By Panglima Garang | Oct 1, 09 12:20pm | Malaysiakini
When I was at the KLIA airport recently bidding farewell to my family, the lingering thought in my mind was “Am I making a mistake leaving this country?”
The answer was just another question, “What good is there left in this country?”
I am not leaving Malaysia because I found something better. I am a bit tired of the social and economic mismanagement of Malaysia and racially anchored policies. I am already successful in Malaysia by any measure.
At the last count, I was in the top 1percent income bracket. I graduated from USM and joined the civil service just like any other Malaysian Indian did in the 1980s. I studied law at my own expense and time with numerous challenges just like many other Malaysian Indians did.
I awaited the first promotion you can get in civil service i.e. Senior Time scale A12.
However as per NEP policy requirements, I was not given the rightful promotion despite many recommendations by the head of the statutory authority who supported my promotion with quantitative and qualitative justifications.
Finally, he personally informed me to quit the service and leave for private sector.
I joined the private sector and in nine years I worked at the same level as I did in the government job but I leap-frogged my income and position.
In my definition I am successful as I have saved enough to educate my children overseas, became well known in my industry for certain skills and knowledge and also ran a non-profit fraternity specific organisation to improve my fellow professionals public standing.
So I am not one of those Malaysian who allowed himself to be left in the cold.
But where do I go from here? What does the future hold for this country which I dearly loved?
Professionalism at work?
How will this country survive the challenges of the future? And personally what can my children achieve in this country?
As a USM Mass Communication graduate, we were trained to be socially responsible.
At least the students of my era were! Thus, it always bothered me whenever I saw, heard and read about mismanagement of public monies through crooked and irresponsible means.
Sometimes it affected my sleep although I have nothing to do with it. I am no way directly and financially affected by such government wrongs and gross losses.
Then there are the “happenings” in the civil service which is close to my heart.
I note that it has gotten worse as many are not accountable, responsible or remotely knowledgeable.
There are so many promoted in the civil service due to family links and thus no one can take action against another for want of professionalism in work.
The NEP was a good initiative for the poor Malays to improve their lot but abused by some political masters including the previous prime ministers’ publically stated policy of making 1,000 Malay millionaires.
I am not sure where are these Malay millionaires now and what have they given back to the country which made them millionaires.
We can go on listing all the billions of losses and mistakes the political masters did for the past 40 years!
Of course the Chinese businessmen made a lot of mistakes in the first 10 years after Merdeka (they were racial and discriminatory in business practices).
Change came slowly but surely
I can quote real life examples but let’s keep to the theme here.
The BN thought they can go on doing the same political game as they believed “Malaysians have a short memory of six months of anything”.
The BN formula was so successful that to-date that it does not think anything is wrong with their formula but only people got it mixed up.
And then came the Hindraf (whom I myself, who is always on top of the social agenda, did not notice until October 2007) which changed the political thinking of the Indians first, then the Chinese and now the Malays.
I and many of my friends, who have nothing to do with the Hindraf leaders (to-date I have not met any of them), campaigned for the issues raised by them, first amongst the Indians (especially the well educated and “well-incomed” Indians).
Many Indians in my category of income and position did not relate to the issues and some were so oblivious to it.
We (in an uncoordinated form) spoke to the Chinese and Malay friends and somehow the fever for change took the form of SMSes, blogs, Facebooks, websites etc.
Suddenly the Malaysian public realised there were SO MANY corrupt actions, abuse of public authorities and powers, wrongs, mistakes and mismanagement of monies by the BN government.
This all led to one action required i.e. vote out the government.
Factors of past growth
Now, let us assess who and what was professional which led to Malaysia’s growth in 1960s,1970s and upto mid 80s:
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Ministries were led by secretary-generals and their department directors. They had a say in the budget, allocations, management and public spending. The ministers consulted the government officials on public spending. We had government officials conducting opening ceremonies. Now, have you heard any government servant given the honour? Now ministers run to open restaurants!
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Government departments were led by intelligent Malays, Chinese and Indians. They had the Malaysians at heart in their actions. We have programme like SOS (Sometimes called Sini Orang Susah), Flying doctors and others. Even the scouts and girl guides associations were given honour. Then came Dr Mahathir who wanted to destroy anything even remotely connected to our colonial past and wanted to reshape Malaysia in his image.
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Banking. During Ismail Ali’s time (only downside was that he was Dr Mahathir’s brother-in-law), Bank Negara was the centre of fiscal and monetary policy.
There were proper checks and balances in various business practices. Officials supervising industries had competency, integrity, honesty and professionalism.
Otherwise action were taken. However now, just look at our insurance industry where Malaysians pay one of highest premiums but returns were full of loopholes.
Everyday new products are launched like the US derivates but do the public really benefit from these, or are they scams? They said an average Japanese has three insurance policies.
I think the Japanese believe in their insurance scheme but look at the Malaysian statistics on insurance. Do you know there is a specific regulator in Bank Negara for the insurance industry and he has to validate all schemes?
I suppose he can’t do much because all major insurance companies are co-owned by PNB, an Umno vehicle. Mahathir did not like many deposit taking and financing companies in Malaysia which you cannot control. So, he made it illegal for these companies to operate in 1980/90s. He wanted to put his kunchu-kunchus in charge of all these outfits.
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During Auditor General Ahmad Noordin’s time, spending of government money was monitored. Of course the self declared CEO of the country Mahathir not only fired him for conducting the BMF scandal inquiry professionally but also disgraced him.
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During Hanif Omar’s time as the inspector general of police, he had good relationship with the PMs but did not allow the police to be used for the whims and fancies of Umno. The police fought many criminal gangs like Botak Chin and we had many crime busters.
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During Harun Hashim, Eusoffe Abdulcader, George Seah, Azmi Kamaruddin, Wan Hamzah, Wan Suleiman Pawanteh’s time, the judiciary was seen and heard as neutral to all people and businessmen. Mahathir hated this idea that they could make decisions without consulting him.
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The Chinese worked hard in setting up industries and businesses. The Malays generally both in politics and government gave good leadership i.e. they supported the business and did not grab stakes or demanded contracts in businesses.
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The food in the country was better. But now in Malaysia almost all restaurants use low quality ingredients and cheap meats. Just go to Singapore and eat a bowl of curry mee, nasi lemak or roti canai at a stall and you will feel the difference.
Money, money and more money
Even in Qatar which does not produce any vegetables, meat or milk, you can get high quality cow’s milk at affordable price, fresh vegetables at reasonable cost.
What happened to the Malaysian health inspectors who used to visit restaurants and food processing factories in 1970s?
The list can go on. Slowly these leaders and their ministries and departments began dying under the heavy weight of one self-proclaimed CEO of the country Mahathir.
He used the Malay sentiment to woo the Malays in the government departments and used them for his antics. He found that it was easy to sway the Umno Malays by claiming he knows all the medicines for the so called Malay problem. He wanted to make the Malays like Chinese.
As a result now we have Melayu Baru who want money, money and more money by hook or crook.
What is the cause of BN’s death?
The BN started dying after the coming to power of Mahathir. He did several things to aid and abet the death:
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Umno was made mainstay party in BN to aid cronies to make monies.
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Umno cronies were consulted on country policies/decisions.
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Component party leaders were made weak/corrupted and subservient to the PM.
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Government machinery and funds became subject to political leaders/Umno cronies.
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The single most change which killed BN parties was Mahathir’s amendment to Societies Act after the Umno leadership tussle between him and Tengku Razaleigh
In view of the foregoing, there is no scope for BN to take back the votes of the Malaysians unless there is radical change in the composition and management of BN.
But BN leaders rather die than change.
By the next general election, the three enforcement bodies who are authorised to maintain law and order in Malaysia i.e. the Police, the MACC, the armed forces and its related bodies like immigration, judiciary and other ministries will only get from bad to worse as the political masters will continue using them in to stay in power.
I am not a doomsday prophet like Paul Krugman but the change in the world started taking place with the fall of the Russian empire as Glasnost in late 1980’s.
All the great regimes and governments which ruled the last 50 years have been collapsing (since WWII).
Fall before rising
Umno has to fail and fall before it is reborn. It “has to” fail like the conservatives in the UK, the Congress party in India, LDP in Japan, Suharto’s regime in Indonesia, and Marcos in the Philippines.
The question is not whether Umno will fall or not, but when Umno falls what will happen to Malaysia and its political, social, economic, cultural systems!
Umno will create a disaster as it will try to divert the course of nature and history by doing a Razak (declare emergency) or Mahathir (arrest everyone like Ops Lalang). The system will crash: Why? UMNO has created a mechanism where there is nO difference between Malaysia and Umno.
All these years Umno was fighting the battle with the Opposition using Umno’s internal strength. But Umno has realised it is left with no gurkhas or structures to fight with. Money in Umno kitty is gone with its previous treasurer, its state leaders have destroyed their own supporters due to corruption and cronyism. So in the last 12 months Umno is using its next bastion of power, the government machinery. Soon the army might be enlisted as well.
The abuse of government money and authorities to defend Umno and BN leaders and prosecute the opposition is so obvious even to a fifth former. Just read the Facebooks.
The political leaders of Umno have created a situation that when Umno crashes the country crashes. They will instil fear, enlist the army, police, FRUs and MACCs to go all out against anyone who may derail their plans to stay in power.
When that happens, where will Malaysia head then?
Panglima Garang is a pseudonym of a former civil servant, journalist and corporate professional. He is presently residing overseas advising a Middle East petroleum giant.
Perhaps this is as good an opportunity to consider changes we need to make within ourselves and to reflect on how we need to make those changes by a little introspection into ourselves.
This blog provides some insights into a society which we seek to emulate a lot and where our children go to study.
Perhaps it is from these people that government may have learned its prejudices and biases and how to justify and apply them to minorities:
http://tvaustralia.wordpress.com/
Think hard the next time wyou sedn your precious children away to study. Think even harder as to how to fight those prejudices that deny them a proper place to study at home.
GRK and Robert Koh
The writer Panglima Garang says that he is leaving the country as “ I am a bit tired of the social and economic mismanagement of Malaysia and racially anchored policies”.
Yet in spite of the social and economic mismanagement of Malaysia and racially anchored policies the writer says “I was in the top 1 percent income bracket”; that after he left civil service i.e. Senior Time scale A12, studied law, joined the private sector and in nine years “leap-frogged my income and position at my own expense” and by his definition “I am successful as I have saved enough to educate my children overseas, became well known in my industry for certain skills and knowledge and also ran a non-profit fraternity specific organisation to improve my fellow professionals public standing.” He questions “I am not sure where are these Malay millionaires now and what have they given back to the country which made them millionaires.”
But what about the Writer himself, who having done well here in spite of the “social and economic mismanagement of Malaysia and racially anchored policies” is now leaving because of “I am a bit tired of” these very same mismanagement and anchored policies?
After all the Writer does recognise that the country is on the verge of big changes with UMNO having “realised it is left with no gurkhas or structures to fight with. Money in Umno kitty is gone with its previous treasurer, its state leaders have destroyed their own supporters due to corruption and cronyism…and the question is not whether Umno will fall or not, but when Umno falls what will happen to Malaysia and its political, social, economic, cultural systems!”
Is the Writer having done well here leaving the battle to others less fortunate than himself to fight whilst he himself, after being successful, leaves the country to “advise a Middle East petroleum giant” This being so, why question “where are these Malay millionaires now and what have they given back to the country which made them millionaires”?
Whats the moral of the message here – is it an equally doomsday message that each man should fend for himself based on what the writer says, “So I am not one of those Malaysian who allowed himself to be left in the cold.”??? That is still “ Money, money and more money” that one accuses the UMNO, especially when, according to the writer, government machinery” may be substituted by enlisting “the army”, so those who are successful better relocate if they could?
As long as people speak up and expose the creator of all corruptions..encouraged ….by Mahathir for 22 years and on going…we can be sure..Malaysians will favour to vote UMNO out in 13th GE.
Yes Mahathir kept his words…creating Muslim millionaires..by the thousands.
He picked and choose and make sure….all are UMNO members or supporters.
So many farmers suddenly became millionaires…and all money spent out by the sons..not t worry…..start all over again…buy cheap land and sell it dear to the government.
Most multi billion projects are already known by chosen few to make sure hundreds of millions.
One of the clearest corruption is the PKFZ on land deal.
What more evidences does corruption agency needs on a land sold to government…100 times more than market value. Are they expecting confessions….to say evidences are there?
UMNO is the smartest crook you can ever find in the world…and the are very proud of their 100% full proof formula…no corruptions can be proven.
PKFZ12.4 billion scandal getting closer and all of a sudden…OTK is no more in charge.
It’s passed on to a Govt. Agency…which we know…may take decades to give final result..or thrown to waste paper basket…like the BMF RM2 billion corruption case that got an UMNO auditor murdered in H.Kong..case still unsolved after more than 30 years.
So many welknown UMNO crooks are still smiling and walking freely..with no fear…and that brings us to….”Where will Malaysia head then?”…as said in the main post.
It all depends on the 4 million young voters…how serious the are thinking about their future…country and people.
Sad to say…alot depends of these few millions suffering and awakening.
UMNO is smart enough to make sure these youngsters are happy and contented.
But every evil deed…will have sad and costly reactions..sooner or later.
Lets hope smart Malaysians do not wait for proofs..to understand we are dealing with UMNO who thinks they own the country and our loyalties….by hook or by crook….they intend to rule forever.
The only constant is change :)
///The question is not whether Umno will fall or not, but when Umno falls what will happen to Malaysia and its political, social, economic, cultural systems!
Umno will create a disaster as it will try to divert the course of nature and history by doing a Razak (declare emergency) or Mahathir (arrest everyone like Ops Lalang). The system will crash: Why? UMNO has created a mechanism where there is nO difference between Malaysia and Umno.
All these years Umno was fighting the battle with the Opposition using Umno’s internal strength. But Umno has realised it is left with no gurkhas or structures to fight with. Money in Umno kitty is gone with its previous treasurer, its state leaders have destroyed their own supporters due to corruption and cronyism. So in the last 12 months Umno is using its next bastion of power, the government machinery. Soon the army might be enlisted as well.
The abuse of government money and authorities to defend Umno and BN leaders and prosecute the opposition is so obvious even to a fifth former. Just read the Facebooks.
The political leaders of Umno have created a situation that when Umno crashes the country crashes. They will instil fear, enlist the army, police, FRUs and MACCs to go all out against anyone who may derail their plans to stay in power.///
This is the main reason for IGGG now.
I am still prepared to face such tough challenge at the helm of IGGG.
BN – Be eNd or PR – Past Rejects to ever come to power, the nation sure to lie in total ruins as ruined by 22 years of irrecoverable poison of GREED.
pw: Phuly friday
we need technical people to make technical decisions
had we have that culture, the top leadership of FAM would be different from today and perhaps we could have built on from the qualification of Olympics in 1980.
if you ask me, stupid Malaysians brought it upon themselves and other thinking Malaysians who do not deserve this.
luckily we have oil and furtile soil. otherwise we could have ended up like a banana republic.
Lee wee tak ///luckily we have oil and furtile soil. otherwise we could have ended up like a banana republic.///
Oil and fertile soil are finite resources and soon would be depleted or made infertile if we do not care of everything else like the environment and arrest of social ills aplenty here.
Profligacy is still ongoing and how long we can avoid a banana republic.. definitely we we are on the way there..
pw: firmation alertly
I think many can relate to what Panglima Garang was saying – we could all be doing well personally and yet at the same time feel an extreme sense despondence and helplessness when seeing the country going down the drain. The country has so much potential and yet we have accomplished so little. Malaysia could have been the little Switzerland by now, but instead of that, we are fast becoming a typical third world country with acute income disparity, poor living conditions, low hygiene, poor education and health care, filth, clogged drains and garbage everywhere and rapidly degrading environment.
If a person has done well, should that person be beholden to the government? Like many others, I think Panglima Garang has done well despite of all the odds imposed and not because of government largesse showered on him. If they are those who need to the grateful, these are the well-connected cronies (both Malays and non Malays) who gained enormous wealth at the expense of the general well-being of the country. They are the ones that should give back. Check it out, who are the ones now own holiday homes in London, Perth and Switzerland? These are the so-called leaders and cronies who never fail to proclaim how much they “love” this country but for you know, most of them already have the more than one leg outside Malaysia.
Do you sincerely believe this would revert the damage already done when it is Yayasan Sabah and its agencies still doing logging in Sabah?
Over RM1 Bln Allocated For Forest Plantation Programmes
KOTA KINABALU, Oct 16 (Bernama) — The government, committed to supporting the expansion of forest plantation and reducing the extraction of timber from natural forests, has allocated RM1.065 billion in the form of soft loans to finance forest plantation programmes.
Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Tan Sri Bernard Dompok said that to date, about 14 loan agreements worth RM232.549 million had been signed to fund the development of 52,435 hectares of forest plantation.
Today, programme facilitator Forest Plantation Development Sdn Bhd formalised a RM13.5 million deal with the Sabah Forestry Development Authority here for the planting of about 2,500 hectares of rubber wood of the timber latex clone beginning next year.
Dompok said he hoped more companies would apply for the soft loan so that the ministry’s target of planting 375,000 hectares of forest plantation could be achieved.
“The timber industry is a very significant industry in Malaysia.
“Last year, the industry contributed RM22.79 billion to Malaysia’s export earnings,” he said.
Forest Plantation Development is wholly-owned by the Malaysian Timber Industry Board, an agency under the Plantation Industries and Commodities Ministry.
Its functions among others are to promote the establishment of forest plantations for future sustainability of timber supply, obtain enough funds either locally or internationally to support the establishment of commercial forest plantations and provide soft loans to state government agencies and private companies interested in the development of forest plantations.
— BERNAMA
pw: panorama the
Panglima Garang feels the situation is hopeless and is taking the easy way out. It is certainly within his right to do this.
It is a shame though because it’s people Like Panglima that can make a difference. You have gone through the struggle and you have succeeded. This is a lesson that you can pass on to the remaining locals. Our success is not measured by what we have but doing the best with what we have. You have done this and it would be a great shame if you leave this country when you are probably more equip to teach and pass on what you have learnt in dealing with the situation. I often think of the sacrifices of Ang Sang Suki. It seems like her cause is so hopeless but she must have tremedous faith in her cause and believes that she will make a difference – its only a matter of when.
The writer said:
“The BN started dying after the coming to power of Mahathir. He did several things to aid and abet the death:”
Absolutely correct that Mahathir had caused unrepairable damage to this country during his 22 years rein in power. The dirtiest of politics in Malaysia began to feed in power play. The era of Mahathirsm has destroyed our precious institutions inherited from British. The fundamental for progressive Malaysia had deteriorated with Umno BN corrupted political culture.
The leadership change in Umno and BN bring the country no where. No significant and meaningful changes anticipated in the post-Mahathir era. Najib era obviously will bring us back to what we called Mahathirism. Therefore, UmnoBN downfall is a matter of time when Malaysia society grows matured
UmNO made Malaysia fall is the fact, writer choose to leave this country is also resonable. Look at our inside Gov! it is so darkness n corrupt… shame n sad to know. all our tax throw into deep sea…east malaysia also worce, where cant see what happen there… look at at singapore.. n look at malaysia.. who is controler.. why singapore can do it why not in malaysia? One MLAYSIA IS NOT TRUE, BUT ONE MALAY IS TRUE!. one million mean one muslim..
Scenario 1: BN/UMNO continues to rule, with corruption getting worst, until the whole economy collapse. The rich becomes richer, and the poor becomes poorer. Nothing much can be done to topple the ruling party. PAS will continue to rule Kelantan, while Sabah will most likely change government like “changing underwear”. Sarawak continues to be a “good boy”.
Scenario 2: “Wind of Change” – One state after another falls like domino following the success of PR in Penang and Selangor.
UMNO has the worst track history over the last 6 years to date. The initial division of the party, the countless corruptions that were made public(also the reappointment of one recently to run for bagan pinang), the unethical take over of PERAK, the appointment of a CEO with a controversial past(altantuya)?!?!, the reappointment of previous electoral rejects! the senseless reaffirmation of MIC and MCA’s relevance despite their obvious failure in their eyes of the indians and chinese of this country!
WE are sadly on the way to an economic blunder and doom. We have nothing to lose by voting this government off the list in the coming elections. Any other clown may pilot this country slightly better, i think.
How to grow when S$ has reached RM2.50 and even Thai Baht has reached RM10.50?
najis can only see $$ grow in his pocket
One year ago..I paid RM2.81 for AUS1 dollar.
Now. it is RM3.O2 I paid..one week ago.
Not only that…transport charges went up by 15%.
We cannot increase our selling prices…as if we are monopolizing the business. We have lots of competitors. We cannot loose money like UMNO…so easy to get more..to start all over again.
It will be less profits…which boarder line companies like mine…are loosing out…to keep alive.
Thousands are like mine company…..keeping quiet…suffering.
We had same experiences with Mahathir’s regime…..long long ago.
History is repeating itself…because corrupted government that are racists…will never change.
Their formula is always promoting..advertising…telling half truths…until all believe in UMNO.
Not one day….since after 12th GE..UMNO stop talking dirty politics and start working..and if they work a little…it is headline news….this and that.
Politics is so dirty…some countries are forced to be diplomatic for the sake of their people in Malaysia..doing business.
Yes…money rules…..and UMNO is stealing our money to rule and buy up the whole country…to rule forever.
UMNO BARU is truly evil.
What about En. Pendek b. Pantat who was sent to study at a community college overseas on taxpayer money but non-Malays with good grades were sent to study at local universities and to attend courses they never requested for? He re-joined government service after failing community college and slogged for more than twenty years behind a desk wasting taxpayer money. He retired a few years ago with a pension but has had to do odd work to pay bills.
What has the writer got to say to people like him??
Most of what he said are in public domain already. Then again, it good of him to collect and string them together in some order.
Of course, umno will sink but will it create a vacuum that will suck the whole country in? Maybe not. There’s pakatan. Therefore, more so now then ever, pakatan must hammer out a common working platform quickly.
Scenario 4: Najib’s tenure as PM may be the shortest in the history, UMNO will explode like a bomb, and Malaya will become a colony of Indonesia, while Sabah will become part of the Philippines.
Sarawak, Brunei and Singapore will form a new nation under the name of “United States of Sarawak”
Hi Jeffrey,
In Post #2 question, you questioned what is then the different between the writer and the “Malay Millionaire”.
Well, there is a fundamental difference here. According to the writer the Malay Millionaire were created by government. Whereas, the writer had achived the top 1% in term of income by his own afford.
The writer had mentioned that he quitted the Public services, on the advise of his supervisor as it is hopeless for him to get fair promotion. He also put in effort to take up courses with his own income and subsequently climb up the ladder on his own.
According to the letter, before he left the country, he also champion for some cause and etc.
Disclamer:
I do no know the writer and the opionion make purely on the letter itself.
#21 Johnnypok,
Why Sabah cannot stand alone or be the leader
of Spore, Sarawak and Brunei?
pw: fornians mamaux
“The political leaders of Umno have created a situation that when Umno crashes the country crashes. They will instil fear, enlist the army, police, FRUs and MACCs to go all out against anyone who may derail their plans to stay in power.
When that happens, where will Malaysia head then?” (Panglima Garang)
Perhaps Panglima Garang should spend some time to study the personal history of Corazon Aquino of the Phillipines in order to get some ideas of where Malaysia will head with Umnoputras desperate tactical deploy in the government law enforcement units and security forces establishment for purpose of preventing a possible change hand in the political power at Federal level in the future.
To take over the complete ruling power from the incumbent political party by an opposing party will never be an easy task, especially when such a coup attempt is going to be happened in such a democratically immatured country as Malaysia. However, by looking at the example of the Phillipines during the take-over of the National Presidency by Corazon Aquino, it will at least give us the common Malaysians some inspirations to strive hard to put hope on the People’s Power!
Many things are bound to change from time to time, including the people’s conventional mindset, which may be changed through education and external influence by way of frequent human interactions between the outdated, poor knowledge class and the well-informed, highly intellectual class. Therefore, the conscientious intellectual people should lead the nation by continuing to give more contributions to new ideas and beneficial ideological propositions which will being forth changes and hence bring forth overall betterment to the greater society of Malaysia!