Should we blame the giver or the taker for bribery? Or should it be the government’s fault?

The topic of bribery is one which can be talked about for hours and days. In fact, it happens so rampantly that bribery seemed to be quite a norm at times. The scale of bribery can be big or small and no matter what the size is, bribery is still a crime. But whose fault is it actually?Perhaps the most common form of bribery usually happens when one breaks the traffic laws like talking on your mobile phone or jumping the red light as well as speeding on the highway, which is the most common offences. When halted by the traffic policemen, you are given a choice of paying RM300 for the offence at the station through an official statement or you can ‘settle’ it with an RM50 payment.

So if that happens, and if you are caught trying to offer bribes to the policemen even if he tries to issue you a summons, whose fault is it? If he asks for it, then he is at fault, if you offer then you are at fault, if you hand over the cash and he receives it, then both of you are guilty of bribery.But perhaps the bigger picture could be pointed at the system that we are under. Perhaps bribery is the fault of the government. Corruption and bribery goes hand in hand and it goes without saying that this happens in the higher levels and it is just a matter of ‘if the boss can do it, I can do it’. That’s the first factor. Read more

Highway tolls – Govt’s way of bullying road users

As Malaysian drivers, you will surely be used to tolls on the highways. These are supposedly one of the most efficient highways in the world as some would suggest. The one thing that they did not realize is that we have to pay tolls in almost every highway in Malaysia.

A recent story is that of the new WCE (West Coast Expressway) which have been criticized for its price tag. Apparently, the project would cost the government (which means tax payer’s money) RM7 billion and from there, the concessionaire will be awarded with a 60 years toll collection contract.

This is daylight robbery! To begin with, the project involves the public’s money which means we are already funding the project. After that, we have to pay toll for 60 years, imagine that. Read more

How can Perkasa give out white Ang Pows and say they didn’t know and get away with it?

One of the most outraging events that took place during the recent Chinese New Year celebrations was the handing out ‘white ang pows’ by Malay rights group Perkasa. Datuk Ibrahim Ali, the president of the group has since apologized for doing so.

Anyone with a sane mind will know that ‘white ang pows’ are used in Chinese funerals and is a definite no-no during Chinese New Year. Anyone would know that and the fact that there were pictures of some Chinese with smiling faces receiving the ‘white ang pows’ from Ibrahim showed just how ignorant one can be at times.

According to Perkasa, the incident took place during a Chinese New Year Open House event organized by them and they were giving out ang pows to the people there. But they ran out of red packets and had to resort to using white ones, which they then proceeded to do so. Read more

Should fireworks be banned or allowed during the festive season?

The Chinese New Year is a great festival which is being enjoyed by Malaysians around the country. One would have by now heard all the commotion about allowing fireworks and firecrackers during this festive season but the begging question would be whether they are legal. Before Chinese New Year, there have been talks that some of the lawmakers have been proposing to the government to temporarily lift the ban on fireworks on certain days like the first and ninth day of Chinese New Year as those are the important ones.

However, nothing was decided and hence, fireworks and firecrackers remain to be banned. The recent tragic accident in Thailand should serve as a big lesson to all that while firecrackers do create the mood during the season, they are dangerous if not controlled and played with properly. Read more

Confusion with how to use the RM200 book vouchers for students

The government recently gave out RM200 book vouchers for students in institutes of higher learning and this is where it has given rise to much confusion. This is mainly because of the indecision among book stores on what anyone could use the vouchers for. Where this is concerned, the RM200 book vouchers are split into 4 RM50 vouchers which means that the students are able to use them over several purchases.

But the main problem is that each bookstore seemed to have their own interpretation of what the students can use the RM200 book vouchers for. The restrictions are mainly put in place to stop people from misusing the RM200 book vouchers after some have surfaced where students have tried to sell them to others. Read more

‘Murder’ cries over 2 Botswana students found dead at Templers’ Park

Bodies of 2 students from Botswana were found at the Templer’s Park Waterfalls last Monday. They were currently enrolled with 2 private universities in Malaysia namely the Limkokwing University of Creative Technology (LUCT) and Asia Pacific University College of Technology (UCTI). One of them, Takongwa Olatetse was in his final year and was expected to finish his studies here and return home by the end of this year.

According to ACP Abdul Rahim Abdullah, the police chief of Gombak said that the bodies were found by a man who was there fishing. He first found 2 bags and passports before setting out to find the owners but instead found the 2 bodies floating in the water nearby. He then contacted the police. The Selayang Fire and Rescue team was brought in and was brought out before being taken to the Selayang Hospital.

As the family members of the students are not in Malaysia, their friends and lecturers were informed to identify the bodies. According to one of them, they could not identify them as the bodies were in the water for too long. The Botswana students were known to be very good students and one of them was a straight A student. Read more

Why the change in currency notes again?

The government recently announced the release of new currency notes which will be used pretty soon. In fact, it sparked off a lot of interest from Malaysians all over the country where some had even rushed to buy the first series of the notes. Commemorative notes were released to commemorate a new era of commerce with the new series and this would surely be a great addition to currency collectors.

Somehow or rather, the release of new bank notes might create a lot of inconvenience for people every time it happens. The problem really is not about using the new notes but this keeps changing. It seems that each time a new leader takes over, something about the currency will be changed. New bank notes would usually be used to mark a new era and period of a country but to do that every few years is somewhat ridiculous. Read more

Is SMART Tunnel doing what it is supposed to or do we need another one?

The recent heavy rainfall happening around Malaysia has caused much concerns for residents all over the country. States are experiencing heavier rainfall than before and some are even plagued with floods that have caused much hardship. While it is hard to stop these problems especially with places which are flood-prone, the same cannot be said about Kuala Lumpur where it has one of the most technologically advanced flood mitigation system in the SMART tunnel.

When it was built, the SMART Tunnel was considered to be one of the mega projects which was hugely successful to curb the flood problem that created havoc in the city centre. In fact, it was an architectural wonder having been built in record time although it was very costly. The longest and biggest storm drain project in South-East Asia became the pride of the nation where it managed to solve  the flood water problem then. Read more

Someone should do something with the cooking oil shortage situation

People losing faith in public education

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