Month: March 2011

Oz Tax $ v Malaysian


There is a National Medicines Policy Document. The aim of the policy is to improve positive health outcomes for all Australians through their access to and use of medicines. It has four objectives – timely access and affordable, appropriate quality, safety and efficacy, quality use and maintenance of a responsible and viable industry.

The Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, Therapeutic Goods Administration and National Strategy for Quality Use of Medicines are frameworks which facilitates the fleshing out of these objectives.

I came across this policy document while working on a file concerning a regional (Victorian) support group for health practitioners. They were working with me on state revenue compliance issues and I was seeking to understand the context of their set up. The extent and details of frameworks put in place as a result of Commonwealth and State government initiatives which support delivery of health services was a very pleasant surprise for yours truly. I could go on for weeks looking up the scores of websites, policy documents, program write ups, reports, findings etc – all serious work done to better the health and delivery of healthcare services.

Just a few days ago we had a few families over for dinner and we were talking about paying taxes and where our tax dollars went. Barry one of my mates said he could see our tax dollars in the remote road networks out in the country area. I mentioned how I didn’t mind paying higher taxes in this country precisely because we could, to a large extent, see delivery of services.

In Malaysia, our taxes went largely to things like religious causes – huge and expensive mosques, salaries of Imam’s and Islamic clergies, Quran reading events and worst of all, our tax dollars often find their way into corrupt politicians’ retirement funds. Frustrated Malaysians often use throwaway lines like “Samy Vellu has a few billion dollars stashed away” and the common belief is that politicians over the years have stolen tens of billions of dollars from public purses – our tax dollars. There are commentators who suggest as much as USD300 billion have been squandered – with no doubt a big slice going into politicians’ pockets – over the years as a result of mismanagement and leakages in the Malaysian economy.

I wonder if there is a Malaysian equivalent of the National Medicines Policy and the extent of work done to flesh out the policy and give it the tools and resources to work.

We may spend our free time bemoaning our Aussie politicians but actually they have – by and large – done good work. It is at least much better work than the rubbish dished out by the Malaysian counterparts. There is a much weaker case of not seeing our tax dollars work better for us here.

Regards,Ian

Sent from my iPigeon

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Inapt Words from “Prayercentral.net”


Choosing the right words to say at the right time is a virtue encouraged and praised by the Scriptures (Prov 25:11, 15:23). The converse is also true. We need to consider or have a basis for, what we say especially in the present age where both the spoken or written word can be recorded, broadcast and disseminated widely and quickly.

Which brings me to the below prayer notes, which someone kindly forwarded to me this morning. Tress and I have been watching the news of the Japan earthquake through the long weekend, on several channels – Sky, CNN, BBC, Fox and of course our very own Nine and Seven. I was on my laptop quite a bit yesterday and I intermittently jumped on BBC, New York Times and our own Herald Sun, The Age and The Australian websites. I also checked on Malaysiakini site now and then, which also had pretty up-to-date coverage of the quake, tsunami and nuclear plant tragedies in Japan.

Not one of the above sources mentioned anything about breakdown in authority and security, or about injustice or corruption. Japan is a first world/developed country. Corruption and social unrest attributable to political upheavals or despotic behaviour are traits you almost never associate with Japan. In fact the contrary is true and the images I see on the media are of an orderly – unbelievably orderly – management of the crises. Many experts are differentiating Chernobyl from Fukushima in the way each dealt/is dealing with the nuclear plant crisis. Fukushima is almost an embodiment of preparedness, discipline and orderly execution of emergency measures. The early administration of iodine to minimise the effect of radiation is a case in point. The damage we see is due largely to the tsunami and not the earthquakes as Japanese construction is probably leading the world in earthquake-proof features.

So what is it that “prayercentral.net” knows which many of us don’t, which made it write the way it did? If the basis of this writing is unsubstantiated waffle it is very likely based on prejudice – that just because this is an Asian disaster, the elements of injustice, corruption, breakdown in authority and security all abound. If this is the case, then “prayercentral.net” needs prayer itself. Lots of it.

What the Japanese need now is prayer, no one doubts that. What they also need are apt words which show mercy, compassion and love. Not rebuke and warnings. I hope “prayercentral.net” either explains itself or amend this piece.

Here’s the link and the text of what’s there now:

http://prayers.prayercentral.net/?page_id=5&target=Japanese+brothers+and+sisters&pronoun=group&cat=86

Break the Power of Corruption in Japanese brothers and sisters

Scripture: Woe to those who enact evil statutes, And to those who constantly record unjust decisions, so as to deprive the needy of justice, And rob the poor of My people of their rights… -Isaiah 10:1

Prayer: Lord, You are the great judge over all the earth, watching the wicked and the good. You see the deeds and the intentions of the heart. Only You, Lord are worthy to sit on the throne of judgment.

Lord, in every crisis there is a breakdown of authority, and security. I know You hate injustice and corruption, so I bring to Your attention the corruption in Japanese brothers and sisters during this crisis, and I ask Lord, that You would hear the cries of the weak and powerless, and break the power of corruption in this place.

Lord, for the good of the people, I ask that You would swiftly judge acts of corruption today. Give no place for the wicked to think they have escaped. Leave no room for looters and others to steal away what has been provided for the needy. Make an example today Lord of someone, so that others may see and fear.

Vindicate the weak and the poor, and break the power of wickedness that oppresses them. In Jesus name, amen.

Let us know you prayed…

Regards,Ian

Sent from my iPigeon

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Infallibility and Inerrancy – The Chicago Statement


In catching up with MST work, I had to go through the Chicago Statement on inerrancy. This statement jumped out at me: “…the sequence of revealed messages ceased. Henceforth the Church was to live and know God by what He had already said, and said for all time”. This was in the exposition section at the end of the 19 Articles. It goes on to say this: “No new revelation (as distinct from Spirit-given understanding of existing revelation) will be given until Christ comes again“.

The Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy was signed in 1978 with signatories which include J.I. Packer, R. C. Sproul and the one I admired immensely, John Warwick Montgomery. In my still lay mind, I cannot find any reason not to subscribe to this statement – every one of the 19 Articles. I understand there may be some issues with autographic texts and the resulting implications but the exposition has addressed this too. It stated that th authority of the Scripture is in no way jeopardized by the fact that the copies which are available are not entirely error free.

Much work is needed still to get on top of this issue but I am very happy to start with this Statement.

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Cat in the Cradle


Harry Chapin‘s “Cat in the Cradle” first made its way (for me anyway) into Christian sermons maybe 10 years ago, when I first heard it from Ravi Zachariah. Yesterday Daniel Tong from the Singapore Anglican church mentioned it again.

I think this will become a stronger and stronger theme among the husbands and fathers in growing families. How does one keep the balance between providing for the family and keeping the relationship and bond alive? Pursuing work and career is often a slippery slope for many. It remains a holy grail for them.

You can watch a clip of Chapin doing a live rendition here.

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Scholesy Classic


No pile driver this time but his inate ability for really bad tackles. Bad tackles are part of Scholesy’s classics. Came on in the last 10 minutes in the FA Cup quarterfinal against Arsenal and earn a yellow card. It looks like the master would never master this part of the game. I wonder if this will galvanise the Gunners for a concentrated assault on the League title or would they wilt away, having crashed out of 3 major competition in a space of 2 weeks?

Moon and Sun Darkening?


The Fukushima nuclear plant affected by the Sendai earthquake has apparently collapsed – will this then have any effect on the moon/sun darkening? maybe the Joel 3 connection has something to it now.It’s about 250km off Tokyo, a “striking range” of any fallout. Already the radioactivity level is 20x the norm. People in the area have been asked to turn off air conditioning and not to drink tap water. That area is staring at a nuclear meltdown.

End days – yet again.


The images of the quake and tsunami in Japan have been transfixing. Last night I returned from a church meeting to catch up with news on TV and the pictures were just shocking. True to form, there is already a seminar lined up to talk about the prophecies in places like Joel 3 and the end days. As surely as day follows night, end time seminars almost always follow a series of earthquakes. The close occurrences between the Christchurch and Sendai earthquakes almost guarantee a talk of end times to follow. Yet, no one ever address the issues of the sun and moon darkening or the stars stop twinkling (Joel 3:15). We really ought to just accept that no one will know whether the last days are upon us. All we need to do – and that is already a big task – is to be faithful to God and seek Him and obey Him. Better spend time reading and studying His word than chasing signs of the end days.

NUS and Uni Malaya


The National University of Singapore was once University Malaya. It now ranks No. 4 in Asia and No. 34 in the world. University Malaya on the other hand is buried somewhere deep under the pile. Many of its graduates can’t even speak English properly. So who had it right? UMNO and the pro-Malay policies will only continue to go down the gurgler.

See the Times Higher Education university ranking here:  http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/world-university-rankings/2010-2011/top-200.html

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Ziggy Switkowski on the Carbon Tax


Ziggy Switkowski was once the head honcho of Telstra. It was before the days of the Sol Trojullio – the “Mexican” who came to reign Telstra in a tumultuous period and carted away a tidy pot of gold for himself.

Ziggy has just written a piece in the Business Spectator about how futile the Australia’s attempt to reduce emission can be, when our contribution to the problem is miniscule. He has of course written in a much more convincing manner, setting out the economic and technological aspects of the issue and how green house gas emissions is really an economic and technological problem for now, not quite yet an environmental one. So for the Bob Brown and Christine Milne and the Greens to push this agenda and for Julia Gillard to be capitulating to their interest so easily appears a bit out of whack.

That was the approach taken by the Howard Government – the economic angle – and it is now the defence piece of useless rhetoric for people like Wayne Swan in attempting to defend the carbon tax. What a shameless manipulation of facts. But then again these – other than Ziggy – are all politicians, they do that for a living.

Ziggy’e piece is hot fresh off the oven – google it.

Regards,Ian

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China v Middle East


Alan Kohler made the interesting comparison yesterday between China and the Middle East. Both are (were) governed by   long term entrenched leadership with little or no semblance of democracy.  Other than internet restrictions and stiff crackdowns against demonstration, they have little else in common.

China’s communist leaders have been in power since 1949. That is longer than either Mubarak or Gaddafi. The difference however is that the leaders of Communist China change. Xi Jinping and Li Keqiang, were chosen in 2007 and will next year – after a 5 year probation of sorts – become the President and Premier respectively.

Such planning and the resulting stability (politically at least) ensures proper focus on economy, especially on stimulus necessary to retain jobs.

An orderly and prosperous China is what the world needs, and that is especially so for Australia. So to my ancestral nation – xie xie

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