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?

We have a water crisis, so a Cabinet committee headed by
Deputy  Prime Minister Datuk Seri
Anwar  Ibrahim is formed.

This high-level committee, with  its
clout, is supposedly to end our  problems
at the crack of the whip.

After all, Works Minister Datuk  Seri S.
Samy Vellu and other relevant authorities sit on the panel.

This is in addition to the countless daily meetings that are presumably being
held by the Selangor  Waterworks
Department and Puncak Niaga Sdn Bhd.

Going by the pledges made following the brainstorming sessions  of these bodies, the days of trickling murky
water from our taps are  to end
soon.

After all, Selangor Mentri Besar  Datuk
Abu Hassan Omar has boldly  said that
water rationing would not  go beyond 24
hours from now.

So far, that doesn't seem to be the 
case. In fact, we are now told that 
water cuts will continue.

There seems to be no end to the 
finger-pointing, as blame is being 
shifted from the JBA to the Selangor state government.

The press, meanwhile, continues  to get
more phone calls from the  angry public.
It's easier, after all,  to get through
to the newsroom  than the JBA.

Perhaps another committee  needs to be
formed to study how  the efficiency and
productivity of  the JBA hotline
operators can be  enhanced.

In Sabah, the drought has led to a  food
shortage in certain parts of  the state's
vast rural areas.

And what do we hear? The state  natural
disaster and relief management committee headed by Datuk  Khalil Jamalul, in another tale of  bureaucratic red tape, says it cannot send
food aid to the 200  drought-stricken
families.

Never mind that the rivers have  dried up
and fires have destroyed  nearly 15,000ha
of crops and forest  reserves.

The committee, according to reports, needs to assess the situation  further. In other words, more  meetings and more committees.

Out of desperation, Deputy Chief 
Minister Datuk Joseph Kurup had 
to use his assemblyman's allocation 
to send food and water supplies to 
the desperate families.

Village development and security leaders have been told to “closely monitor
the drought situation.''

Taking away the euphemism, it  simply
means do nothing, just  watch and send
your reports to the  various
committees.

The relevant committees will  then
discuss whether the state's  emergency
funds for food can finally be used.

Kedah Mentri Besar Tan Sri Sanusi Junid, who spends a lot of time  reading up management books, is  fond of telling his friends that Malaysians
spend too much time at  meetings.

The problem with Malaysians, he  says, is
that we love to talk.

“So at the village level, there is  the
Umno, PAS, Youth and mosque  committee
meetings.

“In fact, at functions, there are  even
jawatankuasa cuci mangkuk  and
periuk  a committee to wash  cutlery and crockery,'' he said in  one interview.

Of course, there will be separate 
committees to handle the bunga 
manggar, lion dances and Indian 
music groups.

Along with all these committees 
sub-committees would come politicking and elections for the various
posts.

Yet, foreigners still tell us that  we
are not democratic enough   despite the
year-round elections  for all
posts.

Just flip through the souvenir  programme
when you attend a typical Malaysian function and look at  the long list of committees.

Never mind our obsession with  committees
and meetings if it leads  to better
co-ordination. What can  be better than
to get all those who  call the shots to
sit down over one  or two afternoons and
make quick  decisions.

Excluding the Prime Minister's 
Department, there are 23 ministries with their ministers, deputies,  parliamentary secretaries, political  secretaries and other officials, all  catering for a population of just 20  million people.

The word in the grapevine is  there will
be additional ministries.  This is
besides the various committees headed by the respective state  executive councillors.

Some mentris besar also double  up as
presidents of their municipal  councils
with the councillors under  their charge.
The MBs and chief  ministers also head
the state-level  National Economic Action
Councils.

Everyone knew that the streets  of Kuala
Lumpur were dirty but  our bureaucrats
noticed the problem only after the Prime Minister  complained.

Another high-level committee  was
subsequently formed. With  other more
pressing matters cropping up, there have been fewer  meetings, presumably.

Numerous committees have been  formed to
tackle the sugar shortage, water shortage, flour shortage  and the economic problems.

Imagine the number of meetings  our
elected representatives have to 
attend.

If they have to be present at every sitting of the Dewan Rakyat   as some constituents demand   nothing will get done. The paper  work will just sit in the trays.

Well, at least, we now know that  there
will be more water tankers,  ultrasource
facilities and possibly  pipes linking
the federal capital  and water-rich
Pahang.

According to Samy Vellu, his proposed National Water Council has  received lukewarm response from  the states.

What more can the thirsty consumers ask for? Could the council  be formed and an inaugural meeting held
soon?

It will be good, however, if someone could come up with a solution  to provide just a day of uninterrupted water
supply.

My parents, who have been reluctant to visit me in the city, have  finally agreed to do so.

Will they be pleased when they  see
familiar surroundings in the  federal
capital  what with home grown vegetables,
roaming chickens, washing at the riverside and 
homes with wells.

There is too much at stake. Malaysia needs to maintain
goodwill with its neighbours and keep its standing in the international
community at the same time.

But it cannot be deaf to the sentiments of the majority of Malaysians, who want
to see the immediate deportation of all illegal immigrants.

Public feelings aside, the Malaysian Government is fully aware of the long-term
political, social and economic implications of allowing in uncontrolled large
numbers of foreigners.

Over the past week, there have been allegations of torture by illegal
immigrants who were sent home after rioting at various detention camps.

Some have even claimed that the authorities tried to poison them.

Detention camps, we must accept, can become tense even in the most reasonable
humane conditions.

The camps are not supposed to be five-star hotels and neither can we foolishly
expect detainees to behave like boy scouts.

To complicate matters, some Indonesian illegal immigrants have now claimed
political refugee status.

Others produced documents to the foreign press to show they had working permits
and were being unfairly sent back to Indonesia.

No one asked whether these documents could be forgeries which, as we know, are
easily obtainable.

In this age of speedy information, we should not pretend that these negative
reports, many of which are based on mere allegations, have not been printed and
broadcast.

A lot of such material have appeared and discussed at length in news and chat
groups on the Internet.

The availability of cable news reports also means Malaysians and their
neighbours have access to breaking news.

They have plenty of options now. Regional magazines are freely available while
international newspapers are printed locally, testing the competitiveness of
the local media further.

Another major item for the international media was the temple-mosque dispute in
Penang.

Singapore's Straits Times, for example, kept referring to the dispute as a
clash between Malays and Hindus.

Such misreporting gave the impression that it was a racial problem when it wasn't
but if we do not correct these factual errors, then they will be accepted as
the truth.

Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Abdul Rahim Noor must be commended for his
handling of the media in both cases.

In the case of the riots at the detention camps, he held two conferences to
update the press on the actual number of casualties.

But that did not stop the foreign press from going to town with premature news
items quoting unconfirmed figures, with one report stating that as many as 30
Indonesians were killed.

Fanning rumours, one political party faxed its statements to newspaper offices,
basing its information on hearsay.

In such circumstances, it has become necessary for us to quickly counter
misinformation in all areas of the media.

We have to point out that Malaysians, including the family of the policeman who
was hacked to death by the armed detainees, have human rights, too.

Let's be proactive instead of being defensive and evasive. There's nothing to
hide here. The foreign media must differentiate fact, rumour, hearsay,
speculation and allegation.

Where do we draw the line if we have to succumb to international pressure on
political affiliations for illegal immigrants?

We will see Myanmars on our doorstep claiming to be supporters of Aung San Suu
Kyi or Chinese illegal immigrants saying they are dissidents.

In Penang, the IGP correctly held a press conference, even after midnight, to
provide details of the incident, quashing baseless talk on the grapevine.

A more efficient public relations technique needs to be found in this era of
information technology.

Our bureaucrats have been a flop when it comes to dealing with the press. They
have been unable to cope with the pace of modern media.

The authorities, in their failure to realise the importance of stopping
rumour-mongers from having a field day, have sometimes unwittingly undermined
the credibility of the more responsible local press in the process.

For example, national news agency Bernama decided to verify the actual number
of casualties in the Semenyih detention camp riot before flashing the
information over the wires.

The foreign press, which based their earlier reports on unconfirmed figures,
broke the news ahead of Bernama. This has jeopardised the reliability of
Bernama as it was seen to have been beaten by foreign news agencies in its own
backyard.

In the long run, people would rather depend on foreign agencies than the local
media.

It's time for the authorities to wake up to the powerful impact of modern
information dissemination through computers and other communication
tools.

Last week, one Kedah executive councillor told the state assembly that he was
"monitoring the operations" of cybercafes in Kedah.

More perplexing was his statementthat the state government was aware that
cybercafes were similar to video arcades.

It's obvious the honourable state exco member doesn't know much about computers
and has never stepped into a cybercafe, where teenagers are more interested in
chat groups than anything else.

The Parliament website, for example, was last updated six months ago. Setting
up a website is one thing; it is equally important to make it attractive,
imaginative, interactive and current.

Welcome to the cyber age where information and misinformation is now available
at the click of the mouse.

After scooping pails of water from the pool, they called
up newspaper offices to register their protest. Another city dweller resorted
to bathing at the health club in Rennaisance Hotel because there was no water
in his house for over a week. The less fortunate in many parts of the city had
to turn to fire hydrants and nearby streams.

All these Klang Valley residents
have been left high and dry over the past few weeks. In parts of Wangsamaju,
Cheras and Datuk Kramat, water supply has been disrupted for almost two weeks.

For a capital of a country that is seeking developed nation status, the water
problem has reached crisis level. We shouldn't be scooping water from drains
and streams, yet that is precisely what is happening.

The alternative is to
wait for the mobile water tanks. Malaysians cannot be blamed for not putting their
faith in the authorities. It is sheer incompetence when water tankers arrive in
our neighbourhoods without a proper schedule or a fair system of distribution.
These tankers even turn up at midnight, according to some complaints received
by the press.

Those of us who have had to put up with this situation have found
that water supply was cut without warning. No point trying to contact the
Selangor Waterworks Department. The line is usually engaged or calls go
unanswered;  only silence on the other
end.

According to the Meteorological Services Department, rain has not been
falling in catchment areas. As a result, the volume of water at Langat Dam,
Klang Gates and Tasik Subang Dam has remained low. One possible way out is, of
course, to conduct cloud-seeding over the three dams. Before that can be done,
there must be enough cumulus clouds or rain clouds. Cloud-seeding is also
expensive and not always successful.

This water crisis should make all us sit
up and take stock of the situation. When hills are chopped down, trees
disappear. Even if it rains, water trickles down into streams before reaching
the dam. That is why catchment areas are important. We don't need experts to
tell us that catchment areas must be away from places where the possibility of
pollution is real.

The siting of factories and industries near our rivers is
also cause for concern. Malaysians have a right to question how approvals were
given in the first place. Is it ignorance, poor planning or plain corruption?
The so-called love for the environment by the influential and powerful should
go beyond planting trees in the presence of the media. Going green, for
example, does not mean opening more golf courses. In the Klang Valley, there
are more than 50 of them.

 We need to protect our main range, which is the
source of 90% of Peninsula Malaysia's rivers, to ensure continuous supply of
fresh water for our future. Two years ago, the Malaysian Water Association
predicted that the country would face a major water crisis by 2010 if the Main
Range is not protected. We should not treat our rivers like sewers because they
provide 97% of our raw water supply.

How many of us remember the Love Our
Rivers campaign? After the initial publicity, we have gone back to our filthy
ways. It's time for all states to sit down and come out with a workable
national water policy. Malaysians will not accept any watered-down explanations
from bureaucrats over their failure to provide decent water supply. The thirst
for a good water supply plan has never been greater.

Risking their lives, they have  turned up in rickety boats that  made it through choppy waters,  carrying with them hopes of a better life.

Bringing along their families,  they are
prepared to be caught and  sent back by
the authorities  a  small price to pay, no doubt.

Like all matters which deal with  human
lives, there's always some  degree of
sympathy being evoked  on both
sides.

Some idealistic but naive non government organisations, for example, have
reacted angrily to the  use of the Internal
Security Act  against tekong darat who
bring in  these illegals.

These middlemen are no more  than just
human smugglers, to put  it bluntly,
cashing in on the misery  of these
unfortunate illegal immigrants.

They are not to be treated with  kid's
gloves. We can forget about  getting them
to volunteer information about their activities, especially their link with
corrupt officers.

There is a lot at stake here. Malaysia has to deal sensitively with  its neighbours  at the same time  grapple with the economic crisis   without straining bilateral ties.

Malaysia cannot appear to be  harsh in
dealing with human lives  but it cannot
allow pity to stand in  the way of
national security.

Like Singaporeans, Malaysians  are
worried about the influx of illegal immigrants which could lead to  social and political unrest, if
unchecked.

No country wants to take in thousands of unemployed people from  its neighbours when it has its own  problems to deal with.

The long-term implications,  should they
settle permanently, are 
staggering.

We have already heard about foreigners giving birth in local hospitals,
stretching our overworked  hospital
staff. Their children are  already in our
schools, taxing our  resources
further.

Well aware of the far-reaching 
consequences, Thailand, for example, has announced its decision to  expel one million foreign workers,  mainly from Myanmar.

Singapore, with a population of  three
million people, is worried  that the tiny
island republic would  be swamped
overnight with illegals. It has dealt severely with illegals under the law
which allows  whipping.

NGOs and the foreign media  should admit
that this problem is  not peculiar only
to this region.

In the United States, it has become a daily routine for its officers  to stop Mexicans and others sneaking across
its borders.

We have seen on television how  French
authorities drag African illegal immigrants out of their  homes.

In the United Kingdom, bona fide 
tourists, suspected of wanting to 
overstay, have been deported at the 
drop of a hat by immigration officers at Heathrow airport.

For years, Malaysia provided  shelter to
Vietnamese refugees.  The Vietnamese
problem was less  complicated in the
sense that they  made it clear they had
no interest  to settle here.

The refugees were kept in camps  until
they were relocated to a third  country.
Unfortunately, many  countries of their
choice were not  willing to accept
them.

While many in these countries  were quick
with their criticism  about how the
Vietnamese were being detained, they were less accommodative when it came to
embracing these refugees.

In Malaysia, we see our officers 
distributing nasi bungkus to every 
illegal immigrant who is sent home.

We have been much more tolerant than many countries, particularly over the last
few years during  the boom period.

Desperate for manpower, Malaysian employers readily hire foreigners  with no questions asked  sometimes.

Yes, there are unscrupulous employers who prefer to employ illegals not only
because they are  cheap but also because
they can be  exploited.

Official figures put the number  of
foreign workers, both legal and  illegal,
in Malaysia at about two  million but
Malaysians cannot be  blamed if they
think the number is  higher.

Sabah, for example, has an estimated 400,000 foreigners, mostly  Indonesians and Filipinos, but this  looks like a conservative figure.

It wouldn't be cheap for us to  send back
these illegal immigrants,  who will keep
coming back. Keeping them in detention camps for  long periods is not the answer either.

Our neighbours can help if they  are
ready to send their ships to  take their
people back.

For the Foreign Ministry and the  police,
great diplomatic skill and  sensitivity
are required to manage  this
problem.

Maximum understanding and  goodwill,
without compromising  our national
interests, are needed.

It's a tall order, but Malaysians  must
not forget: in this present economic situation, charity has to begin at
home.

Some of its leaders have decided  to vent
their anger at critics including Fomca, giving the impression  that the MTUC is unable to tolerate  criticism which its unionists freely  dispense almost daily though its  press statements.

A little humility doesn't hurt. The  MTUC
and Cuepacs represent a  large number of
workers, but the  unions should not take
for granted  that they speak on behalf of
all Malaysians.

Neither should the MTUC leadership assume that others, including  the press, have insufficient knowledge of
unionism.

In respond to my comments last  week,
MTUC vice-president Mustafa Hassan issued a two-page  press release which, among other  things, implied that I do not know  anything about unionism.

In his rebuttal, Mustaffa said  unionists
should be decently  dressed as they
attend many international conferences and meetings.

He also explained that MTUC's 
multi-pronged objectives in the 
chicken boycott included encouraging consumers to look for
alternatives.

I thank Mustaffa for taking the  trouble
to give MTUC's point of  view.
Unfortunately, Mustaffa did  not take the
opportunity to explain  why Malaysians
were so unconvinced by the chicken boycott.

He described as “trivial'' the  case of
Selangor MTUC assistant  secretary K.
Somasundram who  was found treating his
daughter to  chicken nuggets at a
Kentucky  Fried Chicken outlet.

It maybe be trivial to the MTUC  but for
many Malaysians it was  symbolic of the
entire boycott   showing lack of support
and confidence.

The intention by MTUC and Cuepacs to raise consumer issues is  commendable. Like unionism, consumerism is
not the monopoly of  consumer
activists.

Instead of calling for boycotts, it 
would be better if unions can come 
up with alternatives. With combined resources, they could perhaps go
into food production for its 
members.

It could also find ways for members to buy chicken or fish at better rates than
those at wet markets.

Both unions could also work with 
co-operatives and organic farms to 
sell their produces direct to members. They could also work with  fish-rearers to beat the price rise.

A factory in Penang, for example, has encouraged its workers to  plant vegetables during their free time. The
result is that at the end of  the month,
they go home with their  wages and free
greens.

With its strong network, both  unions
could encourage factories to  adopt the
same approach.

The days of union rhetoric is  over. The
public and members  want to hear real
alternatives and  solutions.

Before it proceeds with its move  to
boycott fish, it should seriously 
consider whether Malaysian consumers will swallow hook, line and  sinker what it preaches.

There is no doubt that fish is  more
expensive than chicken but it  is still
at a tolerable level if a consumer cooks at home. Fish dishes  at restaurants are exorbitantly  priced, needless to say.

But fish prices vary greatly, depending on locality and outlet (hypermarket or
wet market).

Price comparison, as anyone who  has done
any marketing will tell  you, can be
grossly unfair and incorrect.

At this point, the proposal to boycott fish sounds, well, fishy. On a  scale of one to 10, it looks like both  unions are fishing in troubled waters again.

So, what is their bone of contention?

The MTUC and Cuepacs should  reconsider
their decision to call for  a fresh round
of chicken boycott,  which it said will
be longer and  more systematic.

They have also said that a campaign would be carried out to boycott imported
rice and traders who  cheat consumers and
increase  price indiscriminately.

This time, the unions must make  sure
their officials do not buy fillet o-fish at McDonald's.

The leaders of the country's two largest  unions should have realised that  chicken, or a chicken-based meal,  is not only the cheapest meat but  also a Malaysian favourite. They are either
out of touch with  consumer reality or
have over-estimated their strength. Anyone who has been to our pasar malam or
wet markets recently  would be able to
tell the unions that  beef, fish or
prawns are more expensive than chicken meat. And even before anyone could  cry foul over the boycott, a senior  unionist was caught at a Kentucky  Fried Chicken outlet. Needless to say,
feathers were  ruffled and there were
plenty of  red faces  as red as cock combs. The MTUC has yet to
announce  the fate of Mr K.
Somasundram,  the MTUC assistant
secretary  caught treating his daughter
to a  chicken lunch on the first day
of  the supposed boycott of the meat.
Somasundram, it was reported,  was merely
trying to be a good father. His five-year-old daughter  wanted chicken nuggets, so he  bought some. The only problem was that
Somasundram was also a co-ordinator of 
the campaign. The incident has left him with  more than he can chew, and it will  be difficult for Malaysians to swallow his
explanation. Zainal Rampak, the MTUC president and veteran of many political
parties, was no match for Colonel 
Sanders, as far as the child was 
concerned. Poultry farmers are saying that  the cost of chicken feed is no  “chicken feed.'' Chicken feed used by
Malaysian  farmers are 65% corn and
soya  bean, which make the chickens  grow big. The feed includes palm oil kernel,
tapioca chips and grass  pellets. It's
all very scientific. The  MTUC and Cuepacs
leaders, like  many of us, must have
thought otherwise. The adage that “the early 
bird catches the worm'' does not 
quite hold water these days. Umno Youth chief Datuk Zahid  Hamidi has an apt Bahasa Malaysia description
for the chicken boycott   hangat hangat
tahi ayam (flash  in the pan). Even Fomca
president Prof Hamdan Adnan isn't quite convinced,  saying the campaign should be targeted at
eateries and that consumers should be allowed to buy at the  markets. Hamdan, who was attending a  consumer conference in Penang  last week, told reporters that union  officials were sore with him over  his purported lack of support for  the boycott. Our unions, presumably,
never  thought that their chicken
boycott  would leave a bitter taste in
everyone's mouth. Hamdan, who was supposed to 
share his hotel room with a unionist, said his partner did not show  up. He wasn't sure whether it had  anything to do with the chicken  boycott. Following the failure of the
boycott, the two unions appear to have 
chickened out from further action 
against roti canai sellers and kopi 
tiam operators. They can hardly be blamed. Too  many of our unionists have grown  fat. Comfortable in their bush jackets, no
one can tell them apart from  government
officials and corporate  leaders these
days. Overseas trips and high salaries, 
it seems, have made some lose 
sight of the working and living conditions of the working class. They  have to realise that unionism goes  beyond issuing press statements  and asking for pay increases. Members, for
example, have a  right to know what they
are doing  to cut down expenses and
increase  productivity, Accountability
and transparency  should not be just
buzzwords for  the public and private
sectors but  also the unions. One
unionist, in his quest for publicity and sycophancy, announced  that members were willing to take  a pay cut 
without seeking the endorsement of his members. Needless to say, the
members  were outraged at his statement.
The chicken boycott is another  example
of where our Malaysian  unions have gone
wrong. There is always a need to look at 
issues from all sides. It's no good 
saying let's boycott chicken without considering the consequences  to the industry, including the position of
poultry farm workers. Perhaps the unions can learn  from this experience and be more  mature in their approach. It is all  right to be less gung-ho if their efforts
benefit everyone. If there is any Malaysian who has  found the prices of chicken to be  unbearable, it would have to be  poor Somasundram. For the rest of us, there
was nothing to crow about.

They hold no political position  but wield tremendous political  clout, with an uncanny ability to influence the political direction of a  party and even the country.

The most obvious example is Sonia Gandhi, the 51-year-old widow  of former Indian Prime Minister  Rajiv Gandhi. She's not even running for elections but has become  the central figure in India's polls.

To the Congress Party, she appears to be its only hope of salvaging what's left of the once great  party in the country's fractious  politics.

She's of course not the only contemporary example. There's Hillary Clinton who has come to the defence of her husband, accused of  having an affair with an intern.

Imagine the embarrassing consequences if Hillary had remained on  the sidelines, shunning state functions and refusing to say anything  to defend her husband.

The mere act of being silent and  conspicuously absent from the side  of Clinton would have sent the  world's most powerful politician  limping out of the Oval Room.

You could say this would be a  terrible blow to Clinton who has  been accused of having oral sex in  the White House.

Philippine presidential hopeful  Joseph Estrada who has been accused of liking the three Bs   booze, bimbo and baccarat  is  equally lucky.

Despite being called a political  dumbo by his detractors, his PhD  wife has always come to his defence.

History, of course, is full of such  examples. Argentine's Evita Peron  outshone her husband while Jiang  Qing influenced her husband Mao  Zedong greatly.

The widows of many South Asian  leaders have become leaders in  their own right, taking over positions once held by their husbands.

Nobody in these countries  seemed to mind that their only  proven talent has been making  naan and tandoori chicken. The  family name was enough to send  them into a political frenzy.

Some wives, of course, become  their husband's worst enemies.  Marcos could have possibly clung  on to power if Imelda wasn't so obsessed with shoes.

The Filipinos understandably  kicked up a storm and gave Marcos  the boot finally.

South Africa's Winnie Mandela  didn't help her husband Nelson  Mandela one bit.

In Malaysia, the wives of politicians are an equally powerful lot  although they are much more discreet.

Taking the back seat at political  functions while their husbands enjoy the limelight, women power has  hardly diminished.

The wife of a senior Malaysian  politician, for example, heads a  newspaper and exerts great influence on the party.

Seasoned political writers have  long realised the importance of  spouses, cleverly forging close  links with them.

Recently, a young reporter attempted to contact a Cabinet minister at his house. Each time she  called, she was told that the Datuk  was either meeting some party  members or performing prayers.

With the deadline approaching,  the exasperated reporter finally  approached a political reporter,  telling him of her predicament.

The political reporter told her  not to worry. Picking up the phone,  he called the house and asked for  the Datin instead.

Within minutes, the busy Datuk  was calling the newsroom instead  and offering his assistance.

In fact, some politicians have  been known to send their wives to  meet the wives of their party leaders during general elections, lobbying for seats and posts.

One Datin, whose husband was  left out of an important government post after a general election,  is said to have sought the support  of another Datin.

The two Datins were said to be  close friends, often exchanging  recipes for curry dishes.

No one is quite sure what transpired in the kitchen until today  but something must have brewed  there. A plan must have been  cooked up, you may say.

Soon, the particular Datuk was  appointed to a post which he was  not recommended initially.

Politicians can tell you that the  bedroom and the kitchen can both  be a boon and a bane. You just have  to know what's cooking.

It was not that the firm could not  afford a more decent meal for its  management team but it wanted to  impress upon them the need to be  austere given the uncertainties of  the coming months.

“Chau mai fun is better than  chau yau yee, I suppose,'' one senior manager quipped on seeing  the limited choice.

Chau yau yee or fried cuttle fish  is a Cantonese euphemism for getting the sack.

Although it is less than two  weeks to the Chinese New Year,  companies have cut down on new  year offerings. This includes the  annual practice of sending mandarin oranges.

Most companies have also printed Chinese New Year cum Hari  Raya cards to reduce expenses, encouraging their staff to share their  cards. There are even reports that  there may not be too many Chinese  New Year and Hari Raya open  houses this time.

The Negri Sembilan Gerakan, for  example, has announced that it will  do away with this Malaysian tradition, which is rather sad considering the fact that Malaysians now  celebrate the festivals of all ethnic  groups.

Information Minister Datuk Mohamed Rahmat, too, made a similar  announcement recently, saying he  may not hold a Hari Raya open  house as it will incur a lot of expenditure.

Their intention to reduce spending and help in the recovery of the  economy are certainly laudable but  one cannot help but suspect a  somewhat fastidious  reaction on  their part.

Such open house gatherings encourage the interaction of Malaysians and help strengthen their appreciation of the country's racial  harmony and political stability.

It is also a living showcase to outsiders, who seem to believe that  Malaysia will explode into racial riots simply because consumers are  rushing to buy sugar to beat the  price increase.

What our Malaysian politicians  can do is to hold joint open houses  to reduce expenses. Such functions  can also be moderate in scale.

Rather than drown in the gloom  and doom of the economic situation, Malaysians should ask themselves what they can do for the  country in these trying times.

We must also project our confidence to face the slowdown and  come out as winners instead of  sending the wrong signals to outsiders.

Malaysians must support the  campaign to grow our own vegetables, not that this can resolve our  economic woes much but it is a  symbolic gesture to show our seriousness in wanting to reduce  household expenses and to cut our  food imports.

But the media should not be overzealous in promoting family-run  cottage industries with low technology know-how as fine examples  of Malaysian entrepreneurship.

Self-employment, which generates income and create jobs, are  superb efforts but let us not lose  sight of our target.

There are other better examples  of Malaysian export-oriented  small and medium-sized industries, which we can give prominence.

Just a few months back, Malaysia  had adopted a high-profile campaign, projecting itself as a haven  for hi-tech industries, particularly  its Multimedia Super Corridor.

These projects will go on as they  will enable Malaysia hone its competitive edge and come out on a  sounder footing.

In fact, it has become more necessary to show the world that we  will be able to pull through if we  are disciplined and united, as the  Prime Minister said. A picture of a  confident, positive, well-educated,  hard-working and innovative Malaysian workforce is what we want  the world to see us as.

As the executives strolled out of  the meeting room, after adopting  various strategies, one of them said  he would insist on his staff thinking  positive.

A firm believer in Chinese numerology, the manager said he  would be greeting his friends differently during Chinese New Year.

“I won't greet them with sun leen  fai lok but sun leen fai seong,'' he  said. Sun leen means new year in  Cantonese. Fai lok refers to happiness but, unfortunately, it also  rhymes with plunge  certainly  something no stock market pundits  want to hear.

On the other hand, fai siong  means bliss. It also sounds like  “quick recovery.''

The manager said such greetings  may not help much in bringing the  economy back to its feet but it  would at least emphasise the point  of being positive.

That's not all. He advises his colleagues not to mention low foo or  tiger during the celebrations. What  could be worse than foo, which  sounds like bitter in Cantonese?

“Although the tiger won't be  roaring much this year because of  the downturn, we can at least refer  to the animal as tai mau or big cat.  Big is good,'' he quipped.

Deputy Prime Minister Datuk  Seri Anwar Ibrahim, too, has included positive tones in his Chinese  New Year cards, which use Chinese  calligraphy, to friends and associates.

The Bahasa Malaysia translation  reads: Yang bijaksana tidak keliru.  Yang berakhlak tidak gundah gulana. Yang berani tidak gentar  which means the wise never get  confused, the virtuous are not emotional while the brave do not get shaken.

But all Malaysians, in ushering  the Hari Raya and Chinese New  Year, must believe that while we  are down, we are not out.

The same Malaysia Boleh spirit,  without sounding puffed up, must  prevail in facing the challenges of  the year.