Rudyard Kipling"
“When you're left wounded on Afganistan's plains and
the women come out to cut up what remains, Just roll to your rifle
and blow out your brains,
And go to your God like a soldier”
General Douglas MacArthur"
“We are not retreating. We are advancing in another direction.”
“It is fatal to enter any war without the will to win it.” “Old soldiers never die; they just fade away.
“The soldier, above all other people, prays for peace, for he must suffer and be the deepest wounds and scars of war.”
“May God have mercy upon my enemies, because I won't .” “The object of war is not to die for your country but to make the other bastard die for his.
“Nobody ever defended, there is only attack and attack and attack some more.
“It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died. Rather we should thank God that such men lived.
The Soldier stood and faced God
Which must always come to pass
He hoped his shoes were shining
Just as bright as his brass
"Step forward you Soldier,
How shall I deal with you?
Have you always turned the other cheek?
To My Church have you been true?"
"No, Lord, I guess I ain't
Because those of us who carry guns
Can't always be a saint."
I've had to work on Sundays
And at times my talk was tough,
And sometimes I've been violent,
Because the world is awfully rough.
But, I never took a penny
That wasn't mine to keep.
Though I worked a lot of overtime
When the bills got just too steep,
The Soldier squared his shoulders and said
And I never passed a cry for help
Though at times I shook with fear,
And sometimes, God forgive me,
I've wept unmanly tears.
I know I don't deserve a place
Among the people here.
They never wanted me around
Except to calm their fears.
If you've a place for me here,
Lord, It needn't be so grand,
I never expected or had too much,
But if you don't, I'll understand."
There was silence all around the throne
Where the saints had often trod
As the Soldier waited quietly,
For the judgment of his God.
"Step forward now, you Soldier,
You've borne your burden well.
Walk peacefully on Heaven's streets,
You've done your time in Hell."
Will there be accountability from subsidy removals? By R Nadeswaran
Sunday, June 05, 2022
Malaysiakini : Subsequently, I penned an opinion column and, among others, I noted:
"No one will object to cuts in subsidies if they know that the money
will be used rightfully on projects that benefit the nation and the
people as a whole.
"It was even suggested (at that meeting) that
the money 'saved' from such an exercise should be put into a separate
account and the government be transparent and accountable in the use of
the 'savings'. If five sen is saved from sugar, let the public know how
it is spent."
I posed a number of questions: "Why should the owner
of a Perodua Kancil (that's what he can afford) be subsiding the owner
of a Hummer who overtakes him on the highway?
"Why should the
tobacco farmer in Pasir Mas who cycles to his farm subsidise the city
folk who even drive their BMWs from their homes to the nearby sundry
shop?
"Why should the man tending his fish pond in Malim Nawar
subsidise the owner of a limo who is chauffeur-driven to a six-star
restaurant for his dinner in Kuala Lumpur?"
Scoring brownie points
Twelve
years later, we are at it again – removing subsidies because there was
no follow-up on the discussions, and it was business as usual in the
government.
On May 19, Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs
Minister Alexander Nanta Linggi said the government has been able to
keep the subsidy system that allows people to purchase essential items
at affordable prices, despite global uncertainties.
It is difficult, he said, to continue selling necessities at cheap prices amid the bleak global economic situation.
"There
are a lot of contributing factors to this situation, among them the
rising prices of raw materials around the world, the drop in currency,
conflicts among producing countries and others," he was quoted as
saying.
For good measure, and with the general election impending,
like many politicians, Alexander did not miss scoring brownie points:
"The people in the country are very fortunate that the government can
maintain the subsidy system for some essential needs to ensure the
well-being of the people is protected."
Later, Finance Minister
Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz dropped a bombshell of sorts saying that the
government is expected to fork out more subsidies this year - RM71
billion, with petrol subsidies alone touching RM30 billion amid the rise
in crude oil prices.
So, it can be said that the government will
continue to give the same fuel subsidy to the delivery men and to those
having a fleet of luxury cars in underground garages.
Finance Minister Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz
System lacks integrity
We
have been told that a mechanism is being worked out, and it will be
interesting to ask how soon such a system will be implemented. This is
compulsory and loaded – have we not heard of numerous grandiose plans
being announced that never saw the light of day?
Now that the
government has removed subsidies to chicken farmers amounting to RM729
million, it will be interesting to ask how this "saving" will be used to
alleviate the burden of low-income earners.
Because when there's
money, there will be abuse and misuse. Our system lacks integrity, and
the lists of applicants have in the past been bloated and inflated by
those responsible for drawing them.
In one case, the list for one
village increased from about 50 to over 200 because someone had added on
names of relatives and friends after hearing of an impending "welfare
assistance".
So, it is a difficult call for the government,
especially at a time when certain leaders are clamouring for the
dissolution of Parliament.
But the least the government can do is
to be accountable for the savings from the withdrawal of subsidies to
chicken farmers. No blanket political statements that "we will give the
aid directly".
The government should open its books on the
expenditure and, with modern technology, account for every sen. After
all, some elected representatives post such details on their websites,
and there is no reason for the government not to do so.
Otherwise, it will end up spending it on yet another 100-member rombongan (entourage) overseas junket.
