VOXPOP 'To not push the envelope in matters of religious sensitivities is silly. You're proposing the closing of minds when ultra-traditionalist Malaysians need opening.'

Malaysians caught in a cultural gridlock

vox populi small thumbnailRR: In a multi-religious and multi-racial society like Malaysia, there must be a latitude for freedom of expression for a group's beliefs or convictions.

Indeed all parties should have their freedom of expression. While it is possible to make an ordinary person to believe in God, it is not normally easy to convince a committed atheist to believe in God. This is the reality.

Manjit Bhatia: To not push the envelope in matters of religious sensitivities is silly. You're proposing the closing of minds when ultra-conservative, ultra-traditionalist Malaysians need theirs opening.

No wonder Malaysia is anti-intellectual and intellectually dead. Religions need to be seriously questioned, critiqued, criticised and even condemned. I've as much patience for religion as I do for hypocrisy.

Good men: Dear Terence Netto, "unconventional sexuality"? Did you coin that phrase yourself? Is it meant to be a more politically correct reference to gays and lesbians, etc? It's almost like saying "the love that dares not speak its name".

Meek: I draw my line on rituals in schools that serve only a section of the believers. We should not condone such acts.

One Brain Cell: Nice piece, Terence. It tickles me to imagine you sitting next to senator Ezam Mohd Nor on a long train journey and forced to have a conversation with him. Would be worth recording for posterity.


IGP okays meeting Seksualiti Merdeka organisers

Malaysian 53: Federal Territories and Urban Well-Being Minister Raja Nong Chik Raja Zainal Abidin, you have one of the largest transgender population in the Pantai and Bangsar area that you are eyeing for the next GE. So be warned of the backlash.

You are the worst back-door minister to run Kuala Lumpur, doing all kinds of ‘illegal' activities to take the shine away from the Lembah Pantai MP Nurul Izzah Anwar.

You are not even fit to be her PA (personal assistant). Your shallow political speeches are only cheered on by Umno cronies and other hangers-on.

Kgen: When the organisers turn up at the police station to meet the IGP (inspector-general of police) they will all probably be arrested. At the very least, the police will be able to know who the organisers are.

It is unbelievable that the IGP wants to meet them for an intelligent discussion.

Sad Malaysian: Raja Nong Chik is another loser who was made a minister via the back door. I wonder how many in Najib Razak's cabinet actually have won an election? His views are appreciated and respected only as much as the IGP's.

Artchan: I pray that someday, God will bestow on these bigots a transgender child to them. I pray Nong Chik, Ibrahim Ali, Mahathir Mohamad and all those that oppose will have transgender children and grandchildren so that they can learn to love and live with them.

Dood: To bigots, discriminating against one minority group is no different from discriminating against another.

If these people want to blame homosexuals, transsexuals or simply people of different sexual orientations or genders for their existence, they should blame themselves. After all, it took two heterosexuals to create them.


Pemandu's acronyms not making us safer

Mahaguruboleh: I think certain statements by the police should be viewed in a proper perspective. The statement of inadequate resources should be condemned because it implies that we cannot achieve targets because of self-imposed limitations.

It all boils down to attitude and political will. Merely posting a police officer at a busy street corner is a good example of poor planning where he would be much more effective doing patrols, and that also without a predetermined route to prevent predictability.

There is no limit to productivity if we do not make attitudinal excuses. Of course, I have not even began touching on questionable statistics depicting achieved NKRAs (National Key Result Areas).

SusahKes: The point here is that - despite Pemandu chief Idris Jala's quoting statistics, KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) and other acronyms - whatever Pemandu seeks to change, improve and build would ultimately amount to nothing more than adding cards to an already over-stacked house of cards; one that Umno had given to us.

In addition to the Ah Long stickers, one could also add the pirated DVD vendors who operate not far from the Taipan police station - what gives?

And that is why the absolute solution for Malaysia lies in denying Umno continued reign in Putrajaya.

Idris and company can only do so much - we can see that clearly, in that he is operating within the leash that his boss has put on him, who in turn has an even shorter leash placed on him by Umno.

Opah: A few months ago, I had the pleasure of watching Prime Minister Najib Razak's speech in Singapore, which was telecast live over Channel News Asia.

He spoke eloquently, quoting his NKRAs, ETP (Economic Transformation Programme) and so on and so forth. All was going well until he mentioned the KPIs for crime.

He said that the Malaysian government was well on its way to meeting its KPIs on crime, which had fallen in the first quarter of this year. He added, and I quote: "Soon we will come up with more statistics to show that the crime rate in Malaysia is dropping".

So there you have it, straight from Najib's mouth. They conjure up these statistics out of thin air.

 

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