Travel Log 4: Australia

Posted on December 11, 2007 by Tricia

Thanks to the Australia-Malaysia Institute (AMI) under the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade Australia, I was selected along with 4 other young Malaysians to participate in their Young Leaders Program. Every year they will be bringing 5 young Malaysians (apparently future leaders of the country, ha ha) to observe and be educated with Australia’s political, economic and social leaders. This time, we were in Melbourne, Canberra and Sydney meeting with different organisations and groups. Some of the more prominent ones are listed below here.

Of most importance to me were those working on public policy issues. They had, for example, the Business Council of Australia that worked on specific policy issues, funded by corporations, that were then fed into Government. Lowy Institute of International Policy studies Australian foreign policy and is completely independent of Government. Very impressive, all of them.

Next level were the accountability groups. The Ombudsman is squeaky clean and such great measures are put into place to ensure the individuals themselves are clean! Met with the Human Rights Commission, there are only THREE FULL TIME commissioners, much more effective than having 20 over part timers like in Malaysia. The Commissioner we met was completely blind, yet he gave a full briefing to us using his braille notebook. So deeply impressed and moved by this meeting.

Met with the Centre on Multicultural Youth Issues. Australia, being such a migrant country in the first place, (as is Malaysia), is very conscientious on the needs of migrant youth. Conducting programmes on migrant and refugee youth, they deal at both the activity and policy level, a very effective model.

Government departments are as efficient if not more than private sector organisations. The Office of Best Practices, Department of Foreign Affairs, Public Service Commission, Electoral Commission, were extremely efficient with their materials and presentation, showing the measures taken to ensure the best and most effective models.

Australia is one of the true democracies around. Because they have compulsory voting, they have 95% of the Australian population turning up during elections. They are fined if they don’t vote. Isn’t that amazing? We should do that in Malaysia too.

Their transition from the Liberal to Labour Governments was so smooth and with no friction and noise whatsoever. This is true democracy, where the people’s voices can be heard. I had the chance to ask about how the new Government would change policies.

In general, Economic management policies would remain the same, since Australia has been having such great economic fundamentals in the past 10 years. Social policies would change to be more socially inclusive, more focus on climate change (the new Minister for Climate Change is none other than Penny Wong, Sabah-born Ozzie, also incidentally a lesbian), less focus on Iraq and Middle East issue (ie. no more shadowing Bush as Rudd’s predecessor Howard was warrant to do).

One interesting notion was that Howard expected the people to vote him in due to his strong economic credentials for Australia. Akin to other presidential campaigns “It’s the Economy, Stupid”, he rode on it. But the tide died down, showing that at a certain point people do not ONLY rely upon their filled up pockets. I think this is an important principle to learn, where in the long run, development brings about greater sophistry in thought and ideology… very much Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, I suppose.

Rudd’s Government is reaching out to Asia more and more. I am utterly embarrassed at my inability to speak Chinese, whereas the new premier totters on in perfect Mandarin to China.

Australia reminded me that we are light years behind time and have much work to do in catching up. This is provided that we have political will to change. I doubt much will shift, given our inherent political structures, but perhaps one day, one day… when things are put in place, I will have a chance to be a Malaysian Chinese Prime Minister. (haha, in your dreams).

All I can humbly ask for is that we dismantle race based politics and go ideological. Get clean with proper systems in place. Check and balance. Strong opposition. Free media. All elements that I have constantly referred to. Come on Malaysia.

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Travel Log 3: Vietnam

Posted on December 11, 2007 by Tricia

Hanoi is moving at an unrelentless pace. Judging from the numbers of weddings I witnessed (literally, 3 a day!) and the speed at which they operate (note: fast), this generation of post-Vietnam war baby boomers are getting their act together. Watch out, world, here comes Vietnam. International investors and interested companies are crowding the streets, no less shopping their way around Hang Gai, the main district for buying cheap goods. The two forums we were there for showed the level of enthusiasm and simple hard work their Government and academia players are putting in to develop the country. Mainly positive in nature, nobody complains about their state of life. They just work at it. And hard.

Vietnam wakes up to the world, and Malaysia must catch up. We are sitting on our laurels. FDIs, a shrinking electronics and manufacturing industry, we must look at investing in human capital and knowledge economy since we cannot rely on cheap labour any longer. In the long run, investing in mere infrastructure and building projects (which is the bulk of the Middle East investment into Johor, as I understand it) will not be any more feasible than putting money into deadwood – unless and until these are filled up with capacity that can draw greater gains in the long run.

Posted in Outside Malaysia, Reflections | 2 Comments

Travel Log 2: Europe

Posted on December 11, 2007 by Tricia

While in London, I took some time off to go to Europe. Being in Italy and Spain exposed me primarily to the local drive and thirst for historical knowledge. Friends brought me back to their ancient pasts, and connected these with the rich cultural heritage of Islam pre-Renaissance period. The warmth and glow of Mediterranean culture emanated easily. Lesson to be learnt for Malaysians is to embrace and indulge in historical culture. This is truly part of education, one that is oftentimes missed in our incessant drive towards industry-related fields of academia. That is important, but equally necessary are links to the soft skills, intellectual knowledge of culture and the arts – these are true indications of innovation and a sophisticated society.

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Travel Log 1: London & Cambridge

Posted on December 11, 2007 by Tricia

I’ve been travelling quite a lot over the last couple of months, and thought I’d document and log them in case I forget the value I’ve received and absorbed from them.

I was in London and Cambridge in October, involved in the Malaysia-UK Partnership, commemorating the 50 year anniversary of the relationship the two countries have shared since we got independence from them. The London event, as all high-level conferences, was good to connect with fellow Malaysians in UK, and to see how the interests of those British tied in with Malaysia. I was pretty impressed with Tg. Zafrul from Tune Money, a young entrepreneurial chap, epitome of the upper middle class Malay with good ideas and just the sort of breed who I think can make a change in Malaysia. Held at the Lord Mayor’s Residence, this was pretty much “brit” and full of pomp.

Cambridge was more down to earth and content driven, held at St. Cath’s since our Tunku Abdul Rahman was educated there in his early years. Alma mater to many Malaysians, we held dialogue with students and others on Malaysian and Asian issues. Very stimulating, and interaction with fellow Malaysians within Cambridge was great.

In London we conducted another Merdeka Statement discussion, with mainly Malaysian undergraduate students, most of whom are linked through UKEC, the premiere council that has always been well-organised, place for grooming future leaders, many of whom are children of existing ministers and leaders. Excellent discussed ensued, and I was personally glad that there was a representative of ABIM present there. Discussion was open and fair, with reference to NEP, religion, apostasy and social cohesion tying the themes together.

Overall a good productive trip, with great memories brought back of the London underground tubes, chips and vinegar (and kebab) at midnight, Leicester square and the fresh, crisp air. Wait, I take back the “fresh”. It’s gritty and snotty, but I love London!

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Managing Information

Posted on December 11, 2007 by Tricia

Clearing the Clouds in our little Malaysian HeadsTricia Yeoh Malaysia is a messy country. And this messiness clouds our minds even when we attempt to analyse the situation rationally. Week after week, month after month, new issues crop up as quickly as instant noodles, so much so that we lose ourselves in the muddy waters. We forget all too easily a hot topic that ravages our minds only a month or two earlier.  Asked to list the issues facing Malaysia today, one could easily string them down. I listed them recently in a simple presentation: NEP, Lina Joy, Police Abuse, Lack of Media Freedom, Demolition of Places of Worship, Questionable Independence of the Judiciary, Migrant Workers’ Discrimination, Falling Foreign Direct Investment, call for Free & Fair Elections, Falling University Rankings, Internal Security Act, Sedition Act, Official Secrets Act, and the list goes on. The audience reading this site is more than familiar with the problems facing our nation, and I do not attempt to educate them any more than their qualifications have already fully provided for.  

The key is to consolidate, in our mind’s eye, the picture of what Malaysia is today. With this picture in clear sight, some useful suggestions and proposals for those already very active within civil society organizations seeking for change.

Continue reading →

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The Sound of (Malaysian) Music

Posted on December 11, 2007 by Tricia

The Sound of (Malaysian) MusicTricia Yeoh Much of my Mondays at school was spent at morning assemblies. The order was sacrosanct: stand, queue, sing, pledge, sing, sit, listen, sing.  We were required to sing three songs in total: the national anthem (Negaraku), the state song (Selangor), and a fully patriotic one chosen and rotated every now and again. Assuming each song lasts between four to five minutes each, 15 minutes would be spent each week on singing. Multiply this by the number of weeks a year, times the number of years in primary and secondary school, (minus holiday months) an average Malaysian would have spent 6930 minutes, or 115 hours, or close to five full waking days singing patriotic songs about our nation before reaching the age of 18 years.  So I’ve often wondered what thoughts exactly run through the minds of Malaysians, young and old, each time such songs are played or sung publicly. (The Namewee episode was of course indicative of a particular group’s sentiment in this regard.)   Continue reading →

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BERSIH Malaysia

Posted on December 11, 2007 by Tricia

Big public gathering no. 2 and my take on it, previously published on Bolehland on November 13, 2007.

BERSIH: Demonstration Malaysian-Style

Tricia Yeoh 

The strangest response given to the recent BERSIH gathering and rally is that “street demonstrations are not within the Malaysian culture”. Now that single line has left me baffled and trying to extract its underlying profound philosophy.  For historical record, the coalition of non-governmental organizations and political parties called BERSIH (Malay for ‘clean’) organized on Saturday afternoon the 10th November 2007 the largest street demonstration of the decade in Malaysia, where 40,000 members of the public gathered to demand for electoral reforms in the country.

There were four specific demands within the memorandum eventually submitted to the Yang Di-Pertuan Agong (King) at the Palace, namely a thorough cleanup of the electoral roll to exclude fraudulent registrations, the use of indelible ink to prevent multiple voting, the abolition of postal votes for the armed forces and fair access to the media.  Despite having applied for a police permit for the said peaceful gathering, this was denied. The demonstration was therefore considered illegal in the eyes of the Government. The following have been some of the responses to date, of the gathering on the streets of KL.   Continue reading →

Posted in Civil Society, Elections, Human Rights, The Cause | Leave a comment

Time to Write

Posted on December 11, 2007 by Tricia

It’s certainly been a long time (yet again) that I’ve left my blog hanging and dry. Very irresponsible of me. Allow me to update it with some articles first, and then some long overdue reflections over the past couple of months.

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Political or Non-Political?

Posted on September 27, 2007 by Tricia

(photo from Jeffooi.com – thanks in advance, Jeff!)

Today when one of the PKR members wanted to distribute flyers and was stopped by the Bar because this was meant to be a non-political event (and later the President disassociated the Bar/event from any political parties’ banners and propaganda that were brought along)… I asked myself the question, is this political or is it not?

If we see the appointment of judges and promotion of judges as being influenced heavily by political circles, then we must also see the cleaning up of it as a step in a political direction – purely because the circles of influence are one and the same.

In order to change the decision-making, policy-making process in the country, we must engage at a political level, because as we all know, lines between the pillars of Judiciary, Executive and Legislature are so blurred. So everything we do is at some level, political.

What it meant today, of course, and understandably, was that any one political party’s message should not be assumed to be that of the Bar’s. Rightfully so. Because principles of justice, integrity, honour and dignity cut across all parties, individuals and affiliations.

BUT having said that, lawyers have their cases to fight. Your average Citizen Joe does not, and cannot know how to engage otherwise than to join the political front in whichever way he so chooses.

How to be involved in politics without joining a party: The lowest common denominator that each person has is the power of the vote. This is not new info. The level at which we engage policies, politics, change – eventually lies with the vote. Nazri openly said before that politicians will not do anything if their positions at MP level are not in question. Absolute power corrupts absolutely. Vote for whom stands for the right principles, and make sure these are carried out correctly.

Posted in Reflections | 2 Comments

Petition for Royal Commission

Posted on September 26, 2007 by Tricia

The People’s Parliament has launced a petition rakyat to the DYMM Yang Dipertuan Agong for the establishment of a Royal Commission. Haris Ibrahim writes:

The People’s Appeal To His Majesty The Yang DiPertuan Agung

 

On 19/9/2007, the nation was rocked by another scandal, this time in the form of a video clip which exposed what appears to be a telephone conversation between senior lawyer VK Lingam and another person, allegedly fixing the appointment of ‘friendly’ senior judges.

 

A careful study of the monologue presented in the video clip leaves a very clear impression that the telephone conversation is indeed between VK Lingam and the present CJ, Tun Ahmad Fairuz Sheikh Abdul Halim and relates to the appointment and promotion of judges. Other judges are also named in the course of the conversation.

 

That Tun Ahmad Fairuz had, subsequent to the release of the video clip, first responded that he would need to first view the video clip before saying anything, then issuing a ‘no comment’ response and only lately and that too through a third party making a bare denial of being a party to the conversation leaves us, the rakyat with a sense that Tun Ahmad Fairuz has not responded with complete candour on this matter.

 

This scandal now casts serious doubts on the suitability of Tun Ahmad Fairuz to head the judiciary as well as on the propriety of the appointments and promotions, made on the recommendation of Tun Ahmad Fairuz, of several judges of the High Courts, the Court of Appeal and the Federal Court.

 

We, the rakyat, no longer have any confidence whatsoever in the judiciary.

 

We, the rakyat have noted for some time that some very senior judges have been constantly overlooked in the numerous promotion exercises that have proceeded during the tenure of Tun Ahmad Fairuz, with junior judges being preferred.

 

We the rakyat have also noted that it was recently reported that Their Royal Highnesses acting through the Conference of Rulers rejected two nominations by Tun Fairuz for the position of President of the Court of Appeal and the Chief Judge of Malaya although these positions had been vacant for a long time. It is rumoured that those nominated by Tun Fairuz were junior in comparison with many other more senior serving judges.

 

We, the rakyat, have further noted that there is at least one judge promoted to the Federal Court who, it is reported, has failed to deliver written judgments in up to as many as 35 cases, with the result that appeals by many who have been convicted of offences and are in prison are unable to have their appeals heard.

 

This most recent scandal also raises again real concerns about the sudden change of the trial judge in an ongoing murder trial in Shah Alam.

 

We, the rakyat, are also gravely concerned about the recent decisions in several high-profile cases and whether these were ‘fixed’ by Tun Ahmad Fairuz and, if so, the implications it has in relation to the other judges of our superior courts.

 

The reaction of the Prime Minister, other members of his cabinet and the Attorney-General to the matter of this video clip give us, the rakyat, no reason at all to believe that this scandal will be honestly investigated so that the truth of the matter will never be known.

 

We, the rakyat, do not believe that the Prime Minister and his present government are committed to getting to the bottom of this scandal and, if ascertained to be the truth, to take all necessary steps to restore the judiciary as a constitutional institution emplaced to independently defend the constitution, the rights of the rakyat, and to uphold the rule of law.

 

In this regard, the announcement on 25/6/2007 by the Deputy Prime Minister of a 3-man panel to be headed by one who was implicated in the sacking of Tun Salleh Abas in 1988 to now investigate this scandal fortifies our belief that the present government is determined that the truth in relation to this scandal never becomes known.

 

We, the rakyat, are gravely concerned that if this scandal is left to be investigated by the administration of the Prime Minister, the police or the Anti-Corruption Agency, the rakyat will only witness another cover-up, leaving us, the rakyat without any recourse to justice, ever suspicious whether the judiciary is to protect the rakyat or the interests of a chosen few.

 

This most recent scandal raises concerns whether the corruption that has become so prevalent in the management of this country has now also made its way into the judiciary.

 

For these many reasons, we, the rakyat, now pray that Your Majesty may be so moved and in the exercise of the full powers conferred on Your Majesty … [read more here]

Sign the petition by sending an e-mail with your name to savethejudiciary@gmail.com. Show your commitment to the nation by providing your full name and NRIC number. We must seize this opportunity to begin the process of change.

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