PM8: Two foreign eyes peeking at NegaraKu

This is a special edition of PRIME MONITOR, placing on record two important articles run by the foreign press which Desiderata would like some lazy-bummers to catch-UP on in case you miss'd the nu'es amidst the public-speaking, posturing, political-prosti... Ooops! public-relationing going on the PWTC Stage.
With Oz blokes, it's easy mate-ing because I Emailed Mike notifyiong that his pece was well circulated and discussed in Malaysian blogosphere yesterday, and less than 24 he fair-dinkumly replied. Wow, I presume he has been Emailing some 100-plus responses to readers who fed-back him. I said "Thanks, offered him a tehtarik + Miss Sunthi", now I give a pat on the back, man!:)


PMi:


While Malaysia fiddles, its opportunities are running dry

Michael Backman, of The Age (Web Edition)
November 15, 2006


MALAYSIA'S been at it again, arguing about what proportion of the economy each of its two main races — the Malays and the Chinese — owns. It's an argument that's been running for 40 years. That wealth and race are not synonymous is important for national cohesion, but really it's time Malaysia grew up.

It's a tough world out there and there can be little sympathy for a country that prefers to argue about how to divide wealth rather than get on with the job of creating it.

The long-held aim is for 30 per cent of corporate equity to be in Malay hands, but the figure that the Government uses to justify handing over huge swathes of public companies to Malays but not to other races is absurd. It bases its figure on equity valued, not at market value, but at par value.

Many shares have a par value of say $1 but a market value of $12. And so the Government figure (18.9 per cent is the most recent figure) is a gross underestimate. Last month a paper by a researcher at a local think-tank came up with a figure of 45 per cent based on actual stock prices. All hell broke loose. The paper was withdrawn and the researcher resigned in protest. Part of the problem is that he is Chinese.

"Malaysia boleh!" is Malaysia's national catch cry. It translates to "Malaysia can!" and Malaysia certainly can. Few countries are as good at wasting money. It is richly endowed with natural resources and the national obsession seems to be to extract these, sell them off and then collectively spray the proceeds up against the wall.

This all happens in the context of Malaysia's grossly inflated sense of its place in the world.

Most Malaysians are convinced that the eyes of the world are on their country and that their leaders are world figures. This is thanks to Malaysia's tame media and the bravado of former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad. The truth is, few people on the streets of London or New York could point to Malaysia on a map much less name its prime minister or capital city.

As if to make this point, a recent episode of The Simpsons features a newsreader trying to announce that a tidal wave had hit some place called Kuala Lumpur. He couldn't pronounce the city's name and so made up one, as if no-one cared anyway. But the joke was on the script writers — Kuala Lumpur is inland.

Petronas, the national oil company is well run, particularly when compared to the disaster that passes for a national oil company in neighbouring Indonesia. But in some respects, this is Malaysia's problem. The very success of Petronas means that it is used to underwrite all manner of excess.

The KLCC development in central Kuala Lumpur is an example. It includes the Twin Towers, the tallest buildings in the world when they were built, which was their point.

It certainly wasn't that there was an office shortage in Kuala Lumpur — there wasn't.

Malaysians are very proud of these towers. Goodness knows why. They had little to do with them. The money for them came out of the ground and the engineering was contracted out to South Korean companies.

They don't even run the shopping centre that's beneath them. That's handled by Australia's Westfield.

Next year, a Malaysian astronaut will go into space aboard a Russian rocket — the first Malay in space. And the cost? $RM95 million ($A34.3 million), to be footed by Malaysian taxpayers. The Science and Technology Minister has said that a moon landing in 2020 is the next target, aboard a US flight. There's no indication of what the Americans will charge for this, assuming there's even a chance that they will consider it. But what is Malaysia getting by using the space programs of others as a taxi service? There are no obvious technical benefits, but no doubt Malaysians will be told once again, that they are "boleh". The trouble is, they're not. It's not their space program.

Back in July, the Government announced that it would spend $RM490 million on a sports complex near the London Olympics site so that Malaysian athletes can train there and "get used to cold weather".

But the summer Olympics are held in the summer.

So what is the complex's real purpose? The dozens of goodwill missions by ministers and bureaucrats to London to check on the centre's construction and then on the athletes while they train might provide a clue.

Bank bale outs, a formula one racing track, an entire new capital city — Petronas has paid for them all. It's been an orgy of nonsense that Malaysia can ill afford.

Why? Because Malaysia's oil will run out in about 19 years. As it is, Malaysia will become a net oil importer in 2011 — that's just five years away.

So it's in this context that the latest debate about race and wealth is so sad.

It is time to move on, time to prepare the economy for life after oil. But, like Nero fiddling while Rome burned, the Malaysian Government is more interested in stunts like sending a Malaysian into space when Malaysia's inadequate schools could have done with the cash, and arguing about wealth distribution using transparently ridiculous statistics.

That's not Malaysia "boleh", that's Malaysia "bodoh" (stupid).


email: michaelbackman@yahoo.com

DESI: The emphasis (THUS BOLDED, normal or italicised) is Desi's.

I welcome my EsteemeReaders to Comment and where relevant, this hoRst will UPDATE later with his own asides. Variety is the spice of life, especially when the spices are imported.


PMii:




Malaysia's leader warns of religious and ethnic tensions

By Thomas Fuller, International Herald Tribune (Web Edition)
November 15, 2006


Malaysia's prime minister, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, said Wednesday that frayed relations between the country's religious and racial groups had reached a "worrying" level and warned that the government would not hesitate to crack down to preserve peace between them.

"Freedom has its limits," Abdullah said in a nationally televised speech to his party that serves as an annual state of the union address for the country. "I would like to warn those who abuse this freedom that I will not for a moment hesitate to use the law against them."

Abdullah's threats were a marked shift in tone for a prime minister who previously portrayed himself as more conciliatory and compassionate than his predecessor, Mahathir bin Mohamad.

At a time of both political and ethnic tensions, a number of recent incidents and court cases have soured relations between Malay Muslims and the rest of the country's 25 million population: Christians, Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs and others.


The head of a Christian evangelical group said in an interview Wednesday that tensions between communities were higher than at any time in recent decades.

"I think generally there is a feeling by Muslims of being under siege by Western civilization as well as people of other faiths - they feel that they are being cornered," said the Christian leader, Wong Kim Kong, secretary general of the National Evangelical Christian Fellowship in Malaysia.

"Political tension, religious tension and racial tension have culminated at the same time."

With such a diverse population Malaysia has long been seen as a barometer of racial relations in multiethnic Southeast Asia. One particularly contentious case involves an appeal to Malaysia's highest court by a Malay Muslim woman, Lina Joy, who converted to Christianity but has been banned from officially changing her religion on her identity card.

But the broader context of Abdullah's warning is economic and political, analysts say. The Malay Muslim majority is under pressure to scale back economic privileges they enjoy under an affirmative action program introduced more than three decades ago to dilute Chinese control over the economy.

Malaysians are locked in a divisive debate over the fate of the program following a recent report that said Malays had surpassed their ownership target of 30 percent of companies in the country. On Wednesday, Abdullah said the report was "grossly incorrect" and sought to end the discussion by warning that failure to trust the government's calculations, which show much lower ownership levels, would be the "same as accusing the government of lying."

Opposition leaders say Abdullah is using national security as a pretext to quash debate on the issue.

"More and more issues are being categorized as sensitive and now there's this threat of an iron fist," Lim Kit Siang, the leader of the opposition, in an interview. "There should be room for rational discussions."

Lim also accused members of Abdullah's party, the United Malays National Organization, of hypocrisy on the question of race relations.

"They are telling people not to play the race card while they are playing it to the hilt," Lim said.

Members of Abdullah's party have been particularly strident and explicit in their criticism of Chinese and Indian parties, with whom they share a coalition, at the party's general assembly, which is being held this week.

One party member, Ramli Simbok, was quoted in the local press as having said, "When we, the Malays, are weak, the Chinese will take advantage."

Another party member, Azimi Daim, warned Chinese and Indians to stop questioning the special rights of Malays.

"When tension rises, the blood of Malay warriors will run in our veins," Azimi said.

The prime minister has been under attack from Mahathir, his predecessor, over many issues ranging from management of the economy to corruption and nepotism within government.

Even though Mahathir was not present - he suffered a minor heart attack last week and is resting on doctor's orders - analysts said his presence could be detected in Abdullah's often defensive tone.

"Internally they are being assaulted by their former president. This has weakened the party," said Hishamuddin Rais, a political columnist for several Web sites. Mahathir was party president and prime minister from 1981 until 2003, when Abdullah succeeded him.


(Page 2 of 2)

Abdullah's party "in a time of internal crisis is always looking out for foreign enemies," Hishamuddin said.

In his speech Abdullah responded to much of Mahathir's recent criticism.

He said he was aware that economic sentiment was soft but said reining in government spending had been necessary to reduce the budget deficit from 5.3 percent of gross domestic product in 2003 to 3.5 percent today.

"We are now in a better position to spend," he said.

In response to accusations that Abdullah had lowered the country's profile compared to Mahathir, whose acerbic often anti-Western comments kept the country in the news, Abdullah said he preferred "artful diplomacy."


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

UPDATEd @2.40PM:

Sighted on page 4 of TheSun, our PM has a response to Fuller's~~


PM: Observe
groung rules
in race
relations

PRIME Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah
Ahmad Badawi says the various races
must avoid testing one another's level of
tolerance in the interest of national unity.

He said this in denying an International
Herald Tribune report yesterday that race
relations in Malaysia are at a "worrying
level".

"We need to observe certain ground
rules where relations among the races are
concerned," Abdullah said at a press con-
ference.

He was asked if the tension is due to
the public debate on racial issues that had
emerged recently as a result of the greater
openness allowed by the goevrnment.

His response was that he was uncertain
that it was the result of the greater
freedom given but he was aware that
some people are abusing the wider space
that he has given for discussion and
democratic discourse.

:
:
:

Desi's short aside: Pak Lah, for a start, can you buy a "small"
mirror as a memento to all UMNO delegates at the next UMNO GA
~~ a bigger one for the UMNO YOuth and Putera fellas? No, buy them now and make one more UMNOputra contractor AP manufacturing these Hi-Tech Mirror, Mirro on Da PWTC Wall! Over the next 12 months, we don't want a local war to be started among the three Youth wings in the BN -- UMNO, MCA and MIC. Ooops, one more, Gerakan!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



DESI: Just a one-liner observation at this stage, that I prefer the first quoted foreign pair of eyes looking in at NegaraKu, as on first reading, the wirting strikes a sympathetic (or is the better word empathetic?) chord in Desi's heartstrings compared with the latter's of Fuller's. Maybe I read the latter on an empty stomach, :) and for Heaven's sake, the lust is just usual Desi's TEAsing, Tea Sir, Tom!



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

UPDATEd Nov 18, 2006@12.02PM:

I thank all Commenters for their INPUTS. The main purpose of Desi doing the Prime Monitors is to enable my EsteemedReaders -- mostly also Bloggers in their own write! -- to postulate their arguments uninflunced by this blardy hoRst who sometimes suffersfrom a senSE of self-importance -- that he can seek his 20million gaol!

Whispers to mGf (Whoever you are and wherever you may be, fingered or toe-ed (NOT toadied!): Truth be told, I jest want 3/4-day off from Blog writHing!:)


Comments follow, succeeded by Desis 3sen-lahLOL:

"Desi,

I have read both the articles a couple of days back. It is true of what both of the foriegn writers wrote, with much sacarsm and truth.

However, in the IHT about Azimi Daim saying about Malay warrior? I thought through the recent historical findings, the Malay warriors of Malacca were myths created by the Malays themselves which in reality are Chinese warriors following the entourage of Hang Li Po?

Anyways, from these two articles, the whole world would know how Malaysian operate and administrate their country. Through threats of violence, bigotry and unfair play.

By Dangerous Variable, at 2:22 PM


DESI:

Dangerous V, when these leades are so thick-headed, (I wanted to use pig-......, but that'd demean mGf in By George, All's Wella's Pharm!:(I wonder how much the sarcasm bites?

Desi could feel many Fellow Malaysians nodding their heads when reading Fuller's and Backman's pieces. It's a peAce to Awe, rite!

Give me straight talking fair dimkum Oz talk anytime, as opposed to one Paddy Bowie's oil-enrich'd toddyism (Howsy, is this sperring right?) so here's to thee Mike, "Tehtarik + Miss Sunthi", agAin, Mike matey, a Pat on the back, Man!
~~~~~~~~~~~

"Empathy or no empathy, both articles reflected the thoughts of their respective writers. Seeing through the eyes of a foreigner, I daresay they see better than the ppl running the country. Maybe there is some truth in the claim if you stand too close, you cannot see the whole picture. But in our case, I believe people in high places chose not to see the whole picture.

Resources run dry? WHy should the 'selected' rich and elite care? These people are well prepared and with investment in other countries and easy PR, they pretty much secured enough to last through their next few generations should one day bolehland is reduced to waste.

In the interest of this country's well-being, I seriously hope the rakyat of all races open their eyes and know who is friend and who is foe.

I remembered an old story

A bird was heading South when the air became too cold to bear. The little bird fell to the ground, frozen. Waiting for its inevitable end, a cow came and unknowingly shit on the bird. The warmth of the dung revived the bird. The bird woke up and happy to be alive, started chirping loudly. A cat heard its chirp and came to claw away the dung. Uncovered the bird and ate it for lunch.

See, people who shit on you may not be your foe and people who offer a hand may not be your friend.

By Helen, at 2:48 PM

DESI:

Helen, I believe this is well observed, that "But in our case, I believe people in high places chose not to see the whole picture."

It's the culture of daylight robbery -- Dr Mahathir's terms are Rent Collectors with Crutch Dependentcy; Mave's is more succinct: Oligarchy, and Desi's more flowery? ~~ The leaders Zzzzzzzzzzzzzz w'ile the cities burn and the RTElm Orchestra plays "God save our souls".

Helen: Thanks for your Fable, I think that saves Desi's Interlude half-time.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"What Michael or Thomas said are common knowledge, but it is the papers and their readership they write for, The Age and IHT, that make all the difference, and now open our eyes wider.

My guess is that it is those western readers or readers beyond our regional shore THAT REALLY MATTER to some Malaysians and their leaders who since long past have ever been trying to impress with matters, often of misplaced importance, such as elitism of a particular race or culture or religion, infrastructure, and a fleeting list of world’s “number one hits” which they deem vital to their face or pride, even though these are generally considered wasteful in view of many other priorities.

This explains the logic behind the building of the Twin Towers whose height is now overtaken by others; one can now imagine the price to pay for a foolish moment of pride. A bridge too could be included had it not been stopped in time.

Michael Backman hits the nail on its head when he writes …""Malaysia boleh!" is Malaysia's national catch cry. It translates to "Malaysia can!" and Malaysia certainly can. Few countries are as good at wasting money. It is richly endowed with natural resources and the national obsession seems to be to extract these, sell them off and then collectively spray the proceeds up against the wall."

"This all happens in the context of Malaysia's grossly inflated sense of its place in the world."

"Most Malaysians are convinced that the eyes of the world are on their country and that their leaders are world figures. This is thanks to Malaysia's tame media and the bravado of former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad. The truth is, few people on the streets of London or New York could point to Malaysia on a map much less name its prime minister or capital city.”

Thomas Fuller was echoing the local reports, but a timely reminder of shameful arrogance displayed by some 'leaders' was borne beyond local boundary, when he wrote..."One party member, Ramli Simbok, was quoted in the local press as having said, "When we, the Malays, are weak, the Chinese will take advantage."

"Another party member, Azimi Daim, warned Chinese and Indians to stop questioning the special rights of Malays."

"When tension rises, the blood of Malay warriors will run in our veins," Azimi said.

Now, even those who earlier on were not able to pinpoint Malaysia on the map, would now be able to – thanks to those warrior-like politicians who can talk in this manner here, because only in Malaysia it is “boleh”.

By Joepsc, at 4:56 PM


DESI:

Dear ER, please note the conversatonist (I almost put in caps CON-, butt) Joepsc is a friendly SingAporean, he visits Desi's Place often because he thinks I have more Singa Blood in me than Mala...? Pause. Rephrase that. That Joe thinks fella poet2B Desi might be persuaded to seek asylum in the tiny dot repub(L)ic, but I must tell him in the face (with all his GOoD intentions), our Hospital Bahagia is truly better equipped:):) ROTFDWL!

I agree that these stand out for mention~~

"This all happens in the context of Malaysia's grossly inflated sense of its place in the world."

"Most Malaysians are convinced that the eyes of the world are on their country and that their leaders are world figures. This is thanks to Malaysia's tame media and the bravado of former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad.

We have First World infrastructure -- who has not heard of Desi's pride -- Petronas Twin Towers in Jalan OnPong, Koala Lumpuh. But is Petronas paying heed to the average man-in-the-street w'ile their topguns, middle-guns and lowdown guns enjoy huge bonuses.
Hey, can we see where the BIG torrents of oil-money flows into?
"National asset held in trust, No?"

RM35.5billion net profits (2005) rising to RM43.6billion ends March 2006, and they had to impose two (or isit Three?) rounds of pump petrol price increase. Vote Dacing-lah, your Masochistic Mal.....!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Warrior blood in the vein?
First I smirk, then giggling and burst into laugh.

Once upon a time, Mongolian conquer 80% of Asia and almost the whole Europe. But even 4x the size of Bolehland, you never heard of any mongolian say anything like,"when tension rise, the blood of Gengkis Khan will run in our blood".

And the peninsular ethics are well know to be adaptive. They have survive the Aceh dominance, Siam kingdom and all those colonisation.
And not to forget when Dutch dominate, Roman character is introduce to the language, which ease up the adaption to new idea/vocabulary.

But all become "once upon a time". Today, this "majority" refuse to learn new idea/things, refuse to adapt like their ancestor. All they glorify is some 15 century pathetic tribes pipe dreams.
By moo_t, at 11:12 PM

DESI:

Thanks for your sharing, Moo-t, I really hoipe I can see more of you -- like a proper ID with a link to an active Web profile page?
Desi would feel comfortable to truly engage visitors in comfy conversation if I have an "idea" who my honoured Guest is, Hope it's mutual, yes? (APologies if I'm repeating this request -- also a not2subtle to all my ER-lah, Killing two birds with one cyber rockie on the Mounty, not breaking back though, for that's one housey's terrotry.)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Desi, I am IMPRESSED with Backman. Really really really impressed. Within ONE MINUTE (!) of writing an email to him, I got a reply - I was so shocked I thought it was an automated reply (especially because it began "Thank you for your message about my column on Malaysia. I’ve received several hundred letters and e-mails from readers, mostly Malaysians, who have similar concerns about where the country is heading...").

But no, he actually read my email. This guy either has a lot of free time, or I happened to catch him at a very opportune moment. But either way, being only human, I am impressed. I wonder what his next column about Malaysia will have to say, especially since Backman has a level head about him - he recognises that the NEP was necessary, and also correctly points out that we have much to be proud of - if only we didn't have UMNO leaders with minds set on bloodshed to ruin things for us.

By johnleemk, at 2:02 AM "


DESI:

john, I'm jeles!

I emailed Mike, he only got back iun 24 -- I think I'm gonna write to the Oz Commission on Discrimination of Aliens to Down UNder.

Yes, john matey ~~~ we can appreciate foreign eyes peeking in, and their writes are powerful.
Last year's FDI into Malaysia fell below that which flowed into Indonesia FOR THE FIRST TIME.

And if any ER asketh what FDI is, please Getta Thee Outa Here -- before Desi throws thee a stone, Rocker? -- , into Outa Space, yes, with my Tehttarik plus Batu Seremban.


Can we now join Fuller's dots, Mike's2, and Our Bloggers' writHes3?