As I said yesterday in my Comments, especially to TIGER’S input, I feel it’s proper to continue the discussion today as several new areas pertaining to PETRONAS were opened up, some as major points, which would be pursued in greater detail today, others in passing, and would be thus passed over as “digressing”, a habit wont of this blogger (a luxury of blogger, he says), and yet others Desiderata would like to ponder over in the longer term as one can’t have too many dishes at one go. I hope Readers would bear with me.
Henceforth I would, with gratitude, start by reprising TIGER’S comments yesterday as IT IS (in situ, the economic term, if I’m not wrong.).
TIGER said:
“People, the PETRONAS substituting for Welfare Dept theory crops up every now and then.
I just want to point out a few things, the most important being that when you read / hear about petrol subsidies in the media, this is how the scheme works:
All fuel retailers in Malaysia (inc. Shell, BP, Esso, Mobil, etc.) sell petrol, diesel and LPG at prices fixed by the Govt, since these products are control items.
However, the price of crude oil is subject to market forces, and as any economics student will tell you, buying raw materials at market price and selling the end product at a fixed lower price is not economically feasible.
This is where the petrol subsidy comes in. All fuel retailers in Malaysia claim a subsidy from the Govt, which is essentially the difference between revenue from petrol / diesel sales and cost of crude oil purchased to produce the amount of petrol / diesel sold.
The subsidies paid by our Govt is not a full reimbursement, but it helps to mitigate losses when crude prices are high. However, as the gap between crude and petrol prices widen, the subsidies claimed by fuel retailers will grow larger.
Thus, at some stage, some of the price gap will be passed down to the consumer.
Points to note:
1) The petroleum refining business has been making losses across the board for the past several years. Refining is the link between crude oil and petrol / diesel. Google it, and read for yourselves.
2) Anyone who thinks PETRONAS should "do more" must firstly find out who bankrolls Tabung Amanah Negara, Syarikat Perumahan Negara, Kuala Lumpur Medical Centre (soon to be opened), TNB and a whole bunch of IPPs (by not collecting monies owing for supply of gas, or selling gas below market price).
3) Anybody else who looks at PETRONAS as some sort of Santa Claus should also ask who kept Proton and Malaysia Airlines alive in the late 90s and in the first couple of years of this millenium; who paid the salaries of all civil servants during the economic drama of 1997-98; and who helped Bank Negara fight currency traders back when the RM went past 4.00 and was about to hit 5.00 per USD.
4) All other doubters should also find out which organisation creates 100,000 jobs outside the petroleum industry, keeps the KLSE afloat when there are signs of "hot money" making moves; and ensures continuous job creation in the industry by obliging other oil companies and their affiliates to engage Malaysian employees and contractors when operating in Malaysia.
Coincidentally, PETRONAS' credit rating is acknowledged by global institutions to be of sovereign status, i.e. Malaysia's credit rating in the eyes of the World Bank depends on how well PETRONAS is doing.
I think PETRONAS has done quite a bit for all Malaysians, and we should all evolve ourselves beyond the stereotyped welfare-case mindset.
cheers" (end of Tiger's comments)
Before I proceed with my initial response, with some diversions to quoting other sources, to ensure a smooth, perhaps, more coordinated, discussion here (at leisure, as I assured dear TIGER yesterday), Desi would like to perform some niceties the Malaysian way, first -- thanking Tiger for finding the time, with his informative input that surely steers the discussion via Desi's Place with some focus. We, especially this Blogger, benefit from several insights into the petroleum industry, and the roles Petronas played /continues to play in certain national businesses.
As a journalist, I always like to treasure such sources (attributable, authoritative .. especially volunteered), I’m sure Tiger will come back to "share" his views again at "leisure" ... after this Post is uploaded.
So, just recalling that Desiderata, in answering the points outlined by TIGER, he follows the spirit of the dictum of VOLTAIRE: “I may disagree with what you say,but I will defend, to the death, your right to say it”; and likewise, he hopes all readers will take part in this discussion in the mutually-accorded spirit.
(1) The refining business is loss-making – this point is noted here. But it does not arise in the context of Petronas reporting consistently high profits the past years.
(2) The role of PETRONAS’ bankrolling the companies cited is something of its own priorities which Desiderata questions, mainly because it appears to be selective in bankrolling certain entities some of which do not flow their benefits down to the ordinary Rakyat. I here stress this is my own opinion, but I assume the National Oil Corporation has then to educate the people on why it has taken on this role as a “national” priority.
(3) PROTON and MALAYSIA AIRLINES (MAS) are two highly capitalised Public-Listed Companies. Notwithstanding there are two national corporate ICONS responsible for creating employment to thousands of Malaysians, has Petronas been “prudent” in bankrolling the “business misdadventures” under some highly questionable “CEO-cum-managers” in these two PLCs in the first place, not just over a short period, but over a decade? Have the misdemeaning or non-performing corporates involved been asked to give a proper accounting to justify Petronas’ bankrolling? The 1997/98’s salaries of government servants being paid for by PETRONAS – that’s something new as far as Desi is concerned. If you (Tiger) say that Petronas contributed partially by forward-lending to the Treasury in the case of cash-flow problems at a certain period, I can accept that; but if the contributions were in the taxes paid arising from corporate earnings, that’s a provision every corporate body is governed by – same rules apply, whether listed or unlisted entities.
(4) Job and wealth creation are accepted national services, but as a national trust company looking after the country’s main and depleting natural resource, isn’t that to be expected? Yes, the ordinary workers employed by Petronas share in the good salaries, annual bonus and whatever benefits due, but here I’m more concerned with the benefits that accrue to the ordinary people – the hawkers, the farmers, the small-and-medium entrepreneurs, remember?
I salute the achievemnets attained by our national oil corporation. Desi does not question it has performed creditably, even outstandingly in recent years, as you did cite the ratings given by international agencies and well-regarded bodies.
I only partially agree with the concluding paragragh about the stereo-typical “welfare-case mindset” as Tiger puts it, which may also lump together my PROPOSAL FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A PETRONAS FOUNDATION? But this point should be equally noted by fellow Malaysians along the same line that the Prime Minister wishes to wean us from the dependency culture. BUT Desi has proposed the PETRONAS FOUNDATION to genuinely help the very poor and disadvantaged Rakyat in the country. The rationale is that THOSE IN NEED MOST MUST BE GIVEN THE MAXIMUM HELP, and PETRONAS can’t escape from the fact it holds the country’s resource on trust for the Rakyat.
PETRONAS' GOLDEN PERFMANCE FOR LAST FINANCIAL YEAR
On Friday, July 1, 2005 Desiderata had posted on “Stay tuned …”, viz:
Petronas posts record earnings
RM35.5b net profit is highest in 30-year history
This news headline on page 1 of TheEdge FinancialDaily today greeted me this morning, but do I rejoice?
No, not as an ordinary Malaysian citizen, for through the years I did not see any benefit flowing to us the Rakyat. The government tells me every time there is a petrol price hike that it’s because of increasing subsidies. I don’t buy that.
I ask: why can’t Petronas share some of the yearly increasing profits with the ordinary Malaysians.
I guess the directors, top managers and shareholders of the NATIONAL OIL CORPORATION are all laughing their way to the bank this morning. And every time there is an international oil price rise, the oil pump price also is raised, causing another round of inflation.
By right, Malaysians should enjoy a decrease in pump rises with every increase in world oil prices because out nation’s crude exports are of superior quality. And hence command premism prices. Can Petronas please explain this?
Is that what a corporation, holding the nation’s top natural resource on trust of the people, all about, they enjoying the perks and privileges off a nation's wealth, but foregetting the ordinary man-in-the-strreet? Do you think you earn goodwill by putting up feel-ggod messages over TV come every Malaysian festive season? I doubt it, I very much doubt it, I certainly doubt it!
Let’s look at the key, relevant points of the news report, from theSun business supplement:
PETROLEUM Nasional Bhd (Petronas) group posted its highest earnings in its 30-year history with a net profit of RM35.5billion , wich would provide it with funds to undertake capital expenditure of RM17.35billion for the current financial year, according to Petronas president and CEO Tan Sri Mohd Hassan Merican.
Announcing the corporation’s latest results, he said for financial year ended March 31, 2005, Petronas’ net profit was 50.3 percent higher than the RM23.66billion in FYE March 31, 2004.”
Desiderata then suggested that that every citizen should have been given a dividend in the form of any annual “red packet” – maybe RM1,000 to RM2,000 for those in the income bracket of monthly salary of RM2,000 and below, with increasing quantum from the highest of RM2,000 on a declining trend so that the truly “needy” Malaysians get a taste of Malaysia’s sweet oil? (end July 1 post)
Strolling to BrandNewMalaysia weblog testerday, I here summarize a relevant comment (thanking Ismail, whom I could not reach at the email provided kindly by Mack Zulkifli…) some key points commented on by a reader named Ismail to Mack’s post titled Readers’ Point of View dated 3 August 2005:
To Ismail I record my gratitude here for sharing some insights into the quality of fuel that Malaysians get, as opposed to fuel quality regionally. He wrote that “Actually the price comparison between Malaysia and other ASEAN countries are misleading. The quality of petrol & diesel that we are having in Malaysia are of different contents than in Thailand, Singapore & Indonesia. Malaysia is importing oil from other countries, our oil is of good quality & being processed & exported to others.”
Basically, the premise cited is that Malaysians are consuming petrol that has many times higher sulphur contents, hence of lower quality and also lower priced; compared with that in Thailand & Singapore. This is one of reasons why we find diesel vehicles in our roads are emitting more black smokes that old busses in our neighbouring countries.
"How can we compare our price with other countries that have higher quality of diesel & petrol?” Ismail asked.
Mack concluded that it was: “Something to ponder about, in my opinion.”
DESIDERATA: So, going by Ismail’s information, Desiderata has indeed argued at a different forum before that every time there is an oil price increase, by right the pump prices in Malaysia should move in the opposite direction, that is, go down.
The gist of my argument follows: When the world oil price goes up by X USD (per barrel basis used here throughout), Malaysia’s oil export goes up by Y USD, where Y is bigger than X, as Malaysia’s “sweet” oils command a premium over the imported oil.
So each time, Malaysia would be a NET BENEFICIARY from the same amount of oil used within the country should there be an increase in intionational oil price.
The people’s problem is that the increased revenue is channeled via PETRONAS, not directly to the nation’s Treasury; even then, everything remaining equal, the corporate taxes due to a higher oil price should translate into higher revenues to the Government.
“Everything being equal” refers just to the association with just one factor – that is, THE OIL PRICE INCREASE IN THE WORLD MARKET. No other factor comes into the equation as far as JoePublic is concerned. Tiger may avow this is simplistic, but Desi premised his argument precisely on this one factor alone. If any other party wishes to introduce other factors, then I surrender my case, and admit my argument then fails.
I won’t bore my Readers with a winding wrap-up because there is essentially an issue with no conclusive wrap-up. This issue concerns all of us, we are affected to differing degrees every time the pump prices are adjusted upwards.
Dear fRiends, just recall there have been occcasions in the past when the world oil prices fell, some times substantially, have you tasted any price reduction at the “sweet” pump? I stand corrected on this claim, for memory recall can be hazardous, as much as the “dirtier petrol fumes” emitted by the vehicles on the Malaysian highways than those in Thailand and Singapore. Don’t believe me, ask Sdr Ismail, who I hope will oblige by getting in touch, tahnking you in advancel: (Should you be reading this, Ismail, please do get in touch with Desi at chongyl2000@yahoo.com;)
12 comments:
Let me start the ball rolling.
No doubt PETRONAS plays a vital role in the whole economy but not publishing accounts in greater detail as the public may not understand the financial statements is a puerile argument.
First of all, the ordinary man in the street may not be bothered but we do have financial analysts and accountants who can give an evaluation of their performance.
Bailing out national companies like MAS is questionable but may be necessary. But buying back shares from individuals at exorbitant prices, way above market, is not excusable.
Keeping errant IPPs solvent should not be in its schedule of activities. Let TNB or other profitable IPP like YTLP take over.
The other thing is the use of the executive jet. It is an expensive piece of equipment to operate and maintain, based on flying hours.
Why does PETRONAS have to jet the former PM for his holidays when it would be much more economical to fly business class.
Congrats Desi on this initiative. Maybe we could get Jeff to start a series on Blog Topic for the month and all Malaysian bloggers can cover that particular subject?
I'm not doubting the points raised by Tiger in his earlier comment, I think I should say this at the outset. However, whatever Tiger says Petronas has been doing is, if these actions represent a part of its national service to the country, be made more transparent.
I think that's the purpose for and the rationale behind calling for a Petronas foundation. As it is, we have no rationale for opaque bail-outs, we have no reasons offered for propping up failing IPPs and we have no transparency with respect to how the nation's resources are being channeled back to the people.
Saying, I think, that Petronas contributes to job creation is all well and good, but I'd like more concrete figures about this before I accede that the money spent is practical and proportionate to the benefit all levels of the rakyat.
I suppose Tiger's comments may have been sparked from the inherent implication that the institution of a Petronas Foundation with its raison d'etre being the support of the poor and very poor in aspects of their lives would seem to be based on, in the larger context, social-welfare models popularized in Europe and elsewhere.
I share and understand his concern, because setting up such a foundation for the sole purpose of helping the unfortunate would beg the question: who are these unfortunates? And how do we categorize and identify the people who do need the aid the said Foundation is set up to give? To imagine a system where people can be identified as needing aid is a short step from tumbling down a very slippery slope.
Just updating with comments at 4.10pm:
hj angus:
Points about Petronas' bailout, of MAS and IPPs, and esp of individuals, definitely raise the bloodpressure of common citizens, inclduing this writer.
If the RMbillions used to bailout MAS and others were to sponsor our talented YoungMalaysians for studies abraod, we would not have the sad episodes of performers begging for financial assistance to further their tertiary studies; or for Govt to recruit so many expatriate doctors, scientists, etc., and the science and technology ministers don't have to go abraod on annual missions to scout for Malaysians already PR in foreign countries to "return home" to serve dear Malaysia.
xpyre:
Just 2 points, qute related:-
(1)on xpyre's concern on "identification of the 'unfortunates' and 'poor" and 'under-privileged' and such likes .." and potentially "tumbling down the slippery slope", Desi's stance is that the Govt already has developed criteria and parameters to identify Malaysians who fall under "Hardcore" poor" and those who live below the 'poverty line' -- to deserve financial assistance. This Govt's measure is to be applauded -- and such would form the bases for moving foward Petronas Foudation's programmes so that the ppl can really see (Transparency here) Maximum aid going to those in greatest NEED.
No Malaysian would deny it's the RIGHT THING TO DO, a policy based on NEEDS, NOT race, not creed, not gender ...NOT POLITICAL OR CORPORATE CONNECTIONS. We have witnessed the scandals so well exposed in the recent AP saga, and not so recent, but annually recurring, federal scholarships for teriary studies not arriving at clearly deserving hands...
(2)So what this proposed foundation resembles Welfare-based initiatives in practice in Europe -- if the nation's resources are not squandered, the citizens shoudl welcome some direct receipt of "gifts"-haring of the country's God-given resources like petroleum and forestry, instead of seeing some BILLIONAIRES robbuing te people dry and stashing the illgotten rcihes overseas, directly contributing to economic stagnation, or worse. (Hey, how do you explain a state Chief Minister, having just served TWO years, being caught in a position to lose MILLIONS at the Casinos royale overseas? I'm shaking my little head as I write this within parenthesis...for rumination, and for the record)
Dear readers, I'd leave other points, well put I say, by Xpyre, more in TIGER's court ... desi and other readers, I'm sure, are waiting anxiously here to hear from the RoaringOne who substantially focuses and extends this "discussion"...at leisure, and not too serious I believe, TIGER?
Desi
Maybe that is the excuse they give to enjoy some free vacation in nice places.
It was reported in the Star(read my blog) that NRD wants to go overseas to give out the Mykad.
Good point on those students who are overlooked/ignored and end up in sunny Singapore.
Olivia Lum of Hyflux is a case in point.
Hello hello hello. I hope everyone is keeping well today.
Upfront, I would like to re-address the item on public disclosure of financial statements.
Public-listed companies only disclose their financial statements because it is required by law. Sdn Bhd companies only submit their financial statements to the CCM because the law doesn't require public disclosure. To digress a little bit, companies that receive APs tend to be Sdn Bhds.
The bottom line is, all companies will only do what is required of them, as specified by the law of the land. This is fact, and even companies that carry out philanthropic activities (as opposed to philandering activities like Osu) do so because the prevailing tax laws create incentives for philanthropy. Mind you, Bill Gates does his philanthropy for the same reason - don't be flustered by the numbers or quantum.
Back to the idea of a welfare foundation, as proposed by Desiderata.
Lessons learnt in Australia, Europe and North America provide solid evidence that a welfare system based on cash hand-outs or similar offerings is not economically sustainable in the long run. In Scandinavia, where there is a very comfortable welfare system in place and being entirely funded by Govt, the cost of sustaining the system is such that the cost of living in Denmark, Sweden and Norway is very very high. Since the 1990s, frequent cutbacks have been made in Sweden ue to the unsustainable nature of its social welfare system. The idea of a commercial enterprise funding a nation's welfare system is, on that basis, out of the question.
I sense a fair number of closet socialists in our midst who will not give up on this matter though.
Desiderata is not the first person to pick on PETRONAS to play a Santa Claus role, nor will he be the last. Even the annual PWTC crowd (you know who I mean) have picked on PETRONAS in the past. One speaker back in 1996 even suggested that PETRONAS license one petrol station to each division for them to operate. We had a good laugh. Fast forward 9 years, and another tool suggests that MITI hands out 2 APs to each division. Moral of the story? People hardly ever change. :P
Bailing out other GLCs? I like to use the analogy of the family with many kids to describe my stand on this. In such a family, where there are many siblings who are not equally succesful, when the parent(s) say to the eldest child, "why don't you help your brother / sister a little bit, just until he / she finds a new job?", what loving child will not obey? Especially when the child is perceived to be wealthy enough to help out.
It is common knowledge that PETRONAS is owned by the Govt of Malaysia. Not through Khazanah Nasional, but directly through the Ministry of Finance, Inc. So many people seem to miss the implication of this ownership structure though. Being owned by the Govt means that the company does as it is instructed by its owners. This principle applies in the same way for public-listed companies, notwithstanding the fact that most PLCs in Malaysia happen to have their chairman as the biggest single shareholder.
Back to the cash hand-outs for the very needy. Xpyre makes a very good point on this, how does one identify the truly needy? Using the poverty level would be a good start.
The 8th Malaysia Plan defines the poverty line as RM540 for a family of five. According to the same document, 5% of households in Malaysia falls under this line. Thus, would such a coverage be sufficient to appease our closet socialist friends?
What of households with monthly income of between RM 501 - RM 1,000? These households do not fall below the poverty line, but they make up 20% of total Malaysian households. Shall we include them as beneficiaries of some welfare foundation, on "humanitarian" grounds? Perhaps we can re-define the poverty line, and call it "The PETRONAS / Santa Claus Poverty Line"?
The point I wish to make at this stage is that even though philanthropy is very much a commendable act, we should not simply condone a welfare-case mindset in any form, even if we mean well.
To provide an example, a few years back PETRONAS carried out an upgrade of all its desktop PCs across the board. Each old PC was cleaned (outside and inside), hard drive re-formatted and installed with basic software. The old PCs were then given away to primary schools in the Peninsular in order for these schools to teach IT literacy to primary school children. A lot of schools (urban and rural) took up these PCs. A few months down the road, and a number of these schools wrote back asking PETRONAS to supply them with software / hardware upgrades, printers, scanners, toner, etc. in the same way it did with the PCs, i.e. free hand-out. The moral of the story? When you behave like Santa Claus, people want it to be xmas every week.
So how?
PETRONAS has been called upon to act as hero / saviour / financier / Santa Claus so often; and it has obliged so often (not always in public), that a lot of people have come to bear unrealistic expectations.
We each have our ideals, and everyone's ideals ought to be respected, but as is the way of the world, not everyone can get what they want all the time. Deal with it.
Peace and goodwill to all.
Cheers
A separate note to HJ Angus:
IPPs and TNB do not become "errant" just because they don't pay their bills or cannot afford to pay market price. If PETRONAS were to make TNB and the IPPs pay market price for gas, or collect outstanding debts, the additional cost will be passed down to the consumer. In a way, PETRONAS is continuosly saving the backside of every Malaysian who pays for their electricity.
Hi Tiger -- Thanks, thanks, thanks for obliging and your time, most precious of all, your thoughts, highly respected here.
In no way do I subscribe to the "santa Claus" custom to meet the challenge of eradication of society's ills, in particular this social problem of porverty.
The proposed Annual Dividned envisaged will replace the present Subsidies (not to be raised, maybe phased out) so that the PETRONAS FOUNDATION really addresses the problem of MEETING NEEDS. The loudly expressed lament I have seen at various forums (ie. surfing Blogs and other media channels, including political) is that the greatest end-users of petrol and diesel are the corporates and business sectors, which translates into very minimal benefits through such subsidies flowing to the ordinary consumers, including the farmers,drivers, petty traders, struggling SME operators.
And the methodolgy braodly defined in my original article does spell on a "declining scale" of dividend (or bonus) payments as the recipients ascend the "riches/affluence" ladder -- and one does not have a choice but to accept whatever data bases or criteria that presently are in place as staring points.
The apprehension that such a scheme would be subject to leakages, or even abuse, shou;d not be an impediment to implement what inprinciple is a good and CARING system, even if TIGER would want to label proponents like me as "closet socialists" ;),I deem it an honour with the second moniker, but not the first qualifier. "Closet" is too easily associated with another less respectable bent of a sexual nature, which I'm not evenly by a million light years distantly inclined.
If Tiger's handle implies thoese "socialists" are committed to reform in society, and therefore they are capable of advancing a social good, I conisder it a badge of honour.
Minus any hints of, and devoid of, private, personal interests.
Most of my circle of fRiends are in the middle class -- can afford decent housing, have a car or2, go for occasional holidays, including a foreign detour in a package tour once in 2-3 years. None, I'm glad to report,falls within the poverty groups -- so I am NOT advancing self= or associated self-interests here, or playing Christmas Father to any of them, and to my knwledge, none of them are even applicants of APs either.
Tiger: your points on the Sdn Bhd firms, and the Welfarism systems prevailing in European or other "western-oriented" countries are noted; I won't enter into any discourse n their merits-demerits here as the core issue here revolves NOT on a national social system, but what a national oil corporation is expected to to do to fulfill its socialcum corporate duties as a RESPONSIBLE, AFFLUENT, BUSINESS ENTITY, with some "socialist" duties incumbent onit. Petroleum is our nation's natural resource, I stress, and is not the domain of the CEO, top or other management staff, or its shareholders only."FEEL GOOD" messages at Depavali, CNY or Hari Raya do not assuage some hunger pains out inte boondocks or Jinjany village, or Rantau kampong .. we still have 1950s-era "idyllic" homesteads (I deliberately use this term just to give their humble lodgings some social status) in rural Sabah and Sarawak, remember, even Terengganu, perhaps Kelantan? Yes -- I have visited all except te third named state ... I don't think I create fiction here.
Thanks again, Tiger, for your time, contributing timely enlightenment, at "leisure, I mean.;)Two salutes == one for yesterday, and the other for Today.
Maybe Xpyre, H J Angus, Mitochindria, Nilesh (where art thou?) -- or any other esteemed Reader listening in -- pass the baton to thee. WELcome thee with a "cyber" teh tarik!;), well, maybe with a Santa Claus hug to guests like Imran;) From a Distance!;).
I don't believe anyone here wants the "welfare state" model that Tiger mentions.
Of course most companies like PETRONAS do not want their financials to be public knowledge and most of their top management would also not like the public to know the perks they enjoy.
That is only natural - just look at the problems disclosure of APs have raised.
To me, the AP problem only proves we should have more transparency in government and GLCs.
Since PETRONAS is under the MoF, we should look to the Auditor-General's Reports.
H J Angus:
You know wat -- I'm in a happy note with what Samy V said as reported in theSUN today, page 6, so I may endear myself to him by wirting him as nore of Syabas, adding a
PS: Please under the 9th Malaysian Pllan, propose for ALL MINISTRIES to be HOUSED IN GLASS BUILDINGS -- then we have MORE&GREATER TRANSPARENCY -- maybe entertain one EXCEPTION, the one for PDRM -- we don't want to expose our YOUNGOnes to "agents" at work!
Zaira: all the wy from the US -- and jus you with a one-liner!
Anyway, WElcome, do Visit again;) -- just a rhetorical Q -- art thou Malaysian?
Hello Desi,
Sorry if I was MIA. Some interesting points were raised here. It's good to see that we have a serious discussion going on.
But the skeptic in me remains unappeased. We have so many brilliant minds in our midst, but sadly none of our suggestions will ever be noticed, not with the current 'tidak-apa' and 'semuanya-OK' people in the government.
So what are we to do? We can only chug along trying to educate the YoungOnes and IgnorantCows to wake up and take control of their future. We have the responsibilty of educating them and ensure that the same mistakes are not repeated.
If not come Merdeka Month, all those advertisements will not mean anything, and the rakyat will still be weary in dreary ol' Malaysia.
Hi Imran:
Your MIA is for a GOod cause, I know, you were trying to track down my LapDog who went AWOL! Right -- it doesn't matter as I told kyels earlier, we may lose our Material goods, BUT let's treasure the Good in humans, our fRiendship, Care and cConcern for fellow Malaysians.
So don't sound too "defeatist" -- I like your note that we must try to guide these IgnorantCows and YoungOnes --I've exchanged views with some -- they raise HOPE in me there will come a day --Malaysia will mature across boundaries of race, gender and creed.
We must never give up, however dark the clouds on te horizon, right!
Come this Merdeka Day, I hope we ll share some thoughtful messages here -- well, those PR-messages sponsored by Petronas, MAXIS, etc can continue -- but we need more transparent, concrete and direct intervention programmes, not just "Feel Good" visuals and decibels.
Hey,brudder Im, you have not given me a commitment of a piece on the MERDEKA CHALLENGE! And this is NOT a rhetorical challenge -- it needs a response. Not too short, like first-timer "Zaira" from the US!
And don't do another MIA! mama-mia, on me!!!
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