Luqman's musings

  If you've been following my saga at Vistana Heights in Kota Kinabalu , you know it's been a rollercoaster of frustration, red tape, and outright stonewalling. What started as a dream home purchase in 2019 has turned into a three-year battle against a web of bureaucratic indifference that feels less like public service and more like a fortress designed to protect the powerful. But here's the kicker: a bold warning from across the border in Sarawak has me nodding vigorously. It's like Minister Datuk Dr Juanda Drowie peered into my emails and meetings, then put words to the chaos. In a speech at the Sarawak-level International Anti-Corruption Day launch on November 7, Juanda didn't mince words. He called out the " little Napoleons " – those mid-level civil servants who, handed a sliver of authority, start acting like emperors, overstepping bounds and treating citizens like nuisances.

  The term "Little Napoleon" was coined by Malaysia’s fifth Prime Minister, Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi (Pak Lah), to describe civil servants who mirror the arrogance, self-importance, and power-hungry tendencies of the 18th-century French emperor, Napoleon Bonaparte. Initially used to critique lower-level bureaucrats, the term now applies to a broader, more alarming trend where senior officials, including heads of departments, exhibit behaviors that undermine the principles of democracy and public service.

  This is A Closer Look at Government Staff Conduct Originally posted on LINK On July 3, 2025, the Daily Express published an article titled, "Be neutral when carrying out duties, government staff told". In it, the Chief Minister (CM) urged civil servants and officers of statutory bodies to uphold neutrality and professionalism in their roles. These remarks, while well-intentioned, raise questions about their impact. Are these directives genuinely shaping the behavior of government staff, or are they merely rhetorical statements meant for public consumption? 

  The following is an email I wrote to YAB Hajiji in February 2023.   From:luqmanm2002@yahoo.co.uk To:Hajiji.Noor@sabah.gov.my Cc:jacinta.yapp@sabah.gov.my Mon, 20 Feb 2023 at 10:00 Dear YAB Datuk Seri Panglima Haji Hajiji. I sent you two emails via Datuk Dr. Roland Chia dated 23.12.2022 and again on 25.12.2022. I am sending this to your email address as I have yet to receive an acknowledgment from Datuk Dr. Roland Chia.