IDR brewing

You must give credit to the Malaysians for their sheer scale, vision and ambition in coming up with the plans for the Iskandar Development Region. The area that IDR covers is bigger than the whole of Singapore! So if it took Singapore 40 years to arrive at where it is today, I wonder how many decades it will take for the IDR to be realised!

Already, some Malaysians are acting as if the IDR is already built. Well, it is - on paper that is. They are jealous that Singapore is described as a partner in the whole plan, part of a committee that will look into its development. They say, not without justification, that this is a Malaysia plan and vision and that Singapore is but an investor, just like any other country that shows interest in pumping their money into it. But such is the close yet suspicious relationship between the two nations that this has become inevitable.

Malaysians do not have to be too worried though. Remember Suzhou, China? Well, Singapore now has a minority stake in it although it took a lead in planning, developing and realizing the IP. After much public posturing and behind-the-scenes struggles (a word only too familiar with our communist friends), China has majority control over the IP today. If history were to repeat itself, Malaysia will have its IDR - nobody is going to take it away from them. But they must have greater self-confidence and not feel immediately threaten the moment a Singaporean shows up at their doorstep, never mind if no plans are offered. Its a Malaysian plan, OK? Yeah, and I don't think Singapore wants to take it away from them.

But given the sheer scale of the project, Malaysia really needs the right people with the track record to pull off the IDR. Otherwise, the IDR will likely end up as no more than a beautiful model that businessman marvelled at for a while and then moved on to something more practical.

Taking out your spoons before the broth is cooked and ready to eat seems to me to be premature.

Image source: http://images.stockxpert.com/

FAM U-Turn

Applause please...for PM Ahmad Abdullah Badawi for doing the right thing. This is Visit Malaysia Year and nobody should dictate to a sovereign nation and its people how, when or who they should invite to the country to celebrate Malaysia's 50th birthday. Certainly not the AFC President, Mr Mohamed bin Hammam, who is now threatening to sue FAM for reneging on its promise not to promote any competing event around the time of the Finals in AFC's Asia Cup event.

Yes, FAM did a u-turn there, but that's in the nature of soccer. Sometimes, some well executed u-turns on the soccer pitch can result in a spectacular goal. The only thing is, you'd want to make sure that goal is not your own, something the FAM almost did. But I must give credit to FAM for its guts in standing up to the imperial AFC, and more to the Malaysia PM for protecting the interests of the country and its own people. Yes, that's right, folks, Malaysia has only one PM, and he does not go by the name of Hammam.

Hammam and WSG, who had hoped to make tonnes of money from the event, will now see the money go to MUFC, because football-fans just acquired a distaste for the AFC and its brand of soccer.

Malaysia boleh!

Image source:http://images.stockxpert.com/

My Football

Mr Mohamed bin Hammam and the FAM are not getting my vote for being insensitive to the wants of football crazy Malaysians, and Singaporeans too. How could one person in the AFC unilaterally decide that thousands of football fans should watch the Asia Cup rather than Manchester United FC? Mr H accuses MU of being colonialist, but he is no better. In fact, except for his bald pate and dark complexion, he looks like Hitler and acts like Hitler too.

Sure, he wants to promote Asia soccer, but not at the expense of the people who enjoy good soccer? Isn't it ironic? He doesn't want MUFC to show up just to cart away tonnes of Asian money, but isn't the AFC after that same pot of gold? You think the AFC is money-blind and totally altruistic in promoting Asian soccer? They have done their sums and they know that whatever they could have pocketed would have to be shared with MUFC if they turned up around the same time. Look, the events aren't playing on the same day, so fans can catch both the AFC event and go crazy over Ronaldo and gang. But no, the AFC want ALL the cash to itself. That explains why Mr H was so un-diplomatic, even rude, with his language. The soccer fraternity, on a global scale, is still a small world. One day, AFC might have to look west for collaboration. Burning bridges such as what Mr H is doing is akin to suicide.

We fans weren't born yesterday. We may be soccer crazy, but we are not blind and stupid. Only, let us spend our hard-earned cash on what we want and not on what Mr H wants. We may decide not to spend any of it, since MUFC is not invited to the party.

Responsibility for free speech

I have never had any doubt that Malaysia has liberal free speech policies. What's the proof? Just look at the kind of crap that the Malaysia press is ready to carry about Mr Abdul Ghani Othman's accusation against Singapore for causing massive floods in Johor recently and you should be convinced of the veracity of this claim.

On the other hand, it says a lot for the Malaysia bar when they were willing to host a rebuttal by Singapore's Today newspaper on their very own website - a rebuttal against the claims of the Chief Minister of Johor, no less. Even its press - no less than Bernama and a newspaper in the East of Malaysia (Sabah) did the same. So from the Singapore perspective, part of the Malaysian press has been balanced and fair. We cannot realistically expect every and all newspapers to behave the same. In fact, Bernama and the Malaysia Bar are practicing the very principles that Singapore has espoused - which is for the press, whether local or foreign, to publish Singapore's own account of the issue.

But of course, Malaysians, and especially Malaysian bloggers will disagree. They hold that cyberspeech and cyberpublishing is immune from the laws of mere mortals which still print newspapers for a living. That is why the law suite by the New Straits Time Publishing (NSTP) against two bloggers, Jeff Ooi and Encik Ahirudin Attan has garnered so much opposition among Malaysian bloggers and news watchers. A fund has even been set up to pay for defence of these two gentlemen and there is much handwringing and drumbeating over the whole affair.

I will be the first to admit that I am not clear about the details of the suite. In fact, I cannot be bothered. So I am not going to venture any opinion on who is right and who is wrong. To many people, 'David' should always be 'right' because he is being bullied by 'Goliath'. But since when has this taken on the status of a virtual 'law'? What any fair minded person would suspect is that the truth lies somewhere in-between. It is good that Malaysia has decided to resort to its law courts to settle this dispute over against a lynching party, whatever form that might have taken.

If Malaysians, and in particular, Malaysia bloggers, do not believe in their system of justice and due process, then the country will really be in trouble.

Let he/she who has thrown the first word answer for what he/she has said.

I am a blogger, but I do not take myself too seriously when I am on and within the rarefied air of cyberspace. I land once in a while to feel the ground.

Water arising

Malaysian government Ministers can have very fantastic imagination, and sometimes, these imagining tries to be scientific too. Abdul Ghani Othman, the Johor Chief Minister is on record as saying that the floods in Johor in the last few months is caused by the reclamation works that Singapore had carried out on its Tekong Island. Because of the reclamation works, so the reasoning goes, the mouth of the Johor River was narrowed, which impeded the flow of water. This eventually led to the overflowing of that same river, flooding much of the State of Johor.

This is the most incredible piece of 'scientific' reasoning sh*t I have ever heard. I think the Johoreans should use its river for better purposes than as a football that it tries to wack into Singapore's goal. First, Malaysia is already going to restrict the amount of water it sells to Singapore, water that originates from the Johor River, once the current water agreements with Singapore expire. If what Encik Ghani says is true, then Johoreans should brace themselves for more floods in the future. I can imagine them blaming Singapore for not taking more water from the Johor River like it used to for so many years, when floods strike Johor again.

Now it is blaming Singapore for clogging up the mighty Johor River. Sometimes, I think Malaysians give Singapore too much credit than it deserves.

Malaysia boleh

Politics is getting a bit exciting up north. Singaporeans must welcome recent steps by UMNO's senior leaders such as Najib Tun Razak to welcome Singapore investments in Malaysia (and I trust that includes the SJER, if and when it materializes) and UMNO's rebuke of some of its members for making racially inflamatory remarks during its recently concluded UMNO annual pow-wow. From what I heard, not everyone is in agreement on this. There remains a strong underlying current of disquiet and it will take all the skills of politicking and leadership from PM AB and DPM NTR to rein in the disenchanted in order to move Malaysia's national agenda forward.

Actual results count for everything.

A peaceful Malaysia is good for Singapore. A properous Malaysia is also good for Singapore. A Malaysia that wants to play football, and I mean real football, with Singapore is a plus plus. This will be taking two steps forward.

I truly wish Malaysia well. As I have mentioned before, I love to visit Malaysia. It just has to rein in the snatch thieves and robbers and most importantly, keep the police clean. Visitors expect the police to provide protection and help in times of need. It is no good if visitors to the country suspect that senior police officers can blow people up. If the head honchos do it, what more the subordinates?

Wayang show up north

It appears that Malaysia's Malay leaders are ready to unsheath their kris, and if necessary, to kill (the minority races that are accused for formenting trouble) to defend their rights as Malays in their own lands, where they form the majority of the population and where there is an affirmative action for the Malays already in place for more than 30 years. With so much going for them, this must be one of the most ridiculous things I have ever heard.

Are these leaders then admitting that their affirmative action has been a total failure? It must be when you are at it for more than 30 years and you have yet to achieve its objectives. Either those objectives were set too high or are impossible to meet? In any organisation, if objectives are not met within the stipulated time (and this rarely exceeds 3 years much less 30 years) the leaders are held to account, plans are changed or the project scrapped entirely.

But in Malaysia's affirmative action programme, we see a most remarkable thing. The leaders are actually proud of the fact that it has still not succeeded in meeting its objectives. In fact, they strongly and adamantly refuted, without much justification except pure political posturing, a considered study that suggested that the affirmative action has more than achieved its objectives. At least the person responsible for that report has done the honourable thing and resigned his post rather than compromise his academic integrity.

The wayang that is going on in UMNO these days is incredible, and I am not referring to DR M & PM AB. If the gathering of the big-wigs of Malaysian national leaders that produced these sentiments and posturing was not a very serious thing, I would laugh till my tummy ached, or my teeth fell out.


Image source: http://www.seasite.niu.edu/

Scandalous diversions

Alamak, another interesting thing is developing in Malaysia and the IGP is coming into the picture again. The last time the IGP had such publicity was when he hantam Anwar Ibrahim in jail. But of course this IGP is a different person. He has been pulled in because a high-ranking government official, a political analyst close to a Malaysian Cabinet Minister stands accused of murdering a Mongolian women, with whom he allegedly had a sexual relationship. Now, some police officers have also been arrested, allegedly for complicity in the whole affair.

This juicy story might just be the thing that AB needs to deflect attention from Dr. M's barbs. Stay tuned...

Ghosts from the past

With all due respect to his excellency, the Sultan of Johore is spouting nonsense when he said that the Singapore-Johore Causeway should be demolished because, apparently, it was a conspiracy by its former colonial masters, the British, to block the waterways in the Straits so that it will benefit Singapore's southern coastline's port development at the expense of the Port of Tanjung Pelapas. In the first place, his excellency probably thought of the Tanjung Pelapas port as nothing more than for docking sampans by fishermen, until Singapore showed how to profit from having a deep-water coast. Secondly, with or without the Causeway, AP-Moeller-Maersk and Evergreen did move over to PTP, didn't they? Will his excellency be happy only if Keppel becomes a shell?

I don't know which quack advised him on his history, but it is bad advice and bad history. I have not come across any academic who has studied and published on Singapore-Johore / Singapore-Malaysia history and politics with this radical interpretation of history. That the Sultan said that the British hoodwinked his ancestors is a telling admission that they now think that somebody else could be hoodwinking their children today. It is a sad. I personally do not think that the Malays are without common sense . The Sultan should stop portraying them as such.

In this respect, I wonder if the Sultan is not being more like Mahathir, whom he criticised not too long ago, counselling him to stop making noise. Besides, how can Singaporeans contribute to the success of SJER without a bridge? or are Singaporeans not welcome even before the first foundation stone to SJER is laid? If so, it does not augur well for the success of the SJER. I believe Singapore values every opportunity to work together with others for mutual benefit, including Johore. But if the other side doesn't want to play ball, it can do nothing but to turn to others who want, like Batam. Let it not be said later that Singapore is not a friendly neighbour.

The Sultan should be careful with his words and history. It may return to haunt him.

Image source: http://home.ca.inter.net/~dmonet/

When elephants fight...

As if Malaysia hasn't got enough problems on its hands with two of its big shots going at each other in public (actually, its one going at the other, who has been rather, though characteristically, quiet, perhaps till now), Malaysia has to contend with its auxiliary religious police who are running amok while the elephants battle each other. Like the saying goes, when two elephants fight, the mouse gets up to mischief.

The first mischief is the religious police conducting witch-hunts for Muslim couples committing 'khalwat' or close-proximity. There now seems to be two laws in the land, the civil law and the religious laws. What is frightening is that the religious law is an authority to itself, seemingly untouchable by the more established civil law. In a boo-boo of embarrassing proportions, it was reported that one such religious police squad barged into the home of an elderly American couple intending to charge them for khalwat. It seems that catching the couple at their age for committing the close-proximity sin is decades too late. But this is lost on the fervent religious police, who can think of nothing but to enforce the Prophet's teachings. This poor couple had intended to get a permanent house in Langkawi, where the incident took place. Now those plans are dead. 'Malaysia - truly Asia' now has a sinister ring to it.

As if this were not enough, we hear that Malaysia has also set up an authority, primed by some government minister/department, to suss out people who mix Bahasa-Melayu with English in their speech (and most likely, written too). Call Bahasa Rojak, Malay language purists are now on a crusade to cleanse the language of Malaysia to its purest form.

Now, any linguist worth his salt will tell you that there is no such thing as a 'pure' language - only purely stupid purists. I used to hear Malaysia Ministers, Dr Mahathir included, mixing Bahasa Melayu and English in their speeches and recorded conversations, and appearing proud of it. Of course, they are not the only ones. actors and actresses in made-in-Malaysia Malay movies also do the same, so much so that I was beginning to get used to this lingua innovation as an accepted part of the way Malaysians are going to speak.

Apparently somebody thinks otherwise, and so we now have, besides the religious police, also the language police running around to prey on Rojak speakers, providing some intermittent amusement while the two elephants plan their next moves.

Well, that's not all, really. There is also the case of those lies, damned lies and statistics. I wonder what Malaysian leaders will pull out of the rabbit's hat next? Look at it another way, even if the leaders are not doing their jobs (and I an not implying that they aren't), at least they are providing a seemingly endless stream of comic relief.

See also: http://undurlah.blogspot.com/2006/04/beware-vice-squad.html

Image source: http://www.elephantvoices.org/albums/

The show continues

The Malaysia political scene is set to continue to be interesting, albeit painful for many, as its 'nosey-parker' former PM Mahathir refuses to keep his thoughts private and his mouth shut. It looks like there will be more mud-slinging, accusations, counter-accusations, conspiracy, mouth gagging, nosey-parkering, ad nauseam. Somewhere along this timeline, somebody will get really hurt. Mahathir should follow MacArthur's advice - old soldiers should slowly fade away...

Must the show continue, to the bemusement of its neighbour at the peninsula's southern tip? Seems like Anwar Ibrahim is getting his own back - without lifting a finger.

Image source: http://www.anssi.org/andrei/privacy.htm

Boss' word not final

The boss has spoken, but the lieutenants are now weighing in on the issue in spite of the boss saying that he has closed the case and he will move on.

What am I referring to? Non other than the consternation over remarks made by Singapore's SM Lee about the systematic marginalisation of non-Malay races in Malaysia. Who are adding their two cents worth (for that's really all that its worth after the boss has spoken). Maximus Ongkili, who is Minister in the PM's department. I wonder if his ofice has such thick walls that he doesn't know what his boss just said. The other is Dato' Seri Syed Hamid Albar, the Foreign Minister. He just cannot not say something. But he is a man of high ambitions, stretching from the Mahathir days.

Even Mahathir Mohammad is giving his satu sen worth, but on a different issue. He is taking issue with SM Lee's characterisation of him as a difficult person to work with. Dr M counters that SM Lee is arrogant. Touche. It takes two to tango and men of strong characters to create sparks. If you ask me (I know you didn't), I prefer the Lee sparks any day although Dr M's sparks can sometimes raze a country as he is threatening to do to his own nowadays. Mahathir is not satisfied with life. He just cannot rest in peace, err, I mean leave well alone.

Image source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/

Irony of cross-strait politics

Khairy Jamaluddin, erstwhile son-in-law of PM AA Badawi, has been shooting off his mouth about many things of late. Now he is alleged to have said that non-Malays will take advantage of a weak UMNO. If that isn't race politics, I don't know what is. MCA has duly made it known that the non-Malays' feelings are hurt. Khairy cannot say things like this (which reminds me that PM AA Badawi also said something like this about some hurtful comments made by someone down south recently), especially when he represents UMNO's Youth wing as deputy chief and is the incumbent PM's son-in-law to booth. Does UMNO Youth subscribe to this view? Is it an official position of UMNO Youth? What has Hishamuddin Tun Hussein, as UMNO Youth Chief, have to say about it?

It is doubly ironic as his father-in-law (and all of Malay Malaysia, I would suppose) expressed great displeasure over remarks made by Mr Lee Kuan Yew about how the non-Malays have been systematically marginalised over the years in Malaysia. It would seem that Mr Jamaluddin and Mr Lee Kuan Yew share something in common - the ability to say things that may be hidden in the sub-consciousness of a nation and its peoples.

Well, AA Badawi has graciously acknowledged SM Lee's apology and closed the matter. I doubt it would be forgotten though. But it would seem that Malaysia still has to contend with its own pretender in the years to come, unless somebody stops him, or his mouth or both.

Image source: http://www.hhmi.org/

Calling a spade a shovel

As always happens, Singapore is having yet another spat with Malaysia over remarks made by MM Lee Kuan Yew that the Chinese in Malaysia have been systematically marginalised all these years. Not only that, Indonesia got mentioned too in the same breadth and now Singapore has been asked to explain those remarks to both countries.

I don't know what Singapore's diplomats are going to say, but perhaps MM should have been less candid with his remarks in the first place. But what's done is done, and MM managed to offend the people whose country it is sandwiched between. This is certainly not a very comfortable position to be in. Nevertheless, it is interesting to note that nobody in Singapore disagrees openly with MM's opinions and some in Malaysia have written to the local press to support his views.

Of course, Malaysia has reacted in many other threatening ways, one of which is that UMNO grassroots politicians have reportedly called on PM AA Badawi to ensure that Singapore does not benefit from the South Johor Economic Region (SJER) plan - that grand plan to transform Johor into an economic powerhouse that matches that in the Klang Valley in KL. This really shows that these grassroots politicians have no idea what they are talking about and that they don't under the SJER plan at all. Let me quote Malaysia's MIDA on this plan:

Presently most of the services activities are concentrated in the Klang valley. To take advantage of the inherent strength and business activities in the southern region, the South Johor Economic Region will be developed as a REGIONAL HUB for services. The services sector will be supported with specific funding such as the Export Services Fund and the SMEs Export Services Fund.

Source: 9th Malaysia Plan

First, it will be very strange for a hub to be off-centre with Singapore's exclusion, and second, where and who do they think the 'strength and business activities in the southern region' is currently fueled mainly by? Singapore may sometimes appear arrogant, but it cannot be denied that the main engine running in the south of the Peninsula is Singapore. It is a fact that many enterprises in Johor are owned, though not always operated, by Singapore businessman. The Port of Tanjong Pelapas itself will not an economic miracle make, so who are these politicians deceiving anyway?

In today's globalised world, SJER will succeed spectacularly if it collaborates with that little red dot at the tip of the Malay Peninsula. Otherwise, it is not certain that this planned regional hub for services will amount to much more than rhetoric. Our Malaysia grassroots political friends are speaking as if SJER will be a reality next month. All I can say is, don't count your chicks before the eggs hatch.

Image source: The Star