The Kembara Merdeka Jalur Gemilang convoy in Kuching
' I can do things you cannot, you can do things I cannot; together we can do great things.'
THERE is a well-known fable about a father who called his four sons together and gave each one a stick; he then asked them to break their sticks and, of course, all four easily broke their sticks. But when he asked them to break 100 sticks held together, they failed.
The moral of the story is that phrase you all must have heard of before: “United we stand, divided we fall”. People can easily break you, crush you and disregard you if you are alone, but when you stand together, nobody can touch you.
Last month saw the formal ascension to the throne of the 16th Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia. The institution of the King is the embodiment of all Malaysians irrespective of gender, creed, colour, religious inclination and any other stripes we can think of. The Yang di-Pertuan Agong himself has also said that he wants to see a Malay-sia whose citizens are united and living in a peaceful, stable and harmonious country during his reign.
Such an aspiration can only come if we, as citizens, can think for ourselves and accept one another as Malaysians first. The operative word here is “accept”. For a long time we have been operating under the word “tolerate”. To tolerate is to allow something or someone that you dislike to exist without interference. Acceptance is embracing that something or someone as part of your world, as your brethren.
This is how we should build our society.
We should build a society where all Malaysians are seen as one. Where race or religion, culture or background, don’t determine positions and opportunities. Where we know that these are not what gives us special positions over others.
We should build a society that embraces this diversity because it is what makes us collectively great. A society in which we work with each other as equals towards the common goal of making a better nation where we all prosper and progress together.
Is that so difficult?
I think not if we are determined to see it through. I have come to the conclusion that if we aspire for a better Malaysia for our children and our children’s children, we, the citizens of this nation, need to do the work ourselves.
We cannot depend on politicians. Politicians cater to the lowest common denominator. They are about power first and they sacrifice ideals at the altar of power.
May 9, 2018, showed us the way. Though it may seem a long time and a thousand disappointments ago, our government was changed by the votes of moderate, liberal and progressive Malaysians of all races and religions, working in concert.
Yes. The moderates, liberals and progressives threw out a kleptocratic government that had been in power for 60 years. We did that.
This scared those looking out only for their own interests. They became loud. Politicians, being politicians, succumbed to the loudest voices, catering to those making the most noise. They practically forgot who voted them into power. Because politicians, true to their very nature, have no convictions except to power and to retaining that power.
I know whenever you see injustice, you feel like saying something but at the same time you feel afraid. Fear of reprisals, fear of upsetting people, fear of getting caught by wide-ranging laws – there are so many fears that you end up keeping quiet and hoping the injustice will just go away.
It won’t, it doesn’t. It will build momentum and, soon, it will become a permanent feature and by then, it is too late.
But what if you have support and back up from like-minded people? You become brave and stand tall against that injustice and face it. You have courage because you know there are people standing with you, supporting you against that injustice.
To deal with any injustice, we need to fight together, only then will we see the change we desire.
But how do we move forward from when we were united on May 9 to where we truly want to be? Relying on politicians to affect change is a mistake – events of the past year have shown us this.
The people need to be the ones to show the way. This, to me, is what Merdeka is about this year.
Moderates, liberals and progressives are the real movers of this nation. They are the ones powering the economy of Malaysia. They provide the intellect, the progressive capacity, and the hard work that has developed this country. They are the ones underwriting the subsidies that help build better lives. They are the ones who will continue to be that source of national wealth and health.
If you believe that you are moderate, liberal and progressive and proud of it, you cannot shy away from your responsibility to change this nation into a truly just, fair and equitable one.
I can no longer do it alone. This is, therefore, a call to action for all Malaysians to unite to make this a better country. To set the agenda to take this country higher. To be active with one voice and one body. We need to stand and be counted. We need to put our money where our mouths are. Let us organise and get active. We can make it happen.
A group of like-minded friends and I have put together a platform for this very purpose. We have incorporated the Malaysian Action For Just And Unity Foundation – in short, Maju.
The foundation came about from a realisation some of us had as long ago as a year before that momentous May 9: We realised that the voice of moderates, liberals and progressive Malaysians was weak and disorganised. It is a voice that is always trying to walk a soft path for fear of offending, and thus its message was being lost.
Subsequent to May 9, those thoughts became almost prophetic. We need such a foundation more than ever. We need a voice and a platform that will be a rallying point for progressive citizenry, that is consistent, loud and unwavering in its causes, expressed without fear or favour.
It took us a while but with our own initial funding and lots of hard work and perseverance, Maju was approved and incorporated in January this year.
A public launch is just around the corner, gift-wrapped for all Malaysians in this month of Merdeka.
We want you, the individual citizen, to be our supporters and funders: We will be funded with a minimum RM50-a- year-contribution from each person who registers as a supporter. We want to create a nationwide network and branches of supporters to carry out our agenda and activism.
We need your support to make a developed and progressive Malaysia a reality. Vision 2020 may not arrive next year but Maju intends to see that reality happen no matter how long it takes us.
We intend to achieve the goals that will make Malaysia great by:
> Promoting the Universal Declaration of Human Rights;
The last point is vital. Through-out history, it is basic science literacy and its progress that has propelled technology.
Nations did not develop due to commerce first; instead it was the scientific discoveries that were the engines of technological progress, which in turn gave a nation’s commerce a distinct advantage that led to economic prosperity. We need to make a science-centric education system a reality.
We want Maju supporters who are science educators and academics to help us revamp the system to ensure our children’s education is substantively science-based from the primary level until students leave the secondary level.
We believe an emphasis on science will also have the by-product of producing students who are strong critical thinkers regardless of their final chosen vocations.
Join me. Let us Maju together and make a just, fair, equitable and progressive Malaysia a reality. As Mother Teresa once said, “I can do things you cannot, you can do things I cannot; together we can do great things.”
The views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of Sunday Star.
‘Citizen Liow’ vents his frustration in short film
KUALA LUMPUR: It is Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai as we have never seen him before – shabby, dispirited and a little rude.
Without his signature full-rim spectacles, Liow, playing an ordinary citizen in a video with a poignant but powerful message, vents his spleen about the country’s current mood.
From the hurtful balik tongsan comment to corrupt practices, Citizen Liow is determined to get his frustrations off his chest.
He even throws a fistful of sweets at a guest in his home. The guest is also played by Liow, who essentially portrays his everyday role of a politician.
The on-screen sparring between both Liows is a creative, yet brutally frank, account of the general sentiments of the local Chinese community.
It is almost painful to watch the heated encounter, but that is exactly why the six minute-long video Citizens is so compelling.
Producers Pete Teo and Liew Seng Tat did not attempt to paint a rosy and glowing picture even though the clip was meant for the upcoming National Day celebrations.
The video boldly addresses the grievances and fears of the Chinese community in Malaysia, which means there will inevitably be “anger, helplessness and conflict”, as Teo explained on his Facebook.
Liow, in his real life as Transport Minister, Bentong MP and especially MCA president, must have often been at the receiving end of the kind of harsh comments hurled by “Citizen Liow” in the clip.
“Politicians only know how to talk!” is perhaps the most common sweeping statement that disregards the efforts and contributions of community and government leaders. In the video, Liow the politician admits there are shortcomings.
The seasoned politician says: “I can find excuses and try to defend ourselves by saying that circumstances do not work in our favour, but no, I won’t do that.”
“We didn’t say there weren’t mistakes. We did not handle many things well, but it is not easy to rule a country.”
“We have seen many politicians from both sides dwelling on the negatives when support for them fades. This alienates the people even further,” he said.
With the National Day just days away, the video is a timely reminder to those with political ambitions to reflect on their vision for the country.
Similarly, the public can look back at the past 60 years of the country’s development, from a mining and agricultural-based economy to today’s multi-sector economy anchored in manufacturing and services.
Of course, there will always be challenges and sacrifices as we progress. Good governance is a must if we are to continue on that path of growth and prosperity.
But as Citizens reminds us, it is important not to lose hope. We must believe that our founding father Tunku Abdul Rahman’s vision of Malaysia will come true.
At the end of the video, “Citizen Liow” has a change of heart. He quietly retrieves the Jalur Gemilang from storage and displays it on his balcony, with his real-life wife Datin Seri Lee Sun Loo at his side.
When met by reporters yesterday, Liow was visibly pleased with how the video has turned out. He said the message he wanted to send through the video was for Malaysians to unite and work together to make the country a progressive nation.
“We love this nation. We are proud to be Malaysians and we are working hard to make this country a stronger nation. That’s the aspiration and message we want to send out,” he said.
By Tho Xin Yi The Star/ANN
‘Youths worry about future, not politics’
Future wave: Liow and Chong (second from left) sharing a light moment with students after the TN50 DialogueUTAR in the Sungai Long Campus.
CHERAS: Youths are more concerned about their future than politics. This is the feedback gathered during the recent TN50 dialogues with students from several universities, said MCA president Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai.
“However, I don’t think they are indifferent towards politics. They are aware of issues.
“For instance, they know that this is about TN50 and about a future that they want,” Liow said after attending a TN50 Dialogue @UTAR with 700 students at UTAR Sungai Long Campus here yesterday.
He cited education and health issues, including the ability to earn a decent living, as some of the aspirations raised by the students during the hour-long dialogue session.
Liow said it is crucial for youths to continue upholding the core value system practised by Barisan Nasional.
He added that Barisan’s core values such as consensus, mutual respect, unity, cooperation and harmony are shared by Malaysians.
“Barisan upholds values of consensus and mutual respect but DAP is sowing the seeds of hatred. The party is also sowing the seeds of anger towards the Government which is causing a split in our society,” he said.
Liow added that the Opposition lacked the core values and was now in a chaotic state.
There was a casual air about the dialogue session where students were asked by moderator MCA youth chief Datuk Chong Sin Woon to address Liow as “Ah Liow” and himself as “Ah Chong”.
Earlier during the dialogue, Chong warned students to be wary of fake news on social media.
“The reality is that most news on social media are fake.
“You should check the source and not blindly believe all that you read,” he said.
He also said that youths were more concerned about “bread and butter” issues rather that politics.
At another function, Liow said more skilled workers were needed as the country progresses.
“It is important for us to train more technical professionals. For MCA, we would like to expand VTAR Institute because of our significant growth in students from 100 to 700 in these few years.
“We will find the right place to expand VTAR and we hope to have more than 1,000 students here,” he told reporters after launching the PW2 wireman competency licence course at the institute in Setapak here yesterday.
VTAR is the vocational education arm of MCA.
Earlier during the function, VTAR CEO Tan Cheng Liang signed a memorandum of understanding with the Federation of Malaysian Electrical Appliances Dealers Association (Fomeda) president Gan Cheng Swee to run the PW2 programme. - The Star
'Citizen Liow' plays dual role in National Day video
国民 CITIZENS
https://youtu.be/4aL7AdI9qdU
A screengrab from the video short "Citizens".
PETALING JAYA: You're not seeing double – it really is Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai playing two roles in a National Day video by producers Pete Teo and Liew Seng Tat.
The six minute-long video short entitled Citizens was released on Monday in conjunction with the upcoming National Day celebrations.
In the video, he portrays himself in his everyday role as Transport Minister, having a no-holds-barred conversation with a citizen who has grouses about the way the country is run – a role also played by Liow.
Liow, the minister, is smartly dressed in a long-sleeved shirt and slacks, while "Citizen Liow" is dressed very casually, with his hair a little unkempt and wearing a grey T-shirt, without spectacles.
Teo, in a Facebook post on Friday, said the project took months to put together.
"Largely this was because the script required a Federal Minister who had the gumption to submit to what we wanted to shoot.
"We kept trying and eventually found our man," he said.
Teo said they did not want to make a film that could be confused for a "tourism video."
Citizens reflects the current mood of the country, especially the fears of the Chinese community.
"It would therefore have to contain anger, helplessness and conflict. Yet it must contain hope – for we are even now not without hope – and so the film should also unite us in hope across the political spectrum," said Teo.
This is not Liow's first film. He previously acted in other 15Malaysia and Hari Malaysia shorts, also produced by Teo.
"What is different this time is that while he was civilly treated as a cabinet minister before, he will be brutalised this time; and while he was stereotyped as a politician before, he is now a human being – filled with the same fears, regret, conflicts and hope as all of us," said Teo, adding that he thought long and hard about the casting.
Also making an appearance in the film is Liow's wife Datin Seri Lee Sun Loo.
Teo said that it took courage for Liow, who is MCA president, to act in the film especially since he and MCA "are deeply maligned in sections of the Chinese community".
‘Citizens’ Liow trends at second spot
PETALING JAYA: As Pete Teo expected, his National Day video in which Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai plays two roles is gaining traction among Malaysians.
The six-minute clip Citizens clinched the second spot on YouTube’s Malaysian trending list as at yesterday afternoon. It had 127,766 views, trailing Taylor Swift’s new music video. The rest were content related to SEA Games.
In the video, Liow, 56, portrays himself as the Transport Minister having an honest conversation with a citizen, also played by Liow, who has grouses about the way the country is run.
Teo, who produced the video with Liew Seng Tat, was glad to see it attracting attention.
“We expect the video to do well, because we think it is a good video and it has something important to say that goes beyond party politics,” he told The Star.
Teo said there were twice as many likes as dislikes.
He applauded Liow for being able to rise above his persona as MCA president and act as an ordinary citizen.
The video was released on Monday in conjunction with National Day celebrations.
Meanwhile, Tan Sri Pheng Yin Huah said the video was “unpretentious and right to the point” and therefore, was well received by the community.
The Federation of Chinese Associations Malaysia (Hua Zong) president said it rightly captured the country’s current situation.
“A main point stressed is that the situation warrants the need for us to listen to each other, consolidate our strengths, stay united and be loyal to our country.
“This is a way to overcome the challenges, instead of just venting our frustrations,” Pheng said.
Apart from acknowledging the people’s disappointments and empathising with them, he said Liow had been tirelessly reaching out to the community to guide and help them in whatever ways possible.
Pheng pointed out that Liow had to draw on the party’s strengths and his role in the Government to help the community effectively.
In conjunction with National Day, Pheng said it was timely for all Malaysians to reinforce respect, love and tolerance among themselves and for the country so as to move forward together.
'Citizen' producer all praise for Liow - Nation
PETALING JAYA: The producer of the National Day video titled Citizen says it was brave of Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai to come onboard a production which had an “edgy” script.
Saying he would absolutely cast the Transport Minister in such a role again, filmmaker Pete Teo (pic) brushed aside some of the adverse comments on the casting choice.
“We think he did a great job playing the dual role of minister and citizen.
“That his casting is controversial has nothing to do with the job he does.
“We hope Datuk Seri Liow’s contribution will at least be acknowledged in the good spirit that it was given,” Teo said when contacted.
Teo, who produced the clip with writer-director Liew Seng Tat, said they had expected some form of backlash as soon as they decided that the role would be best played by a real-life politician.
“The fact that we eventually cast a Barisan National politician is besides the point, really. If we had picked an Opposition politician, the situation would be the same, except the accusations would be from Barisan supporters.
“So in a way, it was a no-win for us unless we had cast an actor,” he pointed out.
According to Teo, the film would have lost immediacy if they had cast an actor to play the role.
“So the decision was made to cast a politician. In fact, our choices were more limited than that because the script ideally required a Federal Minister.
“This narrowed down the choice to only several people. In the end, Datuk Seri Liow agreed to play the role and we went with him,” he added.
Teo said through the film, he and Liew wanted to drive home the message that it was important not to lose hope and to stay united when the going got tough.
“As said in the film’s opening lines, the last decade or more have been tough for the country. Non-Malay communities, in particular have felt alienated, helpless and fearful.
“That is why we are getting such hyper-emotive response to a Merdeka PSA film promoting hope and unity featuring a serving Cabinet minister from the MCA.
“It would be easy to dismiss these aggressive social media outbursts as rantings of opposition cybertroopers, but these are real people with real grievances,’’ he added.
Teo, a multiple award-winning singer-songwriter, also praised Liow for having the courage to be involved in a film with “brutally frank dialogue”.
“Many have ignored the fact that the minister explicitly said in the film that he doesn’t mind who citizens voted for as long as they let their conscience be their guide.
“This is a massively important statement. It underlines our film’s non-partisan credentials,” Teo said.
In the six-minute video, Liow portrays himself in his everyday role as Transport Minister, having a no-holds barred conversation with a citizen who has grouses about the way the country is run – a role also played by Liow.
The video clocked in more than 200,000 views in four days since it was uploaded on YouTube.
'MCA dares to face criticisms' ,
Liow: We understand the voices and feelings of the people
https://youtu.be/zJWcdKjcDgQ
Liow chatting with China’s Ambassador to Malaysia Dr Huang Huikang.
KUALA LUMPUR: MCA understands the voices and feelings of the people and dares to face criticism, said Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai.
The party president said having understood the people’s grievances, MCA is committed to overcoming the problems.
“I must stress here that I am aware of the people’s opinions and feelings. Therefore, I am willing to face the reality as I know that is the only way for us to change for the better,” he said.
Liow, speaking at the Blossom Arts Festival Malaysia (BAFM) 2017 awards ceremony and closing at Wisma MCA last night, was responding to some of the responses towards his double role in “Citizens”, a National Day video.
https://youtu.be/4aL7AdI9qdU
In the clip produced by Pete Teo and Liew Seng Tat, Liow portrays himself as the Transport Minister having an honest conversation with a citizen, also played by Liow, who has grouses about the way the country is run.
Liow also explained that the video aimed at telling people to have faith in the country and never give up, besides showcasing the inner voices of a Cabinet minister and a layman.
Liow added that MCA is steadfast in performing its role in Barisan Nasional.
“We will continue to be the defender of the Federal Constitution, the corrector and the balancing force against hegemony.
“History would reveal that during critical moments, be it fighting for citizenship, persistency on multi-stream education, pushing for the establishment of National Economic Action Council or the recent movement against PAS’ Private Member’s Bill to amend Act 355, MCA has been consistent in playing its role in Barisan,” he said.
Meanwhile, MCA vice-president Datin Paduka Chew Mei Fun said the next edition of BAFM would be put on hold pending the general election.
“My comrades and I, as well as MCA staff, must turn our full attention towards preparing for the coming general election,” Chew, who is also the Malaysian Chinese Culture and Arts Consultative Council chairman and BAFM organising chairman, said.
Big celebration: Drummers performing during the closing ceremony of the Blossom Arts Festival Malaysia at Wisma MCA. (Right) Liow chatting with China’s Ambassador to Malaysia Dr Huang Huikang.
She said BAFM has received the attention of foreign academicians.
Chinese University of Hong Kong’s Department of Cultural and Religious Studies, for instance, sent professors and students to observe the event, she added.
“If we persevere, we are confident of becoming a household name and a premier event among artists,” she said in her speech.
The month-long BAFM concluded yesterday. Also present at the event was China’s ambassador to Malaysia Dr Huang Huikang.
PETALING JAYA: A public spat between the late Lee Kuan Yew’s children has shattered the usually serene political landscape in Singapore, with two siblings accusing their brother Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong of abusing his powers.
Kuan Yew’s daughter Dr Lee Wei Ling and son Lee Hsien Yang accused their big brother Hsien Loong of, well, acting like “Big Brother”, with Hsien Yang going so far as to say he was fleeing the country.
“We are concerned that the system has few checks and balances to prevent the abuse of government.
“We feel big brother omnipresent. We fear the use of the organs of state against us and Hsien Yang’s wife, Suet Fern,” the two said in a six-page statement that was also posted on Facebook early yesterday morning.
Hsien Yang’s son, Li Shengwu, said the situation had become so bad that the family planned to relocate overseas.
“In the last few years, my immediate family has become increasingly worried about the lack of checks on abuse of power.
“The situation is now such that my parents have made plans to relocate to another country, a painful decision that they have not made lightly,” he said on Facebook.
Wei Ling and Hsien Yang also accused their brother of trying to establish a political dynasty and wanting to “milk” their father’s legacy.
They said Hsien Loong and his wife Ho Ching – the CEO of state investor Temasek Holdings – harboured political ambitions for their son Li Hongyi, who works at government agency GovTech Singapore.
The heart of the matter seems to be the siblings’ unhappiness that Hsien Loong was not following their father’s wishes in demolishing the family home at 38 Oxley Road.
Before he passed away in March 2015, Kuan Yew had already expressed his desire that the house he moved into and lived in since 1945 be demolished because he did not want it becoming a “political shrine”.
That desire was part of his last will and testament, but the current prime minister has declined to follow through.
His siblings have attributed this refusal to Hsien Loong’s political ambition.
“Indeed, Hsien Loong and Ho Ching expressed plans to move with their family into the house as soon as possible after Kuan Yew’s passing,” said Wei Ling and Hsien Yang.
“This move would have strengthened Hsien Loong’s inherited mandate for himself and his family.
“Moreover, even if Hsien Loong did not live at 38 Oxley Road, the preservation of the house would enhance his political capital,” they said.
Hsien Loong, who is travelling overseas with his family, said he was disappointed and saddened by his siblings for “publicising private family matters”.
“I am deeply saddened by the unfortunate allegations that they have made.
“Ho Ching and I deny these allegations, especially the absurd claim that I have political ambitions for my son.
“Since my father’s passing in March 2015, as the eldest son I have tried my best to resolve the issues among us within the family, out of respect for our parents.
“My siblings’ statement has hurt our father’s legacy,” Hsien Loong said in a statement posted on Facebook.
Singaporeans seem divided on the matter.
On Hsien Yang’s Facebook page, he was greeted by more criticism than praise, with some accusing him of being the one who had tainted his father’s legacy.
“A family feud that is aired so openly is a sad thing to see,” said Dolpzy Do.
On Hsien Loong’s Facebook, it was generally the opposite.
Pointing out that Kuan Yew had passed away over two years ago, Jacq Low said, “His last will should have been settled by now.”
While such a public spat is rare in Singapore, it is not unprecedented. Last year, as the island-republic commemorated the first anniversary of Kuan Yew’s death, Wei Ling went public with similar concerns.
In a family feud that played out on Facebook, she said the elaborate events were not what her father would have wanted, and that he would have cringed at such “hero worship”.
Wei Ling, a neurosurgeon, also accused Hsien Loong of abusing his power and using the anniversary to try and establish a political dynasty.
Hsien Loong replied via Facebook, saying he was “deeply saddened” by the accusations, describing them as “completely untrue”.
Source: The Star
PM Lee’s family feud becomes more heated
PETALING JAYA: The public spat between Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong (pic) and his siblings became more heated Thursday, with the younger brother accusing the older of not being truthful.
The two younger children of Singapore’s founder and longest-serving premier Lee Kuan Yew, Dr Lee Wei Ling and Lee Hsien Yang, took to Facebook to air their grievances.
Hsien Yang accused his brother of not being truthful over the issue of their father’s wish to have the family home demolished.
Before he passed away in March, 2015, Lee Kuan Yew had expressed his desire that the house at 38 Oxley Road be demolished because he did not want it becoming a “political shrine.”
He had made that part of his last will and testament.
In a Facebook post, Hsien Yang compared what he said were Hsien Loong’s statements in public and those in private.
Hsien Yang said that despite the prime minister saying in public that the decision to demolish the house did not need to be taken immediately, a “secret committee” of ministers was set up to explore and make recommendations.
When Lee Kuan Yew’s will was recognised as final and legally binding, Hsien Loong did not mount a legal challenge.
However, he privately wrote to the above committee to say that there was no evidence their father knew that the demolition clause “had been reinstated into the last will,” the younger brother alleged.
Hsien Yang also claimed that the prime minister even swore this under oath in a statutory declaration.
Finally, while saying in public that he hoped the government would respect their father’s wish to have the house demolished, Hsien Loong told the committee in private that Lee Kuan Yew would have “accepted any decision to preserve it.”
“The will is final and binding. We have no confidence in Lee Hsien Loong or his secret committee,” Hsien Yang said in his Facebook post.
The tiff between Lee Kuan Yew’s children, simmering since their father’s death, had its lid blown open on Wednesday when the two younger siblings posted an explosive six-page statement saying that they had lost confidence in their elder brother.
Wei Ling and Hsien Yang also accused Hsien Loong of using the state machinery against them.
“We fear the use of the organs of state against us and Hsien Yang’s wife, Suet Fern,” they said.
Hsien Yang, chairman of the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore, said it had got so bad that he and his family intended to move out of the country.
Wei Ling and Hsien Yang also accused their older sibling of trying to establish a political dynasty and wanting to “milk” their father’s legacy.
They said Hsien Loong and his wife Ho Ching – the chief executive officer of state investor Temasek Holdings – harboured political ambitions for their son Li Hongyi.
In an immediate response on Wednesday, Hsien Loong said he was “deeply saddened by the unfortunate allegations that they have made.”
“Ho Ching and I deny these allegations, especially the absurd claim that I have political ambitions for my son,” he said, adding that he was disappointed in his siblings for publicising private family matters.
However, in a Facebook post on Thursday, his sister Wei Ling said she and her brother would not have issued a public statement if the dispute over their late father's house was “merely a family affair”.
Hunters hunted: R.AGE journalists went undercover as 15-year-old girls to meet up with online sex predators who target teenagers. Watch the videos at rage.com.my/predator:
This was among the material gathered by The Star’s R.AGE journalists who went undercover for these meetings.
Six months before paedophile Huckle made global headlines, the R.AGE team had already started its undercover sting operation against sex predators.
During the period, R.AGE compiled material that included obscene images, inappropriate messages and hidden camera footage of the undercover journalists at work.
Malaysia does not have laws against “sexual grooming”, which refers to the process of gaining a child’s trust for future sexual exploitation, even though statistics show it has been on the rise.
Mobile chat apps (WhatsApp, WeChat, BeeTalk, Facebook Messenger, etc.) seem to
have become the most popular tools for sex predators in Malaysia, based on Bukit Aman’s statistics.
Since 2015, a whopping 80% of reported rape cases involved sex predators who started out online.
During a sting, R.AGE confronted one such predator, who was propositioning the undercover journalist on WeChat and sending photos of his penis.
“It’s a numbers game,” said the 28-year-old postgraduate student who is a self-confessed sex addict.
“On WeChat and BeeTalk, you can search for people nearby, and filter them based on gender. After I filter out all the men, I just send messages to as many girls as possible.”
The predators then start grooming those who reply to them. They would earn the trust of these children and gradually introduce sex into the conversations.
Another man claimed he is “an expert in massages” and that he had done it on at least two other girls below 15.
The situation has long weighed on Assistant Commissioner Ong Chin Lan, the Bukit Aman Sexual, Women and Child Investigation Division (D11) assistant principal director.
“If we had grooming laws, the authorities might be able to arrest predators like Huckle early on,” said Ong.
“We need to empower our law enforcement agencies.”
Sources: The Star http://rage.com.my/Predator/; http://rage.com.my/catching-sex-predators/
PEDOPHILIA is not a new sex crime. What is new is the attention that it is getting in the public arena in Malaysia especially after the case of Huckle (pic). In fact pedophilia has developed into the hot topic in Criminology.
A pedophile is an individual who prefers to have sex with children. They have an abnormal and an unnatural desire and attraction for sexual relations only with children.
Sexual abuse of the children can begin without people recognizing it because it can be a small act in everyday life.
Pedophiles come from a variety of socioeconomic backgrounds. They are normally male, from any race, educated or uneducated, young or old, rich or poor, employed or unemployed. They can be religious or non-religious, a father, family member or trusted coworker or professional.
Just as Huckle used” wealth and status as Westerner” to exploit children, pedophiles hide behind the cloak of normality, morality and respectability within the community. Research revealed that nine out of ten are close to their mothers.
One of the most popular criminological theories is the notion that criminal behavior is learned in association with those who have criminal attitudes and values.
The majority of criminologists believe that the behavior of a pedophile is caused by environmental factors (nurture), involving upbringing and life experience of the individual. Furthermore, perpetrators confess that they themselves were child victims of sexual abuse.
However, recent studies revealed that individuals suffering from pedophilia are also fostered by genetic or biological traits which eventually lead to criminal behavior.
Colleen Berryessa, a Criminologist, stated that a 2014 Korean report on monozygotic twins with pedophilia, concluded that genetic influences appeared to be more important to the causes and development of pedophilia than environmental factors, including childhood abuse.
But there seems to be little or no agreement about what conclusively makes an individual cause pedophilia.
Experts also believe that there is no permanent treatment to cure pedophiles but some claim therapy treatment can work but is a challenge. Since pedophiles are sociopaths whose behavior is antisocial, lack sense of empathy and moral responsibility for their victims, the disorder is chronic and lifelong.
Studies show that pedophiles are repeat offenders after imprisonment or treatment.
The criminogenic asymmetries factor such as relaxed atmosphere, weaknesses in laws and enforcement produce criminal opportunity, motive for foreign pedophiles like Huckle himself to took advantage of the weak internal controls in a country to find victims. The penalty in their home country is normally more severe.
To fight this crime we need legislative changes, more effective laws, intelligence gathering and sharing, technology such as facial recognition and enhance investigation capabilities by training specialists.
Huckle operates a website called The Love Zone (TLZ) on the Dark Web, a hidden network used to maintain anonymity. His site consisted of photos of the children he abused and shared with other members.
The web is accessible only with specialized software or conducting deep web analysis. To make it more complicated; cybercriminals are often using encryption to protect their malicious data and communications.
There should also be increased focus on proper enforcement and skill level in conducting cybercrime investigations in order to reduce the use of the Dark Web in committing child sexual activities.
Crime prevention should be the priority for police but that should not be their sole responsibility. To prevent crime is the obligation of everyone in society and parents, schools and families have responsibility to ensure children are safe.
They must also instill in children a strong appreciation of right and wrong.
Parents, being the most important people in their children’s lives, must make sure children are not exposed to situations where irresponsible people can take advantage of them.
They must pay attention and respond when any adult seems overly focused on befriending a child, make a spot check on child nurseries and babysitters and do not allow a child to go alone on vacation or spend the night with someone other than those proven to be trustworthy and reliable.
Certainly do not assume that a person is reliable because of position, status, title or working in a place where children commonly gather.
At this point, our country still does not have a central registry for child abusers and pedophiles. The data is very important as it would contain the particulars of sex offenders, allowing law enforcement agencies to keep track and monitor the child sexual activities in our community. We need to protect our children.
By DATUK AKHBAR SATAR
Institute of Crime & Criminology, HELP University
The decline in the number – and the rising cost – of domestic maids has forced more young, working parents to send their children to daycare centres.
Daycare Centre
Chris Hong, who runs two kindergartens-cum-daycare centres in Subang Jaya, said she and her staff looked after 40 to 50 children from 8am to 7pm daily.
The centres, which only cater for two-month-old babies to children aged six, provide lunch, homework coaching and other activities in the afternoon after the kindergarten session.
“There are even parents-to-be who register at the centre even when they are in the early stages of pregnancy.
“There is very high demand now and parents are looking for safe and trustable daycare centres,” said Hong, adding that she did not plan to set up more daycare centres as she wanted sufficient quality time with her three children.
A daycare centre operator on Penang island, who wanted to be known only as Sarah, said she and her partner were planning to set up two more centres on the mainland.
She added that she had received many enquiries for her services in Butterworth.
“We’re now working out the extra costs we have to bear for hiring more people and rental,” she said.
Technical services manager M. Manimaran felt that increasing the number of daycare centres was an effective alternative for the shortage of maids.
“After all, parents are looking for a safe and good daycare centre which can work around our working hours.
“The place I send my son to even provides transportation from his school to the centre.He gets proper meals and time to do some reading or his homework.
“We have no worries, even during the school holidays,” Manimaran said, adding that he received constant updates about the whereabouts and condition of his 10-year-old son from the daycare centre through WhatsApp.
Working mum Lim Lee, 46, said she would opt to send her child to a daycare centre and hire a part-time maid if her Indonesian maid could not multi-task.
“There is no way I can afford to get two maids,” she said.
Malaysian Maid Employers Association president (Mama) president Engku Ahmad Fauzi Engku Muhsein urged the Government to encourage more nurseries or daycare centres run by properly trained and certified Malaysians.
Such facilities, he said, would not only ease the burden of having to pay for maids but would also give parents peace of mind while they were at work.
Engku Ahmad Fauzi said the expense of using these centres should be tax deductible, adding that it was the Government’s responsibility to solve over-reliance on foreign workers.
These centres, he added, would also provide the local workforce with jobs, ensuring less capital flight from the country.
By Royce Tan The Star
Working mums ‘maid’ to pay sky-high fees for childcare
Back-up plan: With maids becoming a scarce commodity, more are turning to childcare centres
PETALING JAYA: Dr Subhashini Jahanath is highly educated, hard-working and does 11 calls a month.
Like many other working mothers, she is now facing the added frustration of sky-high fees for domestic help.
“It’s the childcare that’s difficult – what happens if I get called up in the middle of the night? At the same time, I just cannot afford the fees for a new maid,” she said.
Even then, Dr Subhashini, 35, is one of the lucky ones as she can call on her family for help.
The Miri-based doctor’s father has flown in from Selangor to help take care of her four-year-old son Harraen.
“On days he has to go back to Selangor, I have to send Harraen along with him, which means increased cost and Harraen missing school. But it’s the only way.”
Lawyer V. Shoba, 37, is also blessed with parents who help look after her seven-year-old twins, but still needs a maid to help them.
“My parents are both in their early 70s and need some help with the kids. Having domestic help is not a luxury,” she said.
In 2009, she paid RM6,000 in agency fees and a monthly salary of RM650 for her first Sri Lankan helper.
“In 2011, I got another Sri Lankan maid. The agency fee was RM7,500 and monthly salary was RM850. In 2013, I got a Filipino maid. The agency fee was RM9,900 and the monthly salary was RM1,200,” she said.
The agency fee, she added, has now gone up to RM12,000 and the monthly salary to RM1,500.
“I also have to pay for her toiletries, food and utilities used. That is a chunk of money that could be used for education or even holidays.
For those who are away from their families, babysitters and part-time house help provide alternatives.
Not everyone can call in the grandparent squad, and some parents feel that childcare options out there are not good enough to make them viable alternatives to live-in domestic help.
Corporate communications manager Sonia Gomez, 30, said she could not find any childcare options that were both good and affordable.
“Independent babysitters aren’t regulated, so it would be very tough to cope without my helper, Lia. She is reliable and has a very strong bond with my son,” she said.
Some mothers are opting out of the workforce entirely to take care of their kids.
Stay-at-home mum Evelyn Thong, 37, said she had heard too many daycare horror stories to consider it.
“It’s also too much money to risk. If your maid runs away, you cannot recover your money,” she said.
By Suzanne Lazaroo The Star
Maids for specific tasks only
PETALING JAYA: The days of having a multi-tasking maid who does everything from cooking and washing to caring for the baby and the elderly and even washing the car is as good as gone.
Malaysians must now be prepared to pay more for specialised help.
Source countries such as Indonesia want to send upskilled helpers for specific jobs like caregiver, babysitter or nanny, and not the traditional domestic maid.
Malaysian Association of Foreign Maid Agencies (Papa) president Jeffrey Foo said all that was needed now was a mechanism to ensure these helpers were properly trained and certified.
Foo said Papa was ready to work with the source countries to create a win-win situation.
“Local employers will be satisfied if they get what they are paying for, which are skilled helpers who can do the task they are hired for,” he said.
The Star reported yesterday that Malaysia is in a fix because neighbouring countries are not in favour of sending domestic help here.
Foo said Indonesia, where most of the foreign maids are from, is not closing the door entirely.
Instead, it is adopting a more professional approach with its policy to stop sending live-in maids from next year.
A possible solution, according to Foo, is for the Government to license companies to supply part-time domestic maids to households who need them.
These companies could take care of the maids’ lodging and food but this would require a shift in government policy.
Foo pointed out that foreign workers brought in as cleaners were not supposed to be sent to work as domestic maids at individual homes.
Malaysian Maid Employers Association president (Mama) president Engku Ahmad Fauzi Engku Muhsein pointed out that the current system of having maids stay under the same roof as their employers for two years was not always ideal.
“If you’re lucky, there’s harmony. Otherwise, you get two years of disharmony,” he said.
He echoed the view for local agencies to be allowed a supply of part-time maids.
Engku Ahmad Fauzi said there were currently different expectations between local employers and source countries such as Indonesia.
In Indonesia, helpers are hired and trained as caregivers to take care of infants, children and the elderly or as domestic workers who cook, clean and tidy.
M. Sarkuna, a 40-year-old Indonesian maid working here, said those who took care of babies, children and the elderly earned at least RM800 in Jakarta, while those who cooked could take home about RM700.
“The starting pay for those who do household work is only RM500,” she said.
In Malaysia, Engku Ahmad Fauzi said employers often took for granted that maids had to multi-task.
He said the best and most well-trained helpers were not sent here, yet “Malaysian employers want to pay the lowest for the best”.
The way forward, at least in the short term, was to hire maids from cheaper and better source countries besides Indonesia and Philippines, he said.
“But Malaysians need to stop depending on domestic maids in the long run,” he added.
PETALING JAYA: When his son left him at a bus station, John (not his real name) waited patiently for him to return. Five hours later, he was still waiting. Passers-by noticed him and called the police.
The 72-year-old man has dementia and was sent to hospital. Medical social workers managed to get him to recall his son’s telephone number.
When they called John’s son, he did not want to take his father home.
People like John are vulnerable to abuse and neglect, and he is not eligible for government shelter for the elderly because he still has a family.
John is among many Malaysian elderly folk who are facing abuse and neglect. According to a study, one in 10 urban elderly Malaysian is abused, with financial abuse being the most common.
The survey by a team of researchers from the Department of Social and Preventative Medicine under Universiti Malaya’s Medical Faculty said psychological abuse was the next most common followed by physical abuse.
“A pilot survey was done among the urban poor in Kuala Lumpur in 2012 involving 291 individuals above the age of 60. There were elders living in low-cost government-subsidised flats. Of the total, 9.6% said they experienced one or more forms of abuse within the last 12 months of the survey,” said Dr Noran Naqiah Hairi.
Dr Noran is leading the Prevent Elder Abuse and Neglect Initiative (Peace) with her colleague Dr Clare Choo.
The team also found that one in 20 rural elders have experienced abuse based on a survey they did among 2,000 respondents in Kuala Pilah, Negri Sembilan.
The most common abuse reported among rural elders is psychological followed by financial.
Anita (not her real name) is a subject of financial abuse. As she has arthritis, she found it difficult to go to the bank. Her son persuaded the 68-year-old retired clerk to give him the authority to handle her finances.
Soon after, he got his widowed mother to sign over her house to him.
“I didn’t want to, but I was bullied into signing my house over. He kept accusing me of not trusting him.
“At first, everything was all right. But then he began investing my money in all kinds of ventures. I have no say in what he does with my money. When I ask him, it gets unpleasant.
“But I am worried what will happen when my money runs out,” laments Anita, who lives with her son in Petaling Jaya.
Still, she would never report her son because elder abuse is not a topic Malaysians discuss openly.
Deputy Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datin Paduka Chew Mei Fun admits that reported figures do not paint the actual picture.
“These are only the cases that come to us. There may be more that we do not know of,” she said.
Most of elder abuse cases go unreported as many see it as a “family problem” which can be dealt with behind closed doors.
Only 23 cases of elder abuse and neglect were reported in the past three years, according to statistics from the ministry.
The study, however, shows it is far more prevalent.
“The Peace study is the first of its kind in Malaysia and it corroborates prevalence rates of elder abuse and neglect in other Asian countries which range from 14% to 27.5%,” added Dr Noran.
