hmmm...

I guess it has been ages since my last post. With all the past events Perak political turmoil, our new PM, new Cabinet, elections in two bukits and one batang etc I guess other blogs had great length explaining the situation. Knowing my status, I would from now onwards keep my mouth or rather writing shut for now until right time surfaces. Meanwhile, my blog would rather update my life and family in our new place in Stockholm, Sweden.

Now my time here has reached 4 mths old rather a short period to be an expert in Sweden. Weather wise, now its officially spring I guess with temperatures as high as 18 degrees. My mum and sis came here visiting since early March accompanying my newly arrived maid from Indonesia. Just got back from cruise holiday to Helsinki last weekend. Had a great fun.Looking forward for another cruise holiday probably to Estonia.

Ambassadors' post anyone??

From The Star today

Saturday January 24, 2009

Long wait to fill Washington, Jakarta diplomat posts

PETALING JAYA: Two important diplomatic postings — Washington and Jakarta — are still waiting to be filled following alleged political interference and lobbying for the ambassadors’ posts.The Washington post has been vacant since last June following the retirement of ambassador Datuk Rajmah Hussain, while the present ambassador to Jakarta, Datuk Zainal Abidin Zain, will retire in the middle of next month.

The Washington Times reported last month that the Malaysian Government had submitted Tan Sri Ghazzali Sheikh Khalid’s name last September.Ghazzali was the Malaysian ambassador to Washington from 1999 to 2006. He became ambassador-at-large when he returned home.
It is understood that the Prime Minister’s Office had proposed his name although Wisma Putra had its own candidate.

Diplomatic sources in Washington said the United States had yet to give approval to Ghazzali serving a second term as ambassador.A source said that if three months passed without consent, diplomatic convention suggests that the host has a problem with the nomination, and Malaysia may have to submit another name.Wisma Putra officials confirmed that the Government had yet to propose an alternative candidate.For the Jakarta posting, two former ministers are said to be eyeing the post and lobbying Putrajaya but until today, no name has been submitted to Indonesia for approval.

Observers said that with the two countries being major partners, it would be crucial that the candidates for the ambassadors’ posts were accepted by the host governments. A senior government official said the Washington post should not be left vacant for too long. “While other diplomats are building their network with President Barack Obama’s administration, we are left with no ambassador,” he said. “As for Indonesia, a former minister claims that he knows many journalists and the ‘big guns’ there. “He feels that he can build bridges and strengthen bilateral ties, but, frankly speaking, nothing much (on the nomination) has been done.” The official also said it would not be easy for a political appointee to take up the post in Jakarta with the presence of many international organisations there.

“You need experienced diplomats to handle such responsibilities.”If a politician takes up the Jakarta posting, it would not be the first time. Tan Sri Mohamed Rahmat served as ambassador with ministerial ranking in the 1980s.

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Too many politicking.....

A diplomat arrives in Stockholm

What a relief after a week arrived in Stockholm, we went into our new house in Spanga. First impression from outside, not so interesting but once inside the house the perception change. The house is marvellous, my wife likes it, my kids loves it. Im yet to take the picture of the house due to our missing beloved camera.What a start to our new posting.Nevermind, blessing in disguise i assume but whatever it is now i have a reason to buy a new camera...:))

Im now kinddda adjusted to the extreme cold weather in sweden.yesterday was like -15 but today quite ok with 5 celcius.Im going off in shortwhile to look for my new car.Hopefully I can buy my dreamcar BMW X5 soonest...hihihihi

Why some Government officers become corrupt

Blog posting by LKS.I have to agree with him this time around....

Why some Government Officers become corrupt
Letters by R. Ganesh

I was utterly shocked when I read today’s NST dated 2008/12/27, article entitled “ACA officers feel ‘demoralised’ over new salary scale”. In the article, it was stated that Grade 29 officers would be offered a basic salary of RM1,482.85 and RM3,246.48 when they reached the top of the scale. “The maximum year between the basic salary and top of the scale is 22 years while the yearly increase is only RM80.17.”

Police officers in the same grade receive a basic salary of RM1,423.50 with a maximum of RM3,282.77. However, the maximum number of years getting to the top is only 18 years with a yearly increment of RM103.29, the article said. My question here is this, how do you expect an individual in power to refrain from being corrupted when he merely earns RM1500? Nowadays, one can barely survive with RM1500 if one has 3 or 4 mouths to feed at home.

After paying your housing loan, car loan, study loan, EPF, income tax, medicine and supplements, Astro bill, water bill, electric bill, insurances (health, car, home etc), education cost for your children, how does the government expect one to survive with RM1500?
Can you blame an officer if he becomes corrupt?

Those days, corruption meant satisfying your wants and desires illegally. In other words, buying your luxuries with illegally obtained money. But I think these days, people become corrupt merely to survive ie to make ends meet.

It is high time the government revise the salaries of government servants in Malaysia.Malaysia is a super rich country blessed with abundant natural resources. We are thousand times richer than Singapore with oil, palm oil, rubber, tin, iron ore, timber, natural gas, copper, bauxite, coal and even Gold!, and yet, Singapore is far more progressed, richer and first world status. Both countries also Merdeka around the same time.

Singapore has zero natural resources, so how can they be richer than us with a higher GDP than us? Even low level government servants there earn Singapore $4000 a month and you can buy loads of food for the family of four in the supermarket for one whole week for S$100.
Here, the same items in the supermarket, cost around RM400 a week to feed a family of four.
And yet, the government expects their officers to earn RM1500?

Farewell dinner n packing

It has been a very busy weeks for me n family attending various farewell dinner. No time to update my blog. Last week, Hi-Lift, our packing agency came and packs all our stuff in the house. It took them whole day and three journeys back and forth to their warehouse. I still cant believe would be leaving this country I’ve lived in for the past 4 and half years. The house now kindda empty only left with landlord’s stuff and personal belongings we wanna bring to Sweden.

Stuff in the living room

Uploading

1st trip to the warehouse

Drink n Dinner at Chew's

Dinner at Roundhouse Restaurant with Football mates

Russell with his DICK

Malaysian Ladies throwing farewell for my better half

Dinner at Daikoku, Japanese Restaurant with Jason Tan

We would be leaving Port Moresby for KL this 31st December and our flight to Stockholm on 3rd Jan 2009. 2 days rest in KL before taking on 13 hrs journey to the Land of Midnight Sun. To tell the truth, my body in PNG but my mind already in Stockholm…:)))

RMC...

Today the Star posted a news on the recruitment to enter RMC.I was there for 2 years. I'm planning to 'recruit' my 2 boys, Izkey n Danny as RMC Boy in maybe 15-16 years time. As for Sophie, Tengku Kursiah College (TKC) is the only option.
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400 teens vie for 250 places at RMC

KUALA LUMPUR: It is hard to find 15-year-olds willing to give up their PlayStations for two years but that is exactly what more than 400 applicants vying for a place at the Royal Military College (RMC) are willing to sacrifice.

These post-PMR students selected from the more than 1,000 applicants nationwide went through intense physical tests at the RMC yesterday, which included push-ups, sit-ups and running, to determine if they have what it takes to make it at the prestigious military school.

There are vacancies for 250 students at the school.

“I believe this is the best place for me to achieve my dreams and develop my talents,” said Zainal Asnawi Asyraf Zainal Abbidin, who returned on his own accord from the United States, where his father works as a diplomat at the Malaysian Embassy, just to sign up for the RMC.


More than 400 teenagers aspiring to enter the Royal Military College went through intense physical tests yesterday to see if they have what it takes to be recruits. The drills, including push-ups, seemed too much to stomach for some of the post-PMR students. Education at the college includes academics and military training.

“We will have to give up things like video games, TV and in my case, friends. But being successful isn’t easy. You have to sacrifice for it,” Zainal Asnawi said.

Education at the RMC is a combination of academics and military training with a strong focus on discipline and character building.

Prominent RMC alumni include former MCA president Tun Dr Ling Liong Sik and Akademi Fantasia host AC Mizal.

Fatwa.....

I received this piece of article from someone.Very interesting indeed.....
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Makin hari umat Islam makin ditindas dan dikongkong. Bukan oleh orang Cina, atau orang India atau orang Yahudi atau orang Kristian. Tetapi dianiya dan dikongkong oleh orang Islam/Melayu sendiri.

Please read on.

Selepas fatwa pengharaman yoga, fatwa-fatwa yang akan datang adalah seperti berikut :

Disember 2008

Orang Islam dilarang mandi di kolam renang awam. Di kolam renang awam, akan terdapat orang-orang yang bukan Islam yang memakai pakaian renang yang singkat dan mendedahkan aurat (terutamanya amoi-amoi china yang cun dan seksi). Ini boleh menjejaskan akidah orang Islam. Cara yang paling baik ialah kita haramkan orang Islam dari kolam renang awam.

Januari 2009

Orang Islam dilarang pergi ke Pulau Pinang. Ketua Menteri Pulau Pinang adalah seorang yang bukan Islam and majoriti penduduk Pulau Pinang adalah orang yang bukan Islam. Apabila seorang Islam berada di Pulau Pinang, beliau mungkin terhidu bau char keoy tiaw yang dimasak oleh orang bukan Islam dan ini boleh merosakkan akidah kita. Cara yang paling baik ialah kita haramkan orang Islam dari pergi ke Pulau Pinang. Orang Islam yang kini tinggal di Pulau Pinang akan diberi elaun pindah sebanyak RM 3000 untuk membantu mereka berpindah ke negeri-negeri yang lain.Perpindahan ke negeri Kelantan dan Terengganu amat amat digalakkan.

Februari 2009

Orang Islam dilarang meminum root beer. Walaupun root beer tidak mengandungi alkohol, namun perkataan "beer" ini boleh menimbulkan keghairan dan kelakuan tidak senonoh di kalangan orang Islam. Dengan pengharaman root beer, orang Islam bolehlah meminum minuman ringan yang lain tanpa was-was. Ginger beer juga diharamkan.

March 2009

Orang Islam dilarang memakan di kedai Mamak. Walaupun mamak kebanyakkannya Islam, tetapi asal usul mereka adalah India dan ada kemungkinan terdapat unsur-unsur India di dalam perniagaan mereka seperti bercakap Tamil dan memakai seluar dalam buatan India. Untuk mengelakkan sebarang syak wasangka, mulai 1 Mac 2009, orang Islam dilarang dari memakan di kedai mamak (kecuali Tun Mahatir kerana dia sendiri mamak kelasI)

April 2009

Orang Islam dilarang bermain ping pong atau table tennis.Ping pong berasal dari negeri China dan oleh yang demikian, mungkin terdapat unsur-unsur agama Buddha atau Confuciusism di dalam permainan ping pong. Ornag Islam yang terlalu banyak bermain ping pong akan terjejas akidah mereka. Sebagai permainan alternatif, orang Islam digalakkan bermain sepak raga (tetapi bola raga mesti buatan Malaysia, bukan dari Thailand).

Mei 2009

Orang Islam yang berkerja dengan kerajaan dilarang mengambil gaji masing-masing. Ini kerana sebahagian besar pendapatan kerajaan adalah cukai pendapatan yang dibayar oleh syarikat-syarikat orang bukan Islam. Orang Islam digalakkan meminta sedekah dari orang Islam yang lain. Untuk memudahkan permintaan sedekah, bakal peminta sedekah digalakkan mencangkung di hadapan bangunan UMNO.

Jun 2009

Orang Islam dilarang keluar negara. Terdapat terlalu banyak godaan yang boleh meruntuhkan akhlak dan akidah orang Islam. Perkara ini telahpun dikaji dengan teliti hasil lawatan sambil belajar ke Bangkok oleh Majlis Fatwa Kebangsaan baru-baru ini. Oleh yang demikian, orang orang Islam diminta menyerahkan balik paspot masing-masing ke jabatanimmigresen secepat mungkin. Perjalanan keluar negara hanya dibenarkan untuk menteri-menteri dan orang kuat UMNO sahaja, itupun hanya jika diiringi oleh ahli Majlis Fatwa Kebangsaan.

Julai 2009

Orang Islam dilarang berfikir di waktu siang. Kebanyakkan masalah jenayah dan maksiat wujud kerana orang-orang yang tak ada kerja berfikir yang bukan-bukan. Untuk membenteras maslah jeneyah dan maksiat,orang-orang Islam mulai 1 Julai 2009, dilarang dari menggunakan otak mereka diwaktu siang. Pemikiran mereka akan dipantau oleh Majlis Fatwa Kebangsaan dengan menggunakan sekumpulan specially trained monkeys. Orang Islam boleh menggunakan otak mereka di waktu malam tetapi pemikiran dihadkan kepada perkara-perkara berkaitan dengan makan dan minum sahaja.

Please do not laugh. Many of the above will become a reality if we do not do anything. The rational-thinking muslims in this country are simply not doing anything. We let a very small minority of narrow-minded idiots to control our lives. We, especially the Malay muslims, arefast becoming a laughing stock worldwide. We are obsessed with the little little things. When there are so many important things remain to be done,why must the Fatwa folks spend their time on little things.. tomboys, yoga, etc, etc. Why don't we ever hear anything from the Fatwa folks for social justice, eradicating corruption and poverty, protecting single mothers, helping the poors, educating the ummah, protecting the environment or ensuring fairness in society.

If you are a rationale, forward thinking muslim, please speak up. If you choose to remain silent, it only means that you agree with whatever is happening. And do not blame the non-muslims for all our troubles. We are asking for it.

Bukhari Hood

Shah Alam