Reporters leaving The Star? I was at a media function last week and a reporter from the Star, confided in me that the country's largest English-daily newspaper is fast losing its prized reporters. Apparently the days of six months ex-gratia bonuses are long gone and reporters, so used to those fat bonuses in the past, are not satisfied about the current status quo. The New Straits Times, for a long time the poor cousin of The Star are now willing to pay an extra thousand Ringgit to entice reporters to cross over to Jalan Riong from Section 16.

The Star is reputed to have lost a promising young journalist from the Malacca bureau as well another one from its Ipoh office, just in the last few days. Or so i heard. An exodus may well pick up steam, as reporters realise that they cannot survive on the measly basic salaries in the big cities. The discrepancy is startling; a reporter with about two years of experience and affinity for the job who agree to jump to the NST, can see his salary rise by 70 percent in one swoop to about RM2,500 while an experienced, hardworking Star reporter, after 11 years, may still only pick up less than RM3,000.

The top management at The Star is probably worried about this chain of events although they will put up a brave face. Besides losing reporters, they also need to be worried about the better quality stories that the NST and The Sun have been writing about. The Sun, for example, has succeeded in winning over advertisers with its unique free newspaper business model, which even people like Rupert Murdoch had grudgingly acknowledged as a threat to the tradtional newspaper business model. I generally find the content in the NST more appealing than the Star. The NST, being an UMNO newspaper, probably has more leeway in pushing the limits right now, in order to win market share it lost to the Star earlier in the game. The MCA mouthpiece has been very compliant to its political masters since it was punished in 1987. I recall when as a rookie Star reporter, I mentioned to a senior editor why we had to listen to the "political masters", he took umbrage to this and went out of his way to convince me that this is not true. A rookie I was but a fool I am not.  ¶ 3:50 PM 0 Comments

  MCA displays its impotence It is really amusing to read MCA's mouthpiece, The Star quoting MCA vice-president Datuk Chua Soi Lek as saying that MCA will continue to "assist" student Wee Meng Chee who got into trouble with the authorities after his laments about the state of the nation was viewed on YouTube.

Is this the best that MCA can do? Especially after the de-factor Law Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz said that the government is not going to forgive Wee and that he could face legal action including possible jail time, for, in my view, merely echoing the sentiments of many Malaysians. The Star report today even stated that Chua spent 30 minutes lecturing Wee where he went wrong, when in his hearts of hearts, Chua knows that there is massive disatisfaction amongst his own ethnic community in Malaysia about the disturbing state of the nation and the path it is taking in regards to corruption and decaying national integrity.

So, what "advise" will MCA give Wee if he is charged in court? That he should take whatever is meted out like a man? UMNO is out for a pound of flesh and MCA is fighting in UMNO's corner, as it is seen from the outside. If Chua and his ilk are the best that the dynamic, hardworking Chinese community in Malaysia has as a so-called representative in Cabinet, then let's look forward to an interesting General Elections which is just around the corner.  ¶ 2:41 PM 0 Comments

  Royals speaking up against excess 'This country belongs to all Malaysians regardless of their race, and everyone has a right to feel as Malaysians.' If this statement was made by our Prime Minister, I would not give this statement a second look. In my opinion he has lost a lot of credibility and has not demonstrated able leadership. This statement was made by Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, who is the Sultan of Selangor, and immediately a lot of thinking Malaysians have woken up and lauded his weighty words.

Another royal, the Crown Prince of Perak, Raja Dr Nazrin Shah, called on Malaysians to promote unity by protecting the integrity of the Constitution, which guarantees freedom of religion. His words in the last few weeks have made me feel more Malaysian than all the fluff uttered by our politicians in the last few years. Compare these words with statements uttered by the ruling UMNO party, and you will see a sea of difference in tone, sincerity and leadership.

Perhaps we will all have something to think about during our Merdeka come August 31st. Perhaps this country is stronger than the sum of all our dirty politicians put together. Perhaps we can feel more like brothers and sisters at least for a little while as that 50th anniversary of Merdeka draws near.  ¶ 10:43 AM 0 Comments

  Bail out again? In Malaysia, there seems to be a litany of unresolved issues floating aimlessly like uncleared debris in a pond. We've got disturbing issues coming out of the Attorney General's Chambers, unrest in the police force, the Rulers' rejection of the Prime Minister's candidate for the Court of Appeal seat, just to name a few. These days, the high ideals expoused by our Prime Minister at the height of the 2004 elections have come crashing down earth with a thud. Obviously, the powers that be now has no way of rebutting opposition allegations on corruption and abuse of power, except by warning bloggers who write on politics and socio-economic issues(who have all been tarred with the "unpatriotic" brush)that they are being watched (no less by KJ's vehicle- UMNO Youth). It seems like Ijok all over again, with the "gempur" ragtag team coming out of their little holes to bang on empty tins to drown out any reasonable demands for accountability, transparency and respect for state institutions.

Now, after Malaysiakini broke the story about the brewing financial scandal involving the Port Klang Authority which has been saddled with a RM5 billion debt following the pull-out of Jebel Ali Free Trade Zone (JAFZA)as principal partner last month, the other "traditional" media like The Sun and Singapore's Straits Times have delved deeper into the issue. According to media reports, it is clear that there is no transparency, accountability and respect for the rule of law involving this so-called free trade zone. It is as if the glow of money blinded all in UMNO and it became a tidy get-rich-quick scam. The chairman of the company that owned the land is no less than the UMNO treasurer himself according to the Straits Times report. The politicial angle is overwhelming when one reads about the convoluted connections behind the scene. This is not a flattening environment (as Thomas Friedman puts it) which will make foreign investors gain confidence in Malaysia. One must wonder what they think of our grand plans to develop Johor if this PKA scandal is a testament of what doing business in Malaysia is like. The Singaporeans must be watching this scandal with deep interest. I bet they will keep their money bags tightly zipped.

Where is the "goblok" Minister who says everything in cyberspace are plain lies? Why is he quiet? And where is that monkey who claims to know what is best for Malaysia? It would be interesting to hear his views on this brewing scandal.  ¶ 1:28 PM 0 Comments

  Where is that Merdeka feeling? As the day of Merdeka approaches, there is a distinct lack of emotion regarding this momentous occasion, which stirred the soul of this nation fifty years ago, promising its people happiness and prosperity if all the ethnic communities work together as one. The newspapers prefer to focus on the historical figures, who contributed their tears, sweat and blood to the nation but curiously shy away from any substantial reportings about the current views of Malaysians. The newspapers seem to shy away from writing about this special moment, this special occasion while paradoxically, the issue of Merdeka and this "disconnect-ness" is embraced and analysed by bloggers.

Is it because the newspapers already sense a certain "disconnect-ness" amongst ordinary Malaysians of all races from the importance of Merdeka? Are they worried about what they would find if they dig a little deeper? Have their political masters decided that any indepth reporting on Malaysians' opinions about Malaysia may be too explosive? Is it apathy that we are seeing out there? Isn't that something we should all be worried about? Am I apathetic? Honestly, I think I am becoming apathetic, numbed by disturbing developments I see all around me. The point is, we should be able to sense that a special day is just around the corner. Instead, the nation is trudging along towards August 31st like a horse wearing blinders.  ¶ 3:43 PM 1 Comments

  Malaysian flags:Where are they? I recall vividly thousands of national flags waving in the wind;from rooftops, decrepit apartment blocks, chinese coffee shops, battered taxi roofs, lorries, vehicles, back in 1998. It was during the financial crisis when all Malaysians felt that a stand had to be made, to reaffirm our love for this country during a dark moment in her history. Flags continued to be part of the city landscape during the run up to Merdeka for consequent years but lately, the ubiquitious little plastic national flags has suddenly become a rarity in Kuala Lumpur. I can't speak for other parts of the country but here in the largest city in Malaysia, I can hardly spot a car, apartment or office block adorned with that ultimate patriotic symbol - the national flag.

It is all the more surprising when one recalls that this year - 2007 - is Malaysia's 50th Merdeka celebrations (never mind that Sabah and Sarawak is not exactly enamoured by this turn of events, especially when they consider 1963 as the pivotal year when Malaysia was officially formed). Last year, the government continued to urge Malaysians to fly the flag, with some Ministers trying the tired old tactic of accusing the Chinese of a lack of patriotism because they were not flying the flag. They of course conveniently forgot that many Malays were also not flying the flag.

This year, with so much talk about the half century celebrations, the public is surprising quiet i.e translated into a no-flag moment from virtually any part of the city. I have yet to see a taxi with a flag stuck on the roof. And the most telling part is I have not come across any statements by politicians urging Malaysians to fly the flag as this is a very special year for Malaysia. It seems like nobody in UMNO is bothered as well. MCA and Gerakan are of course very quiet since they know they would be asking for a backlash from the Chinese community if they make a public statement about the importance of flying the flag. We can of course all forget about that minor inconsequential party called the MIC.

Actually the apathy demonstrated by this development is deafening and it is a powerful statement which the government, I am sure, is aware of but powerless to stop. The government over the years have cleverly diffused the message that being apathetic is a good thing because it makes it easier for the ruling party to push its agenda cloaked as a national mission. I suppose that same apathy carefully cultivated over the years is out in full bloom for all to see. I don't for one second blame Malaysians for this lack of patriotism - as one friend of mine stated: flying the flag is akin to supporting UMNO and its agenda, it is not about showing love for the country. I think that pretty much sums it all up doesn't it?  ¶ 5:29 PM 0 Comments

  News which never make the headlines Bloggers and the online media continue to be mercilessly attacked by the UMNO-dominated government. Politicians with the reins on power has described this growing form of electronic media as unashamedly dabbling in fiction and sensationalism. We are urged not to read blogs and other local online media web sites, as the government continues its tired tirade against citizens who continue to provide an alternative point of view. Never mind that such bloggers are just a drop in the figurative ocean, compared to what most Malaysians are reading in cyberspace.

Surely the big and powerful government has no need to be worried about bloggers such as Jeff Ooi and Raja Petra Kamaruddin? But apparently, UMNO is. Is it any wonder then that Malaysians rightfully bring up this pertinent point - why does't UMNO confront "these lies and sensationalism" (some with clear documentations) with logic and reason? This sadly, is the crux of the bankruptcy of UMNO, when it is all too willing to "animalise" people who love this nation and are concerned about the direction it is taking in this rapidly globalising world.

Yesterday, Malaysiakini carried a report about thousands of Malaysians who took to the streets to urge the government to implement a minimum monthly wage. The report stated that at least 30,000 people took part in a peaceful demonstrations under the watchful eyes of the police. The report estimated about a thousand people demonstrated in Kuala Lumpur. This is worthy of coverage and of national interest surely. A quick survey of the online versions of the Star and New Straits Times this morning failed to elicit any news on this important event. It is clear that mainstream media suppresses news. As a former journalist, I know that that too clearly. Is it any wonder that thinking Malaysians continue to look at alternative media for news and informed analysis?  ¶ 8:10 AM 0 Comments