yay for guns, nay for tolls!

YOUTHS IN MUSLIM COUNTRY TAUGHT TO USE M-16

I suspect that could be a newspaper headline that causes fear and panic in some remote close minded Western town. They must be shitting in their pants right now. The thought of little muslim girls(with their 'tudung's) and boys running around with loaded weapons.

Oh wait, wasnt that Iraq...and also Iran/Palestine?

Anyway, enough of my crude jokes. I was reading this morning papers, and the article about the NS (National Service) students being taught weapons handling caught my attention. I think its great, and im jealous. I know im a quater of a century young , but can i suit up in that crappy blue-sih uniform and train to use a firearm too?

Apparently, almost all the students that were chosen gave their thumbs up to the program, citing reasons such as boosting confidence. Something is so wrong about boosting one's confidence from learning how to use a gun. Hmmm... Well, im all for it. Im all for more military style training for the National Service students. Not hardcore, but strict. I hear a lot of bullshit happens during the National Service. And if Singapore ever decided to kiasu-fy us with their entire firearm-trained population, we know we will have a lot of trigger happy public as well as the naturally trigger happy police to back us up. Oh, and the military.

(Note: Apparently, 2% of the budget is allocated for health, whereas 2.8% is for military. Strange. Check out Sundays issue of the Star. There is an article by Marina Mahatir somethere there)



I'M A TOLL OPERATOR. POOR ME. I'VE GOT LOANS TO PAY

Clearly, im not a very astute in the ways of the financial world. Therefore, do pardon some of the silly things which i say. Especially things that involve RM38,000,000,000 ringgit. I simply can't comprehend the reality of that number. Check this article in todays The Star.

The Government has paid out RM38.5bil over the last two decades as compensation to highway concessionaires after they were not allowed to increase their toll rates, Works Minister Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu said

Everything the wig-ged on says seems to sound like crap to me. Why cant i get rm38.5 billion as compensation for the emotional and spiritual trauma that your hair piece has caused me?

“The compensation was paid out to ensure the people were not burdened with higher toll rates,” he said after chairing the MIC central working committee meeting yesterday.

He is right, its a burden. In Malaysia, especially in urban areas, cost of living is ever increasing, but social welfare is more or less non-existant, but wages/salary is stagnant. If anything, i believe we are getting paid less thesedays. I have no concrete proof of this, except that my Company is looking to hire a new staff for the measly pay of RM1200 + 200 allowance. A dream job isnt it?

Hmm, maybe someone can enlighten me. Why EXACTLY do we allow toll rates to increase? What are the underlying factors? I think i missed that memo.