the best of talents that we have, most likely, some other countries like Singapore will be too happy to do it. It was pointed out by a United Nation report that 57% of the Singapore’s professional talent came from Malaysia, and the government is talking about brain drain, thinking of asking the Malaysian working abroad to come back and serve the country by offering them better incentives and what not?

警察老兄，加油, hoooi!

看惯了CSI，以为任何案件在警方抽丝剥茧后必能水落石出，最后将犯人绳之以法。但毕竟戏里都是虚构的人，事，物。警探再神通广大也不过是编剧们的集体幻想塑造的人物，案情再复杂也总会留点蛛丝马迹让戏迷揣测之遗，搜索枯肠的把谜题一一解开，到最后恍然大悟。所以说犯罪现场调查类型的戏剧离现实世界是有点遥远。

不然我们的警察老兄也不会对干了超过二十宗的淋潑腐蝕性液體的狂徒束手无策。这狂徒必定是精神病患者，不然谁会干这种损人不利己的事。就算是犯罪分子都有其目标或目的，或是为财或是为色，像这种只向妇女小孩潑腐蝕性液體的狂徒，肯定是精神有问题。这狂徒也可能在向警方挑战，寻找警匪对峙的快感。警方必须尽快把犯罪者逮捕，不然在KL一代的妇孺将受其所害，过着人心惶惶的日子。

有时经过路障看着警察荷枪实弹，威风八面的检查来往的车辆时，不禁有点感叹，要是警察能以那种虎虎生威的态度，追根究底的精神来对付罪犯，这社会肯定太平得多。

Subsidy & Opium

It looks like the price of Ron 95 is surely going up coming next month as the Prime Minister has cautioned the public on the escalating subsidy which is a big burden to the government right now in the light of steep increase in cruel oil prices. The PM opined that subsidies should be removed gradually; likening it to opium and such comment is surely going to hurt the lower income group.

If subsidy is something like opium, which is too addictive to be getting rid of once you have tasted it, then very unfortunately, only lower income groups or another word, poor people are those over dependence on this bad habit. You don’t have to go far, just look into your company as a miniature of this so-called One Malaysia, how many of them are not bothered by the increase of petrol? Off hand I can tell you, only a few of them like your GM or Senior Managers which are provided with company vehicles along with it petrol allowances and 80% or more of the rest of the employees are going to be badly affected especially those people who are exempted for income tax owing to lower income bracket.

Those earning below a thousand are surely feeling the heat as they also need transportation to go to work and also their normal activities. Not forgetting, if the petrol or diesel are not subsided, then you can see some of the companies operating public transports especially buses will close shop very fast. And as it was reported a few days ago, a few public transport companies have to stop their bus services to a few remote areas in Negeri Sembilan due to low passenger volume causing them to lose money.

Similarly, if you see on a national scale, only small amount of people are not affected by fuel price hike simply due to their high positions in both government or private sectors but most of the normal households will certainly face an upheaval should household expenditures increase in tandem with increase in fuel prices.

If the government is burdened by the subsidy reported to cost billions and billions, why are they not look into billions and billions lost in the forms of white-elephant projects, corruptions, mismanagement and so many other non-sense. Remember the Melaka Monorial which has ground to a halt merely after 2 month of it grand launch owing to a host of problem. Perwaja steel, crooked bridge, straight bridge, PKFZ, and so many countless white elephants are also burdening the tax payers to say the least.

The PM should actually liken the corruption to opium and with a more efficient, clean and well managed government, perhaps there will be more fund for the government to stabilize the prices of petroleum products and to avoid increasing inflation.

茉莉开不了花

艾未未当下的处境是中国内外的人权份子最为关注的事。中方扣留了他之后，封锁了所有消息，外界对艾未未的人身安全及所在一无所知。人权份子普遍认为中方借题发挥，假借涉嫌經濟犯罪之名扣留艾未未。艾未未不过是一个为民主奋斗的艺术家，虽然颇颇诋毁中共，但实质上也没有凝聚对抗力量的能耐。

但自从茉莉花革命在北非如同野火燎原一般一发不可收拾，中方便采取严密的安保措施，疲於奔命的逮捕異議人士和驅散示威者。有六四的前车之鑒，中方雷历风行的手段也属无可厚非，但会不会引出更大的民间反弹也是一个关键。在突尼西亞茉莉花革命爆發後，中国政府开始加強對國內互聯網的監控和管理，更向各地網民發出警示不能通過互聯網傳送茉莉花革命信息。在中方进行鎮壓后，欧美国家紛紛譴責中國以暴力对付示威者和記者。当然中国政府也一如往常的否定欧美国家的指责，并称公安只是維護公共秩序和公共安全。中國大陸至今没有发生大规模的抗议活动，或许是因为中方已成功逮捕了大部分的異議份子，以致茉莉开不了花。

人权，是中国最为敏感同时也是必须正视的课题。中国实行经济开放后接续而来的贫富差距将是一个潜在的动乱因子。数千年的中华历史见证了历代王朝的兴衰都缘由腐败的政府导致民不聊生，最后官逼民反。茉莉开不开花，不在于有多少个艾未未，纯粹是当政者能否解决民生问题。而所谓的民生，并非缔造福布斯中國富豪榜，而是减少贫富之间的差距，让国民能共享国家的繁荣昌盛。