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…and this is nothing new. It seems to be a highly contagious disease among elderly leaders of the peninsula.

At first, he assured everyone (who’s gullible enough to believe him in the first place) that he will step down and not meddle in the affairs of the Government. However, it’s obvious that he has a fetish for mega-projects even in his post-retirement days. When it comes to Dr. M’s mega-babies, he proves that he still can spew tons of excrement, nevermind that he’s no longer part of the government.

Well, Tun Dr. Mahathir… Let me, a citizen of Johor Bahru give you an account of what us average JBian think about your “scenic bridge”:

• We don’t give a rat’s ass about bilateral and/or collateral political nonsense talk. What the heck you “discussed” with the Lee Dynasty Members of Singapore is insignificant as hell.
• You visited JB probably less than a dozen times during your tenure, and suddenly you have the audacity to suggest that a bridge is “needed” for JB’s economy. Based on what?
• Improved water flow to reduce the effect of pollution? Face it, you’re a qualified physician, eventhough you’ve probably not practiced for a huge chunk of your life. Please do not talk about areas which are outside your expertise. It makes you sound illogical and senile.
• Have you even been on the causeway? Seriously. Without the outriders and diplomatic corp’s access priviledges, you’ll most likely see that the traffic problem on the causeway is due to Singapore’s bureaucratic hassles. The problem is definitely on their side, and not even a 12 lane highway bridge can solve this.

I’m probably not as proficiently as the good Dr. when it comes to ranting, so I guess I better stop here before things get out hand. Maybe to keep it in perspective; to me, Dr. Mahathir, you’re really the PM of NAM, the PM of OIC, the PM of ASEAN, the PM of UMNO and probably even the PM of The Unaudited Public Sector, only then were you probably the PM of Malaysia. For once, I had a chance to live and breathe under the premiership of someone who puts Malaysia first… please let him do his job!

To Dr. Mahathir, if you by any chance are reading this… I’m begging you to please stop using the press as your loudspeaker. We have had more than enough of your ramblings for more than two decades… not to mention that it’s a waste of paper and ink.

If you find that too hard to do, get yourself a blog then. Probably Mr. Lim Kit Siang can help you get started.

At long bloody last…

After accomodating similar charges slapped onto Malaysian vehicles entering Singapore. The Malaysian government has finally decided to return the favour. Mind you, I don’t really know why the Malaysian government took so long to implement this, but as a Johor Bahru citizen, I find that this has been way overdue.

As much as this step is seen as part of the strategy to reduce the burden of fuel subsidies unfairly enjoyed by these foreign vehicles, I for one, feel that this is only the tip of the iceberg. Citizens of Johor Bahru have long suffered the economic disparity of higher than average prices compared to other cities. This is in no small part, thanks to Singaporeans who find the prices of goods here to be “ehhh… so cheap one!”.

Of course, this is not to say I do not appreciate the Singaporeans for spending their oh so powerful investment dollars here. But that is where I draw the line; investments. They can start up as many factories or invest as much as they want in agricultural produce… however, I definitely don’t appreciate them rolling in JB with their SUVs and filling it up with two trolleys full of daily consumables and topping up their fuel guzzlers with subsidised petrol meant for Malaysians on the way back to Singapore.

Are you a Crystal Reports wizard? Are you looking for a (better) job? Yes? Good! I need a colleague… One with elite ninja skills in Crystal Reports and SQL Server. Other requirements are as follows:

• Degree in an IT-related discipline (Diploma holders with experience will be considered)
• Have good command of English.
• Good interpersonal skills.
• Have other programming/system administration/network security/Linux/Unix skills and experience.
• Willing to work in the beautiful city of Johor Bahru

UPDATE (25 Feb 2006): Position closed.

The Start published an update on Encik Panjang, the guy who patches potholes around JB. More details were revealed of this good samaritan and a hero of mine.

More details were made known about Panjang in the article. He was a businessman and had worked in Singapore for 25 years. He’s also from a well off Penang family.

Regardless of his background, what I admire most about Panjang is that he takes initiative to remedy a troublesome situation, specifically the state of pothole ridden roads in JB, when it’s clearly not his responsibility to do so.

The world would be a much better place if there are more heroes like Panjang. It’s good to know that he’s been receiving support from JB citizens. God bless all of you.

The Star published an article about good samaritan, Encik Panjang (he decided to keep his full name private), who fixes potholes in parts of Johor Bahru. This wouldn’t be a worthy news if not for the fact that Encik Panjang doesn’t work for the municipality, the real authority that should be doing this in the first place. He helps the community without expecting any compensation.

Being a Johor Bahru citizen myself, I am very familiar with this problem. Our roads, to put mildly, are shit. Probably just as shitty as the bloody idiots who run MBJB (Johor Bahru City Council) and MPJBT (Central Johor Bahru Town Council). Don’t the assholes that are in charge of these two entities not drive themselves? Last I checked, none of the staff there commutes using helicopters, therefore it’s bloody ridiculous that they’re not aware of the situation themselves. From this, I can deduce that these people are just a bunch of ignorant, lazy assed idiots who “makan gaji buta” (Malay saying for people who take salary but don’t do the work).

Hopefully, with this media coverage, they would get off their collective asses and fix our damn roads. Encik Panjang couldn’t do this by himself… not that he’s even supposed to, mind you. Johor Bahru is the southern entry point for foreign visitors. What sort of impression are these incompetent government bodies trying to project to them?

Encik Panjang is one of the rare breed of modern day heroes that thrive to make a difference in the lives of those around him, regardless of how these people perceive him. In these days of politicizing but no leadership, I’d rather put a perceived mad man on the pedestal, rather than politicians who are all talk, but no action. At least Encik Panjang acknowledges the problem and took action to overcome it, unlike our media-whoring politicians who only talk about it… provided there are enough lenses focusing on him/her.

Encik Panjang, you are my hero and I salute you for your efforts.