Quickie - 18/5/2009

What gives? Just heard the radio on the way to the office this morning and was shocked to hear that the authorities will want to negotiate and 'assist' cabbies (that's taxi drivers lah~) that wants to apply for PSV (or their licensing or whatever) that isn't competent in the Bahasa Melayu. I'm sorry, but this is all another stupid move from our very 'clever' people who thinks that by this method, they're 'helping' everyone.

Why? Look at it this way. We've been an independent country for quite some time now and, although i'm writing this blog in English (coz i want to share with everyone around the world about whatever), i'm quite sure that all Malaysians should at least know to communicate and use the Bahasa Melayu (One Malaysia anyone???). Second, which for me is much2 more important, if the cabbies are only fluent in their mother tounge (English? Forget it... if they don't know the Bahasa, do you think they'll know this?), it'll affect the nation in terms of both efficiency of the public transportation system and of course the tourism industry. Picture this, a cabbie who's not competent in the Bahasa or English will go straight past a potential passenger who isn't their race for reasons that they can't communicate with them. So now people will miss their ride to work and the economy of the nation is crippled... along with the cabbies as well (it affects them in the long run you know...). The same can be said with the foreign tourist. "Can you bring us to the #### (place)?", the tourist said, " No understand, no understand!", the errant cabbie said and left the tourist in the dust.

Helping 'everyone' out? I don't think so.