My First Blog...well not actually

I have been writing my gripes and comments in newspapers and especially in the Promuda Circle. Only recently did I return to the Circle after a prolonged absence. Anyway one reader liked what I had to say and suggested that I set up a blog. This blog is dedicated to you Salfiza for giving me the idea and the impetus in the first place.

I will continue to make my comments in the Promuda Circle. This is still not that known after all. I am deeply concerned with the present developments in Malaysia. On the face of it the decisions made looks bad for the nation. What I am especially concerned is the lack of creativity in the decision making process.

In the circle I summarised the situation as follows: 28 May 2006

I do not agree that we should read anything out of this courtesy call. What I do know is that we had such high hopes for his administration and what we get is one disappointment after another. It all started with the Rafidah Affair. Anyone that shows discourtesy in public, cabinet and parliament should be censured instead she escaped unscathed even after being criticised in the UMNO Assembly. Then it was the choice of the Cabinet. After all the speculation he instead brought in individuals who have been more known for their dubiousness rather then their ability to deliver. Next he maintained some who have passed their sell by date. Not much creativity involved in his choice of Cabinet. This lack of creativity continues to plague his administration. In the last few months issues that could be dealt more creatively was instead settled using the simplest means without scant regard (in the eyes of the public) for others. Petroleum subsidy - reduce it, Malaysia Airlines - get rid of excess manpower, TNB - increase the rates, Malaysia Airlines - give more to Air Asia, Scenic Bridge - cancel it, let's not crack our brains, Augusta - sell it, Proton - let's be knockdown assemblers, Multimedia Development Corporation, not that known? - change its name maybe that will help, the Penang Shipyard fiasco, let LTAT pick up its related to them anyway and let's not talks about it hoping it will go away, the double tracking contract - let's cancel it so we do not have to crack our brains how to finance it. I admit that some of the decisions made are based on fiscal prudence, let's not spend what we do not have, however with the much touted young circle he has I have expected more creativity in the decision making process. I do not want his administration to be remembered as one that skirted on issues and avoided any form of disagreement. Some need to be faced head on. As a Malaysian citizen I want to see more lots more being done in our support services sector i.e. the civil servants. Without improving them further lets forget of even sniffing a successful Vision 2020. We thrive on so much bureaucracy that they seem to be afraid that they will lose all credibility and justification for being there in the first place. I hope that his young circle is reading this and able to heed the concerns that we have as a Malaysian citizen. We may not have been given clear reasoning on every decision made however Malaysians are not stupid and don't treat us like we are. And another please rein in the Cabinet members and BN leaders, some seems to be running amok with scant regard of his authority.

There has also been comments on the lamentable lack of press freedom in Malaysia. I do not agree that there is no press freedom and neither do I agree that there should be absolute press freedom. In fact I have not noticed any form of absolute press freedom anywhere in the world. This was what I had to say: 1 June 2006

I would not say there is no freedom of the press. What I would say is selected freedom of the press in selected issues. This freedom is similar all over the world. While they may allow a field day to discuss on some issues, they have also been known to practice self censorship or what they will call as selective reporting on other issues. Effectively the owner of these media organs would ultimately decide on what can or cannot be published. In fact the media tend to fall under the sway of "political/social correctness" of the day. In some media instruments we can hardly get anything negative on Jews and Judaism even though they like any other religion has their own radicals and extremist. Soldiers going AWOL or deserted in Israel hardly had any airings in the mainstream media. Even if there are any it will be dismissed as youthful rantings of idealism in idealist so-called independent newspapers. Even without absolute press freedom as everyone seems to be clamouring for, the leadership have had significant brick bats being thrown at them in the media. Ask Karam Singh Walia and he have done interesting expose now and again. I don't think the issue in Malaysia is about absolute press freedom. I believe it is the freedom to publish intelligent and intellectual discourses anywhere and anytime without every single publication or media being owned by or related to the government. We should allow more licenses but we must also get good quality reporting. Some tabloids I see writes sensationalist trashy headlines that is not even substantiated. Come out with clear arguments that is properly edited and reviewed. Some articles published in Harakah, Rocket, Aliran and even Malaysiakini are wholesale rantings that seems to have been allowed to be published without any form of proof reading. In fact some of us here in the forum seems more articulate then what I have read in the aforementioned publications. I am still anticipating with hope that one day these publications would come out with substantiated discourses and articulate arguments of the likes of the Independent in the UK. I have always liked reading the Independent. Its approach to reporting and the news is unlike mainstream publications. They say it like it is. If its good they laud it. If its bad they slam it. Unlike these publications that always seems to find fault in every single thing that the government or BN do. Not everything they do is bad although it could be improved. For that these publications in my eyes have lost all credibility as a worthy organ of independent thoughts. Its not absolute freedom of the press that we want. It is a forum or medium for the government or leaders to listen and read another point of view. That's what we want.

We are deeply concerned and we want our leaders to listen. We are especially concerned that our leader is monopolised by a very limited circle that may give him bad advice.

I will try to be a disciplined and regular blogger and hope to update it frequently. See you again next time.