to read further.. access to that blog larh... XD
Cuti-Cuti Malaysia
1. There are only 365 days in a year. Take away 104 days of Saturdays and Sundays weekends and we have left 261 working days. But Malaysia is multi-religious and we must not work during Raya, Chinese New Year and Deepavali. But we must also not work on Wesak Day, Taipusam, Christmas, New Year, Federal Territory Day, various Muslim holy days and I do not know what else.
2. But we must not work on by-election polling day also. Then there is the Agong's Birthday and the birthdays of all the Sultans and Governors.
3. We seem to find more reason for not working. If the holiday falls on a weekend, then have a long vacation beginning the day before Saturday and the day after Sunday - four days in all.
5. But I ask myself are people like me, a pensioner being paid and not working? Or is the country on automatic - administrating itself? Or is it that there really is not much work to do that we can close up for one-third of the year?
6. We are still a developing country. Developing requires work. Rich developed countries can afford not to work. August holidays see the cities like Paris and London bereft of traffic.
7. I believe, but I may be wrong, that when you are trying to catch up with someone running ahead of you, you must run faster than him. We have this great ambition to become a developed country. If we move slower than our objective can we catch up? I think we cannot.
8. A developed country today and a developed country in 2020 is not the same. In 2020 it will be far more advanced and richer than in 2008. The developed status is not static. It is moving.
9. Even if it seem to be growing slowly percentage-wise, but its one percent is bigger than our 5 or 6 percent. Our base is lower. To catch up we must really grow faster.
10. Can we grow faster by not working? I think not.
11. Lets look at the implication of having holidays. If workers have to work on holidays they have to be paid twice their daily wage. If they work beyond working hours they have to be paid four times their wages. And many industries just cannot stop operating.
12. All these add up to higher cost of production and therefore we will be less competitive. For a trading nation which depends on exporting goods, raw material and services, the cost of our exports is important. We will not be competitive especially against low-wage countries. But not to worry. The Government will make us competitive by withdrawing subsidies and giving them back again under different headings in the budget or off-budget.
13. Its a bit early but I would like to wish everyone Happy Hari Raya. Please drive slowly. We want you to come back after a very relaxing 4 - 5 days holiday. Do not worry about unfinished work. It can take care of itself.
P.S. I think the Government and the private sector should consider retreats. It's not a holiday of course but comes very close to a holiday. Besides you can become a savvy agriculturist.
Dear Tun,
I agree with you that all these “cutis” ‘add up to higher cost of production and therefore we will be less competitive. For a trading nation which depends on exporting goods, raw material and services, the cost of our exports is important. We will not be competitive especially against low-wage countries.’
However, I think that the real reasons are as follows:
1. I think there are too many Islamic holidays.
2. I think there are too many hours wasted on Fridays.
3. I think there is too much wasted working hours during Ramadan.
Muslims should sacrifice time and money (take unpaid leave hours; now that is a Jihad!) to pray and not expect Chinese businesses and tax payers (mainly non-Muslims) to subsidise them so that they can be "good" Muslims. I think that is “haram”, but heh, what do I know? I am just a stupid, irrelevant Dhimmi!
LJHi Tun,
im really agree with ur opinion tun that now we have a lot of holiday and also a lot of time to be waste. even during the work time, still a lot of people rather waste their time by lepak at warung or mamak stall for 1-2 hours juz for laughing and sembang2..we know that if we want to achieve our mission2020, not just increase the quantity or time to work but we also had to increase our QUALITY too..
the above are comments.. really make sense.. however.. there are some who doesnt WAKE UP and still wants more hols???? below are few examples...
Hi Tun,
Oh my after reading this your comment I've made a simple culculation to my holidays and leaves per year...
224 days = working days/yr
141 days = leaves + sick leaves + 16 Sept(suggested by DSAI) and by-election (PP)
I love to work in Malaysia as Malaysian(even my expatriate friends is delighted)... I'll be spending 1/4 yr for holidays.
Please politician's add more holidays so I can earn $$ and work less and thanks for this people I got :) big bonus... + OT... OMG. bling..bling..
Malaysia Boleh
Acura-NSX
Why bother to catch up with the so called developed countries ? Progress means we just have to be better than previously.
The country will progress with strong leadership.Hard work means nothing if our leadership is flip flop. As it is,we are not going anywhere.Maybe we need more rests and holidays to reflect.
Selamat Hari Raya.Maaf Zahir & Batin.
Tun, If we have meritocracy then we don't have to work long hours.It's just becos our civil servants are 3rd class and we will never catch up even if we work 7 days a week.We must have quality not quantity.Blame it on you becos in your 22years you staff all the government agencies and departments with low grade civil servants.As a result today we face this problems.Also our institutions of higer learning are churning out low grade work force.This are all the contributors of what happen to our declining work force.Malaysia Tak Boleh
well.. this IS malaysia.. a multiracial country.. yet so many conflicts.. say is very berpadu larh.. say is Malaysia Boleh larh.. say is love country larh.. bt u never noe~ what is happening INSIDE the country... come on.. wake up MALAYSIA~!!
too bad i dint read this post a day earlier.. today.. the English paper directed writing came out on Patriotism.. haiz.. too bad.. or else i wud have more thing to write on.. XDD hope that the teachers won giv any bad comments bout it.. it really is my own thought.. im just sounding it out.. come on.. no offence.. this is a democratic country~~ XDDD
Good afternoon to you Tun & Family,
God take good care of Tun:),
I couldn't agree more.
Malaysia Based Multi races country has to many holidays. Is not productive. Isn't the government to do some thing about the bank sectors, as we need to wait 48 hrs before our local check can be clear, or outstation check needs more than a week?? Even though on holidays, isn't 24 banking to serve it's meaning
Custom clearance, compare to our neigbour country, we are far far behind. Can government do something about it?? I believe this is the reason why investor prefered to have their hub in our neighbour country.
It takes a lot of effort for the improvement, but "Rakyat" is prepare to work for the best interest of individual & Malaysia.
Malaysia Boleh!!!
Chuck68
Hey Dr M,
"Do not worry about unfinished work. It can take care of itself."
Well i laughed. That contradicted everything you said earlier. Hah.
And this:
"The Government will make us competitive by withdrawing subsidies and giving them back again under different headings in the budget or off-budget."
Wha? Two sarcastic comments in one blog? I haven't seen that in a while. Good one. =p
Honestly i had to re-read that line a few times to make sense out of it.
YAB Tun,
As always, you nailed it to the ground.
I admit,I am guilty of this lethargic attitude myself. However, can I suggest that this malaise is due to the whole state of the nation?? beginning from the very top ?
Most times now, as a citizen you feel tired, cheated and helpless - with rising cost, no sense of pride in the nation, and sick of the sleazy and stupid leaders that we somehow have managed to trust our fate in their hands....
and so you ask yourself this question...Why on earth do I work so hard when all these 'morons' are reaping the benefit?. Meanwhile, you are working and sweating your energy and missing family time...knowing full well these morons will ruin all of it at the end of the day....
What for you ask yurself....
This is just passing the buck I know dear Tun...but in the overall picture does it not make sense tht many probably feel the same like I do??
Dear Tun,
Great piece. I welcome the sarcasm. When I went to the Loaf in Langkawi in 2006 , I asked your staff "pukul berapa masuk, kena punch in tak ?" hehe..I was not at all suprised to learn their actual working hours. I think developed countries can afford to work 5 days a week because they do not have many, many holidays like ours..We need to have minimum working hours per month. If we do not reach the hours, our pay should be deducted..This way productivity will be maintained. Well.. I don't think anyone will agree with me.