Thursday 13 December 2007

CALLING IT QUITS

It has been more than 45 days since I made my last posting. A lot of water has gone under the bridge since then especially where my country of birth, Malaysia, is concerned. The BERSIH rally of 10 November, the violent HINDRAF rally and the subsequent circus of arrest, release, rearrest, claims, counter-claims and of course the incessant talk but no action from our very own Prime Minister. Maybe Pak Lah has his own reason for doing what he's doing or rather not doing. After all how could a mere mortal like me be made privy to all the higher machinations of governance of a sovereign nation.
When I first put up this blog, I had an ulterior motive actually. Yes, it was meant to record my views about life in general, specifically the country that I am living in now. However I had this grandiose idea that my views no matter how scatter-brained, could spark discussions on the state of affairs in this country which in turn would lead to an about turn in the mindset of the thinking population. And soon this will ultimately brings us to an Utopian Malaysia. But then again, do Shangri-La really exist or is it just a figment of the imagination.
Can blogs really helped to shape the destiny of the masses or at the very least offer a differing view points to the ordinary layman on the street? This is the question that I have been asking myself of late. Or are blogs just an ego trip for the blogger? What is the rate of internet penetration, of IT literacy in Malaysia today. What is the ratio of urban to rural population and how pervasive is the internet usage i.e. reading of blogs in the rural areas. Why is the rural population important? Because this is where the BN controlled government gets its' majority to run this country. Therefore if blogs are meant to offer alternative views with the hope of altering the mindsets of the population but are not available to the majority of the voting public, what is the use of blogging then? Get my drift?
Even if every single citizen has access to the internet, do you think they will bother to read the blogs. According to a recently done authoritive survey, Malaysians read only a page of written material a year. One page a year! and you expect Malaysians to read the blogs. Dream on. Just visit any cyber cafe. What are they doing there? Reading the blogs, gathering knowledge from the World Wide Web or just playing games.
Can 1 man makes a difference. The prophet Mohammad p.b.h. maybe but surely not me. I have tried, honest to Allah s.n.w., I have tried, both in my official and personal life. I have been throwing ideas, views, left, right, center, up and down but to no avail. Where Malaysians are concern whether the educated or the uneducated ones, the words of Hendrik Willem van Loon, a Dutch-American journalist and lecturer (1882-1944) rings true.
"Any frontal attack on ignorance is bound to fail because the masses
are always ready to defend their most precious possession - their ignorance"
If a lawyer like Uttayar Kumar does not understand the meaning of ethnic cleansing, what can you expect of simple kampong folks.
I am seriously thinking of closing down this blog. The very least I will leave it in limbo. Neither here or there. I dunno, let time decide.

Wednesday 24 October 2007

GOBLOK SANGAT KE ORANG MALAYSIA

Malam tadi 23/10/07 semasa menonton berita TV3, tiba-tiba badan saya mengeletar, menggigil dan saya percaya tekanan darah naik. Apa tidaknya, mengikut Badan Pencegah Rasuah (sebenarnya Badan Pelindung Rasuah), pembelian beberapa peralatan seperti pen & buku teknikal, jack kereta, dll, (sebagaimana dilaporkan oleh Akauntan Negara) yang melebihi harga pasaran terbuka oleh agensi-agensi kerajaan tertentu adalah munasabah. Alasannya kos untuk membawa masuk barangan tersebut, jaminan kualiti oleh pembekal dan kos sampingan seperti masa yang diambil oleh pembekal untuk menerima bayaran dari kerajaan.

Mana tak seksa telinga mendengarnya. Saya tak tahu siapa yang bodoh di sini. TV3 kerana menyiarkan kenyataan tersebut, saya kerana mendengar berita berkenaan atau Ketua Pengarah BPR yang mengeluarkan kenyataan yang saya rasa Bangla pendatang asing tanpa izin yang tak sekolah pun tak tergamak nak keluarkan.

Kos import yang tinggi? Habis tu, macam mana pembekal yang boleh jual dengan harga murah bawa masuk barangan tersebut. Barang seludup kot ataupun barang tempatan yang tak ada kualiti macam kereta buatan Malaysia.
Jaminan mutu? Lah tu, kalau beli dengan harga murah tak ada jaminan mutu ke.
Bayaran lambat oleh kerajaan dan pembekal kroni kena bayar bunga pada bank kerana pinjam duit untuk buat business dengan kerajaan. Kata, bawa pimpinan cucu tok arab ni, semuanya cepat. paling koman 3 bulan dah terima bayaran. Berapa sangatlah bunga yang perlu dibayar sampai letak harga tak kurang 3 kali ganda harga pasaran.

Perkara macam nilah yang buat aku menyesal jadi rakyat Malaysia. Dahlah yang mentadbir negara satu kaum dengan jenis penyamun & penyangak tetapi cuma terhormat aje, rakyat Malaysia pulak samdol. Terima dan biarkan aje VVIP (Very Very Important Penyangak) ni menghabiskan duit rakyat. Kemudian bagi alasan bodoh untuk tutup pekong.

Aku tak tahu nak kata apa lagi. Yang aku pasti, india kacang putih, cina karung guni dan buruh pass darjah 6 melayu di Singapura pasti pecah perut ketawa mendengar & melihat benda kalut macam ni di Malaysia. Sekarang baru aku faham kenapa bangla, indon, china girls, dan 1001 jenis PATI lagi suka sangat masuk ke Malaysia dan bukan ke Singapura. Walhal di Singapura gaji kuli kang lebih mahal di Singapura berbanding Malaysia. Dah tu duit dia orang 2.3 kali ganda lebih mahal dari duit kita.

Nak tahu jawapannya? Sebab, pemimpin Malaysia, aparatus kerajaan dan rakyat Malaysia boleh dibeli dan diperbodoh-bodohkan dengan mudah.

Akhir kata dari saya. SI LUNCAI TERJUN DENGAN LABU-LABUNYA. BIARKAN-BIARKAN.

Thursday 18 October 2007

Tol, Angkasawan & Parti Merdeka Di Rumah Pak Lah.

18 October 2007 : Lewat Pagi


Masih Hari Raya lagi kan? Oleh itu Selamat Hari Raya Aidl Fitri dan Maaf Zahir bathin dari saya. Bercerita tentang raya, kali ini giliran saya berhari raya di kampong saya di Segamat, Johor. 4 hari 3 malam saya di kampong. Berlepas jam 1500 12/10/07, sampai jam 1745. Balik ke KL jam 1145 15/10/07 sampai jam 1515. Perjalanan balik kampong ambil masa lebih kurang 2 jam 45 minit. OKlah tu sebab dalam keadaan biasa masa perjalanan anggaran 2 jam 30 minit. Jadi puas hatilah bayar toll dan bantu kroni BN jadi kaya untuk support 2-3 bini takpun 4 orang. Bukan duit sendiri kan? Duit rakyat. Tapi masa balik KL merungut, menyumpah seranah macam nak rak dalam kereta. Kesian bini yang ada sebelah. Apa tidaknya, kena tambah 1 jam masa perjalanan pasal trafik jam, dah tu kena bayar tol pulak. Mana tak sakit hati. Dah tu apa ke jadahnya jalan bertol kalau hanya untuk mengkayakan suku sakat depa walhal kita masih bergelut dengan jam.


Sebut fasal jem, teringat boss lama saya yang pernah jadi pengiring kepada seorang pegawai tinggi kerajaan Thailand semasa pegawai Thai tersebut melawat Malaysia. Dalam perjalanan ke Pusat Latihan Polis, Jalan Semarak, konvoi yang membawa pegawai Thailand ni tersangkut dalam trafik jem gila. Jadi boss saya ni, apologiselah kepada pegawai Thai ni kerana tersangkut dalam trafik jem. Kata pegawai Thai, "it's ok, the jam is worse in Bangkok". Boss saya ni typical malaysian, mana boleh kalah, mesti jaga nama Malaysia punya. Boss saya jawab balik, "but sir, here in Malaysia, the jam may take hours to clear". Pegawai Thai tu senyum dan jawab, "In Bangkok, it's worse than that, you can shave and has a leisurely breakfast in your car before the jam clears and it's only about 1 km from your office". Boss saya tetap tak mahu kalah. Last sekali dia bagi the killer blow. "Yes sir, that may be true. But in Thailand the traffic jam is free, here in Malaysia you have to pay for the traffic jam". Pegawai Thai tu terus diam.


Inilah hakikat pembangunan di Malaysia, kalau pembinaan jalan bertol boleh dikatakan satu cabang pembangunan. Yang membangun adalah taukeh tol, yang terduduk kerana kos hidup melambong adalah rakyat. Dulu masa perjalanan ke Segamat melalui Semenyih, Mantin, Kajang, Seremban dan Gemas, saya ambil masa lebih kurang 3 jam 1/2 untuk sampai ke destinasi tapi free, tak ada tol. Hari ini, saya pernah lebih dari dua kali, ambil masa 5 jam untuk sampi ke Segamat, dah tu kena bayar tol pulak. Sape tak geram bang!


Baru nak reda geram pasal trafik jem berbayar, terbaca pulak pasal cerita parti merdeka di rumah kerajaan PakLah. Malas nak komen pasal wanita-wanita Islam yang tak bertudung yang datang berpesta di rumah boss Islam Had Hari tu tapi kalau penyanyi wanita barat datang Malaysia nak nyanyi tak boleh pulak pakai dedah-dedah. Aparah!!. Juga tak kuasa nak cerita pasal panggil George Benson dan Al Jarreau yang datang menghiburkan PakLah dan tetamu. Nak tanya satu soalan. Sape agaknya yang sponsor parti merdeka PakLah ni? Kalau tauke-tauke projek RMK 9 lantak le tapi kalau pakai duit rakyat kenapa tak panggil saya dan ahli-ahli keluarga saya termasuk emak dan adik-adik saya di kampong berpesta sama. Kan duit saya tu.


Sekarang ni kita sibuk pasal angkasawan negara. Saya bukan nak jadi wet blanket tapi tak lalu nak ikut sibuk-sibuk pasal kes ni. Saya tak ambil pot pun pasal angkasawan-angkasawan ni. Tak ada faedahnya. Yang kita sibuk nak ke angkasa tu pasal ape kalau talian internet broadband di bumi Malaysia ni pun tak keruan arah. Adik no.3 saya tinggal di Nilai 3 (tak jauh tu dari Putrajaya, cyber city yang pertama di dunayaia) tapi tak dapat broadband connection. Saya dapat talian broadband di rumah di Kelana Jaya tapi dengan kelajuan 4 mbps walhal home user di Singapura dapat kelajuan 4 mbps. Perabis duit rakyat pergi angkasa, infrakstur teknikal di bumi Malaysia macam infrakstuktur teknikal Angola dan Timor Leste. Porah!!!!!


Dulu lagi saya dah bilang. Cerita hikayat Si Luncai dan Pak Pandir adalah cerita masyarakat atau folk tale yang datang khas dari orang melayu. Itu sebabnya sampai hari ini orang melayu malaysia walaupun berlambak-lambak yang berijazah sampai tak cukup dinding nak gantong setemkepet (certificates), masih lagi berfikir macam Pak Pandir. Menang sorak kampong tergadai. Kita (tak termasuk saya tau) di Malaysia apabila buat sesuatu bukan tengok untungnya pada diri sendiri tapi nak dengar berapa kuat sorak yang kita dapat. Tak ada hasil tak ape. India, Korea dan Jepun dah boleh buat roket, tak sibuk pun nak hantar orang ke angkasa, ini pulak malaysia yang buat kereta sendiri pun rugi.... eesshhh! maleh kawan nak fikir. Senak kepala dibuatnya.


Kerja-kerja membazir tapi glamer ni salah siapa kalau bukan salah rakyat sendiri. Kita tak boleh pilih mak ayah kita atau bos kita tapi pastinya kita boleh pilih siapa yang mewakili kita di parlimen. Kalau kita pilih badut alamat kena gelaklah negara kita macam yang sedang berlaku sekarang.


SI LUNCAI TERJUN DENGAN LABU-LABUNYA. BIARKAN-BIARKAN!

Friday 12 October 2007

MY APOLOGIES

The last time I make a posting was on the 24 Aug 07. For those few who bothers to read my blog, a thousand apologies straight from my heart especially on this eve of the Eidil Fitri celebrations (commercialised though it may be nowadays). I hate to offer excuses but like malaysian politicians and government servants, it is my duty to offer one.
4 days after my latest posting i.e. on 28 Aug, my family and me left for Istanbul, Turkey to attend our niece's wedding. Knowing malaysian men, I guess she decided a turkish guy makes a better husband. May she be right but then I guess all men are the same regardless of race, creed or religion because all men are crooks if given 1/2 the chance. Unfortunately more often than most women like to believe, it is the women themselves who gave men these 1/2 chances. Yet they (the women lah siapa lagi) has the gall to call us crooks.
We are in Istanbul till 3 Sept. On coming back, it takes almost a week for the family to settle down again after a hectic running here and there in Istanbul for the wedding. Tried to log in to the internet but my streamyx line kena potong sebab lambat bayar bill. Ni lah nasib jadi rakyat marhain di Malaysia, lambat sikit kena potong tapi kalau wakil rakyat ke, orang besar UMNO ke, boleh buat apa dia suka. Dah boleh tuduh kerana rasuah pun boleh duduk di parlimen lagi. Salah saya sendiri, Lee Kuan Yew dah offer nak jadi rakyat dia dulu, tak hendak, sekarang apa dah jadi? Tanggunglah sendiri. Anyway, post haste, I made my way to TMNet shop, paid my overdue bill, was promised reconnection within 2 hours which actually take almost 2 days. In BolehLand this is nothing new.
After getting back my streamyx service, did try to produce a posting but a nagging question stopped me from doing so. I was just wondering. What do I hope to achieve through my blog. Change the mindset of members of the Royal Malaysia Police or spur malaysians to vote out clowning thives from running this country. Fat chance. As far as I am concern, the majority of malaysians, male and female are a spineless lot. Cakap banyak tapi tak berani bertindak. It's not that I want malaysians to go to the streets to demonstrate. Nanti kena tembak dengan water cannon pulak oleh robot-robot topi merah PDRM. Tapi kalau nak mendedahkan pandangan dalam akhbar pun takut, apa jenis punya hero ni?
Apa tidaknya. Baru-baru ni saya kemukakan pandangan saya mengenai komen bekas KPN Tun Haniff Omar bahawa 40% daripada warga PDRM terlibat dengan rasuah. Sinis sikitlah pandangan saya tu. Tak lama lepas pandangan saya keluar dalam Utusan Malaysia, banyak panggilan telefon yang saya terima termasuk daripada orang-orang besar PDRM. Rata-rata menyokong pandangan saya. Tak kurang yang mengapi-apikan saya, suruh hentam lagi Tun Haniff dengan janji untuk membekalkan saya dengan fakta-fakta negatif mengenai Tun Haniff semasa jadi KPN. Alah! kononnya orang tua tu, bila pencen aje dapat share 1 juta dalam KFC lah, Genting lah. Entah ia entah tidak, mana saya tahu. Yang peliknya kalau depa ni ada maklumat buruk tentang Tun Haniff yang dia orang beria-ia sangat hendak saya dedahkan dalam akhbar, kenapa sendiri tak dedahkan. Itu soalannya dan jawapannya senang. Kebanyakkan orang malaysia suka play safe, tak mahu bertanggungjawab. Nak jadi Hang Jebat menentang kezaliman Sultan Melaka tapi suruh orang lain menentang HangTuah. Kalau orang tu mati, awak diam dan tuduh mamat tu bodoh nak bersilat dengan Hang Tuah. Tapi kalau Hang Tuah mati, awak lah orang pertama yang mendakwa bahawa andalah pembekal keris kepada mamat yang berjaya bunuh Hang Tuah dan awaklah yang melatih mamat tu bersilat untuk lawan Hang Tuah. Ni lah sifat rakyat malaysia (kebanyakkannya). In short dan senang cerita, orang malaysia yang lelakinya tak ada telor dan yang perempuannya tak ada bXXX (especially yang dalam PDRM).
Jadi kenapa saya menulis juga. Sebab saya teringat matlamat asal saya membina blog ini. Untuk menyimpan buat posterity pandangan saya mengenai organisasi tempat saya bekerja dan negara tempat saya akan menghabiskan sisa-sisa hidup saya ini. Supaya cucu cicit saya nanti apabila saya dah kick the bucket, dapat menilai menilai sama ada moyang mereka adalah seorang orang tua yang sasau, meracau dan frust kerana terpinggir dalam organisasi yang dicintainya atau memang betul bahawa negara dan organisasi ni adalah sebuah negara dan organisasi haprak yang menyamar sebagai sebuah negara dan organisasi yang cemerlang, gemilang dan terbilang.
InsyaAllah, mulai sekarang saya akan update blog saya ini sekurang-kurangnya 2 hari sekali jika tidak tiap-tiap hari.
Sekian. Selamat Hari Raya Aidil Fitri 2007.

Thursday 23 August 2007

Ke Mana PDRM? - Bahagian IV

Prologue

Saje nak ingatkan pembaca yang pandangan saya ini dibuat dan dirakamkan pada tahun 1998. Sama ada ianya masih valid atau tidak, sama-samalah direnungkan.

Computerisation
The computer branch has recently underwent a name change to the Information Technology Branch of the Royal Malaysia Police (RMP). I will agree that a name change is due, to reflect on the increasing and widespread use of computers in every facet of police work and not mainly as a data storage device. Whether or not this name change mirrors the degree of sophistication required of the RMP to see to the successful implementation of it’s information technology policy remains to be seen. Personally I doubt it very much because nothing that I have seen or been involved with in this field, shows that the policy makers are really serious, committed or even understands what is IT is all about. I am not in any way casting doubts on the capability of the police IT personnel. They know what they are doing but unfortunately have a limited say in the final decisions regarding IT applications, etc in police work.

I once had the occasion of sitting down with our IT expert to set up our own CID D7 Criminal Database System and to my surprise was told that the police mainframes can only support a code based database management system that can’t support graphics. Any layman knows that photos and graphics are extensively used in police work especially mug shots of known criminals. How such a situation can be allowed to exists by the policy makers, when even my brother who runs his own company with a staff of about 500 only is able to have a text base database with graphic facilities with just two or three PCs standing on the office work desk, is beyond me.

A look at the IT equiptments allocated to my department in Bukit Aman has convinced me of the decision makers unawareness that information technology is not for show but to be actually used in the day to day working environment. The Anti Secret Societies, Vice and Gaming Branch keep records and photos of about 32,000 known secret societies, vice syndicates and gambling syndicates members. We also deals in thousands of reams of documents that needs to be manipulated daily. To bring our department into the IT age, we are given 7 dumb terminals and two PCs running on 486 chips, 4 MB of RAM and 100 MB of disk space. There is no scanners nor modems for manipulation of documents, not even a cheap colour printer or LCD projector for the countless presentations that we have to make. I do not blame the IT Branch for this shorcomings not because some of my closest buddies are from this branch but because I understand how their hands are tied.

From all this, I can only come to the conclusion that either the policy makers have no inkling of what IT means or they do not have the balls (apologies to the ladies in the policy making group) to stand up to the Treasury desk jocks (who holds the purse string) and tell them that either the police have what it wants or the Treasury can police the country.

Logistics Support
This will be my shortest observation of the existing RMP management practices. In the Malaysian Police, logistics support means the following:-
i. investigation officers buying their own typewriters and stationeries to do their official duties
ii. paying from your own pocket for printer ribbons in order to prepare official reports
iii. running around in town begging for loans of audio visual equiptment for that impressive presentation you have to make to some foreign police officers
iv. asking your detectives to get paints and brushes from the neighbourly “chinamen” to repaint the office because the IGP is visiting and the Central Supply Depot says they
are just tendering for the paint supplies and then wondering why members of the force
are corrupted
v. being paid in late 1997 for the expenses you’ve have spent carrying out official duties
out of of town in 1996 using your credit card and then wondering again why members of
the force are corrupted

P/S - The RMP now has a separate Logistics Directorate headed by a Director Of Logistics with the rank of Commissioner of Police.


Hangat-Hangat Tahi Ayam

Berita muka depan akhbar The Star hari ini buat saya tergelak. Kononnya 5 buah agensi negara iaitu Polis, Immigresen, Puspakom, JPJ dan Jabatan Perlesenan Pengangkutan Awam akan mengambil tindakan bersepadu pantas terhadap pemandu-pemandu, bas-bas dan syarikat-syarikat bas yang telah melakukan kesalahan jalan raya dan melanggar undang-undang negara.

Saya telah terlalu lama jadi rakyat Malaysia untuk mempercayai bahawa ini akan menjadi titik tolak terhapusnya bas terbalik, pemandu, bas dan syarikat bas yang ada berbelas saman jalanraya masih bebas mengangkut penumpang dan lantas membawa mereka yang tak berdosa ke kubur.

Kepada kelima-lima agensi kerajaan yang terlibat kenapa tunggu sampai 22 nyawa terkorban baru nak buat Ops. Bersih dan sampai bila operasi ini akan berlansung. Lepas operasi tamat apa yang kelima-lima agensi nak buat? Saya yakin operasi ini akan jadi macam kempen pilihanraya sahaja. Dekat pilihanraya sibuk wakil rakyat masuk kampong , cat mesjid dan bagi itu ini pada orang kampong. Dah jadi wakil rakyat batang hidung tak nampak.

Saya sebenarnya dah muak membaca cerita-cerita fasal kerajaan atau agensi-agensinya nak buat itu dan ini. Semua tak sampai ke mana. Contoh, dari tahun 80an lagi ada gembar-gembur mengenai projek tebatan banjir di Kuala Lumpur. Hari ini hujan 1 jam tenggelam Lembah Kelang. Subsidi petrol kurang 30 sen, negara jimat RM 4 billion konon untuk memperbaiki sistem pengangkutan awam tapi apa yang jadi. Bertambah haru biru.

Yang susahnya orang Malaysia ni terlampau "complacent". Biar sahaja apa yang berlaku. Badan Bukan Kerajaan senyap aje. Kenapa tak minta "accountability" dari agensi-agensi yang bertanggung jawab terhadap pengangkutan awam. Di Korea pada tahun 80an, seorang anggota polis mengamuk dan membunuh, Menteri Keselamatan Dalam Negeri letak jawatan, di Cina, keretapi berlanggar, Menteri Pengangkutan letak jawatan. Kita? Cakap-cakap kedai kopi aje.

Tuesday 21 August 2007

Lebih Baik Jadi Penyangak


Jutaan maaf kepada kawan-kawan yang sudi membaca blog saya ni tapi sejak 15 Ogos lalu tak ada satu pun posting baru yang saya muatkan dalam blog ni. Sebenarnya sejak 15hb Ogos lalu sehinggalah petang ini 21/8/07, saya dengan seorang pegawai saya dan 2-3 orang anggota sibuk ke hulu ke hilir nak kesan seorang penyangak terhormat dan terus menangkapnya kerana kesalahan dibawah seksyen 420 Kanun Keseksaan iaitu tipu. Banyak Yob, duit yang dia tipu. Tolak sana tolak sini RM 40 jutalah dia sapu. Sat lagi saya cerita fasal malaun terhormat ni. Sekarang saya nak sentuh sikit hal orang ramai yang kata polis malas.

Selama 5 hari berturut-turut kami balik rumah antara jam 2 pagi (paling awal) dan 4 pagi (paling lewat) dalam usaha untuk mengesan penyangak ini. Anak tak jumpa, bini/mata air tak jumpa, tak dapat bermain dengan cucu. Pagi kami ke pejabat macam biasa.
OT tak ada tau dan tak ada off-off Tapi ada orang awam tahu ke? . Komen pandai. Cubalah jadi polis kalau berani. Jangan cakap aje pandai bang.

Berbalik kepada cerita malaun yang sedang kami cari ni. Kawan baik saya dan saya, siasat kes ni lebih kurang 4 tahun lalu. Nak cerita banyak-banyak fasal kes takleh sebab kes masih dalam perbicaraan. Nanti jadi sub-judice pulak. Nanya saya. Jumlah kerugian lebih kurang berpuluh juta. 18 tauke syarikat kena tipu. Yang berani buat repot cuma 2 orang. Lagi 16 orang takut walaupun kami berdua pujuk. Depa kata "you are only small fries in the force, what can you do, this guy (malaun tu lah siapa lagi) has got connections". Apa tidaknya, mula-mula kami siasat kes ni, seorang KSU call boss kami beritahu hamlau ni kawan dia (KSU). Bayangkan. Macam mana polis nak buat kerja. Orang awam atau gomen tahu ke? Gomen kalau tahu pun tak guna. Buat dek aje, macam kes arahan tutup mata sebelah di parlimen. Apa yang Pak Lah buat?

Lepas tu saya kena panggil ke pejabat seorang pegawai polis yang lebih besar pangkatnya dari boss saya. Ceritanya lebih kuranglah macam cerita KSU tadi. Yang ni tambah sikit. Beritahu saya, ni bukan kes tipu, masalah cash flow aje. Siasatan baru start dah tahu bukan kes tipu. Pelik. Tapi yang paling dasyat apabila seorang pegawai polis yang lagi besar pangkatnya dari pegawai polis yang panggil saya ke pejabatnya tadi (eh!berapa punya besar dah), ugut nak tukarkan saya dan pegawai-pegawai saya kerana siasat kes ni yang kononnya juga bukan kes tipu tapi masalah cash flow aje. Ya! Rabbi! buat kerja pun kena ugut nak kena tukar. Kan saya dah cakap dulu, hal tukar menukar, gam-gam atau simpan sejuk kerana buat kerja ni sebenarnya perkara biasa dalam pasukan tempat kami cari makan ni. Nasib baik kami punya T/Pengarah seorang yang berani dan tegas. Dia suruh teruskan siasatan. Pendekkan cerita, kami berjaya membuktikan malaun ni menipu dan Timbalan Pendakwa Raya setuju untuk tuduh malaun ni bawah seksyen 420 Kanun Keseksaan kerana menipu.

Malangnya cerita ni tak selesai disitu. Lebih kurang 1 bulan selepas malaun ni dituduh, kami berdua disepak keluar dari tempat kami bertugas, Saya terpelanting ke Maktab PDRM Cheras, kawan saya ke Maktab PDRM Kuala Kubu Baru. Malaun ni dengan kerjasama seorang anggota polis yang jadi barua malaun ni sebab dah banyak sengaja makan duit haram malaun ni buat tohmahan yang kami ni kasar, terima duit dari pengadu, macam-macamlah, asal teringat aje tulis. Depa tu tak apalah, memang adik beradik jin tanah pun.

Tapi yang kami happy sangat ialah PDRM sendiri. Dapat aje surat tohmahan, belum lagi siasat terus tukarkan orang dan dibekukan. Wah! mana tak bermaharajalela segala tauke-tauke ekor dan ayam yang bertopengkan business halal. Asal ada aje pegawai polis yang mengancam kedudukan tauke-tauke ni, mereka hantar surat tohmahan. Terbang melayang beberapa ekor pegawai. Tu yang kadang-kadang saya terfikir. Alang-alang kena tohmahan kowtim dan kena teranjang, lebih baik betul-betul kowtim dan kena teranjang. Takpe, puas hati bang, melayang ada wang punya. All right ape! Yang paling sedih, kami berdua tersekat peluang naik pangkat.

Apa sebenarnya moral cerita betul ni. Mudah aje. Dalam negara Cemerlang, Gemilang, Terbilang ni, lebih baik jadi penyangak. Duit dapat dan semua orang sayang.

Salaammmmmm!!!

Wednesday 15 August 2007

50 Tahun Merdeka - Apa Ertinya

Saya baru sahaja habis menonton rancangan Bersama Mu keluaran TV3 (Rabu 15 Ogos 2007). Tak payahlah saya jelaskan apa itu rancangan Bersama Mu. Para pembaca blog sedia maklum yang ianya memaparkan kisah rakyat-rakyat miskin negara Malaysia yang cemerlang, gemilang, terbilang, yang kais malam makan pagi, kais pagi makan petang, yang kalau dalam bahasa kasar dan kurang ajarnya, papa kedana. Rancangan malam ni fasal seorang ibu yang menjadi buta sejak umor 24 tahun kerana penyakit glaucoma. Kenapa tak berubat awal? Sebab miskin dan hospital jauh dari rumah.

Terdetik hati saya. Eh? mengapa macam ni. Bukankah kita dah 50 tahun merdeka. Bukankah kata surat khabar perdana, Malaysia lebih maju dan membangun dari negara-negara jiran kita kecuali negara tempat saya dibesarkan. Kenapa jadi macam ini. Tak adakah wakil rakyat nak ambil tahu hal-hal orang susah macam yang sering dipaparkan oleh Bersama Mu. Kalau tuan/puan kata mana nak larat 1 wakil rakyat nak jengok satu kawasan yang luas yang dia wakili di DUN atau parlimen, kan kita ada sistem Jawatankuasa Keselamatan Kampong. Mana perginya sistem ketua kampong dan sistem penghulu yang ada. Takkan nak harapkan komplex penghulu aje yang besar tapi penghulu makan tidor. Ha! lagi satu ... mana perginya bapak-bapak dan ibu-ibu UMNO Bahagian dan cawangan. Takkan tak tahu apa yang berlaku dalam kawasan masing-masing. Nak tunggu dekat pilihanraya ke, baru nak jengah orang kampong, baru nak derma dua tiga helai baju sekolah, dah tu siap dengan RTM, TV3, TV7, V9 dan kalau boleh agaknya nak panggil CNN dan BBC sekali, buat litupan majlis tolong orang susah ni. Prihatin konon. Hampir lupa, maka hilangnya Projek Pembangunan Rakyat Termiskin ah?

Kebetulan tak lama lagi kita nak berarak ramai-ramai sambut merdeka. 50 tahun you. Kalau pegawai kerajaan tinggal 6 tahun lagi nak pencen. Bila tengok orang miskin jadi bahan tontonan di TV, terfikir saya. Apa erti merdeka?

Merdeka tu bebas dari penjajahan. Betul. Merdeka tu maknanya kita boleh urus negara kita sendiri ikut corak kita sendiri. Betul lagi. Merdeka tu maknanya kita boleh urus hasil mahsul negara kita untuk menafaatkan oleh rakyat kita sendiri. Bukan macam orang putih penjajah laknat tu, depa kaut keuntungan hasil bumi negara, depa pelari kekayaan kita bawa pergi London, orang putih kat United Kingdom yang senang lenang. Tak betul tu kan?

Tapi hairan pulak, orang Inggeris dah lama berambus dari negara kita tapi kenapa sampai ada rancangan Bersama Mu minta simpati rakyat untuk tolong orang miskin. Mana pergi duit Petronas. Tahun lepas Petronas untung RM 76 billion. Tarik balik subsidi minyak 30 sen, negara jimat RM 4 billion. Hai! banyak sangat ke RM 4 billion dari untung RM 76 billion. Bukankah Petronas syarikat negara yang dibiayai oleh wang rakyat untuk menguruskan hasil bumi Malaysia untuk kesejahteraan rakyat Malaysia juga? RM 4 juta pun nak kira ke? Atau pun duit Petronas untuk menyelamatkan syarikat-syarikat tertentu sahaja macam projek Free Trade Zone Pelabuhan Kelang tu?. Buat rumah RM 1 billion boleh tapi nak tolong turunkan harga sarapan rakyat marhaen (roti cati dan teh O) dengan subsidi minyak tak boleh. Alahai! tak faham saya.

Kita ni dah merdeka ke kalau fikiran kita masih terjajah oleh Whitehall, dah merdeka kah kita, kalau apabila Islam Hadhari diterima pakai (di ok kan) oleh Washington kita melompat katak terkinja-kinja happy sangat sebab orang barat approved kita punya Islam Hadhari. Hello! tu maknanya fikiran kita masih terjajah walaupun fisikal kita bebas. Berdaulat ke negara kita ni, kalau nak bangunkan tempat kita sendiri kena tubuhkan Joint Ministerial Commitee dengan menteri negara jiran. Kalau kita merdeka, rumahtangga kita, kitalah yang urus Yob, bukan jiran sebelah rumah. Betul tak?

Bukankah merdeka bererti juga kita bebas dari kepapaan, dari kebobrokan, bebas fisikal, mental dan spiritual. Saya pun idealist membuta-tuli. Saya pun tahu, takkan lah semua 27 juta orang rakyat malaysia nak jadi jutawan. Tak masuk dek akal. Tapi selepas 50 tahun takkan lah sampai ada orang buta sebab tak dapat rawatan perubatan kerana rumah jauh dari hospital dan papa, takkan ada budak-budak belajar pakai pelita minyak tanah lagi, takkan ada 5 keluarga mati terbakar kerana tak mampu bayar bil letrik.

Macam ni lah. Senang cerita. Selepas 50 tahun merdeka, selepas 30 tahun saya kerja polis (bahasa orang kampong ni) dan selepas polis berusia 200 tahun, apabila saya lapor diri ke pejabat baru saya, selepas 4 bulan, furniture yang negara merdeka tercinta saya beri pada saya untuk buat kerja masih lagi satu meja tulis murah, 3 kerusi dan 2 cabinet besi zaman tok kadok. Tu aje. Oooppss! lupa baru dapat 1 laptop 2nd hand tapi printer tak ada. Hampir lupa pejabat saya tak ada air con. Pangkat kecik tak besar pun tak tapi kalau dalam tentera kira Lt.Kol lah. Kalau penjajah buat saya macam ni, saya terima, sebab namanya pun penjajah. Kaki sapu, tu sebab orang barat suka jajah negara Asia dan Afrika. Ni tidak, anak watan saya sendiri buat kami macam ni (bukan saya sorang yang begini nasibnya, ramai lagi tapi dia orang tu tengah congak-congak nak naik pangkat. Banyak sangat komen nanti kena gam, naya!!).

Merdeka ke nih? Cemerlang, Gemilang, Terbilang.

Tuesday 14 August 2007

Islam Hadhari : Islam Versi Baru Ke?

Saya pernah bertanya kepada seorang pegawai dari JAKIM sama ada Islam yang telah disampaikan oleh Rasullullah s.a.w. tidak selengkap apa yang cuba digarapkan oleh Islam Hadhari. Lain yang saya tanya lain yang dijawab. “Tidak, Islam Hadhari bukan satu Islam baru”, kata pegawai JAKIM tadi. Saya tanya sama ada Islam yang saya anuti selama ini tidak selengkap Islam Hadhari, bukannya sama ada Islam Hadhari tu ugama Islam baru atau tidak. Nampak sangat pegawai JAKIM ni nak “taici” atau mengelak isu yang saya kemukakan.

Mungkin topik Islam Hadhari telah basi untuk saya perkatakan tapi salah saya sendiri. Malangnya saya ada tabiat tak elok, malas nak baca apa-apa penjelasan kalau datangnya dari ajensi kerajaan macam JAKIM. Satu masa dulu saya cukup yakin dengan apa-apa yang dimuntahkan oleh penulis warkah ajensi kerajaan, hari ini entahlah. Payah saya nak yakin. Syukur Alhamdullillah, baru-baru ini tergerak hati saya untuk akhirnya membaca booklet Islam Hadhari, Satu Penjelasan yang dikeluarkan secara percuma oleh JAKIM.

Setelah membaca booklet tersebut, ianya bukan mengurangkan sebaliknya menambahkan keyakinan saya secara peribadi bahawa Islam Hadhari sebenarnya adalah satu gimik. Saya petik beberapa nukilan dari booklet tersebut yang akan saya ulas dari sudut pandangan saya yang serba jahil terutama dari segi ugama.

Dari muka surat iii “Perutusan Y.A.B. Perdana Menteri Malaysia.
Islam Hadhari ialah pendekatan sederhana (wasatiah) yang diambil oleh kerajaan dalam ……..
Pandangan saya :-
Bukankah Rasullullah s.a.w. mengajar kita untuk bersikap sederhana dalam urusan seharian. Jadi mengapa harus cipta Islam Hadhari kalau Islam yang sedia itu sendiri mengajar kita bersikap sederhana.

Dari muka surat 1 “Pendahuluan”
Persepsi sebahagian besar umat Islam kini terhadap agamanya masih terbatas kepada aspek-aspek ibadah khusus semata-mata.
Pandangan saya:-
Salah siapa kalau kerajaan sendiri enggan mengislamkan pentadbiran dan pengurusan negara.

Dari muka surat 7 “Definisi”
Dari segi istilah, perkataan “hadhari” membawa maksud “yang bertamadun” atau Islam yang menekankan aspek tamadun. Dalam bahasa Inggeris disebut sebagai “Civilizational Islam”, dan dalam Bahasa Arab sebagai “al-Islam al-Hadhari”
Pandangan saya:
Islam dah sempurna. Ia tidak perlu ditamadunkan. Yang perlu ditamadunkan ialah umat Islam itu sendiri bukan ugama Islam. Islam yang dibawa oleh Rasullullah s.a.w. lah yang telah meng “tamadunkan” orang Arab Jahiliah dan umat manusia yang barbaric bukan sebaliknya iaitu AAB yang meng “tamadunkan” Islam. Kegemilangan dunia Islam satu masa dulu adalah kerana umatnya yang telah ditamadunkan oleh Islam.

Dari mukasurat 12 “10 Prinsip-Prinsip Asas Islam Hadhari”
Pandangan saya:-
Setahu saya semua 10 prinsip asas Islam Hadhari telah pun tersedia sebagai perkara-perkara yang perlu dijadikan amalan oleh umat Islam. Jadi kenapa perlu 10 prinsip asas Islam Hadhari kalau ajaran Islam sendiri tidak diamal dan praktikkan oleh kerajaan. Saya ambil satu contoh, “Pembelaan Hak Kumpulan Minoriti dan Wanita”. Bukankah Islam yang memberi hak sama rata kepada wanita sebagai contoh untuk memiliki harta. Bukankah Islam yang menghentikan amalan arab jahiliah yang menanam hidup-hidup atau memanah hingga mati bayi perempuan?

Jadi apa perlunya Islam Hadhari kalau bukan satu gimik.

Monday 13 August 2007

Nahas Bas Di Bukit Gantang, Taiping : Salah Siapa

Takziah saya kepada semua ahli-ahli keluarga mangsa trajedi nahas bas yang berlaku di Bukit Gantang, Taiping pada jam 4:30 pagi 13/8/07. Dua puluh orang yang tidak berdosa hilang nyawa. Salah siapa? Saya enggan mempolemikkan isu ini. Saya cuma ingin bertanya.

Bas yang terlibat dalam kemalangan mempunyai 19 saman terhadapnya kerana kesalahan lalu lintas sejak tahun 1991. Bermakna bas ini memang di pandu cara bahaya.
1. Kenapa bas ni masih di biarkan di jalanraya raya.
2. Kenapa tak ambil tindakan terhadap syarikat bas ini.
3. Kenapa tak kuatkuasakan saman-saman trafik ini.
4. Sukar yak amat ke nak cari alamat syarikat bas ini?
5. Apa yang Jabatan Pengangkutan Jalan buat?
6. Apa yang Polis Trafik buat?
7. Apa yang Jawatankuasa Keselamatan Jalanraya Malaysia buat?
8. Apa yang Kementerian Pengangkutan buat?
9. Ada apa-apakah antara ajensi-ajensi penguatkuasa nih dengan tokeh syarikat bas?

Pemandu bas yang terlibat dalam kemalangan mempunyai 13 saman terhadapnya dan 2 waran tangkap kerana kesalahan lalu lintas sejak tahun 1991. Bermakna pemandu bas ini memang kaki pandu bas cara bahaya.
1. Kenapa pemandu bas ni masih dibiarkan memandu di jalanraya raya.
2. Kenapa tak ambil tindakan terhadap pemandu bas ini.
3. Kenapa tak kuatkuasakan saman-saman trafik dan waran tangkap terhadap pemandu ini.
4. Sukar yak amat ke nak kesan pemandu bas nih?
5. Apa yang Jabatan Pengangkutan Jalan buat?
6. Apa yang Polis Trafik buat?
7. Apa yang Jawatankuasa Keselamatan Jalanraya Malaysia buat?
8. Apa yang Kementerian Pengangkutan buat?
9. Ada apa-apakah antara ajensi-ajensi penguatkuasa nih dengan pemandu bas ni?

Itu aje nak tanya. Jawap le.

Ni Apa Hal - Buat Kerja Pun Kena Siasat ACA

Prologue
Apa nak jadi dengan negara ku ini. Polis yang tangkap orang kerana orang tu disyaki terlibat dalam aktiviti haram, polis pulak yang kena siasat. Kalau ia pun polis tu niaya orang, tak bolehkah siasat dulu orang yang ditangkap tu. Kalau betul tindakan polis, habis cerita. Semua orang happy, tak ada mata-mata atau bos mata-mata (pegawai kanan lah) kecik hati atau demoralised. Kalau betul polis salah guna kuasa, suka-suka tangkap orang, belasah polis.

Bayangkan senario ni. Pak Cik Mat dari Kampong Tiang Sebatang datang balai polis, buat repot kata kena tipu oleh wakil rakyat pasal nak dapat subsidi baja. Tup-tup wakil rakyat buat repot kata Pak Cik Mat fitnah. Laporan Pak Cik Mat tak disiasat sebaliknya Pak Cik Mat yang kena soaldesak dek polis. Betul ke ni? Tak boleh ke siasat dulu laporan polis Pak Cik Mat? Kalau betul pak cik Mat buat laporan palsu, ambil tindakan undang-undang (seksyen 182 KK kalau tak silap). Boleh kan, kan, kan?

Aku merepek pasal apa ni. Alah! pasal dua ekor pegawai polis yang kena siasat dengan BPR sebaik selepas tangkap satu tauke Johor di bawah Akta Kediaman Terhad tu. Baca lah posting gua berikut ni.

I understand the fact that a newspaper is a business like any other business. Bottomlines and sales matters. In rushing to capture readers and thereby buyers attention can’t the Malaysian press be objective and professional rather than sensational? I am of course referring to today’s (13/8/07) NST headlines of:-
“Split In The Force : CLEARED By The Secret Societies, Vice & Gaming Division Of Bukit Aman And The Anti Corruption Agency, Johore Businessman At Centre Of Allegations Against The IGP Is – ARRESTED By The Commercial Crime Division And Banished To Jeli, Kelantan Under The Restricted Residence Act. The ACA Wants To Know WHY?”

A cursory reading of the headlines will show abuse of powers by the police i.e. the Commercial Crime Investigation Department in taking action under the Restricted Residence Act against an innocent businessman. Only on further reading will the intelligent reader realized that the businessman has been cleared by the Anti Corruption Agency (ACA) on allegations of offering a RM 2 million bribe to a senior police officer and not of his alleged involvement in illegal gaming activities. Or has the ACA also cleared the businessman of his (businessman) alleged masterminding of illegal gaming activities in Johore (some say also expanding to the rest of Malaysia).

Now if the ACA is also investigating into such allegations, isn’t that enroaching into the jurisdiction of another law enforcement agency? This of course brings us to another issue raised by the NST, that of the CCD not having jurisdiction to act against illegal gaming activities. I have no paper qualifications in law but no where in the Criminal Procedure Code or the Police Act does it state that police powers are compartmentalized. Do you mean to say that a marine police officer cannot issue a summon to a traffic offender? You get my drift, right!

The ACA is now investigating or dare I say interrogating the two officers who arrested said businessman for abuse of power and making false statements under section 192 and 211 of the Penal Code. Why jump on the two officers first. Why don’t some one investigates the businessman first. Is he involved in illegal activities or not. I was never an excellent investigator but I would definitely want to know how that businessman starts his business. Where does he obtain the funds to start his business. What is his background. I have spent some time in the Anti Secret Societies, Vice & Gaming Branch of the CID and I can tell you that I have seen my fair share of currently successful businessmen with multi million ringgit business empires who were formerly part and parcel of the vice and gaming syndicates. Oh! you mean this guys has repented and are now respectable members of society and are no longer involved either directly or indirectly in such illegal activities.

If that is the case can I suggest to my younger Malaysians (it is too late for me) to accumulate wealth through illegal means, kowtim here and there to avoid being caught and penalized and with the money, start a legitimate business,. Joins a golf club and then become a respectable member of society. I have have repented what, cannot ahh! What is the NST trying to do by such loopsided reporting. By all means, report. The public has the right to know what is supposed to be happening in BolehLand but let’s be objective. If the NST is sincere in it’s reporting, why don’t they send in the investigative reporters. I am sure NST has investigative reporters or at least understands the concept of investigative reporting right? You know, something like the two reporters in the US that breaks the Watergate Scandal. Or do the NST reports only what the political masters cum owners wants to be reported to the rakyat.

Go down to the ground gentlemen reporters, investigate, talk to all levels of the rakyat. Talk to police officers on the ground, from both sides mind you. You want to know the good side of a guy, talk to his friend, the dark side, talk to his enemies. Find out for once and for forever. Is the businessman innocent or otherwise. If he is innocent, has he been that way through out his life or is he a born again model citizen. Let matters rest once and for all and lets get on with life shall we?

Epilogue
Pertaining to that businessman, both the ACA guy and the police chap, has been investigated and cleared by the ACA. I’m just wondering, has any competent person or agency investigated and cleared this businessman fellow of any wrongdoings. After all he is the centre of all this brouhahah. If no one malaysian or malaysian body can be trusted, why not call in the FBI. Independent what.

Sunday 12 August 2007

Ke Mana PDRM? - Bahagian III

Prologue
Saje nak ingatkan pembaca yang pandangan saya ini dibuat dan dirakamkan pada tahun 1998. Sama ada ianya masih valid atau tidak, sama-samalah direnungkan.

Staff Welfare

he RMP has a body called the Police Social, Sports And Welfare Fund (TKSS) and the Cawangan Kebajikan which ostensibly is to look into the welfare and recreational needs of members of the force. The success of this body in carrying out this function can be seen from the following examples.

Accident In Bosnia
In mid 1997 two officers, a Deputy Superintendent of Police and an Inspector, serving with the UN Mission in Bosnia was involved in a traffic accident. Both were seriously injured and warded at the local Bosnian hospital. The wife of the DSP is working in the private sector while the Inspector’s wife, is a civilian staff serving with the Malacca Police Contingent.

To show its compassion, the TKSS denied the Inspector’s wife appeal for monetary aid to visit her seriously injured husband in Bosnia. How much does it cost for a return flight ticket to Bosnia if funds can be spend on PERKEP (an association for the wives of police officers) activities. The private firm where the DSP’s wife is working for, in contrast to the police example of a caring organisation, paid for the full expenses enabling the wife to be by her husband’s side in Bosnia. Unfortunately both officers later succumb to their injuries.

A Simple Hospital Visit
Sometime in October 1996, my daughter Amira went for an appendics operation at the Assunta Hospital in Petaling Jaya. As per standing instructions I duly informed the proper police authorities of my daughter’s 7 days hospitalisation. The police force Welfare Branch is supposed to arrange hospital visits to members and family members of the force who are hospitalised as a show that the police takes care of its own. Sadly, in another show of police welfare, no one from the police force visited my daughter.

Yet almost all of my wife’s department staff, including the department’s head, dropped by to see my daughter. What do you tell a 14 year girl when she looks at you wondering why no one from her dad’s office came visiting in spite of the countless times her dad was seldom at home in the service of the force. Is a simple hospital visit too much to asked of the force? There is one thing I cannot understand until today. Why was it that when the wife of the former Deputy IGP, XXXXX , was on her deathbed, officers are ordered to recite the surah Yassin by her side on rotation but they can’t afford a simple hospital visit to make a young girl proud of the organisation that her dad is slaving for. The difference is rank, maybe.

Disciplinary And Grievances Procedures
Fairness is the cornerstone of any human dealings and transactions. No where is this of paramount importance than in the administration of laws and regulations governing human conduct. Fairness in the country’s justice system can be seen through the Criminal Procedure Code which ensures that an offender goes through a fair and just trial (although most of the time the system is fair to the offender but not to the victim) and the Penal Code which lays out the minimum and maximum sentences that can be meted out by judges to convicted offenders. As long as the offence is similar in nature, it does not matter who sits in judgement as the offender can expect the same punishment within the limits laid out by the law.

The Police Act by listing down about 80 offences that can be committed by a police officer and the General Orders Chapter D which sets out the disciplinary procedures and the form of punishment that can be meted out for a breach of discipline, governs the conduct of the “average” police officer. Both unfortunately are silent on the limit and type of offences the punishments are intended for. It is here that too much of a leeway has been taken by whoever holds the post of the Royal Malaysia Police disciplinary master. For what other explanation is there for the different punishment handed down to different officers for similar offences committed.

A check with the Disciplinary Branch of the Force will reveal countless cases of officers discharge from the service for losing their service weapon while others are let of with a warning. Or how about the case of Inspector XXXXX (service branch concealed to protect the family), who as an inspector was charged in court, discharge and accquited and very soon after promoted to the rank of ASP and now is a DSP. Where else another who through the proper Islamic procedures gets a second wife is dismissed from service for not obtaining the Force permission. This apparent irregularity may seem small but bear in mind that the Tsunami is nothing but a collection of millions of ripples fanned by the seismic undercurrent of a seemingly calm sea.

Although the above oversight lies in the Police Act and the General Orders Chapter D, for an organisation stuffed to the brim with lawyers, it is a sad day for the legal profession when none can see the need to overcome such shortcomings in the interest of justice and fairness. As to the grievances and redress procedures as implied in the title of these paragraphs, nothing can be said about it because the Royal Malaysia Police has no such words or is not aware of the existence of such words in its management vocabulary.

“Cepat Dan Betul”
Action speaks louder than words. The Malaysian Police has never been short on words as volumes of the Inspector General Standing Orders, Regulations and Circulars will attest to. The only problem lies in the implementation of such “words”. Speaking of words and its subsequent action, “Cepat Dan Betul” or “Fast and Accurate” (according to Bahar’s unofficial English translation) is the current police motto chosen to reflect the police’s committment to provide the public with service that is correct in law and procedures in the fastest possible time.

I have no opportunity as yet in obtaining feedback from the general public on whether there is a sudden leap into warp drive by the police in attending to their (public) woes. But from the little that I know, the investigation officers on the ground especially in the four districts of Kuala Lumpur are going at breakneck speed trying to complete their investigation or IPs (investigation papers), and how fast can you go when each investigation officer handles an average of 6 investigations per 24 hour duty rotation i.e. 90 investigations a month?

If Police HQ at Bukit Aman is the yardstick to judge the success of implementing the motto, it would most probably take a decade before we can even pick up momentum. Accuracy aside, how fast is fast when a fax message received on the 11th floor (the CID Director’s office) takes one whole day to be delivered to the intended recipient on the 7th floor (office of CID D7). And do not be surprise if the Police announced that they have already broke the speed record of the Malaysian Postal Services, for taking one week to deliver letters or inter-departmental memos from the registry office on the 4th floor to the intended departments in the same complex.

I cannot see any other reasons why the police force is not yet sprinting as the motto “Cepat Dan Betul” intended except for the likelihood that nobody in the entire police department understands the meaning of the words “Cepat Dan Betul” and therefore does not see it fit to teach those who doesn’t and two, the logistics experts in Bukit Aman are still in the process of understanding that logistical support is essential in ensuring that work can be done fast and accurately.

Friday 10 August 2007

Two Can Play The Game

It speaks volumes of a person’s mental capacity and a sad reflections of today’s educational system when an undergraduate of mass communication studying in Taiwan can conveniently explains away why he is making fun of the muslims call to morning prayer by merely saying that “I did not mean to insult the malays or the muslims” , to “interpret his lyrics in context” and that “it was just my attempt at humour aimed solely for the pleasure of the chinese community” Refer to the New Straits Times of 10 August 2007 page 6.

It is sad and pathetic that as an undergraduate of mass communication, he doesn’t know that cultural differences between sender and receiver of a message can create barriers and misunderstanding. That even amongst best friends you don’t discuss politics and religion as it can cause rifts, Or maybe he was sleeping away (like some leaders I know in Malaysia) when his Taiwanese professor is lecturing.

Who am I referring too? Who else but Wee Meng Chee @ Namewee that malaysian studying mass communication in Taiwan who’s making fun of our national anthem and more dangerous, ridiculing the muslims morning call to prayers. Please, I am not being racial or anything but I hate it when non muslims or non malays makes fun of matters close and sensitive to a malay or muslim hearts especially in matters of religion. Why is it that when malays/muslims sensitivities are enroached, the muslims/malays are asked to be open minded but not when the same things are done to the non malays/non muslims.

What happens if I write in the Bahasa Melayu newspapers (I refuse to use the term Bahasa Malaysia as it was always Bahasa Melayu since the days these lands was known as Tanah Melayu or the Malay Archipelago) that I find it strange that a large hindu temple is part of a giant shopping complex while there is only a small cubicle for muslims to pray in, in the same shopping complex, where else muslims are the majority in this country. Hey! Don’t get angry, “it was just my attempt at serious discussions aimed solely for the consumption of the malay/muslim community”

What if I go into a church and turns the cross upside down and then explains that “I did not mean to insult the christians” and that “it was just my attempt at humour”. What if I write a song making fun of the chinese pantheon of gods and goddesses and chinese beliefs and customs and then asked the chinese community to “interpret my lyrics in context”. What happens if I dress the Indian Lord Murugan in skirts and bagpipe? Common guys, remember, let’s be open minded and not too sensitive. Answer me that.

So you see, all of you open minded and liberal souls out there. If you can give you must also be able to take. Otherwise shut up.

Oh! by the way, Wee Meng Chee @ Namewee, I’ll accept your apologies ……... after I give you one very tight slap for being a naughty boy. Thank god you’re not in Iran.

Ke Mana PDRM? - Bahagian II

Prologue
Sebagai ingatan, pandangan berikut telah saya notakan pada tahun 1998 semasa bertugas di Angola. Nama orang sebenar yang masih tercatat dalam nota asal, telah saya XXXXX kan untuk melindungi mereka kerana walaupun telah bersara mereka masih bersama kita di alam maya ini.

Career Development, Advancement & Job Placement
Any human resource related decision made by top management will have a perceptible and telling effect on the organisations’ working climate. A single decision can create a “we’re a family, we swim or sink together” or a “when’s the next paycheck and to hell with the company” working atmosphere. A career development policy seen to be fair and just must be seen to have been implemented by the organisation to avoid diminished productivity in the organisation through the effect of the Variance Theory Of Motivation, which I believe, is the problem with the RMP.

Briefly, the Variance Theory of Motivation equates a worker’s productivity with the rewards that he perceived he will get through his efforts i.e. if worker A (a high producer) perceives that worker B (a low producer) is better rewarded for his (B’s) meagre effort than worker A will lower his productivity level to match that of worker B. If just one worker is to lower his productivity level by 5%, imagine an organisation of 80,000 personnel with 10% or 8,000 of that figure lowering their productivity level. In no time at all the organisation will stagnate as is happening with the RMP.

Whom You Know Not What You Know
Chief Inspector XXXXX, a former district investigation officer has been with the CID’s Anti Secret Societies, Vice & Gaming Branch, Bukit Aman for almost 10 years. A hard working and dedicated officer, he is well versed in the preparation of affidavits (for which Karpal Singh needs a law degree and is paid RM 7000 for it), professional in his handling of appeal cases in front of the Advisory Board and meticulous in his preparation of reports.

As his superior officer I cannot find any fault with his performance whilst under my command. Unfortunately, in an example of cronyism (also rampant in the country as a whole and not only confined to the police force) when a vacancy for the post of operation officer with the rank of ASP came up, Inspector Thina was transferred out to the Kuala Lumpur Commercial Crime Branch and his position replaced with another officer (junior but fortunately someone who has served in the CID D7 at district level).

The post of operation officer however was given to an Inspector (later given an acting ASP rank) who has never served in the Criminal Investigation Department but is the blue eye boy of the current Assistant Director D7 when both were serving in the Narcotics Branch. The effectiveness of this new operation officer can be judge by the fact that he has successfully been unable to capture a wanted criminal who is simply asking to be arrested which I did so a month later just to prove a point.

In such a win-lose situation, I cannot blame C/Insp XXXXX or others who knows of what’s happpening to Insp Thina if he/they decides to work to rule in his/their new posting. Professionalism is supposed to be the key word in the RMP but it makes one wonder how officers who has no background, exposure and street knowledge of a departments’ work is appointed to a command post in that particular department.

A Professionally Qualified Police Officer
A few years back, they appointed a professionally qualified officer as an Officer In Charge Criminal Investigation. Charged with the tasks of tackling and handling all aspects of criminal activities in the state of Johore, which normally demands an officer with some background in criminal investigation, this officer must have been the perfect choice according to the RMP principle of job placement. Just promoted SAC I XXXXX, the new OCCI of Johore holds a degree in engineering and throughout his service career has only been with the police technical branch.

On one occassion, in a show of in-depth knowledge of CID work, he ordered that a group of juvenile bicycle thieves be placed on restricted residence under the Restricted Residence Act where else the said law categorically specifies the conditions under which a restricted residence can be imposed. On another occassion, the integrity of the local (Johor Bahru) SS officer was questioned for not recommending a restriction order of more than 5 years. The law categorically specifies that a restriction order is only for a period of not more than 5 years. As a technical specialist for all his service in the police force who overnight becomes a state Head Of Criminal Investigation we should not blame him for such error in judgement. In the private sector that error of judgement could cost millions of dollars and the CEO his job.
Countless other accounts of putting square pegs in round holes or a career development and job placement program that has cost capable and experienced CID officers to be replaced (and thus losing their rightful promotions) by Special Branch officers and other assorted police desk jockeys, can be recounted but the above two should be enough to show you that something is not right with the RMP.

Job Placement And Transparency
Decisions made by top management concerning the employees if not made transparent or explained to the workers can easily be misconstrued by the workers. Such misconception could create a lot of mistrust and fear among the workforce to the detriment of the organisation. The case of XXXXX, the former head of Kuala Lumpur Criminal Investigation easily comes to mind. Within 6 months of sending 4 of KL’s biggest vice operators into restricted residence, XXXXX was “promoted” as Deputy Police Commissioner of Sabah. Ironically the restricted residence of the 4 vice operators was rescinded 6 months later.

I remember a conversation I had with XXXXX at the Sabah Police HQ. Upon congratulating him for being promoted, XXXXX asked me for how long have I served in the Police Force. On giving the answer XXXXX just give me a smile and quietly informed me “my young man I have been removed under the disguise of a promotion”. A similar situation happened to a former OCPD of Dang Wangi district Kuala Lumpur who was transferred to a desk job after going on an all out war also against vice operators in his district. There might be valid reasons for the above transfers but in the absence of such information XXXXX cannot be faulted for making his own assumptions.

Looking at it negatively the two transfers can be looked upon as a warning to “over zealous” officers to toe the company line. Yes men seems to go far in the Force and year after year the promotion list does not fail to solicit surprise at the list of unlikely and unbelievable candidates promoted. Such conditions breeds disillusioned but dedicated officers who could help propel the organisation forward but choose not to do so out of sheer frustration. It is interesting to note that for the last few years there has been a steady exodus of qualified and committed officers from the police force not for greener pasture in the private sector but in the words of a former Deputy Director I, CID, “to leave a sinking ship that does not seem to know where’s it is going”. As for me I am very near my port of call so I’ll just ride it out unless a passing ship saves me.

Epilogue
Bagi kawan-kawan polis yang membaca blog saya ni, saje nak tanya. Perkara-perkara yang saya sebutkan di atas, masih berlaku kah dalam PDRM hari ini?

Thursday 9 August 2007

Ke Mana PDRM?

Prologue
Berikut adalah bahagian 1 daripada satu nota yang panjang berjeler yang saya tulis semasa bertugas dalam Misi Bangsa-Bangsa Bersatu di Angola pada tahun 1998. Ianya merupakan pandangan ikhlas saya mengenai pengurusan (terutama dalam bidang pengurusan sumber manusia) dan hala tuju PDRM ketika itu. Sama ada pandangan saya ketika itu tentang PDRM masih boleh dipertahankan selepas 9 tahun berlalu, saya memilih untuk mendiamkan diri buat masa ini. Anda baca, bandingkan dan jawablah sendiri. Maaf, ianya ditulis dalam bahasa orang kampong saya.

20 Years With The Royal Malaysia Police
20 years is a long time. It is only natural then for one who has been in the thick and thin of it all, in good and in bad times to form and to have an opinion about the organisation that have taken 20 years of his life. Unfortunately in a society that worships conformity and equates having an opinion as “kurang ajar” (ill breeding), you stand being in danger of being ostracised for making your opinion known. The only acceptable exception is if your opinion serves to support the majority’s view. Going against the grain of current thinking can earn you a lot epithets, none of it complimentary or worst, your opinions will be taken on a personal level. And if the person you are giving your opinion to, is in a position of power, you can say goodbye to a rising career. Should the government of Malaysia be your target audience, you could end up being a guest of the government’s hospitality for at least 2 years through the courtesy of the Internal Security Act or whatever Act they can think off to ensure compliance with the expected official norms of behaviour and speech.

The Point Of It All
Although I try not to step on others toe, I do not make it a point to go out of my way to please others. You may or may not agree with my views of the world but at least let us agree to differ. I am not writing down my observations of the Royal Malaysia Police with the hope of getting it known to the power wielders in Bukit Aman. Neither will I water down these opinions just because there is a slim chance that it will be read by those who can make my life miserable in the force. I just want this notes to be a record of my feelings about the force after being with it for 1/5 of a century. There will come a time, when I am old and retired, I’ll take out this jottings and read it all over again. Maybe then I’ll apologised to the Force for being presumptuous in my views. A Detached Observer By writing down my views while in Angola, it is my wish that I can be a detached observer. They say that being away from it all gives one the ability to see the trees from the forest. Something like watching football from the sidelines. It is easy for you to detect any bad or good moves by any of the 22 players. It’s a different ball game all together in the field where your involvement makes it almost impossible for you to analyse every single move that can be made. Now that I am in Angola and away from it all, I sincerely hope I can be a detached observer. It is always easy to be a back seat driver. If there is a fairy godmother, I’ll wish for the opportunity to back up my observations with a thorough study of the police force. Even though I am sure that most of the “facts” as I see it can stand to scrutiny or vouched for by most members of the force, those who believes in the force will definitely assumed that these observations comes from an emotional, disgruntled, frustrated loser who never made it “big” in the police force. They have their opinion, I have mind. Although I would love to declare that mine is an objective appraisal of the organisation that I am working for, subjectivity may and can crept in. I am not going to apologise for that lapse. I am after all human. The worth of a man is in his actions, the stock value of a company in its profile. From it's current management practice and policies, so can you judge the professionalism and direction the Royal Malaysia Police is heading into, in the next millenium. I’ll begin my assumptions of the direction the Royal Malaysia Police is going by extracting a few excerpts from the United Nations Secretary General, Mr.Kofi A.Annan, bulletin dated 31 March 1998.

How Kofi Annan Manage The United Nation: People, Management Greatest Asset
“Our greatest strength - and the key to our success - is the quality of our people, both staff and managers. To capitalize on this strength, we need to create an orgaizational environment that supports managers and enables all staff to contribute to their maximum potential.”

Does the Royal Malaysia Police provides such an environment? A big no.

A Sense Of Purpose And Direction
“I therefore expect managers to communicate a clear sense of purpose and direction to their staff, to motivate them, build team spirit and trust and manage performance to achieve results.”

Does the Royal Malaysia Police inspire a clear sense of purpose and direction to its officers and men, does it motivate, builds team spirit and trust? My answer to that. Sorry another big no.

Growth Through Training
“The organization must provide a framework of opportunities and foster an environment conducive to learning. I expect managers to keep themselves up to date and to support their staff’s development and career progress by providing on-the-job training, coaching and mentoring, and ensuring that staff are allowed and encourage to take advantage of opportunities for learning and growth”.

Coaching and mentoring, an environment conducive to learning and ensuring staff are allowed and encourage to take advantage of opportunities for learning and growth, in the Royal Malaysia Police? You must be joking.

Rewards For Performance
“In this regard, the Organization will redouble its efforts to ensure that merit, productivity and achievement are rewarded by promotion and advancement at all levels”.

I am sorry but if you think the Royal Malaysia Police ensures that merit, productivity and achievement are rewarded by promotion and advancement at all levels, then you are dreaming. In the Malaysian Police, rewarding performance through promotions and advancement at all levels, must be the greatest myth of all.

Mere Allegations Or Truth
I am aware that I have made some serious comments when superimposing the current practice in the Malaysian Police Force against the management approach of the UN Secretary General in running the United Nation as outline in his bulletin of 31 March 1998. I am not going to agonize over the merits of my comments but will let you be the judge after going through my observations and views of the current management practices of the RMP.

How The Malaysian Police Managed Its People Training And Career Development
Training and career development goes hand in hand, one complimenting the other. The identification of new knowledge and skills or upgrading the ones already existing in the organisation, identification of personnel to undergo such trainings and the subsequent placement of trained personnel into positions that demands such expertise, makes for a “lean and mean” organisation, ready to take on today’s demanding and highly volatile businesss environment that requires highly speciliased knowledge and skills.

A well thought out training and career development program serves many purposes. As a motivating factor, it goes a long way into retaining valuable experienced personnel in the organisation, reduces staff turn-over rate, increases employee morale and does away with expensive expatriates (who most of the times won’t even transfer their knowledge and skills) for cheaper home grown expertise. Taken together these factors adds up to company's bottom line.

The success of any training and career development program cannot depend on ad-hoc and off the cuff decisions. Training and career development policies based on long term planning of the organisation’s strategies and future needs and implemented by officers who knew exactly what they are doing should be the norm, not the exception. How does the RMP fares in this area?

Training And The Malaysian Police
The RMP has a fairly large training department headed by a Deputy Director of Training with the rank of SAC I. Forever the sceptic, what I think this department is doing with itself can be answered by the following examples of the RMP training policy in action. Throughout his years of service with the force, a probationary inspector with an accepted standard of performance would expect a sure and steady rise through the ranks commensurate with his experience and seniority. To cater for the increasing demands in police knowledge and skills required for the coming positions that he would later hold, the relevant training would have been mapped out for him as part and parcel of his human resource development package with the force. This however do not seem to be the practice in the Royal Malaysia Police.

Example No: 1
As a young probationary inspector and ten months after being inducted into the Special Branch, I attended the SB Senior Basics Course. Joining me for the course was ASP Adam Bachik (who later opted out of the force with the rank of ACP) who by then has spent more than 7 years in the Special Branch. You would expect that such a basic course be given only to one who has newly joined an organisation to equipt him with the basic knowledge of doing his job.

Example No: 2
Cases of investigation officers promoted to the post of senior investigation officers without the benefit of a basic investigation or forensic science course where else a very junior investigation officer has undergone all the required courses are also not new. A definite policy on training and career development for example would produce the requirement that an officer goes for a basic investigation and forensic science course first before being posted as investigation officer or at least sent for the course within 6 month as an investigation officer.

He would then served for the pre-required numbers of years to polish his experience before going for a compulsory intermediate investigation and forensic science course and only after going for further courses in the specific fields either locally or overseas will he becomes a senior investigation officer.

That is not presently happening in the force as sending of officers for training and postings to specific appointments are made not on the requirements of the force but on the whim and fancies of the officer empowered to make the decision.

Identifying suitable courses for police work should have been a priority for the training branch but not only has it failed to carry out that task satisfactorily, it has squandered whatever training courses offered to the Malaysian Police by either not responding to the offer or by sending the wrong officer for the course offered. The various police agencies overseas have, time and again, offered places for Malaysian police officers to be trained at their respective training establishments.

The FBI for example has offered places for a 9 month basic FBI course while the Hong Kong Police for 3 years running has offered the Triad Course For Overseas Officers at it’s Detective School. Too bad, again I believe for a lack of a consistent policy, these places has been wasted. Either the RMP responded by sending the wrong personnel for the course or it does not respond at all, which after a time will cause the foreign police agency to retract its offer. Two examples will served to highlight the above observations.

Example #3 : The Wrong Officer For The Right Course
The basic FBI course is meant for field officers who is actually going to do the job on the ground. It would meant that such courses would be suitable for officers with the rank of ASP and below. However in the late seventies a woman Supt Of Police who is a contingent administration officer is sent for the course and on her return transferred to the management branch, Police HQ Bukit Aman. Even if the course is given as a US holiday for her, at the very least she should have been asked to impart whatever she has learned (if any) from the “holiday” to the force. That was never done.

A senior police officer once said that overseas training is not meant to upgrade the efficiency of the police force but is given as a “gift” for selected officers.

Example #4 : A Course Nearly Squandered
An example of training courses offered but not responded to by the Malaysian Police is exemplified by the Triad Course for Overseas Officers being offered by the Hong Kong Police. The Hong Kong Police was surprised when I turn up for the course in January 1997 as it has offered 2 places yearly for two years running without getting any response from the RMP. Although this course runs for only two weeks, it’s input come from world recognised experts in the field of triad activities with one of them holding a Masters in Triad Studies from the University of Hong Kong. As a mark of recognition for the quality of these course, it is attended by officers from the FBI and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, among others. Would these has happened if there is a set of training policies and training officers who knows their ABC.

Epilogue
Tunggu (kalau sudi) bahagian 2, esok.

Wednesday 8 August 2007

Polis Oh! Polis

Saya percaya anda semua mesti dah baca Malaysia Today. Alahai! blog Raja Petra dalam internet tu. Kalau belum, jengah-jengah blog tu, cuba-cubalah belajar baca cerita-cerita selain daripada apa yang tercetak atau tersiar dalam media arus perdana tu. Saya tahu bloggers tu kebanyakkannya pembohong atau orang-orang frust menonggeng yang tak dapat kontrak mega projek atau tak dapat jadi jutawan segera kerana masuk dalam "the losing camp".

Saya setuju, Jangan percaya apa yang ada dalam blog atau dalam internet, tapi yang tertera atau tersiar dalam media arus perdana tu boleh percaya ke? "Baik-baik bang nanti permit akhbar kena tarik". Masa saya belajar kat Singapore, saya ambil sastera inggeris, belajar Shakespeare, sajak-sajak Lord Byron, buku-buku Pearl S.Buck, Ernest Hemingway, Charles Dicken, dll. Yang ajar kami Ms Elizabeth Brooke (lawa awek Mat Salleh ni) dari Britain. Orang putih ajar sastera orang putih baru betul kan? Bukan macam sekolah kita, Cikgu yang nak ajar maths dan sains dalam bahasa inggeris, bahasa inggeris depa pun terkial-kial. Kena kursus bahasa inggeris dulu sebelum mengajar maths dan sains. Adakah betul? Apasal saya keluarkan cerita ini pulak. Macam nak ekk aje. Nanti dulu.

Kami bukan setakat belajar sastera aje. Ms Brooke mengajar kami berfikir dengan bersandarkan hasil-hasil karya yang kami baca. Kami bukan diminta untuk memuntahkan balik apa yang shakespeare tulis. Kami diminta, sebagai contoh, untuk membicarakan sama tindakan Lady Macbeth mengapi-apikan suaminya untuk membunuh raja adalah wajar. Kalau tidak, kenapa, kalau ia, kenapa. Sebenarnya bukan Ms Brooke sahaja yang mengajar kami berfikir, Mr. Harbajan Singh (guru sejarah) pun ajar sedemikian. Kami tak disoal tahun berapa jepun serang tanah melayu tapi diminta beri pandangan kenapa dengan mudah tentera Inggeris dikalahkan. Itu baru peringkat sekolah menengah. Kita (malaysia lah)?, assignments U pun ada yang upah orang buat. Entah-entah thesis pun pakai sub-con. Alahai! jangan bohong nak kata tak berlaku.
Mr.Chan (guru English) ajar kami supaya jangan terima bulat-bulat apa yang dibaca di akhbar, di dengar di TV atau diceritakan oleh orang. Dia suruh kami verify sendiri sesuatu khabar dengan mendapat pandangan dari alternate sources dan kemudian menimbang sendiri keboleh-percayaan sesuatu berita.

Itu sebabnya saya syorkan anda semua membaca blog-blog yang ada, suara keadilan ke, Harakah ke. Paling tidak kita tahu setakat mana dan seteruk mana pembohongan dan busuk hati bloggers-bloggers, orang Keadilan dan Mat Sabu ni. Betul tak? Saya bukan suruh percaya, saya ajak anda membaca, tu aje. Tapi ...... bacalah secara intellectual jangan macam baca keputusan 4 ekor atau TOTO.

Dalam Malaysia Today sejak akhir-akhir ni, tak kurang 6 blog dah keluar mengenai kebobrokkan PDRM. Polis semua rasuahlah, polis penyamunlah macam macam kami kena sumpah seranah. Kalau bapa borek, anak rintik lah. Macamlah polis aje yang jahat dan zalim letupkan orang. Kastam tak lindung penyeludup ke?, immigeresen tak lindong tekong darat, tekong laut ke ?(orang yang handle PATI lah tu), wakil rakyat, orang besar politik tak rasuah ke? Oooppss! sori. saya salah. Kalau polis buat, rasuah tapi kalau orang politik bagi ahli-ahli free trip dan belanja makan angin untuk undi dia jadi ketua bahagian, itu bukan rasuah tapi politik wang. Hello! boleh baca sikit tak Akta Pencegah Rasuah? Yang akhir sekali, Raja Petra kata PDRM dah ada 2 camp. Macam UMNO dulu. Ada team A, team B. Urut dada saya dibuatnya.

Saya tak nak komen siapa betul, siapa pendusta, siapa benar siapa salah. Memang saya tak tahu
dan tak nak ambil ambil tahu. Ambil tahu pun bukan dapat untung, bukan dapat jadi battalion komander di Briged Tengah atau naik pangkat. Yang Maha Mengetahui hanya Allah, s.n.w. Saya cuma nak minta kesian aje kepada semua orang (tak kira siapa). Fikirlah sikit hal kami insan-insan kerdil dalam PDRM yang betul-betul nak buat kerja dan bergantong semata-mata kepada duit gaji yang tak seberapa ringgit nak bagi anak bini makan. Yang rasuah, yang jahat, yang bobrok adalah anggota pangkat rendah nama Si Polan Bin Si Polan atau pegawai kanan polis nama Si Polan Bin Si Anu. PDRM tak rasuah, abang, akak. PDRM hanya organisasi bukan orang. Boleh ke tuduh PDRM kerana melakukan rasuah? U all semua sekolah tinggi. Fikirlah sikit. Ada beza tu. Kita terkial-kial nak hidup tanpa kowtim, U all kata PDRM rasuah. Kalau PDRM rasuah bermakna semua anggota dan pegawai PDRM rasuah. Betul ke ni?

Dulu saya bangga pakai uniform polis. Sekarang? segan yak amat nak pakai uniform. Lepas apa yang tersebar dalam blog dan media massa, semua orang pandang polis serong. Kalau singgah makan pakai uniform dan ada pulak kawan Cina pakai pereman sebelah, depa mesti kata. "Tengok tu polis makan free, tokeh ekor belanja". Adil ke tuan? Kalau betul tak apa. Puas hati. Ini tidak. Kesian, kak. Isteri saya yang kerja kat MITI satu masa dulu isi borang nak keluar duit EPF, nak hantar anak belajar, member pejabat kata, "Kak, suami akak kan pegawai polis, buat apa nak keluar duit EPF, duit banyak bukan boleh bawak mati". Adil ke ni? Nak menangis isteri saya. So tolong lah! boleh tak berhati-hati sikit. Nak hentam polis hentam, tapi hentam individu polis bukan pasukan polis.

Ingat ya! bukan niat saya nak melindong mana-mana pihak. Saya neutral. Biar masa dan Allah s.n.w. yang menentukan siapa di pihak yang benar dan siapa di pihak yang salah. Yang saya minta, ingat-ingatlah sikit kami yang benar benar nak bekerja kerana rakyat dan makan duit halal. Jangan sebab sebiji telor yang busuk, satu bakul telor dicampak ke longkang. Itu sahaja. Tak lebih tak kurang.

Sebelum saya lupa, ada sesiapa nak offer atau ada kontek nak offer saya kerja sebagai ketua pakguard (chief security officer lah!) Tawar saya RM 8,500 sebulan, semalam saya bersara pilihan. Eeeessh! rimas lah kerja dalam polis kalau macam ni.

Byeeee, salaam! dan jumpa lagi.



Tuesday 7 August 2007

Our Education System - For Whom?

Prologue

Pandangan saya tentang ketidak-adilan dalam sistem pendidekan negara yang menggunakan Bahasa Melayu sebagai bahasa penghantar telah saya rakamkan pada 13 January 1998. Ketika itu, kini dan selamanya (kecuali dibuktikan sebaliknya), saya berpendapat bahawa dasar pendidikan negara dalam apa pun versi sekali pun yang dikeluarkan oleh kerajaan, semata-mata bertujuan untuk mengekalkan dominasi golongan elit Melayu dalam ekonomi negara.

Saya memuat-turunkan semula pandangan saya ini ke dalam blog VIEWPOINTS untuk mengajak pembaca menilai sama ada pandangan saya 9 tahun terdahulu adalah betul dan sama ada 10 tahun kemudian ianya telah berubah untuk menyokong rakyat marhaen. Maaf, ketika itu saya banyak menulis dalam bahasa penjajah.

My Country Right Or Wrong

I have been in Angola for more than 2 months now. I cannot claimed to have travel the width and length of Angola except for the capital Luanda and towns like Quibala, Waco Kungo, Gabela, Sumbe and Huambo. But from what I have seen in this towns, I am blessed to have been born a Malaysian. In Malaysia you can practically buy anything next door. Here in Angola you have to travel 7 hours to look for a bottle of cilli sauce which finally is not available.
President John Fitzgerald Kennedy once told the American public “Ask not what your country can do for you but what you can do for your country”. In a situation close to ideal, that would be a very patriotic motto to live by. Relationship between the state and the people are just like the relationship between a man and a woman. Reciprocity must exist. There should be an open give and take attitude between the two lovers for love to last. It must be a win-win situation, no double dealings for personal advantage and satisfaction. As the Chinese sage once said “Do not do unto others what you do not want them to do to you”. If the state expects undivided loyalty from its citizens then it's only justified that it's citizen expects a fair and just administration from the state. Just as most well adjusted children comes from a happy home so does a peaceful and contented citizenry comes from a just and fair government.

Much as I would like to be thankful for what the Malaysian leaders have done for the people in Malaysia, the fact that conditions are better off in your country should not blinds you to it's shortcomings. Before coming to Angola I found a thousand and one things not right with Malaysia. After being here I realised that in spite of it's short comings Malaysia is still the place to live for me. Yes there are those who feels that America is the best country in the world like my wife’s nephew Ramlan and my Jordanian team mate Capt. Firas. I am a simpleton at heart. I love what I am and proud of my roots. Give me some modern conveniences and I’ll be contented living amongst the people and culture that I know.

I do not want to be ungrateful for what my country has done for me but right is right and wrong is always wrong no matter where you are. In spite of the easy life, things could be better in Malaysia. Social injustice still exists and the laws are at times being abused just to safeguard the prevailing status quo. I could quote various instance of what I perceived to be injustices that existed in my country of birth but educational injustice is very close to my heart. From that injustice springs forth social imbalances that weighs down against the peasantry from making good in his own homeland.

Maintaining The Status Quo : Education
In the old feudal days when the Malay kings ruled the land as they please, education was only for royalty and the upper class of society. The ordinary rakyat are just cattle fodder to do the bidding of the Rajas and Sultans. Education broaden the mind. It makes a person questions the thing happening around him and spurs him to make the necessary changes if need be. An intellectual (not to be confused with the present breed of paper qualified or certificated person produced by the national education system) is an agent of change and can be a threat to the prevailing status quo. In the old days, denying education to the masses is an effective way of cutting off any threat to the ruling powers. Education today may be freely available to the rakyat but “special education” (private schools where English is normally used and facilities are condusive to studying) is still the privilege of the elite class.

The coming of the British to colonialised the former Malaya could be viewed as a godsend. Colonialisation may mean we are no longer masters of our country and destiny but since when has the ordinary citizens under the old Malay kings and Rajas been the decider of their own fate. Do not forget Sultan Mahmud of Melaka who coveted Tun Fatimah when she’s betrothed to some one else. Her entire family was sentenced to death on trump up charges just for the Sultan of Malacca to have her. Stories like the tale of Dang Anom and the exploits of Hang Tuah are reflections of the times that the rakyat lives under the rule of the Malay Sultans and Rajas. Those were times when the king is law, when 1 person alone decides on the fate of the land.

The English while siphoning off the riches of the land, do open up schools for the masses. They may have an ulterior motive in offering education for the ordinary people as they need puppets to administer the land but they did initiate a movement that sows the seed of intellectualism in this country. Sad to say education under the rule of our own people has been manipulated to serve the needs of the privileged class of present day Malaysia.

I remember reading somewhere that the Malay College Kuala Kangsar was originally set-up to cater for the education of the children of the Malay ruling class during the colonialisation period. Until today although they may be a few peasant class children who succeeds in getting into MCKK, the modern system of political and power connections ensures that the MCKK remains the domain of the ruling class.

Education - Malay Vs English Stream
I was not educated in Malaysia but I remember a time when parents in Malaysia can choose to educate their children either in the English or Malay stream schools. My wife was educated in an English school. Sad to say along the way in the guise of Malay nationalism the English stream of education was abolished. The medium of instructions in the national education system is only in the Malay language. I have nothing against the use of Bahasa Melayu as the medium of instruction in the education system if every single child goes through the same education system. But that is not the case.

I remember in the late seventies/early eighties when UMNO was not split and Marina Yusoff was a prominent UMNO women leader. During an UMNO convention she laments the fact that she has to pay more for her children’s primary education in a public school in England. Her's is not the only case where children of the privileged class are sent overseas for their education. I dare say that almost 90% of the elite’s of Malay society then sent their children overseas for their education. And of course being sent overseas meant that your children are being taught in the English Language. This situation has not abated but increase as the country prosper. Now you can sent your children to be educated locally in private institutions of learning from primary to university levels which although supposedly following the national education curriculum is to all purpose and intent geared towards the Australian, American, Canadian or United Kingdom tertiary qualifications. And need it be said that this private institutions uses English as the lingua franca.

Why are children of the have nots denied the freedom to choose the medium of instructions they want to be educated in while the policy makers themselves sent their children for an English based education. For those who believes that the present education system is fair and that there is no difference between government and private education, lets look at one simple fact. Normal government schools has about 40 students to a class, controlled schools between 25 to 30 students to a class and private school average 15 students to a class. This does not take into consideration other educational facilities like the easy availability of computers, well stocked library, playing fields, recreational facilities, experienced and dedicated teachers, etc.

An imbalance has existed here because those who can afford it (who else but children from the privilege class) gets educated in an environment condusive to studying. I will agree that any student regardless of the social class that he/she comes from, can succeed if they put their heart, mind and soul into their studies but the odds are always stacked against them. Fairness in any human dealings means squaring off on an even field not with one opponent weighted down by encumbrances.

Regardless of their own educational backgrounds most working class and “peasants” parents realised that English is the business language of the world. It opened doors in other parts of the English speaking world either for educational or business purposes. Like it or not education overseas tends to broaden your mind, it teaches self reliance and instills self confidence in a student. Factors that matters when you are starting out in the business world. In an educational system that allows sons and daughters of farmers and fishermen to be taught in a language that gives them that extra edge, the prevailing invisible but nonetheless existing class system in Malay society would break down. The rakyat can aspire to be captains of industry and leaders in their chosen fields. The ruling class will no more be the privilege of the elite’s but of the ordinary people from the streets who have made good.

The only way to ensure that the status quo is maintained and feudalism in it's modern trappings be preserved is to deny the masses an English based education while giving access to the ruling and elite’s class of Malay society such education by virtue of their moneyed positions. It is ironic that the same people who under the pretext of Malay nationalism devised the present Bahasa Melayu based education system has chosen to send their children to private institutions either locally or overseas to be taught in the language of their former colonial masters. What are the motives for doing so but to ensure that the ruling class perpetuates their dynasty and to reap the benefits the country has to offer.

Money, the key that opens the doors to the corridor of power, is made in the private sectors not in the government service. Just like the days of colonialism, let the educated peasants do the running around to get things done while the brown “tuans” give the orders and pocket the cash. What independence do we have but an exchange from foreign colonial masters to local feudal overlords.

Epilogue
Lah ni ilmu hisab (pleeease!! jangan otak kuning) dan sains diajar dalam bahasa Melayu mulai darjah satu. Bagi anak orang kampong yang pagi petang siang malam makan nasi sambal belacan tiba-tiba kena belajar apa kejadahnya one, two, three untuk buat kira-kira, tak ke seksa bebudak tu. Lainlah anak elite Melayu yang bangun pagi cakap good morning kat papa & mama (bukan emak & abah), dengan kawan cakap omputeh (ada slang mat salleh lagi), maths dan sains dalam bahasa inggeris, peanuts (kacang lah) aje.
Satu lagi, sekarang ni international schools dah dibenarkan beroperasi di Malaysia. Adil kan??