Christmas message

On behalf of DAP Sarawak, I would like to wish all Malaysian a Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year. As the year 2008 draws to its end, we need to pause and look back to the events that happened and history that has been made and hope that mistakes are avoided and triumphs be repeated in the New Year ahead.

Malaysia has seen the better days in the first half of 2008 as the world crude oil prices hit recorded high with its peak at USD 147 per barrel and Malaysia has seen the bountiful as well in the commodities prices of rubber and palm oil. But the October financial crisis in the US that spread like wild fire to the rest of the world had hit Malaysia like a curse as oil prices tumbled and commodities prices fell to recorded levels and we finally found ourselves in hot-water financially while the inflation that was triggered by the fuels price hike in June has yet been redressed.

2009 seems to be a year of uncertainty as many Malaysian are facing many huddles ahead with the BN government not doing anything to address the concern of the people as the biggest political party, UMNO, is too busy preparing for its March party's polls. So far it has only used the EPF money to inject RM 5 billion into Valued Cap Sdn. Bhd. as its only solution to the financial crisis facing the country and we do not even know whether it causes any ripple at all in the stock market.

More important to Malaysian would be the 916 effect on the mindset of Malaysian, the 916 has created a burning desire among the majority of Malaysian to see a change of the Guard. They were so intense in their desire that they cursed when the promise by Anwar to bring about the change of federal government did not materialize. But whet they did not know that without that promise, many Malaysian would never dream about the demise of the BN and the changing of the guard at the federal government.

So with the many set backs and triumphs behind us now, lets stand united as fellow Malaysian regardless of the color of our skin, the diversity of our cultures and the different faiths that we embraced, to face the challenge in the year ahead. The spirit of Christmas should lead us ahead in making a Malaysia for all Malaysian and a country that is equally shared by all Malaysian. After all, the spirit of sharing and giving is what X'mas is all about.

Marry Ximas & Happy New Year

David Wong
DAP Sarawak publicity secretary
24-12-2008

Dad, my shoes have become smaller!

Last week, my youngest kid told me "Dad, my shoes have become smaller!" as we were getting ready to go out. My immediate respond was "It is not that they are getting smaller but rather because you are growing up fast!"

Then it hit me that they are growing up fast and i have taken it for granted that they will always be the kids that they are and i can compensate them for the lost chance/time whenever i feel like it as simple as a push on the time-machine button just like in the movie "Back to the future" by Micheal J Fox.

Then an idea came up as i have to attend the DAP state committee meeting as well as the annual convention on the 13rd and 14th of December to be held in Kuching, i asked them whether they would like to go to Kuching with me. The answer is of course a foregone conclusion as i am writing this in the house of my in-laws in Kuching.

Today,we visited the Muzium in Kuching and did some window shopping around Cat city. To our delight was we ran into the mascot of the KFC at the restaurant and my wife did not miss the opportunity to arrange the photo session and was happily clicking away. Fortunately the digital age save me a lot of money as we can appreciate the photos without having to develop the films and it is also more enviromental friendly as well.

I am glad that i have spent some quality time with them although most of the time they have to go their own way as i was too busy attending the DAP's meeting and convention. At least we can mix official businesses with family outings if we want to. At least the next time my kid tell me "Dad, my ..." i would know that it is another sign of time passing by fast but i do not have to have a sense of guilt.

火箭吁人联党代声讨 二小事件扩至华小独中

新闻 08 12月 2008 20:53

（本报诗巫8日讯）砂民主行动党宣教秘书黄培根表示，行动党劝人联党把二小事件扩大到整个华小及独中的问题。 他说，行动党呼吁人联党在本月12日至14日的党代上，应该在党代上面声讨联邦国阵政府或州首长，为何使二小事件变成今日人联党之痛。

他续称，行动党也做出呼吁，如果人联党不能在这次的党代上解决二小事件，不能得到首长或者全国国阵主席（首相）的解决，那么人联党应该在党代上面检讨在国阵的地位。

“若人联党不能做到上述我们讲的话，那么在来届州选时，人民将会要人联党知道，他们已经不能为人民争取任何利益。” 他於今午的新闻发布会上表示，古晋二小的事件在今年选举中被人联党用来影响选民手中一票，人联党在选举中代表国阵，因此人联党的承诺就是国阵的承诺。

“砂人民可以看到，学校及学生都是国家的资源，既然抽税是政府的权力，我要问人联党，建校是谁的责任？” 黄培根认为，人联党已经失去了方向，他们现在把整个事件推给反对党。

他强调，全马人民包括砂州人民可以看到，在民联执政的几个州，民联政府在短短半年内已经做出了国阵政府43年执政以来所不能做的，那就是制度化地拨款给独中，或以地养校的方式来帮忙州内教育，几个州属已经做到了。

“如果今天砂州的政府是行动党组成的政府，那么古晋二小的事情不能得到解决的话，人联党才可以攻击行动党，问题是砂州政府是谁？”

他表示自己听说了首相将出席在人联党党代上，若人联党不趁这次机会把砂州的母语教育问题、独中拨款的问题提出，就不要在报章上作戏。 “只要首相在党代的一句话，就可以解决二小的事件。”

黄和联：人联无履行承诺 另一方面，砂民主行动党主席黄和联律师也针对二小事件表示，人联党的承诺就是要建中华二小，作为选举的承诺，没有履行的承诺，是为不该。 他强调，解铃人还须系铃人，系铃人就是人联党，不应该扯到行动党身上，作了承诺就该履行承诺，并表示人联党该醒觉，即刻要求联邦以及州政府公平对待各源流学校，包括常年系统化拨款。

培根：无暇顾及人民利益 内斗无法为民服务 Repost from United daily news

黄黄培根：无暇顾及人民利益 内斗无法为民服务
新闻 - 中砂
作者：iudneditor
周二, 25 11月 2008 18:23
（本报诗巫25日讯）国阵成员党的党内斗争，使国阵部长与代议士无暇顾及人民的利益，然而一个国家的政府操作，不应因为政党内部的斗争而遭瓦解。

砂行动党宣传秘书黄培根今日在该党每周新闻发布会上，对本地传媒如是声称。

他强调，马来西亚国阵政府目前处於近乎真空状态，完全未顾及人民的实际利益。

“当世界原油价格从140余美元大幅下跌，至现今的不及50美元，国阵政府根本无法给人民一个好的解释，为何我国目前的燃油价格甚至远较非产油国，如台湾等为高？”

黄培根感慨地说，我国政府仍以10仙或15仙的幅度在慢慢地调降燃油价格，为何并非一如今年6月初般，单次调涨幅度近1令吉？

“更令人遗憾的是，燃油价格虽逐步调降，然而国内食品与百货价格仍维持原有水平，而未获得适度下调，这充份显示，国阵政府并未顾及广大人民的利益。”

他指出，上月国家银行宣布我国通膨率介於7.6％，然而人民在选购消费品与生活必需品之际，却再再感受了通膨率不仅7.6％，而是高达了20％左右，这亦致使人民生活负担日益沉重。

“如今国阵成员党在党内斗争耗时耗力，尤其全国最大华基政党与土著政党皆然，这种情况在砂州亦不断上演。”

他表示，人民希望看到的是政治领袖为民解困，而非持续的党内斗争，而行动党亦呼吁人联党无论如何进行党内斗争，无论是谁担任党主席，最终应将人民权益放在第一位。

“我们认为，倘若人联党真能确定争取党内职位，即可纾缓人民的问题，那么我们希望人联党能告诉我们，并做出宣布，选出哪位领袖得以解决人民目前的困境？”

同时，黄培根重申，内斗并不能为人民提供服务，而人民不欲看到这样的党内斗争，而是看清时局并解决人民现在所面对的种种难题。

Bank Negara is too slow and doing too little!

Bank Negara has announced that it will reduce its overnight interest rate by 0.25% with effect from 1st December. The current rate is 3.5% and the reduced rate would be 3.25%!How can the economy waits for the BNM to wake up?

The world economy is changing by the minute if not by the second and yet the Malaysian central bank makes an announcement to reduce the over night rates effective a full week after the decision has been made to reduce it!!

The FED in the US fixed the key rate at 1% in order to minimise the effect of the recession and to let the home owners and business a breathing space. Most economist would agree what the FED did was correct under the circumstance. Malaysia would not be able to be isolated itself from the world crisis and as far as we know, there are a lot of Sarawak companies asking employees to take a month leave until further notice. Some in the export-based companies are asking the employees to take a pay-cut to deal with the problems.

2009 will see much difficulties for the businesses as well as those in the employment sector. Many would face lay-off and salary reduction and many more would file for bankruptcy. And many have term loans or housing loan and business loan with the bank. Like the saying goes "the bank only offer the umbrella during the good time..", i guess that is very true. I was a banker once and i know how the banks operate during the bad time, they simply take away the umbrella from the small businesses and the consumers while trying to protect the giant corporations because of their high exposure.

We do not have the safety nets for the unemployed while the advance countries offer social welfare programs to their citizen. How are the average going to cope with high interest rates during the time of recession? The government is not offering much hope except to say that Malaysia would be able to handle the economy crisis because of our high Foreign Reserve, that is bull to the ordinary people on the street. It seems that the BN government is lost as what direction to take as it fumbles on many issues and notably among them is the ECONOMY!

This morning in my weekly press conference, i lash out at the BN for their failure to address the problems of the people while spending all their resources and energy on party's in-fighting. UMNO, MCA, SUPP and PKR are all having leadership struggles. I asked them to prove me wrong and i challenge them to tell the people what we have to gain from their internal strife. Instead of govern, the BN is wandering in the bush.

A mother's sorrow

I received a call from someone i know requesting to meet in person so as to listen to her grievances. As always, whenever the other party is a woman i made it a point and actually a rule that i shall not entertain her without the presence of another, just to be careful and avoid any untoward incident. That afternoon, my wife was with me when i met her in a Muslim cafe as i felt that we would not be overheard in our conversation for the sake of the woman who told me that it was a family type of problem that she wanted to talk.

We (with my wife) were there first at the cafe before she walked in with a small girl. As they sat down opposite us, i had a better look at both of them. The mother was in her 40s with a sad and heavy physical dispositions obviously from a hard and harsh life. Her hands tell of those who makes a living off the farm or labor-intensive work. The small girl looks the age of 7-8 most with a slim and frail skeleton but innocent-looking big eyes.

I asked them to order a drink just to ease their uneasiness as it must be so when one has to tell of her family problem to an outsider. The woman then thanked us for being there to listen which we politely brushed aside. She told us that the small girl is her youngest daughter and is helping her now because of the school holiday. She is running a mee stalk in one of the coffee shops in town and she doesn't employ anyone as the business is bad and she can't afford an assistant. To make ends meet she also help people to clear land for farming in th elate afternoon.

Then she told us of her real motive to meet, it was to seek the advise as what to do with her second daughter. "What should i do? Send her to the correction center or just treated her as non-existence?"she asked. She was crying then as she told us of the unfortunate family problem with a none committed husband who brought woman back to home and physically abused her and her financial problem in keeping with a daughter in local U and a young 8 years old. But to her sorrow, it was her second daughter who have left her who came back demanding RM65,000 to settle her debt to the loan shark!

"I don't have any money left as i have smashed my youngest daughter piggy bank to pay for my second daughter's debt" she wiped her tears away with her swollen hand as she told us of the heart wrenching story of how she paid some RM1700 plus to settle her daughter's debt. She continued " when i smashed my youngest daughter's piggy bank, i smashed out all the hope left of this family, my own hope and my youngest daughter's as well."
She told us that the 2ND daughter have not come back at all, not even for the Chinese New Year, for the past 3 years although she is in Sibu. The only time when she calls it was always about borrowing money from the mother. One time she called her mother to demand some money for lunch and the mother sent to her all she has left, RM30, and know what she told the mother "Is that all, RM30?" Not knowing to the young girl, her mother told us that on that day, she and her youngest daughter have not eaten themselves as the coffee shop that her stalk opens was closed for almost a week for reason which i didn't even bothered to listen.This time it was a RM65,000 debt that she wanted her mother to pay!

She further told us that because of her family problems lately, her head was so screw-up that on her way back one day, her motorbike was knocked down by a dog and she was hospitalised for a week. She said in her husky voice "what actually hurt was i survive! It would be better if i didn't."

Coming back to the question "what should I do?" I told her that she should just treat her as non-existence and just put her hope on the eldest daughter who should finish her study by next year and raising the youngest one. I told her not to pay a single sen to the loan shark and report to the police if she be harrased by them.

There wasn't any solution when it comes to family's problem. A dishonest husband who abandoned his family with a ungrateful daughter who keep on coming back for money from an uneducated and broke mother and a young 8 years old to raise, what a life that was!

Of course, my wife did offer her our token help which was out of context here to mention. But for us, me and my wife, maybe the encounter offered some sort of reminder that the family value is the key to educate our own children and we did tell our kids about the poor and sorrowful mother and her unfortunate fate.

P/s A mother's sorrow was chosen as the title because that was what hurt the poor woman most as she told us as we walked out of the cafe that she has treated her husband as "dead" already and she just hope that she can bring up her youngest daughter to adulthood before she breathes her last breath.

David Wong
November 2008

Bank Negara urged to lower interest rates and BLR

By Barbara Hagenbaugh and Sue Kirchhoff, USA TODAY


WASHINGTON — A deep rate cut from the Federal Reserve and other central banks Wednesday will have little immediate impact on consumer borrowing rates, but it sends a clear signal that central bankers are working together to quell an intensifying financial panic that threatens the world economy.
The Fed slashed its target for short-term rates a half-percentage point to 1.5%, the lowest in more than four years. Fed policymakers voted unanimously during an emergency meeting Tuesday night to approve the cut.
"The pace of economic activity has slowed markedly in recent months," the Fed said in a statement. "Moreover, the intensification of financial market turmoil is likely to exert additional restraint on spending, partly by further reducing the ability of households and businesses to obtain credit."

The Fed lowered its target for the federal funds rate, what banks charge each other for overnight loans. The rate is a benchmark used by lenders in setting rates for consumer and business loans.

The European Central Bank and central banks in Canada, England, Sweden and Switzerland also cut interest rates a half-percentage point. China's central bank also cut rates. It was the first such move by so many central banks in a single day.
Some economists said the Fed's move wasn't enough to rescue the USA from recession, but called it one in a series of drastic steps to prevent the downturn from becoming much more serious.
"The playbook to avoid depressions says rates need to be as close to zero as possible, banks have to be rescued, public spending has to rise," said Ian Shepherdson, economist at High Frequency Economics. "The U.S. is making progress on all fronts, though the economy is still condemned to immediate recession followed by a long period of slow growth."
In the short run, the Fed's action is expected to have only limited impact on borrowing costs, given that credit markets are constricted for even the worthiest of borrowers, no matter what the price.
Credit card rates are already hitting floors that are set in agreements with customers, and issuers are being cautious about who gets the benefit of the lower rates. Rates on home-equity lines of credit will fall, but many homeowners have had their credit lines frozen or reduced, so there won't be a big boost to consumer spending, Bankrate.com senior analyst Greg McBride says.
The move will likely not have an impact on fixed-rate mortgages and may not help those with adjustable-rate mortgages, depending how their rates are set, McBride says. Meanwhile, "Savers will be thrown further under the bus as their interest income declines," he says.
Fed policymakers prefer to cut rates at regular meetings, so the fact they didn't wait until their Oct. 28-29 meeting shows how serious they believe the situation is. UBS and Global Insight expect the Fed will lower rates to 1% by the end of the year.

RM 100 per signature?

There are rumor in town that certain activists are giving our cold cash of RM 100 to each applicant who joins a certain political party as instructed by them. The news was that the persons behind are actually some corporate figures who are trying to buy some "political insurance" in the wake of the political uncertainty in the country. I was not a bit surprise by the rumor as this is the norm rather than the exception in Malaysia. Many corporate figures are involved in politicking so as to protect their own interests as in a less than democratic society of ours, politics and business go hand in hand together. Many would say that is Asia, just look at Taiwan, the ex-president Chen is now in the lock up as the prosecutors dig out more evidents of corrupt practises, mis-appropriation of public funds and out-right abuses by Chen's families and cronies.

Certain leaders use the tactic of using the number game when they apply to join a new political party to show how much support and influence they have and how many followers they have.They came with a motive, a political motive that was not to serve but to lobby for a certain position or promises that are self-serving. They would deliver speeches, some less than compassionate, to the "recruited" members and the press, of course. Some well known politicians would be invited to grace the occasion and the highlight would of course be the handling over of the appication forms in the tens of thousand. In actual fact, these "recruited" members are paid to sign on the dotted line and were invited to dinner with pocket money to spend of course.

Looking at the UMNO assemblies in the run off to their general assembly in march 2009, the meetings are marred by physical violence's,money politics backstabbing and what not. The problem is Umno being the backbone of the Barisan Nasional, the ruling coalition in Malaysia since the birth of Malaysia, the party's position is key to the government's position. Whoever elected as the President of Umno is automatically the PM of the country and the second man is also the deputy PM and so on. Thus, the jostling for position is not only normal, it is the survival game for many politicians and their cronies.

So coming back to the RM 100 per signature, how many are not willing to sign in exchange for the cold cash? They are playing along the political line just like the politicians and their cronies are, the only difference may be it is a token amount compared with the big guys in the big party. But in the end, everyone is content that they get what they want (or do they) and who cares what happen tomorrow, maybe and just maybe, there is another show that the poor guys would be invited to the dinner with some pocket money to spare, actually the more the merrier!

Happy dinner and happy "recruitment"!

Press statement about the august house

In the PC held yesterday (news in Mandarin,photo left), I called on the elected representatives not to treat the DUN as a circus to promote their political shows.

I also expressed the needs for the DUN's number of sitting to be increased from the current 16 days (the record was 21 days only) to at least 60 days in view of the problems faced by the state of Sarawak. I openly denounced the government for not having more sitting so that all the matters about the state development can be fully debated and the obsolete laws be amended, and i specifically mentioned the Sarawak Land Code,the high inflation rates in the state, floods problems in Sarawak .

Nobody can deny the fact that the state of Sarawak is at least 20 years behind those in the peninsular Malaysia, Ironically, isn't that equivalent to the number of years our current CM is heading the state BN government? Shouldn't the CM be blamed for the lack of development in Sarawak then? Yet i can not see what the CM is currently undertaking to turn around the situation!

This morning I received a SMS , "Ur press statement 2day seems very sour 2 d opposition members too!" I replied the sender with the following:

1)Politics should be used to advance the interests of the people,

2)The Dewan is not a circus and the Speaker should not be the circus master who dictates what "show" to put on, and it is certainly not a platform for child play either,

3)My advise transcends political boundaries as the call is for all the members to do the same so as to solve the problems encountered by the people and the state which is lacking since the BN governs the state.

4) Only those who fails the people need to be disturbed by my statement just like only someone who has anything to hide needs to be bothered by a simple English word camouflage as put forward in the Dewan by Wong Ho Leng (Bukit Assek-DAP).

In the PC yesterday,I also commented that we need a first-class Dewan in its members and not in its grand building (the new DUN building costs us nearly RM300 million) or infrastructure and it is regretful that is what i see (a third-class) in the performance of the DUN now. I elaborated that when the elected representatives care less about the problem of the people than their own stupid ego and pride, no one can say we have a first-class DUN.

David Wong

DAP Sarawak publicity sec.,

12-11-2008

12-11-2008

What happened?

Someone asked me yesterday "what happened to your blog?" I kept quiet and wondered to myself "when was the last time i post anything in my blog?" Something must have happened or else it was not quite like me to keep my blog a "web of spider" if you may.

Actually i did not know why i did not come to this site as this is supposed to me my personal site where i can put my thought at ease and speak out anything that bothers me or the ordinary people that i know of.

The other day someone called me at 9:30 pm and the call was answered by my 12 year old daughter and she told the caller that her father went out without the handset. The caller managed to get the fixed line number of my wife's business office and she called asking for me. That call was answered by my wife's staff and the caller asked "would David entertain any business appointment (actually compliant) and asked for the "cost" for engaging me. Very refreshing and quite unnatural as everyone who asked for my personal assistance knows that it is FREE!

My wife then asked me "may i know if we have to make appointment with you if we want to keep you to ourselves at anytime?" I fell dead silent on that as i know that she and the kids have to be side-stepped most of the time when someone calls me for assistance. Was it fair that because they are closest to me, they have to "understand" and to take a back seat every time?

Many would say that that is the price to pay when one steps into the political arena as you have become a public property and thus your personal ones have to wait. But i found the answer on that particular night as i did not return the caller's call until the next morning. Now i have truly found the balancing act and i know for certain that there are priorities in life that however you rank them you can't please everyone.

Now to the question of "hat happened?" Actually nothing happened, just that sometimes it is better to step out of the "ring" or "arena" to get a breath of fresh air and idea. Everyone appreciates you more, even yourself.

David Wong
31/10/2008

Abdullah was forced to step down by his failure to underatnd the needs of the people

Abdullah was forced to step down by the ECONOMY!
SINGAPORE (AP) -- Oil prices plummeted to a one-year low below $83 a barrel Friday in Asia, as investor fears of a severe global economic downturn sparked a panicked sell-off of equities and crude.

Now that the oil prices have dropped from the peak price of $147 to only $83 per barrel, what is going to happen to the pumps' prices in Malaysia? What would happen to the economy of the country and how would it affects the lives of the Malaysian.

The Abdullah government has on 4th of June raised the pump prices of petrol and diesel by 78sen and RM 1 respectively when the international price of oil was at $ 105. The outcries by the general public and the peaceful demonstrations held against the said price hike fell on deaf ears of the BN, Police were asked not to issue permit to the rally organized by either the DAP or other opposition parties or even the NGOs.

Abdullah mistakenly believed that the mistake he made in raising the pump prices could be "un-done" by different measures such as the rebate to motor vehicles and the monthly price adjustment mechanism and even urged the Malaysian to install a fuel-saving gadget on their vehicles. But he did not take into account the inflation spiral that comes with the fuel prices hike. Malaysia recorded the highest inflation rate in 25 years in August and September, and that was something that we feared would happened.

The BN government treats the people like fool and thought that we are ignorant of the fact that the high oil price in the international market actually brought windfall to Malaysia as we are a net exporter of oil. Petronas profit hit the ceiling and in the 2007-2008 financial year, Petronas profit before taxation was some RM 80 billion or RM 80,000,000,000.00. That is a figure that most people can't even comprehend and know how to count. I would say if we can circle the whole world in Ringgit notes with left over!

Abdullah gambled and failed and now he is forced to hand over his power to Najib before the pre-arranged 2010 time table. He would be remembered as the PM who fails to achieve anything while he has the power to do so. He would not be so unpopular if not for the economy conditions of the country. He is the hated by most Malaysian for the failed economy of the country and the high fuels and foods' prices.

He fails to
1)abolish the ISA,
2)rid the corruption of the BN,
3)brings about judicial reforms,
4)increases Malaysian incomes
5)reforms the country's economic policies(NEP)
6)understands the needs and aspiration of Malaysian.

However, it is worrisome for most Malaysian that Najib would succeed him in March 2009 as Najib is seen as someone who would resorts to all means to achieve his dream as the PM. He is ruthless as can been seen from the Abdullah's experience and he has been linked by the RPK as the one who was connected to the Mongolian’s case. He is inexperience in economy matters and he is now taking over the divided and weakened UMNO and ANWAR is waiting in-line as well for the next PM-ship of the country.

David Wong
10-10-2008

The con artist show of the ACA?

（砂拉越．詩巫）反貪污局查案官發現其中一個置放巨款的信封變輕，似乎有被開過的痕跡，並要求在眾人面前拆開信封後，揭發是起證物失竊案。

The ACA in Sibu found the evidences missing as monies turned into stacks of papers. The envelops containing large sum of monies seemed tampered and in one of the case the ACA investigating officer requested it to be opened in front of the magistrate and was shocked to see stacks of papers inside.

The above news has once and for all destroyed whatever credibility and integrity that was left of the ACA. The public has all the while doubted the ACA and labelled it as toothless tiger that only preys on the small fly and never dare to tackle the big fish and the VIP. Now this incident has pepped up the coffee shop 's grapevine telegraph.

The RM40,000 was gone as if this is a David Copperfield illusion show. But the disappearance of the RM 40,000 could mean that the investigation of the corruption cases come to a halt as evidence would be missing from trials.The judges would be hard pressed to decide if the defence attorneys challenge the "missing" evidence in the trials of the corruption cases.

We have frequently read news of con artists who preyed on the defenseless victims using the promise that they can help to "generate" or "produce" money with money. The victims would hand over the money to the con artists who will wrap up the money in used newspapers and waited overnight for the "new born monies" to be produced. Of course the end result is known to us all, the victims who cry their way to the police station and news reporters would again shake their heads when writing down the news report.

Now, many would say that the ACA itself is a con artist who performs and steals the second- rated show from the con artists. The severity of this case is beyond redemption for the ACA, at least until the whole case is solved and the culprit is brought to justice.

The ACA must act fast and cooperate with the police authority to solve the case without any reservation and let the truth be brought to light. That means the media should be given a green light to report the findings to the general public.

David Wong
27-09-2008

Why is the Ringgit so weak against all the major currencies?

From http://bbs.my45.net/
My posting "为 甚 么RINGGIT 不 值 钱?"

根据首相阿都拉所发布的声明表示,令吉与美元的汇率也贬值，因此根据政府所使用的计算方程式，最多只能降低油价10仙。

几 十 年 来 我 国 的 令 吉 对 世 界 主 要 钱 币 的 汇 率 都 贬 值， 如 下
1〕1980 年， 令 吉 对 新 币 和 汶 币 差 不 多是1 对1， 现 在 是 1 新 元 或 汶 币 对 2。4 马 币。
2〕1980 年， 令 吉 对 加 币 是1 加 币 对1。8 马 币，现 在 是 1 加 币 对 3。2 马 币。

政 府 因 该 解 释 为 甚 麽 我 国 的 令 吉 一 直 贬 值。 自 MERDEKA 以 来， 国 阵 一 直 掌 管 国 家， 他 们 因 该 为 我 国 的 经 济 问 题 负 责。

贪 污， 腐 败， 新 经 济 政 策， 拐 杖 政 策， 朋 党 主 义， 华 基 政 党 自 我 矮 化 和 UMNO 一 党 独 大 都 是 目 前 我 国 作 大 的 敌 人。

The following is the comment by one YP from my45.net:
如果你以令吉贬低来控诉政府，我认为你该保留和study清楚先。因为货币政策太复杂，每个时期世界环境不同，方向不同。
而且弱势马币可以吸引他国来投资，就以中国来说，前几年都是以1美元兑8.27人民币挂钩。这吸引了几百亿的FDI (FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT)，这造就中国成为世界工厂，上亿人口有工作，然后带动经济。现在成为发展中国家最强的国家，其能力直逼美日德三大先进世界经济体。
反观强势，他有他的优点，美国在克林顿总统时代采取强势美元非常奏效，详细的政策不多说。
其他如 “贪 污， 腐 败， 新 经 济 政 策， 拐 杖 政 策， 朋 党 主 义， 华 基 政 党 自 我 矮 化 和 UMNO 一 党 独 大 都 是 目 前 我 国 作 大 的 敌 人。” 这个大家有目共睹，但你认为以令吉一直贬低的话题来攻执政党，必须三思。就以非常简单的例子来讲，新元非常强，这让新加坡人来马消费，使柔佛州州经济活跃。而因新元兑换率高，吸引大马人民去新工作，为国家赚外汇。
但这句“根据首相阿都拉所发布的声明表示,令吉与美元的汇率也贬值，因此根据政府所使用的计算方程式，最多只能降低油价10仙”的确有蒙骗人民的成份在内。如果你针对这statement控诉，这还可以说的通。

My response to YP's comment was as follow:
The actual fact is a country's currency and its value is measured against its economy performance. If the country is economically strong, then its currency would have a higher value than say an under developed nation.

To say that we would be able to attract foreign direct investment if our currency is weak is against the principle of basic economic. For example, Indonesia with a "banana" currency, is definitely a weak economy marred by wrong economy policies and corruptions and political instability. So how come Indonesia can not attract FDI? Why the Indonesian can't catch up with China with such a weak and volatile currency?

We can't use China as an example to say that a weak currency would benifit the country and the people of China is unique with a strong cultural presence and a large educated yet cheap work force. But the capital income of the Chinese is way below the G7 nation. The purchasing power of the people are weak and their standard of living is far below the G7 counterpart. China now faces a big social problem where the gap between the rich and the poor is getting bigger by the day, it doesn't have big middle class like the G7.

If Malaysia is well managed, we should have a currency as strong as the Singaporean as well as the per capital income of the Singaporean which is even above some of the G7 countries. So isn't that a criteria to appriase the performance of the government. Remember that Singapore was part of Malaysia before it got its own Independence in 1965. Its founding father, Mr. Lee KY in his book said that the Island state has nothing to fall back on and he was worried as how it can survive once seperated from Malaysia. He further said in 2007 that Malaysia would be more prosperous than Singapore if its government practises meritrocacy and treat all Malaysian equally and fairly in terms of educational and career opportunity.

The conclusion is obvious, the government must be blamed for the rot in the country where the per capital income is only USD6000 plus compared to USD 25,000 of our Singaporean counterparts! It is still standing in the circle of fiery political rhetoric.

David Wong
26-09-2008

Yellow ribbons round my45 (or my Sibu)

Repost from http://bbs.my45.net/

Yellow ribbons round my45
i saw many members here using the Yellow Ribbon to symbolise the call for the release of the detainees under the draconian ISA. The golden oldie that goes like "tie the yellow ribbon round the old oak trees.." surely comes to my mind. Although Teresa Kok has been released, the yellow ribbons should remain in this forum as there are still many freedom fighters such as the Raja Petra and the Hindrafff movement's leaders still under custody without any fair trial.So, tie the yellow ribbons round my45 and pray that the freedom fighters would be released soon and the draconian ISA be abolished.

David Wong
19-09-2008

Active Citizenship

Re post from http://bbs.my45.net/
Heard about the phrase "Active Citizenship"?It is about the people who take charge of the political developments in the country and make the political parties accountable for their actions and the government accountable to their promises and their policies. It is about self empowerment and a responsible citizen of the country who puts the country first but seeking self fulfillment at the same time.

The people's rights come with their responsibilities and that they must be active in seeking Active Citizenship. Many of us have given up our rights and thought that "what can i do? I am but a poor individual who can't even take care of my own problems."

But then we complain about the government policies such as the high fuel prices and high inflation on food stuffs and why our children are subject to either special discrimination on job seeking or scholarship application or getting a place in the local universities. If we do not seek active citizenship, then how can we seek equal treatment or fair allocation of resources? If we do not seek active citizenship, then we are really not an equal partner of this country.

Can you believe that almost 2,00,000 eligible voters in Sarawak have yet register themselves with the SPR or Election Commission? In Sibu alone, there are around 25,000 eligible voters who have not register themselves. These are mostly youths who can really make a big difference in the election outcomes in Sibu and Sarawak and for that matter, the whole country.

I urge all the members in this forum to request/ ask all you friends and families or colleagues or church members or associations' members to register themselves as eligible voters.

Obama campaign in the USA had done the same and drew in millions of youth to register themselves and they could very well decide Who Shall Be The Next President of the USA!

恐种族课题使国家陷入混乱

一句道歉就解决问题了吗？ 华社和非土族就满意了吗？

一句道歉就解决问题了吗？ 华社和非土族就满意了吗？
比起早前促阿末依斯迈公开道歉的态度，首相阿都拉在槟州全体13巫统区部于昨日力挺阿末依斯迈后，今日的立场明显软化，虽然没有力挺阿末依斯迈，但是却接受其“阐述史实”的解释。阿都拉不仅未再提及道歉一事，反将矛头指向媒体，要求切莫再渲染种族课题。

我 们 应 该 用 另 一 种 角 度 去 看 整 个“华人寄居论”
阿末依斯迈是代表巫统和国阵， 他的言论代表了马国阵政府的种族政策和它们的心态。一句道歉就可解决多年一句话就可以解决国家51年来不公平，不平等，不民主 的种族的政策？一句道歉 就可解决多年以来的不平等的协商和政策？

结 语
我们的国家，我们的下一代，将何去何从？人民应该用宏愿的眼光和本身的知慧来决定我国家的前途。 我们应全力围剿阿末和跟他有挂钩的政客和政党！

Sama sama lah, dia orang semua tipu ajah!

Re post from http://bbs.my45.net/

Sama sama lah, dia orang semua tipu ajah!
This forum is one of the most active and vibrant one (for the youth) that i have come across. Many are actively involved in the discussion of politics, such as "All politicians are the same" or "They are all in the same boat." or "Malaysia is hopeless." or "Why should i vote?" or "They are all corrupt." or "Sama sama lah, only out to cheat."

Allow me to highlight certain things so as to bring attention to the youth and then they can decide what they want to do or how they want to vote. The bottom line is "nobody is insulated or can be separated from the politics and politics dictates our lives and our future through government policies such as economy,taxation, education, peace and security and the rights and liberty of the citizen. "

Below are some of the core issues that we have to look at in deciding which political party to vote and which to "drop" :
1)The people should look at the policies of the BN versus the Pekatan Rakyat's. A good example is the allocation to the Chinese schools. Perak government allocated a 10,000 ha of land to the Independent Chinese Schools while the Penang government allocated RM1 million every year to the same. What has the BN done for 51 years?
2)The statements of the BN leaders such as the "Chinese are Squatters..." The UMNO youth Hishammudim raised the Kris and warned the non-bumi etc etc. how can the country be divided and ruled by ethnic backgrounds?
3)The corruption issues of the country. The country is almost bankrupt with so much corruption and thus it has to raise the fuel price by 78sen and RM 1.0 for petrol and diesel, who suffer in the end?Over the last two decades, corruption has cost us some USD 100 billions(according to one international investment banker)
4)The land issues such as the payment of land premium up to 50% in Sarawak. Ordinary people can only afford to buy a house and yet the Sarawak state government wants us to buy it back after 60 years by making the landowners to pay the land premium.
5)The fuel prices, "Should the government reduce the fuel price by 15sen or more?" Can't we maintain the oil prices when we are the net exporter and make a windfall when the price of oil rise in the international market?
6)The inflation issues, "Should the government put in more effort to reduce inflation such as control the ceiling price of basic food items?" What has the government done? It told the people not to raise the prices when it knows perfectly well that the fuel prices hike will bring about the inflation spiral and the people will have to increase prices of goods and services in order to survive.
6)The economy policies such as the New Economic Policies, should it be discarded or should it be replaced by the policies of meritocracy and policies of Malaysian First?
7)Should the judicial system be reformed to give it the Independent and Autonomy that is essential to the justice of the country?
8)Should be maintain the ISA, the Press, printing and publication Act and the Official Secret Act? All these were utilized by the powers of the day to STOP and SILENCE the oppositions to speak out for the people. Why the BN wants to keep them, is it for the security of the nation or is it for the security of the leaders only?

The above are some of the things that the people should pay attention to and see why there is such a difference between the BN and the oppositions' government. Then we can decide whether we should allow BN to continue its dominance or let there be a bipartisan system of government in Malaysia just like the US, the UK and most of the most advance countries in the world.

One final words of advise, you don't have to like the opposition but you can "use" them to control and check the government of the day. Remember that COMPETITION brings out the BEST!

David Wong
05-09-2008

A Malaysian dream for Merdeka!

A Malaysian dream for Merdeka!

Today marks the 51 years of Independence of Malaysia and on this auspicious day Malaysian across the country are wondering “when can we get out of this economic nightmares?” instead of celebrating joyfully. Many wake up this morning worrying about the cost of putting foods on the table and the cost of transportation for their families as there simply isn’t relieve insight even after the 2009 budget has been announced by the PM on the last Friday.

I tuned in to RTM 1 last night to watch the government official celebration at Merdeka Square as I talked to my wife who was in Kuching. She was tuned in as well as we shared our thought for the 51st merdeka.

She commented the large crowd there and of course on the VVIPs on the stage which include among others, the “astronaut” and the Olympic silver medalist, who stood behind the PM. She said that if those are the ONLY examples we can showcase after 51 years, it speaks volume of the state of the country under the BN.

It struck me as a very unimaginative way of showing off the “achievements” of this country after 51 years of independence. To project the image of prosperity and advancement through an “astronaut” and an Olympic silver medalist is quite a disappointment.

What independence means is civil liberty, freedom to determine our own destiny, and the power of self-determination and self-empowerment so that our citizens will enjoy the fruit of their labor. Just like the famous Martin Luther King pronounced 45 years ago “I have a dream”, and surely Malaysian have and share the same dream as pronounced above-mentioned and that dream has yet to be fulfilled by the BN yet after 51 years at the realm.

Abdullah and Najib have failed miserably to lead by example to unify all Malaysian when they failed to stop or take action against the following;

1)The statement of UMNO Bukit Bendera chief Ahmad Ismail who said that Chinese were “squatters” in the country at a ceramah on 24th August whilst trying to buttress support for BN candidate Arif Shah Omar Shah in the by-election contest against opposition icon Anwar Ibrahim.
2)They also did not condemned the actions of some Malays groups who stormed into (under the watchful eyes of the police) forum organize by the bar council to ease misunderstandings about religions. They have either kept mute or came out to “defense” their UMNO leaders who have repeatedly challenge the constitutional rights of other citizens.

But all is not lost yet as the people have spoken out loud and clear in the 308 general election and their voice have be reaffirmed by the voters in Parmatang Pauh. It is only the BN that is going down the drain as they simply can’t see that Malaysian in general share a single dream and that dream is “Malaysia for all Malaysian & Prosperity and Liberty for all.

Happy Birthday Malaysia!

David Wong
31-08-2008

Malaysian spoke out through Permatang Pauh's by-election

If we take a closer look at the results of the by-election, then we will be able to attribute the landslide victory of Anwar to the following factors:

1)Fuel prices hike -the mother of all evils on the inflation spiral is the key to the cause of frustrations among all the Malaysian. The Malaysian economy is under serious stress with the June and July inflation recorded historic height at 11% and 7.5% respectively. The fuel prices hike sparked off all rounded inflation that became insurmountable for the poor and middle class.


2)Food prices hike-the high food prices (30-70%) hike experienced in the past 9 months have made many housewives angry over the BN inability to provide for the basic needs of the people. In many Malays heartland areas, the farmers were angry over the high price of fertilisers that is making farming impractical at all. Many padi farmers complained that the rice mills pay them only 65sen per kg of padi grain while the supermarket charged them some RM 3.50 per kg of rice in the first 5 months of the year.


3)All rounded inflation-the government says inflation was only 7.5% as recorded through the July CPI. The rakyat feel that the basket used to determine the CPI are out of date as they feel that they are facing an actual inflation rate of not less than 15%. Look at the bread and butter and the canned food and the everyday food that we put on the table, they are simply too expensive for the middle class. Even a family of 4 can hardly survive with a family hold hold income of RM3000 per month.


4)Non-Bumi "fear factor"-before or prior to the 308, the so called minorities such as the Chinese and Indian have been intimated by the BN, especially the UMNO with the assistant of the MCA and MIC. The bloodshed May 13 incident had been repeated used to bring fear to them. But with the formation of the Pekatan Rakyat, the fear factor has been minimised with an all out assault on the BN and there wasn't any racial tension among the Malaysian.


5)Bumi self confidence-PKR and the PAS have been urging the Malay to accept that the special privileges accorded to them under the so call NEP had benefited only the UMNO leaders. The poor and middle class Bumi are no better off than their non-bumi counterparts. The AP issue highlighted the failure of the NEP as many well connected were given the "jackpot". A good example is the Selangor Menteri Besar who urged the MARA to open up 10% of its enrollment to the non-bumi and the UMNO came out in force to protest the taking away of the "privilege" of the bumi, but isn't Datuk Khalid a bumi as well? The BN used this issue to attack the PKR and Anwar in the by-election but i guess the result of the by-election speaks for itself.


6)Non-Bumi long-term "marginalization"-the Hindraff spearheaded the attack on the BN's policies of marginalisation when the government tears down a hundred years old temple without consultation. That could very well be the last straw on the camel's back so to speak but it was caused by decades of marginalisation and not by a single event. With that the Hindraff was born and went on to the streets to protest their grievances. The Chinese was inspired as well and sent a very clear message to the BN in the 308 general election and i would have to give credit to an over sea Chinese student for his song "Negarakuku" which have captured the imagination of many Chinese youth as well.


7)The sodomy-the general public feel that the country have been "sodomised" by the BN for 51 years with widespread corruption, mismanagement, abuse of power and outright arrogance. The same conspiracy should not be use to neutralise the opposition leader as it was used 10 years ago. People are fed up that while the country has been robbed of, according to the an investment bank, some USD 100 billion since the privatisation, the BN is still using the sodomy charge to silence the opposition leader.


8) The Internet connection-thanks to the IT connection, the news of the oppositions and the NGOs were able to reach the voters for them to make a well informed decision. The major print and electronic medias were controlled by the BN and with the Press Printing and Publication Act in force, who would dares to give the opposition the space to air their view freely. I guess we have to thank the Internet and many blogger who have contributed well to make sure that news reached the rakyat.

9)BN is beyond redemption-it is simply too arrogance and beyond redemption even after the 308 general election. They are good at issuing threats against the rakyat and using the "agencies" under its control to neutralise any threat against its strangle hold on to power.

10)Change-this is the theme of politics from America to Australia and to Asia in 2008. It is like a tsunami that sweeps across the globe and the old establishments are all under threat as youth takes to the centre stage to demand for change.

David Wong
28-08-2008

Abdul Aziz joins DAP, appointed party vice-chairman

Abdul Aziz joins DAP, appointed party vice-chairman
From Malaysiakini;
Tunku Abdul Aziz, a former special adviser to the United Nations secretary-general, has today become one of the few prominent Malays to have joined DAP.

The former Transparency International president, who joined the party yesterday, told a press conference held during the DAP annual congress that it was this consistency which attracted him.

"I have been targeting DAP for 20 years and they have been talking about consistency, transparency, accountability and the need to establish a non-race-based party"."I feel much more comfortable (with DAP) and I trust the people around me. I joined DAP for what it stands for, a party that has been very consistent with its beliefs," he said in response to a question on why he did not opt for PKR."I am a Malay. Many would expect me to join Umno but no, I made up my mind and it is DAP that I choose and I see no future in race-based political parties," he stressed.

My Comment:
There are those who thought that DAP is for Chinese only and this move by Tunku Abdul Aziz would put the record straight. DAP has been here for 47 years while PKR was born after Anwar was sacked by the UMNO 10 years ago.

The track records of DAP simply humble any opposition party in the country.Many Chinese still believe taht we need a strong DAP in Pekatan Rakyat to safeguard the interest of all Malaysian just as Tunku Abdul Aziz commented that DAP is consistent and truely uphold the principle of a non-race-based party.

The PKR still represent the mainstream Malays and the few Chinese leaders in the party is simply "expensable" and can't stand up to its Malays counterparts in PKR.I hope to see more youth, regardless of their racial and cultural and religious backgrounds, joining the DAP in Sibu and Sarawak.

David Wong
24-08-2008

He is simply sleeping

The government announces that price of RON97 petrol will go down by 15 sen from RM2.70 to RM2.55 per litre at the pumps beginning midnight, a reduction of 5.6 per litre. Meanwhile, the lower grade RON92 petrol will be slashed by 22 sen from RM2.62 to RM2.40 a litre.

For diesel, the price will go down by eight sen, from RM2.58 to RM2.50.

Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi made the announcement today - two days after he reiterated that petrol prices would not be cut before Aug 31.

My comment:
1)The PM is not a man of his words. He told the press that the oil price would only be adjusted on the 1st of September a few days ago although we all expect him to make the announcement prior to the by-election of Permatang Pauh. There is a saying in Chinese that the "ruler must keep his words" and obviously the PM doesn't understand the Chinese history and culture, what a failure!

2)The price adjustment was too little (we want the price to be reverted back to pre June 4th level) and too late (people think that the announcement was due to the by-election and do not have faith in BN's policies).The PM should not insult the intelligent of the Malaysian and thought that a drop of 15 sen and 8 sen per litre for petrol and diesel respectively will please the rakyat. He is simply unintelligent( to be very mild in my language).

3)The PM should not use petrol price to fish for votes in Permatang Pauh, it is not only a corrupt practise but also unethical for the PM to do so. He knows very well that the decision to raise pump prices was a mistake and the people are suffering because of his stupid mistake, so, he should stand up and do the amend and revert the wrong the decision.

The guy is sleeping away from the reality and the nation is going down the drain with him.

油 米 的 故 事

话說北京奧運前夕, 在北京大飯店的5星級廚房里,四大明星在車大炮討論誰最重要,誰最大.
各說各的重要,各說各的偉大,總之沒有一個肯服輸. 于是其中一個就提議 “讓人來做主吧! 明天奧運是全世界最大的盛會,誰的命字被提起,它就是 “老大”. 全部在場都同意.

第2天, 每 個 都 忙 到 下 午6:30 才 透 過 氣 來. 總 于 在 晚 上7:50 的 時 候, 整 個 酒 店 人 去 樓 空, 它 們 就 聚 在 電 視 機 前 一 起 觀 看 奧 運 開 幕 禮. 它 們 都 忘 了 昨 天 的 賭 搏.

終 于 等 到 了 開 幕, 每 個 都 沉 醉 在 開 幕 的 節 目 里. 突 然, 銀 幕 上 出 現 了 一 對 男 女, 整 個 “鳥 巢” 都 靜 了 下 來. 男 的 歌 手 開 腔 高 唱 奧 運 主 題 曲“ 你 和 我”... “YOU and ME” ... “油 and 米?”
在 北 京 大 飯 店 里, 油 和 米 都 跳 了 起 來………….

在 地 球 的 某 個 角 落, 在 同 一 個 時 間,一 個 叫45 的 地 方, 兩 個 婦 女 在 屋 前 聊 天;

黃 性 婦 女 說 “ 唉!全 部 東 西 都 起 價, 生 活 一 天 不 如 一 天, 以 后 的 生 活 不 懂 怎 么 過.”
劉 性 友 人: “ 還 不 是 油 價 起 的 禍, 現 在 聯 米 都 起 的 離 譜, 看 來 我 們 投 錯 票, 選 錯 人 了, 給 騙 了…”
黃 性 婦 女: “ 聽 說 如 果 安 華 上 臺, 油 價…”
劉 性 友 人: “ 都 是 為 了 “油 和 米” 煩, 哎…

回 到 北 京, 油 和 米 跳 起 高 喊 “ 萬 歲! 我 們 最 大, “ 油 和 米” 最 重 要,
連 奧 運 的 主 題 曲 都 以 我 們 命 名!”

DPM, "come back to the Barisan Nasional's fold."

Deputy Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak made a plea to the Chinese and Indian communities in Permatang Pauh - come back to the Barisan Nasional's fold.He told them to reject the opposition and vote for Umno's Arif Shah Omar Shah in the Aug 26 by-election.And he had one more word of counsel - do not gamble with your children's future by supporting the opposition candidate who had been making false promises.He promised that the BN would champion the Indian and Chinese communities' cause in the constituency as they had been neglected by the opposition.

My comment: If the BN is fair and just in its policies to all the races in Malaysia, then Najib should not have to worry and promised the Indian and Chinese communities that the BN will champion their causes. The people are not blind and deaf and they know the track records of the BN, afterall BN has been the government since time in memorial.The by election of Permatang Pauh is not about Anwar or the PKR or the BN, it is the decision of the century whereby the voters of Permatang Pauh has to make the stand not only for themselves but for the 27 millions Malaysian as to whether Malaysia should remains an authoritarian regime (BN) or we want a bipartisan political landscape such as that of the US, the Aussie, the Brition and the majority of the G7.Malaysian wait in anticipation of the bipartisan system and never before(pre March 08) has it been possible or even thought of that the day of the bipartisan would become a reality. Now is the time and may be it is now or never in a sense (for Anwar and the Pekatan Rakyat).

May be this by election is also a referendum on the BN's fuel prices hike on the 4th of June 2008. The people are angry that while Malaysia and Petronas makes millions everyday from the oil export, the people are suffering in vain. Malaysian have gone on the streets to protest the high pump prices since the government announced the price hike but the government is unmoved to the suffering of the people and businesses.

I would predict that the BN government will announce the price cut just before the 26th of August because of the by election. But what we want is the pre June 4th fuel prices. The current world cruel oil price is hovering around USD 113 per barrel while it was USD 125 at the beginning of June, so it means that the government has no reason whatsoever not to revert its fuel prices to pre-JUNE 4th level, i.e petrol at RM 1.92/L and diesel at RM1.58/L.

愛－無怨無尤

〔爸 ?我要出去玩！給我兩千塊！〕我一邊看著電視一邊說著。〔昨天不是才給你了嗎？怎麼又花完了！〕我爸露出些許無奈的神情質問著我。〔你到底給不給嘛？你若是不給我的話，我就去偷去搶！〕我翹著二郎腿叼著根煙，一邊抖腿一邊說著。〔唉?〕我爸嘆了一口氣後，從口袋 ?拿出幾張佰元鈔票，準備數兩千塊給我，而我看見後迅速站起身來，將他手中的佰元鈔票全部拿走，頭也不回的離開家中，立即騎著我爸買給我的機車，準備去享受我的夜生活。

在撞球場和我朋友撞球時，我朋友突然問我：〔你爸是做什麼工作的啊？) 我聽到後有些羞愧的不敢回答，只因我爸是賣烤香腸的，而我以我爸的工作為恥，所以，我在我朋友面前絕不提起我爸，因為我並不把他當成爸爸。

不知不覺中，已經凌晨３點多了，於是我和我朋友準備離開撞球場，想繼續到KTV喝酒玩樂，可是當我們從2樓撞球場走到樓下時，卻聽到了吵鬧聲：〔你錢到底要不要拿出來，不拿出來我們就打給你死！〕而另一個聲音又傳了過來〔我錢是不會給你們的，這是我辛苦賺的血汗錢, 是要養我家人的，我是絕對不會給你們的，你們再不走，我就要報警了喔！〕突然間，樓下傳來了一聲怒喝：〔你去死！〕

當我和我朋友走到樓下時，發現4、 5個少年圍著一個中年男子拳打腳踢的，還有一個人拿著棍棒猛揮那個中年男子的身體，眼看著，那個中年男子倒在地上已經快不行了，可是他手中仍然緊握著，他今天賺的兩千多塊，不肯鬆手讓另一個少年搶走.

可是在我離開之前，我忍不住回頭看了那中年男子一眼，卻驚愕的發現，他竟然就是．．我爸！我愣在原地看著他們繼續毆打我爸的場景，與我爸緊握著鈔票不肯鬆手的畫面，又突然想到我爸平時都無怨無尤的給我兩、三千塊，而現在，他竟然可以為了兩千多塊，性命都可以不顧，再看到他賴以為生的香腸攤，已被敲毀散落滿地，頓時間，我不自覺的掉下一滴淚，大聲哭喊著〔爸！〕立即衝入人群中，用身體守護著我平時最看不起的爸爸，任由棒棍拳腳襲擊著我。 而我身上立即一點一滴的傳來我爸剛才所承受的痛楚，可是我卻感覺到我的心，比這些痛楚還要痛，因為，我對自己以前的不孝，真的感到無比的痛心啊！幸虧不久後，我朋友立即衝上來替我解圍，而警察在不久後也到了，可是我在細看我爸的傷勢時，竟然發現我爸頭上流著血，失去意識暈厥過去了，讓我急慌的哭喊著〔救護車！誰趕快叫救護車來啊！快 !我爸他．．嗚．．誰快來救我爸 ?〕在救護車來到之後，我立即跟我爸進入了救護車，而醫護人員卻發現我爸左手緊握著兩千塊，仍然沒有鬆手，於是我在一旁哭泣著：「神明啊！求你一定要讓我爸平安無事！求求你！要是我爸真的平安無事後，我一定會學好學乖的，絕對會好好的孝順他，不會再讓他生氣難過了，求求你，我知道以前我錯了，你要懲罰就懲罰我好了，我還年輕，你要我幾年壽命都沒關係，我只求你讓我爸平安無事就好，求求你！神明！求求你．．嗚．．〕

突然間，我爸呻吟了一聲，隨即微微的睜開雙眼，我驚喜般的看著他：〔爸！〕我爸仍有些意識不清：〔這 ?．．是哪裡？〕我喜出望外的對他說〔爸!我們在救護車裡面，你剛才暈了過去，害我好擔心你 ?〕我差點又哭了出來。他忽然微舉起左手，張開了緊握的兩千塊對我說〔啟明！這是爸今天賺的兩千塊，你拿去吧！等一下回家之後，你先買東西自己吃吧！爸還不餓！〕我聽到後立即紅了雙眼，緊抱著我爸大聲哭泣著，一直哭一直哭，淚水不自覺的濕透了我爸的衣衫，也濕透了一旁醫護人員的雙眼。

我們之中有些人總是有著有這父母的無微不置照顧，也總是沉溺在茶來伸手飯來張口的生活中。但我們都不知道!不了解 !被我們所花掉的錢，是父母花著自己的生命.青春 .體力 .汗水所換取來的。他們為了我們不惜一切讓我們快樂，滿足我們的需求,而我們呢 ?卻不知道，也不了解，只是一昧的玩樂，從不曾想過，也不曾體會......看完了這篇文章，在難心深處有沒有很深很深的感想呢 ?好好思考,你會明白的 ......

爸爸 你何時將新的手還給我(再忙也要看完)

One of the most thought provoking articles i read recently, repost here for your reading pleasure.

爸爸 你何時將新的手還給我(再忙也要看完)
在美國的加州有一個小女孩大約是4 歲她的父親有一台大卡車，她的父親非常喜歡那台卡車總是為那台車做全套的保養，以保持卡車的美觀.
一天，小女孩拿著硬物在他父親的卡車鈑金上劃下了無數的刮痕!! 她的父親盛怒之下，用鐵絲把小女孩的手綁起來然後吊著小女孩的手，讓她站在車庫罰站.
當父親想起小女兒在車庫罰站時，已經是4個小時過後了！趕到車庫時，小女孩的手已經被鐵絲綁的血液不通! 父親送她到急診室時，已經需要截去小女孩的手掌了因為，手掌部分的組織已經都壞死，如不截去手掌 ... 她生命是非常危險，甚至可能會危害到小女孩的生命 ... 所以小女孩就這樣失去了她的一雙手掌了 !但是她不懂.....她不懂到底是發生了什麼事在她的身上.... 而她的父親也因為這樣感到萬分的愧疚!
過了約半年後小女孩的父親的卡車進廠重新烤漆，又像全新的一樣!! 當他把卡車開回家後，小女孩看著重新烤漆過的卡車對著她的父親說{{Daddy~your truck looking so pretty,same like new truck.}} <<爸爸! 你的卡車好漂亮唷！看起來就像是新卡車>> 這時小女孩無邪的伸出了她那截斷的雙< style="font-family:新細明體;font-size:85%;color:blue;">手，對她的父親說{{but, when you want put my hand back to me??}} <<但是你什麼時候要把我的手還給我?? >>
你們知道當那位父親聽到小女孩問他的問題時，發生了什麼事嗎 ? 那位父親在小女孩的面前 .....舉槍自殺......

很多人分不清 .....到底什麼是重要的？只會無知迷失在自我的喜好當中........ 就如有些人會去 慈濟幫忙掃街，但家事從來不管.......有些人會花很多錢去建廟，但對自己的親人如鐵公雞..... 有些人在外面和言悅色，但對自己的卻家人暴躁如雷
......這就是說那個父親不知是車子重要，或是女兒重要呢？而遺憾的事.....世間到處充滿了這些事.....而且就在你我之間....只要是金錢可以買到的；都比不上無價的可貴，請不要吝嗇，多給家人一點愛！

“不可思議的馬來西亞”

Below is an entertaining and interesting SMS i have received, repost here just for a laugh;
“不可思議的馬來西亞”
1. 請越南勞工, 狗失蹤.
2. 請孟加 拉 劳 工, 马 来 姑 娘 失 踪.
3. 请 小 龙 女, 老 公 失 踪.
4. 请 警 察 查 案, 证 据 失 踪.
5. 找 道 医 疗 报 告, 医 生 失 踪
.6. 改 朝 换 代, 国 库 里 的 钱 失 踪.
7. 网 络 里 讲 真 话, 小 心! 你 可 能 是 下 一 个 失 踪.

Should Sesco compensate the consumers for the power failure?

Should Sesco compensate the consumers for the power failure?
Between 80 and 90 per cent of Sarawak’s 2.4 million population were believed to have been affected by the massive power blackout on the 9th of August 2008.

This is Deputy Works Minister Datuk Yong Khoon Seng’s estimate as he described the state’s worst power failure in recent years as “an unfortunate thing that ever happened”. The blackout which hit almost the entire state, began at 6.45pm.

The BN state government only knows how to protect the corporates against the weak individuals. Remember that there was a case of a gaint construction corporation being compensated by the government over the construction of a HDP? But no, the state government came out to protect the SESCO immediately after the worst power failure and told the people that SESCO would not pay compensation to the people over the power failure. Bearing in mind that SESCO profits runs into hundreds of million over the past few year and it charges the highest tariffs in the country, over that of the Tenaga's and Sabah's tariffs.

No wonder Sarawak is the one of the most underdeveloped states in Malaysia. With BN in control, what else can the people expect? But then again,we have been kept in the dark since Merdeka, so the power failure is a most fitting "reflection" of the state of Sarawak?

“Do you know any Loan Shark? I need some money.”

I was sitting in my vehicle while waiting for my wife outside a local bank in Sibu last Friday when a woman in her 20s approached me. “Mr., do you know where I can get some “tiger money?” she asked me in Foochow dialect.

I took a good look at her as it puzzled me that a stranger would approach me with that kind of question. I tried to figure out whether she is sane or was it the way I carry myself that she mistook me as a loan shark. She was quite the ordinary young housewife that you would meet in a supermarket and she did not look strange or scare at all.

I took out my reading glasses and asked her whether I heard it wrong. She told me that she needs some urgent money and thus she wants me to introduce her to the loan shark if I know any. I asked her whether she understands how the loan sharks work and how much interest they charge. She kept quite as I told her “to borrow the “tiger money” is like digging your own grave.” She asked me “how do you know?” I told her that she must have come across news about how the loan sharks works and how savage they can be.

I further probed why she needs the money and she told me that her husband gave the money for save keeping and that money was meant to be part of the handling fees for the purchase of a house. She was supposed to take out the money from the bank for the said purpose but the problem is she did not have sufficient in her bank account to draw out.

I told her to go back to her husband and tell him the truth. “He would be mad”, she said. I told her that if she wants to borrow from the loan shark, it would be better to face her husband now or there is no point for her husband to purchase the house anyway. I told her that her husband would appreciate it if she is to tell the truth instead of going down a path of no return.

She seemed lost and the asked me “can you lend me RM3000?” I told her that I would not as she has to solve it her own way and that is to go back to her family. I told her “you can’t dig a hole to cover up the other hole.”

Just then my wife came out from the bank and she said bye and thanks. I do not know the latter development of the young housewife but I hope she will follow the advice and I hope that she will not be the victim and prey of the “Tiger” or loan shark.

I guess there are many out there who are lost and face the similar circumstances like the character here. We can’t save them all from their own acts but we should have more forums to discuss the ills of the societies and we need more organizations to provide support to the poor victims.

David Wong
10-08-2008

How many days does an average man live?

How many days does an average man live?
Many would have given the answer using the average life span of Malaysian (either man or woman) multiply by 360 days a year; say an average Malaysian male would be 71 years multiplies by 360 day or in the case of a woman, 73 years times 360 days. That means we should have some 25,000 days to spare before death and that is really a long time, so what is the hurry to fulfill our lifetime dream, there is always a tomorrow waiting for us anyway.

But one American guru, a doctorate motivational speaker, has it another way. He reasoned that there are only a few words to describe the “days” in our lives, such as YESTERDAY, TODAY and The NEXT DAY. So, we can only find 3 different days in the dictionaries and thus we only live for 3 days in our life time.

Many would have thought “what is wrong with this Doc.?” Or “Are you nuts?” Like I said, the guru is a motivation guru who urges us to live “a purpose driven life”. Since there are only 3 days to live, it is imperative that we live to our fullest and live a meaningful life.

“Yesterday” has been forgone, and then we should live on “Today” and plan carefully for “Tomorrow”. Many of us live a life without purpose and thought there is always a tomorrow, but sometimes tomorrow never comes. We have seen many friends and love ones who left us without any warning at all and some are so young that we often thought to ourselves “what a pity, he has yet to live and enjoy his life.”

Many of us wasted our youth and spent our adulthood wondering what to do in life, what kind of man or woman we should spend our lives with, what kind of job we should pursue, and what kind of holidays to take, what kind of house to buy, what kind of car to lease, and of course what kind of club to join to boost our standing in life without really taking a moment to pause and think “what kind of good deed we should do or what kind of service we have provided for our society and what kind of world and society we want our future generation to inherit”.

One supporter once sms me with the following kind words “Thanks for what you have done, never mind that sometimes you are not been appreciated. At least you have tried and your life has been “beautified and blessed.” A very thoughtful and encouraging comment which I shall always kept in mind in what ever undertaking I shall pursue.

David Wong
05-08-2008

哈斯比：诗巫国稻米仓受查封，消费者不需担心闹“米荒”

File photo of the Bernas's stockyard in upper Lanang Roand, Sibu

（诗巫29日讯）联邦农业与农基工业部属下稻米监管部诗巫分局局长哈斯比宾阿里表示，诗巫国家稻米机构有限公司米仓受到查封，但是消费者不需要担心市场上会闹“米荒”。 　　

根据哈斯比，位于南兰律上段的诗巫米仓共有5个货仓，其中一个被空置的货仓将被开启，充作放置新运抵白米的用途；他也保证，新运抵诗巫的4000公吨白米将放置在新货仓里，因此，将不会影响到诗巫市场的白米供应。 　　

哈斯比透露，遭到查封的货仓是要进行调查旧米，即所谓的劣质米和标签问题，以及上个月发放的劣质米的流向。 　　

民主行动党砂州宣传秘书黄培根今天早上透过手机联络目前人在吉隆坡的哈斯比询问有关米仓遭到查封的事件，并向本地传媒转述哈斯比的谈话。 　　

黄培根表示，他是向哈斯比询问稻米监管部将封仓多久？以及市民反映，在封仓期间，市场上将会出现白米短缺的现象感到担忧；并也提出，如果两个月没有开仓出米，市民到那里买米的等等问题。

Woman disappointed with SMC and police for inability to solve case of her missing car

Woman disappointed with SMC and police for inability to solve case of her missing car
SIBU: A 41-year-old woman claimed yesterday that a top official in Sibu Municipal Council (SMC) urged her ‘to forget about the incident and buy a new car’ when she went to see the council about her missing car.
Her Toyota Hilux was parked at the multi-storey car park in Sibu Central Market on that day.
“However, one of the top officials told me to forget about the incident and buy a new car. The official even sarcastically said that since I had the money to buy a Toyota Hilux, then I must be rich enough to buy another car. What type of an official is that? Doesn’t he know that it takes years for a commoner like me to save that amount of money to buy the car,” she claimed.
It has been more than a month of waiting for the recovery of her Toyota Hilux parked at the multi-storey car park at Sibu Central Market but the 41-year-old owner surnamed Huong finds “the prolonged wait rather disappointing and agonising”.
Huong claimed that she had not received any news regarding her stolen car from the authorities concerned.
“Is it so difficult for a commoner like me to seek the police or the SMC for help? If the stolen vehicle belongs to someone prominent, I believe the outcome would surely be a different story,” she alleged at the press conference held at the DAP’s office here yesterday morning.
Since her vehicle was stolen on June 21, Huong claimed that she had gone to see top officials of SMC on several occasions.
Huong hit out at the authorities for not ‘taking sweeping action’ when she first lodged the police report.
“Had they done so, there might be a better chance of recovery,” she claimed.
Huong further claimed the chance of recovery was getting more remote.
“However, deep down in my heart, I still hope the police will do something to help me trace the car,” she said.
According to Huong, she parked her car, bearing plate number QSE33xx at the Sibu Central Market multi-storey carpark on June 21 at about 9.50 am before she went to buy vegetables.
She returned at about 11am but was shocked to discover her car missing.
Huong immediately went to the SMC pondok but was told to lodge a police report.
She then went to the nearby police pondok but claimed there was no police personnel around except for one off-duty CID officer at the scene.
Huong claimed she requested the CID to help and informed all the mobile police to block the route of the thieves.
CCTV records later showed a middle-aged man wearing a yellow and green-striped T-shirts driving away her car at about 10.46 am.
It was not known how the culprit managed to drive away the car and whether he was using a fake or genuine parking ticket to exit the SMC ticketing booth.
Huong claimed that she hid the parking ticket at ‘a very secretive place inside the car’ and she still believed that the culprit could have used other techniques to exit the SMC ticketing booth.
Meanwhile, DAP State Publicity secretary David Wong, at a press conference, criticised the police for not doing enough to help solve the case.
“Since the whole episode was recorded on CCTV and the police also have the identity card of the suspect, there is no reason it took them so long to solve the case,” he said.
Wong also questioned the usage of the CCTVs, adding that if it could not help to provide any lead, then it should be dismantled
“What is the use of CCTVs if the footage it recorded could not be used to trace the criminals. If that is the case, then the CCTVs should be dismantled to save taxpayers’ money,” he added.

Motorbike accidents

A comrade was knocked off a bike this morning and was found unconscious by his friend at around 9:00 am. I received a call from him requesting me to pick him up at Tg. Kunig, 7km away from Sibu town.
I was later informed by the residence there that he was knocked down by a passing dog and they helped him into their house until help arrives. They told me that he was unconscious and temporarily lost his memory for a while. He suffered a fractured collar bone and more wearily, he felt dizzy and vomited on the way to the medical centre. The CT scan shows a white spot which should be the main concern now.
The doctor sent him for X-ray and CT scan and the results showed a fractured collar bone and a white spot in his brain which has to be studied by a neurologist. There is no such specialist in Sibu and one from Kuching General Hospital would be in Sibu on the 31st of July.
During my brief stay at the medical centre, i met 2 persons whose parent was also involved in motorcycle accident, one was knocked down by a car while the other was involved with collision with a stray dog as well. We (all DAP members) also visited them and glad that they are recover well.
I would like to share the following 2005 statistics from the Malaysian government which reveals that motorcycles accidents accounted for 66.41% of the total accident in Malaysia. I urge the Ministry of education and the Police to have more educational forum to highlight the issue among the youth as they form the majority of the motorbike users in Malaysia. Furthermore, the age limit of motorcyclist should be reviewed as 16 is an adventurous and rebellious age and many cyclists themselves admitted that they were more restless and daring during the minor years of their lives.

David Wong
27-07-2008

Happy 80th birthday!

My mum turns 80 years old on this month and all my siblings came back for the special occasion. I had to arrange it on the Saturday to fit every one's schedule. Thus, i had to forgo the DAP's Penang trip on the 17th although the air ticket had been purchased earlier.

My mum did not want to celebrate it so we did not invite anyone else and told her that it was only for the immediate family members. Anyway, we have a heart warming gathering at my home and enjoyed the family reunion which usually happens only on Chinese New Year.

We wish our mum good health and hoping that we shall have many more of this occasion in the years to come. Happy Birthday, mum.

Dap Lanang branch's resolution (mandarin text)

南蘭行動黨通過12提案要求增採油稅至20%
（詩巫）民主行動黨南蘭支部於7月13日舉行常年大會，并在大會上通過12項提案。提案內容：
1.呼籲砂州政府修改砂州土地法典，地契到期自動和無條件延長至99年，而且不用付還更新費，以保障砂州人民的土地擁有權。土地是人民的根，政府不可以把人民的根拔掉，要知道政府要“以民為本”。
2.呼籲政府廢除內安法令和媒體印刷法令，還給民主真正的自由。呼籲豁免地契更新費
3.呼籲砂州政府向中央政府強硬要求把砂州石油開採稅從70年代的5%增至20%。砂州豐富的資源要妥善的管理和分派給砂州子民，砂州政府根本不需要向人民徵收地契更新費來發展砂州。
4.呼籲州政府開放土地給年齡21歲以上的砂州人民，以發展砂州農業和推動經濟發展，砂州需要更多的本地小園主來推動地方經濟發展。
5.呼籲中央政府降低汽油柴油及煤氣的價格，政府應該讓全民分享國家的天然資源，而不是剝奪人民的權益。國油和國家在國際原油價格飆升中得利，為何人民不可從中分享呢？籲停止建電訊塔
6.呼籲地方議會和州政府馬上停止私人公司在詩巫和砂州各地建設電訊塔，人民的健康和安全是政府和國家的財富和責任。
7.呼籲市議會和警方馬上在詩巫市區裝置電眼，以控制市區的治安，不可以缺錢來推卸責任。
8.呼籲詩巫警方要求警察總部多派警員到詩巫來拚治安，還給人民安居樂業的環境。警方也要和媒體合作，不可掩蓋治安問題和報導，人民有權力知道真相。開放領空促進旅游業
9.呼籲砂州政府開放領空給所有有能力的航空公司，以解決砂州航空所面對的問題。全砂州人民都對目前的航空服務感到不滿，而政府對此束手無策，人民怨聲載道，旅遊業已經被它拖垮。
10.呼籲教育部慎重看待砂州不諳華文的教師被派到華小的問題。砂州董聯會和華社很嚴正看待這項問題，希望教育部馬上糾正。
11.呼籲砂州政府嚴正看待本州漁民所面對的各項問題，砂州豐富的海洋資源應得到妥善處理，砂州政府不可出賣子民的資源給外國人，如發給他們執照去開發這項資源。籲撥款華小獨中
12.呼籲州政府常年撥款給州內的華小和獨中，因為教育是不應分種族和宗教。國陣領袖常常讚揚華小和獨中，可是只是口頭服務，華小和獨中根本沒有得到支援。

IPPs given billions through "under-table" dealings by the BN

I have mentioned this issue in my blog here under CORRUPTIONS on the 20th October 2007 about the IPPs enjoying billions of Ringgit through subsidy. The subsidy has been given out to the IPPs since 1997 and the government must announced the contract agreement signed with the IPPs and its terms for accountability.

I said in the said article "Petronas is losing money by subsidising gas to the IPPs, and since Petronas is government owned, that means it is the Malaysian public that is subsidising the profitable IPPs."

The following report was reported from Malaysiankini which revealed the "under-table" dealings of the BN government.
MPs query 'extreme profits' for IPPs
Fauwaz Abdul Aziz Jul 8, 08 6:00pm
The 13 independent power producers (IPPs) together made a profit of RM3.37 billion last year.
MCPX
Such "extreme" profits enjoyed by the IPPs came under scrutiny by members of parliament on both sides of the House today.
They wanted a review of the power purchase agreements (PPA) between the IPPs and utility firm Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB).
"I want to ask now whether we will review the extreme revenues going to IPPs or whether, if there are other reasons for this, the government would take over the IPPs that are operating presently," said Ahmad Hamzah (BN-Jasin).
In his reply to Lim Guan Eng (DAP-Bagan), Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department SK Devamany revealed that for the financial year 2006/2007, IPPs TNB Janamanjung and Segari Energy Ventures pulled in pre-tax profits of RM860 million and RM614.9 million.
Meanwhile, Powertek and Tanjung Bin Power made RM372.6 million and RM332.9 million respectively. Among the other big earning IPPs, Genting Sanyen Power and YTL Power Generation earned RM312.3 million and RM252 million respectively.
'Lost revenues'
Devamany also disclosed that 10 IPPs, from May 1997 to March 2008, received RM35.7 million in gas subsidies from national petroleum firm Petronas.
The subsidies were not awarded in the form of cash to TNB or Petronas, the deputy minister clarified, but are the latter’s ‘lost revenues’ since the government set the price of gas below market prices in May 1997.
The ultimate beneficiaries of the subsidies, however, are the "end-users" due to the lower costs of generating electricity and, thereby, electricity tariffs imposed on consumers, he said.
"Because of this, the ‘subsidies’ or gas price discounts... actually do not benefit the IPPs but the end-users in the form of low electricity tariffs," said Devamany.
He also said that the government had decided that TNB should negotiate with the IPPs to review the terms within the PPA and that a windfall profit levy would be imposed on the IPPs’ profits.