The Kilometre of Shame, Subang Jaya

If one were to drive along the New Pantai Expressway(the alternative Jam free route to Subang Jaya) and coming unto the Subang Jaya ramp, right after Sunway, the sight of a very colourful building will greet the traveller. Named the 'Galeri Seni 3C', the centre was left to rot for some years before this announcement in April. NASOM the National Autism Society of Malaysia was given the centre to launch its 'Inclusive Intervention Centre' in April.
The MOU was witnessed by Subang Jaya Assemblyman, Datuk Lee Hwa Beng.

OK, I know it doesn't really reflect the heading 'Kilometre of Shame', but lets take a closer look shall we? Why was it not handed earlier? Why was it left to rot? I don't have the answers, but I would certainly like to hear from the YDP Presiden of MPSJ! Look at this picture and tell me that you believe that this centre was built for NASOM's benefit.
Broken glass panels for a children's centre. Apt.
If anything, perhaps, this centre (Only if NASOM ever sees the full use of the facility for its purpose) is the only saving grace for MPSJ along this Kilometre of shame!

Then there is this place, some 100 metres after the 3C centre. Millenium Square.

Ok, you may not get to see the whole pix, but at this angle (from SS13 towards Summit) you can see the money well spent. RM 3 million in 2000! Yes, then President of MPSJ, Ahmad Fuad Ismail had the gall to threaten to sue the USJ e-community portal!' On Saturday, Jan 29 2000, MPSJ President Ahmad Fuad Ismail told the Malay Mail that The Millenium Square Project and will benefit the community'. A large sized stainless steel Pigeon, as well as some smaller sized ones adorned the square, and some very wierd, out of place stainless steel Palm trees too!
Subang Jaya residents should be able to remember this.

But that was back in 2000.....some 7 years later, less RM3 million, heres 'Millenium Square'

The RM 3 Million Rubble. Reduced to 'Sebuah Dataran Awam'. I wonder where else in the world that Councils will build a Public Square and hand it over to an eatery!
SO, my guess is, it was an open tender, and the successful tender went to 'Tetuan Canai & Such' to salvage the rubble and turn it into a commercial outlet to sell Teh Tarik and Roti Canai at the recommended prices by the government. Yes, indeed. Hold on, is this the same Canai & Such, that closed its SS14 and Taipan USJ outlets? Nevermind that, but now at least you know what happened to the Millenium Square.

Hold on, did I say Kilometre of shame? Can you handle the truth? You can't handle the truth!
So, some 100 metres up the road towards Summit, you wont's miss the 3K 'Kompleks'.
3C's, and now 3K's.

I don't think the Kidney Foundation will be able to take control of this centre to turn it into a charitable building for needy Kidney patients, no way!
For starters, this is how it looks, today.
It would be very wrong for me to tell you that there is no building. This is the far end of the RM17 million complex that Fuad said would be connected to the Millenium Square, Childrens Gallery and Sunway Pyramid'. The 3K project will feature an indoor swimming pool, community halls, motel and badminton courts. Oopps! He forgot the Children's pool (with no working water pump!) and the 2 squash Courts (one damaged and under repair now) as well as a Cyber Cafe!

SO, here's the Cyber Cafe in the 3K building. But where are the computers? Lest, nowadays PC looks like stacked chairs! SO, RM17 million for a rundown community centre? RM 3 Million for rubble? And no accountability?
Unwired airconds, leaking roofs, oh, innovative too, I must add!
If you look at this pix carefully you willnote that for RM17 million, you cannot get air-conditioning pipes that has its pipe flowing outside. You need a 5 gallon container to do it, and manually remove it when it is full! Then there are countless presumably new ceramic plates for catering functions that are left unused in the Cyber Cafe.
So, I leave you this. Please, think of a way which you can contribute, to put an end to these kinds of wastage of our money. Please look at this initiative, The People's Parliament.
Subang Jaya residents, and people in this constituency should wake up!
Jump on board, and reclaim your suburb. Do you need more evidence?
I hope that Bina Puncak Teknik can restore some faith in me by finishing the 3C centre for Autistic kids, as told to us in April. Then again, do we really need landscaping in a well lanscaped property? (look at first pix right at top).
I took quite a number of pix, but if you need evidence, you can always email me.
I urge you to support the People's Parliament.
Not because Haris is a friend, but his initiative should really tell the Powers that be that we have not given up hope...not yet!

To those who represent, lead and serve the airline industry...

The Board of Governors
International Air Transport Association

800 Place Victoria
PO Box 113
Montreal - H4Z 1M1
Quebec - Canada
Phone: +1 514 874 0202
Fax: +1 514 874 9632

Madame , Monsieur

SUBJ: Letter of Protest on the Appointment of Dato Idris Jala to the IATA Board of Governors resulting from Gender Discriminating Practices by Malaysia Airlines

Having spent 7 ½ years in the airline industry, it is comforting to know that IATA stands proudly for her, ever so with the tagline and stand of ‘We represent, lead, and serve the airline industry’.

Audra Denise Atkinson, was a Female Flight attendant, who served 14 years with Malaysia Airlines, and rose from the ranks of Flight Stewardess to Chief Stewardess.

In her years in Malaysia Airlines, she was handpicked (presumably due to her good records) to serve in the former Prime Minster’s charter flights abroad, seen to most crew as a privilege. She received numerous commendation letters, and does not have a single disciplinary problem. In 2003, she was terminated, due to her informing the management of Malaysia Airlines of her pregnancy for a third time.

I am writing in my capacity as her husband. I myself was a former flight attendant with MAS. Evidently, with her termination, Malaysia Airlines has chosen to follow archaic gender discriminating policies of yesteryears!

Although the Malaysian Employment act permits female employees in this country to have up to 5 children, and yet enjoy maternity benefits, it seems, Malaysia Airlines through its collective agreement with its Union states otherwise. It will be interesting to note how many of their 5000 strong flight attendants who may be married yet chose to abort pregnancy to save their jobs, if at all.

With the termination, came three years of tremendous stress, and unnecessary actions. My expose on this through my blog, www.muststopthis.blogspot.com, further caused Malaysia Airlines discomfort, and sometime in March, Malaysia Airlines, through it’s lawyers, Shearn Delamore (Malaysia) complained to the Industrial court of my blogging, and I was issued an order to stop dissemination of this information. Failure to do so may result in me being charged in contempt.

I have tried very hard to rely on Malaysia’s court system to address this issue of which her case will be mentioned on the 5^th of September 2007. I am not certain now, about this, but having been exposed to various high profile news coverage on the near miraculous recovery of MAS, particularly through the leadership of Datuk Idris Jala, I am adamant now to first inform you, the key players in the airline industry, as well as to embark on a quest to inform all concerned of Malaysia Airlines decision to continue its gender discriminating policies. By pursuing and seeking Datuk Idris Jala’s views will also mean support of his policies.

Idris Jala may have reduced Malaysia Airline’s losses, but his continuance of not reinstating Chief Stewardess Audra Denise Atkinson further speaks for his stance in gender discrimination policies of Malaysia Airlines. In a recent press release highlighting the importance of human resources, his continuance in maintaining this archaic policy is not reflective of his views.

MAS also practices a different age limit in relation to the retirement age of its female flight attendants.

The world over is providing opportunities for women, yet in MAS, its clearly the opposite. IATA in wanting to know his secret of turning around an ailing airline, should also note this practice of gender discrimination by Malaysia Airlines.

Perhaps, it will be appropriate for IATA to question the need of such practice in a fast changing worldwide environment of equal opportunities for all.
There is absolutely no valid reason to take away a persons job on the grounds of pregnancy. None at all.

Would IATA be interested to also note that MAS did in fact convince the Industrial relations Department of Malaysia to drop the case, as MAS was in the process of offering Audra a job? However, the offer never did come. Giving her instead false hope.

My very reason to write to you, the Board of Governors of IATA, is for you to stand up, represent, and lead, to fight this Gender Discriminating policy that MAS practices, and most importantly speak for someone who is suffering in silence, on e of your own perhaps, and to pave the way to eliminate this severely lop sided aggravation on women.

After all, if all our mothers and sisters, and daughters are put out of a job due to pregnancy, what kind of a world would we have?

I plead with you to take this matter up for someone whose job and voice has been taken away.

14 days later. .

I tried....yes I did. I tried my very best to just stay silent.
14 days, and I just can't help but notice the world is paying attention.
With all his experience, in Human Resources, and exposure in an Oil company, he has done it.
Reduced the losses by RM1 Billion! Big deal! Yes sirree!
Getting a seat on the board of Governors of the International Airline Transport Association, is big.
Being asked , how, is indeed an honour. The world wants to know, how an airline can be turned around.

Now I'm wondering, if the world really knows how an airline values their 14 years experienced Cabin Crew?
I did read that MAS intends to create, a new 100 Level 2 & 3 Managers with potential to lead the airline onto the next level.
I am not sure about this, which part of terminating an employee with an immaculate record says that? (Oops....I am really testing the system, because, I've been told that I cannot say anything about her case! Screw it, I am prepared to go to jail, just to tell the world the injustice that Audra and I had to endure!)

Tune in next to view the contents of the letter I am about to send to IATA.

Enough. I have just had enough of things here in Bolehland

Spending four days of quality time with the family. One can NEVER GET enough of that, but around us, the reality of things here in Malaysia has just taken another bite.
You see, some of us will never be treated fairly. We get terminated from our jobs, whilst the CONSTITUTION guarantees the right to live. Some of us don't see the joy in going to court, to fight for somethings that the CONSTITUTION guarantees. Whilst others fight for our rights, some feel the need to take sides.

We can go on and on, and on. But at the end of the day, those in power decides. So, it still comes down to, in Lina Joy's case, three learned men making their interpretation of the CONSTITUTION. I guess, for Audra and I, on September 5th 2007, it will come down to one person making that interpretation, but for the Industrial Court.

How much can one take? Does it make one any happier that, this is a notch for Pro-Islamist?
Have you seen it from the other side of the fence? My wife's colleague, of chinese parentage, whose family embraced Islam, experienced a passing in their family recently. On arriving at the hospital in Kedah, (she works in KL, and had to rush back to her fathers death bed) she was approached at the counter in the hospital, informing her that there is a claim to her fathers' body (they,being the Religous Department). At that point, she had to inform them that her father, was still alive, and secondly, they were all Muslims and at that point it became clear to them that someone had tipped them off with the wrong facts!

I guess, some will have to live with this. As for my family, we have three relatives that converted to Islam through marriage. I certainly did not see them getting any trouble when getting their ICs done. SO be it, it was their choice. As for Lina? She doesn't seem to have one....her choice.

For one thing, I have found that by maintaining this blog, I have seemed to be able to find all things wrong with our daily life. I have some twenty something photographs of things that are so out of place, yet we don't hear about it in our daily Main stream Media.
The front page report in the Star, 3rd of June, prepares us for whats at stake if we continue to rape and poison our earth. Daily, you can see the repercussions of social injustices, as well as the battle between man and their beliefs. I pray that we will NEVER get to that stage, but all this has just gotten to me.

I shall just pray and pray some more that justice does prevail, in Audra's and all other cases.
That you will NEVER suffer the fate of those on the receiving end, and that you WILL ALWAYS be able to see both sides of the story.

For now, I will stand down, and continue to search, what seems to be my next route, an exit from this land to the next where, hopefully my children will be able to live life with real freedom, and opportunity that life is suppose to be.

Thanks for visiting this blog.
Please come back on September 6th 2007, if you would like to know if there is justice for those discriminated against.

I guess, you can see it that they have won.