Sunday, 31 May 2020
Saturday, 30 May 2020
Friday, 29 May 2020
Thursday, 28 May 2020
Wednesday, 27 May 2020
Tuesday, 26 May 2020
Monday, 25 May 2020
Saturday, 23 May 2020
Our own game of thrones
I saw this poster and I immediately say they won't cross and support TDM. Not in a million years.
John Gotti Najib is facing a number of court charges notably 1MDB. The Java man Wak Jahid has got more court charges than Najib. At one time couldn't even afford to buy baby milk. The fake Tengku is facing a number of charges associated with his tenure as ft Minister.
I wouldn't touch them with a 10 yard pole.
In the bottom row you have the 2nd liner rouges.
The ex taxi driver from Kinatabatangan is just an ordinary redneck who's just happy to be with his wife monitoring laddies menstruation cycle. Just an empty vessel.
He has committed minor corruption at RISDA.
Then you have the half Indian ex repo man who has made some notoriety at Tabung Haji. His mission in life is to lick the balls of bosku.
Next you have the Banjar man from Pontian who took 1 million from bosku. Famous for his 7 petala langit, 7 petala bumi adulation of Mahathir once.
If necessary I will negotiate with the trio in the bottom row. Enough to give me the number. Leave out the trio in the top row.
If I were a Muhyiddin I will do that. Finish off the top row crooks. Cultivate the smaller wise guys.
Definitely the rouges in the top row won't cross over to embrace Mahathir. The latter will not entertain the big crooks. No need to cry before Mahathir.
Mahathir is uncompromising. Muhyiddin on the other hand is softer.
So I think the scenario of the 6 goons supporting Mahathir will not happen.
They won't abstain or cross over.
A likelier picture is like this:-
The worse to Muhyiddin is a hung parliament. The better thing is he survives with a hairline majority.
In elections, he will lose.
The advantage Muhyiddin has is as the incumbent pm he can give goodies to 'gratification now, confound the future'politicians. Hell, he can even make corruption smelling like a rose.
Read more...
Friday, 22 May 2020
A Pyrrhic Victory.
Whatever deal Riza wolf boy offered must be significantly important enough to persuade the DPPs.
Riza must have made an offer the DPPs cannot refuse. And that could only be he's ready to turn state witness to enable the government convict bosku.
In return for the readiness Riza must have asked that all 5 charges be dropped and wiped out from his record. So that he is pristine!
Wow! If what he offered is not earth-shattering we will do what Shakespeare asked us to do: kill all the lawyers!
Unfortunately, the deal is a rotten deal no respectable persons but imbecilic people will accept.
The plea bargaining (PB) entails:-
- The return of properties in Beverly Hills., New York and London-already seized by the US
- DOJ Return of monies already seized by the DOJ
- Pay a penalty - not followed
The cost is too punitive to us. The USD 108 is not even half of the usd248 million…
- All things returned already seized by DOJ
- The penalty ought to have been 5 x USD 248 M
- The charges would result in 75 years prison time
Even if Riza agrees to testify against bosku, it can result only in reduced sentence not total pardon.
So I ask again:why did the judge and the DPPs agree to the rotten deal? That's why the PB must be investigated.
If the AG did not tell all the fault is his. People comment on what is given. When they do it, cannot be determined by the AG. Read more...
Thursday, 21 May 2020
Is trivialising corruption part of our national ethos?
Is trivialising corruption part of our amour propre? If it is, we are sub-humans. We cannot differentiate what is wrong and what is right.
I am sorry to visit this subject again. But I am incensed Riza Aziz got away just like that. Wtf!
I am puzzled how he did this. Hopefully he has offered something big enough to convict bosku and co.
So what level of sophistication and sophistry did the AG use? Please tell us in simple terms. Write it down. Didn't uncle Mao say as long as its written down we can understand. Don't use fuzzy language. Uncle Mao also said too much analysis leads to paralysis.
The most damaging thing is the message. The government, AGC and the MACC are telling people to steal big and quote Riza's case as precedent.
Was this intentional on the part of the AG? If that is so, he is not a fool but a bloody fool.
Don't assume we are dumb and mute. The residual voice of our conscience must be heard by sophisticated people at AGC. The deal stinks to high heavens.
If the previous AG thinks there is a strong case it is not opened to the present AG to cavalierly dismiss the case. There must be continuity.
The present AG must be lying when he said that Tommy Thomas had agreed to the deal. Thomas has denied this in writing.
Moreover, it's a question of integrity, honesty and credibility which cannot be compromised.
There were 5 charges proffered against Eiza. Each carries a 15 years jail sentence. Why were these ignored?
Didn't Parliament as the highest law making body mandated a 5 times penalty to the sum stolen? Why was this ignored?
Over 1 billion is stolen. Returning not even half is a good deal? What kind of maths is this?
What meritorious deed has Riza Done? The USD 108 million would have been returned by the US anyway. We are giving Riza free credit.
If Riza offered to satisfy the deal, isn't this prima facie an admission of some guilt?
The trial judge would have been invited to mete out appropriate sentence. Why did he easily agree to a rotten deal?
The DPPs who advised the high and mighty AG acquiesced easily. Why did they?
Are there grounds to sue the judge and DPPs for dereliction of duty?
Betrayal to the pm and to the government is less important to me. Politicians get betrayed all the time. Betrayal to the concept of justice and betrayal to the people is more heinous. Will the people trust the law and lawyers ?
I am less bothered with the way Muhyiddin gets power. Call it treachery or betrayal.call it anything you want. Its making trivialising corruption as part of our ethos that angers me.
Wednesday, 20 May 2020
Is mediocrity the zeitgeist of our times?
A spectre is haunting the AG Chambers. It's the spectre of Appandi Ali. Its infamous spell is contained in the phrase case is closed and NFA.
Now its 'end of story' or 'that's the end of it'. Well it's not the end just because you mentioned it. We are not stupid people you know. We can and do read between the lines.
What is it that Riza Aziz returned to the government that are not already seized by the US DOJ?
It means the AG chambers got a deal that has got not much to shout about. So don't lecture us about that's the end of it.
One over billion ringgit has been stolen and yet our DPPs recommend the case be closed. It's not the end until the fat lady sings.
Let me make a comparison. There are poor Malays in Tawau, Sabah eating rice with just 1 egg and snake beans for buka puasa. But at the same time we have a legal system freeing a billion ringgit felon. Is this a prelude to a featherlite sentence to bosku?
So much for Wolf of Wall Street and Hermes crocodile skin handbags.
It's a travesty of justice. The AG conducted a lengthy briefing but a farcical one!
Its true then what Kafka wrote :a lawyer is some who writes a 10,000-page document and calls it a brief.
Somebody must have felt it that way during the AG's briefing.
The only thing extra the AG got was a lithograph and fine. All other monies would have been returned to Malaysia anyway.
Monetized the total sum returned amounted to over rm400k hardly half the money he took from 1MDB. Hell, there are hungry people in Malaysia mah.
The condescending press release was symptomatic of people not voted to office. As the people in Pekan say kepala bapak awok!
So tell us Mr smart AG- is justice and the greater good served?
This is not the thin skull eggshell rule on Riza Aziz. His frailties are not relevant. Tell that to the poor who has no inkling what plea bargain is. What baloney!
The window dressing - press release and the sophistry of the AG hides the quality of the government lawyers. As the chief in 'men in black' says you are expected of the quality of training from the government. Thank you.
Let me ask candidly with candour but without rancour-are our DPPs half past six fellas? Have they failed to protect us from the corrupt?
I hope the quality of their professionalism does not represent the zeitgeist of our age. If it does, it means our judicial system is in a mess!
On the contrary, I hope they represent the fin de siècle of a 'jaman edan'.
To the defendant I can only say your acquittal does not mean you are not guilty, it only means you have beaten the rap.
Perhaps you have achieved this with much deviousness and a hell of a help from the half past six fellas.
As to the closing of the mad age, to bring us to the next level, we need a more forceful leadership.
As Mario Puzo puts it-a lawyer with a briefcase can steal more than a thousand men with guns.
I watched this film with my mother at the Rex cinema in Kuantan.
Tuesday, 19 May 2020
"The first thing we do, let's kill all the lawyers" - William Shakespeare
Does our law practise double standards? You steal canned sardines and powdered milk you are sentenced to 2 years in jail. You steal and plunder 1 billion ringgit, get a sympathetic DPP you can get all changes dropped!
I texted a few friends about this. Two said it's a sad day for our country. One mischievously said if you want to steal, steal big. Another said we are just whistling past a graveyard that is our country. We are just the reasonable man on the Clapham omnibus. We don't have the sophistication of a DPP!
Surely the AG who was a 4th college boy of UM and the DPP whose advice he took were in the minority. Even previous AG Tommy Thomas said he did not agree to any plea bargaining. So who is lying?
What is clear, the common good is sacrificed.
What I understand is that Gopal Sri Ram and possibly Thomas agreed to consider the proposals from Riza. That is different from agreeing to plea bargaining.
The AG can regale us with stories about the return of properties in Beverly Hills, New York and London or Timbuktu for that matter, the surrender of monies sequestered by the government etc.
The willingness to pay compound and strict adherence to the terms of a plea bargain. But tell us dear AG will these erase the original wrong?
So in the end we feel cheated. Tell us also, does a plea bargain lead to.a total drop of the charges.?
So this plea bargain involves complicated negotiations and all the jazz. These are but condiments to the real dish. In any case what do we pay you for?
So don't short change us Shylock AG. This is typical of a person who is not voted to office. Ditto for the DPPs.
What say the religious purists in PAS? Do we condone the kind of horse-trading?
I end my article with a saying:
When the law no longer protects you from the corrupt, but protects the corrupt from you, you know your nation is doomed.
Read more...
Monday, 18 May 2020
Plea bargaining ought to be outlawed. Part 1 of 2
The dropping of the money laundering charges against wolf boy Riza Aziz, is a black mark on Muhyiddin's administration. It implies that he countenances corruption.
Not being a lawyer, I thought plea bargaining is for a lesser charge and stealing over a billion ringgit is hardly one.
I thought plea bargaining entails a lighter conviction but not getting away scott-free. That appears to be the case for Riza Aziz.
I thought plea bargaining gets you a lighter sentence but not no-sentence. Something is terribly wrong here.
It can mean that our judicial system is a mess such that judges accept plea bargain to alleviate overcrowded court dockets. But I thought its for low level misdemeanour. Misappropriating money from 1MDB is no low level crime.
It can mean our prisons are overcrowded. They are full of minor offenders such that jailing a major offender disrupts the life of a rich person. We are compassionate for the rich but severe for the poor.
It is also a question mark on the integrity of judges who are too willing to accept a plea bargain. I hope not.
We can accept the judicial economy argument for low level crimes but is stealing more than 1 billion ringgit one?
A, man of straw will readily accept a plea bargain because he cannot afford a costly and robust defence. But a person with deep pockets like Riza is not a man of straw.
Are our prosecutors overworked? They find plea bargain as a means to lighten their caseloads. But with so many law schools and graduates a lawyer is a dime a dozen.
That can mean sadly, we have half past six prosecutors or grade-C egg prosecutors. Unable to argue their cases they opt for an easy way out. Are the Lesser gifted in our prosecution team? Hope not!.
But in any case a plea bargain assures a conviction albeit a lighter one. It cannot mean no conviction!
I hope plea bargain is accepted if it means a bigger conviction for a criminal kingpin. Let us hope that Riza Aziz has a damaging testimony against bosku. If not plea bargain is a miscarriage of justice.
But I still think plea bargain means a lighter sentence but not none at all. I hope this plea bargain does not amount to full acquittal. It's a sad day if it does.
I hope plea bargain is not the Plaster of Paris to fill the lacunae in the law. Don't adulterate the Law.
I am puzzled why lawyers are silent on this issue-either they are not sensitive in preserving the sanctity of the Law or too busy pursuing their Porsche Panamera.
Is the defendant looking for a more lenient sentence? That would mean we can kautim with the law.
It can also mean the defendant has opted for certainty rather than risks being convicted by a judge. Then the law is like a free size t shirt or a spandex.
Or it can be a crafty strategy by the defendant or his lawyer. He can free the defence lawyer to concentrate on a bigger case or allowing his lawyer join the team defending the criminal kingpin.
But the nugging question remains.-are the judge and prosecutors compromised?
Sunday, 17 May 2020
The Law is an ass!
I read with dismay that money laundering charges against wolf boy were dropped. The message sent is utterly wrong. The law is indeed an ass.
If you want to steal, steal big. If you are caught you can kautim with the prosecutors.
The law fraternity must be patting themselves on the back thinking they are beyond reproach don't steal a can of powdered milk.
Your misfeasance can be forgiven if you return some of the money. You enjoy the other half.
Even if you return all the money you don't erase the wrong.
We, are all suckers if we think the law is just. If I have the powers I will order a mistrial.
Najib is smiling like a Cheshire cat. If he woke stole 50 billion he can cut a deal with government lawyers.
Chibai'
We cannot trust the law it seems. They look out for each other. If you have donkeys as prosecutors you might as well-read chicken entrails.
We will mistrust the law. We are convinced we have second rate lawyers in the government. We shall have to explain to them several times the meaning of justice.
Thieves of the world unite! We have nothing to lose but half of our loot.
Saturday, 16 May 2020
The No Confidence Vote.
Anwar Ibrahim is now the national opposition leader. So why is Dr Mahathir the author of the no confidence vote?
He's not going to be the PM. That means he has allowed himself to be used in moving the motion.
He appears to dig a hole he himself will fall into. It gives me no pleasure to say that of him.
Muhyiddin must have thought long and hard about becoming PM. It's not as if he woke up one morning and decide to become pm. He saw an opportunity and took it.
I am not going to be judgemental on this - you can say he is scheming and unscrupulous and argue about it till the cows come home or you turned blue in the face, but he was effective then-the ends justify the means.
I don't think Muhyiddin will just stand idly and hand over the premiership to Mahathir or anyone. He will use any means necessary to stay in power including deceptive means. There's nothing illegal there.
Some people say Muhyiddin's days are numbered. Mahathir has the numbers. There is dissension in UMNO.
The same can be said of BERSATU. Muhyiddin is president of BERSATU meaning he has his own support. Mahathir made the cardinal mistake of empowering a rival, and he's paying for it now.
If Muhyiddin has the numbers just expel Mahathir. All problems solved for now.
Now I hear parliament will just meet and will not debate. The PM can do this. Mahathir has jumped into the pool but there's no water.
Friday, 15 May 2020
The Politics of COVID-19 part 2 of 2
There are many things we can learn from bungling America in dealing with COVID-19. It is number one in corona deaths and number one in cases. It's in that unenviable position because of poor leadership.
First we must prevent the rise of artificial and fake leaders. Remember when Trump described COVID-19 as an ordinary flu and it originated in a Chinese lab? Now the epicentre is New York and not Wuhan. Can we now say it's an American disease due to filthy Americans?
Don't show poor leadership and judgment. The constant lying and trivializing are hallmarks of a totalitarian leader.
These leaders are a danger to us. Here we have a health minister who asked us to drink a lot of warm water and consulted 500 countries. Can he tell us which world has 500 counties? And his ministry was alleged to commit some corrupt purchases. The PM must jettison this kind of leaders asap.
Not only he, but all the idiots in the cabinet. We have a higher education minister asking us to play tick-tock application on our hand phones and a women's minister counselling us to be lovey-dovey and play act as Doraemon. Out with them!
Never ever shrink our health care system if we ever want to ready to confront COVID-19. View health care as a social responsibility and not allow the private sector drive our health care system.
We must never allow the medical -industrial complex to determine our health care system. This consists the hospitals, doctors, drug companies and medical insurance companies. Keep them out.
At, the same time never allow the department f health to be too overbearing. Yes they are responsible for preventing harmful drugs into our country. But they can also prevent the entry of cheaper and generic drugs into our country. They do this through their bureaucratic tyranny and little Napoleon-ship.
Never appoint anyone not an expert in the field to talk about COVID-19. In Germany Bill Gates has suddenly become the go-to person as Spokesman for COVID-19. The only reason why he is treated that way is because he is rich.
In our country its akin like asking Robert Kuok to talk about COVID-19. There are thousands of medical specialists who can talk about COVID-19.
Wednesday, 13 May 2020
The Politics of COVID-19 Part 1
I was reading the speech by the Ugandan president. It is regarding physical and social distancing to confront COVID-19. At first instance it is a good speech.
In truth, it was a condescending speech. He calls his countrymen idiots. The only way to deal with idiots is to use force and violence. Is the way to overcome idiots?
Did we hear Muhyiddin or Hsien Loon calling the people idiots? The Ugandan model is not for us.
Obviously, the Ugandan president, Kaguta Musaveni, does not respect his people. Reading in between the lines he is threatening the use of force and brutality on his people.
Because they are idiots the use of force and brutality are justified clubbing shooting and raping people are okay.
At one time in America, the whites labelled blacks as mad to send them to the sanatorium. In Malaysia, it was okay to C4 Altantuyaa because she was a prostitute.
Funny she wasn't one when she entertained Razak baginda and maybe bosku.
In Malaysia, we understand persuasion and do not need recourse to brutality. Neither do we use legislation to secure obedience
Don't forget Uganda is the land of Obote and big Idi Amin Dada. Musaveni may be cut from the same cloth. Atrocity is normal to him.
To be fair Musaveni spoke about valid things. He described COVID-19 as a war without borders -indiscriminate in its hellacious effects.
As a result of this war we don't talk about refusing to stay at home, children going to school, opening up business, talk about freedom etc. We ought to be thankful we are alive. Except in Uganda these are all permanent.
We are not going to follow the Ugandan model. We are not idiots who are too thick to follow the orders of the government temporarily.
Hitler and Mussolini gave stirring speeches too but behaved atrociously. Perhaps Musaveni is too lazy to think of more civil ways to persuade people.
What I am saying is COVID-19 can be used by authoritarian leaders to undermine democracy. That could be the motive of Musaveni.
Covid-19 has allowed some unscrupulous leaders do Heinous things. President Trump for example said the virus originated in a Chinese lab: that has been debunked by medical specialists and scientists. They are mostly American.
Then Trump quarrelled with WHO accusing the latter to have insidious relationship with China. Trump has since threatened to defund WHO.
Like Hitler before him Trump spoke before adoring and pliable crowds. Trump's behaviour is closer to an authoritarian leader. He's been described as a gangster in the White House.
The epicentre of COVID-19 is not Wuhan but New York. Trump is using COVID-19 to mask his colossal policy errors.
I listened to this song when I was small. My late father bought acrylic records.
Tuesday, 12 May 2020
Opinions, Ghostwriter and a Contrarian view on immigration.
I must admit I am opinionated in the sense I hold my opinions tightly. That doest not mean I am overly inflexible in my opinions. I do accommodate the thinking of others if they are well reasoned and thought of.
Those who write in one or two lines are simply not worth reading.
I am also offended by those who appear they can evaluate my writing when I know they are not well versed in the English language and hardly read any English books. At all. They must be aping the opinions of some envious souls.
I will also ignore those who continue to say I don't write my articles myself and say my writings are crap. Isn't that oxymoronic?
How is it possible that I don't write my own articles yet be responsible for their crappiness?
Must be a moron then. If I write only then I am responsible for their crappiness.
Take for instance my views on immigration. You may disagree with me and think they are elitist. But who cares!
I hold it to be self-evident that you are entitled to your opinion as I do mine. So learn to live with that.
I am all for immigration for jobs but will never support immigration that takes advantage of our welfare, education, health care, transport facilities.
Yes I would support skills based immigration. It sounds selfish but why should I take in the riff-raffs?
Sometime in 2019 a Trump Head of Immigration quoted a poem about the Statue of Liberty. He didn't want immigrants who take advantage of welfare but wanted immigrants with abilities. It was a politically incorrect statement but a realistic one.
Give immigrants a choice of a) stay illegal or b) registered illegal or c) naturalised citizen when qualified. Provided we remain protective and guard jealously our country (a) means they will not qualify to any of our facilities.
Paradoxically when the immigrants are illegal it is good for us. By definition, they are not entitled to any of the facilities I mentioned. They choose to be illegal and hence must pay the costs.
Monday, 11 May 2020
Muhyiddin's coup de grace
On the 9th, Pakatan held a ceramah "Kembalikan Mandat Rakyat". Now that sounds strange to me. How to give back?
The only way to do that is to have general elections. Parliamentary action is a waste of time. Vote of no confidence is just that.
If they find themselves out of power blame it on Mahathir. He's so itchy-fied to resign. This is no game.
Mahathir thinks it's just a game. This time he may have overplayed his card. By choosing to resign he shows he doesn't respect the mandate from the people. Hell, he doesn't even respect the mandate from heaven.
Dr Mahathir may have the number in parliament but that doesn't me he's right. He's playing Russian roulette with the people. MPs are not our overlords.
So to me it's a misnomer to say kembalikan mandat rakyat. Ask Mahathir to kembali.
Nobody asked him to resign. Anwar is a non entity. Mahathir says he has no problem with Muhyiddin becoming PM. So his motion is unconscionable.
Muhyiddin saw an opportunity and took it. That's hardly blameable. Isn't it fair in love and war? Politics is just an extension of war by another means.
Can we expect any earth shaking policies from Mahathir in the twilight of his years? Let's give Muhyiddin a chance. At least he can be better than bosku.
Mahathir created a dysfunctional cabinet. He was more interested to give member parties of PH their proportionate share. It wasn't a government of primus inter pares. BERSATU seems incapable of pushing its core policies.
As a result each member party wants to push its own agenda. Each week we are subject to petrol price change regime. Corporations are unable to do businesses under a suffocating regime.
That what is expected from present day Mahathir.
Whether we like or not the people want core members of the cabinet to be Malays. Do we see Malays composing 15 percent of the Singapore cabinet? The policies of the first among equals dominate.
Whether you like it or dont like it-learn to love it. Read more...
Sunday, 10 May 2020
The no confidence vote is an exercise in futility.
I never knew Saloma sang this song.
I admire TDM. I have described him as'the man who can walk on water. He can do impossible things. I have called him the 'Don Corleone 'of Malaysian politics. His place in history is already assured.
He has submitted a motion of no confidence against Muhyiddin. The speaker has accepted it. Malaysia will be in for another round of political Tsunami.
But I am afraid it will be a bridge too far for TDM this time. And I will tell you the reasons why. I don't expect universal agreement though.
Muhyiddin is still the president of BERSATU is he? Isn't it easier to purge him?. Is Dr Mahathir practising a form of political infanticide?
Is TDM the hippopotamus beach master killing the baby hippo? He may have 1001 valid reasons but the majority of Malaysia will be against TDM. This time.
I am aware that some people saw Muhyiddin did a power grab and rise to power was unconstitutional. I beg to differ. Muhyiddin saw an opportunity and seized it. He was an effective leader. Its just that.
Pakatan may not be unified as one thinks. They may sleep on the same pillow but dream different dreams.
DAP sees itself as lord of shanghai. Didn't Anwar says he will not play second fiddle to Mahathir any more? AMANAH will do what Mat Sabu says. They will bend with the wind.
Mahathir does not know how to lose. One's personal ambitions knows no bounds.
In any case how long more can we endure Mahathir. Surely we cannot have a PM who is 100? At that time some men play with their own urine and faeces.of course Mahathir is no mere mortal.
The reasonable man will not want anything of it. He is not the man on the Clapham omnibus. The MPs are not the men on the Piccadilly commuter tube either. Both do read in between the lines.
They read it as Mahathir wanting to leave a legacy.
I know this issue will be played out in Parliament. But the MPs have a duty to read correctly what the people want. Reading correctly means they have to repudiate the no confidence motion.
We have to also consider the political fatigue that has drowned the people. Mahathir's move the other day threw the country in turmoil. People are tired of political intrigues. One more is too much!
Muhyiddins administration has 2 great things going for it. The measures taken to combat COVID-19 show the people they are protected.
The slew of financial measures show people they are cared for.
The same cannot be said of the Pakatan government. They are more interested to run the country as a business unit. They are manually driven zombies.
The people now want stability and certainty. They didn't get that from the Pakatan government. The MP's have a duty to give them to the people.
For these reasons I think the no confidence motion ought to be rejected. It's an abuse of Parliamentary privilege.
I will end this article with 2 things a friend said.
"Worry is a misuse of the brain"
"Sometimes there's nothing we can do but wait for the rain to subside and the sun to shine again."
Friday, 8 May 2020
The Economics of COVID-19 part 3/3
The ideas held by many, the government must do more. We elect them do the minimum wage, tax the rich, because that benefits the poor. Legislate more through manipulation of the employment act, employment insurance schemes- are all myths.
Myths, I might add are like an air mattress. They are comfortable for many purposes until they get deflated. Then you get a jolt.
When things go bad there's always a shift from reliance of individual responsibility to collective responsibility. From self-reliance to depending on big brother and ward keeper.
I doubt very much taxing the rich will benefit the poor. What we feel is different from reality. Let me illustrate.
Take for example politics.who dominate the sphere? Hardly the poor. The very rich may have a few reps but the bulk is from the middle income group.
The poor are on the side lines. They are there in the first place because the have lesser talent, lesser entrepreneurial skills are unfortunate to be born handicap or are in groups discriminated against.
From the very rich I could get money, so it's worthwhile to sacrifice a few seats from the middle income group. What can I get from the lower income group?
I may feel empathy for them, but the reality is what it is. The middle income looks after their own.
So if they look after their interests can we rely on big brother? I submit, no.
The very poor may get crumbs but the middle income get the meat.
There is no good relying on big brother. It only gives them an excuse to impose their bureaucracy and cause havoc through their ubiquitous corruption.
I used to think why Malays remain poor despite Malays dominating government instrument from ketua kampungs to kings? Big brother doesn't help. But that's part of the answer.
The other part is to give big brother an excuse to become little Napoleons and impose corruption!
If Everyman were allowed to pursue their own interest the good of society is furthered. Adam Smith said that. A long time ago.
But we cannot trust the free market. The free marketeers are profit driven. They are rapacious people. So trust the government.
I have shown what trusting big brother entails to.
So what to do? First of course existing facilities must be managed better. Health facilities rubbish disposal clean water supply electricity etc.
Development policies must be skewed towards rural areas. Don't focus on workers only. The café latte socialists and Gucci communists talked about them. They are hardly the poor. The poor are in the kampungs.
Bank Negara must tell commercial banks to provide cheap loans to kampung people. Lower interest loans must be provided to kampung people. Commercial banks should establish coffee shop bank branches in kampungs.
Housing loans should be provided at zero interests. Applicants consisting of women should be encouraged.
Facilities at pasar malam should be upgraded. Build permanent premises with rubbish collection facilities and cold room facilities.
Direct income transfers should be made to the very poor. These are the miskin tegar who are worse off than the organised workers who are defended by well-intentioned do-gooders.
Tuesday, 5 May 2020
The Economics of COVID-19 Part 2
I was reading an article asking the government to do more to help workers.
Surprisingly there is no mention at all of "unions". This tells me unions do not protect the workers.
We intend to help the workers but very often the outcome is the opposite of our intention. So who protect our workers?
There are 951 unions covering 800000 workers in Malaysia. Are we, able to say the other 800 thousand are not protected? The pasar malam vendors have no unions. How are they protected?
Before the trade union act 1959-we have no unions. Can we say our workers are not protected?
Unions protect 2 classes of people -members and the union officials. The protection given is not equal.
The strongest unions are probably the teachers union, banking, medical, airline workers, municipal unions. We can hardly call the workers here as poor!
The unions are therefore not relevant in our discussion. I submit they are not important.
That is not to say unions are not useful-they are. But their leadership structure must be re-engineered and democratised.
That leaves the government to do its duty:-by manipulating the employment act through the EPF or some employment insurance schemes through SOCSO etc. Or it monetises its debts. Even this proposal is misleading.
Before independence, we had no government to protect workers but workers got by. So not wholly true the government makes the difference.
Before I discuss some ways to overcome the economic downturn there are several issues I want to talk about. These are the minimum wage issue and taxing the rich more.
Ramon Navaratnam is undoubtedly a do-gooder who intends to help the poor. Unfortunately almost always good intentions produced the opposite effects-producing increased unemployment and increased poverty. A do-gooder like Navaratnam becomes inadvertently a tool for special interest groups and the monopolists.
That's what the minimum wage rate does. Strange, is it?
Think this way. In order to pay the minimum wage rate the employers look for workers commensurate with the skills and qualifications demanded by the minimum wage rate.
What is the effect? The wage rate discriminate against those who don't have the required skills and qualifications. The very people Navaratnam wants to help.
The poor are kept out the job market. They remained unemployed and poor still.
Well intentions but the effects are not. Have the government published results of the minimum wage rate?
The special interest groups like the trade unions will like the idea. It entrenches them and keeps off competition.
Do the do-gooders still like the idea? Unemployment and poverty will be on you!
Tax the very rich and help the poor says 'Robin Navatnam Hood'. Perhaps he has not heard about Director's law(after Aaron Director). The law says almost invariably government programs like this benefit the middle income group at the expense of the very rich and the poor.
I can only say to the poor 'be still and wait without hope, for hope is to hope for the wrong thing'. TS Eliot.
Monday, 4 May 2020
The Economics of COVID-19 Part 1
COVID-19 has affected our economy adversely. It has become a pandemic which bring dire economic consequences.
In response the government has introduced MCO-movement control order. Really, the duration is indefinite.
The government is asking people to stay at home do social distancing wash their clothes use hand sanitizers wear masks cook more and make love more too. How else to entertain?
We are also provided with some comic relief. We have a higher education minister asking us to play tick- tock on the phone.
We have the women affairs minister asking the wives to do the voice of Doraemon when romancing their husbands. Wow! This lady is unsangka-rable!
And we have the Health Minister asking us to drink more warm water. He has consulted 500 countries whereas there are only 195 countries in the world. Clever fellow-not only is he a medical doctor but has two ba's to his name!
Our economy has undoubtedly shrunk. Our GDP is down. Many industries have gone south.
The hospitality industry is down. Hotel occupancy is down. The aviation industry is laying off workers. 2 to 3 million people will be retrenched.
Poor Makcik Kiah will not be able to sell her goreng pisang.
The government has introduced a slew of economic incentives. I hope this policy will not be an excuse to implement more collectivist programmes.
The normal and typical response is to ask the government to do more. It is precisely more government intrusion that makes matters worse. Sad to say it's not a call for a mini dictatorship of the proletariat.
Sunday, 3 May 2020
The Misuse of Religion.
One of the brothers in Dostoyevsky's The Brothers Karamazov said "If god is dead then everything is permissible".
That means conduct like killing, rape, plunder, perjury etc can be done.
There are no more religious injunctions to restrain you and society at large is mute and dumb.
These 2 things explained why Najib plundered the country.
To Najib at that particular time god is dead. there is no celestial being to restrain him. Now of course he beseeches god to let him of the hook! God is back.
If God can be switched off and on it means God's existence depends on how Najib thinks at a particular time.
Surely on this point alone the religious zealots must censure him.
At that particular time, i.e. when Najib stole billions through the agency of 1MDB, God is either dead or non-existent. Najib is both ungodly and blasphemous. He should be crucified for this.
For being murtad and shirik shouldn't death be the punishment?
If the religious fakers are silent on this-not only are they complicit they undermine our beliefs in religious morality. It exposes them as hypocrites!
Aren't they the ones clamoring for the implementation of hudud and shariah laws?
Excuse me-Najib is not only stealing but behaves that God is dead or non-existent. Isn't that a mortal sin?
We must not be lenient towards a person teaching us that God is dead and non-existent. Actually God has nothing to do when we commit wrongs.
We are the architect of our conduct and must answer for it or be called to account. Doing a Mad's Alfred-what me know or a Baldric-deny everything is only sophistry.
Don't make a sumpah laknat saying you don't know about 1MDB or you have nothing to do with a lady's murder, do a repentance because you behaved that God is dead or does not exist.
Don't use God when it's convenient to. Like mullah Nasruddin says to the barber who cuts him as he shaves exclaiming Allahuakbar and Astaghfirullahal azim -lets leave God aside!
Society is mute and dumb. That's an insult to us. That's saying we don't have an innate sense of what's wrong or right.
We don't need a terrestrial big brother like the religious fakers to tell us what is right and what is wrong. No sir!
Like judge Thomas says-its irrelevant! The concept of vicarious redemption is irrelevant.
Ask some of the humanoids to say they are guilty on your behalf. Then you are forgiven.
Is that how it works?
Must find a village idiot!
Saturday, 2 May 2020
Part 2. Pas and Islamic politics
Another problem with PAS is that it claims legitimacy from God.
That is a troubling thought.
God's omnipotence is translated politically into absolute rule.
There are many ways to persuade gullible people. The clerics are the inheritors of the holy Prophet (pbuh)
There is a very thin line that separates personal interests from the common good.
Once this kind of rule is accepted, PAS can justify honour killings, violence and other forms of tyranny.
Our objections are grounded on:
(1) where are the control mechanisms to reign in unbridled lust for power?
(2) if such mechanisms exist they are weak.
PAS will keep changing the goal posts when we want to score.
PAS derives its legitimacy from interpreting Gods message and since they are derivatives they ought to be questioned. But will PAS tolerate criticisms or perpetuate its emotional manacles?
We don't need a dictatorship to tell what is right or wrong. We have access to literature and our own reasoning and abilities.
That makes PAS which eventually leads to dictatorship irrelevant.
Can the wrongs of a particular person be forgiven by punishing others? What kind of morality does PAS condone?
It's disturbing to see pas not condemning the thousands of duds supporting Najib. It appears that PAS condones passing the blame morality.
Therefore, for PAS, its right for Najib to lie and its right for others to shoulder blame.
Najib's guilt will be written off if others volunteer to accept punishment on his behalf.
Can we support a PAS like that?
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