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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

It may hurt but the fact is that the state lost its
competitive edge long ago. It's not news any more but what is sad is that there
appears to be a state of denial and indifference on the part of the state
leadership.

The decay in Georgetown,
especially the inner city, is sad. Just count the number of shops along Penang
Road and Campbell Street,
once bustling areas, that have been forced to close.

The degradation of beach and environmental conditions at
its numerous tourist spots such as Penang Hill, Botanical Garden and Ferringhi
Beach has not helped either.

I see little point in anyone, especially politicians or
those in the tourism trade, pointing their fingers or being defensive because
the damage has been done.

It's better for the Penang leaders
to put on their thinking caps and come out with an innovative and creative
marketing approach to sell Penang as a popular
destination.

Last week, it was reported that tourists were bypassing
the state for more attractive destinations in the country and overseas.
According to the island's Tourism Action Council statistics, tourist arrivals,
both domestic and foreign, had been on the decline in recent years.

There were 3.78 million arrivals in 2000, compared to
3.03 million last year. In contrast, tourist arrivals in the country – except
last year – had been increasing.

There will always be disputes over statistics. The
officials will say their numbers are right, to justify and protect their
positions, while the operators will say they are on the ground and would know
better. Figures, they argue, can be manipulated and there would even be double
counting by officials to make themselves look good.

State Tourism Development Committee and Environment
committee chairman Teng Chang Yeow said the overall number of tourist arrivals
increased this year, compared with last year.

But another newspaper reported earlier, quoting a travel
writer, that Penang had disappeared from the radar
screen of the international hospitality and tourism investment scene.

"It's one of those insidious things that creep up on you
and even before you know it, it's happened and you don't even know when it took
root," Yeoh Siew Hoon wrote.

She related that she was attending the recent Hotel
Investment Conference Asia-Pacific in Hong Kong, the biggest annual gathering
of hotel investors and developers in the region, when "it suddenly dawned upon
me that Penang no longer figured in anyone's discussions, whether in conference
sessions or during coffee breaks".

Adding to the depressive scene is the closure of the
31-year-old Shangri-La Rasa Sayang Resort for a RM70mil redevelopment. Regarded
as the state's premier resort, it will only re-open some time in 2006.

Teng has responded to the tour operators' call for new
tourism products by naming new attractions such as the Islamic Museum, Peranakan
Museum, Penang
War Museum
and the Tropical Spice
Garden. Come on, the state cannot
be serious.

Teng surely cannot expect tourists to come in hordes to
look at these museums which other states already offer, such as Malacca and Kuala
Lumpur's Islamic Arts Museum.

Surely we can be more ambitious and more imaginative.
There has to be a strong political and financial commitment from our leaders to
put Penang in the limelight again.

Teng is right in saying that instead of blaming the
government for the drop in tourist arrivals, the tourism industry should
cooperate with the state to face this challenge together.

Penangites are parochial and passionately proud of their
state, like I am, and they would chide Teng, a Johorean, for not knowing Penang
as much as they do since they were born and bred there but an outsider's
perspective can bring fresh ideas and impetus, too.

The state should consider setting up an advisory council
of prominent Penangites from various industries, both living in Malaysia
and outside, to come out with a comprehensive plan.

These Penangites, with their extensive business, social
and political contacts, can form a powerful network to help revitalise Penang.
These people, having no agenda except their deep sense of belonging to Penang,
would serve as a good promotional tool for the state.

Whether the state leadership wishes to adopt their ideas
is essentially up to the state but Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon
should help pump the adrenaline of these Penangites.

The state leaders must seriously decide what kind of
identity Penang wishes to project. If it still wants Penang
to spell warm seas, golden beaches, lush greenery and delicious food, then the
money must be spent to keep it that way.

If Penang still wants to sell its
quaint old buildings, with its exotic mix of various cultures, sights and
sounds, then the state should not let the heritage homes decay and crumble.

If it wants to keep the island as a natural scenic
splendour, as one website tries to project Penang to
tourists, then the state must be more committed to keeping Penang
clean.

But there has to be new tourism products, as the tour
operators have pointed out. Penang seriously needs a
huge aquarium, in sync with its reputation as a sea state, that can match the
likes of those in Osaka, Shanghai
and Brisbane.

Penang can do with a bird park that is larger than the
one in Jurong and surely it is time we have a truly reptile park of
international standard, now that you can count with your two hands the number
of snakes in the Snake Temple.

The Botanical Garden, for example, needs a spruce-up.
There could even be a section where the many varieties of the pinang tree can
be planted, which the state is named after.

If silk is identified with Thailand
and cheongsam with Chinese cities, then Penang must be
made the home of batik and kebaya, synonymous with its peranakan heritage
image. It must be the place where tourists can come and buy these beautiful
fabrics and clothes.

But most of all, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad
Badawi, an anak Pulau Pinang, may want to consider restoring Penang's
free port status. Penang needs all the help it can get to
make the pearl shine again.

In both cases, they were not angry that their maids had
quit on them as they had every right to do so but the lies that were thrown at
them in their attempt to cover up their weaknesses.

Often, we read of maids who claimed they had been
mistreated by employers but let's not forget that bosses, too, have their share
of pain. The only difference is that there are no non-government organisations
to take their problems to the press.

But there has been an increase in the number of
grievances against maids, especially those from Indonesia,
over the past few months, supposedly because their quality has dropped.

It's a case of Malaysian employers getting monkeys
because we are paying peanuts, according to the Malaysian National Association
of Private Employment Agencies.

Last week, its president Datuk Baharom Abdul Ghani said
better-trained maids were going to places such as Hong
Kong, Taiwan
and Singapore
because they were better paid there with wages of between RM700 and RM1,000.

Malaysia,
he said, had become the last option for maids because of the low monthly wages,
adding that the RM350 to RM380 that was currently paid by Malaysian employers
worked out to about RM10 a day.

These maids, he added, also complained that Malaysians
had bigger houses to be looked after for small money while in places like Hong
Kong, Taiwan
and Singapore,
they cleaned small houses for bigger money.

While there are valid points to these arguments, maids
must also realise that they encounter less cultural shock working in Malaysia
and that most employers here are likely to be religiously and culturally
sensitive to their needs, unlike those in other foreign places.

These maids also have less language and cultural barriers
to contend with in Malaysia.
The travelling distance between Indonesia
and Malaysia is
also much shorter in comparison to the other countries.

But the number of high-profile cases involving maids has
made many Malaysian employers take a second look at whether having a stranger
in the house is a good option after all.

Last week, a 22-year-old Indonesian maid was sentenced to
death for killing her employer after a spat over burnt curry. The High Court
threw out her defence of insanity, saying she knew exactly what she was doing
three years ago when she attacked Soon Lay Chuan with a mortar pestle.

On Thursday, it was reported that a three-month-old baby
nearly suffocated from the mittens stuffed in her mouth and bedclothes piled on
her, allegedly by a maid. A medical report revealed that a high amount of
anti-seizure drug was found in the baby's stomach.

On Oct 26, there was a letter from a reader in a
newspaper about a psycho who appeared caring and hardworking to the working
couple until they installed a video camera in the house.

They saw, to their shock, her kissing their baby so many
times on the mouth and putting her finger into the two-month-old baby's mouth.
She was apparently giving her saliva in the mistaken belief that the baby would
obey her.

When the couple confronted her, the maid denied
everything but confessed when she was shown the video recording.

As my colleagues discussed these incidents on the
editorial floor, a colleague revealed a theft involving a maid who was about to
leave for home in Indonesia.

Small sums of money and branded clothes had been missing
from the house but nobody thought that their well-behaved and seemingly
responsible maid could be the culprit. They thought it was due to their
carelessness.

But on the day of her departure, the maid agency advised
the family members to do a body search. There was much reluctance, with some
members debating about her human rights and honour.

In the end, the agency's representative did the dirty
job, so to speak, and found her wearing five expensive panties belonging to a
family member and stuffed inside her sanitary pad were gold items such as rings
and gold rings.

My brother decided to stop engaging maids recently when
his two children left for overseas for their tertiary education. Although he
has a huge house, he has decided to do the cleaning himself.

I have heard countless agony stories from him about
maids, including one strange maid who only ate instant noodles and nothing
else. Another employer, it was reported recently, brought her case to the small
claims court when she found that her maid refused to take baths.

But there are, of course, heart-warming cases about good
maids. One colleague is paying her Filipino maid of 11 years more than RM1,000
a month because she has been good.

Another friend even took her maid on family holidays
overseas and even lets her drive the Mercedes Benz because they trust her. She
is like a family member and her employers only have good things to say about
her.

I have taken an interest in this issue because I am
contemplating engaging a maid but I am taking my time to listen to the merits
and demerits of becoming a household employer.

Not forgetting the same "favourite singers" at almost
every dinner. They must have profited quite a bit from being branded as Dr
Mahathir's choice singers for 22 years. One actually ended up getting a Datuk
award.

To get the facts right for sure this time, The Star
called up Nori, the daughter of Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, to find out
what he truly likes. She liked the idea and, in fact, followed the little
contest that we ran with great enthusiasm.

Despite having covered the Prime Minister for almost two
decades, sometimes with glimpses into his private moments, the contest was
still a learning experience. For the 6,000 over people who took part, it must
have been fun, too.

I am sure it was not the prizes that the readers wanted
to win. I am sure Malaysians wanted to interact with their Prime Minister, who
has struck a chord since he took over the leadership.

From the overwhelming response, it was also clear
that they wanted to know Abdullah the person, a hugely popular figure. One
reader called up and demanded that the contest be extended because "we are
talking about our Pak Lah, you know".

But how the readers marked the multiple-choice answers
provided showed they still have much to learn about their prime minister. Some
of it was probably wishful thinking and some preconceived notions of his
personality.

Many participants put nasi kandar as Pak Lah's favourite,
presumably because he is a Penangite. I am guilty in some ways, too, because I
have written a few times about the dish being served at his gatherings.

Even I was floored when Nori said that nasi kandar was
not Pak Lah's favourite. I know for a fact that his friends have always
introduced nasi kandar shops, which they claimed to be the best, to his family.

It has now dawned on me that if he insisted that nasi
kandar be served during media functions it is because he knows that many of his
journalist friends love the spicy Penang dish.

Nasi lemak is also certainly not on his menu because he
has become health conscious over the years, watching the kind of food that he
eats. Nasi lemak may be an all-time Malaysian favourite but not for Pak Lah.

Most readers got his favourite colour right though. He
likes blue but his favourite destination is not New
Zealand. The majority of participants
thought it was the best place for him to rest.

After going through the entries, I decided to book a trip
to New Zealand.
There must be something about the place that I do not know about. Japan
is Pak Lah's number one choice, maybe because his mother-in-law is Japanese.

But the best part is that most Malaysians, at least those
who took part in the contest, think that Pak Lah loves watching The Godfather,
a movie about the Italian mafia.

Perhaps they think he fits the image of a tough guy even
though some consider him too nice a person.

The stereotyping continues with many readers assuming
that Bobby, a Hindustani movie, would be his favourite movie. Actually, it's My
Fair Lady. Like Dr Mahathir, he likes old movies, too.

There are other favourites of Pak Lah – he enjoys
collecting walking sticks and his favourite sport is golf, no surprises for
this one. We left this out of the contest because many Malaysians would know
this.

As much as Malaysians enjoy this triviality, they would
be glad to know that Pak Lah himself has enjoyed the contest just as much. Told
about the answers that readers could choose from, he laughed.

It has certainly been a good first year for him. As the
year comes to an end, most of us would have planned our holidays but the next
two months would be a packed one for him.

On his schedule are trips to South America,
the Caribbean and West Asia. Perhaps
Pak Lah may want to consider New Zealand
for a holiday with his family.

In short, if a person has not put in the years of work to
earn his academic title, he does not deserve to use it. It is appalling when a
businessman who did not even complete his secondary education hands out name
cards with "Dr" in front of his name.

A degree should reflect the person's level of education
and training, not his purchasing power and certainly not for prestige purposes.

The blatant buying of academic degrees is not something
new. It has, however, become more rampant lately. Newspapers can no longer
check on people with such dubious titles.

Some years back, a prominent civil servant in Kuala
Lumpur was exposed for having a fake doctorate. He had
used that title for many years on an unsuspecting public and when caught, he
blamed it on the media, saying it was the newspapers who had called him a "Dr".
It never occurred to him, of course, to correct the "mistake".

Last week, The Star reported that for under RM3,000,
anyone who has access to the Internet can buy a PhD in any field from numerous
bogus sites.

While most doctorates take anywhere between three and
five years to obtain, these online PhDs can reach you within a month. And if
you are willing to pay more, you can even purchase a deal that includes a mock
convocation ceremony complete with a hired foreigner posing as a foreign
university vice-chancellor.

I was told a prominent businessman paid RM30,000 for a
fake doctorate from a foreign university, including having a
distinguished-looking Caucasian confer the title on him.

He invited over 100 people, including local politicians,
to the "convocation" at a hotel function room. A citation was read out, listing
his achievements, which were mostly on social and community development.

Another local politician did something similar. Despite
being a qualified medical doctor, he wanted an honorary doctorate. So, a big
function was held and the media was invited to record the event.

Never mind if there were sniggers all round because the
only thing that mattered to him was he felt important and proud.

All these fake degrees are harmless in some ways because,
after a while, the novelty wears off and the title would be dropped.

I personally know of four businessmen who had used the
"Dr" title previously. Despite having no tertiary education, they have proven
themselves to be very good businessmen.

They have contributed to society by making generous
donations to charity, especially welfare and religious organisations. They have
proven themselves and earned the respect of their peers.

There was no need for them to buy these titles in the
first place. Perhaps they lacked confidence because they did not have paper
qualifications. Craving for respectability, they forget that character makes a
person – not a piece of paper.

What is more disturbing is the allegation that some
administrators of local colleges are using the title of doctor, too.

These administrators may have a degree or two but they do
not have doctorates. Their "doctorates" are merely honorary degrees from
foreign universities which their colleges have business ties through twinning
programmes.

These honorary degrees are genuine but do not entitle
these administrators to use the "Dr" title. The grumbling naturally comes from
lecturers who have spent years earning their stripes.

One can understand their anger when they are instructed
by the owners of these colleges to address their superiors – in this case the
chief executive officer or director – as "Dr" to boost the image of the
colleges.

It's cheating. The sad part is that the college owners do
not realise they are sending the wrong message to the students – that it's all
right to put a title in front of your name even if you don't work for it.

Honorifics, whether Datuk or Doctor, should not be
treated like commodities in an open market. They must be meritoriously awarded
in order to be respected by the public.

They are the ones who spend the first 20 minutes of their
opening address at functions and party meetings raving about the ministers and
leaders in attendance.

Last week, to our surprise, some of the Barisan Nasional
backbenchers stood up and criticised Works Minister Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu in
the Dewan Rakyat when they were not satisfied with the manner in which he
answered questions on the Middle Ring Road 2 flyover.

The stretch of road had to be closed because of cracks in
the pillars while reports from independent consultants showed that the cracks
were the result of a design fault.

The MPs were also unhappy that the minister had
blacklisted the contractor who built the Sultan
Ismail Specialist
Hospital in Johor Baru. The
hospital had to be closed for a few months because of the malfunctioning
air-conditioning system.

On Friday, newspapers reported that the Anti-Corruption
Agency had begun its probe on the newly opened East Coast Expressway following
complaints of irregularities in its construction.

The investigating team, including two engineering
forensic experts, was at the expressway to gather soil samples and carry out
measurements on the four-lane expressway.

Backbenchers Club chairman Datuk Shahrir Samad is right
in saying that MPs cannot remain silent when there are discrepancies and they
are only doing their duty when questioning problems in the ministry.

The people did not elect Yang Berhormats to warm the
Dewan Rakyat seats or to get close to powerful personalities.

We expect them to speak up on national and state issues
affecting the people. They should not waste their time bringing up petty
matters that should be addressed at municipal council level.

We do not want MPs to be embroiled in controversies to
the extent that they get kicked out of Parliament. Neither should we tolerate
quirky MPs who make racial or sexist remarks to get their names quoted in the
media.

Ministers should not take it personally when criticised.
These criticisms are made relating to their ministerial work. As public
figures, they cannot expect praises all the time from the media. Some ministers
cannot even tolerate a little criticism because, as leaders, they have become
so used to being showered with praises.

Well, they had better get used to taking some knocks
because Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has given the green light to the
people to make constructive criticism, which he describes as a blessing.

The Prime Minister said it was a blessing when leaders
were criticised because it meant they had people telling them they had diverted
from the right path or had become boastful without realising it.

It is the duty of ministers, who have access to
information, to explain satisfactorily to MPs and the media to help them
understand the problems affecting a certain project.

Recently, a certain minister telephoned me to explain why
some projects had been badly managed. He explained that his staff were trying
their best to rectify the problems but due to the shortage of money, there was
nothing much he could do.

I suggested that he explain to the media his financial
constraints because he would also want to upgrade the facilities in his
ministry if he had the money. If it is not properly explained, the public may
assume that he is incompetent – when he isn't.

In all fairness to Samy, who has become the target of
many MPs, he has a reputation of personally taking on tough questions from
opposition MPs. Samy may not be the most popular government leader but he has
never run away from a fight.

Some ministers delegate the task of answering questions
to their deputy or parliamentary secretary but not Samy. Despite the ferocity
of the attacks against him last week, I can bet he will be at Dewan Rakyat when
sitting resumes after the fasting month to face the angry MPs.

The vociferous MPs, on the other hand, should not indulge
in "selective persecution" when taking on ministers. Their targets should not
be just ministers from smaller Barisan component parties.

Samy must also learn not to be unnecessarily defensive
and emotional when someone points a finger at bad work. He should not be too
quick to blame it on God when something goes wrong.