Why Bahasa Melayu

Why Bahasa Melayu?

I drove  my car in a pump station to top up the nearly empty tank. Only one bar remain as indicated by the barometer. What the heck, yesterday I put in twenty ringgit and today I got to top up some more. Thanks to the additional 20 sen per liter.

"Abang sini bole bayar juga" , ( you can pay here brother), a pump attendant, a Bangladehi told me as I was about to step up to the cashier counter..

"Ya, terima kasih" (Really, thank you). I showed him my five fingers, meaning fifty ringgit please. He fully understood my sign language.

While the filling up was in the process, I took the opportunity to talk to him.

"Sudah lama mari?" ( How long you have been here)?

"Tiga bulan bang" ( Already three months , brother)

"Pandai cakap Melayu"? ( Your Malay are good").
.
"Sikit-sikit saja. Campur itu kawan" ( Just a bit. I mixed around), he smiled.

I gave him my fifty ringgit notes and drove away,

Now why should there, the huha from one end to the other, from parliament house to kopi shops, there are among us Malaysians still talking about our ability or rather inability to communicate and converse in Bahasa Melayu.

How long we have been here as compared to our friend the immigrant pump attendant? Shame.

But do not be mistaken. I do not propose the standard achieved by our friend , the Bangldeshi -'sikit-sikit saja, campur itu kawan'. We are not IMMIGRANT, we are CITIZEN of this beloved country,  Malaysia. We must love our own language, Bahasa Melayu. Show our love by mastering and have a good command of our own language. 

Next: Why English.

  

Kerajaan Yang Suka Berhutang

A. Jawapan PM di Parlimen menyatakan antara lain:

i) Kedudukan Hutang Negara (Kerajaan) pada akhir Jun 2014 adalah sebanyak RM568.9 billion (52.8% dari KDNK).

ii)  Dari RM568.9 b sebanyak RM 582.7 b (97.1%) adalah hutang domestik dan 16.2 b (2.9%) hutang luar pesisir.

iii) Kedudukan hutang sejumlah RM 568.9b itu dikatakan  sebagai sederhana, dibawah 55% KDNK.

iv) Pengurusan hutan dilakukan secara berhemah dengan sebab itu hutang  dibayar teratur dan mengikut jadual.

v) Kerajaan berhutang kerana mempunyai kemampuan bayar balik dan bagi tujuan membiayai pembangunan negara.

vii) Pembayaran khidmat hutang (debt service) sebanyak 10.3% daripada hasil kerajaan. Kadar ini masih jauh dibawah 15% seperti yang ditetapka dalam peraturan pengurusan fiskal.

viii) Kedudukan hutang tahun 2010 sehingga 2014 dan peratusan daripada KDNK:adalah:

        2010     407.1 b (51.1%)

        2011     456.1 b (51.5%)   meningkat 49 b

        2012     501.6 b (53.3%)   meningkat 45.5 b

        2013     547.6 b (54.7%)   meningkat 46.0 b

        2014     568.9 b (52.8%)   meningkat 21.3 b

B.Apakah ulasan/pandangan kita terhadap fakta dan kenyataan PM itu? Pandangan/ulasan saya adalah seperti berikut:

i) Butiran khidmat hutang (debt service) adalah satu butir perbelanjaan tetap dalam bajet tahunan kerajaan. Setiap tahun peruntukan sebanyak 10.3 % daripada hasil kerajaan di sediakan untuk tujuan khidmat hutang (faedah). Untuk tahun 2015 adalah dalam anggaran sebanyak RM 34 b. ( 10.3% x  235.2 b)

ii) Walaupun pertambahan jumlah hutang menunjukkan penurunan dari tahun ke tahun melainkan pada tahun 2013 yang meningkat berbanding 2012, tapi setiap tahun kerajaan melakukan hutang menyebabkan hutang sentiasa bertambah.

iii) Tujuan hutang adalah untuk membiayai pembangunan. Tahun 2015 lebihan hasil selepas diperuntukkan untuk belanja mengurus adalah sebanyak RM 11.8 b ( 235.2 - 223.4). Kerajaan memperuntukkan sejumlah 50.5 b untuk belanja pembangunan yang mana sebahagiannya akan diambil dari lebihan hasil sebanyak 11.8 b. Kerajaan masih kurang sebanyak 38.7 b. Ertinya kerajaan akan memerlukan sumber pinjaman (hutang) sebanyak 38.7 b.  Bertambah hutang kerajaan bagi tahun 2015, dan melebihi hutang bagi tahun 2014.

iv) Hutang domestik kerajaan yang begitu tinggi (97%) menjadikan pihak swasta mempunyai sumber pinjaman yang kurang bagi bersama-sama menggerakkan pembangunan negara.

v) Bajet kerajaan adalah bajet bagi menguruskan hutang. Ini menjadikan kerajaan kurang mampu untuk memperkembangkan ekonomi melalui pembangunan bagi menjana pendapatan.

Sekian setakat ini saja ulasan saya. Sebenarnya banyak lagi yang boleh disentuh.

 

     

       

I Walked For A Future That I Had No Idea.

Back, in 1956, I walked out my house not to be a runaway.  I walked for a future that I had no idea.

It was early in the morning about 5 o'clock, my older brother and I had our bath. A few buckets of water were too much to make us shivering. Water from the well was very cold.  

Not much a do with our school uniform. Simple, a blue short and a white short sleeve shirt. Mine was inherited from my brother since it was still all right according to my father.. And my brother who was eight had a brand new one not because he was privileged but rather he had to give up his old one for the sake of mine.

My father was very calculative as far as money was concerned.

We were on foot and reached school at about 7.45 am. The morning journey for a distant of 1.6 kilometer, took us 30 minutes.

I registered myself as one of the new intakes for standard one, in the Malay school.

I was taught in the school for almost my entire primary education except for two year break. My family and I had to follow my father who had been transferred to the northern region. He was in the security service.

Malay language was a medium of instruction. English was only introduced when I was in standard six. I humbly would note that I was a bit better off than other students as far as English was concerned. My English teacher, with apology, I could not remember his name,was accused of  being biased, praising me whenever I correctly answered questions asked. But it could not be help because no body other than I would dare to put up hand when questioned asked.

We were to sit a examination for admission to secondary education. Altogether 20 of us from our school. It was in 1961.

Did all of us prepared for the examination? The answer was a big NO. I would say with the highest certainty that we did not see the importance and significance of the examination in shaping up our future. As I said, I walked for  a future that I had no idea. So did my other friends, their parents and mine  included.

I was fortunate enough. In fact there were two of us, my peer  a girl and myself, a boy.  We somehow managed to get through for admission to secondary level . We  passed the secondary level intake examination. Out of 20 pupils from our school, only two of us cleared the bar, certainly not with a flying colour, but suffice to meet the minimum standard required.

Eighteen others failed. Not because we were better off rather they were unfortunate. I also struggled to answer many questions. But luck was with me. I got through.

My unfortunate friends, not only  failed to enter for secondary education, they were gone as far as aspiring for higher level of education. Their education stop the moment they received the result. Then, they were only good to be recruited as child labour and received low and unreasonable wage. And they were for good became marginalised citizen.

I said I was fortunate in the scheme, managed to get through the examination. Frankly I was an average student. I guessed, my other friend, that girl, was better than me based on the class performances.

My English teacher came to my house, congratulating me. He looked very exited.  He convinced me to change medium of instruction, from Malay to English. He told me with English I have a bright future.

At that time, I had no idea about the future. Bright future was no meaning for me. Neither was  dark future,  it was not my concern either.

But my teacher kept on convincing me to the last minute when we had to part away. My teacher had to say good bye when I had to attend to some other works requested by my father. He said, "Make sure you are in....", . I kept silent. I knew he was serious.

When I received the examination result, I was so happy that I got through. I looked forward for secondary education. And deep in my heart, I wanted to go to English school. My so desire forced me to quickly communicate this to my father whom I knew would not buy my idea. I would not dare to do that in normal circumstances.

But I passed the examination. This must be a very good news to my father. With the news. I braved myself to talk to my father.

"Mana ambil duit?" (Where to get the money) asked my father with raised voice. No reply from me. I knew no point replying.

Going to English school was a luxury. In fact the opportunity to go to secondary level was a bad news to most of the parents, my father was no exception.

"Masuk sekolah Melayu pun tak cukup duit" (Even it was hard-pressed to go to malay school), said my father. I knew that was the ultimatum.

When I walked out my house back in 1956 to register myself to be admitted in standard one, I said I walked for a future that I had no idea. Now, 2014, the future of 1956, I am a pensioner.