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By David Lang
The following stories may fire your imagination, pique your interest. Some say 1MDB is Malaysia's Sovereign Wealth fund; to others they asked what wealth fund when its total capitalization is just One million ringgit? But, then again, if you think you can look down on the pet idea of the Malaysian prime minister, think again. His idea has the potential of turning the now world famous - or shall we say, infamous - 1Malaysia Development Berhad into a giant corporation you can ever imagine - even bigger than Bill Gate's Microsoft! At least, it could be, if the original course is stayed. It was supposed to inspire Malaysians to think big besides advance growth, according to its slogans screaming out of giant bill boards throughout the country. 'Backed' by the finance ministry who owns it - which means money will never be the problem - it can only succeed. But..it didn't. It failed! That's why it may have piqued many people's curiosity. How can a company flush with cash and can borrow any amount (billions) anytime could fail? Well, this may be in line with your thinking. People have seen since its inception - I mean after its name was changed in 1999 from Trengganu Investment Authority (TIA) to the present - it hasn't done any business! I have used present tense deliberately. It hasn't done any business yet. I mean if you are in business you need to make profit or find ways to make profit. Or close shop. Oh, I had heard about their filings of tax returns and hiring of a couple of internationally known auditors to sign off on their balance sheets; but these concerned only the company's borrowings and interests to be paid. Two massive bonds were issued to the tune of $7 billions. To buy up power plants. Again I want to say if you are in business to make money even investing in independent Power Plants, it should be done with the view to making a profit. The decision may be long term or short term, it doesn't matter, it has to make money, or no deal. May be they have done the right thing. Maybe luck was not on their side. Still, the amount is staggering. I didn't know having or managing so much money can be a problem! But many - especially the Malays - have not given up hope yet. Yes, may be the durians are just ripening; may be they need time and may fall soon!
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!>The DRL Blog > News>Malaysia>opinion
Malaysia's Vision 2020
By:David Lang
Malaysia is supposed to be on its way to becoming a developed nation, by the year 2020. Will she make it (in less than five years -tick-tuck, tick-tuck)? There is no doubt the year 2020 is coming whether the country is ready or not, and if that will be the only requirement then Malaysia will attain that developed nation status on schedule. There is a question, though, Will Malaysia, or Malaysians, for that matter, be ready for that status as far as their affluence, quality of life's concern? Currently Malaysia's GNI per capita stood at US$10060. According to the World Bank high income economies are those with GNI per capita of US$12,745. And until Malaysians earn much more to be there, the developed nation status may not be achieved even by the year 2020. The futility of declaring a country a high income country when it's not, achieves nothing. May be even counter-productive; it lulls the country into false sense of success and premature celebration. Don't forget China reportedly overtook Japan as the world's second largest economy, but in actual fact China's citizens' ca pita income is a fraction of the incomes of the Japanese who earn $37,000. Chinese incomes range from $13,000. China's gross domestic product, taken as a whole, may beat Japan's, but in term of quality of life, and GNI per capita income, the criteria for a developed nation status, China still has a lot of catching up to do. That's why China still qualifies as recipient of Japan's economic aid meant for developing countries. Comparing with the Chinese per capita domestic product, Malaysia is even worse off. Unless the government bucks up and rushes to create more wealth for its citizens, the Vision 2020 dream may remain just that ..a dream.
Jun 29, 2013
'MCA go home' vs 'Where was DAP 13 years ago?' at Jonker Walk
What?! Gan qualified his being there as a survey, not to protest? Let alone to lead the protest? Did Mr. Gan Tian Loo realize that the MCA protest carries more weight than DAP protest many times over. The state government, being UMNO-led government, considers the DAP as the opposition working hand-in-hand with PAS and PKR to oust UMNO from power, rescinding the directive on the request from DAP leaders will make the party even more popular. I thought, at first, here come the MCA, finally to do what it's supposed to do. Then the expected happened. He got cold feet. The reporter who covered the protest reported Gan was suddenly cautious . He was like ..."I'm here to lend my support to..the .. no, wait! I am not here to support the traders - but just to do a quick survey! But I am glad to be standing here with the protesters but reporters, please put it down in black and white I am not, I repeat, am not here as part of the protest. This is the reason the MCA was shunned, I mean has been shunned by the Chinese. They do not represent the Chinese anymore. They cannot get things done anymore unlike in the old days. Gan admitted his meeting with the chief minister was fruitless, but would keep trying. Keep trying for what? He should stop embarrassing the MCA and reducing its credibility further by continuing to beg despite being rebuffed earlier. Again, this proved that the Malaysian Chinese Association has really completely lost its usefulness. If a small matter like Jonker Walk closure was beyond its power then, that 's it.
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Sep 6, 2016
Muay Thai Vs Chinese Kungfu
The Chinese culture or education or civilization began long before the rest of the human race started to learn to make tools or to write - and mostly from Chinese invention.
Even today the Middle Kingdom reigns supreme in sports, economic and almost all other frontiers. It rules the badminton court and, and to certain extent, swimming pools, to cite a few.
For Business sense and acumen, the Chinese have a lot to teach the rest of the world. The Chinese are born businessmen, all Chinese - whether they are highly educated or come from peasant background.
Wherever they live they are better off than the rest of he population and enjoy a better standard of living (brought by their involvement in business.
In time of wars or mayhem, the Chinese prospered by cleverly taking advantage of the situation. They would stock their provision shops to overflowing with goods for the consumption of the native or local populations. The same shopkeepers would act as middle men for bigger merchants who probably are also Chinese themselves. Products like wood or timber and jungle produce brought in by the natives or locals would be paid for with essential goods that natives could not do without. In other words. everything worked in the Chinese shopkeepers' favor.
This, however, did not mean the Chinese shop-keepers were unethical.
The Chinese just used their superior knowledge and networking to make things profitable for themselves. That was all. In other words, they know how to take advantage of a situation in order to make money.
But I digress.
Yes, it is accepted that the Chinese are superior in almost everything. It is said the Chinese believe they are the only real people, while they regard the rest of the human race as not people but ghosts - such as Hongmo kwai (white man ghosts) or Kaling kwai (Indian ghosts), as examples.
Well, I did mention almost everything. The one thing, probably the only thing, the Chinese still don't have under their belt is martial art - courtesy of the Thais.
The Thais may be closely related to Chinese, or may arrive from the same stock, but they have and practice their own culture.
While Chinese kungfu is noted as the world's main art of self-defense as it is the most adopted form of self-defense, even compared to Muay Thai, Muay Thai proved to be a worthy - or more than a worthy - opponent.
If you have heard of Thailand - the land of smiles which (unfortunately for the Thais) instantly conjures up not smiling faces but alluring faces of PRO girls and dance hostesses working for the rows after rows of boisterous bars and night-clubs and massage parlors that dot the streets of downtown Bangkok. What is so unique about this Buddhist Kingdom, besides fragrant rice and MuayThai, is its night-life. From Bangkok to the provinces and the islands, such as Phuket, as an example, it is all about entertainment and enjoyment - nightlife.
Some people say, and they are not Thais, if there is no nightlife as it is, it is not Thailand. Without the bustling nightlife and the high consumption of alcohol, Thailand will grind to a halt and its economy will plummet, if not ruined.
It is also said, that any woman or man who have never been to Thailand, don't know what they have missed.
And, still, you may have missed the good part: Muay Thai!
In ancient times, the Thais, or the Siamese as they were known then, were in a perpetual wars with the Burmese (their supposedly cousins). The Siamese and Burmese fought and won countless battles between them. In the end, they came to realize they wanted peace - as long as peace with honor. And none has been dishonored or vanquished by one side to be gloated over by the other.
Both the Burmese and Siamese, who are of same build, due to the necessity of fighting wars, had learned and perfected a martial art that had become the main weapon of wars back then.
I am not sure about the Burmese, but the Siamese or Thais hold on to their martial art till today.
Muay Thai is the most popular art of self-defense in Thailand and, as a result, it is said all Thai boys are Muay Thai exponents (who are capable of kicking your ass).
And incidentally that is the main subject of this article.
Muay Thai or Chinese Kungfu?
I am writing an article about Muay Thai actually for discussion in MSNBC Newsvine forum; but the story needed a flash back to a martial art tournament I once attended (as spectator, of course) in downtown Bangkok.
The contest was open for Chinese Kungfu fighters and Muay Thai exponents - to determine who could destroy who.
As it turned out, all Chinese Kungfu fighters from Hong Kong and maybe a few from Mainland China, too, 6 in all, were out-punched and kicked so badly that they had to be carried down from the ring on stretchers - all half dead due to the beating they received at the hands of the Thai boxers.
I had wanted to look up the word chest thumping from the Merriam-Webster Online and they wanted me to write a post why I wanted to do so, because that was actually what the Hong Kong Kungfu experts seemed to be doing; I wanted to describe the Chinese boxers' confidence - their raring to go (fight against the Thai fighters) when they newly arrived from Hong Kong. These Chinese Kungfu exponents had heard about the brutality of Thai boxing, but didn't feel any fear at all as they were experts in Chinese kungfu in their own country. However, before the game - or shall we say game plan - started (it was the idea of the Hong Kong Kungfu fighters or their masters who mooted the special tournament to get the better of the Thais, if possible, and declare Chinese Kungfu as the number #1 martial art of the world), something happened that unsettled the Chinese a bit.
The jostling among Thai fighters, for a shot at the Chinese Kungfu opponents. The Thai fighters of all sizes literally begged the organizers for the chance to go against the foreign fighters, as if fighting against them was like child play instead of life and death matter, which it actually was.
Unlike the Chinese or Hong Kong people, the Thais proved with deadly effect that their confidence was not unfounded. For the Chinese, it was a day of days and in rarity, when they took on more than they could handle. They knew Chinese Kungfu was a deadly martial art but they never realized Muay Thai was a killer martial art. They returned to Hong Kong not only humiliated but half dead, if not dead. Despite their guru skill and were killers in their own right, they didn't hurt the Thais at all: none of the Thai boxers had to be carried down on stretchers!
For the Hong Kong fighters, if they lived to fight again, the pain of their beatings were nothing compared to the pain of humiliation at the hands of the Thais. Most Chinese, whether in Hong Kong or China, or even in Thailand, cried for revenge - to restore Chinese pride.
Subsequently, Chinese throughout Asia took matters into their own hands; and unbelievably started organizing tournaments after tournaments, in a vain attempt to prove Chinese kungfu could beat the Thais' MuayThai. And it did, alright. Second-rate - or shall we say any Muay Thai boxers that moved - were invited to array against and be defeated by superior Chinese Kungfu fighters. In the end, things quietened down..after the Kungfu exponents had their pride restored, perhaps?
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