Mat Rempit

Mat Rempit

The Malay press comment on the Mat Rempit reveals a mentality contemptuous of its own people, a subservient thinking much criticised by Syed Husein Alatas and Edward Said. The Mat Rempits shows that the Malays have less developed brains, they conclude. These stuck up people - who no doubt have more developed brains - should instead look for places where these youngsters can let off steam. Why not, for example, get the turf clubs to open racing tracks for them, running alongside the race tracks?

Honesty

“Temasek Review’ notes that In most First World countries, Member of Parliaments and Ministers are expected to declare their salaries, assets and business interests to the public. Even the state of Penang enacted a Freedom of Information Act last year requesting its state officials to do so. In Singapore, in a letter on ‘Rules of Prudence for PAP MPs’, Singapore prime minister only requested them to declare such important personal and financial information only to him:

“For your own protection, every MP should disclose to me, in confidence, your business and professional interests, your present employment and monthly pay, all retainers and fees that you are receiving, and whether your job requires you to get in touch with officers of Government Ministries or statutory boards on behalf of employers or clients.”

China’ shame

Looking at a Chinese documentary on the country in English one is amazed at its second rate quality. Words are not only mispronounced but are sometimes strange, not English at all. It is hard to believe that China is of that standard. One can only suspect that there is some reason for the best not being employed for the job.

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For some reason, taxis in Penang group together racially at stops where they wait for fares. This not the case in KL. Taxis had to be Protons for some time but now Nissan may be used.

Old newspaper cuttings have photos of Sadam Hussein and family all dressed in western clothes.

There was always behind Dr Mahathir at UMNO council meetings a man dressed in formal black tie.

And did you notice that Mahathir allowed people to kiss his hand, as if he were royalty?

The royal commission of inquiry (RCI) into the death of Teoh Beng Hock will not release submissions that have been made to it, “in order to prevent a trial by media.”

Rashi Maidin’s memoirs (cont)

17 At Dusun Nyiur

After several weeks couriers came to lead us to meet the advance group under Abdullah CD. Because the path had been chartered and supplies had been prepared we did not have such a hard time as the advance party.

AT Sungai Belum rice and beef had been prepared for us. But Kampong Belum was an isolated and destroyed field . . Its inhabitants had been expelled, houses burnt down. Fruit trees had been cut down and animals shot. Whatever was prepared for food was what was left over after the British destruction.

After a few days’ rest we left for Kampong Hala. It had suffered the same fate as Kapong Belum. Nevertheless the local leaders had prepared food for us. Here we waited for a while waiting for instructions. We husked paddy and prepared meat to build up supplies as well as to celebrate the success of our journey north.

I had begun the journey from Perak which was relatively free from obstacles but the Hang Jebat Troop led by Abdullah CD met with them. It was the first time that the 10th Regiment had done a strategic move in the war of independence against the British.

The conditions of battle pressed on us without cease. The result was that the leaders of the 10th Regiment could not remain long at one place. We had only a few days with Comrade Chin Peng and members of the central committee to discuss directions and tasks for setting up bases, and to study the guidelines and policy to deal with problems.

I joined the main body before Abdullah CD did. It was only when I returned that Suriani and Musa Ahmad left to meet the central committee. Some comrades and Abu Samah and I prepared to leave for the kampongs around Kampong Nyiur. At Air Keruh we met a mass work unit which had been working the area. Ibrahim Chik was already there with some Malay comrades. We joined him and the mass work unit which had been there left for another area. Abu Samah and his group worked in the Malay kampongs along the Malaya-Thai border while I worked in other areas.

It was not easy working among the new kampongs. It needed not only courage, patience and perseverence but above all the highest discipline, polished methods of work, respect for the customs and traditions of the people, adept at mobilising the people and so on. When we first came to the villages we had a somewhat cold reception. We guessed it would be so because the British had long penetrated the area, especially the Malay areas along the border. Their secret agents had spread slanders about us that made them confused.

However the situation changed when we won over the people by providing medical treatment. Comrades were directed to gather firewood, rotan, traditional medicinal roots etc for the people. It was not long before we gained the trust and sympathy of the people. After that we encouraged things like working together and looking after the cleanliness of the village and its health, planting and animal husbandry and setting up schools.

Before we arrived the kampongs there were social ills like robbery and theft. But with organisation such things no longer occurred. We set up organisations for youth, women and children. Things improved economically and there was unity and they became our bases. The news spread and people came to visit us, to invite us to their kampong, some for medication, others with some request or other.