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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.