TwoSen

WHEN I think about “progressive” Malaysia, I also wonder as a people how have we progressed? Personally, I am proud that we have an F1 circuit, gone to space and the North Pole, work in state-of-the-art buildings, all contributing points to the development of our nation.

But as we take huge leaps forward, I can’t help but wonder how far behind we are when it comes to respect - the respect of women - regardless of their age, race, education, background and standing in society.

I was recently in India and I repeatedly came across the phrase “No Eve-teasing” – an Indian euphemism that encompasses everything from sexual harassment, cat-calls, whispered obscenities, groping, brushing and pestering.

To some, this is not a positive introduction to the nation, but I thought that it was a huge step in acknowledging the need to educate the men in the country and foreigners alike.

Like in Malaysia, Eve-teasing was a common pastime among the men folk of that country. There have been many incidents in India, just like in Malaysia, where women are degraded and teased, raped, and molested.

But the difference is that in India, Eve-teasing is recognised as a criminal activity punishable under the law. As we brag of being a progressive nation, shedding the cloth of the second world, do we have such laws to protect our women?

One evening when it was dark, I briskly walked the streets of Chennai with two other Malaysian women to look for a tailor. I clutched my handbag so tightly and made no eye contact with people on the streets, something that is so ingrained in me when I’m back home in Malaysia.

Of course I’d never walk the streets of Kuala Lumpur at night in search of a tailor. That’ll just be “asking for it,” I’ve been told. But what I realised after walking a few blocks was that there was a sense of peace.

People weren’t ogling and staring.

They didn’t blink an eye and there was not a single catcall or whistle. It felt weird. But why should I have felt that way?

Have I gotten so used to being insulted in my own country and that it has become the norm?

In another incident whilst in India, on New Year’s eve two women who were accompanied by male partners were taunted and molested outside a nightclub by a group of rowdy men on the streets of Mumbai.

The women didn’t file a complaint. But the next day photos of the incident and perpetrators were splashed on the front page of newspapers and on TV, followed by a public outcry and the perpetrators were caught.

Would any man dare Eve-tease with consequences like that?

In many ways, India might not be as developed as Malaysia but there are definitely lessons we can learn from them.

Some may think I’m making a fuss over something that we don’t talk about because it is so much a part of our culture. But it is not just about being teased.

The act itself is a stripping of my dignity; it is being made to feel like a piece of meat in a lion’s den, it is the lack of respect, a violation of my basic human rights.

The deliberate brush or push in the LRT, the catcalls and honking of horns is power play – a deliberate act to show superiority.

As the perpetrator is almost never met with a defence, he continues for there is no fear of reciprocation as the victim being humiliated has to pretend that she is not affected even though she is raging inside.

NATALIE SHOBANA AMBROSE,
Kuala Lumpur.

Source: The Star – March 23, 2008

REFERRING to the letter by A GRADUATE (The Star, March 21), it is true that many employers are seeking out for candidates with some form of experience.

While many fresh graduates are applying vigorously for employment, some questions for you to ponder on before applying are:

Do you have the relevant experience for the job?

Are you applying for positions higher than what you are ready for?

Do you know what are the business-fit you have with the role and company?

I believe there are many vacancies available in the job market, but at times graduates need to understand that in order for you to seek better opportunity with the qualification, any job is relevant.

Such employment would allow you to learn the basic requirements of holding down a job, knowing office rules and knowing how to work with peers and supervisors.

J. Oh,
Petaling Jaya.

Source: The Star – March 23, 2008

I COULD not agree more with what Piarapakaran Subramaniam of Fomca said in his letter “Guard our forests” (The Star, Feb 28.)

While the world community has collectively agreed to implement the Kyoto Protocol on limiting gas emission that depletes our planet’s ozone layer and seriously urged all nations to protect the earth’s green lung so to speak, ignorance still persist in many parts of the world including this beautiful country.

The people who benefit most from timber products should know better about the calamitous effects of jungle clearing.

Yet, due to their sheer arrogance and ambitions to get rich fast, they do not seem to care much about our ecosystem, especially their reckless activities which contribute to global warming and those causing soil erosion, landslide and flooding.

This uncaring mentality has long been a hindrance to our government’s effort in protecting our forests.

For those with computers out there, you don’t have to traverse the land through muddy trails or come along with me to my birthplace in the interior of Sarawak.

Just go to Google Earth and zoom in deep into the jungles of Peninsular Malaysia and Borneo. There you will find that deforestation is taking place.

But the good news is much of the forests had been replanted with oil palm. In central Borneo for instance, these fertile and productive green canopies are encroaching the virgin jungle in what we naively called sustainable reforestation.

However, the risk of animal extinction remains. Until now, little did we know that most native flora and fauna are disappearing fast.

Some species go extinct even faster than many would have thought in our science lab. The next in turn to be deleted from the list of our animal kingdom are the wildcat family, pigmy elephant, barking deer, bird of paradise, all species of hornbill, the parakeet and other small animals and insects.

To make things worse, native birds like Sarawak’s graceful kenyalang, bayan, serindit, and the likes do not have the ability to forage on palm trees unlike owl, beetle and rat. Their only habitat is the virgin jungle.

Fish too are in danger of extinction. Discharge of pesticides herbicides and fertilizers into rivers and lakes are killing native fishes.

Given such a predicament, those in authority should enforce stricter law against illegal logging besides regular check on users of dangerous chemicals in oil palm and rubber estates, and plan a sustainable development programme to save our resourceful forests.

Malaysians must also bear in mind that the future generations depend solely on our conviction in protecting our green heritage.

SAJI BIN YAHYA,

Kuala Lumpur.

Source: The Star – March 22, 2008

I’M GETTING increasingly frustrated by the inconsiderate attitude of the parents who pick their children up from Sri Kuala Lumpur private school in SS15 Subang Jaya.

Almost every weekday I navigate my way through Persiaran Kewajipan (after the SS15 roundabout) into the SS15 housing area, and pass the main entrance of this school.

The problem all road users and I face is that the parents of the school-goers block the lane in front of the main entrance, queue and park as they please leaving almost no room for any vehicle wishing to pass.

Do these offenders feel they have a right to block the road simply because they can afford to send their children to a private school?

Their behaviour is inconsiderate and an inconvenience to everyone.

I urge the local authorities to resolve this daily traffic chaos.

MOHD AZALI YUSOH,

Subang Jaya.

Source: The Star – March 22, 2008

I am referring to the report in The Star about Chan Kok Fei, the 19-year-old who is going to forgo his ambition to become a doctor because of financial difficulties.

I am a Malaysian student currently studying medicine in Singapore. Although my situation is nowhere near as difficult as his is, I truly understand his situation.

I was teaching tuition to try and earn money to support my fees for medical school at a private university in Kuala Lumpur. This is because my family could not afford the full fees and had to depend on education loans and whatever I could earn from tuition. We were planning to mortgage our house as well.

To cut the long story short, I applied to National University of Singapore and they gave me a place to study medicine. I no longer have to worry about money at all because the loan covers 100% of the tuition fees.

There are several financial aids and paid-voluntary work within the medical school itself to help needy students to get through without having to pay anything. This may sound too good to be true, but it’s true. I personally know people who are benefiting from these aids.

With his 5As, I am very sure that Chan Kok Fei will be considered for a place in NUS.

The point I’m trying to drive home is that whether or not he chooses to study medicine, come and study here in Singapore. Working part-time here pays better to begin with. Just don’t give up something because he can’t afford it.

GARY YOONG,

Singapore.

Source: The Star – March 22, 2008

AS parents to housemen and medical undergraduates, we are indeed delighted and deeply thankful to the Government and the Director-General of Health for raising their salary to RM6,000 after a two-year housemanship.

Effective this year, all fresh graduates have to undergo two years of housemanship compared to the previous one year, On top of that, they have to serve another three years’ compulsory service on the completion of the two years of internship.

The housemen and doctors definitely deserve these upward revisions in their remuneration and allowances. They work long and ungodly hours even after they finish their housemanship, often at the expense of their families and loved ones.

They are on call for long and protracted hours and almost all of them are burnt out.

In addition, it must be noted that unlike other graduates who only take three to four years to complete their undergraduate studies, medical studies take five to six years to complete.

To add to that, unlike other graduates (except for pharmacists and dental doctors), they are forced by law to undergo the compulsory five years of service with the Government, including the two-year housemanship.

We feel that the Public Services Commission and the Public Services Department have failed to acknowledge and recognise the difference between medical graduates and other graduates because the people at PSC and JPA are not medical doctors and, as such, they do not suffer or truly understand the plight of medical graduates.

That is the very reason that doctors are just lumped in the general 41 scale, together with other graduates who are spared forced compulsory service.

As much as the Director-General of Health and the Minister have been pushing for the Government’s understanding and acknowledgement of the plights and difficult conditions that doctors work in, very little has been done to compensate the doctors adequately and equitably.

It is high time that the Government established a Medical Services Commission to address the various issues, grouses and unhappiness of doctors.

The Medical Services Commission must be helmed by and consist of members of the medical fraternity, both from the Government and the public, and they will be the best people to determine the remuneration for doctors, pharmacists and dental doctors.

In this respect, we urge the new Minister of Health and the Director-General of Health to pursue this matter vigorously. It is always easy to say that the Government is always short of doctors and we have been hearing this for the past 50 years and yet scant attention is given to their needs and their remuneration.

MOHAMADON ABDULLAH,

Shah Alam.

Source: The Star – March 21, 2008

I AM a tour guide based in Kuala Lumpur. I have read your reports that the new Chief Minister of Penang Lim Guan Eng was shocked to find that the promotion of Penang had been neglected.

This is my brief experience with most of the tour groups from the Chinese market, namely Taiwan, Hong Kong and China.

The China tourists usually come into Malaysia through Singapore. So their first night usually will be spent in Kuala Lumpur. Then early in the morning, they leave for Penang, reaching there at about 3pm.

Immediately, their tour of Penang starts. After dinner at around 8pm, they will be back at the hotel.

The next day, again early in the morning, they proceed to Genting Highlands and stay there for a night.

We might send off the group at the KLIA but if it is a cheap tour, we have to travel from Genting Highlands to Johor Baru. We will put up a night in Johor Baru and then send off the group to Singapore the next day.

The Taiwan and Hong Kong tourists are slightly better off because they usually come in through the KLIA.

But then their itinerary in Penang is rather similar with the China tourists. They are only staying in Penang for a night before returning to Kuala Lumpur the next day.

Thus, their Penang tour is also very rushed. Their itinerary usually includes the Snake Temple, Fort Cornwallis, Sleeping Buddha Temple, Botanical Gardens and dinner at a Chinese restaurant.

Most times, the famous Kek Lok Si Temple is not even included. We don’t even have the chance to let the tourists try the famous local food in Gurney Drive.

And due to the poor transportation mode to Bukit Bendera, again this famous tourist spot is neglected.

The hotels chosen by the travel agents are usually located along Tanjung Bungah because they are so much cheaper. So, the tourists don’t get to enjoy the beauty of Batu Ferringhi.

Of course, by including more tourist spots for Penang, like the zoo, is good. But then, will these foreign tourists have the time to visit these places?

If the Penang tourism authority can successfully attract a mega project like Disneyland into Penang, then I should say this will definitely be a big boost for Penang.

Penang needs bigger or better man-made tourism products. Most of our Asian tourists who have visited Penang feel that they are actually visiting temples most of the time. Aren’t there more temples in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan?

There are other factors contributing to the poor arrival of foreign tourists:

> Cleanliness. Please check the cleanliness and tidiness of food stalls in Gurney Drive and other places. The food stall owners cut and slice food with bare hands. Some of them don’t even wear aprons or caps as required. They wash plates or bowls by the side of the stalls.

> Transportation. Poor public transport will definitely put off tourists. The whole Penang city is jammed up during public holidays.

> Lack of tourism products. Penang can actually learn from our neighbour Singapore. In terms of size, historical background, culture, etc, they have a lot of similarities. But look at their food stalls, their strict regulations, public transportation, etc. We really have a lot to learn from them.

It is my sincere hope that every Malaysian can contribute to make the Pearl of the Orient shine again.

CHUA ENG HAN,

Kuala Lumpur.

Source: The Star – March 21, 2008

I WISH to respond to a recent article in The Star whether Penang needs a zoo or an aquarium to attract tourists.

My husband and I have been living in Penang for the past two years. We love Malaysia and take an interest in all aspects of living here: from politics to the people and everything in between.

We really enjoy the lifestyle here – there is a real charm about the place that we really appreciate.

But I don’t think the tourism issue is as simple as building either an aquarium or a zoo. Most foreigners who come here have either one or both of these attractions in their own countries.

Penang has some fabulous attractions now and enough to keep tourists busy, given the limited time most of them have.

Speaking from experience, when I go away to an island location, I want to be able to swim, relax on the beach, eat, shop, and see some of the attractions on offer.

From our observation and feedback from friends in Australia and tourists we met at Batu Ferringhi, the reason people don’t come here is because the place is a bit tired.

We feel the following issues need to be addressed:

> Nets must be put in strategic areas so that jellyfish isn’t an issue for people who wish to swim in the sea. Many tourists go home disappointed that they cannot swim in the sea here.

> The beach areas need to be cleaned up and then kept clean.

> To be really innovative, Penang island should be made duty free. Tourists would flock here and what is lost in government revenue would be more than made up for in the tourist dollar as this would benefit businesses, employees and, ultimately, the Government.

These are not major issues to start with, but I believe they would go a long way to invigorate Penang.

JULIE,

Batu Ferringhi.

Source: The Star – March 21, 2008

I REFER to Misze’s letter (The Star, March 20). I am an accounting graduate from a government university but I am struggling to find a job.

I totally agree with Misze that most employers want people with working experience. What about fresh graduates who don’t have any experience?

We, too, have to work first so that we can gain some experience. We need to make a start.

Most graduates nowadays don’t mind working in any location. All they want is a job related to their field of studies.

I was among the top students in my batch but I guess that having good results does not matter nowadays.

If I had known I would be facing this kind of problem, I would not have continued my studies in accounts.

Now, all I can do is to keep sending applications and wait and wait. I hope the Government could do something about this because it is really frustrating for us who have studied really hard to end up jobless.

A GRADUATE,

Taiping.

Source: The Star – March 21, 2008

I REFER to a report in The Star dated March 19 that the Johor Baru City Council spent RM2mil last year to rectify damage to amenities caused by vandals.

As for advertisements pasted on power unit boxes, lamp posts etc, there is a simple solution to this nuisance.

These posters always carry the contact telephone numbers in bold prints. I suggest that the Johor Baru City Council should get the telephone companies to cancel or invalidate the telephone numbers each time they appear on the posters pasted on public property.

Once the telephone contact numbers are continuously cancelled or invalidated, the advertisers will find pasting of advertisement posters on public property meaningless and will stop their acts.

JCW LING,

Johor Baru.

Source: The Star – March 21, 2008