2024年4月23日 星期二

What the haste to put it through !!!

Undeniably, though Service tax on repair and maintenance has been enforced more than a month, its implementation is still the subject of criticism and comprehensiveness among affected groups. The haste move by the government to impose Service Tax on almost all types of maintenance and repair clearly demonstrated its lack of empathy and the required process to complete the necessary procedures on its finalization on procurement of contracts on repair and maintenance by all the affected. The announcement was a surprise as quoted by the press as the authority presumed all affected were ready and easily adhered to its rulings but in reality it was not only a surprise but shock as it was a haste. As it happened, numerous queries including the questions posed by the attendees in the Q&A session but viewed as provocative by the officer-in attendance during the talk on new implementation of SST on repairs and maintenance organized by Customs Office, Prai last March 24 proved the confusion and disillusionment existed among most of the attendees.

Repair and maintenance including calibration, testing, corrective measures, fault finding and rectification are totally different from procurement of materials in manufacturing sectors where the date for completion of production is predictable. In practice, ample notification for the work on commencement of service and repair is needed and crucial as preparatory ground work such as arrangement on the date for site-visit by supervising consultants, and renting and installing of testing equipment etc are time consuming. To prevent any misunderstanding between the service providers and the clients, Purchase Order or (PO) will only be issued upon completion of fault finding of which its duration for the testing and fault finding is unpredictable. To avoid pricing problems and any controversy, PO will normally be issued when all faults and work are defined and finalized. What a coincidence and also a bemusement with the sudden announcement of implementation of SST! When the findings completed and PO just issued to the service providers in February 24, immediately a revised pricing was needed for the inclusion of SST for the work to commence in latest month! How to resonate the SST in the price negotiation with the clients? Yes, it may be easy to quote the enforcement of SST by the authority but will the unexpectedness help to erode the confidence on the service providers?


Additionally, there were some repair works which had started prior to the imposition of SST but stretched beyond March 24 when its price had been mutually finalized and agreed. Surely the affected clients would not agree for the extra payment on the revised price to include SST. Of course, the Customs Office can instruct the service providers to include SST in the billings. The instruction looks simple and it only works for local companies but not for all foreign companies. For an example, for signed and endorsed contracts for provision of long term services maintenance and rent of equipment, invoices and supporting documents will have to submitted online with the agreed pricings . Any discrepancies will be automatically rejected and for further negotiations on alterations and amendments on price difference are seldom entertained.


The economic and financial market are full of challenges and volatile, however, the authority may help to tranquilize the trend with less “ surprise “ move. Other than pragmatics in the implementation of rules and orders, empathy should be taken into consideration too.

2024年3月12日 星期二

被宗教意识绑架时

农历新年期间,槟城极乐寺每晚都以发光二极管LED大放光明迎接新春供民欣赏。 这灯会自1983年开始,至今不曾中断。 在璀璨灯火中,浓浓的新年气氛下,应是到访槟城游玩者的必逛灯会!


我家是靠近亚依淡,新年期间的夜晚,偶尔会与家人一同步行至极乐寺。一来是散步,二来是一起与众多访客来逛逛游玩观赏新春灯火凑热闹!访客们大多数来自本地,这可从他们的车辆数字得知;但也有不少外国游客!访客,游客中偶尔会出现了三,五位戴着鲜艳头巾的女子。从头巾与服饰,这些女子肯定是穆斯林信徒,只是不知是本地人,还是外国游客?在我心底下,以本国目前的政治局势和宗教倾势,这些前来游览极乐寺,大方进入寺庙,甚至毫无悬念,在寺庙的贩卖摊位,在众人前,敢以手触碰带有佛教意识的纪念品,应该是非本国人吧!为了确认我的看法,我走近了在摊位徘徊观看的三位戴着鲜艳头巾的女孩的旁边,希望从他们的交谈中,知道她们的来处。她们正在用非马来文在交谈,用了有泰国腔调的语音在谈!原来是来自泰国的穆斯林的女信徒。相信这泰国的穆斯林的女信徒是以非宗教的意识和眼光来极乐寺,而是纯粹来观赏旅游景点!


在我国,穆斯林信徒进入非回教寺庙参观?可能吗?也许有,但不显见!但相信不久的未来,在我国政客操弄人民的情绪下,宗教变成敏感课题时,犹如《河滩里的鹅卵石》,越滚越滑时,成了争论后,非回教寺庙可能会成了穆斯林信徒禁区了!


前几天,槟州前首长丹斯里许子根在槟城国际体育竞技场SPICE出席“星空云海”书法纪念特展开幕仪式时,分享了一段渊源趣事。许子根博士说在1963年7月24日,星云大师随中国佛教访问团首次来马弘法,地点是极乐寺,当时国父兼首相东姑阿都拉曼就是开幕人;那天转递剪刀给国父的正是许子根博士的妹妹。六十多年后,事过境迁,物是人非的今天,国父东姑阿都拉曼没被宗教意识绑架,参与非本身宗教的活动和事物,的确是令国人铭记。如今我国的多数的政治领导者,已被宗教意识绑架,一句“bak”或“肉”,似乎《蒙在鼓里听打雷》,就立刻想到是非穆斯林的食物,犹如《鸡蛋里挑骨头》,硬找麻烦,对当事人没完没了!


换了政府,明天会更好吗?以目前的趋势,一般人多不看好!这可从我国股市,汇率的波动的可探测吧!

2024年3月4日 星期一

给你一个赞!

前旅游促进局总监拿督阿玛尔坚遭到降职至副总监之事,肯定犹如带刺的鲜花,好看但有点扎手。好看是因为公务员表现不达标,遭降职或调职是公众人士要看的好事,扎手是因为至目前还没听到和读到来至希盟的朋党的声援或不一样的见解!是明哲保身吗? 但很欣慰的这降职之事受到了首相安华的高度评价。首相安华表示,尽管张庆信的工作方式可能被误解为“凶”,但他的决策旨在确保公务员的最佳工作绩效。


首相安华的评价是及时和缓冲性的,因为若没有其它希盟的朋党或联合政府成员党的一句公道或均衡的话,可能会引发无止休,无所谓的争执。其实,无论是公务员还是私人领域的职工,在工作上如有任何的误解和违规,必须及时纠正。这是标准作业的运作。但在双标下,我们可看到团结政府的某个成员党对公务员在处理事情时,若有误解和犯规,这成员党却是演示包容和忍受!


不久前,在对华人农历新年的贺词中,某政府机构图文并茂以月饼来向华人拜年。月饼是中秋节的礼品,供品与华人农历新年不扯上关系,这月饼图就引起了负面反弹。在恶评中,该政府机构立马换上《无月饼图》的贺词向华社祝贺!原本以为这错误的就告一段落,但由某华裔掌管的政府部,趁着农历新年的开放日,就以月饼重点出击来招待上门的祝贺者!不知该华裔部长的用意是什么?是转达食物没有季节之分? 还是包容是美德?也许,在未来的农历新年,粽子也是可品尝食物之一!


也在不久前,某华裔部长的官车有一段路途违规地紧随救护车的后端。此事见报后,该部长的回应是:“他会配合调查,一旦证实犯错,将会代司机缴付罚款!”。这部长在转达什么信息?包容?雇主是员工的保护伞?员工做错由雇主挡?这也难怪,当这部长来槟吃饭时,其部下会封锁整条街道,会推拉那些早已泊好在街边的车辆让出更大的空间,让这部长与其官员能无障碍上餐馆用餐!部下能毫无顾虑的拉车,那是不是因为有上司的照顾? 无论任何,公务员的表现不达标之事,让我们看到来自东马与西马各部长有各不同的对待和处分

2024年2月22日 星期四

Fruitless struggle for her betterment

After witnessing the predicament faced by my student, I am now bewildered and reserved on the assertion that education is for betterment of life.


Ms Khu, an OKU student of mine, became a quadriplegic after a horrific accident in 1999. She was paralysed from the neck injured and has to be seated in a wheelchair for the rest of her life. Because of her immobile and asymmetrical condition, her mother quit her job and took care of her full time. Incidentally her mother was illiterate but she knew the importance and role of education. Under her constant advice and infusion, her daughter, Khu, realized the importance of the education for her survival on the route for her future independent living.


Before the fate-changed accident, Khu was a high school student in Kedah. The accident had derailed her study as her movement was confined to bed and wheel-chair in her daily activities. Realizing the importance to her especially as an OKU, two years after the accident, she went back to school continuing her high school education. After completing her high school education, Khu decided to further her study in Tuanku Abdul Rahman (TAR) college in Penang. This was the time when I knew her through the former President of Society of Disabled Persons Penang.


Since Khu moved to Penang, she had been under my guidance as an English teacher for numerous years. My sharing with her and my constant emphasis to her was that Education was for her life betterment and the solution for independent living. I reiterated that only knowledge with wisdom enriched from education, obstacles and hindrance in life will be solved, cleared or reduced. Khu’s never-say-die attitude had railed her through high school education, first-class honors degree in Social Sciences and finally master-degrees in Sociology.


However, it seemed to me that I had misled her that education would definitely help her as till to date, despite her many attempts she still could not find a job to enable her to gain a humble living. After completion of her master-degree course in USM almost 7 years till now has been struggling but repeatedly failing to get employed both in private and public sectors. Despite her quadriplegic condition, when she was called for an interview she would attend irrespective the distance. Once, she even travelled to Bangi from Penang to attend the interview with her limited monthly income spending on travelling and lodging. But the end result was the same and unsuccessful!


What a sarcasm to my repeated encouragement and advice to her that only education was the right route for her to weather the storm in her future in spite of her quadriplegic. I am in dilemma whether her frequent failures to get jobs would discourage her to share her experience of her achievement to motivate students especially those OKU as she was often invited by some schools showcasing on stages disseminate her challenges in her studying life as a student.


To me, if she gets employed she can be an exemplary model for other OKU to follow. But now clearly and surely her repeated failure may dim the hope as a model for those unfortunate that education is for betterment of life. It is a setback and also a disappointment to her. Hopefully, fighting spirit will be always with her and the present failure to secure a job will not erode her confidence.


Our government has, time and again, called on public sector to employ more disabled people or OKU in the workforce in order to achieve one per cent employment target. To this appeal, I wonder have the various government departments taken the initiative to answer this persuasion?

2024年2月7日 星期三

False hope on her struggle for betterment

What a setback and disappointment to her, an OKU, who graduated with a master-degree but fails to get a job despite her numerous and continuous attempts! And what a ridicule to my repeated encouragement and advice to her that only education was the right route for her to weather the storm in her future in spite of her quadriplegic. To be frank, after graduation, her attendances to the interview for jobs always end up with failure for her to secure a job to enable her to have a decent and independent living.


Ms Khu, an OKU student of mine, now a close friend of mine became a quadriplegic after a horrific accident in 1999 and was paralysed from the neck injured and has to be seated in a wheelchair for the rest of her life. Because of her immobile and asymmetrical condition, her mother resigned from her job and took care of her. Though her mother was illiterate, she knew the importance and role of education in daily lives. Under her constant advice and infusion, her daughter, Khu, realized the importance of the education on her future.


Before the accident, Khu was an ordinary high school student in Kedah. Knowing the importance of education, she passed her SPM in spite of her quadriplegic and furthered her study in Penang Tar college. This was the time when I knew her through the former President of Society of Disabled Persons Penang. She has been under my guidance as an English teacher for numerous years. My sharing with her and constant emphasis to her was Education was for life betterment and solution for independent living. Only knowledge via learning, obstacles and hindrance in life will be solved and reduced with wisdom enriched from education. Her never-say-die attitude had railed her through high school education, first-class honors degree in Social Sciences and finally master-degrees in Sociology. But to me, it seemed to me I had misled her that education would definitely help her as she still could not find a job to enable her to gain a humble living.


There is a quota for government department on the employment of OKU, however, it seems that the door has been shut to her. Khu, an student, after completion of her master-degree course in USM almost 7 years till now has been struggling hard but repeatedly failing to get employed both in private and public sectors. Despite her quadriplegic condition, when she was called for an interview she would attend irrespective the distance, Once, she even travelled to Bangi from her home town in Penang to attend the interview with her limited monthly income spending on travelling and lodging. But the end result was unsuccessful ! Khu, Is she an exemplary lesson for me to reiterate and repeat that education is for betterment of life? From Khu’s repeated failure to secure a job, have I to rescind ?

2024年2月6日 星期二

得理要饶人

龙年,谈龙最恰当合适。对于华人,龙与神明相配相合,在漫画和神话中,许多神明甚至观世音菩萨不时站在龙背上从天而下!其实,从“龙”要攻击对方的动作,我们可理悟龙的层次面的实际举动,运转成为日常与人处世的态度,来减少我们与那些时常格格不入的友人的摩擦?


龙是与蛇一样的,龙要攻击对方之前,其龙头往往是向后方退缩。如果龙头退缩的距离或角度离对方越远,冲力顺势增强,攻击力度也因此更强劲而猛。在日常生活中,与人互动时、如果意见不和,各持己见 ,矛盾激化时,对方的突然沉默和退缩,可否是犹如《龙》的退缩后来一个正面的反击?


老虎与敌扑斗时,老虎想要扑前,虎头就往下低。虎头越贴近地面,它就能跳得高,其伤害力和攻击力度也是顺势增强。想想看,与人相持不下,咄咄逼人,形势比对方强时,对手突然向你低头,可否是对方准备来个反攻反击呢?所以,与人剑拔弩张,争执时,某方有沉默退缩时,我们可要视可而止,得饶人处而饶人不要再咄咄逼人;可不要有错觉认定对方理亏,再乘机逼近!不要把人逼入死胡同,其反击的力度是难以估计的。同样的道理,在球场上,缺乏经验的新手,没有观察力,眼光不锐,对手的一个假动作就很容易被误导受骗,最后把球赛弄输了!


球员的假动作,龙的退缩举动和虎头的下低是备战的前序,可不是让某方有机可趁,占便宜的机会!所以,一个人在顺境时,除了要谦虚,更要依据对方的反应来调整自己的言行,得理要饶人,善行谨慎可规避不必要的持续争执和敌对!对方的突然沉默或打退堂鼓,可是机缘来脱束自己的紧绷心情,嚣张口气。忍一时风平浪静,退一步海宽天空。误解可是缺乏理解和沟通吧!龙的退缩举动和虎头的下低可不是咄咄逼人啊?空间挤压出,你还要趁机?

2023年12月18日 星期一

哎呀哎,只好再等人民当老板的那一天的到来!

以巫统为首的国阵失去政权后,由公正党为首的希盟掌权,执政中央后的今天,老百姓的日常生活是否有改变呢?如果有,其影响会是怎样的呢?对于我,政权的改变却致使我的日常生活有着三百六十度的倒置性的转变!说起来,你们会不信!现在我是过着《无风无夜有蚊》的日子,孩子也因此可选择不再在家同住了!换了政府,希盟替代国阵后,新的政府让我的生活有了很大的变化!


何谓《无风无夜有蚊》?那就是,没有风,只有白天没有无夜晚,有蚊虫陪住的生活!让我来描述我住家的环境,你就会了解我目前的真实情况。我是住在组屋一楼逾五十年,楼下的底层右边是一间开杂货店,我家的窗口与客厅是面对一片大平原。就因如此,虽然不是整天凉风习习,但空气流通,是日常的景气。然卧室的窗口直接对着杂货店的小广告牌,但这广告牌的高度并没把我那40寸X 72寸卧室的窗口完完全全的覆盖着,无论是白天夜晚,总会有风吹进来;尤其是年尾的十二月,我和`我家人还会面对寒冷的北风,甚至夜晚披被入睡!但这一切都改变了!自从团结政府掌权后,团结政府中的某成员就与底层杂货店的老板协商租下该店装修为政党的办事处。装修中的工程包括竖起在杂货店屋顶和在我家卧室窗口前一个 约48 寸X 230寸的该政党的告示牌。施工完成后,我的卧室的窗口完全的被告示牌遮掩着,那时刻起,我就开始生活在无风的日子;如今高吹北风的日子,我还需开风扇,开冷气机才能入睡。



不但如此,为了引起众人在夜晚对告示牌的注意,承包商还竖起两支高于告示牌的太阳能灯,直接地照射告示牌。太阳能灯的光线也直接照进我的卧室内,顿时光线充足,让睡惯夜晚的家人难于安眠,只好等到太阳能灯的光微弱后才能入睡。这是否是变相无夜的日子? 何谓有蚊呢?装修中,该政党的办事处屋顶边缘处有点竖高,装修后有少许的杂物没清理,雨后积水是常态。积水滋蚊,孩子被蚊叮,患了骨痛热症。孩子愈后,怕会再被蚊子叮,在确定没积水没蚊虫才留家过夜了!


新政府改变了我的新生活,挨了多个月,我也习惯了。朋友问我有否向处在我楼下的政党办事处投诉。当然,那是肯定的!我的投诉不是不可能拆除的广告牌和太阳能灯,而是可解决的积水滋蚊的事!我至今共投诉两次。第一次,办事处职员听后,没有做任何的记录;第二次,另一位职员听后,只是把我的投诉写在小纸张,至今没行动,前后两次职员敷衍的态度,让我心寒,我不再投诉了。毕竟人民是老板的那天已过了。如果要有任何的改变,需再等那天到来,但还要等多四年啊!无风无夜驱蚊的日子,还是要我过,还是要我面对啊!