The then Prime Minister cited as examples, the Botanical
Garden and Gurney Drive that had not been well maintained.

He said Kuala Lumpur and Petaling Jaya, in comparison, had become much
cleaner.

Dr Mahathir made the statement after Local Government director-general Lim
Cheng Tatt said that cleanliness and maintenance in the island had deteriorated
in the past few years, so much that it had become the dirtiest place in the
country.

Penang's problems, Dr Mahathir, said, were caused by politicking.

In his usual cynical self, he quipped: "In Kuala Lumpur, we do not have to
worry about winning elections and so we place our emphasis on cleanliness and
beautification."

Chief Minister Dr Koh Tsu Koon (now Tan Sri) responded immediately, warning
that heavy penalties would be introduced if the people continued to be indifferent
and that the authorities would be very stringent against litterbugs.

Tough words but after more than a decade, nothing has changed. The same
unhappiness is being heard, the same rhetoric made to the media and almost the
same statements are being reported in the press.

The same state politicians, who had responded then, have remained oblivious to
the promises they made.

There are now younger state leaders and reporters, some of whom were still in
school and too young to remember Dr Mahathir's grouse.

And now fast forward to 2005 – on Sunday, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah
Ahmad Badawi advised Penangites to keep the state clean.

Unlike Dr Mahathir, who had a sterner tone, the more diplomatic Abdullah asked
the people not to blame the state government for its sad state of
affairs.

The truth of the matter is that there has not been any significant improvement
after a decade, which is certainly long enough for any work and enforcement to
be carried out.

Penangites have either gotten used to the flash in the pan follow-up campaign
after each public outcry or become indifferent to the usual denial by
politicians and their private accusations of conspiracy by the media.

These state leaders, however, appear to only nod in agreement, when the Prime Minister
or his deputy say that the state is dirty.

Then, there would be the predictable gotong royong projects with these
politicians posing for the press to record their work.

A month or two later, it is forgotten and it is back to status quo. That is how
things have worked so far and let's not expect any radical changes now.

Just a few months ago, The Star and the New Straits Times highlighted the
problems in Penang. Then, came the tsunami tragedy, which also hit Penang, and
for a while, the subject seemed to have been washed away.

But Abdullah has brought up the matter again. He is right in saying that the
people must work with the state government but with due respect, sir, I find it
difficult to agree that the state government should not be blamed.

The state leadership, comprising of representatives from the major Barisan
Nasional component parties, must take the rap as well. That is what leadership
is all about – to lead, plan, and enforce. It must also take responsibility for
the laurels and the brickbats.

Ad hoc action against errant hawkers and litterbugs would have no effect if
there were no comprehensive system of cleaning up the state. Likewise,
enforcement is necessary if Penang is determined to make the state clean
again.

It is good to hear Penang Municipal Council president Datuk Ahmad Phesal Taib
saying the council would soon introduce a rating system for cleanliness in
residential and commercial areas.

He also said the council would work with the Drainage and Irrigation Department
to keep the rivers and beaches clean, step up enforcement against errant
hawkers and those who obstruct five-foot ways and who double park.

A fresh input and renewed commitment is necessary to make Penang shine
again.

Penangites must work with the state leadership even if they have plenty of
complaints.

In short, we should not be negative but to stand up for Penang. Let's be
different this time.

We were wrong. Much more than that, what we saw was shocking. The crowds were massive in many parts of the city.

Kuala Lumpur looked like it had been taken over by foreigners from Indonesia, Bangladesh, Nepal and Vietnam.

I wish our politicians, who talked about using the soft approach of persuading illegal immigrants to go home, could have been there to see it for themselves.

Irene Fernandez, who heads Tenaganita, the non-governmental organisation which fights for the rights of illegal immigrants, should have been there, too.

There must have been thousands of foreigners, who didn't look like they were expatriate professionals, congregating in areas such as Kota Raya, Central Market and Suria KLCC.

I called up the news desk to send a reporter to do a story on it.

On Friday, the New Straits Times published a similar report.

But what disturbed me most was the obvious lack of police presence at these places despite the unusually large number of foreigners.

There is nothing wrong in foreign workers taking time off and enjoying themselves during the long holidays but it is a security concern.

It was reported on Saturday that police had detained up to 120 Indonesians, Bangladeshis and Nepalese over the previous two days following a clash between a group of Indonesian workers and a group of Bangladeshi and Nepalese workers.

The fighting took place at the Kota Raya shopping complex on Thursday, where I saw the thousands of foreigners gathering.

It was hardly surprising that a fight had broken out.

Dang Wangi Acting OCPD Deputy Supt Abdul Rahman Khalil said about 300 police personnel, including Federal Reserve Unit personnel and members of the dog unit, were monitoring places usually frequented by foreign workers.

He said that in the clash at Kota Raya, seven foreign workers were injured and were sent to the Kuala Lumpur Hospital for treatment.

The thousands of foreigners obviously outnumbered the 300-odd policemen on duty that day, hence their presence was not felt.

There are an estimated 1.2 million legal foreign workers while authorities believe there are another 800,000 illegal immigrants, half of whom were supposed to have left under the amnesty programme.

I have my doubts, like many Malaysians. Our security enforcement along our coasts is so weak that many of the Indonesians who left would probably be back by boat once the crackdown quiets down.

As it is now, we have been made to look silly with our decision to "advise" them to go home after the big talk of a crackdown against the illegal immigrants.

Worse, Indonesian Manpower Minister Fahmi Idris even had the audacity to come to Kuala Lumpur with threats of lawsuits against Malaysian firms, saying his government had engaged 10 Malaysian lawyers to prepare to sue Malaysian employers for allegedly not paying wages to Indonesian workers.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and his deputy, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, have correctly told Indonesia to think twice because "it involves the status of workers who came here illegally".

The Malaysian Government, if you ask most people, has been overly nice.

Not many Malaysians have taken well to its move to backtrack on its decision to carry out the operation against illegal immigrants following the expiry of the amnesty.

The reasons are simple – there have been three postponements and most of us are quite fed up with the seeming ease with which foreigners come into Malaysia and sometimes, as easily, in securing permanent residence status here.

There is no need to list our frustrations because our politicians and security personnel know what they are. Many have become victims themselves.

We were told to postpone the operation against illegal immigrants indefinitely because many of them are from Aceh.

Instead of being mean, cynical and nitpicking, the Government has obliged although we could have just asked the rest of the Indonesians to go home.

What really makes us sore is that Malaysians have been threatened with lawsuits and attacked by the Indonesian media.

Next year, I think I will go back to Penang. It doesn't look like these foreigners will ever go back home at all.

This young man has certainly stirred great interest in the academic world, at
least among local historians, with his claim that there is a lost city known as
Kota Gelanggi in the jungles of Johor. His claims are based on references in
the Sejarah Melayu and on aerial photographs that show vegetation with unusual
patterns. Raimy has also offered to share his information and provide
assistance to the Department of Museums and Antiquities.

The ancient site, he theorises, could be at least 1,000
years old and even possibly older than Angkor Wat in Cambodia and Borobudur in
Indonesia. If indeed the site is that of the lost city, it is set to revise our
understanding of our region's historical landscape.

But Raimy is a cautious man. He chooses his words, either in conversation or in
his articles, carefully. He is aware that he has stumbled onto something big
but also realises that nothing is proven until a serious expedition
begins.

He has been open to admit that his first one-week expedition in 2003 did not
produce any results and that his team did not see any tracks, which could lead
to the lost city.

The orang asli who live around there talked of "ghosts and tigers" in the place
which they knew as Kota Batu Hitam.

Raimy doesn't quite fit the image of Indiana Jones, the archaeologist-adventurer
played by Harrison Ford – the Hollywood hero who is ever in search of lost
cities in jungles and deserts.

Nevertheless, he has stirred tremendous interest in Malay history. Students,
who used to find the subject a bore because their unimaginative teachers only
force them to copy notes, have been inspired by the more exciting treatment of
the subject by the media.

Like pioneers in all fields, Raimy is ready to take his share of pot shots.
There will be disputes and counter-claims. There will be triumphs and
frustrations. But that is supposed to be normal in all historical or scientific
discoveries.

Since The Star broke the story, there has been much interest in the subject.
Culture, Arts and Heritage Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim has said the
Federal Government will give top priority to the search for the lost city of
Kota Gelanggi in Johor and will provide the necessary funds to unveil what
could be the biggest historical find in the country.

On Monday, Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Abdul Ghani Othman said the state agreed
that there was a lost city in the state but it was disputing its name. They
claimed it was not known as Kota Gelanggi but was called Kota Klang Kiu or
Ganggayu, based on findings by the Yayasan Warisan Johor.

The Star had reported on Feb 4 that the Kota Gelanggi cave complex existed in
Pahang, a site known for its pre-historic links, about 30km from Jerantut. Six
years ago, a team of archaeologists unearthed artefacts there believed to be
more than 1,500 years old in one of the caves. The relics included pottery,
hunting tools, weapons and ornamental pieces.

In Sejarah Melayu, Tun Seri Lanang pinpointed the city, saying it was built of
blackstone and lay far in the upper reaches of Sungai Johor. He called it Kota Gelanggi
but others have said that the city could have been called Klang Kiew in the 9th
century AD.

The Malay rendition, as Raimy pointed out in his article, resembles the Siamese
word Khlang kaew (jewel) and could have been mispronounced as "klang kiu."
There has been suggestion that the word soon became "glang giu" or "gelanggi"
or even the more familiar "linggui."

Raimy's article in the Journal of the Malaysian Branch of the Royal Asiatic
Society is well written and well argued. Even if one may dispute his theories,
those interested in this subject must read his work before responding. This
would include politicians, researchers and journalists – who may be happy or
unhappy with his work for one reason or another.

He has, in fact, devoted a large section to the Kota Gelanggi cavern in Pahang,
providing details of the cave complex including the limestone formations.

It is good to know that the Johor Mentri Besar is showing great interest in the
issue but more importantly, there appears to be a consensus that there is a
lost city in the state, whichever name we call it.

In the search for the lost city, the nation needs the support of leaders like
Dr Rais, Ghani and historians like Prof Datuk Dr Nik Hassan Suhaimi Nik Abdul
Rahman of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) and the Department of Museums
and Antiquities director-general Datuk Dr Adi Taha to lend their push and
expertise.

We need to work together for the common interest of wanting to make our history
and heritage richer. This could well be the missing piece in the historical
mosaic of the South-East Asian region. As Dr Rais put it correctly, it is a
national priority. And who said history is boring?

n: This writer is deeply interested in the subject as he
studied political science, history and Malay literature at UKM.

The Hansard, which records the House meetings in verbatim, has no record of the outburst during the debate on the Islamic state and things would probably have remained that way until the media approached Bung Mokhtar in the lobby and asked him why he had uttered the word.

To their surprise, he admitted it but said in defence it was in the "heat of the moment" and that if there were chairs in the House, "they would have been sent flying in the direction" of Chong Eng, the Bukit Mertajam member.

A year before, Bung Mokhtar sparked a controversy when he uttered a sexist-tainted "boleh masuk sikit?" (can I come in a little?) remark in his attempt to seek clarification from Chong Eng.

Back then, he had said he meant no harm and that the phrase was commonly used in Sabah. The matter was subsequently dropped, much to the chagrin of many MPs.

So, it came as no surprise when Bung Mokhtar was quoted as saying that strong language (euphemism for foul language) was necessary to make sure the message was delivered.

Utusan Malaysia quoted him as saying "there are times we become over-expressive in presenting our views in Parliament and this is when the language problem crops up".

This was in response to an appeal by Culture, Arts and Heritage Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim not to use "rough and foul" language in Parliament.

Many Malaysians, I am sure, must be disappointed with lawmakers who try and justify the use of profanity in Parliament.

Wrong is wrong and right is right. As elected representatives, they should know better.

Larut MP Datuk Raja Ahmad Zainuddin Raja Omar reportedly said in The Star that "as long as the MPs are speaking from the bottom of their heart and the message is being delivered, I think it is okay to use rough language".

It is better for them not to use the honorific Yang Berhormat (The Right Honourable) if they cannot live up to the expectations of the rakyat as role models.

No one expects our politicians to be holy men; the very least they can do is to exercise some restraint when debating issues affecting the people and nation.

It is natural for tempers to flare but Malaysians expect some degree of good debating and good use of language.

I find it hard to accept a statement by Chong Eng that shouting was necessary when the words or views of MPs were twisted or unfairly dismissed.

Some opposition politicians, too, have a reputation for using bad language. DAP MP Karpal Singh has his share of such remarks. He has called his opponents binatang (animal) and makluk (alien).

I remember once, during a meeting of the Penang State Assembly, the pencil he was holding went flying towards then Chief Minister Dr Lim Chong Eu who was seated directly across. I am not sure whether it was intentional but it resulted in a furore.

Dr Lim seldom lost his cool when dealing with Karpal Singh and Lim Kit Siang. The Gerakan founder leader would close his eyes, as if taking a nap, and smile. Now and then, he would stand up and make curt replies, which infuriated the opposition members more. I don't recall the "old fox" – as Karpal Singh called him – ever shouting. The man had class.

Controversial Karpal, on one occasion during the 80s, had to be escorted out of the House by then George Town OCPD Mokhtar Daud after Karpal Singh refused to be led out by the Sergeant at Arms.

Strangely, despite Karpal Singh's public image of an angry man, he is exactly the opposite in real life – soft-spoken and polite. He bears no grudge and I can't recall him ever burning newspapers that were unfriendly to him. Such a gimmick was, at one time, popular among some other DAP politicians.

At another time, Penang DAP assemblyman Seow Hun Khim even brought along a cucumber to emphasise a point. In more recent times, PAS MP Mahfuz Omar called another MP, Datuk Anifah Aman, jakun.

The use of the word "Jakun" (an orang asli group) is considered derogatory because it is always associated with backwardness. Many MPs, especially those from Sabah and Sarawak, were particularly offended by that remark.

MPs must realise they are there to represent their constituents and they must also uphold the dignity of the House. There are rules and practices laid down according to parliamentary tradition.

If they expect the people to respect them, they must first learn to respect themselves and their peers. If they cannot conduct their debate civilly, then we should not allow our children to watch the debates.

We do not want our children to pick up bad manners or, worse, foul language from our legislators.

Neither would we want our teachers to spend their time telling students about the rule of law, only to end up letting our children see the opposite when they are at the parliament public gallery.

Perhaps Dr Rais may want to carry out his courtesy campaign at the Parliament lobby. Some MPs would probably not take too kindly to such an exercise. But then we expect leadership by example.

So were those of other officials from the Home Ministry,
including minister Datuk Azmi Khalid, who had earlier chaired a meeting with
ministry and immigration officers.

Ironically, the minister's press secretary Tajuddin Saman had sent a note to
all media organisations asking them to give prominent coverage to the impending
nationwide crackdown on illegal workers and employers.

The note, dated Dec 15, stated that the amnesty period would expire on Dec 31
and that from Jan 1 various actions would be carried out to arrest illegal
immigrants.

The names and mobile telephone numbers of two officers, Ishak and Rela
director-general Datuk Mahadi Arshad, were given, stating that the coverage
would act as a "psy war" against the illegals.

But on Monday evening, the press got word that the crackdown had to be
postponed – but no reasons were given.

Tajuddin met the reporters after 5pm and told them that "my boss has been
summoned by the PM."

If the media were at a loss, so were state immigration officials.

All they were told, via SMS, was that they had to be on standby for new
directives about the raids involving 560,000 men from Rela.

This flip-flop decision-making style does not augur well for the
ministry.

It gives the impression of indecisiveness and flawed co-ordination but most all
it may send the wrong message to the illegal immigrants and errant
employers.

According to Bernama, Mahadi was quoted as saying that the operation had to be
postponed because the ministry had to determine the number of illegal
immigrants.

If he is correctly quoted, it is strange because surely the authorities must
have a clear estimate of the number of illegal foreigners in the first
place.

One speculation is that Indonesia and the Philippines have requested Malaysia
to delay the crackdown but no one wants to confirm whether this is true.

If we are serious about this whole exercise, then we should just get on with
it.

Enough notice has been given to the illegals and we are only kidding ourselves
if we believe that the situation would be better if the amnesty period is
further extended.

The crackdown has the support of most Malaysians because we believe the country
has too many illegals.

We have had to put up with many social problems for too long.

Local traders in Kuala Lumpur complain of being squeezed out by aggressive
foreigners, hospital staff grumble about the increasing number of foreigners
who give birth in the maternity wards while many Malaysian households worry
about the increasing crime caused by foreigners, even if some said that the
figures showed otherwise.

Without doubt, Malaysians need foreigners as maids and construction, factory
and restaurant workers.

We need them but a more organised manner of recruitment and employment is
needed.

Like Singapore, we should even get them to contribute to a central employment
fund.

But impression counts and any popular government, which has to go to the polls
every five years must be sensitive to the feelings of voting Malaysians.
Already many have questioned, and rightly so, why so many Indonesians, with no
skills and qualifications, become permanent residents so easily when foreign
spouses of Malaysians, who are professionals, have problems getting that piece
of paper.

There is more confusion.

Acting Inspector-General of Police Datuk Musa Hassan has said that the police
would not be involved in the current operation to round up illegals or keep
them in lock-ups because they have not been told.

Worse, he said the police was not even called to attend any meetings by the
Immigration Department nor were they asked about the procedures of detaining
illegal immigrants.

This is certainly upsetting as the role of the police is crucial.

We are talking about the nation's security and it is essential that the police
are involved as they are the ones with arresting powers.

Musa has correctly said that Rela members can only assist and not arrest
anyone.

It is good and timely advice because these uniformed volunteers sometimes
forget their limitations in their eagerness to carry out their duties.

Malaysians, including the media, deserve an explanation for the lapse of
information, particularly after the request for media hype.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

There's more.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

It's the same old story of corrupt politicians.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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