In The Minds of Young Malaysians

“Nancy, how many do I have to tell you that I am not dictating the policy? Now take a pen and write it down: it is by popular demand that…”

Our country, Malaysia is an active member of various international organisations, including:

the Commonwealth of Nations,

the United Nations and many of its specialized agencies, including

• UNESCO,
• World Bank,
• International Monetary Fund,
• International Atomic Energy Agency;
• General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade,
• Association of Southeast Asian Nations;
• Asian Development Bank,
• Five-Power Defense Arrangement,
• South Centre,
• East Asia Summit (EAS),
• Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC),
• The Commonwealth,
• Non-Aligned Movement, and
• Organization of the Islamic Conference.

Under the leadership of Tun Dr. Mahathir bin Mohammad, Malaysia’s foreign policy stance began to take a much greater economic orientation that before.

Coupled with a strong and nationalistic defence of the rights, interest and aspirations of developing countries and the advocacy of south-south co-operation and also a program of outreach to Islamic countries through the OIC.

Other issues the are interesting for discussions:

• Relations with Singapore
• Spratly islands and Limbang,
• Foreign migrants (Indonesian and Filipino migrants)
• Malaysia’s Foreign Policy Principle
• Islamic Positions (Palestine, Iraq, Islamic terrorism)
• 9MP on Federal Government Development Allocation and Expenditure for Ministry of Foreign Affairs

We have had some serious stuff while enjoying the sunshine in Bohol – Concert Of Power

One the the topic discussed today was the rising of power:US, India, China, Russia etc including the Non-Sovereign power: EU. These powers formed the multi-polar situation today vs the 2 headed (US vs Soviet) in the cold war days.

The concern raised was on international security as there is no more referee on the playing field, although the sphere of influences has increased and filling in the local vacuum.

Questions of national interest:

• “Pre-emptive strike”
• Nuclear Arm Development in N.K. (DPRK)
• Territorial: China in Palawan
• Smaller countries vulnerable
• Leverage – arms supply access from other power
• unstable – dealing with more bully and hypocrites = harder to monitor

Talking about Sovereignty, this concert of power actually aserts soveriegnty but with a flip side: limitation of assertion.

Would this increase Economic Openness? Yes, but will form into limited trading blocs like cold war. However these blocs are depending on each other: bilateral trades but more choices compare with unipolar fabrics (however, it’s very cumbersome).This way, trade sanctions can actually be overcome.

Sigh, it has revert international politics to the jurassic era.

Globalization does not happen in a vacuum, there is a need to put the political frame work in place – a wrong politics could put everything into drain as it has before.

Anti-globalization movement have to keep in mind what they wished for.

Socialist Planning Process

Socialist believes that cultural, property and the distribution of wealth are subject to control by the community aka state. These controls are either directly exercised through collectives such as local councils, or indirectly, exercised on behalf of the people by the state.

This presumption “ideal” form of society/country, whether derived from planning theory, religion believe or a collective, local visioning process will be created by employing statewide growth-management laws employ a top-down, centralized view of planning with minor variations. An analogy would be the “Procedural Approach” of computer programming.

Take an example, Malaysia is now in its 9th Malaysia Plan, 5 years each, which ‘plans’ anything from Education to Healthcare and a federal budget is allocated accordingly. Directions are given from the federal government to state level, requiring local governments to adopt plans consistent with statewide goals.

Despite the variation in emphasis and leadership style, after 45 years of implementation in the short history since achieved the nation’s independence, this top-down approach now represents ‘the tradition’ and is the most conventional method adopted by the nation’s planners in government, political & religion organizations, large corporate and institutions.

Shifting the balance of power to the authorities, political leaders, government servants and  corporate leaders alike believe that these centralized planning are “the remedy” to what they saw as the inherent flaws of capitalism, such as monopolies, business cycles, unemployment, vast inequalities in the distribution of wealth, and  most important of all, the exploitation of the rakyat (people). In this region, Singapore is famous for its strict government control while a good example in Malaysia is the National Economic Policy (NEP), which has long been used and sacredly defended as ‘the tool’ to re-distribute wealth and curb poverty.

The rigid top-down model of socialist planning process, compounded by human nature, would unintentionally reduces innovation and substantially increases the costs of development because of the protracted time it takes to implement them.

Market-Oriented Planning Process

The market-oriented planning process started by asking one basic question: How can public policy ensure the formation of a society/country that the people want? This starting point is fundamentally different from the one used in conventional (socialist) planning as it recognizes that the people, both current and future, will determine whether community is desirable.

The market-oriented planning placed the people at the center of any discussion of the role of public policy. The long-term goal in a market-oriented planning is to ensure a wide range of choices, and quality of life is defined by the people themselves. The planning process should accommodate this goal; instead of determining the outcome. This philosophy is quite the same with the “Object Oriented” approach in computer programming.

While conventional procedural planning may be a tool for achieving this goal, the measure of success is whether the people are satisfied with their choices hence limits the political and discretionary nature of the development-approval process by focusing on tangible harms and impacts of development.

It also avoids the mismatch arise from inconsistencies and uncertainties inherent in the evolution of communities as needs, preferences, and wants change over time; and minimizing the effects of poorly designed and implemented growth-management policies when goals are not well defined.

In a market-oriented planning, elected officials and planners do not try to determine the “best solution”—that is a decision left to the people to organizes and create a society that fit their needs. Contrary to the theory underlying conventional planning, in this increasing fast paced world, the “best solution” to a social problem continually changes, as do the needs of a community. The often bureaucratic procedural planning process, however, rarely moves quickly or efficiently enough to accommodate these changes.

In a market-oriented planning, planners and citizens use the efficiencies of the market to let the public administration or corporate planning change and evolve with the community.

An Process In Its Evolution

Like the It world which have developed from the traditional Procedural Programming to the phenomenon adoption of Object Oriented Programming, I would see that the same evolution taking place in the planning paradigm from the centralized Socialist Planning Process to the Market-Oriented Planning Process.

Driven by the same increasing changing pace, the planning community would not be able to face up the ever increasing challenges that brought along by the continuous changes with an old approach that would be efficient and effective enough in today’s eyes.

To be able to overcome the challenges of this new era, rather than relying on abstract visions of what a community should “look like,” vague concepts of “good” planning, or idealized notions of the Socialist Planning Process, strategic planner that turn to the Market-Oriented Planning Process could not only stop at the politically correct ‘people’s choice’ policy but have strive to achieve in a strategic plan that is simplicity, modularity, modifiability, extensibility, maintainability and re-usability.

In this by election, BN – MCA  got 5533 votes, or 77.4%  while DAP got 1452 or 20.3%. The winning majority is 4081 at 57.1% as the turnout is 7151(74.4%).

Looking at the composition of voters: Chinese, 45% while Malays and Indians are 38% and 15% respectively.

In the course of campaign, the fund allocated for Machap by-election are translated into development projects approved and as promised to be approved for Machap constituency:

a)    Newly paved roads all over Machap;
b)    Hundred of new street lamps;
c)    A RM1.2 million recreational area near the Durian Tunggal Dam;
d)    102 grants for housing lots for second-generation settler families at Felda Tun Ghafar Machap;
e)    RM3.7 million will be allocated to Felda Machap with RM3 million for upgrading water pipes, RM600,000 for the construction of multipurpose hall & RM100,000 to repair the mosque;
f)    Approved the application for 7,000 sq ft of land by 50 second-generation Chinese settlers with a 99 year lease and a lower premium of RM12,500;
g)    Approved the 20year long demand of Machap Baru villagers to build 80 units of low and medium cost houses, which will be sold at price below RM60,000 each;
h)    Ministry of housing and local government’s special allocation of RM650,000 to upgrade roads and drainage system and to build a new air-conditioned hall;
i)    RM400,000 to relocate the telecommunications tower in Machap Umboo to build a new replacement;
j)    Health Ministry will spend RM160,000 to upgrade clinics in Machap; and
k)    Education Ministry will give no less than RM50,00 to each of the three Chinese primary schools in the constituency.

At the end of the day, a question has to be asked “Has BN really won?”,  “What will be the results in Machap by-election without all these allocations?”

The incumbent ADUNs and MPs shall be sincere, hardworking and accountable to the people. They should not perform their duties as people representatives ONLY immediately prior to the GE or fully depend on the allocations.

” No one follow the plan”

This line strikes me most when reading through the introductory materials in a strategic planning seminar organized by the International Academy for Leadership of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation.

Working for the HQ of a party, I have the chance to handle the national strategic planning meetings headed by the party president when all sorts of visionary strategies, policies, plans etc were formed. On the other hand, we can see how things diluted down when visited the grass root members during our national tour.

Handling the daily operations of the party, we often feels the frustration of the tug-of-war between the vision & mission of the top leaders and the bread and butter demand of the grassroots. It is easy to fall into the psychological trap of ‘no one follow the plan’ and take the easy way out by applying short sighted tactics.

It is worse when people take things into their own hands as observed in our government, which is famous for manipulations (of the ‘little napoleons‘, as said by our Prime Minister) in the implementation of visionary plans.

I would opine that when planning strategically, the psycho-graphics of different levels of implementors be take into consideration to ensure the plan is carried out properly.

The council have successfully increased the income of the rakyat (people) in our kawasan (constituency) over the years… until they start migrating to the Kuala Lumpur (the capital city)…

Cervical cancer is the 2nd leading cause of cancer death in women worldwide and in Malaysia. In 2003, this decease constituted 12.9% of all female cancers in Malaysia. About half of all females diagnosed with cervical cancer between 35 and 55 years old and these women were most likely exposed to cancer-causing Human Papillomavirus (HPV) types during their teens and 20s. A study started from last year shows that 1:5000 women will have cervical cancer due to HPV.

Cervical cancer begins when a women becomes infected with certain types of Human Papillomavirus (HPV). HPV is a common virus affected both females and males. There are more than 100 types of the virus, and about 30 types of HPV known as genital HPV since they affect the genital area. Some types can cause cervical cancer or abnormal cells in the lining of the cervix that could turn into cancer. Other types can cause genital warts and benign (noncancerous) change in the cervix.

In fact, most of the women who get cervical cancer may have never had a Pap test (also known as Pap smear). Pap smear, with 97% accuracy, is part of a gynecological exam and helps detect abnormal cells in the lining of the cervix before they have the chance to become precancers or cervical cancer. It is one of the best ways to help prevent cervical cancer, which recommended to be done yearly, however, virgin and those without sexual intercourse are not courage to do Pap smear.

Methods commonly used to treat abnormal cervical cells include freezing, removing them using an electrical instrument, and conventional surgery. The treatment may have to be repeated if the abnormal cells reappear.  In addition, the three main methods for treating cervical cancer are surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy.

The most recent prevention against cervical cancer, as well as genital warts and cervical dysplasia – 3 doses of MSD Quadrivalent HPV Vaccine over a period of 6 months, was recommended during the briefing. The best period of time to have the vaccination is between the ages of 9 to 26, and the best is before sexual intercourse, for female as well as male. The male are also encourage to be vaccinated in order to prevent from genital warts and reduce the risk of transmission during sexual intercourse. The cost of vaccination approximately RM1,200 for 3 doses in Malaysia.

Nevertheless, the vaccination carry 70% prevention, those who had their vaccination are still advice to do the Pap smear yearly, as regular practice for the most accuracy & self preventive action. At last, all women should have self awareness; eliminate the destructive and conservative mindset, not to feel embarrass and keep our own self in a healthy and fruitful life.

The Political Value of youth today has to be viewed from the aspects of Political Psychology & Political Theory.

Look at the 2006 Merdeka Center Youth Survey. It shows that:

• 64% of the surveyed youth think that Politics are complicated
• 35% admitted that they don’t understand politics while
• 26% think that politic is dirty.

IF government can guarantee economic growth, 41% youth are willing to give up election, among them

• 49% Chinese
• 37% Malay and
• 48% Indian

Only 27% think that election is conducted fairly while only 8% think that they can affect the government.

On the other hand, the 2004 New Era College Youth Survey which focused on Selangor concluded that:

• Political awareness is high but the involvement is low.
• Most youth are concerned about corruption while
• agree that the government policy affect Chinese youth significantly and
• should allow more space for opposition.
• These youth think that they are good citizens but
• are willing to compromise law to achieve certain task.

Conclusions derived from these surveys indicated that our youth care about social issues more than political issues, which can further described as having a mindset of a residence in this country more than citizen. Their awareness is high but never participates in politics.

Development of youth mentality from the Agricultural age to industrial age then the information age has posed the following problems:

1. Polarization – It’s a result from the heritage of anti colonial mindset from our education system, media, and (race based) political parties
2. Education System – Its aim is to train worker for economical development using the social engineering approach. Hence trained generations of non-thinking youth – controlled with Higher Education Act.
3. Economical Structure – Individualism, consumerism, materialism act as catalyst of the mindset of the youth.

Characteristic of these mindsets are: Hatred on politicizing of issues, Self-marginalization – think that their own vote is not important and would prefer migrate than the long term struggle of participating in politics.

Reason of the development: Lack of Political Idealism which caused the materialization of politics, and Lack of motivation which is a product of emptiness of the soul.

Never the less, facing these grey sentiments, youth worker like YMM have to determine in promoting the positive concept of Vertrical Heritaging & Horizontal Interaction actively among the youth. It is important to Seek the common value within the difference among the multiracial context of Malaysia.