Kindly Yours

The G7 looks like an alumni of the victors from the two devastating world wars of the 20th century. Definitely not, as historical enemy states from that era, Japan and Germany, are sitting on the table as part of the seven core members. North America and Europe contribute most of this so called select group of seven nations. Past allies like Russia and China from those world wars are now viewed by this mostly Western Alliance as hostile. Asia-Pacific is represented only by Japan. Is the G7 a group of the current and growing powerhouse economies? Banish that idea - Brazil, India, Indonesia and China are not in this group of seven. Smaller economies like Australia and South Africa are asked to attend on the side lines. Someone I know pointed out to me that the G7 nations, except for Canada, all have USA military bases on their soil. Some quarters view the G7 as a core military alliance in a future world war scenario for the 21st century. Instead of seizing an opportunity to furth...

How many club memberships, living in Australia, have you chalked up over the years? I am not referring to exclusive country or city clubs where you network with the rich, politically connected and inner sanctum of useful contacts. The prevalence of these other clubs I am talking about here, across the many suburbs of this Great Land, often depend on turnover, a huge but cheap membership base, gaming machines, a bistro of varying quality and some measure of community activities. Increasingly significant is the local barista. Over many years, so many blends of coffee beans have come out of Australia, establishing Aussie brands in this space with a strong reputation beyond its shores. The routine of having brunch or breakky has contributed to the new styled cafes mushrooming with new fangled food recipes accompanying the beverage. Tea has nevertheless not lost its embedded loyalty, together with other penchants for avocado smash, sourdough toasts, Granola mixes and sauteed mushroo...

I deeply pray that the escalating spread of Covid 19 in Malaysia is better controlled, overcome and resolved. However, how can members of the public better protect and manage themselves, should the epidemic escalate? The public and private hospital system can go into operational chaos and rupture, buckling by the sheer numbers of patients. Are managers of such facilities already preparing, securing vital equipment and supplies, while also revamping their work processes, retraining their staff and enhancing their business continuity plans? Foreign governments can impose tighter restrictions on movement of individuals who have been in Malaysia. For Malaysian nationals overseas, they may have to delay their return to their home country. The higher education sector around the world and in Malaysia itself has vested interests already shaken up in 2020 - and a serious rampage of Covid 19 within the nation itself can make things worse. If the public health scenario deteriorates in ...

Our international borders have been declared officially closed since March 2020. However, more than 14000 Australians have reportedly left the country, more than once, since Covid 19 arrived. These include military, diplomats, government officials, people seeking medical assistance and other categories. They have all been given exemptions by the Federal Government. I am more interested in the detail of the other categories. This is for a national population of around 25 million. So around 0.00056 per cent have been granted permissions to leave more than once. Often, it is not the statistical percentage that counts, but the reasons why and how. Voters lose faith in government policies when exceptions are allowed without a reasonable explanation. The majority of Australians have been compliant, restricting their personal movements, mostly within their states. Even the media around the world has remarked how compliant most Aussies have been since 2020, breaking our previous track ...

Commercial hotels are not built to accomodate as medical evacuation centres. They are designed for holding healthy guests. A powerful national ally asks an aggressive leader to de-escalate tensions, but the latter doubles down on bombing. The NSW Government in Sydney so far ignores the rising mouse plague across NSW farms and countryside - when will the impact arrive at supermarket prices and supply to suburban areas? The plague of corruption of our public monies and manipulation of politics continues unabated under the cover of Covid 19. Nature gives us produce from plants we can grow ourselves. The sun shares her bounty to give to our bodies and for our household energy utilities. Yet society makes us go to pay a middle person for our table veg, a manufacturer for vitamin supplements and a company that burns coal. Most of us these days have a mobile phone, a social media address, a personal email, an ID document, a favourite password, a swipe card, etc. Soon there may be m...

Are there lessons for Australia? If any government does not effectively manage the breach point of Covid 19 entering into their country, the risks of whatever numbered infectious waves remain. The international borders of Australia have been officially closed since March 2020. Breach entry points to me possibly encompass aircraft crew, returned citizens and permanent residents, travel ban exempted personalities like politicians, diplomats and celebrities with connections, so called essential personnel and exceptions decreed by bureaucrats and governments as if Covid 19 can recognise and do not touch them. The management of such breach point groups must be improved. It is the self entitled wiring in the brains and egos of our decision makers which actually provide the greatest public health management risks for any of us, who are mostly complying with rules as pronounced by our respective state and Federal governments. For Australia, the track record of cross infections of Covid 19...