balan's-ced-views

LITTLE appears to have changed in the dynamics of bilateral relations

between Malaysia and Indonesia over the last half century or so.

  There continues to be a sense of unease between the two nations over

the nature of their relationship and where it should be heading.

  While Malaysia - respecting the fact that there are bound to be hiccups

in ties with its monolithic neighbour - has always been content to take

issues to the table of negotiation, the same cannot always be said about

Indonesia.

  When contentious issues come to the fore as they are wont to, given the

geographical and emotional proximity, Indonesia has invariably assumed a

"confrontational" stance.

  It began with Konfrontasi (when Indonesia declared war on a nascent

Malaysia soon after its formation) more than 40 years ago and appears to

be continuing with the decision to "temporarily" stop sending maids to

Malaysia.

  The move could be aimed at teaching us a lesson on how Malaysians

should come to the realisation that the country, and homes, will grind to

a halt if maids don't come over from Java, Sumatra, Irian Jaya or the

host of places that feed the Malaysian need for domestic help.

  Jakarta has often unnecessarily dangled this "sword of Damocles" over

Kuala Lumpur in an effort to get its way in issues like the mistreatment

of maids.

  In fact, there has been no real reason to do so given the raft of rules

and regulations governing the treatment of maids.

  Malaysian courts have done justice in several high-profile cases, a

fact which holds promise of the same in future.

  Granted that there has been a handful of cases of maid abuse that will

make even the most sober of persons see red, this should not have

warranted Thursday's response from the Indonesian government.

  Several Malaysians have been hauled to court to face retribution for

the inhumane treatment of their Indonesian maids.

  This, in itself, would have struck the fear of god into the hearts of

maid abusers.

  The Indonesian government should not have "temporarily halted" the

sending of maids pending a review of the memorandum of understanding on

the issue if it only wanted to redress the woes of domestic help. But its

actions appear to be more punitive in nature, given our dependence on the

300,000 Indonesian maids in the country.

  Where is the give-and-take from Indonesia to reciprocate Malaysia's

stance on the Ambalat issue (both countries are claiming the oil-rich

waters east of Kalimantan)?

  Datuk Seri Najib Razak had spoken of resolving the matter in the

context of the "special relationship" between both nations during a

recent visit to Jakarta.

  The prime minister had said that Malaysia (which has sent 13 protest

notes to Indonesia on the matter) would negotiate the issue with

Indonesia.

  This came on the tail of Defence Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid

Hamidi's statement that Malaysia would not be taking the matter to the

International Court of Justice in The Hague but would try to resolve it

bilaterally in a brotherly fashion.

  This has always been Malaysia's approach when it came to handling

thorny issues involving our southern neighbours (Indonesia and Singapore).

  The official stand assumed by Indonesia in previous cases of maid abuse

in Malaysia, fuelled by the outcry among ordinary Indonesians, is in

sharp contrast to Malaysia's (and Malaysians') approach.

  We have been civil to a fault when it comes to issues involving the

million or so Indonesians working in our homes (and occasionally breaking

into them), doing trade here, and often sneaking past the porous borders

for a better life here.

  For argument's sake, if Malaysians took to the streets of Kuala Lumpur

every time Indonesians committed an act of crime, what would become of

bilateral relations?

  What would happen if Malaysia decided not to admit children of

Indonesians into our schools or deny them treatment in our hospitals?

  What would happen if Malaysians protested against Indonesia's annual

"export" of the haze? There would be no end to the difficulties between

both countries if each tried to "punish" the other over such issues.

  What is needed is for sane minds to prevail on both sides and knee-jerk

reactions kept to a minimum.

  For a start, Malaysia needs to look at other sources of domestic help,

like China, to wean itself off Indonesia as the primary source of maids.

  This will reduce friction and, perhaps, help Jakarta come to the

realisation that it needs Malaysian homes as much as we need its maids.

  One can only imagine the outcry in Indonesia if the tap is turned off

on the much-needed millions domestic maids earn here every month.

  It all boils down to mutual respect between both nations built on a

foundation of coexistence and interdependence.

  There is no better time to see this in action than when festering

issues like maid abuse come to the fore as they will from time to time.

CALL me a word junkie, but I just can't wait for the days to whiz by to witness, and judge, the finals of the RHB-New Straits Times Spell-It-Right (SIR) Challenge on Aug 8.
  I will also be eagerly looking forward to the respective state finals,where one will get to identify those who eventually make it to the bright lights of Kuala Lumpur.
  If last year's contest was anything to go by, one can expect a humdinger of a competition this year, with students impressing with extremely high standards.
  The lull between August last year and May 2 and 3, when the challenge takes off at the first stop in Seremban, should have served a useful purpose in preparing potential contestants for the biggie.
  The RHB-NST SIR `09 Content Committee has come up with a range of fun-filled word-based activities to keep students busy over the next month or so. From Monday to Thursday, until the state competitions begin, the etymology of interesting words will be profiled daily in the New
Straits Times.
  Friday's edition will see articles written by members of the SIR `09 content committee and presenters on, among others, how to prepare for the
competition, things to look out for, and rules.
  On Saturdays, Niexter will carry articles on the competition while Sunday's newspaper will carry in-depth pieces in the Learning Curve on preparations by schools for the challenge.
  NST Education editor Faezah Ismail has promised only the best in coverage before and during the competition. I don't see how she can do better than last year, when her section outperformed itself.
  This year, NST online editor Azmi Anshar has come on board with a raft of ideas on how to publicise SIR `09.
  The man, a veritable reservoir of ideas when it comes to the blogosphere, has this on the drawing board: pieces on famous historical exponents of the English language such as William Shakespeare, Samuel Coleridge and George Orwell; the history of the English language; and the story of how Samuel Jackson put together the first English dictionary.
  There will be much more, he assures me, to be read on computer screens this year.
  As for contestants, I am hoping for more finds like last year's secondary school winner Bessima Jamal of Sabah, who wowed everyone with her impeccable spelling.
  Or Vikram Ramachandran of Negri Sembilan, the second runner-up, who breezed through the state finals and the national finals but met his Waterloo at the end with the word "magnanimous".
  The Seremban speller has started the SIR `09 ball rolling this year by being the first to comment on it in his blog (calmaglar.blogspot.com).
  (We hope others will start similar blogs to give their take on this year's events).
  If there are going to be more Nurul Nadiahs (the first runner-up from Pahang who may be going for the big one this year), all the better for the competition and judges as they will have someone to keep them on their toes.
  Who can forget her cheeky remarks, taken in good spirit, when she "chastised" me for leaving the "h" out when spelling her name, besides taking a dig at last year's content committee chairman Rehman Rashid for
being a little "garang".
  (Rehman, I am glad to announce, will still be bringing his unique talents to the stage as a presenter.)
  Then there were the young `uns like Victor Teoh Yun-Chen of Selangor, who was nothing short of brilliant despite his unemotional demeanour, or 8-year-old Isaac Chung of Sarawak, who sparkled with enthusiasm.
  It is sad that the Year Six students who won at the state and federal levels may not be in the secondary category this year as they will be pitting their skills against fifth-formers in a league of their own.
  But they will certainly be the ones to look out for in years to come.
  As far as preparations in the NST are concerned, the SIR '09 content committee has been working feverishly to get the 5,000 words together for this year's outing.
  A word of advice to contestants: The best way to learn new words is to read voraciously and use new or unusual words in everyday conversation or writing. Practice, after all, makes perfect.
  To teachers, please hold mock spelling contests in your schools to generate interest among students and choose the best of the best for the state finals.
  And, we are going British, as we did last year, in so far as spelling is concerned. Americanisms, much as we like them, will not figure in the competition.
  Students who are not participating, please come out to rally around your teams. There is nothing worse than to be alone in your winning moment. So put on uniforms (all participants will have to don them), and mosey along to the venues for the state and national finals.
  It may be too early to talk of the finals, but it would be refreshing if Education Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein sticks to his air of informality which was a breath of fresh air last year.
  I would be remiss in my duties if I did not mention how his promise of rewarding winning schools this year stirred the spirits of organisers and participants.
  Entry forms for the RHB-New Straits Times Spell-It-Right (SIR) Challenge will be published in the New Straits Times from Mondays to Fridays, beginning from Monday. Tomorrow and on Sunday, we will carry a list of state venues as well as the attractive cash prizes for state and national winners and winning schools.
  Here's to a fantastic competition this year and all the best to the kids out there who are going to make Malaysia proud.

The RHB NST SIR 09 Challenge is up and running! After last year's inaugral  outing that saw students spelling like never before, and winning fanstastic prizes for their efforts, we are back again - bigger and better.

This time around, we are planning to take the competition to a new level, knowing that Malaysian students can spell. To be honest, we did not know last year as to how good our primary and secondary students were. But did we find out, and what in magnificent fashion.

Kids out there can spell! Period.

As chairman of the competition's content committee, a role played almost to perfection last year by the erudite and articulate Rehman Rashid, it is my turn to add something to the challenge.

My heart and soul were with the contest last year and little has changed this year. I have a great team working with me to compile about 5,000 words in super quick time. Wish us well.

On the team are Theresa Manavalan of  Sunday "People" fame (she's the editor), Mary Chandapillai Hanna who runs the Newspaper In Education (NIE) unit,  Sheikh Mokhtar of NIE (who is secretary of the committee), Francis Dass (also of NIE), Teresa Yong of NST, and Roopvanti Gulabrai (retired teacher and presenter last year).

Also helping us are Rehman Rashid who will reprise his role as presenter, and Faezah Ismail, (NST Education Editor) who has been doing a great job with Learning Curve like she did last year.

  The NIE unit (thanks to Mary and Hanna) has come out with an interesting addition to our coverage of the event: WORDS! WORDS! WORDS!

 The column presents the etymology of interesting words besides sentences that show how to use  them properly. I hope teachers and students find this as interesting as I have.

I am extremely happy that some of last year's contestants did very well in their Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia examinations. Kudo's to all who have made your parents and us proud. It was no accident that you did well in SIR 08.

You can expect more from this blog on SIR 09 in time to come on what happening in Kuala Lumpur and at state level.

We are speaking to schools on preparations for the preliminary rounds that begin in Seremban on May 2 and 3. If you have an interesting story to tell everyone about preparations for the competition,  do call  me at 012-3183414 or the NST general line at 03-22823322 and ask for me, Theresa Manavalan or Mary Chandapillai.

I would also like to invite teachers and students alike around the country to give the challenge a shot this year. I remember the fun time we had at our outings to the states and at the finals in Kuala Lumpur.

We jaded scribes from Kuala Lumpur also got out of our cubbyholes to the great ourdoors and savour some of the sights  in states we had not visited before besides making new acquaintances.

Just one last note: Welcome to new NSTP Director of Marketing, Zuraida Mohamad  who is also chairman of the Organising Committee.

She brings new pep and vigour to our efforts as we found out at our first meeting recently. Wan Abdullah Wan Nawi, as usual, has been more than efficient as deputy chairman of the organising committee.

That's about it.  More to follow.

 

 

 

Monday, December 1, 2008

Cheaper consumer goods through cooperatives?

Prices of consumer goods have skyrocketted of late with the average wage earner at odds on how to make ends meet. The fall in petrol prices have not had a noticeable effect on other prices across the board. In true Malaysian tradition, the purveyors of essentials conveniently forget, or are made to forget, that petrol is cheaper. To be fair, they are also complaining of hikes in other prices which also have an effect on their pricing.

It is a vicious cycle. Take for example, the humble roti canai that almost all Malaysians love "banjir" (flooded) with dhall and sambal. When petrol prices went up, the cost of the breakfast favourite also went up because the chap who supplied gas to the restaurant also upped his charges as did the host of others who played a role in keeping the eatery going .

The restauranteer also has to pay higher prices for his clothes. his food, his entertainment. The list goes on.

When the petrol price went down quite a bit recently, roti canai prices slipped by 10 sen or so. And have you seen the roti canai of late? Two bites and its gone. One has to order three roti canai for a hearty breakfast.

So where does that leave us? The situation appears to be worsening with no end in sight to spiralling prices - of everything.
I think we are forgetting a valuable resource that has almost become an institution in Malaysia that can help find some comfort for the average Malaysian whose wallet has been hit hard.

I am talking of the co-operatives that exist in almost all sectors. I believe the time has come for them to spring into action in terms of selling dry and "wet' consumers items - and cut out the midleman who for the record has my sympathies. But being the resilient lot that they are, I am sure they can find alternative sources of income by being middlemen in areas that do not touch our stomachs.

There was a time when some co-operatives had shops in company premises or in rented space outside selling, among others, rice, oil, and canned goods. These were almost regular shops which staff frequented after working hours or during their tea and lunch breaks.

But those were the halycon days before the economic crunch hit the country when people were more worried about convenience than prices. But today, price is the bottomline in purchases for most, with perhaps the exception being the well-heeled who don't have to count their ringgit every time they go grocery shopping.

I believe the time has come for co-operatives to go back to helping members facing the shrinking ringgit by buying in bulk from wholesalers and selling them at less-than-market prices to members.

We may save a few ringgit a week but they will definitely total a tidy sum over the months. This is where membership in co-operatives can help the ordinary Malaysian wage-earner.

In India, there is a different system that works on almost the same principle.
The government sells "rationed' goods, among others, like oil, rice, wheat flour, dhall and milk at lower prices to all households. All one has to do is get a ration card from the municipal authorities.

No one is shy about getting the rationed goods as they translate into smaller grocery budgets at the end of the month.

We need to rethink our options, especially where our stomachs are concerned, at a time when the average pay packet does not go as far as it did.

Food for thought?

Wednesday, December 3, 2008

HARKING BACK TO THE CHRISTMAS OF YORE

Christmas is finally upon us.

The season and not the day itself, I mean. Sometime in June, I remarked to a friend that Christmas was taking a mighty long time to come this year.

But, lo and behind, it is here and the days will pass by soon enough before Dec 25 dawns and church bells ring.Christmas has always held a unique allure for me because I grew up beside the Zion Lutheran Cathedral (church only then) in Brickfields with a myriad activities on its premises from the beginning of Advent (the first Sunday of the Christmas season) until Christmas Day service at the church.

There was no way I could have missed any of the happening at church as my late father, Rev D. Moses, was a leader of the church and expected his family to fully participate in the Christmas programme.

This meant taking part in the annual Sunday School pageant, the carols from my teenage years onwards and the numerous services that filled the four Sundays until Christmas Day.

Then, there were the preparations at home. We, the four children (and I am quite sure our parents too), had a whale of a time as the Moses family did what was necessary to get ready for the greatest day of the year.

It was really a season of joy more than a one-day happening as we eagerly lived every day from Advent with the joy that only kids can derive from anticipating a day of food and fun.

It would begin sometime early in December when the lorry from F and N and another company whose names skips my mind screeched to a halt at the kerb. The salsmen would soon knock on the doors of Christian families to find out how many crates of aerated water we needed.

The crates would be stacked out back beside the kitchen with a warning from our parents not to touch the coloured drinks which were meant for visitors to our home.

And there were scores of visitors who would wander over from church on Christmas day or the legion of relatives and friends who would stop by before or after the festival.Our house was a must stop for the many who knew my parents.

We kids would invite our friends over on the sly for a quick drink or two.My mother and a house help would also start preparing sweetmeats and savoury Tamil cakes from the first week of December.

The murukku, achi murukku, candy, kothu urundai (sweet balls of gram), nei urundai (ghee balls) would be placed in large biscuit tins and deposited in the store room.But our hands would soon find their way into the repositories for goodies with the attendant scolding and threats from my mother following suit.

The Big Sister fruit cake would be stached in a cupboard under lock and key and away from our hands looking for something to nibble at tea time.Where has this brand gone?

It used to have large cherries that would make a little boy's day and smaller but sizeable raisins which used to taste great after lunch or dinner. The carolling sessions, usually over three days, must get honorable mention here. They usually degenerated into eating binges in between rounds of singing Christmas carols from home to home.

By the end of the day, the younger members of the carol party would be almost sick with all manner of food and drink taken in excess while one or two of the older ones would have to sent home in taxi's in various stages of inebriation.

And soon the big day would arrive and we would go to church in our Christmas best. Today, much has gone out of the Christmas I used to know and love.

We work until a few days before D-day and then try to catch a little rest over the holidays with a couple of church services in between.

So, here's to preparing for Christmas.

Enjoy.