Is the Beijing Olympics to be held in August 2008 a target of derailment by certain groups using the recent earthquake in Sichuan province as the reason?
This possibility should not be dismissed if based on previous efforts to link the Beijing Olympics with the monks peace marches in Myanmar, the unrest in Tibet and disturbances affecting the Olympic Torch run in some countries.
Those groups highlighting the human rights record and foreign policies of China and Tibet issue might take a leaf from the natural disaster and caution the athletes from risking their safety by travelling to China to participate in the Olympics.
What a pity if certain people take this route to create uncertainty on the Olympic Games when the whole world is waiting for the best athletes to compete for the glory of mankind capabilities.
Thursday, May 29, 2008
UN Day of Vesak 3
The UN Day of Vesak celebrations held in Vietnam this year provided me some interesting observations....
First and foremost is that no decisions are considered final unless approved by the government. Whatever the organising committee discussed, debated and decided upon will still need the final green light from the powers-that-be.
It seems the Vietnamese had one thing in common with our country's spirit of "Malaysia Boleh" in breaking records, they practically tried to break as many records as possible. They even had a huge "Little Buddha" balloon floating on the convention center ground. Did I missed their version of the "Vietnamese Books of Record"?
There is no problem in getting youth volunteers from the universities for the celebration but don't expect the volunteers to know much about Buddhism. Even getting local participants to fill up the 4,000 seats in the convention throughout the 3-days conference is easily done. I salute them.
Never can I imagine an ordinary chap will be given VVIP treatmet by a socialist country? A Buddhist worker from Malaysia, Goh Seng Chai (pic), was provided a chauffeur driven car with traffic police escort during the week-long event!
Does this guy sounds like or looks like a Malaysian minister? Maybe to the Vietnamese, he sounds like and looks like a minister!
Group photograph means you go to a same spot like everyone else and then take your own picture with your own camera. There is no such thing as a group photo taken by a officially appointed photographer.
First and foremost is that no decisions are considered final unless approved by the government. Whatever the organising committee discussed, debated and decided upon will still need the final green light from the powers-that-be.
It seems the Vietnamese had one thing in common with our country's spirit of "Malaysia Boleh" in breaking records, they practically tried to break as many records as possible. They even had a huge "Little Buddha" balloon floating on the convention center ground. Did I missed their version of the "Vietnamese Books of Record"?
There is no problem in getting youth volunteers from the universities for the celebration but don't expect the volunteers to know much about Buddhism. Even getting local participants to fill up the 4,000 seats in the convention throughout the 3-days conference is easily done. I salute them.
Never can I imagine an ordinary chap will be given VVIP treatmet by a socialist country? A Buddhist worker from Malaysia, Goh Seng Chai (pic), was provided a chauffeur driven car with traffic police escort during the week-long event!
Does this guy sounds like or looks like a Malaysian minister? Maybe to the Vietnamese, he sounds like and looks like a minister!
Group photograph means you go to a same spot like everyone else and then take your own picture with your own camera. There is no such thing as a group photo taken by a officially appointed photographer.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Exhibit scholarship recipients
Each year around this period of time there will be many heartbreaks. It's not due to the breakoff of love affairs or the passing of love ones but receiving letters from Public Service Department (PSD) that begins with "dengan dukacitanya dimaklumkan".
Yup, those rejected straight "As" aspirants youths of the nation whom achieved excellent results for their SPM that has expected a scholarship to study overseas from the PSD was the heartbroken ones. With just 2,000 scholarships available, it is just not enough to cater to so many applicants.
It is just not possible for all qualified applicants to be given a scholarship but it is not acceptable that those with much better grades lost out due to low points obtained during interviews which transparency is questionable and decisions can be influenced due to human weaknesses.
So what's the problem for the government to exhibit publicly the lists of those selected for the scholarships with full results of their SPM, points obtained for interviews, co-curricular activities, area of origin and course of study applied for? Let the rejected applicants sees for themselves if there are any truth in the suspicion that their so called "rights" of scholarship had been given to other less qualified applicants due selective human bias or discrimination.
Isn't meritocracy, tranparency, integrity and fairness to all the clarion call of the government? Did I miss anything or is it the government has been sleeping on the job?
Yup, those rejected straight "As" aspirants youths of the nation whom achieved excellent results for their SPM that has expected a scholarship to study overseas from the PSD was the heartbroken ones. With just 2,000 scholarships available, it is just not enough to cater to so many applicants.
It is just not possible for all qualified applicants to be given a scholarship but it is not acceptable that those with much better grades lost out due to low points obtained during interviews which transparency is questionable and decisions can be influenced due to human weaknesses.
So what's the problem for the government to exhibit publicly the lists of those selected for the scholarships with full results of their SPM, points obtained for interviews, co-curricular activities, area of origin and course of study applied for? Let the rejected applicants sees for themselves if there are any truth in the suspicion that their so called "rights" of scholarship had been given to other less qualified applicants due selective human bias or discrimination.
Isn't meritocracy, tranparency, integrity and fairness to all the clarion call of the government? Did I miss anything or is it the government has been sleeping on the job?
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Non-Muslim Liaison officers
The requests by various religious groups especially by the Buddhists and Hindus communities for the government to establish an Department for the Non-Muslims in the Prime Minister Department has been in the news for many years already. I even spoke to the former PM many years ago. The recent call was by the Federation of Malaysian Indian Organisations (Prima). The response from the government is always in the negative.
There are many reasons to support the call for this department for the non-muslims to be established. For many years problems regarding land allocation and building of places of religious worship for the non-muslims has been a long stretch out situation. Most of the times, the non-muslims leadership will approach politicians from various political parties for help but usually these matters will dragged on, sometimes for more than 10 years or even more. The Puzhao Vihara in Ayer Hitam dragged close to 20 years and the Catholic Church in Shah Alam was settle out of court after pending more than 10 years.
Politicians are just too busy with other matters or just don't have the persistent, commitment, clout or authority to sort out the problem.
There are also cases regarding the difficulty in obtaining visa permit for entry of overseas religious teachers like monks, priests or temple musicians to serve congregation of viharas, kovil or churches.
Many especially in Penang will still remembers the issue of the "shorthening" of the Kuan Yin statue at Kek Lok Si. The controversy of the Mazu statue in Kudat, Sabah is already in the court.
What about those seeking conversion from one religion from another and body-snatching? When there is a problem, most of the time when this issue arises it creates unnecessary negative feelings amongst the religionists. Can it be handle in a more humane and respectful way?
While on one side there are people who are for the department, there are those who are against it although their arguments may reflects sign of arrogance and lacked of universal justice.
While the proposal are been argued upon, all those problems will still persists. In the meantime can the government consider appointing non-muslims liaision officers for each religion that reports to the PM. These officers are specifically tasked to handle any matters discussed above so that it will have a proper channel to seek for a amicable solution minus the usual publicity and unnecessary attention.
I suggested this approach to certain people including a federal minister and religious leaders including the Prima president. The minister was very receptive to the proposal and I hoped he will take it up with the PM.
There are many reasons to support the call for this department for the non-muslims to be established. For many years problems regarding land allocation and building of places of religious worship for the non-muslims has been a long stretch out situation. Most of the times, the non-muslims leadership will approach politicians from various political parties for help but usually these matters will dragged on, sometimes for more than 10 years or even more. The Puzhao Vihara in Ayer Hitam dragged close to 20 years and the Catholic Church in Shah Alam was settle out of court after pending more than 10 years.
Politicians are just too busy with other matters or just don't have the persistent, commitment, clout or authority to sort out the problem.
There are also cases regarding the difficulty in obtaining visa permit for entry of overseas religious teachers like monks, priests or temple musicians to serve congregation of viharas, kovil or churches.
Many especially in Penang will still remembers the issue of the "shorthening" of the Kuan Yin statue at Kek Lok Si. The controversy of the Mazu statue in Kudat, Sabah is already in the court.
What about those seeking conversion from one religion from another and body-snatching? When there is a problem, most of the time when this issue arises it creates unnecessary negative feelings amongst the religionists. Can it be handle in a more humane and respectful way?
While on one side there are people who are for the department, there are those who are against it although their arguments may reflects sign of arrogance and lacked of universal justice.
While the proposal are been argued upon, all those problems will still persists. In the meantime can the government consider appointing non-muslims liaision officers for each religion that reports to the PM. These officers are specifically tasked to handle any matters discussed above so that it will have a proper channel to seek for a amicable solution minus the usual publicity and unnecessary attention.
I suggested this approach to certain people including a federal minister and religious leaders including the Prima president. The minister was very receptive to the proposal and I hoped he will take it up with the PM.
Don't Forget Cyclone victims
Few days after Cyclone Nargis brought disaster and sufferings to people of Myanmar, I sms'es two political leaders from two different political parties suggesting they should use their good office to help the cyclone victims. The next day, one State government which one of the politician is an exco member announced a RM 1 million contribution to help the victims in Myanmar.
I did not received any response from the other politician who is a minister in the federal government. Few days after the sms, earthquake strikes Sichuan province in China and news with photos of destruction caused by the earthquake spread wide and far. The latter politician's party whose membership comprising those with historical and cultural link with China sprang into action to raise fund for the earthquake victims. Many people with economic interest and cultural link with China also join in the band wagon to raise funds for the Sichuan earthquake.
And the attention on victims of Cyclone Nargis was slowing down mainly due to lack of information and pictures showing the suffering of the cyclone victims compared to the earthquake victims which was widely published in local vernacular chinese newspapers.
The Myanmar junta need to take responsibilities on the increasing suffering of the cyclone victims. By virtue of stopping relief workers and international media from going into disaster areas, the actual impact of the disaster was not really been gauged and estimated. A picture speaks a thousand words and these pictures were not easily obtained in the military junta controlled state. It resulted that less people emphatised with the Myanmar victim compared to the earthquake victims.
At current state of increasing cost of living, people will still fork out some cash to help out but most will channel to the earthquake victims because seeing is believing. Pictures of school children trapped and killed in Sichuan most probably will moved a person to chip in for the earthquake fund rather than the cyclone fund as many might not be comfortable donating to Myamnar junta because they are still having strong reservation on the junta handling of the fund.
Whatever it is, please do not forsake the victims of Nargis, continue to help them. There are many channel to help them thru the NGOs who are already inside Myanmar to help the victims.
I did not received any response from the other politician who is a minister in the federal government. Few days after the sms, earthquake strikes Sichuan province in China and news with photos of destruction caused by the earthquake spread wide and far. The latter politician's party whose membership comprising those with historical and cultural link with China sprang into action to raise fund for the earthquake victims. Many people with economic interest and cultural link with China also join in the band wagon to raise funds for the Sichuan earthquake.
And the attention on victims of Cyclone Nargis was slowing down mainly due to lack of information and pictures showing the suffering of the cyclone victims compared to the earthquake victims which was widely published in local vernacular chinese newspapers.
The Myanmar junta need to take responsibilities on the increasing suffering of the cyclone victims. By virtue of stopping relief workers and international media from going into disaster areas, the actual impact of the disaster was not really been gauged and estimated. A picture speaks a thousand words and these pictures were not easily obtained in the military junta controlled state. It resulted that less people emphatised with the Myanmar victim compared to the earthquake victims.
At current state of increasing cost of living, people will still fork out some cash to help out but most will channel to the earthquake victims because seeing is believing. Pictures of school children trapped and killed in Sichuan most probably will moved a person to chip in for the earthquake fund rather than the cyclone fund as many might not be comfortable donating to Myamnar junta because they are still having strong reservation on the junta handling of the fund.
Whatever it is, please do not forsake the victims of Nargis, continue to help them. There are many channel to help them thru the NGOs who are already inside Myanmar to help the victims.
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