The artistic Dung

 He must have been crazy, maybe,   there was a method in his madness after all.

Now, everybody in Malaysia knows  the Carburetor Dung, a punk rock outfit out of KL, who suddenly found themselves in the limelight .

Their lead singer  was beaten up for dropping his pants and exposing the back of his boxer shorts while singing  their crowd pleasing number "Jilat" (Lick) at the fuel price hike rally  organised by  the Pakatan Rakyat at the Kelana Jaya stadium Sunday.

The protest was considered a failure as the organisers had hoped for a million demontrators, instead, only a few thousand people had  turned up.

While the event itself was generally incident free, but, the dropping of the pants  grabbed the headlines instead. Full of symbolism don't you think?

It's believed that those who attacked the singer were PAS members, obviously these religious types couldn't handle the very Western influenced music played by the group. Instead, they would have preferred a more sedate Middle Eastern influenced nasyid, a kind of Muslim gospel music , I suppose.

Talk about  the clash of civilisations!

I always find PAS a strange political creature, here is an outfit that wants to Arabise Malaysia. Yet, it has many followers amongst the non-Muslims!

Their spiritual leader who is the Chief Minister of Kelantan in the course of time has made some weird political pronouncements.

Women in Kelantan are not allowed to use lipstick and high heels are definitely a no no for them. Currently he was reported as saying that those who want to work as civil servants in the state must pray five times a day.

What if they say they do but they don't? How do you supervise a private matter between you and your maker? Doesn't conscience or faith come into play here?

Sometimes I can't helping thinking that God has been made  redundant by this kind of politicking.

The underground musical scene in Malaysia is very much a Western inspired popular cultural happening with the young and not so young, all in the name of artistic free expressions. Now, this Dung group have been playing to their own audiences without much problem, in fact the song "Jilat" is an anti establishment song telling how you have to lick or kiss backsides to get anywhere in this world.

Dung don't have mainstream followers, they sing to people who think like them, the anti-establishment crowd, so no fear with them being banned from appearing on television  or being banned  from performing live for a certain period like one rock singer recently who took off his shirt while performing .

The question now  if the  supporters of the parties in Pakatan can clash over  poor choice of music and stage antics, if tolerance was in short supply, can the parties really get their act together when big, important issues come into play? While the leadership has some kind of rapport and understanding, but, can the grassroots display the same?

The authorities have said  no action will be taken against the  rock group as no police report  has been made so far over the matter.

To me, just let it be, it is too trivial to make a big thing out of it. If you proceed you'll make heroes out of these Dung guys.

While most people think it was lewd and all that taking our Asian sensibilities into account, but don't you think the singer had made a very profound statement with regards to our current political goings on?

I must say I admire his artistry! 

A mixed lot

Coming from a multi ethnic society one would think it'd be easy for some one of mixed ancestry to fit in emotionally. Talking to a few, it is on the contrary because they feel they have to fit in to the expectations of the majority races in the country. Since they are a bit of Country and a bit of Rock and Roll as the Osmonds used to sing,  these people can be a confused lot, as they are not too sure how to describe themselves.

They are confused  in a race obsessed society like ours which demands precise racial identity. If you are not a KadazanDusun, you are a Malay, if you are not a Malay you are a Chinese, then if you are a mixed salad, you simply don't know where you stand.

Take my friend Herman, he is a mixture of Kadazan, Bajau, Chinese and a dash of Pakistani/Murut. He is at a loss how to classify himself. Since he is  Muslim, he calls himself  Malay. End of  story.

Then people will tell you that there are no Malays in Sabah. They are  right and wrong at the same time. They are right when they say there are no ethnic Malays (Orang Melayu) here, but, then there are members of the Malay race (Bangsa Melayu) which include all of the natives here.

Confusing isn't it? I have come across locals , for example, who are a mixture of Kadazan, Chinese, Dayak and say some Burmese,  being Christian they cannot simplify their bloodlines by calling themselves a Malay as being one means you are a Muslim. They  don't know how to categorise themselves as they feel they are all of the mixture, at the same time none of the mixture.

The Democratic Party US Presidential candidate, Barrack Obama, identifies himself as an African-American, that's half of his heritage. Is he right? Time magazine recently wrote a story  detailing  his mum's role in  the making of him. Like they say without your mother you won't be in this world. Shouldn't he acknowledge  his mum's  genetic contribution  by openly calling himself a bi-racial person?

The famous golfer, Tiger Woods, is on record saying he is a multi -cultural person. His late father was a mixture of African, White and Native American, while his mum is  Sino-Thai. Most people will slot him in the African -American category. This is not  how he sees himself! And,  also this is not a fair definition of his cultural heritage!

What is the solution if any? My answer is simple,  it is how you see yourself that counts as other people have no right to think for you.

To my friend, Herman, who is a bit of "everything Sabahan", your bloodlines count to a degree , but, it is you as a person that counts  more and not your facial features or skin colour.

It's  not easy, as people love to label you because they need to understand where you are coming from, once you don't fit in their  mental picture of you, they will resort to a shortcut to satisfy themselves.

I say let them, it is not that bad really. There will be many more in your situation as society evolves. Everybody is inter marrying especially in Sabah,  just be what you want to be.

Dr. Mahathir calls himself a Malay, even though he has Indian Kerala blood. Badawi the same with his Chinese Hainan maternal grandfather. It is also the same with our first Prime Minister, Tunku Abdul Rahman, despite his Burmese-Siamese mother.

If you compare yourself to the politicians around the world now, what with the ever rising fuel price,your 'problem' is nothing, if you could call it that.

I am sure some of these leaders are humming  a John Lennon song to themselves.

"Christ, you know it ain't easy,

You know how hard it can be,

The way things are going ,

They  gonna crucify me!"  

                                        (The Ballad of John and Yoko)

 And Herman, you sleep pretty well at night, don't you? 

Oil, my oil..

I wasn't angry or even upset. My emotional state was pretty neutral. I had expected it all along. What I didn't like was the way it was announced, I thought it was rather callous without as much as a warning.

Then that's how the government  has been behaving in this country. Take it or leave it.

I refused to queue  like the rest of the country to beat last week's midnight deadline of almost 40% fuel price hike . I didn't see the logic of it. You get caught in a massive jam with people losing their cool, and then how long is the fuel in the tank going to last anyway? I suppose it's the Malaysian habit of looking for the best bargains. Can't blame the people really!

There is nothing to get upset about with the oil price hike , in fact it is good for the economy, the government cannot afford to subsidise it anymore, and  now  we have to actually pay the market price .The economy is more real  as there is little distortion. Of course, it hurts especially  with the lower income groups, then this is where responsible and caring government comes in.

To fair to the government, it has been coming up with some incentives  to cushion the  hike.

It is not the fault of the government, the price is beyond its control. There is no shortage of the commodity in the world market, what's been happening is over speculation by oil traders. 

According to Idris Jala , MAS Managing Director, an ex-oil man, the real  price of the crude should be about US$40 a barrel, that we have to pay  three times more for it is a real crime.

Maybe the solution is for the oil producing countries to allocate the real needs of the world and leave the balance for the traders to play around with. Why should the rest of mankind suffer so that a few people  can make money? Or, maybe just  ban oil futures outright.

Whether we like it or not we have to accept the fact that oil is the driver of the world's economy, any changes to the price will affect  us all. Food prices will go further northwards and so will inflation.

All the street demonstrations will not change that fact, we have to learn to manage the situation the best we can.

Lifestyles have to change of course. Our mass media must be in the forefront giving practical advice to the people on reducing everyday expenses. Forget the golf games, instead spend more time growing homegrown vegetables!

I suspect there will be many books in the market soon educating the people how to cope with the changing circumstances.

President Ma of Taiwan now uses stairs instead of lifts, and addresses conferences in short sleeve shirts to minimise the use of air conditioners. In this tropical land, our ministers ought to do the same. Taiwan Ministers also leave their chauffeur driven luxury cars at home and drive compact sedans to work. Rank and file officials ride bicycles in the city's clogged traffic.

In America there is a growing admiration for the Amish, a religious community whose members still go around in horse buggies and shy away from electricity and other technological advances of modern life.

Who says living in rural Borneo in the current situation without electricity and basic amenities doesn't have its advantages? 

Get the army out, Datuk Defence Minister.

Will he deliver on his promises? Or, is it another ploy to buy time?

Remember when Badawi won the general elections in 2004 with 90% of the popular votes on the promises of reforms, he didn't do anything at all. Only after the 2008 elections with his party losing the customary two-thirds majority in Parliament that he started doing something about reforming the judiciary and the anti-corruption agency.

How do you trust this man? It appears that he will not move unless there is pressure  exerted on him.

It might thrill some of his supporters on the Kaaamatan "goodies" he promised Sabahans last weekend . Personally, I don't think it is anything fantastic but just an attempt to stop some of our politicians from switching sides . Datuk Jeffrey Kitingan has described it as a form of bribery.

Will the people of Sabah actually benefit from the so-called goodies?

Let us look at the appointment of Sabahans to two key posts in the state, only two people in the whole state  are  made happy here.

Does this make me happy too? No, because the posts are ours, why do we have to beg for them? We are Malaysian citizens and taxpayers, why are the posts given to us only when Badawi's political career is on the line? Why can't it be based on fairness all the while?

All the other goodies are the same. It's  good news for the elected representatives to get RM1million each for MPs and RM 400,000 each to assemblymen, will there be a trickle down effect that will benefit the people in the constituencies? Also, the promise of RM1 billion for rural development projects. With the state of our delivery system, I am not too sanguine.

The much maligned functions of the Federal Development Department will now be taken over by a unit in the Chief Minister's department, doesn't this make the CM post more powerful as the system of patronage  can now be played at the state level more seriously? With this added responsibility  there must be more accountability and transparency, I can keep on dreaming. A friend said only cronies and  maybe family members will be the likely benefactors from this exercise.

Now, the real issue that will  make average  Sabahans really happy is how the problem of the illegals in the state will be solved. Why did we get? A committee to look into this will be formed to be led by the Deputy Prime Minister- cum- Defence Minister. Is the Prime Minister  serious? A committee.?

When will the committee swing into action? Tomorrow or never? 

Don't blame  me or other Sabahans  for being upset over this. We feel so threatened by the foreigners, yet the government can only talk about forming a committee .This is one issue that needs proper and immediate attention and it is  a matter of life and death for us.

Shall we give the foreigners amnesty?The answer is overwhelmingly no. So, what are the options available to  us?

Why can't this country have a proper immigration policy? Take in foreigners that will benefit us economically. Spell out the terms and conditions who  qualify like the advanced countries normally do.Those without proper papers or qualifications must not be entertained at all.Those qualified   are only entitled to Permanent Residency(PR), and not citizenship,this will prevent them from becoming  voters automatically.

We can even fine tune their entry to our own labour requirements . For example, New Zealand allows temporary workers to work to pick fruits on their farms. After the season is over they have to leave. We can do the same for a particular sector short of labour.

Citizenship can be considered  maybe after a ten year stay as PR and  for that they have to display they understand local habits and customs and even speak the national language well, to qualify they have to sit for exams.

At the moment  the enforcement units are not doing much, they are partly to be blamed for the sad state of affairs . Why are they pretending everything is hunky dory?They need to be re-trained so that they understand their functions better. As this involves national security, get the army out, if I may suggest to the Defence Minister.

The state assembly should play a more active role in debating the issue. It must be on the radar screen all the time. Data based on research must be made available to the public so that we know the magnitude of the problem.

What is going to happen to the children of the illegals born here? Are they to be given citizenship? Or, are they just going to be tolerated sniffing glue and selling syabu openly?

With little education and skills that are marketable, imagine the kind of damage they are inflicting on our society . A firm decision must be made on this now. We can't allow our children to inherit this problem unsolved, they might even urinate on our graves later.

I think our problem is  that we rely too much on the government to move things for us.  We should think of taking action to minimise this  problem ourselves within the framework of our own laws, of course.

We should form our own groups  in the kampongs, housing estates and monitor the movements of the people in our neighbourhoods, we should be the eyes and the ears of the government, anyone new  in the area must be reported to the government enforcement agencies for necessary action. Once the illegals see we mean business, they will feel intimidated somewhat.

Without self help on our part, we can cry blue black in the face, nothing concrete will happen from our politicians who have their own agenda.

The question is are we up to it? And, what are we waiting for?

It only takes political will to  control the situation like what Chong Kah Kiat had demonstrated to us during his tenure.

Do you know where you are going to?

There are so many political stories making the rounds  currently that you don't know which one to believe.

Maybe it does not really matter as long as life goes on as usual for most of us. Who cares what the politicians are up to . At the end of the day we still live in our terraced houses and they end up living in mansions.

This cynical attitude is so prevalent these days, where ever you go people just take the stories as one big spin by interested parties to further their own personal agendas.The general belief is that people are made use of and  are generally ignored until the next election time.

Maybe they should consider making voting compulsory in this country soon!

Politicians are politicians, they are brilliant actors. When  former PM Dr. Mahathir announced he was resigning  from his post during one of the UMNO assemblies, many of the UMNO politicians rushed up to him to ask him why, like life without him would be the end of the world for mankind.

Today the same politicians are his worst and rudest critics. 

These people have little  or no principles. Credit must be given where it is due, just because  Dr. Mahathir is critical of the present leadership, it does not mean you treat him as a nobody.  He has earned his respect, so give it to him. 

Say what you want,  Dr. Mahathir has always been consistent. The latest episode of him resigning from the party he has been  with since 1940s is one of them. 

After all, who are these politicians? What have they achieved for the country? Dr. Mahathir has touched many lives in  and outside the country that many of these politicians can only dream about.

He has got many admirers around the world. I remember taking a London cab whose driver was  an African  student who had nothing but praises for him  and became extra friendly when he found out I came from Malaysia.

Even though a well known anti-Australia politician, I have met Australians who admire Dr. Mahathir for his passion and guts. 

This is a free country, people must be allowed to give their opinions without fear or favour. Even party members must be encouraged to do so even if it goes against the party line, otherwise, we will only have ''yes men" protecting their own interests instead of the people who put them up there.

It's so easy now, all they need to do is to say things the leaders want to hear,  there is no need to use your brains even. Might as well say that to a beautiful woman, you will never know what that will lead you to! 

 The current administration is trying to project itself as  open and transparent, but, on the other hand party members are not encouraged to be critical of the leadership. Even if the leader is perceived to be below par, you  cannot question his wisdom. We cannot progress this way.

Poet William Blake wrote a long time ago- without contraries there will be no progression. 

Dr. Mahathir has contributed a lot, this is not to say that he is free from faults, he is after all  human . I am sure  many Malaysians will agree that his positives outweigh his negatives. During his rule, the country  enjoyed a fantastic economic growth and was known throughout the world. Who saved us from the financial crisis in 1997? Now, we are almost off the international radar screen.

While we can give our current PM  Badawi credit for making the country more liberal and open, he lacks  the vision to take us higher. He plods along like the civil servant he was . He does not inspire, he looks tired and lethargic most of the time.

While nobody wants to be pressurised to do things he does not like, Badawi is no exception. All the pressure being piled up for him to resign will not work, unless he himself comes up with his own timetable.

Until he does so, stories will float around like falling leaves in autumn, and in the current global scenario especially with record crude oil price, it is not good for the country and the people.

This uncertainty must end now.

Same old story

Not many of us know who he is. But the story has the habit of being stuck in the same old groove, and nobody wants to do anything about it. They hope by ignoring the person's plight, it will be forgotten soon enough.

A letter in the Star  on 8th May 2008 from a young person by the name of Keng Wei Jin from Kuala Lipis, Pahang has the usual ingredients of what's not right with this country of ours.

A top student, Keng has to practically beg in his letter to be given a scholarship to study at  university. Not only he shines academically, he also scored 9.2 out of 10 marks for his co-curricular activities.

Knowing that many non-Bumis are not interested in a career with the armed forces, he tried the Defence University (UPNM), to his horror he was not even called for an interview. After the usual running around, he was told he failed because he was too young. He was born on 1.1.1991!

It is heart breaking to hear stories such as this, we should not be teaching our young people despair so early,  instead  we should be focusing on hope. Our children are our hope, and if they are talented and deserve to be helped, we must help  them to realise their potential so that in return they feel appreciated and contribute to society.

To me, it's sinful to waste talent, as it is a gift from God. 

But, the truth of the matter is that our public service is unimaginative and lacks compassion, when they should be serving the public who pay their salaries, we have to run around kissing their hands instead.

No wonder many people want to go into politics, not so much as a form of public service, but,  for what they can do with power.That is why, those in the public sector are generally self serving, and they amplify the saying it's" not what you know, but who you know".

Until the mind set improves, many people will be disenchanted with the government. This cuts across the racial divide in the country.

While waiting , expect  many of our gifted young people to be enticed by lurking poachers.  Who can blame them?

Stirring Dragon

Suddenly  people just appear  from everywhere ever willing to spoil the party. The current Tibet-Olympics  episode is more than meets the eye.

China is supposed to be stepping out in August to show the world she has arrived with the Olympics.  She only needs to take a deep breath and take a bow, even then, many people are not happy with this. They want to contain her and  they want her to be docile and subservient ,if possible, forever.

Out of the blue, the world is splashed with Tibet stories. The timing is  so well timed to make China lose face.

Many people believe that China did the Tibetans a favour when she invaded the country in 1959. From a backward country , steeped in Buddhist traditions, where the people were slaves to the ruling elite, she has moved on keeping with the times.

Of course, the Tibetans have to pay a price. Their language and their traditions have been diluted, then, the apologists for China will tell you nothing in this world is static,  the only constant is change.

Watching the events ,  people like us who believe in multi -culturalism are  perturbed with China's forced assimilation policy in Tibet as well as the ways they handled the recent unrest there. Why do you want to kill a fly using a sledge hammer?

Many believe that  traditions and heritage  of a people make you what you are , minus them, you are nothing .We can symphatise with the Tibetans in that respect.

Then, how genuine are certain sectors of the western society for highlighting the  issue now? Do they really care for the freedom and the rights of the Tibetans?

 The  answer is  obvious, the west is planning on to stay as the most influential power of the universe and it will not tolerate any competition.

 Samuel Huntington, the famous author who wrote "The Clash Of Civilisations" has identified that two civilisations, namely Islam and Confucianism which will give the West many sleepless nights. In other words, Islamic militancy and China's assertion will challenge the West's supremacy.

Islamic militancy can be contained to a degree as Muslim countries are too diverse and the militants prefer to work from caves. But, a strong, cohesive economic powerhouse like China is something else.

So, Japan is encouraged to re-arm and India is   being strengthened.

If we look at the map of Asia, most of the counties in the region come under   Western influence with the exception of a few countries . Basically, China is encircled by countries which are potentially hostile to her.

Important sea lanes like the Straits of Malacca ,which is the trade lifeline for China, is under close watch by these interested groups. Being close neighbour of China, it should not surprise us why  some important South East Asian politicians are being cultivated by these parties to ensure that  when they lead their governments  they will be on their side.

The independent streak showed by former PM Mahathir  in our foreign policy matters can be a thing of the past if we don't have a clear  understanding of the chess game being played by interested parties to perpetuate their grip of the world.

So, when we choose our leaders, we must reflect  deeply and  see the big picture clearly.

Changing times

The primary school children currently in schools are a lucky lot. Despite the many misgivings of their parents who tell anyone who cares  to listen that children these days are not what they used to be, actually, if they play their game right , the world is the theirs for the taking.

 They are spoilt for choice.

While the older set tend to encourage their children to gravitate towards careers that are traditionally considered secure such medicine, law, accounting, engineering and all that, the younger generation can create their own careers by creating jobs that have yet to be created.

Of course, the question is whether our aging educational planners have what it takes to bring this about. It would not hurt if we started recruiting  forward looking young officers to come up with  something out of the box to benefit our young people in their future careers.

Something radical  needs to be conjured up so that the talents in this country will be utilised to the maximum.

Can we allow  the children to maximise their God given gifts, don't constrain them in anyway. Give them the freedom  to be what they want to be,  and just guide them accordingly?

In this country, those in power are generally  very insecure, they tend to be control freaks as the true meaning of democracy still eludes many of them.They need to learn  fast. 

I ,for one , don't expect my children to be in the traditional careers, I want them to be doing things they feel passionate about. There are many lawyers who have become film makers,writers, and even successful restaurateurs.

So, if my son wants to be a chef, there is nothing to argue about here. If my daughter doesn't want a 9-to-5 job, instead she opts out to be a master diver, then, I say good luck to her.

Some experts are saying that many people in their working lives are expected to switch their careers as many as six times , the first career does not mean that's it. With so many educational opportunities available, we have to treat the first career as the beginning of a journey.

Then, if my daughter wants to be a master diver in her early 20s, given the new realities, don't be surprised if she ends up as an economist with the World  Bank in her 30s, and in her 40s she might even pursue a career in film making!

That's how our children's world works these days.

It's something we can never totally comprehend, given our conditioning for job security and all that. The sooner we accept that there is no such thing, the better it's for all of us. Even the predictable Japanese salaried men are a fast disappearing breed.

If we look at the wages of some of the EPL footballers these days like Manchester United's Rio Ferdinand who in the new deal is said to be getting something like RM700,000-RM800,000 per week until 2012, wow! sure, your playing  life is not long, however,  when you retire when you are only thirty something, you have more than enough to lead a comfortable life . Then, you have all the luxury to pursue other careers if you want to.

That's  sports, what about those in the entertainment industry? 

Wonder if I can influence any of my children to play professional football? Once again, the choice is  entirely theirs. 

We have to let it be. It's hard for us Asian parents, we tend to think we  have all the answers for our children.We don't really want them to grow up.

These days ,there is little difference between the Western kids and the Asian kids , the world is really converging and it's becoming flatter and flatter.

We  can't expect  our children  to be too filial, they are now dancing to a different beat! 

Beware of the message..

 In the wake of reports of a proposal that non-Muslims in the country should be punished for commiting "khalwat" (close proximity) with Muslims, which was denied later; indeed, it must  have been some  kind of relief for non-Muslims  to read that politicians from the hard line Muslim party of Malaysia (PAS) have been making overtures to Christians  in their Klang Valley constituencies.

 It was reported that PAS politicians, Khalid  Samad and Dr. Dzulkefly Ahmad have made visits to Catholic churches to show to the churchgoers that they are not the extremist Muslim politicians that they have been made out to be by the mainstream media of the country.

They have shown that they are inclusive and  tolerant , Khalid even told the congregation of the church he visited that they could use the word "Allah" in their service. He received a standing ovation for that gesture.

The Federal  government had banned the usage of the word by Christians as it was argued it could confuse Muslims in the country. According to them , Malay Muslims are not capable of thinking for themselves.

Is this the beginning of something new in the battle of the hearts and minds of Malaysian voters by PAS?

The UMNO led BN have been rather insensitive in not respecting non Muslim beliefs by destroying Hindu temples, snatching dead bodies of alleged Muslim converts even if family members think otherwise.

In short, the Taliban Wahabbi mindset prevalent in the Muslim officialdom has alienated not only the non Muslims but also the liberal Muslims of the country.The ruling party paid dearly for this in the just concluded elections.

 UMNO has been trying to be more Islamic than PAS, even though the latter is supposed to be a Malay  nationalist party and the former   is  an out and out Muslim fundamentalist party with  the clear goal of establishing an Islamic government.

With the latest political antics, it appears  that the reverse is true. 

Of course, reading the blogs, the non Muslims are simply ecstatic with  these little gestures, who can blame them? It's  been very liberating for them after all these years. At long last there  are Muslim  politicians who can show  a little kindness  and understanding.

Before anybody gets really excited, please be reminded these are politicians, some of them will do anything to win votes. During these early days, they will show their good sides to their constituents.

Are they genuine? Remember they represent a party that's very conservative in their interpretations of Islam. In Kelantan where they have been ruling for sometime ,women are forced to wear head scarves, and there are separate lanes for the sexes at  the supermarkets, cinemas have to leave their lights on when screening a movie to prevent young couples from doing things they are supposed to do only when they are married.

Just because a few politicians want to appease you in order to get your votes , why not sit back  and see things in their proper perspectives. 

Only today, MCA slammed PAS statement made by its deputy spiritual leader Datuk Dr. Haron Din who urged their supporters to be patient for the party to capture the Federal Government so that it could amend the Federal Constitution to implement hudud laws.

Can a leopard change its spots?

Despite our multi-religious heritage, it's PAS avowed goal to impose its brand of Islam on the country.They will do what it takes to get there.

Seeing its president, Hadi Awang in robes and turban, one wonders if Malaysia cannot contribute anything at all towards the growth of Islam as a universal religion. Must it be  just one version from the Middle East above everything else? What's wrong with Malay dressing that reflects our heritage?

If God had wanted us to be Arabs, he would have made us them! 

PAS politicians are brilliant players, once, they get you in their trap, see if you can wiggle your way out.

They have dismissed the latest developments as  mere politicking. Oh really?

Like MCA president Ong Ka Ting just reminded us, beware of PAS ulterior motive. 

Just beware of the real message.

It’s my life, I do what I want

 I have no regrets.

I am living the life that I want.

I've had some of the best sex of my life.

These are some of the quotations attributed to maths prodigy, Sufiah Yusof , a Brit of Pakistani-Malay descent who has now become a prostitute.

Without sounding disrespectful to members of her family here, Sufiah's mum is from Johore, many people have said that this story is a welcome reprieve from the  current political posturing and intrigues in the country.

Having gone to Oxford  to study Maths  at the age of 12, Sufiah was an instant celebrity. It wasn't a smooth path for her though. At 15 she ran away from the university, her relationship with her family especially with her father was strained to the point of no return.

She didn't want to have anything to do with them and was  later placed in foster care. 

In between she  got married and divorced. Quite an experience for someone who was not allowed to have much of a childhood .

There will be many explanations for her fall from grace if you will. It's so easy to blame  parents for being overambitious for their children.

Had she been allowed to have a normal life, maybe, she would have turned out differently.There was also the pressure to be a good Muslim from an early age by her parents when her father was not really a good example. He had been  jailed previously for fraud, and is currently inside for molesting young girls he tutored. 

Sufiah is  highly intelligent, maybe, becoming a prostitute  is her way of  getting back at her father. Something is not right  somewhere. Is this her way of forgetting her pain?

Parents should allow their children freedom, let them find their own pace instead of forcing their own ambitions on them . With little room to breathe, they suffocate. 

Parents mean well, poet Khalil Gibran said our children come through us  not from us and they have their own wings , after a while they fly wherever they want to. We can only guide them.

What's absurd in this episode is the news that some UMNO ministers have been reported as saying that they wanted to help Sufiah.

She is an adult, and a Brit, how do they propose to help? The ministers will be better appreciated  if they help   our own people who are drug addicts, HIV   carriers and  sort out other social ills usually associated with Bumiputras in the country. 

Sufiah doesn't have your  typical Malaysian mind set, she is free in a free country. She does what she wants. Her parents can't do anything about it,  can our UMNO ministers do any better ?

If there is any learning process here, UMNO ministers must learn to accept that people have their own mind. They can think for themselves. If you try to influence  and control people too much, there is a natural backlash like  what happened in the last elections.

People want to do their own thing, they don't want to be dictated to. Let young people learn from their own mistakes, we, as adults have to learn to be more tolerant and more forgiving. Don't think we have all the answers.

Listen, please, listen to others. It is good manners to do so.

On second thoughts, maybe, the ministers should go to UK after all, let's see who influences who and who saves who.

Time for a new look

I overheard..

I was in my favourite coffee shop the other day. I overheard this conversation between two friends behind me.

-So, how?

-Politics? A bit boring lah. Everyone is an expert now..

- Boring? Many possible scenarios to think about what, interesting bah. It keeps you connected to everyone, everywhere. Strangers become friends now.

-True also. what else is happening?

- If you read the blogs, you know the country has undergone some kind of revolution without bloodshed…

-Huh! anything else in the blogs worth knowing?

-Ya, there is this campaign to boycott the mainstream media( MSM) and also companies connected to BN.

-Yea? Why are they doing that for?

-Some of the bloggers are saying the MSM are too biased and they have lost their credibility.

-Why boycott? Get the other side to buy over and see if they can be neutral in their spin.

-Also, you know the Sultan of Blogs, Raja Petra? In his latest posting he said he’d changed his Maxis phone number because the owner, Ananda Krishna ,gave the BN millions of ringgits for the elections. As a form of protest, Petra decided not to patronise Maxis anymore.

-Huh?

-Petra’s argument is that tycoons like Ananda condone corruption, arrogance of power of the BN government. So, boycott their companies lah..

-Wah, these people are really self righteous.They are blaming the BN side for being arrogant and all that, to me they are the same.They are getting carried away with their own self-importance, what is the difference? Think many people will want to cancel their ASTRO subscriptions?

-You’ve got a point there, bro.

-If their campaign is successful, you think the tycoons will suffer with their millions stashed away overseas? The little people who work in these companies will get hurt. I am sure lots of these people voted for the opposition bah. If these companies cannot pay their salaries, how are they going to feed their families?

-Ya lah, it’s always the small people who get hurt.

-What’s new? All these smart bloggers should be telling the opposition held state governments to get cracking, instead of trying to destroy people’s livelihood. You want to keep the economy going, right?

-What was Bill Clinton’s tag line? It’s the economy, stupid? Something like that…

-Ya bah, get to work and prove you can do better, everybody is watching. All this revenge business is a waste of time and counter productive. It’s just one big ego trip for some people. If the opposition state governments can deliver, Sabah will go that way too.It’s a matter of time, bah..

My hand phone rang and I didn’t hear the rest of the conversation.

He ain’t grateful, he’s my…..

The East Malaysians are very upset, wherever you go, you hear people say KL has cheated us once again.

Before the announcement of the new cabinet, I met an ex-colleague who was very upbeat of having a stronger Sabah representation at the federal level.

I told him not to be too confident.

So, despite contributing 55 seats (Sabah 24, Sarawak 30, Labuan 1) or 40% of the parliamentary seats Badawi only threw crumbs at us in terms of ministerial posts, to the extent one Sabahan minister has declined to serve in his cabinet.

That’s Badawi’s way of saying “Thank You” to us.

He has taken us for granted again, his misplaced arrogance is still there ,despite losing 5 states and the two thirds control of parliament. He thinks the mandate he has just received is still considered strong.He’s definitely in denial.

Is he yet to wake up from his sleep or what?

At the last count , Johore has the most senior posts in the cabinet despite contributing only 25 seats.

Of course some people are more equal than others.

If the coffee shop talk is to be believed, we will have a new Prime Minister soon as many East Malaysian MPs are willing to jump ship.

Boy, are the people upset!

I can’t even have a decent debate on this as people I talk to are just too emotional and angry about the whole thing.

Why is Mohd Mohd Taib “Mike Tyson” brought back into the cabinet despite being caught carrying millions of dollars in Australia? Where did he get the money from when he was only earning a few thousand ringgits per month as the Mentri Besar of Selangor then?

Shouldn’t someone from Sabah or Sarawak be given the ministerial post instead of being made deputies? The hard core poor are plentiful in the two Borneo states, isn’t Selangor a developed state already , so why is he made the Minister for Rural Development? He didn’t even win a seat!

Sabahans have been screaming about the illegals in their state for so long, why didn’t Badawi appoint somebody from the state to be the deputy minister of Home Affairs to look into the matter?

There are too many unanswered questions.

This guy Badawi is either a genius or a big time fool for forming a cabinet that tailors for his own political survival instead of the nation’s as seen from here.

You can’t blame him for trying, can you?

After decades of political predictability, this is the first time the country is entering into unchartered waters.This is good in terms of a maturing nation. A two-party system is something we all can look forward to.

Can we live with so much uncertainty, though?

The Malaysian political scenario is hard to read at the moment, anything can happen.

Within UMNO, there is so much unhapiness, Tengku Razaleigh has offered himself to stand against Badawi in the coming UMNO elections. But, UMNO feudal culture is such nobody will say anything loudly or openly. It’s still the “Yes Datuk “syndrome, but behind your back the kerises are out.

The Wanita UMNO is also going bonkers because their head has not been re-appointed as minister . The newly appointed Minister of Tourism is not considered a member of the movement. You talk about bitchiness!

There is also the big problem in Trengganu over the appointment of the Mentri Besar.

Then, you read Anwar Ibrahim was quoted as saying that his coalition is a government- in- waiting.

Is his coalition up to it?

What keeps them together is Anwar, as both PAS and DAP have nothing in common. PKR itself is very much a one man show. Maybe, they should thrash out things first. Come up with a common platform. Many sober people also argue not to rush where angels fear to tread. Let the opposition states prove that they know how to rule first.Then, we can decide later.

Many people also worry because America is currently going through some difficult times with her economy, which means we are going to be hit too.

Indeed,things are very uncertain for us.

We need a steady ship at this juncture,otherwise, everybody will hurt big.

Many of the bigwigs are not sleeping well these days, not even Badawi I am sure. Maybe,he doesn’t care as long as his position is safe. It looks that way, doesn’t it?

Will the country be more stable when he steps down? Many also argue he is simply not capable, too slow and all that.

Is there going to be a happy ending to all this?

Only Madam Zorra can tell us.

A New Malaysia

When I got up late Sunday , I could not help thinking that this is a new country now. Unfortunately, we in Sabah failed to read the signs of a new Malaysia many people want.

Even though they still won the elections, the powerful Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition that has been ruling the country since independence failed for the first time to secure a two- thirds majority in the 222 seat Parliament and on top of that they lost five peninsular states to the opposition.

I expected the opposition to win at least 60-65 seats in Parliament, instead they secured 82 seats ,well beyond everyone’s expectations. The BN ,managed to get only 49% of the popular votes in the peninsular, without the 54 seats contributed by Sabah and Sarawak, they would have been hard pressed to form a simple majority government.

Is Kuala Lumpur going to reward us for this blind loyalty? We have to wait and see. If they don’t, chances are Sabah will go to the other side in the next elections or maybe sooner than we think.

We have done it before, we’ll do it again.

Even in the just concluded elections, there were some pointers indicating this, the heavily Chinese populated areas in Sabah actually voted for the opposition. Simple arithmetic shows if the opposition had worked together,they would have won plenty in these areas, BN won because of the split votes.

And my own estimate indicates that about 40% of local Malay votes went to PKR. Remember PKR does not have good local leaders who can galvanise the voters, also the party does not have a strong political machinery in the state.

Friends told me if not for the postal votes, many BN winners would have been yesterday’s papers.

For the incumbents, they have to work harder for the next four to five years, if they think they are in it for the spoils, wait for the tsunami next time round.

Show the people you are there to serve them. If you think it’s business as usual, you’d better think twice, every one is watching for that one wrong move.

Many people think Badawi should resign for the debacle. Then, in UMNO feudal culture, their people don’t worry too much about accountability, or for that matter, nobody should ask any critical questions, they are trained like Pavlov’s dog to be grateful to their leaders.

I thought those days were over especially with the new political equation in the country!

Then, old habits die hard, many of our politicians are slow learners. Let’s shoot straight here, Badawi is now seen as a liability to the party and so is his son-in-law. Somebody in UMNO must be brave enough to tell him so, Mahathir did that to Tunku; otherwise UMNO will be consigned to the dustbin of history soon.

This election is less about race but more about issues like corruption, economic opportunities ,rising prices and crimes, arrogance of power et al that bug us all as citizens of the country. We are in the same boat, don’t divide and rule us. Fair is fair. the voters seem to say.

As for politicians who have been around far too long, please make you exit gracefully. Pairin.for example, should learn the lesson taught to Sammy Vellu.

You don’t want your own community to do the same to you. Respectful as we are as Asians, understand the signs, please.

As a Sabahan, I have seen it all.

Three different parties with three different ideologies governing as one entity, can they get their act together?

They might portray themselves as the saviours of the country now, once the realities of power set in, many will be tempted by the devil.

One party believes in the chopping of hands , the other party believes in a Malaysian Malaysia, I am not clear what the other party wants to fight for that is different from UMNO, except it has a star politician as an advisor.

The cynic in me says it’s matter of time before they disintegrate, then the Malaysian in me wants things to work out for the sake of our future generations.

Whatever it is, Malaysian politics will never be the same again.

Election, what election?

Is this country about to go to vote? An election in this country? Moving around the city, I couldn’t help noticing a rather subdued atmosphere this time around, unlike in the previous elections where people were into it in a big way.

There is hardly any excitement except for the party workers distributing their pamphlets. The banners,the buntings, the flags are there but they don’t turn you on.

What does all this mean? There are many ways of looking at it.

My take on this is that the voters, at least, in the urban areas have already made up their mind who they are going to vote for if they go out to vote,that is. I have been trying to catch up with speeches and ceramahs from both sides, there are hardly any good ones that I am prepared to run to.The current wet weather has not been much of a help either.

One of my friends who is campaigning told me that some of the candidates are using technology to get their message across. By giving a power point presentation complete with photographs and other graphics the message is better conveyed to the target audience rather than listening to boring speeches.

And, don’t forget the ubiquitous hand phones, no smart politicians will leave home without one.

The approach is, therefore, more personal , it’s like the direct selling approach many of us are familiar with. See what technology can do to you. If video has killed the radio stars, the internet has flattened the world. If everybody can fly now,everybody can also write now(blogs and SMSes). As a result, information flies faster than the speed of sound.

I have been practically glued to the computer catching up with the alternative news on the latest goings on, the government controlled media have practically choked me to death with the same boring message of development. So, I don’t bother.

We all know the projects will never be given out in a fair manner unless you are connected to the people at the top. Voters like me want to know more about other things like fairness, accountability, corruption, security, education, the economy and all that. You know the soft side of development. At the end of the day we want to be better informed so that we can make the right decision when we cast our vote a week from now.

The government should realise by telling the public what is good for them is actually counter productive.Those we-know-what’s- best- for -you days are over, the voters these days are better educated and better informed. They want to decide for themselves, what they want are informed choices. In fact, the government will get more respect if the opposition is given some air time. This is called fairness. Does this sound familiar to you? It does not appear to exist in the government’s vocabulary, does it?

Meanwhile, I noticed they don’t do this in the Peninsular or in Sarawak, but, voters in Sabah are divided into Muslim Bumiputras, Non-Muslim Bumiputras and Chinese. Are you comfortable with this classification? Whose bright idea is this?

Since when we in Sabah identified ourselves along religious lines? Most of us are proud of our cultural heritage, thus I find the classification is rather stupid and insulting.

How do we know what religion a person practises by looking at the names in the electoral rolls? We know in Sabah a person with a Christian sounding name could be a Muslim, and vice versa. Most of the ethnic names are pretty neutral about their faith.

Then, with some of the Kadazandusun people, changing one’s religion is no big deal, so, how can the authorities be hundred percent sure of this oversimplified Muslim and non-Muslim Bumiputras dichotomy?

Why are the Chinese lumped into one single grouping, when they are followers of many religions? Obviously, there is inconsistency in this method.

Let’s go back to the familiar way of identifying our voters along ethnicity, and leave religion out of this, please.

We should be proud in telling the world of our unique diversity instead of oversimplifying it, don’t you think?

Political Dynasties

They say politics is in the blood, the 8th March elections seem to confirm this.

A cursory look at the preliminary list of candidates shows that many family members of current or former politicians are entering the fray. This is not limited to the government side but also the opposition.

This also appears to be a worldwide trend, in America there are political families like Kennedy, Bush and now Hilary is trying her best to bring the Clinton name into the political consciousness of the American people once again.

In Asia, it’s so routine, it’s almost boring.

Gloria Arroyo, Megawati Sukarnoputri, Benazir Bhutto, Indra Ghandi, Suu Kyi, Lee Hsien Loong are all daughters and son of former Presidents or Prime Ministers of their respective countries.

Looking at this trend, do ordinary citizens like you and me have any chance at all in leading the country unless you have the necessary political pedigree? Ability and merit sound a bit alien here. The wise people are right when they say life is never meant to be fair.

With the exception of the first Prime Minister, Tunku Abdul Rahman, children of former prime ministers are now well represented in the political life of the country, the latest addition being Mukhriz Mahathir. The list gets longer, former MCA president’s son, the Gerakan Advisor’s son, the disgraced Health Minister’s son are all said to be contesting in the coming elections.

The opposition leader, Lim Kit Siang, has always made sure that his party DAP is a family business. His son will now be contesting in Penang.The other DAP stalwart Karpal Singh’s son is also said to be contesting. Former Sarawak Governor’s daughter has been announced as a candidate. And, the Sarawak Chief Minister’s son is set to take over from his father’s parliamentary seat. Keadilan Anwar Ibrahim’s wife will be defending her Penang seat, now, daughter Nurul is said to be contesting in one of the seats in the Klang valley.

Not to be outdone, Prime Minister Badawi has given his influential son -in- law the green light to stand for parliament in Negeri Sembilan, and our Chief Minister’s son- in- law will be defending his seat in Membakut. It doesn’t stop here,of course.

Say what you want blood is thicker than water. While the general populace is all excited about the elections, for they feel they have a say in choosing the government, we tend to overlook at the not- so -subtle imposition of family political dynasties into our body politics of this country.

Putting this unhealthy trend aside, when I go out to vote on 8th March, some of the issues I’ll keep in mind are: what have the government done in terms of security, do I feel safe in my own land? What about corruption? Abuse of power? Also have the government been fair to the people in terms of economic opportunities, human rights etc?

As for the much repeated promise of development, it’s getting tedious, it’s the government’s job to develop the nation. We don’t want to believe in all these promises and then the contracts go to the privileged few.

Even if they don’t do a proper job,these people with the right political connections are hardly punished.There is hardly any accountability in this country.

If the government have been doing their job, how is that Sabah is now one of the poorest states in the country? Running water and electricity are unheard of in some parts of the state, so much for the promises of development!

It’s elementary really, we can continue with the status quo and have everything imposed in a “we know what’s good for you, don’t question us “approach like we are a bunch of imbeciles or we can vote for a real change.

The choice is ours.

Will the circle be unbroken?

Hi! I went off line to sort out a few personal matters, I am back now. During my absence in the cyberspace, I notice life goes on as usual.The sun rises and the sun sets, you know that kind of thing. If you think something is important, then it becomes a priority to you, life has more meaning. Otherwise, it can be one big void.

Enough of philosophy, let’s get real. It’s the time of the year where the excitement is bigger than all the festivals combined together in the country. It happens every four or five years, so, everybody is into it. You know I am talking about the general elections due on 8th March.

Malaysians love elections, they will vote for the same government, then later curse the politicians they vote in to death. It’s the same old, boring story.

Sabahans have the reputation for being the boldest voters in the country, we dare go against the mainstream thinking by voting in a very unexpected manner. Ever since the coming of UMNO into the state, we have been very sober.

Are we going to maintain the status quo this time around?

Personally, I don’t see any new government being formed in the country. The government will probably not get the kind of support they received four years ago. So what? They will still form the government.

Some of my friends are adamant that the BN government in the state will fall. If we can vote solid opposition in,some even talking of denying the incumbents the two thirds majority, then we all can sleep well at night, I’d say.

The average Joe voter is upset what he perceives to be an indifferent attitude of the government in tackling a series of issues, for Sabahans it’s the illegals, enough said. Then, like anybody else the rising costs of essential items bothers him,which means his ringgit cannot stretch that far.

I think,what’s of concern to most of us is the perception that local politicians and other big guns are too busy lining their pockets at the expense of everything and everybody else, and they seem to be above the law.

We have become mere spectators at this cynical abuse of power, there is no check and balance. There is real anger and frustration amongst the better informed citizens. There does not seem to be a way out of this.

In the urban areas, the anti-government sentiment is very high,but, since when the government relies on the urban voters?

The real battle is in the rural areas, where sentiments and emotions are worked up to make sure the government is returned to power. And , the rural people will be kept in the dark and remain poor, so that they can turn to the government for hand outs, in exchange for votes.

Will the circle be unbroken?

It’s a bit boring reminding people to vote wisely. I like the American Presidential hopeful Barrack Obama’s tag line “CHANGE we can really believe in”.

Instead of being shortchanged by our greedy politicians forever and ever, the whole country needs a change for the better.

Is there someone in the country who can actually initiate change we all can believe in?

Let me know if you know of one, ok?

.

Not again

I expected it. Then, what’s new? I am talking about the decision made by the Education Ministry that future Science and Maths examinations are to be in dual languages.

After producing a generation of graduates who are not proficient in the English language making them almost unemployable in the private sector; when the former Prime Minister, Dr. Mahathir, announced that the two subjects would be taught in English, many parents were hopeful.

As a direct result, my primary school going nephews and nieces have improved their English tremendously with this policy change, and are very comfortable in speaking the language now. Children do learn very fast.

Unfortunately, in this country it is ever so common to see policies reversed in mid-stream because of political consideration.There is no commitment to see them through once obstacles surface. While the politicians score points , only God knows the damage done to future generations.

I understand the plight of our rural children, some of them can’t even speak Bahasa properly, what more English? This should be seen as a challenge actually.Many members of the older generation only knew “yes” or “no” when they first started learning English, because of the persistence of the colonial authorities, over time they became fluent in the language.

Instead of the usual flip flop approach, we should stay the course. Why didn’t we do it progressively in the first place?

Give the urban schools an earlier target , while the rural schools a slightly longer time frame. However, by certain time, all schools must do the two subjects totally in English. Period.

By giving this dual language option, many teachers will take the easy way out by teaching the subjects in their own mother tongue, this defeats the purpose and a step backward.

There is no point in screaming about having a good command of the English language to be competitive in the globalised market place . It’s understood. The Education Minister himself knows this very well by sending his daughter to study in Australia.

If he has faith in the English language education, he should also share this with all Malaysians, especially with the rural parents. We are only talking about two subjects here!

The parents only want their children to have a good job, and they know a good command of English or Mandarin will help them towards this.

Even little Brunei knows that only the English language can prepare their young to be competitive by teaching most of the subjects in the language. Now, their young citizens tend to have a better command of the language than our young people.

While we have gone to space, we can’t ignore our own planet. We need to move on fast into the globalised market place of the 21st century. To do this we must stay focused.

Rasa Sayang

My heart was in my mouth, a little prayer was said for a safe journey.When he finally docked and emerged with a smile,most people just like me felt relieved.

Compared to the others, our first Malaysian astronaut Sheik Muzaphar looks very happy to be in space. He keeps saying he wants to stay longer . Now, the time has come for him to come back, we wish him a safe trip home so that he can share with us his experience up there.

With the interest in science generated, hopefully, Malaysians will be more rational and scientific in their approach and not to be too dependent on mumbo -jumbo and what have you.

I know this is not the end of our space programme, I am sure more astronauts will be sent up there, maybe, our young people should start dreaming of being the first Malaysian on Mars.

Back on earth, what I find intriguing is the debate with our Indonesian neighbours as who actually owns the popular folksong “Rasa Sayang”.The slinging match started when Malaysian tourist officials use the song as part of our tourist promotion on TV.

The Indonesians say it’s theirs, we concur and it’s ours as well, after all we share the same ancestry. Many Malaysians have their roots in what’s now Indonesia, so it’s not only natural to share similar language but also to share many things like satay, batik, soto, kebaya and folksongs.

Who owns what can’t be determined strictly as people moved from one island to another.Those days they had no sense of international boundaries, and there were no immigration outposts either, and even now,some ethnic groups straddle both sides of the border. We even share the Sebatik island off Tawau together and this big island called Borneo.

The trouble, I think, is with the Indonesian media . They have suddenly discovered their new found freedom, so in the name of freedom, they write what they want. I suspect there is even an element of jealousy amongst the elites in Jakarta.

Why not?They are bigger and richer than us, yet the country that should be the leading light in the region finds it hard to accept the fact that their people have to come here to earn a decent living. We are also the first to help every time natural disasters hit them. So, when some of our officers go overboard in discharging their duties, especially when dealing with their citizens, they get very sensitive.

What to us is normal, after all, our officials are only doing their job, to Jakarta elites , it’s like rubbing salt into the wounds. A double whammy for them. Some people are saying only the Javanese elites in Jakarta are offended by all the incidents as they show them in bad light for not running the country well, the other Indonesians like the Bugis, Acheh,the Kalimantan and the Sumatran peoples are not so taken up with Jakarta’s emotional outburst as they closely identify with Malaysia and its achievements.

Some Indonesians in Malaysia do give their countrymen a bad name for breaking the laws of the country too often. On the other hand, our officers should be more tactful and they must also learn to respect the human rights of other people , because, too many of them tend to be too pompous and over-bearing. Power must be tempered with civility.

Say what you want, as far as people-to-people relations are concerned, we are still singing the “Rasa Sayang” together.

Beyonce and Burma

If you watch TV or read the newspapers, what you get is nothing but news that really get you upset most of the time. Bad news sell big time, good news are nothing but a big yawn. Funny how the world operates. You do feel like switching off sometimes.

If you are a music lover, how do you feel now that Beyonce decided not to proceed with her concert in Kuala Lumpur? Of course, there are many spins to this, from tight scheduling to other reasons. Basically if you ask me, she does not want her art to be compromised by all the funny rulings about dressing and all that.

If I were her, I wouldn’t come either, you accept my art in its complete package or you can forget about me helping your visit Malaysia Year.

Malaysians are well informed enough to know that you only need to turn on MTV or surf the internet to see sexier things than Beyonce’s exposed tanned skin or beautiful figure! So what’s the big deal about the dress rulings for visiting Western female singers? It’s not like they are dying to come here. Beggars should never be choosers.

It’s bad manners to force people from other cultures to comply with our way of doing things. What is happening to our own upbringing? Please don’t do unto others what we don’t wish to be done to ourselves.

I wish some of our people would get their moral compass more focussed, with corruption, drug abuse, HIV carriers, and others, there are more things more important in this country than somebody’s flesh or the way they dance on stage.

Now, what must be the biggest upset for me is definitely the way the Burmese junta handled their own people.They even butchered their own unarmed Buddhist monks for leading peaceful demonstrations. How cruel can you get?

It’s very hard to digest their ruthlessness and their desire to stop democracy from being established in the country.The fact they look so entrenched and the people there are suffering enough to make any human being despair.

If it helps the Burmese people’s cause, just expel the country from ASEAN. All this buddy- buddy talk of non-interference in member’s country is a waste of time. Put our foot down and teach the rogue member a lesson, kick them all the way to hell.

It is also sad to note that influential Asian countries like China and India can close one eye on the Burmese people’s sufferings. I don’t expect much from China but from the biggest democracy in the world, I expect some principled leadership . Maybe, I expect too much.

Then, in this world , there is no such thing as free lunch.

For Beyonce’s fans, cry your heart out.

And, as for the Burmese people though life is nothing but suffering as taught by Lord Buddha, however, I believe there is light at the end of the tunnel. Maybe, Nirvana is just across the road!

Can we switch off from this world, when we are very much a part of the total sum?