At the forum, Lim Kit Siang was so worked up over the high marks given to the Malaysian Judiciary by the Transparency International for being clean and efficient. He harped on the issue and ridiculed the rating of 9 given to the Judiciary, above those in countries like Australia and Canada. How can that be given the past lapses of the Judiciary. He opined that when the questionnaire was posed to the Malaysian interviewees, the best was that they did not understand the questions and the worse was that they were ignorant.
He jested that the fact that the Malaysian Government did not even go to town over such ranking as reported in the local press, spoke volume abut the finding’s reliability given the judiciary’s history.
It is obvious that Mr Lim has an axe to grind with the judiciary and one of them could be the jailing of his son for a expose’.
As we all know the judiciary’s misdeeds happened during the premiership of Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and many were crafted by him. It was all in the past. My opinion is that the Malaysian interviewees did not misunderstand the questions or are ignorant because what they have in mind are things as they are now and would be in the future given Pak Lah’s promises and efforts. Any way what has the judiciary to do with the forum’s title of the night: Civil Service Excellence…Quality v Quantity.
Mr Lim also ridicule Pak Lah for giving the same old answers about Japan every time he returned from there. These weree that toilets in Japan are spankingly clean and that the Japanese people have a sense of responsibility in everything they do. He pointed out Pak Lah had been to Japan as Prime Minister 4 or 5 times already and many more times when he was the Foreign Minister and every time he said the same thing over and over again on his returns.
In my opinion Pak Lah’s same remarks about Japan were for the benefit of Malaysians who invariably are forgetful. I would jest that it is also a plus point for Pak Lah for being consistent, a trait past Prime Ministers seemed to lack.
Again what has that to do with the forum’s title about civil servants.
Mr Lim Eng Guan on his part praised the Singapore Civil Service for excellence by giving an example of a Singapore Civil Servant he knew (a generation above him) who kept on studying for examinations while in service. I do not think it is necessary just to pass exam in order to perform one’s work well. This is because repetition and familiarity with one’s works would develop into efficiency. Unless of course there is a new way of doing the same work and in that case a short stint would suffice as an upgrade.
A theory on the art of government in old China says that if the people were busy studying as extolled by Confucius, then they would have little time to plot and overthrow the Emperor. Maybe that is what the whole purpose is.
Thursday
Last night's forum by Tony Pua entitled " Civil Service Excellence...Quality v Quantity" was well attended except that our Malay brothers were noticeably absent.
Again we were speaking to ourselves with only ourselves listening and applauding.Their absence was understandable because of their phobia that they would be bombarded with "you are wrong, you are wrong" rhetorics. As such they would prefer to listen only what their own kind is saying.
As we all know UMNO has successfully institutionalised the concept of Malay Supremacy by unleasing May 13. Given such reality our approach should be more constructivive in substance than just pure criticism and rhetorics. Show them the way in which everyone will benefit in a just Malaysia with no risk of an Iraqi situation evolving.
Choice of words to convey an idea is as important as the idea itself. Take for instance, the forum's title :Civil Service Excellence...Quality versus Quantity. In my view the title is inapproriate. Quantity would conjure up things like "dumping ground", "unemployable graduates" "unproductivity", "clockwatcher" and the like. Since Tony was against the idea of "sacking" the excess 30% Civil Service fat, I think the forum's title should read: Civil Service Excellence...Quality Redeployment.
Long Live Malaysians.
Again we were speaking to ourselves with only ourselves listening and applauding.Their absence was understandable because of their phobia that they would be bombarded with "you are wrong, you are wrong" rhetorics. As such they would prefer to listen only what their own kind is saying.
As we all know UMNO has successfully institutionalised the concept of Malay Supremacy by unleasing May 13. Given such reality our approach should be more constructivive in substance than just pure criticism and rhetorics. Show them the way in which everyone will benefit in a just Malaysia with no risk of an Iraqi situation evolving.
Choice of words to convey an idea is as important as the idea itself. Take for instance, the forum's title :Civil Service Excellence...Quality versus Quantity. In my view the title is inapproriate. Quantity would conjure up things like "dumping ground", "unemployable graduates" "unproductivity", "clockwatcher" and the like. Since Tony was against the idea of "sacking" the excess 30% Civil Service fat, I think the forum's title should read: Civil Service Excellence...Quality Redeployment.
Long Live Malaysians.
Tuesday
Beware of Initiators of Blogs for their Agenda
I am now working on an article featuring on some of Malaysian blog initiators and to warn commentaors to beware of their agenda before falling foul of the law. Special emphasis will be placed on Rocky Blu, Jeff Ooi and of course Tony Pua.
Keep tunning on.
Keep tunning on.
Friday
Right Approach to Iskandar Development Region
IDR--MUCH HYPE TO ATTRACT SINGAPORE INVESTORS UNNECESSARY
If the Iskandar Development Region in Johor is meant for Singapore Investors, then I think the amount of publicity and promotional effort and money going into it will be a waste. There isn’t any need to hype the attractiveness of Johor as an investment haven for Singaporean because traditionally Johor had been an immediate lure to Singapore investors. In the 60s and 70s any successful SME business in Singapore would have a branch in Johor Bahru without publicity and promotion. Then the on-and-off policy shifts that followed forced many Singaporean investors to sell their factories, law offices and accountancy firms cheaply to Malaysians while they packed and went back.
One thing about Singaporean investors is that they never blame their own government for their misjudgment in their investment decision. Be it their condo in JB looted to the brick walls, or losses from their CPF investments in stocks and shares, or the failed ventures in ostrich farming, they took it in their stride as bad investment decisions.
But now we are hearing that a special ministerial committee between Malaysia and Singapore will be formed to oversee the Iskandar Development Region (IDR). What this means is that should there be vagaries in Malaysian policies as what happened before, then the Singapore government would be involved for getting their people’s fingers burnt. It would mean that Singaporean would clamour for their government’s intervention. If the Malaysian side then talk like they did in the “bocor” issue, then the Singapore Government would be forced to act. With so many issues still outstanding between the two countries especially the life-giving waters, Singapore would be tempted to make the “Mersing Line” a reality. (There is a discerning sign that Malaysia would be willing to sell sand to Singapore to make it grow bigger and not to look north for expansion).
Let’s forget the “big talk” and the spending of “big money” for Iskandar Development Region. Just be consistent with our policies and do more than just talk. Deeds speak louder the words.
Simon Wee
If the Iskandar Development Region in Johor is meant for Singapore Investors, then I think the amount of publicity and promotional effort and money going into it will be a waste. There isn’t any need to hype the attractiveness of Johor as an investment haven for Singaporean because traditionally Johor had been an immediate lure to Singapore investors. In the 60s and 70s any successful SME business in Singapore would have a branch in Johor Bahru without publicity and promotion. Then the on-and-off policy shifts that followed forced many Singaporean investors to sell their factories, law offices and accountancy firms cheaply to Malaysians while they packed and went back.
One thing about Singaporean investors is that they never blame their own government for their misjudgment in their investment decision. Be it their condo in JB looted to the brick walls, or losses from their CPF investments in stocks and shares, or the failed ventures in ostrich farming, they took it in their stride as bad investment decisions.
But now we are hearing that a special ministerial committee between Malaysia and Singapore will be formed to oversee the Iskandar Development Region (IDR). What this means is that should there be vagaries in Malaysian policies as what happened before, then the Singapore government would be involved for getting their people’s fingers burnt. It would mean that Singaporean would clamour for their government’s intervention. If the Malaysian side then talk like they did in the “bocor” issue, then the Singapore Government would be forced to act. With so many issues still outstanding between the two countries especially the life-giving waters, Singapore would be tempted to make the “Mersing Line” a reality. (There is a discerning sign that Malaysia would be willing to sell sand to Singapore to make it grow bigger and not to look north for expansion).
Let’s forget the “big talk” and the spending of “big money” for Iskandar Development Region. Just be consistent with our policies and do more than just talk. Deeds speak louder the words.
Simon Wee
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