Mourning Milton Friedman (1912-2006)

Milton Friedman
(1912~2006)

Hell....I was so busy with my work back then that I didn't even know Mr. Friedman passed away on 16th of November. A highly revered economist from the Monetarist School of Thought, he had developed a complete theory arguing against the Keynesian School of Thought and government intervention on economies. It is said that Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan adopted his theory during their reign and hence created economic revival at the U.K. and U.S. respectively. His death is certainly a great loss to the world of economics.
Having said that, not everyone is mourning his death. Somewhere in another corner of the world, at an insignificant country called Malaysia, a bunch of tongkat-ed craps, waving Keris, shouting and asking for more to be given to them. Certainly they never studied economics and don't even know who the hell Milton Friedman was. And hence they are blurred only by racial emotions and fail to see the vicious consequences ahead of Malaysia, should the government continues to intervene the market by subsidizing a certain bunch of people. If Mr. Friedman knew of this, he would certainly jump out of his coffin. Oh wait, or he never knew there exists a country called Malaysia?

Malaysian Studies

I've just finished my end semester exam, with Malaysian Studies "virtually" my last paper. It was held this morning but I've long set myself free after I finished my relatively more important paper: Investment, on Friday. Right after that exam, I've gone for a movie, a yumcha session, a Final Fantasy XII experience, and a party at Poppy. Hell, who would give a damn about Malaysian Studies? After a few weeks of abstinence from all the evils of leisure, I don't have the time to wait till the stupid paper ends and I must set all my "oppression" free.

Speaking of Malaysian Studies, it is not like I am not concerned about my country. Judging from how critical and harsh I can be in my previous entries, it's safe to say that I DO care about what's going on in Malaysia. Wanna try me? OK. Even though I literally locked myself up prior to my exam earlier on, I did still keep informed of what happened in this cute Malaysia. So what's the most heated issue in town? (Soon to be revoked) Dato' Zakariah and his Istana Idaman that is! Not to mention his unlicenced Satay store. Dato Z have just shown us who's da Boss in Malaysia.

Back to Malaysian Studies. The contents are just simply too general. It's basically cramping all your history lessons from seconday school and as a result you are like back to basics. The messages conveyed are clearly pro-government, with one clear message: BN is your man. Example, the New Economic Policy was pictured as the "remedy" which saves us all from turmoil, but the failures which happened 30 years (20 years of NEP and 10 years of National development Policy-- an extention of the NEP) down the line were not even being addressed. Further, the NEP was said to be to "eradicate poverty REGARDLESS OF RACE". What a joke. While my knowledge about the NEP has extended beyond what the textbook provides for, what do you expect me to write about NEP during the exam? Write what I know from the papers or write the required scheme answers? I was posed to such dilemma exactly just now. I really wanted to write what I know, but hell, it would be to put myself into trouble, and I don't want no pro-be-lem. So instead, defying my own conscience, I wrote as the scheme answer requires. "The NEP had successfully prepared the Bumiputeras to EMBRACE THE CHALLENGE OF GLOBALIZATION...blah blah.." How faker can I be, haha.

And then this issue of Democracy, where the standard textbook stated that the people are the boss while the so-called YBs are the people's servant. Theoritically, that is. In Malaysia, it's quite clear case that who's indeed the boss. It may be Dato Z, it may be Khir Toyo, but certainly not you and me, the poor peasants. So again, as the scheme requires, I wrote contraring my knowledge. Hey, I'm groomed to answer according to marking scheme answers since Day 1 of my primary school, what do you expect? (Lazy examiners, they don't see your points, all they want is the answers to be exactly the same as their bloody marking schemes.)

So, for me, the hardest part of studying Malaysian Studies is not memorizing those meaningless dates of commencement for this or that treaty (I really don't give a damn), but that I have to swallow the non facts which are said to be facts. I realised I can be quite a two-faced since I wrote one thing during exam but another thing here on the net. I think I have the potential to be a politician...hmmm....