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Showing posts from March, 2023

What ChatGPT says about Malaysian dress code

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 I tested ChatGPT to see what it has to say:  "What do you think of Malaysia's Dress Code issues lately?"      It is interesting that ChatGPT brought to our attention that another major controversial issue happened in one of our public universities. Isn't it interesting that it only happened after 2018 when Pakatan Harapan won the victory?     And, in the recent one month, three out of four incidents happened in our public hospitals. Who, in the Ministry of Health, may be instigating all this?     A friend of mine who used to work with the civil service wrote to me: This dress code issue only came to the forefront of late. During my time in the govt, such issues never came about as the public respects the dress code imposed on the public. The reason for such codes was to maintain decorum when the public deals with govt depts at the premises of such depts. The problem we have now is civil servants who are supposed to allow the public who come to the depts for dealing

It is Tan Sri Zuki's job, isn't it?

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  That Tan Sri Mohd Zuki Ali is keeping silent over the recent recurrence of dress code incidents in government premises is simply amusing.          The incidences of a member of the public not allowed to enter a government hospital or police station appear to me as something more cynical than just isolated cases. To me, this is a form of politics of distraction.          The chief secretary to the government appears to be oblivious of the repeated incidents when members of the public were stopped from entering into government premises.           About a month ago, a police sentry at  the Kajang police station had refused a woman from entering the police station to lodge a report after an accident.          According to the woman, the sentry would have noticed that she was wearing a Bermuda shorts that covered her knees, but  Kajang district police chief Zaid Hassan claimed that the woman was “wearing shorts that were above her knees."  This was obviously based on the sentry's

Independent Raids Necessary for Effective Enforcement

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Recently, we read a statement by Tan Sri Acryl Sani saying that he accepted the fact that other government enforcement agencies are indeed empowered to carry out any form of raid.           The Inspector-General is consistent with what we would expect of a mature democracy where there is always the checks-and-balances.            Although we would have expected the police to be involved in the raid of online scams, their exclusion in this instance is a good example where the present government does not want anyone leaking information to the party to be raided.  Example in the US          In the United States, for example, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is feared by even the local police.            In March 2021, the  U.S. Justice Department resumed its policing of the local police after a four-year hiatus during Donald Trump's presidency.            The reason why policing the police has to be carried out even in mature democracies like the US is because the people have

A Simple Formula for Gobind and all Elected Representatives, including Wee Ka Siong

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  I took time to write this piece. Although it covers a wide area of concerns, and is nothing but my musings, the fact that it has already attracted so many readers within just a few hours show that it resonates with the ordinary rakyat… While some Pakatan Harapan at the Federal level are in a state of euphoria because they have suddenly been picked to become 'ministers,' it is the people on the ground who are suffering.       The original meaning of the word 'minister' in English is: A minister is someone who serves the people. It is a tragedy when ministers in Malaysia view themselves as "Very Important Persons" (or V.I.Ps). They turn up late for functions despite having their outriders.     We want better ministers, better servants of the people whom we can respect. It is for this reason that many of us fought against the previous state and federal governments, and voted them out. We hope Umno politicians will change their attitude, and not just pretend t

Open Letter to Minister of Health

    By Stephen Ng   Dear Minister Dr Zaliha   Allow me to begin with a positive note which a friend who had just gone for a cataract operation at the local public hospital, sent to me. “Clearer vision yesterday after Dr Haslinda gave me a third kind of eye drop. Yesterday was my first follow-up."         When asked about the doctor and the medical team, she replied: "Yes. Good. Caring, knowledgeable, responsible. In fact, the whole team worked hard.          “Didn't or hardly had their lunch; otherwise, it would be a hassle for them having to sterilize themselves again. So, they just carried on until they saw the last patient. Fantastic teamwork for a government hospital."          Indeed, these are the good doctors and medical personnel we have in our public hospitals. Blatantly Disdainful          However, their welfare is hardly taken care of by their superiors at the ministry level. Now allow me to elaborate.          After a fall I experi