Sunglasses - check
Timberland Goretex hiking boots - check
Timberland Goretex jacket - check
And since Timberland was having a further 20% if I bought a third item, I bought another pair of shoes.
Who knew shopping could be so fun? I feel so privileged when I swipe the magic Amex card.
I am turning into a himbo! Tt's great, I've always wanted to be one.
We went to bukit batok nature reserve and hiked up and down with a backpack for an hour on Saturday evening. I felt fine, but on Sunday I felt like I was disabled.
The weekend has been so tiring. And now it's Monday again. Balls.
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Friday, March 28, 2008
Just as I thought that I needed some cheering up having worked till 1 am, 2.30 am, 4 am, 6 am and 2 am this week (bloody hell my hair's turning white)
YES! My monitor seems to be changing colours.....
That means the tube (ooo the screen it just turned a shade of yellow) is going to EXPIRE!!!!!!
It turns yellow-ish, and then slowly turns white again. Ooooo and then it just flickered!
The text is still as sharp as ever though.
It looks like it's finally time for me to buy a new monitor without feeling guilty!
Hmmmm:
or 
Or:....
YES! My monitor seems to be changing colours.....
That means the tube (ooo the screen it just turned a shade of yellow) is going to EXPIRE!!!!!!
It turns yellow-ish, and then slowly turns white again. Ooooo and then it just flickered!
The text is still as sharp as ever though.
It looks like it's finally time for me to buy a new monitor without feeling guilty!
Hmmmm:
Or:....
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Work's been an absolute nightmare recently. I feel like I've got no brain cells left. What with this and my upcoming trip, I have no time left to do anything!
Speaking of trips, one of my colleagues is going away to Phuket this weekend. It's very cute -- he positively turned pink when we demanded who he was going with. We suspect it's like one of those double date trips. The only question is: who's sharing rooms with who? Hurhur. Scandal. We live our lives in a boring fluorescent office, we need gossip to spice things up!
I've recently taken to making home made yoghurt. It's fairly easy to make and quite delicious. One sample of natural yoghurt in clean bowl. Fill with milk (whole milk works better than skim). Cover. Go to work. Come home 15 hours later. Nice set yoghurt. Put in fridge. Next morning, take out a spoon of the stuff and stuff it in another bowl of milk to ferment. Eat balance of unused yoghurt with poison of choice. It's a delicious start to the day. Store bought yoghurts tend to be a bit too thick and heavy for breakfast. The home made one is like drinking lassi for breakfast.
The boss and the new recruit have been gossiping! The boss sort of moaned to the recruit that he's too emotional and distracted by his upcoming wedding n stuff. And by way of counterexample she then cited me, and said that "see, he has no emotions (or was it "emotional range of a rock"). If he ever quarrelled with his girlfriend, he'd probably just write her a cheque to make up."
I thought that was like the funniest comment of the day, 'cos hmm..well...truth be told...it really does sound like something I would do hahaha...dammit......
I told you I have a perverse sense of humour, which I suppose is why I get along with my boss - she has an equally perverse sense of humour.
Monday, March 24, 2008
Coloratura
Doesn't this guy get tired doing his runs? I get tired just watching him.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0ifquyvCEo&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0ifquyvCEo&feature=related
Choir ramblings
I know I said I'd quit choir, but some passions are harder to let go of than others. And so it was with much reluctance that I gave up a few Sundays to attend practices of the "A" choir. Unfortunately, having attended 3 practices, I now have to quit again since the concert clashes with my Nepal trip which can't be shifted around due to incompatible schedules. That's a story for below.
Practices are somewhat of a bittersweet affair. Whereas A choir was once a very credible competitor of VC, it has quickly degenerated into but a shadow of its former self. It's sad to see that, and I couldn't help but draw parallels. Members were consistently late. Could not be bothered to learn up parts. Combined sessions were a waste of time, more like for the conductor to go through notes. Maybe this is what the K had referred to. I look at the attendance schedule on the forum, and the response to suggested practice times were somewhat abysmal. One group has had 2 practices. Another one has one practice, but at all the practices one member will be absent due to other commitments. The third I think has yet to start - one is going away on holiday, another has exams of some sort. In other words, everyone has something else much more important. I wonder what the K must be thinking, looking at all this. I think it's true, it all just boils down to commitment and priorities. For example, I'm giving the concert a miss, because I'd rather go Nepal than attend concert and shorten my trip. However, in my 7 years in VC, I can probably count the number of practices (after I got settled in) that I missed with 2 hands. Are you saying that I had more free time than the rest? Even with my nightmare hours at times I still bothered to turn up. It's all in priorities, and I ask myself, if others can't be bothered to set aside time like I have, why should I?
On the flip side of course, the practices have been very informative -- the conductor GTC really knows his stuff and his explanations are always interesting. It's a musical education of sorts into early music, which is what the A choir is performing. I've never been much of an early music fan, but the more I sing it and hear it, the more it grows on me. What once seemed like frivolous repetitions of the same words among the different parts is increasingly sounding more like a masterpiece in polyphony when sung properly with all the phrasing in place. I can hear it over and over again. It's not heavy like, say Eric Whitacre. It's like Pu Er tea vs. Mocha Frappucino.
My current favourite is "O Clap Your Hands" by Orlando Gibbons. This is a polyphonic masterpiece. The whole song is sung in two non-stop phrases with layers building upon each other until it finally climaxes with "Amen".
Chanticleer does an excellent version of it (it's playing on my blog now). The way the different phrases end and start is just amazing, and how they do the loud soft passages, each layer becoming increasingly stronger or weaker, is also a skill which is sorely lacking in many choirs. Any twit can sing loudly or softly, but what's amazing is to hear how the softening or loudening passes from one section to the other seamlessly.
Another excellent version is by this group called Voces8 on youtube. Unfortunately the recording is not very good, but their phrasing is fantastic. Listen to how the the tenor starts the phrase "O clap your hands together all ye people", and how he holds back on the "tog-ether". The rest of the singers are equally skillful. It's delights like this that keeps the song interesting -- every phrase seems to have a surprise - the swell and diminuendo of long notes for example. Or how certain words are emphasised, like how the second phrase starts "GOD is gone UP with a MERry noise..." or the part which goes "Oh sing PRAIses, sing PRAIses, sing PRAIses". The number of repeats determines how important the words are.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=awqwoCghqdw
I'd love to sing one of these songs in a church or cathedral some day. Divine.
Practices are somewhat of a bittersweet affair. Whereas A choir was once a very credible competitor of VC, it has quickly degenerated into but a shadow of its former self. It's sad to see that, and I couldn't help but draw parallels. Members were consistently late. Could not be bothered to learn up parts. Combined sessions were a waste of time, more like for the conductor to go through notes. Maybe this is what the K had referred to. I look at the attendance schedule on the forum, and the response to suggested practice times were somewhat abysmal. One group has had 2 practices. Another one has one practice, but at all the practices one member will be absent due to other commitments. The third I think has yet to start - one is going away on holiday, another has exams of some sort. In other words, everyone has something else much more important. I wonder what the K must be thinking, looking at all this. I think it's true, it all just boils down to commitment and priorities. For example, I'm giving the concert a miss, because I'd rather go Nepal than attend concert and shorten my trip. However, in my 7 years in VC, I can probably count the number of practices (after I got settled in) that I missed with 2 hands. Are you saying that I had more free time than the rest? Even with my nightmare hours at times I still bothered to turn up. It's all in priorities, and I ask myself, if others can't be bothered to set aside time like I have, why should I?
On the flip side of course, the practices have been very informative -- the conductor GTC really knows his stuff and his explanations are always interesting. It's a musical education of sorts into early music, which is what the A choir is performing. I've never been much of an early music fan, but the more I sing it and hear it, the more it grows on me. What once seemed like frivolous repetitions of the same words among the different parts is increasingly sounding more like a masterpiece in polyphony when sung properly with all the phrasing in place. I can hear it over and over again. It's not heavy like, say Eric Whitacre. It's like Pu Er tea vs. Mocha Frappucino.
My current favourite is "O Clap Your Hands" by Orlando Gibbons. This is a polyphonic masterpiece. The whole song is sung in two non-stop phrases with layers building upon each other until it finally climaxes with "Amen".
Chanticleer does an excellent version of it (it's playing on my blog now). The way the different phrases end and start is just amazing, and how they do the loud soft passages, each layer becoming increasingly stronger or weaker, is also a skill which is sorely lacking in many choirs. Any twit can sing loudly or softly, but what's amazing is to hear how the softening or loudening passes from one section to the other seamlessly.
Another excellent version is by this group called Voces8 on youtube. Unfortunately the recording is not very good, but their phrasing is fantastic. Listen to how the the tenor starts the phrase "O clap your hands together all ye people", and how he holds back on the "tog-ether". The rest of the singers are equally skillful. It's delights like this that keeps the song interesting -- every phrase seems to have a surprise - the swell and diminuendo of long notes for example. Or how certain words are emphasised, like how the second phrase starts "GOD is gone UP with a MERry noise..." or the part which goes "Oh sing PRAIses, sing PRAIses, sing PRAIses". The number of repeats determines how important the words are.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=awqwoCghqdw
I'd love to sing one of these songs in a church or cathedral some day. Divine.
Countdown to doomsday.
Departure date set for April 17.
It is March 25th today.
Day 1 of torture: To ease into the process: hit the treadmill at maximum incline, brisk-ish walking pace. 50 mins.
Tomorrow: as advised by Frommers, need to walk up and down stairs with loaded backpack.
22 days to go. Help.
It is March 25th today.
Day 1 of torture: To ease into the process: hit the treadmill at maximum incline, brisk-ish walking pace. 50 mins.
Tomorrow: as advised by Frommers, need to walk up and down stairs with loaded backpack.
22 days to go. Help.
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Nepal
I'm signing up to go Nepal in mid-April. It involves a 2 week trek without electricity or phone reception. I'm a little apprehensive if I can make it. But the pics will be wonderful I'm sure.
Monday, March 17, 2008
Friday, March 14, 2008
Urgh
What a month of bad news after bad news
Allco Financial Group
UBS
Carlyle Capital
Bear Stearns
what's bloody next. It's fucking bleeding me dry.
Allco Financial Group
UBS
Carlyle Capital
Bear Stearns
what's bloody next. It's fucking bleeding me dry.
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Touched
I'm seldom touched by things I watch, but I was moved to tears by this video my friend sent me. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fRPpSYr220
I love the scene where the car pulls out and the old woman excitedly announces that her son is here. She's so genuinely happy it doesn't seem like it's acting. I don't really know why I connect with the video-- maybe it's because I am exactly like one of those people being described, always being too busy with no time for family. My mum always complains that whenever she calls, I go: "yah what? hurry up i'm busyyyyy". I always thought she was being a nag, but seeing it from a third party perspective was just sort of different.
I love the scene where the car pulls out and the old woman excitedly announces that her son is here. She's so genuinely happy it doesn't seem like it's acting. I don't really know why I connect with the video-- maybe it's because I am exactly like one of those people being described, always being too busy with no time for family. My mum always complains that whenever she calls, I go: "yah what? hurry up i'm busyyyyy". I always thought she was being a nag, but seeing it from a third party perspective was just sort of different.
Monday, March 10, 2008
Elections
I can't remember the last time my parents were this excited over anything. My mom sounded like an excited 30 year old when she was going on and on about the elections and all the political rallies she attended.
It seems that the elections has galvanised the entire Malaysian community into action. On facebook I was invited to a group called "deny Barisan its 2/3 majority", a wish which ultimately came true.
If ever there were a time to be excited about Malaysian politics, this is the time. I spent 4 hours yesterday surfing the net for election related stuff on youtube and various news websites, and some political blogs.
On youtube I was absolutely disgusted by some of the fools who run the country. Some of them are absolutely childish, with public debates in parliament which went to the effect as follows:
Opp: The XYZ publication reported that our corruption rankings have fallen. What are we going to do about it.
BN: (Takes offence) blah blah where is the proof? That is just a newspaper report. It's someone's opinion. Give us proof! blah blah blah goes on to say the opposition member is telling lies.
Opp: (takes offence) I demand you withdraw that statement!
(a few other opposition members stand up and object)
BN: you all sit down. You, the white haired woman over there. Ah, sit down. Sit. Sit down. blah blah. Opp. member is stupid. There. Newspaper can have opinion, I also can have opinion. My opinion is that the opp. member is stupid.
Chairman: Everyone please sit. BN person, please refrain from using such language. It's unbecoming, but I won't censure you. A, B, C, please sit
BN: says something to the effect that nyeh nyeh, you heard that? SIT! Ok I rephrase. The Opp member is not smart.
And then there are these public debates going on outside parliament which shows the utter lack of competence of some of the members of the national party. Below is one of the particularly enjoyable Q&A sessions, taking place in my home constituency. They call her the longkang princess, i.e. the drain princess, because while she was elected MP, her forte was responding to people's calls that drains a, b, and c were broken -- she would then call up the town council and get them to fix it within 2 - 3 days. I'm sure there are more important issues than a broken drain.
I've always imagined myself to be apolitical; I guess I'm not. The current government systematically discriminates against segments of society. The current implementation of the NEP goes far beyond giving the weaker segments of society a leg up. If that were the purpose, then why are the Malaysian Indians so poor? A statistic thrown up somewhere shows the per capita income of the Indian community to be somewhere in the region of US$1000+, while the national per capita income is many times that.
The NEP is meant to be all about redistributing wealth to create a fairer society; instead it is a system of enriching segments of the Malay elite, especially those in power, and the people around them, at the expense of the nation. It is of course not in their interest to dismantle a system that enriches them. As for MIC and MCA, well, if I were one in power, it'd be easy to maintain the status quo -- just enrich those people and their families as well, then who would want to dismantle the status quo? Without a credible opposition, it's easy to pass self-serving laws since there are no checks on those in power. If the courts rule that the government is acting unconstitutionally, then just amend the constitution, it's as simple as that. And this is why the opposition victory this time round is so important. Without the 2/3 Parliament majority, amendments to the constitution are now far more difficult.
This is a rare opportunity for the opposition to show that they can form a credible alternative. Hopefully they will have the wisdom and drive to carry it through to the next elections.
====================================
1. Will you support the establishment of the Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC)?
Chew (left): Yeah, I do agree with the setting up of the IPCMC.
Pua: Absolutely. The reason is very simple. We need to increase the credibility of the police force, we need to ensure that the police treat all victims as innocent until proven guilty. The police needs to be (subjected ) to laws themselves. There have been too many cases where the police have been abusing the laws in order to extract, say for example, confessions of the victims.
2. Will you support the implementation of local council elections?
Chew: There (are) many ways to make sure that local councils perform and from what I know the government is looking into the method of appointment of councillors.
Pua: Absolutely. That is one of our platform in this campaign. The reason why MPs and state assemblymen in Malaysia are forced to do some of the work of local councils is simply because local councillors are not effective. They are not effective because they are not accountable to the public and (as such) they do things according to their own personal vested interest. So local council elections can be introduced so they will be accountable to the people and if they are not, they can be booted out in the next elections.
3. Will you support that Petronas' accounts be made public?
Chew: I thought they already have their annual report. I thought the annual report is actually the accounts for (listed) companies to disclose to everybody.
Pua: Absolutely. I think it is important because Petronas controls a huge amount of wealth of the nation. Oil resource of the country belongs to the people and Petronas being the agent that manages the oil wealth of the country must be transparent for the people in order to show that the money has been invested and reinvested and distributed fairly.
4. Will you support the idea of retaining subsidies of oil and other essential items?
Chew: Yes, I think so.
Pua: I think the subsidy system at this point in time needs to be readjusted as such that it benefits the poor and marginalised more and less so the wealthy. So for example the subsidy system in existence benefits more of the wealthy because they use the product more, then it is an unfair allocation of resources.
So we believe in a system whereby grants are given directly to the poor and to the lower middle income to cope with the rising price increases. They are targetted and controlled, you won't find leakages. For example our subsidised diesel being sold by fishermen from Malaysia to Indonesian fishermen. So that is the problem with the existing subsidy system and those need to be resolved.
5. Will you support universities to be autonomous or agree to the abolishing of the University and University Colleges Act (UUCA) 1971?
Chew: I think university students to concentrate in (their) studies is something (that) they should focus on. But if there (are) weaknesses in the Act, then (there is) no harm to review and do some adjustment or some amendment.
Pua: I subscribe to the policy that the UUCA must be abolished. It does not make sense for the university to restrict the thoughts and inquiry of the students. Students must not be taught to think only in a certain way or prevented from being politically active for being politically active actually increases their awareness and critical thinking as well as their analytical skills to enable them to be more adaptable to the global environment when they graduate.
6. Will you support the idea of an Islamic state being established in Malaysia?
Chew: Under the constitution, everybody has freedom of religion. Islam is just the official religion, that's all. But Pak Lah (Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi) has already said that we are not an Islamic state and we go according to the constitution. The most important thing is according to the constitution. I think we are a secular state if you ask me.
Pua: Absolutely not. We believe that a multiracial and multicultural country such as Malaysia has to provide protection to all religions such as the freedom of worship. We believe that the best form of government to protect all religions including the official religion is actually a secular state.
7. Will you support the setting-up of the Inter-faith Council or a Non-Muslim Affairs Department?
Chew: The (BN) manifesto already answers your question.
Pua: Yes, certainly. I think the more we understand each other's culture, religion and practices, the more we are able to live in harmonious terms with one another. When there is a lack of understanding, chances of conflict and misunderstanding would be a lot higher.
8. Will you support the call that the Anti-Corruption Agency be placed under Parliament?
Chew: I think we need to make sure the ACA carry out their work fairly and (transparently) and make sure that they actually take action to investigate whatever, whoever (that are) involved with corruption. If you ask me, in my own opinion, yeah, I agree but this depends. Any how the government still needs to study and many of the issues (are) not that straightforward.
Pua: Yes. I think it is silly for the ACA to be placed under the Prime Minister's office because then it is subjected to tampering, instructions and lobbying by the PM's office. So under the Parliament which is elected by the people, it should have greater independence.
9. Will you support the idea of abolishing the Internal Security Act (ISA)?
Chew: I think the ISA somehow on some occasions does work like what happened in America. Before that they didn't have ISA and after the 9/11 (attacks), they now have their own. That's why this all depends and (it's) very subjective.
Pua: Yes. It is a draconian law for the simple fact that you are detaining people for months and years without access to fair trial. I think that breaches the natural laws of justice founded since ages ago. Everybody should be given a fair day in court if they are charged as terrorist, then they must be proven to be terrorists before they are jailed for a long time.
10. Will you support public assemblies being held without needing to apply for police permits?
Chew: I think police permits is a must in order to make the situation under control and everybody must be responsible.
Pua: Yes I do but on condition. I accept that no permit needs to be required but in the interest of public safety the police needs to be informed and it should be given sufficient time for preparation to ensure that traffic is orderly, the crowd is well controlled and well behaved but they are there to see through a peaceful assembly rather than to prevent a peaceful assembly from happening.
11. Will you support the idea of fixing a minimum wage for workers?
Chew: Yeah, why not? I mean there are so many levels [...] that it is not so straightforward to fix a minimum wage. But for those lower income (groups), I think we should, just to draw them (out) from poverty.
Pua: I think we support an idea whereby there must be a fair wage for workers and I think in order to not place a higher burden on employers it is important for the government to step in to ensure that these workers who are having wages below that of a reasonable level are subsidiesed additionally to make sure that they make sufficient monthly income to make ends meet.
12. Will you support the idea of abolishing the New Economic Policy (NEP)?
Chew: I thought the NEP has already ended. The most important thing is that we must make sure that [...] you can actually help one particular race but in the expense of the other race. Everybody must be given a chance to have their own business and work together to create a win-win situation.
Pua: Absolutely. We believe that the NEP as it stands today favours the rich, wealthy and influential particularly from the bumiputra community. It does not benefit the bulk majority of the bumiputras as well as the non-bumiputras in this country. So inequality in the country has been increasing rapidly and only with opposition and it's replacement with a policy that focuses on merit and needs, will the equality be reduced.
It seems that the elections has galvanised the entire Malaysian community into action. On facebook I was invited to a group called "deny Barisan its 2/3 majority", a wish which ultimately came true.
If ever there were a time to be excited about Malaysian politics, this is the time. I spent 4 hours yesterday surfing the net for election related stuff on youtube and various news websites, and some political blogs.
On youtube I was absolutely disgusted by some of the fools who run the country. Some of them are absolutely childish, with public debates in parliament which went to the effect as follows:
Opp: The XYZ publication reported that our corruption rankings have fallen. What are we going to do about it.
BN: (Takes offence) blah blah where is the proof? That is just a newspaper report. It's someone's opinion. Give us proof! blah blah blah goes on to say the opposition member is telling lies.
Opp: (takes offence) I demand you withdraw that statement!
(a few other opposition members stand up and object)
BN: you all sit down. You, the white haired woman over there. Ah, sit down. Sit. Sit down. blah blah. Opp. member is stupid. There. Newspaper can have opinion, I also can have opinion. My opinion is that the opp. member is stupid.
Chairman: Everyone please sit. BN person, please refrain from using such language. It's unbecoming, but I won't censure you. A, B, C, please sit
BN: says something to the effect that nyeh nyeh, you heard that? SIT! Ok I rephrase. The Opp member is not smart.
And then there are these public debates going on outside parliament which shows the utter lack of competence of some of the members of the national party. Below is one of the particularly enjoyable Q&A sessions, taking place in my home constituency. They call her the longkang princess, i.e. the drain princess, because while she was elected MP, her forte was responding to people's calls that drains a, b, and c were broken -- she would then call up the town council and get them to fix it within 2 - 3 days. I'm sure there are more important issues than a broken drain.
I've always imagined myself to be apolitical; I guess I'm not. The current government systematically discriminates against segments of society. The current implementation of the NEP goes far beyond giving the weaker segments of society a leg up. If that were the purpose, then why are the Malaysian Indians so poor? A statistic thrown up somewhere shows the per capita income of the Indian community to be somewhere in the region of US$1000+, while the national per capita income is many times that.
The NEP is meant to be all about redistributing wealth to create a fairer society; instead it is a system of enriching segments of the Malay elite, especially those in power, and the people around them, at the expense of the nation. It is of course not in their interest to dismantle a system that enriches them. As for MIC and MCA, well, if I were one in power, it'd be easy to maintain the status quo -- just enrich those people and their families as well, then who would want to dismantle the status quo? Without a credible opposition, it's easy to pass self-serving laws since there are no checks on those in power. If the courts rule that the government is acting unconstitutionally, then just amend the constitution, it's as simple as that. And this is why the opposition victory this time round is so important. Without the 2/3 Parliament majority, amendments to the constitution are now far more difficult.
This is a rare opportunity for the opposition to show that they can form a credible alternative. Hopefully they will have the wisdom and drive to carry it through to the next elections.
====================================
1. Will you support the establishment of the Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC)?
Chew (left): Yeah, I do agree with the setting up of the IPCMC.Pua: Absolutely. The reason is very simple. We need to increase the credibility of the police force, we need to ensure that the police treat all victims as innocent until proven guilty. The police needs to be (subjected ) to laws themselves. There have been too many cases where the police have been abusing the laws in order to extract, say for example, confessions of the victims.
2. Will you support the implementation of local council elections?
Chew: There (are) many ways to make sure that local councils perform and from what I know the government is looking into the method of appointment of councillors.
Pua: Absolutely. That is one of our platform in this campaign. The reason why MPs and state assemblymen in Malaysia are forced to do some of the work of local councils is simply because local councillors are not effective. They are not effective because they are not accountable to the public and (as such) they do things according to their own personal vested interest. So local council elections can be introduced so they will be accountable to the people and if they are not, they can be booted out in the next elections.
3. Will you support that Petronas' accounts be made public?
Chew: I thought they already have their annual report. I thought the annual report is actually the accounts for (listed) companies to disclose to everybody.
Pua: Absolutely. I think it is important because Petronas controls a huge amount of wealth of the nation. Oil resource of the country belongs to the people and Petronas being the agent that manages the oil wealth of the country must be transparent for the people in order to show that the money has been invested and reinvested and distributed fairly.4. Will you support the idea of retaining subsidies of oil and other essential items?
Chew: Yes, I think so.
Pua: I think the subsidy system at this point in time needs to be readjusted as such that it benefits the poor and marginalised more and less so the wealthy. So for example the subsidy system in existence benefits more of the wealthy because they use the product more, then it is an unfair allocation of resources.
So we believe in a system whereby grants are given directly to the poor and to the lower middle income to cope with the rising price increases. They are targetted and controlled, you won't find leakages. For example our subsidised diesel being sold by fishermen from Malaysia to Indonesian fishermen. So that is the problem with the existing subsidy system and those need to be resolved.
5. Will you support universities to be autonomous or agree to the abolishing of the University and University Colleges Act (UUCA) 1971?
Chew: I think university students to concentrate in (their) studies is something (that) they should focus on. But if there (are) weaknesses in the Act, then (there is) no harm to review and do some adjustment or some amendment.
Pua: I subscribe to the policy that the UUCA must be abolished. It does not make sense for the university to restrict the thoughts and inquiry of the students. Students must not be taught to think only in a certain way or prevented from being politically active for being politically active actually increases their awareness and critical thinking as well as their analytical skills to enable them to be more adaptable to the global environment when they graduate.
6. Will you support the idea of an Islamic state being established in Malaysia?
Chew: Under the constitution, everybody has freedom of religion. Islam is just the official religion, that's all. But Pak Lah (Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi) has already said that we are not an Islamic state and we go according to the constitution. The most important thing is according to the constitution. I think we are a secular state if you ask me.
Pua: Absolutely not. We believe that a multiracial and multicultural country such as Malaysia has to provide protection to all religions such as the freedom of worship. We believe that the best form of government to protect all religions including the official religion is actually a secular state.
7. Will you support the setting-up of the Inter-faith Council or a Non-Muslim Affairs Department?
Chew: The (BN) manifesto already answers your question.
Pua: Yes, certainly. I think the more we understand each other's culture, religion and practices, the more we are able to live in harmonious terms with one another. When there is a lack of understanding, chances of conflict and misunderstanding would be a lot higher.
8. Will you support the call that the Anti-Corruption Agency be placed under Parliament?
Chew: I think we need to make sure the ACA carry out their work fairly and (transparently) and make sure that they actually take action to investigate whatever, whoever (that are) involved with corruption. If you ask me, in my own opinion, yeah, I agree but this depends. Any how the government still needs to study and many of the issues (are) not that straightforward.
Pua: Yes. I think it is silly for the ACA to be placed under the Prime Minister's office because then it is subjected to tampering, instructions and lobbying by the PM's office. So under the Parliament which is elected by the people, it should have greater independence.
9. Will you support the idea of abolishing the Internal Security Act (ISA)?
Chew: I think the ISA somehow on some occasions does work like what happened in America. Before that they didn't have ISA and after the 9/11 (attacks), they now have their own. That's why this all depends and (it's) very subjective.
Pua: Yes. It is a draconian law for the simple fact that you are detaining people for months and years without access to fair trial. I think that breaches the natural laws of justice founded since ages ago. Everybody should be given a fair day in court if they are charged as terrorist, then they must be proven to be terrorists before they are jailed for a long time.
10. Will you support public assemblies being held without needing to apply for police permits?
Chew: I think police permits is a must in order to make the situation under control and everybody must be responsible.
Pua: Yes I do but on condition. I accept that no permit needs to be required but in the interest of public safety the police needs to be informed and it should be given sufficient time for preparation to ensure that traffic is orderly, the crowd is well controlled and well behaved but they are there to see through a peaceful assembly rather than to prevent a peaceful assembly from happening.
11. Will you support the idea of fixing a minimum wage for workers?
Chew: Yeah, why not? I mean there are so many levels [...] that it is not so straightforward to fix a minimum wage. But for those lower income (groups), I think we should, just to draw them (out) from poverty.
Pua: I think we support an idea whereby there must be a fair wage for workers and I think in order to not place a higher burden on employers it is important for the government to step in to ensure that these workers who are having wages below that of a reasonable level are subsidiesed additionally to make sure that they make sufficient monthly income to make ends meet.
12. Will you support the idea of abolishing the New Economic Policy (NEP)?
Chew: I thought the NEP has already ended. The most important thing is that we must make sure that [...] you can actually help one particular race but in the expense of the other race. Everybody must be given a chance to have their own business and work together to create a win-win situation.
Pua: Absolutely. We believe that the NEP as it stands today favours the rich, wealthy and influential particularly from the bumiputra community. It does not benefit the bulk majority of the bumiputras as well as the non-bumiputras in this country. So inequality in the country has been increasing rapidly and only with opposition and it's replacement with a policy that focuses on merit and needs, will the equality be reduced.