Silver Linings Among the Dark May 13 Cloud

It is interesting to read Datuk Kamaruddin Mohd’s commentary in the New Straits Times (11/5/2008) on the May 13 riots (www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Sunday/Columns/2236838/Article/index_html.)

It was one of the silver linings among the May13 dark cloud that highlighted the positive sides of the incident.

What Datuk Kamaruddin said was true and at the same what Eric Griffith-Jones said was also true.

It could be because of the expose that “the Malay Regiment rather lost its head” that forced the authorities to be fair.

But one nagging doubt is that why mobilized the Malay Regiment when it was a Malay-Chinese riot where public and world perception and opinions were of significance. If the Malay Regiment had done such good deeds as claimed by the writer, then why it had to be replaced by the Sarawak Rangers? History will tell.

Talking of “silver linings” even the Japanese atrocity during World War 2 was committed during the early part of the occupation. When resistance was muted the Japanese was as benevolent as any occupying force could be to win hearts and minds. People like Loh Boon Siew benefited during the occupation and immediately after the war, shot to Japan to import the 50cc motorbike. The rest is history.

Fiddling While Rome Is Burning

Isn't this photo reminiscent of "Nero fiddling while Rome is burning"?

Malaysia is rotting and wasting to the core and yet these two gentlemen could afford such smiles.

I am sure there are many things need rectifications and fixing. Therefore please be more serious and get cracking before the roofs fall again.

This is a shop selling all the "idolised" Islamic items, the stuff that Muslim religious enforcement officers armed with a police warrant seized from the Moral Uplifting Society in Johor Bahru recently.

Instead of seizing just one item from the Moral Uplifting Society, they would need more than a lorry to carry away all that are in this shop.

If they do it, they are also "nipping the bud" of such a problem if they are really that pious and serious.

This only lift at KL Sentral serving the mass public, perpetually carries this sign giving thousands of the tired workers the chance to exercise after a hard day's work.

Precious water down the drain and the of a piece of newspaper to stop the leakage?

Change For The Worse?

Any one using the Penang Ferry lately would notice new chairs have been provided for waiting passengers.

But these modern chairs are disintegrating.

It is not only the cheap and fragile plastic seats that are coming out, even the weldings were not up to the mark.

The old ones could be unsightly but at least they were reliable and had something firm for the posteriors.

Now the usual questions:...who checked and approved it, who was the contractor, any tender called, and kickbacks involved...etc?

The moral of the story is if change is needed make sure its for the better and not the worse.

Further if change is necessary, make sure the people benefit and not the contractors recommending such lousy facilities and the officials approving them.

Even a kid will know that fragile plastic chairs can only serve the public for a while which means another chunk of taxpayers' money down the drain.