... Sadly ... this is my Homeland... HIDUP RAKYAT MALAYSIA!!!

Guess I am still adjusting to living in Malaysia after being away for 3 short years ... and I did not go far .... it was just across the river ... but I tell you there is a host of difference just living across the river!!! As part of the adjustment .... allow me to lament over the bad situation of my beloved Homeland. But I am not only lamenting without a cause .... in my lament, I am calling ALL Rakyat who loves Malaysia to arise and start seriously pray for our Beloved Land!

1) NO WATER!!!!!!
We live in 21st century and how can no water still be an issue???? I really really really really cannot compute and understand how come this problem still exist in our time and age of technology???? Faint!!

I remember growing up in my kampung and we only got water and electric supply in mid 1970s ..... our old house has a well in our house ... we will draw water from it to drinking, washing and cooking. In the estate houses, they have a common well that the Indian community will go to for water supply and in the Malay Kampung, they also have one or two common well. But off course, the Malay Kampung has a little river at the back that they can also do their washing there. The river just disappeared in the name of development .... When water was supplied to our kampong .. it was a big thing .. yes ... our government was very good .... they have worked hard to help its Rakyat and give development to our Land, helped us in our problems and eased our burdens!

When I started working in 1990s in KL, I lived in section 10, PJ. Water was a problem there when it comes to hot dry seasons (month of Mar - Jul/Aug). The reason was ... the water dams/lake is drying up, so there was water rationing. I recall those days where the water tank truck will come (it looks like the same tank that was used to collect/suck poo from houses last time) by in the evenings and all of us will get our pails out to collect water to be used for the day. I clearly recall that this situation was big news and hit headlines in the press ... so the Government promised to solve this problem. In those days, when there is no water supply, there was announcement in the press (major papers in different language) and even house drops to inform us and prepare us.

Sadly, today ... my dear sister still live in the 1980-1990s era .... still living in fear of no water supply!!!! They cant seem to find solution to solve this problem even after 20 years!!! And worst of all, there is NO notice that water is running low ... they are doing maintenance work etc ..... you just got to anticipate that there will not have water anytime!!! No explanation ... nothing ..... even when we call the hotline to complain ... they just have the tidak apa attitude ... they can't be bothered ... and I don't blame them ... why should they be bothered when the owners and heads of their company cant be bothered? What kind of system is this????

What's happening in the system .... think the sad answer is ... nothing happened to the system for the past 20 years!!! It just froze in time!! Yes ... the system did change physically .... SM told me that they "swasta-kan" the water supply in Seremban for better service etc ... that happen like 2 years ago maybe .... but look .... the same water problem still persist even they went public ... there was no improvement in the water supply or its servuces but increase in the water bill!

Someone is just nicely earning a huge cut from this deal and company and cheating the Rakyat by not delivering its services ..... its so sad ... HIDUP RAKYAT!!!! We need to arise and pray against this sad situation ..... pray that God will remove the irresponsible people and close down companies that is cheating the Rakyat ... Lets pray against those who oppress the righteous and take bribes and deprive the poor of justice in the courts.(Amos 5:12) ... and let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream through out our beloved Land! (Amos 5:24). Pray for God to have mercy on our beloved Land!

Dear all, I am calling for ALL Rakyat to take this situation seriously and start praying seriously ... because I cannot imagine the condition in the future if we cannot have access to clean water. What we are doing today will impact the livelihood of our future generations .... our children and grandchildren. We need to wake up from our slumber land and start seriously to pray for God to change our nation!!!

Frankly, I have never ever encountered water problem when I was living across the river for the past 3 years. This is why ... it really cannot masuk my akal how come my Beloved Homeland is sadly like this ..... Moreover, when it rains .... my friends from my Homeland and I will automatically switch off our computers and pull out all electrical plugs. And my dear Ah Yi (clustermate from across the river-land) ... will laugh at us (Lily and I) asking us which third world country we come from, which century we live in .... have we not heard of systems like the lightning arrester .. ai .... what can we say ..... this is the sad truth .... until and unless we arise to start praying for God to visit every leadership and governing body with justice and righteousness ....

2) Public Transport - the system error or just bad attitude??
It was a HUGE drama coming to Jb from Seremban by public bus yesterday ..... I have not be traveling by public bus in my Sban-JB/Spore trips past 1.5years because it was not convenient from Spore .... plus Airasia ticket is cheap is we buy the ticket way in advance ... which I normally do because my dates are quite fixed.

In the past, I have always traveled by Plusliner because I felt that this is the best bus company ... the buses are well maintained and relatively new and the are very reliable in their timing. But to my horror, I discovered that this company is not as good as I thought it was.

First, the girl who sold me the ticket did not inform me that I got to take the bus from Terminal 2 and not Terminal 1 ... (for someone who has not taken bus past 1.5years, this is very important information) through I stared at the ticket for sometime cos it looks slightly different. Off course it was my mistake to assume that boarding is from Terminal 1 and did not read the boarding venue in fine print.

Secondly, when I arrive at Terminal 1 5minutes before time, their ticketing counter was closed .. there was no notice to say that its boarding in Terminal 2. I walked round the terminal until 1 day saw me to inform me that boarding is in T2 and there will be a free shutter bus to T2. By the time I got to T2 .... it was 1.45pm .... off course, the bus being punctual has left. I walked around T2 .... there was no ticketing office in sight .... just shops. So, I called SM to pick me up again and send me to T1. When I got to the counter, the lady said that "ooo .... its not me who sold u the tickets, so, I dont know. If you want, you got to buy new tickets". But as I try to talk with her ... she said ... you talk to my boss in T2 .... m like --- can you please call your boss .... can I talk with him on the phone ... she made a call and said .... u need to go to T2 to see my boss. I asked her to write down her boss' name because it sounded an unfamiliar name, she refuse to ....

Anyway, off I went to T2 again .... found out that there was indeed ticketing counter and their office ... in Level1 .... but there was NOT a sign to indicate that there was downstairs .... and when I asked for the boss, the lady in the ticketing counter pointed to the group of Malay guys who was just sitting around chit-chatting ... smoking ....

So, I approached the guys and asked who is XXX..... there were 2 guys wearing Plusliner uniform and the younger man pointed to the older man. The older man looked as if he is ready for a fight. "What's the problem" he asked .... I again patiently explain my situation and asked if there is such a thing of reimbursement or special fare because I missed the bus .... not knowing that it is from T2. He shouted .... "How can anyone not know that the bus is from T2?? (i really felt like a stupid fool that time) We changed to this Terminal 2 years ago ...." So, if you want reimbursement or money ... go look for the lady who sold you the tickets ... it has nothing to do with me!!!" He was loud and rude ..... it was in public. I told him that I never want to pick a fight with him but just want to ask if he could help. Afterall, I already missed my bus, my appointment in JB is in a mess and I was made to run back and forth like a headless chicken past 30minutes ..... Why did the lady send me running to him knowing very well that he cannot help me? Anyway ... I told the older guy who sat arrogantly among the other guys that Plusliner has always been my no 1 choice .... now .... I am totally disappointed with the company and I think they (the workers) bring shame to the company). It's their attitude .... their indifferent and pushing the buck attitude ---sadly ... this is the condition my beloved Homeland. How can we attract tourist and make them feel welcomed and at home with attitude as such. Take for example if I am a tourist from Europe .... have limited English and does not speak Malay .... what trouble I will land myself in ..... and on top of that if I have a plane to catch in Spore .... ooo my ... Lord have mercy on these people .... how to love them as you love them and have compassion for them to share the Gospel with them?

I was so upset and shaken .... the people was unkind and rude to me .... and on top of that, totally no apology ... their attitude sucks .... arrogant ... I could not think straight that I went home. After awhile, I recollected myself and ask SM to send me to the bus terminal to buy another set of tickets again. I was quite determine to get down to JB .... so, I send SM down to buy the ticket ... she bought one .... immediate boarding time ..... hahhaha .... another drama .....

This ticket is from the bus started from Lumut in the morning, then to Ipoh and to Seremban. So, it is from Sban that I board. But imagine those who took the bus from Lumut/Sitiawan ... wow .... it must have been a long journey for the by the time they get to JB. Anyway ... I found my seat and waited patiently for the bus to move out since its suppose to start immediately. Then someone obviously from the bus company got up and took a head count and ask for us to show our tickets. The guys sitting next to me has no ticket and immediately said that that guy who actually traveled from Ipoh has to get down cos he does not have ticket!! HUH??

They double sold seats in Seremban and has to make this guy (who happen to be an Indon) without tickets from Ipoh to get down ... HUH??? I cannot compute what's happening again .... sadly .. this is Malaysian public transportation system ... this is for real ....

After sometime .... the bus driver got on ... and the officer told the bus driver that the guy has no tickets ..... immediately the bus driver say ..... "suruh dia turn-la" (ask him to get down) in a loud voice. This is so embarrassing for the poor Indon guy. Then the bus driver went through his tickets and found a bus ticket which was the Indon guy's.

Suddenly the extra ticket sold was sold, the guy who did not have seat had a seat at the back and when asked ... the driver just said .... oooo .... someone who is suppose to get down at Sban did not .... m like "HUH???" I did not see any guy getting down .... Strange .... really pelik .... people really bully who they think they can bully ....

Sadly, after 20 years, the public transport in Malaysia did not improve .... it is either the same or worst .... or it did improve but the attitude of the workers did not .... so it made no difference. I recall in the 1980s where I take bus to Penang and KL from Sitiawan ... and yes .... I encountering these problems seem to be the norm ... sadly, after 20years ... the same problem still exist ..... is there hope for Malaysia??? HIDUP RAKYAT Malaysia!!! We need to arise and stand together against oppression and injustice towards the poor and needy ... and need to stand in the gap to intercede for God's justice and mercy to visit our beloved land .... if we dont ... who will stand in the gap for us?? If we dont .... imagine our next generation and generations to come .... who shall God send ... if it is not you and I .... on our knees first ....

SM said that she is glad that I will be getting my car soon and this will most likely be my last trip (actually not ... I need to get back to Seremban to pick up my new car) .... I thank God for my car but my heart goes out to those who cannot afford to buy a car and has to rely on public transportation ..... Lord have mercy on them ..... Lord have mercy on Malaysia ...

HIDUP RAKYAT MALAYSIA!!! In Christ we can HOPE against all HOPE ... God will bring HOPE to our hopeless situation if we ask ... and knock ... He will answer us!