May Chee Chook Ying
Malaysiankini
Jul 24, 2012
Last year, there was a spate of burglaries at the apartments where my daughter lives in Taman Tun Dr Ismail.
I met a technician from a pest-control company there one afternoon and we got to talking about it. This was his take – times are so bad now, people don’t have enough to live on. They are desperate!
There are studies that have shown that the root of all social problems is inequality.
If at all it’s true that RM892 billion, which is three times our foreign debt of RM257.2 billion in 2011, (and second only to Nigeria) has been siphoned out of the country, don’t you think that this will contribute to a very huge and sinful disparity between the haves and have-nots? Second only to Nigeria?
I don’t know which is more shocking or shameful!
Self-interest and greed create inequality. For those who created this inequality, there’s news for you. Inequality is an equal-opportunity disease that impacts everyone.
Inequality causes society to be more hierarchical, thereby intensifying the effects of social status differentiation which is both divisive and socially corrosive.
Violence is triggered when people start to feel disrespected and looked-down on; when this status anxiety expresses itself in crime, ill-health and mistrust.
Honestly, no matter how we perceive the increase in the crime rate to be, we need to get to the root of this problem. Isn’t it plain for all to see – our problems in Malaysia are rooted in corruption?
If there hadn’t been such corruption and massive outflow of illicit funds, all Malaysians would be better off. I honestly think we can even eradicate poverty!
No one needs to live in such sub-human condition the way some do now. We can all live with dignity and need not resort to crime at every corner. We need not live in fear!
It’s because of corruption that some are hanging on to power. And because they are afraid to pay for their sins, they need to frighten and threaten others to keep them in power.
Or maybe they think they can continue to milk the country and what’s left of it. These are the ones who tell the masses that they are the true patriots while their detractors are terrorists and commies.
We have real problems here, in Malaysia. Please, enough of the sandiwara (show) and charades.
If there are some of you who need to manufacture figures to steal from us, you are not patriotic but thieving.
If you need to make movies to cause disharmony and fear, you are not patriotic but seditious. If you need to break up families again and again and cause others so much pain, you are not patriotic but sleazy.
If you are going to let your children plunder the nation further, you are not patriotic but bad at parenting. If you need to be selective in persecution, you are not patriotic but unjust.
If you continue to take your fellow Malaysians for fools, you are not patriots but the bigger fool.
Worse still, there are those of you who need to continue to shackle your brothers and sisters and deny them the dignity they richly deserve, you are not patriotic but oppressive.
When you are keen to only ensure the advancement of your own kind while others are left to languish, are you a patriot?
When you reserve the best education opportunities for yourself and your kind, leaving others incompetent, are you a patriot?
When you should act in solidarity with the rest of your people, instead you act contrary to their interests, are you a patriot?
Do we have patriots running our country? Do we have leaders who are interested to restore our brothers and sisters as human persons in all dimensions, be they individual, family or social?
Do we have leaders who have the will and ability to narrow the disparity between our brothers and sisters? Do we have leaders who will serve us truly?
Social cohesion is sorely threatened in our country because of corruption and inequality.
We have been independent for a good 54 years and we are second only to Nigeria?
We have been negligent for far too long.
We have backslid too far back. We are going bankrupt. It’s time to stem the rot, if not, we will disappear as a people.
Calling all patriots, please stand up. We are all Malaysians and we can do this if we are truly one. Don’t let the ghost from the past frighten us to maintain a status quo that will destroy us as a people, as a nation.
We must rise to a new life. Say no to corruption, say no to corrupt leaders. We can do this, we can. Don’t be frightened, let’s give each other strength. We are brothers and sisters. Malaysia means the world to us.
We have to fight injustice in order to liberate ourselves and our beloved country. We can cure the sin with the very instrument of sin.
If these corrupt people think they can cheat us at the polls, let’s mitigate the reality by turning out in full. Please, let’s turn out in full to beat corruption.
Enough is enough. Please, my fellow Malaysians, time to be a patriot. Save our country before it’s too late. We can do this, we really can.
#1 by yhsiew on Wednesday, 25 July 2012 - 8:25 am
It is time voters use their ballots to evict the false patriots from the gravy train.
#2 by PRmaju on Wednesday, 25 July 2012 - 8:29 am
An someone start a fund, call it “Save Malaysia ” fund, let all of us donate. Use the money to print out flyers, CD , posters , mostly in Malay, detailing the heinous crimes that umno has done to the country! We need to educate the kampong Malay. Get as many volunteers as possible, volunteers alone not enough,Use the fund hire man power to distribute to the kampongs!
When election come , all able bodies must stop work, go out and campaign and educate the voters. There is little point in keep working for 1 week, but the whole
country is destroyed and looted !
#3 by St Peter on Wednesday, 25 July 2012 - 8:52 am
KJ said slash cars price could affect ten of thousand Protons’ workers!!! I wanna to tell KJ, Proton has affected MILLIONS of people to suffer in this country, where is your brain?
#4 by waterfrontcoolie on Wednesday, 25 July 2012 - 8:57 am
BN’s action on the supply of water to Selangor itself is testimony to their greeds to enslave all Malaysians to their scheme. They will shout like the Old Fart against the colonial powers [after over half of century of THEIR misrule and corruption] that they are tryi g very hard to hit the West and replace them with local version of slavery. Agreed those blue collars will find life tough. On the other hand having being trained to look for lubangs and easy payouts, they too have become too dependent on the gravy train. It is easy to drive a BMW by just getting the right connection to overseer 50 foreign workers than to struggle for other jobs. What is the margin? from rm15 to rm20 per head per day. Well you have to grease the system by a percentage? You get the balance. No income tax, no records. It is easy. To preserve such scenario, their cronies will even sell their grandmothers!
#5 by monsterball on Wednesday, 25 July 2012 - 9:00 am
We have read so many posts similar to this and always..the Govt. will say the opposite.
What are truths and what are lies???
Every corrupted act exposed are truths.
BERSIH is Dirty…so said the UMNO b crooks are proven lies by the Judge.
Water crisis was proven lies.
Najib keep flip flopping and keep mum when he needs to speak up.
This is a sign of a liar being exposed and have nothing to say.
How much more proofs do we need to cast our votes for change and see all truths float up?
#6 by Jeffrey on Wednesday, 25 July 2012 - 9:13 am
May Chee argues that to save Malaysia from hurtling towards bankrupt/failed state status like Nigeria, patriots must say “no” to and fight against corruption and corrupt leaders, come out to vote and dislodge present inept govt. Well no one could guarantee that even after voting out the present govt, the next would be any different – it grapples the root cause of the national malaise. Corruption & corrupt leaders (in different guises) are quite universal, and not peculiar or unique to Malaysia. What we are unique in the family of nations is institutionalized race based policies and programs which encourage abuse and afford a camouflage for corruption. The seeds of today’s problem germinated at the courtry’s birth – the political/constitutional foundation is race specific/based. The national socio-cultural orientation since day one is race and now (added on) religious based. There is not and has never been a foundational reference to the religio-ethical principles of justice, transparency, altruism, accountability and a service-oriented notion of leadership. Its always been based on divisive race and religious differentia. Unless any regime could effect a socio-cultural re-orientation from race/religious premises, the problem will remain unabated even in an event of a regime change!
#7 by Jeffrey on Wednesday, 25 July 2012 - 9:32 am
Ooops – “…UNLESS it (new govt) grapples the root cause of the national malaise…For corruption – like problems of rising crime or even substandard leaders – is, though a major problem, is however symptomatic of a larger national malaise – a certain lack of moral/ethical sense amongst its citizenry. And how could we develop a moral sense of what is fair and right (to others) when we’re indoctrinated from day one in principles of race against race & religion against religion under the excuse of which we do not hold accountable corrupt leaders, we tolerate a leadership praxis that promotes the selfish interest of a selected few over the rest or change inequitable/failing policies, where the line that separates corruption/crony capitalism from that of race entitlement is blur??? To be patriot – to think of nation first than self- everyone must have a stake! Now how could that be when the stake is narrowly focused to one’s race/religion/community that is viewed synonymous with one’s interest? When inept leaders rise not on character and merits but on how much money they could make from their positions to buy votes and to engage in chest thumping race/religious rhetoric, policies fail, and everyone becomes insecure and fears the future/tomorrow, which also means that self enrichment and gathering one’s own nest today from positions of conflicts of interest takes precedence over all other considerations of long term public or national welfare!
#8 by Godfather on Wednesday, 25 July 2012 - 10:16 am
“Unless any regime could effect a socio-cultural re-orientation from race/religious premises, the problem will remain unabated even in an event of a regime change!” Jeffrey
So, counsellor, are you going to wait for “guarantees” before you vote for change ? Are you going to say (again and again) that a new regime MAY not be better than the old one ? Or are we just going to take our chances, effect change, and keep changing until we have the government we want ?
#9 by Jeffrey on Wednesday, 25 July 2012 - 10:56 am
“Unless any regime could effect a socio-cultural re-orientation from race/religious premises, the problem will remain unabated even in an event of a regime change!” is intended a matter of fact statement to keep expectations of abating corruption on even keel and realistically on the ground. It does not prejudge – and is separate an issue from that of whether to vote for or against existing /ruling coalition/govt. On that latter issue – since depredations of existing /ruling coalition/govt are already given/known- I suppose its logical that many would chance a change of govt for at least there is still a “chance” (for situation to be better or at least will not worse than existing), no matter that such a”chance” may be slim given the present race/religious realities prevailing.
#10 by Winston on Wednesday, 25 July 2012 - 10:47 am
After everything is said and done, it’s the people that finally decides the form of government a country should have.
Now, take Egypt as an example.
The Egyptians have deposed of the dictator, Mubarak, but the winner in the election held since his disposal, has been denied full legislative powers.
So, it’s back to the people to make the next more to ensure that full powers be vested in the civilian government elected by the people.
The Egyptians have vowed to keep a keen eye on all such developments and are not afraid to take to the streets again to ensure that the army don’t renege on its promise to hand back full power to a civilian government.
As far as the Egyptians are concerned, nobody but nobody will be allowed to prevent them from having the way of life that they want.
Not the army or the elected government.
That’s one sure way of keeping everything on the straight and narrow.
#11 by undertaker888 on Wednesday, 25 July 2012 - 11:08 am
We would love finding these rats hiding in holes in the future.
#12 by Godfather on Wednesday, 25 July 2012 - 12:03 pm
“…..I suppose its logical that many would chance a change of govt for at least there is still a “chance”….” Jeffrey
You haven’t answered my question. Yes, many would take a chance, but are you going to take a chance ? Or are you going to be non-committal, like quite a number of people I know ?
#13 by Godfather on Wednesday, 25 July 2012 - 12:15 pm
For me, it’s the people who are non-committal, who constantly ask questions or make comments like “will Pakatan be any better?” or “better the devil I know than the devil I don’t” or “let’s give BN another chance” or “Anwar is not to be trusted”. This GE is not about STOPPING the rot. It may well be about SLOWING the rot, and that’s where we have to tell all the fencesitters to get off the fence and take the chance. There will be nothing left if BN is allowed to continue pillaging for another 5 years.
#14 by Kampong Orang on Wednesday, 25 July 2012 - 12:30 pm
Najis and Be End people are quiet about murder of Teoh Beng Hock & Ahmad Sarbani Mohamed, corruption of Taib, and these RM892 billion, etc.
The appointed head of Be End for Penang, appointed by Najis, keeps on avoiding the above issues. For normal people like us would NOT be impressed about his “founding” of present Penang government.
#15 by Loh on Wednesday, 25 July 2012 - 1:24 pm
///There is already a social and economic imbalance which will worsen.
Many marriages break down, and some of the increasing reasons I hear from my syariah lawyer friends are that these boys are complacent and do not contribute to the marriage financially.
They do not pick up the slack at home by being the housekeeper, and expect the wives to fund two families. Theirs and his.
Some resent their wives’ successes and create problems. Some of them bring their debts into the family equation.///-By DINA ZAMAN, http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2012/7/25/focus/11722039&sec=focus
The encouragement of jealousy as national sport under the aegis of NEP has brought it into the family as well. There is no free lunch, anywhere!
#16 by Jeffrey on Wednesday, 25 July 2012 - 1:28 pm
///For me, it’s the people who are non-committal, who constantly ask questions or make comments like “will Pakatan be any better?” or “better the devil I know than the devil I don’t” or “let’s give BN another chance” or “Anwar is not to be trusted”//- Godfather. I don’t agree that asking questions like these means that a person asking such questions is necessarily “non committal” in terms of voting for one side or the other or abstaining from voting. As I said in preceding posting the questions are separate from the issue of whether one votes and who he votes, which is basically confidential/personal matter apart. Whilst it is as much a right that every one has to maintain confidentiality he has the right of course to waive confientiality to tell the whole world including Godfather his voting position. I happen not to belong to such a category and also see no particular reason to waive it to satisfy Godfather’s curiosity or to secure his approval or judgment. In such a case persons like Godfather is entitled to speculate whatever they like. I don’t think the issue of how I vote, who I vote or that I will vote or not matters at iota or relevant to the issues discussed here.
#17 by Godfather on Wednesday, 25 July 2012 - 1:47 pm
It’s perfectly fine for me not to find out what your voting preferences are. Some of us take a stand and state our preference, others take a stand but don’t state their preference for whatever reasons, but the worst type of people are those who can’t or won’t take a stand. So my question is simple: For all the hullaballoo on this blog, are you going to take a stand ? Or is this the usual “ho hum” stuff ?
#18 by Godfather on Wednesday, 25 July 2012 - 1:54 pm
Waiver of confidentiality is not required here. We are just trying to tell people not to be spineless, and if Jeffrey can categorically confirm he is not spineless, then I shall take his word for it.
#19 by jus legitimum on Wednesday, 25 July 2012 - 7:20 pm
Well said,May Chee.We urgently need to change the current regime that has almost destroyed the country by now.At this point of time,we do not want the pro government apologists.What we want is a clean,people focussed and competent government.
#20 by Jeffrey on Wednesday, 25 July 2012 - 9:20 pm
///if Jeffrey can categorically confirm he is not spineless, then I shall take his word for it.///
To Godfather, well I neither need to “categorically confirm I am not spineless nor have you take or reject my word for it”. I am indifferent as what you say is totally irrelevant. This is because we discourse here on issues of what is right or wrong, fact or not fact. It is not to show or prove to anyone which political side we’re on or who would we vote or not vote for or for that matter taking no sides (ie fence sitters by your definition) and hence spineless. [If your understanding of the purpose of discourse in this blog is to show which side we’re on -with spine or spineless in the sense you attribute it- then I am sorry to say that your understanding is shallow or immature. Also majority of visitors here would be pro-opposition so there is no propaganda value in any one pro BN to try say things apologetic on behalf and in defence of BN as he won’t be listened to; neither there is a need to say pro opposition and anti BN things here for the sake of it as they would be preaching to the converted. The purpose here is to discourse on issues – not to show or prove one’s political stance, loyalty or voting preferences. So what Godfather commented is entirely out of point and missing the forest for the tree!
#21 by Jeffrey on Wednesday, 25 July 2012 - 9:27 pm
I agree that in Life we will have to take stand on many things. There is however to me no sense in taking a stand just so to show to Godfather or anyone here in this blog that one is with spine or spineless. What for? To what honour duty or obligation do I owe him (or anyone else) to prove or try prove I am not spineless or otherwise with spine when he has raised an issue about “stand” that is totally irrelevant (to my mind) to the issues under discussion or for that matter the purpose of discourse in a blog like this? What he says is to my mind totally bereft of logic or sense.
#22 by Godfather on Wednesday, 25 July 2012 - 9:42 pm
This thread by May Chee is about taking a stand. A stand against corruption and injustice. 99 out of a 100 visitors reading this thread will agree with May and will do “something” come GE13. There is however one guy (why must it be always that one guy?) who thinks that, no, we must not necessarily take a stand, because it is not necessarily clear that a new regime is going to be better than the old one. He says there is no propaganda value because we would be preaching to the converted. There is one out of 100 who hasn’t converted and I’m preaching to him now. Take a stand. No waffle, no ifs and buts. Be counted.
#23 by Jeffrey on Wednesday, 25 July 2012 - 10:39 pm
///There is however one guy (why must it be always that one guy?) who thinks that, no, we must not necessarily take a stand, because it is not necessarily clear that a new regime is going to be better than the old one./// – Godfather
This is of course a distorted interpretation of the purport of what I commented. I did not say people should not take a stand against corruption and injustice. I merely said that there was no need for me to confirm or show to you (from my comments) on which side of the political divide I take a stand. My comment that corruption may not abate -even if new regime replaces the existing- if race & religion remain prioritized above ethical principles is part of discourse of the issues May Chee raised. Somehow this has been twisted by Godfather to something else, whether I take a stand or not to replace the existing regime. As I said this is totally irrelevant to, and a distorting extension of my comments to another area / subject. On this other area/subject of my personal “stand” (which is not an issue raised in my comments in this thread) – I see no reason to express a stand here just because he asked what that is, to satisfy his curiosity or to secure his approval or judgmental instincts. He is of course at liberty to declare for himself
“Take a stand. No waffle, no ifs and buts” that I see is irrelevant to my earlier comments.
#24 by good coolie on Wednesday, 25 July 2012 - 10:02 pm
Change the government. If the new government is bad, then, expect instant criticism from the BN folks. I say that’s good for Malaysia. And rest assured, the new government will receive criticism from us too (the PKR loyalists) if the new government does not deliver.
So go ahead, get rid of the filthy BN. It is too bad that good people like Koh Soo Khoon have to go. That’s his lot for rubbing shoulders with unclean politicians!
#25 by Godfather on Wednesday, 25 July 2012 - 10:09 pm
And the one guy out of 100 who starts waving frantically to the 99 and tries to plant the seeds of doubt in the minds of the 99 make him a prime suspect as a BN apologist.
#26 by Jeffrey on Wednesday, 25 July 2012 - 10:49 pm
“….make him a prime suspect as a BN apologist…” – Godfather.
May I add you are at liberty to suspect. In fact don’t suspect, please do conclude definitively. Either way its no skin on my back. I have since learned one can’t change people’s ingrained habits of minds. Cheers.
#27 by Jeffrey on Wednesday, 25 July 2012 - 11:47 pm
I also cannot understand why Godfather is so worried about “seeds of doubt” being planted on the other “99” as if the other 99 are sheep having no minds of their own to make an independent judgment on what is posted here and may be influenced and that he ought to be their ideological Keeper or shepherd. The problem now is that on whichever side of the political divide one sits (whether PR or BN), the Fanatical and the Narrow is the one who has no doubts whatsoever about anything its side says or does, no matter how wrong, and reading any comment critical of its side’s stand on any specific issue or even raising any question on the logic of any of its stand is construed as being necessarily anti its side vis-à-vis the other side including in a vote at the ballot. This Sorry for saying but this is manifestation of Third World blind political loyalty – doesn’t which side you’re on!
#28 by Jeffrey on Wednesday, 25 July 2012 - 11:48 pm
“…doesn’t matter which side you’re on!…”
#29 by Loh on Thursday, 26 July 2012 - 9:53 pm
///This Sorry for saying but this is manifestation of Third World blind political loyalty – doesn’t which side you’re on!///–Jeffrey
It is because one tries to make people think rather than to allow those who stay blind to political loyalty that I write and I hope that writing can make a difference. After five decades of excess, BN should be thrown out, never mind whether the successor government could be better. I thus declare my stand to vote BN out. It is only when BN is thrown out that there might be a change of political structure that binds BN together which gets Malaysia is into deep shit. If we accept that we have no right to influence others, then why bother to write?
#30 by Jeffrey on Friday, 27 July 2012 - 9:05 am
Indeed it is correct that to write is to exercise right to influence and to try “make people think rather than to allow those who stay blind to political loyalty”. In exercise of the right to influence and make people think, one should not abuse others’ exercise of that same right and dictate that others should not raise any questions in what he perceives a politically incorrect direction and get personal to say they have to make an explicit public declaration of their political/voting position in order or else the value of what they write is diminished. There is however in anyone wishing to make any public declaration of their stand on any issue on his own volition. Which is quite different from saying that if they are not making that public declaration they are necessarily of this or that position and spineless!
#31 by Jeffrey on Friday, 27 July 2012 - 9:07 am
Omission – ….There is however “nothing wrong” in anyone wishing to make any public declaration of their stand on any issue on his own volition…