Adding to the sparks, rebel Penang leaders have joined in
the  fray with fingers pointing to the
existence of a Knock Out Kit Siang 
(KOKs) campaign.

Some say KOKS can also stand  for Knock
Out Karpal Singh, the  party's deputy
chairman.

It's a strange campaign. No one  wants to
accept responsibility although it has gone on for years, according to the
party.

No one has been named although  several
people have been quietly 
implicated.

That has not stopped the central 
executive council (CEC) from ordering all state committees to hold  meetings to discuss the KOKS issue.

Feathers have been ruffled as a  result.
The dissidents in Penang,  former state
chief Teoh Teik Huat  and vice-chairman
Gooi Hock Seng,  are as red as a cock's
comb.

At a CEC meeting last week, they  insisted
that Karpal Singh name  names, according
to party sources.

The KOKS issue, however, seems  to be one
topic the DAP leadership  does not mind
talking about as it  seems to have
sidetracked the controversy involving the removal of  the three DAP stalwarts.

But before anyone could make  out what
KOKS is all about, there is  now another
campaign known as  Knock Out Dr Chen
(KODC).

According to national chairman  Dr Chen
Man Hin, certain members want to get rid of him, too.

The doctor who regularly takes  part in
marathons has so far outrun  and
outclassed all his detractors.  Some have
quit, with one defecting  to another
party.

To add to the confusion, Wee and  his
friends have expressed support  for Dr
Chen openly after criticising  the
chairman for insisting they  apologise to
the party for their actions.

Some party leaders said that  such
campaigns were started by  young turks in
the party who had a  hand in the Knock
Out Old Leaders  (KOOLS) campaign in the
last party elections.

According to those implicated in  KOKS,
the same upstarts who  started KOOLS have
suddenly  pledged undying loyalty to the
veterans.

KOOLS or not, staying cool isn't a 
virtue in the opposition party these 
days where magnanimity has become a rare commodity.

Newsmen reporting on the dissension have received angry calls  from party leaders, threatening to  end friendships.

Many DAP leaders seem to have  lost their
sense of humour. That is  understandable,
considering the  pressure they face  and the unwanted publicity in the
media.

It is made worse by the fact that  their
estranged relationship involves party loyalists with over 20  years' experience.

The party is in danger of seeing a 
generation of experienced leaders 
being left out in the cold.

But given the voting trend, especially in urban areas where the  Rocket symbol is chosen rather  than the personalities of candidates, the
current uproar is unlikely to have much impact on the general election.

The dispute will probably drag  on until
the party congress on Aug  22 when
elections are held.

The possibility of secretary-general Lim Kit Siang losing the tussle  seems remote and in all likelihood  most of the rebels will not win a  CEC seat.

The dissidents will have to convince the party grassroots that  their presence will provide check  and balance.

The ruckus in the party has also 
provided an avenue for some has beens to make a comeback  by 
pledging support for the leadership 
which they had abandoned at some 
point.

One state leader, who went on  holiday in
a neighbouring country  during the 1995
general election to  avoid campaigning,
has proclaimed  himself a dedicated
leader now.

A Youth leader who had called  for
reforms a few years back, insinuating that veteran leaders  should be ousted, is singing a different
tune.

As they say in politics, there are  no
permanent friends or permanent enemies.

For the DAP, it is time to stop behaving like fighting cocks in order  to fend off charges of No Action  Talk Only during the runup to the  general election.

In the run-up to this year's Umno  general assembly, the foreign media had
stated boldly in their stories that Datuk Seri Dr Mahathir  Mohamad should step down.

There appears to be a concerted  effort
by the foreign media. The  Asian Wall
Street Journal, in its  June 12 edition,
made the strongest  attack against the
Prime Minister.

Dr Mahathir, it claimed, “is psychologically incapable of making  the adjustments necessary to chart  a recovery.''

The Prime Minister, it said, “can  best
serve Malaysia and secure his  legacy by
announcing immediately  his intention to
retire in the near  future. Dr Mahathir
should resist  the classic delusion of
indispensability that afflicts so many presidents and premiers, the urge
to  stay on indefinitely.''

Amid calls by Umno Youth leaders for party reforms, these foreign
correspondents had interpreted it to mean that the battle lines  were drawn and that the time was  ripe for the final push.

First, Suharto in Indonesia, now  Dr
Mahathir in Malaysia. After all,  what
can be more gleeful than to  see the fall
of Asia's most outspoken leader against Western neo-colonialism.

As the drum beat against nepotism, cronyism and collusion became louder, the
Western press  took it as a signal that
the Umno  grassroots would take a
strong  stand against Dr Mahathir at
the  assembly.

They were wrong. Their expectations fell flat. They struggled in exasperation
to “jazz up'' their stories  to make
their copies more sensational.

A low-key speech by Dr Mahathir  was
reported around the globe as 
“anti-Western lashing'' and “Western attacks.''

All the foreign reports were padded with references to the May 13  riots. After nearly 30 years, they  still refuse to let it rest.

There are a few pointers these  foreign
correspondents can pick up  after the
Umno general assembly.

For a start, the ability to speak  and
understand Bahasa Malaysia  and a better
appreciation of the  Malay culture will
help them gain  an insight into the
spirit of Umno.

The “Malayness'' in Umno is evident, with its large rural membership. The
washing of dirty linen in  public or
membuka pekung didada  would be met with
much disapproval.

As in every Umno general assembly, the speeches are laced with  pantun and syair  tools widely 
used by delegates to put forth their 
views and criticisms to the leadership.

While pantun is effectively used  to deal
with sensitive and delicate  issues,
syair, if presented well, can  tug at the
heartstrings of the most 
obstinate.

Such presentation would bring  laughter
from the audience, breaking the monotony of the proceedings. Foreign
correspondents who  expected tension were
perplexed at  the gaiety.

This subtle style of criticism,  which
even those among the younger generation may not understand, has survived the years.

An appreciation of such subtlety  and a
better understanding of  Umno politics
would have made the  foreign newsmen
realise why the  call against cronyism,
nepotism  and collusion was met with so
much  resistance.

These issues are not alien to  Umno
members but the way they  were
highlighted goes against  Umno
culture.

Kronisme, nepotisme, reformasi  are
borrowed (Indonesian) words  and hardly
used in the Bahasa Malaysia vocabulary. The fact that  they were widely used during the  recent political turmoil in Indonesia sent
wrong signals to the Umno 
leadership.

Amid debate on these issues,  Wanita Umno
chief Datuk Dr Zaharah Sulaiman pointed out that  Umno members should not forget  the term hipokrit.

It will be difficult for those who  press
for reformation in Umno to  live up to
their ideals if they have  also gained
greatly from their political connections.

However, the Western press misread the sentiments of Umno members.

Following the resignation of Suharto, they began drawing parallels  between Malaysia and Indonesia  but ignored the many differences  between the two countries. The political,
economic and population  make-up of
Malaysia and Indonesia  are poles
apart.

Besides the bank credit squeeze  and low
share prices, there is no astronomical price rise in Malaysian  consumer items.

There has been some misforgivings against the leadership for the  economic crunch but none of the  “clenched fist'' resentment which  can generate into hatred.

As the Malay adage goes, tak  kenal maka
tak cinta. Perhaps the  foreign media
should get to know  us better
first.

At one point, there was speculation that the Universiti
Malaya history graduate, with first-class honours, might make a political
comeback. That seems remote now. His image has been dented, made worse  by his bad English.

Another politician, Datuk
Musa  Aman, was placed on good behaviour
bond by the magistrate's court  for
breach of Australian currency  laws in
April. Musa, the Sabah Foundation director, is also Sabah Umno treasurer.

Last
week, another Malaysian  politician got
into trouble. The  Member of Parliament
was threatened with a suit by a Perth casino 
over a gambling debt of A$2mil. The debt was incurred over a  five-day period in December 1994  and January 1995 while the politician was a
licensed junket operator.

The amount was small, of course,  going
by Malaysian standards at a  time when it
was thought the good  times would roll on
forever.

But from documents made available, it seems that the MP found  himself caught in this financial  predicament because his cash flow  has been seriously affected by the  economic downturn.

The press has been trying to  reach him,
even hounding his party  boss for
comments when they  failed to contact
him.

Australian newspapers, usually  sparing a
single column in their  dailies for minor
Malaysian politicians, have gleefully played up 
such stories.

Barely 24 hours after the news  broke,
the casino said the MP had  agreed to
settle the debt, and that a 
“significant down payment'' had 
been made. The man has agreed to 
pay the balance in one lump sum 
within a stipulated time.

This case is a civil matter between the casino and the politician.

Being a non-Muslim, there's  nothing to
stop him from throwing  a wager, big or
small. The casino's  debt collector,
impressively calling  itself the Asean
Protection Services, has cleverly used the press  to recover the money.

There is no criminal element involved here. But there is, of course,  the question of morality and
transparency.

And politicians are the most susceptible, being the loudest preacher of the two
issues.

For the press, there's certainly a 
story  what more a member of  parliament and a senior leader of a  party, too.

And like all political scandals,  minor
or otherwise, there's always  a yarn and
a joke these days.

There is this one about how a  jury
reached a verdict in a trial involving a politician who contravened currency
laws.

As the jury deliberated over the  case,
an elderly woman asked:  “What's the
case really about? After a week's hearing, I am still lost  and confused.''

A young man offered his assistance, saying it was a simple case  about a “big shot'' who brought into  Australia a lot of money but just  didn't tell the authorities.

The woman, whose families were  among the
early British settlers to  Australia,
replied: “Is that all? Why  are we
wasting our time, we should  just free
him, ain't we all convicts  before,
too?''

Then there is the one about another politician who was travelling  in a group to Canberra from Kuala  Lumpur.

He was given a disembarkation  form to
fill when the flight took off.  The
politician, known for his poor  grasp of
English, started filling the  form when
the plane touched down  in the Australian
capital.

He struggled with the details,  and his
colleagues who were leaving the plane asked in great annoyance why he had not
filled the form  earlier.

“But the form says clearly fill in 
capital,'' the exasperated politician 
replied.

Bad English got the same politician all tangled up another time. He  wanted to place a call to Australia  but didn't know the time difference.

So he dialled 108 for the international operator. The busy operator  told him: “Just a minute, sir.''

The politician then directed the 
operator: “In that case, I will call 
Australia now.''

All the reported inconveniences  which
our Malaysian politicians  have to put up
with are unlikely to  deter them from
visiting the place.

By the admission of one politician, Australia is a great place. The  weather is nice, the people are  easy-going and it's certainly a good  place to invest.

Still, they ought to realise that it  is
not the politically-correct thing  to do
at this time.

Malaysians, who have been told  to do
everything local, are unlikely  to be
forgiving nor amused when  they read
about high-flying politicians getting into all kinds of trouble.

The word now, of course, is when 
politicians travel Down Under, 
there is the fear of going down and 
under politically after that.

For many Malaysian men with  erectile dysfunction, it is, of  course, no laughing matter.

Like their brethren elsewhere  with
similar problems, they are  toasting over
the invention of the  remedy.

Aptly called wai kor  (great  brother) in Cantonese, Viagra has  been hailed by men all over the  world as the best invention this  century.

They can hardly be blamed for  their
frenziness. After all, they  have read
about the 70-year-old  American who
dumped his 61-year old lover after just two days on the  drug.

Revitalised and recharged, he  must have
decided to walk away in  search of
someone more exciting,  probably to make
up for his years  of deprivation.

Even former US presidential candidate Bob Dole admitted having  tried the drug after winning his  battle against prostate cancer.

In a recent television interview,  Dole
said “I wish I'd bought stock 
earlier.''

One newspaper reported that 60 
Malaysians had tested the drug and 
42 of the volunteers swore it was 
effective.

The 60, the report added, had taken part in clinical tests last year  when the manufacturer of the drug  was conducting tests in several  South-East Asian countries.

The uncomfirmed report, however, did not say who had testified to  the effectiveness of the drug  the 
men or their partners.

Another report said the little blue 
tablet was now available under the 
counter in Kelantan, especially 
along the border towns of Rantau 
Panjang and Pengkalan Kubor.

But there is reason to believe  that
these tablets are fakes, probably manufactured by small-town  quacks.

The Viagra pill, which is seemingly “safe'' 
with side-effects  ranging from a
headache to a  flushed face and “blue
vision'' purportedly caused by overuse 
is  being sold at between US$7
and  US$10.

Only the United States and Brazil  have
registered the drug, developed by the New York drug giant  Pfizer Inc.

Asked whether these pills had  been
smuggled into Malaysia,  Health Minister
Datuk Chua Jui  Meng said no official
report had  been received on the
matter.

“I have not set eyes yet on one  single
Viagra tablet although I've  heard so
much about it,'' he said.

The ministry is, in fact, investigating reports that the drug or its  imitation is being sold at between  RM30 and RM300 a pill.

Judging by the response from the  public,
news reports on the drug  certainly sell
newspapers.

For many Egyptian newspapers,  Viagra is
front-page material. Although banned in Egypt, the drug is  said to be easily available in Cairo.

It's the same in Malaysia. A colleague who wrote a satirical piece  on Viagra was swamped with calls  from desperate Malaysians who  wanted further information.

The drug has spawned many  jokes.

“Biar mati anak, jangan mati pucuk,'' said a Malay friend, playing  on the saying biar mati anak, jangan mati
adat.

Another joke tells of a Malaysian  who
was taking his first Viagra. In  his
haste, the excited chap found  the pill
stuck in his throat and immediately consulted his doctor.

The general practitoner, who did  not
even take a second look at his  patient, advised:
“Take lots of water, don't eat oily food, you just  have a stiff neck.''

Then there's the one about a  group of
pensioners who sat down  to grumble about
the country's economic woes and the water crisis.  Soon, Viagra became the topic of  conversation.

“My life is already hard enough.  I
don't need a Viagra,'' one of them  was
prompted to say.

Of sobre concern now is the  availability
of drug in Malaysia.  According to
industry sources, it  should be on sale
by the year's end.

There is no doubt that Viagra will  be a
gold mine for Pfizer. Its local  managing
director Razmi Rahmat  said he had lost
count on enquiries  received.

But no one is ready to say how  much
Malaysians would have to  fork out for
the drug, prompting  Chua to say “we would
rather have  no Viagra than to be
subjected to  (price)
exploitation.''

Urging Pfizer to be sensitive on 
pricing, he said the drug must be 
made affordable “because we are 
in an economic crisis.''

Malaysians who have been suffering from impotency for years  are unlikely to be as calm and rational as
Chua.

As the saying goes, man cannot  live on
bread and water alone. Economic crisis or not, certain things  must go on in life.

But Malaysians should not fuss  too much
over Viagra. We have had  tongkat ali for
years, and those who  have tried it say
it works.

It's still a Malaysian secret simply because we are not so good at  international marketing and promotions.
Perhaps Malaysians  should stick to
buying local products which can stand up to the test.

By then, the Malaysian officials and businessmen had
decided to sing the national anthem themselves.

The fiasco did not end there. As the Prime Minister spoke, a computer graphic
of Indonesia with its red-and-white flag appeared as backdrop.

After eight summits of the Group of 15, there is no doubt that the South is
still very much strangers to each other.

The G15 comprises Algeria, Egypt, Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal, Zimbabwe, Argentina,
Brazil, Chile, Jamaica, Mexico, Peru, Venezuela, Malaysia, Indonesia, India and
Sri Lanka.

Government officials and businessmen may know Malaysia intimately but many
ordinary Egyptians still had problems pin-pointing our geographical location.
This, despite the fact that there are over 3,500 Malaysian students in Egypt,
mostly at the Al Azhar University in Cairo.

The Egyptian man-in-the-street who is aware of Malaysia is often surprised when
told that it has a multi-racial and multi-religious society.

For some Egyptians, the only contact they have of Malaysia are the students at
Al Azhar.

“You mean you have Buddhists and Christians in Malaysia?'' an Egyptian taxi
driver asked.

Taxi drivers may not be the best indicator of Egyptian perception but they are
the first contact for visitors.

In Khartoum, at the Chinese-built Friendship Hall, Chinese songs were played as
background music during the banquent for Dr Mahathir.

“We thought Malaysians would be more familiar with Chinese tunes. China is
near to Malaysia, after all. It's the closest thing we have on Asia,'' a
Sudanese official explained.

The next evening, during a dinner hosted by Sudanese businessmen for Dr
Mahathir at the same venue, seven Sudanese musicians entertained the crowd by
playing the pipa, guzheng and other instruments.

Welcome President Mahathir, some of the billboards in downtown Khartoum
errorneously read.

But no one can fault the Sudanese for not doing their best. They rolled out the
red carpet, and their hospitality was the best ever, agreed Malaysian officials
and journalists who often travelled with Dr Mahathir on overseas trips.

Protocol officers waited at Khartoum airport for the Malaysian journalists who
arrived at 4am, and ushered them to the VIP lounge where hot coffee was served
as their passports were stamped.

The incidents in Egypt and Sudan reinforce further the need for South-South
cooperation. Developing countries still have little knowledge of their
potential and how much they can gain from each other.

Many continue to rely on traditional trading partners  mostly in the West.

In 1995, 10 member countries of the G15 were among the top 50 leading exporters
and importers in world mechanise trade.

Collectively, member countries accounted for US$365.3bil or 10% of world
mechanise exports and US$372.6bil of imports.

G15 trade with the rest of the world has also showed strong growth. Between
1990 and 1995, exports grew by 68% which was 15% more than the world average,
according to a report.

Yet, trade exchange between member countries stood at 9% in 1990  a shocking fact which many G15 members did
not realise until revealed.

The problem is that developing countries are often perceived as suppliers of
raw materials to industrialised nations.

It is a myth which many developing countries themselves have accepted, mostly
due to ignorance, lack of information and bad publicity by Western news
agencies, which newspapers in the South rely on for international news.

So, it is an eye-opener for most businessmen from G15 nations whenever the parallel
business forum and exhibition are held.

Contacts are made, networking forged and deals are sealed. As many of these
businessmen travel to G15 meetings with their heads of government, their
credibility is strengthened.

The Malaysian-initiated bilateral payments arrangements with central banks
ensuring a proper system of payment between businessmen has seen trade
soared.

For Malaysia, trade with Latin American countries, for example, has increased
by 300%.

Many Egyptians and Sudanese are beginning to realise that besides palm oil,
Malaysia manufactures electronic goods.

The market is vast when we take into account the fact that G15 countries make
up 30% of the world's population.

In Cairo, Dr Mahathir opened the showroom for Perodua, which has been selling
like hot cakes  the first shipment was
sold out within a week.

While in a taxi in Cairo, the driver showed me three faded photographs taken in
London.

“See this? My girlfriend. Very pretty, ah? London very nice,'' he said, and
then switched countries.

“I know Malaysia. Very nice people. Very good. Tell me, where is Malaysia?
North, south, east, west? What countries next to Malaysia?''

Traffic lights in Cairo appear to be  merely for decoration, and the use of  horn seems compulsory.

Almost all vehicles, especially the 
city's 74,000 taxis, look like they 
should be in a junkyard but their 
brakes work perfectly.

Motorists don't believe in air-conditioning, which means if you are a car  salesman here you won't be able to  depend on selling optional accessories.

Despite the scorching sun, which  reached
41C over the past week, no  one seems to
be complaining  except  Malaysians.

Grim-faced senior aides of Prime 
Minister Datuk Seri Dr Mahathir Mohamad travelling in one van had
to  remove their jackets each time
they  got into the vehicle.

Taxi drivers, often with one hand on  the
wheel and a cigarette in the other,  do
not seem to be affected by the  city's
polluted air.

And Cairo's motorists often disregard the one-way-street sign; a one way street
can suddenly become two way.

If you're a visitor and driving, never assume an Egyptian is turning  right as indicated  it's possible he is  turning left.

The highway code is presumably  not
compulsory for driving tests, if  the
road manners of the drivers are  anything
to go by.

The locals are a vocal lot and are  often
engaged in shouting matches  with the
traffic police.

Taxis come to a screeching halt  wherever
they like. My driver, Mohamed, reassured me it was all right  to stop on a bridge during peak hours  for a shot of River Nile.

“Don't worry. You can do anything  you
want in Cairo. No traffic rules,''  he
smiled as he fidgeted with my camera.

Despite the chaotic traffic system, I  am
told there are hardly any fights  between
motorists.

Neither do they quarrel in the middle of the road over a minor accident.  Just drive off and pay for your own  repairs.

Taxi drivers were surprised to hear 
about Malaysian road bullies. They 
don't carry hockey sticks in their vehicles, only cassette tapes of the
latest  belly-dancing pop songs.

Parking in Cairo is another headache. There is no multi-storey parking.

With 1.6 million private cars in the 
city, it's not surprising that there is a  shortage of parking lots. Nobody  seems to have an answer to the problem.

Street urchins eke out a living demanding money from taxi drivers who  park near shopping areas. In most  cases, the passengers are asked to pay  the children.

Some of these children sell newspapers and bread at road junctions. Others wipe
the dusty windscreens of taxis and cars for a “small fee.''

If you choose to catch a bus, you'd  have
to be agile. Most of the city's  7,500
buses do not stop long enough  for
passengers to get on board safely.

Another road sign that is a mere 
decoration is the zebra crossing. You 
can wait all you want, no motorist will 
stop for pedestrians. You have to 
sprint across.

Bad driving is not just confined to  the
city. During a trip out of town, the 
taxi driver told me I wouldn't have 
problems enjoying the countryside.

He said the trip would be smooth  because
of the freeways.

The “freeways'' turned out to be  dusty
roads, and we had to stop several times while donkeys, sheep and  camels crossed the road.

Taxi driver Mohamed wanted to  know if
one could drive from Kuala  Lumpur to
Singapore.

“Do you have such roads in Malaysia? Can you drive to Singapore? Is it  far?'' asked Mohamed, whose only excursion
out of Egypt was a trip to Saudi Arabia.

He would probably knock himself  out if
ever he gets to drive in Malaysia.

For first-time Malaysian visitors to  Egypt,
my advice is don't “just walk  like an
Egyptian''  you may have to  drive like one to get around Cairo.

“We used to have at least 30 customers. Now, I am lucky
if I get 10  tourists walking into my
shop,'' he  lamented.

A gloom has settled over Egypt  which
earns over US$3bil a year  from
tourism.

Like Malaysia, Egypt suffers bad  press
from the Western media.

Tourist guides and taxi drivers  called
the incident “an accident''  but jobs
have been lost as Egypt  struggles to woo
back tourists.

The Egyptian Government has  stepped up
security around tourist  spots and hotels
in response to the  pledge by the
determined and well organised guerilla groups to keep  foreigners away.

In downtown Cairo, security  forces guard
the museum where  two members of an armed
group  killed nine German tourists in a  bus attack last September.

But the Western press is not to be 
blamed entirely. For decades, government intervention led to
artificially sustained supply of good 
news. The result was loss of credibility.

Exaggerated and misleading  news by the
Western press on  Egypt was swallowed by
the locals.

When the Egyptian press became  freer a
few years back, there was a  sudden rush
to meet pent-up demand for bad news.

The sad part, according to local 
journalists, is that a surprising 
amount of decent good news never 
reaches the public.

The media has pointed their fingers at the government, saying that  public relations exercises have not  been cleverly carried out.

For example, tourists all over the  world
are told to watch out for  traders and
taxi drivers who fleece  their customers
while hotel employees are said to be notorious in  asking for tips.

Egypt has its positive side but  has
failed to exploit it. The world  hardly
knows that it has a very low  crime rate
for a big city.

Such news items never see print  because
the police do not release  crime
statistics.

Known for its perpetual smog,  Egypt has
ordered the use of only  lead-free petrol
but it has strangely  chosen to do so
with almost monastic secrecy, as one reporter described it.

Another news item which has not  been
publicised to the world is the  building
of Egypt's metro railway  line by digging
under the River  Nile. A small feat,
perhaps, but certainly a good story.

For the first time, Egypt is a  creditor
nation with reserves of  US$20.05bil. Its
budget deficit has  shrunk from 24% to
1.5%, making  it a nation to watch
economically.

There's an important lesson for  Malaysia
here. The budget cut on  our government
machinery should  not affect the workings
of our information officers in foreign missions.

They have to cultivate good relations with the foreign media. Regular meetings,
lunches and friendship all takes time and, of course,  money.

Journalists want to be kept in  touch
constantly and not called up  only when
they are needed.

Malaysia needs the support of  the
foreign media. When they print  a
misleading news item, we should  insist
that our side of the story be  printed
with equal prominence.

Take the case of the impression  that the
haze has clouded the Malaysian sky.

By now, we should have informed the media from Commonwealth countries that the
haze is  merely confined to Miri  and that 
Kuala Lumpur is far away.

With most countries depending  on Western
news agencies for their  foreign news, we
cannot afford  such negative
impressions.

An update on Malaysia, including  the
run-up to the Commonwealth  Games, must
be despatched to give  the true
picture.

Let's not be fooled by all the talk 
about some runners staying away 
from long-distance events purportedly because of the haze. Fact is,  none of them stand a chance  against the African runners, especially those
from Kenya. That's the  clearer picture.

Complaints of the bus companies  serving only profitable routes are  growing.

MP for Senai Datuk Lim Si Cheng  cited
the case of a bus commuter  from
Damansara Utama taking  more than two
hours to reach Puduraya.

“He had to wait a long time for  the
bus. The trip to the city centre  took
about the same time as the  journey to
Johor Baru, where the  commuter wanted to
go,'' Lim told  the Dewan Rakyat last
week.

Among the many commuters who  called or
wrote in to The Star were  Jill Ling of
Taman Megah in Petaling Jaya and her seven friends.

“The economic downturn has  been tough
on wage-earners, but  over the past three
weeks our quality of life has been going downhill  because of the bus service.

“Through no fault of ours, we  have had
to wake up earlier to get  to work and it
takes longer to return home.

“What used to be a 45-minute  journey
now takes almost two  hours,'' wrote
Ling, who takes the  No.28 Intrakota bus
to work.

Noting the hours of unproductivity spent waiting for a bus, she  fears the consequences of turning  up late for work.

Ling and friends had erroneously 
addressed a copy of the letter to 
the Transport Ministry. It is not the 
Transport Ministry but the Entrepreneur Development Ministry  that is responsible for the issuing  of permits to bus and taxi operators.

The purview of the Commercial  Vehicles
Licensing Board comes  under minister
Datuk Mustapa Mohamed, and the board has the power to issue or revoke the
licenses of  bus and taxi
operators.

Mustapa is aware of the grouses  of city
folk and has issued several  warnings to the
two bus companies.

Fed up with bearing the brunt of  public
anger, Intrakota complained  that it has
been losing RM2.5mil a  month.

At one point, its managing director Mohyee Wardy pointed out that  Intrakota was not a welfare body.

Commuters cannot deny that the  concept
of bringing in Intrakota  was a good
move. Its air-conditioned buses and well-dressed drivers  made travelling more pleasant.

But it has some short-comings, 
especially frequency. Its big buses 
can take 100 passengers each compared to 30 for a mini-bus  but the 
mini-buses had better frequency.

Still, companies which have taken over public service-oriented  jobs must be prepared for criticism  from the people.

Privatisation was introduced to  improve
efficiency but if these  companies cannot
perform, then  they are not offering
better service.

>From the outset, they should accept the fact that profitability is  not always possible in some areas.

Cross-subsidy will have to be  part of
the package, as in the case  of
developers who reluctantly build 
low-cost houses.

For Intrakota, it means it cannot  refuse
to service routes which it  perceives as
less profitable. Its duties are crucial because it services  the nation's capital.

Although there are two other bus 
companies in the Klang Valley, Intrakota and Park May have bigger  stakes.

These bus operators cannot claim  that
they were not given enough  time to
prepare for the phasing out  of
mini-buses.

One way out of this rot is competition. If necessary, more bus permits should
be given out.

At the same time, enforcement  has to be
stepped up. Laws and  warnings come to
nought if they  are merely for
decoration.

The light rail transport is part of  the
city's plan to improve public 
transportation but with the economic slowdown, there are fears  that the project may be delayed.

The fastest and cheapest option  at this
point is bus transportation.

With thousands of local and foreign tourists converging on Kuala  Lumpur for the Commonwealth  Games, the last impression we  want to give is bad service.

All companies, big or small, must  learn
to be efficient  and remember that they
exist because of the  customer.

The king of the road should not  be the
big business which controls  the city
buses but Joe Rakyat who  pays for the
service.

Until a few years back, there was no such thing as
education insurance, where early planning could be made.

For most parents, the rejection of a university application means having to set
aside a huge sum of money for their children to pursue a degree through
twinning programmes at local colleges.

They understand and accept the fact that there are only so many places in local
universities.

Wealthier parents have the option of sending their children overseas. For
wage-earners, an overseas education for their children is a last choice because
it means using their savings and, in many cases, mortgaging their homes.

Many of us who went through secondary and tertiary education remember filling
up endless applications for scholarship which we knew we had little hopes of
securing.

We accepted the fact that scholarships should go to those with a string of
distinctions or those with an unfortunate background.

The children of a fisherman in a backward village may have an average
scholastic achievement but if given the right opportunity and facilities could
perform brilliantly.

Similarly, the child of a factory worker who earns less than RM1,000 a month
deserves a shot at getting a scholarship.

The rules of the game must be clear. There must also be a level playing
field.

In this context, Malaysians are unlikely to accept the statement by Deputy
Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Nazri Abdul Aziz in the Dewan
Rakyat last week.

He had said that students from middle and high-income families were also
considered when scholarships were given out by the Public Services
Department.

"Just because someone is a child of a minister or deputy minister, we
can't say he shouldn't get a scholarship."

Nazri went on to say that "we cannot penalise a student just because his
father is an MP or minister."

The furore began following a debate on allocations under the Supplementary
Supply Bill for RM30mil meant as additional scholarship for Malaysian students
abroad.

Barisan Backbenchers Club president Ruhanie Ahmad, who took part in the debate,
had unwittingly admitted that his child received a scholarship.

He had complained that his child, a PSD-sponsored student undergoing a
matriculation course, was among those affected by the decision to stop sending
students abroad.

Except for a handful of (full-time) MPs, most are professionals and businessmen
who do not depend on their allowances for a living. Their allowances mainly
goes to paying off the rentals of their constituency service centres and
administrative help.

A large chunk also goes to donations and even contributions to weddings of
constituents.

Some MPs had to resign from the civil service to join politics. Because they
were formerly top-grade officers, they now find themselves in a less
financially-secure position.

Unless they get appointed as directors to a few companies, their MP allowance
is unlikely to be sufficient.

But ministers and their deputies are in a different category. They enjoy better
perks and get allowances for a range of needs, from housing to domestic
help.

Certainly their allowances, if added up, would be more than the average wage of
a Malaysian.

Politics, as Nazri or Ruhanie is well aware, is all about perception. When the
child of an MP gets a scholarship, the public will conclude that the MP had
used his clout to secure the scholarship, even if he did not.

A large section of our society would also cynically dismiss claims by
politicians that their sole desire to enter politics is to serve society.

When Malaysians read about the rampant practice of money politics, they are
less willing to accept statements by our politicians on face value.

It will be difficult for a child to convince his college peers that his Datuk
father – a minister, a deputy or MP, with his BMW and posh house – needs a
scholarship.

If a well-heeled politician says he cannot afford to pay for his child's
education, then he should reflect on the position of a struggling
wage-earner.

It will be more honourable for the elite who are politically well-connected to
opt for study loans, rather than scholarships, for their children.

For those of us who graduated because of our "Fa-Ma" scholarships,
there was one thing we learnt: respect for our hard-working parents.

And respect, as we all know, needs to be earned and not demanded

Once the election is over, the  whole pattern repeats itself. More  new parties and more defections.

Sabah, regarded as the wild east  of
Malaysian politics, is not for the 
idealistic and faint-hearted.

Politics in Sabah is about raw  power.
There is no such thing as  political
allegiance. Nothing is impossible.

Next to the drought and food  problems,
which have hit parts of  Sabah, election
fever seems to have  caught the attention
of Sabahans  most.

The scramble for power has  started
because Chief Minister Datuk Yong Teck Lee ends his tenure  on May 28 
slightly more than a  month
away.

There has been no announcement  so far as
to who will succeed Yong  but the general
acceptance is that  it will be either
Datuk Joseph  Kurup, who heads the Parti
Bersatu Rakyat Sabah, or Tan Sri Bernard Dompok, the Parti Demokratik Sabah
president.

It is now the turn of the Kadazans  to
take over the helm of the state 
administration under its unique 
sharing of power among the three 
main communities.

After the 1994 state polls, the  chief
minister's post was held by  Tan Sri
Sakaran Dandai, who later  became the
Yang Dipertua Negeri.

Datuk Salleh Said Keruak then  took over
the helm to represent the  bumiputra,
followed by Yong for  the Chinese
community in 1996.

Going by convention, Kurup is  likely to
succeed Yong as he is also  a deputy
chief minister.

Cynics said Kurup is favoured  among the
Barisan component parties because he is the weakest of  the two, saying his party had only  two representatives  Kurup and 
Datuk Adib Sigoh, who defected 
from Umno recently.

For Kurup, the state assemblyman for Sook, he will have to look  for a new seat if polls are called  tomorrow because under the new  electoral boundaries, the Sook seat  has disappeared.

Dompok, who was regarded as  hawkish
while in PBS, is seen to  have more
political clout with 17  state
assemblymen.

It goes without saying that  Kurup,
should he step into Yong's  seat, can
expect himself to be  strongly tested and
challenged in  his decision-making.

Those who predict a snap polls  have
argued that a Kadazan chief  minister
will only materialise after  the
elections.

The only man who can give the 
go-ahead  Datuk Seri Dr Mahathir
Mohamad  hasn't given a  single clue.

In fact, those who know the  Prime
Minister can testify to his  dislike for
unnecessary politicking.

More so, at this juncture, when  all
resources have to be channelled  towards
the economic recovery.

A state election at this point will  mean
the use of money. And in Sabah, it means big money.

Although the state election is not  due
until March next year, Sabah  politicians
are not letting anyone  put a damper on
their belief that  elections are just
around the corner.

Even if the Barisan Nasional has  to
serve the full term, it's only  about a
year from now before polls  have to be
held.

Excitement has mounted with  former Chief
Minister Datuk Harris Salleh announcing his little known Parti Bersekutu.

In the 1990 state polls, Harris attempted to set up Parti Angkatan  Demokratik Liberal (Adil) but  failed.

The season for defections, meanwhile, has started. Former Parti  Bersatu Sabah (PBS) leader Datuk  Mark Koding, who left to form the  Akar Bersatu, is back in PBS.

So is Datuk Dr Jeffrey Kitingan,  who
left PBS to join Akar after the  1994
state polls. Former state Gerakan chief Datuk Kong Hong Ming  has returned to PBS.

New newspapers have, meanwhile, hit the streets of Sabah. Berita Sabah, said to
be linked to Dr  Jeffrey, appeared about
a year ago,  carrying mainly pro-PBS
news  items.

The New Sabah Times, an English broadsheet, started publication recently. The
previous Sabah  Times strongly backed
Yong's Sabah Progressive Party during the 
1994 polls.

An evening newspaper, Corridor,  has
announced that it plans to come  out by
the year's end.

When Sabah politicians go on  their
ceramah rounds, they have to  constantly
remind themselves what  parties they are
currently with.

Every promise and pledge made  will be in
the name of the rakyat,  but what could
be more embarrassing than a confused politician who  contradicts himself?