Rakyat Tidak Yakin Tentang Keuntungan Dari Kerjasama Terbaru Dengan Singapura?

Jurublog telah mengambil sedikit masa memantau sebelum memberi komen tentang perjanjian terbaru Malaysia-Singapura untuk memajukan tanah KTM sepanjang landasan keretapi Tanjung Pagar. Jurublog sendiri merasa kecewa kerana rasanya ada peluang lain yang sepatutnya dipertimbangkan, seperti:

1. Perobohan Tambah Johor digantikan dengan sebuah jambatan baru yang membenarkan perairan Selat Teberau kembali lancar untuk pergerakan kapal serta pemulihan alam sekitar pesisir selat. Panambahan landasan MRT/LRT/Keretapi masih boleh dimajukan dengan jambatan baru tersebut.


2. Kemungkinan mengembangkan atau meningkatkan fungsi landasan ke Tanjung Pagar untuk membawa kargo barangan untuk kemudian diekspot melalui pelabuhan Singapura. Kedudukan Tanjung Pagar sekarang sebenarnya lebih strategik untuk merealisasikan cadangan ini.


3. Timbal-balas pelaburan di Tanjung Pagar dan Iskandar Malaysia oleh Singapura rasanya tidak sepadan dengan nilai penyerahan tanah KTM mahupun kerugian berterusan dari adanya Tambak Johor yang kekal menghalang penyambungan semula perairan antara pelabuhan Pasir Gudang dan Tanjung Pelepas. Malaysia seharusnya menuntut ekuiti bukan sahaja di JV tetapi GLC Singapura yang bakal memajukan tanah KTM tersebut juga.

Yang di atas tidaklah menidakkan nilai yang dicapai oleh Malaysia dari segi kewangannya tetap setimpal, malah lumayan seperti diperjelaskan oleh blogger Op Ed. Cuma rasanya nilai strategik yang dapat dicapai oleh pihak Malaysia tidak dilunaskan secara penuh melalui perjanjian yang dimetrai ini. Pada jurublog, ini bukan soal nilai tanah perlu dibayar tetapi juga nilai strategik dari pemilikannya oleh Malaysia yang harus diambil peluang.

Namun pendapat yang lebih berunsur ilmu ekonomi jurublog bukanlah apa yang difikirkan rakyat pada masa ini! Yang difikirkan rakyat adalah, wajarkah kerajaan BN berunding tentang pemberian tanah milik negara apabila skandal Brunei-Limbang di mana persempadanan Malaysia digadai-murah dengan sewenang-wenangnya masih belum ditangani? Keyakinan rakyat sudah terlalu digoncang skandal tersebut sejurus selepas kehilangan Pulau Batu Putih tempohari.

Malah, pol yang dijalankan oleh jurublog menunjukkan kehendak 82% pengundi supaya isu skandal Brunei-Limbang ditangani dengan lebih telus, tak kiralah siapa yang bakal tertuduh, walau Menteri sekalipun. Pada hemah jurublog, apa-apa juga usaha kerajaan berhubung tanah, persempadanan atau mana-mana harta negara dengan mana-mana pihak asing akan disangsi selagi skandal Brunei-Limbang tidak disiasat melalui Suruhanjaya DiRaja.

Menarik lagi, rakyat Malaysia, khususnya yang di Johor akan dapat mengajukan isu perjanjian Tanjung Pagar dengan Singapura ini kepada Tun Dr Mahathir pada pagi 29 Mei di Hotel M-Suite, Johor Bharu. Majlis anjuran Kelab Veteran MAYC tersebut akan dihadiri juga Menteri Besar Johor dan pasti mengundang soalan tentang isu ini. Majlis terbuka ini mengundang kedatangan sesiapa yang berminat berinteraksi dengan Tun Dr M, terutama sekali penggerak NGO.

Apakah rasanya pendapat Tun Dr M nanti? Adakah Rakyat akan disyorkan menerima perjanjian ini, atau mungkinkah maklum-balas beliau bakal menimbulkan lebih banyak sangsi? Wallahualam...

Food War With Singapore? Long Overdue I Say...

I was rather pleased to see this bit of news today, at last, someone in our government has decided to go to war with Singapore on something really important... their incessant claiming of bits of our most Malaysian and beloved cultural heritage, FOOD! And just because the same someone then seemingly chickened out, doesn't mean the rest of us should lay down arms!

Malaysians don't really mind seeing our cuisine being showcased all over the world, and very often confused with not just Singaporean, but Indonesian, Hong Kong, Indian, hell, even Australian fusion cuisine these days! In fact, Malaysians rather pragmatically enjoy the idea of getting half-decent copies of the original at least in these countries. And the Singaporean copies are at least spelled correctly in the menu!

What we do mind is when people rather blatantly go around claiming our food is theirs! I mean, I get it, Singapore doesn't really have much of its own culture, but there seems to be a section of its society that just feels a massive enough inferiority complex that it has to proclaim much of other cultural heritages their own. Pretty hard to 'sapu' the culture of other neighbours... besides, they are bigger and are more 'aggressive'. So, why not steal a bit more from Malaysia!

Unfortunately, Singapore is not very good at this 'sapu' business. Unlike the Australians or indeed the Americans, who do also 'sapu' a lot, Singaporeans are a bit inept at the innovation needed to make borrowed heritage their own! I don't see any Arabs upset over the very Australian Sticky Date Pudding. And I also find it silly when some Singaporeans claim food is not 'heritage', ask the English if Spotted Dick or even Stilton Cheese is not what they consider their heritage?

Then again, it was a Singaporean company that mistakenly presented a Balinese dance as a Malay Malaysian dance in the Discovery channel, resulting in the Indonesians getting all upset about us after all! What do you expect from a nation that apparently doesn't even appreciate how heritage permeates all that touches a community over its evolved anthropological history. And for Malaysians, food permeates EVERYTHING! Hmmm... maybe they are too young as a nation?

But enough with the Singapore bashing. Perhaps some evidence should be presented no? So, what better place than Wikipedia to showcase how blatantly our Malaysian food heritage is easily claimed to be 'Singapore Cuisine'. And this isn't bad... considering there is 'Ampang Yong Tau Foo', and many others, readily touted as Singaporean cuisine also in food channels by the ignorantly Singapore-educated global media!

Finally, whilst we pursue fair claims of our food heritage, let us nevertheless revel in the continued growth and superiority of Malaysian food... that is ever innovative and wondorous to the palate... even whilst others still try, and fail, to 'sapu' our golden oldies... enjoy surfing through friedchillies!

Master Of PAS Puppets

With Tok Guru Nik Aziz, the PAS paramount spiritual leader or 'Mursyidul Am' no less, accused everyone who was supporting the Unity Government idea UMNO's puppet, I am sure everyone is confused over who is who's puppet in PAS. Well, I'm not an expert, but this is my best guess:

YB Datuk Seri Nizar & Yang Sama-Sama Derhaka Dengannya => DAP Puppets.
Puppet-masters: Ngeh and Nga.

YB Datuk Husam Musa & Yang Se-Erdogan Denganya => Anwar Puppets.
Puppet-master: YB Datuk Kamaruddin Jaafar

YB Datuk Hadi Awang & Yang Bersekutu Dengannya => (Alleged) UMNO Puppets. Puppet-Master: Don't know, but I'm sure Nik Aziz does!

And of course, let's not forget the man himself...

YB TG Nik Aziz Nik Mat => Erdogan Puppet!
Puppet-master: Husam Musa (Hey, don't marah me lah. Ask his son Nik Abduh!)

Of course, to be fair to PAS, other Pakatan Pembangkang puppets exist too, only they tend to be pooh-poohed as old conspiracy theories. However, just a couple as refreshers:

YB Lim Kit Siang => PAP/Singapore Puppet.
Puppet-master: Lee Kuan Yew via Tony Pua.

YB DS Anwar Ibrahim => American/Freemason/Jewish Puppet.
Puppet-master: Ever-changing, but tends to be a Mat Salleh big-shot from a 'Neo' group. Man has ego mah!

Btw, I find this Erdogan label confusing and unfair to the Turks. I mean, I know it is supposed to show the PAS fellows of this faction is pro-Anwar, but I don't think just because Anwar ran and hid in the Turkish embassy when he was afraid to face Saiful's sodomy allegations it gives people license to malign the Turkish PM with an association to this ex-con! Let's just call the Erdogan group the pro-Anwar group in PAS!

Penasihat Datuk Seri Najib Mula Mengarut Pulakah?

Mengimbas balik sejarah silam, pada suatu masa dahulu, adalah lebih mudah untuk rakyat Singapura untuk ke Sabah dan Sarawak dari rakyat Malaysia sendiri yang dari Semenanjung. Keanehan ini Alhamdulillah sudah tiada lagi, tetapi pada masa tersebut, diperlihatkan seolah-olah Singapura lebih rapat dengan kedua-dua negeri tersebut, hingga timbul ide kiasu Singapura untuk menyatukan ketiga-tiganya ke dalam gagasan '3S' (Singapura-Sarawak-Sabah).

Mengimbas kembali sejarah yang lebih dekat, Pak Lah mula tumbang dari tampuk kuasa hasil mendengar kepada ide-ide mengarut para penasihatnya, termasuklah mereka yang suka mengampu Singapura di Tingkat 4.

Imbas-imbasan tersebut jelas membawakan kita kepada persoalan merunsingkan yang seiras diajukan kepada Pak lah bertubi-tubi pada suatu masa dahulu dan kini kembali apabila dilihat DS Najib membincang tentang jambatan ketiga menghubung Singapura ke Malaysia sambil bersetuju tambak Johor dikekalkan, yakni,

KINI GILIRAN PENASIHAT DATUK SERI NAJIB UNTUK MULA MENGARUT PULAKAH?!

Sebab kenapa saya merasakan ide pembinaan jambatan ketiga ke Singapura sambil Tambak Johor juga dikekalkan merupakan karut-marut adalah:

1. Dikatakan jambatan ketiga berniat membangunkan Desaru dan Pengerang. Apakah perlu jambatan tersebut untuk membangunkan kedua-duanya? Padahal, Desaru memang membangun dan pelancongan yang berpaut kepada pelancong yang naik dari Singapura ke Pantai Timur Johor memacu hingga sampai ke Mersing, malah bertempias ke Rompin lagi! Setakat ini, ia tidak memerlukan jambatan ketiga!


2. Kenapakah tidak dihubungkan Pengerang dengan Pantai Barat dengan lebih mudah dahulu? Tidakah ini juga menjana pembangunan? Adakah kita bakal gembira yang orang Singapura lebih mudah ke Pengerang dari orang Muar, Segamat, apatah lagi orang Melaka kelak? Dulu dengan '3S' kita dah malu sekali dah!


3. Malah, kenapakah ide ini tidak dikembangkan potensi dengan sepenuhnya, yakni mencadangkan 'jambatan ketiga' dihubung sekali dengan lebuhraya yang merentas Pantai Timur dari Tanjung Piai hingga ke Rantau Panjang? Inilah ide hebat yang membina negara serta mampu melonjak nama DS Najib menandingi pencapaian Tun Dr M dengan lebuhraya Utara-Selatan yang merentas Pantai Barat dari 'Second Link' ke Bukit Kayu Hitam!


4. Akhir kata, kenapakah tidak dicadangkan jambatan ketiga ini dihubungkan dengan perobohan Tambak Johor? Kalaulah ia dikaitkan, nescaya ia membawa manfaat kepada bandar Johor Bharu, negeri Johor mahupun negara dengan membuka kembali laluan air Selat Tebrau yang diakui DYMM Sultan Iskandar Syah sendiri merupakan hasil penipuan British untuk mengekang pembangunan Johor sebagai pesaing Singapura?

Siapalah saya... cuma seorang blogger yang tak seberapa, namun dengan 2 imbasan dan pembacaan sedikit sebanyak, dapat saya rumuskan seperti di atas. Apakah DS Najib kini juga dalam bahaya kerana masih mendengar nasihat mereka yang hanya cerdik tetapi pendek pengalaman, lantaran kurang bijaksana? Bukankah sudah cukup bukti yang ide setengah masak dan sloganisme ala Lah tak memadai untuk memuaskan kehendak rakyat Malaysia?

Is The Singapore Straits Times Out Of Touch?

As a patriotic Malaysian, I have never been too pleased with the Singapore Straits Times, what with its own brand of government propaganda that sometimes touches too raw a nerve to be considered neighbourly. However, I find this posting by Rocky interesting. In it Rocky questions whether the Straits Times is trying to put DS Najib and Tun Dr M at loggerheads with each other.

At the very least, the attempt could be to imply a cooler relationship than what has been captured by the Malaysian media, i.e. warmth to the discomfort of even some UMNO stalwarts!

However, my observation may be more damning for the Straits Times, as I wonder... HAS THE SINGAPORE STRAITS TIMES LOST TOUCH WHEN IT COMES TO MALAYSIAN NEWS? This observation is cemented by:

1. Evidence of hearsay that runs contrary to even non-MSM and blog related news in Malaysia; i.e. there is no hint of the incident described by the Straits Times of a closed door meeting between DS Najib and Johor UMNO, which would have included the TPM, TS Muhyiddin, who was backed by Tun Dr M in his recent party polls victory and a host of other sympathisers of either Tun or his ideas, where the scenic bridge was supposedly discussed.


2. The crooked bridge is not high in the agenda in Malaysia at the moment, just as the KL-SG high-speed rail connection is also not on the table. It would be silly for Singapore to think that its concerns and priorities are the same as ours. Of course, the Straits Times could be forgiven for being Kiasu...


3. The 2 UMNO leaders mentioned as 'reliable sources' are no longer at the hub of governance in Malaysia. Datuk Shahrir Samad is no longer in the Cabinet; he claims to have resigned after losing badly at the UMNO elections, but there were indications that his position in Cabinet was untenable from the moment DS Najib was to become PM. And DS Najib is his cousin!


4. The second UMNO leader mentioned, Datuk Nur Jazlan, also lost his insider knowledge with the departure of KJ and his other buddies from the Fourth Floor. Datuk Nur Jazlan unfortunately is also suffering from ridicule aimed towards him still for putting up his hand to be a candidate for UMNO's Deputy Presidency... he's seen as too young, inexperienced and still leaning on his father Tan Sri Mohamad Rahmat's political legacy.

Is that enough reason to question the Straits Times' credibility in reporting the goings on in Malaysia in the post-Pak Lah era? I supppose it was easier with Uncle Kali, Brendan and KJ around...