Wednesday, December 31, 2008
2009 - The Year of Uncertainties
It's just hours away to the New Year countdown. 2008 has been an eventful year. To be more precise, it has been a year of many changes. But hours from now, it would be the beginning of many uncertainties. I would say it's time to fasten the safety belt and to get ready for the roller coaster ride. We don't need to be a Lillian Too to predict that the impact of the global economic crisis would hit Malaysians soon. There would be many, especially in the electronics sector, that would lose their jobs. In the travel sector, there would be less travelling as people tighten their budget. For the ordinary workers, we can expect to have less increments, if none at all, this year. For the employers, it would mean less revenue and to keep the operating costs down to keep businesses afloat. Against this backdrop of pessimism, we wish our leaders would focus their attention on economic issues. Please make putting food on our tables the priority. Let's brace ourselves for the ride!
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Well said.Yes,the biggest challenge for us this year will be the world economic crisis that is expected to worsen and hit us badly as well. Thousands who are already living on hand to mouth may lose their jobs to result in an acute socio-economic crisis.
Are our government and leaders prepared for such a scenario? Judging from the on-going political developments we are afraid that they are far from being prepared for such an eventuality.
Economic experts all over the world have predicted a gloomy year ahead and we should not be fooled by the gort. rhetoric that all will be well for us.
Instead we must brace ourselves to meet the challenges ahead and not live in a state of denial. We must wise in budgeting and prudent in our spending. Wastage in the form of corruption must be curbed at all costs if we want to survive the oncoming economic crisis.
This is not the time to squabble and bicker over our political, racial and religious differences but must cast these aside and unite as Malaysians to face these challenges that will soon be knocking at our doors.
Actually there are a lot of certainties in 2009, except that they are bad ones. Certainly there will be more people facing financial hardships. More people will be out of jobs. In turn, the crime rate will increase. There will be more political fighting, including in-fighting in BN, UMNO, MCA,MIC,Pakatan Rakyat, PKR, PAS. And of course there will be more fighting between PR and BN. There will be more street demonstrations, more people in lockups, and more people detained under ISA. Politicians will make more promises meant to be broken. With the financial downturn, more scandals will surface as it becomes impossible to cover them.
Issues concerning race, languages and religions will continue to be manipulated by politicians. The BN government will continue to harass Anwar with the sodomy charges, and PR will continue to harp on the controversies surrounding Najib. PAS, DAP and UMNO will continue to dance around the hudud issue. UMNO will continue to dance around the ketuanan issue. MCA will continue to dance around the Chinese school issue. MIC will continue to dance around the Hindu temple issue. Sabahans will continue to gripe about illegal immigrants, but yet still clinging on to the party that causes the problem. Indigineous Sarawakians will see their forest homes continue to get denuded, but yet do nothing about changing their state government. Klang Valley residents will continue to gripe about the traffic and cost of living. There will be more land slides to crush many hillside homes, and the blame will be on the "act of God". WCW, a lot of things are very predictable in Malaysia.
This can only happen when there is a political stability. With PKR disintegrating and BN coalition partners are each other throats, 2009 is indeed a very interesting year.
Datuk,
HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU AND ALL THE VISITORS TO YOUR BLOG
WE need a crisis manager to manage the affair of the country somebody who is bold ,strong and energetic
With the departure of PakLah in march we have the best chance and oppurtunity to let our new generation of leader to manage the country from both camp government and opposition to play their part.
Nik Aziz , Haji Awang , Karpal ,Anuar,Kit Siang ,Taib,etc should pass the baton to their heir successors.
Yup its also the year to fasten up the rear seatbelt so much afraid of risk being fined than for safety!
We have all been taken for a ride.
Big oil companies first tell you there is a shortage of oil, then manipulate the prices up sky high. They make billions and billions. Suddenly they tell you there is a glut of inventory and demand is poor, and prices collapse. But meanwhile they are actually hoarding up inventory by buying oil at rock bottom prices. Sometime in 2009, they will give you some reasons to drive up prices again. It does not take much. Just cause some trouble in Saudi, Iran, Kuwait etc ,and at the same time they give you some BS on inventory levels.and hey presto evrybody will be scrambling for oil again. Already Russia is making their moves on gas by cutting supplies to Ukraine.Maybe next may be some suicide bomber in the Arab countries. Or suddenly uncle sam starts some friction with Iran, and Iran responds by activating their navy to threaten supply routes.
Though many are sayin that there is a certainity of the uncertainities in the year 2009, there are others who say we in Malaysia will only be hit in 2010 in that the recession end results will kick in and show then.
Anyway in foresight most Malaysians are religious and believe in a higher being who is always there to help. So it in such times that we Malaysians and all others, should look within and seek out God's help and direction thro this trying period which we all will be facing from now on. As we humble ourselves and pray God will heal the land (world recession).
Yoshua.
The BN-UMNO govt has started the year on a bad footing. It has stupidly banned the use of Bahasa Malaysia by the Christian "Herald" publication. Hello, UMNO, don't you agree that Bahasa Malaysia should be encouraged for use by all Malaysians??? Suddenly they are saying that Christians should not use Bahasa Malaysia! Now, is it OK to print Buddhist or Hindu publication in Bahasa Malaysia? It is so incredible that the UMNO leaders have such a small and narrow mind. Now since it came from the Home Ministry, we are not surprised at all. We have coem to expect lowly stuff from that ministry. WCW, your religion has been infringed upon, so I hope you give this fiasco some extra print in STAR, and we hope to see MCA speak up loud too, otherwise we will condemn MCA to the rubbish bin.
PKR is not disintegrating, as UMNO/BN would like us to believe. There are more members joining PKR than there are a few noisy ones leaving. Also, we need to remember that PR,PAS,PKR, and DAP are run with more democracy than BN,UMNO,and MIC. Members are allowed to speak their minds and are allowed to have differing views. In BN, only UMNO gets to speak and the rest must follow with their rubber stamp. In UMNO, they fight cats and dogs, and back stab each other. Then they get on stage and perform sandiwara, kiss each other, and pretend everything is fine. But the leopard cannot hide its spots. UMNO has started 2009 as its old self:
a) Prevent the Christians from using Bahasa Malaysia in its "Herald" publication.
b)opposing the Perak state government from giving freehold land titles to the "new villages".
c) Hold demonstrations to support ISA.
What a nice way to remind us to vote for the Pakatan Rakyat. So folks in Kuala Terengganu, remember what UMNO stands for. Vote for PAS and send a strong message to UMNO that we are tired of their ways. Enough is Enough!
WCW, this is off the topic,but I just wanted to share an observation I made about CNN and BBC coverage. I noticed that for the two occasions where the Malaysian navy rescued the Chinese ship and the Indian oil tanker, both CNN and BBC chose not to report the events, whereas rescues by other countries were duly reported. Looks like both CNN and BBC have already put Malaysia for negative coverage again.
2009 appears to be a tough year, involving considerable difficulty and hardship including severe suffering probably privation for some. Yes, it's enough for political dealings in 2008. Political leaders just have to put an end to the "show", especially the newly formed PR team.
Obviously, Malaysians want to see more effective strategies and works for the country, rather than giving pieces of publicitical or political show, which contain no purpose to the development of our country, but nonsense instead.
Both BN and PR are to sit down (hopefully) and work together for the betterment of Malaysia.
Even for those PR state governments, they're regarded as "popular" to many like new artists, but are also to plan and work for the respective states, particularly on its job opportunities for the rakyat and economic sustainablities. They're hoped to have stopped talking about SOS (same old stories). Please be reminded SOS have been given "marks" and " evaluations/ assessments" on 308. PR needs NOT to reinstate or restrore the conditions.
It has reached the required degree of showing events. Let's see their strategies and means for Malaysians, not for all but at least 5 states. Good Luck!
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