On the 2:30 to Batu Pahat

Sitting here at platform 16 TBS Bus Station waiting for my 2:30 bus to BatuPahat.

Time to reflect on the past fortnight where the nation officially mourned the passing of MH17 and we are still in the midst of the Selangor Mentri Besar fiasco.

Just a month plus few days after being shot down, the bodies of the crew and passengers  were brought home for final rites and burial. 20 bodies  were received with full military honours by no less than His Majesty the King himself.

The nation mourned as one big family in a fitting tribute themed United in Grief.

I joined fellow Malaysians at Dataran Merdeka in what i thought was a perfect place to pay my respects.

I was in white baju melayu together with over 100 others mostly in black. At 10:54 we said a silent prayer in our own faith, in honour and memory of those who perished in MH17.

Yes, Malaysia and Malaysians can be united not just in grief but at all times.

Our diversity is our strength to build upon. It is not a weakness and certainly not to be used to separate us.

The past week also reminded us of the importance of being meticulate in all that we do. The "tidak apa" attitude has no place in our culture.

It was this very culture that saw the collapse of a 6 tons and 20 feet long cement span on the MRT construction site in Sg Buloh killing 3 workers.

I pray that they will rest in peace and that their families will be well taken care of by the company.

PKR finally took the brave but not so popular decision to sack Khalid Ibrahim from the party. However things did not go the way it should when TSKI chose to hold on to his position.

The palace was made to believe that he had the majority support of the State Assembly. When this was proven untrue, he finally caved in but alas, the palace now chooses to be "king maker".

However I strongly believe that His Highness will respect democracy and appoint a new Mentri Besar soon.

I hope that by next weekend we would have sworn in the first woman Mentri Besar.

This political turmoil in Selangor clearly revealed the best and the worst in human characters. Who are true friends and foe: who are truly champions of democracy and peoples' rights or purely opportunists, all was revealed.

In our true Malaysian spirit, I am confident we will ride through this storm and all will be well. It will be a win-win situation for all as both sides of the divide will claim moral victory.

In the past fortnight, I was also kept busy with Hari Raya open houses and the Hungry Ghost prayers and celebration.

In respect for MH17 I chose to decline invitations until after the day of national mourning.

All in, the past 2 weeks have been sad, relieved and inspirational for me. I am thankful for some families of MH17 finding closure and praying the rest would get closure soonest possible.

I am also looking forward to a change in governance in Selangor and to perhaps be able to play a bigger role.

Whilst we remember and mourn for MH17, I pray we will never forget MH370.

To my friend Capt Zaharie, sitting at the porch of our friend' s house last week, I saw the two fluorescent light that you fixed last year.

As the light brought comfort to us, I pray God will give light that the searchers may see where MH370 is. May the light shine the way to closure for all and to move on.

I look forward to the Lantern Festival ahead and the Merdeka Celebration. Indeed, "di sini mulanya kisah cinta"

The Sacking, Hungry Ghosts and the local council.

Klang Valley is back to normality after the festive break.

We are in the midst of festive open houses albeit in a smaller scale. We are also in the midst of the Chinese "hungry ghosts festival" - paying homage to the departed souls of the loved ones. We also celebrate the holy month for the Hindu communities.

This year, all these celebrations are on a much modest scale as we honour the victims of MH17 and remember those missing on MH370.

On returning back from the festive holidays my councillor friends in the Petaling Jaya City Council had a major issue at hand.

They discovered that there was to be made public the city's proposed ammendments to the town plans. The public were to be invited to state their objections to these proposals, if any or to indicate their support and comments.

On its own, this is what is legally required of the council. However, these proposed ammendments were not  informed to the councillors first, thus they raised objections.

The proposals were discussed and at that point there were some issues objected by the councillors. The state authority however decided to proceed with the proposals having noted the councillors objections.

Thus the council were instructed to publicly display these ammendments.

The councillors decision to issue a press  statememt distancing themselves from the proposed ammendments than did not go well with the mayor and the council directors.

I hope that in this confusion we have not lost sight of the fact that the law has to be respected and service to the community remains priority. Also the independence of the third tier of governance must be seen to be so.

Nevertheless, I hope concerned residents will take the opportunity to understand the future city plans and to give their comments as necessary: the city's future is at stake.

A bigger issue that arose after the festive break is about the Mentri Besar of Selangor. He was asked to resign and be replaced by the party president.

He refused to make way and thus ensued a very much public washing of dirty personal and party laundry.

It concluded with very dirty laundry waste water being thrown into the public domain: the MB was sacked from his party.

For me, its not if the MB is guilty or not of the speculated shortcomings. His appointment as the state's chief executive was by the political party thus he should now also abide by the decision of the party ie to resign.

The PR coalition is bound by their commitment to the voters for a clean transparent government. Thus if there is even an ounce of suspicion of some questionable deals, it is the coalition's duty to act.

And act they did: however it did not go well with some of the public simply because of how events came about.

Nevertheless I applaud the party and the coalition for daring to do the right thing even if it means facing the wrath of the voters.

I pray for common sense to prevail, looking at the end, the objectives. Stay focused and together we can still bring on the changes we are striving to bring.

I also pray that we wash off the dirty laundry water from the streets and move on.

Lets conclude Syawal and the special months in both the Chinese and Hindu calendars in a positive step.

Let us prepare to be one in honouring the victims of MH17 as their bodies are brought home, remembering them but not and never forgetting the missing MH370 and all on board.

The Haze n PAS

On this quiet second day of Syawal, I sit looking out into a hazy sky.

Over coffee and a slice of cheese cake, I reflect upon the leaked PAS Whatsapp group message. It is disturbing and is not something to be taken lightly.

However, it is also not something for leaders to start giving irresponsible responses without first thinking twice. It would be utterly irresponsible for iindividuals to start picking political points with insensitive responses.

I begin with the person who leaked the message. It is irresponsible and a breach of confidence. He or she is a part of a closed group and owes it to the group to keep confidential the exchanges.

PAS must immediately begin an internal investigation to find out who leaked it and take appropriate action.

In this electronic and cyber era, every user must take extra precaution in what we type and what we share.

I recall the incident in Selangor where the former speaker sent out a message to the EXCOs not knowing a sacked EXCO's number was not deleted from the group.

So yes, damage done and PAS must take the necessary action which is the least expected of the party. We cannot fault PAS for what an individual member did but we can fault the party if they choose to be silent.

Now lets look at the content of the leaked message. It is a very negative message but by and large it is certainly not a new revelation.

The opinion expressed is very much something many are thinking too. I repeat, it is an opinion and in this case an individual's opinion.

What is sad though, it is from a leader of a PR component party. 

It is certainly not a Party position and the leadership must immediately distance themselves from the opinion. This is similar also to an earlier personal opinion of no less than the president himself. For the Party, an elegant silence is not an option, it is like pouring salt on the wound.

PAS must immediately clarify their stand and take disciplinary action against the individual if necessary. I repeat, "if necessary".

I believe that the individual is entitled to his personal opinion, now made public. He expresses his opinion to his peers and they can discuss it and perhaps convince him otherwise. We as the public, cannot and must not dictate how PAS manages their Party.

However, we have the powerful right of a vote during the elections. If PAS chooses the put this same individual as a candidate and the people chooses to vote for him, than GOD help us.

Likewise, the same goes for the lady MP who spoke during the special Parliament session on MH17, that its the wrath of GOD in action. Surely her Party would not be fielding her at the next election but if they do, let the voters speak.

The next step that must be taken is for PAS top leadership to explain to the top PR council. The council should jointly release a communique and put the matter to rest.

I pray for an immediate joint PR press release because any delay is like blowing into a smouldering fire. It creates smoke adding to a hazy situation.

As with the haze, it will go in a few days. Meanwhile we wear a mask.

Similarly, in the political scenario, I pray PR component Party members will cover their mouth too and speak less but listen more to what the "opponents" are saying. We arm ourselves with more information and watch the action taken by PAS.

In a few days the political haze should clear too. If it does not, than we take the next step, we make rain to clear the skies. We exercise our democratic rights to clear our political haze.

Stay indoors, read and research. Brighter days are ahead.

Syawal 1435H

Wishing a blessed Eid Fitri to everyone. Here is a pictorial tribute to all.

My thoughts for July

Midway through Ramadhan and we celebrate Germany winning the World Cup, with dark rings round our eyes.

We also read about the atrocities in Gaza, the killings and are reminded of the evil that men can do.

Indonesia rides through the rough sea of uncertainty following a nail biting election with both sides claiming victory.

Closer to home, a new group Negara Ku is set to stir patriotism and to bring unity back to Malaysia. This same group is also getting certain groups agitated claiming NegaraKu is out to create problems and not unity.

And of course I celebrated my 51st birthday with family and friends over a few separate occassions. Each celebration being unique and special. I also managed a visit to Wat Arun amd Wat Po in Bangkok.

So whats my thoughts for July. Whats my reflection?

July always bring back memories of TeohBengHock and all those who died in custody. I am particularly touched and affected with TBH's case. In particular I am concerned with the welfare of the assisstants and officers of the PR elected representatives, of which I am one of them.

These PAs, are being paid meagre allowances for a difficult responsibility. Those working in the State Secretariat in the EXCO offices are perhaps better off. Those serving in the service centers are mostly living below minimum wage allowances.

They continue to serve because most are dedicated to the struggle to see CHANGE, to build a better Malaysia.

What is sad to see is how the community sees and treats the assistants. They see us as servants to shout at, to hassle and to vent their frustrations. The civil servants too show little respect to these PAs.

However, when they see the elected representative, they treat the YB like semi God. These same people who hassle the PAs and expect the PA to listen and run around for them.

It should be remembered that YBs were elected by the voters to represent them and to serve the community. The YBs are paid a salary and allowance for their services. Not all PAs and assistants  are full time salaried staff. Many are volunteers out to make a contribution to society.

Our communities should learn to respect all who serve in whatever position they are at. YBs should be given due respect but not treated like God. We should remember, its the team that ultimately determines how well the YB serves.

So this July my thoughts are for the services of the PR representatives personal assistants and officers. May they have the strength to continue their services with or without any appreciation from society.

I pray for peace for the soul of TeohBengHock, a political assistant who paid the ultimate price for his services.

Punishing beggars and soup kitchens?

Beggars on the city's streets are indeed an eyesore. Likewise, homeless sleeping on five foot ways and park benches are a reality in cities all over the world.

However, it is only in Malaysia where we attempt to bring beggars and the homeless to court and fine them instead of solving the underlying social problem. Adding salt to the wound, we are also contemplating penalising and arresting the volunteer care givers and the soup kitchens.

The excuse given is to "clean up" the city especially the tourism belt.

Take a walk down Jalan Bukit Bintang, from Pavilion towards Federal Hotel after dusk. What greets you on your journey?
On your left, one is left with a narrow uncovered passage way. Taking up what should have been a safe comfortable pedestrian way are cafes and money changer kiosks etc. These should not have been allowed by DBKL in the first place.

On the opposite side of the road, families with very young children are there all along the pavements selling fake "branded" watches. Unattended children are moving in and around the cars selling roses. I would guess many of these families are illegal immigrants forced onto the streets by circumstances or probably even by syndicates. Is this issue being looked at and addressed?

Take a look at the shops and you cannot miss noticing that almost all are middle eastern restaurants with not a single Malaysian face on their staff.  How could this even be allowed by DBKL licensing department and the Immegration authorities?

Your walk from Pavillion to Federal Hotel has only just started.

Cross the traffic lights over to Macdonalds amidst the MRT construction site in the middle leaving just a small passage for pedestrians.
You now have to struggle through a maze of scantilly dressed ladies of all ages, each waving a pieces of laminated paper into your face. And into your ears, each of these foreign ladies will be whispering "masas sir, masas. good masas".

You succeed out of the maze and you have men walking alongside you offering, " beautiful girls, can choose: have thailand, china russia, all have, young girl"

You ignore them and continue walking. The men having been ignored will ask, "mister, you no like girl, we have boy, strong muscle boy, lady boy, anything you like". You are now close to losing your patience and wanting to tell the guys to leave you alone.

On the opposite side of the road, you notice every shop is a reflexology center but here you do see a fair share of Malaysian faces.

On the right side you have either budget hotels or middle eastern restaurants. Your pathway is again a maze of scatilly dressed ladiea waving that familiar laminated sheets of massage menu.

You do wonder if you are in Malaysia or in some cosmopolitan city somewhere else on the planet. Suddenly you are brought back to Malaysia as you see the familiar PappaRich cafe.

Opposite that, you have reached your destination, the Federal Hotel an iconic Malaysian landmark, built to house our VIP guests at our Independence Day celebrations in 1957.

That walk from Pavillion to the Federal Hotel brought you the mixed and vibrant life of Bukit Bintang. It also exposed you to the many ahortfalls of our authorities in enforcing the laws. Or perhaps, its deliberately ignored to allow enforcement officers the opportunity to "improve" their income. Surely they cannot be blind to all that is going on around them.

The mushroomig of budget hotels too are a great source of income. Im guessing that more than half of the rooms are taken by foreign sex workers both male and female as their work places.

So to the Federal Territories Minister talking about "cleaning up the city", there, thats your work cut out for you. Sort out the illegal businesses, illegal foreign workers.

The homeless and the soup kitchens and volunteer care givers should not be your target. Do not seek cheap publicity by "bullying" your own people but kow towing to illegal exploitative foreigners.

Or worse still do not attempt to create a smoke screen around DBKL's failures in building a safe , clean tourism belt that all Malaysians can be proud of.

Go take a walk down Bukit Bintang this weekend.

My Ramadhan thoughts.

On this the eve of Ramadhan 1435H, I woke up to the news of the cow head thrown at the gate of a DAP state assembly person's house in Penang. This same representative had earlier used the term "celaka" on UMNO.

This incident is sad enough on its own but the worse came later in the morning. A federal minister commented that the DAP representative deserved the cow head for having a loud mouth.

What has this country got to?

Just when you thought that things cannot get worse, JAIS (the state religious body for ISLAM) issues a statement that they will not return the bibles siezed from the Malaysian Bible Society. This despite the Attorney General's decision that JAIS has erred in siezing the bibles and the State government's instructions to return the bibles.

So as we approach the holy month of Ramadhan, it looks like the "defenders of Islam" are all out to disgrace the religion.
Islam teaches forgiveness and respect. It teaches tolerance and sensitivity.

However, what we see done by Muslims certainly run contrary to the teachings.
Nevertheless, lets pray that they will come back to their senses this holy month. May their fullfilment of their religious obligation to fast bring peace, love and respect to their hearts and soul.

Fasting is not just to abstain from food but to appreciate the suffering and challenges that those less fortunate have to endure. In appreciating it , our hearts are open to care, to love and to give.

However, one important element tends to gt forgotten and that is to live in moderation.

I wish JAIS and those defenders of Islam will come out with strong statements against waste and excessive spending on lavish Buka Puasa feasts and the likes.

Yes, coming together to break fast is encouraged but it must be in moderation and to always remember the less fortunate.

I wish all my Muslim and non Muslim friends a blessed Ramadhan. May GOD give us the strength and  courage to fulfil this religious obligation that it will bless our soul and make us better people that bring glory and not disgrace to GOD.

Im off now to celebrate Ramadhan eve with a visit to Masjid Jamek, to draw in the sight, the sound, the smell and the spirit of Ramadhan with my Muslim brethrens.

Amin.