Sunday, March 9, 2014

Pray

We need to move beyond talking and preaching and start PRAYING.

Pray consistently. Pray persistently. Pray for the salvation of others. Pray for clarity and wisdom. Pray for the strength to face whatever challenges you are facing.

I was in church today. I'm not a Christian, but I think the most important thing to do NOW is to pray.

I really enjoyed the sermon. The pastor talked about God opening doors for us, but our pride, behavior and attitude may have closed the door, denying ourselves the privileges and blessings.

I enjoyed the joke which the pastor shared about the two parrots where one was trained to say "Let's Pray". Yes, the parrot can only utter "Let's Pray", while another parrot had only been trained to say "Let's Get Married". One day the owners of these two parrots decided to get their pets together so that they can learn from one another.

When the meeting eventually took place, one parrot uttered "Let's Get Married" and the other promptly replied: "Prayers answered."

There was another joke he shared which I found was pretty funny too, but I shall leave that for another day.

Nothing was mentioned at all about the flight MH370 but as we all closed our eyes to pray, I'm sure many of us were sending prayers to the victims and loved ones of the passengers and crew.

When I read NST online today, I also came across this report where our Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak had called on Malaysians to continue offering prayers and motivational support for families of passengers on board the missing Beijing-bound MH370 flight. The report was by Adib Povera.

I also read this Prayers for MH370 on http://bigcatrambleon.blogspot.com/ She said it so well here.

I've always been interested in faith and prayer. I don't really pray or chant consistently. I get lazy and also "hilang semangat" at times. But I do believe in the power of prayers. And it is essential to know what we are praying for.

Saturday, March 8, 2014

Chill With Avocado Juice

The "juice alpukat" (avocado juice) with ayam penyet at Ayam Penyet Ria in City Square Johor Baru was the highlight of the day. The avocado juice was so so so delicious.

I'm not working today. It didn't start out too well, but after hearing news about the Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 that went missing after it left Kuala Lumpur earlier today, how bad could my day be?

Yesterday, my emotions went haywire. I handed a form to someone a few days ago. The form went missing. We both tried to remember that day but I only remembered up to the point where I handed her the form, and she only remembered up to the point where she received the form from me.

Whatever happened after that, neither of us could remember. I could have taken back the form after I had given it to her. I'm not saying I did that but I just couldn't remember. I also cannot say that she left it on her desk and someone took it away simply because I didn't see that. The wind could've blown it away. It could've gotten into one of the files. There are a few possibilities.

I wasn't angry because I can always fill up the form again. It wasn't a big problem.

But I needed to inform someone about the missing form. And this someone said this to me: "Let this be a lesson to you." He said that because he thought I didn't make a photocopy of it. But I had already made a copy.

Anyway, that one short sentence sent an avalanch of thoughts and emotions my way. Immediately, I switched to victim mode. Initially, there was no anger at all. But when the anger took over, I contemplated writing a nasty note. Something like this one, somehow I didn't know how to.

I only had this to say: "Saboteur, what do you get by taking my things except earn demerit points? I can always fill it up again. And I get merit points."

Quite nasty, right? :) Maybe I just didn't have the mean streak.

But all this was yesterday. Today, I don't see it as a personal attack anymore. I was expecting some understanding, some sympathy perhaps, and didn't see "Let this be a lesson to you" coming.

Today I just want to say "Sorry, I should have better control of my emotions."

David vs Goliah

08 March 2014

A tale of two campaigns

By Shahrum Sayuthi

THE end-lot terrace house near Pearl Avenue in Sungai Chua, which is MCA's main operations centre for the Kajang by-election, is a hive of activity from early morning till late night for the past weeks.    Yesterday, election workers, many in their early 20s, were seen arranging posters and party flags while others were briefing party members in the living room, which had been turned into a makeshift conference hall.
   On the wall outside, there were two buntings which have no direct political element, capable perhaps of attracting the immediate attention of visitors. One promotes an anti-dengue campaign while the other offers of free medical check-ups.
   At one corner of the porch, young party workers man a public services and complaints booth.
   Every few minutes, residents, many of whom are elderly, turn up to ask for help in matters ranging from clogged drains to loss of land title documents.
   The workers record the complaints before channelling them to party officials for action.
Barisan Nasional candidate and MCA vice-president Datin Paduka Chew Mei Fun was, meanwhile, busy making her rounds in Kajang.
   Early yesterday morning, she had a walkabout at Pasar Pagi in Taman Ceras Mas, followed by an appearance at the education and career fair at Kompleks Metro Point. Later in the evening till late at night, she had meet-the-people sessions at several locations in Kajang.
   It is a typical MCA style of campaigning -- low key and down to earth with emphasis given to providing services for the people and keeping it all very community-oriented.
Chew's daily schedule mostly consists of visits to public places and functions in the daytime, and meeting voters in small groups in the evening.
   Not known for giving fiery speeches, she is calm and collected when she explains to those present at her meet-the-people functions about her plans if elected.
   She may not have the eloquence of Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, PKR's candidate, but Chew holds the advantage when it comes to offering sensible touches to the campaign which is hotting up as nomination day on March 11 draws near.
   Perhaps her lack of aggressive posturing may even turn out to be the crucial ingredient, which could possibly turn the tide come polling day on March 23.
   Still, the underdog tag worn by Chew and the rest of the BN campaign crew seems to be obvious considering PKR's intense activities in Kajang since day one.
   Anwar, on the other hand, has obviously been preparing for the engineered by-election for quite some time as his party workers appeared to be well coordinated, down to the minutest details on how to carry out their campaign.
   Operating from a four-storey building in Sungai Sekamat, they appeared confident, particularly in winning an overwhelming bulk of votes from Kajang's Chinese voters in a repeat of the outcome of the 13th General Election in May last year.
PKR won the Kajang state constituency of more than 38,000 voters in that election by an almost 7,000-vote majority.
   Political observers estimated that up to 90 per cent of the Chinese voters in Kajang had given their support to PKR. Malays make up 48 per cent of the voters; Chinese, 40 per cent; Indians, 10 per cent; and others about one per cent.
   Anwar has, so far, been obvious about his campaign strategy; he is going all out for the Malay votes, believing that votes of the Chinese community are already in his pocket.
   Most of his scheduled ceramah, all the way to nomination day, are concentrated in Malay areas, where they draw a few hundred strong crowd per night.
   PKR's campaign in areas with a sizeable Chinese community has, so far, been led by its vice-president, Tian Chua, during the day.
   Anwar would, on most days, only turn up later in the evening, first for maghrib prayers at one of the mosques or surau in areas where there is a concentration of Malay voters, before proceeding to another venue nearby for his ceramah.
   While Chew may talk about improving healthcare services, traffic flow and basic needs of Kajang folk, the opposition leader mainly focuses on accusing the BN government of being responsible for all the problems afflicting Malaysian society.
   It is a total contrast between the two potential candidates in a contest, which could be dubbed David versus Goliath.
   The outcome, which will have far-reaching consequences, especially for Selangor, could, however, still go either way, depending on what the folk of Kajang want -- a good service-oriented wakil rakyat with a track record of hard work in her previous constituency in Petaling Jaya Utara, or a smooth-talking populist leader who fashions himself as the country's alternative prime minister.

Thursday, March 6, 2014

Fires To Put Out


Phones are ringing off the hook at the operations room of the Johor Fire & Rescue Services Department, says its assistant director (operations) Mohd Rizal Buang (standing)

There are lives to save and fires to put out everywhere. Owing to the current hot spell, Mohd Rizal shared with us that the department receives an average of 110 calls per day throughout Johor since the beginning of the year to now (Jan 1 to March 4). In the same period, there were 49 prank calls.

The telephone operators at the operations room hardly have time to go for their lunch breaks. So, please don't send the firemen on a wild goose chase. The telephone operators are divided into 3 teams of 5 staff each. One team will work from 8am to 8pm, another team from 8pm to 8am while one team gets to rest.

The department's priorities are to save lives, followed by buildings and the environment. Do call the operations room immediately when you spot a fire. Don't call out of boredom to chit-chat with the friendly firemen.

And if your vehicle were to catch fire --- there have been a number of cases of late due to the hot spell --- don't forget to also lodge a report with the fire department other than the police department. The fee for lodging the report, which is essential to claim for insurance, is RM100.

That's all for now. Weather's hot, drink lots of water to prevent dehydration. It's also a weight loss strategy.

Sunday, March 2, 2014

Touching Speech by Top Cop

His subordinate had prepared a speech for him, but Johor police chief Datuk Mokhtar Shariff refused to look at it --- not because it was badly written --- but because Datuk Mokhtar wanted to speak from the heart.

And the heartfelt words touched many hearts, mine included. The event took place at the Johor Baru Utara (JBU) police station in Skudai.

It was a ceremony to welcome the new JBU police chief Assistant Commissioner Khamsani Abdul Rahman and to bid adieu to the outgoing police chief Assistant Commissioner Ruslan Hassan, who has been promoted to Assistant Director of Management in Bukit Aman.

It was a bittersweet occasion, a teary day for the boys in blue.

Datuk Mokhtar said: "Policing, the landscape and public expectations have changed over the years and the police force cannot remain stagnant. There has to be transfers; and the sole intention of a police officer is to serve the rakyat.

"We need to remain united as there are plenty of kulit pisang

just lying in wait for the police to fall.

"We work day and night. We work 14 hours a day but when one crime happens, we get a lot of shelling, We just need to do our best, and leave it to Allah to do the rest."

with Johor top cop Datuk Mokhtar Shariff

The current staff strength of the state police force is 8,556. With Iskandar Malaysia undergoing massive development and robust growth, it looks like the police force certainly needs more manpower.

But apart from manpower, the vital ingredients of great performance are teamwork and a competent leader. One that leads by example, and cares about his men, like ACP Ruslan, and Datuk Mokhtar.

Ruslan said: "If you Datuk Mokhtar says I am brave, my men's bravery are beyond words."

Ruslan served in JBU for 7 years 4 months 3 days. He will be heading to Bukit Aman now that he has been promoted to assistant director of management.

All the best Tuan Ruslan and to his successor, Tuan Khamsani.

An Interview with Chew Mei Fun

'I am fighting for a cause'

By Shahrum Sayuthi and Adrian Lai

Chew Mei Fun

Question: You have been away from politics for quite some time after quitting your deputy minister and Wanita MCA chief posts in 2010. What has changed since then?
Answer: My feelings towards politics now are different compared with in 2008. After three years of rest and reflection, I think I have different views on politics. Now, I tell myself that as long as I'm doing something right, why be so worried?
Just say and do what you think is right. At the end of the day, if you are too worried about what people think of you or how they look at you, then you might be compromised.

Question: How do you plan to appeal to the voters in Kajang, as well as your party comrades on the ground?
Answer: We need to be sincere. We need to tell our comrades and friends what we're feeling. What is needed is for us to serve the people without fear or favour. At the same time, we need to take care of the sensitivities of all the ethnic groups.
The truth is, everyone loves peace and everyone wants peace. Everybody wishes that we can live in harmony and respect each other.
Somehow, there are extremists who are doing and saying things that are damaging to the country's unity. We need to face it and find out how to address it. Therefore, I think dialogue among the races is very important.

Question: Political observers have labelled you as the "underdog". Many of them feel that Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is going to win. What is your view on this?
Answer: Everyone thinks that about me. I do think I am the underdog but I believe anyone can do it if they are fighting for a cause and deliver their message clearly. With my proven track record and how I have served people in the past, the Kajang electorate may give me a chance.

Question: As Barisan Nasional's (BN) candidate and a senior MCA leader, how well have you been received by Kajang voters since you started making your rounds?
Answer: I have been here (Kajang) for many days now. I shifted here after I was selected as the BN candidate. I walked around and talked to people. Of course, I feel the difference compared with in 2008.
However, even though I found the situation quite encouraging, I will never take this support for granted. All my time was filled up with programmes; I even found it difficult to take two hours off.

Question: In the last general election, there were reports that many Kajang MCA members had voted for the opposition. Will this trend continue?
Answer: This round might be different. I met some of our members during my programmes and they told me that things are different now. They said: "We want to support our party and we want to see our party reform and transform."
And, I believe this is the sentiment of all our MCA members. There are more than 4,000 MCA members in Kajang.
If everybody votes for BN, we will do much better. In the last election, only 18.8 per cent of the Chinese community here voted for BN. Many of our members didn't vote for BN that time. But, now, they are with me.

Question: Tell us about your day-to-day activities.
Answer: In the mornings and afternoons, I go to coffeeshops to chat with local residents. In the evenings, I attend Chinese gatherings. From 9pm to midnight, I mingle with Malays and give ceramah. In fact, (Umno information chief) Datuk Ahmad Maslan comes here every night to assist me with my campaign.
My campaign methods are different from Anwar's. He sends (the party's information chief) Tian Chua to the ground. Do you want to vote for his assistant or the candidate himself?
Anwar takes the people's support for granted. He thinks the Chinese community will definitely support him.
That's why he engineered this by-election, which is unnecessary. He is just trying to solve his party's internal problems. I think the Chinese people here are not blind. If you ask me, they are more critical than anyone else, besides being pragmatic voters.

Question: Why do you think it is important for the voters to give BN a chance to wrest Kajang?
Answer: This is a multiracial country. Whether we're in BN or the opposition, we need to adopt a multiracial approach to politics. Currently, the opposition in Selangor does not reflect that.
And, all 12 BN state assemblymen are from Umno. There are also no female representatives. Therefore, the voters here need to give MCA and me a chance to represent them.

Question: What if the Chinese community in Selangor has decided to regard DAP as their sole representative?
Answer: Here, in Selangor, DAP is part of the ruling government. The Chinese may choose to have DAP as their only representative but that's provided DAP does not do anything wrong.
Currently, DAP can't even stop PKR from doing what it wants. One should not put all the eggs in a single basket. You need to split your risks when you make investments. It is the same in politics.

Question: How do you think your Chinese education background will help you win over the voters and safeguard their interests?
Answer: No doubt, I am from the Chinese-speaking circle because I attended Chinese school. I even studied for my degree in Taiwan and pursued my Master in Chinese Studies at Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman.
So, I understand the feelings of the Malaysian Chinese. But, I do believe that we cannot live in our own bubble. We need to reach out to others. As leaders, we need to bridge the gap between the ethnic groups. We need to bring them out of their circles.
If we don't do that, we won't be able to have a good platform to talk to each other. If you look at Malaysia now, even though we are a multiracial country, many Malays are still living in villages, the Indians in the estates and the Chinese in new villages.

Question: You mention that BN adopts a multiracial approach to politics and that this is the correct formula to govern the country. However, Pakatan, in particular DAP, propagates the same ideology. How are the coalitions different?
Answer: We are different because even though BN has three large race-based parties, we are able to agree to the concept of power-sharing, but at the same time keep our ethnic identities. Officially, we represent our own race and safeguard their interests.
If you look at things this way, BN is actually a multiracial alliance. It means that we can work together but, at the same time, not forget our identity.
However, even though DAP claims it is a multiracial party, it is obviously Chinese-based. That is how different we are. MCA founder Tun Tan Cheng Lock had once said that although we are a race-based party, we are moving forward with other political parties in BN (then known as the Alliance). The same cannot be said about Pakatan.
For example, when Anwar said he was contesting the Kajang seat, DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng said he was not informed.
I want to win this election not only for MCA but also for BN. If MCA is weak, it won't be good for BN. We need to work together and bring everybody together. Everybody must progress.

Question: That said, how will you rate your chances of winning at this juncture?
Answer: This is a "mission impossible" but we are fighting for a win. Last time, when we had the same dire situation in Ampang Jaya in 1989, we still managed to win the seat there.

Question: Tell us why Kajang voters should give you their votes.
Answer: First of all, you will be voting in a proper representative, not his assistant. Second, you are strengthening the opposition in Selangor. Third, you will be electing a person who can bring a lot of progress to Kajang.
Remember, Putrajaya is just 15 minutes away from here. The development of Putrajaya will spill into its surrounding areas. Besides, the PKR-led Selangor government is beset with problems. Why push the blame on BN when the prices of goods increase?
They (PKR) cannot even rationalise why the state leaders' salaries are higher than the prime minister's. On one hand, you criticise your opponents, but at the same time, you do the same thing, hoping people will not complain.

Question: The so-called Chinese tsunami last year caused MCA to lose badly, leaving it with only seven parliamentary and 11 state seats. Will a win in Kajang prove that Chinese support is swinging back to BN?
Answer: First of all, last year's loss was largely because of an urban tsunami, and not just a Chinese one. And, it has only been eights months since the 13th General Election. Our (MCA) new leadership has been in office for less than four months.
If you use the results of this election as a yardstick, it won't be fair. But a win for MCA will mean a lot for the party as it will receive a much-needed morale boost to continue its transformation. If we win, the Chinese voters in Kajang are sending out this message: "Do your best and don't disappoint us again".

Question: How long do you think is needed for MCA to pick itself out of the doldrums?
Answer: I think we need at least five to 10 years. It is not easy as we are going through a massive transformation.
Actually, we have many young people and all we have to do is make sure they have a platform to perform. We need the support of the younger leaders if we are to get through this process of transformation.

Question: What would be your message to the voters in Kajang, especially those who feel that you are being used as BN's sacrificial lamb in this by-election?
Answer: People keep asking me, Mei Fun, why do you let yourself become the sacrificial lamb?
Well, I tell them, you don't have to worry about me. I was a normal party member, then I became a member of parliament, then I almost lost my life (in an accident), became deputy minister, and then quit everything. I led an ordinary life, came back as an MCA vice-president and now, I'm going up against a titan like Anwar Ibrahim.
I think I've been through quite a lot and I just want to go in knowing I'm fighting for a cause and doing what I think is right. You don't have to worry about me. After many years in politics, I've learned that there's no point stressing over winning or losing. Just let things be.