Day: September 11, 2008

Ah-dolf Hits-mail…

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In a press conference where it was widely believed that Ahmad Ismail Ah-dolf Hits-mail, the ex-chief of UMNO’s dUMNO’s Bukit Bendera division chief in northern Penang, would give an apology for certain racist remarks he allegedly made on Aug 24, Ah-dolf instead made the following comments:

“The patience of the Malays and Muslims has a limit. Do not push us to the wall, as when we turn back we will be forced to push the Chinese in the interests of our own survival. The Chinese should not try to be like the Jews in America – it is not enough they control the economy, now they want political control.”

This is almost funny, except that any social upheaval in Malaysia is too close for comfort for us here in Singapore. And it is almost ominous, when you are a member of the minorities in Malaysia.

Just what an ‘exemplary display’ of demagoguery this is! Had some other politicians of another race done this, the Malaysian gahmen would have been all over that guy with the ISA. But all this little axxhole got for such seditious remarks only cost him his post and a membership suspension from dUMNO for 3 years. * ptui *

Anyone with brains would have asked if Ah-dolf Hits-mail is admitting that the lot of the bumiputra in Malaysia hasn’t actually improved all these years. In short, he has just admitted to the dismal failure of UMNO dUMNO. He has implicitly admitted that the implementation of the New Economic Policy (NEP) from 1971 to 1991 has been a futile endeavour and its extension, the current ongoing National Development Policy has failed to achieve any of its objectives. * Pathetic !! * The Chinese have a term for that – 一塌糊涂！[loosely translated as: an utter mess!]

If that is what Ah-dolf Hits-mail is admitting to, then the election results of Mar 08 this year has really been kind to dUMNO. It has definitely gotten away lightly and it should be grateful that the setback hadn’t turn into a rout at all for its failure to deliver, after the Malaysian people have entrusted them all these years. Either Ah-dolf Hits-mail is a complete absolute fool, or the Malay ultras are trying to play up certain sentiments for a repeat of the 1969 power grab again. Abdullah Badawi would do well to take note of how Tunku Abdul Rahman end up ousted then, to prevent the same fate from happening to him as well.

So what were the comments that created this storm? Apparently, this sneaky fellow has allegedly made this remark: “Orang Cina cuma tumpang di sini sahaja. (The Chinese are only squatting here.)” In some reports I glimpsed on Google search, it was reported that he said Chinese are squatters and cannot expect to enjoy equal power, while he claims to be referring to the Chinese of the pre-Merdeka (pre-1957) days.)

Whatever the case is, and no matter how he now claims he hasn’t meant the Chinese community any offense with his earlier remarks, his latest remarks vindicated the journalists who reported it to the public. Shame on you, Ah-dolf!

And here’s another thing that’s quite hilarious. Tun Mahathir Doom Mama-thir has questioned why Malay leaders lea-duhs were apologising over a remark deemed as racist by an dUMNO lea-duh. He cited the case of Wee Meng Chee who made parody of the Negaraku (the Malaysia National Anthem) and poking fun at the call for prayers but there was no apology from lea-duhs of the Chinese community over Wee’s actions.

Apparently, the Doom is really getting old and senile. Wee Meng Chee is technically a nobody but a common citizen with no political aspirations. I suspect Mama-thir didn’t realise he has just insulted Ah-dolf with this comparison, but Ah-dolf may not have the mental capacity to realise that anyway.

And if that’s not the case, these ultras are losing their marbles over the prospect of Anwar taking power.

On Foreign Worker Dormitories…

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I read this with a considerable amount of dread. I quote:

Dormitory operators said townships will be similar to this, but on a much larger scale.

Director of Mini Environment Services Pte Ltd, Mohd Jinna, said: “We will be able to handle 18 to 20 thousand workers in one location, with segments of maybe four dormitories.

As if having 1000 foreign workers in one place isn’t a big problem on its own, try for a moment to imagine a riot breaking out, because of alleged ill-treatment or discrimination, a wage dispute, a minor misunderstanding between a foreign worker and a fellow Singaporean or even simply because of Singapore beating them in a soccer match. Now let us recap:

Aug 23, 2005 (Taipei Times) – Furious with what they saw as inhuman personnel management, some 300 Thai workers in Kaohsiung set fire at the management center, a work dormitory, cars and other facilities Sunday night, police said.

June 20, 2008 (Reuters) – A group of Nepalese Gurkhas in a contingent attached to Singapore’s police “scuffled” last week in a dispute over wages, a rare display of indiscipline in a force renowned for its bravery and devotion to duty.

And even if we treat them so well they don’t have reasons to target us, what about difference within their own community and it end up as some kind of sectarian violence? For e.g. rival gangs of foreign workers barricading their part of these townships to fight one another as a result of political or religious differences back home? Do we have to end up sending security forces – some of them made up by our own fellow citizens – to go and break it up, and then later spend our own money to clean it up later. I wonder if we are going to built some army camps or have army personnel stand by near these places on weekends.

While it makes economic sense to have dormitories for foreign workers – which in a way makes it cheaper for companies to house them (and transport them too) – the concerns for security of our fellow citizens is real. Only now I fully understand some of the concerns my fellow citizens in Serangoon Gardens have regarding the dormitory in their estate. Do note I am not pointing out that crime rate will increase, since I have personally once observed some self-policing among foreign workers and also read about them, nor am I looking at this from a racist point of view, but consider the above ‘what if’ scenarios. How are we Singaporeans to be assured that our safety will be ensured in the event of Agent Provocateurs of nations unfriendly to us stirring up anger among them?

On top of which, I believe we can agree that putting a large group of people with the same cultural background together is a creating the potential for trouble. Otherwise, why would the HDB place quotas to prevent estates from turning into ethnic strongholds? By allowing such large number of foreigners to be at one single place, I must ask, if our government gahmen trust foreigners more than they trust us? Are we Singaporeans are even less capable of behaving and living in harmony with one another compared to foreigners that such a quota is enforced?

Our confidence is already shaken over the numerous security brouhahas in the recent months. This simply make me wonder if the guys in the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) are proactive in looking at potential problems and preventing them at all. In fact, it makes me wonder if it is not already the time for our 3-million-dollar talents-in-white, to look within their group for someone more capable of taking up this portfolio since I clearly no longer have confidence in the current one to ensure my security.