Thesun 2009-03-03 Page11 One Step Forward Two Steps Back

theSun

11

| TUESDAY MARCH 3 2009

speak up! letter

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Unwise to move PNB office I WRITE with grave disappointment after coming to know that the PNB branch office in a prime business centre in Prai is being relocated to a new premises on Penang island. The office is strategically located within easy access for those coming from the island either by ferry or bridge. It is within walking distance of five major banks and this makes it easier for investors to move their funds. Furthermore, it is next to an industrial park whereby it is convenient to facilitate monthly deductions for the thousands of factory employees. This branch also serves investors from as far as Gurun, Baling and Taiping. I can’t seem to understand the rationale behind this move. I do understand that those living on the island face the inconvenience of crossing over but logically don’t you think it would be wiser to upgrade the existing branch and have a service branch on the island? I sincerely hope that the management of PNB will seriously consider the inconvenience it will cause to those living on the mainland. Concerned Citizen Butterworth

One step forward, two steps back » SCENE: Dome, KLCC Mohan: Do you realise that we now have too many gohed and too many gostan. First we gohed and then we gostan. Chong: What are you talking about Mohan. Sounds gibberish to me. You’re unwell or something? Azman: I am surprised you don’t know what gohed and gostan mean. Surely, you must have heard your lorry drivers shouting these words. Or maybe you don’t know because you are one of those who don’t go near your workers and much less fraternise with them? Anyway when a lorry attendant, in the north especially, wants the driver to drive forward he says gohed, a corruption of English goahead. And when he wants the driver to reverse he shouts to the driver to gostan which is to go astern. Chong: But I still do not understand what Mohan was talking about just now. OK, gohed what and gostan what? Mohan: Relax lah Chong. I am referring to the news reports last week. First, the government on Feb 16 allowed Christian publications in Malay to go ahead and use the word Allah and then there was a gostan – a backtracking you might say. Home Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar said on Saturday the permission had been withdrawn. First, yes and now, no. Chong: That means the government went half-cocked when it made the first decision. It did not

think through that deciHomer nods. sion before granting the Azman: As I said permission or gazetting earlier this is not the first it. Now I understand you, U-turn. On Thursday the Mohan, when you said government announced gohed-gostan. increased toll charges. Azman: Just like in Just a matter of hours later November 2005 when it Prime Minister Datuk Seri decided to send a minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to China to apologise for asked for the decision the police action of askto be reviewed. And the ing a woman – originally WhatTheySay next day the decision was thought to be a Chinese withdrawn. Probably he by Zainon Ahmad national – to strip in a lockjust remembered someup. An then it transpired thing. that the woman was a local and a Mohan: Ya. That was quick. Malay. Half-cocked? Chong: Yes. Half cocked again. Mohan: Absolutely. Mohan: Many more of such Zain: Come on guys. Be fair lah. The instances lah. In fact, the present administer explained that the governministration can be characterised by ment’s stand on the ban on the use of many U-turns lah. That’s what I meant the word hasn’t changed. Also there when I said we have too many gohed is a court case. It was thus a mistake and gostan. to gazette the lifting of the ban. So, Zain: You must admit that somehe explained, the mistake had to be times the people agree with some of corrected. From his point of view it is the U-turns made. For the better. better to acknowledge the mistake Chong: An example Cikgu? and correct it than to suffer all sorts of Zain: The crooked bridge. problems, much bigger problems, later Mohan: A bit controversial though. on. Better safe than sorry. Of course, Since the new government took over somebody in the ministry goofed. at the end of 2003, it maintained that Chong: No, Cikgu. I think the govthat the crooked bridge, decided by ernment made a U-turn on the lifting the previous administration, would of the ban because some Muslims be built. The new government leadprotested. ers even continued to make public Zain: No, Chong, the minister is statements why the bridge must be right. The government made a mistake built. And so on and so on. Then sudand is now correcting it. It is a genuine denly in April 2006 it announced that mistake. Why can’t you guys accept the bridge project is off. Some people that? People make mistakes you know. were jubilant, some people were Remember the expression: even good disappointed.

Zain: Well, like all government decisions – some like them and some don’t like them. Normal lah. Azman: Still. It’s a U-turn, a gostan. There are many more gohed-gostan. Take the case of the Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission, or IPCMC, which was recommended by the Royal Commission to Enhance the Operation and Management of the Royal Malaysian Police touted as a centre-piece of Abdullah’s reforms agenda in 2005. Almost everyone hailed it as what was needed. But after some delay the government said it was still looking at it. And now it is about to morph into something else. Mohan: What about the proposal by the NGOs about the setting up of the Interfaith Commission? The government was warm to the idea and then later it said no go. A gohedgostan. Chong: As a result of the government’s declared “openness” a coalition of NGOs calling themselves Article 11 initiated a forum on religious freedom. Again the government was warm to the idea. But after several Muslim NGOs demonstrated against it the government stopped the forum. Another gostan? Zain: OK, OK, I get your point. But you must agree that the government means well. Gohed gostan notwithstanding you must agree that the government has a lot of good intentions. Mohan: Isn’t it said somewhere that the road to hell is paved with good intentions.