But then this is ‘Malaysian Standards’. And had I complied with the law, and had I used only ‘approved’ helmets instead of ‘illegal’ ones, I would probably have expired long ago. And many of my friends expired because they were too poor to own an AGV or Bell helmet, those approved by the Snell Foundation but not by SIRIM.
NO HOLDS BARRED
Raja Petra Kamarudin
‘Uncertified helmets are risky but hard to get off the market’
The government acknowledged the risks of using uncertified helmets and admitted that it was not easy to get rid of these products from the market unless the country practiced a close door economy.
Motorcyclists and pillion riders in Malaysia should only be using Sirim certified crash helmets, but apparently many were still using the uncertified ones.
Transport Deputy Minister Datuk Abd Rahim Bakri said the relevant authorities were concerned about the wide use of uncertified helmet but they could not stop them from coming to the country.
“Our country is practicing liberalisation of trade and so anything can come in the country.
“This can be a problem. While we encourage liberalisation of trade, we also have the problem of import of uncertified goods.
“That is why everything, including helmets, can come from China and a lot of them are not certified by Sirim,” he said after the launch of the Public Higher Learning Institution level helmets application campaign at Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas) here Thursday.
Abd Rahim said that it was quite difficult to contain the application of uncertified helmets because if the country were to really follow procedure, it needed the participation of other relevant ministries such as the International Trade and Industries Ministry and Domestic Trade and Consumers’ Affair Ministry.
“For now, we just have to advise so that the people are aware that when they buy a helmet it is actually to protect their head,” he said.
State Road Safety Department director Rano Aylwini Akat claimed that uncertified helmets entering Sarawak were usually declared at the Custom port as toys.
“Stickers indicating that the goods are toys were also pasted on the helmets, but were later sold to the public as safety helmets,” he said.
Rano, however, believed that the use of uncertified helmets would be reduced after the Malaysian Motorcycle Dealers Association signed a memorandum of understanding with the Road Safety Department, where they commit not to sell helmets not certified by Sirim.
“The problem is with the dealers who are not members of the association and who are still selling uncertified helmets. This is the one that we want to address now,” he said. – The Star
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After writing about the Malaysian Parliament and Malaysian politics this whole week, maybe we can ‘tone down’ a bit today and talk about my other passion, motorcycling.
I was already tearing down the road on two wheels since 1966, as soon as I touched 16 and was old enough to possess a motorcycle licence. From 1966 to 1968 I suffered 12 bike accidents -- all my fault of course.
I decided to ‘slow down’ after that. I felt that my next accident, 13, would be when I check out for good. ‘13’ is an unlucky number, said my late mother. So I would probably not walk away from the next accident that I suffer.
I sold my Yamaha Twin and bought a Vespa scooter. That slowed me down a lot. But it was not long before I again craved for speed and soon after I bought a Suzuki 250, followed very closely by a Honda 350, Honda 450 DOHC and then a Yamaha 650 Twin. The Yamaha 650 was my favourite bike because it was designed after my dream bike, the Triumph Bonneville, something I could never afford.
I did, however, suffer my 13th accident after all, which turned out to be my luckiest accident yet. I was racing along the Lake Gardens with my wife riding pillion (then not my wife yet, though). I took that corner where ‘The Pines’ used to be before it was moved to Brickfields and this other bike tried to overtake me.
But the other bike skidded and banged into us. The front wheel of that bike hit my wife’s leg and I felt my bike shudder. Because my bike was heavier and more stable (the Honda 450) I managed to control it. I ‘slept’ the bike and roared out of the corner while the other bike hit a tree. That other chap was in real bad shape.
That was my last biking accident and the only one I did not have to crawl away from. It was also the first accident I suffered while my wife was riding pillion. I was lucky to have survived 13 bike accidents because over those many years I probably lost more than a dozen friends. So many of my friends died that I can’t even remember how many and what all their names were.
The most tragic one of all was probably the one involving Sheila Majid’s brother. A car hit him from behind and his bike hit the lamppost in front of the Chinese Maternity Hospital in Pudu. He broke his neck and many other bones in his body. Another of Sheila Majid’s brothers, who was riding pillion on my bother’s bike, rushed over to pick his brother up but he was already dead. It was immediate. It was heartbreaking to see him lying so peacefully on that cement slab in the HKL mortuary like he was just sleeping.
Another one involved someone I only remember by his nickname, ‘Danger is my Business’. He was one crazy son-of-a-bitch, as were all of us I suppose. He crashed in front of the Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall and lay there for more than three hours. No one came to his aid. Even the police who passed by just drove off. Another friend who happened to be passing by saw him lying on the ground and took him to hospital but he was already in a coma. He never regained consciousness and died after some time.
My ‘killer’ accident was probably the one I suffered while racing in the 1968 Malaysian Grand Prix. I was riding a highly modified Yamaha 100 Twin (which I modified myself at home). The bike was too fast for its weight so it was a bitch to control. I skidded, hit a culvert, flew into the air, and landed on my head. I broke my arm but my head was spared although my helmet was in a bad shape. That was my 12th accident and the only one where I landed on my head. (Now you know why I am crazy. My head had been ‘readjusted’ in that accident).
I was lucky that my head was not split into two. This is because I was wearing a ‘non-approved’ crash helmet, not a SIRIM-approved helmet. You see, we did not believe in SIRIM-approved crash helmets. Instead, we would wear imported helmets, which SIRIM would never approve. Our favourite choice was Bell, or a full-face Bell Star if we had money. At worse, if we were short of cash, we would wear AGV helmets imported from Italy.
We always wore good helmets -- long before the compulsory helmet law was introduced in Malaysia. We would never ride without a helmet. And we wouldn’t touch ‘toy’ helmets with a ten-foot pole, especially those with SIRIM stickers on them.
If the police stopped us we would be issued a summons because the Bell or AGV helmets were not approved by SIRIM or had no SIRIM stickers on them. And for sure we would get into trouble if we wore a full-face helmet. These were banned by the government.
It seems full-face helmets are considered ‘dangerous’ because no one could see our faces. The police wanted to see our faces at all times, especially when we smash our faces in an accident. So we had to run the risk of riding with open-face helmets and pray that a stone or piece of metal is not flicked into our face by the car in front of us. There was also the danger of birds, bees and other forms of flying matter hitting our faces at 80 miles per hour. That would bring us down for sure. I once had a bee hit my face and it was damn painful with the sting sticking out of my check. Shit, did that hurt!
Anyway, government knows best, the old saying goes. But these Ministers who make the rules do not ride so they do not know what dangers motorcyclists face. They ride in the backseat of their Mercedes Benzes. And they never wonder why, after a crash, we have to go to hospital so that the doctor can extract bits and pieces of a shattered SIRIM-approved crash helmet from our skull. That hurts too, let me assure you.
More than 90% of the so-called SIRIM-approved crash helmets are pure crap. And helmets have a shelf life. If you drop your helmet too often it is advisable you scrap it and buy a new one. Wearing some of those ‘expired’ helmets is like playing Russian Roulette.
But then this is ‘Malaysian Standards’. And had I complied with the law, and had I used only ‘approved’ helmets instead of ‘illegal’ ones, I would probably have expired long ago. And many of my friends expired because they were too poor to own an AGV or Bell helmet, those approved by the Snell Foundation but not by SIRIM.
It is a bit too late now to cry and moan. Over the last 50 years, according to the statistics, probably 200,000 motorcyclists or thereabouts have died on Malaysian roads -- about 400,000-500,000 in total if you include car drivers, cyclists and pedestrians. Work out the figures. They announce it every year and every ‘balek kampung’ exodus a few times a year.
Yes, ‘Uncle Sam’ knows best. Well, not quite. We who literally ‘hit the road’ know better. And I spoke to a few Chinese crash helmet manufacturers who market ‘toy helmets’ -- which cost about RM10 each to manufacture -- and they tell me they go for cheap manufacturing cost over quality and safety because the market is just too bloody crowded. So price and not quality or safety is the criteria.
Then they have to pay off the officials to obtain their SIRIM approval. As long as they pay ‘under-the-table’ they will get their SIRIM approval even if their helmets are crap. So the cost of the bribes makes up a portion of the helmet cost. This means they need to push their manufacturing cost even lower to cover the bribes. If not their selling price will be too high.
And it is not just the SIRIM certification that costs money. The HALAL certification also costs money because they have to pay bribes to get their ‘halal’ products approved. And those men in white skullcaps who never miss a Friday prayer in the mosque are the one who collect these bribes, just like the caretakers of the mosques whom my friend needs to bribe to get the mosque cleaning contracts.
A friend of mine was looking at turkeys in the supermarket and she discovered that the ‘halal’ turkeys cost more then the ‘non-halal’ ones. She asked to meet the supervisor and complained that this is discrimination against Muslims.
What to do, the supervisor replied. We have to pay a bribe to get the halal certificate so the halal turkey costs more. My friend said, then the halal turkey is more haram than the non-halal turkey, and she bought the one without the halal certificate.
Yes, Malaysian Standards. And that is also the problem with the public sector as well. Can you imagine the quality of deans of faculties, VCs, federal court judges and whatnot? How many of them have written and published books? And how many books have they published? I am not talking about the thesis for their PhD where most of the work is ‘ciplak’ or pirated. I am talking about books of international acclaim.
Deans and lecturers do not even mark the examination papers of their students. Many post-graduate students confess that they did not even submit their assignments and yet they passed the course and managed to go overseas for further studies. Many judges do not write their written judgements. How to write books like this?
Yes, Malaysian Standards. The only problem is Malaysia ‘takde standard’. And that is why the country is in the pits. How many of the 222 Members of the Malaysian Parliament can rattle off the Federal Constitution from the top of their heads? Members of Parliament should know the Constitution by heart. They should memorise every Article in the Constitution. Then they would not ‘talk cock’ in Parliament like now.
And what are the credentials of the UUM VC, Nordin Kardi? The only ‘credit’ to his name is the racist song below, Anak Kecil Main Api, which he wrote when he was head of the BTN, Malaysia’s brainwashing agency. And this is the man entrusted with the task of churning out the future leaders of this country.
God help Malaysia! Hell, maybe even God has given up on Malaysia!
Anak Kecil Main Api
SEE VIDEO ON YOUTUBE HERE http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_Q8iTYBLfQ
Translated into Chinese at: http://ccliew.blogspot.com/2010/03/blog-post_21.html
written by schadenfreude, March 22, 2010 19:00:47
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written by popuri, March 22, 2010 11:29:35
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written by onnetline, March 20, 2010 19:15:19
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written by temanmu, March 20, 2010 17:59:09
That is the standard of the Barisan Najis govt and their appointees... shit standard!
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written by hklee, March 20, 2010 17:33:42
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written by IdealWorld, March 20, 2010 12:19:30
CORRUPTION is like a LEECH in this country. If everyone pays bribe to get things done, then it becomes a norm for these corrupt officials. So please say NO TO CORRUPTION for the sake of the next generations to come. I was once stopped for a minor traffic offence and the police officer said " saman boleh dibayar di mana-mana". Of course he meant I could have paid him there and then as well. Of course I resisted and paid the full fine instead and he was damn angry. I thought he could go to h?ll for all I care.
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written by jokersland, March 20, 2010 11:22:33
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written by Taikohtai, March 20, 2010 10:45:30
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written by ctlyn, March 20, 2010 10:24:50
i read the motor stories and not so amazed how in peninsular, people react when they saw an accidents. they just watch and pass over. my friend was robbed when she and her aunt were shopping. the robber snatched her handbags and her necklace but what the people did? just watch. i asked her, why don't u scream for help.
i was so upset with peninsular life style 'mind our own business'. she answered me, nobody will help you if u are snatched because the snatcher brings gun or knives. people are afraid to be injured. huh, bravo! no standard at all.
last time i bought a kettle for my own usage. i chose with SIRIM mark, after a year...it cannot heat or even warm the water.
then, what kind of standard that Malaysia has when known as culture copycat?
why government sector can be said as low standard service? because most of them are chose among their own family and relatives without enough ability to seat the post.
but positive message i want to deliver here is....IMPROVE OUR STANDARD.
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written by freerpk, March 20, 2010 08:54:50
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written by malaysianohope, March 20, 2010 08:27:16
In bet in about 10 years time we will face an economic crisis when malaysia runs out of oil and corruption will die a natural cause as there will be nothing left to take.
As for the various escape with the motor bike accidents that befell Abang, I think it is GOD's will that you live another day for the good of Malaysia. Abang have a dirty weekend!
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written by qinwen, March 20, 2010 08:11:04
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written by Atheist, March 20, 2010 05:46:35
Be like Saudi Arabia .... centre of the Islamic world and only well known for that standards .....
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written by ak_malaysia, March 20, 2010 03:08:40
I agree that SIRIM standard is NO STANDARD! As a technical person, I have PERSONALLY been through quite a number of nasty experience with SIRIM- approved electrical gadgets. Some don't work BUT HAVE SIRIM stickers (that are presumably bought corruptly). There one particularly scary incident with one of the SIRIM APPROVED (got sticker) electrical 3-way extension sockets. After connecting all the computer peripherals, I turned on the mains and the switches one by one. But when I hit the second switch, there was a loud explosive pop sound with fiery sparks and the circuit breaker tripped plunging the house in total darkness! The gangway, apparently wired wrongly with the `live' wired connected to the ground, was completely toasted! But how did it get the SIRIM sticker? Your guess is as good as mine! In Malaysia, everything can be `adjusted" as the saying goes! Malaysia boleh!
And Pete I agree with you, our academic standard (if there is any at all, these days) is abyssmally low if not shitty. The good old days' standard as exemplified by the UK's University Of Cambridge `O' and `A' level standards are gone! It was so difficult to score A (distinction) or pass (50%). Yet today, many students are able to score so many A! This is mind boggling. And the pass mark officially (told to the students) is just 40%. However, in public exams I am told by teachers that it is just 20% (12% for additional maths!) Can anybody out there confirm this to be true. Small wonder therefore that many poor students pass and the better ones score A A A A A ad infinitum! No wonder then our country has so many `geniuses' and small wonder too that some of these so-called geniuses fail flat in tertiary courses overseas.
Also in the course of my work, I quite frequently discovered to my disgust, ( I was even asked to help out) that my local under-graduates get others to do their assignments for a couple of hundred ringgit per assignment cos they ‘have no time to do it, or they are not quite up to it’ in their language and cognitive abilities. At the end of the day even though assignments are weighted at 30%, they still get their degrees!! Malaysia boleh! This is what Malaysian standard is all about. No wonder our medical degrees are no longer recognised by Britain and the Commonwealth unlike during the heydays of Uni. Malaya!
Thank you Pete for sharing with MT readers about your `wild young reckless' escapades!
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written by arazak, March 20, 2010 01:30:09
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written by Davy McChester, March 20, 2010 01:05:55
At last someone with guts spoke the truth ! That includes many headmasters,principals many doctors and of course you have the exceptions,the ones where they are today on their own merit and mantle. We respect them. And what you see happening around the country confirms the inept of the captains of the government industry.They do not have a mind of they own,because they had none in the first place. It was push ,push up the ladder in tango with the politicians. It is a fact ,it used to be somebody else with some brains who wrote on the final slate : the verdict ,the statutory laws,the diagnosis,but today even that brains behind have become very rare. And what you have is :garbage in garbage out. ,
We enjoy laugh Lat's political jokes. About time we have another serious humour book purely on the inept leadership and its hilariously clapping inept bunch of morons ,taking the country down the road to disaster.
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written by onnetline, March 20, 2010 00:30:17
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written by AlwaysFair, March 19, 2010 22:35:33
Even frogs are highly respected nowadays, didn't you hear them croaking the loudest???Also their croaking seems to get the attention of the top leaders and that speaks volumes about the capabilities of our leaders don't you think?
You mentined takde standard, I think they ada standard but of the street type.
Happy hiding Pete and God Bless!!!
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written by AlwaysFair, March 19, 2010 22:23:00
Hidup RPK!!
Hidup Rakyat Malaysia!!
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written by hellosunshine, March 19, 2010 21:51:15
PS - Pssst. Please keep 'em coming. I am a masochist lah.
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written by cheekhiaw, March 19, 2010 21:35:25
xxx
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written by storm62, March 19, 2010 21:24:45
i believe even those doing the cub prix dare NOT use SIRIM approved helmets....ha ha ha.
aiya, just look at the "standards" of those in the cabinet, and you could tell what standards the Malaysian government has.
IF they have standard or SOP, how come the 2 jet engines can get stolen right under their nose?
How come the military's C4 can land in someone else's hand?
How come so many people dies in police custody every year?
How come a witness can fall from the 14th floor?
How come the immigration records can go missing?
How come Bala can get in and out of the country without being detected?
How come they cannot trace RPK until today?
Corruption and power crazy, got us into this lousy and failed government, how come ar?
NO way, we cannot stop them this time, comes next GE......can we?
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written by Angela Ooi, March 19, 2010 21:00:10
As you can see, the BN Govt does everything for themselves and rakyat just end up paying and paying. It is as though the Govt's hands are inside our pockets and wallets. Yet we still have people who cannot be bothered to register to vote for a CHOICE and a CHANGE of govt. SIGH!!!
Just read that ex-MISinfo Minister 'rewarded' with a top position in UUM. Yes, the very same miserable bloke who spoke poor ENGLAND and suffered a terrible fate (I would have wished upon all BN leaders) of having an errection ONCE in very FIVE yrs. This is Malaysian Standard at best lah, Msia memang best!!!
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written by PennStater, March 19, 2010 20:07:07
Hello Deputy Transport Minister..... you heard of something called enforcement? Oh, I get it now.... you are in the Ministrry that also covers JPJ!
The main issue here in Malaysia is "selective enforcement" which is widespread. And the crash helmets is just another fine example. Think of the long withstanding issue with pirated CDs & DVDs, fake LV bags, fake Rolex watches, counterfeit electrical products, un-certified home appliances, policing of dangerous driving habits & traffic violations, crimes, etc, etc. What's going on here people?!?
Too busy enforcing khalwat cases by raiding into hotel rooms (and videotaping)???
Wake up! We need GE13 to enable the changes.
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written by educationist, March 19, 2010 20:05:36
But, of course, u will not let up the opportunity to give up juicy tit-bits to mull!!
So, that's the background of the UUM VC!!
Ha!! Ha!! ha!! -and the uMNOputras are talking of a world class education!!
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written by Aduh, March 19, 2010 19:43:42
It may work well in other countries, but not in Malaysia where corruption is rampant and has been institutionalized.
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written by Nixcloud, March 19, 2010 19:37:55
Malaysia "ade standard" - high standard for bribery!
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written by ibabonma, March 19, 2010 19:34:25
May I add, how many are on the take? How many amongst them had their house being broken into and the thieves got away only with government spoons instead of hard cash? But then, how to declare to the Police what was actually missing lest you get into trouble with MACC?
But don't forget they need them around because of their thick black files so that they can be transformed into temple bull and pulled by the nose or hold their balls. Do this, do that or we'll break your balls. If you listen to us, you will be promoted and heads your Department, Division or Ministries. If you have a thin files and clean as clear as the mountain stream, you stay where you are until pension. He he he! Hidup Melayu!
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