Extreme Openness

Of Marital Pimping & Branding

2011-06-08T23:54:00.006+08:00

Two seemingly unrelated news pieces arose recently to shine a light on our society's understanding of women. The first involved the agriculture-inspired identification technique of Penang police, and the second, a club formed on the basis of an obscene interpretation of a wife's role in marriage.

While both reflected a blatant disrespect of human rights, the one-dimensional view of women from a public agency and a religious organization was disturbing. Even more disturbing was the subsequent debate where arguments were made against values which previously were thought to be universal in a supposedly healthy society like ours. The mere fact that these arguments saw print shows that a certain chunk of society, a group which would include leaders and voters, are plainly misguided.

Further examples abound. A popular one would be the weekly screenings of vice raids on television news and reality crime shows. Why is it that the same outlets are raided time and again and every week scantily clad women are shown being led out cowering in fear into police trucks without any sign of what happens next. If the focus was on law enforcement, perhaps someone could recommend that overalls be provided before they are paraded in front of the lights and cameras waiting outside. It speaks volumes on our so-called religious and cultural values that the apparent purpose of the exercise is to humiliate and objectify the women in question. If this is not the case, why are the operators and clients of the outlets provided so little airtime?

Relatedly, on the Internet, one may find an non-televised recording of a vice-raid conducted by religious police. In the recording, the woman facing arrest is rudely spoken to by the enforcement team and is made to put her clothes on in front of the male officers. Again, the reduction of women to subjects is the theme.

It is apparent through conversations with both the young and old, that this affliction we have as a society in dealing with women is not one that is isolated.

In popular media, there are few young women known for their eloquence or strength. The women who do have these qualities abound, but are not given the stature they deserve in society. Who is the equivalent of Oprah Winfrey in Malaysia? An unfair comparison, but even the figurative roasting of Hillary Clinton on an Arab woman's talk show some years back would not happen here with our fondness for submissive superficial interviews by cutesy presenters.

We are still a long way from accepting women as equal members of society. This is apparent in numerous issues women face here, from job discrimination to blatant disrespect. On the basis of these latest news reports, things are not likely to change soon.

Bullshit: My First Home Scheme

2011-03-09T23:17:00.002+08:00

"Young working adults can now buy themselves a new home without having to pay a sen in down payment.

Those earning less than RM3,000 a month can obtain up to 100% financing to buy their first home under a new scheme launched yesterday.

The My First Home Scheme, launched by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak yesterday, will enable them to buy houses costing between RM100,000 and RM220,000 with a repayment period of up to 30 years.

The scheme sees the participation of 25 conventional and Islamic financial institutions including major banks like AmBank, CIMB, Hong Leong, Maybank, Public Bank, RHB and Standard Chartered.

To qualify for the scheme, which is for both houses under construction and completed properties, house buyers must be those working in the private sector and are confirmed employees with a minimum of six months in the job.

The self-employed do not qualify for the scheme while joint applications are allowed, provided that both are in the private sector and are family members, such as siblings or spouses.

The monthly financing repayment sum must also be not more than one-third of the applicants’ monthly gross income.

However, this sum can go up to 50% of their income if additional credit is permitted under the banks’ underwriting policy." - http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/3/9/nation/8218336&sec=nation

-------------------------------------------------------

Why is this bullshit?

Consider this:

My gross income is RM 2340 a month. One-third of that is RM780. The current BLR is 6.3%. Assuming the bank lends to me at BLR with no premium, I can borrow
RM 126,000 for a home.

If the premium is 0.5%, I can borrow
RM 120,000.

The salary limit is RM 3000. One-third of that is RM 1000.

At base BLR, a person earning RM 3000 can borrow
RM 160,000.

Assuming the person has good credit, the limit rises to half of their monthly income; i.e. RM 1500 towards the loan. In this case the person can borrow
RM 242,000.

If a person has good credit, would they need this scheme? And would a person survive spending half their gross salary BEFORE deductions on housing? Would I be able to find a house that is not in a slum for RM 120,000?

The real answer to encouraging house ownership is to introduce either

1. A low-interest (below BLR) fixed rate financing scheme.

2. Encouraging developers to build houses within the RM 150,000 price range, which will prevent the creation of slums, as we see now in low-cost housing areas.

For now, this scheme is bullshit.

Check for yourself here:

http://www.vertex42.com/Calculators/home-mortgage-calculator.html

Travis - Driftwood

2011-03-09T22:03:00.000+08:00

Everything is open
Nothing is set in stone
Rivers turn to oceans
Oceans tide you home
Home is where the heart is
But your heart had to roam
Drifting over bridges
Never to return
Watching bridges burn

You're driftwood floating underwater
Breaking into pieces, pieces, pieces
Just driftwood, hollow and of no use
Waterfalls will find you, bind you, grind you

Nobody is an island
Everyone has to go
Pillars turn to butter
Butterflying low
Low is where your heart is
But your heart has to grow
Drifting under bridges
Never with the flow

And you really didn't think it would happen
But it really is the end of the line
So I'm sorry that you've turned to driftwood
But you've been drifting for a long, long time

Everywhere there's trouble
Nowhere's safe to go
Pushes turn to shovels
Shovelling the snow
Frozen you have chosen
The path you wish to go
Drifting now forever
And forever more
Until you reach your shore

You're driftwood floating underwater
Breaking into pieces, pieces, pieces
Just driftwood, hollow and of no use
Waterfalls will find you, bind you, grind you

And you really didn't think it would happen
But it really is the end of the line
So I'm sorry that you've turned to driftwood
But you've been drifting for a long, long time
You've been drifting, for a long, long
Drifting for a long, long time

Roger Helmer and the MPOC

2011-02-02T17:49:00.002+08:00

I was an attendee at the Malaysian Palm Oil Council's recent “Reach & Teach Friends of the Industry: Challenges and Opportunities in 2011”. I work for the world's largest listed producer of palm oil; and am directly involved in green technology projects, focusing mainly on reducing carbon emissions while also being involved in reducing electricity and water consumption and reducing waste.

Throughout the conference, it was pleasing to note that the palm oil industry as a whole is working to lower their carbon footprint and taking environmental concerns seriously. This can be seen in the addition of emission requirements to the Roundtable for Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) initiative, renewed focus on environmental protection and engagement with NGOs on social and environment issues. Most palm oil companies are working on carbon mitigation efforts and under the National Key Economic Area (NKEA) palm oil lab, biogas capture has been identified as a key driver of emission reductions.

A puzzling inclusion to the roster of speakers, however, was Mr. Roger Helmer of the United Kingdom, a Conservative Party Member of the European Parliament (MEP). Interestingly, Mr. Helmer is self-described as a 'eurosceptic', working to limit the integration of the UK with the European Union while being an elected MEP.

Mr. Helmer was to speak on “The Global Climate Change Debate and Taxpayer Funded Environmentalism”. In an hour-long speech, he made it clear which side of the debate he was on, finding all evidence of anthraepogenic (human-activity-driven) climate change to be false. He accomplished this with the help of vague unscientific pseudo-facts taken from the propaganda files of climate change deniers. With an audience possessing little encyclopedic knowledge of climate change and its drivers, it was quite clear that he had found the attention he was seeking.

It was quite unfortunate for Mr. Helmer that the debate on climate change is taking place in the 21st century. It would have been much easier for him to propagate his views if information was difficult to come by, but with the existence of 3G Internet on my obsolete cellphone, I was able to dismiss his 'facts' and vitriol towards climate change. Unsurprisingly, his was the only speech made without the backing of presentation slides and data. Perhaps this would have made it too easy for the audience to check his facts. To complete the irony of the hour-long monologue, it so happened that a climate change workshop was taking place right below the conference hall with the attendance of scientists affiliated to the United Nations who have spent years researching the cause and effects of global warming.

That the MPOC would allow a speaker like Mr. Roger Helmer a platform at a highly-visible industry forum without the presence of an unbiased referee and actual scientific facts raises questions on its motives and role in “promoting the market expansion of Malaysian palm oil and its products by enhancing the image of palm oil and creating better acceptance of palm oil through awareness of various technological and economic advantages (techno-economic advantages) and environmental sustainability”. Does the MPOC believe that the industry is throwing money down the drain by implementing emission reduction initiatives? Does the MPOC agree with Mr. Helmer on climate change being pseudo-science driven by thousands of scientists who receive financial gain by asserting that climate change is indeed human-driven? Does the MPOC regard methane capture a foolish endeavour despite its inclusion under the palm oil NKEA?

It must be said that the industry has progressed from a defensive, deny-at-all-cost approach to social and environmental concerns, to an action-driven facts-based approach against the attacks of NGOs and anti-palm lobbyists. Associating with pseudo-science only denigrates real strides the industry is making in addressing those concerns.

Crime and Morality

2011-02-02T17:39:00.003+08:00

In discussions concerning Malaysian crime in terms of severity and frequency, an often suggested argument is how morally degraded society has become when seen in context of a rising crime rate. I have always found this argument rather underwhelming, despite having known victims and having been a victim of crime.

It is a fatal flaw to regard crime as a moral indicator. Morality is a relative concept, one that has no static definition and rule. It has no grounds to fall back on when seen in a solitary state, as morality on its own lacks substance. The moral identity of one man bears no significance on the face of another. Even a fundamental rule of thumb; do no harm, is important to many a moral man but is not present in the morally upstanding bodies of other men.

Conversely, crime has shown itself to be an embodiment of moral values in certain instances in humanity. Consider the infamous members of organized crime, the most popular examples being the mafia of Italy and America and the Yakuza of Japan. A common tie between these gangs, which include the Russian mafia and the Chinese secret societies, is that they have evolved and nurtured in mature societies and powerful nations. While these nations may not be at the forefront of development today, it has been noted that the height of organized crime in each of the said examples coincided with the height of development of their respective societies.

Organized crime has shown itself to be a benevolent occupation, one that places morality, albeit with inbred values, above all. Common humanistic virtues, the main one being family ties and support triumph within each criminal organization.

Considering this however, organized crime is more dangerous a specter than common criminal behaviour. In rich countries, flourishing organized crime indicates that people are forgoing opportunities to prosper through legal activities, and instead are turning to crime purely as another business avenue.

To further expound on this idea, a comparison can be made to countries which have a high crime rate. Good examples are South Africa and certain Latin American countries. In these nations, crime is purely a function of available opportunities, i.e. the less opportunity available to a person, the higher his propensity to engage in criminal activity. Which is why there isn't a Zimbabwean Yakuza or Argentinian mafia. The same seems to apply in Malaysia, where crime is most often committed by poor ethnic minorities and immigrants who face discrimination through racism, xenophobia, lack of skills, etc.

Thus it is clear that to lower the crime rate in medium and lower income countries, the simple answer is to increase opportunities, which is a direct consequence of a liberal and open economic policy. The technicalities of what constitutes this type of policy aren't hard to find.

The crux of the issue is that as the reasons behind our high crime rate are clear, it is less frightening than having criminals whose only motives are self-fulfillment. Crime is not a social indicator of morality and thus the Malaysian situation is one that is temporal and relatively insignificant in nature, with the caveat being that economic progress takes place.

Radiohead - Creep

2010-08-21T02:42:00.001+08:00

When you were here before
Couldn't look you in the eye
You're just like an angel
Your skin makes me cry
You float like a feather
In a beautiful world
I wish I was special
You're so fucking special

But I 'm a creep
I 'm a weirdo
What the hell am I doing here?
I don't belong here

I don't care if it hurts
I want to have control
I want a perfect body
I want a perfect soul
I want you to notice
When I'm not around
You're so fucking special
I wish I was special

But I'm a creep
I'm a weirdo
What the hell am I doing here?
I don't belong here

She's running out again
She's running out
She run, run, run run
Run

Whatever makes you happy
Whatever you want
You're so fucking special
I wish I was special
But I'm a creep
I'm a weirdo
What the hell am I doing here?
I don't belong here
I don't belong here.

The end is nigh

2010-07-26T23:53:00.003+08:00

If sport falls apart, the world as we know it falls apart. Say goodbye to values, morals and everything in between because sports are the only form of pure competition that exists now.

Florian Mayer cheated when he knew Lampard's goal was in but played on anyway; the spotlight was not on in him as he got away with it. Suarez cheated when he boxed away Asamoah Gyan's shot, the spotlight was on him because he got caught.

And now even Lance Armstrong, the man who overcame cancer to win a thousand-km bicycle race and is arguably the world's most inspirational sportsperson, could be caught cheating.

Some facts on Massa's case of overwhelming magnanimity; one, the race engineer said sorry after Massa let Alonso pass, and two, the graphics showed clearly that Massa was not on full throttle after coming out of the corner, allowing Alonso to pass easily, three, Alonso was heard saying 'this is ridiculous' after Massa leads him for 2-3 laps after a pitstop.

Post race:
Q: Then Fernando got past you. Was that your decision to let him past?
Felipe Massa: Yeah, definitely.

Q: Yes, definitely?
FM: (No verbal answer)

Cheats kill sport. And the end is nigh.

Living

2010-05-17T04:17:00.001+08:00

So here we are living lives of anonymity and insignificance. And there they are looking at us from the outside in and dreaming of living our lives.

A page that changed a standpoint

2010-05-06T12:06:00.003+08:00

Why the world needs nuclear weapons.

http://www.newsweek.com/id/214248

And I'm still waiting for George Puthucheary's obituary - 'An Atheist's Heaven'.

Yes, I'm spurting

2010-05-06T11:55:00.000+08:00

Drugs.

http://www.drogasedemocracia.org/Arquivos/declaracao_ingles_site.pdf

Thoughts at the moment

2010-05-06T11:47:00.002+08:00

Remembering how we all had different ways of saying "Deutshce" at RBC Dexia.

How I am stuck in the middle-class trap of not being smart enough to excel at anything, and being smart enough to be considered above-average.

One thing to read this year

2010-05-06T11:46:00.002+08:00

Learn from mistakes and take ideas. Copying is under-rated.

http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2009/11/30/the_fp_top_100_global_thinkers?page=full

OMFG Book the men

2010-04-13T23:03:00.002+08:00

Somehow, there are people who believe that girls who dump their babies have all had immaculate conceptions.

If the law has no provision to hold the father responsible in baby dumping cases, don't charge anyone.

Cervical cancer vaccines: A step forward, maybe

2010-03-23T23:31:00.003+08:00

It is good news that cervical cancer vaccinations are now provided for free by the government.

The only hope is that certain quarters do not equate this with a licence for promiscuity, an equation that only those with ignorant minds could make. Those that make these particular inferences will gladly ignore all the good that the decision in question will bring, in the defence of often antiquated moral high grounds.

Having this initiative approved would hopefully help drown out the voices against sound ideas. For example, in the interest of saving lives, the baby hatch idea remains a viable, if not desirable, first step.

To further extrapolate an argument in favour of rationalism versus blind conservatism, perhaps personal rights and dignity should eventually defeat outdated moral policing. Which would bring the end of television news showing footage of raids at massage parlours and hotel rooms where often only the masseuses and female companions are on film.

The Persian

2010-02-27T17:50:00.000+08:00

Slowly, I begin to feel.

"The Persian"

Perfectly formed
In lack of none
It frowns in despair
At natural faults

Notice the shine
Wafting embers of want
And the eyes that see

Near it comes
In hidden paths
With scents of Eve
Expecting touch

Do and fall
With those who need
And hurt at once
Until in time
It needs more

Peter Singer: When Doctors Kill

2010-01-21T23:31:00.000+08:00

http://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/psinger55

Bertrand Russell and Christianity

2010-01-12T18:17:00.002+08:00

"There are a great many ways in which, at the present moment, the church, by its insistence upon what it chooses to call morality, inflicts upon all sorts of people undeserved and unnecessary suffering."
Betrand Russell, 1927

Why I Am Not A Christian

Les Misérables Lite: A posit on a solution

2010-01-05T02:04:00.003+08:00

Q: A man escapes from jail one year into his ten-year sentence. He lives on a new name, starts a business, gives to charity and is a good citizen for 8 years after. You find him and know what he did. Should you report him?

To judge or not to? How do we balance a respect for the judicial system and the inherent human virtue to not judge your fellow man?

In respecting the judicial system, it follows that we respect that society has assigned the task of judging to the learned, as the case may be; judges in courts of law. A jury of peers is the closest we get to community-agreed judgement.

As the judicial system is one that is separated clearly and is independent, all acts of judging are reserved for the few, and all consequences of a judgment are assigned and dealt with by the executive; another independent institution.

For the commoner, to report the man would be to take over from the independent societal institutions. The argument is bounded by this, therefore making the man's crime*, his subsequent actions and his character utterly irrelevant.

A: No.

*In respecting the judicial system, it suffices to say that he was given a fair trial. A common contradiction while claiming to respect the judiciary is to pass a second judgment based on the severity of the man's crime, which is subjective.

Acatalepsy

2010-01-01T04:04:00.001+08:00

Incomprehensibility of things; the doctrine held by the ancient Skeptic philosophers, that human knowledge never amounts to certainty, but only to probability.

Awang, selamatkan kita

2009-12-29T13:37:00.001+08:00

"Pada Awang, DAP meneruskan rekodnya sebagai parti paling rasis bukan sahaja di Malaysia, malah di dunia. "

Good ol' Awang. Never misses a beat.

Turner Prize 1993

2009-12-11T10:11:00.004+08:00

Vong Phaophanit with Neon Rice Field at the 1993 exhibition
© Tate Photography

‘I am writing to say something about one of the pieces of art in your gallery, The Rice. Although it looks quite impressive, are you thinking about the meaning? There are people starving. I know it’s not your fault but wouldn’t it be possible to take some of the rice and do something about what it is expressing. Try sending some to the starving people.’

– Letter from a member of the public (aged 9) to Tate, November 1993

And they say the West ignores Palestine...

2009-12-09T17:20:00.002+08:00

On Pudu

2009-12-04T10:14:00.004+08:00

In response to X no longer marks the spot in Kuala Lumpur, by Rehman Rashid, NST 4 Dec 2009.

The murals outside the Pudu Jail, at least, cannot and should not be destroyed. They reflect a deep sense of compassion and respect for the rights of the prisoner, a sense which we seem to have lost over years since. There used to be football games played outside the grounds among the prisoners, the field where you now see overgrown weeds.

The significance of a jail that allowed its prisoners these expressions should be kept by at least preserving its gates and walls. Now we have modern white-washed facilities in remote areas, which drain the will of the prisoner. Gone is the face of the prisoner, the hope that they can be rehabilitated, returned to society as functional human beings; replaced by cost-per-prisoner accounting and the dehumanization of the criminal.

As Ramsey Clark, the former U.S. Attorney General and human rights advocate said, “There are few better measures of the concern a society has for its individual members and its own well being than the way it handles criminals”. The Pudu Jail remains the last symbol of our lost sense of respect for human expression, the reality of crime and punishment, and our responsibility towards criminals.

Malaysians and Free-markets

2009-11-09T03:09:00.001+08:00

I have been to Waubebas' Akademi Merdeka, this is not an unbiased opinion. Malaysians don't yet understand free-markets and capitalism. We have a translucent wall, in our minds, which equates capitalism and Americanism. We want cheaper cars but we don't want foreign workers. We frequent McDonalds but we don't want free-trade agreements. We expect the most from home-grown companies but we reject privatisation of everything from healthcare to highways.

There is valid reasoning behind some of these contradictory viewpoints, but it always seems easier for us to reject non-intervention in the face of planned actions which more often than not, result in unplanned outcomes.

In response to:
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/index.php/opinion/wan-saiful-wan-jan/42688-dua-puluh-tahun-robohnya-tembok-berlin--rayakan-keranapan-sosialisme

On education

2009-09-09T15:41:00.000+08:00

I was once on the mono-stream schooling brigade, until I realised freedom also includes the freedom to choose to where and how you want your kids to be educated. I studied in an SK and SMK all my life, and barely knew the Chinese-educated students. It wasn't their fault, and after high school, I became very close friends with a kid from my SMK, Chinese-educated, in university. It is not a fault of the education system if we are racist. It is the demarcation on ethnic lines which has been drilled into Malaysian society, from parents imposing their views on race on children, and the government with their hypocritical drawings of Malay,Chinese,Indians in primary school textbooks.

The best model we have, and the one that has proven resilient for decades is the East Malaysian model. Race is clear-cut,people are proud to affirm their race, but race relations are of no consequence to this. Restaurants, halal or not, are frequented by everyone, people get along anywhere anytime.

The real issue here is to stop inculcating racial lines, and start looking at schools from a purer perspective; that is centres of childhood development. The language and constituents of these schools should not play a part in determining our views of them. Right now, from a purely educational perspective, Chinese schools present the best model of academic achievement among the three streams we have. Their weaknesses and those of all non-private schools in Malaysia, the rote-learning system and the inadequate non-academic learning structure are not subjects of this debate.

At this moment, the heart of the matter is that Chinese schools present the best case for a good primary education, and it would not be a problem if all of us choose Chinese schools for our kids. Which would mean the end of racial separation at primary level.

On maids

2009-09-09T15:40:00.001+08:00

A good measure of how civilized a nation is in the treatment of fellow human beings. The ongoing debate on the treatment and wages of Indonesian maids puts shame on our people.

It seems that what we want are slaves; to be paid as little as possible, and doing as much as possible. We denigrate our domestic help, criticizing their every move, but when enough is enough and they decide to leave we say we can’t live without them. We expect them to do everything, yet we pay them pittance wages, which we know are degrading to their very existence.

A family man with two young daughters once told me with satisfaction on what happened after he complained about his maid’s alleged incompetence. The maid was 16 years old, from a small Indonesian town far from the city. He told of how the agent beat and tortured her for 3 days before returning her; in a state of numb obedience.

I know of many people who intend to not comply with any ruling requiring maids to be given a day off. There are also those who feel that for RM 800 a month, they would expect their maids to feed themselves. These are the same people who can’t keep the same maid for more than 6 months without them running away or being ‘exchanged’ for a new maid.

However, the fact that these maids are willing to work for the RM600 they currently receive shows how few opportunities there are back home. For the authorities to raise the minimum wage would reduce work opportunities here as people stop taking in maids. This would punish prospective maids far more than the ill-treatment many of them have experienced while working in Malaysia.

What should happen is tightening of rules in regards to the treatment of maids and proper enforcement of them. Agencies should be properly regulated and the rights of maids should take greater precedence.

On a greater scale, we should begin putting perspective on how we treat foreigners in this country. The apartment where I live recently introduced a rule barring foreigners, mostly factory workers, from using the amenities, including swimming pools, playgrounds and gyms, despite the fact that they pay the same maintenance fees. On the other hand, we seem to be extraordinarily hospitable to foreigners of certain origins and wealth.

Xenophobia is rampant and selective racism seems to be the accepted order. It smacks of rotten values and a disrespect of human dignity. And it marks where we are as a self-described modern nation.

Of unfair questions and unholy books

2009-08-07T12:33:00.001+08:00

A common question in interviews with celebrities, A-list or not, is one I believe to be the world's most unfair one. You know it, the one about what book you're reading now. I for one have had numerous moments where after reading an epic, I need a brain-break and settle for some nefariously childish or immaturely crass literature. And having a question like that thrown at me at that moment would elicit a Simpsonian 'Doh!'. I am coming to the end of Salman Rushdie's Midnight's Children, a novel which to read is to dig your nails into your backbone and crack your ribs, yes, excruciating, and after this I am going to read another modern classic, Catch 22. If there was a better time to do interviews, I can't think of one. I once was answering a interview questionnaire for a job vacancy when I was reading Richard Dawkin's The God Delusion. It was for a Malaysian bank, so I could not possibly write the truth, but it was a book that pushed me from being a liberal Catholic to full-on agnosticism, and nearly-there atheism. Yes, it did influence me a lot, but yet I am searching for more. Which is why I don't think losing God over one book is particularly intelligent. And is why I do not respect people who quote Dawkins in justifying their liberally cool non-beliefs. Its like the people who claim they are serious readers when their favourite books are by Sophie Kinsella or the Chicken Soup series. Long way to go, like the song.

Paradoxes : An entry inspired by Nury Vittachi

2009-05-20T00:38:00.002+08:00

Its been a long time since I had something to write about, and I have to share this article by Nury Vittachi, an ad-man, by all accounts. I first read Vittachi in theSun, and sometimes in Reader's Digest. Read his article here.

The question is : Is the answer to this question no?

Read Eubulides too, as in:

A man says: "What I am saying now is a lie."

If the statement is true, then he is lying, even though the statement is true. If the statement is a lie, then he is not actually lying, even though the statement is a lie. Thus, if the speaker is lying, he tells the truth, and vice versa.

Wiki the guy.

Opinion Without Thought

2009-03-10T17:06:00.000+08:00

The great enemy of the truth is very often not the lie -- deliberate, contrived and dishonest, but the myth, persistent, persuasive, and unrealistic. Belief in myths allows the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought.

John F. Kennedy

Lies

2009-02-23T11:13:00.001+08:00

"The lies we get punished the most for are the lies we tell ourselves."
V. S. Naipaul, In A Free State

The Malaysian football mental block

2009-02-14T00:50:00.000+08:00

Malaysian football should be over its tried-and-failed gimmicks of hiring English coaches and adopting English training methods. There seems to be a long-running strain of colonial veneration in the upper echelons of our football association always looking for help from the past masters.

We need to remind ourselves that England last won the World Cup in 1966, haven’t come close since, and are themselves experiencing problems with their grassroots setup; having a league over-run by better foreign players, lack of playing space and starry-eyed youngsters.
We have more than 150 countries ahead of us in the FIFA rankings, yet we keep calling on that one country for help.

As an avid player and observer of the game, I can testify that the players in the national team are the best of our crop technically, which is why coaches and managers change, but the team remains the same. What we have are problems in the mental department, specifically toughness, belief and determination.

What we need to do is send our players to the Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Ghana and all the African nations ranked higher than us to learn these attributes from those who live on a tenth of what we live on. Send them to Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar to learn how they play at our level with the poverty they face. Send them to Brazil, Argentina and South America to discover the real love of the game.

But before that, start with accountability lessons for the upper management. They were in charge of hiring coaches and managers, but just can’t stand taking responsibility for their decisions. The CEO who hires bad managers and employees is accountable when they fail. Ministers are accountable when people under them fail. Change needs to start from the top.

We are as barbaric as the Israelis

2009-02-14T00:49:00.000+08:00

We are as barbaric as the Israelis

What a shame that barbarism is secretly dwelling in the dark corners of our society. People now seem to enjoy taking the lives of dogs by breaking their skulls and necks and brutally beating them to death.

What is the difference between these heartless humans compared with the Israeli army murdering innocent souls?

Constantly we hear the same old saying that we are forbidden to touch dogs and that this animal is filthy and indecent.

If so, why would God have planted such loyalty and love in this particular animal?

To all my fellow Muslims, I shall quote from Surah Al-Kahf in the Holy Quran verse number 18: “And you would have thought them awake, while they were asleep. And We turned them on their right and on their left sides, and their dog stretching forth his two forelegs at the entrance [of the Cave or in the space near to the entrance of the Cave (as a guard at the gate)]. Had you looked at them, you would certainly have turned back from them in flight, and would certainly have been filled with awe of them.”

If our very own Holy book shows us how loyal and protective these dogs were to those who did not do wrong, where did we learn to hate and despise this animal?

NOROZ Khan,

Kuala Lumpur.

as printed in The Star, 12 February 2009

Syed Hamid Albar the comic

2009-02-07T00:07:00.003+08:00

Found this old, but relevant BBC interview transcript, from 2007 (thecicak.com).

Particularly liked this point:

Sarah Montague:
There is outside… there is inside Malaysia who say this.. this social contract is actually State racism. What do you say to that?

Dato Seri Syed Hamid Albar:
Oh. I can say the worse about Israeli State racism; in our case we don’t have that provision. You have to look at it in, I think, objectively. I don’t think it is right to look at Malaysia as a racist country. I don’t think it is right. You should see how the infusion of cultures, the getting together, the people get along together.. Yes you can find there are.. people who disagree with it.. there are certain things that people say ‘Ah it’s not perfect,’.. I would be the last person that say this is a perfect situation, but I think we have succeeded in building a multiracial society out of our diversity. We have succeeded in bringing the whole of the Malaysian community, even against the diverse backgrounds, together, to work together. There will come a time… that… if it is the choice of the people, because one person is one vote..

Sarah Montague:
When do you think that time will come..

Dato Seri Syed Hamid Albar:
… That is up to the voters…

MGMT - Time to Pretend

2009-02-07T00:05:00.001+08:00

I'm feeling rough, I'm feeling raw, I'm in the prime of my life.
Let's make some music, make some money, find some models for wives.
I'll move to Paris, shoot some heroin, and fuck with the stars.
You man the island and the cocaine and the elegant cars.

This is our decision, to live fast and die young.
We've got the vision, now let's have some fun.
Yeah, it's overwhelming, but what else can we do.
Get jobs in offices, and wake up for the morning commute?

Forget about our mothers and our friends
We're fated to pretend
To pretend
We're fated to pretend
To pretend

I'll miss the playgrounds and the animals and digging up worms
I'll miss the comfort of my mother and the weight of the world
I'll miss my sister, miss my father, miss my dog and my home
Yeah, I'll miss the boredom and the freedom and the time spent alone.

There is really nothing, nothing we can do
Love must be forgotten, life can always start up anew.
The models will have children, we'll get a divorce
We'll find some more models, everything must run it's course.

We'll choke on our vomit and that will be the end
We were fated to pretend
To pretend
We're fated to pretend
To pretend

Yeah, yeah, yeah
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Yeah, yeah, yeah

The Real Che Guevara

2009-02-06T23:45:00.001+08:00

By Guy Sorman, click post title.

Freedom II

2009-01-27T22:22:00.002+08:00

Men fight for liberty and win it with hard knocks. Their children, brought up easy, let it slip away again, poor fools. And their grandchildren are once more slaves.
D.H. Lawrence

Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!
Patrick Henry

In this day and age...

2009-01-26T02:23:00.004+08:00

I made a commitment to myself a long time ago that I would never insult a person directly or consciously. I often do, though, out of personal weakness.

A word that hurts is stupid. I don't call people stupid often because it hurts, and I don't like to be called stupid either. However, when I call people stupid outside of moments of momentary weakness, I do not mean the traditional definition which includes personifying idiotic, retarded, dumb, etc. behaviour. What I mean when I call someone stupid is that they are, to me, misinformed, or have misinterpreted information.

So, when I say that people who fight for protectionism and who are against free trade are STUPID, please don't feel bad. Although I should add the words unbelievably, dumb-founding and wow-that-is-amazingly before the s-word.

Here's a quick lesson.

Proton is protected. If it wasn't we wouldn't have a mat rempit problem, as people would be able to afford cars, we would have half as many road deaths as people would have safer cars, and we probably would have had a 5% higher GDP had we not pumped money into this rubbish carmaker. You could draw parallels with Chrysler and GM.
MAS is protected. If it wasn't we would have been flying to Singapore for RM100 anytime we wanted to, or anywhere else for that matter. We wouldn't have pregnant air-stewardesses being fired. We wouldn't have a government crony being given a RM 1 billion bail-out. We would not hear anything against a competitor building an airport, as facilities would have been built and managed privately long before the government could even issue a passport.
A student's entire schooling needs for a whole year can be bought at any hypermarket for less than RM 100 all in the same place. Before these existed, we had to go to Mydin to buy sub-standard school uniforms which would tear within three months, go to a stationery shop to buy exercise books at RM1 each, together with RM1 pencils and RM5 pens. We'd have to go to Bata to buy white shoes together with the shoe-white.
That's just the schooling needs. A conservative guess on the savings received by the average consumer who buys from a hypermarket, compared with one who buys from the neighbourhood provision shop, would be 30%. Workers at hypermarkets have the opportunity of vertical mobility, compared with the provision shop owner who hires one person for thirty years to do all the labour.
What if the West had protected its products and opposed trade? We wouldn't have the Internet, the car, the computer, the refridgerator, this is a redundant list.
We want to protect out rice farmers against imports of American rice. But Thai rice, Indian rice, Vietnamese rice is OK. And what are we protecting our rice farmers from? Even more misery. Our rice farmers suffer because the monopoly that is Bernas flushes its money straight to Syed Al-Bukhary, the philanthropic mosque-building billionaire, and is more concerned with feeding its rent-seeking crony than feeding rice farmers. If we had a competitive market for local rice, our rice farmers would be a lot better off.
Compare life in communist China, the former Soviet Union, Cuba (where mobile phones will celebrate their one-year anniversary in March), National Socialist Germany with Hong Kong, Belgium, Singapore (although this is a place where life isn't really worth living), the new China, the new Russia, the new Germany.
The current economic crisis has not been caused by greed or capitalism. It has been caused by too much interference by the US government into financial markets. Alan Greenspan as head of the Treasury for 28 years was responsible for keeping interest rates artificially low even during boom times, which he subsequently labeled "irrational exuberance". He coupled this with allowing unregulated financial engineering creating complex derivatives which even experts don't understand and can't appraise. When the banks were going bust, the government stepped in to help the ones with connections i.e. Goldman Sachs, where Henry Paulson was head of investment banking. They disallowed interested parties from buying up bad debt and the US$ 700 billion TARP fund received 10 times worse terms than Warren Buffett did with his US$5 billion investment. There is no clearer picture against protectionism than the actions which have led to the worst financial meltdown ever.

Which is why you have to be STUPID to oppose free trade and support protectionism.

The cartel and the working class

2009-01-23T00:12:00.001+08:00

It begins on the premise that everyone is good. Only then can you judge people for what they are worth.

I take the train usually to and from UPM, Serdang. Last year, a consortium of Putrajaya taxi drivers took over the taxi service from the KTM Serdang station under the guise of a co-op. A more brazen cartel I have never seen. Overnight, taking a taxi went from paying RM10 for a 5 minute drive, and in the process finding 2-3 people willing to share the cost, or looking for the one in five gem of a taxi driver who will use the meter, to a RM10 coupon taxi ride – no sharing.

I took a taxi home last night from Kepong at 11.00 pm. An African girl, a young female office-worker and myself squeezed into the Proton Iswara. We approached an interchange, and the conversation between the African and the driver went like this;

“I think you can use this way, left.”
“How many ways do you know?”
“I said I think, I didn’t say I know”
“How many ways do you know?! I’m driving taxis, I know. Just sit and don’t argue! There are so many ways.”

Uncomfortable to say the least.

Her fare came to RM 3.30, and later we went pass the interchange she thought she knew. It was jammed, and the man told me it would have cost all three of us more if he had used that way. He didn’t charge me the RM 5 shown on the meter when we came to my house, and just asked for the usual fare, which was RM 4.

In my almost three years of taking taxis in Serdang, only once did I find a taxi that used the meter, and the driver was a saint. He picked up one more person on the way (there were already two of us), and used the meter all the way; I payed RM3 for a ride which would cost me RM 10 now.

To the socialists crying out for the right of taxi drivers to fleece customers, I say keep your voices. There are more than enough taxi drivers who are honest enough to put in a decent day’s work for a decent day’s pay.

I wonder how they, the honest ones, feel when they know they have to fleece ordinary people in the name of a koperasi.

Christmas and the Year behind us

2008-12-29T23:56:00.004+08:00

I had the mellowest Christmas ever.

By the way, heres a list about 2008:

Best song - The Kooks - See the Sun
Best music I listened to - Feist, The Kooks, Kings of Leon
Dream crusher - Nick Cannon
Best magazine - Off The Edge, my first subscription
Best book I read - George Orwell - Nineteen Eighty-Four
Worst moment - Passing out at Freedom Elite, Mont Kiara - 11.30pm
Best news story - The one where a dog saved four kittens from a burning house in Melbourne.
Best sports story - Manchester United continuing being the best football team in the world.
Worst sports story - How Manchester United fields teams without a single Mancunian in them, and looks like its heading towards a fully-outsourced player list.
Best movie I watched - Rocky Balboa
Worst movie I watched - The Value of My Sanity (Goat Films) Indie movie.
Worst music - Lil Wayne. There's no Jay-Z, Dr.Dre, Outkast, or even Biz Markie around this year, so they can't be giving out Grammy's to Flo Rida can they?
Best liquor company - Hennessy
Stupidest news : Mawi finally getting to fuck Ekin. I wish there was a video, as she's pretty hot.

Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year ;)

Nilai sesat

2008-12-23T23:55:00.003+08:00

Mum keeps HIV man in coop

NST - 22 Dec 2008

"...mereka yang tergolong dalam kategori pembawa HIV dianggap sebagai social outcast atau sampah masyarakat."
Mohamed Yusoff Ismail

Utusan Malaysia - 23 Dec 2008

----
Nilai-nilai yang telah diterap dalam masyarakat kami dicontohi oleh orang-orang sebegini. Entah bila boleh berubah.

A Really Large Number

2008-12-23T17:50:00.001+08:00

US$ 700 billion.

"It's not based on any particular data point. We just wanted to choose a really large number."
Treasury spokeswoman,
23rd September 2008
Forbes.com

Confessions of a teenage communist

2008-12-23T17:23:00.006+08:00

When I was a child (i.e. a couple of years ago), I decided I was going to go into economics, after seeing the work done by Jeffrey Sachs (who wrote The End Of Poverty, a high profile book endorsed by Bono, among others), Joseph Stiglitz (who wrote Globalization and Its Discontents, besides being a Nobel economics laureate, and widely credited with Clinton's now-revered economic policies) and Suze Orman (who does a personal finance talkshow, helping ordinary people with their financial problems, a modern-day financial Mother Teresa, in my books).

A couple of years ago, I was against free trade, globalization and capitalism ;and for redistribution, protectionism, socialism, and maybe a little bit of Marxism.

A couple of basic economics lectures later, I dropped all my principles and ideals, and now am a dyed in the black supporter of economic freedom.

Anyone who hasn't done Econs 101, would be excused to be in the state of mind I was in a couple of years ago. I remember the worldwide protests against globalization in the early part of this decade and wishing I was there, fuelled with Rage Against the Machine angst and Michael Moore delinquence.

Now, I'm nearing the end of my degree, which should put me in good stead to answer the economic conundrums we face. Should, right? But no, I still can't understand much of what goes on in the world. There are too many players, too many different ways of understanding civil, political, social, cultural and economic rights.

The only thing to do is to learn, read, read, and read some more, learn from the people who know what they're doing.

Last year, I found myself seated across from Malaysia's pre-eminent social scientist, a Fulbright scholar, a pioneer in Islamic finance and a few scholars in their own right, listening in open-mouthed awe, to Joseph Stiglitz delivering his ideas on the way forward in growth and development. I had just read his book on how the IMF is pure evil, and how everyone else in the world's institutions could do things better.

I just read another perspective, which serves as a lesson in how diverse economic thoughts are, thoughts I will not be able to get a grasp on at least for another few years.

An Open Letter to Joseph Stiglitz
by Kenneth Rogoff,
Economic Counsellor and Director of Research,
International Monetary Fund

2008-12-20T00:09:00.003+08:00

19/12/2008
Utusan Malaysia

BISIK-BISIK AWANG SELAMAT

AWANG terharu dengan rayuan penoreh getah di Sik dan Baling yang meminta kerajaan membantu mereka menghadapi keperitan hidup akibat kejatuhan teruk harga getah sekarang. Rata-rata mereka adalah penduduk kampung pedalaman yang daif dan miskin.

Mereka ini tidak memberontak dan sebaliknya menyalurkan rayuan secara berhemah kepada pemerintah.

Sementara satu lagi senario, sebuah pertubuhan dipercayai dinaungi pembangkang dikenali Jaringan Rakyat Tertindas (Jerit) telah berarak dengan mengayuh basikal untuk mendesak kerajaan memenuhi kehendak mereka. Rata-rata mereka diwakili oleh satu kaum sahaja.

Semasa tiba di Parlimen semalam - ahli Parlimen pembangkang menyambut mereka bagaikan satu pesta. Ahli-ahli Parlimen itu turut ‘tumpang sekaki’ mahukan publisiti murahan. (Lihat gambar di muka 7).

Lebih dikesalkan kumpulan itu turut mengeksploitasi remaja untuk menyertai mereka.

Awang faham dengan kedua-dua senario itu. Cuma kita berharap biarlah rayuan itu disalurkan secara betul dan berhemah - dan bukan untuk menyusahkan semua pihak.

Awang – Pakar tersurat, tersirat.

_____________________________

Pakar betul si Awang, kira golongan intelek-tua-l, isi tersurat dan tersirat boleh ditafsirkan, macam pelajar Tingkatan Lima buat rumusan Bahasa Melayu. Awang tidak pernah mengatakan dirinya buta, jadi agaknya Awang ini menutup matanya tiap-tiap hari. Kasihan sungguh Awang, bagaimana nak menggelar dirinya intelek-tua-l jika terus menutup mata? Entah siapa sebenarnya Awang ni, mungkin dia memang buta, tetapi kita tidak tahu. Jika En. Awang ni betul-betul buta, saya meminta maaf. Jika mempunyai mata yang berfungsi, sila lihat gambar di bawah. Satu-satunya kaum yang disebutkan di atas nampaknya pelbagai rupa dan warna.

The Zeitgeist Movie

2008-12-19T23:35:00.003+08:00

I watched this at Palette Palate's Anything Goes Anything Shows night, last night.

This movie may change your life.

Or it may not. Or just may widen your perspective. Make sure you watch all three parts.

Pak Lah's lapses - the pandora's box of freedom

2008-12-18T16:39:00.004+08:00

“There has been a lack of leadership to bring divisive forces under control, which emboldened religious extremists”
Lim Kit Siang on Abdullah Ahmad Badawi (18/12/08)

Worsening race relations are not manifesting themselves on the ground. The rhetoric we hear from communal leaders are divisive, yes, but of influence, no. Freedom of information has allowed people to obtain all they need to make informed decisions. Take a good, hard look around you, and you'll see race relations are the same as they always have been. There have been weakening ties, but at the same time we can see strengthening; the Makkal Sakti cry has been adopted by all races, Islam is no longer a purely Malay issue, human rights no longer the rallying call of the rich and English-speaking.

I don't think we can bring divisive forces under control and still maintain freedom of expression. There is no control over free speech. Pak Lah allowed for more discourse, ultimately leading to his own downfall; but we cannot chastise him for this.

The Nut Graph: Rakyat Malaysia Poyo?

2008-12-18T16:35:00.000+08:00

Rakyat Malaysia poyo?

18 Dec 08

Oleh Fared Ayam dan Zahiril Adzim
editor@thenutgraph.com

“KENAPA” — satu perkataan yang paling kami kagumi. Kami percaya bahawa segala apa yang berlaku atau ingin dilakukan harus dikaitkan dengan “kenapa”.

Kenapa harus ada kenapa? Cuba perhatikan, perkataan yang sama boleh digunakan dua kali di dalam satu ayat. Menarik bukan?

Graf menunjukkan kadar Kebenaran dan kesempurnaan
dengan soalan Kenapa?

“Kenapa”, pada pendapat kami, merupakan satu perkataan berbentuk soalan yang takkan pernah selesai. Seperti sesuatu kejadian buruk yang berlaku berulang kali, dan ia mungkin juga boleh dikategorikan sebagai absurd. Seperti air sungai — tetap mengalir dengan tenang walaupun dihalang dengan satu empangan.

Namun, apa yang cuba kami ketengahkan di sini adalah, perkataan “kenapa” itu ada sambungan dan kesinambungannya. Ia bukan tentang membuat keputusan, tetapi lebih kepada mendekati kebenaran dan kesempurnaan.

Begitu juga dengan pegangan, pendirian atau ideologi yang dipegang, digenggam dan diperjuang. Tidak kira ianya datang dari segi demokrasi atau sosialis, globalisasi atau anarki, haluan kanan atau kiri. Pada permukaannya, itu semua hanya istilah yang dicipta demi membezakan sistem, falsafah, dan cara. Segalanya tetap akan berbalik kepada kenapa.

“Kenapa kita memilih itu? Kenapa kita mendukung ini? Kenapa kita memperjuangkan sesuatu?” Mesti ada kesinambungan yang akan membuatkan kita sedar kenapa. Kemudian, barulah kita boleh bersedia untuk menerima konsikuansi daripada pegangan dan kepercayaan tersebut.

Bagi kami, inilah pendirian yang sudah kurang kewujudannya dalam diri dan jiwa rakyat Malaysia. Sebaliknya, semuanya ingin dijadikan fesyen. Segalanya ingin dijadikan trend. Maka lahirlah segelintir manusia yang suka bercakap tentang sesuatu yang mereka sendiri tidak tahu. Manusia yang berjuang tanpa mengetahui atau memahami sebabnya. Tanpa mereka sedari, mereka sudah jatuh ke dalam golongan yang dikatagorikan sebagai poser. Istilah tidak rasminya “poyo” — bodoh tetapi berlagak pandai.

Diagram Venn

Bila fenomena begini berlaku, dalam apa sistem sekalipun, korupsi akan berlaku. Apa ideologi sekalipun akan menjadi sia-sia. Dari dunia aktivisme hinggalah ke dunia politik. Semuanya sama, jadi tunggang-langgang jika dibiarkan mereka yang poyo ini terus mendukung atau mencumbui sistem yang ada. Buktinya, kita lihat segala gerakan yang pernah dan sedang berlaku di Malaysia ini. Tidak kira dari sudut sosial atau politik. Kita dapat lihat betapa terumbang-ambingnya sebahagian mereka. Seperti satu sarkis.

Kekadang secara tiba-tiba, akan muncul satu kumpulan atau gerakan besar-besaran yang akan mempersoal atau menuntut sesuatu, kemudian, secara tiba-tiba, ia akan hilang begitu saja. Cepat naik dan cepat jatuh. Sebab apa? Bagi kami, ini semua terjadi kerana majoritinya hanya sekadar ikut-ikut saja, bukan benar-benar kental. Ikut suka-suka kerana mungkin pada waktu itu gerakan tersebut sedang jadi ikutan, trend terkini, serta hip.

Hip hop, indie, dan blog

Seperti zaman kebanjiran budaya hip hop di Malaysia pada penghujung 1990an. Semua remaja nak jadi hip hop, belajar menari breakdance, main skateboard. Lepas itu senyap.

Kini zaman indie katanya. Semua yang konon-kononnya remaja dan golongan muda hendak buat band indie, bila pergi gig masing-masing punya SLR kamera, skinny jeans serta menari shuffle di pusat bandaraya. Semua ini berlaku kerana mereka tidak pernah ambil tahu apa yang mereka buat dan lakukan. Mereka buat bukan kerana mereka benar-benar kental dan faham. Tapi sekadar ingin nampak cool. Kalau tak cool, awek tidak suka, katanya.

Jika gerakan itu mendapat tentangan dari kerajaan atau tidak disokong majoriti rakyat, maka ramailah ahli atau pengikutnya yang tiba-tiba bertukar arah, berubah wajah, malah hilang entah ke mana. Tiba-tiba mereka ada falsafah dan kepercayaan lain. Maka makin lama makin berkurang dan kecillah gerakan itu hingga tinggal segelintir saja yang masih kental percaya dengan perjuangannya. Jadi akhirnya mereka menjadi gerakan minoriti yang tidak mampu melunaskan perjuangan mereka.

Seperti juga menulis blog yang sedang jadi budaya terkini. Tidak sama sekali kami menentang fenomena ini. Kami juga suka dan gembira dengan kelahiran suara-suara alternatif ini. Ia bagus kerana kita mampu menyedarkan media arus perdana, yang sering penuh dengan propaganda dan dusta dalam berita, bahawa mereka tidak selamanya akan berkuasa ke atas minda kita. Akan tetapi bila muncul blogger yang kami rasa menulis untuk suka-suka dan entah apa tujuannya kami masih tidak jumpa, kami rasa ralat, gusar.

Siapalah kami untuk mengatakan yang mereka tidak patut menulis begitu begini? Apa hak kami untuk mengatakan itu dan ini? Kami akui setiap manusia punya hak untuk bersuara. Tapi kami tidak mahu menjadi individu yang tidak belajar dari perkara yang sudah berlalu. Kami tidak mahu pisang berbuah dua, tiga kali.

Kalau terus wujud dan lahir individu yang melakukan sesuatu tanpa sebab, tanpa kenapa, maka pasti saluran alternatif seperti blog yang kita sedang ada ini juga akan jadi tidak berguna. Sekadar menjadi mainan gila-gila remaja yang hanya meminta dikomen gambarnya.

Utusan Malaysia - Purveyors of Fine Free Speech

2008-12-17T01:04:00.001+08:00

From Utusan Malaysia, 16 Dec 2008

Kaum India mesti bersatu angkat taraf hidup

AGAK pelik juga apabila Presiden MIC, Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu mendakwa hak kaum India telah diabaikan termasuk sukar menyertai sektor awam, gagal memasuki universiti awam, tidak diagihkan rumah murah dan tersisih daripada tender kerajaan.

Apakah tujuan sebenar Samy Vellu hendak memburukkan kerajaan Barisan Nasional dan di mana semangat setiakawan yang dijunjung sebelum ini.

Jika semasa menjadi menteri, beliau menyatakan telah melakukan yang terbaik untuk kaum India di Malaysia, tetapi mengapa sekarang lain pula nada nadanya.

Sepatutnya Samy Vellu, MIC dan parti-parti yang mewakili masyarakat India berkerja keras untuk memperbaiki taraf hidup kaum India serta membendung penyakit sosial di kalangan mereka supaya tidak menjadi wabak.

Samy Vellu pun tahu beberapa tempat di Lembah Klang, penduduk setempat hidup dalam ketakutan akibat gangguan daripada kumpulan-kumpulan haram.

Hindraf sendiri dalam salah satu tuntutannya mendakwa pihak polis tidak mengambil inisiatif untuk mengatasi masalah sosial kaum India. Mereka menyalahkan pihak polis kerana tidak melakukan apa-apa.

Dan apabila pihak polis bertindak agak keras dan tegas, mereka menuduh pihak polis cuba menghapuskan kaum India. Dengan sebab itu timbullah satu laman web yang diberi nama police watch oleh Hindraf sendiri dengan matlamat untuk mengawasi pergerakan polis. Inilah Hindraf yang dikatakan memperjuangkan hak asasi kaum India di Malaysia di mana Samy Vellu sendiri sudah mula terikut-ikut rentaknya.

Sebenarnya masalah masyarakat India hendaklah diselesaikan sendiri oleh orang- orang India seperti ketua-ketua masyarakatnya. Samy Vellu mungkin telah cuba sedaya upaya semasa beliau berada di dalam Kabinet.

Malangnya, masalah terbesar di kalangan pemimpin-pemimpin India adalah kerana mereka tidak boleh bersatu. MIC dengan Samy Vellu-nya, IPF dengan ketua barunya, PPP dengan Kayveas-nya manakala MIUP dengan Nalakarupan-nya.

Walaupun mewakili penduduk minoriti iaitu lebih kurang 2 juta dari penduduk Malaysia, namun pemimpin-pemimpin mereka tidak boleh duduk semeja untuk berbincang. Masyarakat keturunan India Malaysia sebenarnya masih kuat berpegang dengan 'sistem kasta' seperti yang diamalkan di negara India itu sendiri.

Perkara itu memang tidak boleh dinafikan. Kita boleh lihat sendiri cara-cara golongan bertaraf sederhana dan tinggi (kasta atasan) berinteraksi dengan golongan bertaraf rendah. Golongan bertaraf tinggi pada kebiasaan akan memandang rendah golongan bertaraf rendah.

Agak sukar untuk dipercayai apabila ada kalangan masyarakat India yang masih berpegang kepada amalan ini. Sebab itu kita boleh lihat orang kaya dari golongan bertaraf tinggi akan bertambah kaya, manakala yang miskin dari golongan bertaraf rendah akan menjadi bertambah miskin.

Yang kaya agak sukar untuk membantu golongan miskin. Mereka tiada kata sepakat dalam mencari jalan untuk membantu kaum mereka sendiri. Mungkin di atas sebab-sebab inilah mendiang Tan Sri Pandithan keluar dari MIC dan menubuhkan parti IPF kerana kecewa dengan tindak tanduk MIC tidak mahu membantu golongan miskin di kalangan penduduk keturunan India. Contohnya penduduk-penduduk India di estet-estet di seluruh negara.

Selagi ikatan 'kasta' tidak terlerai, selagi itulah masyarakat India akan berdepan dengan masalah kemiskinan tegar dan masalah-masalah lain kerana di kalangan mereka sendiri tiada kata sepakat.

'Sistem kasta' inilah yang sebenarnya menjadi batu halangan kepada masyarakat India di Malaysia untuk bersatu dalam memajukan bangsa mereka sendiri.

Dan apabila mereka gagal, mereka akan menyalahkan orang lain terutamanya UMNO seperti yang didakwa oleh Hindraf kononnya kerajaan BN yang ditunjangi oleh UMNO gagal membantu mengatasi masalah kaum India di Malaysia.

Hakikatnya orang India sendiri yang gagal membantu kaum mereka sendiri. Akhir sekali satu soalan kepada Datuk Seri Samy Vellu. Mengapa hendak mendapatkan bantuan dari luar setelah anda sendiri berasa gagal memimpin kaum India di Malaysia?

TAMINSARI
Shah Alam

The Nurin debate

2008-12-16T18:22:00.006+08:00

A follow-up to the debate on the Nurin alert.

From tembam.wordpress.com:
What?? After Nurin still not enough thinking??

My original letter to the editor appeared in the NST on the 11th of December:

On the 16th of November, Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen was quoted saying that the Nurin Alert was not part of the Child Protection Policy to be submitted to the cabinet for approval. The system was supposed to be a mechanism to disseminate information on missing children so that it reaches the public in the shortest time possible and ultimately help locate the children.

On the 23rd of November, the minister claimed that the system was in place but not with the name Nurin Alert.

The ministry should show more sensitivity and consider the requests of Nurin's family for the alert to be named after her. After all, it was an idea mooted by Nurin's uncle Jasni Abdul Jalil and his group of blogger friends following the tragedy. Also, the American AMBER alert system it is based upon was named in honour of Amber Hagerman, a nine-year-old who was abducted and murdered in Texas.

The minister followed by saying that it was inappropriate to "splash the news of a missing child in newspapers for the first few hours". I recall a case last year where a child was found within a few hours after the parents sent out text messages about the kidnapping to the public. It would seem obvious that the dissemination of information would be the priority after a child goes missing, and this is in line with the aim of the alert system.

The minister is totally out of depth serving a ministry that is expected to show sensibility and care in these matters. She should change her ways or resign.

Just a cleaned-up version of my earlier rant on this blog.
The crux of the matter was how the minister in question just brushed off the suggestion that Nurin's name be used.

“I’ve said it clearly that the name ‘Nurin Alert’ is not in our programme or part of our plans on child protection. But the whole mechanism and processes from A to Z have been discussed and is already in place” NST 23 Nov 2008

I felt that statement was uncalled for.

Should read an earlier post by Tembam too:
Will Someone Wake This Minister Up Please!!

Good to note that there is a healthy debate going on.

Fatwa on yoga: What about belly dancing?

2008-12-16T18:20:00.000+08:00

From the NST - 27/11/2008

WAN ABU BAKAR WAN TEH IBRAHIM, Petaling Jaya

SO the National Fatwa Council has ruled against yoga for Muslims ("Yoga ban" -- New Sunday Times, Nov 23). The reasons seem clear.

Perhaps we should also look into tai chi. It may have hidden religious elements, perhaps borrowed from the rites of Shaolin monks?

What about aerobic dancing? Probably no religious element there, but there may be a touch of hedonism.

Then there is belly dancing. If done vigorously, it can have aerobic benefits. The gyrations should also help loosen tense muscles and promote flexibility.

Belly dancing also has an Arabic flavour, and that may make it somewhat acceptable. According to one former member of parliament, even RTM inadvertently played belly-dancing music when announcing breaking-of-fast times a long time ago.
Furthermore, some belly dancers wear veils. That should find favour with those who subscribe to this apparel over the normal head-covering. The rest of the costume is rather skimpy, but one can always wear a tracksuit over it.

Belly dancing should be performed by women among women away from the prying eyes of men. Men should avoid doing belly dancing as that may be considered effeminate behaviour.

In short, if done under certain conditions, would not belly dancing be a suitable alternative to yoga?

Fareed Zakaria interviews Colin Powell

2008-12-16T01:17:00.003+08:00

"I believe that the greatest political force at work today is economics."
Colin Powell
Fareed Zakaria : GPS (CNN; 14/12/2008)

Read the full transcript by clicking on the title of this post.

Lets keep it moderate

2008-12-09T17:04:00.003+08:00

The Bukit Antarabangsa tragedy was something everyone seemed to expect. But could do nothing, it seems, to prevent. We've heard it from everyone inside or outside government how it was an accident waiting to happen, but nobody has stood up to say they did anything to stop it from happening (even though they knew it was going to happen) or take the blame (even though they seem to know exactly who to blame).

It seems the only thing unspoken about the tragedy was how the affluence of the area might affect the post-tragedy actions.

The government today announced that they might take the unprecedented step of putting the evacuees in hotel rooms if they don't have family or friends to live with. I don't think this idea was ever mooted when there were floods and landslides in areas in Terengganu, Johor, Pahang, among others.

Maybank has also announced financial relief plans for the victims of the disaster.

These steps are good, solid ways to help the victims. One only hopes that these steps will be taken in the future when dealing with other disaster victims from lesser known areas.

*The Star on Sunday carried an article which mirrored the thoughts in this post.

Another thing I blame you for

2008-12-04T16:41:00.003+08:00

You, the government.

I am no fan of government, I believe (quite like American Republicans) that government should get out of our way, and let us get on with living our lives freely.

But there are numerous things we need government for, safety and justice are a couple but certainly not to control the price of nasi kandar and teh tarik.

Nurin's death struck me hard, I am not related to her, but I feel for her family and as I write this my eyes are welling up. Reading about what happened to her, how the pictures came out, pictures I did not and would not see, I just can't accept how justice has not prevailed.

Nurin's uncle had proposed an alert system to be named after her, just like the US' AMBER alert which was named after Amber Hagerman who was abducted and murdered in Texas in 1996.

What in fuck has been going on the ministry for this to not have been implemented. The minister in charge, Ng Yen Yen, came out and said there was no proposal a few weeks ago on the 16th of November, and a week after that on the 23rd, claimed there was a system in place but it was not to be named after Nurin. If we had had a system like this, we might have saved numerous lives. Yes the word is might, and we might not have had a child killed in such a manner.

Yen Yen should resign, shut her fucking trap and when another avoidable case comes up, I hope she has blood on her hands. Her apathy sickens me.

Sexism and Racism : Recent Developments

2008-11-18T17:58:00.006+08:00

Two events occured recently which augured in arguments over discrimination. The election of Barack Obama saw many proclaiming the end of racism, while Rafiah Salim's demotion from her post as the de facto head of Universiti Malaya saw a revived discussion of sexist tendencies in communal male-dominated Malaysia.

Mr. Obama's victory will be celebrated for years as a new dawn in world history. It was a quantum leap in terms of the general view of the stereotypical American. He was voted in in most part over his rhetoric. Promises were made, and the people took in the words, and who could blame them, for he was certainly forceful. Thirty minutes of canvassing before one of America's most heavily-watched television events, the Superbowl, must count for something.

However, the aftermath of the revolution resulted in wildly off the mark feelings. The fact remains that Mr. Obama was voted for by significant numbers of the population on the basis of the colour of his skin. In some parts, this would qualify as reverse racism, preferring a certain race over another instead of discriminating against. However, it would be fair to say that any form of discrimination, whether positive or negative, qualifies as being racist and degrading. A key example would be patronising behaviour; this is frowned upon by all minority groups from the disabled to adolescent Goths.

Racism will not be dead, until all judgements made on others are made objectively, without brownie points for the colour of their skin. In this, it could be argued that while Mr. Obama's victory will usher in an era of greater objectivity, it cannot be said that the death of racism as a card to be played is upon the Americans, nor for any nation.

Rafiah Salim was a respected academician and corporate leader. To evaluate her after two years on the job, and finding her work unsatisfactory is to do her a disservice. The fundamental flaw of judgement is to account for all failings through internal factors, i.e. the candidate's ability, and ignoring external factors, i.e. the freedom given to the candidate, the intrinsic will to change of the institution, the existing structural strength of the institution's intellectual capacity, and so on.

It was comical how some MPs had put the failings of our public institutions down to their administrators, only three of whom are women. It was interesting to note, from Ms. Rafiah's later outbursts, that her fellow female VCs were all offered two year contracts with a view for an extension, a departure from the three-year norm. It smacks of a double-standard. In terms of performance, Sharifah Hapsah, the UKM VC has been doing a stellar job, even having UKM usurp UM as the nation's highest ranked university by the Times' top 500 university ranking last year. One only has to look at the performance of the lowest ranked Malaysian research university, UPM, to see how a male VC has no bearing on performance. Nik Mustapha is in his third year of service. The structural flaws of our public institutions will be discussed in another review.

Racism and sexism are human traits, irreversible in terms of the unconscious. We are programmed to discriminate, through irrational judgements based on physical attributes and conscious judgements based on experience. The first step towards getting past these intrinsic failings is to admit them, and then work to remove them. Denial would mean desensitizing the effects of sexism and racism and allowing them to cloud our ethical and moral judgements.

Obama time

2008-11-06T12:13:00.002+08:00

Monumentally wrong. There's a monument being erected in honour of how wrong I was about the US election.

Obama will be a beacon for the US, certainly. The US will be a better nation in the eyes of the world, obviously. It ended good and I'm happy with the outcome.

On the reasons why McCain should have been president, as was detailed in a previous post, time will tell how those come out.

A victory for the idealists, less so for the realists.

why McCain should win, and why he will

2008-11-04T16:43:00.002+08:00

Come Wednesday, Malaysians will be thinking and saying, "The stupid Americans did it again, they went Republican." But they would not realise how much better off they will be.

The main argument against the GOP is that they are confrontational, foreign policy hawks. The war against terror was wanted by many as a reaction after 911. The argument should have ended there. War or no war. Once war started, there shouldn't have been more arguments. War is like a cancer. You have to finish it off once it starts. Obama will end the war in Iraq, putting even more Iraqi lives at risk.

Malaysians do not realise how favourable US economic policies have been towards them. Sure, there are many barriers against trade enforced, but they were only recently deposed as our largest trade partners. US companies have an enormous presence here, in manufacturing and services. Many US companies outsourcing contracts provide employment for thousands of Malaysians. Obama will stop this, closing up trade. He will also increase spending, increasing US borrowing, and increase the budget deficit. If Obama comes through, the ticking time bomb of burgeoning US external debt will be left to explode.

Latest US opinion polls show Obama leading slightly with 51% of the numbers. The Bradley effect might come into play, unfortunately for idealists like myself. The race is too close to call. But for purely selfish and nationalistic reasons, I would go McCain.

My internet connection is down, I'm a noisy cafe writing this, and have finals looming over my head. Sorry for the lack of depth.

Glazed Dreams

2008-11-04T16:17:00.005+08:00

Bridges - Dialogues Towards a Culture of Peace is a running event held by the International Peace Foundation. So far, the biggest news out of this is the drama surrounding Shrin Ebadi, the 2003 Nobel Peace laureate from Iran.

This event will bring the best academic lectures we have seen in this country, from James D. Wolfensohn to Robert Mundell, a pioneer of neo-classical economics.

What I am most perplexed by is the failure of my alma mater, Universiti Putra Malaysia, to be part of this event. The rest of the so-called top 4 Malaysian public universities are hosting events.

So much for improvement.

Freedom I

2008-10-26T23:06:00.002+08:00

We live for the pursuit of happiness. Freedom will bring happiness. Believe me. If you're free to work, to not work, to live, to speak, to love, to not love, to do; you will be happy.

Freedom has brought the world's economies to their knees, you would have read the headlines. But believe me, the lack of freedom has caused this.

to be continued...

The Stale Politics of Datuk H

2008-10-23T00:11:00.004+08:00

*Disclaimer: Please read this (Politik Baru YB J) before reading the following entirely fictional short story.*

Datuk Halil cringed as he pulled his pants up, left leg first. The shirts he wore seemed smaller everyday, his toes would be out of sight by the time he reached his 60th birthday and the smoking had to stop. He had lost the vigour of his youth a long time ago, as he very well knew, and would tell his confidants the same about his wife. It was 7 in the morning, and since it was the weekend, he was headed for the hills, to catch up with his mates.
“Loga should have the car ready. He’s never late”, he muttered to Belenguviya, still in her towel brushing her straight jet black mane. She was Russian, and expensive, but that was irrelevant for YB Halil, who was well taken care of by his superiors. She put on her clothes and made for the door, private card-key in hand. She was a shadow, on paper she was in the country with her consultant husband for a week, in real terms she had been in service for four months now. She did not need any documents, all arrangements were in secrecy.
He was now fully dressed, and picked up his mobile phone to call the hotel reception. He needed another ride, no chances were ever taken. He poured himself a coffee and sat down with a copy of the party newsletter which he had been given the night before at a rally. Smiling at the headline in large bold type, Jangan Mencabar Kami , he felt pleased that his efforts over the past few weeks had been well received by the members. He was heading for a comfortable future with the party, one which would certainly bring rich rewards. The wife would have to be even more accommodating now, lest he entertain thoughts of wooing a pretty young thing, a minor local celebrity perhaps who would be regally accepted within social circles.

He made his way out of the room and headed to the lobby; warmly greeted as usual by the butlers and smiles all round from the pretty female front staff. The black BMW pulled up at the front of the main entrance to the hotel. The jockey got out of the driver’s seat and came round the back of the gleaming black car, his reflection bouncing off the shiny new dark-tinted glass. With a nod of mischievous respect at the good Datuk, he made his way to the front office. A tall well-built man with dark sunglasses showed up from the other side of the Datuk and made his way to the driver’s seat.
“Sila masuk, tuan”, came the voice of the hotel manager as he made his way past the Datuk and put out a hand to open the back door of the car.
“Siapa drebar ni, Man? Pasti dia ni OK ke? Datuk nak sampai selamat lepas ni, Man.”
The manager assured the Datuk about the safety of his chosen employee and eventually the Datuk made his labouring way into the car.
“Bukit Damansara, ya tuan?”, asked the driver.
“Ya, betul.”
Datuk Halil was surprised at the driver’s petulance at not addressing him ‘Datuk’, even more the fact that he actually was talking to him.
The ride was quiet and smooth from the city centre to the suburb thirty minutes away. The driver was evidently unaware of the unwritten rules against engaging the passenger, one as highly posted as the Datuk.
“That was a good speech yesterday. I see a lot of people supporting you.”
“Yes.”
“I have to say, I agree with your views.”
The Datuk refrained from responding.
“Those Hindraf buggers, who do they think they are? Ha, if you want to work, work. Don’t go blame people for this and that. Look at my family. I come from Sentul. My brother is a bloody labourer, and with the pittance he gets, he goes and drinks. Comes home smelling of cheap alcohol. The fella has a young wife and three young kids. And he was there marching for Hindraf. Almost got put in jail, should have been, in fact. Actually lucky he didn’t, my mother would have forced me to bail him out. Another brother of mine, he’s in jail. But that I don’t wanna talk so much.”
Datuk Halil did not want to say anything to this man, he considered him extremely uncouth. However, he was curious. “Tell me why he’s in jail.”
“Aarrhh, that one was a funny case, funny judge. He was fourteen. Went with a group of friends somewhere, somehow involved in a gang fight. The police said he was part of the gang, their word against his. Sickening. He’s in for something like 5-6 years. Good fellow, actually. Studies hard. Not that that matters very much, how to get university anyway, isn’t it. Wasted, lah.”
Datuk Halil felt his tongue roll back in his mouth. He didn’t need to listen to this.
“Anyway, the opportunities are there. Most of these fellas don’t listen to good advice. Just do what they want, follow their friends. Don’t want to get themselves out of what they are in. I tell you, my father was not there also, only my mother. Even with that at least I got a steady job now. No education, myself. Look at those Hindraf, they say got ethnic cleansing. Then they say they want to stand up for the Tamil schools.
My foot, la! Damn Tamil schools are the reason I am where I am, and where so many of these fellas are. Come out, join the secondary school, can’t speak the language properly, have to go remove, people look down on you. I cannot tahan-lah that time. After I failed PMR properly, I started working. Anyway, basically, had to do it for my family, anyway.”
Datuk Halil swallowed. He was only talking to his people in his speeches. The party elections were just weeks away. The nominations were very important, each vote carried his hopes. There were many things he knew, things he could not understand, things he believed in. But he knew of the fears his comrades were sowing in the minds of the party faithful. He had to compete, he had to show that he was on the same side. He could not be seen to be weak.
“If I was in your party, Datuk, I would be a strong supporter. Need someone tough talking like you. My fellas, hah, all got no shame, stay until they become stale. Basi, orang cakap. Maybe-lah, in the future, will come a time when we all become one party, isn’t it Datuk. I know got many people talking about that.”
He was surprised at the man’s startling view. He hadn’t expected it. He held all his meetings behind closed doors. The news that filtered out was mostly watered down by the media machinery his party held on to.
“But Datuk, that’s why. We still look at everything in colours. Must not mix. If one gets campur with another one, he will lose out, yes or not? We must make our people rich, educate our people, support our people. If we try and help anybody else, we will lose out. That’s the only thing I don’t agree so much with your gang-lah, Datuk. But that’s the reality, yes or not.”
He was indifferent at the man’s temerity to keep his monologue going. Maybe the driver saw through the rhetoric, seeing his true values beyond his words. He probably saw that he was not really one of the xenophobes who considered the people outside the party as just that, outsiders.

In thirty minutes, he had arrived at the café where his good friend was waiting with a cup of coffee. Dr. Kwan was a paediatrician; he had grown up with Datuk Halil in a small village outside Kangar. He was small, almost frail, and showed his age even more than the Datuk. Long hours were put in at the Chinese Maternity Hospital, near Puduraya. This plus the daily stress of commuting home in his 1995 Mercedes E-Class were clearly showing on him, and he was just counting down the months to retirement.
Kwan was a high achiever, and after high school had gone to Singapore on scholarship. At the time, he was angst-filled enough to think of not coming back. After again acing his pre-med, he was offered the chance to study in the U.K. It was here he had met Halil again who was on a government scholarship, and a long shelved friendship had been revived. It was Halil who convinced him that change could happen and as soon as his bond expired, he settled in Kuala Lumpur again. He had seen other places, and he knew this was his country. He couldn’t imagine being anywhere but here now.
“Good morning, Hal.”
“Yes, Kwan. How are you?”
“Well, there are a certain few things bothering me, but I’m alright. Yourself?”
“Haha, Kwan, you know things couldn’t look brighter. You might be looking at a new minister come December. Anyway, what are you worried about? You have a pretty comfy retirement coming up.”
“Yes, but no fun and being chauffeured around like you, Hal. Hey, that was quite a speech last night.”
“How would you know? You weren’t there.”
“A small article in the papers today. Says you really got the crowd going.”
“I suppose. I really need the support, Kwan, if I’m going to get there. Those people are quite an enigma, they show support in front of you, but when push comes to shove, you never know where the vote is going to go. I have to pull out all the stops. I’m putting a whole lot of my money on this.”
“Alright, Hal. Its good they didn’t know you in university, huh?”
“Yeah, right. What else did they say in the paper?”
“Nothing much. It focused on what you said on the protests; flavour of the month I suppose.”
“Yes, I had to get that in.”
Kwan paused for minute, pondering something.
“You know, Hal. My son can’t speak any Chinese.”
“OK. Why didn’t you teach him?”
“Well, I was barely home enough, and Karen doesn’t speak the language.”
“That’s alright. It’s not that important nowadays.”
“Makes it rather hard for him to go to China.”
“You want him to go to China? For business?”
“No. He says you wanted him to go there.”
“Excuse me, Kwan?”
“Look, Hal, all that you said is clear as day online. Just because there’s nothing in the papers doesn’t mean anything. Anyone can get anything online. You know what my son said last night? He said he’s sick of this. He loves this country, he loves his friends, people, he knows no other. But he’s seen and heard a lot and that makes him sick. What do I say to him, Hal? Look at Josephine. You know as well as I that she did not do anything wrong. You know she sees beyond race, she’s just not that kind of politician. But you don’t think things through, Hal, do you?”
“Kwan, I just need to say those things now. It’s the psyche battle, everyone may know better, but the herd decides. If you’re not running in the same direction, you’re out.”
“Don’t you have courage, Hal? I really thought you’d know better.”

Kwan left shortly after. Datuk Halil made his way home after paying the bill. He held on to his beliefs. When he gets into power, he will do what is right, but for now, he needs to do all he can. The rest of the day was filled up with golf with a group of party insiders. He was driven home at 9 pm that night, after drinks.

He received the news, and calls were coming in faster than he could answer them. He couldn’t think straight and was pondering turning off the phone. It was a repulsive feeling to have, after the confident past few weeks. He had never expected this.
The family were in front of the TV. The kids were out, probably partying, said his wife. Except Suhaila, she was in her room, and "upset over a guy".
He went upstairs, and decided to check in on her. Suhaila was a sixteen-year-old who he sent to a private school, as with all his children. He thought it was better for their development than national schools. There was a time when he pondered sending them to a vernacular school, but that would have looked bad, politically. She had her face in her hands and was sitting at her dressing table. As he approached, she looked up at him with red eyes;
“I wasn’t expecting to tell you this; I’m with this guy named Bryan. His mother just got shot. I suppose you already know.”

its a who-i-am thing

2008-10-20T23:40:00.006+08:00

My sister and I had dinner in our grandparent's house; and for the first time I asked my grandma where she was born. We speak in English, though my mother tongue is Malayalam, and she says she was born in India. I never knew, thought that she was born in Malaysia. Tonight, I officially declare myself a second-generation Malaysian-born Malaysian.

Apart from that, I found out that she arrived with her parents on 11 August 1957, the date on which I was born exactly 30 years later. She had come for a defined reason: to get married. My grandfather, she said, had come to Malaysia 10 years before, to work. He was a government servant, I recall from memory, last working in the agriculture department. He's a story on his own.

The next time I see her, I am gonna ask if its possible for us to go back to where we came from. I have read and heard in many places that that is exactly what I should do. A little hard, considering I embarrassingly can't speak my mother tongue, being bilingual, and the fact that I do not have an international passport; plus the fact that I truly have tertumpah darah di tanahairku.

I just watched a teen flick called Its a Boy-girl Thing.
I swear off mindless movies, and have had the misfortune of having to sit through quite a few stupid teen flicks since the last one I liked: 10 Things I Hate About You. But this was a good movie with a real sort of heartiness. And to think it was executive produced by Sir Elton John.

Black & White Fest at Annexe, CM

2008-10-04T22:58:00.005+08:00

Seems like everything at the Annexe is now called a festival. :)

This one was not quite a festival, more a sombre ode to nice photos, preserved for austerity in monochrome.

In fact, the actual photo section was just one of three parts of the festival; Diversity, Constitutional Amendments and Wayang Kita-kita, respectively.

Diversity featured the work of 10 Malaysian photographers. The people who run the place, Lim Hock Seng and Pang Khee Teik, also featured in the exhibition, although one has to stretch to imagine them as photographers, per se, a bit like Bernice Chauly, who by most accounts is a writer-cum-poet. The 7 other names featured were rather unknown, therefore it was uncertain if they too were known as anything but photographers in a previous life.
The images were quite esthetically pleasing, if not provocative, as festivals in the Annexe tend to be. The prices were not quite a bargain, RM 500 up to RM 4000, but the prints were one-off pieces. I quite liked one with a family road-trip theme and Khee Teik's print, displayed in the overhead platform.
Wayang Kita-kita seemed to be a pretty simplistic line-up of posters. On closer inspection, however, one could feel for the endeavour taken to source the stills from old Malay movies, some of which had been lost in time. Full marks for value.
The Constitutional Amendments section was a text installation, featuring some of the 600-700 changes in the Malaysian Constitution since independence. The feature was interactive in that it wanted the audience to post little green stickers on the parts they preferred, either the unamended or amended part. It was an imaginative little row, but smudged by misspelled words.
A little feature in the corner was a quite nice touch, one that marks the Annexe as unique among its peers. The audience were encouraged to scribble their views with crayons and paste them on the wall. Nice to see the civilised and uncivilised side of people shining through.

Below are some shots I took at the festival, not withstanding copyright issues, the images aren't that clear so I don't think those will come up; interspersed with pictures I took on the way from the KL train station.

Resign, Albar : This is where we are as a nation

2008-09-14T00:40:00.003+08:00

Syed Hamid Albar should resign immediately to salvage the little pride he has left after publicly excreting on the collective intelligence of Malaysians.

This is on the basis of the following acts:

A couple of weeks ago, he defended Saiful Bukhari not being charged, even though the criminal act of consensual sodomy has to involve two parties being charged.

Yesterday, he defended Tan Hoon Cheng’s arrest under ISA, saying the police had to get information from her.

Also yesterday, he defended the non-action taken on Datuk Ahmad Ismail. Confirming that ruling party members receive special treatment, he claimed that Ahmad as a member of UMNO has been sufficiently punished with his three year suspension.

Footnote:
There is a cloud of injustice hanging over our country at the moment. I am glad to know that the ruling coalition is so out of touch with the sentiments of the people that they have muddled their aims. A PAS youth leader came out in public support of Tan Hoon Cheng right after she was arrested. If the aim was for racial unity to break down and a state of emergency declared, the BN are wildly off mark. We are truly a mature nation after 51 years of independence.

Dr. Mahathir's view on affirmative action

2008-09-13T01:52:00.004+08:00

36. There is a tendency among Malays to regard the discrimination in their favour as a privilege, as a recognition of their superior status. I think this is wrong. The discrimination is in order to give them a kind of headstart so that they can catch up with other races. To me, it is shameful to have to be protected because we do not have the capacity to compete. We are not Red Indians to live on reserves. We should regard it as a temporary expedient to be done away with once we have achieved the capacity to compete on our own.

37. However, we must give time for ending the NEP and it should be done in stages. I hope that the time will not be too long. In the meantime, serious efforts by the Bumiputeras must be made to avail themselves of the opportunities. If this is obviously not being done, then, as with entrance into the universities, the discrimination must end.
Tun Dr. Mahathir

Tun Dr. Ismail, one of the architects of the NEP famously (or infamously, according to people who actually deny this quote) once said,

“…as more and more Malays became educated and gained self-confidence, they themselves would do away with this ‘special position’ because in itself this ‘special position’ is a slur on the ability of the Malays and only to be tolerated because it is necessary as a temporary measure to ensure their survival in the modern competitive world.”
Tun Dr. Ismail from Ooi Kee Beng's "The Reluctant Politician"

I believe many of you have read both of these. For those of you who haven't, well now you have.

ISA : End it now

2008-09-13T00:42:00.003+08:00

Teresa Kok, Sin Chew daily reporter Tan Hoon Cheng and Raja Petra Kamaruddin have joined the ranks of political prisoners detained under ISA.

It is an insult to the intelligence of Malaysians when the Prime Minister says that the ISA will not be used without concrete reasons.

These arrests are an affront to human rights.

I am disgusted with what my government has done. I am outraged and sorry for the detainees. I am ashamed to be a citizen under this government. I am appalled.

To the people in power, end it now.

A test for Utusan Malaysia readers

2008-09-13T00:37:00.003+08:00

Utusan Malaysia has posted a cryptic IQ test for its readers. I'd like to refrain from commenting on the intelligence of others, therefore make your own conclusions.

Freedom Film Festival '08 Saturday

2008-09-09T14:12:00.002+08:00

This past weekend marked my first visit to the Freedom Film Festival. The FFM is a showcase for films and documentaries not usually made available on mainstream distribution platforms. These are pure independent films, made not for money (at least not mainly money), but to highlight certain issues, and in some cases quirkiness. It was a personal embarrassment, after seeing two of the award winners that I hadn’t made it here before in the past five years. Entry to each show was by email reservation, and the process was refreshingly efficient. I was supposed to be here on each day this time around, but due to unforeseen and unavoidable circumstances, only made it for Saturday night’s screening of two of the award-winning documentaries. Below I will post a short review of each, as well as a summary of my opinions on the subject matter.

FFF 08 – Winner
Who Speaks for Me?
Director – Justin Johari

The crux of this short film was the use of music to highlight and voice opinions on issues deemed sensitive. Justin Johari heads a hip-hop band calling themselves D&A (unexplained acronym) who try to infuse activism in their beats. The film starts out with highlights from Namewee’s infamous Negarakuku, and explores the commotion which surrounded it, while getting reaction from several Malaysian intellectuals, as well as the man on the street, the street being the town of Muar, Johor. Justin portrays Namewee as a person willing to exercise his freedom of speech by creating a music video to voice out his opinions. The aftermath of which, as we know by now, saw liberals being pitted against Malay-Islamic conservatives, mainly in administration. There were calls at the time for his citizenship to be revoked with heavy criticism levelled at him, all the time tempered by calls from the left for his freedom of expression to be protected, and a few prominent voices in administration calling for him to be left alone after apologising. Next came scenes of certain issues being raised, including the Bar Council’s Article 11 forum. Justin accompanied these with intermissions of discussions among his band mates, excerpts from a song they perform, and musings by intellectuals including prominent academics Farish Noor and Azmi Sharom. Despite the initial theme of freedom of expression, the discussion gradually moved into the domain of religious contradictions, and the use of religion as a means of suppressing freedom of speech. The final scenes showed the full song created by the band, in which Justin raps in Malay, while another member raps rather comically in English. The treatment felt slick in general, with economical use of screen time, and simplistic angles allowing the overall focus to be maintained on the issues at hand. It was good to see opinions from the different sides of civil society and its stakeholders, and it was on this that the film was ultimately built upon.

Inferences:
It is slightly alarming to note through this film that one can sit on only two sides of the intellectual spectrum, that of a conservative right-winger or a red-blooded liberal. Ex-health minister, Dr. Chua Soi Lek, in his argument for pressure on Namewee to be ended was the only voice which dared stray onto the fence. No one on the liberal extreme of the spectrum dared take a similar dissenting stand from their peers. It must be noted that Namewee used the national anthem to create buzz for a piece of rap which was ignorant at worst and snobbish at best. Negarakuku was pure sensationalism. The fact the video was called so, implied that this was his version of the national anthem, Negaraku-ku, or my Negaraku. It should be noted also that there is no precedent for this kind of work, indicating it might not be acceptable for a national anthem to be used in this way. A proposition I would like to put forward is this: if someone snipped the Jalur Gemilang into a dozen pieces and interspersed it with colours of her choice and sewed it back together calling it Jalur Gemilang – ku, would that be acceptable? Or interspersing the Rukunegara with tenets of their choice? Let it be clear that I don’t believe that Namewee should be punished beyond what he eventually got, but that there should have been voices in support of free speech also recognising that he was not completely innocent. The heart of the matter remains, that there are more than two viewpoints to every story. In raising issues deemed ‘sensitive’, all voices have to be heard, whether they echo with yours or not.

FFF 08 – Winner
Pecah Lobang
Director : Teng Poh Si

Poh Si’s amazingly raw work was the highlight between the two screenings. A thought-provoking insight into the lives of Muslim transsexual workers in Malaysia, it managed to do what the other winner couldn’t, that is to break new ground in dispersing knowledge on the subject matter. The filming location was centred around the transsexual red light area of Lorong Haji Taib. Poh Si revealed the dangers of filming alone in the area, armed with an extra-large piece of equipment. The act of Pecah Lobang, literally to break a hole, put the Mak Nyah in the area at risk of being found out, and this was the hardest part in the filming process. Eventually, a Mak Nyah named Natasha was kind enough to reveal the inner workings of the clandestine ‘sisterhood’ and it was he who provided most of the insights. Poh Si also went to great lengths to interview representatives of both sides, providing a well-balanced perspective. The PT Foundation provided a human side of the story, balanced with the strict interpretations of religious leaders. There was plenty of new ground broken in the presentation, from the revelations of legal sex-changes in the past to the only academic studies of Malaysian transsexuals available today. This documentary will become a significant standard-bearer for future explorations of attention-deprived segments of Malaysian society.

Inferences:
In the interest of basic human rights, it was shocking to know how the rights of transsexuals, mainly Muslim ones, were being brazenly trampled upon in modern Malaysia. The documentary raised numerous fundamental questions. For example, if Iran and Saudi Arabia can allow sex-changes, what religious understanding are we following that we can’t allow them? As the judge in a landmark court case where a transsexual was allowed to change her sex in official identification asserts, the right of a person to his/her sexual identity is a component of his/her constitutional liberties. It is an anomaly that despite the literature and judgements in favour of transsexual rights, we are still taking them away.

Post-Screening
Tikar Talk

The tikar talk is an opportunity for stakeholders in activist film-making, i.e. audience and filmmakers to have frank discussions on the direction of future undertakings. In the discussion of the night, there were a myriad of issues raised, with some applicable only to the producers of content with a significant amount of audience input. It was sad that only a fraction of the almost 300 people who attended the screenings stayed to watch, but it was a step-forward nevertheless. On distribution of films, the fine line between producer compensation and open distribution was discussed. It is safe to say that one has to choose between the activist inside, or the filmmaker. If the issue raised is more important to you than the actual distribution method, whether it being through films, music, websites, etc. take the activist approach. If you are a filmmaker looking for as many eyeballs as possible, the only way is through wide, uncontrollable distribution channels. Either way, profits take a backseat. On the engagement of more Malaysians on social issues raised through filmmaking, it is imperative that producers and activists realise that the onus is on them to reach out to their audience. In modern times of information overload, there are way too many channels fighting for a piece of the pie. In this, the FFF is a major step forward. In engaging the margin, the people who wouldn’t watch movies of this type without a platform as such, the FFF does a good job. Stakeholders must work harder to engage people though, through barbaric publicity. The issues at stake need to be heard by a wide audience, not just urbanites. Especially in KL, the festival needs a wider reach.

UiTM

2008-08-15T18:09:00.002+08:00

Until recently, my view on the state of the Malaysian construct was one of misalignment. The voices of the people are misaligned with the thoughts and wants of our leaders. Today, those views have disintegrated with the scene of UiTM students demonstrating for their right to remain exclusive.

My first thought on the negative reaction to the Selangor MB’s suggestion was one of natural indifference. Politicising and attacking mere thoughts are a trademark of Malaysian mainstream psyche. But watching the student’s protest cast a dark shadow over any hopes of a new outlook for our country.

Being a student of UPM, and seeing the people around me shaping a new Malaysia, I have held on to a feeling of optimism on the future. To know now that my compatriots in UiTM are against a new dawn, I am broken. But I have close friends there and I know the views of those demonstrating are not shared by everyone. There could have been an element of herd mentality causing thousands to turn up.

It is a travesty that politicians have encouraged the demonstrations, and the minister in charge even fanned the flames with his statement soon after Khalid’s. I find it hard to imagine that any of the students demonstrating will have any action taken against them through the AUKU.

I guess the only way to show these people is by hitting them where it hurts. I know for a fact that UiTM grads are the least in demand of any public university for jobs except for government posts. Any company believing in a new Malaysia should freeze employing all UiTM graduates.

But let me put it bluntly to UiTM.

Even if you open up 1% intake to non-bumiputras, I don’t know one non-bumi who’d even consider walking through your doors.

Machines

2008-05-24T19:20:00.002+08:00

If you want to show the world that you’re stupid, get straight As in your SPM, and get in the newspaper saying you want a scholarship.

We seem to be living in a world of wants today, with less care for needs. We want everything, when we need nothing. It comes with progress. When you have your first-order needs satisfied, you tend to go higher-order. Read more.

When there is no food on the table, nobody thinks about injustice. When you don’t have a proper roof over your head, you’re not thinking about the constitution.

RM 3000 a month doesn’t give you the right to anything more than the next person. In fact, you’re privileged.

Now, the education system is broken. I can say that having been a product, an input and an observer for most of my conscious life. It’s not all broken, I’ve said before, being a pretty alright product myself and knowing quite a few pretty alright products.

Real poor students.

The part that’s broken is the sense of entitlement people seem to have being products. The SPM is a nothing exam. Its nothing. STPM is said to be the 4^th hardest in the world, but I’d like to think it is the hardest, the government papers say it’s the 4^th hardest to cool people down.

What the system has done is encourage kids to work hard, memorizing (a dirty word, isn’t it), rote-learning, and closing their eyes to everything but money and pride. Machines of a vibrant society? And these are the kids who believe deeply that they are entitled to having their dreams made true for them.

The Public Services Department should concentrate on what they are, the hirers and firers of government servants. Our vibrant society machines believe deeply that they should be rewarded for the irO-level efforts with a bond to public service out of taxpayer’s pockets.

No one is entitled to anything. You work for all that you have. The government gives out 2000 scholarships overseas out of 6000 applicants every year. The Kuok Foundation gives out a few hundred to ethnic Chinese Malaysians every year. Dozens of corporations give out scholarships.

For O-level achievers to hold the government to ransom are symbols of stupidity, and what they have become - machines.

The solution is for the government to be a lot more fair when dealing with these people and everyone going through Malaysian education.

Raise standards on SPM.
Be fair in pre-university. Matriculation is a fallacy. STPM should be the standard.
Put smart people in public universities. We need better people in our local institutions to get them out of the worst universities list.
Stop giving scholarships to kids out of SPM. Focus on the higher-standard STPM, and focus on post-graduate study.

Get the machines to shut up.

Developed Against Developing?

2007-06-25T22:37:00.000+08:00

The crusade against palm oil is looking more and more like a chasm between the rich importers and the two developing exporters, Malaysia and Indonesia.

Every day there are articles published on the deforestation, climate change, wildlife destruction, land grabbing from indigenous people, and other negative effects of palm oil.

Scant attention is payed towards the development brought by palm oil. The millions of small holders who benefit economically from oil palm. The land schemes which have raised living standards for millions throughout rural Malaysia.

Instead, rich countries blame Malaysia and Indonesia for the negative environmental effect of palm oil. They forget that the exporters are merely grabbing the cash layed out by importers and using it for economic gain. It is easy for the rich importers to criticise while they subsidise the millions of soybean, rapeseed and other "traditional" oil planters with billions of dollars.

Every cent of economic gain is important for developing nations to raise the living standards of their people. The importers should not just blow hot air, threatening to reduce imports, and instead provide significant incentives to improve planting practices. Instead of raging about deforestation, provide real incentives for exporters to maintain existing forests while forgoing the economic gains provided by more palm oil.

Especially oxymoronic is how environmental campaigners in the developed world criticise their petroleum companies and fossil fuel usage but still find the time to demonise biofuels derived from palm oil and cane ethanol, the two main cash crops in developing countries.

The balance between environmentalism and economics is easily achievable. Vitally, the rhetoric must be enhanced to reflect a concern for the livelihoods of people in developing nations.

The big picture is beyond dollars and cents, fewer orang-utans, and emissions, but also about allowing children to go to school in Indonesia, one of Asia's poorest countries, jobs for people in Brazil and Malaysia, food for families in developing nations, and more.

Cruel Oil?

2007-06-25T22:06:00.001+08:00

Post deleted.

Premium Coffee?

2007-06-21T23:55:00.000+08:00

Starbucks finally lost out to Ethiopia in the battle they were fighting to keep Ethiopian coffee cheap. (Starbucks press release)

The price of coffee on the world market was US$2.29 a kilogramme in fiscal 2006, as stated in their CSR report. Now you know the money premium coffee chains make off of you.

Starbucks made US$564 million in net earnings last year. But look at the bigger picture. Starbucks is just one of the many premium coffee chains making billions.

I'm sure you have seen Starbucks' coffee board. Coffees from Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, and Indonesia. According to the IMF, 65th, 96th, 75th, 102nd, 181st, 142nd, 168th, and 116th respectively in a list of 181 countries ranked by nominal per capita GDP. 5 out of the 8 main countries that Starbucks sources coffee from is outside the top 100 in the list. Has Starbucks contributed to improving living standards in these countries? There isn't any evidence to show.

Yet, Starbucks has fought the Ethiopian government for the past 3 years to try to stop Ethiopia from trademarking their specialty coffees, which would enable Ethiopian coffee to move up the value chain, thus allowing for higher raw coffee bean prices.

Ethiopia is the poorest country Starbucks sources its coffee from, and it has used much-needed resources to win this important argument. It is a pity that the other source countries just cannot spare their scarce resources to forge similar agreements.

Still can't live without your Starbucks?

Who's perfect?

2007-06-02T16:53:00.002+08:00

I feel a sort of guilt every day. I feel guilty that I live in relative affluence, in the face of people who live in poverty.

I can't stand it that there are people who can't find a job to pay for food for their children, while I earn around 300% the minimum wage in my comfy part-time desk job in the middle of the city.

I thought I was doing the right thing, not living off my parents, trying to earn the luxuries I crave by working towards them. But it does feel awkward to know that by taking this job, I have probably deprived a person who really needs the money, that is not just for luxuries, of a decent-paying job.

Its difficult to get through everyday life knowing that when I'm having my 3rd meal of the day, a child goes without dinner probably in my neighburhood, definitely somewhere in my country. The country which is one of the world's fastest growing economies. I don't know if I could live my life, at its current standards, in one of the world's least developed economies. I wouldn't have stood the guilt.

I'm thankful for every single thing I have in my life, even the things I sometimes disagree with, feel could be better, my parents,my shoes, my hair, my laptop, my stuff; because I know its more than many, many people have.

The only way I try to starve the guilt is by taking the opportunities that I have.

I believe thats the only way for someone who hasn't experienced true hunger or emptiness in their lives to lessen the feeling of inequality when comparing standards of living.

To take all the opportunities that you have in your life and using them to create new opportunities for people who don't have many is the best thing that you could do with your life.

And I am doing my best to fulfil that ideal. But whos perfect?