...Godot?

(Apologies to S Beckett.)

In the mean time, there’s a lot going in Sydney with regards allegations of large expenditures on “toiles” and more – allegedly in the range of AUSD100,000 – but who knows? Here’s the originating story by Frockwriter, some days later in the Sydney Morning Herald, and the public relations “badminton” in the news (denial by Rosmah, denial by the designer, and the unmoved writers).

Does it matter if Rosmah Mansor had indeed spent that amount of money wherever she may have been? Not if it’s her own.

But what if it’s not her’s, but rather the taxpayer’s?

Aku Jimat app home page

So a few days ago, after a rather tense meeting discussing the political scenario in Malaysia, a friend brought to my attention a new iPhone/iPad/iPod application, called ‘Aku Jimat‘. Succinctly, it’s a game where you collect falling coins and dodge bombs that,  instead of killing you, increases your age. So after you’ve collected enough dosh, you can proceed to the ‘Shopping’ section of the game where you can splurge on various luxuries like handbags, cars, and even a diamond ring (priced at $24 million, no less!). Ultimately, the game is – I guess – trying to inculcate the culture of saving up money to buy what you want early enough in life

On another point, news that top civil servants would be getting huge pay hikes has been met with severe reproach by the rest of the 1.4 million civil servants. Of course, the new Skim Saraan Baru Perkhidmatan Awam (SBPA) has been under such intense fire as even the civil servants union CUEPACS had been shut out of the initial planning stages. Some of the concerns raised include:

• disproportionate increase in salaries (top-tier would receive some hundred-fold pay raises, while some of the lower-ranked staff get a paltry 3% hike)
• an ‘exit’ mechanism, where civil servants must get a performance review score of over 70% (later dropped to 60% after pressure from CUEPACS), which after 2 consecutive years of failure they would be asked to leave
• the subtle issue of a single-tier remuneration scheme and specialization + seniority in the medical sector

In any case, plans for the SBPA to come into effect have been put on hold – twice; once at the end of December, and once again on 12th January – as the resistance from within the civil service was so severe that the Najib administration cannot implement this system wholesale. Of course, if only the administration wasn’t so iron-fisted in its approach – forcing civil servants to sign the papers before they could fully comprehend the magnitude of changes, for example – perhaps this key vote bank for the BN would not have been so resistant to such changes.

Maybe those spearheading the SBPA consultation committee could take some lessons from ‘Aku Jimat’ – be careful in trying to get what you want… otherwise people will make fun of you

Last 30th December, I was invited to share my views on what arts and artists have to say/contribute to society. This was in light of the case of Ai Wei Wei who had been detained by Chinese authorities for, as some speculate, his recalcitrant ways.

I was pretty groggy as it was a 930am interview, although when I heard it later in the day, I guess I wasn’t too meandering… I hope!

Let me know what you thought of it.

Menanti kebebasan / Hipster Anwar

‘EXIT’

pelbagai jenis manusia
menunggu di sini
mat-mat rocker rambut mengembang
bilal dan pak lebai berserban lengkap
makcik bedah dan cik kiah serombongan
hipster, fashionta dan hippie saling bersalaman
warga korporat tuang hasrat untuk ke ofis
wartawan dan jurugambar, dan pastinya polis
sang peguam dan beg saratnya, ke hulu ke hilir
anak muda dan mahasiswa yang kalis getir
para ayahanda dan top-top perang halimunan
juga mega, mentari pagi dan hujan
dari timur dan barat, utara selatan
semua menunggu, semua menanti
dan
di sini
tertera tanda ‘EXIT’

Kompleks Mahkamah Jalan Duta, Kuala Lumpur
9hb Januari 2012

Props to Jin Hackman for this recap of  events in 2011!

1) Ceramah Umum anjuran Lembah Pantai
Friday, 6 Jan, 9pm
DS Anwar Ibrahim, Nurul Izzah, TS Khalid Ibrahim, Dr Aziz Bari
Dewan Gasing Indah, Jalan 5/46, Petaling Jaya

2) Ceramah Demi Rakyat
Friday, 6 Jan, 8.30pm
DS Anwar Ibrahim, Hannah Yeoh, Nik Nazmi, Dr Rani, V Sivakumar, Syed Shahir

3) Ceramah Perdana anjuran Keadilan Wilayah Persekutuan
Sunday, 8 Jan, 9pm
DS Anwar Ibrahim, Mat Sabu, Lim Kit Siang
Kelab Sultan Sulaiman, Kg Baru, Kuala Lumpur

Untuk bacaan lanjut, sila ke laman Facebook PDRM.

Bagi saya, persoalan yang timbul ialah pada ayat-ayat: “perbuatan (menyeru orang ramai supaya menyertai perhimpunan 901) akan mengundang berlakunya pelanggaran undang-undang, menggugat ketenteraman awam dan menghina pentadbiran sistem keadilan negara.”

Dari sudut perundangan, adakah pihak PDRM mempunyai kuasa untuk menakrif atau menginterpretasi situasi yang belum berlaku (“901″), seperti sebuah mahkamah?

Atas dasar apakah pihak Polis Kuala Lumpur menetapkan bahawa perhimpunan tersebut, jika benar-benar akan berlaku, bakal “menggugat ketenteraman awam”? Secara polemik, jika dikatakan pihak polis menetapkan yang sedemikian berdasarkan kepada laporan polis 168 NGO, adakah ini sudah mencukupi untuk pihak Polis Kuala Lumpur membuat kenyataan yang bersifat “preventive”?

Walhal bukankah kenyataan sedemikian melanggar hak rakyat Malaysia untuk berkumpul dan bersuara seperti termaktub dalam Perkara 10 (1) Perlembagaan Persekutuan?

Jika dibangkitkan Fasal (2)(b) dalam Perkara 10, bukankah perlu dibuktikan di mahkamah bahawa tindakan berkumpul pada 901 itu memang akan menyebabkan apa yang diangin-anginkan pihak Polis Kuala Lumpur? Atau adakah pihak Polis Kuala Lumpur berkuasa menakrif Fasal (2)(b) yang disebutkan sebelum ianya telah berlaku?

Artwork by LKYu

ps – When you see it…

Anyone knows that given the current political climate, giving your views via an exclusive interview on an Umno-owned platform such as Mingguan Malaysia is tantamount to speaking on behalf of Umno which, as has been said and observed by many an “armchair critic“, is a party in deep existential crisis and will go to (nearly) any length to ensure its survival. As a result, it has become a party that – despite protestations by its more moderate elements – is swerving dangerously further to the right.

Hence I ask Raja Petra, are you speaking on behalf of Umno?

Mahasiswa yang telah berkumpul untuk menunjuk perasaan berkaitan kebebasan akademik dan kes Adam Adli telah disuruh bersurai, tetapi dalam pihak polis menjalankan tugas mereka, ‘disproportionate usage of force’ nampaknya telah diamalkan langsung mengakibatkan sekurang-kurangnya dua orang Mahasiswa tercedera, salah seorangnya – Safwan Anang – masih berada dalam keadaan kritikal di Hospital Slim River.

Apa yang sebenarnya telah berlaku harus dikaji dan disiasat oleh pihak berwajib, dan sekiranya terdapat salah laku maka mereka yang bersalah mesti dibawa ke muka pengadilan.

Saya berasa amat sedih di atas kejadian ini, yang telah meninggalkan tompok hitam ke atas rasa gembira masuknya tahun baru 2012.

Apa pun, semua pihak harus lah bersabar dan yakin bahawa keadilan akan tertegak di bumi Malaysia ini akhirnya nanti.

UPDATE: Saksikan detik cemas tangkapan dan pemukulan Safwan Anang di UPSI awal pagi tadi di sini.