So What's in a Word

I refer to the letter by S.A.I. ,"Words tell their own tales", (nst 8 Oct) Bahasa Melayu was the lingual Franco, or Bahasa of the Malay Archipelago, spoken since the 15 century by more than 300 million people, not only from Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei,and Indonesia, but also from Southern Cambodia, Southern Thailand, Southern Myanmar, Cocos Island, Christmas Island,Sari Lenka, and South Africa, Although a word may sound Malay, but it could be pronounced differently, in different countries. Even the meaning of a word could be different, so I am not surprised if the word "membutuh" which means "memerlukan" or need, in Indonesian could have a different meaning in colloquial Malay.

Bahasa Indonesia and Bahasa Melayu, are separated by some centuries of different vocabulary development, partly due to the influence of different colonial languages. Dutch and German in the case of Indonesia, and English in the case of Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei. Some Malay dialects however show only limited mutual intelligibility with the standard language, for example the Northern Malays or the Kelantanese pronunciation, is difficult even for some fellow Malays in the South to understand. Each State has its own colloquial Malay accent.
Bahasa Indonesia contains a lot of words unique to it, that are unfamiliar to speakers of Malay. There are many ethnic dialects in Indonesia, however they have managed to standardised Bahasa Indonesia into one Official Language spoken in the same accent from Menado to Acheh. While we in Malaysia still speak Bahasa Melayu with our strong colloquial accent A decade ago there was a suggestion to use Bahasa Melayu Baku in schools with the pronouncation according tp the spelling of the word. This could have standardardised Bahasa Melayu as an Official language from Perlis to Sabah, but unfortunately that too has gone with the wind.
So I feel that it would be impossible to standardardise Bahasa Melayu and Bahasa Indonesia, although it is Malay in origin. My only hope is that the Indonesian do not claim Bahasa Melayu as theirs as it originated from Bangka Island off the Southern Coast of Sumatra in the 7th century.From there it spread on to Jambi and Pelembang in Sumatra before going to Melaka.



NOR SHAHID MOHD NOR
PETALING JAYA

BAJU KURUNG WILL NOT CHANGE A NON MUSLIM WAY OF LIFE

I refer to the letter by Samuel Yesuiah,"Make them truly National," (nst OCT. 5 )

Many NST readers have been writing in, far too often with regards to the negative perception,that National Schools,are Malay and religious schools,because most of the students and teachers are Malays, and the language medium is Bahasa Melayu. So non Muslim parents shy away from sending their children to these schools, not because of all these weakness, but for fear of loosing out in respect of their own language and culture.
I am appalled by the writer's comment that some National schools encouraged their non-Muslim pupils to wear the "baju kurung",and to tie their hair, thus making parents look upon these practices as a subtle means of influencing , non-Muslim children to embrace the Islamic way of life. This uncalled for remark, and without any proof, is a blatant disregard for the sensitivities of the Muslims.
I have yet to hear official complaints or protests from non-Muslim parents over this issue. I am sure the schools only encouraged Muslim pupils to wear the "baju kurung" and "tudung" and to tie their hair neatly ,because there are still many Muslim students who do not use the "baju kurung and Tudung", which is their religious obligation to cover up their "aurat"
However non-Muslim pupils may use the baju kurung on their own free will, or with their parents consent .Many Chinese and Indian students wear this attire for comfort. I suggest the writer interview these students and find out whether they are forced to use the "baju kurung",before making such assumption.
Please remember that there is no compulsion in Islam. This is clearly written in the Al Quaran, I quote
"I worship not that which you worship
nor will you worship,that which I worship
and I shall not worship that which you are worshiping
nor will you worship that which I worship
To you be your religion, and to me my religion."

So it is ridiculous to assume that students will change their way of life, just by using the "baju kurung" and tying their hair neatly..
Many Malay women, including my wife, her five sisters, my six sisters, their daughters, my daughters were all educated in convent schools. The can even recite the Christian prayers, but none of them became a Christian. I believe that for as long as we want to be Chinese,Indians and Malays, the concept of 1 Malaysia will remain a political dream.



NOR SHAHID MOHD NOR
PETALING JAYA

REVIVE COMPULSORY ATTENDANCE CENTER FOR TRAFFIC OFFENDERS

I refer to your report, "261 road deaths recorded during Ops Sikap," (nst Sept.29) .It appears that the campaign had not succeeded in changing the 'sikap' or attitude of road users. The recorded death toll was higher than last year's Hari Raya holidays. This not only saddened the government and other Malaysians, but most of all the families of the victims, who must have lost their loved ones and had to spend the festive occasion with tears of sorrow, and 'Tahlil' prayers.

Still, in spite of the frequent announcement of the accidents and death tolls over radio and T.V and strict enforcement by the police and J.P.J, Ops Sikap did not frightened, deter,or changed the attitude of drivers who continued to flout the traffic Rules with impunity.They seemed to be suffering from the 'kiasu' syndrome . The "I must win"," I must not give way," and " I must be first," attitude. Once behind the steering wheel ,they turned into monsters,uncaring, ill mannered ,inconsiderate, and irresponsible ..That was when they broke all rules under the sun, until they were awaken or died in a nasty accident
How then do we changed the attitude of such drivers?. The former Prime Minister, Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamed,suggested in a local Malay daily, that offenders be put to shame by making them stand at road junctions or highways, with their faces painted and holding a board with the words 'I AM A TRAFFIC OFFENDER'. On the other hand the Inspector General of Police, Tan Sri Musa Hasan gave a negative statement by saying that, drivers will not change their attitude even if a death sentence is imposed. Tan Sri Lim Lam Thye ,Chairman of the National Institute for Occupational and Safety and Health in his letter, " teach them to value their lives" (nst Sept.29) and many other letters ,written by him on this subject, have been falling on deaf ears, Teach them fine, it is easier said than done but who are there to teach, monitor, and enforce , the teaching.The Transport Minister ,Dato Seri Ong Tee Keat, was quoted by a local English daily at the Prime Minister's Hari Raya open house on sept.22 said that he wanted to bring down,the death toll further, and wanted to keep road users on their toes. Instead the drivers put their toes on their accelerators and increased the death toll from 31 on Hari Raya day to 261 at the end of Ops Sikap. Many readers have been writing to this column, suggesting ways on how to change the attitude of drivers,but the authorities do not seem to be interested, and every festive season we hear of rhetorical speeches made by the powers that be on accidents and death tolls, and ended without any positive action being taken. The government should start taking positive action now, if it is serious about reforming and changing the attitude of these drivers. I would like to suggest that the Minister take a look at the existing "Compulsory Attendance Centres, Ordinance or Rules l955.Two centers were built,one beside the Pudu Jail, and the other in front of Penang prison, to cater for offenders sentences under the minor Offences Act l955.These offenders were sent to these centers to undergo reorientation programmes from 5 pm to 9 pm daily. They were not confined behind prison walls and they could keep their jobs and stay in their homes with their families. At the centers they underwent re orientation programmes that included lectures on moral ,religious education, civic mindedness ,etiquette and respect for law and order and ,respect for others .They were taught to be responsible citizen..With amendment, or new legislation to the Road Transport Act, Traffic Offenders could also be sentenced to these centres .For the last decade, we have been talking about the Community Service Order Act, and nothing seemed to materialised . I think it is necessary to have the Act., not only to commit vandels but also traffic offenders, which pose a msajor threat to society.


NOR SHAHID MOHD NOR
PETALING JAYA
30th Sept.2009

PROVIDE FREE BUS SERVICE

Many readers have been writing to this
column for many years, criticizing Kuala Lumpur's Public Transport

System, which I think has not shown positive improvement. There has
been endless complaints by not only the Malaysian public, but also
local and foreign tourists, on the inefficiency and deplorable
services provided for by the city's buses and taxis. Buses are often
crowded, especially during peak hours, and with the exception of
RapidKL buses, some of the others are old and dirty, and not handicap
friendly. The time schedules are not always observed, resulting in the
accumulation of people at bus stops. Some bus drivers are rude, and
inconsiderate, talking aloud,shouting and scolding old passengers,
smoking and talking on the hand phones while driving.
Some taxi drivers sometime refused to take
passengers to their destination, refused to use meters, and often
overcharged foreign tourists.They even refused to go on short
distances ,and demanded a fixed rate according to their whims and
fancies.
Soon there will be a fare hike for buses
and taxis,and this would further infuriate commuters , causing more
dissatisfaction with the city's overall transport system ,leading them
to buy private cars on low interest credit, and would further
contribute to the already congested roads.
Malaysian commuters are not angles either,
we do not queue, at bus stops or train stations.We have this 'KIA SU'
syndrome, , to get into the bus or train first, without bothering to
give ways to the elders, pregnant women, children or the handicap. We
rushed, jolted and pushed our way in order to get in even before
others can get out. The congestion created at the door, gave pick
pockets and sex perverts a field day to do their dirty jobs, without
being caught.
Still with all these inconveniences,public
transport is necessary compliment to car owners,and how how they
wished,they can leave their cars at home, and catch a bus, taxi, or
train to their places of work. To many people this is still the most
convenient way of commuting instead of driving through, the worsening
horrible traffic jam on the city's roads, taking hours to reach their
destinations. It is a nightmare to search for parking lots.Expensive
parking fees and being fined for indiscriminate parking ,burns holes
in their pockets.
I feel that the Transport Ministry and
City Hall should now work hand in glove to positively solve the
problems, and buy over all the privatized bus operators in the city,
and manage the Public Transport System on its own. The services should
be provided FREE within the city limits as it is being done in PERTH
Western Australia.
I was in Perth last week and was amazed
with the city Transperth's CAT (Central Area Transit) buses offering a
fast FREE and convenient means of traveling, in and around the city
(FTZ) Free Transit Zone..Free travel is only permitted within the
(FTZ) and if one travels outside the zone normal fares apply. There
are 3 bus routes , running in circles within the (FTZ) and each route
is covered by, The Red Cat Bus, The Blue Cat Bus, and the Yellow Cat
Bus. Each bus route covers 22 to 35 bus stops and each bus takes 6 to
8 minutes to travel from one bus stop to another. Within three days I
covered all the three bus routes , stopping at tourists spots and
places of interest, shopping complexes, covered by the three routes.
It was a marvelous way to tour the.city and it was FREE. That is how
people in Perth travel to work in the city. There was no traffic jam
even during peak hours.
The bus service is superb, the driver
friendly and very considerate especially towards the handicap, women
and children. People said thank you to the driver when getting off the
bus,and wished the driver "good dye" or good morning when going in.
There was no rush to get in or out, people are polite and
courteous,The buses are specially built to provide for the handicap
with wheel chairs and mothers with prams.
I suggest that the Federal Territory
Minister in The Prime Minister's Department, Dato Raja Nong Chik and
the Minister of Transport and his Officers visit Perth and make a
feasible study of Perth's Central Area Transit System to access
whether it could be implemented in Kuala Lumpur.



NOR SHAHID MOHD NOR
PETALING JAYA

APPOINT SYARIAH COURTS CANING OFFICIALS

I refer to your report,"Prison can carry out Syariah caning," (nst 23rd July
).Whatever it is, Judicial or Syariah caning is a deterrent, because
very few among those caned, repeated the same crime. However I am not
sure whether there has been any amendment to the Prison Regulation or
Act that could authorised the prison authority,to administer Syariah
caning recently imposed on a Muslim woman found guilty of drinking
beer in public. The sentence of 6 strokes of the rotan did not include
a jail term, and I doubt whether it is legal to bring the woman into a
prison just to undergo the punishment of caning. The prison has never
flogged a female prisoner before since Malaysian Criminal Law
excludes women from caning and I am not aware whether the prisons
department has a female caning official now to inflict the rotan on
an exposed buttock of a female.
I remember of a
case of a Muslim male, sentenced by a Syariah Court to 6 strokes of
the rotan for drinking alcohol in public, more than a couple of
decades ago when I was still a prison director. Due to some legal
complication , the prison authority did not administer the whipping,
and besides caning officials at that time were not trained in Syariah
caning, which is different from Judicial caning.

Caning officials
are required to undergo specialise training before they are
officially certified as judicial caners, and are now paid an allowance
of Rm 10 ringgit for each strike, making it their obligation to do
such duty.without fear or favour.
Judicial caning
carried out under Malaysian Criminal Law differs from that of Syariah
caning, ordered by the Syariah Courts on only Muslims male and females
. Judicial caning is more severe ,causing injury,great pain , and
degrading. The idea is to make the prisoner feel the pain, and suffer
from the punishment, as a deterrent not only to himself but to would
be criminals. Caning is the second highest form of punishment after
the death penalty, which were introduced by the British Colonial
masters, during the colonial era. The maximum number of strokes that
can be inflicted at one go is 24 strokes. However the Medical Officer
(doctor) present has the authority to stop the whipping altogether if
further caning could endanger the life of the prisoner.

The caning
official begins with the holding of the rotan on his right hand, while
the left hand holds the tip of the rotan just above his head level and
when he is ready, the left hand is released, and the rotan is swung
with full force towards the prisoner's exposed buttock.As the rotan
hit the buttock with the first stroke, the skin will begin to tear and
swell, a nd after 3 to 4 strokes the skins will be detached and
bleeding occurs. If the prisoner could withstand all the 24 strokes
all the skin of his buttock will be detached and blood will be oozing
from the injury causing the prisoner an unbearable pain. He will
then be taken to the clinic for immediate treatment by the doctor.
After the treatment, he will be lying face down, an d will be in that
position for the next 7 to 10 days depending on the extent of the
injury.Any one would be wrong to say that no treatment is given to the
prisoner after being whipped. That is the responsibility of the
Director of the prison, to
oversee that the judicial sentence is carried out accordingly.
Whereas Syariah
caning is less harsher and severe. The cane used is smaller, and the
caning official cannot lift the rotan above his shoulder, making the
impact lesser, besides the subject is fully covered with a robe and
nothe subject feel ashamed art of the body or flesh will be exposed,
so that the rotan will not touch any part of the flesh. There will be
no injury or bleeding and the subject will not suffer much pain. The
idea is not to hurt but to make him feel ashamed of his or her sin,
so that she will repent and never to repeat the offence.
I feel that it
is about time the Syariah Courts appoint their own certified Syariah
caners and possibly gazette a room in the syariah court as a prison so
that the Syariah, caning can be executed there, as I dont think beer
and alcohol drinkers are criminals.

NOR SHAHID MOHD NOR
PETALING JAYA


my blog at http://norshahid.blogspot.com/

STICK TO THE RULE OF LAW

I refer to the letter, "There is just no escape from the red tape," by Dr. A Soorian (NST OCT>21)
It is regrettable that the writer failed to understand the simple Rule of Law by bringing up this trivial matter, which states that all applications for Death Certificate should be submitted within the first seven days of the date of death. There must be reasons for this. To say that the mourning parties are preoccupied with prayers etc. is I think a lame excuse.
If police report and the Burial Certificate could be obtained on the same day, I see no reason why someone could not spend a couple of hours just to collect the Death Certificate on any day within the week of death
Penalty for late application of certificates or late payment of bills are common We all have to pay penalty for late payment of our parking tickets, summons ,Cukai tanah, cukai taksiran and credit card bills etc. and if our electricity ,water supply,or telephone , Astro, and internet lines are cut off for late payment, we have to pay reconnecting fees, which can cost us from RM 20 to RM 100 ringgit. So what is RM 25 ringgit for a late application of Death Certificate compared to RM 35 to 50 ringgit to get a cough syrup and panadol from a local clinic.
It should be realised that Rule of Laws cannot be made to suit everyones taste. To suggest that the time frame to be extended to at least a month is a waste of time. Some Malaysians are in the habit of waiting till the last moment to do anything withen the frame work of the Rule of Law

NOR SHAHID MOHD NOR
PETALING JAYA

WAYS TO FIGHT JUVENILE DELINQUENCY

NEWSPAPER reports of the continuing rise in juvenile delinquency, especially in schools is cause for concern. In the 1960s and 1970s most juvenile delinquents were school dropouts, but this trend has changed as more schoolchildren, are now turning to crime . There is certainly an urgent need to recognise the problem and take positive steps to arrest this unhealthy trend
Offences committed by students these days include assaulting their teachers and fellow students,bullying, theft, housebreaking,robbery,extortion,dadah abuse,sexual crimes, smoking, drinking,truancy, vandalism and illegal racing. Smoking among students of both sexes is also reported to be on the rise, in spite of the no smoking campaign launched by the Government.
It has now been established that most juvenile delinquents are schoolchildren, especially those who come from broken homes in the slum areas and also from urban areas., and as such I strongly believe that in the prevention of juvenile delinquency , the home and the schooling aspect should never be neglected , but then there are more than 40,000 single mothers who are living below poverty line, and with so many children to take care,they are often neglected , and something must be done about this.

I think the weakest link lies in the absence of a policy on crime prevention in schools to evaluate the impact of home environment ,truancy ,indiscipline ,dadah abuse, smoking, drinking etc on child behaviour and in particular its relation to juvenile delinquency.
I hope the Malaysian Crime Prevention Foundation ,and others instead of just prescribing antidotes play an active role not only in preventing crime, but also to determine ways in which the public, parent-teacher associations,the mass media, Government departments, non Governmental Organizations , can contribute to the reduction of crimes especially in schools.
Public response has been encouraging as seen by the number of people writing to this column, giving their ideas and suggestions, and I feel that MCPF should take the initiative to gather all the ideas ,informations,and suggestions and call upon all the relevant authorities to have a seminar and come out with a solution that could be implemented in our schools system.There should be a referendum on the issue.
The following suggestions could be of help:

.School social work should be introduced to help students modify their attitudes towards
schooling and their teachers and to enhance adjustment to the school enviro0nment.

. Build up their sense of belonging and loyalty to the school through sports academic excellence, and co curricular activities.

Better communication between parents students and teachers through the PTAs to discuss and solve problems

The mass media should promote the appreciation of the intrinsic value of education. It is very important for parent and the community to realise the importance of education as a positive step towards the prevention of crime and delinquency

Students should be guided on the useful occupation of their leisure hours. More playing fi elds should be developed ,instead of golf course and cyber cafes

Students should be compelled to be members of disciplined uniform groups. They could help discipline teachers enforce discipline. School discipline teachers should be members of the police volunteer reserve with powers to arrest and detain, and they should be in police uniform while teaching in schools. Its objective is to induce in students the respect for law and order, regard for property, love for their parents, teachers, fellow students and elders, and a sense of pride in themselves and to foster in them the awareness of their abilities.
.
They should also be encouraged to take up vocational training, hobbies,or socializing ,like biking, hiking picnic canoeing and other organized activities.

Religious groups, clubs like the Lion and Rotary Club , PTAs, NGOs and private sectors companies should take an active part in organizing various activities for students so that they would not be left on their own

Re introduce the post of Probation officers,besides handling probation reports, they should also be responsible for handling schoolchildren who play truant and to report the matter to the schools and their parents as it is done in the United Kingdom..They should work closely with the police in all matters regarding juvenile delinquency.

There is no easy way to fight juvenile delinquency . I realise also that it is not an easy task to implement all suggestions put forward by everyone as there are a lot of obstacles to be overcome such as funds.

However we must realize that it is better to spend on preventive measures rather than see our schools turned into ganglands, which will not benefit future generations.


NOR SHAHID MOHD NOR
PETALING JAYA