Let's ponder
(1)
Last week, Selangor MB office issued a communique defending the RM100 million Kuala Langat integrated and modernized pig farm project, near Sepang. It clarifies the project had been approved on Jan 2008 by the previous state administration. The new government agreed in the last EXCO meeting that the project is appropriate to be continued. The project, flamed by media reports, has irked many for being insensitive to Malays and Muslims in the state.
Now may we ask ourselves, what are we so sensitive about? The pigs have been here and there in Selangor all these while. In fact, the location of the said project is on the already one of the biggest pig farm in the state. This project is not created on a new virgin land. Nor does it close village to give way for pigs. The RM100 million money does not come from state coffer as it would be fully funded by private sectors.
plain languages, the project is merely moving all the pigs from all parts of Selangor to join their ‘bigger neighborhood’ in an existing farm in Sepang, which would be moderately enlarged, modernized and integrated, so it could be better managed, monitored, and enforced.
The best part of it is, there will be no more new pig farms to be approved in any part of Selangor in the future. Now ask ourselves again, are we being sensitive or being stupid for asking this project to be scrapped?
(2)
Our local government by-law stipulates that the local councils are to be appointed by means of contract, normally done through political appointments. When Selangor State Government changes hand, the local councils would also see new appointees. But, until today not a single local authority in Selangor has officiated the appointment of new local councils.
In the previous administration of local authorities, among the lucrative income generations decided by the local councils are the fee collections of various pasar malam. Often, the collections are monopolized by certain political sectors in the name of various local institutions and associations, though, the permits are issued by local authorities. This collections could reach tens of thousands ringgit a day throughout the state.
Where does this money go? This money should belong to local authorities because they bear the cost of cleaning up and providing facilities for pasar malam. May be, a small portion could be allocated to local institutions or associations for administering the pasar malam.
Ronnie Liu, the state exco incharged of local authorities, must quickly start to get his hands dirty in cleaning up this mess. He must set up a mechanism to ensure the money collected from pasar malam vendors are transparently managed. As for now, until Ronnie gets to his work, these money flow to political sectors, mostly affiliated with the previous state and local councils administration. They are laughing all the way to the banks!
(3)
The Merdeka Center recent survey finds that 70% of respondents do not mind voting candidates from other races in the election. This figure is higher among younger respondents. Apart from that, more than 80% of the respondents said they are satisfied with the recently concluded election result. In recent general election, the votes cut across racial lines.
The above figures are more than interesting. Are Malaysian less racially sensitive? At a personal level, what I have been observing around me does not really come to an agreement with the survey. If the survey truly reflects general Malaysians attitude towards racial politics, then our politicians would have tough time adjusting themselves to the new realities. This could be so because, what they see isn’t truly what it is.
There is also another dimension to this finding. If Malaysians are now racially less sensitive, are they also less sensitive towards religious issues. The survey did not explicitly suggest as such, but we all know the coherence of perception between race and religion is rather high especially among the Malays.
Would the next political battle be fought on religious platforms, instead of racial ones? I would rather leave this question for us all to ponder!
Last week, Selangor MB office issued a communique defending the RM100 million Kuala Langat integrated and modernized pig farm project, near Sepang. It clarifies the project had been approved on Jan 2008 by the previous state administration. The new government agreed in the last EXCO meeting that the project is appropriate to be continued. The project, flamed by media reports, has irked many for being insensitive to Malays and Muslims in the state.
Now may we ask ourselves, what are we so sensitive about? The pigs have been here and there in Selangor all these while. In fact, the location of the said project is on the already one of the biggest pig farm in the state. This project is not created on a new virgin land. Nor does it close village to give way for pigs. The RM100 million money does not come from state coffer as it would be fully funded by private sectors.
plain languages, the project is merely moving all the pigs from all parts of Selangor to join their ‘bigger neighborhood’ in an existing farm in Sepang, which would be moderately enlarged, modernized and integrated, so it could be better managed, monitored, and enforced.
The best part of it is, there will be no more new pig farms to be approved in any part of Selangor in the future. Now ask ourselves again, are we being sensitive or being stupid for asking this project to be scrapped?
(2)
Our local government by-law stipulates that the local councils are to be appointed by means of contract, normally done through political appointments. When Selangor State Government changes hand, the local councils would also see new appointees. But, until today not a single local authority in Selangor has officiated the appointment of new local councils.
In the previous administration of local authorities, among the lucrative income generations decided by the local councils are the fee collections of various pasar malam. Often, the collections are monopolized by certain political sectors in the name of various local institutions and associations, though, the permits are issued by local authorities. This collections could reach tens of thousands ringgit a day throughout the state.
Where does this money go? This money should belong to local authorities because they bear the cost of cleaning up and providing facilities for pasar malam. May be, a small portion could be allocated to local institutions or associations for administering the pasar malam.
Ronnie Liu, the state exco incharged of local authorities, must quickly start to get his hands dirty in cleaning up this mess. He must set up a mechanism to ensure the money collected from pasar malam vendors are transparently managed. As for now, until Ronnie gets to his work, these money flow to political sectors, mostly affiliated with the previous state and local councils administration. They are laughing all the way to the banks!
(3)
The Merdeka Center recent survey finds that 70% of respondents do not mind voting candidates from other races in the election. This figure is higher among younger respondents. Apart from that, more than 80% of the respondents said they are satisfied with the recently concluded election result. In recent general election, the votes cut across racial lines.
The above figures are more than interesting. Are Malaysian less racially sensitive? At a personal level, what I have been observing around me does not really come to an agreement with the survey. If the survey truly reflects general Malaysians attitude towards racial politics, then our politicians would have tough time adjusting themselves to the new realities. This could be so because, what they see isn’t truly what it is.
There is also another dimension to this finding. If Malaysians are now racially less sensitive, are they also less sensitive towards religious issues. The survey did not explicitly suggest as such, but we all know the coherence of perception between race and religion is rather high especially among the Malays.
Would the next political battle be fought on religious platforms, instead of racial ones? I would rather leave this question for us all to ponder!
posted by Jamna at
10:32 PM
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