HAVE A BLESSED NEW YEAR 2009!

I WILL NOT BE BLOGGING FOR SOME TIME DUE TO ILL HEALTH BUT PLEASE ACCEPT MY WARMEST LOVE & REGARDS FOR THE COMING NEW YEAR 2009!

MAY THE LORD BLESS & KEEP YOU AND YOUR FAMILIES IN THE VERY BEST OF HEALTH AND IN PROSPERITY AND PEACE!

GOD BLESS - JG AS ALWAYS!

THE NEXT GENERATION LOOKS AT EDUCATION IN PERTH WA!

 I was chatting with my Australian ‘foster father’, Fr Ray Cheek, a retired Anglican minister who has been my mentor, friend, ‘father figure’ my priest and one, I had known for over 31 years in Perth Western Australia!

He is today very frail but has never lost the ‘golden touch’ of ‘care and love’ for me all these years!

Recently he spoke to my son and he was so full of joy as he realised how far in life’s journey,we have both come!

I had always spoken to my son about ‘Papa Ray’ but after he had spoken to Papa Ray himself - on several occasions before Christmas, my son realised what I had always told about this MAN OF GOD!

My son could feel the ‘love and warmth’ of this person who has always stood by my side, during ’storms and nightmares in life’, never once condemning me as others around did, nor saying anything angry but always - ‘words of love, warmth and encouragment!’

That was Papa Ray - a man who lived a solitary life all his years serving GOD as an Anglican Priest!

Now after over 31 years - never in my my wildest imagination did I ever think he and I will discuss possibilities for my children, scholarships, and other opportunities as I scan at various colleges in Perth Western Australia! (Pix of University of WA)

I know the WA landscape very well, having studied, worked and done all my ‘university practicals’ there, which includes stints as Chaplain at Royal Perth Hospital (see pix above), Sir Charles Gardiner, Narrogin Hospital and several schools and colleges which includes Trinity College, St. Hilda, schools in Narrogin and Narrogin Agricultural College!

Not forgetting coaching and playing field hockey with friends like former Australia Hockey Captain and Coach - Dr Richard Charlesworth!(see pix above)

Western Australia seems ideal - the climate is brillant, not far as Britain or the US and I can also watch over the ‘young ones’ while assisting various social concerns, work with the Anglican church and its countless colleges and universities!

Will this be a reality?

I pray so!

If you have any information on this, please do email me!

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WISH YOU ALL A BLESSED, PEACEFUL & HAPPY 2009!

MAY YOU ALL HAVE A BLESSED CHRISTMAS!

I WISH ALL OF YOU A BLESSED AND PEACEFUL CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR 2009!

I PRAY THAT OUR LORD WILL IN YOUR HOME AND IN YOUR CHRISTMAS CELEBRATION TO BLESS AND KEEP YOU ALL SAFE!

SYABAS TO THE IJN SPECIALIST SAYS JG!

They are nothing short of being real professionals!

They stood together and their statement is clear and the Malaysian government should respond accordingly.

It is plain stupidity taking a decision to sell the national heart institute and effectively privatise it on the one hand and making a statement that the poor will be looked after on the other!

It is like saying that an hungry lion could stay friends with a fat cattle!

Not that alone but the statement is not only vague but a devious way of getting out of a wrangle.

Can you tell me who are the poor mentioned and by what and whose definition?

Yes truly - Who are the poor?

In Malaysian we also have poor people who do not pay too much taxes who live in huge houses, own other low- cost homes they rent out to other poor people and own cars that belie their status.

So again who are the poor?

As a consumer advocate of over 37 years I know only too well that IJN has a rich history of success!

These are not privatised institutions, but rather the pride of the nation and they should be preserved.

We have spent more on helicopters and submarines than we should have.

A fraction of those savings could have met the demands for a pay rise of the noble professionals in IJN.

It will motivate them and raise the status of these institutions, which almost every Malaysian talks about with pride except for some politicians who view them as vehicles of profit, and where these profits are eventually directed to, one does not have to suffer to guess.

The doctors are reported to have said, “We would like to reiterate our commitment to serve IJN in its current form and want to stress that the move must not be seen as a response to our demands for better pay.”

This is a clear indication that they have pride of place in IJN as it is today, it was these professionals and people like them who walked its corridors since its inception who made the institution what it is today.

So my call is do not treat them like they are ordinary employees but as stake holders in this nation’s destiny.

They have done IJN proud and the institute is a pride of the nation as well.

Well done ‘boys and gals of IJN!’ 

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KEEPING THEM HONEST – WHEN CORPORATE SHARKS COME A CALLING!

KEEPING THEM HONEST – WHEN CORPORATE SHARKS COME A CALLING! 

I am not the least surprised that within 24hrs after the ‘song and dance’ of an public announcement of Sime Darby’s plans for IJN this scheme seems to be put under wraps! 

So in my call and estimation the government again badly managed and read the public sentiments! 

Some thing many people who serve not only the government but the corporate sector should learn and understand! 

Do not let pride, arrogance, over confidence make you underestimate and wrongly read ‘your opponent’ neither over estimate your strength or those who now claim they will come to your aid – for no sir, when the members of the public initiate an outcry, fireworks begin, ‘dirty linen’ is washed and the ‘backlash starts’ with all ‘forms of exchange’ – both politicians, policymakers, lobbyists, the government and corporate bodies do what they do best – disengage, go below the radar – in other words, abandon ship! 

And they have done just that! 

So as I predicted to the press yesterday when they interviewed me on state TV and the vernacular press – there seems to be a about change and within 24hrs! 

So you do not have to be a rocket scientist to now know that the sudden postponement of the scheme to privatize the National Heart Institute (IJN) suggests that the government under-estimated the depth of public opposition to the move. 

And for the record – the postponement comes just a day after deputy premier Najib Tun Razak revealed that the green light had been given to Sime Darby to acquire a majority stake. 

It is now clear that ‘our politicos and corporate sharks’ are all out of touch not only with the masses but also with their own BN component parties such as the MCA, which is opposing the privatization. 

But to me the real unsung heroes are the 33 IJN specialists (out of a total of 35) who stood up to oppose the move. 

Their dedication, courage, determination and stand are all the more commendable as chances are they would have stood to gain in terms of a more lucrative pay package! 

I am pleased to note that there are indeed public-spirited specialists in Malaysia, for whom money is not everything - something, which some of our corporate sharks and others pretending to be one, will find it hard to understand!

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KEEPING THEM HONEST SERIES - WRONG MOVE!

I am certainly shocked to hear that the government has no objection in principle for Sime Darby Bhd to acquire a stake in IJN Holdings Sdn Bhd!

I for one am certainly against this move as this may off set the IJN’s high priority for the poor!

Over the last few weeks, I had already heard ‘murmurs’ that Sime Darby had written to the government proposing to acquire a stake in IJN Holdings as the operator of the national heart institute.

But due to other ‘pressing issues’ affecting me I decided to ‘flag off’ on this matter at that material time!

For the record, IJN is currently the leading medical heart centre in the region and is 99.99 percent owned by the Ministry of Finance.

All that I will say at the moment is it should be ‘hands-off’ to any such moves!

I do not think it is right and moral!

What if another business entity also decides to also seek to bite into this venture?

Given the ‘track record of such schemes in the past’ - I will say this is a bad move and urge our MPs to raise the matter in Parliament!

Actually it is a sad day! 

People tend to forget ‘history these days’ – and more so why in the first place IJN was set up, the lobbying that went into it, the many justification papers, reports, case studies, seminars, MOF and MOH brain storming sessions with the civil society, memorandum, the allocations and all were circulating around one essential element – THE POOR AND MARGINALIZED!

Yes, if you have forgotten - IJN was set up for a purpose, to provide cardio-thoracic care and treatment to those who need it and otherwise cannot afford it.

Not everyone can afford to go to a certain private hospital in Subang Jaya!

And so far – IJN has done a fantastic job.

Why – MR POLITICIANS - now give it over to a for-profit company?

Some things, which are not broke, should really be left alone!

Lessons have not been learnt when there is obsession and greed! 

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KEEPING THEM HONEST SERIES - 10 DAYS TO CHRISTMAS!

The origin picture of a ‘bleeding heart!’

Its 10 days to Christmas - and good people, I pray that you would use this time constructively to reflect, to make peace, to reconcile where needed, and to make amends with GOD and Man and to move forward, so that this Christmas will be a gateway to a 2009 of peace, love and all things beautiful for you and your family! 

This is certainly not the time for arrogance, pride, unforgiving spirit, unrestrained anger and outbursts! 

It is not the time to point fingers! 

It is time to embrace your loved one in love and reconciliation as we move towards celebrating the birth of the Lord Jesus!  

It is easy - it all starts with the words - ‘I am sorry!’ 

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RAILWAY FIRST - LESSONS FOR MALAYSIA!

This is a brillant piece of news - where a railway service from Hanoi to Nanning province of China will be launched on January 1, 2009, according to an announcement by the Vietnam Railway Corporation.

We are told by Nguyen Huu Tuyen, Head of the corporation’s Transport Business Department, that trains used for the route will have six air-conditioned carriages, each with 40 hard beds and 30 soft beds.

All of these first-class carriages have been provided by China who has a good track record on this.

As far as timing is concerned - he added that the 365km-long rail will take 13 hours, departing from the Gia Lam railway station in Hanoi and proceeding to Nanning province, which borders Vietnam.

We are aware that overland tours from Hanoi to Nanning have recently proven to be a firm favourite of Vietnamese tourists, resulting in the Tan Thanh border gate being crowded with sightseers and holidaymakers during weekends.

Lessons can and should be learnt from this in Malaysia!

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HIGHLAND TOWERS PART TWO IN BUKIT ANTARABANGSA?

According to reliable sources, I am told that the police have ordered residents from a condominium tower located near the landslide site in Bukit Antarabangsa to evacuate immediately.

I am glad to hear that proactive Selangor police chief, Khalid Abu Bakar has been cited as saying that there were fears that the building ”may collapse at any time”.

We are told that the Public Works Department has found the area where the Kyoto Garden Condominium is located to be risky.

The condo sits on a hillside near the landslide area.

It brings back memories of the 1993 ill fated carnage at Highland Towers!

It is a sickening thought!

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MALAYSIA SHOULD TAKE THE LEAD IN THE EXPORT OF HALAL PRODUCTS!

I fully agree and concur with dear friend, International Trade and Industry Minister, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin (pix above) that we cannot deny the fact that our country Malaysia has big potential to be halal product manufacturer following the global recognition, more so from many Islamic countries!

Muhyiddin went on to say that among others, we could also offer halal products in the services field such as banking.

But for this to materialise we need to penetrate the global market and gain the confidence of societies worldwide with  internationally certified halal standards!

At the end of the day it is certification and quality that determines product survival and acceptance!

I am indeed glad to note that Muhyiddin has stated that the government will always help small and medium scale entrepreneurs to market their halal products, including providing guidance and financial support.

But we must all make sure that this is ‘not monopolized’ nor abused as our track records of the past show!

To be credible - entrepreneurs should not depend completely on the government but also strive hard on their own, including finding new markets!

The market is huge out there and the pertinent question is are we ready to make the grade?

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KEEPING THEM HONEST SERIES - NOW IT IS CONTAMINATED PORK!

Just after the many food scares and when you thought ‘lessons have been learnt’ you now have Irish pig meat contaminated with toxic dioxins!

The result of which it is speculated that its export could have reached  as many as 25 countries, including France and the Netherlands!

I am advised by my counterparts in Europe that the ’responsible and ever proactive’ Irish government has recalled all domestic pork products from shops, restaurants and food processing plants because of contamination with dioxin!

According to our health experts the contamination with dioxin in some forms and concentrations with long exposure, can cause cancer and other health problems.

We are also told that in neighboring Britain, the main export market, has warned consumers not to eat any Irish pork products after tests revealed the contamination.

 Our campaign against RACISM of all forms!

STOP HILL SLOPE DEVELOPMENT NOW!

HOW MANY MORE TO DIE BEFORE WE OUTLAW HILLSLOPE DEVELOPMENT?

At the time of writing, I am advised that it is certain that the death toll at Bukit Antarabangsa may be higher than 5, with more than 15 injured, 14 houses buried and damaged, while the possibility of ‘stress and further slope failure’ not to be discounted which may have an even greater impact on other properties in the locality! 

So far thousands have been evacuated and as expected, the government issuing a statement that it was freezing all building permits for hill slope development! 

But the truth is - only an absolute idiot would be amused at this statement and take it at face value! 

I say this for the simple reason that I had heard it 15 years ago, to be exact just days after the ‘mother of all landslide tragedies’ – and to be exact after the infamous heart-wrenching Highland Towers carnage in December 1993 when the then deputy premier, Anwar Ibrahim issued a very strong statement stating that there will be a total freeze on all hill slope development! 

Since then there has been more than 12 major landslides and billions in financial losses but till today, no one has been made accountable for all these tragedies, let alone any criminal negligence chargers been filed or developers or policymakers and head of government agencies been jailed let alone, suspended! 

To put it sarcastically, it is ‘business as usual’ – where laws are overlooked, manipulated, corners cut, common sense and due diligence, let alone public interest all sacrificed at the ‘altars of obese and corrupt handouts and profits!’ 

One would have thought the unnecessary loss of 48 lives at the Highland Towers tragedy in 1993 would have jolted the nation and its government agencies to entrench ‘checks and balances’ and a total freeze on such construction but it was not to be! 

Hill slope development runs wild in all major cities and states in Malaysia! 

Today, at Bukit Antarabangsa, we see a rerun of the same episode when a wide range of people of all ‘walks of lives’ made victims and those who thought they saw the last of such horrors, reminded that nothing has changed! 

I was among the many who ‘walked and assisted’ during the tragedy of December 1993, having witnessed ‘first hand’ the horror, the tears, broken spirits and anxiety! 

To witness a dear friend and one I held in high respect, former deputy premier, Musa Hitam a ‘broken man’ and standing in ‘total helplessness’ at the site of the collapsed Highland Towers as it ‘drizzled slightly’ and he acknowledged the death of his son Rashid Carlos and his wife Rozita! 

More than 15 years later, I can still recollect a ‘lasting impression’ of Musa Hitam’s ‘sheer loss and helplessness!’   

I understand today like 15 years ago, there are many people screaming for some form of action, from a parliamentary white paper, a Royal Commission, a ministerial statement from a minister who at ‘the time of this writing’ is still to arrive at this site of carnage or the initiating the immediate suspension of those in leadership at the Ampang Jaya Municipal Council! 

But I am only too confident that based on the ‘track record of the past’, the apathy, the entrenched incompetence, unfettered corruption, the ‘close both eyes policy’ and the ‘smart partnerships’ of developers and policy makers, this loss of lives and property damage will be soon forgotten and similar multi million ringgit projects that contravenes and makes nonsense of present environmental, building legislation and guidelines in the country will continue unhindered with the prospect of similar loss of lives in the future! 

It can stop if I am wrong and there are still ‘a few good and honest men’ in our corridors of power, government agencies, in the building industry and among monitoring bodies, who will say – ‘enough is enough!’ and deal a severe blow to any nature or form of illegality or irregularity in the construction and building sector and industry!

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IF THIS WORKS IT WILL BE THE EIGHTH WONDER OF THE WORLD!

Just trust some politicians to say things that makes ‘a mockery of all common sense and tests our intelligence!’

So the Public Complaints Bureau (PCB) is pledging to respond to any complaint in 48 hours and have the problem solved within 10 working days!

Yes, you read correct - 10 working days!

And the man in the midst of this - newly minted Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Senator T Murugiah who stated that the move was meant to prevent problems faced by the people from being prolonged and cause them to lose their faith on the government.

So ‘his antidote’ is that all PCB staff must give their best cooperation and attend to all complaints in an orderly manner to avoid backlogs.

That is not all - PCB is expected to open offices in Kelantan, Kedah and Perlis as soon as possible to facilitate the people in the states.

Hello what about the other states in Peninsula Malaysia and Sabah and Sarawak?

Oops - that is not all the bureau would also appoint a complaints committee on a voluntary basis at the district level to ensure that the bureau’s services reached the grassroots.

What - voluntary basis - ‘in the land where the operative word is ‘money money money!’

Well these are a mouthful even for a consumer advocate with a track record of over 37 years of voluntary service!(see pix above/below!)

Trust you got my drift!

MAY GOD HELP US ALL! PLEASE JOIN THE PRAYER CHAIN!

 Our campaign against RACISM of all forms!