Number 10: Because You want meaning in life.
In the hustle of today’s busy lifestyles, lots of people suddenly realize that their lives have lost a sense of meaning or purpose. They begin to ask themselves, “What is my life all about?” Why do I do what I do?” There is widespread confusion in our culture with regard to morality and truth. The Byzantine Catholic Church offers a beacon of light that gives meaning to our existence and leads to eternal life if we persevere.

Number 9: Because you want to experience a church that speaks to contemporary society while worshipping as the earliest Christians did, discovering more about the early Church, and being firmly centered on the teachings of Jesus Christ.
The Byzantine Catholic Church traces its foundation to the 12 Apostles of Christ who were the companions of Jesus as he walked on this earth some 2000 years ago. The spiritual heritage of the Byzantine Catholic Church is the same given to us by the Apostles and which matured in the Christian East, during the period of the Byzantine Empire. This heritage includes the doctrines, liturgical practices and underlying theology and spirituality which come to us from the Christian Church of the Byzantine Empire. This heritage is shared among all of the Christian peoples, regardless of ethnicity or nationality, who trace their spiritual roots to the Great Church of Constantinople, and the Byzantine religious culture which grew from that Church. From the First Millennium, Christians of the Byzantine tradition have referred to themselves as “Orthodox Christians”. Byzantine Catholics are Orthodox Christians who embrace full communion with the Church of Rome and its primate, Pope Benedict XVI, the successor of St. Peter, the first among the Apostles.

Number 8: You are looking for a Christian path to God more mystical than legalistic.
The mysticism of Byzantine Catholicism consists in the union between man and God through faith and love. This mysticism tends toward a lasting - though a constantly growing - state of inner sanctification. Byzantines, in proportion to their spiritual development, share in the life of Our Lord, of the Most Holy Theotokos and the Saints. The Byzantine services are based on this mystical realism. This concept of mysticism has nothing of the “ecstasy” by which later mysticism, in both East and West, is dominated. The mysticism of the Byzantine Catholic is based on the underlying urge of the human soul to escape its profane confines and dwell in another world befitting its non material nature.

Regarding theology and doctrine: Early Christianity did not like to analyze revealed truths by means of scholastic methods, nor did it make use of philosophy for the explanation and exposition of particular mysteries. Therefore, the Byzantine Catholic humbly inclines himself before the mystery. Refusing the effort to penetrate it, he safeguards himself from serious errors. His theology is a singing of “hymns” before God, hidden in mysteries, rather than an attempt to solve the mysteries, which attempt inevitably brings its own punishment.

Number 7: You are looking for a style of worship service that reflects the presence of the risen Christ among you in glory and joy.
Byzantine Catholic use all the senses to express this glory visually through icons, vestments, candles; by scent with incense and perfumes; by sound through continual singing; by taste with blessed foods and by physical gestures such as bowing, prostrating and crossing ourselves to express wonder at the glory of God. Our Divine Liturgy is a bridge between earth and heaven which draws us closer to God not out of obligation, but by a genuine desire to be made worthy.

Number 6: Because you are looking for a challenging Faith, a Faith that expects more from you than just attending service on Sunday.
Byzantine Catholicism is not a way of life, it is life itself, it is not a superficial feel good religion. Byzantine Catholics are expected to take an active role in public worship, fellowship and service. Byzantine Catholics are expected to have a private life of prayer, fasting, and sharing. The road to Byzantine Catholicism can be bumpy, since most of us in the United States were born and raised quite differently. The sights, sounds, scent, and even the vocabulary of the Byzantine Catholic Church is much different than that most of us have experienced in our upbringing.

Number 5: Because you need to forgive others.
Some times people hold on to anger and resentment toward individuals who have hurt them deeply. Maybe it was a family member or friend. Maybe it was someone: a sister, priest or something, in the Church.

“Will God ever forgive me?”

Our modern culture condones and encourages anger and revenge. But hatred and bitterness are spiritual cancers that eat at the heart of a person. The Byzantine Catholic Church provides the opportunity to seek God’s help in forgiving others, even when the other person does not ask for forgiveness or does not deserve it. The ability to forgive is a gift that opens a person’s heart more fully to God’s love and peace.

Number 4: Because you want to be healed.
You may carry deep spiritual wounds. You may struggle with anger at God over bad things that happen — a terminal illness, a debilitating injury, a broken relationship, mental or emotional problems, an act of violence against an innocent person, an unexplainable accident, some natural disaster, the death of a loved one or some other deep disappointment. The Byzantine Catholic Church cannot change these situations or explain why they happened. But there are people in the Church who can assist in the process of spiritual healing and help you get on with your life.

Number 3: Because you want your children to have a faith foundation.
You may want to join the Byzantine Catholic Church because you recognize that raising children in a culture that promotes “doing your own thing” can lead to disaster. Children need to experience the spiritual dimensions of life. They need a structured system of belief and a firm moral foundation that goes beyond human logic and reasoning. You may want to join because you want a solid foundation upon which your children can build their lives.

Number 2: Because you want to be part of a faith community.
You may be seeking a sense of belonging. But community is more than just friendly people, good sermons, and interesting activities. A Byzantine Catholic Christian community is a group of people who gather around the person of Jesus Christ to worship God and live in the light of the Holy Spirit. Byzantine Catholics come together at Divine Liturgy, in the Holy Mysteries, and in parish activities to pray, to celebrate joys,, to mourn losses, to serve others, to provide support, and to receive strength for daily life. A Byzantine Catholic parish offers all of this - and much more - to people who recognize the importance of walking with others toward union with God.

Number 1: Because you want to experience Jesus Christ’s Presence in the Holy Mysteries especially in the Eucharist.
The Byzantine Catholic Church celebrates seven Holy Mysteries, known as Sacraments in Western Christianity, which confer God’s Grace through the presence of Christ. They Holy Mysteries are: Baptism, Eucharist, Holy Chismation, Holy Penance, Matrimony, Holy Orders, and Holy Unction. It is the Mystery of the Eucharist that people will experience most often. The Byzantine Catholic Church believes in the Real Presence of Our Lord Jesus Christ in the Bread and Wine. This Mystery was instituted by Jesus at the Last Supper. Through the Eucharist we receive the Lord’s body into our physical body that we may become him whom we receive!

What would make you top 10 list?

Excerpts were taken from:
Lorene Hanley of Our Sunday Visitor
Basil Shereghy - Author of “The Byzantine Catholics”

Some points to consider:

i) Minister of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Shahrir Samad recently said that the oil subsidy was RM56 billion.

ii) Second Finance Minister Nor Mohamad Yakcop stated that the amount is RM28 billion.

iii) The Federal Government’s 2007 financial report marks it at RM12 billion.

Estimations would put the subsidy figure to around RM8-10 billion. If that’s not eye-opening enough, see this:-

How now? Don’t you think we really got cheated?

Ong Kian Ming and Oon Yeoh

Previously, we talked about how PKR

MCPX

de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim has not admitted to – and probably will never admit to – previous mistakes while he was part of the Barisan Nasional government. And as such, he would never apologise for them.

In today’s piece, we want to deal with another important and somewhat related matter, which is can he be trusted?

Those who have observed Anwar over the years would probably agree to the following adjectives to describe him – slick, shrewd, cunning. These words do not necessarily have positive connotations and for good reason.

Anwar has often been accused of being a political chameleon – capable of adjusting his messages depending on the audience he’s addressing. He’s great at massaging his messages in such a way that you feel he’s telling you exactly what you want to hear. A smooth operator.

That doesn’t mean that he is inconsistent or hypocritical – Dr Mahathir Mohamad has that market cornered. In fact, he’s been very consistent in his policies since his release from prison. Take for example, his stance that the New Economic Policy (NEP) needs to be dismantled and replaced with something more inclusive. Even though he has been criticised by Umno over this matter, he has not relented once.

Two questions are relevant in regard to whether Anwar can be trusted. Firstly, is he a changed man? Secondly, does this even matter?

Is Anwar the Reformasi Man the same political animal as the Anwar the deputy prime minister? We think that having gone through what he has, it would be difficult for him not to have changed as a result.

Anwar went from the pinnacle of political power to the depths of political humiliation. He was charged with abuse of power and committing sodomy. He was beaten up by the then-chief of police. And his name – as well as those around him – was dragged through the mud by the mainstream media. Never before had a Malaysian politician of his stature felt the heavy hand of the state against him in the way Anwar did.

When he was locked up, he didn’t wallow in self-pity. He used his time productively to read and to do copious amounts of soul searching. It’s hard to imagine that the six years he spent in that cold jail cell failed to change him in some very profound and fundamental ways.

He will not renege on his promises

But even if one is cynical and believes that he has not changed, does it matter provided he carries out all the reforms he has promised?

There is little doubt in our minds that he would free up the media, abolish the Internal Security Act and reform the Universities and University Colleges Act if he becomes the next PM. He would also dismantle the NEP and replace it with something better. You can also throw in a Freedom of Information Act to boot. In other words, he would implement all the things that civil society expects him to.

Why are we so confident about that?

Quite simply, because it would be to his strategic advantage to carry out such reforms. In fact, there is only upside and no downside for him to do so. He would be seen as the man who was responsible for ‘freeing’ up Malaysia and for turning it into a real democracy. He would become the greatest PM Malaysia ever had.

And what if he reneges on his promises – promises that have been widely-publicised domestically and internationally? Think of it this way. If Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi could suffer so badly politically in such a short span of time because of his failure to keep his promises of reform, imagine how much more Anwar would suffer if he didn’t live up to expectations.

Many of the young and idealistic people who have joined PKR have done so precisely because they’ve bought into his progressive vision for the future. These very same people would leave his party in droves if he starts reneging on his promises. His popular support amongst the masses would dry up and Pakatan Rakyat would disintegrate as his coalition partners desert him.

So, not only do we think he will do all that he has promised to do, we think he will do them in lightning quick fashion. In that sense, he is the antithesis of Abdullah – a glacially slow reformer if there ever was one. Everything about Anwar shows that he can’t wait to implement reforms. What is his campaign about, if not reforms?

Now, is this because he truly believes in all these reforms? Or would he implement them for vainglorious reasons – because they are politically popular things to do and he wants a permanent place in the history book?

There’s no way to read the hearts of men. We don’t know, for example, whether he’s absolutely sincere or not when he says that he believes in a free press. But we do know that he has said this on far too many occasions for him to backtrack on it once he comes to power.

At the end of the day, the proof of the pudding is in the tasting. If Anwar does deliver on all his reform promises, does it even matter whether he’s sincere or trustworthy in the eyes of his critics? What’s important is that he implements reforms. And we have every reason to believe he will do that. [Malaysiakini]

MCPXIn a recent interview in The Star, Haris Ibrahim, the initiator behind the People’s Parliament, made an intriguing observation. He said that he would like to hear PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim apologise for all his actions (and inactions) during his 16 years in govern

by Ong Kian Ming and Oon Yeoh

MCPX

In a recent interview in The Star, Haris Ibrahim, the initiator behind the People’s Parliament, made an intriguing observation. He said that he would like to hear PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim apologise for all his actions (and inactions) during his 16 years in government.

“My contention is very simple,” he says. “Tell this nation, ‘I was wrong. I am sorry and I want to work with you’, and I think we can move forward.”

Haris added that he had been tracking Anwar’s public statements for the last few years and he has yet to see him make an unqualified apology to the nation.

The question of whether Anwar should admit and apologise for certain mistakes or wrongdoings is all the more relevant now that there is a serious possibility he might become the next prime minister if his Pakatan Rakyat coalition takes over power.

Anwar is no angel nor is he a saint. During his time in the upper echelons of the Umno leadership, and especially as deputy prime minister, he was guilty of doing many of the things he now criticises.

His maneuverings to control the media is well-known in journalism circles. He also allowed for undeserved appointments to top positions in public universities. And he also had his fair share of corporate cronies, details of which can be found in KS Jomo’s book ‘Malaysia’s Political Economy’.

While Anwar has, on occasion, bucked the Umno way, for example when he spoke up for Lim Guan Eng over his sedition trial and subsequent prosecution, these instances were few and far between and are vastly outnumbered by the times when he made use of the system rather than go against it.

Anwar has been questioned on his role within the administration time and again after his release from prison. In many of these interviews, most notably on BBC’s ‘Hardtalk’, he was evasive rather than frank and never once did he own up to his mistakes. As long as he refuses to come to terms with his Umno past, this matter will keep cropping up.

An admission and apology will get this monkey off his back and enable him to start off on a clean slate. In the United States, it’s not uncommon for politicians to apologise for their actions in the past. For example, many political and even religious leaders have apologised for their actions (and non-actions) during the tumultuous and historic civil rights movement in the 1960s.

Anwar can do the same but we don’t think he will. There are two possible reasons for this. Firstly, he might have the ‘George W Bush Syndrome’ of not wanting to ever admit to any mistakes, much less wrongdoings. Secondly, he might not want to give ammunition to his enemies in Umno.

Love means not having to say you’re sorry

Casting himself as a victim of the system (which he certainly was) rather than someone who was complicit in its actions for a long period of time (which he also was) has not harmed his international reputation. But there are enough people in this country who have a knee-jerk distrust of – and in some cases, disdain for – him. For that reason, he should own up and apologise.

The ‘George W Bush Syndrome’ - he has to grapple with on his own. We can’t help him there. But if he’s afraid that Umno will be able to exploit any mea culpa about past mistakes, we believe it’s totally possible for him to apologise in such a way that gives nothing to his enemies.

Anwar could say that he was misled, that he was sucked into the system, that it was a shortcoming on his part to succumb to Umno’s ways. He could then say that after suffering through six years of jail and experiencing firsthand just how unfair the system is, he is now a truly changed man. He can then vow never to do such things again. Such a move would warm the hearts of the people who still don’t trust him, including Haris Ibrahim.

Perhaps the best opportunity for him to do this would be when (or rather, if) he manages to take over the government. It would make sense for him to do so from a position of strength. An admission of guilt, a heartfelt apology, and then the unveiling of a grand vision for the future would be an excellent start for an Anwar administration.

While we believe he probably can topple the current government in due time, we don’t think he will ever apologise for past mistakes. Nothing in his public statements or demeanor suggests he will. For Anwar, sorry seems to be the hardest word.

He probably believes that if he makes all the key reforms he has promised – such as dismantling the Internal Security Act, freeing up the media, replacing the New Economic Policy with something more inclusive – it would be enough to secure his legacy. It’s said that love means not ever having to say you’re sorry. Anwar probably thinks this applies to politics as well.

Anwar may suffer from the ‘George W Bush Syndrome’ but he also has a ‘Nelson Mandela Complex’. If he wants to be seen as the great leader that he potentially could be, it would do well for him to be big-hearted enough to admit that he was wrong in the past and to apologise for his mistakes. [Malaysiakini]

Part 2 tomorrow: Can he be trusted?

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ONG KIAN MING is a PhD candidate in political science at Duke University and OON YEOH is a writer and new media analyst. You can listen to both of them discuss this topic in their Realpolitik podcast.

“The Way of a Pilgrim” is a beautiful little book I picked up last Friday afternoon at Xavier Hall. It  highlights the journey of a hermit who is seeking the meaning of St. Paul’s “pray without ceasing”. I have only read the First Narrative (which is basically the First Chapter) so far and I am already touched by the simple depth of this book. A great book if you’re into spirituality.

Here is an excerpt from it:-

“Find a quiet place to sit alone and in silence; bow your head and shut your eyes. Breathe softly, look with your mind into your heart; recollect your mind - that is, all is thoughts - and bring them down from your mind into your heart.

As you breathe, repeat: “Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me,” either quietly with your lips, or only in your mind. Make an effort to banish all thoughts; be calm and patient, and repeat this exercise frequently.” - St. Symeon the New Theologian (949 - 1022)

Just finished reading “SAP certification gets total makeover” and needless to say, I’m not so impressed after sifting through the comments. Here’s a summary so far.

To me, work experience is an absolute necessity in obtaining SAP certification; any certification for that matter. It would be pointless knowing about something when you don’t know how to use it. After all, you learn when you NEED to know how to use or implement something AND it is something you work with. To use an example, the CFP program requires their candidates to have at least 2 years of relevant work experience in the finance/accounting sectors.

Secondly, while e-learning has its benefits, I am still trying to grapple with how specifically technical courses like SAP can be done simply via webcams, Youtube, and Powerpoint slides. Don’t get me wrong. There is nothing wrong with learning SAP (or anything for that matter) via e-learning, but how many people will effectively learn via e-learning? We’d have to remember that not everyone has the same learning aptitude and attitude. It is therefore suggested that some modules incorporate class interaction.

Either ways, one question that also lingers on my mind is this - Is linking SAP with universities really a good idea? To me, any tie-up between university and industry is an applaudable idea and will give students an added headstart for their careers. However, to encourage them to get certified when they’re fresh out of university is plain ridiculous. It would be tantamount to cheating if universities connected to SAP say that the certificate will help the students greatly upon graduation when the reality remains that they have no work experience to back them in the first place! It would be nothing more than a money-making venture under the pretexts of “lower costs” or “discounts”!

What would the better way be then? A better approach would be to practically train them in using and implementing the product first during their university years. This is in no way equivalent to a certification program but instead, can be a prerequisite or introductory program leading to a certificate. That would be a more feasible solution for students wishing to pursue SAP certification. More importantly, a rewards-benefits-incentives scheme must be announced and implemented as not everyone will have the time and money to attend training sessions.

As we speak about this, the thought of training trainers come to my mind. But bah… you can’t become a trainer if you haven’t become a trainee yet… Sheesh.

After March 8,

i) The stakeholders finally got what they waited painstakingly for 50 years - a voice in legislation.

ii) Chinese politicians who swore never to wear the songkok turned over a new leaf and started wearing the songkok. Nope, they were not paid to do so.

iii) a new Federal Government is in the works. It is not the best, but it will surely be better than the past demons that we all knew before this.

iv) some evil men may go to jail for crimes related to judge-fixing and corruption.

v) religious freedom is a certainty.

vi) the governing bodies will be accountable to the people who voted them in.

vii) some states have the capability to be self-sufficient and independent of Federal funding.

viii) the rakyat can change the fortunes of the country.

ix) the new Governments depend on us.

x) it is a new beginning for Malaysia and we are now walking on that new beginning.

In today’s sitting of the Selangor State Assembly (which you can view live at http://www.selangor.gov.my) , Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim has said that the state government is of the position that the dispute over the barricade in Bandar Mahkota Cheras (BMC) was a legal matter.

He said while the state government was against the erection of the barricade, he said the matter can only be resolved between BMC developer Narajaya Sdn Bhd and highway concessionaire Grand Saga Sdn Bhd.

“We support the reopening of the access road and hope that the Works Ministry and the Malaysian Highway Authority would approve of this,” he said.

BMC residents have been repeatedly tearing down a barricade erected by Grand Saga used to block residents from entering the Cheras-Kajang Highway without having to pay toll.

Since taking over the state government in March, residents had been approaching the Pakatan Rakyat state government to help resolve the matter.

Khalid’s announcement comes as a surprise as he was expected to put his foot down on the longstanding issue after meeting the relevant stakeholders last week.

It is hoped that the Government will actually put its foot down in the long run. Is Khalid being too nice? I hope not. Somebody’s making 90 cents per entry and seriously, thats a lot of money, considering the number of cars that ply the tollgate everyday; to and fro. Geez, that’s a shitload of money. Is our MB making a cut from this? I hope to God he doesn’t.

I’ve decided to update some of the readers on the latest happenings in Selangor. To begin with, nothing new has cropped up on the Grand Saga Sdn. Bhd. VS Bandar Mahkota Cheras residents debacle. A very complicated issue to begin with, and that has possibly been why the State Government has been very quiet on this. It just didn’t want to step on too many toes.

However, at the same time, the State Government is gradually getting to fulfilling its promises by awarding RM 1000 for varsity education purposes to all Selangor families who earn RM 1500 and below a month. Not an ideal amount but will be helpful. This incentive is still in “beta” stage and will not be fully implemented this year, but is expected to be full-swing next year. And yes, it is for ALL, irrespective of race.

To that idiot who made a police report against the Government, please do one thing before you start whining like a little bitch: GET A F***ING JOB AND DON’T DEPEND ON THE GOVERNMENT LIKE YOU’RE IT’S BIATCH! THAT’S RIGHT! THE PR GOVERNMENT IN SELANGOR IS BIATCH-FREE! NO WUSSIES PLEASE! GET A JOB!

What else is new, you say? Here is:-

i) Anwar’s ex-loyalist Ezam Noor has returned to UMNO. I’ve decided to go “booyah” on him by telling you a long story about him because you would know more than me anyways. He’s expected to lead the charge in wrestling Selangor from the PR Government in the next election. This is apparently based on perceptions that the State is unhappy with it’s current Government. Well, we still have 5 years or so. We’ve got the time. To UMNO, let’s step up the heat and dance :D.

ii) Selangor now broadcasts its assembly proceedings live on the Internet for FREE! Totally live, and uncensored. We even got to watch His Highness our Sultan (God save him… or DAULAT TUANKU!) speak for 75 minutes. I fear for my life now, but I felt that HH spoke a little too long. It was, however, detailed and comprehensive enough for the PR Government to either sleep it off and shiver in their pants.

iii) Khir Toyo, current Opposition leader and former Mentri Besar has pounded on the PR Government to deliver it’s promises. For someone who never did aka reneged on his promises, who’s he calling black?! We will get there. The current Government fears no one but the people. Not everything will be delivered in 5 years but FAILURE IS NOT AN OPTION.

So that’s it for me now. UMNO should just stop talking cock like they usually do and get themselves in shape before they f*** us all as they have done, and are still planning to do. I’m not going to mince my words on this.

Bob Kee, a good friend of mine who never fails to amaze me, recently wrote a piece expressing what I can only perceive to be his disappointment with some statements made by the new Mentri Besar of Selangor, Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim. While I’m not exactly politician material, I have been keeping up with the latest developments on Selangor and intently analyzing whatever he has said. I hope that I’ll be able to give my viewpoints to Bob’s remarks. On a whole, I agree with him. - Collin (my reply is in bold).

Taxation of Employers Who Employ Foreign Workers

While I like the idea of expanding the skills training programme to make our young adults employable (there does exist a substantially large group of young adults in this country who lack the necessary qualifications to make them gainfully employed), the proposal to levy a tax on employers who employ foreign workers to fund this programme is something that ought to be seriously re-thought.

How many employers will not pass the cost back to the foreign workers who are already among the most marginalised community in this country?

The idea to make young adults employable via the expansion skills programme is a very praiseworthy idea. After all, Selangor is the nation’s most progressive state and what it will continue to need is a competent and skilled workforce. And rightly so, he is only fair in saying that we need to reduce our dependence on foreign workers. That does not mean however, that I am against foreign workers entirely. I am appreciative of them as I see them as they are filling in the blanks which we don’t want to fill. At first glance, I disagree with this “per-head” levy on the workers themselves as this is unfair. They are the most marginalized in our society and if the PKR & People’s Manifesto is to mean anything, this shouldn’t happen in the first place, irrespective of whether they’re citizens or not. Human rights speaks for itself, irrespective of nationality, status, educational background, race and religion.

But there is another angle of looking at it as well. Reducing dependence on foreign workers (and the numbers of them) will eventually help in reducing the crime rate attributed specifically to the migrant worker category. More importantly, this will also help relieve the Government’s headache over the number of workplace casualties related to migrant workers. There are many ways to go around reducing the dependence on foreign workers. Imposing RM 10 on a worker however, will not be a wise idea as this in the end, will be reflected on the payslip (if there is one) even if a system to get them to come to an office to pay their dues is implemented. I say this simply because if the company is forced to pay RM 10 X n (n being the number of migrant workers employed in a company), there may be a big possibility that employers can simply deduct RM 10 from their migrant employees’ paycheck. It’s the same thing all over again then and the bottomline is the same for both: Migrant worker gets peanuts, but lesser than what he is supposed to get because he is a migrant.

There are ways to go around this. If the proposal goes through, there should be a revision of the RM 10 to a rate where these migrant workers can comfortably part with. Every dollar counts but not every amount is a significant amount so tax them on the least significant amount possible. Or you can charge them a nominal rounded-up fee and impose a condition that companies should not penalize their workers for a Government regulation. If the Selangor Government can impose RM 1 for registered places of worship, they can possibly do the same with these migrant workers. That is one.

Secondly, there was a proposal to reduce the number of illegal factories in the state by registering them and getting them on the Government’s side. Now, I don’t know what his approach will be to this matter but this in some way, can also reduce a dependence on migrant workers. Very simply, when a company/organization (irrespective of core business) is registered and legal, there are legal technicalities to follow, and employment laws is one of them. When employment laws are meant to be followed, there is no more hanky-panky when dealing with salaries, employee welfare, benefits etc. Everything must conform to a certain standard. Nevertheless, since we are all aware that the process in getting migrant workers is not a simple one, and being illegal factories, they will resort to illegal means in obtaining manpower (which justifies exploitation). Remember the adage “one lie leads to another”. It’s no different in this case as illegal entities will resort to illegal means to stay afloat. With the legalization of factories, things will be put in place and this can help. Of course, this is just a rough sketch. Someone will have to work on it.

Nevertheless, with all that’s being said, Khalid’s proposal comes under the purview of the Human Resources Ministry and is a federal issue. If he still insists on pursuing this, he will have to do it as an MP.

Declaration of Assets of Public Office Holders

The non-committal tone is disturbing, to say the least. We campaigned this elections on a moral high ground and it is imperative that we retain it. If its more of the politics-as-usual, we’ll be packing our bags faster than we can say Makkal Sakthi.

Very simply, if you’re rich, you’re rich. If your family, children etc are rich, they’re rich. Who cares a damn? You’re only being asked to reveal how much you’re worth, not give up your riches. If there is a principle of the new Government to not illegally obtain land and property for a song, and if you’re not going to spend any of the rakyat’s money to sleep around, have affairs, send your children to study overseas, buy houses overseas and buy private jets, what is the problem with declaring assets? At least we know that you’re doing this at your own expense and not the rakyat’s.

Khalid must insist and push for his officeholders to declare their assets to the public. BN is competing with the BR Government to “regain public trust” and to declare their assets to the public would win the BR Government extra points. Knowing how BN has mastered the art of spin, they are ready to screw the BR Government. The only trick to countering them? Stick to your guns!

Zero-Squatters Policy

Okay .. nobody wants to be a squatter. I’m pretty sure of that. But the Zero-Squatter policy inherited from the previous administration has been fraught with abuse. What is needed is a moratarium on the eviction of squatters and a comprehensive consultation with various stakeholders to develop a new and wholistic solutions towards resolving this inherent issue.

Of course. Khalid has mentioned that it will not be done in the same manner as how the BN did. Squatter eradication is a good policy but let’s get real – If you want to get them out, give them houses. If you want the land where their mosque/church/temple stands, get their permission to do give your reasons, offer them alternative sites, suitable land, a timeframe for them to relocate their things etc and subsidies/grants. A zero-squatter policy will not be a problem if they approach things in a “people-friendly” manner.

Demonstrations In Stadiums?

Errr .. ok .. so I have something to say to the world and I don’t have an outlet. So I go to an enclosed stadium and say it? I might as well do it at home.

.. nuff said

We should be allowed to take to the streets but seeing that street demonstrations is fairly new in Malaysia, it will take some time before roadusers and business people will get used to it. Come on, we’ve only 2 in the past year. Give it time. Besides, it should be a last resort once all avenues are exhausted. After all, Khalid did add that demonstrations are allowable on the streets, but with a timeframe. Say what you have to say to the world and shout it out loud as possible… but do it within the allowed time possible. A standard football game is still 90 minutes with allowance for extra time in circumstances. With great freedom comes great responsibility.