Comparing Between Two Nations

 

What a contrast, or more of the same?

Nation I left behind: Malaysia with a population of around 33 million, turns 65 on 31 August 2022, given independence by Britain that long ago.

1.  Political leadership encouraging
looking inwards.
2.   Society becoming more divisive over plural and religious diversity.
3.    Getting less competitive than its neighbours.
4.     Falling ranking significantly in corruption management and occurence, according to Transparency International.
5.     Rewriting and recognising history according to the view of the powers that are.
6.     De-emphasising the language of her past colonisers.
7. A federation that is showing cracks on its structure, although still with strong central control based on a sort of Westminster system.
8.   Rampant misuse of public monies, third party commissions from projects and socio-political enrichment of a few kleptocratic individuals.
9.    Increased empowerment of royalty in the governance, economic and cultural landscape.
10.  Reduced social cohesion, due to long term strong discrimination practices in official government policies and mainstream media manipulation.
11.  Unceasing exploitation of her natural resources, high need for foreign investment levels and belittling of its Indigenous population.
12.   Joyous diversity and heritage in culinary offerings.
13.   One of the highest vehicle accident rates on her public roads and highways.
14.   Increasing commercialisation of personal health care.
15.   Aging society risks are not that high, due to larger family sizes in her majority population.
16.   Nothing like understanding the Malaysian, of whatever racial background, on the street like in a coffee shop.
17.   Heavily reliant on migrant labour, while at least 2 million of its citizens have emigrated and settled overseas in past 10 years. Largest group of immigrants are from Indonesia, Bangladesh and the Phillippines.
18.   Many of her students are studying in universities overseas.
19.    Equatorial climate assures almost the same timing of sunrise and sunset, with only monsoon and dry seasons.
20.   Strategic location in terms of geopolitics, shipping and air flight routes, natural resources and possible manipulation by powerful nations.

Nation I embraced: Australia marked its 234 years since it was colonised and 122 years as a Federation in 2022. Population of around 26 million in its Great Southern Land.

1. Political leadership unduly follows the Government of the USA and the political landscape is divided strongly on labels and party thinking.
2.   Society getting more divisive due to less equality in incomes, social interaction, less shared cultural values, mainstream media
manipulation, political structures and more emphasis on disagreement than on common values.
3.   Getting less competitive than its OECD nations.
4.   Greater incidence of public and commercial rorts, corruption and misuse of public monies, especially relating to infrastructure projects, bringing down Australia's Transparency International ranking to below the top ten in the world.
5.  Greater recognition and acknowledgent of the history of the peoples and Country before 1788.
6.  Aussie speak continues to evolve and grow, despite the presence of minorities who came from around 200 nations and a growing cohort who cannot speak
English well.
7.  The Federation is relatively still strong, although the wider independent powers of the separate States were highlighted during Covid management in 2020 and 2021.   The shrinked actions, role and responsibilities of the Federal Government in  Canberra also came to the fore.
8.    Increasing divide between consumers, workers and the public on one hand and the well funded, strongly networked with strong political connections on the other.
9.     The love affair with British royalty continues, the Republican movement gets some attention every few years and Australia participates in the annual landmark Eurovision singing contest.
10.    High level of political correctness demands exist in official government policies, but there can be a different reality at ground level.
11.    Continued exploitation of its natural resources with little value add, a wider extent of foreign ownership and increasing awakening for more recognition of its Indigenous First Nations.
12.   Joyous diversity and heritage in culinary offerings.
13.   Vehicle and driver safety has dropped with more aggressive behaviour on the roads, laden with more and larger vehicles, less civility and more traffic in capital city areas.
14.   Increasing commercialisation of personal health care, although the Medicare public health system is still better than in the UK or USA, though behind Canada's.
15.   An aging society, with birth rates higher amongst immigrant demographics.  Refer to Point 17.
16.    Nothing like understanding the Aussie on the street like in a footy or cricket game, a cafe, a private exclusive club or a RSL joint.
17.    Heavily reliant on migrant labour for many services - and also on permanent migration to ensure economic growth. The current biggest contributors to immigration are Brits, New Zealanders and Indians.
18.    Many young people still make the trek overseas for work, fun and adventure, even if for a short while.
19.   A unique range of climate zones from monsoonal to temperate, with daylight savings practised in the more populous states and a transposition of the British seasons over a rather different climate pattern in Australia.
20.   Location of the Antipodes, which should be safely tucked away with clean environments, umcontaminated produce and far away from the troubles of the rest of the world.

#yongkevthoughts

Interdependencies!

 

When I had an unexpected electrical supply cut:

I did not have wifi to phone the related electricity wholesale supplier for help.

It was single digit temperatures outside during a winter night, so I learnt to appreciate when I could easily keep warm inside by the flick of a switch.

I could not boil kettle water to make a hot drink for comfort - nor cook on the stove top.

I had to depend on battery powered devices to shine a light in the dark.

I had to just read a good book beside a solar garden light, as my electronic interface devices had run out of power - and there was no electricity to recharge the power banks.

I had to take a cold shower and could not do the laundry.

I could not open automatically operated doors, windows or gates.

What do they always say, "Never put all your eggs in one place".

You can still rely on your separate and independent sources of power, away from the commercial grid, if you have them.  As the population grows, as supply chains get disrupted, as the number of suppliers are fewer and more events outside our influence and control arise,  it is more important than ever to update our personal and collective risks.

Do we have a back up choice if petrol prices hit the roof at the bowser?  EVs still require us to use electrical power, the critical question is from.which source do we generate the electric power for such vehicles.

Gas may cause breathing health issues indoors if not used properly, but can be a back up to electricity for hot water and cooking requirements. 

Looking further beyond to diversify your business or personal needs, do you depend on only a single provider for most of your needs? Remember several retail providers, whether in insurance, tourism, telecommunications, food supply, construction or utilities, can be owned by the same parent company - and if the latter collapses, we can find ourselves with the carpet being pulled under.

Large businesses around the world tend to be vertically integrated, owning different parts of the chain of sourcing, production, logistics and sales - so if your business is dependent on such scenarios, do prepare for back ups, not just in supply, transport and parts, but also in the higher risks of being pressured in pricing dynamics.

Review your dependencies, whether in over relying on a small range of markets, customers, suppliers, revenue options, sales channels or only a few large players that can make or break your choices.

#yongkevthoughts

Calling for a Rethink

 

Since Covid management began, with all its downstream implications for labour availability, logistics supply and customer service, everyone has come across disruptions in accessibility.

The rise of contactless transactions has encouraged scenarios where and when we receive no or little explanations for problems and poor service - and the frequent feeling that we just have to take it on the chin.

In Australia, the  occurence of confronting climate disasters has coincided with the downside of Covid management since 2020.  As a nation, we over depend on manufactured stuff mostly from overseas.
Although we have sufficient food production security, the society has only a few weeks of fuel supplies.  Over reliance on visitor and migrant labour for harvests also meant a  crisis when borders were shut down for months on end to minimise the spread of the Covid in 2020 and 2021 - but in 2022 most Covid infections spread like wildfire within domestic confines.

Lettuce is now down to one dollar from 12 dollars each in my local fresh produce markets, while bananas have risen in price per kilo.  The swings in supply and pricing seem to jump from one basic product to another.  They just amplify the vulnerabilities already existing in the way basic necessities are produced, acquired and brought to the ultimate consumer - and some of the causes and effects have nothing to do with Covid.

Many of the things we utilise and take for granted are distributed and controlled by duopolies - the serious lack of competition in business will undermine the quality and standard of life and economy for Australia in the years to come.

We also have too few big players in the banking, telecommunications, pharmaceutical, food retail, insurance, power utility, transport, infrastructure, media and airline sectors.  That virtually covers many requirements in our daily lives.

These really big players are becoming too big to fail and more of society's taxpayer monies are being fed to them.  The extent of choice for consumers continue to narrow. 

Federal government in Canberra has significantly outsourced services to commercial providers, consulting groups and grant recipients in aged care, education, national strategic processes and vital areas previously handled by a supposedly more benign hand of elected governance.

How the best interests of Australian individuals, communities and society are best handled by profit seeking market players give rise to serious questions.

So when society and her denizens continue to be fed and addicted to obvious negatives, it gets even harder to break the cause and effect cycle. Reflect on the push for opiods in the intricate web experienced by the USA.   Think of the continuing promotion of excess consumption of sugar, gambling, wifi and other dependencies.

The continuing Covid years on the other hand have awakened a level of personal and group consciousness as to how our society, economy and personal reflection can be better.

#yongkevthoughts

When The War Came To My Reality

 

When The War Came to my Reality.

Aussies have long had this perception of battles taking place far away, fighting for freedom of peoples in other lands.

Even if our continental island seems distant from the big troubles across the Northern Hemisphere, what happens when Australia takes its dutiful turn to host battles to be fought on behalf of its allies?

Let us be all prepared for the physical, social and personal landscape suffered as collateral damage. 

Politicians of different shades can still keep arguing with each other, but the reality for the rest of us at ground level must make us prepare ourselves for harrowing eventualities.

Many things on our media, distracting us with irrelevant matters for so many years, will not matter anymore.

Reality shows will be replaced by reality.   The pandemic will be pushed aside ( if it already has been) by the impact of intense failure of our logistics, energy supply, communications, food and economic grids.  A lack of national unity and leadership can amplify the negative fallout.   A lack of independent purpose and stance will make foreigners increase manipulation of our societal and collective spirit.

Military fight outs can damage our land and natural resources in ways more extensive than the charge of the Light Brigade.  Who, why and what are we fighting for?    Those who urge us Australians to sacrifice and suffer are most likely sitting in the comfort of their leather cushioned offices really far far away.  Oh does not that sound so familiar?

Food shortages in wartime will be more frightening than that of toilet paper in 2020.    Fuel shortages will paralyse more than just jaunts to the supermarkets and beaches.   Innocent individuals can be banished to harsh climate corners of our vast land.   Ports and facilities will be targeted, towns in wrong places sacrificed and the sense of being stunned and conquered can add to our national pysche.

The outreach of intercontinental weapons is not limited to ballistic missiles, but are more deadly using cyberspace, artificial intelligence and sensory devices.   Australia can be held as hostage in the political tapestry of technologically advanced conflicts.   Her dependencies in critical requirements on overseas supply can undo her bargaining counter strengths.   Her relatively smaller population can be no match for her opponents.   Will the Australian government and society be punished for their perceived and actual taking of sides?  Will our military arnaments be such a pittance in capability when we need to rely on them?

Will the outcome of conflict fought out on Aussie soil be not up to us, but more on the decisions, motives and actions of outsiders?

The outcomes of actual conflict in northern Australia can divide the territory of the Lucky Country.  Years of hosting foreign powers can come home to roost in coming to more than hairs with powerful  militaries which see such bases as interfering with their strategic safety and vital interests.  Australia can stage landlocked destruction like a pawn in geopolitical chess.

Will another country save us?
Succesive Australian governments
have opted to serve more of the requirements of powerful so called Big Brothers, rather than gradually assert its own independent stand. Being overly loyal to outsiders does not guarantee a return of favour in an increasingly complex and evolving world of competitive power.

So if and when the war comes to our door step, be truly prepared.  No matter what......

#yongkevthoughts

Sydney Today

 

So almost 30 months since the Covid pandemic began, downtown Sydney shows the intensity of lacking meaningful infrastructure, as it always has been.

The attention seeking Crown Casino skyscraper at Barangaroo can be admired from road, ferry, train, yacht and more.  Its building height  can highlight the excesses of a city I once fell in love with and was proud of.  A city's pulse and reputation is not in having a questionable gambling centre, or new highways usable only by dishing out expensive tolls, but by the joy and purpose in the hearts and minds if its denizens.

Sydney now is not a practical or user friendly place.  Its over commercial emphasis has superseded most other priorities.  It is not the quality of friendships, sense of security and ease of commute that defines Sydney, but the density of dwellings, making enough money to sustain livelihoods and self preoccupation that overwhelm a Sydneysider.

Greater Sydney residents can be as totally varied and so different, depending on where they reside and work.  There is no stereotyped Sydneysider, just like yum cha at Yummys in the heart of Cabramatta can be not just the same as in corporatised Rocks area of the city ( the former option is more tasty).  It is a hassle for a Westie to try to get to the beach, while the northern beachers can find it confronting to visit the suburbs condensed with specific migrant backgrounds.

It is impossible to find a space in a downtown public car park at certain hours on certain days.   One has to prebook car spaces as if they are dinner tables.  After hours parking can be as high as Aud 30 per vehicle entry.

The number of vehicles and dwellings have exploded, yet the related supporting infrastructure has not changed much.  Trams offered around the city centre are replacements for discontinued bus services.   Thank goodness the ferries still run around the Harbour and nearby coastal suburbs.  The variety of culinary choice is still generally there post Covid lockdowns but Sydney in my opinion still is behind Melbourne in that respect.

Office workers have mostly not got out from WFH arrangements.   Small businesses in outer suburbs have prospered better than downtown Sydney as Covid infections continue.  The tourism sector and handful of universities around Central station have been impacted by international politics and border interruptions.

Sydney downtown lacks the extent of  hotel accommodation befitting of an international city.   The annual events for a city of this size remain muted in number - is it due to a stagnating number of venues and facilities?  Its potential growth as a world class financial centre can be stunted by the duopoly of the banking sector, telecommunications choices and unrigourous taxation inflexibility compared to its traditional rival cities.

Sydney's continuing lack lustre can be underlined by its lack of village communities.   A great city does not just depend on gatherings around its barista cafe hubs.  It is what local councils do more with the hipster and night gathering spots that diffeterentiate large from great cities.  If authorities do not work on a more embracing sense of belonging to the daily routine, individuals are less likely to mix and get to know each other.

Maybe the history of Sydney has left too much to a free market evolution, rather than through an enlightened guidance.  Even the roads of its city centre just developed in a rather rough fashion, compared to the grid planning in Adelaide and Melbourne.

Parts of greater Sydney can be favourites in treatment by ruling politicians.  The contemporary Metro trains and their accompanying huge sized car parks plus deep underground stations in the North-west contrast with  outdated outlets of the same Sydney Rail elsewhere with non-ergonomic stair cases.  Most outer suburb residents have to put up with long distance driving, compared to the walk around truly urban lifestyles of inner city 20 somethings.

Attending a concert or sports event involves a logistical exercise that has not changed in as many years.  Sydney truly is a federation of several towns, so many different migrant cultures and yet no truly shared embrace of collective sociality.

#yongkevthoughts

The Changing Supermarket

 

So I noticed the new packaging, smaller serves and higher prices charged.

Just dropped by a mainstream supermarket, which does hold a duopoly advantage in a business sector vital to everyone's lives in a nation of around 25 million.

Perhaps it is just me, but the increased processing of food is so obvious on their aisle shelves, as opposed to the more pleasing sight of natural produce.

Ready made meals with more preservatives.  Bites and packages that utilise latest food technology but coldly hiding behind manufactured artificiality.
Convenience emphasised with the furthest distance from the natural producer.

So much sugar, so much salt and other chemicals.  Edibles over standardised in look and formula.  So many items looking like clones and fulfiling measurements that cater to logistical and cost imperatives, rather than appealing to our human instinctive need for variety.

The inevitable self check out of the future is reinforced by the opening of only one cashier's aisle.  The seeping dominance of contactless payment methods is already foreshadowed by less direct contact between staff and customers.

Still, old fashioned pyschological methods to spur unplanned purchases, mixing of items with big discounts and high margins plus the attention placed on certain brands continue to be deployed.

More home brands at lower prices seem to oust separate brands not so connected with the supermarket chain.  Many of such home brands are made in the same factory.  There is a continuing hum about the significant hold by such supermarket chains  over producers, who increasingly have to decide on take it or leave it realities.  Too big to fail can summarise the powerful ability of such businesses.

Fruits and veg look not so appealing in the remaining fresh produce aisles, compared to what is on offer in local outdoor markets.  Milk is sold with labels stating it is sourced from various Aussie producers, rather than proudly naming the farm. 

Go figure.

#yongkevthoughts