A piece at MI

I know I have not been updating here but hey.... I did pen my thoughts here.

It's a column that I mentioned in my previous post.

I will still be writing here still...

Just because it's home?

Migration or in a lesser context, move to work overseas seem to be the flavoured discussion at the moment.  MalaysianInsider even started columns where people wrote in to say why they leave and why they stay.

Anyway… one of the main reasons why people decide to stay, besides the usual good nasi-lemak, char-kuet-teow and bak-kut-teh (which was specifically mentioned by someone in that MalaysianInsider column mind you…) is that Malaysia, regardless of how bad it is, it is still our home.

I wouldn’t dispute that – the point on Malaysian being home, not on staying.  It is our home, no doubt about it.  We were born in Malaysia and spent most of our formative years here.  There will always be a “Malaysia” element within us. 

But… does that mean that you must stay?

Following this, I have a thought… though it only applies to Chinese and Indians.

If you are a Chinese or an Indian, and decide to stay simply because Malaysia is home… can you just pause for a while and imagine…

Imagine…

Imagine…

Imagine…

That your grandparent or your great grandparent decided to stay in China / India simply because China / India is home.  That no matter how poor or chaotic China was during those days, it was still home and your grandparent decided to stay.  That no matter how difficult it is to make a living in India during those days, it was still home. 

If your grandparent adopted this perceived noble mentality…

What would become of you…

… a Chinese who spits everywhere who you look down on?

… a cheap IT call-centre person in Bangalore?

… a masseur giving traditional Chinese foot massages in Jalan Bukit Bintang?

… living in the slum of Mumbai?

… a cheap factor worker in ShenZhen?

… appearing in those “Only in India” pictures that you forward to each other?

If your grandparent decided to remain in China or India simply because it’s home… really… what would become of you… today?

Updated:  While some have commented that we could also be the son of a property tycoon in Hong Kong, or the son of the coal tycoon in China or the son of the telecommunication tycoon in India... let us all be honest and admit that we are all glad that our grandparent did not choose to stay in China/India just because it was home.

1 year ago... The injury conversation

2 years ago... Non-civic smokers like these are morons

3 years ago... V for virginity, P for purity

4 years ago… A professional mistake

See... I am still reading the news

Someone asked me am I slowly phasing myself out of Malaysia news. My answer is definitely not. To proof that I keep myself very much abreast with what is happening in Malaysia, let me tell the news that I have been reading…

I read about a headmistress in Johor called Siti Inshah asking her Chinese students to “Balik China” and the Indians looked like “dogs” when they wear prayer strings, but no action was taken against her.

I read about Namawee wrote a new song condemning this Siti Inshah’s action and he instead, will be charged for sedition.

I read about a police report being lodged against a church and the pastor because the church staged a church play during Ramadhan.

Just as my friends were joking about whether a police report will be lodged against them for eating during Ramadhan, a principal up north advised Chinese pupils in her school to go back to China because AirAsia flight is cheap – after the Chinese pupils were “caught” eating in the canteen during Ramadhan. And of course, no action was taken.

See, I didn’t lie… I am still reading Malaysian news.

And the crown jewel has to be this news about 2 guys who were on their way to watch “merdeka” celebration fireworks ended up being bashed by a bunch of kids and after dispensing their punches and flying kicks… they wrapped their adventure by telling the 2 guys to “Balik ke negara asal” (Go back to your country of origin).

This piece of news got hot with people from different quarters claiming that the victim is a liar and only wanted to seek attention.

I found out on Friday that they victim, the one who needed stitched on his head is an ex-classmate of my church-mate. What a small world eh?

But most importantly, the bashing is real.

People said Australians are very racist and if you are not careful, the whites there will bash you up for being Asian. They say such things will not happen in Malaysia.

Well, I don’t read Australian news so I don’t know anything about that. But as I am still reading Malaysian news and those are the news I read.

See… I am still reading Malaysian news… are you?


1 year ago… The unforgettable accident experience Part 1 … Part 2

3 years ago… Grass thoughts… The reason evolution

One week after leaving Malaysia

Having been to Singapore for only a week, the Malaysian connection is obviously still pretty much alive in me. I still log on to TheStar to read about Malaysian sports and keeping a close eye on MalaysiaToday and MalaysianInsider.

As always, I get to read about depressing news such as the father or the alleged jet engine thief claiming abuse… United Nations condemning Malaysia… MYR40m being spent on some electric train which has now been derailed, etc. All these on top information I read about Malaysia made available to me due to the industry I am in, which can also be quite depressing…

Ya’ know… stuff that makes you go… “Malaysia is just so damn fucked-up!”…

On the other hand; since arriving here, I have been greeted with pleasant experiences with cabbies… cars deliberately stopping for me to cross the street… impressive service being rendered when I went for physio in Singapore General Hospital (a govt hospital)… wife went to the wet market and came back with nothing but praises on friendliness and cleanliness…

All these gave me a glimpse of why most Malaysians who have left Malaysia, will end up not giving a damn on what is happening back “home”.

For now, I think I will still be very much connected with Malaysia. And I told myself to stay connected and not lose sight. But then again, it has only been a week.

What will happen 6 months down the road?... only time will tell…


1 year ago… He asked 5 times

2 years ago… Pelbagai lawak menuntut rebat

3 years ago… Those typo experiences… A Zimbabwean tale

Short & Sweet: Ep. 8 - 3 facts

Fact 1 –
A lot of Malaysians complain about Malaysia and refer to Singapore as a better country.

Fact 2 –
A lot of Singaporeans then say Malaysians under Fact 1 are stupid because these Singaporeans think Singapore is worse and that Malaysia is actually a better country.

Fact 3 –
You see Malaysians under Fact 1 migrating to Singapore, but you hardly (or never) see Singaporeans under Fact 2 migrating to Malaysia.


1 year ago… Fame in plain

3 years ago… Is it worth it?

Drain construction commences [Type: Brain]

After so many discussions and debates and publications and all, I was very surprise that many people out there do not know what does the term “brain-drain” means. This includes some people who are currently part of the brain-drain phenomena. Are you one of them?

Anyway…

Quite some time ago, I mentioned about a regional position that was coming up in the organisation that I am working with. After an initial hiccup due to the economic crisis, the position was finally finalised and yes, I have successfully secured the position. This regional position will be based in our neighbour down south.

Though it is still within the same organisation, my boss expressed intention for me to stay and put forward some possible counter-offers. But then again, money is not the only reason why I want to leave.

Besides money, the glamour of being in regional office and holding a regional position, I suppose this opportunity came at a time where there are lot of push factors happening in this country. Burning of churches, being openly branded as second class citizen, being called a “pendatang”, a clear picture of the economic situation due to the capacity of my current position, a clear 2 set of laws applicable to 2 sets of citizens… the list goes on…

Personally, I feel this country is getting out of control. One can lay low and just ignore the ruckus, but it does not stop the ruckus from progressing. When the shit hits the fan, and I mean the real big shit hits the fan… I do not intend to be around just because the food is good.

All these factors, and many more, drive me away. Drive me to ply my talent in another land, drive me to contribute my taxes for the development of another country. I suppose I am doing this country a favour. After all, I am considered a threat to my fellow countrymen due to my race and I clearly remember that I have been asked to “… keluar dari Malaysia”.

Yes, I will be part of the construction team who has been constructing this big brain-drain affecting Malaysia. And with some people saying “Go lah Zewt, we don’t need people like you in Malaysia”… this drain is just going to get bigger and bigger.

Construction of Drain [Type: Brain] has commenced. Target completion date… May 2010.

Preserving... what?

When I scrutinised the migration issue a while ago, a particular reason to why we should all remain in Malaysia was highlighted. Of all reasons and excuses that I’ve ever heard, I disagree with this reason most. Yes, I even find the I-stay-here-because-of-the-food a much better reason compared to this particular one.

The reason mentioned was… preserving our culture.

Since the migration talk centres mostly upon Chinese, I shall confine the notion of this article only on Chinese culture.

So… remaining in this country to preserve our culture? Seriously? Our culture, to me; is already dying a death inflicted by our very own hands in this land.

For a start, check out the names of the your children or your friend’s children. The regular Mei Ling, Siew Ling, Ah Hong, Ah Tan, Ah Seng, etc. are there only for documentation purposes. Instead, they are known as Ethan, Gabriel, Antonio, Shauntaine, Caitlynn, Caroline and one of my friend even named their daughter Gisele. If we can't even address our children by their Chinese name, what preserving culture are we talking about?

By the way, if your children do not have an English name, very likely their Chinese name is one that does not sound like a typical Chinese name anymore. You know what I am talking about. Well, at least you try not to officiate the English name.

But then again, do you tell your children that they you are their “ba-ba or ma-ma” or… you are known as daddy/mommy to them? Worse, how many of you are conversing with your children with any language BUT the Chinese language? Of all my friends who grew up speaking Cantonese, they are all conversing with their children in English. “Seems more natural” was the excuse.

And just to rewind a little bit back to the time when most of us got married, did we wear a Chinese “qua”? Or a tux? Preserving our culture? Really?

December is coming, and everyone is excited. Why? Because Christmas is coming! The birth of Christ and a religious celebration notwithstanding, how many of us Chinese are more excited about Christmas than Chinese New Year? Dinner with friends/family on Christmas eve is something to look forward to but dinner with family on Chinese New Year eve and Chap Goh Mei is a chore, isn’t it?

And do we still celebrate Mid-Autumn festival and the dumpling (“jung”) festival? Oh, you do know that those are Chinese festivals right? Do you?

I can go on forever but I am sure you know what I am trying to get at. Don’t get me wrong, I am not saying that we should all suddenly get traditional so that our Chinese heritage radiates out of us. The fact is; the Chinese in most of us are dying, if not dead. And not migrating is not going to stop that.

Before I end, allow me to share with you this real life encounter that I had with a child…

Baby X is now 3 years old. He was born into a Chinese family where both the parents speak Cantonese. In fact, the paternal grandparents side do not speak English at all. But just like so many young Chinese families nowadays, Baby X grew up, and is still growing in a very strong English speaking environment.

Lately, efforts were being put in to remind Baby X that he is of Chinese decent. This was triggered by a lack of response from Baby X when people tried to communicate with him in Cantonese. It appears that he will not speak to you if you speak to him in anything besides English. The child, as it seems, knows how to differentiate between English and other languages.

But one latest effort hit the worst snag when Baby X gave this strong response… he screamed…

“I am not Chinese! Don’t speak to me in Chinese. Don’t call me Chinese. I don’t like Chinese!”


P/S: A few people e-mailed me asking about GST. While I am not exactly the expert, I will certainly be blogging more about it soon…

1 year ago… Did all the money suddenly just disappear?

2 years ago… A very familiar situation… The ultimate fine dining

Dissecting the brain… braindrain

“How old if Dr. F?”
“Oh, Dr. F is past his 50s already…”

That’s what I asked the nurse while I was at the nephrologist clinic during my last kidney check-up. Just to recapitulate, a “nephrologist” is a medical specialist for kidney function. It is a very rare discipline. When I first discovered my kidney condition, I had a hard time looking for one, let alone booking an appointment.

And it’s worrying…

If you’ve noticed; most medical specialists… or should I say, most “known-to-be-good” medical specialists are in the 50s, or late 40s. Hence, some friends and I share a common concern, i.e. when the current batch of good medical specialists finally retires, will there be a competent batch to take over?

Of all my friends who are doctors and are finishing or have completed their respective specialised discipline, none of them are in Malaysia. There are 2 surgeons, one in US while the other in Australia. There is an orthopaedic consultant and an A&E specialist, both in Singapore.

They were all top students during their educational years, who obtained entry into top notch medical school on credit (not on quota). And they have decided not to return to this country.

As of now, I know of 2 doctor-bloggers who are currently pursuing their respective specialised discipline overseas and they don’t sound like they will return “home”. Worse, some of my other doctor friends who are currently here are looking at migrating.

15 or 20 years from now, who will be the next batch of medical specialists looking after our health, or our children’s health? Will they be the top notch doctors who have gone through the right kind training? Or will they be the kind of doctors who cannot even read simple x-ray films? If I am to stay, will I need to travel to Singapore every 6-month for my kidney check up in the future?

Brain-drain, is a big word… a very BIG word. It is so big, that I think most Malaysians have not fully grasp the frightening repercussions that come with it. If you think brain-drain is only going to cause the economy to crumble, please think again. You have no idea what is upon you.

I can go on and on, linking the economic elements to this worrying medical issue, clasped within an often over-looked concern. But I am sure you know what I am trying to get at.

But if you are unable to digest, or if you still believe that all these will not affect you; you better pray you can afford good private medical care when you have all sorts of medical problems from eating all the good nasi-lemak, bak-kut-teh and char-kuey-teow. That is, if there is still “good-private-medical-care” around.


1 year ago… The chronicles of holes and poles

2 years ago… Modern colonisation

Migration: A case of running from something, or running towards something

Warning: Relatively long read…

I have always wanted to blog about this topic but somehow, never got around writing it. However, after such an eventful week, I guess the time is right to finally pen my thoughts.

Migration, moving to what is perceived as the greener pasture, is a dream to some. But at the same time, it has its fair share of critics. And, it also boasts of a relatively worrying amount of “failed attempts”, forcing some to return to their original country with less money, and wasted time. It is a daunting thought.

In my zewtpinion (wow, it has a long time since I said that), one has to objectively establish one’s true intention in making this leap of faith. To really see whether migrating is a wise or foolish decision, one has to ascertain whether one is running from something, or one is running towards something.

Impartially speaking, the critics are right. No one can confidently say that one will definitely be stepping foot on “greener” pasture. “That country is also racist”… “You will be a second-class citizen there”… “You think they don’t have such problem there?”… such are the usual rhetoric. In all honestly, they are absolutely true.

Hence, here is where I am of the zewtpinion that if you are migrating to run away from something, be it racism, marginalisation, corruption, inequality or outright brutality, then you are most probably going to hit a hard wall. These evil realities of our human race are everywhere. Perhaps the magnitude may not be as high, but they will be there nonetheless.

Therefore, if you are leaving this country simply because you want to run away from “things happening here” (I do not need to list them, I am sure you know what are they); your migration plan will most probably fail. And a typical Malaysian critic will deem that you will also be running away from the wonderful nasi-lemak, char-kuey-teow, bak-kut-teh, mamak, etc. as if those things are the elixirs of life.

As such, the running-away route should not be your approach if you want to migrate. Instead, you should clearly establish what you are running towards, clearly identifying what are the things that you are seeking in the country you want to step foot on. And this is how I approach my migration plan.

Most of you already know which country I plan to move to. While I may not entirely run away from the ruckus that is happening here, I know I will be able to find the things that I seek in that land. And the things that I seek include…

People and govt work hand in hand for the preservation of the environment.
A police force that I can trust.
A public medical service (though slow), that I can trust.
Measures or projects implemented by the govt that actually work.
Qualified and accountable ministers, where a slight indication of any mistakes or abuse of power, the minister will most probably resign.
Very much less pressure to save like hell for my children’s education.
With good grades, entry into world class university for my children is almost guaranteed.
Fresher and cleaner air most of the time.
At 6 p.m. on a weekday, chances are my boss will ask me to go home instead of asking me to attend a meeting… which will be held at 7pm.
Confidence in public administration and almost everything else --- this is a very interesting point and will be explained greatly in another post.
Newly added – knowing that the sanctity of my religion will not be ridiculed.

If I am to sit down and think further, I will probably add more to the list. But I guess you know where I am getting at. In effect, you should not be migrating to run away from problems. Rather, you should migrate to seek for solution. And to achieve this, one must then exercise discernment as to where one wants to migrate. One should be certain that one will be able to find what you are seeking in the land you are going to step foot in.

There are however, some cases where people move to another country to run away from unhealthy emotional attachment or unpleasant emotional memories. Perhaps in those situations, such running-away acts may be justifiable. But that is not the notion here. And even that, such may also be cases of people seeking better memories.

And no doubt, there are other factors to consider such as availability of jobs and genuine inability to adapt, which is indeed, very real. And that is probably why I am still here, the issue on availability of jobs. But once one has addressed this issue, one can then do a running from vs. running to reflection.

In all honestly, there are some elements of “running-away” in my case, but not because of what is happening now but rather of what I think could happen in the future. This is a result of knowing too many things, things that I can't really share. Perhaps that is a story for another day.

Last but not least; yes, you will forever be a second-class citizen. But I would rather be a second-class citizen in a place where I can enjoy most, if not all of the public benefits; than to be a first class citizen here and… well, let just not go there…


1 year ago… We just can’t do it

Haze?????

There are numerous occasions where I see things or read the news and they continuously remind me the need to migrate. Nothing beats what I read yesterday over the net.

The Malaysian Insider reported that our very own Director General of Department of Environment made a statement regarding the haze... “Since it is the dry season now, the air becomes dry and hazy but it doesn’t mean that haze is coming back”. This is truly the mother of all statement. Why doesn't he just said... "Looks like haze, smells like haze, feels like haze. But it's not haze"? At least we can laugh about it.

Open burning… 99% of buses emitting black smoke… 3 in every 5 motorcycles emitting white smoke… How much improvement do you think we will see if all these are curbed? Alas, no action is taken. Rather, an anti-intelligence statement is shoved down our throat.

But for most, the throat can take it, for it has been numbed by the chilly of the tasty nasi lemak… numbed by the lard of the sumptuous bak-kut-teh… numbed by the prawns of that wonderful char-kuey-teow.

I truly missed the time when I was breathing clean air for 10 days.


I year ago… Romancing the oil

Losing the migration blues

Don’t get me wrong. Although I am have been blogging quite a lot about migrating to another country, I didn’t view it favourably slightly more than a year ago. Just like many of us, I like this country very much. We may curse this country on a daily basis but deep within, many of us still recognise the fact that this is indeed, home.

Getting the Aussie PR was more like an option to me, an option to move if “things get out of hand”. And since I had the opportunity to get it, why not?

I used to maintain the stance that our country will change for the better. A year ago, I think we were given the impression that it will, sort of. At that time, I was quite adamant that I wouldn’t need my migration ticket.

Things have changed quite a bit since then. Hope, the very element that keeps many of us going, has diminished tremendously in me. What used to be hope, has now been replaced with a great sense of worry. What will become of this place we call home?

I happen to work in an industry where I am able to see a lot of things, access to a great deal of information. When I put all these data together with the things we see happening and top that up with things we know are happening beneath the surface, I can't help but deduce that future is something my family and I do not have in this country.

As things get worse, I can only draw comfort that when the time comes for me to leave, the heaviness of my heart will get less and less and less and…


1 year ago… Screwing for desire

2 years go… Are you aware of its existence?… Find the buck over the weekend

The change I seek

A couple formerly from might church made the move down under almost a year ago. While they were still here, they were driving a Kelisa and working hard to pay their mortgage. They are in the usual “surviving” mode just like many of us. Work was tough then, with the usual long hours making up pretty much their lives.

They are now renting a pretty decent place in the Melbourne suburb. After both of them landing a job and having worked for a few months, they purchased a 5-year old Honda CRV. They have been travelling around Australia; living life the way it should be.

With the Australian govt paying first home owner a grant of circa AUD15,000; I won’t be surprise if they get themselves a place of their own. Yes, the Aust govt gives grant for buying your first house. As long as you are a resident, you get the grant. There is no such thing such as Aussie-putera.

And you know what? At 5.30pm on a working day, the husband would be at home cooking dinner already.

There are many reasons why people view the grass on the other side being much greener. For me, the above is more than sufficed. I want to live in an environment where I don’t need work my soul away to have a decent living.

And just to digress to let you in on a very interesting observation – throughout my 10-day trip to Melbourne, I have met quite a lot of people (obviously). And having been in conversation with so many of them, only 2 individuals asked me what I work as – one a Malaysian, the other a Singaporean.

It does show who prioritises career in whose life, isn’t it?

P/S: I was quite tempted to say that I work as a janitor or garbage collector. I wonder how the Malaysians and Singaporeans will view me if I say that.


2 years go… Dear Mommy… Farewell Mom… It was not meant to be a surprise

10 days at a glance

I have heard so many people talking about it, and I am sure many of you heard of it too. Some of you might have experienced it; or some of you may even be experiencing it right now! I am referring to the Australian life.

The 10 days spent in Melbourne have been nothing less than bliss. If I was asked to describe the city in two words, those words would be… “very liveable”. I guess it was no surprise that Melbourne came second in the Economist’s World’s Most Liveable Cities 2008.

Some may say… “Hey Zewt, that’s because you were on a holiday!” Trust me, if I blog about the working life in Australia, we who work in Malaysia will need to take anti-depression pills. I have 2 stories about people working in Australia in the pipeline, but not today.

To me, Melbourne is such a liveable place simply because it is a very well planned city populated (mostly) by educated-law-abiding citizens and governed by a govt who truly works for the betterment of the public. When you put all these elements together, you get a place where waking up is a joy everyday.

It may appear that I am exaggerating but that is how I feel. There are many good things that I can talk about and I will in the next few days but let me just start with something I find really precious and hard to come by these days… the air… clean air.

I have blogged previously about the poor air quality here in KL and how the rain has been a blessing in disguise. Having been to Melbourne and back, I can confidently raise my arm and confirm the distinctive difference in air quality between here and there. How?

Some of you may know that I have persistent throat irritation that often leads to traces of blood in my phlegm to which the ENT finds no problem in my throat. The mucus in my nose is often green and I have to dig clean my nose everyday.

During my 10 days in Melbourne, my throat irritation was completely gone. I had no crap in my nose for almost 8 days before some dried mucus dropped off, and it was white. The moment I came out from the airport here, my nose was blocked and on the night of my return, my green mucus has returned.

Have you ever clean your window or the table in your house? Imagine that layer of black-dunno-what in your nose; or worse… in your lungs. That is something KL can never provide and with open burning openly ignored by the authorities, it can only get worse.

Like one of my friend said… “it’s scary what we are breathing in here”.

I year ago… The changes, expected changes and the un-changed… The conversation with the driver… Some info on UK work-travel Visa and contract employment

2 years go… It’s a boss thing… I was at the party… They clever or I stupid?… Lifestyle of the smart and not so smart

Lawatan ke sekolah dan syabas Kementerian Luar Negeri

Sudah lama telah saya nanti satu tajuk perbincangan yang sesuai agar saya dapat paparkan satu petikan blog dalam Bahasa Kebangsaan. Kesabaran akhirnya dijawab dengan peluang ini di mana hari ini saya melawat sekolah saya untuk jumpa pengetua dan Putrajaya untuk mendapatkan perkhidmatan dari Konsular kerajaan.

Dua hari yang lalu, saya berkata bahawa permohonan Sijil Kelakuan Baik mesti dibuat melalui satu boring yang perlu disokong dengan ulasan oleh beberapa kategori pegawai yang tertentu. Salah satu kategori tersebut ialah pengetua sekolah menengah. Maka hari ini, saya mengunjung sekolah menengah untuk tujuan tersebut. Malangnya, pengetua tidak hadir di sekolah hari ini. Kononnya, pergi taklimat.

Sungguhpun begitu, Penolong Kanan, En. Chin yang masih ingat muka saya sudi membuat ulasan dalam boring permohonan yang berkenaan. Rupa-rupanya, ‘guru berada dalam Kumpulan A, iaitu pegawai kerajaan dalam kumpulan perkhidmatan pengurusan dan professional. Oleh itu, ulasan dan tandatangan En. Chin sudah memadai.

Seterusnya, saya turn ke kantin dengan harapan dapat menemui cikgu-cikgu yang pernah ajar saya dahulu. Nasib menyebelahi saya apabila saya nampak guru tingkatan saya, Pn. Lim dan seorang guru yang lain, Cik Yap. Bukan main, Pn. Lim masih ingat nama saya. Jules kata saya pasti seorang yang nakal. Sama ada saya nakal atau seorang pelajar yang bijak, buatlah kesimpulan anda sendiri…

Selepas menyampaikan salam dan memberitahu mereka tujuaan saya berada di sekolah, saya dengan Jules pun memulakan perjalanan ke Putrajaya.
Kementerian Luar Negeri ditempatkan di Wisma Putra, sebuah bangunan yang tidak mudah untuk dicari. Setelah membuat beberapa pusingan, akhirnya dijumpai Wisma Putra yang berada di Precint 2.

Setelah mendapatkan pas pelawat, saya dan Jules masuk ke bangunan dan ditemui oleh seorang pegawai wanita di kaunter yang menyemak dokumen-dokumen yang saya ingin kemukakan. Semua dokumen tersebut nampaknya teratur dan seterusnya, beliau mengeluarkan nombor giliran untuk saya… 2019, nombor yang sedang menerima perkhidmatan pada masa itu ialah 2017.

Orang agak ramai yang satu perkara positif yang saya perhatikan ialah… 4 kaunter kesemuanya, 4 kaunter yang beroperasi. Ini memang satu peningkatan tahap perkhidmatan berbanding masa dahulu di mana kerap kita lihat banyak kaunter yang tidak berfungsi, macam untuk hiasan saja.

Nombor giliran saya dipanggil dan saya terkejut apabila suara yang keluar dari pembesar suara berbunyi…

“two zero one nine, counter three”. Bukan main, memang ini Kementerian Luar Negeri, perkhidmatan Konsular.

Setelah menyampaikan dokumen-dokumen yang berkenaan dan membuat bayaran sebanyak RM20, saya sengaja mula mengira masa yang diperlukan untuk mengeluarkan Sijil yang dipohon. Tahu berapa lama yang perlu saya tunggu? Hanya 20 minit.

Saya amat puas hati dengan tahap perkhidmatan yang diberi. Sungguhpun ramai yang masih tidak puas hati dengan hal-elwal kerajaan pusat, kepujian patut diberi kepada Kementerian Luar Negeri dan kementerian-kementerian yang lain di mana tahap perkhidmatan telah meningkat. Saya dengar, kad pengenaldan dapat dikeluarkan dalam masa 40 minit dan pasport, lebih kurang 2 jam.

Harap-haraplah prestasi sebegini dicontohi oleh kesemua pihak kerajaan.

Oh… dengan Sijil Kelakuan Baik ini, dokumen-dokomen yang diperlukan untuk misi mencari tanah berumput kini lengkap… satu perasaan yang cukup baik…

To prove that I am good

If you are thinking of applying to go grassy land, one of thing you need to do is to apply for a “Certificate of Good Conduct” from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Traditionally, the form requires the usual details such as name, identification number, address, pas employment, education history and you seal it up with a declaration that you are not convicted of any crime and do not possess any criminal record. However, one additional requirement was incorporated there-in commencing (based on the final page of the form) 3 March 2008. The form is so new that it is not in the ministry website yet.

Point 21 of the latest form states:

“Permohonan oleh warganegara Malaysia untuk Sijil Kelakuan Baik hendaklah disokong oleh mana-mana pegawai dari kategori pegawai yang disenaraikan di bawah:”

The “pegawai” is supposed to give a comment to support that I am a person of good conduct and of course, subsequently provide his/her name, IC number, occupation and address. Do note… there is no signatory requirement indicated here. Based on my previous experience dealing with newly introduced prescribed forms, I have a feeling the “tandatangan” requirement has been erroneously omitted.

But the most intriguing part is the ‘kategori pegawai’ who can give a comment on my behaviour. They are:

Pegawai Kerajaan dalam kumpulan perkhidmatan pengurusan dan professional (Kumpulan A) ----- First, I have no idea who are these people. Secondly, how do they know I have good conduct or otherwise? And if you are saying that they are to comment on civil servants working in that field, are they facilitating civil servants to get one? Whatever it is, this category is out for me.

Jaksa Pendamai ----- Can someone please tell me who or what is this???

Ketua kampung atau Penghulu ----- I supposed they expect the village chief to know of everyone’s conduct? Or they expect most people applying for such cert coming from the kampung?

Ahli-ahli Parlimen atau ADUN ----- So they did cater for urban folks after all. But then again, how are the MPs and state assemblymen know of the conduct of the relevant applicant? My mom-in-law said she knew a MP and called him today. I asked if he was the MP for the previous term, the answer was yes. As such, my fear was confirmed… he is MP no more for this term. On hindsight, maybe I should ask Tony Pua to give me a comment or two since he took a few articles from my blog before.

Guru Besar / Pengetua Sekolah atau Maktab Awam ----- This is by far my last bet. But then again, my Pengetua has long left for grassy land himself so I have to approach my school’s current Pengetua, whom I am sure have no idea how I behaved in school. As a matter of fact, I rather him not know that. Hey…! My school leaving cert states that I am a brilliant kid ok! I was just being humble.

In my opinion, I don’t know what is the relevance of this additional requirement. Is this a desperate measure to stop or at least slow down the brain drain problem? Whatever it is, it is just going to make people feel frustrated and more determined to get it done. I mean, how would these people know of my conduct as a person? And God knows what some of these people would ask for return if the applicant is desperate.

So if you are one going to embark on a mission to grassy land… don’t tell me I didn’t give you a head up………

Thoughts from government talk

Over the last 1 month or so, I have been having lunch with a Korean, a naturalised Australian and 2 Indians. Naturally, after a month of eating together and with the recently announced General Election in Malaysia, I can't help but to bring up the topic of govt in our respective country during our lunches.

The Korean didn’t really talk much about his govt as he has been out of his country for the last 7 years or so. It is a well known fact that India has a very corrupted government, something my Indian friends openly admitted. When it comes to the Australian, that’s when the talk became interesting.

With 4 of her cities in the top 10 most liveable cities in the world list, it is an undeniable fact that Australia is the number 1 migration destination for most Malaysians. Australia also carries with it a ‘clean’ govt image. But is Australia really that great?

If you think close tender is a trademark of our BN-led government, think again. Apparently, there are disputes in Australia too, where tender for govt projects were also made behind closed door --- with the tender amount not made known to public. There are also incidents where there were mismanagement of public funds where hundreds of thousands of AU$ were squandered or used for personal gain. Are you astonished?

Of course, I too shared about our beautiful country and how we have policies such as NEP, universities quota, govt projects, institutionalised racism, etc. etc. I managed to make all of their jaws dropped with my contribution in this govt-comparison conversation. Seriously, I let is all out; and it’s good to be able to practise absolute ‘freedom of speech’ without having to look over my shoulder here.

There is somewhat a conclusion that things are pretty much the same everywhere; to which I only partially agree. I know a lot of people out there share the same sentiment; thus the I’m-not-voting-cause-it’s-not-going-to-make-any-difference attitude amongst many of us.

Why I disagree?

Well, I do not deny that things are not exactly fantastic overseas, I do not deny that things can be somewhat quite the same everywhere… but…I strongly believe that things can be very much better here. Worse, our Malaysian govt is not only not doing those things, but openly deny that they do not need to do it… or… they put up some show and publish some nonsense in the press and make us look like fools. Tragically, most of us accept it, which really make us fools. Are you a fool?

Take the close-tender and mismanagement funds in Australia I mentioned above for example. Those perpetrators were prosecuted and brought to justice. What do you think will happen if it is in Malaysia? (Think Zakaria) Worse, perpetrators in Malaysia could also turn around and prosecute you if you dare bring them to justice.

We can go on and on doing comparison and defending our points on why we think the present govt should not take office again or otherwise and it will go on forever. And in the heat of the current election fever, I am sure we all can talk about a whole crap-load of things.

But… I just want to make one point, if you don’t mind.

I believe Malaysia’s worst woe at the moment is not corruption or racism or NEP-ism or whatever not. I believe Malaysia’s worst woe at the moment is “a total state of lawlessness”. It is frightening fact to me, and I think it should be frightening to you too.

10 years ago, this state of lawlessness caused the nation a lot of money but we are fine with it because most of us can still put 3 meals on the table and life as it is then, was still rosy. Now however, the state of lawlessness is causing not only the lost of money, but the lost of lives… a lot of lives… and it is frightening. Speaking of being frightened, how many of us live in fear?

I am terrified that there are people above the law, though they deny it. I am terrified that as a citizen, I can just be put in jail for no reason whatsoever (think ISA). It’s an absolutely state of lawlessness, though it’s ironic that ISA is a law.

As the nation walks towards the next polling date, I want to remind you that this fear which have gripped you so ever tightly in the past… is real! But I think there are bigger things to be afraid of, and it ain’t your rice bowl.

The question is; what are you going to do about it?

P/S: A big thank you to Kenny who gave me the “excellent blog award”.
P/S/S: Thank you to Sooi2 who highlighted to me that my article has been plagiarised. A site by the name of more4u(dot)wordpress has been copying articles from all over the place without giving credit to the rightful author.

Will this point hit you?

I know we are all high on supernatural stories lately and the momentum is strong. But let us pause for a moment at look at what is happening around us… just for a while…

I spoke to a few of my friends about rally yesterday (yes, there was one in case you’re unaware) and we were talking about things are seriously wrong in this country, how the mainstream media is taking us for fools and how this country is slowly but surely redefining the term ‘human rights’.

Anyway, conversation led to the usual point… race issue. Many are of the opinion that the Bersih rally held on 10 November was a Malay affair, though attended by other races. I have to agree. Most Chinese are still hiding quietly that as long as they can place 3 meals on the table, everything is fine. Or is it?

Moving on, the Indians took to the streets under the banner of Hindraf. I am sure not many will disagree that the Hindraf rally was quite entirely an Indian affair. Of course, there are some brave Chinese and Malays who walked with the Indians and for that, I salute you.

The question now is of course, what will the Chinese do? It appears the Chinese are doing nothing and will never do anything; all in accordance to the Chinese saying of…

“Yan 1 si, fong ping long jin. Tui 1 po, hoi fut tin hung”

The above saying simply means tolerance is a virtue. But Chinese are a cunning lot, and I am sure many would agree. While leaving the dirty work to the Malays and Indians, the Chinese are also slowly doing something. This view is supported by RPK of the famous Malaysia Today website. What are the Chinese doing?

The Chinese are slowly (or perhaps hastily)… moving away. All my friends who have migrated are all Chinese. 90% of those in the process of moving away (including yours truly)… are Chinese. So what are the Chinese doing? They simply move away. This is very real, as shown in the Chinese depreciating population. This even resulted in a call for Chinese to fuck more so that there will be more Chinese babies.

And it hit me!!!

Ya’ know… those of you Chinese who are living in your wonderful dreamland that as long as you can place 3 meals on the table, don’t rock the boat… those of you who are staying behind because you love this country so much and that those 3 meals you place on the table are not any other food but delicious Malaysian food… you know those kind of Chinese?

Have you ever thought… that in 15 or 20 years time… when majority of the Chinese have left the country… when the 60% population majority becomes say; 90% majority… that will be the time when your children would become adult. That would mean that your children will be out to hunt for a partner… or being hunted. What does that mean?

It means there is a 90% chance (or more) that your children will end up with the majority population. No disrespect, I have nothing against inter-racial marriage. But the complication falls on the religion factor, which I do not need to elaborate further.

Have you ever thought of the chance your children will come back with someone of a different faith? One which makes conversion compulsory?

I highlighted this point to a friend of mine who just had a baby girl. He will be seeing a migration agent next week.

P/S: Zewt would like to apologise if this entry offended anyone.

The reason evolution

40 years ago…
“This is the place to be. We are going to make it big. There are plenty of opportunities. The rest are not as smart as us and will all end up working for us. We can all be big bosses.”

20 years ago…
“Yeah, the businesses we built have been “taken over” directly or indirectly but we still have the brains and with hard work, we will be able to make it big again. No need to move away, this is the place to be.”

10 years ago…
“I can't do business because I am not connected, but it’s still ok. I just need to study well, get a degree and you get a decent job. Get myself a proton and a small condo and I will still be able to put food on the table.”

Present…
“I like the food and my friends are all here.”

10 years down the road…
“I like the food.”

20 years down the road…
“I must like the food.”

Grass thoughts

Much has been said about moving to greener grass and that things might not be as rosy as it seems. Two things I would like to correct… it is not greener grass… it’s just grass, for there isn’t any here.

Secondly, I never said things are all rosy over on grassy lands. You will certainly have to struggle to survive. But rest assured, you will be on level playing field and no favours will be given. Even if there is some bias treatment… you’re a migrant after all. It’s much easier to stomach compared to being born in a land that blatantly treats you otherwise. I need to say further…

Anyway… amidst the struggle and the near-regrets feeling of moving overseas, I have observed one trend nonetheless. Please correct me if I am wrong but… all those who have migrated… they complain… they struggle… they wish they didn’t make that bold move… but… but… do they make an effort to return? Or do they choose to bite the bullet and soldier on, knowing that it is still better to struggle there, than to live comfortably here? Of course, living comfortably is defined differently.

So, is migrating really that tough and scary and many people actually regret doing it? Or… is it just our natural human tendency to complain about almost anything. I have thought about this… and I have asked around… Yes, I have heard a few who thought they made a mistake. However, most if not all of them decide to live with that mistake, than to make a return ‘home’. Perhaps they realise that making a trip home will really be … a mistake…

Think about it.

And I leave you with another video from the infamous composer…

I have also put up the video of the terrorist-wannabe in my previous entry since many said they are lazy to go youtube to view it. You can now view the video in my previous entry.

P/S: Have you all voted at the poll yet? I am closing it this week.

Grass... anyone?

Over the last 6 months of so, this particular notion kept creeping into the conversation between me and my friends, and I wonder how many of you thought about it as well. Well, you can’t blame us, we were openly asked to “keluar dari Malaysia” (get outta Malaysia) so we are just being “compliant”… somewhat.

Some of my friends have already made the leap of faith into what they believe will be the greener pasture. How? Well, they achieved that through various means, which I will probably talk about in another day. Today, however, I am making an attempt to answer the million dollar question… is the grass really greener on the other side?

First thing that comes to mind about migrating, is that we can kiss all the scrumptious local cuisine goodbye. Yup, no more hokkien mee or “bak kut teh” or satay. It will also mean our mamak lifestyle will have to come to a stop.

Next in line is probably our family and friends, not many will be going with us. This also means we will probably have to move into a neighbourhood where everyone are strangers to us.

And how can we forget the beauty of piracy! No more cheap affordable “DVDs”, PS2 games, computer games, etc. Everything will have to be original in the greener pitch. And of course, we can no longer enjoy our famous one stop instant summon settlement ala “settle sini”. Committing an offence in the greener pitch will most certainly land your ass in trouble.

But most significantly, what we will miss most is the life that we have built here. This is more prominent for those who are already earning a 5 figure salary, or close to it. Migration will probably cause you to start your career all over again, or at least move a few steps backward. It will also probably put of a temporary stop to our everywhere-also-drive culture.

And those are not all, things can turn out worse. So suddenly… the grass isn’t exactly greener on the other side, isn’t it? But then again… despite all that, why do people still wanna make the leap to the other side?

Well, the question you and I should ask ourselves is… will you stay here just because you wanna eat “bak kut teh”? Do you wanna stay so that each time you jump light you can settle your summon on the spot at a discount? Do you wanna stay so that you can continue to sit in your air-cond car? Don’t forget the jam though.

So do you wanna stay?

It is a question that sometimes, even I really can't answer correctly. But what I do know is that if I do migrate to the greener pitch… say… Australia… I know my future and welfare is secured.

I know that if I am sick, I can walk into the gomen hospital and will receive first class treatment… free of charge. I will know I can rely on the public transport and it is very convenient. I know the selected representatives of the people will have to perform their best or else they will face serious repercussions. I know if I do own a car, I don’t have to worry about about mat rempits. I know I don’t have to utilise the one stop instant summon settlement facility because drivers there are law abiding citizens which means I don’t need to break the law to get around.

I also know that when I have children, I can send them to universities like Monash or RMIT and only pay less than AUD1,000 per semester while if I were here, I will have to pay RM20,000 per semester for one degree for my children to enter institutions like Universiti Malaya or Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia. No disrespect but which university would you want? Oh yeah… I also know there is no racial quota in university entry.

Further to that, I also know that when I read the comics newspaper, I will not feel angry. I know when I hear things will get done, things will get done. I know the taxes that I paid, though excessive, will be channel back towards the people in the most efficient manner ever. I know when the gomen claimed something it’s SMART, it will not certainly appear in a few phases. And of course, I know there will certainly be lesser “act of god” incidents.

There are many other things too, things we know by heart but we are not allowed to talk about it or risk the serious consequences. Oh… I can also take comfort that I can speak my mind on the other side.

Yes… if you take all factors into consideration, the grass may not be greener on the other side. But one thing for sure, there is certainly grass there. And when we look at the ground that we are stepping on, how does it look like? Based on recent weather, the ground looks muddy and we may have to brace ourselves for more floods. So do you think you will be stepping on any grass soon?

So… muddy ground or grass… anyone?