Last week, it was reported that 10 Selangor PAC members and officials who had agreed to go on the aborted RM80,000 study tour – criticised as a disguised holiday tour – would have had to foot the full cost for the trip.

The Jan 18 trip was aborted at the 11th hour after Sekinchan assemblyman and PAC member Ng Suee Lim blew the whistle and alleged that the tour was a waste of public funds.

He had highlighted the itinerary of the eight-day trip, including a cruise on the Nile, a belly dance performance, and visits to tourist spots. The trip was aborted with the PAC saying it lacked a quorum after Ng pulled out.

The likelihood is that it had to call off the trip following a public uproar but the matter is unlikely to end there. It is understood that Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Mohamed Khir Toyo, who returned from his haj yesterday, is peeved that he was not informed about the study tour. Neither was the trip approved by the state executive council.

It would be interesting to find out what the Sultan of Selangor, who was in Mecca with Dr Mohamed Khir, thinks about the controversy, knowing his passionate concern for the interest of the people.

PAC chairman Datuk Mohamed Idris Abu Bakar was not the leader of the tour delegation because he was unable to go. Public flak had been directed at his deputy, Datuk Ahmad Bhari Abdul Rahman.

His press statements to punish Ng by insisting that the opposition politician should pay for the aborted trip by deducting his monthly allowance has gone down badly. He has made the DAP man a hero, as a result.

Adding fuel to the fire, Ahmad has warned Ng that he must be ready to face the consequences of his action and that the PAC was ready to pursue the matter. This only makes Ahmad look vindictive.

Worse, he was also quoted as saying that the cancellation of the visit would "anger" Malaysian students at the Al Azhar University because they were scheduled to meet the delegation. That is hardly convincing.

Since when do our leaders really care about the sentiments of our students? He should be more worried about whether the millions of Selangor taxpayers are angry.

There's more to come. Some PAC members have admitted privately that while Egypt was not a debatable destination, they insisted that the itinerary was a first draft submitted in December by the tour agent who did not know what the lawmakers had in mind.

One PAC member, speaking on condition of anonymity, insisted that the draft was submitted on Jan 7 and that it was normal for changes to be made as tour members had met regularly before the trip.

Meetings with Egyptian leaders and politicians needed to be confirmed before the tour and the replies were sent a few days before the departure date, said the PAC member.

He said Ng was present at three meetings to approve the itinerary and that the PAC had "audio recording" of the meetings.

Asked whether he could produce the evidence, he said it would be done at the next state assembly meeting. The same assemblyman said two other trips by the PAC to New Zealand and India was attended by DAP members.

There is nothing wrong in making overseas visits if they can help improve the performance of our elected representatives and government officials. Investment trips, for example, are necessary if we wish to compete with other countries.

When an official trade delegation is led by the Mentri Besar or Chief Minister, investors can get on-the-spot approval instead of having to deal with red tape later on. There is a distinct difference between trade and study trips.

The point is that elected representatives and government officials must be extra careful when it comes to public money. As for PAC members, enough statements have been made over their role as guardians of public accountability.

Instead of letting the controversy drag on with statements of retaliation, it might be wise for the PAC to just apologise to the taxpayers for their poor judgment. It was a bad call – full stop.

The DAP politician has done his job as an opposition member and if he had exploited the situation, that is simply politics. Righteousness and principles may not be on the dictionary of most politicians, even if they spout these virtues freely in their speeches, but PAC members must have some sense of accountability.

As Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi correctly pointed out, what was the point in spending public money for a trip filled with visits to tourist spots and watching belly dancing?

The controversy should serve as a lesson to all state governments planning foreign trips.

More than 40% of the 894,000 teachers in France's schools and colleges joined in the strike to protest against a hiring squeeze and other government policies.

To make it worse, all daytime flights to and from Bordeaux's airport in the southwest were cancelled as air controllers joined the protests.

In Paris, several major museums were closed by strikers, including the Louvre – where Leonardo Da Vinci's Mona Lisa is displayed – and Musee d'Orsay.

Just a few days earlier, postal workers, surgeons in government hospitals and rail workers had downed tools, disrupting train services.

On Thursday, teachers took part in a large protest march through Paris organised by civil servants. They were joined by hospital workers, and electricity and gas providers.

In other cities, over 5,000 people including Bank of France workers marched through the central French city of Clermont-Ferrand as they held banners claiming they were on strike to defend their salaries and status.

The taxi driver who drove me to my hotel from the Charles De Gaulle international airport told me more strikes were on the way.

"This trip will cost you 80 euro; it will be more if the trains stop running. No one can predict,'' he said in his French-accented English. At the same time he wore a wicked smile, seemingly delighted that he could take advantage of the chaos.

For a while, he reminded me of Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, whose smiles often seem forced.

The strikes, ironically, received the support of 65% of the population, according to a poll.

But the general sentiment is that many Parisians also feel that there are too many civil servants and they cost too much.

"They are not very motivated and they all think they won't lose their jobs, that is the problem,'' said a hotel worker.

Somehow, such opinion seems familiar in most parts of the world, including Malaysia. Many of us have to put up with poor service at government departments and, as Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said, many of us get pushed from one department to another.

How many of our letters of complaints to government departments and even offices of Chief Ministers and Mentris Besar get a reply?

The disruption in Paris has prompted many Parisians to push for a law guaranteeing minimum service during public-sector strikes.

In Malaysia, unionists who push for such strikes in areas involving essential services would have been arrested – and rightly so, too.

Unless unions adopt a new approach towards protecting the interests of workers, they may just find themselves becoming redundant.

As globalisation becomes a reality, out-sourcing jobs and hiring contractual workers have become the norm. However, some Malaysian unionists still attempt to work on the formula of collective agreements.

Worse, some attempt to insist that only unionised workers get to enjoy the benefits of the collective agreement, forgetting that all employees work for their companies and not the unionists. The principle of the right to join or not to join a union seems to be ignored.

The parting shot came from French Finance Minister Herve Gaymand who rightly said: "Listening is a two-way process. Don't forget we have to modernise the country. too."

It started with a directive for foreign journalists and workers to be registered or risk being expelled. Then they were ordered to travel with armed soldiers to areas said to be insurgent hotbeds.

Until the tsunami hit Aceh on Dec 26, the province was out of bounds to foreign reporters seeking to cover the struggle of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM), a separatist movement.

When reporters began trickling in on Dec 27, many of them had difficulties heading to Banda Aceh, a 10-hour journey by road from Medan. Many reporters I spoke to complained of being stopped and intimidated by Indonesian soldiers.

Although the travel ban on the media was lifted, word had not reached soldiers manning roadblocks leading to Aceh. Some insisted on "travel processing fees" from reporters.

The restrictions, some argued, delayed the arrival of foreign aid groups to the province for about three days after the earthquake and killer waves hit Aceh.

Jakarta has said the directive is meant to protect foreigners from certain sensitive areas although no aid workers have faced any obstacles or attacks from GAM separatists.

In its official statement, Jakarta said the government would be placed in a very difficult position if a foreigner who came to Aceh to assist in aid effort was harmed through "the acts of irresponsible parties".

But many analysts believe the sentiment is that Jakarta saw the presence of foreign troops – especially Americans and Australians – as a threat to Indonesia's sovereignty. Others say Jakarta wants to reassert its military presence in Aceh.

Despite international perception that Indonesia is incapable of handling one of the world's worst natural disasters on its own, Jakarta appears determined to go it alone.

From my short stay in Aceh, I could see the good work done by foreigners, especially the air support from USS Abraham Lincoln. Helicopters from the aircraft carrier allowed aid to reach isolated areas.

It was heart-wrenching for me to watch the tsunami victims fighting over bottled water. In another area, my colleague Chua Kok Hwa photographed a man in civvies but holding a machine-gun joining a crowd to collect food from the US navy men.

Last week, the USS Abraham Lincoln reportedly left Indonesian waters after Jakarta declined permission for its pilots to carry on with training flights. The AP news agency reported that navy rules require pilots to fly at least every two weeks or they lose their combat ratings and have to undergo extensive training.

Jakarta may have good reasons for disallowing foreign troops from staying too long in Aceh but it must be flexible when it comes to foreign relief workers.

I am told that foreign workers would be confined to Banda Aceh and Meulaboh but they would be barred from isolated villages in the west coast areas, which need help too.

The destruction in Aceh is so massive that it will take between five and 10 years to rebuild Banda Aceh.

Some sound advice has come from our authorities. Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak correctly told Malaysians to leave the job of bringing relief aid to the experts.

Malaysian do-gooders and adventure seekers were told to stay away from Aceh and not create problems for Indonesian and Malaysian groups in Aceh with their presence. In short, don't be a nuisance.

The last thing Banda Aceh needs are politicians seeking publicity from the tragedy.

The Malaysian relief workers, especially those from the Red Crescent and Mercy Malaysia, should focus on helping the victims, not greeting politicians at airports and arranging accommodation for them.

It is enough that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has visited Aceh to have a personal look at the magnitude of the catastrophe.

There is no reason why Mentris Besar should be leading delegations to Aceh; one wonders how they can be of help.

Neither would it make much sense to send a batch of our national service trainees, as suggested by a youth leader. It will not be an outward bound exercise. Even seasoned journalists and aid workers were caught unprepared by the scale of destruction and death.

For security and logistic reasons, many international NGO groups have set up camps near Banda Aceh airport where relief work is being coordinated. But conditions are quite appalling.

During my brief visit, I did not see any mobile toilets. Many aid workers used the airport toilets or simply did their business in the bushes.

If you wish to help, donate cash to groups like the Red Crescent and Mercy Malaysia. The cost of sending foodstuff to Aceh can be astronomical. For example, an air cargo company charges up to RM100,000 for a trip to Aceh.

Many NGOs have also found their consignments of foodstuff stuck at Medan because ground logistics have been affected following the disaster.

Medan airport has been swamped with helicopters and planes since the tragedy while aircraft arrivals in Aceh have been restricted, making the arrival of relief work a nightmare.

Much more that, a cloud of uncertainty has appeared following the directive of the Indonesian authorities and unconfirmed reports of planned operations against Aceh rebels.

The world can only hope that our fears are unfounded. We hope Yusuf Kalla is right in setting out what he intends to do for Indonesia.

From a humanitarian point of view, we pray that relief work can be done within three months.

When The Star reported these incidents, a reader had the cheek to call up angrily.

That was not all. Some business organisations wanted to know what was the minimum amount of donation they could give to the relief humanitarian fund for their pictures to be published in the main section of the newspaper.

I can appreciate it if organisations need to put on record what they have done for the purpose of informing their members but if it is meant for self-glorification, then it is another matter.

However, I must admit that the huge amounts from the big boys certainly helped. The end, I suppose, is more important than the means.

No amount of donation is too big or too small. But the public correctly singled out oil-rich Saudi Arabia for criticism after its government merely pledged US$30 mil (RM114mil) to the tsunami survivors.

Saudis have redeemed their country's image by raising US$82mil (RM311mil).

Neighbour Kuwait and gas-rich Qatar have only pledged US$10mil each.

There's more.

Over the past two weeks, many of us must have received all kinds of messages on our mobile phones relating to the aftermath of the tsunami. Some were well intended except that most Malaysians never check their facts.

Shortly after Dec 26, one SMS went around urging us not to eat seafood because of a certain virus. The medical authorities were quick to respond by pointing out that there was no such virus.

A few days later, a rumour circulated in Penang warning the islanders of a purported fresh round of killer waves. Knee-jerk reactions by some section of the authorities did not help.

A fuming Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon correctly gave these ill-informed officials a tongue lashing for causing unnecessary panic. Some people living near the sea were even ordered to evacuate.

I received a telephone call from a friend in Kuala Lumpur who wanted to drive to Penang to evacuate his ageing mother but the adamant lady said she would rather face the tsunami than move to KL.

Last week, a colleague alerted me of an SMS that wanted the public to forward their donations to a particular bank account carrying an individual name. He was purportedly collecting money for the tsunami victims, too.

We will never know how many Malaysians actually responded to that SMS, but then a number of Malaysians, including educated professionals, have fallen prey to Nigerian conmen.

There has been a quantum leap in terms of money donations and international assistance. There will be no stop to the debate as to whether the donations collected have been sufficient. The questions of accountability, bureaucracy and corruption among governments and even NGO officials are justified.

I know of officials from an international aid organisation who insisted on flying business class while a grassroots AIDS group is struggling to make ends meet simply because they do not have a big name with political clout to head their organisation.

One United Nations organisation has even paid for advertisements in newspapers and cable television appealing for donations. In my 20 years in journalism, I have never come across such aggressive fundraising.

On the other hand, the group Medicins Sans Frontiers (Doctors Without Borders) has taken the unusual step of telling the world to stop sending money, saying it had collected enough to manage its relief effort.

The group's branches in France and Germany said they had 40mil euros and 20mil euros respectively, enough to finance emergency medical aid projects they were supporting in Sri Lanka and Indonesia.

As expected, the reaction from other NGOs have been swift and predictably angry, saying the medical group was "pulling the carpet out from under the feet of other aid organisations which needed more money".

In the end, all we ask for is accountability and honesty. Two decades ago, many of us donated money in aid of starving Africa through the Do They Know It's Christmas fund-raising effort.

Last month, the same organisers of ageing pop stars tried to raise money with a set of contemporary pop stars. The sad news is that nothing has changed in most of the African countries.

It's the same old story of corrupt politicians.

Many people, especially those involved in charity
organisations, wanted to know where they could hand over food, bottled water
and medicine they had bought for the victims.

Most people are touched by the images carried by the media on the death and
devastation. And they have responded with their generosity.

It matters not how much is given, or through which media organisation their
money is channelled.

After all, this is not a fund-raising competition among media groups but a
concerted effort to save lives, especially those who are suffering in Thailand,
Indonesia, India and Sri Lanka.

What is more important is that Malaysians came forward without being asked.
Most understood and supported the Prime Minister's advice to call off the New
Year's Eve celebrations.

It certainly wouldn't be right to party away as if nothing had happened. This
is the time for compassion and reflection. It would be totally insensitive to
let off fireworks when money is needed quickly and more deservingly in places
hit by the killer waves.

A day after the tsunami waves struck Penang, I decided to take a trip to my
hometown to see for myself how badly hit were the people living in the coastal
areas, especially Tanjung Tokong.

I was especially curious to see how badly affected the Sea Pearl Restaurant, near
the Tua Pek Kong temple, was. On previous occasions, I had driven to Penang on
a Saturday for a staff meeting followed by lunch of baked crabs on
Sunday.

This time, I decided to attend church service first and only went there later.
Shortly before noon, that restaurant was inundated. On Monday, I saw for myself
the power of the water that had levelled the restaurant, as if a bomb had
exploded there. The roof of the kitchen was blown away and the sea walls
fronting the restaurant were crushed.

A restaurant worker I spoke to said all they could remember was the "blackish
water" was higher than a coconut tree, a yardstick used by most Penangites I
spoke to for the immensity of the waves that swept in. Many customers, he said,
ran helter-skelter and one woman fell before she was quickly helped up.

I wondered how the waves from the sea, about 15m away, could have crossed over
the Tanjung Tokong main road and hit the many houses along that stretch.
Continuing my journey to Batu Feringghi, I saw policemen recovering bodies from
the sea.

There were endless tales from Penangites, especially those who were in Gurney
Drive, and many had pictures of the waves that hit the popular promenade. A few
showed me video recordings of the tsunami that created havoc in Batu
Feringghi.

But Malaysia has been lucky, even with the disaster. We were the least battered
among the affected countries despite being nearest to Aceh, the epicentre of
the earthquake that triggered the ensuing disaster. In terms of casualties, our
numbers are relatively small.

In short, we can count our blessings. Many in Penang have cheated death and for
that we must be grateful. As we deal with our grief and remember those who had
fallen victim to the destruction, whether in Malaysia or elsewhere, let the New
Year be a time of renewal and rebirth.

As I was writing, a cardiologist friend, Dr Samuel Ong, sent me a short
message: "Our time is not in our hands. Teach us to remember our days right, so
that we may gain a heart of wisdom. Only in God, a safe and everlasting
home."

Many of us, including myself, often forget the priorities in life. We get
caught up with what we perceive to be important. As we usher in the New Year,
it is appropriate to spend some time on reflection.

Buying a gift can sometimes become more than just a
hassle, even agonising when love and loyalty is measured in terms of the value
of the gift. Most of us, whether we wish to admit it, remember and appreciate
the more expensive gifts.

Often, we receive more than what we deserve. We get more
cakes than what our stomach can take. Some of us get so many greeting cards,
including from strangers, that we no longer cherish them, let alone remember
the names of the senders.

We in The Star, through our Festive Wish campaign, want
to remind Malaysians that there are many less fortunate people out there who
need the things we take for granted.

The Vision Home in Ipoh,
for example, has asked for musical instruments because the 22 children at the
home worship and sing with their one guitar – held together by sticky tape,
while the Sri Raghavendra Welfare Home for the elderly in Seremban needs money
to provide meals for its residents.

The Good Shepherd Family Home in Ipoh,
with 17 children, is asking for a sewing machine while the Welcome Community
Home in Batu Awang, which helps HIV/AIDS patients in Selangor, sent a plea for
food and drinks.

There are many welfare homes run by non-government
organisations and religious groups nation-wide that have sent out their
messages of help. They are not asking for a two-week vacation in London
or a diamond ring.

All they want is a little portion of your yearly bonus.
Perhaps some food from the lavish open house you will be throwing for your
friends soon.

It's a privilege to give. To be in a position to share simply
means that we have been luckier than many others.

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down
from the Father of the Heavenly Lights, as beautifully stated in the Bible
(James 1:17).

In Malaysia,
it's a joy for people of all races and religions to come together in
celebration. The Government has given recognition to Christians by organising a
national-level Christmas open house in Petaling Jaya on Dec 25.

There was some uneasiness earlier that the use of
Christian symbols and singing of hymns, particularly the mention of Jesus,
would not be allowed.

The miscommunication, I am given to understand from a
senior official at Putrajaya, could have come from some misguided and
narrow-minded bureaucrats.

It's nonsensical and I am glad that Arts, Culture and
Heritage Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim has clarified that there is no such
directive. His statement should put an end to any confusion.

Previous national-level Christmas celebrations had been
held, with no such suggestion, subtle or otherwise, from anyone.

Christians celebrate Christmas because of the birth of
Jesus Christ and to celebrate the festival without mentioning or depicting his
birth would be highly unusual. Any attempts from anyone to do so would be
seditious.

I have always maintained that misguided middle or
low-ranking bureaucrats, with twisted religious and racial views, are the ones
who frustrate the liberal policy of the Barisan Nasional government.

The fact that the federal government is holding a
national-level Christmas function is testimony to that policy.

Malaysians must remember that the open house is a social
event. I have yet to come across any Hari Raya, Chinese New Year, Deepavali or
Christmas open house that has been turned into a religious event.

This is a social occasion where people of all races and
religious come together in our unique Malaysian way.

More often than not, it is to indulge in food. Religious
convictions are kept at home at these open house functions.

The majority of Malaysians are broad-minded, tolerant and
practical. That is what makes Malaysia
special – and it works.

We adopt a cautious approach, and rightly so, too, when
there are religious leaders, regardless of their faith, who abuse their
position and talk about politics.

We hear of fiery Muslim preachers who create disunity and
confusion with their brand of radical Islam.

In the same vein, Christians should ask their preachers
to keep their politics to themselves.

Even in Malaysia,
there are certain church leaders who go to the pulpit to condemn the
government, not realising that many of their listeners do not share their
political beliefs. In fact, we don't turn up on Sunday to listen to a political
sermon.

Christians in Malaysia
attend church services to listen to the words of the scripture. We want to hear
the words of peace, love, tolerance, forgiveness, sharing, giving, patience,
humility and compassion.

It is time to celebrate, not to divide, incite or
instigate. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

It was a terrible blow to me because in many of my
previous travels overseas, Penang was better known than Malaysia
– but not any more.

Penang, as had been discussed in
several newspaper reports and commentaries, has disappeared from the tourism
map.

I am glad that an article by this writer on the Pearl of
The Orient losing its shine had led to a lively discussion among many
Penangites, both in Malaysia and overseas, pouring their hearts out on the
deteriorating living standards in Penang.

Last week, New Straits Times group editor-in-chief Datuk
Kalimullah Hassan, who grew up in Penang, joined the
chorus of frustration, saying "the pearl has been losing its lustre".

He cited the dismay of repeat tourists and returning
islanders at the "massive jams, incessant road works, dirty beaches, dirty
streets, dirty food stalls and general state of decay".

He recalled that in the 1980s, then Prime Minister Tun Dr
Mahathir Mohamad, on an official visit to the state, described Butterworth on
the mainland as the dirtiest town in the country.

Kalimullah described Penang Hill as "close to resembling
an abandoned colonial hill station", adding that it was a wonder that the Penang
authorities were still trying to sell the island as the Pearl
of the Orient.

Penang Hill needs to be upgraded and be on par, at least,
with Hong Kong's Victoria Park if Penang
is serious about improving the hill.

Earlier, a columnist from The Sun, Dr Goh Ban Lee, had
expressed similar sentiments following my article.

The discussion continued, with more bloggers and readers
in Malaysiakini, saying how unhappy they were with the deteriorating situation
in Penang.

I don't think any of us has any political agenda except
for our deep sense of belonging to Penang. I was given
to understand there were some suspicions, among some politicians, of a
conspiracy.

That's normal as politicians often see ghosts in every
shadow, what with their constant back-stabbing, instead of opening their eyes
wide to see the mistakes staring at them.

But it is commendable of Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu
Koon to respond positively by acknowledging the problem, saying the state was
determined to enhance the state's tourism products, saying the state must not
lose its Pearl of the Orient image.

His statement is reassuring and all of us, like him, are
aware that a lot must be done to improve the state but it would be better if a
proactive approach is taken to come up with a comprehensive tourism plan.

While Dr Koh wants to hear constructive comments from the
media, Penangites, too, would also want to hear constructive plans from the
state leadership instead of mere ad hoc reactions. What he has said, so far, is
nothing new.

Dr Koh has cited the Sept 11, 2001, incident in the United
States and the Severe Acute Respiratory
Syndrome (SARS) scare last year for the drop in visitors, but  the figures showed that the arrivals had
actually declined even before the two major events.

Still, we must admit, like other countries, Penang,
too, suffered.

Penang needs a facelift badly. Its
urban planning, or the lack of it, appears to be in shambles. Development, if
properly carried out by the private sector, need not be a dirty word.

The word, among top officials in Putrajaya, is that the
state has been slow in approving several projects. The state certainly has its
reasons but its inability to cut government red tape will not go down well with
our top leaders.

One example is the relocation of the Penang Turf Club to
Batu Kawan, where the Bandar Cassia township is to take shape.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi launched
the first phase of the project a few months ago and, according to buyers, they
still cannot sign the sales and purchase agreement because the authorities have
yet to approve the relevant building plans.

It is good to be on the side of the house buyers and to
protect their interest but the state needs to be mindful of investors and
businessmen who can help to develop Penang.

One shiny example is the Kuala
Lumpur City Centre
Park at the Petronas
Twin Towers.
It has been picked by Time magazine as the best park in Asia.
The magazine, in its Nov 22 edition, described the one-hectare park as "every
five-year-old's idea of heaven".

But there was one consolation – Penang
earned a place in the magazine for having the best street food. It said its
wide range of food "brings together some of the liveliest culinary traditions
in Asia" and "only in Penang
could food this good be this cheap".

If there is one thing the media and Penang
leaders can agree on, it must be the quality of the food. Financial resources
aside, the push for Penang tourism needs stronger
political will and better imagination.

The state leadership should not be afraid of seeking the
support of Penangites, working and staying outside the state, to use their
extensive network to put Penang back on the
international tourism map.

But irrespective of our approaches in how we can boost Penang's
image again, both sides must surely agree that there is an urgent need to start
work now.

On coming home, it was a delight as a non-smoker to read
a move by the Human Resources Ministry to ban smoking in all workplaces in
order to provide a clean and healthy environment for employees.

This move, which is an extension to several existing
no-smoking areas, will be included under a new regulation on indoor air quality
which will be place in six months.

The regulation will stipulate what constitutes indoor air
quality in office buildings and is aimed at clamping down on smoking in the
workplace.

Minister Datuk Dr Fong Chan Onn must be lauded for his
proposal but many Malaysians are sceptical about the implementation of the
proposed law.

Our politicians and bureaucrats have a reputation for
passing and enacting laws but not enforcing them well.

We have laws that ban smoking in places such as cinemas,
air-conditioned restaurants, shopping malls, public transport, airports and
government premises. But you and I know that air-conditioned restaurants also
have smoking and non-smoking sections.

Most of the time, the tables in both sections are so
close together that it makes a mockery of the whole exercise.

Restaurant owners and employees are reluctant to stop
smokers from lighting up despite protests from non-smokers because they fear
offending these customers.

Non-smokers have to suffer in silence because they are
too timid to confront the smokers. I have seen episodes of complaints nearly
coming to blows.

Smokers know that enforcement of the laws is so pathetic
that they are unlikely to be caught and fined, unlike in Singapore
where regulations are strictly enforced.

When we were young, we would never think of riding a
motorcycle without a helmet or not repair a faulty reflector.

Today, we often see motorcyclists running the red light,
ride around with three passengers at times, and sometimes with broken brake
lights because they know the chances of being caught is practically nil.

Some cynical Malaysians go further to imply that these
unruly souls probably think they can "settle" their cases if caught by the
police or council enforcement officers.

I think the proposal by some readers that traffic cops
and council officers be given a monthly quota in issuing summons deserves
serious consideration.

It's ridiculous to enact more laws against smoking in
public premises when there is no enforcement.

We have enough laws and regulations; the authorities
should look into implementing and enforcing these rules.

If we need more law enforcers, whether full-time officers
or volunteers, then we must employ more. In England,
the police have recruited community support officers who have powers to assist
the police in their work.

Without doubt, our authorities must be commended for
pushing forward these new anti-smoking laws but they must be serious in the
implementation and enforcement aspects.

It would be easier, I believe, for employees to stop
smoking in their offices because no one wants to risk the wrath of their bosses
who pay their salaries.

But many smokers don't give a damn at eateries because
they know no one is going to haul them up.

So, let's be serious about making these laws work – if
not, everything will go up in smoke, so to speak.

Instead, we are comfortable putting up buntings and
banners with printed bunga raya, along with Jalur Gemilang, at official
functions. You won't find it being used as bouquets at important gatherings.
That's the respect we accord our national flower these days.

I decided to talk about this because a friend who
returned from Mexico
told me how he was taken by a tour guide to "see our beautiful and beloved
national flower".

The guide, who spoke with great pride, said it was
something he must see. On arrival at the destination, my friend saw rows and
rows of the striking and beautiful hibiscus in red and yellow.

The same sentiment takes place if you visit Hawaii.
Known as the pua aloalo in the Hawaiian language, the locals will speak proudly
of their official state flower that is always used in illima leis (garlands)
presented to visitors.

At the Royal Botanic Gardens in London,
one can find the hibiscus flower, in different varieties, being displayed at
its Palm House with detailed explanations for visitors.

If you travel to Jamaica
or Mexico,
chances are you would be offered a hibiscus-flavoured soda and that they will
tell you the hibiscus drink is good for your liver or blood pressure.

Scientists who boiled the flowers and filtered the
solution to obtain concentrated hibiscus extract have found that it can help
reduce triglycerides or bad cholesterol levels in the blood.

The flower is also taken seriously in several parts of Australia,
especially Brisbane, where the city
council reportedly imported these plants from India
for landscaping.

According status to the bunga raya is one thing. The
trouble is we have not used the plant to our commercial advantage. The roselle
drink, made from hibiscus extract, should be the preferred drink for foreign
hotel guests arriving in Malaysia
instead of some strange concoction.

On this point, not many Malaysians are even aware that
the roselle drink is made from this flower.

The bunga raya should also be the flower that greets
these guests in their rooms instead of other foreign flowers. If we impose
these requirements on our hotels, it would be a boost to our flower growers,
especially those in the rural areas.

In fact, we should go a step further. There should be a
garden where tourists can find hibiscus of all varieties – it is not too
far-fetched because the hibiscus is a tropical plant.

Originating in Asia and the Pacific
islands, the plant has been found even in cooler places like China.
In the United States,
it is found in abundance in Florida,
besides Hawaii, where the
American Hibiscus Society is based.

In colder parts of the US,
efforts have been made to grow the tropical hibiscus in heated greenhouses to
enable the public to see these plants.

In Malaysia,
we do not bother to give the flower a second look because it can be found in
our backyard in rural areas. However, in the urban centres of Kuala
Lumpur, Penang or Johor Baru,
no one can be sure where you can find the plant.

We are obsessed with trends. Hotels and homes are turning
any available land into Balinese gardens. At one time, we busied ourselves with
Japanese gardens or the bonsai craze.

Then we decided to line our roads with expensive imported
palm trees from Africa because someone, presumably, saw
them in an affluent part of California.
The palm trees look nice but they have been planted at the expense of our
national flower.

The bunga raya plant may be too scrubby and small for our
roads, but surely they can be planted at government offices if we wish to show
our foreign guests our national flower.

I may not be into flowers or floral arrangement but, like
many fellow Malaysians, I get uptight when people take this country and its
beautiful things for granted.

Telecom operators, universities, fast-food operators,
shopping malls and private companies are investing in hotspots to enable PDA
users with Wifi and Bluetooth (wireless connections) to remain online.

Even our police have started using PDAs on a trial basis
to access data. I am told that at least 1,000 PDAs are being used by
enforcement agencies for surveillance. That's Information Technology for
Malaysians.

But not everything is that rosy. PDA users are grumbling,
mostly in cyberspace, about an absurd decision by the Customs Department to
impose a 10% sales tax on PDAs with wireless connectivity built-in. In short,
it will cost Malaysian consumers up to RM300 more for each PDA.

You can get them cheaper by crossing over to Singapore
and helping the businessmen in Orchard Road.

If you are an honest bloke, you can follow the rules and
declare the newly purchased PDA at the Malaysian Customs on returning home. But
since the device is so small, you can just walk past the officer.

Unless the officer does a body search, there is no way he
can detect the device.

If your PDA is flawed, you need only go to a Malaysian
distributor to get it repaired for free – at the expense of the local
distributor.

For the rest of us who buy these devices in Malaysia,
we would have to pay more.

That's how baffling the situation has become – all
because someone at the Customs Department is unsure whether the wireless PDA is
a computer, a mobile telephone or a media player.

The impact is immediate: the consumer pays more, the
local distributor earns less, Malaysia
loses its shopping status, and profit-oriented traders take the opportunity to
sell parallel or "underwater" imports.

The IT world is changing so fast that many prefer to talk
about the convergence of IT and embracing it instead of wasting time trying to
draw a line to differentiate between computer equipment and telecommunications
devices.

Why impose the sales tax? IT equipment, whether they be
PDA or notebook, should be made cheaper if we wish to make more Malaysians
computer literate. Price is a major factor in the buying of computer equipment.

The Customs Department decision runs contrary to what has
been said by their boss – Prime Minister and Finance Minister Datuk Seri
Abdullah Ahmad Badawi – that the entry point for Malaysians to adopt ICT must
be lowered as a way to bridge the "digital divide", especially the
socio-economic gap between those with access to ICT and those without.

Speaking at the 8th annual meeting of the Multimedia
Super Corridor's International Advisory Panel in Cyberjaya in September, he
said ICT should not be elitist but should touch the lives of every individual.

In a nutshell, IT is for all and it should be made
affordable. Imposing taxes is surely one way to kill enthusiasm and
affordability.

This is not the first time the Customs Department has
reacted strangely. In 1999, it slapped a 10% sales tax on palm computers,
saying they were electronic organisers and therefore not eligible for the 1996
tax abolition on computers. When it was pointed out that IBM Corp's Workload
had the same operating system and features, the tax was lifted the following
year.

PDA users believe that Customs officials could possibly
be misguided by the decision to impose tax because of their failure to grasp IT
development. After all, wireless connectivity was already available in other
devices such as notebooks and projectors that are not taxed.

Another possibility is that the Customs Department wants
to increase revenue but taxing IT devices certainly runs against government
efforts to promote IT.

If it's all about increasing revenue, then it should
focus on expensive imported cigars, branded goods, golf apparel, horse-riding
gear, luxury cars and cosmetics.

As a PDA user, I urge the Prime Minister and Second
Finance Minister Tan Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcop to please review the decision of
the Customs Department.