Thursday, June 15, 2006

CHANGE OF LIFESTYLE. AGAIN???!!!

(Adam: One last ice lolly before changing lifestyle.)







Last night I was surfing the tv channels trying to avoid the World Cup when I tuned into the closing seconds of a news story with our Deputy Prime Minister. Can’t remember the exact words but the DPM was expounding something or other on the current sugar shortage. Apparently, smuggling was one of the causes of the shortage and Najib said that if it smuggling persists the government will have to raise the price of sugar. (Oh-oh. Guess what is going up in price next.)

He said that the rakyat would not be happy about that. OR…he suggested…we can choose to take less sugar. In other words, change your lifestyle!

Thank you, Mr. Deputy Prime Minister, SIR!

Tell us la how you are going to solve the problem and we will willingly pitch in to help as responsible citizens. Take less sugar, squeal on smugglers, whatever it takes la. Just don’t talk to us like we’re small children la. Can or not? Hiyoh! Like that also don’t know.

Okay lah. Just to piss you readers off some more here is a photo of the DPM and his ma cai's supposedly having a BN management meeting. and I presume that one of the things they discussed was the sugar shortage and how Malaysians should cut down consumption of sugar. Sure looks like a lot of the sweet stuff on that table.........(Photo copied from NST Thursday15 June, 2006)
And another thing...the table appears more cluttered with food than meeting notes. And the way they are dressed and all the food on the table doesn't give me the impression that they had done or plan to do a lot of 'meeting' or work. Is it just me? Come on.

19 comments:

Darius said...

these fat cats will be promoting cannibalism next.
"cut down food imports, cut down sugar, just eat the next feller you see."
oops i forgot they already doing that la you know, makan orang. they should eat their own gang la all so fatty sure delicious when golek over the fire.

they want to ajar us because they think we kurang ajar.

Ummi said...

hi patrick.
i wasn't much into all the politics-whatsoever stuff before (i think that i m 21, still young to get into it). but after reading your blog, i started to read every section of the newspaper and even watch the news.

and it amazes me everyday to learn the hypocrisy practiced in our country. disgusting. i used to think like this: okla. we are in safe hands. we have BN what.

now: dear god, save us from all these clowns!!!

just what the hell is happening to to this country...

Cuddly Family said...

What alternative is there now though.. opposition arent far off (from what I can see)...All sama also.. then do what? (no no, Im not cynical and jaded)

Anonymous said...

all these talk about changing our lifestyle...why don't those clowns in government change their lifestyle first.....give up part of their salary to the less fortunate....cycle to work instead of having a driver to drive them places...to work etc....and just because the DPM's wife loves anything to do with hindi movies, now we are even so buddy buddy with India...all of a sudden.....soon our government will be running the country like in the hindi movies.....and please also change the way their VIP's travel on the road.....minus all the outriders and siren to ask motorists to get out of their way whenever they came our way...too much....they were elected by us so does that make them more important that we have to give them the right of way.....tolong sikit...kita pun bayar road tax tau....so they should do away with those outriders and siren telling motorists to get out of their way whenever they use the road....lebih lebih only!

Anonymous said...

Hey Patrick,
Look at the positive side, if sugar price goes up, our half-past-six ministers will consume less sugar then they will be less sweet talking to rakyat!:)

Anonymous said...

Hi Patrick,
I've been following your blog for sometime now but this is the first time I'm leaving a comment.
My neighbour's son met with an accident in the early morning hours on Mon. Some passer-bys found him and sent him to University Hospital. They refused to treat him as there was no identification found on him - possibly stolen as his wallet etc wasnt on him. After being threatened by the kind Samaritans, the staff finally took him in. My mum who is an ex-nurse was visiting him today. She came back horrified and disgusted at what she saw at the hospital.
1. The young nurse pushed and shoved the poor boy to get his stomach measured. He is under an induced coma as his livers and pancreas have been punctured. My mum had to ask my brother to help the nurse tilt the boy. And all this while his BP and heart rate became very unstable.

2. It was 11.45am and they saw loads of food laden tray being taken into the ICU. Apparently for the staff. So now the staff are also on the food list?

3. Despite the parents and friends of the boy visiting him for the past 4 days, today a nurse approached the mother asking questions of who is his employer, when he came to Malaysia etc. Bewildered, the mother explained he is a student and was born in the very same hospital. She (fortunately for her) produced her own hospital card as proof. The hospital had admitted the boy as an Indian national!

I am utterly disgusted at this. Whatever happened to professionalisme?

To Ummi: Good on you that you've begun to be aware of the many crap that has and still is happening. I find that the main problem with Malaysians is our tidak-apa attitude.

Anonymous said...

seriously ah, there got vacancy ah? can't beat them, may as well fuc*ing join 'em!!

Anonymous said...

Dear Patrick

Obviously you have never worked in a government department. This is what it looks like during most meetings.

Anyway, now I know where all that sugar is going. To solve the shortage, we should start by cutting off supply in all government offices, The Star and NST.

Then we'll probably be spared of the sugar-coated crap that is dished out immediately after a hike: "We have some of the cheapest sugar/oil/electricity/water in the world. We are better than Timor Leste!!!"

Anonymous said...

Oops I forgot...

Upon closer examination of the dining table meeting, I noticed that the colour of the sweet drink served to everyone (except those poor blighters standing around) is Yellowish Green.

It used to be a pale Pink.

I guess Najib has changed his life style after all!!

Trader Max said...

Outrageous! So, if the govt failed to do enforcement, they simply just raise the prices? What pure rubbish! Utter nonsense!

We need to pay for poor enforcement as well? We need to pay to bailout Proton and MAS, now we need to pay for this? We get punished for no reason!? Baloney!

Darius said...

corrupt mayor in china got caught for corruption. got his own pleasure palace outside city where he keeps his many concubines.
ahhhh... im picturing someone from Jasin doing the same thing.

su-ann said...

i once again, cannot agree more with your precise observation. you know what's worse than having an array of sugared food and drinks on that 'meeting' table?

is the fact that it will probably be half or not eaten, and thrown down the rubbish bin. if they could sacrifice their tummy-greed (lets not get into monetary-related issues here) and hand over some of those meals to the less fortunate.

but that's being rather idealistic of me to suggest so..

patrickteoh said...

su ann I have never understood the need for those sickly sweet tea and kueh mueh each time there is a meeting at a government department. You're right. They always end up as half eaten garbage anyway.
vaseau, from pink to Yellowish Green? I guess that's a change of something or other. Wait! I know what that is. It's government issue lemonade. Sugar and coloring. No lemon.
Cynthia, what you described is not only disgusting but scary. I hope that the parents took their case to the highest authority and didn't let it just slip under the carpet. Tell us more, Cynthia.

kk, you got it wrong. Our flers don't need to consume sugar to sweet talk. In fact they got so much inside them they should be producing sugar for the overseas market where the price is so good.
Ummi, if anything I have said or written has helped in any small way in making you more aware I am very happy. Thank you. Spread it to others. And I don't mean my blog url:-)

mob1900 said...

Cynthia,
I have experienced the same treatment too but at HUKM when i rushed a friend of mine who had muscle-spasm, not sure what it's officialy called but he frozed up(basically every muscle in his body just stops expanding). He curled up like a corpse! I speed into the Emergency ward of HUKM and guess what?

The fat police man sitting at the desk was just sitting there while I shouted on top of my lungs while i help my friend out of the car.

He stood up and look 'puzzled'.

I ran into the ward and shouted for help, luckily a kind indian med was there, he roll out a ...

wheel-chair.

We made do with it but it was sure hard as hell trying to put a curled up 20+ man onto a wheel-chair!

that's not the end of it. A HUGE viking-looking nurse(probably named Helgar binti Taik Kucing) growled at me to fill up the forms while I was busy informing my friend's family on the HP outsite the ward. aiyoh, his wallet is with the patient mar, how would i know his IC no and etc? duh...

That shows how professional the state of our medical institution.

Cuddly Family said...

The sticky sweet stuff- maybe their excuse is: we are helping preserving traditional customs and cuisine mah, sure have the kuih muih.. and also helping support local cottage industry blah blah blah...

Just like MPPJ, city indeed. hurpmh..

Anonymous said...

Mob1900 & Patrick,

This incident is the many that I have personally encountered with our medical service. I dont deny that there are some who take their profession seriously but these are the exceptions.
My brother was in a similar situation a year ago. It was UH again and they refused to attend to him until we came. That too after my dad paid the initial payment. They sent him back after a CT scan saying nothing was wrong, and he had minor bruises only.
The poor boy couldnt even move his head. We brought him home, and he collapsed. We then rushed him to a private hospital in PJ, and guess what. They found that he had a hairline fracture of his skull, two fractured ribs and fractured clavicle (collarbone).
We consulted a lawyer (one who specialized in such cases) and all he had to say was, "You cant win. The people at the higher places will make sure that you dont." He further cited many examples of negligence cases brought against hospitals which failed.
This is the reality of things. Those who cant afford private medical treatment are at the mercy of these people. They hide behind statements such as 'isolated case' and 'We did all that we could, it was uncommon'

http://thestar.com.my/news/
story.asp?
file=/2006/6/15/nation/14547014&sec=nation

Anonymous said...

emigrate, i say! and bring all the food along!

Anonymous said...

seriously it's ONLY the food that's good around these parts. the rest either stinks or just so pathetic. since tourism malaysia is planning to open malaysian restaurants in many overseas destinations (idea mooted by our always smiling PM) soon with malaysian chefs, the problem is solved!! woohoooo....now we can go...

;-- )

Anonymous said...

hmmm.. sigh.. sometimes i wonder if the Almighty is also one-eyed on these matter.

Next thing you know they will increase the price of salt to curb smuggling. Well at least its still better than Ghana. puke blood