The Predictable Governor Zeti Akhtar

By M. Saraswathi & Zairina Zainudin

KUALA LUMPUR, March 11 (Bernama) -- As she walked up the stage to deliver

her speech at the Wharton Global Forum today, it seemed to be just another duty

call for the ever calm-looking Tan Sri Dr Zeti Akhtar Aziz. 

    But for those present at the hall of Sasana Kijang, especially among the

media fraternity, there was this bugging question on who will take over from her

to helm the central bank, one of the most crucial position, amid the vulnerable

global economy. 

    Zeti was appointed as Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) governor in 2000 when

Malaysia and the rest of Asian countries were struggling to ride out the

economic storm of the then 1997/1998-sparked Asian financial crisis. 

    The 68-year-old governor, who was ranked as the World's best central bank

chief in 2009 by Global Finance magazine, will be retiring in April. 

    "It has been a long marathon on a very treacherous terrain," she said on

being with BNM for 35 years and helming it for 16 years. 

    Today, she was honoured by The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania

with the "Ben on the Bench" plaque as the first person in the world to receive

it. 

    It is the same university that Zeti received her doctorate in monetary and

international economies in 1978. 

    The Wharton School's Dean and Reliance Professor of Management and Private

Enterprise Geoffrey Garret acknowledged her contribution not only for Malaysia

but also for the regional as well as global financial and banking sector. 

    The one that is taking over the baton should be "equally good", he quipped.

    Under her stewardship of BNM, Malaysia saw an overhaul of the banking and

financial sector, including the merger of 35 commercial banks into what it is

today. 

    She is well known for her stern look and consistent decision in policy

making - the much needed remedy for a growing economy like Malaysia. 

    The lady often seen clad in blue baju kurung is no doubt leaving the central

bank and the country's financial landscape with solid footing and sound

policies. 

    Malaysia's first woman central bank governor has also planned the roadmap on

how Malaysia could build its resilience for the future. 

    Despite numerous attempts in getting the answer on "who is next" from her,

Zeti stuck to her consistent and steadfast answer - it is for the government to

decide, while noting the fact that the recommendation has been done. 

    Well, that's a predictable answer from indeed a predictable governor. 

    -- BERNAMA

SAREE

I love tying saree. Can't remember when was the first time I clad one but there wasn't a turning back ever since. I am not very sure what's the trend like in India now but in Malaysia I see more people opting to ready made sarees. Recently, there was an event I attended. A bunch of ladies, including me were tying or shall I say struggling with the six yard cloth but a few came in tucked a few clips and pins and walla...they were ready in few minutes.

Off cause with satisfied or shall I say egoist look on their face a line was thrown at me..."see just go for ready made saree...its fast. No need to struggle."

I smiled at them and continued my struggle with that six yard cloth. Over the years I have learned not to argue on things that I feel deeply rooted with. Because you can never make others understand your love. It can be about anything for a matter of fact.

Every saree has its uniqueness and needs to be handled as per the material i.e silk, soft silk, raw silk, cotton and many more. The thing about Saree is not about how neat it looks on you, its about how it finally settles on your body. And the satisfaction of successfully tying a saree is priceless. Beyond all this, the process is part of our culture, why would I want to destroy it?

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MH370: FAR FROM HOME, A NIGHTMARE NEVERTHELESS

March 8, 2014, the day started of perfectly with excitement of travelling to Sri Lanka, one of the countries I always wanted to explore.
When the flight touched down in Chennai, Tamil Nadu and I walked through the transit gate to take the connecting flight to Colombo,  I received the devastating news on MH370 falling off the commercial radar.
And the incident was everyone conversation at the airport from the cleaner to the authorities I came across.
"You're a Malaysian? What happened to the Malaysia Airlines' flight," was the question I got from the immigration officer at the Airport.
With a sense of numbness my answer was,"My knowledge is as much as yours. I just got the news myself."
From the moment onwards, my heart and thoughts, just like the rest of 30 million Malaysian were with the passengers and their family members.
The whole world indeed felt for the 239 lost lives and their family and friends.
Malaysians living in India and New Delhi specifically were constantly sharing every details of the latest development with regards to the Search and Rescue (SAR) mission.
The incident was widely covered in India, especially when the SAR started focusing in the Indian ocean and that there were five Indian citizens on the ill-fated flight.
India was among the 26 countries that joined the SAR mission.
It was a nightmare, as days passed without any sign of wreck, many of us had sleepless nights monitoring every little update the Indian government was releasing as well as press conference from Kuala Lumpur.
As a journalist, I must admit twitter was my life line.
The High Commission of Malaysia and Embassy of Indonesia here in New Delhi have held doa selamat sessions and profusely recited doa's especially during the weekly Friday Prayers for the Muslim community.
Hope and prayers were the only thing we could offer from here.
The Malaysian fraternity were saddens to see the government being called,"murderer" and our Embassy in China being attacked.
No country, government or citizen would want to be in such a spot.
Death can occur to us anytime. I must admit that it is difficult to accept such a tragic incident, but it also not right to blame anyone for which they did not have control over.
It is an unprecedented event in the aviation history.
As said by the Acting Transport Minister, Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein, history will judge us better.
For now, the blame game and speculation will go on till there are solid evidence and the though that it could have been the last conversation, the last hug and goodbye will continue to haunt not only the next of kin but all of us all for sometimes.

To drive in India...

You driving? Here!? is the common “shocking” question that I got when I decided  to drive in New Delhi. And my answer or rather a question was: Why Not?After all it is a car and I had work to do. 

The service provider failed to provide a substitute when my driver Raj had to go back to Kerala for a family emergency.

The service providers here can be a pain at such times.

 By train its three days to reach the Southern State, which means I would be without driver for more then a week as traveling alone would take six days, exactly when Eid Mubarak celebration was taking place, which means work that I can’t avoid.

 Besides, how could I miss the ketupat and lemang? No way.

 So, that was exactly when I told myself, I got to do this. No harm trying and how difficult would it be to drive a car? It is not a totally new experience for me given that I drove when I was back in Malaysia.

 The reality was not so difficult. In fact, I didn't find driving in New Delhi any different from Malaysia.

 It is just that one got to be more vigilant as homeless kids could just jump in front of your car, drivers that often beat the traffic (which is also common in Malaysia) and the worse is finding a car or lorry driving on the wrong lane, right opposite you.

 But, if you’re focus, careful and maintain a safe speed. You’re on a safe side.

 So, in life sometimes you just got to take the chances. Create your own path and make a difference. It felt good to do something that majority of foreigners are afraid to do.

 And the best part is, no one would stare at you if you accidentally HONK!

THIS MOMENT THAT FEELS LIKE A DEJAVU

I kept crying, it is like a dejavu. Something that happened 15 years ago.

Sometimes I wonder why I am like this. A person who says out everything that my mind speaks, but at 36, one can’t change that part of me that makes who I am. This is what I am.

If I die tomorrow, I have no worries of if I should have said this and done that.

“You can’t break me,” use to be my famous line during my student days. Yes, no one was able to break me as I am. I was tough, I still am. The only way one could do that is by hurting my family members and friends that are close to my heart.

But came a day that the ego in me vanished! In split second. I was broken to pieces. No, it was not a love failure, love doesn't fail anyone, it only strengthens you, whichever way one sees it.

It was a friend, someone I appreciated very much during my university days. 

Someone I shared many of my sorrows and happy moments. This was 15 years ago when a girl and boy speak to each other and go out often people tend to think it has to be love. It was not. I knew that very well.

With the amount of challenges I faced during that time in my life. All I needed was a friend to talk. Someone who will just listen and tell you everything will be fine.

Things went awry one fine day -- I came to know that he was close to me only because he was interest in my good friend. A friendship that was built on vested interest, to be made use of and well planned. 

That crashed me. It would have been fine if he had told me that in the first place itself. Nothing is wrong in falling in love with your friend's buddy. But, what I couldn't accept was that he made use of the friendship and the trust.

That was the last day I spoke to him February 16, 1999, 5pm, despite his various attempts to keep in touch, ask forgives and wanting to talk again. I wasn't able to forgive him. 

Why should I forgive a person who was not able to value the friendship!?

My final year in university went by with me in isolation. I rarely spoke to anyone. I graduated, got a job and moved on.

Now, 15 years later, I feel like I am going through the same thing all over again. A friendship with vested interest.

Why do I value people so much? Why it has to be this way? Why do I think saying things as it is the most genuine act in the world? What am I trying to prove here? I have no answer for any of it.

But this moment that I am feeling like a dejavu. Do I seriously deserve this? Is this tears and pain worth it?

DOWRY THRIVES IN INDIA IN GOLD OR HARD CASH

The skyrocketing gold price has not deterrent the practice of giving  dowry in India, instead families have become more innovative in meeting the  dowry obligation.     Gold, which is traditionally given by the bride's family as dowry, seems to have lost its luster especially after the commodity's price breached Rs 32,000 (RM1,747 or US$568.49) per 10gm recently.      Nowadays, Indian families seem to have moved away from gold to hard cash or properties or a combination of any of the two or all three.     In a modern India, the dowry system seems to have withstood the test of time and legislation barring the practice. In fact, it is thriving though many view giving dowry as a diabolic practice.     Fat Indians weddings and dowry as a precondition for marriage is a norm and glamorously reported in the media though dowry is blamed for many of the cruelties against women.         DOWRY HAS GONE AGAINST WOMEN     Dowry, known as Stree Dhan, is actually gift items usually given to the bride by her parents and relatives at the time of marriage.     In Hindu scripts, the Vedas, dowry is mentioned as Kanyadaan (gift of the maiden), said Nitasha Agarwal, chief manager of Smile Foundation, an NGO working for women's welfare and empowerment.     “As the daughter in a family is not entitled for equal share in the family property, they are given gifts in the form of dowry but sometimes it is offered to entice the groom’s family.     "This has obviously worked against the women and their basic rights," she said.                 CRUELTY TO WOMEN         It is common knowledge that in most communities in India the amount of dowry given is nothing less then 100 sovereigns of gold and when a girl is born the family starts saving for her wedding immediately.     "Thus girls are considered liability, therefore female foeticide and infanticide prevails,” she told Bernama in an email interview.      Bollywood actor Aamir Khan in his Satyamev Jayate (Truth Alone Prevails) talk show brought to light that 80 per cent of bank loans were taken by people to meet dowry demands.     Moreover, the dowry demands continue even after marriage and failure to fulfill the demands lead to harassment, physical and mental torture and the horrific practice of 'bride burning' .       "One woman dies every hour in India in dowry related cases," Aamir revealed in his show.     Nitasha also blamed on the misplaced societal perception that if a girl is married at an early age, a small amount of dowry would work but if the girl is educated then the family has to pay a high dowry to seek a bridegroom of same status.     Therefore, the dowry system to a great extent is also to be blamed for child marriages, neglect of daughters and sexual harassment.         PROHIBITED BY LAW         Meanwhile Dr Rizwana Parvin, a practicing lawyer in Delhi said that India has sufficient laws to protect women but has not been enforced properly and do not fully take into account several gender sensitive issues.     Dowry is even banned under the Dowry Prohibition Act 1961 and Section 498A of Indian Penal Code (IPC) while a host of other laws protect women against domestic violence, rape, and prohibit gender selection tests.     However, there is a lack of awareness about these laws. Also, it is the fear of social stigma that stops women from seeking divorce when they suffer domestic violence due to dowry demand or any other reason.     “So, women to some extent tolerate such harassment either not knowing the existence of laws that protect them or due to the mindset of how the society will look at them when they seek divorce,” she told Bernama.     “I have handled a few matrimonial disputes (related to dowry and otherwise) and the women found proper justice and their needs were well taken care of.     “The fact that dowry-related violence and deaths have shown no abatement in the past two decades only indicate that the existing laws have not been implemented properly and therefore failed to serve as deterrents,” said Rizwana.          HIGHEST CRIME AGAINST WOMEN     Thousands of women are killed every year in India over dowry. The cases of dowry-related torture are the highest accounting for 32.4 per cent of crimes against women in the country.     Among the recent cases were a young woman being brutally killed allegedly by her husband for dowry in Vijapore village of Navsari district, Gujarat and a woman from Punjab claimed she was tortured by her husband and in-laws for giving birth to a girl and bringing 'inadequate' dowry.     And such cases are not restricted to poor or uneducated segment of the Indian society.     Early last month, a 28-year-old homemaker was allegedly murdered by her engineer husband over dowry at Motilal Mallick Lane in Baranagar, Kolkata. While the husband was arrested, the victim's mother-in-law fled.     Dowry deaths continue and their perpetrators consistently go unpunished, despite a considerable amount of activism both globally and domestically and the availability of international and domestic laws, said Nitasha.     A report quoting the National Crime Records Bureau’s statistics indicate a crime has been recorded against women in every three minutes in India.    Every 60 minutes, two women are raped in the country. Every six hours, a young married woman is found beaten to death, burnt or driven to suicide.     “Gender subordination is among the reasons for such violence against women as they are generally considered as secondary compared with men in terms of education and career,” said Nitasha.     Others were institutionalisation of dowry system all across society-caste, class and religion as well as turning dowry into opportunity to make gains and as a marketing exercise. The problem is made worst by the lack of stringent action against dowry law violators, she pointed out.    “Women are trying hard to save their lives and dignity with the support of legal amendments, media, serious activism, and heightened awareness. Despite of all these protests, India still could not shed the dowry stigma,” she said.      IT IS STILL NOT TOO LATE      The mechanism to stop crime against women should be strengthened further by making the authorities, such as police to be more sensitive in handling gender issues, said Nitasha.     Firstly, there should be a proper system to report on crime against women, active and properly functioning women police cell as well as crises centres.     Shelter homes had to have competent counselors and proper rehabilitation approach, she explained.    Capacity building among young girls, boys and local leaders to say no to dowry is another method of weeding such problem from young.     She said civil society organisations and individuals should also work on changing perception of family and society towards girl, especially parental perception towards their child and her upbringing, rights to property and awareness on laws and protection policies.       “We have encourage people to start thinking positively, because when our social relationship is dictated by religion, caste and creed,  we follow all that exists within. Yet when we come out from the closet, we see others as humans in our social relationship,” she said. -- END

BHUTAN: MAKING A SACRED TOUR OF THE ‘HAPPINESS PLACE’

Bhutan, the only country in the world that acknowledges  the ‘happiness of its citizens’ as a benchmark for progress is a paradise for visiting tourists who admire its natural and placid surroundings.     The kingdom of Bhutan, which is landlocked by its neighbours India and China, is also home to numerous worship places of the Mahayana Buddhist sect, and attracts many pilgrims as well.     A trip to Bhutan, regardless of the purpose of the visit, is capable of exhilarating anyone right from the point where the plane takes off.     Druk Air, the only airline that flies into Bhutan, offers no in-flight entertainment but this shortcoming is more than compensated by the spectacular views of the Himalayas, the Mount Everest and the Chomolhari during the flight.     Druk Air’s friendly pilots help the passengers identify the mountains and even offer brief background information on the respective mountains.     The spectacular flight views allow the passengers to remain fixated on the magnificent views outside, pretty much till the landing announcement is made.     For those arriving in the country for the first time, the descent can be daunting as the pilots skillfully maneuver the plane through the numerous mountains that fortify the country.    What adds to the anxiety is the fact that the Paro International Airport sits at an elevation of about 18,000 feet (about 6,000 metres) above the seal level, and is one of the world’s most challenging airports to land in and where pilots have to strictly follow all visual flight rules.     Once they are landed safely on terra firma, passengers are bound to heave a sigh of relief.             A COUNTRY OF NO TRAFFIC LIGHTS         Thimpu, the capital of Bhutan is located an hour away from the Paro International Airport, and the journey to the city takes you through long winding roads.     The chilly weather coupled with views of farmhouses and meadows dotting the landscape, provide a wonderful panorama throughout the journey.     Despite being the capital, Thimphu is surrounded by mountains that are 6,600 to 12,500 feet high, and is a quiet and laidback city with just a few hotels and shops.     Visitors from the developed world will be happy to note that Bhutan has no traffic lights, at least not yet, since traffic control is a non-issue for the city.     Bhutan, with its population of slightly over 700,000 people, remained isolated from the world until recently, as its residents guard their traditions and customs zealously.     Although, most locals and especially school going children are mostly clad in traditional garb, foreign influences in dress and culture seem to have permeated Bhutan.     "Five years ago, it was rare to see Bhutanese wearing western cloths, but now the majority of teenagers are shedding their traditional cloths for jeans and t-shirts, and western food such as their preference for pizza over Bhutanese food," said a local resident.      However, other than it being the capital city and a wonderful place to visit, there is nothing much to do or see in Thimphu, other than taking a peaceful evening stroll.             TAKTSHANG, DOCHULA AND PUNAKHA         Taktshang, a Budhist monastery built in 1692, which is commonly known as the ‘Tiger’s Nest’ is one of the main attractions in the Land of the Thunder Dragon.     Perched precariously on a precipitous cliff and at a height of 3,120 meters above the sea level, and towards the north of the town of Paro, a trip to this monastery serves as a test of physical endurance.     Horse rides that take you up to the monastery are available for Rs.900 (US$16.24), as the Bhutanese currency ‘Ngultrum’ is pegged with the Indian Rupee.     The guide will give you some basic lessons before starting the journey, such as ‘when the horse goes uphill you bend forward’ or ‘when it goes downhill you lean behind’, etc.     However, for a novice this ride can turn out to be a frightening experience, especially if your horse turns suddenly towards the edge of the cliff to graze on some grass.     The horse ride only covers the first half of the journey, as the second half, which is even more difficult, involves climbing around 750 narrow and steep steps.     It takes between three to five hours for the whole trip, but for those that do manage to reach the monastery, be prepared to be mesmerized by the breathtaking view.             THE PANORAMA OF DOCHULA PASS         The Dochula pass is located en route to Punakha from Thimphu. The pass is popular among tourists as its passage provides a 360 degree panoramic view of the Himalayan range on a clear day.     The beauty of this place is further enhanced by the Druk Wangyal Chortens, literally translated as the ‘108 stupas’, which were built by the eldest Queen Mother Her Majesty Ashi Dorji Wangmo Wangchuk.      The pass is also a popular spiritual destination both for locals and tourists, because an important place of worship is located on the crest of Dochula pass, and thanks to the easy access to this spot via a road that leads right up to the end, no hiking needed here, it is wonderful to walk around the place.     Punakha, where the Palace of Great Happiness or ‘Pungthang Dewachen Phodrang’ is situated, and where most of the major events take place.     While visiting Punakha, tourists are able to see medieval warriors dressed in their battle gear, retelling the stories of old wars with their enemies.      Although it is located only at a distance of 72 kilometers from Thimphu, the journey takes around three hours owing to the bumpy and narrow roads.     The Mask Dance of the Drums or ‘Drametse Ngacham,’ is a sacred, cultural and religious dance and should not to be missed. During the performance, dancers are fully clad in monastic robes and wooden masks, which feature real and mythical animals.     In November 2005, the UNESCO proclaimed the dance as a ‘Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity.’        HAPPINESS IS A PLACE         It is not surprising then, that out of a total of 65,756 visitors that came to Bhutan in 2011, a significant number were above 60 years old, as Bhutan is an expensive place to visit.      "We want rich old people to visit who will really want to appreciate and admire our country and also don’t have the capacity to do any real damage to our culture and environment," Prime Minister Jigme Y.Thinley told Bernama.     As far as tourism is concerned, Bhutan only wants high value and low impact tourism.     "We can’t see our environment suffering on account of various social issues," Jigme said, adding that Bhutan is striving to develop and maintain its culture and traditions at the same time.     To achieve that end, Bhutan has started a rating system for its hotels. Unless hotels have a certain score they are not allowed to book tourists and that is the only way to sustain high-end tourism, Jigme pointed out.     Bhutan has become famous in recent years for its economic growth yardstick, which is the Gross National Happiness Index. The Tourism Council of Bhutan also promotes the country with the tagline ‘Happiness Is A Place’.      Whether a traveler finds happiness in this tiny nation or not depends very much on what he or she is seeking, but Bhutan is sure to cast a spell on anyone with its pristine beauty and rich cultural legacy. -- END