Reducing Deficits Part I

This is part of a series of essay on ideas for how to reduce the deficits owned by the Government of Malaysia (GoM).

Reducing Deficits Part I : Decentralising Social/civil Programmes

If you are familiar with Malaysian government, you would be by now understand the width and depth that the federal government "intruded" in your life, from before birth all the way after you die. There is not one facet of your life that the government have no direct or indirect effect on your daily life.

Some of these interventions, would be justifiable and should be part and parcel of any decent, responsible government.  Such things as public and private safety, defense and also public health are arguable the sole responsibility of modern government. Maybe some will also argue that education should be a main part of a government responsibilities. There would also be people saying that trade, development and national resources/assets should be under the control of the government. All of these responsibilities can be reasonably taken up by the government.

But have you ever wondered why things such as culture, language, innovation. religion and also information (amongst others) be also included as responsibilities of the federal government to plan and execute. These areas of responsibilities are what I would like to categorised as unnecessary government social programs.

I am not saying that the federal government shouldn't be involve in such matter but what I'm saying is that the government should be involve as minimal as possible, or at the very most act as regulators rather than executors. I believe such programmes ought to be decentralised and be given to the communities and the society as whole. This move I believe would not only reduce government spending but would also give more empowerment to the public.

Take for example, the National Day celebrations (Hari Merdeka) that were always celebrated at the national and state level year after year. Imagine how much such celebrations cost the governments, in terms of time, money and energy went into such events. Do you know that selected schools will be chosen to send the students to do rehearsals 2 month in advance of the Merdeka Parade, not to mention employees of government agencies would also be given permission to rehears during office hours.

If following my idea of decentralising social programmes, I would propose that such celebrations be done at the local level, such as towns and villages. Events at such level normally would not involve a lot of resources and time. And would mostly be on more like a volunteer basis. The federal government could encourage local participants by awarding some kind of monetary rewards to the parade with the most participations in an individual State. Just imagine how many people would participate throughout the country? Not just some selected people in the capital cities but small town like Benut, Johor be able to participate in the Merdeka celebrations.

Another good example is the building of house of worships. I am attracted to a news article in Harakahdaily, where the MB of Kelantan, Nik Aziz said that the state government did not need to build mosques, but what they did is help locals to build their own mosques. To me this is a good move by the Kelantan government, not only it encourages participations of local in the planning and building of the mosques but also, it will create a sense of ownership and pride towards the mosque. I would propose the state government extends such principle to other public amenities such as playgrounds/parks, libraries and also community halls.

I strongly believe that my idea of decentralising social/civil programmes would be able to reduce government expenditure and also have de secondary effect of empowering the public through active participation.

-Amryl Malek, Christchurch, 3 Feb 2012

Selamat Hari Wilayah

Federal Territory of Putrajaya

To all Malaysians living in the Federal Territories, "Happy Federal Territory Day". Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur was once a part of the state of Selangor, it was ceded to the Federal government in Feb 1, 1974 to be the administrative and capital of the Federal of Malaysia.

Citizens voting in the Federal Territories can only elect their Parliamentary Representative, and unfortunately have no direct way to elect their local government. And Members of Parliament from the Territories have no direct representative in the local council also, and therefore there's a disconnection between the voters (especially rate payers) with the local government.

Following the principle of "no taxation without representation", I believe the rights of voters/rate payers have been denied. So, in this day of remembrance, let us be reminded of our rights!

WOW! I didn't update my blog since 2010!!

I never knew that I have forgotten to update my blog since 2010. Wow! how time flies. Especially since that I'm putting more output and thoughts into my facebook. But thanks to Appai, I just realised that I have spent too much time writing in FB.

I think I need to spend more time writing here on the blog rather than writing in my FB. Here I can write longer and in more details that in FB. And I wouldn't be too distracted by all the other updates. And at the same time I will also be updating more frequently my Photoblog.

Happy New Year!

As the clock ticks to 12,
as the clouds move over the moon,
the darkness amplified by the shadow,
as the cold wind blows against the trees,
as revelers go a merry making,
the little child sleep disturbed,
by what will be,
by the coming days,
restless.

I predict AKIM and UBF will join forces.

As the title says, I think it won't be too long when Zaid Ibrahim dan Jeffry Kitingan will join forces. Will they be the 3rd bloc? Only time will tell.

I have a new dedicated blog for my photos and my thoughts on photography

Hi All,

Long time no see. Anyway, I have setup a blog in wordpress specifically for my photographs. So for those interested, here's the url

http://amrylmalekphotography.wordpress.com/

Please come drop by and leave your comments and thoughts. Unfortunately I'll be spending less time on this blog, but I'll make it a point to drop in sometime and despatch my words of wisdom.

Thanks all.

baby Pics II

More baby pics....after 7 month ++

Baby's Pics

Hi all,

Just got me some time to post some pics on Iman. Adorable guy aint he?
















Several minutes after birth!
















Several hours after birth..

















3 weeks after birth...


To be continued...

He is Here!

Alhamdullillah,

At 4.58pm on 8th of March 2010 (22nd Rabiulawal 1431H), Iman came to this world.

Waiting for the Coming!

For those in the know, Hospital Putrajaya, Wad 5A, Room 13. Visiting hours are 12-2 and 4-8pm

More Photos IV

Went to Bagan Lalang last Saturday, took some more pictures in Sunday morning. Took the D40 with 35mm f/1.8. Here are a few sample, enjoy:

Went out really early in the morning. Around 6.40 am. Why so early? I want to get that really wonderful blue light. It's the kind of blue that you can only get around

half an hour before sun rise and half an hour after sunset.

"Feeling Blue"

"Here kitty, kitty!"

I think it's time for a bit of colour.

This one below was taken with S90 in Pasar Bagan Lalang.

That's about all.

Oh, by the way, just want to show the picture I took of my beautiful wife in my brother's new condo last week. Taken with a Canon S90.

More Photos III

Went for a photo outing this morning. Sabry went along. Here are some sample photos. Enjoy!

"The Gate of the Mosque"

"Reflections"

"It's a Zeppelin!"

More Photos II

Went to Tasik Cempaka in Bandar Baru Bangi and got a few shots, here are a few:

"Kites in formation"

"Reaching Up"

"I can go faster"

"Are you looking at me?!"

I am Disgusted!

If you watched the news this evening, you would have seen a very disturbing image of a burnt infant body. The news is here in NST reported by Bernama.

Words fails me to describe the abhorrent act of burning a newborn baby! Questions keeps shadowing my thoughts in trying to understand the reason why such cruelty in human nature exist?

What are the mental state of the person while torching the infant? How did he/she become that way? Did he/she feels anger with the baby? Did he/she feels a shame? Is the baby a symbol of social stigma? How did it become that way? Did our education system fails us at the very least in creating a caring person? Did our society fails to create an environment of support? Did he/she have a mental imbalance? Was it hormone? Was it pyschosis?

Can we make sense of all these? Should we?

Events like this and many more makes me lose hope with the future of our humanity. Again, there is no word for me to express this feeling.

More Photos!

Some of my other photos.

Here is a sunset right through my window. I titled this, "Sunset Through My Window", taken with my Nikon D40, 18-55mm lens. I came back from office and arrived home around 7pm, and thought that the sunset looks nice, so I shot it.

Was queuing up at the Drive-through McD in Bandar Baru Bangi, manage to capture this scene with my Canon S90. Note to all my friends with special needs, don't bother trying to find a parking space here. It's all taken up by more special needy people.

Went back from dinner in Kajang, caught this with the S90 around 7.45pm. The exposure is really good. I have to say that the S90 is a really good point and shoot camera. I strongly recommend this camera to anybody who is looking for a good quality point and shoot.

New salary Scheme for PDRM

So our men in blue will get new salary scheme. I have a better suggestion, it'll involve more money but I think it will be worth it. It will definitely create a better police force.

My suggestion as follow:

Lance Corporal basic requirement will be Diploma and salary starts at RM2500.00 (it's higher than a Degree graduate starting salary)

A Sergeant basic requirement will be 2nd class Degree and salary starts at RM3500.00

An Inspector basic requirement will be 1st class Degree (preferably 4.0) and salary starts at RM4500.00

An Assistant Superintendant (ASP) basic requirement will be a Master Degree and salary starts at RM6000.00. An ASP with PhD starts with RM8000.00.

Other than that there will be a Physical Incentive which can be accumulated, given monthly as follow:

If you maintain ideal BMI, you'll get an extra RM200.00 monthly (test every quarterly)

If you can sprint 100 m under 11 seconds (male)/ 12 seconds (female), you'll get an extra RM500.00 monthly. (test every quarterly)

If you can run a full marathon (42km) under 2 hr 15 min (male)/2 hr 45 min (female), you'll get an extra RM500.00 monthly. (test every quarterly)

If you can hit bulls eye 18 out of 20 shots standing still, you'll get an extra RM200.00 (test every quarterly)

If you can hit bulls eye 14 out of 20 shots while running, you'll get an extra RM1000.00 (test every quarterly)

IT means that a starting Lance Corporal that can do all the Physical Test can get a starting pay of RM4900.00. While a starting ASP with PhD can get up to RM10,400.00. Getting a Physical Incentive will require you to do beat work 50% of your working time.

How about that, eh?!

Got Myself A New Disease!

Hi folks, I'm infected with a virus! This virus is very dangerous but not lethal, though don't worry it's difficult to infect others with it. But once you got it, it'll be pretty difficult to control, though unfortunately as of now there's no real cure. Me and the wife suspected something amiss a couple of years back. We didn't exactly understand the symptoms then, but in retrospect it is all clear now.

I was infected by my wife. It turns out she is a carrier of the virus. Though she is only showing minor symptoms of the disease. Hopefully she'll not get worse. I went out last weekend and bought her a temporary vaccine, it was expensive, around RM1500. It'll last 2-3 years before the effect wears off. Hopefully by then, other more cheaper but effective vaccines will be available.

My wife in turns got the virus from her friend in her old office in KLCC. The friend have it much worse, I think she spend near to RM20k in the last 4 years just to hold off the effect of the virus.

While I myself have seen a slightly better effect than her friend but a bit worse than my wife. At the same time I bought for my wife the vaccine, I also bought mine at around RM1600. It seems that different people have different effect and require different combination of vaccines. But I can already feel that the vaccines that I bought isn't quite enough. A stronger dose might be neccesary.

Don't worry dear friends, as far as I can tell, my wife and I have yet to infect other with the virus except for my cousin. I infected him with the virus last year. I pray for the best for him. Anyway, it seems that only certain type of people can get infected with the virus, while others are totally immune to it. It might have to do with our genetics and our lifestyle.

I have to stop writing now, I'll detailed out the virus and the symptoms in later post. But for the time being, I share with you the initial effect of the virus. It will sometime undermine your ability to think clearly.

A Sunday Morning In Bagan Lalang

Went to visit my in-laws this weekend, had a bit of stroll by the beach in the morning. It was low tide, the sea retreated to about 30m away.

The sky was a bit cloudy and there was a slight cool breeze. It was quite

refreshing though a bit grey.

Took my camera and try to compose a few pictures along the way. Got some good pictures but mostly really bland.

Here's a perspective

view of the walk way. I would say that Majlis Perbandaran Sepang did a good job in maintaining the area. Though it can be a bit more cleaner.

Though I can't put all the blame on them. Our society need to be more civil and cleaner in this matter.

But I read a book by Malcolm Gladwell titled 'Tipping Point'. In it there's a chapter

on how the NYPD manage to bring down crime. They started by cleaning the subway! We should try that in Malaysia, clean the walk way and reduce Mat Rempit.

If you don't know where's Bagan Lalang is, it is in the district of Sepang, right

at the border with N.9.

At the beach is a very ambitious project of creating a palm shape chalet development over the water. Which is the background of this picture on the left. It was to emulate the development in Dubai, look at what happen to them in Dubai now.

Hopefully, the development here will end up with a better prospect and future and become and impetus for further development.

Let's cut the crap and find the crab!

Don't be fool by this reasonably composed picture.

I cropped it later.

Another decent compose I think.

The final picture. And this qualify this post as the most picture in a posting.

Hope you enjoyed the pictures.

The Futility of New Years Resolutions

Forget about it. It'll never work. Don't waste time thinking about it. Better spent on something more worthwhile. The more time you spend thinking about it the worse life will be for you. Why even bother trying? It'll come when it comes if it comes. So why bother trying.

You wont change your life, you wont make a difference, you are negligible in the whole scheme of things. In the end all your hopes, wishes, dreams are a mere temporary relief to the drudgery that is life.

If you believe that one man can make a difference. You are dead wrong! One man cannot make a difference. Show me a time when a single person can make a difference, and I'll show you a prophet. You're not one. You'll never will be.

But don't be sad. Be mean. That's the only way to be relatively happy. By making more people around you more sad than you. THe more you make people sad, the happier you'll be. THe sadder, the happier. It's all relativity.

Trust me on this. I read Hawkings, the dude on the chair. Being on the chair makes him right. You can't contradict to a person on a chair.

A Picture From Today's Foray

Manage to capture this while going to KLCC