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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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Dec 5, 2016
The Magical Powers Of The Dragons
News > Ancient Story >Dragon Village
During Mating And Nesting Seasons The Sheer Number Of The Dragons Flying Above The Village Turned Days Into Nights
At the foothill of Bukit Perak (Perak Mountain), there is a village called Kampong Ti Ti Akar. Ti Ti Akar is a typical village like those exist elsewhere in Malaysia. That's where the similarity ends, though. Checked.
In this village live about 800 people of Siamese descends, and are all Buddhists. There are many similar villages in the Pendang District, about 28 miles from the capital city of Alor Setar, also populated wholly by Siamese - but we are here to tell the story of one village. Checked.
Before I go further, I want to mention that being Buddhists the Siamese in these areas of Kedah never have any conflicts with anyone, whether Malays, Chinese or Indians. Although insterspersed with Malay villages who came later, the region is known as the Siamese area since ancient time when the Siam Kingdom ruled Malaya. Life is a mundane affair through and through for these villagers. They are mostly paddy farmers who also own fruit orchards and rubber plantations. They sell jungle produce, fruits and tap their own rubber trees for latex to be sold as scraps. Paddies are planted once or twice a year - the yields are mostly sold to ricemills and the rest stored in mini houses built next to their houses to sustain them until the next seasons. Checked.
In this village for those who know exists another village - an alter ego of it, if you will. Let me tell you a story of an age undreamed of. This village known as Prai Ramai was a village like no other. It's the nesting place for the dragons! Checked.
The skies over the village are darkened with flying dragons for certain periods of the year - their mating and nesting seasons. They posed no danger to the villagers below. The villagers themselves viewed the flying serpents as a form of deities who live in heavens. Ckeck.
Even after the dragons vanished mysteriously one day, they continued to worship them religiously until modern days. At least until about 60 years ago, according to elders. Because of their belief and devotion to the dragons or the spirits which they left behind, they continued to live in peace and safety. No calamity or disasters ever touched the village, ever. Checked.
Even during the Japanese invasion of Malaya, nothing bad happened. The Japanese infantry came from the north and moved south, during 2nd world war. During their march through Kedah they laid waste to all area in their paths. People were killed and tortured mercilessly using all forms, while some were kidnapped to be used as mules of transport. Nobody was spared, young or old or even babies. It's a tale of sorrows. Checked.
But, believe it or not, this catastrophe didn't befall Plai Ramai, the dragon village! No Japanese soldiers came and, by extension, the villagers were spared the atrocities such as the infamous water treatment (Water to be pumped into victims' bodies and then drained again by using planks placed on their stomachs to be stepped on by boots of the soldiers). Checked.
The villagers believed the dragons protected them through their magical powers by making their area invisible to human (Japanese) eyes! It's said, every 100 years or so the villagers would offer their sacrifice in the form of giant wooden replica of the dragons which they (Everyone that's able to walk) collectively pulled by their bare hands a wooden dragon without the wheels for about two kilometers from one end of the village to the other. Checked.
It's not known if the sacrifice and the worshiping of the dragons as deities was still practiced in modern days. I will have to interview elders - if any left alive - to let them shed some light. But that's another story! Checked.
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