There have been many recent events and conversations that got me thinking that Malaysia deserves to be the butt of jokes of the world. There is no one else vying for this title. It might just be better to be a ‘pendatang’ looking at the way things are going in this country. Something has to change and change it must. You readers know so. Let us look at these recent events.

‘Allah’ being exclusive to Islam is the hot topic over the week. With all the demonstrations and outcry over the decision to allow its usage, I can simply point to one glaring fact. The demonstrators as well as the home ministry suffer from a complex about their own religion.. This behavior no doubt validates irrational fear. I would not want to consider a faith where the followers do damage to their own faith.

This is akin to scoring your own goals instead of having opposing teams do it for you. Do these people know the term‘Allah’ is used even in our state anthems? Should non-Muslims just ‘beep’ when they encounter this word? Only the misguided are working up this issue. The rest of sane Malaysians - Muslims and non-Muslims alike - see through this.

Our air force’s jet engines seem something that are easily carted away. That is the prevailing impression. Worse still, it's two jet engines. They are not something small you can just slip into your pocket and walk through security. Our armed forces seem to have the biggest loopholes in the entire universe. Or maybe, it is a black hole for accountability?

Looking at the slow pace of the investigations thus far, I would not even dare to pin any high hope of having the thefts solved. This is a matter of national security where the ISA ought to be used. Instead, the investigation are moving so slowly with hope that it will be forgotten over time. It's not a new trend in this country we call home.

Corruption as a way of life as CT put forth in her letter is not new. It's been happening all around us and many choose to turn a blind eye. We know about those who ‘cut short the red tape’ with cash and ‘inducements’ instead of scissors.

But let's not get ahead of ourselves. Let's look at where Malaysians generally bribe. Ever been pulled over because you exceeded the speed limit? How many of you have bribed without being smart enough to observe whether there is a speed camera, or even asked for the photos to be sent to you?

Also note that these speed cameras need some calibration done, proper training to use, etc. I only have one word for those who just try to bribe their way out without so much of a thought - ‘suckers’!

I shall stop here for the moment. I am already amused. We somewhat know how the government mismanages our money and the ‘crutches’ galore. Those will be for another day. Happy New Year.