Malaysian police question thinking man

"Thinking Allowed, Thinking Aloud."

It's great to see Malaysian Blogger Jeff Ooi blogging up a storm, uncowed, after he was taken in for questioning by police on Monday morning local time.  For details on what happened see Ethan Zuckerman's post at the Global Voices blog, Curt Hopkins' post at the Committee to Protect Bloggers, and an expression of concern by Reporters Without Borders. 

As RWB points out, "The Malaysian authorities have previously acted against online publications." One webmaster and journalist for an edgy online news site went to jail for 2 years in 2001.

Jeff knocked everybody's socks off here at Harvard last December when he spoke at the Internet & Society conference and inspired us all at the Global Voices workshop (see a report about that conference here).

We all hope that if Malaysian authorities know that a lot of people around the world are big Jeff Ooi fans, they'll be less likely to take their attempts at harrassment and intimidation any further.

Comments

[malaysia is no future country]

For those who are already in oversea and live comfortably. There is no reason for you to come back to Malaysia. Life in Malaysia is getting tougher each day.

Frankly, as a Chinese, I don't see there is any future for our next generation.

Another dangerous mentor that people always use is JFK "Don't ask what the country can do for you, ask what you can do for the country".

Is sound nice, but isn't how German Nazi and Japan militarism start the world war using the same mentor? Under the great "ask what you can do for the country".

Patriotism? Yes, I understand how you feel. Your love for the country was spoilt by the political party. Since non-malays will always be a second class citizen, so you are probably the same in any other countries, if not better.

You get cannibalised by your own countrymen, intellectually and professionally.

As someone else advised, be a Global citizen.

Patriotism does not need you to be in Malaysia to work your due. Let no one pointed at you and say you are a traitor if your true intention is to generate good deeds for Malaysia wherever you are.

Save your time about coming back to Malaysia. Nothing will change in Malaysia. At least not even in this lifetime. Racism will still be here to stay, and also everything else.

I think there is such an entrenched discrimination against the Chinese and Indians in Malaysia, that it will take probably a whole generation to undo the damaged.

This is happening in whole spectrum of the Malaysian government, civil service, state governments and universities. Just look at percentage of malays in all these government bodies - 98%……….

A whole generation of malays has been brought up to think that it's their inherited right to own Malaysia. The other races are damned.

I think the malays especially those in power, are scared right now that if they will to compete openly with other races, they will surely be the loser. You will see very strong resistance to hire other races even the most qualified.

The malays are never brought up to compete on even ground. This is fault of previous PM and now the present PM has to tread a balance ground to ensure the malays are not cast away as well as to make Malaysia competitive worldwide.

In US I never met a malay immigrant, though there are thousands of Malaysian Chinese and Indian immigrants. Why? Malays in Malaysia have an easier life where they are literately prince of the land.

We have infrastructure good enough to be considered first world or better. Look at the Cyberjaya, Petronas Twin Towers, Putrajaya?

Gleaming high-rise buildings but also in every city, dirty toilets abound, litter clogging up the drains, public telephones damaged, plus unreliable rubbish collection and disposal. We just treat public facilities badly, not caring about others.

Being an urban dweller myself, I am constantly disheartened by the poor public infrastructure and upkeep in our capital city.

Faulty pedestrian traffic signals, illogical positioning of bus stops, poor public cleanliness, poor quality sidewalks (which are paved using slippery tiles), un-integrated and poorly managed public transportation system, the list goes on.

Your children can't even walk safely along the Kuala Lumpur streets, as they might be bags snatched, kidnapped, murdered, raped, or robbed, as they do not know the jungle laws of Malaysia. The police won't help much as they now have a big pile of corruption cases running after them.

You owe nothing to Malaysia, you pay your due, so live on.

So, my last advice. Don't come back unless you are really suffering in oversea.

I'm sorry this sounds very racist but I think we have to be honest in discussion.

[bad fire]

Every time the average Malaysians see Dr Mahathir, they see - Twin Towers, Putrajaya, KLIA, GDP growth of 7% during the early 90s, etc.

What they don't see - the cesspool of corruption, the lavish lifestyle of our politicians that rivals that of Hollywood superstars, the plight of the rural folks, the slums around Selangor and KL, the Straight A non-bumi students who couldn't get into university, the Umno leaders that threaten to burn down the Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall, etc.

When I think of Dr Mahathir, I see what the average Malaysians don't see.

I want Dr Mahathir to pay for his crimes.
I want all his corrupt cronies burn at the stake.
I want Dr Mahathir to face the people who is lives has been affected by his actions.

[cool man]

……….a typical bumi filled with smug complacency and adept at trotting out trite justifications for the pernicious politics of privilege that pervade Malaysia.

The Red Indians would then be our Orang Asli. Curiously, the US historically granted native land rights to the Red Indians, some of who have become wealthy due to oil rights and the opening of casinos on their native lands.

In contrast, our Orang Asli have been granted only some hunting and fishing rights, and I am told by them that the malay administration refuses to give them allowances and medical benefits unless they become Muslims.

Yes, black slavery was practised in the US till the Civil War but thereafter, the full rights granted under the US Constitution were available to all US citizens.

True, until the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s, decisively ended segregationist policies through enforced busing, affirmative action policies, etc.

In contrast, our majority malays have perpetuated special rights for themselves till Kingdom come, not for the many poor Malaysian Indians, who were dispossessed of their allotted estate housing and menial plantation jobs for almost a hundred years when plantations were sold off for housing estates for big profits, or for the many poor urban and rural Chinese eking a living.

It is an obscenity to see well-fed malays driving around in Mercedes Benzes and drawing fat salaries, yet availing themselves of 7 percent bumi discount for posh houses, plentiful government scholarship forms to go overseas, entitlement to bumi unit trusts paying 10 percent returns when everyone else is in recession or going broke, while the Chinese and Indian Malaysians keep quiet because they know they do not count.

Do you get my drift……….?

[oversee]

The top problems in Malaysia are corruption, corruption and corruption. Get rid of corruption you get rid of all the problems associated with it.

Corruption can be broadly defined as the misuse of public office for private gain. Abuses by government officials such as embezzlement and nepotism, as well as abuses in bribery, extortion, fraud and influence peddling.

The effects of corruption:

1. Corruption in elections and legislative bodies reduces accountability and representation

2. Corruption in the judiciary suspends the rule of law

3. Corruption in public administration results in unequal provision of services

4. Corruption in selecting or promoting officials without regard to performance will stifle progress

5. Corruption siphons off the resources needed for development

6. Corruption undermines democracy and good governance

7. Corruption undermines democratic values in trust and tolerance

8. Corruption undermines the legitimacy of government

9. Corruption undermines national economic development

10. Corruption weakens government institutions by disregarding official procedures

Corruption generates economic distortions in public sector by pulling investment from essential projects such as education, health care and low cost housing into projects where bribes and kickbacks are more plentiful.

Corruption lowers compliance with construction, environment, or other regulations.

Quality of government services are reduced due to inefficiency as the result of corruption, thus budgetary pressures on government increases and ultimately, the citizens foot the bill and are denied the share of the national resources as well.

In the public sector, corruption undermines economic development. In private sector, corruption increases the cost of business and stifles healthy competition.

Corruption shield companies with connections from fair competition, thus making our country less efficient and less competitive in the global market.

[low class mental]

Next election will not make much difference too, perhaps also all elections in future. The BN will continue to hold two-third majority since all mainstream media controlled by them; and also election commission is virtually on their side.

The majority malay will mostly vote for BN so that their crutches can be solid.

The Indians can't change the direction of the votes; hence they will follow the majority; otherwise Samy also cannot save them if they vote for opposition.

The Chinese will be threatened with 513 again and subsequently majority will vote for BN, for peace and security.

So you can see, Bolehland is no more hope. The corrupt ones will continue hang on to their positions until some foreigners come here and re-colonise again, only then hope will emerge.

Pak Lah is strong in making empty can promises. He is weak in implementation of empty can promises. What is it to implement - it is empty.

Perhaps it is orchestra to show that the government still has some sense of humour.

Whether Pak Lah is weak, strong, sterile or impotent, he got to go. Do not waste too much of Malaysians time. We have not many left.

Lots of empty promise, no constructive and concrete contribution but lots of scandal, corruption etc.

If Pak Lah is in European countries, Japan or the US, or even other advanced countries, a non-confidence motion had long time tabled against him. He is lucky to be hiding in Bolehland.

The prime minister leadership is weak and the clear evidence is rather simple: when we have so much challenges like the budget deficit, falling investment, poor education standards etc, the issues that has been brought the most attention are very fundamental issues like separation of powers, religion and state power, police power, the NEP, our constitutionals inconsistencies, etc.

In a nearly 50 years old country we are still struggling with our goals and direction as a nation, rather than deal with real implementation of programs.

Anyone can always hold on to power with overwhelming advantage, but if leaders postpone decisions often enough, it comes back to haunt us all even worst in the end.

Any resolution for the country would be mere wishful thinking.

Change is gradual and if at all the country was progressing in the right direction, we could have seen it happening. But what we see is the country heading downhill on all fronts - economy, education, governance, honesty, integrity, inter-religion/racial harmony, judiciary, morality……….infinitum.

I just can't see any light at the end of the Malaysian tunnel!

[law man]

The special position of the malays as prescribed under Article 153 of the Constitution is limited in scope to only the reservation of reasonable quotas in these 3 sectors: public services, educational places and business licenses.

Hence, the present rampant racial discriminations practiced on almost every facet of our national life are mostly violations of the Constitution. Examples of these violations are:

(a) Racial discrimination in the appointment and promotion of employees in publicly funded bodies, resulting in these becoming almost mono-raced bodies. These bodies include: the police, civil service, army and various semi and quasi government agencies.

(b) Imposition of compulsory share quota for malays in non-malay companies.

(c) Imposition of compulsory price discounts and quotas in favour of malays in housing projects.

(d) Completely lop-sided allocation of scholarships and seats of learning in clearly unreasonable proportions that reflect racial discriminations.

(e) Blanket barring of non-malays to publicly funded academic institutions (that should include the Mara).

(f) Barring of non-malays from tenders and contracts controlled directly or indirectly by the government.

Our Constitution provides for only one class of citizenship and all citizens are equal before the law.

The presence of Article 153 does not alter this fact, as it is meant only to protect the malays from being "squeezed" by other races by allowing the reservation of reasonable quotas on certain sectors of national life.

However, this Constitution has now been hijacked through decades of hegemony of political power by the ruling party to result in the virtual monopoly of the public sector by a single race.

The ensuing racism, corruption and corrosion of integrity of our democratic institutions have brought serious retrogression to our nation-building process in terms of national unity, morality, discipline and competitiveness of our people.

[malaysia is very low class]

Agree with you. Instead, we are always entertained by many clowns and idiot jokers in the parliament.

Yes! Bolehland is having the one of the largest cabinet in terms of ratio to population size in the world.

The ranking performance of each ministry, minister, deputy minister, etc, should be published in local media and forwarded to the PM for the public and PM's post mortem.

The criteria of evaluation should also be exposed to the relevant persons so that they know what is being evaluated and make it easier for them to get better.

Even better, if the criteria are benchmarked with advanced countries such as Japan, Korea, Singapore, UK, USA, etc, according to its relevance.

Furthermore, the evaluation can include indicators such as top 5 performing ministries, ministers, and deputy ministers, worst 5 performing ministries, ministers, and deputy ministers.

Once you start this big government syndrome, you just can't revert back to small government. Everyone is enjoying the gravy train ride and you just can't get them off without adverse repercussions. And Pak Lah as the train driver cum conductor doesn't have the guts and courage to boot them off.

A decade ago, 800000 civil servants were considered too many and there was a temporary freeze in recruitment. But now, even with the IT revolution, we have more than 1.2 million civil servants.

You can see many of them loitering around aimlessly when you visit any government office. And the government has to give them all incentives and annual bonuses to keep them all happy.

It is all about votes and Pak Lah knows it. Smaller government? Most unlikely - Same old ministers will be re-appointed. Old is new and new is old. Get them all hooked up and they will all keep quiet.

All docile and on leashes. Obedient servants. It is the BN way.

Then we preach to the world we have a very stable government, there is racial harmony, we work as a team blah, blah, blah and more blahs.

Many of the ministers are deadwood and from their performance should have been shown the exit long ago. Some have been too long in the cabinet and have run out of ideas.

It is time we not only downsize the ministerial portfolios but at the same time kick out those that are not performing. There is no rational reason to have so many ministers doing so few works.

They are a heavy burden to the taxpayer's money. Pak lah should immediately put to pasture some of the ineffective and long serving ministers.

But not only we need academic excellent, but also charismatic, creative, sharp strategist with high self discipline and religious moral code of leaders, to maneuver Malaysia to its greatest.

They should learn some part of it from our southern neighbour.

[yes malaysia is no future]

I am a Chinaman Malaysian, no pun intended and I am no proud of it. While I am not really a target of the government's drive to reverse some brain flow, I cannot tahan but to pen a word or two on that seemingly off-the-cuff statement.

I am kampung boy who grew up amidst paddy fields. Twenty years ago, along with tens of young Malaysians, I was lucky to be hired by a large Singapore multinational firm. However, the oil shock made our stint there short-lived. The company offered us student loans to further our studies.

We have never looked back since. Now, while most of us are in the IT industry, we are also involved in manufacturing, law, journalism, grain processing, airlines and academics. Similarly, while most are based in US, we are also in Australia, Japan, Singapore and UK.

Now, among us, how many have seriously considered returning to Malaysia to work and settle down? So far, a big, fat zero.

The terse comment in itself speaks volumes of the status quo in Malaysia. It is a classic feudalistic approach to handling things - the godfather way.

I wonder whether our man had thought of the very reasons why people flee the country in the first instance.

Least of all, the all-encompassing, racially discriminatory policies that suck the life out of citizens. Widespread corruption. The lopsided judiciary. Sickening politicians. Cruel and oppressive laws. Abuse of power. Absence of accountability. And the police? What a mess!

I also wonder if the PM-to-be realises who his audience is. Malaysian professionals abroad probably worked their butt off so as to reap the present-day fruits of labour. They are highly educated, and are keenly aware of things Malaysians and her malaise. Many have voted with their feet out of helplessness or disgust with the status quo.

Here are two questions for our man. How many Malaysian professionals does he seriously think, would want to forego what they have accumulated abroad, and return to the same environment that drove them out in the first place?

Does he also truly believe that Malaysian professionals abroad, once returned are convinced that they can contribute to nation building despite the stifling draconian laws that gag reasonable freedom of announcement, activity and expression?

Yes some, but not many will return.

For most professionals, living abroad has its own ups and downs. But, you get dignity, fair treatment, and respect for your ability. You get a voice, too. And ears to hear you.

Also, Malaysia does have a shortage of doctors and it seems ridiculous that Malaysian government-sponsored medical students are not required to return home.

All said, I do not lose hope. But talk of nation building should start at the individual level. If you take the oomph and the aaah out of the individual, chances are, no finger-snapping mere politician can lure him/her back to contribute to nation building.

I stand corrected.

[malaysia no future and no hope]

We see a lot of problems reported in the news which seems to happen only in Bolehland. Malaysia and Singapore inherited the British administration system, and the rule of law.

Until many years after independence, there were systems of public tenders in awarding government projects to contractors. There were proper procedures for the government professionals to evaluate tenders, and those which were deemed to have the best value for money would be selected.

The departments concerned acted for the interest of the government and made sure that government funds, whether from natural resources or taxpayers were properly spent.

In the name of efficiency, the tender system was suspended in the 1980s. That allowed subjective judgments for awarding contracts, and corruptions mushroomed. Further, in the name of NEP, the only check for contracts seemed to be that the awardees must be malays.

That facilitated money politics although not necessarily in cash term.

Even before NEP, scholarship awards from the state and federal governments were mostly for the malays, who were selected from among the best in the group. There were also non-malays scholarship awardees but fewer in number. Now……….

Before NEP, students were accepted to university courses based on their entry qualifications even though malays who did not meet the entry requirements were also accepted. There was no variation in passing mark to graduate from the universities. After NEP……….

Before NEP, we saw lecturers and professors of various nationalities and skin colors, now……….

It may be argued that the more the non-malays voice against the NEP, the more the malays are convinced that it should be retained.

NEP proved the convenient cover for corruption. Without the NEP, there will be no cover for corruption, no push factor for brain drain, no wastage of government revenue, a more attractive place for investors, a more conducive environment for business activities, and the income level of the people would rise.

It would be difficult to convince the malays that Singaporeans are on average as intelligent as we are in Bolehland, but on average, Singaporeans has 6 times our earning power.

Yes, it is on average, meaning that people in the same job function should be getting on average that many times our income. The difference there was no rampant corruption in Singapore whereas in Malaysia - corruption has been institutionalised.

Is Malaysia ruled by gangsters? Though we have our own rules, we have to submit to "their" rules if we want to live peacefully. Malaysia = no hope!

Again I say, God is fair. Other countries have natural disasters like volcanoes, earthquakes, etc. We have our Ketuanan Melayu to destroy us all. Do they care? They are busy storing up riches and can easily fly away to paradise.

A very sad situation for Malaysia, a beautiful country runs by imbeciles. If I had a magic wand I would like to banish the whole lot in our government and invite Singapore to govern Malaysia. That way we can be one of the economic giants.

[yes malaysia is no future]

But of course non-malays, especially the non-malays born after 1957 will see things differently.

First of all, they did not choose to come to Malaysia, especially not with its present system of government. It is not their fault that the British, more than one hundred years ago, brought in so many Chinese and Indians, and made the Umno-malays feel insecure.

It is not their fault that many of the immigrants, with the permission of the British, toiled to be successful and that made the Umno-malays felt threatened by it. And since when did success become something you have to be punished for instead of celebrating?

It is not their fault that English is the dominant language of technology, science, diplomacy, commerce, and just about any branch of knowledge and has been entrenched in Malaysia since 1786.

They can't understand why the government is hell bent on destroying the system of government left behind by the British, a system that Singapore kept, enhanced and used to become one of the richest, most well planned, most advanced, competitive, cleanest and admired countries on earth, despite being just a rock the size of island.

They feel puzzled that the Umno-controlled government talks with a forked tongue - asking Malaysians to be united and at the same time - asking the non-malays to accept second class citizenships, and then Tun Razak own son Najib threatened to bathe a keris (dagger) with Chinese blood. To them, this is a contradiction.

Why were Chinese and Indians in the armed forces here Malaysia etc, in significant numbers before the 1970s? And there are a lot of lucrative deals in the army and police, and some are below the table and some like it that way.

"Why is that there are so few Chinese in the armed forces?"

Well, I think you know the answer why. Like so many government institutions, there was a form of ethnic cleansing in the 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s, which saw the determined push of non-malays out in favor of increasing the number of malays both at the rank and at the leadership positions.

That is why you see a dramatic change in the complexion of the government if you compare, say the 1960s and 1990s. That is why non-malays avoid government institutions, not just the armed forces - it is the same with organizations like Bank Negara, EPF, etc.

Over the years, the government institutions have evolved into very hostile environments for the non-malays.

Look at Singapore, the Chinese are in the army etc, so are the Indians and the malays. Yes there was an issue with the malay pilots. But there are significant Indians there in the civil service as an example since the Chinese are majority there.

Anyway, onto the comments that touch on Singapore experience. Yes, making English the medium of instruction has served Singapore well. Just the other day, I was at a conference held by an MNC and employees came from all over Asia.

One of the most senior people in from the Singapore office was a malay and he was highly articulate, and obviously made it to such a high position based on his capabilities. And he is not the first Singaporean malay I met that held an important position in an MNC.

I always wondered why some Malaysian malays in some other forums say that if Malaysia adopts Singapore system, they will not survive. The Singaporean malays I met are doing just fine. Yes, many Malaysian malays hate Lee Kuan Yew and indeed Lee may have been a racist, but the Singapore system existed before him, he refined it, and people who came after him keep refining it, and it works well.

Anyway, yes it is anecdotal but nonetheless, these malay Singaporeans I met are doing well. Whenever I go to Singapore, I see malay Singaporeans working productively, and everyone in Singapore is virtually guaranteed a decent house.

They have access to world class education, world class working environment, world class government planning, world class landscaping, world class medical facilities, world class public safety, world class shopping, world class transportation (and due to Singapore high per capita income and strong Singapore dollar, they earn enough to afford good stuff too).

You want to know why so many Malaysians choose to be discriminated in white man's land or go south? It is not because of the NEP.

It is because our right to be Malaysians has been questioned. It is one thing to have to sacrifice for your fellow citizen. It is another thing to sacrifice for a citizen of a country where you don't even belong.