Bad Parents= Rude Children

If a student uttered a vulgar word at me, or shouted obscenities at me, I'd slap her. Seriously, I would slap her so hard, she will never dare utter those words again to me or anyone else for that matter.

If I find out a student had happily flushed a sanitary napkin down the toilet, or found it appropriate to stuff it into the water tank or wherever(except a proper dustbin) she can stuff it into, AND refuse to own up, I would make them squat in the dirty pond too. In fact if I could, I would make them all line up in the toilet until one person confesses to the stupid crime. (It probably would be more effective than making them stand in the river. A quick visit to any toilet in Government Schools will convince you of that)


See? They can take a bath while they are at it too...

But then again, that's me.

When it comes to the parents of the students, they think it's something worth going to the press about. And the picture will usually show a very angry parent with captioned "Mr.X/Mrs. X holding the police report about the incident." Followed by a very sad looking girl/boy holding her face or pointing to a bruise/itch/cut with the captioned "Ms X showing the injury she sustained from the slapping/made to squat in river saga/punching."

Many headmasters and headmistresses have defended the actions of these teachers and I am no different. I think what they did was of course a normal reaction to very very bad behaviour.

I would ask the parents of these students to question their own parenting skills before asking the Education Department to discipline the teachers.

Firstly, what type of parenting skills have been exercised when a student can even THINK of flushing her sanitary pad down the toilet? One does not need much sense to know that it will cause it to be blocked and hence overflow and spoil the damn thing.

And what parent allows their child to utter vulgarities/obscenities at anyone what more a teacher? If a parent has brought up his or her child with the notion that it is ok to utter obscenities at a teacher, who is he to say the teacher needs to be disciplined for slapping a rude pig of a child that she or he has raised? I say, look at ur own parenting skills first.

Parents nowadays are a fussy bunch. Touch the child a little and they go berserk. Somehow they forget that a child is in a position whereby he does not do his homework, or is rude to a teacher or is blatantly ignorant of rules and regulations, because his or her parent has FAILED them. A parent has FAILED to bring up their child the right way. So they are quick to blame. It is a classic, Opps, my bad parenting skills are on display, lets quickly cover it up by saying its the teacher's fault."

Yeah sure people.

We ALL can see that YOU as a parent have failed your child.
Instead of going to the press and complaining about it, spend your time guiding and teaching your child.

After all, spare the rod, spoil the child.

A matter of long and short

Universiti Utara Malaysia has made it into the news. I know many of us are like, Universiti what? Well, its one of those Universities established to make those who failed to get into UM, USM or UKM feel a little better that they managed to get into a public university. (Eventhough 90% of them did better than those who got into one of the top universities, at least they got something mah, what you complaining about?What? You want to do dentistry? A course on Environmental Science is similar what..)

Apparently Non-Muslims are being made to wear baju kurungs or risk being banned from entering their classes. And the official word from the University when asked was that it was a miscommunication and that the picture depicting the baju kurung was actually a lady wearing a long sleeved top and a long skirt.
Ok, wtf is the difference? They are both a long sleeved top and skirt isnt it? And why must Non Muslims wear long sleeved tops and skirts? Why cant they say, wear jeans or slacks and a blouse? Its typical of most public universities isnt it? All their versions of "decent" dressing consist of only those which are in line with Islam. Basically, here's a rundown of what DECENT means in all public universities...



So no tight pants, no mini skirts, no see through blouses, no navel exposure, no emphasis on the buttocks, no cleavage...hhmmm...I wonder what that translates into? Cheongsams cannot be worn because it would definitely emphasis the buttocks and its body hugging. So saris are out as well because it exposes the navel. So what could possibly be the appropriate outfit? What? I wonder....Could it be indirectly saying, baju kurung labuh?

The move behind these insatiable need to dress all university students in a standard long sleeved top and skirt is the underlying rationale that "its to perk up the student's image". Firstly, what sort of bad image does say,an indian girl in a sari or a chinese girl in a cheongsam, project? That she is easy? That she has no morals? That she is not a nice decent girl because her navel is exposed or her butt is "showing"?





See how happy she is? Thats why is a bad outfit!









This I tell you, is the reason why Universities in Malaysia are going down the drains. Instead of focusing on improving the academics in the university, they are busy determining what the students are wearing and what clubs the students are setting up which are not "anti-Islam" such as a Chinese Society.

What? UM is number what in the world rankings?

Gee...I wonder why. We are so dedicated to improving the standard of our education...

A Personal Reflection

When I read that the Nuri Helicopter crashed off Genting Highlands,my heart sank. I knew for SURE that there will be no survivors. Of course it would not be surprising that the report from the crash will conclusively state that it was "pilot error". It will never have anything to do with Nuri Helicopters being undermaintained or poorly serviced. Its easier to say its human error than to admit that not allocating money to upgrade the fleet of helicopters for our RMAF was a big mistake. If the Government can allocated RM33million for sports in higher institutions, I dont see why a fraction of that money cannot be used to upgrade the RMAF fleet of airplanes, helicopters and etc. Now Najib says, oh we might replace the Nuri helicopters with something else. Whether it will happen, remains to be seen.

Firstly the state of sports in our country is downright embrassing and degrading. Being beaten by Uzbeskistan 5-0 is humiliating. But beaten by IRAQ as well? Come on, they are supposed to be at war! Yet they whooped our asses. And yet the MPPJ finds it fit to channel ill founded money every other day into their "Kelab Bola Sepak". Ok maybe that is just a ruse to channel the monies into their own pockets, but whatever it is, the list of priorities when it comes to allocating money should be revamped and reorganised. Why spend money to allow the young footballers to go to UK and stay in high class hotels? They cannot play football!THEY CANNOT!What is so blardy hard to understand???!

Sigh.

Back to the Nuri crash.

I have to admit I was mighty surprise that the Dewan Negara observed a minute of silence as respect for the 5 members of the Force who were killed. And I was even MORE surprised that the King made a visit to the homes of the deceased. Why? Its not that I didnt think they were kind hearted or sympathethic enough,but because when my cousin Mej. Lai Yit Fuen's airplane crashed off the coast of Butterworth in 1994, all these were not done in his honour. Visits from the King? A minute of silence for him? Nothing of that sort. Yes, this is a personal reflection and yes I might seem petty but what is so special about those five on board that ill fated Nuri? How are they different from my cousin who was in the RMAF for many many years and flew the fighter planes every year at the National Day parade? He dedicated his life to the RMAF as well.

It still hurts for me to think about him. It still brings tears to my eyes when I visit his grave. And it pierces my heart to know the RMAF (and in fact the whole country) did not give him the honours he rightly deserved.

RIP Ah Fuen koko..

Mongolian Murder Mania OVERLOAD

I dont know about the rest of you, but Razak Baginda's trial has left me sick and tired. Every day you read the papers "RAZAK BAGINDA TRIAL-yada yada yada".

Gawd.

How much of the man and the two policeman can we take?
Seriously, do we REALLY care? I for one dont care much about the outcome of the trial. Lest I be cited for contempt of court for making sub judice comments, all I can say is, the trial is nothing but a circus. A circus which cordoned off half the courthouse to accomodate its performers. The only thing which is lacking from this circus are the animals. Wait, oh, lets not cast aspersions on others. I shall keep my who-is-the-animal-in-the-circus comments to myself.

So, what is so special about Razak Baginda that he is given a WHOLE month for his trial? Because he is a high ranking official? Because he is a rich man? Because he allegedly murdered a Mongolian woman so its a we-must-maintain-our-international-relations hence the early trial to show the world that we truly believe in " justice delayed is justice denied"?
What is the reason? Why must we accomodate this man (the other two main accused are lucky that they are charged together with Razak, if they weren't they would probably be in prison until 2009 before the case even comes up for Mention)?

Many Accused persons are languishing in jail awaiting their trial. Many, if not all, have to at least rot in prison for a year before the case comes up before the High Court only to be told, "Saksi tidak dapat hadir" OR "pegawai penyiasat menghadiri kursus" OR "DPP sakit" followed by "mohon untuk penangguhan".

However when it comes to this Mongolian woman's murder trial, there are no kursus-es to attend, everyone is at the pink of health, and all witnesses somehow are able to miraculously attend every hearing. (I tell you, miracles do happen. We just do not know when exactly) While all these are done to ensure that the rest of the world has a good opinion of us (WAH!So efficient!They hold their trials so quick!There IS justice in Malaysia after all!), the rest of Malaysia is left wondering, Hey, WTF? Get a number and wait in line Razak!

So now we know where we stand in Malaysia?

No.1 Rich Politician
No.2 Not-so-rich politician
No.3 Rich/Not-so-rich politician's family members
........

No.24,899,789 the rest of the Rakyat

Sad but its true.

However, there is hope for some of us to up our status just a little. Just recently one big telco company offered special mobile prices for UMNO members. To "enhance" relations between UMNO members and this telco company(because you see, UMNO members are special-not like all other un-UMNO members) So if you were to ditch you oh-so-unhappening-party and join UMNO, you can elevate your status a little in the country. And oh, you do not forget, you get to brandish the keris once in a while too. That might be fun.

KHIDMAT NEGARA IS DA BEST!

Most of us do not remember anything from our History lessons in school, except maybe a man named Temenggung Jugah anak Barieng, cos well, you know, he had hair which looked different.

However, most of us will remember that Malaya (as it then was) was invaded by the Japanese sometime in 1942 . They rode their bicycles in through the South and invaded Malaya. So the 18,000 biycles (the Bicycle Brigade) huffed and puffed from Johore and conquered Malaya for the next three years.


Many of us shake our heads in disbelief. Really? Japanese soldiers on BICYCLES?
Of course, our countrymen fought hard to resist the Bicycle Brigade and we salute them for fighting for the country, however, it cannot be denied that these men from the land of the Rising Sun whooped our asses during World War 2.

What exactly is the point of the whole story actually?

Well, the new "training programme" of the National Service (Khidmat Negara!) trainees got me thinking about that small part of History I had hidden at the back of my head.

So the NS trainees now cannot go jungle trekking when its dark or whatever time there is a hint of dark skies. They do not go jungle trekking when its too hot either. No too much sun or too little. Just in between. And the trekking cannot be more than 3-4 kms. Too much walking if more than that. No dense jungles. Only secondary jungles where there are probably some overgrown weeds and some "wild animals". No combat training in the sun either. They wont be learning much about firearms. They cannot have endurance training for too many hours. ( After all, our enemies do not attack in the dark, or when its too hot. They will come when the skies are bright, but the sun isnt too hot and they will avoid the dense jungle which is so confusing.)

All they would be doing in the three months that they are part of the NS is to march around like stupid idiots (For what? I dont have a clue!), take part in a financial course (so that they manage their finances properly) and try to swing on a rope across a small pool of dirty muddy water. And in between all these, they attend motivational talks and learn how to joget or do the sumazau dance in preparation for their graduation. And of course parents have been asking for an ALL WOMEN training camp because apparently, if you separate the girls from the boys when they are at this age, they will be forever repulsed by boys and there will never be any more unwanted incidents with boys and girls anymore. (HURRAH!)




See? All of them hard at training!

SO, what is the point of having our youngsters join the NATIONAL SERVICE again? Its a place where the Government spends millions of RM to train them to, be well, nothing much really. I can say for a fact, after finishing their training, the boys do not suddenly become men and the girls do not end up tougher and more ready to face whatever challenges they encounter. Though the news say that SOME of them apply for their dream jobs with FULL CONFIDENCE. (Wah!So impressive. No need any degrees or any tertiary education just FULL CONFIDENCE!)They end up looking darker and thinner and a they have a greater appreciation for the comforts of home.

The whole point of the NS was to emulate the Singapore system whereby the boys who finish school do a compulsory two years training in the Army to well, toughen them up. These people jump from planes, do endurance training, learn firearms and do all the things the army is suppose to do. Not march around and learn how to joget. Like seriously.

And we wonder why we got invaded by the Japs on bicycles. I think if they were to come again now, they can probably take us even while they are barefooted and naked.

Sticks and stone may break my bones....

"Mana ada bocor? MP Batu Gajah pun bocor tiap-tiap bulan"

This statement caused such a big furore in the Parliament which subsequently swept through the whole nation. Women of all ages, shapes and sizes suddenly became interested in Parliament.(Not the lawmaking process, not the laws passed, not the leaking roof, but because of the offending comments that somehow manages to come out of Bung Mokhtar every other month. It takes skill and talent I tell you..) There were of course calls for an apology. And as usual in Malaysia, there will be the :-

1) Defiance - "I have every right to say what I want"
2) Denial- "The media took my words out of context"
3) Denial- " I didnt mean it the way that the MP thought it to mean"
4) Defence - " I respect women. I fight for their rights. "
5) Further denial - "Joking only la"
6) Acceptance(But with conditions)- "I apologise if women were offended by my comment. Though it was never meant to offend anybody"

The apology(if it ever comes) usually arrives only after a rollercoaster ride of persistent denials and more denials and then after every denial avenue has been exhausted, then comes to conditional apology.

So he apologised (sort of) and we women heaved a sigh of relief. Victory for women! Women - 1, Bung Mokhtar - 0. Power to WOMEN!


I have to admit though, I was not offended by the comment. I mean, for decades, women have been fighting for equality. We fought for the right to vote through the Suffragettes movement.

Men fought for the political domain to be kept exclusively for men. Yet we women persisted, starved and were tortured in prison just so we could have equal rights. And we won. Now we can vote as we like, all we need to do is scoot down to the nearest Post Office and register ourselves. (Of course women in certain countries do not have this right but the number of countries who deny these rights to women are quickly depleting)

We demanded equal rights in everything. In terms of pay, promotions, positions and everything else that is available to a man, we want it. And to a certain extent, we got it.

So while we are fighting this battle for equality, what is up with us still whining about men being insensitive to women? Or being MCP or being so ungentlemanly? Why do we still expect a man to give up his seat for us in a bus? Or hold the door for us? Or pay for our dinners instead of going dutch? Why indeed? If we want to be equal, we shouldnt then still want men to treat us as something less who need to be taken care of, to be served or to be treated kindly.

Do we as women, give up our seats for other women? Do we expect another woman to hold the door for us? I dont think so. In Malaysia, its called first come, first served. Its "Screw you!I came first!"

So what if Bung Mokhtar said we bocor every month? Yes, its crude. Yes, its sexist. And yes, MPs should be more professional in the Parliament. But if we ask him to apologise and he says, No-uh, I am not going to. So what? We should just shake our heads and pooh-pooh it. So we know he's an ass.(This is my personal opinion, you may not share it with me) We shouldnt need to descend into his level to play this dirty game of them boys against us girls.

Instead we focus ALL our energies into making it a big issue. AWAM, WAO, SIS all joined in the fray calling for an apology, making comments on how sexist the remark is...bla bla bla.

They are merely words. And these are words that mean nothing because someone who is an ass uttered it to provoke a reaction. If we were indeed professional, we should have just said, "Well, Mr. MP, I am saddened by your calousness and your lack of professionalism. Malaysia is going towards Vision 2020, somehow you're still stuck in the 18th Century. You should be ashamed of yourself."

And then go on to debate on things that DO matter to us women. Like maternity leave. Or higher pay. Or more representation on the Bench. Or the right for Muslim women to seek a divorce even if her husband does not want to "grant" her the divorce.
You know, important things.

After all, sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.

What business do you have controlling mine?

A RM22k fine for increasing the price of a glass of Milo to RM1.80.

Is there anyone out there(besides the Ministry of Trade and Consumer Affairs) who actually thinks this is right? I for one think its ridiculous to the point of absurdity.

Its not the exorbitant amount that got me thinking, but the fact that there was a fine at all. Let me try to understand the rationale here. The civil servants got a raise. So all the traders out there thought to themselves "Alrite!Those civil servants are going to have more money to spend now. So I better increase the cost of my food/services/apparel and make more money!" So a glass of Milo went from RM1-1.20 to RM1.80.
This was when the Ministry people descended unto the Nasi Kandar Pelita shop and fined them RM22k for increasing their prices arbitrarily. And therefore it was against the Government policy of...uhm...what was the policy again? Was it even a policy? Wasn't it just a mere "call" or heed to traders and businessmen out there not to take advantage of the civil service pay increase to make a buck or two for themselves?

But then again, why should they not be allowed to increase the cost of the food they provide? Or the clothes they produced? Or whatever they have painstakingly made with their own hands? Isnt it their right to price their goods at whatever price they like? If you dont want to drink my Milo Ais and pay RM1.80, go to another shop that serves it to you for cheaper.

If I go to Uptown Food Court, I can get chee cheong fun for RM4 to Rm5 (depending on how greedy I am with the fishballs) but if I go to KLCC's food court, I cant expect to get anything below the price ofRM4 or 5. (maybe drinks and some plain cendol) So, why are the traders in KLCC allowed to put such super high prices on their food but the owners of Nasi Kandar Pelita not allowed to? Its THEIR shop and THEIR food. If you think its too expensive, dont go. If you want cheap food, eat at Jalan Alor, if you want a hint of "high class-ness" go to KLCC/1 Utama food court or even Madame Kwans (is the same food isnt it? What is in Madame Kwan's char kway teu that is not in Jalan Alor's ah pak's char kway teu?)

I get it if you want to place a ceiling price on raw produce or meat and oil and sugar and things like that because those do not involve services such as cooking the food, or preparing the drinks or serving the food. Its just raw produced placed on display, for you to pick and choose and then buy it. But when it comes to restaurants, it will always remain a choice. Its a choice of whether we want to pay the cost of the service provided to say, cook our Maggi goreng, or make a roti canai or prepare a creme brulee or tiramisu. Its a choice. If you think its too expesive, dont go. Simple as that.

Why do you have to control how much money a person makes in their business? Obviously Madam Kwan or Little Penang will make more money than Bintang Sue in Uptown when it comes to cooking the same food and preparing the same dishes because one charges Rm4 and the other RM15 for the same thing. Why is one allowed to increase their price and the other is in the danger of being fined for wanting to make just a little extra from the good fortune bestowed upon the civil servants?

Why dont theGovernment concentrate more on the money their corrupt officers are making from the defective Court House in KL, or the stupid Sports Centre in UK or ugly Proton Cars with bad workmanship, or defective Highways or how being a Minister always mean you have a big house, a big car and a great bank account.

Control that. And then we'll talk about controlling a person's legitimate livelihood.

Oh, so YOU say can, I say cannot...

Apparently this Tony Pua guy from DAP, an adviser to the Secretary General said something super unflattering about the Malays. Something along the lines of the civil service being the dumping ground for unemployed Malay graduates. This of course got all the panties of those in the UMNO Youth in a bunch. They have called forTony Pua to apologise to them for making such oh-so-unflattering remark about the Malays. Like, HELLO? How can you say such things about the Malays? It is so NOT in line with our Government stance or integration and masyarakat majmuk-ness! Apology is in order!

I am sure many of you may be nodding your heads saying, "yealah, not right. Cannot make all these racist comments la. Bad for country's harmony."

But let us retrace our steps a little...

Remember this?



I am sure you can see in between all the keris brandishing and their "muka hero" while brandishing it, there's Mr. Khairy, UMNO Youth member and Hishamuddin too.

What what they screaming their lungs out about again? Protecting Malay rights at all costs? And I mean ALL costs? (When the keris comes out, there is some keris kissing action and they call for blood, it seems pretty all out to me)

Sure, some of us Non-Bumis had our panties in a bunch too. Yeah we questioned the intentions of the UMNO. There were calls for apologies. But were there any?
Not that I can remember. Apparently its their right to do it. And after all, if their President thinks its ok, its oklah kan? Pasal apa nak sibuk?

Does Tony Pua indeed owe the UMNO Youth an apology? Certainly not. Has he said something which will cause racial disharmony?
Will it? Really? Maybe the use of the word "dumping ground" may sound a little harsh but is it proven that the civil service is not the place where most unemployed Malay graduates go? It may be a general statement but 95%(more or less) of civil servants do consist of Bumis right? And with the amount of local graduates that local universities (quota system intact of course) churn out every year, does it not make sense that they end up there?

Please. So many racist comments have been hurled at us Non-Bumis. And its been topped of with a keris brandishing exercise. Yet we do not make a big issue out of it, mainly because nothing will be done about it. We dont go ask MCA or MIC to go wave some other instrument about. So all these crap about asking us Non- Bumis to maintain the so called "social contract" which has been in existence for so long by refraining from saying anything racist, shove it already.

Why do we observe the splinter in someone else's eyes and never notice the plank in our own?

Just say it lah!very hard meh?

So every damn Government building is falling apart. So the PM is upset. So PWD says it needs RM6 million to have the engineers conduct checks on the buildings. So the Government @ us tax payers will stupidly hand over the money to do something which OUGHT to have been done WHILE the damn buildings were under construction or PRIOR to the approval of the plans to construct the buldings. But being typical Malaysian and also being in the country of perpetual corruption, something went wrong somewhere, and no one is owning up to anything. Its like a broken record. We hear the same stories over and over and over again.

You know what is truly disappointing? The fact that all the PM does is say, "OH I AM SO ANGRY!" "OH, MAKE SURE SOMETHING IS DONE!" "OH, yada yada yada!"

Its like come on already, instead of just talk talk talk, DO something. Tell those who are in charge of the maintenance or the construction to rectify the problem. Tell them to do it for free!Why the heck do we need to pay them anything for something which should (this term means MUST as in MESTI, PERLU..not maybe, uhhmm...perhaps) have already been done? We dont have to be rocket scientists to know that a damn building shouldnt have leaks BEFORE it is used. Or within its first few months of use!

And why cant the money we will be spending to build highways in Pakistan be used instead to improve on our own infrastructure in Malaysia? Like why the heck must we go build highways in a foreign country? Erm, I think they can manage themselves, ok? And frankly, I think we as Malaysians should have been asked first before our money is used on/for someone else?!

As mentioned earlier, all he needed to say was, I WANT MU TO COME HERE! The FAM scurried around and retracted their earlier statement of refusing MU's tour here didnt they?? So why is it SO hard to just say what you want them to do and tell them to do it???? I dont get it. ( This is as perplexing as why KFC refuses to let you have one piece or original chicken and one hot and spicy eventhough they are both the same price. Perplexing!)

Someone commented that all these problems never cropped up during Mahathir's era. While I was only born in the year that Mahathir came into power, I cannot testify as to whether such problems have ever cropped up during his era because I can only remember as far back as 6 years ago and I guess the Parliament didnt spring a leak at that time...but all I can say is, this time, BN has truly disappointed. The landslide victory which came with big promises has been nothing but a farce. Sure, all the civil servants are appeased cos they got their increase. Of course they are told to work harder and be better and make sure they let everyone know they deserve the raise. (this is when I throw my head back and laugh. WORK HARDER is a foreign word to them) [A visit to the Land Office saw most(if not all) officers crowding around the machine at 3.55pm, holding their cards, ready for the clock to strike 4pm and punch out to go home.]

So I digress.

But the point is, many of us are so taken by short term gains. Momentary happiness and fleeting moments of joy. Thats why we are always hoodwinked whenever election time rolls along. All we can think of is, "Oh, they arent that bad, they gave us a raise! *Marks X on BN candidate*

Sigh.

Maybank, I HEART YOU!

I have to admit, when the whole Maybank racism issue was a hot topic, I was oblivious to it. I did not read the newspapers that whole week, so I had no reaction to it. Then I finally had a whiff of it, and boy am I surprised at the extent of the racism displayed by our very own homegrown bank.
(And they wonder why we choose foreign banks over them)

Firstly, many people, lawyers to be exact were not surprised. According to those in the industry, this practice has been going on for years. It is just "unfortunate" that Maybank was foolish enough to put it on paper and make it public knowledge. Of course it caused an outrage (not to those it will benefit of course) and after being pressured to retract this "un-majmuk" policy, Maybank quickly retraced their steps and said that they will not be sticking to that policy.

Yeah, right.

In the first place, why is there such a need for such a policy? There is the NEP already isnt there? And also the quota in Universities? MARA? Interest Free Islamic Banking(albeit open to Non-Bumis)? Bumi Reserved Land? Bumi Discount? What more is needed before there is a clear message to us Non-Bumis that its ALL about the Bumis? What type of uber racist country are we beginning to morph into?

So, the next would be Elite Schools for Bumis? Bumi only University whereby it is fully sponsored to churn out so called "First Class" Bumis? Bumi Banks where they can borrow money and never return it? Come on, enough already.

Us Non-Bumis have not been making a fuss about it because we still firmly believe (however naively) that there is such a thing in Malaysia, as equal opportunity. We hadnt as much as squeaked when all these NEP policies and Islam Hadhari was introduced(more like forced upon) to us when Takaful issues a statement saying that its Haram to wish Our fellow Malaysians Happy Deepavali, then this Maybank issue rolls right along. (Dont get me started on Kelantan)

And what does the PM have to say about this?Nothing much really. Nothing to ask them to stop. Nothing to say, "hey Maybank, you're promoting segregation and racism. You should stop."
Instead he is livid that MU is not coming to Malaysia! Like who cares about racism and the peacefulness and happiness of all races in the country? MU is not coming!THE HORROR! THE PAIN!

So we ask ourselves, why are we still living in Malaysia? What does the future hold for us?

Ijok who what?

The Government recently revealed that 70% of the youths in Ijok will most likely vote for the Keadilan candidate. So their tact is to "sell" their candidate to the Chinese. To win the by election, they have to concentrate on the Chinese. So they tell the Chinese something along these lines, "Parthiban will work for you. He will serve all races equally. He wont just concentrate on one race."

Then they realise, CRAP! the Chinese are only a minority, even if we overpromise to these people, we might still lose the election, so they extended their MO. They pledge lots and lots of money to the sleepy town of Ijok (some of us are like, I WHAT? Batang Berjuntai where?)And out of the RM30 million pledge to Ijok, some 30%-40% will be spent on building/refurnishing/improving mosques, religious schools and other religious things/places. Then they tell the Malay people there, "Look!Look at how we are spending so much money on Muslims! Vote Parthiban! He wont neglect the Malays! He will serve the Malays well too."

So it does make you wonder doesnt it? If the survey did not find that 70% of the youths in Ijok would have elected the Keadilan candidate, chances are the BN would not even have bothered to address them. After all, 30-40% of the money pledged is used to upgrade the religious facilities for the Muslims. The Chinese would probably benefit from the roads they are upgrading or some other things they have decided to tinker with. I wondered what happened to the Indians...too small a minority so no one in concentrating on them?

The whole by election is nothing but a fiasco. There is the usual over promising and under delivering. The ones who have the money throw in the money. And those who do not, will play the flaws aspect of the opposing candidate. If we were to think about it, it should be more about the candidate and less about the party in which the candidate is from dont you think? Of course Parthiban will have more money to back up his campaign..he is from BN, the ruling party. And Of course Khalid has less money. He is after all from the Anwar Ibrahim and wife led party.

But in terms of their qualifications and what they have achieved so far, I have to say, Tan Sri Khalid is far more impressive. Parthiban was only a teacher. Sure, he was born there, and sure one Indian man, one Chinese man and on Malay man have been interview (numerous times but always the same 3 people) that Parthiban is a good man. Humble man.
But capable of bringing Ijok into further development? With no knowledge of the corporate world the economic or the ways of improving the infrastructure? Sure he will have the money, but will he know how to USE the money?

Khalid has been the forefront of a few big corporations and institutions. And he still heads quite a few of them. No one can doubt his business sense. No one can doubt his skills and abilities....he may not have the cash now, but with his business acumen, I am sure he will be able to find the funds. His only setback is, he is from Keadilan.

If only Keadilan had a fair share of the Government funds, then perhaps the by election will be more about what each candidate can do, and less about who has more posters, who is the "humble man" and how Atlantuya's murder has dented the credibility of some politicians in the Ruling Party.

Its sad to know, its still about race segregation. Its 2007 people. Its time to move forward. Move towards integration. Not segregation.

Easy Money anyone?

What is up with the local councillors and the government and the location of cemeteries? What it up with them deriving pleasure from levelling a plot of land next to an established housing estate and establishing a cemetery? How would they like it if we built a shrine to honour or ancestors right next to their homes? Or level a plot of land, stick a tombstone there just a stone's throw away from their mansions? I am sure they would freak at the idea. YET, they find it appropriate to do that to us.

And what is up with them building more apartments on hilltops? Clearing forests, levelling the land and building apartments perched precariously on top of the hills? Has the Highland Towers taught them nothing? Have the incessant floods in Shah Alam and in Puchong and everywhere else not slapped them out of their hilltop obsession? Overdevelopment has brought nothing but flash floods, landslides and trouble to the people.

So why wont they stop? Why wont they prevent all these inconsiderate, unenvironmental friendly and clear abuse of power?

Simply because there is money to be made I suppose.
There is a reason why Malaysia went up a notch in the Most Corrupt country rankings. (While we want to go up a notch when it comes to being friendly, or being one of the best countries to live in or whatever good, we have to go notch ourselves up as being one of the more corrupt countries. SOMETHING is wrong in the system here...)

We call them little Napoleans. They run the councils like its their own. Screw other people over, endanger their lives, inconvenient them, and all for what? Because they have no conscience? Because their parents didnt bring them up well?(Bad parents!Baaaaddd Parents!) What? I am putting my bet on this: there is money to be made from it. Lotsa money actually.

Ever wonder why the flowers around Dataran Merdeka is changed every other week? Even before the plants can take root, they have been unearthed and removed and replaced with new ones? Why? Wouldnt it cost less money to maintain the plants then to replace them with new ones every other day? Again, there is money to be made from this "system". Instead of spending these money on cleaning the damn fountain next to these pretty flowers ( there is a colony of something black at the base of the fountain, I dare not venture close enough to see what it is) , the money is somehow "used" in the system of replacing the flowers and well, obviously someone is making big bucks from it.

And if you were to take the road towards the North South highway back to Ipoh via Mount Kiara, you will see an obscenely white thingamabob (arch?) which says something along the lines of "Malaysia Indah"? or "Selangor Darul Ehsan Berjaya Bersatu?" or some crap like that above your head and I wonder what purpose it serves. And more importantly, I wonder how much money has been spent building that thing. I would rather the money be used to say, improve on our public toilets ALONG the highway, or hey, use it to pay the toll concessionaires so we dont have to pay so much toll (and still get stuck in a blardy jam when the volume of cars increase ever so slighty over some damn long weekend) or, oh I dont know, improve on the public transport. But spend it on some hideous white arch thing? Obviously there was money to be made from putting that thing there. What other purpose does it serve? Beautification? HAH!
I doubt it. I truly do.

So really, why do we pretend to open our mouths and exlaim in horror when we find out that we're only going one direction (which is up obviously) in the rankings of being most corrupt? What is with all the denial? Its blatant. Its right below our noses every damn day. We see it and as long as top management condone it, why do these Little Napoleans need to change their ways? Who would turn down the opportunity to make money when its presented to you with no strings attached?

Who needs to go educate ourselves and get a degree and get a good job and work hard to earn lots of money?
I want to join a local council. And plant flowers and pluck them out and replant them and pluck them out and replant them and pluck....

Zulkipli tenure not extended

*clap* *clap*

Zulkipli is out.
Kudos to the PM. I had my doubts. But then again, election time is near. Gotta do some spring cleaning before the festivities begin.

Janganlah jaga tepi kain orang....

Did you hear that two Malaysians are held in Guantanamo Bay on suspicions of being involved in Al Qaeda and Jemaah Islamiah? Our Government has through the embassy in Washington requested the US Government to ensure that the Malaysian duo received fair and just trial under the Armed Forces Commission which is established to adjudicate detainees who are suspected to be terrorists.

Isnt that funny? Not funny ha-ha but funny in an ironic kinda way. Funny because the Government is so concerned with Malaysians detained overseas having a fair and just trial, but ignorant about Malaysians having a fair and just trial right here on our own shores. Of course by now everyone would have heard about the infamous Non-Muslims can be subjected to the Syariah Court and its rules. So essentially the Judges are saying, "Constitution? What Constitution? Oh right, the one that says Non Muslims should not be subjected to Islamic laws? Sorry, never heard of it. "

Of course all Syariah lawyers have jumped up(excitedly heaving a sigh of "FINALLY!) exclaiming the correctness of the decision and the fact that Syariah Laws emanate from the Quran and is therefore the supreme law of the Land. And then MPs jump into the fray and say, yes, yes, it is a correct decision. Its not surprising that Gopal Sri Ram dissented in his judgment, the Christian, Buddishm and Hinduism society (I do not know the exact name of the society but its along those lines) as well as Non- Muslim rakyats have disagreed with the decision which is blatantly ignoring the Constitution and of course the rights of Non-Muslims NOT to be subjected to Syariah Laws. And its of course not surprising at all that ALL Muslims have said its right right right and if you do not think so, you just have to "accept it". Credit has to be given to Datuk Zaid Ibrahim who has his head screwed on right when he said that the decision is plain wrong in the eyes of the Constituion. He didnt allow his emotions or his religion blind him in reading the true meaning of the law as enacted by our Forefathers. Syariah Laws are meant to be followed by Muslims and Muslims only. Its as simple as that. Just as Non Muslims do not insist Muslims subject themselves to a say a Hindu Court or a Christian Court, Muslims should not ask us to "accept it" if we are to appear before a Syariah Judge who has no authority over us because we do not practise the religion!
Who cares if Ms. Subashini might win in the Syariah Court (yeah, sure. We believe that!) because the Court is fair and etc etc? Its still wrong from the word GO. We dont want to go to the finishing line and cross our fingers hoping that it will end right. (And if it doesnt end right the Syariah Courts are going to say the same "accept it" line isnt it?)

All calls to the Parliament to settle the issue once and for all have met with a deafening silence. (Like what is new with silence from the Government? Maybe when they said "transparency" they meant being invisible when it comes to resolving issues. So we go, "hey, where the heck did the Government go??")

Just and fair trial? Constitution? Rights?
Pooh.

Innocent until......

So the ACA chief has had some rumours of misusing government vehicles, owning several business interests and property brewing around him. Of course the police have been investigating and they will "reveal the findings of the investigation in due time."

While all these are ongoing, Zukipli's term in office expires this Saturday. So its up to the PM whether to extend it (as he has for the past three times) or say, " Zulkipli, as head of ACA, these allegations are really serious and its damaging to the ACA. Sorry, I think have to have new blood in there. I have to replace you."
However, please people, dont hold you breath for the latter because I am not surprised if his tenure as ACA chief is extended again. After all its suppose to be innocent until proven guilty right?

In theory that is true. However in Malaysia, its more like this, innocent until (if anything is done at all to investigate or follow up on the matter) proven guilty.(p/s: even if found guilty, there will not be punishment, merely a transfer to another department ala Malaysian civil servant style. Unless he pissed someone off and then he will be made a kambing korban for the sake of "transparency and integrity" of the Government)

Of course it is not surprising that Zulkipli has not been called before the Parliamentary committee to explain himself. Why is there a need to? The PM already told him to "explain himself". And he sure did explain himself. It went along these lines, "People like to spread rumours about me. I did not do it. I believe in Allah and as long as I believe in Him, I will be ok."

I guess that was enough for the Government. Of course we the rakyat can see how this has damaged the credibility of the ACA in prosecuting and stomping out corruption. If the chief allegedly did it, how can the whole agency be trusted? And who are the kambing korbans from the Government who were prosecuted? (Those poor people. They must have pissed off someone big time) But of course nobody sees it as a big issue. The Government and the ACA especially are keeping their fingers crossed and hoping this will blow over. Hoping it will go right above our heads into infinity and beyond never to be heard again.

Remember Zakaria Deros? You dont? Well, most of us dont. Cos eventhough he did a lot of things illegally, he was never punished or prosecuted. What about those illegal UMNO "trailer parks" on those land? Oh, nothing was done about them either. Tear them down? How ridiculous, it would make more sense to make something illegal into something legal by issuing TOL. *phew* Catastrophe avoided.

What? A opposition leader rammed his car into a construction site worker (he was actually aiming for the door but that man happened to be in the way) who refused to let him into the construction site everyone is opposing because its bad for the environment? PROSECUTE! ATTEMPTED MURDER!

Which minister accepted bribes to allow the people detained to be released? Please, it was a police CLERICAL error. And by next month, we wont even remember this anymore. Non-issue. Moving on.

So you see, this is how Malaysia works. You just have to know which side you are on. If you were born into the wrong side, well, tough luck.

Kebab Stupidity

Two days ago, I almost cried.

Now, I am not the "Oh, what a sad romantic story " *cue the waterworks*
or,
Johnny Cash proposed to June Carter *cue the waterworks*
or,
Mickey Mouse on parade in Disneyland *cue waterworks* [this is only applicable to my sister, who is quite weird because cartoon characters on parade can reduce her to tears. Then again, she cries at everything, even movies which she happens to flip through and watched a snippet of. She still cries if its a sad scene. She is destined to be an actress in Taiwan. But I love her so.]

Ok, moving on.

What almost reduced me to tears was a newspaper article about this man who is paralysed and how his whole family have to suffer because the breadwinner of the family could not longer provide for them. Then there was an article about the poor boy who survived on RM1 a day.
And then on the next page was an article with an accompanying picture of UKM students making the longest kebab in the world (or was it in Malaysia?same difference) and the cost of making the Guiness Book of records worthy kebab? RM24,000.

Now, this was when *cue waterworks* came into picture.

Why would anybody spend that amount on money on something as useless as making the longest kebab? WTF would you need the longest kebab for?! In the first place, kebabs are not even Malaysia's signature dish! And RM24,000? For a kebab? Seriously?

Would it not make more sense to use that money and donate to the poor paralysed man?Or the poor Indian boy? Or to those who have lost their homes in Johore? Or orphaned children? or even the boy with a hole in his heart?

A kebab? Really?? So what, the rest of the studend body will eat kebabs for the next two weeks? Or are they going to donate the kebabs to poor hungry children? Or homeless people?

You'd think that these children whose parents have spent money sending them to University would put the grey thing between their ears to better use. And UKM is supposed to be the top University in Malaysia. Doesnt it send shivers down your spine that the top University would use their student body to make kebabs? Instead of asking them to perhaps volunteer at the flood relief centres in Johore? Or start a fundraising thing to help the orphaned children or the disabled? Or participate in the Big Walk and contributing the RM24,000 to children who need prosthethic limbs?

Its very typical Malaysian isnt it?

We usually spend money on useless things when we have more pressing issues to settle with the cash. Such as maintaining the roads in Ampang. But what does the MPAJ use whatever money they have for? Building a big mosque. (ok, this is nothing to do with Islam, so nobody should take offence). Does it matter that Ampang is chock full of mosques? Bukit Indah, Kosas, Ukay Heights,...the list goes on. Instead, the money which could be put to maintain the roads is used for building a big (and I mean BIG) mosque. Whatever for?

If only some of us use our brains once in a while. Then at least good things get done the right way.

All hail the Teenage Virgin!

Hving sex at an early age(in your teens) has now been classified by a UKM study as a " deterioration of moral values" and trying to lose your virginity while in your teens, is a "disciplinary problem". Apparently this study caused such a shock to those who conducted it because out of the 887 female students (aged between 13 to 17) with disciplinary problems, all but one admitted to having indulged in the "pleasures of the flesh".
As a result of this study, the State Government aims to formulate a "special training module" to promote high moral values among the young female generation.

I applaud the State Government's initiative in recognising the fact that many children from broken homes may suffer from low self esteem, self control and problem solving capabilities and therefore there is a need for intervention in making their lives better. However, I do not agree that they label the "phenomena" of children who had decided to lose their virginity early in their lives as a "deterioration of moral values".

When did losing your virginity early in your life become a barometer of your moral values? When I was in school, the 66 (or 77 or 88 whichever it was) nilais did not include "preserving your virginity until marriage (or to infinity and beyond)" as part of the Moral syllabus. I remember there was hormat menghormati, tolong menolong, bersopan santun (etc etc) and of course the infamous scenario of having to choose between representing your country in a badminton tourney and staying home to attend a relative's funeral (always, ALWAYS opt to stay home to attend the funeral if you want to pass your Moral paper). Where is the virginity part? Many of these so called lost virginity students may have had someone pop their cherry, but does that make them any less morally inclined than those who have not? Is it not more important that they have respect for their parents, love their siblings unconditionally, help their peers and honour their country? Or perhaps give up their seats in the LRT when they spot an elderly gentleman, or help a blind man cross the street? When did it become morally wrong to choose something which you do in private between two consenting individuals reflect on you as a person fuctioning in a society?

It is pertinent to note that only females have been part of this study. No male students were involved in it. Apparently it only takes females to indulge in sexual activities. It takes two to tango. And it sure as hell takes a woman AND a man to indulge in "pleasures of the flesh" (conventional methods anyways). Why is it that only female students are part of the so called moral decline in the country? Is it A-ok for males to lose their virginities but a No-No for females?

Sure, many of you might think I am merely being a narrow minded bitch and that the Government is trying to help these children. I do not resist the idea of helping children from broken homes, but I detest the idea of labeling them as perpetuating moral decandence merely because of they lost their virginities early in life.

Yes, I agree that is a deterioration of moral values if they indulge in truancy, vandalism and drugs but let us not be sidetracked and blinded by the virginity issues and concentrate on helping these children whatever their sexual choices. If their parents have failed them, their teachers are supposed to step into the shoes of a guardian. Teachers should be trained to not only spew out text books contents but to be a mentor to these children.
FYI, a group of teachers in Ipoh boycotted a retirement celebration for the school headmistress because they didnt like her for being too modern and that the previous conservative headmistress (which they oh so sayang)was booted out for being ineffective in running the school. The same group of teachers whom, and I quote "benci, benci BENCI!" unquote entering the school grounds because the side gate to the main door had two metal bars which looked similar to a cross. The training module to promote high values among children should instead be formulated to promote values among teachers. If teachers who are suppose to lead us are themselves a sorry excuse for a human being, how do we learn anything?

It is heartbreaking to know that our society places such a heavy burden on the shoulders of women to uphold the societal moral values and that our personal choices in life which do not affect others or dishonour anybody in anyway is the main reason we are labeled immoral.

I guess its thumbs up for a young unmarried girl who abstains from sex but never mind that she may kick a cat into the drain or spit at a handicapped man whom she spots on the streets.

Hey, if she s a virgin, she is already on a path to moral superiority!

All hail the teenage virgin!

A Metal Fashion Statement

Oh JOY! Chastity Belts! Chastity belts are like, so in right now.

Whatever the reasons women wore it last time, here in Malaysia, we women are encouraged to wear it because apparently it reduces rape in the country.

A man may stalk you and once they find you alone, they will jump on you, rip your clothes apart and woe is he!There is the CHASTITY BELT! Now he cannot rape us! Because there is this big chunk of metal between his sick desires and his ability to fulfill them.

You see the indisputable logic behind it? Cant you?

You see, we women are the reason for rape being so rampant in society these days. Its the way we dress, the way we entice the men with our "inappropriate" behaviour, and our innate ability to arouse rational sensible thinking men with just the lack of cloth on our bodies. Men have no control over their loins you see? If a woman were to be naked on the streets, these men have no control and have this impossible urge to go forth and multiply, hence the need to rape the woman if he does not agree to his advances.

Therefore, because men have this great urge to go forth and multiply and any temptation before his eyes will not be ignored or avoided, we women have to be the one taking action to stop it. Hence, we don the oh so fashionable chastity belt. (The current bubble skirt trend will go so well in covering the bulk!)

Or dress kids so young they cannot tell the difference between their legs and their noses, in long sleeved tops and long pants as well as tudungs. That is to tutup their "aurat". In the first place, these children are so young, they cannot be viewed as a sexual being. Why should any part (other than the necessary regions) of their body be covered? Do these children actually understand why they are dressed like that? Who views them as being able to entice men?

Ok, so I may have digressed.
So here is the conclusion for part 1:Men in power make stupid statements. We cannot run away from that. Men in power in Malaysia make VERY stupid statements. Unfortunately for us, if we think about it, we put them in power.

Part 2: Parents should understand their religion better before they impose it on their children. And let the child at least be old enough to tell the difference between right and wrong, and sometimes left and right before you insist they cover their bodies. For godssakes, some cannot even tell the difference between spongebob square pants and mickey mouse! Give them a break.

Life is hard enough as a woman and a kid. Someone needs to cut us some slack.

What can the man on the street do?

I am sure anyone who reads my ramblings here would know how I feel about public demonstrations and how useless I think it is.
I am sure many of you have different thoughts on it.

A good friend of mine had this to say about public demonstrations- that it was the only way that the uneducated man can show the Government how unhappy he is with a certain policy. And by being out on the streets and in a group, the Government will take notice. After all, since they are uneducated, they would not know how to write a petition or have the opportunity to speak to a MP or do all those things a "smarter", educated man can do.

So I asked her, how effective have all these demonstrations been? Whether it were a peaceful or unruly one. The answer of course is it was ineffective. Toll rates continue to go up, petrol prices continue to surge forward and in all honesty, the Government really could not be arsed that you took time off to sweat under the sun, shout until your voice was hoarse and walked until your legs could not take it anymore. And I think some of them in the Government thought, "All rite!This is my opportunity to kick some of those opposition people's ass!" So they send FRU units to well, kick their asses.


Like, how is effective is THIS?

So she turned to me and asked me quite huffily " Well, what can a man who is unhappy with what the Government has done, do to show his unhappiness?"

To me its quite easy. I asked her if she has registered herself to vote. She said No. And asked me why. I said if I were truly unhappy with the administration of the country, the first thing I would do is to register myself as a voter.(Yes, I WILL register myself before the next election) And then I will vote for whichever opposition party there is which will stand up for me and agrees with my views. The more these opposition parties have a say in the Government, the more these little napoleans are kept on their toes.
Now they are outnumbered and outvoted. So whatever it is they want to disagree on, they cannot do anything about it. Because Majority always wins. That is what democracy is all about.

Or you can join the opposition party. Be a member. Let those who are educated lead you. Let them speak for you.

Do not waste your time marching the streets. No one cares. You're just causing a traffic jam. And I hate traffic jams.

So, many of you may not agree with me. But I think at least I have an idea which may actually work. I may actually do something which will help change some things I am unhappy with. Will it take long before the majority party can be ousted? Yes, it will. But it is not impossible.

Think about it.

Register yourself. Election is right around the corner.

Hush hush...

Do you remember the election oh so many years ago? Where our then freshly elected PM stood on the stage and loudly declared transparency and accountability as the foundation of the Government and that he will use the mandate he received from the people to good use? And how we all clapped and cheered (some people who knew better might have jeered) . How good we felt that he made rounds in the Government to ensure they were efficient and we thought to ourselves, "Tun M never did that, Badawi gooooddd..."

And then everything went crashing down when the Government decided that the OSA is the best EVER excuse for their failures and mistakes?

Its weird. Parents are made to disclose their income to the school regardless of whether they want school assistance for their children. Soon to be married couples have to disclose whether they have done the HIV test and whether they do have HIV. So while the authorities have decided to make the rakyat disclose more of their personal details, they have decided to keep more from us.

Why was there a toll hike?
Apparently its classified information under the OSA. The Official Secrets Act. The Act that prevented sensitive information being leaked to our enemies and foes alike during the British Occupation and Communist insurgency days. Information which, if leaked to others, will make our Country vulnerable to attack by foreign countries or undermined by them.
And apparently information which, if leaked to the rakyat will let us know how the Government has taken us for a ride and made us suckers. That information cannot be made known to us.

And because some person who thought it was wrong had decided to make some of the details of the toll concenssionare agreement known to us, certain Opposition parties have seen their houses being raided and them being subjected to questioning by the police. Of course it HAS to be the Opposition, becayse everyone in the BN is encouraged not to have their own opinion or thoughts. They are sheep. *baaaaaa* If you DO have something to say against the Government while you're in the BN, you have to apologise, have some shit flung at you and then find ourself cold storaged or if you have guts, resign.

Firstly, the Government is SO insistent that the information cannot be made public. What is the reason? How does that affect the country at all? The Government is suppose to act FOR us. To think OF us. To do the best for the rakyat. Now that we have a hint that they have actually taken us for a ride, we deserve to know the details, dont we? Why is our money being given to someone else for no reason? Why is our well being compromised? Why has the Government acted against us? Who is benefitting from all the extra cash?

All questions met with the deafening silence of the OSA.

Transparency? Accountability?
PM, do you actually hear us? Or is the noise from the jet plane you leased for "official" use too loud?