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.

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.

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!

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.

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.