Photo From Penang Trip ..

Leaving On A Jet Plane ...

While Malaysia fiddles, its opportunities are running dry
By Michael Backman
The Age
November 15, 2006

MALAYSIA'S been at it again, arguing about what proportion of the economy each of its two main races — the Malays and the Chinese — owns. It's an argument that's been running for 40 years. That wealth and race are not synonymous is important for national cohesion, but really it's time Malaysia grew up.

It's a tough world out there and there can be little sympathy for a country that prefers to argue about how to divide wealth rather than get on with the job of creating it. The long-held aim is for 30 per cent of corporate equity to be in Malay hands, but the figure that the Government uses to justify handing over huge swathes of public companies to Malays but not to other races is absurd. It bases its figure on equity valued, not at market value, but at par value.

Many shares have a par value of say $1 but a market value of $12. And so the Government figure (18.9 per cent is the most recent figure) is a gross underestimate. Last month a paper by a researcher at a local think-tank came up with a figure of 45 per cent based on actual stock prices. All hell broke loose. The paper was withdrawn and the researcher resigned in protest. Part of the problem is that he is Chinese.

"Malaysia boleh!" is Malaysia's national catch cry. It translates to "Malaysia can!" and Malaysia certainly can. Few countries are as good at wasting money. It is richly endowed with natural resources and the national obsession seems to be to extract these, sell them off and then collectively spray the proceeds up against the wall.

This all happens in the context of Malaysia's grossly inflated sense of its place in the world. Most Malaysians are convinced that the eyes of the world are on their country and that their leaders are world figures. This is thanks to Malaysia's tame media and the bravado of former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad. The truth is, few people on the streets of London or New York could point to Malaysia on a map much less name its prime minister or capital city.

As if to make this point, a recent episode of The Simpsons features a newsreader trying to announce that a tidal wave had hit some place called Kuala Lumpur. He couldn't pronounce the city's name and so made up one, as if no-one cared anyway. But the joke was on the script writers — Kuala Lumpur is inland.

Petronas, the national oil company is well run, particularly when compared to the disaster that passes for a national oil company in neighbouring Indonesia. But in some respects, this is Malaysia's problem. The very success of Petronas means that it is used to underwrite all manner of excess. The KLCC development in central Kuala Lumpur is an example. It includes the Twin Towers, the tallest buildings in the world when they were built, which was their point. It certainly wasn't that there was an office shortage in Kuala Lumpur — there wasn't.

Malaysians are very proud of these towers. Goodness knows why. They had little to do with them. The money for them came out of the ground and the engineering was contracted out to South Korean companies. They don't even run the shopping centre that's beneath them. That's handled by Australia's Westfield.

Next year, a Malaysian astronaut will go into space aboard a Russian rocket — the first Malay in space. And the cost? $RM95 million ($A34.3 million), to be footed by Malaysian taxpayers. The Science and Technology Minister has said that a moon landing in 2020 is the next target, aboard a US flight. There's no indication of what the Americans will charge for this, assuming there's even a chance that they will consider it. But what is Malaysia getting by using the space programs of others as a taxi service? There are no obvious technical benefits, but no doubt Malaysians will be told once again, that they are "boleh". The trouble is, they're not. It's not their space program. Back in July, the Government announced that it would spend $RM490 million on a sports complex near the London Olympics site so that Malaysian athletes can train there and "get used to cold weather". But the summer Olympics are held in the summer. So what is the complex's real purpose? The dozens of goodwill missions by ministers and bureaucrats to London to check on the centre's construction and then on the athletes while they train might provide a clue.

Bank bale outs, a formula one racing track, an entire new capital city — Petronas has paid for them all. It's been an orgy of nonsense that Malaysia can ill afford. Why? Because Malaysia's oil will run out in about 19 years. As it is, Malaysia will become a net oil importer in 2011 — that's just five years away. So it's in this context that the latest debate about race and wealth is so sad.
It is time to move on, time to prepare the economy for life after oil. But, like Nero fiddling while Rome burned, the Malaysian Government is more interested in stunts like sending a Malaysian into space when Malaysia's inadequate schools could have done with the cash, and arguing about wealth distribution using transparently ridiculous statistics.

That's not Malaysia "boleh", that's Malaysia "bodoh" (stupid).

www.michaelbackman.com

ends


Well .. what else I can say anymore .. Malaysians really need to open up their eyes .. to read and to see whats really happening around them .. Nuff said !!

Capitalism

Well .. Well .. Well .. I'm sure of that .. most of Malaysian citizens has heard about the BERSIH rally on 10/11/2007 .. I was aware of the rally and I'm trying to update myself about what happened to those people during at the rally .. I logged into Aljazeera, AsianSentinal, HarakahNet, Malaysia-Today to get the latest news about the rally .. is there any blood shed, act of violence, taunting, major outbreak of looting. It seems to be a real PEACEFUL march. Except for a few minor fracas in Masjid Jamek induced by the Polis DiRaja Malaysia.

HHmmm .. What does it mean by DiRaja Malaysia ? Aren't they supposed to be a peace keeper for the country .. Acting as an enforcer to safe guard the citizens of Malaysia ? But why are they acting behalf of the government instead ? Aren't they supposed to be dutiful to the King, Yang Dipertuan Agong ? I'm not too sure myself too ..

My colleague and me being extremely busybody at that moment .. both of us keeps on texting to our contacts who is participating in the rally. HEHEHE !! .. Oh !! Yes .. he showed me his latest album front cover of his album .. but its kinda provoking ..
See what I mean ? ..

1947 .. 10 years before Merdeka. "Missing Chapter" in Malaysia's History

My .. My .. My ..

During my spare time, I enjoy chatting up with my colleague because we can share almost everything in many kinds of view towards music, political issues, recent agenda, theology and a lot more .. Well, I would like to apologize for a no post blog for such a long long time .. Gosh !! What happened to me .. Few months back, he was telling me a guy name Fahmi Reza, he is going to do a short documentary film regarding our beloved country Malaysia.

At first I was a little sceptic about the whole thing. 10 years before Merdeka? Well .. don't be .. Enjoy the short-filmed style documentary with some nice cool ol'skool punk like SexPistols background soundtrack .. Oi !! Oi !! Oi !!

http://10tahun.blip.tv/

My !! My !!

Gosh .. Almost a month that I dint post anything .. Well actually after my trip to Penang, I’m kinda lazy tho’ .. Hehehe .. I shouldn’t be rite .. ** smack my head !! Ouch !! I shall continue tomoro .. hehehe .. lazy me ..

Blunder !!

What will we do when something tragic poured down upon us? Do we take a step back and observe or just ignore it? Hmmm.. its kinda bothers me this morning when I read an article online. Why do we humans always trying to escape the grasp of reality?

** sigh .. what a day I had been thru this morning. I stayed over in my girl’s place last night and I left my bike’s key at my home, GOSH !! what a dreadful things to happen. Rush back home to take the bike key and sling shot back to her home to take my bike. Arrghh ..Blunder !! a real self made blunder.

I was listening to KissFM Transition this morning, getting myself upbeat to the music been played. Oh !! it was Nathan Fake’s Outhouse .. Grooving to the music, browsed my MSN lists of friends .. I spotted Ash .. the last time I met him was about 2 months back, having lunch together in SS14. Chowing down some heart attack food “bak kut teh”. Hehehe .. BG Karwai, me, Ash and Gary. Surprisingly Gary said he is full b’cos he just had a late brunch. How could he resist “bak kut teh”? Yum !! Yum !!

Speaking about having a good food, YAY !! I’m going to Penang later in the evening. Even by now I’m already having the imagination of myself eating assam laksa, fried chicken skin, nasi kandar “line clear”, the mixed pork porridge .. FuuhhHH .. yummy yum yum ..

Shoots !! something wrong with my CD-Rom, the CD won’t play. Why ? Why ? It’s Trisco’s Muzak !! I'm only halfway listening to it .. Damn !! by the way it’s a Excessive Record’s CD, Deep Down mixed by Burger and Callen. I just love those tracks mixed by Burger, actually he is one of my fav DJs in Malaysia. Support your local DJs !! eHH .. isn’t J Lo always say that on Hitz.FM “Support your local football” =) he is a maestro of his own, compare him to Ben Katana both is equal but Burger is a lil’ more edgy and technical wise .. WOW !! you gotta listen to his live set. Ben’s cutting edge techno is not something that you can expect from any others local Djs in Malaysia. He is bold and ruthless .. yup !! that’s the proper word for his styles of spinning. Expect the unexpected from both of them. Their creativeness is just .. I’m speechless .. both duo formed a formidable collective name POPCORN. Hehehe .. what a name eH?



ArrggHHH !! my CD-Rom still not working !! @#*^(":}{}!^&^ !!!

Sshhh .. gotta go .. my boss is grunting already .. I almost used half of my working day just sitting in front of this PC. Hehehe .. “curi tulang” a bit le .. =)

Sshhh ..

oh ! boy ! oh ! boy ! I’m off to Penang soon .. hehehe .. happy trip for me ya .. **wink ;)

07/07/07

WOW !! I just had a déjà vu. The experience of thinking that a new situation had occurred before ... I was sitting in the office talking something to my boss and just “WHOOPS” feels like lotsa tiny bits of spiders crawling up to my head from the back of my spine thru the back of my neck. OH ! BOY ! What a freaky feeling. If anyone can explains to me what real reason why we have déjà vu is, please do IM or PM me ...

Last night after a hefty dinner, having sushi and unagi for dinner with my girlfriend in Zen something sushi at Pyramid, I head back home and changed my clothing for an occasion that I have waited for quite sometime ago. 07/07/07. Hmm .. Does it sums up to be a good fortune number? But for some other peoples’ reasoning, it’s an auspicious number for them tho’. I thought 8 are good for Chinese and 4 are good for Malays? 8 means rich, kaya, wealthy, OKK *orang kaya kaya le & 4 means easy life, because when you crossed your legs it looks like a figure four. But 7 ? Don’t start off with me David Beckham 7, Cantona 7, Wonders of the World 7. HeH !! Nothing to do with me. Don’t wanna crack my head for something which doesn’t concern me eH ..

Oh ya .. About last nite, a friend of mine Dj Terence C has launched his own event nite out name HABA. I have been befriended for quite sometime already, even before he became rezzie for the now de-funct MOVEMENT with Jason (Dj Fono). I was highly anticipated about the HABA thingy because Terence and I share lots of thing about the music that we love. I love progressive, techno and electro but sometimes house music is not too bad tho’. I like stuff from Digweed, Satoshi, Sander Kleinenberg !! my fav, DeepDish, Danny Howell, Sven Vath, Anthony Rother, Takkyu, Dj Rush, Technasia, Miss Kittin, all a few lot more. But for those I have listed down are those I listened to almost everyday.

When I first stepped into Loft, Zouk I heard some tunes that make my feet tapping on its own. A slow built up proggy beats on the way getting to a notch higher tempo. I was telling myself, is this the Terence that I used to know. To be frank, **giggles **chuckles, it has been a long long time that I ever listen to his sets. Wanna know why? B’cos I always “FFK” when he spins on occasion weekends in Zouk. Bad bad me huH? All brand new tracks, new producers and I do not know who is who now. I’ll better give him a buzz later to keep myself updated eH? Agree? Hehehe .. I looked at clock is already 12:20 .. I was wondering where the heck is Kartun (Dj Zaskar) b’cos he told that he is on his way from 12 o’clock. Darn ** !!

I was ordering something from the bar while nodding my head, because the track spun by Terence is getting more edgy and more pumping. Just love his set. I turned myself and looked at the console, I saw LeLe (Dj Alam) I was surprised to see him there, Aaiii !! I thought he is Ozzie? Aahh .. Holiday .. just came back about 3 days. No wonder leH ..

A gulped full of stout drained down to my throat, suddenly, someone tapped my shoulder. HaaAAHH !!! there he is !! Wearing a yellow T-Shirt written something “stupid and so so so so” and it’s a BRIGHT ORANGY color !! hahaha .. talk about ol’skool eH .. Deep down inside my mind I was really relieved b’cos at last there is someone that I really know is there. I was lost when I first stepped in that place, “WOW !! mana nie?” Later I introduce my girlfriend to him and to Farhana (Kartun’s GF). But there is still one fat ass missing in action that I’m waiting for Desmond !! Another ass that told me that he is on the way.

I wanted to stay longer but I can’t !! B’cos I’m working the next day which is today 8/7/07 Sunday !! beb !! Sunday !! **sigh

The music is getting better and better because the built up is topping the roof !! Terence way of playing is the start off is quite melodic and slow, deep and mysterious but slowly, track by track .. you’re hitting the roof without you noticing it !! the mixing is just smooth and clean .. You think I should ask him to be my “SIFU” .. hehehe .. Looked at my watch .. 1.00 am. Too bad, I gotta run .. I waved goodbye to everyone !!

Ta ! Ta !


Oh ya !! the fat ass Desmond haven’t arrive yet. What a disappointment ..