Wanna see Malaysia in Action? Or should it be Malaysians in Action.... Either way, to get the truest picture of what Malaysia is all about, get your hands on a copy of today's (29-May-08) The Malay Mail and look no further than the main picture on the cover page. Whoever said that a picture speaks a thousand words got it spot on as this amazing picture will show and tell you.
Forget all the gobbledy-gook from the mouths of our politicians (Barisan Nasional, mainly), and the venomous, racially tinged garbage from the same above-mentioned mouths. For all their words, and gesticulations over the last 50 years, especially in the last few months, this picture in the Malay Mail has spoken with more eloquence, more class, more dignity and above all, more truth about what the Malaysian Nation is all about.
The image of ordinary Malaysians of various racial descent standing shoulder to shoulder pushing a block of concrete should be blown up, printed and pasted on billboards all over the country. Now this is no trivial image, neither is it a trivial, insignificant piece of stone. That block should weigh anywhere in the region of 1 - 1.5 tonnes (contractors, please enlighten me if this estimate is wrong). Moving it is no small matter. I've tried moving small stone slabs that are used to cover drains and those little monsters are tough. And those weigh only about 80 kilograms each.
Honestly speaking, I stopped and stared at the picture in the Malay Mail for a very long time. What a way to show the world - err....wait, not the world perhaps, but our own government maybe - that when we Malaysians stand shoulder to shoulder, we can and will, move mountains.
So maybe they can stop giving us the crap that one group is worried about the other group robbing rights and racial tension boiling and they are the only ones who can keep it from spilling over. Hey, maybe the owners of The Malay Mail could do the rest of us a favor and send a complimentary copy of the paper or at least that picture to our cabinet members and BN politicians. Let them see how we, the ordinary rakyat, channel our boiling tensions towards things that concern us and our livelihood. Not against each other, as our government would have us believe.
Anyway, as I was saying, I stared at the picture hard and long. I almost cried. But I didn't. Held them tears in. Big boys too don't cry, you know? Then I heard it, on the radio. Here in my home. That lovely song by Malaysian Artistes For Unity. It is a wonderful musical piece by a group of artistes who pooled their talents for the country they love.
What can I say? It's moving. The song that is. Another fine example of Malaysians side-by-side or shoulder to shoulder or however you feel is the most appropriate way of describing it. Go listen to it. (You can access it by clicking the Here In My Home banner at the top right of this page) But also get your hands on the Malay Mail for THAT picture.
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Manchester United
I know this is a few days late, and the initial euphoria and exhilaration of having beaten Chelsea to pick up another European Champions title is slowly dying off already. In the boss' own words, "can't wait to take the team to the 2009 CL final in Rome".
However I'm prompted to write this due to two things, one a matter of reliving the heart stopping excitement of THAT night, and the other to get something off my chest.
I don't think I need to say more about THAT night, do I? Manchester United being Manchester United just couldn't win the darn trophy the easy way. The team had to lead millions of fans worldwide through the gates of hell and back before allowing us to breathe sighs of relief. Think 1999 was torture? 2008 was equally or more torturous. Having blown a lead instead of building on it with countless misses, we had to let banana-peel Terry have the glorious ignominy of slipping and giving us a lifeline. Most United fans had by then keyed in the four-letter word in CAPITAL letters on their phones to be sent to their buddies and fellow fans through text messages. When all of a sudden Terry slips and the four letter word is replaced by the affirmative YES!!
And the rest as they say is history, with which I wish not to bore the United fans and torture the ABU brigade.
As I am being graciously content to just relish the victory that has been this season and not rub it into Chelsea and ABU faces, I come across a notification on Facebook that one of my cousins has joined a group called Stand Up If You Hate Manchester United. God!!! What is th matter with these people la? How long do they intend to keep on standing? As long as United are piling on the prizes, you guys are going to hate them, and as long as you hate them, you are going to continue standing. So how long do you intend to stand? I mean it is entirely up to you to stand for as long as you want, but if I ever catch you sitting, can I assume that you do not hate Manchester United any longer?
Now whether you want to stand or sit is entirely your prerogative. But why stand or sit based on how you feel for a club other than the one you support? That is one of my questions. Can't you just choose one club to support and support it with all your time, money, energy and creative resources instead of utilising precious creative resources setting up websites to deride ANOTHER club?
And what's up with propagating hate here la? Why can't you just extend love? If it is not in your genetic make up to extend love to Manchester United, then don't. Extend love to the ckub of your choice. Don't extend hate.
Come on guys, get with it la. Oh and by the way, congratulations to Manchester United for winning the English Premier League and The European Champions League. And shabas to Chelsea for making it an entertaining end of season fight.
However I'm prompted to write this due to two things, one a matter of reliving the heart stopping excitement of THAT night, and the other to get something off my chest.
I don't think I need to say more about THAT night, do I? Manchester United being Manchester United just couldn't win the darn trophy the easy way. The team had to lead millions of fans worldwide through the gates of hell and back before allowing us to breathe sighs of relief. Think 1999 was torture? 2008 was equally or more torturous. Having blown a lead instead of building on it with countless misses, we had to let banana-peel Terry have the glorious ignominy of slipping and giving us a lifeline. Most United fans had by then keyed in the four-letter word in CAPITAL letters on their phones to be sent to their buddies and fellow fans through text messages. When all of a sudden Terry slips and the four letter word is replaced by the affirmative YES!!
And the rest as they say is history, with which I wish not to bore the United fans and torture the ABU brigade.
As I am being graciously content to just relish the victory that has been this season and not rub it into Chelsea and ABU faces, I come across a notification on Facebook that one of my cousins has joined a group called Stand Up If You Hate Manchester United. God!!! What is th matter with these people la? How long do they intend to keep on standing? As long as United are piling on the prizes, you guys are going to hate them, and as long as you hate them, you are going to continue standing. So how long do you intend to stand? I mean it is entirely up to you to stand for as long as you want, but if I ever catch you sitting, can I assume that you do not hate Manchester United any longer?
Now whether you want to stand or sit is entirely your prerogative. But why stand or sit based on how you feel for a club other than the one you support? That is one of my questions. Can't you just choose one club to support and support it with all your time, money, energy and creative resources instead of utilising precious creative resources setting up websites to deride ANOTHER club?
And what's up with propagating hate here la? Why can't you just extend love? If it is not in your genetic make up to extend love to Manchester United, then don't. Extend love to the ckub of your choice. Don't extend hate.
Come on guys, get with it la. Oh and by the way, congratulations to Manchester United for winning the English Premier League and The European Champions League. And shabas to Chelsea for making it an entertaining end of season fight.
Monday, May 19, 2008
Mahathir Quits - Thank God
I'm sitting here on this lazy Monday afternoon on what is supposed to be a Public Holiday and all of a sudden all my Mozilla Firefox tabs are buzzing with news of Mahathir quitting UMNO. What gives la? Who gives two fucks whether Mahathir quits UMNO or Mahathir starts another UMNO or even NO-UM for all I care. No seriously, who gives a flying fuck?
Throughout the weekend we've already been flooded with news about the Lingam video report. About how scumbags have turned our courtrooms into lower than low cesspools of filth and self gratifying scum. Then we have Mr Vision 2020 himself suddenly forgetting all the Bangsa Malaysia crap he spewed for so many years and suddenly championing bangsa melayu rights.
And he's got the gall to actually insult our intelligence by saying his quitting has nothing to do with the result of the RCI on the Lingam video. Hey Mr ex PM, go fuck spiders la. You think everybody's gonna play into your drama and kick Badawi out just so you can put your man in there to save your wrinkled ass by squashing the whole Lingam thingy? You've underestimated the brain of the man on the street brother.
You made your bed, you lie in it. You planted the crops, you eat the fruits now brother. If the fruit is poisonous, then too bad, cos that's the environment you gave for it to grow. You may be the grand old man of Malaysian politics, but let me let me say this in way of sticking something up your ass - your grand old ways of politicking is just about over. You wanna leave UMNO, thank you. You wanna leave this country, thank you. You wanna leave this world, even God can't help you there....
Throughout the weekend we've already been flooded with news about the Lingam video report. About how scumbags have turned our courtrooms into lower than low cesspools of filth and self gratifying scum. Then we have Mr Vision 2020 himself suddenly forgetting all the Bangsa Malaysia crap he spewed for so many years and suddenly championing bangsa melayu rights.
And he's got the gall to actually insult our intelligence by saying his quitting has nothing to do with the result of the RCI on the Lingam video. Hey Mr ex PM, go fuck spiders la. You think everybody's gonna play into your drama and kick Badawi out just so you can put your man in there to save your wrinkled ass by squashing the whole Lingam thingy? You've underestimated the brain of the man on the street brother.
You made your bed, you lie in it. You planted the crops, you eat the fruits now brother. If the fruit is poisonous, then too bad, cos that's the environment you gave for it to grow. You may be the grand old man of Malaysian politics, but let me let me say this in way of sticking something up your ass - your grand old ways of politicking is just about over. You wanna leave UMNO, thank you. You wanna leave this country, thank you. You wanna leave this world, even God can't help you there....
Friday, May 9, 2008
Final Day
So it has come down to this now, hasn't it? After months and months of endless duels and brawls and yeah, some fancy footwork thrown in for good measure, we are nowhere near finding out anything yet, are we? Well at least it'll all become clearer in the next two days. Unlike the Altantuya murder trial, the English Premier League is definitely heading to a finale this Sunday. Whether you like it or not, there will be a result and there will be a winner, or champion, decided this Sunday. Wish I could say the same for the trial.
However, this Sunday promises to be an exciting one for footie fans or more precisely, EPL fans the world-over. Chelsea have heroically dragged themselves from the gutter where Encik Mourinho left them, into a position where they could snatch the league title from Manchester United. Manchester United, on their part, have only themselves to blame for allowing healthy leads to dissipate and allow Chelsea a glimpse or scent of glory. United can't even afford to sneeze now or close their eyes for more than a nano-second when they sneeze. Chelsea await.
As usual all the 10 matches on this last day of league action are being played simultaneously to avoid any one team having any unfair advantage over others by knowing results elsewhere. Great for sportsmanship, but a killer for football fans who want to savor one last weekend of football action before going into the 3-month kering period. Unless you're an United or Chelsea fan, of course. Yes, but this is Euro year, so the kering period will have at least one stretch of wetness in between, but come on, really? There's no England playing, so most of our Malaysian "England" fans aren't really salivating with excitement about Euro 2008.
Anyway, back to the last day of the Premier League. You see, I'm a Manchester United supporter and I support the Red Devils with all I have except the contents of my wallet. Now that's a separate issue between me, Manchester United Football Club and Manchester United Inc. The real issue is I've been trying to get my friends together for one last EPL hurrah with loads of beer this Sunday, and the response is lukewarm to say the least. I think it would be more accurate to describe the response as the taste of stale beer. No one's responding! Reason? Because most of them are Liverpool supporters.
Well anyway, I'm still trying and there's still time left. Hope it works out. Even if it doesn't, the results of the day are what really matter. And at least there will be a definite result, unlike the Altantuya murder trial. And whatever the result on Sunday turns out to be, it'll be because the team that wins it deserved it. Similarly, let those who deserve to be punished take the heat an not somebody else....
However, this Sunday promises to be an exciting one for footie fans or more precisely, EPL fans the world-over. Chelsea have heroically dragged themselves from the gutter where Encik Mourinho left them, into a position where they could snatch the league title from Manchester United. Manchester United, on their part, have only themselves to blame for allowing healthy leads to dissipate and allow Chelsea a glimpse or scent of glory. United can't even afford to sneeze now or close their eyes for more than a nano-second when they sneeze. Chelsea await.
As usual all the 10 matches on this last day of league action are being played simultaneously to avoid any one team having any unfair advantage over others by knowing results elsewhere. Great for sportsmanship, but a killer for football fans who want to savor one last weekend of football action before going into the 3-month kering period. Unless you're an United or Chelsea fan, of course. Yes, but this is Euro year, so the kering period will have at least one stretch of wetness in between, but come on, really? There's no England playing, so most of our Malaysian "England" fans aren't really salivating with excitement about Euro 2008.
Anyway, back to the last day of the Premier League. You see, I'm a Manchester United supporter and I support the Red Devils with all I have except the contents of my wallet. Now that's a separate issue between me, Manchester United Football Club and Manchester United Inc. The real issue is I've been trying to get my friends together for one last EPL hurrah with loads of beer this Sunday, and the response is lukewarm to say the least. I think it would be more accurate to describe the response as the taste of stale beer. No one's responding! Reason? Because most of them are Liverpool supporters.
Well anyway, I'm still trying and there's still time left. Hope it works out. Even if it doesn't, the results of the day are what really matter. And at least there will be a definite result, unlike the Altantuya murder trial. And whatever the result on Sunday turns out to be, it'll be because the team that wins it deserved it. Similarly, let those who deserve to be punished take the heat an not somebody else....
Thursday, May 8, 2008
Toll Reduction Dream
No one could have missed the screaming headlines from all the MSM newspapers today. Toll rates nationwide could go down. Am I dreaming? Are you dreaming? Maybe we should all have a giant gathering and pinch each other to see if this is true or merely a dream.
Dream or reality is beside the point. The point is that finally, somebody has seen fit to realise and come to their senses regarding this heavy burden that road users have been complaining about for years. If it is true that the government is finally going to reassess or review toll agreements, it is indeed a godsend for the regular joe who dreads having to drive through these blood-suckers daily.
However, it was interesting to read the report in the paper where the minister is quoted as saying that some toll operators are not making profits due to low volume of traffic. Therefore the government needs to continuously subsidise them (as per the concession agreement) and the public have to continue paying high rates.
Now, if you were to tell me that this minister is referring to a highway such as the Seremban - PD highway, i might buy it. Reason being the last time used it, almost a year and a half ago, it was practically empty. But unfortunately the highways the minister refers to in his quote are among others, the New Pantai Expressway (NPE) and the Shah Alam Expressway, which I believe most of us know as KESAS.
Saying that these two tolled highways yield less than enough profits due to lack of traffic volume is downright unbelievable. Just ask anyone who uses these roads on daily basis. Traffic on the KESAS highway is so heavy that in the mornings there are stretches that require the opening up of an additional lane on the opposing direction to allow for the smooth flow of traffic. Something not dissimilar to a heart bypass happens daily because the highway is choking to death and yet we have a minister who says there's not enough traffic flow. Don't really know the situation about the NPE though because I hardly ever use it. But I did have an opportunity to use it this morning, AFTER reading the newspaper report and the word that came to mind as I was crawling through the traffic was HOGWASH. Either the honorable minister was spewing hogwash or the respected newspaper was reporting hogwash.
Anyway, like I questioned at the beginning of this rant, am I dreaming? IS it too good to be true? Is the BN government suddenly developing a sense of responsibility towards the people? Can it be possible? I don't know. Only time will tell. Until then, a little hope never killed anyone...
Dream or reality is beside the point. The point is that finally, somebody has seen fit to realise and come to their senses regarding this heavy burden that road users have been complaining about for years. If it is true that the government is finally going to reassess or review toll agreements, it is indeed a godsend for the regular joe who dreads having to drive through these blood-suckers daily.
However, it was interesting to read the report in the paper where the minister is quoted as saying that some toll operators are not making profits due to low volume of traffic. Therefore the government needs to continuously subsidise them (as per the concession agreement) and the public have to continue paying high rates.
Now, if you were to tell me that this minister is referring to a highway such as the Seremban - PD highway, i might buy it. Reason being the last time used it, almost a year and a half ago, it was practically empty. But unfortunately the highways the minister refers to in his quote are among others, the New Pantai Expressway (NPE) and the Shah Alam Expressway, which I believe most of us know as KESAS.
Saying that these two tolled highways yield less than enough profits due to lack of traffic volume is downright unbelievable. Just ask anyone who uses these roads on daily basis. Traffic on the KESAS highway is so heavy that in the mornings there are stretches that require the opening up of an additional lane on the opposing direction to allow for the smooth flow of traffic. Something not dissimilar to a heart bypass happens daily because the highway is choking to death and yet we have a minister who says there's not enough traffic flow. Don't really know the situation about the NPE though because I hardly ever use it. But I did have an opportunity to use it this morning, AFTER reading the newspaper report and the word that came to mind as I was crawling through the traffic was HOGWASH. Either the honorable minister was spewing hogwash or the respected newspaper was reporting hogwash.
Anyway, like I questioned at the beginning of this rant, am I dreaming? IS it too good to be true? Is the BN government suddenly developing a sense of responsibility towards the people? Can it be possible? I don't know. Only time will tell. Until then, a little hope never killed anyone...
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
RPK in Jail. PDRM, U sure U got the right guy?
Any reader or fellow blogger here from Malaysia will probably know just by looking at the title what the content of this article's going to be.
Today an innocent man, a man who wants nothing more than truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, has been sent to jail on a charge of inciting the people of the nation (Malaysia) against the present ruling government of Malaysia.
Well deserved, i hear you say? Yeah, well deserved, i agree, if indeed he incited anybody to do anything. In that case, they should lock him up and throw away the key. Yeah, try that on for size, inciter, incite as many people as you can in jail. See how you like that!!
Unfortunately, it is not as simple as that. All this man asked for was for the people of the country, from the Agong (Malaysia's equvialent to a King), to the Prime Minister, to the leaders, to the authorities, both religious and secular, down to the man on the street, to work together to ensure that cold-blooded killers be sent to hell.
Of course, as you and I know, neither the Agong nor the Prime Minister nor leaders nor authorities (especially religious) nor any man on the street can decide whether anyone deserves to go to heaven or hell. That job or honour is still very much the sole reserve of God. Therefore, anyone with even the slightest iota of brains should be able to adduce that the word hell here is used as a literary tool to emphasise the sternest possible punishment for the afore-mentioned cold-blooded killer(s).
How asking for cold-blooded killers to be put away can be construed as sedition is beyond the ability of the ordinary folk to grasp.
Gasp! Unless some in the government felt that the article was asking the Agong, the Prime Minister, the Leaders, the Authorities and the Man-On-The -Street to send the government to hell. But that's only possible if the government IS INDEED the afore-mentioned cold-blooded killer, isn't it?
I mean, shouldn't the government also want the perpetrators of this heinous crime to be brought to justice and have the book thrown at them? Then why arrest a guy who shares the same ends? The means may not be the same, but the ends of both the government and the blogger are the same, right? Catch the killer and punish him to the full extent of the law.
Well, I'll give it a rest for now. For further reading, please look up the following articles, websites and key words.
Websites - www.malaysia-today.net
www.malaysiakini.com
www.sloone.wordpress.com
Articles - www.malaysia-today.net/2008/content/view/6604/84/
www.sloone.wordpress.com/2008/05/06/be-there-for-raja-petra-
tomorrow/
www.malaysia-today.net/2008/content/view/7081/1/
Keywords - Altantuya, Raja Petra Kamarudin,
Human Beings
Came across a letter the other day, written by a concerned Malaysian to a leading national newspaper, regarding the hordes of foreigners flooding our hallowed shores and contaminating the waters. Well those were not his or her exact words, but to use the exact words would be worse than what I have written here.
Apparently the sight of a few hundred foreigners from a particular country squatted at the prestigious International Airport is something unsightly for this concerned countryman of mine. So much for treating others as you would have them treat you. Beneath the tired, exhausted and sometimes scared faces of those foreigners lies the never-say-die spirit that has motivated and led them to leave behind their families, friends and even their entire existence to create a new and better future for themselves and their children.
The decision to leave your entire life behind and forge into the unknown can only be described as brave. Granted, there have been cases of foolhardy folks abandoning everything in search of the greener grass. However, the folks I am referring to here have come to this stage out of desperation. For them leaving everything behind is the only way forward. They come into a strange land, meet strange people, learn a strange language and even in some instances put up with strange behaviour just to earn a small pittance that can then be sent back to buy their families a bowl of rice.
Tell me, is there anything unsightly about this if you care to look beneath the grubby exterior and see the motives, hopes, aspirations and dreams these folk harbour in taking that flight out of the country of their birth? Well if you think there is, then i would strongly urge you to check your sight.
**This article was previously posted by me in blogster.com on 10th July 2007
Apparently the sight of a few hundred foreigners from a particular country squatted at the prestigious International Airport is something unsightly for this concerned countryman of mine. So much for treating others as you would have them treat you. Beneath the tired, exhausted and sometimes scared faces of those foreigners lies the never-say-die spirit that has motivated and led them to leave behind their families, friends and even their entire existence to create a new and better future for themselves and their children.
The decision to leave your entire life behind and forge into the unknown can only be described as brave. Granted, there have been cases of foolhardy folks abandoning everything in search of the greener grass. However, the folks I am referring to here have come to this stage out of desperation. For them leaving everything behind is the only way forward. They come into a strange land, meet strange people, learn a strange language and even in some instances put up with strange behaviour just to earn a small pittance that can then be sent back to buy their families a bowl of rice.
Tell me, is there anything unsightly about this if you care to look beneath the grubby exterior and see the motives, hopes, aspirations and dreams these folk harbour in taking that flight out of the country of their birth? Well if you think there is, then i would strongly urge you to check your sight.
**This article was previously posted by me in blogster.com on 10th July 2007
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