WHEN BEING RECALCITRANT CHANGED A SITUATION.

If you are a person who likes reading, who makes reading a habit to occupy your unproductive hours during your days and nights (even when sitting at the toilet bowl LOL), you might have the chance to come across stories of some successful people from your reading materials. 

Not the "successful" lots who by virtue, took over business empires from their parents upon their death, but those who had gone through great deal of hardship in life prior to their successes.

I am fortunate and happy to have known and befriended a successful business woman, a millionaire with luxury homes and posh cars and most importantly the kind of lifestyle she ever wanted since her childhood.

Lived in a wooden house with leaking zinc roof-top, bathing with water from wells, oil-lamps to brighten the nights and savory dishes once in a week if not a fortnight or a month are now nostalgic experiences for her.

Recalcitrant (for choosing a field dominated by men) though, she consistently thrown her relentless efforts in what she believes. Today, she had managed to accumulate wealth with assets valued in millions of Ringgit.

Backtracking her past, she had worked in various fields among them; fast-food chains, book-store, a receptionist, a secretary, a nasi lemak (rice boiled with coconut milk) seller and insurance agent, but most touching is when she had to sell sandwiches around Ampang town upon completion of her secondary school life.

There are occasions  when she had to throw all the sandwiches into the dustbin due to late delivery.

The Kancil car (smallest & cheapest Malaysia made cars) she bought several years before was repossessed by the bank due to insufficient fund to service it's monthly installments. 

With practically small capital, she started the business of selling oil-based products. For a start, she sold about 1000 units of them and the returns used as rotating capital.

Despite all the challenges, this resilient woman who hated poverty now owns not only a good life but her own building to house all her staffs who had struggled with her and her ranges of products.

In her company, she is a successful leader to all her staffs and distributors who has successfully changed her life and lives of others who shared her business.

Now, if one may asks; 
What type of recalcitrant are our national leaders? ; What kind of place have they turned Malaysia into? ; Is this a place where national leaders amass their wealth with systems and policies designed to suit their needs?.

Most Malaysians are suffocated with the numerous issues which affect their everyday life and yet, far from being resolved.

New issues that bear a direct effect either on the people or the nation birthed one after another and we are left with the same leaders who would more often than not, resort to silent syndrome, denial syndrome, protective syndrome, you name it.

Has it ever occurs to you (Malaysian readers) that with competent and strong leadership, Malaysia could have been on different path?. At par if not close to Japan and Korea let alone Singapore?.

1. What it takes for Malaysians to realize that not only some systems and policies must change, but style of governance and most importantly the way of thinking of some our national leaders must also change?.
2. What it takes for Malaysians to realize that the nation is heavily indebted, with issues of corruption, cronyism and nepotism not seriously addressed?.
3. What it takes for Malaysians to realize that Malaysia's ranking on various international indexes remain disappointing with human trafficking downgraded to the lowest ranking by the United States?.

If the woman above can build her business empire with practically little capital, why is it so difficult for the Malaysian leaders to turn a resourceful Malaysia into a state all of us can be proud of?.

Easy said than done?.

Not really. I beg to disagree. 

Remember August 6, 1945?. Yes, an American B-29 bomber dropped the world's first deployed atomic bomb over the Japanese city of Hiroshima. The explosion wiped out 90 percent of the city and immediately killed 80, 000 people; tens of thousands more would later die of radiation exposure.

Three days later, a second B-29 dropped another atomic bomb on Nagasaki, killing an estimated 40, 000 people during the World War II (1939-45). 

Japanese are different and we are different?.

I agreed. It's the indifferences we had compared to them that has left us behind them.

The cities that Malay proverbs described as "padang jarak, padang terkukur" (simply describing the devastating damages) is today one of the Japanese prides.

The Look East Policy was announced by former premier Tun Mahathir Mohamad on 8th February, 1982 during the Conference of

"5th Annual Joint Conference of MAJECA/JAMECA" at the Hilton Kuala Lumpur. This policy means that the Government will make the study, research and the selection of examples of Japan and Korea in tune with the conditions in Malaysia.

In laymen term, Mahathir wants Malaysia and it's people to learn from the Japanese and the Koreans. 

It's the leaders and people of Japan that have made Hiroshima and Nagasaki what they are today.

Despite my obvious political partisanship, I am not that recalcitrant as not to support systems and policies by the current regime if only I am convinced they benefited all Malaysians regardless of their political divide.  

In any democratic country, whichever party that forms the Government, they should become a Government for all without profiling people who are not voting or supporting them during the general election.

The question; Are we seeing our Government a truly Government for all Malaysians?. Most of you (Malaysian readers) would have the answer.

I have said it and now saying it again; What is the rationale of paying out the BR1M?. I mention it again simply because it is one flaring example of a policy designed to suit their (BN) political interest.

Here you have one hand giving and another taking in form of the numerous price hikes, not to mention the coming GST (Government Service Tax).

Have people erred when they said BR1M is carefully designed by the current regime to fish voters for political mileage?.

I refused to change my personal stance that in order for Malaysia to be rehabilitated, following are SOME of the immediate measures need to be taken.

1. Serious and committed in addressing corruption at all levels. Not only the agency and department fishes, but the big fishes in the government and those who have left the government. Monies recovered from the convicted must be returned to the people.
2. Cabinet should be made up of competent and honest members and the tradition of appointing party leaders should be re-considered. Have another Cabinet reshuffle if so requires. Like the corporate world, the appropriate process of hire, fire and transfer must be excercised. Arrogant and racist ministers must be reprimanded or action taken against them. The Cabinet must not only credible, but seen credible.
3. Resolve all outstanding issues without further delay. Dragging or leaving the issues idle, especially sensitive issues would only invite unneccessary protest, tension and even polemic. In case the highest court of the land, the Federal Court in it's judgement(s) failed to resolve issue(s) related to race or religion, the Cabinet must quickly convene in getting an amicable solution.
4. Review, change or terminate systems and policies failed to serve interest of the people. The education system, the judicial system other than the finance system are among the much talked systems where people has indicated some form of displeasure over the weaknesses spotted. 
5. Top leadership of the Government particularly Prime Minister Najib must be in total control. He must not bow to demands from pressure groups, at the same time must not allow them dictate the Government.

Too much to ask?.

Actually speaking, the list is long.