Happy New Year!

This must be my longest break from blogging since I started. The truth is I have been on "leave", but kept getting distracted by work-related matters. And when I am not, I well, do other stuff I had initially wanted to during the so-called break.

The year 2008 will end in a few minutes, and looking back, I must say that it has been one helluva year. I remember around this time last year, I updated my Facebook's status message, fervently hoping that 2008 would be a personal watershed year.

Indeed it has. I moved from the only field I ever knew into a fairly new one. This could not have happened if not for the watershed March 8 general election, without which, ironic as it sounds, I would not have been an aide in Putrajaya.

And the past few months have been great - warts and all. It was hard to give up on an opportunity to peek into the inner workings of the government. And it is satisfying to be able to provide whatever little input I can muster. No regrets so far.

In 2008, I started blogging, realising something I had always wanted to do for some time. And I just found out that I was also named Malaysiakini's Newsmaker of 2008.

I do not know what to expect in 2009, but hopefully it will also be great. On a personal level, the first-born is going to kindie on Monday. It must be a rite of passage, not only for the kid, but also the parents.

The economy is a cause for concern next year, but hopefully we will all be able to weather it. And here's to a blessed 2009. Happy New Year everybody!

Toilet Break

I need to walk quite a bit to get to the common toilet in my office. With the air-cond temperature set quite low and me downing several cups of coffee a day, the walk to the loo can be quite a chore.

Sometimes, we are tempted to use the washroom in the Minister's room, simply because it's much nearer. The only access is through the boss' work area. Needless to say, we can only use it, if at all, when the boss is not in.

Like today, I left my chip-embedded name tag at home. Without the ID, I could not get out of the office area to get to the common toilet, which is located near the lifts.

I have always had this phobia about using the VIP loo at the wrong time. Sometimes, my imagination runs wild thinking that after being done with the toilet business, I would bump into the boss, who makes an unscheduled trip back to the office.

And in between wiping my hands with the handkerchief, hair nicely combed and the running WC water still audible, I would be too dumbstruck to explain what I am doing in the boss' room.

Ah... no reason to let such nightmarish ideas get the better of me. It's time to flush out such thoughts by NOT using the toilet in the first place.

Happy birthday to you, happy...

As I type this, it's still Dec 13 here in London, although it's already Sunday back home. And it's my second son's first birthday!

Should have posted this blog earlier, but well, "Happy Birthday, kiddo". Would have been better if I am back home to mark the occasion (we had a small do before I left). Well, work is work.

Will be seeing the family soon...

The Italian Job

Over the past few days, together with the boss, I visited several Italian corporations in Rome, Florence and Pistoia, many of them linked to a giant conglomerate in the country. Now, this is a mega-huge entity we are talking about, producing anything from helicopters, radar systems to trains. And of course, it is a government-linked company. It's not a very accurate comparison, but the size of that said parent company is like Malaysia's Gamuda, Maybank, YTL and Sime Darby put together. Ok, you get the picture.

Now, when you are that huge and well-connected in Godfatherland, that is a huge advantage - for the businessmen as well as the politicians or even the country. Picture this: a leader of a third-world country, say Zimbabwe, goes up to the Italian government asking for more landing rights for its national-carrier.

And the Italian official responds, (imagine using Marlo Brando's tone in Godfather): "Yes, we are interested to grant you the rights. But we also have top-of-the-class Italian helicopters you can use to weed out rebels in your own country. We can also do some technology transfer on your rail infrastructure."

Never mind the "technology" is 20 years old by Italian standards as long as the Africans find it to be state-of-the-art. Never mind the poor Africans will be paying through their noses for decades to come on equipment and infrastructure which may be decades old. Never mind the companies (and therefore, the country) rake in sinful amount of profits, some of it channeled into certain individuals' campaign funds.

Now, I am not saying that the Italian companies that I visited resort to such tactics. In fact, the conglomerate is rather respectable. I have not heard of anything of that sort. Neither am I accusing the Italian government of being underhanded. Italy has a vibrant democracy.

I am just saying that the politics-businesses nexus is a very powerful one. It's really a jungle out there where it is common to scratch each others' backs. It's brutal, unforgiving and downright dirty.

On the micro level, yes, similar things are happening in the country. Yes, it is not right. Yes, we are not alone. And yes again, such things are even taking place on a global level.

Caio!

Remote control, working remotely

I have no idea how Ministerial aides survived on working visits overseas during the pre-Internet and handphone days. I am now in Europe following the boss on an official trip and have come to realise just how dependent we are on technology.

Upon switching on my handphone after touching down in Heathrow early Saturday morning (local time), I received 13 SMSes, mostly about the tragic landslide in Bukit Antarabangsa. In no time, the boss was briefed and instructions were relayed back home through phone. In about three hours after we landed, we not only went through Immigration clearence, collected our luggage and checked-in to the hotel, some 30 minutes from the airport; my boss also posted a blog on the landslide.

The next day, still groggy from jet lag, I woke up to about eight unread SMSes (I usually put my phone on silent if I go to bed in a different time-zone from home). This time, it's about the bus accident near Tangkak, which claimed 10 lives. Besides a blog posting, the boss also conveyed instructions back home, besides being briefed by Ministry officials.

In between these, I also did some fire-fighting on work-related matters, all using my trusty but highly irritable Nokia E61i. Of course, these are all on top of following developments back home, sometimes piggy-backing on free wifi, whenever I can find one.

Today, colleagues in Putrajaya asked to pass to boss some super-urgent documents for his immediate endorsement. Couldn't have been possible without access to the Internet and a printer.

When you think about it, in the past, aides probably had to wait beside a fax machine to keep track of news back home. Or they would have to learn the Morse code or something.

But then again, being incommunicado with home, they probably had more time to visit the English countryside or tour the city ruins in Rome.

Flying off tonight...

I'll be on the move again. It'll be my longest-ever official trip (10 days) since I joined the Ministry of Transport.

It's a trip I look forward to, simply because I need the change in environment, a sort of "break", although it's a working visit. I have been working non-stop since June, save for a one-day's leave. And I work on many of my weekends too (but must thank my diligent colleague who had volunteered for many Saturday and Sunday jobs, otherwise I'd have spent less time with the family).

Hopefully, I can upload some postings from abroad (probably try doing it using my phone). I am gonna miss the younger son's first birthday on Dec 13 although we had a small family do last weekend.

ABCs in MOT

More than 6 months as a civil servant, I have come to realise that gomen-speak is littered with acronyms. It is something which one needs to get used to. Coming from a journalism background, I thought it wouldn't be all that difficult. How wrong I was.

Sure, some journalists have caught on to the commonly used ones. Like KSU (Ketua Setiausaha or sec-gen), or KP (Ketua Pengarah or director-general). The less common ones I took a while to get used to. They include SUB (setiausaha bahagian or undersecretary, a fairly senior post in the service) or PSU (Penolong Setiausaha). Others are like KPSU, PT or LO, which I am not bothered to translate.

I had no problems figuring out that YBM stands for Yang Berhormat Menteri but it took me a while to realise that YBTM referred to the Deputy Minister. I had to ask a colleague to find out that PUU stands for Penasihat Undang-Undang.

Sometimes, English acronyms are preferred, despite Malay being the official language. We hear "MOT" everyday, never "KP" for Kementerian Pengangkutan. I guess it due to practical reasons as the "P" can refer to anything from Pertahanan to Pelajaran. In the same way, "MOF" is more commonly used to refer to the Treasury, not "KK" which can also be taken as the Health Ministry.

Letters and internal memos are littered with these acronyms, making the documents appear more "official" than they already are. Even we staff are known by acronyms. Sometimes, we say: "SUSK has gone out for lunch", without even referring to the person's name.

True, acronynms are also used in the corporate sector, like MD, CEO or CIO. Or even in journalism (GE, EIC, OC). But the use there is not as widespread as in the civil service.

:-) father-son talk on a Tuesday morning

What a start to a Tuesday. Unlike the day before, today I feel like I can take on the world. It's amazing how a kid who just turned 3 last month can brighten up your day.

Me: Ok, daddy going up(stairs) to bathe already.

Son: Why?

Me: I need to go work mah...

Son: (sighs and complains) Why?

Me: So got money mah...

Son: But whyyyy?

Me: So that I can buy toy-toys for you and go piang piang (the kiddie amusement centres in shopping malls).

Son: Why?

Me: Because you happy (when I do those things).

Son: Ok.

Yessssss, I am so ready to take on the world.

&*#^!$ call on a Monday morning

Someone called the office this morning to ask about an event taking place next year. Here's the gist of the conversation:

Caller (with fake English accent): Good morning. There is this (XXX) transportation conference taking place next year.

Me: Ok, cool. This is the one the Minister is going to officiate right?

Caller: Yes, he is. You are the Special Task Officer. So, you are involved in planning for public transportation, right? It'd be great if you could come along.

Me: Yes, I usually follow the Minister for Ministry-related events.

Caller (sounding excited) : Great. We have this early-bird discount. Now, here's how it works...

Me: NO, I am not going to attend the conference proper. I'll just be accompanying the Minister, that's all.

Caller: Ohhh... (silence). Errr, if that's the case, lemme check with.... errr (rummaging through some documents) Mr Ong.. Tay.. Keart. Thank you.

What a way to start a Monday morning.... And I have no inkling how someone who doesn't quite know the Minister's name intend to get in touch with him.

Speak (Or Write) No Evil

It's been a while since my last posting, and this is not a good sign for a newbie like me. Well, I was actually midway into a new posting but decided to ditch it. The entry, which was not to be, was inspired by a news article I read about French President Nicolas Sarkozy's administration.

After considering that the topic could veer into unchartered, dangerous waters, I thought the better of it. From the outset, AideSpeak is not meant to be a SoPo blog, and as far as possible, I will avoid the topic. Which brings me to the subject of the day: The Aides' Great Restraint.

Working for a top politician, we aides have to be super-cautious with what we say. Every single word, will one way or another, be linked to the boss. Receiving an SMS which reads: "My god, did u read what OKC said in da papers?!!!! how can?" usually does not warrant a reply. Or the safest response could be: "Noted, tq."

Going beyond that, and one will be treading on a political minefield. Whatever personal opinions on the subject is best left unshared. Words from those directly linked to the boss (like yours truly) has an uncanny way of getting around.

The last thing you want is the grapevine abuzz with talk like: "Did you hear what the Minister's aide said about so-and-so?" Worse, if such words reach the boss' ears.

And then, there is also the legals aspects. Being a civil servant, I am bound by the General Orders and the Official Secrets Act. I have to be mindful that the moment I blurted out something which I should not, it could well land me in jail.

Hence, the lesser I speak on work-related matters, the less likelihood that I will say the wrong things.

In a sense, it's quite frustrating, especially being an ex-journalist where I thought of nothing when shooting my mouth off on current issues.Now, I have to exercise a great deal of restraint.

It's not easy looking for "neutral" words when conversations stray into contentious topics. "Really?", "interesting..." and "I'll inform the boss" are my more common ones.

Sometimes, I have to put up an expressionless face when deep down, I wanted to rip the person's guts out simply because I so totally disagree with him or her.

It gets easier if it's text messages. You have more time to choose your words and the communication is devoid of any visual giveaways like body language and facial expressions.

The same rule applies even to family members. One of them just asked me if so-and-so will be made a Minister. My reply to him was the same as I would to others: "I don't know". First of all, I genuinely do not know. Although I could make an educated guess, I was not quite prepared to share those views as yet.

Ok, I guess enough has been said on this topic. Better stop before I blurt out something I should not...

Fire-fighting

It's bloody exhausting fighting fire. It is, it is, it is...

Of late, my boss has come under intense media scrutiny over some decisions he made. I am not here to discuss the merits of what he has done. But each time the media put him under a microscope, it feels like a tonne of bricks just came crashing down on my shoulder.

All of a sudden, your stress level rises exponentially. Each and every news item need to be thoroughly scanned. Sometimes, a reaction is warranted. The worst is dealing with those who already have preconceived notions about certain issues and who simply refuse to open up to any other opinions except their own.

All these sap your energy and even rob you of the ability to think clearly, although these are qualities you need in abundance during fire-fighting. This round, I was slightly scorched.

But a friend on Facebook offered consoling words: "just let it (the current issue) burn la. sooner or later, it'll burn out."

Beep-beep...

Few can live without a mobile phone these days. That ubiquitous contraption has evolved from being a status symbol to a necessity faster than any invention.

I own a Nokia E61i - huge by ordinary standards but it has served me well for over a year now. Of late, I notice that I treat the device - which I oh-so-adore only a few months ago - as somewhat of a nuisance. And it's not only me who feel the same. At least one of my colleagues share the same sentiments.

The reason? We have all been inundated with calls and SMSes, due to the boss' recent elevation. They range from congratulatory messages ("Your boss is the besttest!!...") , suggestions ("You tell your boss this is how to save the planet..."), or complaints (no example for this one, haha). Naturally, I also received calls and SMS-es from journos ("Who ah will he appoint as sec-gen?" was a common one).

I believe many of these calls and short-messages were made and sent out of sincerity and without malice. But being at the receiving end of the avalance of communication at a time when your workload has also increased sharply truly tests one's patience. And of late, that virtue is running thin, not only in me, but also my wife who has to put up with a phone which can't tell the difference between office-hour and family time.

In the office now, here is one common reaction among aides every time our phone rings or beeps: A painful grimace even before knowing who the caller/ sender is. This is followed by sheer reluctance to reach for the device and later, the moment of truth, which induces either a deep sigh or great relieve. Sadly, it is often the former nowadays.

Officially, my scope of duties does not include dealing with many of the characters who call or send SMSes. But working for a public figure, there is no way I can brush them off. (Ok, I DO have ways to get around the irritating ones, but that's a topic I'd rather not blog about). I call this POPO or Paradox Of Phone Ownership - You really need it, but you wish you don't.

Actually, there's still quite a bit for me to share on this subject, ranging from the bizarre to the outrageous calls I have received. But then again, my phone is ringing...

Aidespeak is now online!

Today, I have decided to put my blog online. I have always wanted to blog, especially since I left journalism some five months back.

For one, I miss writing, the only trade I ever knew before taking up my present posting. Secondly, I do not want to lose this skill.

I wrote my first posting, Tingkat 4 , months ago and only put in up last week. Prior to this, this blog is password-protected (I wanted to feel comfortable first before making it available to all).

Aidespeak will NOT be a SOPO blog . We already have many of those. This will just be my little playground which I hope can generate some interests from family, friends and those curious about government aides.

Why do I put it up today? I was looking for an auspicious date. And coinciding it with my son's third birthday today sounds like a great idea. So there guys, happy surfing!

MCA's first central committee meeting tomorrow

Tomorrow, my boss will chair his first party central committee meeting. By journalistic standards, especially in the Chinese media, it's a huge event, coming on the heels of his recent victory, and more importantly, his promise for change.

Being from the media previously, I can imagine that the press' focus will be on the appointment of party posts, chiefly that of the secretary-general, CC members and State liaison committee chairmen. All these will be deliberated during the committee meeting.

I have received far too many queries from the media and non-Press people on who is in the List. I ought to be flattered that they think the party president consults me on such things. Thanks, but no thanks.

I can understand the media and party members' anxiety or sense of excitement, but sorry, I really do not know. In fact, I DO NOT WANT to know. Not knowing makes my job easier, really.

Sorry, folks. But I think the new administration can make do with a little sense of mystery and suspense sometimes.

15 hours in Manila

Two days ago, I was in Manila and spent all but 15 hours there. It was my first trip to the The Philippines and we arrived at the Ninoy Aquino airport at the ungodly hour of 4.20am via a connecting flight from Changi.

The boss was there to attend a regional high-powered transportation meeting, and due to his other commitments, we could only leave KL late at night.

After an almost four-hour flight from Changi, putting up with the airline's (not MAS) painfully uncomfortable seats, we were greeted in the hotel by the Malaysian delegation ready to brief the Minister on the meeting that was to take place in less than four hours.

With daybreak catching up, I caught less than 2 hours' sleep in an otherwise sinfully-comfortable room.

In the morning, the meeting, which was preceded by an informal pow-wow breakfast, went on well. I surprised myself having little difficulties staying awake. After lunch, everyone adjourned to the Malacanang Palace for a signing ceremony - the highlight of the entire meeting. After an almost 40-minute wait, President Arroyo strolled in, greeted her foreign guests and in less than 15 minutes, the show was over.

As me and my boss had to rush back to the hotel before catching our flight, we were ushered into an awaiting car (while others took the bus). I wanted to hop into the boss' car, but was prevented from doing so by the security personnel. Instead, I was told to take a ride in the police car that served as an outrider for the boss!

(Come to think of it, that was my first - and hopefully last - ride in a police car. I guess it must be quite "swey" to be in one.)

Upon reaching the hotel, we had less than an hour to freshen up and pack. And in no time, we found ourselves back at the airport to catch the 7.40pm flight. Again, we headed for Changi as there were no more flights to KUL at that hour.

By the time we touched down, the last flight to KL had already departed and we travelled by road back home - a journey which took as long as the flight from Manila. I reached home around 3.30am - about 32 hours since I left. Not that I was counting then when the only thing on my mind was to hit the sack.

Tingkat 4

It's amazing how the location within a government building can conjure so much emotion. Tingkat Empat, or the Fourth Floor, is one such place. It's a term popularised by former PM Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad in reference to the coterie of Oxbridge types based on the 4th floor of the PM's Department. Within anti-establishment circles, they have been caricatured as young, arrogant and pull the strings in the government's seat of power in Putrajaya. But this is not the place for me to discuss about my counterparts.

I don't work on the 4th floor. Like the Minister, I am based on the top floor - the 7th - of Block 5, Parcel D, in the Federal Government Administrative Centre in Putrajaya. The Ministry of Transport occupies the entire building. Really, there is nothing sinister or shadowy going on on the 4th floor (or for that matter anywhere else in the building). Those who occupy Tingkat 4 include the IT Department, the Accounts and the office of the Maritime Adviser, Kapt Dato' Rahim.

But 4th floor still holds a certain charm for me. It is the floor with connecting and covered bridges to all buildings within Parcel D, the squarish brick-coloured structure that looks more like a maximum-security prison than a government complex. The buildings in Parcel D there are designed in an "U" shape, with the Ministry of Transport on one end and the ACA in the other. Actually, the Ministry of Transport and the ACA are only about 200 metres apart.

I have always wanted to walk from my end of the office, pass the JPJ, Home Ministry, Human Resources Ministry, Rural Development Ministry,
and... I am not sure what else besides the ACA.

But I never got around to doing it. Besides, I think my chip-embedded name tag, which, ahem, opens (security-enabled) doors within the Ministry, does not do the same elsewhere.





But I can imagine strolling the entire stretch from Ministry of Transport right up to the ACA via the connecting bridges on the 4th floor. The journey will probably take 15 minutes or more. It will be an unusual sight for an othwerwise drape government complex - the fountain, the flowers, a field and the overall sense of serenity right smack in the middle of Parcel D.

I also like to use the 4th floor to get to the canteen (in the basement of another building) to spare my aircondition-soaked skin from the scorching lunch-hour heat. Or use it when it rains.

Yes, I do love the 4th floor.