We were soldiers

by drrafick

1. I read with interest the statement by Zahid Hamidi on Malaysian Mirror where he refuted claims that former members of the Armed Forces (AF) are opposing the government. Apparently he made the comments in view of claims by some that many ex-servicemen opposed the government by expressing their views on the Internet. I am not sure whether me and Arshad Raji can be considered in the same category with other since we are ex-serviceman. I know many ex-servicemen do not blog but express their frustration with BN over my blog and at coffee shops.
   

2. Are we really frustrated with the government or with the politicians that governs the machinery? Personally on occasion I am frustrated with both. I am fed up with the hypocrite politicians. I am sick and tired with politicians that divide the nation. I am fed up with the politicians who make decisions that bring misery to the people. I am fed up with this “legal robbers” that drain the nation’s wealth and who makes lousy decisions that burden the people. The list about the politicians does not end there.
   

3. Am I fed up with the government machinery? To some I would like to say a resounding YES especially that the ones that I dealt with on a regular basis. For example certain department of MPAJ and the YDP earns my displeasure. It took me 2 years (and in the last 4 months weekly written complains) to get them to do regular maintenance a 9 tier man made slope (Lot 541) near my house.
   

4. Only after the aftermath of Ulu Langat landslide and assistance of my friends in the media (Star,TV3, Free Malaysia Today and Malaysiakini) that they actually begins to clean up the slope in the last few days. Why does it have to resort to this level to do something simple like cleaning drains and cutting grass? Why can’t I get a reply that says thank you for the information and the following are the steps we are going to take & when they want to do it and when it can be completed? IWK did it with ease without any issue. It is not difficult to communicate plainly but government agencies don’t want to do so. To some extent I can say the same about Ministry of Housing where I see plenty of lip service and no affirmative action when addressing abandon housing issues.
   

5. Between the government machinery and the politicians that govern, I must say that the politicians earned my greatest displeasure. Over the years our government machinery has degraded. Good people left and the leftovers are holding top positions and call the shots. The only reason why many of this leftover succeeded is because of their polishing skills and their network with politicians and very rarely because they have the productivity and management skills.
   

6. The politicians must understand why ex-serviceman like meopposed the government today when I did not even oppose them before (even when Mahathir sacked Anwar in 1998). If the minister thinks the numbers are small; I suggest that he think again. Hundreds of thousands of veterans lives in hardship with fixed pensions which are not adjusted to annual inflation rates. They are the victims of the nation plunderers and poor decision makers.