VIP NO SHOWS at YAYASAN PATRIOTIK BANGSA dinner

Last night...Attended an award dinner at the Shangri-la Hotel,KL organised by Yayasan Patriotik Bangsa (YPB). Was seated at a table "purchased" for RM10,000.

The recipients of the YPB award were supposed to be Tuns Mahathir Mohamad, Abdullah Badawi & Lim Keng Yaik respectively.

However, much to the chagrin of the hosts......and certain segments of the audience...all 3 recipients didn't turn up!

Possibilities for the NO shows:-

1. The former premiers cannot stand each other...YET! (see 2 August UPDATE below)


2. YPB did not check the dates carefully prior to booking the function.


3. Pure BAD luck!

2 August 2009 - UPDATE / INSERTION:

An Old friend whom I met during the dinner passed a remark as to why I didn't juxtaposed on the "dua harimau tidak boleh berada di atas satu bukit i.e. 2 tigers cannot be on the same hill" Comment made by the YPB Chairman i.e. Datuk Yazid Othman during his explanatory speech as to why the VIPs did NOT turn up!

To this, I can only pose to Datuk Yazid....
"betul ke ada 2 harimau atau sebenarnya ada 1 singa tua & 1 harimau 'jadian' ?

MY Weltanschauung 177sen worth:

YPB should write an apology letter to all corporate sponsors for the NO shows!

Considering RM10,000 was spent on the table...the lack of an usher to see us to the table or even a welcoming Committee is a bit bewildering.

...to end a so-called Patriotic night with a Hindustan/Bollywood song....pergghh!

.....Chinese food was good though!

EVENING with RMC COMMANDANT....MY W's 177 Remarks/Suggestions!

UPDATE: 5 AUGUST 2009

For the FIRST TIME ever for MY Weltanschauung blog.....a person of Authority responded to my Comments/Suggestions on 4th August(1200 & 1817hours).
However,I am not at liberty to publish both responses!
Suffice to say, both responses managed to elucidate the author on RMC's status.

" SIR, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE STATUS UPDATE! "

Wasalam & Best Regards.

Friday night - I attended my 2nd function after coming back from my internship with the Political & Security Co-operation Directorate of the ASEAN Secretariat, Jakarta.

Nice to be back at the OPA Penthouse....... after 3months and missing my 1st OPA Dinner since the new millennium! In Attendance, were around 40 OPs...Some old faces, some new faces(nice to put a face to OP Mike Naser, who is quite active in the RMC e-list).......and a Jakarta friend(OP CA) in tow!

The present RMC Commandant started the ball rolling by briefing all present of the current and proposed future development of RMC's new RM100million campus. It seems that the present RMC land have been transferred to the MOHE.

What piqued me the most were the following remarks:-

• by the OPA President i.e. OP Maj. Gen(Rtd) Datuk Paduka Dr. Termidzi

"....how can RMC capitalise on being the ONLY school/college located in a university campus!? "

• by an OP Dr. who just came back from UK (CA's batch mate)

"....at the end of the day, it's NOT the quantity of Puteras we churn out
but, rather the QUALITY.
I'd rather have 50 quality OPs rather than 500 questionable ones "

MY Weltanschauung 431177 Suggestions:

• with the recent brouhaha over english as a teaching medium, Change RMC into an english medium college...thus ensuring its distinctiveness & competitiveness!



• apart from General Leadership Training emphasis should also be given to specific soft skills training like presentation, debate, negotiations, etiquette mutatis-mutandis



• Convert the old Cadet Wing into a RMC Museum cum Hall of Fame + incorporate a RMC Hotel & Training Centre for sustainability....after all WEST POINT, New York have a hotel!

...from RED DEVILS...to RED WUSSES/SISSIES...(RED devils renamed) - the latest "WUSSES/SISSIES" in ASIA!

Jakarta Bombers 3 - 0 JAKARTA, INDONESIA!

Jakarta BOMBERS 3 - 0 JAKARTA, INDONESIA!

( NO Thanks to the red WUSSES/SISSIES)

Definition of "WUSS":

Princeton : " a person who is physically weak & ineffectual", noun

Answers.com : " a person regarded as weak or timid especially as unmanly ", noun - slang

Having stayed in Jakarta for some months and having observed the marketing blitz to promote the 20th July match between the Indonesian team and the red WUSS (formerly known as Red DEVILS), the decision by MANCHESTER UNITED to call off their match is utterly disappointing and a dastardly cowardly act!

After all, the former RED DEVILS ( now renamed the RED WUSS ) is coming to pluck a share of the Indonesian economic pie. Don't they realise that apart from ECONOMIC Ramifications there are also POLITICAL Repercussions of their decision to cancel their match! Whilst the economic ramifications are obvious and can be quantified, the political repercussions are intangible and might be difficult for them....... to comprehend things like moral victory for the bombers, the need to show support & solidarity with victims of a terrorist attack etc. etc. mutatis mutandis!

For all I care, the Jakarta bombers missed their target by a few days....Red WUSS(formerly known as RED DEVILS) were supposed to stay at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel. Talk about spineless prima-donnas!

MY RM177 Comment/ 177 Rupiah Ngobrol:

NEVER thought I'll say this but the Malaysian Football Team have more heart and soul than the cowardly wusses/sissies who call themselves the red devils!

But then again perhaps the former colonialists are cursed into being ASSinine+stupid & cowards+yellow by their former colonies due to the atrocities committed by them.

Examples:

(1) BRITISH: In 1941, Guns were facing the wrong way i.e. towards the sea. The Japanese invaders just came in through the backdoor via Johore! Just imagine, a nation who pride themselves of Cambridge, Oxford, Sandhurst & the phrase " the sun NEVER sets on the British Empire" were so ASSinine (actual spelling is with 1 's' but I prefer 2 'S's as it drives home my point) in their planning!

(2) DUTCH: For all their history of colonising people like the Indonesians, the Dutch Army just allowed/looked-on while the Srebrenica massacre took place. And to add insult to bloody murder, they were wearing the BLUE BERETS of the UNITED NATIONS!

INDONESIA.......the 4th NATION, worked!

Indonesia is the 4th country i've actually "worked" in. The other 3 were the UK, Philippines and of course...Malaysia!

7 things I liked about Indonesia:-

• NOT having to wait for taxis.


• CHEAP Services e.g. Haircut, Shoe repairs by a Cobbler, Reflexology massage etc.


• ENTREPRENEURIAL people.


• One's patronage at most establishment are really valued/appreciated!


• RANGE of Choices to suit one's budget...from dead cheap to extremely extravagant.


• Spending around 1million Rupiah per month for a shared Room(Rumah Kos) with laundry & ironing thrown in!


• CREATIVE, elections!

Summary of my exposure:-

INDONESIA (the 4th NATION): Internship programme at the ASEAN Secretariat, Jakarta. Attached to the Political & Security Co-operation Directorate under Mr. Termsak. APSC is one of the 3 pillars of the ASEAN community. May - July 2009.

I like to dedicate the song "BERITA KEPADA KAWAN" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KAaFPPTSvhY ) to all my Indonesian friends. I find this song so apt to describe Indonesia...so much potential and resources whilst at the same time so much sufferings!

PHILIPPINES (the 3rd STATE): Attached to NDT, Manila and went to PETRON Depot, Sasa City, Mindanao. Mindanao was my first ever experience in a 'conflict' area...skirmishes were taking place at Cotabato. What an experience...to be 'working' with one's back to the beautiful sea and experiencing cool sea breeze whilst surrounded by guards with guns & machine guns watching anxiously! Never been back to Mindanao, since.

United Kingdom the second Country (1991-1994)! As a student...mainly menial labour! Dish-Washer, General Cleaner, Kitchen Assistant, Cook & Head Cook. My main employer was Kelly's and Salina's German Coffeehouse in Sheffield.

Also did small-scale businesses...mainly food-related.

MALAYSIA (HOME COUNTRY). 1st Paid Job was as a Shop Assistant when I was 8-9years old...1st official Job - at Shangri-la Hotel, KL after my SPM. Other organisations included A&W, Athlete's World, EON Finance(EON Bank Group), UNISYS MSC...where I was attached to the PM's Department at the newly completed Putrajaya administrative city in 2000-2001, Perfect Know-How & Araf Vektor.

MY RM177 Comment / 177 Rupiah Ngobrol:

Having stayed in Indonesia (Jakarta, Bandung & Yogyakarta...in addition to Bali in 1996) - but NOT as a tourist, I'd learnt to appreciate Malaysia more. INDONESIA for me is a SLEEPING GIANT, so...so much potential...if only they can get their act together!

PS: This posting was supposed to appear before I went to Jakarta....BUT due to security reason(s) namely not wanting others to know of my absence, only NOW is the posting made!

PILPRES INDONESIA (Presidential Elections)

Tomorrow...Wednesday, 8th July 2009 is D-DAY for the more than 238million Indonesians!

It is the Presidential Elections ( commonly referred to here as "PILPRES" ).

The next President will lead Indonesia from 2009-2014.

Will the existing President SBY prevail?...or, his predecessor Ibu Megawati ...or, will GOLKAR lead Indonesia again with the current Wapres(Wakil Presiden i.e. Vice-President) Jusuf Kalla?

O...G...K...ONLY GOD KNOWS!

( Aspiring Candidates )

( sample of the Ballot paper )

Having arrived in May for my internship at the ASEAN Secretariat-Jakarta (ASEC) , the campaigning was an eye-opener for me as it allows me to compare the campaigning style of 2 different yet similar country/culture i.e. Malaysia and Indonesia.

Indonesia is the 3rd country (after Malaysia & UK) where I'm observing elections....surprisingly I first voted NOT in Malaysia but in the UK and campaigned in Sheffield for the Liberal Democrats (...for the simple fact that Paddy Ashdown used to serve in Malaysia).

Hence, some personal (NOT as ASEC rep.) observations:

• Only 2 countries in ASEAN chose their President/PM direct...the other being Philippines.


• Almost equal Coverage on TV for the 3 aspiring candidates...( Malaysia MUST Learn ). Point to Note: Voter Education programmes (i.e. how to vote, exercise your rights...blah,blah,blah) are partly sponsored by Japan/Japanese NGOs.


• Official campaigning ended on Saturday i.e. 4days before actual elections. On Sunday, banners, posters etc. started/have to be removed...I suppose its to give voters time to reflect - FREE of external influences!


• Malaysia's ruling(federal) coalition is referred to as Barisan Nasional. Indonesia has a party called BARNAS (short for Barisan Nasional).


• Usage of ink to ensure that voters DO NOT vote twice.


• ...and in a compromise(despite a court ruling re the electoral register) to ensure the elections proceed - voters who are not registered/listed in the electoral roll, can vote at the last hour before the polling stations are closed! GO FIGURE!

Some comparisons:

• Extensive use of paraphernalia like banners, posters etc. in Indonesia & Malaysia, whereas in UK...its usage is considered minimal.


• Supporters of contenders will go around treating people at certain places. e.g. in Kebayoran Baru(where I'm staying), certain factions will go around saying "this treat is on us...more to come,if we win". Same goes for Malaysia...reminds me of Ketari, Pahang by-election ...amongst others!


• Almost Equal coverage of contenders in TV media in UK(at least where Labour & Conservative parties are concerned) and Indonesia.......but not in Malaysia.
  

Based on the feedbacks I get in Jakarta(mainly from taxi drivers, food stall operators & public at large) & to a lesser extent Bandung folks...it will be a contest between SBY-Boediono & JK-Wiranto. Ibu Mega seemed to be setting-up Prabowo for the next Presidential bid in 2014...aah! Politics...who would have thought that Bung Karno's daughter would ever team-up with Pak Suharto's former son-in-law!!??

My 177Rupiah Ngobrol(Comment):

The election is a fight between the PAST , PRESENT and a wannabe FUTURE.

I forecast GREAT THINGS happening in Indonesia...if, they chose right!

I would think that the SBY-Boediono ticket will win handsomely....but, then again so did BN in the 12th General Elections held in 2008!

~ I WISH INDONESIA...ALL THE BEST & CHOOSE WISELY ~