There is almost a daily reminder of deterioration of quality of life in Malaysia – with three news items today highlighting worsening crime, health and education conditions in the country.
The first is the shocking news “MIC division treasurer killed by intruders” (the Sun), on the latest victim of endemic crime in Malaysia – MIC Ipoh Barat division treasurer N. Sidambaram, 64, who was killed by six parang-wielding intruders in his house on Jalan Wayang in Buntung, Ipoh early yesterday morning.
This comes on the heel of the attack on the Tawau acting OCPD Supt Ramli Ali Mat who was seriously injured after being stabbed in his house by a group of five men and the attack on another policeman, L/Kpl S. Paramasivam, 49, who was beaten up by a group of 10 Mat Rempits using helmets and metal roads while on anti-crime rounds in Kuala Lumpur requiring five stitches for his wound in his head, both incidents happening in the first 12 days of the new year.
These crimes provide vivid illustration of the serious breakdown of law and order in Malaysia with the government unable to deliver its most elementary duty – to ensure the safety of its citizens, visitors and investors!
The second is the report that the dengue toll had climbed relentlessly to 112 dengue deaths last year – with the Health Minister, Datuk Liow Tiong Lai continuing to show no real ministerial concern or interest to the worst dengue epidemic and mortality figure in the nation’s history!
What has happened to Malaysia’s previous reputation for excellent public health services and standards?
The third is Singapore Straits Times report “Singapore’s top student is Malaysian” – Haw Sue Hern from CHIJ St. Nicholas Girls’ School, Singapore (who is from Subang Jaya ) who scored 10 A1s making her top O-level performer out of 36,640 students in Singapore.
This highlights the grave and continuing problem of “brain drain”, giving a most adverse reflection on the education system in the country – especially taken into account the indifferent and irresponsible attitude adopted by the Education Minister, Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein, who is still to break his month-long silence and explain Malaysia’s disastrous showing in the 60-nation Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 2007 for Year-8 secondary students.
Instead of transforming ourselves from a nation with “First World Infrastructure, Third World Mentality” into a “First World Infrastructure, First World Mentality”, we are heading in the opposite direction towards a nation with deteriorating quality of life for Malaysians.
When we have a Health Minister who is not concerned about the dengue epidemic and the unprecedented dengue toll and cases last year; a Home Minister not concerned about the endemic crime in the country where Malaysians are no more safe whether in the streets, public places or even in the privacy of their homes; or an Education Minister unconcerned about deteriorating educational standards, the first conditions for reform to ensure all Malaysians to enjoy quality healthcare, education and personal safety are just not present.
#1 by k1980 on Tuesday, 13 January 2009 - 1:18 pm
The worst is yet to come. Malaysia’s 2009 GDP growth is projected to be only 1.5%
#2 by oedipus on Tuesday, 13 January 2009 - 3:03 pm
its all perceptions my fellow Malaysians! we may think its a heinous crime, but for statistic purposes its all just petty crimes and all swept under the carpet.
the questions we should ask is NOT THE NUMBER OF CRIME RATES, but rather WHAT IS THE CRIME SOLVING RATE in Malaysia? no point la crime rate 100 but solving rate only 1.
better to have 1000 crime rate and 900 solved.
#3 by wanderer on Tuesday, 13 January 2009 - 3:25 pm
YB, how to give security to the ordinary citizens who are daily threatened by criminals. Botak have sent his 6000 strong police to KT for the by-election, some are used to arrest peaceful anti-war vigils, attending to road blocks..good thing, they were not needed to make arrest on the 5000 strong Anti-Israel demonstrators. You see they have been kept very busy…only their priorities are laughable.
Coming from Botak HM, everything is possible.
#4 by monsterball on Tuesday, 13 January 2009 - 3:37 pm
Never in the history of my 40 years working life…have I been so concern for my staffs.
Never have I experienced daylight bags/computer snatchers on motor bikes…almost to all my female staffs..and all that I know.
Never in the history when every shop at SS15/4 in Subang Jaya have reported one thing or another ..on criminal matters.
And since robbers dare to come into my office…while I take a short nap…after lunch….I had to install security system. The robbers took money…HP and demanded my expensive watch…with a very long thin sickle blade knife..pointing at me.. He ran away..when I approached him!! The were 100% Malaysian Muslims!!!
Yes…crimes in Malaysia have increased so much.
Police blame Indons….then other foreign workers here…..but never the Malays..which actually makes the bulk of sch robbers and thieves.
#5 by jus legitimum on Tuesday, 13 January 2009 - 4:11 pm
We urgently need a total shake up in the whole government machinery especially the police force before we can feel safe whether it is at home or out driving on the road.These days we hardly see the ‘mata-mata’ making rounds in streets but we nauseate to see their arrogance when they interrupt the flow of traffic to give way to some stupid VIPs.Maybe they are only good at doing this rather ‘show off’ duty exacerbated by deafening and irritating siren.
#6 by Mr Smith on Tuesday, 13 January 2009 - 4:57 pm
Come on Kit,
The police have better things to do than fight crime. They have to protect UMNO. They have to go after candle light vigil gatherings, opposition anti war protests, opposition cerahmahs, and of course raid sex parties and prostitution.
Fighting Crime is not their business.
#7 by undergrad2 on Tuesday, 13 January 2009 - 6:40 pm
Someone here suffers from Oedipus complex. Must be thet Lee upstart.
#8 by yhsiew on Tuesday, 13 January 2009 - 6:49 pm
Many of our ministers are suffering from “denial syndrome”. An outgoing Abdullah just couldn’t care less.
#9 by undergrad2 on Tuesday, 13 January 2009 - 6:55 pm
“Deny” is a form of defence. However, a bare denial won’t do if you’re to succeed.
#10 by Ramesh Laxman on Tuesday, 13 January 2009 - 10:06 pm
Breaking News. Bolg What a Lulu says that Kampung Abdullah Hukum near Bangsar is to be renamed Kampung Hukumlah Abdullah.
#11 by waterfrontcoolie on Wednesday, 14 January 2009 - 12:08 am
I personally think that ‘everything has a price’ really took off when we started the piratization programme for this country. With this ‘new guideline’ every Gomen officer understands that there would be a price for his action or inaction.
If one wants to ‘control’ an area, getting the local enforcement people involved would be the first act of getting your business started! a smart tai khor would certainly do so. So if we look around, we find all uniform bodies have a ‘right price’.
Without this, how could all these crimes take place?
Without doubt, Malaysians would be asked to pay to secure their personal safety very soon! Maybe this is a better option, at least at the ground level, the collectors would be obliged to act since you know them personally. That is, we will pay the party who will provide the protection instead of paying the central gomen who could not protect you!!
#12 by ringthetill on Wednesday, 14 January 2009 - 1:05 am
We have not only fared badly in those things that were mentioned. Now, the nation is among the top 10 for wildlife smuggling too. Govt says ‘trust us’ – we have you good welfare at heart. But we know in practice, things are very different. They say we can’t have meritocracy, we are not afraid of brain drain, we don’t care what our citizens and the world think of our policies. Enough lah. Time for correction, otherwise it will take generations to climb out of the black hole.
#13 by Jong on Wednesday, 14 January 2009 - 2:09 am
They sent at least 6,000 police personnel to intimidate the electorates in KT By-Election! The is abuse of tax-payers money, my money damnit!
My friend attached to Australia’s CID on holiday in Trengganu said it’s like a police state there. He shook his head in disbelief that there are roadblocks everywhere to inconvince the public and it’s very intimidating!
I read on Haris Ibrahim’s blog that a friend who took Raja Petra Kamaruddin(RPK) & Co for dinner at a private Club was later visited by the Police and threatened not to make it a repeat. Is it anybody’s business – whether UMNO/BN or their Police who we mixes and have dinner with?
Is RPK a security threat, a terrorist that the PDRM needs to protect his friends from him?
#14 by Jong on Wednesday, 14 January 2009 - 3:53 am
oops, sorry para 2 line 4
“..roadblocks everywhere to inconvenient the public..”
#15 by undergrad2 on Wednesday, 14 January 2009 - 8:10 am
Guilty by association! A new crime….lol
#16 by OrangRojak on Wednesday, 14 January 2009 - 8:39 am
Undergrad2, what is it they mean in the USA when they say “associating with a known felon”? I don’t think it’s a crime, maybe a probation offence?
If quality of life is deteriorating in Malaysia, does that mean if I’d come here ten years ago I could have had reliable Internet access and a phone that works every time I pick it up? Or is it that it was never very good, and people are only recently beginning to realise that it could be?
#17 by taiking on Wednesday, 14 January 2009 - 8:54 am
lies. lies. and more lies.
We are the best in the world.
The safest in the world.
The most intelligent in the world.
UiTM is better than Harvard and Cambridge combined.
That’s why umno goberman need not do anything.
We are already top in all aspects.
If umno gobermen were to act some more then we could well catch up with God.
No. No. No.
That will not do.
#18 by Godfather on Wednesday, 14 January 2009 - 1:00 pm
Quality of Life ? What does that mean, particularly to the BN thieves ? They shop along Oxford St, they go to the casinos in Perth and Macau, they drive German cars (some even have their own helicopters), they holiday in the Bahamas, and their children either go to international schools or are studying in foreign universities.
Their quality of life appears to be quite good.
#19 by PSM on Wednesday, 14 January 2009 - 2:42 pm
It was reported widely that Malaysian Sue Hern was Singapore’s Top Student. It’s not widely known that the Number 2 (just after Sue Hern) is a friend of Sue Hern & is Malaysian also!!!!!
#20 by undergrad2 on Wednesday, 14 January 2009 - 8:33 pm
OrangRojak Says:
Today at 08: 39.08 (11 hours ago)
Undergrad2, what is it they mean in the USA when they say “associating with a known felon”? I don’t think it’s a crime, maybe a probation offence?”
‘Associating with a known felon,’ as you know, has never been and is not a crime in any jurisdiction. If it were a crime than there won’t be any presidents and prime ministers left standing to impeach. They would have all been impeached one day after their inauguration.
#21 by alaneth on Wednesday, 14 January 2009 - 10:36 pm
I bet the Gaza Strip is safer than Malaysia – low crime rate. During this Israeli attacks, there are no looting. Not like Malaysia when the Johor – Segamat floods in Dec 2007, there are attempts of looting.
#22 by limkamput on Thursday, 15 January 2009 - 12:16 am
no point la crime rate 100 but solving rate only 1. better to have 1000 crime rate and 900 solved. Oedipus
Oedipus, your reasoning is oxy-moron.
#23 by One4All4One on Thursday, 15 January 2009 - 9:59 pm
I cry for Malaysia and her citizens. If ever the tears do flow, one day, they may be in the form of blood! It is really that sorrowful.
That is despite the many little bright lights that still manage to show up here and there in our daily national life. Let us treasure those little achievements or bits of good tidings while they still manage to make their presence felt and reported for all to read.
I sincerely fear for the day when the nation may see herself plunging into an abyss where and when the rakyat suffer the most unimaginable of situations which arise out of the current state of weak governance, weak administration, misconduct, wealth plundering and embezzlement, non-accountability and non-integrity and racial polarisation and religious positioning.
Having said so, I am not here to take on the role of a prophet of doom or to pain a negative and sad picture of my very own country and condemn her to destruction and annihilation.
On the other hand, I do HOPE that sensible voices and minds would rise and prevail to counter that evil and negative trend which if not contained would lead the nation to a state of total chaos caused by the “players” in our midst ( wayward, misled and ill-intent politicians, hypocrites, religious bigots and extremists, so-called race and ethnic champions, business opportunists and manipulators, and hidden crooks of all kinds).
It is so sad that our beloved country has fallen back and keep on falling in so many ways even though it is bestowed with so much natural resources and human capacity and a comparatively excellent landscape.
The state of a nation’s overall standing and achievement depends on the quality of the leadership and the policies and principles of governance and administration. If the latter falters, the former suffers.
It takes great courage and a big dose of integrity, sincerity, accountability, impartiality and commitment on the part of the leadership to run the country well. Unless and until these ingredients are present, the nation would remain mediocre or go the feared way as envisaged above.
Indeed, ministers, officials and leaders at all levels (whether in the pubic or private sectors) have very important and real duties to perform. Shortcomings and shortfalls if left unchecked would derail all hopes and aspirations the people harbour.
Let’s hope the current political and social turmoil would awaken and stir the nation’s aspiring leaders to stem the tide of decline and apply all the necessary remedies to move the nation forward. We have enough of nonsense and garbage. It is time to clean up.
#24 by One4All4One on Thursday, 15 January 2009 - 10:45 pm
oops…that typo again:
We have had enough of nonsense and garbage. It is time to clean up.
#25 by computation on Friday, 16 January 2009 - 2:44 pm
ooooi !!
its only a perception that things are getting
worse! no need to worry!
#26 by klaikw on Saturday, 17 January 2009 - 1:49 am
Malaysia = Crimesia coz those criminal were eveywhere, they dun care day or nite , as long as they commited crime they felt very safe to stay here in Crimesia coz they hardly get caught. Coz with our current bolehland style gomen ppl and our police attitude to fight crime, our crime rate really fantasty n excellent in Crimesia!
Vision 2020, Crime is No.1 in Malaysia if we still silent…………….
Health , wat big deal for Health Minister , deague is nothing lah, ppl die everyday, u die of deague today , they very fast register your name n issue u a death cert. tomorrow send a team to fog aedes smoke around the area lol – this is our gomen mah.
Things getting worst, and the worst yet to come.