Ticket machines: Better service by end of month

I just saw this reply which appeared in the NST of 7 February 2008.from the RapidKL management to a query from a reader regarding the ticket vending machines at KLCC.

A few gems:

'However, since the problem occurred during the weekend when we have fewer technical personnel available, there was a delay in rectifying the problem.

We truly understand the situation and constraints faced by the writer.'

Shouldn't the management deploy the same number of technicians or even more during the weekends. KLCC is a major attraction in Kuala Lumpur and there are crowds even during the weekend. If the management truly understands, this simple effort would help a lot.

'In view of the fact that the upgrading of these machines is under the purview of Syarikat Prasarana Negara Berhad, the asset and infrastructure owner, we discussed this matter with them some time ago but were informed the upgrading had been delayed.'

Did this problem occur only after the change of ownership? I don't think so. This particular statement seems to be a stock answer for a lot of companies who have undergone a change in ownership. The message is loud and clear, pass the buck.

'However, the upgraded machines will be in place at all stations by the end of this month.'

We'll see.

Foreigner bashing

This letter to the editor appeared in the Star of 7 February 2008.

'Foreigner-bashing in the heart of KL’s tourism belt

LAST weekend, in the vicinity of the Pavilion in KL, just outside Wisma Cosway, I witnessed a disturbing incident.

A group of young boys, aged between 13 and18, were running around in a mob. While running, if they saw someone who looked like a Bangladeshi, they would push and punch the person and quickly run away before the victim could react! I saw this happen five times within a few minutes.

Most people would brush it off as just a bunch of young punks “having fun” but the consequences can be catastrophic.

This is in the vicinity of KLCC and the Golden Triangle! What kind of international publicity would that provoke? Even worse, what if it was a local mistaken for a foreigner? Then, it would be racial time bomb!

I hope that the authorities and especially the police realise that these “minor” incidents and bad behaviour may be small to bother about now but what about the long-term effects.

What I witnessed is just the tip of an iceberg.

BAFFLED LOCAL BORN,
Subang Jaya'

This looks like the second time I've seen someone commenting on youths mobs accosting innocent bystanders. In this particular incident, the target are foreigners. As the writer says it is just a racial time bomb waiting to happen

if the victim is a Malaysian.

What exactly has happened to our youths. They have so much time on their hands that they have to resort to bashing people to get their kicks. Is this a sign that the mayhem brought by neo-nazis or football hooligans in western countries are making an appearance here?

Those entrusted with keeping the peace seems conveniently missing from the scene. Where are they? Their presence would at least be a preventive measure. A short term solution but very necessary to curb this disease in the bud.

Non-Halal food

A news item in the Straits Times Singapore dated 5 February 2008 seem eerily familiar.

The highlight of the news item for me was this paragraph:

'Religious leaders agreed that such moves by schools will result in a backlash.

Mr Rhazaly Noentil, veteran mosque leader at the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (Muis), said other races will think that the Muslims are not accomodating towards others.

Religious leaders said Muslims and non-Muslims can dine together, as long as Muslims consume halal food.'

I doubt Malaysian Islamic religious authorities would even give such a statement. Maybe after some pressure from the government. Willingly, I don't think so. There are so many who are supposedly knowledgeable in Islam with a win or lose attitude when confronted with matters pertaining to the religion.

Why can't we think of others as well. They have feelings too. The authorities always stress that Islam is a very tolerant faith but in practice, there is so much blatant bulldozing of rules. When will the enlightened come forward?

Bibles confiscated

This news item appeared in the Star of 5 February 2008.

'Fu: Seized Bible copies returned to owner

PUTRAJAYA: Copies of the Bible taken from a woman at the Low Cost Carrier Terminal recently have been returned to her, Deputy Internal Security Minister Datuk Fu Ah Kiow said.

He said the that English Bible was confiscated by a Customs officer from the woman who had just returned from a visit to Manila.

He said it did not involve the ministry.

“The Customs officer has no authority to do so and on being told of the matter, we asked the Bible to be returned immediately to the person,” he said.

Fu said the incident should not have taken place, adding that he had clarified the matter with the Council of Churches Malaysia (CCM).

He said the address of the person was taken but no telephone number was noted down and as a result, the ministry had to wait for the person to call to collect the books.

He was responding to a statement by the CCM secretary-general Rev Dr Hermen Shastri that a Malaysian Christian had her Bibles taken away by Customs at the airport.

Shastri said that the unilateral actions of certain government agencies were undermining the Government’s stated claims of protecting religious freedom in the country.

Last month, Fu ordered Christian children’s books with drawings of prophets to be returned to a bookshop in Kuala Lumpur after the books were seized by a unit in the ministry.'

What is happening? This is not the first time an incident like this occurred. Does the seizure of religious books by the Malaysian authorities mean non-Muslims cannot practice their religion anymore? Does everyone have to be Muslims? Even that route would be the version approved by the religious department. Are we turning into another Saudi Arabia? The only country I know where every citizen must be Muslim and practicing their approved version of the religion. Frightening thought. No wonder more and more Malaysians are leaving the country including the Muslims.

Government Jobs

This letter appeared in the Star of 1 February 2008.

Elusive job in the civil service

THE past weeks, a few government officials including our Chief Secretary have announced that the Government will change its method of recruiting people as civil servants.

This is a good move, and I hope it will able to attract excellent people to join the Government and GLCs. It will also diminish any criticism against the Government that recruitment methods are biased and selectively based on race and gender of the applicants.

However, I will like to share my experiences when applying for government positions since graduating a decade ago.

I had been applying for jobs with the PTD, government agencies and also GLCs for as long as I can remember without receiving any feedback whatsoever. I was not called for any interview.

My latest experience was when I applied for a post with a newly set-up government authority for one of the economic corridors.

I managed to pass the two interviews, including one with the managing director of the agency, with flying colours.

According to an HR official, I would get the job but they needed to do some restructuring within the organisation before they could issue me an offer letter.

I waited for nearly three months for the agency to issue a Letter of Employment (LOE) and was given a lot of excuses by their HR department for not being able to issue one immediately.

Just this week, I received a letter from the agency saying that they could not offer any LOE. They also could not tell me why they could not hire me.

Even though I do respect that it is their sole prerogative, it is very sad that this agency, which is supposed to lead government investments and projects, performs unprofessionally.

By the way, I am Malay with an overseas degree in accounting and with working experience in IT and project management.

The PM or Chief Secretary to the Government can announce a lot of policies or encourage people to join government service, but at the end of the day the bureaucrats decide the applicant’s fate.

DISSATISFIED APPLICANT,

Kuala Lumpur.

If it is true that the letter writer is a Malay, then it is proof that the brain drain will continue irrespective of race. The civil service will never be able to attract the best and brightest that the country has as long as the little napoleons frustrate the noble aim of filling in the jobs with quality. We will definitely get the quantity.