Program Bumi Hijau

YB Dr Leong dan saya dengan kerjasama Jabatan Pertanian Kuala Muda juga telah mengadakan Program Bumi Hijau ini pada sebelah petang di Taman Makmur, Gurun. Para peserta dari Taman Makmur, Padang Lembu dan kawasan-kawasan berdekatan telah juga di beri taklimat oleh Pn Khoo (Jabatan Pertanian) dan menerima kit pertanian Bumi Hijau sama seperti di Pekan Jeniang pada sebelah pagi. Sekali lagi, peserta-peserta terdiri daripada berbilang kaum.

Terimakasih saya ucapkan kepada Ketua Cawangan Taman Makmur, Sdr Jamil dan AJKnya, AJK Surau, AJK MCA Padang Lembu, Jabatan Pertanian dan pegawai-pegawai saya yang amat banyak membantu.

Program Bumi Hijau

Pada 13 Ogos 2009, YB Dr Leong dan saya telah menanjurkan satu program bersama dengan kerjasama dari Jabatan Pertanian Kuala Muda di dewan Kaum Tiong Hua,Pekan Jeniang dan Taman Makmur. Program Bumi Hijau (pertanian) ini adalah untuk menggalakkan para peserta untuk menanam sayur-sayuran di sekeliling rumah untuk mengurangkan kos sara hidup mereka selain memastikan mereka mendapat sayur-sayuran segar disekeliling rumah untuk dimasak. Setiap seorang peserta diberi benih sayur-sayuran, baja organik, racun serangga, penyodok dan pencakar untuk memulakan kebu di tepi rumah.

Alhamdulillah, ramai yang telah menyahut pelaksanaan Program Bumi Hijau ini. Saya juga amat berbangga kerana ketua-ketua cawangan UMNO dan MCA telah bekerjasama dengan baik untuk mendapatkan peserta-peserta dari pelbagai kaum terutamanya Melayu, Cina, India dan Siam.
Moga kita dapat menjalankan program-program sebegini rupa yang merangkumi pelbagai kaum dengan lebih banyak lagi pada masa hadapan.

Who will lose his "Ong" - Ong or Tiong

This posting is written with my greatest respect to both the YBs involved.

I could not believe my ears when I heard about the PKFZ scandal. It is an embarrassment to the Government and a black mark on the politcians, civil servants and all those directly involved in the PKFZ scandal. It is so big that I am surprised it took this long for the authorities to act. However, I thought to myself, better late than never. I am very happy and relieved that the authorities are taking action, investigating and making sure no stones are left unturned. Even the Dewan Rakyat Public Accounts Committee (PAC) is taking action and calling the parties involved to give explanations on the matter.

I must commend all parties for the pro-active stance taken and hope this will lead to many questions answered and those who wilfully and intentionally did wrong, punished. I have to say there seems to be new vigour and resolute from the authorities including MACC and PAC to investigate and act on the matter.

However, I am appalled and embarrassed by the Ong and Tiong drama which is playing out right in front of our eyes, It is downright silly and brings shame to Dewan Rakyat and Barisan Nasional. The behaviour is totally unbecoming of the offices they hold (Ong - MP, Minister and Head of MCA, Tiong - MP, BBNBBC Chairman and Sec Gen of SPDP). I wonder, apart from personal pride and ego, if they think what their actions are doing for BN and Parliament in general.

How can the rakyat and even their counterparts from other countries respect them if this drama continues and gets worse? Either way, the way things are going with claims of RM10 million changing hands and lawsuits of RM500 million, the case would end up with a finding that one person is lying and has to go, no two ways about that.

The BN whip should call both of them up and tell these two to keep quiet - argue privately and not air their "opinions" and "allegations" in public. Probably the PAC or even the committee in charge of MP behaviour should haul them up and reprimand them.

If you ask me who will win and lose, my personal opinion now is that both of them will lose, one way or other. And it will be very sad if that happens as these two individuals are actually good people and have done a lot for Malaysia.

To both of them, my personal plea is for them to stop all the squabbling publicly, sit down and sort it out for the sake of Rakyat and BN. Let's do work for the Rakyat.

Let's keep the Dewan Rakyat and its members as a place the Rakyat can be proud of and can respect.

Buka Puasa

I broke fast with a group of good old friends yesterday at a hotel in KL. It is practically an annual affair that some of us will meet up every puasa to break fast together. The good part of it is that not only the malay friends who fasted would be around, my friends from other races would also join us for the breaking of fast and to catch up with each other.

It was truly multi racial and embodied the spirit of multiracialism. Even my Chinese and Indian friends, who did not fast, waited for the ‘Azan’ before having a drink and eat with the rest who fasted. Tempting as it was with all the food and drinks were in front of them, I was happy and respected them more for respecting our religious requirements.

However, whilst waiting for the Azan and chatting between us, we could see that several other Malaysians who did not fast, were making rounds after rounds to the buffet spread and eating whilst others waited patiently. I was actually observing one family closely and could not believe that they managed two to three rounds at the buffet table before the rest of us broke fast. Needless to say, my non-malay friends were terribly embarrassed. Someone also made the remark that it was as though we were eating their leftovers. An awkward moment for all of us as we saw them attacking the buffet table and eating in front of us.

I am happy that non-Malays also enjoy the Buka Puasa buffet spread as much as those who fast. I am also very happy that Malaysia’s unique multiracialism society is still strong and continues to be a strength to the country. I would however like to suggest that all Hotels make it a rule that those who attend Buka Puasa buffets can only eat when the Azan is heard, not before. You can take your food before that but only start eating and drinking when everyone else does. That would be a simple but a very worthy act of courtesy to those who fast. From my experience and interaction with them, I am also sure that our foreign tourists, once explained to them the significance of the Buka Puasa buffet, would appreciate it and have no problems following the guideline.

Our country is blessed with multi ethnicity and multi faiths. It is a strength, not a weakness. But it is up to us, the sons and daughters of Malaysia to continuously build on this strength, failing which it shall be a time bomb waiting to explode.