The
authorities may say that Ong was at the wrong place at the wrong time, in
assuring us that it was an isolated case.

They
may be right but the public demand that shopping complex owners wake up and
provide better security for those who spend money at their premises.

Consider
this: It was reported on Nov 30 last year that a 47-year-old business executive
was brutally raped in her car after being tied up with her bra at a parking lot
in Damansara Uptown in the evening.

The
mother of two adult children, who works with an international cosmetics
company, was getting into her car when a man grabbed her from behind before
pulling out a knife and forcing her into the car.

The
man then drove to a secluded spot in the basement car park and robbed and raped
her.

There
were more reports this year. On March 13, it was reported that a 15-year-old
policeman's daughter was allegedly raped by a friend in a woman's toilet at a
shopping complex in Ampang.

The
stunned Form Three student tried to put up a fight but was overpowered and
threatened by the man. The report said that it was the fourth rape involving
young girls in the city in recent weeks.

On
March 3, it was reported that a Form Four student who befriended several youths
at a shopping mall in Jalan Sultan Ismail was gang-raped at a rooftop parking
lot.

And
on May 30, a 19-year-old girl was molested and assaulted by a group of youths
at a shopping complex while having dinner with her boyfriend.

One
of the youths had grabbed her breasts after making lewd suggestions to her. Her
cries caught the attention of five security guards but instead of arresting the
youth, they advised her to let the culprit go.

These
incidents get reported because they are serious offences but cases of car
theft, mugging and burglary probably go unreported because victims do not want
to go through the hassle of making police reports when the chances of
recovering their goods are low.

But
the series of murder cases over the past few weeks are certainly of great
concern, if not alarming.

Malaysians
have a right to ask what the police are doing about the recent spate of crimes.

And
what are the owners of shopping complexes doing next to ensure public safety
beyond installing closed-circuit television and hiring security officers to go
on patrol regularly?

Surveillance
cameras need to be installed, not just at exit points to see whether we have
paid our parking fees, but also in lifts, at staircases and corridors.

Deserted
areas need to be actively patrolled, particularly after 9pm, to give a better
sense of security to patrons of cinemas, food and beverage outlets.

More
women security guards should also be hired to patrol basement car parks.

Greater
surveillance, more security personnel and better lighting may mean higher costs
but they will go a long way in establishing the reputation of a shopping
complex among its customers.

Owners
of hotels and commercial buildings should also take similar precautions as
they, too, have huge basement car parks which are often poorly lit and
deserted.

The
owners of hotels, commercial buildings and shopping complexes should also
consider hiring women guards who are prepared to accompany women to their cars
on request.

Crime
prevention often gets little attention from politicians but it has certainly
become a serious concern and they had better listen more attentively from now.

Take
the classic case of Petaling Jaya Utara MP Chew Mei Fun. Aware that PJ has the
highest crime rate in Selangor, she launched a crime prevention campaign with
the help of the police.

But
on June 5, she ended up being a victim when burglars broke into her house and
stole two VCD players, her piggy bank and prizes for a charity event she was
organising.

A
total of 11,856 criminal cases were reported in PJ between January and August
last year. In KL, 9,312 cases were reported followed by Klang (8,325) and
Sentul (7,339).

We
are aware that there is a shortage of policemen in Malaysia. According to Chew,
there is only one policeman to every 3,000 residents in PJ whereas in most
cities in developed countries, the ratio is one officer to every 250 residents.

One
way to attract more people to join the police force is to ensure that they get
better salaries. With better perks, the force will attract better educated
people and also prevent them from succumbing to corruption.

We
will get to see a higher level of commitment in fighting crime instead of
seeing them stopping motorcyclists and lorry drivers for minor traffic offences,
arousing unnecessary suspicion on our part as to their intentions.

In
Singapore, youths have to either join the army or the police force under the
compulsory national service.

We
should seriously adopt this method if we want to boost the numbers of the
police force.

Our
police have done well in fighting crime in this country but we can certainly
make their job easier if the Government and public do their bit as well.

Hishammuddin, as an afterthought, then asked whether the
delegates would interrupt proceedings if Dr Mahathir cried, for this would be
his last general assembly as party president.

A more confident Idris assured Hishammuddin that the Umno members would control
their emotions better this time because they were prepared for Dr Mahathir's
exit.

An hour later, supreme council member Datuk Syed Hamid Albar walked in and told
pressmen that ''Dr Mahathir will cry.'' The Foreign Minister said this had been
an emotional meeting for everyone because ''it is a prelude to a long
goodbye.''

But their fears were proven wrong. Dr Mahathir began his speech at 5.55pm with
a stinging attack against PAS, the archrival of Umno.

He went on to blast the West, in classic Mahathir style, and wrapped up his
speech with another advice to the Malays before calling the spirit of unity in
Umno to be maintained.

Not a teardrop was shed throughout the almost hour-long speech.

After all, the shock had come a year earlier when Dr Mahathir dropped a
bombshell at the end of his winding-up speech by announcing he was
quitting.

There were tears of shock and disbelief then, as Umno leaders including
Hishammuddin rushed to the rostrum, putting a stop to proceedings. Dr Mahathir
never got to finish his speech.

On Thursday, when Dr Mahathir came to the end of his presidential speech, where
he thanked Umno members for their support and apologised for his shortcomings,
he was overcome with emotion.

For a while, it appeared as if tears would roll down but he controlled himself.
He took a few sips of water in an obvious effort to calm down.

But many could not control themselves. They wept openly even as Dr Mahathir
tried not to show his sadness, a point he was to make at a press conference
later, emphasising to reporters he certainly did not cry.

For the many mak cik and pak cik who sat at the lobby to watch the proceedings
via a huge screen, tears flowed freely.

These simple folk, including some who said they had never used an escalator,
had come all the way from their villages to bid farewell to their hero.

Without the status of a delegate or observer, they had no passes to enter Dewan
Merdeka, where the assembly was held, and certainly they would not benefit from
their display of emotions. No contracts or datukship will come their way. They
were there because they believe Dr Mahathir had done wonders for Umno and
Malaysia.

Many of these village folk, in their 60s, had lived through the previous three
prime ministers and could easily relate how Dr Mahathir had done what his three
predecessors could not do during their tenure.

They speak in great admiration of Dr Mahathir and how he had brought so much
change to Malaysia in his 22 years as Prime Minister.

And these people came to the PWTC by the thousands, wanting to cry at the last
general assembly where Dr Mahathir will talk to them as Umno president.

Even as Dr Mahathir walked into the hall in the morning, tears had started to
flow among the delegates. The emotional atmosphere remained even when delegates
took part in the debates. Many of them stopped speaking briefly each time Dr
Mahathir's name was mentioned.

Most of those present at the PWTC over the weekend accepted that Dr Mahathir
would stick by his decision to quit, mindful of the fact that he had served
notice a year ago to the three million members and the people of
Malaysia.

But we can be sure that we will continue to see and hear of Dr Mahathir even
after he steps down in October.

''God willing, I will be here next year as a delegate and sitting down below
with the others,'' he said.

It has been a nostalgic weekend for Umno members and for other Malaysians. More
than that, it has a happy ending.

As Dr Mahathir said, the party leadership will be passed onto the good hands of
Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

From all of us, we can only say thank you very much Dr Mahathir for your
inspiration, understanding and leadership – and a very good 22 years.

Just
outside the porch of his Putrajaya house, however, is a small pond where he
keeps Japanese carp. Pak Lah makes it a point to briefly look at the fishes
each time he comes home from work.

For
visitors to Abdullah's house, they know the symbolic difference – there are
fish that fight among themselves and those that know the meaning of
togetherness.

Abdullah,
as he has consistently done, sent a loud reminder to Umno members yesterday
evening when he opened the Youth, Wanita and Puteri general assemblies at PWTC.

''Today,
Malays do not prioritise unity. Anything can divide them. Jostling for
positions in the party, unfounded accusations against the leadership, disappointment
for not receiving business opportunities, incitement by opposition parties, and
a false sense of security.

''That
is not all. There are the small fry, or low-level leaders without any record of
service to the party and country but who behave like big fish. Then, there are
others who constantly complain their containers are too small for them.

''These
are the members who feel the party membership is a passport, even a right, to
contracts, positions and titles. The culture, unfortunately, has become
entrenched in Umno,'' he said.

''Umno,
formed to fight for the country's independence, is in danger of becoming a rich
man's club if urgent steps are not taken to re-invent itself.''

Abdullah
said that this included renewed commitment and dedication to the party's cause.

''For
how long does Umno want to tolerate having members with such shallow
attitudes?''

These
are certainly strong words from a politician regarded as mild-mannered.

Umno
members, used to the niceties of Pak Lah, must have been taken aback by his
unusually harsh words.

Those
close to him offered reasons for such a speech. One was the constant
politicking among party leaders as the leadership transition took place.

Over
the past week, Datuk Seri Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Abdullah voiced fears that
party leaders would jostle for the deputy president's post after the latter
took over the party leadership.

The
bitter experience of Umno being deregistered in 1988 after Tengku Razaleigh
Hamzah fought Dr Mahathir is fresh in the minds of party members.

Unless
Umno members take the wake-up call seriously, the party will find its clout
seriously eroded if members continue to put personal interests above that of
the party.

But
there is hope. With its voice of moderation, Umno is looked up to, not just by
Malays, but by Malaysians of all races and religions, who believe there is no
place for extremism and fanaticism.

Since
the formation of the Alliance and its successor the Barisan, the country's
three main parties – Umno, MCA and MIC – have committed themselves to the
politics of consensus and proven that the sharing of power has worked well.

Many
Umno members, particularly those in the rural heartland, have remained true to
the struggles of the party, believing the party remains the best choice.

''I
believe there are many Umno members who do not hold titles, who do not hold
positions, who do not have any special standing, who have never set foot in
this hall, let alone meet the prime minister, who possess the greatest loyalty
to the party, and a pure and profound belief in our struggle,'' said Abdullah.

The
ocean is big, and with over two million Umno members, there is plenty of good
talent to choose from, but the troublemakers, who put personal interests first,
will need to be contained.

The complainants argue that the columbarium would not fit
into the environment because Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah, formerly Northam Road,
has been promoted as a tourist district.

Among the landmarks in the area are the E & O Hotel, City Bayview Hotel, the
Homestead, which was the home of the late Yeap Chor Ee who founded Ban Hin Lee
Bank, and the late Loh Boon Siew's mansion.

The protesting businessmen and residents want to know why the council did not
bother to seek their views as adjoining property owners and whether an impact
study was carried out.

Regarded as the Golden Mile of Penang, the businessmen there fear that property
values would drop once the columbarium is built and the area might eventually
be known as the Memorial Mile. They want to the columbarium to be sited
elsewhere on the island or the mainland preferably near a crematorium, in line
with the environmental character of such areas.

A memorandum, which includes the signatures of some well-connected businessmen
in Kuala Lumpur, has been sent to Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah
Ahmad Badawi.

Those who feel that these businessmen are over-reacting have said the
columbarium would, in fact, be merely an extension of the Christian cemetery
where the founder of Penang, Captain Francis Light, is buried. The tomb of
Thomas Leonowen – the husband of Anna, the tutor of King Mongkut's children,
who was portrayed in the movie Anna and The King – is also at the
cemetery.

Critics of the project say that although the cemetery is rich in history, the
state government has failed to exploit its tourism potential. They add that it
could not be regarded as an extension of the columbarium because the last
recorded burial was in 1894.

Defenders of the project point out that the columbarium – to be known as the
House of Remembrance – would not affect the aesthetic beauty of the area
because its facade looks like a five-star hotel.

From artist impressions, the columbarium certainly looks classy with shiny
marble floors and fountains at the lobby and other parts of the building. Under
the project, the old Shih Chung school would be incorporated into the new
building and thus help stop heritage buildings from being torn down.

The columbarium, argue the defenders, would not affect the cultural value of Penang
and may even become a tourist attraction if it was properly maintained, like
the Nirwana Memorial Park in Semenyih, Selangor.

The council can expect plenty of questions from Penangites: would hotel guests
want to see funeral services conducted near the columbarium, no matter how well
maintained it would be? That aside, during the annual Qing Ming (All Souls'
Day) festival, the area would be jammed with traffic, even with an underground
car park.

Last week, state executive councillor Datuk Dr Teng Hock Nan said the project
had been approved and the question of review did not arise. Earlier, the
council's planning and development chairman Tan Hiap Seng said the developer
had complied with the requirements to build the vault to hold the urns and that
approval was given last year.

The developer, Stamford Raffles By The Sea Sdn Bhd, has not commented on the
project despite its magnitude.

The site was originally owned by Cheah Tek Soon, a prominent 19th century
figure after whom Tek Soon Street was named. The island's first four-storey
private residence was built there before 1893 and later acquired by businessman
Tye Yee Koon who turned it into a hotel. It has appeared in old postcards as
''Bellevue Hotel'' and ''Raffles By The Sea.'' The site was later occupied by
Shih Chung school which was founded in 1908.

For the council to keep silent on the project when a controversy is raging is
poor urban management. If it feels strongly that it is right in approving the
columbarium, then it should explain the rationale to Penangites.

Surely there must be merits to the building of a columbarium, given the
shortage of land on the island. Despite the negative perception of such a
project, it certainly fulfils the needs of the people.

However, the council should not give the impression that it does not owe
Penangites an explanation. The trouble with many state and council leaders is
they forget that their salaries come from taxpayers.

Penang has lost its shine over the years because of poor urban planning and
lack of vision. The people of Penang deserve to have a say in how they want the
city to be run.

Thus, some officials have treated their municipalities as
their fiefdom, subtly reminding the Local Government and Housing Ministry that
it only has a policy-making role despite being a federal entity.

As minister Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting says, the rules are there but the problem
begins at the implementation stage especially when rules are interpreted to
suit the council, or the officials.

In fact, at one time, many municipal council presidents' posts were held by the
mentris besar or chief ministers themselves.

Unlike other government agencies, the local governments have plenty of cash as
they collect revenue in various forms such as assessment rates, parking fees
and summonses.

In affluent areas, we sometimes see these councils spending taxpayers' money on
so-called beautification projects but which actually brought the
opposite.

The Subang Jaya Municipal Council, one of the richest councils, spent RM3mil to
build the Millennium Square, with some steel replicas of palm trees and a pond
squeezed into it — hardly the tourist attraction the council tried to spin to
justify this wastage.

But the main complaints of ordinary Malaysians are basically the failure of
councils to do a decent job in keeping their residential areas clean.

They want their rubbish collected, the streets properly lit, the grass properly
cut, the wet markets clean and playing fields available for our children to
spend their time.

For traders and businessmen, they want the enforcement officers to be fair.
Many of us must have, at one time or another, seen how high-handed these
officers can be in dealing with unlicensed traders.

We must have wondered why no action was taken against restaurant owners who
placed their tables on parking lots when motorists, just down the road, are
fined when their meters run out of parking time.

No one can fault ordinary Malaysians if they suspect these officials of being
corrupt. The saddest part is that councils are acting against these errant
restaurateurs only after a fatal car accident in Petaling Jaya.

We are talking about making Malaysia a developed nation but our city officials
are certainly not doing what they are supposedly paid to do.

Forget about living in well-managed cities like those in Australia and Canada.
You can choose to live in Putrajaya, where 70% of the land is earmarked for
parks, gardens, open spaces and lakes if we want quality of living.

For the rest of us, we have to live with our councils which are doing a lousy
job in grappling with problems like flash floods, illegal building extensions,
cleanliness, maintenance, traffic jams and the ubiquitous hawkers.

Even the cleanliness in affluent Desa Sri Hartamas, Kuala Lumpur, billed as the
alternate Bangsar, is fast deteriorating as its popularity grows.

You only have to stroll along the sidewalks to see rubbish strewn around, the
stench and the rats in the back lanes. Parking is, of course, a serious problem
and it makes us wonder how so many buildings can be approved when there is
insufficient parking space.

Our council officials can expect Malaysians to check on them. With Malaysians
travelling more and becoming more educated, our councillors would have to
reinvent themselves to meet rising expectations.

They should be prepared to be questioned over their actions. Their legitimacy,
accountability and transparency will always be the basis by which we judge
their ability to manage urban problems.

There have been suggestions that councillors should be elected instead of
appointed. It may be democratically attractive but it may not necessarily be workable,
especially if the Federal Government is run by another political party.

Let us also not assume that opposition politicians are angels. In Kelantan and
Terengganu, we have seen how the PAS-run councils have imposed outrageous rules
such as segregation of the sexes in supermarket checkouts, cinemas and even
Ferris-wheel rides.

According to urban planner Dr Goh Ban Lee, the Penang Island City Council,
under the Socialist Front in 1963, refused to celebrate Malaysia Day because it
considered the formation of Malaysia a form of neo-colonialism.

The council was subsequently suspended by the Alliance government and the state
secretary took over the council's administration. The two parties also spent
their time fighting each other instead of solving the people's problems.

It's time the Federal Government take away some of the powers of the councils
as well as lift the shroud of secrecy surrounding council meetings.

If parliamentary and senate meetings are open to the press, why should the
councils be exempted? If some mentris besar are now opening their doors once a
week to the people, why should council presidents be exempted?

If the telephone numbers and e-mail addresses of elected representatives in
Selangor are put up on billboards, why can't the senior officials and
councillors follow suit?

The job of running a city now no longer just require officials with urban
management background but those who will not be tempted to put their hand into
the kitty.

After 17 years at the helm as the party's longest serving
chief, it was still difficult for many MCA leaders, including his party rivals,
to accept the fact that a new leader had been elected.

As the party leaders spoke about the day's historic event at Wisma MCA, they
still referred to Dr Ling as ''the president'' as they talked about the
Transport Minister.

It was the same with non-MCA members who called up newsmen and party leaders to
find out what was going on at ''the president's house.'' (There was plenty of
food and drinks as the impromptu gathering dragged on to near midnight.)

There was no sadness at the party. The leadership succession has finally taken
place with both Dr Ling and his deputy, Datuk Seri Lim Ah Lek, stepping down
simultaneously.

''I resign not with a heavy heart but with a sense of ease in the knowledge
that our party will be in capable hands,'' he wrote in his resignation
letter.

The same sentiments were felt that evening.

The central committee had voted to reject the two resignations and wanted them to
reconsider their decisions but they remained adamant, proving sceptics
wrong.

As the central committee reconvened its meeting on Friday evening, they
proceeded to vote in Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting as president and Datuk Chan Kong
Choy as deputy.

With the exception of vice-president Datuk Chua Jui Meng, Youth chief Datuk Ong
Tee Keat and veteran Datuk Wong Mook Leong who were absent, the committee voted
solidly for the two.

The two names were proposed by Datuk Chor Chee Heung, aligned to Team A
previously, and seconded by Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek (Team A) and Datuk Tang See
Hang (Team B). There were no other names for the two posts.

Chua, who had to attend the Malaysian Medical Association dinner graced by the
King, sportingly congratulated Ong and Chan.

He wished them the best and hoped that they would deal with matters in a fair
manner. He noted that they would have to work hard to resolve the party's
problems before the general election.

The Health Minister, who is said to have also eyed the president's post, did
not express support for either Ong or Chan but his words were certainly
comforting, given the scenario.

Tee Keat, who has criticised the leadership harshly, abstained when the
resolution to reject Dr Ling and Lim's resignations were put to a vote earlier.
He did not turn up for the meeting in the evening.

Chua and Tee Keat were elected to their party posts and they would remain until
2005, as agreed under the peace plan.

However, with the political realignment taking place in the MCA, their influence
is likely to be affected.

When Chua arrived at the KL International Airport on Friday morning from
Geneva, he was greeted only by Tee Keat and Wanita deputy chief Datuk Paduka Dr
Tan Yee Kew and other supporters.

But at the evening central committee meeting, Dr Tan, who is the MP for Klang,
voted for Ong and Chan for the top two posts. In the afternoon, Chua also
followed the tide and voted against the resignations of Dr Ling and Lim.

In the case of Tee Keat, he has chosen to go the opposite direction.

The spotlight is likely to continue to be trained on the hot-headed MP as he
awaits the outcome of disciplinary charges against him. He has allegedly
tarnished the image of the party by claiming there was triad
infiltration.

No one is sure how the political drama will unfold in the coming months or even
weeks but a new beginning has started with a generation of younger leaders at
the helm.

Ong and Chan have served in many capacities at party and government levels.
They are both experienced and would certainly be able to deal with issues in a
mature way.

They will bring fresh perspectives to the MCA and certainly help to rejuvenate
the second largest Barisan component party.

The two leaders have at least eight months to create a new party image and
identity ahead of the next general election, speculated to be held early next
year.

Every effort must be made to ensure that the two become a solid pair as they
have the urgent task of reuniting the party, split by 14 months of
infighting.

There will be those with selfish political interests who would attempt to pit
them against each other with lies and rumours.

Ong and Chan would by now understand these underlying dangers as they go hand
in hand to rebuild the MCA.

The message seems to be directed at the MCA, which is
trying to end its leadership crisis after more than a year. As the second
largest component party, there is no way the coalition can go to the polls
without the MCA ending its feud, which has badly affected the party's image and
credibility.

Party insiders say the two factions in the MCA are trying to reach a solution
ahead of the party general assembly in July.

In Sabah, Dr Mahathir reminded his audience at the Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah
congress on Friday about Barisan's concept of power sharing. His presence at
the meeting was certainly a testimony to what he said because the PBRS is one
of the smallest parties in the 14-member coalition.

Tracing the formation of Umno, Dr Mahathir said Barisan had been effective
because Malaysia was one of the most successful developing nations today.

More election talk was uttered in Terengganu when Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad
Badawi stepped up his campaign against PAS by criticising the way in which the
Islamist party had been running the state.

Expressing regret that the PAS state government had opposed the setting up of
two Mara junior science colleges in Terengganu, Abdullah said the action had
deprived Terengganu students of getting an education in the state.

More salvos can be expected over the coming months. Next month, the Umno
general assembly will be held for four days from June 18 at the Putra World
Trade Centre.

It is likely to be the largest party general assembly as the nation awaits Dr
Mahathir's final message at the meeting. He is also scheduled to speak to
members on June 17 at a closed-door meeting in the run-up to the general
assembly.

It will be MCA's turn on July 12, where Dr Mahathir has been invited to open
the party's general assembly at the Dewan San Choon. From June 1, MCA president
Datuk Seri Dr Ling Liong Sik and other party leaders will attend the various
state conventions ahead of the assembly.

These meetings are crucial because they will serve as a platform for the
leaders to send a clear message to their grassroots members.

MCA leaders would have to seriously examine their priorities, as well as that
of Barisan, as the clock ticks away. They have to prove to the Chinese
community that they can place the people's interest first and that message
would have to be emphasised at the general assembly.

The setting up of Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman and the on-going fund-raising
campaign is evident of what the MCA can do when its leaders put their hearts
into a particular project.

The feud in the MCA has been a fight over party and government positions –
nothing else. It is clear that the patience of Barisan elders is running thin
and the MCA leaders must resolve their differences now.

The Umno and MCA general assemblies would probably be the last before the next
general election.

It is unlikely that the polls would be held this year as the calendar of the
Prime Minister is packed until October, when the Organisation of Islamic
Conference (OIC) summit would be held in Kuala Lumpur.

Once Abdullah takes over the helm, he would have to seek a fresh mandate for
his leadership and a certain period of preparation would be needed before the
polls are called.

The opposition, too, has been busy getting ready for the general election. PAS
secretary-general Nasharuddin Mat Isa said the party, together with Parti
Keadilan Nasional and Parti Rakyat Malaysia which are in the process of
merging, had ''roughly agreed on which party will contest where.''

The DAP and Keadilan, according to reports, are also working on an
understanding to avoid clashing with each other, particularly in certain
constituencies.

The present parliamentary term ends in November next year but Barisan has the
option of managing a caretaker government for an additional six months before
it calls for the next general election, which will see additional seats in both
Parliament and state assemblies.

The Election Commission has drawn up new electoral boundaries, increasing the
number of seats in the Dewan Rakyat to 219 from 194, with a total of 505 state
assembly seats.

The seriousness of the moment was lightened when the two politicians admitted
that they, too, had been watching pirated VCDs.

The fact that so many VCDs are being openly sold,
particularly at night markets and five-foot ways, is proof that there is a
demand.

No Malaysian will admit on record that they buy these fakes, at RM5 each or
less, but there certainly is a market for them.

Among the many reasons why Malaysians buy pirated VCDs – mostly movies – is
because they are out on the streets faster than at the cinemas.

As much as Malaysians are aware that stolen intellectual property is a crime,
the reality of the pocket seems to have taken priority.

Malaysians also prefer to watch their movies uncensored. Most of us are simply
tired of our Censorship Board, comprising mostly retired civil servants who
seem out of touch with the growing sophistication of Malaysians.

These scissors-wielding protectors of society have earned the wrath of most
Malaysians who find most of their decisions ridiculous.

But pirated VCDs have come with a price for Malaysians who want cheap movies –
the easier availability of pornographic shows.

South Korean, Hong Kong and Japanese smut now flood the VCD market and school
children are said to be among the big buyers.

According to one recent church survey in Malaysia, pornographic addiction is
now the biggest problem for the Christian community. It has affected not just
churchgoers but also church workers such as pastors.

The problem is not just the occasional purchase of a pornographic VCD but an
addiction either through VCD or the Internet.

Realising the magnitude of this social concern, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk
Seri Abdullah Badawi has taken the right step in ordering a joint assault on
pornographic VCD, with the various agencies vowing to go after manufacturers,
production houses and street peddlers to stamp out this menace.

Last year, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Mahathir Mohamad gave a similar order
and, for a while, the authorities concerned sprang into a series of
high-profile action. However, the operations dissipated after a while.

It remains to be seen whether these agencies have the determination and stamina
to keep at it in this current clampdown.

To make the operations more meaningful, the Anti-Corruption Agency should be
roped in with its own investigations.

The pirated VCD market is too lucrative and no one will be surprised if
powerful forces are found to be involved.

Let's not fool ourselves into believing that eradicating smut peddlers from our
neighbourhoods would solve our problem.

The menace is easily available on the Internet in the privacy of our homes, and
sometimes for free.

Unless we monitor our children's usage of the Internet, we cannot be certain of
the websites they visit.

We would only be paying the telephone bill, believing that our hard-working
youngsters are on the way to Harvard.

There is a positive note, however. Remember when the first video recorders came
to Malaysia, pornographic video tapes were the rage but soon, people got bored
and went on to other things.

Tourists prefer to talk about the opportunity to
experience marvellous scenery, the rich cultural history and traditions, than
to point out a few Chinese idiosyncrasies.

Spitting is so prevalent that it happens just about everywhere – in restaurants
as you are eating, in buses or on the sidewalks, from the person standing next
to you and at just about all tourist spots.

But with the SARS outbreak, the Chinese authorities have the opportunity to
educate the people that it is unhealthy and unacceptable behaviour to spit in
public places.

To be fair, the Chinese Government has tried to curtail this nasty habit – even
before SARS became part our daily vocabulary – by imposing fines but it has
never been taken seriously because it is near impossible to enforce.

Heavy smoking among the mainlanders has also contributed to widespread
spitting. According to estimates, the average Chinese smoker puffs away more
than a pack of 20 sticks a day, with more and more of their countrymen lighting
up.

Smoking may be socially unacceptable now in many Asian countries, including
Malaysia and Singapore, but in China smokers do not bother to ask their guests
for permission to light up in restaurants.

During a recent trip to Kunming in Yunnan, southern China, my 20-something
tourist guide was surprised when I voiced my unhappiness over smoking in
restaurants.

In China, this young man said, smoking was considered a ''macho'' thing
although the people knew the health dangers. Men were encouraged to smoke to
prove their manliness, he added.

It is impossible to stay in a hotel room that is free from cigarette smell. Unless
you are booked into a five-star hotel with non-smoking floors, you would have
to put up with the smell of stale cigarette smoke during your package tour
(where the accommodation is usually three-star.)

According to a study published in the British Medical Journal in 2001,
two-thirds of all young men in China's population of 1.27 billion people end up
as smokers. They use up 30% per cent of the world's cigarettes and the Chinese
Government is the largest producer of cigarettes in the world.

Public toilets are a nightmare in most parts of China. They make spitting and
smoking tolerable as little attention seems to be paid to keeping public
toilets clean.

Having travelled to almost 20 cities in China, I still find it a culture shock
when I have to look for toilets; these are sometimes just holes in the ground
or ditches. In many cases, toilets have very low wooden partitions; some do not
even have doors.

As a man, I have the advantage over women in many ways whenever I travel along
Chinese highways. I don't have to deliberate on this but my wife says the
''open air system'' is sometimes the best!

Despite having a weak stomach, I managed to control myself extremely well
during an overnight train ride along the Silk Road and once to Harbin, one of
the coldest parts of China.

It is good that the Chinese authorities are fully aware of these shortcomings.
In many major cities, the authorities have started to impose heavier fines on
its people for spitting.

In a similar development, the Beijing authorities recently decided to increase
the fine against chewing gum droppers at Tiananmen Square from 20 to 50 yuan
(US$2.40 to US$6) because nearly 1,000 people have been working to remove
600,000 wads of chewing gum carelessly discarded by residents and visitors.

The clean-up reportedly cost the Beijing authorities over a million yuan
(US$120,000).

Beijing has also initiated a programme to clean up hundreds of public toilets
and to equip them with modern facilities as the Chinese capital gears itself up
for the 2008 Olympics.

Aware of the huge income derived from tourism, the toilets at some tourist
spots are reserved for visitors.

That aside, China has to educate its people – in a revolutionary way – on the
need for personal hygiene.

One classic case is Hong Kong chief executive Tung Chee
Hwa, who has come under fire from the demanding islanders for his handling of
the SARS issue, although there is very little he can do.

The best brains in Hong Kong's health services are working overtime and under
intense pressure to find a cure and they should be commended for tracking down
the virus in record time.

The finger pointing is really unnecessary because it does not help to solve the
SARS problem. It does not make sense to blame health officials for the outbreak
but they should be penalised if they attempt to keep the situation under
wraps.

China's Health Minister Zhang Wenkang and Beijing Major Meng Xuenong were
sacked from the Communist Party by the leadership to show it was serious in its
handling of the SARS problem.

Zhang has been former President Jiang Zemin's personal doctor since the late
1980s when the latter was still Mayor of Shanghai. His mistake, like many other
politicians, was to lie to the public.

The sacking of the two and China's admittance that it had not been transparent
are unusual and such loss of face is tremendously hard to swallow for the
Chinese leadership.

But the lesson from this episode, for the Chinese leaders as well as other
Asian leaders, is the habit of resorting to secrecy as a first step in crisis
management is no longer applicable today.

Those responsible for internal security should realise that bad news today
would not lead to social unrest and panic. That may have been the case of
street-style politics during the 60s.

But times have changed. Such secrecy can no longer work in the Internet age.
While the state can attempt to stop the media from highlighting the SARS issue,
it will not be able to stop reports over the Internet.

In fact, when rumours broke out via SMS that a fashion outlet at a shopping
complex in Petaling Jaya had shut down because its workers were inflicted with
SARS, it was the print media that took the task of informing the public that it
was not true.

It was the print media, lambasted by some quarters for supposedly
sensationalising the SARS issue, that took the trouble to send reporters to the
shopping complex to determine the true situation. Not the electronic or online
media.

Then there are those in the tourism industry. There can be no doubt that people
will now travel only when absolutely necessary. No responsible employers would
ask their workers to travel unnecessarily and most overseas holidays would be
postponed.

It is irresponsible for any tourism official or politician in charge of tourism
to suggest that the press should not highlight the SARS issue. Turning a blind
eye, for the sake of political and economic expediency, is not the way.

The role of the media is to inform and educate the public and, in the case of
SARS, the Malaysian press has generally played a meaningful role. Politicians
should learn to accept criticisms, not just praises.

Last week, New Straits Times editor-in-chief Tan Sri Abdullah Ahmad correctly
pointed out ''it will be folly for the Health Ministry to follow China's
example. There were sloppy attempts early on to manage information, but the
media's careful uncovering of the incidence of the disease has done more to
assuage public concern.''

He wrote in his column On The Record on April 23 that every precaution must be
taken, with enough visibility to show that the Government was both earnest and
effective in dealing with the potential scourge.

''The irony of disinformation is that there can be a severe backlash if that is
what it is shown to be – a sophisticated attempt to bluff your way out of
trouble. Open and rapidly communicative economies such as Singapore and Hong
Kong don't even bother to quell the fear factor, and err on the side of
over-reaction.

''On the other hand, Malaysia tends to err on the side of under-reaction. In
previous disease outbreaks, such as the coxsackie and viral encephalitis,
information curtailment can be argued to have worked to stem panic – the
pathogens did not spread too far and wide. But SARS is different.''

In Malaysia, I still believe the health officials have handled the flow of
information reasonably well, despite the initial hiccups, but the reprimand to
the Chinese dailies seems unnecessary.

The criticism and counter arguments between the Chinese dailies and the Health
Ministry are unhealthy. Both sides should get on with the real work of fighting
the health menace.