Demographic - Income and Expenditure of Staff of Local Authorities in Johor

OBJECTIVE:

• to study the income level and expenditure pattern of the support staff in the public sector
• to determine if the main income of the staff in the local authorities is adequate for them to meet their household needs

From the table above, we can see that majority of the respondents is staff grade 1-16 (963 people) . Most of them are between age 40 to 49 (500 people) and have already married (1231 people). Malay people is the largest ethnic group among the staff of local authorities in Johor (1455), while Chinese and other ethnic groups only consist of 19 people.

For staff grade 1 -16, majority of the male staff earn less than RM1500 (33%), while majority of the female earn between RM3000 and RM3999 (32%). Most of the male staff between grade 17 to 40 either earn between RM2000 and RM2999 (27%) or RM4000 (27%) above while female staff mostly earn RM4000 above (33%). On the other hand, both male (61%) and female (65%) staff worker grade 41 above mostly earn RM4000 above.

Based on this graph, we can know that for staff grade 1 - 16, the household items they can own are lesser because they have lesser income. For staff grade 41 above, they own the most household items as they have higher income. The least household item own among all staff is the subscription to Internet while the most common household item own among them are refrigerator and television. One special case is that the staff grade 1 - 16 own more motorcycles compared to other workers above staff grade 17.

FACTORS:　

1. the increase of bus tickets (starting from 1st August) and taxi fares, causing the expenditure on food and transportation to rise.
2. serious inflation; the monthly income of the staff is not enough to cover the amount they spend on daily needs although their income has been increased.

* This phenomena affects the general workers staff grade 1 - 16 because they have lower income (less than RM1500) .

PREDICTIONS:
Life will be more difficult for the staff in local authorities in Johor because their daily expenditure will continue to increase. Staff grade 1 - 16 will be affected the most as they have lower income. Below are some facts to substantiate our opinion:

1. world economy growth is still not stable after the economic crisis earlier in 2009; this will bring negative influence to Malaysia economy and society.
   
2. Oil price fluctuates as the conflict between the Middle East countries and Western countries still continues.
   
3. Electricity bill may increase in the future since the proposal of increasing electricity bills has been brought to Parliament to be debated.
   

CONCLUSIONS:
Malaysia government must put in more effort to improve local economy so as to upgrade the welfare of staff workers in public sectors. One of the avenue we suggested is to collaborate with ASEAN countries and OIC members to increase the value of Ringgit Malaysia.

Cowboys Of The East

Bajau, is the second largest ethnic group in Sabah. They live primarily in Kota Belud, Kawang, Papar, Tuaran, Banggi, and Putatan areas. Kota Belud is the cultural heartland of the west coast Bajau. Therefore, the Kota Belud Bajau horseman is also call Cowboys Of The East.

One of the traditional food of the Bajau is Kima. Kima is a species of cockles that Bajau people usually eat raw after being sliced into smaller pieces and added with lime water and other spices according to the favour of the person. It can also be dried under the sun before being cooked with vegetables.

Kima

Pieces of kima

Types of kima

Besides, Bajaus also eat sagol, a type of traditional food made from puffer fish and stingray meat. The meat is minced and added with tumeric before being served. To make the sagol tastes better, liver oil from puffer fish or stingray is used instead of using palm oil.

Sagol

Bajau's traditional dance is known as 'Tarian Daling-Daling'. This dance was preserved by the bajau in Philipine. This action, that prevent the culture of Bajau from being extinct, has encouraged Bajau in Sabah (Malaysia) to bring up and develop the arts of 'Tarian Daling-Daling' especially among the younger generations.
The word 'Daling-Daling' in Bajau means movement of the whole body according to the beat or tempo. This dance used to be an entertaiment in wedding ceremony. A singer will recite poem during the dance. Musical instrument that use in this dance is called 'Gabang'.
Research found that 'Tarian Daling-Daling' becomes more lively and entertaining when it was danced by a pair of couple or in 'Magbono' situation.







Bajaus used to practice animism in nature traditionally; a variety of spiritual beings interact with humans beings both positively and negatively. For instance, people are discouraged from being going out on bare foot alone at night owing to the presence of spirit of the death, or ghoulish creatures that seek to eat babies or the flesh of recently deceased people.

However, most Bajaus have subscribed to both traditional and islamic beliefs in this contemporary, like practicing some of some of the islamic customs like performing alms, fasting during the month of the Ramadhan, performing daily prayers and prayers associated with special days or events in Islamic calender. Minor of Bajaus even have converted to Christianity.

A Bajau wedding is different with the Malay Wedding that epitomizes the notion of 'Raja Sehari'. A buffet is held beneath a tent where the guests can enjoying their food while waiting for the groom. There will be a group of teenagers playing 'sepak manggis' nearby. It is similar to sepak takraw but without net.

Beautiful mats and cloths line the wall insides while the copper trays fill the shelves. The bride for this Bajau wedding will prepared herself here. She will be wearing in a copper headgear, a traditional Bajau blouse with sleeves 3 inches longer than the tip of her fingers and a long skirt draped with Bajau motif.

Sounds of gongs, big and small, herald the arrival of the groom of the Bajau wedding. It is easy to identify the groom. He will be wearing a bright yellow upper garment and a headdress. He has to appear on a horseback because Bajaus of Kota Belud is famous as ' Cowboys Of The East '. An escort holds a parasol over his head. He will ride through a path leading to his bride's house decorated with colourful pennons and he has to stop in front of a huge pennon at the front door. Of course, Members of the bride's household flock out to grant him permission to enter.

As the groom in a Bajau wedding, groom is not allowed to walk. two escort strech out their arms to carry him. at the balcony, a performance of malay martial art and Bajau traditional dance welcome him. The escort deposit groom on a special mat where the kadi greets him and proceeded to carry out the solemnization. After the poem is recited, the dividing curtain behind groom is pulled apart to reveal his bride sitting in a dais.
Groom will take out a handkerchief, waves it three times around his bride's head before leaving it on her lap. Next, he places his thumb on his palate and with it, he touches the bride's forehead to signify 'till death do us apart'. As the couple sit side by side on the dais, Bajau singers dancers entertain those present, serenade by a band of musicians at the balcony.

When the marriage ceremony is over, the couple greet their new-in-laws and relatives. The family's meal are served individually on trays covered with lids. There days later, the newlyweds go to the groom's house to stay there for a day. Then they to the bride's home to receive gifts in forms of kitchen utensils such as glasses, plates and bowls. This symbolizes blessing from their parents to build happy family.

The wedding ceremony

Traditional dance custome