FOREIGN INVASION OF DOWNTOWN KL

Jalan Tun H.S. Lee in downtown KL is swarmed with foreigners on Sundays

If you haven't been in downtown Kuala Lumpur in quite a while, you will be surprised to find the old KL that we used to know no longer exists. Sure, most of the buildings are still there, but the inner city has lost much of its Malaysian identity.

Take a trip to the Kota Raya-Bangkok Bank area on Sunday, you will feel as if you are in Nepal or Myanmar as these pictures below show.

Businesses here cater mostly to the Myanmarese and Nepalese. There is a sizable population of Bangladeshis and Pakistanis too. The Indonesians are still the prevalent ethnic group in the Chow Kit area while the Filipinos hang out in the shopping malls in KLCC and in PJ.

Browsing their national papers in a retail outlet. DVDs, CDs and magazines are available
in several lingua franca.

A well-stocked mini-market. Enterprising shopkeepers supply foreign workers here
with almost anything they need from their homeland. 

Fresh produce for homecooked meals

Anyone for cow's head soup?

Don't be fooled by the display photos. This studio is patronized mainly by foreigners applying for work permits, passports, visas and who knows, MyKad as well?

The ladies are not forgotten. 

Banners are everywhere advertising all kinds of
services on the upper floors. This one is for air fares.

One of the few banners in English. I was told
this restaurant is popular with the Nepalese. 

Not sure if this ad is for funeral services or a football match!

For the younger workers - a hip-hop concert! 

Across the road from Kota Raya lies Chinatown. The stalls there are run by foreigners. It's a
matter of time before nearby Central Market is also taken over by non-Malaysians. Not too
far away is Bukit Bintang which is rapidly transforming into a Middle Eastern hot spot. 

Whether this foreign influx has a positive or negative spillover is debatable. But one thing is for certain, it won't be long before downtown KL becomes unrecognizable to local citizens.

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WHO WILL CARE FOR ME WHEN I CAN NO LONGER CARE FOR MYSELF?

This picture taken from The Daily Mail shows the world's largest family. Mr Ziona Chana has 39 wives, 94 children and 33 grandchildren. Large families with far fewer members than Mr Ziona's are a rarity today.

Once upon a time families were large and everyone lived together under the same roof. Today family size has shrunk drastically from an average of ten in the 1950s to four today - father, mother and two children. One of my primary school classmates had a dozen siblings, and it was considered the norm. Lack of privacy and space was a major issue but on the bright side, children from large families learned the importance of sharing and supporting each other in times of need. Families were closely-knit, and this bond extended to relatives as well. Cousins knew one another by name no matter how many times removed. Family gatherings were boisterous occasions, as the extended family members got together to share updates or reminisce on the good old days.

The world's most famous nuclear family

It is a different scenario today. The modern day family home is a shadow of the ancestral home most of us grew up in. It is devoid of family activities much of the day. Dinner time is the only time the family gets to see each other. Even then there is no guarantee the head of the household will be at the table. More often than not, he is delayed at work or has a business function to attend.

Young couples today are eager to move into their own homes as soon as they are able to afford the rent or down payment. On the other hand, baby boomer parents are equally happy to remain in the family home, rather than live with their married children. They are not about to give up their independence and privacy which is what will happen if they move in with their married children.

Young people are delaying marriage, preferring to put career first. Those who do get married delay starting a family, again for the same reason. Childless couples are also on the rise, and have to resort to fertility treatment or surrogacy to have children.

The latest fertility rate (total births per woman) in Malaysia stands at 2.2. There is also a corresponding decline in male sperm count. “Over the last five years, we have seen an increase in male infertility from 15% to 30%,” said Dr Mohamad Farouk Abdullah, head of the obstetrics and gynaecology department of the Tengku Ampuan Rahimah Hospital in Klang in a Star report.

Then there are those who never married either by choice or because of circumstances.

All these decisions have repercussions that reverberate across demographics. Consider some of the issues that families have to face today that were non-existent a few generations ago.

• Smaller families means fewer siblings to share the financial and physical responsibility of caring for elderly parents. This can put a strain on couples who are caught in the middle between providing for their children and supporting their aged parents.

• The fertility rate is declining worldwide, but life expectancy is increasing. Malaysians can expect to live to 76 on average. The result - there are fewer young people to support an ever-growing elderly population. 

• In a dual-income household, the children are cared for most of the time by a maid or a child-minder. This affects child-parent bonding as quality family time is cut to a minimum. One possible long-term effect is children grow distant from their parents. Such parents risk being abandoned by their children in their old age. 

• This has led countries such as Singapore and India to introduce the Maintenance of Parents Act whereby it is mandatory for children to provide financial support for their elderly parents. The latter can file a maintenance order against their children if they fail to provide support. The number of cases brought to the Tribunal for the Maintenance of Parents is on the rise.

Blessed are the elderly who have filial daughters to care for them. 
Click here to read June Wong's article in full.

• Who looks after elderly parents who live on their own and require assistance with daily activities? Answer: The usual suspects! Daughters are usually the first choice of caregivers. If there are more than one daughter, then the onus falls on the daughter who is single, or is a full-time homemaker. She doesn't have much of an option. It would be futile to protest and be criticized as being 'unfilial'.

• For childless couples and those who choose to remain single, who will care for them in their old age? Children are still considered by many parents as an investment for their old age. We may be able to afford the best home-care services, but nothing beats having your own flesh and blood to take care of you when you are no longer able to do so on your own. 

This is a major concern for childless couples. Click here to read Kelly Flynn's article in the New York Times.

When families cannot cope with these challenges, the government will have to step in. In country after country the retirement age has been raised. In Malaysia, it has gone up from 55 to 60. This is to enable employees to remain in the work force longer to support themselves and to build their nest egg. The government also has to look at how to increase the pool of pension funds as the number of civil servants who retire each year continues to increase.


The above video has been posted on this blog a few times. It is a reminder of the challenges imposed by a world that is rapidly ageing, and by transitions is demographics.

It is heartening to know that the government is planning to build more nursing homes and aged care facilities. There is currently not enough to meet the huge demand. Private housing developers are building homes that are not just age-friendly but also inter-generational in concept. The idea of living the rest of your life in a retirement community is starting to catch on among older people, The image of retirement homes as a half-way house where old folks await their departure from this life is slowly fading.

The Green Leaf Retirement Resort in Sepang, Selangor- an award-winning concept of community living in the golden years.

Most importantly, the government has to be more aggressive in promoting active ageing and healthy living. Longevity is a blessing only if accompanied with good health.

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RELIGIOUS FREEDOM BUT ONLY FOR NON-MUSLIMS?

From The New Straits Times 12 Nov 2012

The on-going controversy regarding Nurul Izzah's statement (see photo) shows no sign of abating, at least for now. We all have our views on this issue, but few would want to express them publicly. In Malaysia, any controversial comment touching on the official religion Islam is considered insensitive and courting public outcry. 

For politicians, it is tantamount to committing political suicide if they are perceived to be supporting a more liberal interpretation of the Holy Quran. Malays who make comments that are deemed to 'confuse' Muslims would invite condemnation from their own brethrens and punitive action from JAIS (Selangor Islamic Religious Department). Non-Muslims in the country know to stay away from getting involved in any religious controversy.

(Click here for Malaysiakini's full transcript of Nurul's Q & A session at the forum.)

A 2007 news report quoting former PM Abdullah Badawi that was picked up by Malaysia Chronicle.

What strikes me as interesting is that opposing parties can quote verses from the Quran to support their respective stand on the issue. Also, it is a little known fact outside Malaysia that only in this country is religion (Islam) synonymous with race. All Malays are born Muslim, and die as Muslims. Any Muslim who renounces Islam or converts is considered an apostate. Apostasy, according to a fatwa, is a national security threat. The punishment meted out by the Syariah Court varies from state to state, from hefty fines to imprisonment and whipping.

A reader expresses her views on the issue (New Sunday Times 11 Nov 2012)

Our neighbour Indonesia has the largest Muslim population in the world. Approximately 88% of its 238 million people are Muslims. The constitution of Indonesia states that every person has the freedom to choose and practise their religion. Officially the constitution recognizes only six religions, Islam, Protestantism, Catholicism, Hinduism, Confucianism and Buddhism.  

Indonesian Muslims enjoy a greater measure of religious freedom than their counterparts in Malaysia. As the video below shows, they can work together with other religious groups to help the needy and less fortunate. It is rare to see such scenes in Malaysia today.

I would love to hear what my Muslim friends have to say on religious freedom. But I know they would prefer to keep their views to themselves for fear of inviting visits from the omnipresent JAIS, like what happened to Malaysiakini.

In Malaysia, the law recognizes 21 as the age when a citizen is mature enough to vote, and 18 as mature enough to marry. So at what age is an individual considered mature enough to decide which faith he wants to embrace? The answer for non-Malays is: any age. For the Malays, the question is purely academic. They have absolutely no say in their choice of religious beliefs.

For more about the topic, do read "Fundamental Human Rights and Religious Apostasy", posted on the Malaysian Bar Council website. Very enlightening.

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THE TRUTH BEHIND THE AES CONTROVERSY

I don't drive anymore, so when the Automated Enforcement System (AES) was introduced, I couldn't understand why there was such vehement protest from car owners and drivers. After all, it would discourage speeding and help reduce the high mortality rate on the roads.

That was before a friend sent me a video last week that revealed the real story behind the AES controversy. If you have yet to view this interview with William Leong Jee Keen (MP For Selayang), I think you should, especially if you own a car. Note the numbers he quotes. Unbelievable, but Malaysians have come to view revelations like these as no longer surprising.

Penang has delayed the implementation of the AES while Selangor has suspended it until further notice. MP for Rembau and UMNO Youth Chief Khairy Jamaluddin has called on the government to defer implementing the AES until all the inherent weaknesses of the system are rectified.

From yesterday's Malay Mail 9 Nov. The total amount has since shot up
to over RM7m and climbing steadily even as I write.

There are conflicting reports on the number of summonses issued, and the total amount collected. So take your pick from the Road Transport Department (RTD), the mainstream media, or the alternative online media.

To date, a total camera of 831 cameras have been installed - 566 units at speed traps and 265 units at traffic lights. Of these units, 14 have been in operation since September.

The AES has been implemented in over 90 countries in the world, including the UK, France and Germany. While few would argue against the effectiveness of the AES in reducing road accidents, many would question where the money is going to and who stands to profit from the large sums collected in fines.

According to Malaysian Insider, "The two firms awarded the contract to implement the enforcement system — ATES Sdn Bhd and Beta Tegap — will spend between RM300 million and RM400 million each to set up traffic cameras at 831 “black spots” nationwide. Both ATES and Beta Tegap are entitled to RM16 per valid summons for the first five million issued. They will then split the remaining revenue evenly with the government up to a cap of RM270 million each.

The firms will each receive 7.5 per cent from the remaining revenue and the government will keep the rest."

Sounds like profit-making is at the core of the AES system, rather than the much-touted goal of reducing the number of road fatalities.


For a list of AES locations, click on the link below.

AES Camera Installation Location List

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OVER USD2 BILLION SPENT ON US ELECTIONS - WAS IT WORTH EVERY CENT?

I was out the whole day yesterday at back to back meetings till 10pm. I missed out on all the US elections excitement on TV.

With our own national elections coming up anytime, there's much we can learn from the US elections, both the good and the bad - from media coverage and the way the candidates campaigned, to how funds were raised.

The 2012 presidential campaign was the most expensive in US history - over two billion US dollars spent on campaign ads, rallies and parties! At a time when US unemployment remains at close to 8%, even a fraction of that astronomical sum could have been put to better use.

All that money, and in the end NOTHING much has changed. Obama remains in the White House, and Congress remains in gridlock with the Republicans in control of the House of Representatives and the Democrats the Senate.

Obladi Obama, life goes on, brah
La la how the life goes on...

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MEDIA COVERAGE NEEDS TO BE FAIR AND BALANCED

From The Straits Times

If you were residing in the US, you would either be suffering from campaign ad nauseum or from election fever. The relentless blitz of media coverage of the elections is finally coming to an end. Today US citizens go to the polls.

What strikes me most about the run-up to the US elections is how both presidential candidates are given equal media exposure, whether on TV, radio or in print. There are up to the minute polls that reflect public opinion on issues that would affect their choice of candidates - Obama or Romney.

From The Straits Times

In the 2011 Singapore elections, the Straits Times and other local media gave coverage to candidates from the ruling party as well as from the opposition, with the ruling party enjoying a slight edge in terms of media time and space.

The Students' Political Association of the National University of Singapore recently conducted an online survey to find out students' views on certain key issues affecting Singaporeans. 400 undergrads took the survey. The results were published in The Straits Times today.

From NST

To my knowledge, opposition candidates in Malaysia are rarely seen or mentioned in the local mainstream media (MSM). The exception is opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim. The New Straits Times (NST) has a daily column featuring a past quote from him. I am assuming the aim is to discredit him and show him up as inconsistent in what he says.

My point is this, will Malaysians ever see a fair and balanced coverage of candidates in the coming elections? Or do we have to resort to online alternative media to know more about opposition candidates?

Will the MSM have the courage to conduct polls to rate the present government's handling of major issues such as poverty eradication, corruption and education?

Malaysians probably know the answers.

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DO GRANDPARENTS FEEL USEFUL OR EXPLOITED?

From The Sunday Star 4 Nov 2012. Click here to read the full article .

It's been a long while since I wrote about grandparenting ("Grandparenting - Pleasure or Pressure?"). The above article in The Sunday Star today is a timely reminder to revisit the topic. Given the changing role of women in the last two to three decades, it is inevitable that the role of grandparents will also undergo change. The switch from full time mothers to full time career women has left grandparents increasingly taking on the role of child-minder and ersatz parents.

Where the extended family used to live under one roof, today's nuclear family structure means there is no one to care for the children when both parents are out at work. So who do young married couples turn to to look after their little ones? Their parents, of course, especially if they are still active, in good health and, most important, retired.

On a family vacation in Phuket with Max, 6, and Reiya, 6 months. Photo taken in 2006.

I recall when my first grandchild was born on 28 August 2000, my younger daughter was at the time helping her husband build his company. After three months maternity leave, she had to return to work. She had no choice but to approach me for help with the baby. Fortunately for her, it was the start of the Nov-Dec school holidays. I had two months to enjoy re-living my parenting days, this time as a brand new grandma.

But it was a different story when the new school term began in January 2001. I had to start teaching again. My daughter and I didn't trust a maid or anyone else to look after four-month old Max. In the end, to my daughter's relief, I decided to take care of Max full time. The school principal was understanding enough when I requested to teach part-time. I asked for three hours of classes from 7.30am to 10.30am, Mondays to Fridays. My request was approved, and thus began my first year of grandparenting which would continue till today, albeit in a different capacity.

My four grandchildren taken in 2006. 

My weekday routine for that whole year began with the alarm clock going off at 6.20am. I had to be in school by 7.25am in time for the first class. As soon as the bell rang for the first recess, I would hurry over to my daughter's place so she could leave for work. On most days she would return home with her husband after 8pm. There were times when there was so much work in the office she would be back well after 10pm. By the time I was back in my own home and in my own bed, it would be close to midnight.

For Reiya, Max is the best big brother a sister could ask for, very caring and loving. Of course, like most siblings they do bicker every now and then. Picture taken in October 2012.

I was often tired and stressed out from teaching in the morning and looking after Max the rest of the day. Changing Max's diapers, feeding him, bathing him and taking him out for walks in the stroller became the order of the day. In between I had to find time to mark assignments and prepare lesson plans. Whenever she could, my younger sister would drop by in the afternoon to help out. I remember looking forward to her visits. They were the highlight of each day.

In 2003 and 2004 my elder daughter gave me two grand-daughters, Allie and Hana. As they were both born outside Malaysia, I wasn't able to help take care of them. My daughter had to quit her job to be a stay-at-home mom for Allie's first few years. When she had her second child, the family had settled in Singapore. She was fortunate to hire a very capable maid who doubled up as a nanny for both the girls. In 2006, my family welcomed baby Reiya, sister to Max. Reiya made me a happy grandma for the fourth time.

Looking back on those years of babysitting, I can honestly say I wouldn't trade a single day of it for anything. Of course, now that my grandchildren are of school-going age, my time with them is spent mostly on fun stuff. It's a different kind of bonding altogether. I make it a point to attend their school functions, to support them in competitions and to help with their homework. I make sure I am available to babysit should the need arise.

A 2011 picture of my other two grandchildren, sisters Hana and Allie. 
They are now 8 and 9.

Children grow up so fast. Max will be a teenager next year. It will be Allie, Hana and Reiya's turn soon. There will come a time when they will have more fun with their friends than with their grandma. But till that day comes, there's no greater joy than to hear my grandchildren squeal with delight and run to hug me when they see me at the front door. Their excited cries of "Grandma!" make me feel warm and fuzzy all over. It's the sweetest music to my ears.

So back to the question - "Do grandparents feel useful or exploited by their children?" I can't answer for other grandparents. For me, my answer is obvious. It makes me feel good to know I had an important part to play in my grandchildren's growing up years. My two daughters have shown their appreciation many times over, in a thousand and one ways.

Would I do it all over again if either of my daughters decided to have another child? In a heart beat. I might not be able to run after my fifth grandchild like I used to with Max. But I would have enough love to give in equal amounts to each and every one of my grandchildren. They are truly my joy and my blessings.

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