Thinking Aloud

Woah, things are certainly clearer now.

Just had my ears dewaxed at YIH. And now I can even hear the clickety clack on my keyboard while I’m tying this out.

And the apparatus used to do it: A syringe the size of my wrist and water. Hosing down 24 years of wax in my ear until it flushes out.

The afterfeeling, nice.  

Consider the following:

" I’m not sure I’m right, but I’m sure you’re wrong, therefore I am right."

" The physical evidence is not telling me what you’re telling me."

" Nobody can ever know what’s right, so don’t you go about telling me what’s right."

Prelude to a future post, leave it to you, dear reader to mix and match.  

It’s pretty depressing reading and watching stuff about what is happening in Iraq.

It seems that in that particular part of the world, peace is so hard to come by.

Unforgiveness.

That’s what I see, one man unwilling to forgive another. That’s what is escalating the voilence, pushing the country into civil war.  

For context, the full news report is here.

Here’s the relevant excerpt I am interested in

.…

Bardakoglu said Turkey was a free country where people had the democratic right to protest. 

"But any street protests will not reflect the mainstream hospitable attitude of Turkey," he added. 

Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul, a pious Muslim, said he expected the Pope to give positive statements that would improve ties between Christians and Muslims. 

"I believe it will create a new climate," Gul told Reuters. 

"He may make some good statements, saying we have only one God although we have different religions. We have sympathy for each other and we should not exploit the differences in a negative way." 

The Pope is due to hold talks during his visit with the Istanbul-based spiritual head of the world’s 250 million Orthodox Christians, Patriarch Bartholomew, who has complained of property and other restrictions his church faces in Turkey.

…

With all due respect, I cannot bring myself to agree with the statement made by the Turkish minister. I’m not sure how the Pope would respond had he been confronted with such a statement publicly. But I know that Islam and Christianity are two different things. Our fundamental beliefs are different; the God we worship are not the same.

Cutting off unseen hand

By CHELSEA L.Y. NG

KUALA LUMPUR: Chief Justice Tun Ahmad Fairuz Sheikh Abdul Halim wants magistrates and Sessions Court judges to be absorbed into the judiciary, fearing that there would be interference by “unseen hands” if they remain as civil servants. 

In explaining his proposal to separate the lower judiciary from the legal service department, he said: “If you really want the judiciary to be seen as independent, there must be separation. It is good for the country if the image of the judiciary is not only independent but seen to be. 

“Democracy will not work well without independence,” Ahmad Fairuz said after a Hari  

Raya lunch he hosted for court officers and staff at the High Court complex here yesterday. 

As of last year, there were 82 Sessions Court judges and 127 magistrates in the country.  

The top judge first announced this proposal in August at the start of a three-day conference of judges in Putrajaya. 

In an immediate response to the announcement then, Bar Council chairman Yeo Yang Poh welcomed the Chief Justice’s move, saying that to give it full effect and meaning, a judicial appointments commission should be set up to ensure the process of appointment was objective, transparent and accountable. 

Ahmad Fairuz yesterday cited an example where a junior magistrate might feel intimidated when the prosecution in a case was conducted by a more senior deputy public prosecutor. 

“What would the impression of the public be? Especially when you know that one day the magistrate will be transferred to be under the DPP? 

“These officers are government servants now. If they become part of the judiciary, they would enjoy the same independence and immunity as superior court judges,” he said. 

He said that judicial officers as civil servants were subjected to transfers. 

“Unseen hands can be there because they are government servants. If they become members of the judiciary, the only way to remove them is through a tribunal. 

“It is very transparent and I do not think there can be interference by unseen hands,” he said. 

Ahmad Fairuz said that the plan included absorbing officers as magistrates only when they have at least 10 years’ experience while Sessions Court judges must have a minimum of 15 years. 

“People who come to court then would have confidence in the lower judiciary. That is the meaning of the separation – cut off control of legal officers on junior judicial officers. There may have been such instances. The bottom line is, we do not want the public to get this kind of impression,” he said. 

The Chief Justice said the proposal would be submitted to the Government through the Prime Minister’s Department.  

An excellent proposal by the CJ. Hopefully more can be done also to improve the judicial services and restore confidence in Malaysia’s courts.

PENANG: Two container trailers driven by men in Rela uniform did not raise any suspicion when they arrived at the MASKargo Complex in Batu Maung here at 2.15am yesterday.  

The “Rela personnel” told the two Customs officers manning the checkpoint that they were there to flush out illegal workers and instructed them not to alert the people inside the complex. 

Once the “Trojan horses” were in the complex, the four bogus Rela men opened the doors of the containers and out leapt more than 20 robbers armed with parang. 

The first thing they did was to round up the 17 people in the area, including the two Customs officers and two Malaysia Airport Bhd personnel. 

To neutralise the threat of a fight-back, the robbers plied their captives with chloroform. Some were forced to drink a white solution which caused them to vomit. Anyone still standing was beaten with sticks. 

With the workers under guard, the rest of the robbers set to work on the microchips. 

In just an hour, they piled 585 cartons and 18 pallets of microchips and motherboards manufactured by a multi-national company in Bayan Lepas into the containers.  

The loot estimated to be worth US$12.7mil (RM46.99mil) was said to be the country’s biggest ever heist. And arguably the most audacious, too. 

Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, who was in Putrajaya, was livid when informed of the robbery. The Prime Minister was very angry over the lack of security. 

Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon who inspected the complex later in the evening said two suspects had been arrested but declined to give details.  

It is learnt that the suspects were workers at the complex. 

State police chief Deputy Comm Datuk Koh Hong Sun told a press conference that police got a call at 3.40am. 

“The robbers also took with them footage of the robbery from the closed-circuit TV cameras,” he said. 

DCP Koh said the victims were not seriously injured and all have been discharged after treatment at the Penang Hospital. 

One of the victims was the driver of a courier company van, who showed up at the complex while the robbery was in progress. 

The 25-year-old driver, who wanted to be known only as Kumar, said two men in green uniforms complete with berets at the checkpoint ordered him to get out of his van.  

“I was a bit slow in getting down and one of them suddenly smashed my windscreen with his baton. They then dragged me out and beat me up. 

“They did not sound local … most probably from out of state,” he said at the hospital. 

A source said the first of several batches of the computer chips was delivered to the warehouse on Saturday. The last shipment was at 12.30am yesterday.  

The consignment was to be sent to the multi-national company’s operations in the Asia-Pacific region, including Taiwan, Hong Kong and China. 

The source said all indications pointed to an inside job.  

“The timing was too good. Such information could only be obtained if someone on the inside was working with them,” said the source. 

KUALA LUMPUR: An article in an Australian newspaper The Age ridiculing Malaysia and calling Malaysia “bodoh” (stupid) has left International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Rafidah Aziz unperturbed. 

“What do we care? Obviously, this person doesn’t know Malaysia. He is an outsider and he can say what he likes. I don’t really care about what others say – as long as it is not a Malaysian saying it,” she said. 

The Wanita Umno chief said the Australian writer had apparently not followed the Umno general assembly proceedings closely. 

“If he did, he would have seen things differently.”  

The Nov 15 article by Michael Backman said it was time Malaysia grew up and stopped arguing about what proportion of the economy the Chinese and Malays owned. 

The Government was more interested in stunts like sending an astronaut into space when the country’s inadequate schools could have done with the cash, the writer said, adding “that’s not Malaysia Boleh, that’s Malaysia Bodoh.” 

I personally find this very disturbing.

Rahimah also said drug addicts should be marooned on an island instead of allowing them the hotel-like luxuries at rehabilitation centres. 

“Let them survive on the island’s worms and moss.”  

She said there were too many foreign dramas with bad elements that distracted women from their chores. 

Rahimah said someone from Umno should be heading the Energy, Water and Communications Ministry and monitoring these dramas instead of Datuk Seri Dr Lim Keng Yaik.  

“There are many of us in Umno who can lead the ministry,” she added. 

There are 3 types of Malaysians and 2 types of foreigners.

1) The Malaysian silently nods with the criticisms levelled at their own country, knowing deep down that what foreigners say hits too close to heart for comfort.

2) The Malaysian who tells foreigners who make criticisms of Malaysia to shut up; ‘cos they want to make it on their own.

3) The Malaysian who tells foreigners to shut up so that the status quo remains. 

And for the foreigners 

1) Those who come here and "Ooooh" and "Aaaaah". The starry eyed tourist.

2) The leader or a reporter who slugs it out. They have a hidden agenda.

You see, nobody gives criticism because they genuinely care. Nobody gives a damn about whether Malaysia makes it or eats the dust. Unless of course we start harbouring radical muslim terrorrists or start our own nuclear programme.

Like it or not, everybody got something to say about somebody else and they aren’t going to shut up anytime soon. Foreign journalists or leaders can say everything they want until they foam in the mouth, we don’t give a damn.

But here’s something you should know Mr. Abdullah Badawi, when your countrymen start to point things out, you have to listen. And no, I don’t think you are listening sir. Your silence just tells me you don’t care. You just want to keep the status quo.

You are just like the others, who believe that Malaysia is about being Malay, Chinese, Indian "dan lain-lain".

You believe like the others, in the victimization of your race.

You believe like the others, that its ok to make a facade of peace and harmony because perception becomes reality.

Sir, with all due respect, you are entitled to you own opinion, but I believe my eyes when I say that:

I believe that because of "Melayu, Cina, India dan lain-lain", millions of school kids grow up more racially polarized than their forefathers were. No amount of National service will remedy that. The whole idea of identifying ourselves by race first than by citizenship has not fostered unity that we so pride ourselves for. I believe that Malaysia must find within herself something more than racial unity. She needs to move beyond racial unity to national unity.

I believe that the Malays are not victimized. I believe it is the people who live in the slums, the settingans, the run down apartmens whom city councils don’t even want to admit exist, the orang asli, the ex-veterens who walk down KL at night finding a bus stop to sleep, the mentally unsound, the widow and single mothers. Sir, these are the victimized ones. These are the oppressed ones. These are the people whom you have failed to realize are being hurt more and more by a culture of ungrace and oppressiveness that modernity has bred.

I believe that one day the bubble of peace and harmony will burst. Sir, there is no national unity, because there is no peace. There is no peace because one man eyes another, jealous from extra priviledges afforded to his neighbour simply by the colour of his skin. There is no peace because the NEP is one blunder the leadership of the 1970s made which we should have corrected. But when you throw your support behind the NEP, you made one man happy, but another angry. How then can there be peace in this situation?

I believe that you have lost touch with the base. Or maybe you do, but don’t know what to do? You see, I see Iraq in Malaysia played out in a smaller scale. Mahathir is somebody like Saddam Hussien. When he stepped down, Malaysia lost a strongman who held the country in fear. And like a overripe mango you have inherited a rotten fruit. You had one shot at getting it right by showing God-fearing leadership. But we have all only seen silence, inaction from you and stupidity from your lackeys. Don’t be so overconfident about your ability to continue on the next term. Why should we vote for BN when BN has nothing to show?

I hope they remake these movies in the future.

Star Wars Eps 1 and 2. Probably make it 4 parts or something like that. Eps 1 is to kiddy, and Eps 2 was all over the place with its " what!?" plot. I want the grit and darkness of Empire strikes back.

Matrix Reloaded and Revolutions. Reloaded was like a bloated diorama. Everything was only skin deep, unlike the subtle overtones of the original matrix. And I mean the original matrix, because the sequels were just copycats. Revolutions just needs rewriting, a total overhaul. I mean there has to be a better way to tell a story. As above, make it into 4 parts if need be.

Mrs. Wong invited me to her PCM group today. Had a heavy tea, which doubled up as my dinner!

But attending the PCM made me think about CF during my hostelite days. I miss those times. Miss the worship, discussion, the laughter (and tears) and the general nonsense that people do when they meet up together. Of course, ehem….there was also certain someone that I would ‘want’ to meet there… 

It was the joy of working together to achieve something as well. The first Jesus screening I organized in my first year, all the combined CG meets, the welcome suppers and christmas dinner during my second, the evangelistic exam blessing in my third and baking cookies for exam blessing in my final year.

Somehow there is something about CF that will never be replicated elsewhere. Something about the close bond of fellowship forged by communal living, sealed by the spirit of the living God. Something just different… 

The Democrats have control of the lower house. But vote counting is still going on in some constituencies.

But my purpose here is to compare it to the situation in Malaysia. We don’t have mid-term parliamentary general elections. What we do have is state-level elections (the recent one in Sarawak) or when a MP is indisposed. Snap elections are held to elect a new rep.

I was musing whether this US system would work in Malaysia. Our constitution doesn’t support this however, and making such a change would require an ammendment.

But that aside, there are indeed merits to have a mid-term elections for the lower house in parliament. Mind you, what this means is that elections are held again to elect MP’s to the legislative body. The executive branch is not touched. (unfortunately in Malaysia, you can’t be a minister until you hold a seat in the parliament.) It certainly means that MP’s have to be on their toes to convince their constituencies to keep them there. It’s a way of holding their feet to the fire.

Another merit is that it weakens the dominance of the ruling party in parliament and strengthens the opposition. I think plenty people in Malaysia are scared of a divided parliament. They have a wrong conception of separation of powers. I guess its a very Asian mentality. A country must be lead by a singular power. This is not so. Modern governance requires a separation of powers. It is the business of the executive to rule, and the role of the parliament to hold the executive accountable. That’s why we have debates in parliament!

There are other merits. But the whole upshot is that we need a better system of accountability in Malaysia. The role of the opposition is not to be whipping bag for the ruling class. They are needed to provide checks and balances to government. In a sense they are part of government. But opposition aside, I believe that in a mature democracy, even members of the ruling party should be given the freedom to debate bipartisan issues freely in parliament. I would add as well that the parliament is not a place to gain consensus, it is after all, a divisive body. It’s purpose is to hold legislation to scrutiny, not rubber stamp it.

ACA’s hands are tied

KUALA LUMPUR: The Anti- Corruption Agency cannot investigate cases of political corruption or money politics because these offences are confined to political parties and not public transgressions, said Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz.  

The Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department said political parties were associations for members only, hence positions in such organisations were not public posts. 

He, however, said this did not mean that members could buy votes in a party election because the political parties had their own mechanism such as a disciplinary board or committee to handle such misdemeanour. 

“But the ACA can’t come in because this (money politics) has nothing to do with the public. It does not affect the public in the sense that it does not involve public projects or public funds,” he said in an interview. 

“Members are immune from action outside the party (for wrongdoings within the party). That’s my opinion. I may be wrong but I tabled the law (Anti-Corruption Act) in Parliament. That’s my understanding of it.”  

Nazri, who is an Umno supreme council member, said a political party was a self-regulated association, and that was why he likened money politics to a situation within a family. 

“For example, in a family where you have 10 children and you have a ruling that the family must decide on things together, and the father gives one of his children RM1 and says ‘support papa, not mama’ is that corruption?” he asked. 

“I don’t think so, because there is no abuse of public funds here. 

“Corruption is the abuse of public funds. You must read it in the context of the law. You can’t take one section away. The law is all about public projects and funds.”  

On a different matter, Nazri also explained the need for clause 17(1) of the Anti- Corruption Act 1997, which makes it mandatory for any officer of a public body to report a bribe offered even though he had rejected it.  

Under the law, if an officer fails to report the offer of a bribe (even though he did not take it), he could be fined up to RM100,000, jailed up to 10 years, or both. 

“Even if the officer did not accept the bribe, the act of giving has happened. This will make people realise that it is their duty to inform or report a bribe or an offer of a bribe. We can’t fight corruption alone. Everybody has to chip in.” 

Another report in theStar concerning the statement of one, Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz about the ACA.

First and foremost, the positive. That’s towards the end of the article where he stressed the need to amend the Anti-Corruption Act making it mandatory to report a bribe. That’s a good thing. It reinforces the seriousness of corruption and the need to expose it before it gets any worse.

But now for the bad.

ACA has no jurisdiction over the internal affairs of political parties?

His justification was that the money does not involve public funds, so it doesn’t concern ACA. Nonsense lar YB, excuse me, I thought ACA investigates ANY kind of corruption: those that happen in the government, private companies, religious bodies. Basically, isn’t the ACA an investigative body, stepping in as a independant body to investigate abuses of priviledge and money.

I’m afraid his family analogy is really irrelavant. Firstly a political party isn’t any private entity, it is a public society. Vote buying aggrieves the members of that society. So where do they turn to for fair hearing. Secondly, things like that shouldn’t even happen in the family, his example sickenes me to the core.

The political party is a registered body (and is every business, company, church or religious society for that matter.) So shouldn’t the law apply equivocally to all. Corruption isn’t defined in terms of whose money is being ‘used’. It’s the abuse of power and priviledge that makes corruption evil.

This mentality of, "This is an internal affair, we can handle it," is getting out of hand. Continue drawing up arbitary boundaries of jurisdiction like this and ACA can’t investigate anything in the end.

Let us be clear about something here: A political party isn’t just any kind of association here. Leaders of the country are groomed and made from within a party. With this kind of ‘protection’ afforded to the party, what kind of mentality are we raising among our future leaders? That it is ok to bribe as long as you are not caught. It is an open secret that money politicas is rampant within UMNO. If YB, you claim that the internal disciplinary board is sufficient to curb this, then empirical evidence damns your claim.

The point is, a political party is in a position of power-albiet indirectly.  So who holds their feet to the fire? If not ACA (and by extension the police), then who will?

Kiss me Good-Bye 

You say my love is all you need, to see you through
but I know these words are not quite true

Here is the path you’re looking for, an open door
Leading to worlds you long to explore

Go, if you must move on alone
I’m gonna make it on my own

Kiss me good-bye, love’s memory
Follow your heart and find your destiny
Don’t shed a tear, for love’s mortality
For you put the dream in my reality

As times goes by I know you’ll see this of me
I loved enough to let you go free

Go, I will give you wings to fly
Cast all your fears into the sky

Kiss me goodbye, love’s mystery
All of my life I’ll hold you close to me

Don’t shed a tear for love’s mortality
For you put the dream in my reality

Kiss me goodbye, love’s memory
You put the dream in my reality

Lyrics of the Final Fantasy XII’s theme song. Sung by Angela Aki. This is the version sung in English (not just a fan translate). There is a version in Japanese. I like the tune, and her singing.

But man, the lyrics are kinda of sad. (Although the music is soaring with hope.) Reading this kind of songs, I wonder whether there it is possible to have a love story without a break up.

Love doesn’t need to be mortal, does it? 

Nah, joking onli lar….

But one thing’s for certain. I’m sure I learnt more real analysis in one semester compared to two years worth of advanced calculus to (that nightmare!) undergraduate real analysis.  

A/Prof Chua pushes us hard. But I can’t disagree with his method. Zygmund and Wheeden’s excercises have made me appreciate the subtleties that I wouldn’t have noticed otherwise.

Now, the question is whether I should do Analysis II. We’ll be covering functional analysis. If I do, it’s for certain that I won’t be taking any other module.