Selamat Hari Raya!...

I was contemplating to write this post in the malay language. But was reminded that several of my readers would understand nuts of what I write... :p... juz an excuse of my ever decreasing skill in WRITING in malay... I still can converse in malay well though... *I think*... my colleagues say I'm much more Malay than Chinese in terms of my food likings and also with my extremely embarassing grasp of the chinese language... Hei I really tried ok?... I even got an A- for basic mandarin language back in Uni... (yaya the teacher really tried hard to make me pass the test.. :P)

Anyway I was undecided whether should I head back to Melaka for the Raya holidays as my parents aren't around... they're still enjoying themselves back in Oz... but suddenly thought of lemang and rendang... and that decided for me... gonna head back and eat LEMANG! (it's sticky rice stuffed in bamboo and cooked bbq style)... and I was really glad i did... just for this one experience of buying the lemang...

Once I reach Alor Gajah I started hunting for lemang sellers by the side of the road. I stopped at several places but none of them was selling lemang with rendang. Until I came across this seller. So at first I ordered one and as they cut open the bamboo and sliced the rice... they realized it was a "special" lemang... called "lemang lemak" which they actually made for themselves to "buka puasa" (breaking fast)... at that time they haven't "buka puasa" yet... but they actually offered me to try... and it was superb! :P... I was really amazed at their generosity and their warmness... we then strike up simple conversation on how to make lemang, where we're from... etc... etc...

YUMMY LEMANG!

The next thing they did really caught me unaware... they actually offered me some apple juice that they made for them to 'buka puasa'... initially I politely declined as it was their personal and private meal... but they insisted on me having it and they went inside their shop to grab a plastic cup and poured out a cup for me to drink... I was really humbled by their kind gesture... sharing their food and drinks with a total stranger...

In recent times we've been bombarded by endless negative news... political personalities trying to gain advantage by driving a wedge between different races in Malaysia... both the majority and minority races harping on racial issues in the media and alternative media... to a point that it create an environment of suspicion and fear of each other.

Experiencing the warmth and hospitality of this Malay family brought a lot of my thoughts to reality... and it brings back memories of my time in Alor Gajah... playing together with Malay, Chinese and Indian neighbours... all MALAYSIANS.

Before I left I just took a picture... too bad that it was really dark and that the faces are unclear...

The "buka puasa" spread...

Malaysia is not perfect... but we do not need to conform to the perspectives of our political masters and form our thoughts according to the news played out in the media... we ourselves can make this place a better place to live in...

SELAMAT HARI RAYA MAAF ZAHIR BATIN...

AKEDREM?... yea rite...

I was deeply touched when I read the account of Tan Hoon Cheng who was detained under the ISA for 18 hours.

"When the police car arrived at the station's entrance, my superior, Puah Eu Peng, our Northern Region Manager, tried to halt the car with his body, to slow the police car's movement. He knocked at the window, to make sure that I was in the car and gestured to show me his support."

An account of it can be accessed here: http://mt.m2day.org/2008/content/view/12732/84/ and here: http://www.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/9/15/nation/20080915132832&sec=nation

I love this country.

Currently I am extremely appalled, disappointed, frustrated and disgusted.

I have lived with biasness, polarisation, etc and have endured that for the past 28 years. But this takes it to another level and for the life of me I can't comprehend this utter complete miscarriage and abuse of power.

I can't understand... so... Open the eyes of my heart, Lord

Perceptions....

Some people have been saying that I'm pro-opposition. Call me whatever you want. But the matter of fact is... I'm pro BANGSA MALAYSIA. Whichever political parties that could formulate their policies towards this end will have my vote and support.

For this to happen there has to be a CHANGE. Yes I'm talking to you too DAP/PAS/KEADILAN. If there are any signs that they are being racially chauvinistic then I would say they are irrelevant too. How they fare in the administration of their states would reflect whether they are just as power crazy or really do have the interest of the rakyat at heart for a progressive and united nation. The leadership needs to have the maturity and nerves of steel to kick out people inciting racial based administration. In the new mandate given by the rakyat is to walk the talk. No more rhetorics and empty promises. Deliver or be gone. Any parties that become irrelevant would definitely be kicked out in the next elections.

BN has all the finance, human resources and talents to move this nation towards that direction. It's just the matter of would they have the determination for it? They don't need to reflect for hours the reason they lost so many seats in this GE. It's been a writing on the wall (albeit it was perceived to be in small letters, after elections it's in BIG CAPS!). Do some house cleaning, get it in order.

Hidup Bangsa Malaysia...

Comedy Court Hit 2

Another hit from comedy court...

Election Fever 2

This is quite an entertaining speech by Anwar Ibrahim. Check it out:

http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?docId=-8665011592312376468&hl=en

As a special edition to those who are going to vote today, a repost of a previous image:

Disclaimers:
*This link was obtained through the blog site www.malaysiafinance.blogspot.com. And yes, I've always been interested in finance, equities and economics... and sometimes 4D, Get-Rich-Quick Schemes, Poker and Mahjong... hahaha.

*This link does not represent my views or indication of my support for the opposition or the ruling party. I believe many have made up their minds on who to vote and u guyz are smart enough to make an informed decision. ;). The video link was provided purely as an entertainment piece =).

Election Fever...

After I posted my comments it's interesting to note 3 articles, 1 by Reuters, 1 by AP and the other by a commentator in The Malaysian Insider, wrote regarding Malaysian Christians and the General Elections '08. You can access the articles over here:

1. The Malaysian Insider: Malaysian Churches enter untested waters...

2. Reuters: Malaysian Churches Break taboo...

3. AP: Malaysian Churches Wade Into Politics (Article appears in The Malaysian Insider)

I know that there's a lot of hue and cry over the media coverage which is lopsided but I find the article written by Wong Chun Wai today in The Star as pretty balanced:

The Star: Don't Let Anger Cloud Judgment

Christians in Malaysia number slightly more than 10% of the total population in Malaysia. About 270,000. Can our decision/actions influence and change a nation?

Side note:

I've been following the Mike Huckabee campaign trail in the US Presidential Nominations after catching the article on Charisma. A Baptist Minister, he faced an uphill battle from the start, but gave a good account from start to end and finally pull out of the nomination race yesterday. Although he has pulled out, but what I believe during his campaign trail that there was a sense of awakening in the US that it is not a purely materialistic nation but there's a number in the US who are clamouring for God fearing candidates with God fearing values to be installed in office.

May one arise here in Malaysia.

X

Signs of election around the corner:

• They resurfaced the road in front of my house.


• There's a new signboard to the lorong of my house.


• The neighbor organized a ceramah, block up 1/2 the road and they don't need permit... (I think you can guess which party it belongs to already...)

Let the mud slinging begin!!...

Yea a bit morbid... copyright by me... muahahaha

There are lots of emails, sms's and stuff circulating around. Even groupings in facebook appear to the line of "deny barisan 2/3 bla bla bla...

If you manage to catch any of the "ceramah" and also what's printed on the media... there is so much emphasis on the economic pie and it's distribution... it hits a note with many voters and with the escalating prices right now... it can get the crowd going... one would highlight how they are helping ppl, the other would highlight how we're getting conned by sheer wastage and corruption...

Yes these issues are important, would remain important and should continually be highlighted. But I really hope that the voters sentiment would not be restricted to only such issues. There are other fundamental issues at large that we have to grapple with. From both sides of the divide, very few candidates seem to address the safeguarding of the federal constitution from further erosion... or interpretation of it by individuals...

There's a lot of emphasis on the ECONOMY. But many other important issues are being ignored in the media and the ceramahs, such as

• How are we dealing with matters that arised from Article 11... has it been solved??
• How about the relevance of a dual court system in a multi cultural society...
• How about lawful recognition of religious bodies and not just as a society...

Can both side of the parties not just hide/highlight these issues but also provide a means of solution?... I wish that we can have a "debating" session among the candidates (as in the US), where questions can be raised and candidates put on the spot... I would really love to see our ex-PM (we're supposed to be under a caretaker goverment by the way...) in the spotlight, fielding questions from the general public and put it on National TV!... fat hopes I guess...

Anyway... enough ramblings... by the way... I'll vote for anyone that would promise me that he/she can bring the prices down on musical instruments in Malaysia. Anyone out there?

To the Polls we go...

Malaysia elects... lots of news from the printed and online media... but I think this is one of the best... enjoy...



Do checkout the rest on their website http://www.comedycourt.com.my/ , it's really funny... and dun watch while u're in office... you'll be smiling/laughing at the screen... ur colleagues might give you the I-think-you-are-psycho look... ;)...

Myanmar Christians

The recent development in Myanmar where the Buddhist monks hit the streets peaked my interest about the country. Knowing that our media is "filtered" most of the time, hit the internet and focused on christians in Myanmar.

Taken from Christianity Today (www.christianitytoday.com):

"A group of Chin and Kachin activists met with U.S. officials in Washington in February. Their reports included the rape of Chin and Kachin Christians, forced shutdown of churches, and the taking of children from their Christian parents, placing them in Buddhist monasteries to become novice monks under the false pretense of ensuring a good education. Also, government soldiers are driving thousands of minority Christians from their villages. Those hiding from their own government are called Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs)."

and the most interesting part is this:

"Despite persecution, the church is growing approximately 5 percent a year among Protestants and independents."

There are many other articles online which many of you can refer to. Just to list three:

1. persecution.org - Excellant overview of current political and religious status
2. biblesociety.org - pretty old article but a good short history in Chriatianity in Myanmar
3. wikipedia - a worldview of Myanmar and it's current policies

If I remember correctly, Malaysia was one of the STRONGEST ADVOCATES to allow Myanmar's entry to the ASEAN in 1997.

Since the military junta came to power in 1962, there were strings of reported incidents of political abuses, anti democratic movement, racial segregation, horrible human rights record, second largest opium producer in the world! (read Golden Triangle), and... and... and... in the recent TI Transparency Perception Index ranked as the most corrupted country in the world.
I'm listing this not as a basis to "judge" the country (I'm juz a helpless fry...) but my question is
Why did we turn a blind eye and admit Burma into ASEAN?. Were there any indicators that the country's policies will change? It denounced the results of a free election in 1990 and the military continued holding power to this day?

Under the guise of "non-interferance" we freely advocate the entry of this nation to be in the same league as us. Maybe could it be the following reasons:

1. Money. Money. Money. (Myanmar has quite a huge reserve of oil and gas)
2. Or is it the case of realization that, there are similarities????... how can we question the speck in the eye of a neighbor but a plank in the own eye?

I admit that in reality and economic wise, these burmese people are suffering much more than us over here, but based on principles are there similarities? Rather than listing down the similarities and be categorized as a "political blog" you do your own thinking la.

Until then do spare sometime to pray for the Christians over in Myanmar and for us as a nation...

Shalom...

Happy Belated Merdeka...

Malaysia has reached it's 50th year of independance. A huge milestone for an asian nation. It should be one of the grand mummy's of the SEA nations. But... personally i believe she is still looking for her identity. Conflicting statements from politicians regarding Malaysia's religious status, controversies regarding the federal constitution, blogs that highlights corruption at high levels... where does this leave us? Where does this leave young Malaysians like us, brought up and bred in Malaysia and can hardly speak a word of chinese (I know it's only me... :P)?... Lived in a kampung, with malay neighbors left and right, playing and fighting together.

Merdeka Vintage Cars Convoy at HSBC Melaka

What should our response be? Is it to live in Malaysia with a sense of hope that things would turn around? or living with a sense of cynicism and suspicion?. Talking with many young Malaysians, many of us are divided into 2 camps, some has become critical of goverment policies and cynical to every move the leaders make, and the other camp just couldn't be bothered and display a lacksidal attitude towards anything that happens in the country. Preferring to indulge in apathy and just concentrating on building careers and making money. Very few young people actually are optimistic and remain positive of the changes in the country. Maybe all these are reflected in the higher migratory rate recorded recently...

It's easy to pick on policies, circumstances, situations, bad experiences. Personally and through stories related by friends, relatives and other religious bodies we can see instances of negative/discriminatory actions but I'm always reminded, if there is no battle how can we have victory? If there is no iron to sharpen us, how can we grow and mature? iron sharpens iron, sparks fly!. Or could it be that we're unsure of our identity? of God's plans and purposes for us in this nation? Questions that we can only answer ourselves.

Merdeka Vintage Cars Convoy at HSBC Melaka

Maybe I can be labeled as naive. But i do hope that I would not turn into a cynical and critical Malaysian. Maybe there would be a time that I would migrate out, but maybe not. Whatever it is I'm still a Malaysian.

Enough rambling...

.S H A L O M.

Addendum: Remembered somewhere back in August '98, 1 Malay, 1 Indian and 2 Chinese (one of them me... :P) were on their kapchai's singing the Sudirman's "Tanggal 31..." Merdeka song on top of our lungs, while roaming the streets of Melaka... talk abt Mat Rempit's these days.... those were the days... :D