Second oldest profession

It has been some months since I last commented on the political development in the country. Just as the feelings of many in this country, people are just fed up and tired with the continuous bickering and mud slinging between these politicians. But then whether we like it or not, politicians are here to stay. The former USA president Ronald Reagan even termed it as the second oldest profession in the world. I am sure most people are aware what is the oldest profession.

We may think we can escape from having any contact or business with the politicians by avoiding from having any dealings with them in whichever way possible. The truth is - we can't. Policies that affected our life are still being made by those in power known as politicians. Like it or not, in certain circumstances we need to seek their assistance to help us to sort out some problems one way or another, either with the bureaucrats, local authorities or the garbage collectors!

Any businessmen who bumped into difficulties in getting their projects or licence approved will be seeking help from politicians whom they might or might not voted as their MP or assemblyman. Any parent with a straight As child will be seeking the politician's letter of recommendation or intervention to secure a good scholarship or a place in the top universities.

Everyone that seeks the politician assistance to sort out their problems will expect the politician to take their case as the most urgent and important even though there are hundreds of cases awaiting the politician to look into. It maybe one of the many cases for the politician but for the complainant, their problem is the only and most important and wanted it to be settled now and there.

This is where the multi-tasking politician that can proves his or her worth in trouble shooting and solving problems faced by his constituents will be gaining extra brownie points. There is no place for a politician to complaint of overloaded with other peoples problem. The politicians volunteered for it when they stood for election. Other people's problems are their problems. If one can't take it, then better leave the job. Someone else will be waiting to take over. There is just no dearth of people wanting to be elected as MPs and addressed as YBs or honourable so-an-so, disregarding whether they really have the passion, capabilities and commitment to be one.

I met with some politicians from both sides of the political divide recently. It is refreshing to meet up with elected officials that always think of ways to make the life of the ordinary folks better. Ideally, the priority is always the welfare of the people and betterment of the state rather than filling up their private coffers or war chest to fight their way up their party political hierarchy. But then, it happens sometimes every idealism and principles in a politician's mind has a price. Sooner or later the politician themselves might be enticed to shift or re-designed their ideals or principles in exchange for continuous political power or something else.

One of the YBs I spoke to is a first-term assemblyman. She is one of the newbie in her party and the last election catapulted her to the limelight of political life. When I met her that day, I noticed she looks very tired. It was shown all over her face. She has been pushing hard for her political idealism and welfare of her constituents for the past 16 months non-stop. She is very energetic and always touch base with the people. If she is able to continue and sustain her current service to the people until the next election, her opponent will have a tough time to dislodge her if she is again fielded to defend her seat.

I also dropped by to pay a courtesy visit to a senior politician whom I have not met for some time. His party is now part of the coalition that governs a premier state in this country and official protocol provides that his current status is second after the chief minister. He is still in his usual self. Unassuming but stern and serious in his political beliefs. I think he would be able to deliver much more if given more space and responsibilies to serve the people. But then his political colleagues must have other things in their mind when they gave him a highly respected position but without much executive power.

A first-term MP and deputy minister from a dominant party which I had known for more than a decade invited me to a think-thank group discussion on issues related to his newly assigned ministry. The small group comprising academicians, politicians, civil servants and businessmen had a very open and fruitful two-rounds discussion. The deputy minister was very receptive for ideas to improve the delivery system and key result areas in one of the department under the purview of his minstry. He has been an idealist and broad-minded person since the first time I known him during our involvement in a non-profit organization. His political future will depends on how much his party is prepared to have some radical policy changes in governing a multi-racial society. If his colleagues are still reluctant to embraced change, he can be deemed as going against the current and his survival in the political arena will be like walking on a tight rope.

Whatever the future lies ahead for the politicians above, the second oldest profession in the world need more that just a pretty face, good oratorical skills or deep-rooted idealism but always commited to firstly serve the people and develop the state with integrity, justice and fairness to all. - Loka

Demand for temple land

During the public hearing on the MPSJ Draft Local Plan last month, the Buddhist community requested for 39 plots of land to be allocated for the building of Buddhist temples. For many Buddhists and non-Buddhists alike, include those elected officials and local council officers, it may come as a shock that a religious group ask for "so many" plots of religious land.

It may looks like the Buddhists are very demanding but on the contrary it was the opposite. Basing on the Ministry of Housing and Local Government guidelines which stated that a plot of land for the building of a place of worship shall be allocated to every 2,600 adherents of the respective non-Muslim religion.

Based on the official census and projections by the state government there are about 220,000 Buddhists within the MPSJ administrative areas. Translate this figure in tandem to the guidelines for land for places of worship, the Buddhists community should be asking for 85 plots of land!

Another matter that might arise is the question whether the Buddhist community are capable of managing this number of religious land if the state government agrees to allocate it. No one will really know for sure what will happen next but one thing is definitely very clear. If not enough land are allocated, the Buddhist community will be facing the lack of space for the devotees in 20 to 30 years down the road.

Once the Local Plan has been gazetted and not enough land for temples was allocated because the Buddhist did not asked for it, the community will be left out in the cold in the local land development. It is better to demand for it now rather than not having enough space to cater to future needs of the people. If we don't ask for it now, our next generation might not have any land to ask. - Loka

RM1 for Religious Land

Those responsible for the management of places of worship should take the necessary action to ensure their land where the viharas, temples, churches or religious centres are erected are designated for religious purposes ( tanah untuk kegunaan rumah ibadat). This is especially important for centres which conducts regular religious service and sermons in their premises.



If the land use is still designated as commercial, residential, industrial or agriculture, the religious bodies will be paying quit rent rates based on the respective type of land usage which can be substantial if the size of the land is big. Land designated for religious purposes usually do not have to pay quit rent but just a nominal fee as low as one Ringgit per year for each lot.



For instance, the states of Selangor and Penang charges only a nominal fee of RM1 per year on land for places of worship. Therefore, the management of places of worship other than Islam should take the opportunity to convert their land to 'tanah kegunaan rumah ibadat" if there is a place of worship erected on that particular piece of land. The amount saves from the annual quit rent can be use for other religious education or welfare services. - Loka

University for dummies

Is the purpose of enrolment into an university is just to earn an academic qualification? Or is it a challenge and opportunity to equipped oneself with the necessary knowledge and other softskills to face the real world beyond the ivory tower upon graduation?

Is the trend of achieving academic excellence and scoring string of As in the school education system since the last 15 years or so already penetrated the universities? Are undergraduates getting too exam oriented and missed out on the golden opportunity to really experience life as a student in a university?

Participating in activities which do not contribute to their CPGA are just not in their daily calender. Maybe with the exception of those students who aspires to be in the political arena after graduation. But then not everybody wants to be a politician nowadays. It is just not on their list of " What I want to be when I grows up".

The much maligned occupation and political parties being regarded as one of the most corrupted certainly will not attract those undergraduates who are getting use of swearing at politicians whenever something went wrong in the country.

Do not get it wrong. Being active in campus activities does not means the person wants to be somebody in the political arena in the future. Getting involved in campus activities is to educate onselves to be more wholesome in their personal development and able to look at things with a bigger and clearer perspective.

Those who are prepared to accept the opportunity and challenge to stand on stage speaking to tens or hundreds or even thousands of people will find these experiences beneficial in the working world later. Most if not all the jobs in the world need us to open our mouth and talk to living persons. Maybe except the cemetery night shift caretaker.

Leadership skills can be derived from the books and the lecturers, theoritically. To really learn and practise it, it need oneself to experience it personally. The triumph, despair, glory and failure in crisis management and trouble-shooting need the actual participation of the person seeking the experience. It is through self experience that enables oneself to understand the strength and limitation within onself and to strive harder to be better the next time.

University is the place to pursuit academic excellence and also capacity building. There is no doubt about it. But does the authorities and undergraduates realized this? - Loka

Malaysian or Indonesian kids?

Recently I attended a district level Bahasa Malaysia speech contest for students of Chinese-medium primary schools ( SJKC) to provide moral support to my son who was representing his school.

After few contestants had presented their speech I realised something odd is happening. If I closed my eyes and just listen to the speeches, I would have thought there are some representatives from Indonesian schools!

Some of the contestants spoke with great confidence but the way they speaks sounds like those Indonesian that we meet at coffeeshops or construction sites or maids in Malaysian homes. The Malaysian Chinese kids are speaking like Indonesians!

I suspect these child speakers with Indonesian slang must have learned their language from their Indonesian maids at home. These Indonesian maids living under the same roof as their employers spend a substantial time with these kids since they were babies and it is not suprising if these kids are learning spoken Bahasa Indonesia rather than Bahasa Malaysia.

The only time that the kids are expected to learn and speak Bahasa Malaysia at school was during the class lessons for the language but it is only between three to four hours a week. The learning opportunity will be lesser if the Malay language teacher prefer to speak in English or Mandarin to their students.

The ongoing debate on the ill treatment of some Indonesian maids and the decision of the Indonesian government to stop sending their maids to Malaysia is not the only maids related issue that need attention. The tendency of the Malaysian kids especially those of Chinese descent speaking Bahasa Indonesia rather than Bahasa Malaysia is something the powers-that-be and other interested parties need to ponder when addressing the Indonesia maids issue.

Unknowingly, Malaysia is already been slowly colonized culturally by Indonesia from within the comfort and security of our own homes. Maybe it is a blessing in disguise if the Indonesian government decides to stop sending their women as maids to the Malaysian homes.

As for my son, he did not win the speech contest but neither did he speaks in Bahasa Indonesia. We do not have an Indonesian maid. - Loka