Thursday, November 30, 2006 ++

MALAYSIA'S been at it again, arguing about what proportion of the economy each of its two main races — the Malays and the Chinese — owns. It's an argument that's been running for 40 years. That wealth and race are not synonymous is important for national cohesion, but really it's time Malaysia grew up.

It's a tough world out there and there can be little sympathy for a country that prefers to argue about how to divide wealth rather than get on with the job of creating it.The long-held aim is for 30 per cent of corporate equity to be in Malay hands, but the figure that the Government uses to justify handing over huge swathes of public companies to Malays but not to other races is absurd. It bases its figure on equity valued, not at market value, but at par value.Many shares have a par value of say $1 but a market value of $12. And so the Government figure (18.9 per cent is the most recent figure) is a gross underestimate. Last month a paper by a researcher at a local think-tank came up with a figure of 45 per cent based on actual stock prices. All hell broke loose. The paper was withdrawn and the researcher resigned in protest. Part of the problem is that he is Chinese.

"Malaysia boleh!" is Malaysia's national catch cry. It translates to "Malaysia can!" and Malaysia certainly can. Few countries are as good at wasting money. It is richly endowed with natural resources and the national obsession seems to be to extract these, sell them off and then collectively spray the proceeds up against the wall.

This all happens in the context of Malaysia's grossly inflated sense of its place in the world.
Most Malaysians are convinced that the eyes of the world are on their country and that their leaders are world figures. This is thanks to Malaysia's tame media and the bravado of former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad. The truth is, few people on the streets of London or New York could point to Malaysia on a map much less name its prime minister or capital city.

As if to make this point, a recent episode of The Simpsons features a newsreader trying to announce that a tidal wave had hit some place called Kuala Lumpur. He couldn't pronounce the city's name and so made up one, as if no-one cared anyway. But the joke was on the script writers — Kuala Lumpur is inland.

Petronas, the national oil company is well run, particularly when compared to the disaster that passes for a national oil company in neighbouring Indonesia. But in some respects, this is Malaysia's problem. The very success of Petronas means that it is used to underwrite all manner of excess.

The KLCC development in central Kuala Lumpur is an example. It includes the Twin Towers, the tallest buildings in the world when they were built, which was their point.It certainly wasn't that there was an office shortage in Kuala Lumpur — there wasn't.Malaysians are very proud of these towers. Goodness knows why. They had little to do with them. The money for them came out of the ground and the engineering was contracted out to South Korean companies.They don't even run the shopping centre that's beneath them. That's handled by Australia's Westfield.

Next year, a Malaysian astronaut will go into space aboard a Russian rocket — the first Malay in space. And the cost? $RM95 million ($A34.3 million), to be footed by Malaysian taxpayers. The Science and Technology Minister has said that a moon landing in 2020 is the next target, aboard a US flight. There's no indication of what the Americans will charge for this, assuming there's even a chance that they will consider it. But what is Malaysia getting by using the space programs of others as a taxi service? There are no obvious technical benefits, but no doubt Malaysians will be told once again, that they are "boleh". The trouble is, they're not. It's not their space program.

Back in July, the Government announced that it would spend $RM490 million on a sports complex near the London Olympics site so that Malaysian athletes can train there and "get used to cold weather".But the summer Olympics are held in the summer.So what is the complex's real purpose? The dozens of goodwill missions by ministers and bureaucrats to London to check on the centre's construction and then on the athletes while they train might provide a clue.

Bank bale outs, a formula one racing track, an entire new capital city — Petronas has paid for them all. It's been an orgy of nonsense that Malaysia can ill afford.Why? Because Malaysia's oil will run out in about 19 years. As it is, Malaysia will become a net oil importer in 2011 — that's just five years away.So it's in this context that the latest debate about race and wealth is so sad.It is time to move on, time to prepare the economy for life after oil. But, like Nero fiddling while Rome burned, the Malaysian Government is more interested in stunts like sending a Malaysian into space when Malaysia's inadequate schools could have done with the cash, and arguing about wealth distribution using transparently ridiculous statistics.That's not Malaysia "boleh", that's Malaysia "bodoh" (stupid).

~the age~
 10:30 AM
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Wednesday, November 29, 2006 ++

There's this fear in me i cant suppress.
I noe ppl tend to say dat its no good revealing ur feelings what more expose it in a blog.
For once, i do NOT noe wat to do.Period.
 2:36 AM
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++

Oh boi. Been quite awhile since i last updated. So much happened. I even grew a tad wiser n older. :)

Celebrated my burfday,
had my AS finals etc
Shall write on bout it later.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
So this is how it's like. This is how it feels. It was nothing i anticipated. There's the mixture of anticipation, excitement and reluctance at the same time.
Moving from a house u've lived in since - forever.

I can't believe i've stayed there for more than a decade! A house which the corners u know inside out. A house where u can walk n find ur way even thou ur in stark naked darkness. A house with those tiny details u noe so well, from those lil chipped boards to those secret compartments where u hide ur secret, ur dairies n love letters. The other place besides ur heart where ur childhood memories are buried.

Then there's the room where u sleep, throw parties n eat in. The wardrobe filled with clothes and xtra pillow n blankies where u can juz hide n cry ur heart out with the doors closed, closing u away from the world for juz those precious moments allowing u to wallow in ur own sorrows/disappointments...
The rooftop outside the bedroom which u can juz climb out and sit on to watch the stars.
The master bedroom where u n ur siblings drag the huge mattress to sleep together wid pa n ma.

The kitchen where u get to indulge in ur fav food and had ur first baking lessons.
The garden where ur whole family camped out when the electricity got cut off at night.
The fence where u play those games wid ur neighbours eg. hide the pegs!

The road where u first learnt how to cycle n fell an umpteenth times.
The streets which u roam to find for stray cats/dogs just so u can beg ur family to keep em.
The park u love with those swings and tiny slopes where u spent ur days running and cycling on.
The houses which friendly owners call u in n befriend u when they see u looking at their pets longingly with that particular expression in ur eyes.
*yes. i use to cycle ard my housing area juz to play wid ppl's pupz thou i barely noe em*

The MPSJ which was just a few feet away where u can meet up with frenz to train for running events.
The friends and neighbours.

A house which u can call a home.A home with you all written over it.

And then, u move into a new house. It's classy, elaborate and beautiful. Ur room is triple the size of the old one. U have to get use to calling the old house as the ex-house. Somehow, u still need time getting use to it.

I stared at the new huge bedroom which is triple the size of the old one. Smells so fresh. Somehow, it still feels empty. Ahh. How i long for the day when the room finally turns 'me'. :)

People asked what significant changes i've been thru.
I'm just the same ol me with a diff post box.

edited: Hey. don't get me wrong! i love my new house. love it to the max. that doesnt mean i cant miss my ol house/room,right? :D I'm somoone who loves the new yet clings to the old cos i love em too. ^.^
 12:22 AM
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Sunday, November 05, 2006 ++

Feeling suffocated.Beats me why.
And there she goes struggling to inhale sum air. Fresh Air.

What's your personality love style?
You desire a love that will last forever. You are quite serious about finding this type of love, and that's why you think carefully about the men that you meet before deciding whether you could really love them. You don't just develop a crush on someone overnight: you look at a person's personality and other aspects of their life before deciding to form an attachment. If a guy doesn't meet your expectations, you would rather be alone. Your love has to be perfect. Be careful though, you could be missing out on some worthy relationships because your standards are so high.

What type of personality do you have?
You are always cheerful and charming. You never get too serious with people when they're around, but when you are alone, you think carefully about what they have said. That's because you don't want anyone to see you being too somber. Your personality means you have a lot of friends and you are often the center of attention. Many people who fall into this category become artists and movie stars, perhaps fame could be yours in the future as well. @#*coughs*

What does being a friend really mean to you?
You love your friends very much - so much so that it's actually quite a worry. You may not be able to cope very well when you do lose somebody's friendship. You are a very sensitive and fragile person, and are therefore likely to get upset easily. You care for your friends and are willing to do anything that they ask you to do. Sometimes this can make your friends think that you are a bit of a nuisance. Nevertheless, people do really love you because your highest priority is your friends.

The House
Your house tells the world that you ought to be a leader. You are a freedom lover and a strong person. You are shy and reserved. If you've drawn a cross on each of windows, you always want to live alone. You are very tidy person. There's nothing wrong with that because you're pretty popular among friends. You often come up with solutions to problems. You are an ambitious person. You will avoid being alone and seek the company of others whenever possible. You love excitement and create it wherever you go. You are an ordinary and down-to-earth person. You are also tough and will meet success in important issues without many difficulties. You have a strong personality and you like to command, influence and control people. You added a flower into your drawing. The flower signifies that you long for love. We also see that you are sensuous, sexual, and privately passionate. You don't think much about yourself.
 7:38 AM
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