Where are we at?

A few days ago I was captive listener to the radio, being stuck in the traffic jam. Oh yes, even in the Land below the Wind, supposed to be the outback of Malaysia, there are horrid traffic jams!
What used to take me ten to fifteen minutes to get to the town centre now takes me at least 45 minutes.

As usual there are the queue cutters, the majority of the culprits being the Kancils or the pickups. There is a flyover being constructed so the road is in a mess, four lanes being squashed into 2 lanes as the road approaches the traffic light junction. However this is not the only road where there are traffic jams. At any time of day, there are jams everywhere. The number of cars belie the fact that we are facing an economic slowdown.

That morning's listeners called in and shared their experiences or their friends' with those of us who were listening. Most of them had horror stories to share about snatch thefts in Kuala Lumpur. A driver is at risk when she stops at a traffic light because a motorcyclist will ride up and smash the car window before scuttling off with her bag. She is a helpless target because her car is at a standstill, waiting for the lights to change. As typical of the majority of Malaysians, no one will come forward to help even if they wished to. They don't want to put themselves at risk.

Remember the good Samaritan who went after a snatch thief only to lose his life? Such a precedent certainly deters others from offering help. It would be foolhardy, given the viciousness of these snatch thieves.

Another caller shared that two women waiting for the bus were also attacked and injured as their bags were snatched. We can't blame the economic climate for this crime spree. Malaysia is still regarded as a land of plenty and a person need not starve if he is willing to work hard. Stealing has become an easy way out. Attacking vulnerable women or young students and snatching their bags, mobile phones, etc. is easy compared with labouring in the sun in estates or for that matter, hawking wares or setting up a small stall to sell cooked food. Such snatch thieves are the scum of the earth.

Then the newspapers published SMSes sent in by readers who also decried the Mat Rempits and their violence against helpless targets. They come in droves and beat their hapless victim senseless and maimed to the point of death. Yet the police have come out and said that they cannot do much about it!!!!!! As I can remember, if there are five or more people in a group, it is considered illegal assembly so the MRs who come in greater numbers to break the law such as participating in illegal racing are guilty of illegal assembly and should be nabbed. Suggestions such as confiscating their machines have been put forward. Yet it appears that the police are ineffective in handling this problem. Numbers create bravado and arrogance and it is mob mentality that spur these psychopaths to disturb the peace and create a culture of fear.

Indeed I fear. Kuala Lumpur used to be such a lovely place to visit, to shop, to feast on the superb variety of food available and walking down Petaling Street or Chinatown, was much looked forward to. My sister who lives in Kuala Lumpur, in Bangsar, was a snatch theft victim twice. She is no longer allowed to walk alone to the shops by her family. Another friend who was badly hurt in a robbery as he and his wife got into their car after dining at a restaurant, never really recovered from the trauma. The joy of outings was lost forever to him because of that experience.

Many callers to the radio station had this advice for ladies. Never carry handbags, never, never wear jewellery, never carry ATM or credit cards. Ladies are advised to keep what they need in their pockets or a small pouch which they should hide in their pocket.

Gosh! To go out without a handbag, where you can keep your housekey, your carkey, your wallet, your mobile phone........ these are the essential items!!! Does a lady have to stuff them all into pockets? That means she will have to wear loose pants with deep pockets. She won't be able to wear skirts! How many skirts have pockets? It would also be advisable to add that these pockets must be concealed pockets. Take a look at today's pants, or jeans. See how tight they are, moulded to the derriere? The pockets are only for show. How can anything be kept in those pockets? Hide your keys, your money in your bra?????? Have a beehive hairdo and hide your ATM or credit card there??

Come on, this is getting to be ridiculous! Law and order is a key feature of a progressive society. The police have the main role to play. There must be more beat police pounding the streets and if there are insufficient personnel, then the government has to beef up the force. Forget about mega projects that cost billions. Spend the money to build an efficient and well-trained police force. Look after the safety of our people and our streets. Make our cities safe places where we can walk feeling secure and confident that our handbags will not be snatched, that we will not be clubbed or dragged along the road, or slashed, just for our belongings. In the light of all these crimes, do you think tourists will come? They will be targets too, all the more so because they have money to spend. Word gets around and soon our capital city will acquire a reputation as the city of snatch thefts and MRs.

South of the Causeway, just a one kilometre walk away, a person feels safe. No snatch thief that prowls on a bike or in a car, ready to pounce on you. The women wear jewellery, carry handbags, talk on their mobiles as they walk along the streets without fear and without a care. Their hearts don't skip a beat when the phut phut of a motor bike comes near. How not to be envious? Being able to walk about without any anxiety or fear, without having to hide your things in your pockets and having to wear lose pants just so you can buy a few things with the few ringgit that you can hide...... hey, that used to be the way years ago. We ladies felt safe then and we could wear all the bling to accessorise our outfits and we could carry handbags nonchalantly on our arms as we swayed on three inch heels along the streets.

To make matters worse, the newspapers reported that three snatch thieves, one of whom was a RELIGIOUS TEACHER, were apprehended and convicted but their sentence was a laughing stock. They each got only ONE month's jail! It makes one wonder if the judge knows what he is doing. How can such a sentence deter anyone from committing crime? If the laws are not effective, then they should be amended to reflect the severity of the crime. Yes, snatch thefts are horrendous because victims have died. Even if they were fortunate enough not to die, they are traumatised for life and the quality of their life has been compromised. The fear is always there. I suggest whipping be added to the penalty and a register of snatch thieves be set up. Such a database would be useful should there be repeat offences and the sentences can get progressively harsher.

We are equipped with grey matter and sturdy muscles. Earning an honest day's wages should not be difficult. It is the mindset. Thieves always look for an easy out. They don't deserve to be considered part of society. They are the dregs and they steal the quality of our lives, not just our things. As such they should be whipped and put away for a long time. Better still, have the keys to their cells thrown away.

Another Goodbye

I received a telephone call this morning from Kuala Lumpur. My sister called to let me know that our aunt, my late father's only sister, had passed away early this morning.

The last time I saw her was during the Chinese New Year when we went to visit and wish her a Happy New Year as is our custom. She looked well although a little older. She had been wheel chair bound for the last few years but her mind was still alert. This year however, she tended to meander in her thoughts and was prone to repeating herself every few minutes. She could not remember that my father had passed on ten years ago and kept asking after him. When told of his demise, she shed tears. A few minutes later, she would ask after him again.

I guess when we grow old ( she's well into her eighties ) our memories become fuddled. My father, in his last couple of years, could not remember some of his grandchildren. He was quite cross to see "strangers" going upstairs in his house. Forgetting things that we are supposed to do, not remembering dates, etc are par for the course when we move into the senior stage of our lives. Exercising our brain daily is said to be very important if we do not want to lose our brain cells more quickly than we are supposed to. Thus one can find among us, those who do crossword puzzles, sudoku, play card games, etc just to keep the grey matter functioning for as long as possible.

My aunt could never pronounce my name and she would call me Peh Kee ( "aeroplane" ) instead of Peggy and my younger brother Robert as Phau Phau (" chubby" ). We were the two who always accompanied our paternal grandma to aunty's house in Port Klang during weekends or school holidays when we were young. My other siblings went to our maternal grandma's house.

My aunt has 3 sons and one daughter, Linda. She stayed with Linda. Her sons have done very well, one in the UK, another in Australia and one closeby at home in Malaysia. Linda runs her own business.

Goodbye, aunty Ah Tay. You have gone home to join the clan and I'm sure you will see your brother and other half-siblings. Yes, we are a huge clan, having 5 grandmothers and loads of relatives and cousins, many of whom are strangers to me as we've never met. This year so far, two aunts have left us, one was Posy's aunt and now, my aunt. Posy's aunt and my aunt were half-sisters. Our grandfather was their father but they had different mothers. Tonight my siblings who stay in Kuala Lumpur will pay their last respects on our family's behalf.

Impressions of Singapore

Just returned from a flying visit to Singapore. Was there over the weekend.

Most striking was the green foliage so abundant everywhere. Gives you a very pleasant cool feeling and some roads had such lovely trees which gave great shade from the relentless scorching heat of the equatorial sun. One morning I walked in the park on Pearl Hill and saw a beautiful huge tree that is easily more than a century old. There is also a reservoir up there, well-fortified with a stone wall and fencing including a sign warning against trespassing. A small pond with floating lotus flowers and a special area for tai chi practioners well made use of by the elderly complemented the natural surroundings of carefully landscaped plants and footpaths. Needless to say the air was fresh and cool and the sun-dappled staircases coming up the hill from various directions provide a challenge for those not so fit. A couple of young ladies ran up effortlessly while a middle-aged woman struggled step by step, slowly but surely making her way uphill.

Beneath the roads runs an efficient system of mass rail transit carrying thousands of passengers to their destinations rapidly while above ground skyscrapers vied to dominate the skyline. You can see more people underground than along the roads except for the famous Orchard Road, the main shopping belt. Another well-known landmark is Bugis Junction which now houses modern boutiques and restaurants in cool air-conditioned comfort. However right across the road is the other side of Bugis which is a warren of tiny hole-in-the-wall stalls offering a myriad of goods ranging from food to cheap clothing, bags and footwear. However, the ventilation is surprisingly efficient enough to avert heat exhaustion as one battles the crowds that throng the narrow passage ways in search of a good bargain.

Another feature is the ubiquitious food court in every shopping mall where stalls sell a variety of food of different ethnicity. The food is affordable and will not raise any eyebrows if a Malaysian does not convert the price into ringgit. If one does so, then one will savor each morsel thinking how much cheaper it is across the Causeway. I still find Malaysian food more palatable and more delicious than Singapore fare. I was most disappointed by the fried radish cake ( Chow lopak ko ) which was simply stir-fried with sweetish black soya sauce, without any chives or beansprouts and there was hardly any aroma from the dish. One that is well fried will have a lovely fragrant aroma such as can be found in a "pasar malam" ( night market ) in Malaysia.

I'm now back in Kuala Lumpur for a quick round of delectable Malaysian hawker fare before returning to the Land below the Wind where the food is worse than that in the Republic. It is simply unpalatable, except for the seafood that you can find in a seafood restaurant but then, these can set you back by a tidy sum. Food has to be delicious and at the same time affordable to the man in the street. I find that if the food is unpalatable, it leaves me very dissatisfied and unfulfilled and I would not hesitate going for another round if there is a better choice, so that my day is not spoilt. Lousy food has that effect on me.