What we want, we won’t get but what we don’t want, we will get. Sounds strange but that’s what life is all about. How we make best use of what we have, is what we will be experiencing throughout our life. Many of us are not satisfied with what we are going through. We will be cursing our life or even God for that matter. God becomes the target of our anger and frustrations. We will often be asking all sorts of questions. Questions which sometimes nobody could provide the right answer. Of course, some will attempt to answer but the answer provided is not satisfactory. Some even will use verses from holy Qur’an or Bible to answer the questions we ask.
What are these questions? What are we not clear about? Some of the questions often we ask either ourselves or even our friends and teachers are:
What is life all about?
Why do I have a family?
Why there is sometimes happiness and sometimes sadness?
Why should I die?
There are many more questions but I am only writing four of them here. I’m not trying to be smart by providing answers to the above questions. I’m not a ustaz or a priest or a psychologist. I’m a simple man who does lots of reading and thinking. May be my thoughts about these questions are not right. May be you all have a better answer. Let us try to answer these questions together.
Life is all about a journey from birth to death. The journey, where each of us has to travel and face all kinds of challenges. Whenever we overcome each challenge and we experience some kind of satisfaction in ourselves. This journey in this world is temporary which leads you to the permanent life after death. You will be judged how you travel in this journey. Whether you have done good or bad things.
Family is like a team or an organization. Teamwork is crucial in any undertakings. The journey we are traveling, we can’t do it alone, we need a team called family. Even in your daily office work you need to work in a team. Close cooperation among team members brings success to everyone in the team. However, if there is no cooperation, the team will face lots of problems. The team members will console each other during tough times and enjoy together during happy times.
Happiness and Sadness are like rough seas and calm seas. You will experience happiness if you manage your life properly. Sadness is not a punishment but on the other hand, it is the test on how you manage yourselves during difficult times. There will be ups and downs while you travel in this journey of life.
Death is something everybody has to go through at the last point in our journey of life. Death is the end of our life story. There must be an ending to all the beginnings. You cannot go on living in this world. If you go on living or become enduring, then there is no ending and we cannot call it a journey. In any journey there is ending or final destination. Some believe in life after death. They say that is the everlasting life. No more journey but eternity. There is heaven and hell. The journey which you have traveled will be weighed to see whether you entitle to enter heaven or hell.
Monday, March 23, 2009
The Era of Change – Breaking away from the trap
April First (may be April Fool) but it is also the beginning of a change in the Malaysian politics and may lead to a change in socio-politic environment and even a structural change in the economy. The prime minister in-waiting, Najib seems to be a dynamic guy with incredible ideas. He has his vision of moving Malaysia up to the next level but lots need to be done (especially change of mindset of politicians and civil servants)
Malaysia, for me has been so long trapped in this middle income group of countries. We are not moving upwards or downwards. We managed to change structurally from a rural and agriculture-based economy into an industrialized nation starting mid 80’s and into mid 90’s. However, moving forward we didn’t progress much. Though there are many plans which outlined the need to move-up the value chain into a knowledge-based economy, were are still trapped in all kind of problems. The production process still uses out-dated and labor intensive techniques.
We need to change. Not only the public sector but the private sector too. Malaysia is not like China, India or Vietnam, where labour is cheap and one can use old and polluting technologies. We have long passed this stage. Malaysia needs futuristic technologies and investment should go into new discoveries rather than buying on-the-shelf technologies. We are not short of scientists and discoveries, as can be seen by the number of new discoveries made by the local university professors. The number of medals they win yearly in international seminars and exhibitions. The only problem is transforming the research findings into commercially viable projects. We have MOSTI, we have science and techno funds but things are not moving. We need somebody or an entity which goes around to the universities and research institutions, undertaking efforts to commercialize the researches which are viable to be marketed.
Malaysia, for me has been so long trapped in this middle income group of countries. We are not moving upwards or downwards. We managed to change structurally from a rural and agriculture-based economy into an industrialized nation starting mid 80’s and into mid 90’s. However, moving forward we didn’t progress much. Though there are many plans which outlined the need to move-up the value chain into a knowledge-based economy, were are still trapped in all kind of problems. The production process still uses out-dated and labor intensive techniques.
We need to change. Not only the public sector but the private sector too. Malaysia is not like China, India or Vietnam, where labour is cheap and one can use old and polluting technologies. We have long passed this stage. Malaysia needs futuristic technologies and investment should go into new discoveries rather than buying on-the-shelf technologies. We are not short of scientists and discoveries, as can be seen by the number of new discoveries made by the local university professors. The number of medals they win yearly in international seminars and exhibitions. The only problem is transforming the research findings into commercially viable projects. We have MOSTI, we have science and techno funds but things are not moving. We need somebody or an entity which goes around to the universities and research institutions, undertaking efforts to commercialize the researches which are viable to be marketed.
THE GOVERNMENT FOR THE FUTURE
Last week, on 14/3/2009, I attended this seminar on Government for the Future. The seminar was attended by most of the heads of ministries and departments, and chaired by the Chief Secretary to the Government. They were talking about the roles of civil servants and how they should suit themselves in this demanding and changing environment. There was also a presentation by a Korean Professor form KDI, explaining the experiences of Korea, especially bringing in private sector people into Korean civil service. I questioned him that it is debatable as to improving the Malaysian civil service by bring in private sector people. It may work or it may not. As all of you know, private is profit motivated and the environment is different in public sector. One should also think of how the failure of certain privatization efforts of government. The good example is the privatization of public transportation, sewerage facilities and even tolled-roads. In the case of toll roads, the Government had to subsidize millions of ringgits in order to maintain toll rates at the current level. The public sector needs more than bringing in private people into the system. First, you need to change the mentality of all heads of ministries and departments to be dynamic and keep-up with the demand of the changing global environment. If they can’t change, then we change them. Bring in new and creative people into the system and not necessarily, the private people have this capability. If within the public system, there good people with incredible ideas than one should make use of these people.
THE SECOND STIMULUS PACKAGE
I have stopped writing in this blog since the beginning of the year. I have been busy with the stimulus packages. The first was announced on 4 November 2008 and the second (also known as mini budget) was launched on 10 March 2009. Of course, there are many comments both in the media and blogs, some criticizing and some praising the Government on the programmes and projects in the packages. The second package of RM 60 billion is more comprehensive and covers a wider spectrum of issues. From the retrenched workers, the vulnerable groups, the business community and foreign investors. The package also focused on building capacity for the future rather than only giving emphasis on short-term problems. One question from the public is that they don’t believe the Government is going to spend RM 60 billion. My response: RM 60 billion is real. All the programmes announced sum-up to RM 60 billion. In this package, the Government is positively creative in using the liquidity in the system which amounts to RM250 billion to draw the two guarantee scheme. First, for the small and medium scale companies the RM 5 billion working capital guarantee scheme where companies with less than RM 20 million shareholders equity can borrow up to RM 10 million with maximum repayment period of 5 years and with 80:20 Government guarantee. The second is the RM 5 billion industry restructuring fund for companies to restructure their production processes and companies going into green technology, they can borrow up to a maximum of RM50 million with maximum repayment period of 10 years. I hope the packages will be implemented fast and will avoid the country going into a deep recession.
The Return of Christine
I thought that Christine has migrated to UK for good. I’m wrong. Like the saying goes; you can imagine or think whatever you want, but the ultimate result is determined by HIM. Christine also thought the same that she won’t come back to Malaysia. But things didn’t turn-up as she wished. One can only plan but one cannot decide the future. Well, I don’t want to talk about the personal life of Christine in this blog and it’s not right to talk about another person’s life. I don’t want to aggravate what she is undergoing now, coz I know she will be reading my blog. To her, I will just say be strong to face the world and forget whatever happened in UK. After all the world is not UK alone, it’s a huge world, u can survive anywhere you want.
The will-power and determination is important. You can be a writer if you keep on writing. You can be a singer if you keep on singing. It’s in you, what you wanna be.
The will-power and determination is important. You can be a writer if you keep on writing. You can be a singer if you keep on singing. It’s in you, what you wanna be.
Reality shows on TV
I used to watch reality shows on TV, especially singing competitions such as Malaysian Idol, American Idol, Akademi Fantasia, One in a Million and Gangstar. However, after one or two years now, I feel these shows have become monotonous and boring. Some of the contestants have no real talent but somehow managed to reach the final. They win because they are beautiful or handsome or people are really crazy of the person than his/her voice capability. The quality of the contestants is questionable. On the other hand, the quality and capability of the selected permanent judges are also debatable. Some of the comments they make is not relevant to the performance of the contetstants, especially those related to the way they dress-up and costumes as well as shoes they wear. I still remember the high quality of singing competition in the early 70’s and 80’s such as Bintang Radio, Bintang RTM and Juara Kugiran. These competitions managed to produce quality singers such as Sudirman, Jamal Abdillah and Sharifah Aini.
Do we still need NEP
The New Economic Policy (NEP) was introduced in 1971 as contained in the Second Malaysia Plan to cover a period of 20 years up to 1990. The NEP has a two-pronged strategy of eradicating poverty irrespective of races and restructuring of the society, especially to increase the share of Bumiputera in participating in the economy. The ultimate objective of NEP is to achieve national unity. The objective and strategies of NEP were noble and righteous in view that the majority of the Bumiputeras were in the rural areas, mainly engaged in the agriculture sector. They were poor, still lagged far behind, in terms of education and composition in workforce both public and private sectors. Today, after 38 years far exceeding the original 20-year target, the NEP managed to achieve success in certain areas. There are many learned and professional Bumiputeras both in the public and private sectors. However, in terms of equity ownership in the economy, the Bumiputeras are still lagging behind.
Who should be blamed for the failure in achieving the 30% target in equity share in the economy? There are many policy measures implemented to achieve this target but we still failed. Among the measures include the provision of pink forms to Bumiputeras to own equity shares in newly listed companies, the award of APs to selected Bumiputeras to enable them to import cars, the award of Government contracts, the FIC guidelines and the establishment of MARA to assist the Bumiputeras as well as Permodalan Nasional Berhad which issues trust shares to Bumiputeras (ASN and ASB). Although, all these measures,in someway managed to increase the wealth of Bumiputera but at the same time, the equity share held by the non-Bumiputeras increased and further widened the equity gap. Some of the Bumiputeras who had been awarded the contracts have no business experience and just intend to make quick money by unofficially selling the contracts to the non-Bumiputeras. This gave rise to Alibaba businessmen, where the company is in Bumiputeras name but the real owner is a non-Bumi. Ther were also complain that those who are close to the Government and cronies of certain people will easily get Government contracts. Similarly, complaints were heard that scholarships and jobs were offered to those who have strong cable links with the authority.
I believe in NEP kind of policy but I think that time has come for us to review the NEP objectives and strategies. After 38 years of implementation, we have failed to achieve the main objective of national unity. Whether we agree or disagree the disparity and dissatisfaction among races has widened. The majority Malays are still left behind although there are some multi-millionaires among them. Not all Malays benefited from NEP and there are many who are unsatisfied. We need a new version of NEP focused on uplifting all Bumiputeras livelihood and eradicating poverty among all races through education and providing opportunities to progress in the economy.
Who should be blamed for the failure in achieving the 30% target in equity share in the economy? There are many policy measures implemented to achieve this target but we still failed. Among the measures include the provision of pink forms to Bumiputeras to own equity shares in newly listed companies, the award of APs to selected Bumiputeras to enable them to import cars, the award of Government contracts, the FIC guidelines and the establishment of MARA to assist the Bumiputeras as well as Permodalan Nasional Berhad which issues trust shares to Bumiputeras (ASN and ASB). Although, all these measures,in someway managed to increase the wealth of Bumiputera but at the same time, the equity share held by the non-Bumiputeras increased and further widened the equity gap. Some of the Bumiputeras who had been awarded the contracts have no business experience and just intend to make quick money by unofficially selling the contracts to the non-Bumiputeras. This gave rise to Alibaba businessmen, where the company is in Bumiputeras name but the real owner is a non-Bumi. Ther were also complain that those who are close to the Government and cronies of certain people will easily get Government contracts. Similarly, complaints were heard that scholarships and jobs were offered to those who have strong cable links with the authority.
I believe in NEP kind of policy but I think that time has come for us to review the NEP objectives and strategies. After 38 years of implementation, we have failed to achieve the main objective of national unity. Whether we agree or disagree the disparity and dissatisfaction among races has widened. The majority Malays are still left behind although there are some multi-millionaires among them. Not all Malays benefited from NEP and there are many who are unsatisfied. We need a new version of NEP focused on uplifting all Bumiputeras livelihood and eradicating poverty among all races through education and providing opportunities to progress in the economy.
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