Of Nasty Rats and Yes Minister

Today is a very important day to the Chinese. It is the Chinese New Year Eve where families will usually gather together after working hard and far for about a year since the last gathering. This is especially true for those who are involved in business as they don't quite rest on rest days. In every Chinese psyche, they do hope that in ushering the coming new year, it would be joyous and prosperous, free of disease and malice; filled with peace.

Source: http://www.ratical.org/ratical/YearOfTheRat.html

Though I do not subscibe to Chinese astrology, I was told since young that being born in the year of Horse, the year of the Rat would not be good year for me. This is because the Rat and Horse are not compatible to each other. I wonder whether this thinking may have infected my dad's thinking since he strongly believes in astrology and Feng Shui. He is afterall, born in the year of the Rat.

As I read about the attributes of the Rat Zodiac in Wikipedia, I find this very intriguing.

Intelligent and cunning at the same time, rats are highly ambitious and strong-willed people who are keen and unapologetic promoters of their own agendas, which often include money and power.

Behind the smiles and charm, rats can be terribly obstinate and controlling, insisting on having things their way no matter what the cost. These people tend to have immense control of their emotions, which they may use as a tool to manipulate and exploit others, both emotionally and mentally. Rats are masters of mind games and can be very dangerous, calculative and downright cruel if the need arises. Quick-tempered and aggressive, they will not think twice about exacting revenge on those that hurt them in any way.

Quite scary creatures I must say. Luckily I have yet to see my dad exhibit most of these characteristics.

Anyway, talking about Rats, recently two interesting news surfaced in the Internet about our beloved Bolehland and it makes me wonder if our separation of powers observed by the Government of the day has decided to take a page from a very old British sitcom TV program "Yes Minister". As it is described in its website:

A bedrock programme in the UK comedy structure, Yes Minister embodied the early 1980s attitude to authority and politics as a gently hypocritical world filled with doubletalk.

The series follows Right Honorable James Hacker MP, Minister for Administrative Affairs, and his attempts to make officialdom and administration make sense. He does this whilst pushing his own self-serving agenda, and keeping his head above any nasty political waters. Throughout his career, he's up against Whitehall’s Sir Humphrey Appleby, unflappable symbol of a machine that has no gears, only brakes (i.e. the civil service [added by yours truly]).

Jim's policies, whether cutting costs or trying to streamline red tape, are sabotaged by Appleby's Machiavellian skills, often accompanied by brain-wrenching sentences designed to confuse Hacker - and often succeeding. Absolutely snobbish and elitist, yet blind to anything that does not serve the Whitehall way, Sir Humphrey is the avatar of the British State.

As you should know, our PM is on the election prowl again. Appealing to the masses that he wants us to work with him, not for him and promising something short of heaven on earth, specifically Malaysia for all, the Star reported on Monday that Abdullah promises to consider needs of all Malaysians. He made sweeping statements like:

The Government will not abandon, sideline or not provide opportunities to any one race. We take into consideration the needs of all Malaysians...

As long as their demands are reasonable and genuine, we will see how to execute the right steps (to meet them)...

Whether it is Chinese, Malays or Indians, they have their own needs and we will look into them...

Wow, isn't it great? From the mouth of the rabbit himself (he is born in Nov 1939). Surely, we will have heaven on earth now right? Despite giving BN the biggest majority ever in 2004 election, we should at least observe that things are getting better and people are happier. Alas, if only that is true.

I wonder how will he explain to Juliana Nicolas, a missionary returned from a trip to the Philippines on 28 January carrying with her two boxes containing 32 English bibles meant for her church group and she has a letter to that effect, whose bibles were confiscated by the Customs department under the pretext that it needed to be referred to Internal Security Ministry’s Publications and Al-Quran Texts Control Division.

Juliana would want to be molified of course. She was upset. She wanted an official apology from the Internal Ministry. Well, Datuk Fu, the Deputy Internal Minister has this to offer:

He said the that English Bible was confiscated by a Customs officer from the woman who had just returned from a visit to Manila. He said it did not involve the ministry.

“The Customs officer has no authority to do so and on being told of the matter, we asked the Bible to be returned immediately to the person,” he said.

Is that an official apology? I leave it to you to decide. Nevermind that under Article 11 of the Constitution we are supposed to have freedom of religion.

As for the call by Dr Hermen Shastri of Council of Churches Malaysia for the prime minister, who is also the internal security minister, to make a clear and unequivocal statement to assure Christians in the country that they will not be subject to such harassment and that their holy books will not be subject to the scrutiny of the Control Division of Publications and Al-Quran Texts of the Internal Security Ministry, well, Datuk Fu seemed to have conveniently explained that he clarified this matter with CCM.

Similarly, I wonder how will he explain on equal opportunity to Norhayati Abdullah, who allerged she was sacked because Bank Negara failed to act against two top officials of a government financial institution for alleged fraud, bribery and abuse of power and wanted to cover it up. Nevermind that she whistleblowed and should be rewarded for her bravery, instead, some unseen hands managed to get the accused conspirator i.e. an advertising agency who overcharged Bank Negara to say Ms Norhayati demanded and received a commission from them. She was also investigated and no evidence is found to prove she is guilty but she was sacked nonetheless for criminal breach of trust.

This is Bolehland and one must wonder, what is the head of the government, who commands the largest majority seats in Parliament since Malaysia independence, doing when his underlings can be so bold as to overstep their boundary of authority, refuse to apologise for their mistakes and allergedly setup the weak innocent whistleblower? Is the head aware that his hands are very very naughty?

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/yesminister/index.shtml

Perhaps, this description found in the same BBC website on "Yes Minister" surmised much we know of our PM:

Always buffeted by fate, wanting to do good but too scared of losing votes and status to do anything, Hacker is the symbol of all of us, wanting to be better, and not quite making it.

If 90.4% majority in the Parliament is insufficient mandate to right the wrongs, I wonder whether we should just reverse and vote the opposition into power to see if they can do it. Afterall, UMNO claimed to have 50 years of experience. It is perhaps time for a change.