A Malaysia Day greeting

As appeared on Malaysiakini: http://www.malaysiakini.com/letters/241354

On this auspicious golden jubilee, I would like to pray for a better Malaysia. A place where racism, crime and corruption is rejected, a place where democracy, accountability and equality is upheld. A dream too far fetched?

I woke up to a normal Monday, apart from it being a public holiday. I woke up realising the last Chinese New Year and Hari Raya made a better mark. Well, apart from greetings of Selamat Hari Malaysia seen on Facebook statuses, or tweets, what else do we see that indicates it is Malaysia Day? So where is the excitement for this very special day? This is supposed to be Malaysia's birthday!

Well maybe, just maybe, Malaysians are bitter and have a resentment towards what is happening to this country. But let's take a moment to think, what did Malaysia do wrong? We are holding a grudge against the wrong party. The resentment and anger, should be directed towards those who messed up the country instead. Malaysia on the other hand, has done nothing wrong. This land instead, has blessed so many people in abundance. It is rich in natural resources, and is such a beautiful place to be.

We wake up on the dawn of Malaysia Day, knowing Malaysia is 50 years old, but what do we have that is worth being proud of?

We are known to be a country of multi-ethnicity, but are we really moving forward as a country without being racially polarised, or is it just a myth? Two days ago, the deputy prime minister said "we should not be apologetic to other races". What a Malaysia Day gift! This speaks volume. Try saying this in America or UK, or maybe just across the causeway in Singapore, I can assure you no matter what the context of the statement is, you'll be shunned out immediately! Lucky for our DPM, this is Malaysia. 

After 57 years of independence, we still see the federal government setting out education policies based on the need to win elections. See, that is where the chunk of problems lie. In a developed country, education is a tool to empower the next generation to bring the country to greater heights. In Malaysia however, the government uses it as a tool to fish for votes. We have seen flip flop policies, in particular the use of English language in our education system. What is there to bicker about, my dear education ministers? English is a global language, you cannot deny that. And the only way to move forward globally, is to adapt to the use of the English language. Protecting the national language, or mother tongue for that matter, does not come at the expense of depriving the use of English.

What has happened to East Malaysia after 50 years of "Malaysia"? Sabah and Sarawak, is unique in a sense that it makes up two thirds of Malaysia. Sabah and Sarawak did not join Malaysia, instead, they together with Malaya, formed Malaysia. But are they in terms of development, really on par after 50 years? These states have for the past half a century, contribute a big chunk to Malaysia's economy through natural resources like petroleum, timber, rubber, palm oil, and even tourism. But does the development there reflect such contributions?

I remember visiting the interior once. And a friend's relative asked, "belajar di KL?" I answered "ya", and I was given a lecture on how blessed and lucky I am. Another friend from Sabah, now working in Kuala Lumpur, was asked "kau kerja di KL bah kan?" And for that matter, she was these villagers' person to look up to. My point here is, KL has become such a prestigious place in the hearts of these rural folks, and to even set foot in KL, would mean so much to them. You can be selling banana fritters or nasi lemak in KL, and dare I say, these folks will still look up to you. Now why is that so? 

And lastly, before I end, I would just like us to ponder, where is Malaysia in our hearts? Who else can be proud of Malaysia, if not us Malaysians? To those who dream on migrating, or already have the ability and means to migrate, please stay in Malaysia. There is no place like home. We may be in despair, we may be broken, we may be in shame. But who else will turn things round and return Malaysia's glory, if all the talents leaves? The only change Malaysia can get, is when Malaysians themselves decide to change. 

-tweet me at @adrianlimcheeen 

Negaraku before movies at the cinema?

As appeared on Malaysiakini: http://www.malaysiakini.com/letters/239366

Fancy standing up for 6 minutes before a movie at the cinemas? Starting next Wednesday, a 6 minutes clip comprising of Negaraku and 2 other Merdeka Day songs will be played before any movies in the cinema starts, whether it be GSC, MBO, Cathay, or any other cinemas. Action will be taken against anyone found disrespecting the national anthem. Mind you, disrespecting includes texting, chit chatting, and remaining seated during the 6 minutes.

Noble intentions
I can see the government's noble intention. It certainly creates the Merdeka Day mood and atmosphere, but then, how far can patriotism be instilled through this practice? I suggest the government do a research, and be clean and honest with the answer. Take US and England as an example. Why are its citizens proud of their flag, their country and their national anthem? See, in these countries, it's a culture, whether they sing the national anthem or not, they feel proud of their country. You can't force the people to be proud of something they find "not right". 51% of Malaysians who voted for Pakatan Rakyat during the 13th General Elections are sick of the mess in this country. You cannot expect these people to be proud of the country after singing the national anthem, considering their despise towards the mess. Can you?

Corruption
Just look at the corruption indexes spearheaded by the police, government officials and ministers. Businesses lose out because of corruption. Instead of incentives to improve and compete, corruption becomes the driving force in contracts and tenders. Ever come across tales of high ranking officials in governmental agencies who either don't work, or work slowly when there's no under table money? I am sure you have. Even the government has been relying on handouts and cash to win the past elections.

Crime
Look at escalating crime rates. Burglars are carrying out their activities rampantly. Theft is on the rise. And mind you, this does not only happen to normal civilians, even Ministers, police chiefs, the deputy prime minister, a Menteri Besar, and a Tan Sri became victims themselves; These are high ranking personnels who have CCTVs and proper security measures at their home. Gangsters, prominent businessmen, NGOs and even corporate leaders, you name it, not spared from the wild wild west shooting style; The recently concluded Altantuya Shaaribu murder trial also raised much questions. No answers as to how she entered the country, got shot twice and then exploded into bits and pieces; Tech Beng Hock died while in MACC custody. Court judgement was an open verdict. So, how safe do you feel in Malaysia? If it is still hard to comprehend, just try walking through the streets of Sinsuran or Kampung Air at 11pm.

Inflation
The rising cost of living. Yes this happens everywhere in the world, but that should not be an excuse to allow the continuation of inflation. Statistics by the World Bank showed that Malaysia is one of the leading countries in terms of rising cost of living. Consumers are losing out because spending power is becoming weaker and weaker. On the other hand, government politicians are spending like there is no tomorrow. Corporate and conglomerates with political connections are forever expanding and raking in millions and billions in profits.

Religious tension
Religious tensions caused by monkey politicians who want to score cheap political points. Where is the religious tolerance that Najib preached to the Arab world? The likes of Ibrahim Ali, forever indispensable to UMNO and untouchable by the authorities despite inciting hatred against other religions. So much so for 1Malaysia?

Racism
Racism championed by right wing groups and irresponsible parties. Yet again, where is 1Malaysia? 2 bloggers who posted a picture of a pork dish initially denied bail by the court. A politician, specifically Zulu Noordin, who mocked the Indians, got away without being charged. Ibrahim Ali who suggested burning bibles got scotch free. Even the PM himself, blamed his loss on the Chinese. The next day, Utusan ran a headline asking "Apa lagi Cina Mahu?" What happened to teachers asking students to go back to China or India. Where is the consistency in charges and disciplinary actions?

Education system
Flip flop education policies by the forever problematic education ministers. They say youths are the future of the nation, and yes I agree. Parents are responsible at home, whereas at school, the education system plays an important and fundamental role in shaping tomorrow's society. Few years back we witnessed a U-turn decision with regards to the teaching of science and maths. Much resources were invested in preparing English to be used as the medium for teaching science and maths, few years later, the policy was abolished. The respective ministers, in order to gain political mileage, is suggesting that he is prepared to use students and teachers as his political pawns. Now, we see them trying to make Islamic civilization a compulsory subject for University students.

50 or 56 years old?
The worst part is, Merdeka is around the corner, yet many still disregard the fact that Malaysia is 50 years old, and not 56 years old. Even politicians from both ends cannot decide where do they stand and try to avoid making a stand. History tells you that Malaya gained independence in 1957, whereas Sabah and Sarawak agreed to join Malaya to form Malaysia in 1963. So Malaysia is in fact 50 years old, unless your definition of Malaysia does not include the two resource rich states East Malaysian states. You cannot change history, can you?

So tell me, will singing the national anthem solve all these problems? Yes, I will stand for the six minutes because I love my country, but I wish that as I stand and sing, I can be proud of what my country has achieved. I want to feel proud of the country, the system, and things other countries do not have. But will that happen in the near future? As I have always shared with my friends, at this point in time, "I love my country, but not the system".

My article submitted to Poskod.my

I would like to write on issues relating to Sabah and Sarawak. I am a Malaysian, as much as I am a Sabahan. I take to heart things concerning Sabah especially, because that is where I come from, and where I grew up. It is disheartening, and hurtful, when our brothers and sisters from other parts of Malaysia disregard issues pertaining East Malaysians. From political leaders to acquaintances, East Malaysia tends to be disregarded at many a time. I do not wish to condemn anyone, because this in my opinion is inappropriate, instead I would like to have a chance on a wider platform, to convey my message to a wider range of audience, reminding the importance of this two Borneo states. The previous concluded general elections can be one of my reference points. Political leaders battled it out in Malaya, and it is proven costly to the opposition pact.


My article:

What is Malaysia? When I say Malaya, Sabah and Sarawak, what comes into your mind?

I put pen to paper, my grievous concerns towards the ignorance of Sabah and Sarawak from Malaysia’s political scene. What is the status of Sabah and Sarawak? I believe many Malaysians assume that Sabah and Sarawak are one of the thirteen states in Malaysia. Well, I cannot blame this blissful ignorance or misinformation because of the distorted facts in ourSejarah textbooks during high school days.

​So what is Sabah and Sarawak’s actual status? A bit of history: Malaya received independence in 1957. Be mindful, Malaya received Independence, not Sabah and Sarawak. The two Borneo states, received independence in 1963, the very same time Malaysia was formed. So how old is Malaysia? In fact, Malaysia is only 50 years old. Important to know that Sabah, Sarawak and Malaya, are 3 equal partners in forming Malaysia, and this is stipulated in the Malaysian Agreement 1963(MA63) and 20 points Declaration. So, this means that Sabah, Sarawak and Malaya are partners each worth 33.3%.

​I am a Sabahan, born and bred there, studying in West Malaysia now. But do you know what is most pathetic? ​

​What happened to Sabah and Sarawak? They are by far the most undeveloped and poorest states. This is in spite being blessed with petroleum, natural gas, timber, palm oil, and so much more natural resources. The woes of Sabah and Sarawak are the least on BN’s list of concerns. If Pakatan Rakyat walks the talk, go and help the states of Borneo. They are kingmakers.

People talk about the problems of Bangladeshis in Peninsular Malaysia. Yes you have the right to complain. But if we are talking about a real change, take a look at Sabah. 40% of the population are not genuine Sabahans. This figure was announced by NRD, not PakatanRakyat. It's statistic given by a government agency. We talk about Bangladeshis getting ICs, and talk about the need to rectify this. I humbly think, we should try looking at Sabah.Cybertroopers and Malaysians who fight for a better country should put more effort in East Malaysia.

I am so proud of the level of racial tolerance achieved by Sabahans, so proud of how friendly Sabahans are, so proud of what Sabah and its people have to offer. We have mountains, seas, greens. We have a mixture of at least 7 major races- Chinese, Malays,Kadazan, Dusun, Murut, Indian, Bajau and of course many more indigenous races. We all live peacefully without racism. We can all sit down in either a mamak or a Chinese restaurant or even a malay restaurant without any problems. Anyone who has ever been to Sabah can vouch all these for me.

Economically, we are also one of the biggest petroleum producers in Malaysia, if not in South East Asia. BUT, what happened to Sabah? We don't have proper roads. Goodness, it is 2013 now. That is why the richer you are in Sabah, the bigger 4-wheel drive you'd need; Do not talk about blackouts, many don't even have access to electricity. What bullcrap is this? Living without electricity in the 21st century! Water? Forget about free water. Folks in the rural areas cannot even have access to clean water let alone free water. They rely very much on rainwater and water from rivers. 

So why did Pakatan Rakyat fail to overthrow the government? In my humble opinion, Anwar's biggest mistake in the recently concluded General Elections, is his failure to address the woes of East Malaysians. If you compare the seats won in 2008 and 2013, there's not much of a swing in Peninsular. What does this show? This shows that West Malaysians have more or less made up their minds. So if you want a real change, try investing time and putmore effort on East Malaysia. Trying to win votes in West Malaysia is like fishing in a sea with very little fishes left. A bigger impact can be done, if you focus on Sabah and Sarawak.

You cannot blame the people in the rural areas of Sabah for voting BN back into power. They know nothing else apart from the blue colored weighing scale. We scoff at the BR1M, BB1M, BL1M or whatever other brim brom brum. We city folks are exposed and we are well informed. RM250 or RM500 may be little to some of us. It's a different situation out there. Imagine your whole life being in the jungle, no water, no electricity, no car, no KFC, no McDonald's, no Adidas, no Nike, no Puma, no LV, no Burberry, no G-Shock. You have nothing, and the only way to feed your family is by finding food from the wild. If you lived through this, you would agree RM500 is a hell lot of money. It can be enough to feed a family of 5 for a whole month. These folks are therefore so grateful. Our job, is not to blame them, but help them, show them the light, and educate them.

So folks, I invite you to Borneo. If you really want to UBAH something in Malaysia, come to Sabah and contribute. As to Pakatan Rakyat leaders, the ball is in your hands, you decide how you want it played. Please help me spread this. I am a Malaysian, as much as I am a Sabahan.

(Repost) What is CHANGE?

What is Change? From worse to better? Or Change because its a trend to Change? 

It's saddening at times, seeing people talk about the problems of Bangladeshis in Peninsular Malaysia. Yes you have the right to complain. But if are talking about a real change, take a look and Sabah. 40% of the population there are not genuine Sabahans. This figure was announced by NRD, not Pakatan Rakyat. It's stafistic given by a government agency. We talk about seeing Bangladeshis getting ICs, and talk about the need to rectify this. I humbly think, you should try looking at Sabah before taking a further step. Cybertroopers and Malaysians who fight for a better country should put more effort in East Malaysia.

In my humble opinion, Anwar's biggest mistake this GE13, is failing to address the woes of East Malaysians. If you compare the seats won in 2008 and 2013, there's not much of a swing in Peninsular. What does this show? This shows that West Malaysians have more or less made up their minds. So if you want a real Change, try investing time and put effort in East Malaysia. Trying to win votes in West Malaysia is like fishing in a sea with very little fishes left. A bigger impact can be done, if you focus on Sabah and Sarawak.

I am a Sabahan, born and bred there, studying in West Malaysia now. But you know what's the most patethic part?

I'm so proud of the level of racial tolerance achieved by Sabahans, so proud of how friendly Sabahans are, so proud of what Sabah and its people have to offer. We have mountains, seas, greens. We have a mixture of at least 7 major races- Chinese, Malays, Kadazan, Dusun, Murut, Indian, Bajau and of course many more indigenous races. We all live peacefully without racism. Anyone who has ever been to Sabah can vouch all these for me. Economically, we are also one of the biggest petroleum producers in Malaysia, if not in South East Asia. BUT, what happened to Sabah? We don't have proper roads. Goodness, it's 2013 now. The richer you are in Sabah, the bigger 4-wheel drive you'd need because of the road conditions; Don't talk about blackouts, many don't even have access to electricity. What bullcrap is this? Living without electricity in the 21st century! Water? Forget about free water. Folks in the rural cant even have access to clean water, thus they rely very much on rainwater and water from rivers.

You cannot blame the people in the rural areas for voting BN back into power. They know nothing else apart from the blue colored weighing scale. We scoff at the BR1M, BB1M, BL1M or whatever other brim brom brum. We city folks are exposed and we are well informed. RM250 or RM500 may be little to some of us. It's a different situation out there. Imagine your whole life being in the jungle, no water, no electricity, no car, no KFC, no McDonald's, no Adidas, no Nike, no Puma, no LV, no Burberry, no G-Shock. You have nothing, and the only way to feed your family is by finding food from the wild. If you lived through this, you would agree RM500 is a hell lot of money. It can be enough to feed a family of 5 for a whole month. These folks are therefore so grateful. Our job, is not to blame them, but help them, show them the light, and educate them.

So folks, if you really want to UBAH something in Malaysia, come to Sabah and contribute. Please help me spread this. I am a Malaysian, as much as I am a Sabahan.

(Repost) Malaysia? Yes, you meant Sabah and Sarawak.

Written and posted on my Facebook profile(March 2013)

This is for West Malaysians who might think Sabah is a pain in the ass because of the Lahad Datu standoff. 
Ps: I have great friends from the Peninsular that I don't intend to offend, so this is meant for West Malaysians who are anti-East Malaysia, or thinks that Sabahans live on trees and are jungle men.

READ AT YOUR OWN PERIL

Facts about Sabah:
-Size of Sabah: More than half(55%) of the whole Peninsular Malaysia.
-Sabah+Sarawak=60% of Malaysia's economy.
-Contributes to 14% of Malaysia's natural gas
-Make up 30% of the national crude oil reserves
-Produces 392,000 barrels of oil a day, out of Petronas's 650,000 barrels output.
-Accounts to 30% of Malaysia's palm oil exports.

Too much economical talk? Lets get to something you can comprehend with slight ease.

-Malaysia a multi racial country where all people live in harmony:
Sorry, you meant Sabah and Sarawak is multiracial, no? Sabah Sarawak has Malay, Chinese, Indian, Kadazan, Dusun, Murut, Ibans, Bajau, Bidayuh, Melanau.
-You want to know what's racial harmony and '1Malaysia'? Come to Sabah. It's everywhere on the streets, to restaurants, to shopping malls, to schools. We can all sit in one table and have our meals without any problem.
-Malaysia has a lot of wildlife:
You mean Sabah and Sarawak, has lots of wildlife is it? The Proboscis monkey, Saltwater crocodiles, Bornean Pygmy elephants, Hornbills, Sumatran Rhinos, Orang Utans, Wildboar, Tembadau(cattle), Fireflies, endangered spiders, snakes, insects. Aren't these animals/wildlife Malaysians are proud of? Lots of tourists come to Malaysia because of its wildlife. So where're these wildlife found? They're from Sabah and Sarawak bro!
-Malaysia is rich with flora:
Sabah is home to more than 4,000 species of flowers, out of the 10,000 species in Malaysia. Ferns, orchids, pitcher plants, you name it.
-Vascular plants? Trees I meant. East Malaysia has 15,000, Peninsular has 8,500 species. We're close to two-thirds.
-The largest flower in the world? The Rafflesia. Where's it found? Sabah!
-The highest mountain in South East Asia? Mount Kinabalu. Where's it found? Lying on the backbone of Crocker range, in Sabah.

So, before you continue saying "I don't mind giving back Sabah to Philippines or Sulu Sultans, do a bit more research and think about the repercussions".
Before you think Sabahans live on trees, be sure it's Orang Utan, not Orang as in humans.

Sabahans chose to be part of Malaysia prior to 1963. Despite political turmoils, and being the oppressed victims the past 50 years by the ruling Barisan Masional coalition, we still remained as MALAYSIANS. The twin towers Malaysia was once so proud of, the highways and flyovers, the high rise buildings, aren't these developments from the pockets of Sabah? East Malaysia, Sabah in particular, has contributed so much to the economy, who are you to say "We don't mind giving Sabah back to Sulu"?