masterwordsmith-unplugged

Of late, I have been wondering about the greatness of some leaders to remind myself that all is not lost in the brave pursuit for a renewed, revived and reformed Malaysia. With the dearth of genuine leaders of caliber, I was greatly encouraged when someone told me about Dr. Lim Hock Siew, a Singaporean who holds the record of being the second longest serving political prisoner. Yup- you read it right. While many may wax lyrical about Singapore, the untold story is that they have their own version/practice of ISA.

Dr Lim, a founding member of Singapore’s ruling PAP, was incarcerated for 19 years without trial from 1963 to 1982 on “suspicions” of being a “communist”. Singapore’s longest political prisoner is Mr Chia Thye Poh, who spent 32 years behind bars, longer than Nelson Mandela and Aung San Suu Syi.

When I first watched the following video, I was awestruck by this humble, gentle-looking elderly person - soft spoken and yet radiating a strength from his eyes and not by sheer force of personality. I had to turn up the volume of my speakers and at certain times was miffed by the sound of laughter that drowned the sincere voice of a giant called Dr. Lim.

The video was taken of Dr Lim during the book launch of the “Fajar Generation”, a book relating the history of the University Socialist Club and the politics of post-war Malaya and Singapore.

In the video, Dr Lim first described the ordeals he had been through as a political detainee, including being placed in solitary confinement in the most “hideous” prison in Singapore – the Central Police Station:

“That was a place not fit to keep animals let alone human beings. The place was so dark, so stinky and so ill-ventilated that you cannot stand inside for more than 24 hours but I was locked in there for 24 hours a day and the whole place was infested with bugs. I had a lot of bugs for company, no reading material and the light was so dim that I could hardly see the crease of my hand.”

On the basis of principles which he held dearly and not because of pride, Dr Lim did not relent to the demands of his captors to renounce politics and show “repentance”.

In the course of his career as an activist, he had tried to challenge and overturn the government’s decision to detain him on several occasions to no avail. When he was released from detention briefly due to a technical error, he was re-arrested a minute later by the Special Branch.

Upon his release in 1982, Dr Lim retired from politics altogether . Very few young Singaporeans have heard about him or his colleagues in the opposition Barisan Sosialist. I am sure many Malaysians have not heard of him either. I would encourage you to watch the following video not once, but many times, to hear for yourself, the horrible experiences that he went through.

And as you do, please remember the other ISA detainees in Malaysia, Singapore and other places that practise this archaic law that has outlived its original usefulness and then to step up our effort to lobby for this law to be abolished once and for all.

"You must say something to show repentance," the ISD officer told his captive, "otherwise Lee Kuan Yew will lose face." Dr Lim Hock Siew recounts his 20-year ordeal under the caprice of the PAP Government. The speech is peppered with humourous remarks, but Dr Lim's horrifying experience is anything but that. This is a video, courtesy of Mr Martyn See, that everyone in this world, must watch.

Dr. Lim, you have my deepest and utmost respect for the integrity, courage, conviction and commitment you have shown to your cause, beliefs and principles.

Did you know that Singapore Law Minister told an American audience a few weeks ago that the ISA is not abused in Singapore and there are “proper” procedures in place to safeguard the welfare and rights of the detainees?

He did not elaborate the “proper” procedures in place to safeguard the welfare and rights of the detainees”.

Dr. Lim paid the price for integrity = 20 years of his life. I have tears in my eyes as I type this. How many people would have been able to withstand the aftermath of paying such a heavy price of freedom for ideals and then to emerge from it all with a deep sense of peace and with an even stronger conviction? Innocent ISA detainees (past and present) all over the world must be remembered. People such as Dr. Lim, Said Zahari, Dr. Chia Thye Poh (the longest serving prisoner of Conscience in the World); Lim Chin Siong (deceased) and the many unsung heroes must not be forgotten. Their sacrifices must not be swept under the carpet of sanitized history. For the benefit of our children and their children and future generations…to come, this story and that of many ISA detainees must be told.

The cruelty must never be allowed to happen again.




Read Dr. Lim Hock Siew's 1972 press release OVER HERE.

A review of THE FAJAR GENERATION can be accessed AT THIS LINK.

Once you finish watching the video, please pass it on and leave a comment if you like. Perhaps by then, you will be both teary-eyed like me and inspired to fight for the abolishment of the ISA. Truly, Dr. Lim stands head and shoulders above us all!

Take care, dear reader and have a pleasant evening thinking about the message and legacy that Dr. Lim has left with us.

Four men were bragging about how smart their cats were. The first man was an Engineer, the second man was an Accountant, the third man was a Chemist and the fourth man was a Government Employee. To show off, the Engineer called his cat, ‘T-square, do your stuff.’ T-square pranced over to the desk, took out some paper and pen and promptly drew a circle, a square, and a triangle. Everyone agreed that was pretty smart.

But the Accountant said his cat could do better. He called his cat and said, ‘Spreadsheet, do your stuff.’ Spreadsheet went out to the kitchen and returned with a dozen cookies. He divided them into 4 equal piles of 3 cookies …………Everyone agreed that was good.

But the Chemist said his cat could do better. He called his cat and said ‘Measure, do your stuff.’ Measure got up, walked to the fridge, took out a quart of milk,, got a 10 ounce glass from the cupboard and poured exactly 8 ounces without spilling a drop into the glass. Everyone agreed that was pretty good.

Then the three men turned to the Government Employee and said,‘What can your cat do?'

The Government Employee called his cat and said…. ‘Coffee Break…..do your stuff.’ Coffee Break jumped to his feet………..

Ate the cookies……..
Drank the milk………….
Sh*t on the paper………………..
Screwed the other three cats……..
Claimed he injured his back while doing so………………
Filed a grievance report for unsafe working conditions.
Put in for Workers Compensation……..and
Went home for the rest of the day on sick leave…………..!!!!!!!!!!

*This joke is specially for Cat-in-Sydney :-), my dear blogger friend from where else? Sydney! I think I posted it before but it is worth another read :-).
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The following joke is specially for Pug. (I have to be fair and show no partiality to dogs or cats.)

To All Non-Pet Owners Who Visit & Like to Complain About Our Pets

1. They live here. You don’t.

2. If you don’t want their hair on your clothes, stay off the furniture. (That’s why they call it ‘fur’niture.)

3. To you, it’s an animal. To me, he/she is an adopted son/daughter who is short, hairy, walks on all fours and doesn’t speak clearly.

Remember:

Dogs and cats are better than kids because they:

1. Eat less
2. Don’t ask for money all the time
3 Are easier to train.
4. Normally come when called
5. Never ask to drive the car
6. Don’t hang out with drug-using friends
7. Don’t smoke or drink
8. Don’t have to buy the latest fashions
9. Don’t want to wear your clothes
10. Don’t need a gazillion dollars for college, and…
11. If they get pregnant, you can sell their children.

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A blonde and her husband are lying in bed, not able to sleep because of the neighbors constantly barking dog. It has been in the backyard barking for hours and hours. The blonde jumps up out of bed and says, ‘I’ve had enough of this!’

She goes downstairs. The blonde finally comes back up to bed and her husband says, ‘The dog is still barking, what have you been doing?’ The blonde says, ‘I put the dog in our backyard, let’s see how THEY like it.’
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Unforgettable nursery rhymes

Mary had a little p**,
She kept it fat and plastered;
And when the price of p*rk went up,
She shot the little bastard.
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Mary had a little lamb.
Her father shot it dead.
Now it goes to school with her,
Between two chunks of bread.
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Jack and Jill went up the hill
To have a little fun.
Stupid Jill forgot the pill
And now they have a son.
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Simple Simon met a pie man going to the fair.
Said Simple Simon to the pie man,
“What have you got there?”
Said the pie man unto Simon,
“Pies, you dumb ass”
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Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall,
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.
All the kings’ horses,
And all the kings’ men.
Had scrambled eggs,
For breakfast again.
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Hey diddle, diddle, the cat took a piddle,
All over the bedside clock.
The little dog laughed to see such fun.
Then died of electric shock.
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Georgie Porgy pudding and pie,
Kissed the girls and made them cry.
And when the boys came out to play,
He kissed them too ’cause he was g**.

*No offense meant - just for humor.
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There was a little girl who had a little curl
Right in the middle of her forehead.
When she was good, she was very, very good.
But when she was bad……..
She got a fur coat, jewels, a waterfront condo, and a sports car.

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Sometime this year we taxpayers may receive an Economic Stimulus payment.

This is a very exciting new program, the explanation is via the Q and A format:

Q. What is an Economic Stimulus payment?
A. It is money that the federal government will send to taxpayers.

Q. Where will the government get this money?
A. From taxpayers.

Q.. So the government is giving me back my own money?
A. Only a smidgen.

Q. What is the purpose of this payment?
A. The plan is that you will use the money to purchase a high-definition TV set, thus stimulating the economy.

Q. But isn’t that stimulating the economy of China ?
A. Shut up.

Below is some helpful advice on how to best help the Canadian economy by spending your stimulus check wisely:

* If you spend the stimulus money at Wal-Mart, the money will go to China .
* If you spend it on gasoline, your money will go to the Arabs.
* If you purchase a computer, it will go to India .
* If you purchase fruit and vegetables, it will go to Mexico , China Honduras and Guatemala .
* If you buy a car, it will go to Japan or Korea .
* If you purchase useless stuff, it will go to Taiwan .
* If you pay your credit cards off, or buy stock, it will go to management bonuses and they will hide it offshore.

Instead, keep the money in Canada by:

1 spending it at yard sales, or
2 going to ball games, or
3 spending it on prostitutes, or
4 beer or
5 tattoos

(These are the only Canadian businesses still operating in Canada )

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Have a nice day folks! Next post is still in the oven and will be coming up soon. Swing by again ok? Thanks!



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A young, good-looking cowboy walked into a drug store in Montana and asked
to speak to a male pharmacist. The woman he was talking to said that she was the only pharmacist and as she and her sister owned the store, there were no males employed there. She then asked if she could help him.

The cowpoke said that it was something that he would be much more
comfortable discussing with a male pharmacist. The female pharmacist assured him that she was completely professional and whatever it was that he needed to discuss, he could be confident that she would treat him with the highest level of professionalism.

The cowboy reluctantly agreed and began by saying, ‘This is tough for me to discuss, but I have a permanent erec****. It causes me a lot of problems and severe embarrassment, and I was wondering what you could give me for it.’

The pharmacist said, ‘Just a minute, I’ll talk to my sister.’ When she
returned, she said, We discussed it at length and the absolute best we can
do is as follows: 1/3 ownership in the store, a company pickup truck, and $3,000 a month living expenses!
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Why is it that people say they “slept like a baby” when babies wake up like every two hours?

If a deaf person has to go to court, is it still called a hearing?

If you drink Pepsi at work in the Coke factory, will they fire you?

Why are you IN a movie, but you’re ON TV?

Why do people pay to go up tall buildings and then put money in binoculars to look at things on the ground?

How come we choose from just two people for President and fifty for Miss America?

Why do doctors leave the room while you change? They’re going to see you naked anyway.

If a 911 operator has a heart attack, whom does he/she call?

Why is “bra” singular and “panties” plural?

Do illiterate people get the full effect of Alphabet soup?

Who was the first person to look at a cow and say, “I think I’ll squeeze these dangly things here, and drink whatever comes out!”

Why do toasters always have a setting that burns the toast to a horrible crisp, which no decent human being woul d eat?

Why is there a light in the fridge and not in the freezer?

When your photo is taken for your driver’s license, why do they tell you to smile? If you are stopped by the police and asked for your license, are you going to be smiling?

If Jimmy cracks corn and no one cares, why is there a stupid song about him?

Can a hearse carrying a corpse drive in the carpool lane?

If the professor on Gilligan’s Island can make a radio out of a coconut, why can’t he fix a hole in a boat?

Why do people point to their wrist when asking for the time, but don’t point to their crotch when they ask where the bathroom is?

Why does Goofy stand erect while Pluto remains on all fours? They’re both dogs!

What do you call male ballerinas?

If Wyle E. Coyo te had enough money to buy all that ACME crap, why didn’t he just buy dinner?

If corn oil is made from corn, and vegetable oil is made from vegetables, what is baby oil made from?

If electricity comes from electrons, does morality come from morons?

Is Disney World the only people trap operated by a mouse?

Do the Alphabet song and Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star have the same tune?

Why did you just try singing the two songs above?

Why do they call it an asteroid when it’s outside the hemisphere, but call it a hemorrhoid when it’s in your butt?

Did you ever notice that when you blow in a dog’s face, he gets mad at you, but when you take him for a car ride; he sticks his head out the window?

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Yes, I know I am very crazy posting on a variety of subjects :-). No matter what, midday humor is a must to help us make it through the rest of the day!

Have a nice day, dear reader! Next post is still baking in the oven so do swing by again later.

Jet lag had taken its uncompromising toll and I awoke from my slumber around noon. Hunger and thirst are just as uncompromising and it was not without haste that the room service menu was scanned and an item or four were selected and the call to place my order, taken by a young man whose command of Ingrish seemed adequate though a little confused ,completed.

I looked around my room,a very well appointed room I may add,for something to take my mind off the pangs of hunger that wracked my shrivelled stomach.There was a bowl of delicious fruits sitting on the occasional table of my room that emitted signals of allure but no -I would wait the few moments, before my room service feast arrived,with determination and detachment. I would read of the delights of KL from the huge selection of material that was contained in an elegantly bound folder on the just as elegant,writing desk. Twenty minutes passed…thirty minutes passed - still no food.A quick call to room service was answered by a colleague of the young man who had originally taken my order.They were obviously more than just colleagues - they must have been school pals for they both spoke the same heavily accented Ingrish.

“Yes,Yes”, I was assured “foot is finish..on way now”. Within moments a knock at the door heralded the arrival of my “foot”. A splendidly dressed gentleman entered at my beckoning and deposited a very large,domed covered,tray onto the dining table dwelling only long enough to take the proffered 20 ringgit note with a slight bow of the head and a whispered”thank you sir”. It was with the speed of a thousand gazelles that the dome was dispensed with and the contents of the tray surveyed ..there sitting lonely and forlorn was burger and French fries and coffee.

I had ordered the butterfly tiger prawn in tomato, basil,and chili sauce starter,the selection of sea food salad with a light Italian dressing, a banana, orange,and tropical fruit tartlet garnished with fresh cream and to complete the gastronomic transport of delight a pot of Earl Grey tea.

I pondered long and hard. Should a call to room service be made or should I politely point out that my order had got mixed up with that of some other guest or should I make representation in the strongest of terms - no.I would do just like any English man would do and eat the bloody burger. Well, we no longer have the resources,as my forebears did, to send gunboats up rivers to deal with a rebellious populace diplomacy would be the watchword for today, even if it meant my palate would have to bear the assault from a dish that I don’t call food - it is a food for those devoid of taste buds…it,s a food for those who have no time for food. It is well described as junk food.

Showered and suitably dressed in tropical weight trousers and a crisp cotton shirt, I entered the lounge bar with an air of lighthearted abandon. I seated myself at the bar and awaited the attention of the lone barman who,in time honoured tradition,was depositing the moisture from his breath onto the inner and outer surfaces of glasses to be subsequently polished,with the same towel that he wiped down the bar, and stacked awaiting the unlucky customer who would return home with God knows what infections. As I was,within an hour or so,to start the next leg of my journey,the drive from KL to Kuantan, I thought it prudent to take a non-alcoholic drink but I wanted,also,to avoid a beverage that would be contained within a glass so recently inflicted with the barman's spittle.Something hot I thought…no…no… an ice cold beer wouldn't hurt …just one beer …drunk from the bottle.That will fit the bill.

A bottle of Carlsberg was ordered and,without asking,poured into a glass and delivered to my place at the bar.Again, without the arrogance that gunboat diplomacy offers, I hesitantly sipped the golden nectar and nodded,in thanks, to the barman in total surrender.

It was around this time I felt a sensation that I believed I would not experience in these climes.I was cold - in fact I was suffering from the onset of hypothermia. I was sat in a chair that was under attack from a chill wind that would not disgrace a January night on Bodmin moor. As I looked around to see if other customers were suffering as I was I noticed that all my companions at the bar were positioned on the opposite side of the room,not an overcoat or pair of gloves to be seen,happily chatting and laughing. My brief few strides across the room was akin to descending from an Alpine mountain into the lush,green,valley below…a temperature difference of roughly 20 degrees must be easily recorded within the confines of that bar. A knowing smile was directed at me from a seasoned regular attendee. I imagined that a similar smile was exchanged between Stanley and Livingstone when they met on the banks of Lake Tanganika,in 1871,each acknowledging the rigours and hardship that they had both endured to be at their destination.

With suitcase in attendance, I left the lift and made my way towards the concierge's desk.The hotel concourse was extremely busy with arrive,s registering their arrival and awaiting allocation of rooms.I patiently waited my turn and was eventually attended to by one of the ever so efficient looking clerks. I signed the account sheets that were put before me- three of them-offered my company credit card which was taken to an office situated behind the desk and waited for its return. Soon the ever so efficient clerk returned the card,and a map I had requested previously,and made for the exit into the car park hoping that the company that made the map was not the same company that made airport route cards.

It was to be only two hours before I realised just how efficient that young counter clerk had been when,after filling my hire car with fuel,it was noticed that the credit card I offered in payment was in fact not mine but the card belonging to a Mr. Choy May and, as my western features did not exactly fit the requirements needed to be the owner of a Chinese name,the authorities were called.

Oh the nasty things I wished on that ever so efficient young man as I explained to a non English speaking police officer who,thanks to the intervention of a fellow motorist who interpreted for me and a frantic call to the hotel,finally accepted that a mistake had been made and payment would be made in cash.

So - Lessons learnt today.

Lesson seven Always order a burger from room service - it saves on disappointment.

Lesson eight Without the presence of a gunboat all Englishmen are cowards.

Lesson nine Without doubt Malaysian air conditioning is the world's most efficient capable of bringing a Siberian winter to the Golden Triangle of downtown KL.

Lesson ten A westerner has a snowball in hell's chance of impersonating an Oriental.

Lesson Eleven All mothers must teach their children to check their credit cards before leaving the store/hotel/restaurant.

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You can read Journey of Enlightenment Part 1 at THIS LINK.

This post was written by a very dear blog reader who is now a very good friend. We have been corresponding via e-mail for almost a year now and I always look forward to his mails, each of which is deeply treaured. He comes from Scotland and has a beautiful wife and the most adorable daughter. Tony has written a few posts for me in this blog HERE, HERE, HERE and also AT THIS LINK. Thanks, Tony, for this wonderful write-up. We are waiting with bated breath for the next part of your story.

Dear reader, if you would like to share your thoughts/experiences in this blog, please leave your post and email address in the comment box and I will get in touch with you. It would certainly be a pleasure to hear from you and to host your article. Thank you. Have a nice day!

The winds of change are blowing in Malaysia, as the government is taking on an ambitious agenda of structural reform. The objective is to climb up the income ladder and join the league of high-income economies. This is a difficult challenge – one which not many countries have successfully met in the post-war period.

Against this backdrop, the World Bank’s launch of a new report on the Malaysian economy is timely. The Malaysia Economic Monitor, which will be published twice a year, aims to provide context to the challenges facing Malaysia and serve as a platform for discussion and the sharing of knowledge.

Knowledge-sharing is a requisite for the innovation- and knowledge-dependent economy which Malaysia aspires to develop. In this spirit, the Malaysia Economic Monitor aims to serve as a platform for discussion and is accompanied with a major outreach effort to policymakers, private sector leaders, market participants, civil society, think tanks and journalists.

What in a nutshell are some of the key findings of our report?

One finding is that the recent crisis was to some extent a distraction from Malaysia’s fundamental challenges. Yes, Malaysia was hard hit in terms of headline GDP figures and yes, the fiscal deficit rose to levels that raised investor concern. But Malaysia was spared the financial impact of the crisis that crippled advanced economies and the crisis remained very much a manufacturing-for-exports crisis with only moderate spillovers to the rest of the real economy. The fiscal deficit is also much lower when looking beyond headline numbers and including the entire public sector.

Malaysia’s fundamental challenge – simply put – is the need to revitalize the dynamism of its economy. Epitomizing this challenge is the anemic performance of private investment, which fell with the Asian crisis from 30 percent to some 10 percent of GDP and – unlike other countries in the East Asia and Pacific region – remained at that level and never recovered. The flipside of this is the large current account surplus, which indicates that the Malaysian private sector is voting with its feet.

National savings have increasingly gone to finance opportunities abroad, which by revealed preference seem to attract greater returns. Looking ahead, with the emergence of China and India on the global stage, this trend is unlikely to be reversed. In addition, as the global economy rebalances, competition for export market share and foreign direct investment will likely intensify. These external factors make it all the more necessary for Malaysia to revitalize the dynamism of its economy, so that national savings can find their way back into the country.

Click here to view the rest of the story.

CLICK HERE to download the FULL REPORT from The World Bank.

CLICK HERE to download The Executive Summary.

CLICK HERE to download Chapter 1, HERE for Chapter 2 and HERE for Chapter 3 of the report from The World Bank.

*Many thanks to my goddaughter who sent me the information for this post. She is currently doing her doctorate studies in Transportation Technology and Policy at the University of California, Davis. She was my Economics student in 1995. Earlier, she studied at UC @ Irvine and UC @ San Diego.