It is a small village in the kecamatan of Tambusai, Kabupaten Rokan Hulu in the Province of Riau, Sumatra. During the Padri Wars of 1830's , Tuanku Tambusai (aka known as Fakeh Hj Muhammad Salleh ) fought the Dutch forces together with Imam Bonjol and Tuanku Rao in West Sumatra and in Northern Sumatra .The last defence was in Benteng 7 Lapis,Daludalu which fell in 1838. He escaped capture and came to Malaya. He was buried in Rasah in 1882.
Monday, June 14, 2010
Flip Flop Policy
The term 'Flip Flop' is normally used to denote frequent changes which take place with regard to a position one normally takes, especially in making policy pronouncements and it reflects the fickle mindedness of the authority. Yesterday I read in a Malay daily about the suspension of a previous policy announced by the Minister responsible for human resource whereby companies providing security services have to implement hefty pay rise to all personnel employed in that sector. The main reason cited for the announcement was to improve the quality of people being recruited since the low wages paid to security guards just did not make sense in the light of the current challenges posed to these workers who have to put their lives on the line owing to the nature of their job. Now the Minister says the companies involved appealed to the Ministry to defer the decision because they might have to wind up if the policy is implemented. What is most perplexing is that, under normal circumstances before an important policy is announced, there should have been consultations between the Ministry and all those involved in the security industry. Especially when a law is to be enforced any changes should have been discussed at length by all government departments and agencies concerned and if the matter requires approval, a Cabinet paper is prepared and circulated for comments before it is tabled to the meeting. There have been many instances where a policy which have been announced had to be retracted because of the changes taking place which were not anticipated before.This should not have happened if good governance is our prime objective.During the era of the first few Prime Ministers, this is taboo, because such a 'flip flop' position would erode the confidence of the international community on the credibility of the government. We always took pride in the stability of our government, and it is not just the absence of political turmoil, law and order but most important of all is the integrity of all the people, the myriad bodies of authorities found at local, state and federal levels. A fickle government is least trusted by those who want to put their money for investment over a long period.
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6 comments:
Hear, hear, Akhi, I wanted to comment too but you've done it already. Well said and I support you 150%. This is not the first time it happened. Ministers who don't check with the people affected by a new policy before its promulgation, should be promulgated into oblivion.
Dashing the hopes of the security guards is s serious offense.
Dear Hal,
From the way it has been in the not too distant past (during PM Najib's Watch)there were a few such flip flops( eg GST)It appears the govt is trying to show 1)it consults 2)it is trying to cover many grounds.
So in the process it invites divergent views which is healthy but seen another way it appears outright flip flop when premature announcements were made.
Brace yourself for more!
Kaykuala,
You have quoted of some instances, a continuous flipping process - macam buat roti canai lah. The signs of such actions are all around us. Honest people suffer. Our fear is for our children, that they would not have to experience what we see and dread
Congrats on your new format, Akhi. Takyah lagi kelik dua kali sebelum sampai to your blog. Pun presentationnya sungguh clear.
Dear Pak Cik, Akhi Norzah and
Hank,
If Tun Razak is alive today, he would have given Najib a dressing down for his fickle Cabinet decision because what is in jeopardy is trust and confidence on government's credibility. It does not augur well for the country if a decision made today is upturned tomorrow. If the phrase " the kangaroo court " was popular during the Jap Occupation, how could we tolerate " Kangaroo Cabinet decisions " in the march towards 2020? A principled government means what it says and says what it means, otherwise it might well not be called a government but a circus, where every show is meant to entertain the crowd.
As what Pakcik has pointed out, it is our future generation who is going to suffer, because a wrong decision will only see the mess after two to three generations, which by then we would be all 6 feet underground. Akhi Norzah, I suggest you write again in satire the short stories which you used to do for the Malay daily in the past, because you have the gift of the mighty pen.
Malas nak tulis cerita rekaan atau fiction hari ini Akhi. Facts are now more astounding and unbelievable than fiction.
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