Of death and revenge.

It's been a long since I last posted anything in this space and I apologise. College consumes a lot of time unfortunately :( Here's a poem I wrote recently. Don't understand anything? Dictionary.com XD

Of Death and Revenge.

As the monsoon sweeps across the plains of the west,
A torrent of ugly, stupid and illegal descends.
Upon the soils of argentum and pewter.

Liberté, Equalité, Fraternité
Robespierre coffin shifts.
Should the guillotine not ring afresh?

The puddle clears.
The assizes flame sears.
Malevolence left in tears.

Though despair peals.
Though the directorate is in cahoots.
Though the empire spreads its blackest tentacles.

Punishment awaits.
Insolence dragged to the gates.
The estates anticipate their fates.

Tomorrow-tomorrow-tomorrow.

The catafalque of egalitaria will settlest.
In the crypt of Ipoh.

The impending doom shant avertest.
Quarternate, all that remain.
Hope never dies.

The true meaning of Democracy.

Many nations consider themselves democratic. In fact, as you can see from the photo above, only two nations, Saudi Arabia and Myanmar do not consider themselves democratic. The truth of the matter is very much different though....

In this map you can see the truth of the matter. The lighter the colour of the country the more democratic it is.

Firstly we have to consider the question What is Democracy? According to the Greeks who came up with the word it means rule by the people. However, this should be contrasted from Majoritarianism which is also a form of people backed rule.

According to Majoritarianism, the majority choose and everybody has to acquiesce to their decisions no matter how bad it may be to a particular group.

There are several varieties of democracy some of which provide better representation and more freedoms for their citizens than others. However, if any democracy is not carefully legislated to avoid an uneven distribution of political power with balances such as the separation of powers, then a branch of the system of rule is able to accumulate power in a way that is harmful to democracy itself. The "majority rule" is often described as a characteristic feature of democracy, but without responsible government it is possible for the rights of a minority to be abused by the "tyranny of the majority".

That is what's happening in Malaysia today. To the proponents of hudud law, this is what I have to say to you. Pay attention closely.

A) Democracy is not about majoritarianism. It is about doing what is best for the majority while not infringing on the rights of the minority which is normally protected by the constitution.

B) Okay, the majority of the people want an "Islamic legal system" to be implemented for them. We'll take this at face value. (Although I suppose you should conduct a nationwide referendum just to check before going on such an endeavour). What about all the individuals who don't want their arms chopped off? Don't they have rights? Or are their rights non-existent because the majority deems it so? Their rights are consigned to oblivion just because 51% of the population thinks that it is irrelevant?

The fact remains that government should play no part in policing morality or religion. Both are personal matters between you and your preferred God. (Whether or not this God exists is a matter for another day.) How would one police hudud law then? If a Muslim and a non-Muslim robbed a store together what then? One trial for the Muslim and one for the non-Muslim? One would spend three years in jail and one would lose a hand? Whatever happened to equality before the law? Is it really your job to enforce your God's word? Who appointed you to be the defender of your God's law?

One of the cornerstones of the democratic system is that every human being is equal. Each person is born equal and throughout his or her life is to be treated as an equal. Is it not religious apartheid to punish one individual more severely than another for committing the same crime?

Until 1989 a white man arrested for petty theft could spend up to 10 years in jail and/or a fine of 100,000 Rand in South Africa. A black man arrested for the same crime could anticipate a MANDATORY 15-year sentence and/or fine up to 500,000 Rand.

Sounds like this is what you pro-hudud people are advocating.

There is no space for religious discrimination in an multicultural, plural society. You would do well to understand this PAS.

The End.

A year has come and gone. Unmistakably it's been the longest year of my life. The only constant in life is change and that was stamped all over my journey this year. As we come to the end of the year many people are moving on to other phases of their life and I wish them all the best for their future endeavours.

My journey still has some time to go. Yesterday I registered in Methodist College KL to do a 11 month Australian Matriculation program. The sense of deja vu was suffocating as I signed up for college for the 3rd time in 12 months. This time though it'll be the last. If things go according to plans the next 13 months will be my last in Malaysia for a long time to come.

I have just begun my journey and there is a long, windy path left to trek through. Challenges are sure to throng the path and I must watch my step.

To the future then. Happy New Years everyone. May it be a happy, wholesome, enlightening, fulfilling one for you.

Pagan Festivals.

To all Pagans, Happy Saturnalia and to Mithras, Happy Birthday. :)

Ikut Suka Aku.

There is a man.
A bald man.
A man who represents evil.
Evil you ask?
An unadulterated form of destruction.

Of the very nature that is man.
For what is man but a creature who has choices.
A creature who makes decisions.
A creature who is able to obtain and retain information.
A creature who's very being is defined but his ability to be free.

This freedom comes not cheaply.
A heavy price is paid.
A price that was born by many in the past.
A price that was payable in blood, sweat and tears.
A price we take for granted.

This bald man.
This man of black heart and black blood.
This man who is a cancer.
A lecherous being,
Who feeds off the misery of others.
With his band of merry theives.

They rob, plunder, loot, kill and leave to rot.
All that is sacred.
All that is the effort of us.
All that means something to us.
All of it.

Our duty is simple.
Perform it.

St Augustine (4th Century AD) - An unjust law is no law at all.

Rock The World 8.

How many of you listen to local bands? I mean on a consistent basis. Not like "I heard One Buck Short play that one time". Well I do and I actually BUY local bands' albums (which is a big deal for a unreformed pirate like me.) and go around and see their concerts and stuff.

Anyway, this coming Saturday is the 20th of Dec 2008 and Rock The World 8 is being held at Stadium Merdeka from 12pm to 12am. It's the biggest and best collection of local music talent you'll ever see in KL. So make your presence felt. Support our local music. Tickets are RM27 and can be purchased at the door! Some really big names in local music are going to be there as well including One Buck Short, Estranged, Estrella, Republic of Brickfields, OAG and Koffin Kanser.

Hope to see you all there.

EDIT: Tickets are RM27. Sorry for the error.

O Positive.

Recently I decided to do something good. I decided to donate my rather useful blood. I have O (+) blood and that means I'm an universal donor. Everybody can accept my blood and hopefully the blood I gave goes to help somebody who really needs it.

Me strapped in and ready to roll.

Nervous?

Blood bag filled with 450ml of fresh vampire food.

Patched up and good to go!

Blood donors get free food and a certificate! Haha!

Once I saw a blood bag, I was happy. I had done a small part in helping somebody else. That person who that blood bag goes to could be of any skin colour, any religion and any socioeconomic background. He doesn't care who I was. All he will know is that somebody gave blood and he's getting it to help save his life. The blood is colour blind. All our blood is red. My blood is not the Tuan of anyone's and I doubt anyone elses blood is the Tuan either.

Ponder on it for a second.

Arise, Malaysiana.

For 51 years,
A false truth has been drummed into the base of our skulls,
A truth that neglects us.
A truth that treats us as if we know not the reality.

But fear not fellow men,
For the equilibrium of nature is such,
That all who seek to oppress,
Shall one day be oppressed.
That all who seek to destroy,
Shall one day be destroyed.
That all who seek to cleave and divide,
Shall one day be divided themselves.

Within us lies a force.
One whose strength is undefeatable.
It is indefatigable, indestructible, unimpendable.
It is known as hunger.
Hunger for the truth.

An awakening is coming.
One of such proportions that the fell cities of the corrupt shall tremble.
The swamp which it is built on crumble,
And the lies shall be swallowed whole into the depths of memories.

The first step was taken.
On the 8th Day of the 3rd Month, we began our march.
Our footsteps reverberate through the paved walkways,
Through the corridors of power,
Through the hallways of decay.

The gloom is lifting,
The clouds are clearing.
Hope is renewed and rekindled.

Together, shoulder to shoulder,
Regardless of trivialities.
Leaving our collars of creed, religion and colour behind.
We March.

Slowly, for the path is windy.
But surely, as the sun rises in the east.
We will arrive at our Victory.
A Victory over tyranny and oppression.
A Victory to savour for all eternity.
A Victory that will unite us.

A Victory that will usher in a New Dawn to the chapter that is Us.

- Vikraman 4/12/08

The Case for Vernacular Schools.

This article is in reference to Mukhriz Mahathir's statement yesterday.

Mukhriz: Close down vernacular schools
Syed Jaymal Zahiid Dec 1, 08 5:43pm

Jerlun member of parliament Mukhriz Mahathir today slammed MCA and Gerakan leaders for ‘overreacting' over the Ketuanan Melayu (Malay supremacy) issue.

He blamed the vernacular school system for the polarised society which caused the poor understanding of the Malay supremacy concept among the non-Malays.He was of the opinion that the disunity in the community arose from the different education system and proposed that a single education system be implemented to foster greater unity.

The son of former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad said the issue of Malay supremacy was blown out of proportion due to the poor understanding of both those who spoke in favour and against the concept."I still hear statements are being made about the Ketuanan Melayu concept by BN component party leaders and this have hurt Malay hearts, especially Umno," he told a press conference in Parliament."When these leaders are making this kind of statement it shows that they know nothing of our history or maybe they are trying to act as heroes to their community," he added.Both MCA and Gerakan are senior partners in the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition headed by Umno.

According to Mukhriz, the term Ketuanan Melayu simply meant the sovereignty of the Malay rulers as well as the special position of the Malays in the country."The term Ketuanan Melayu simply refers to the sovereignty of our Malay rulers. When we address them, we call them Tuanku (your highness) and all the races do acknowledge this and they practice it."The concept does not indicate that we Malays are the masters and other races are slaves. The Malays, especially in economy, do not feel like they are the masters," reasoned Mukhriz.

'Component party leaders inviting backlash'

Mukhriz, vying for the Umno Youth chief post in the March party elections, was referring to the Chinese-based MCA's deputy president Chua Soi Lek who had described the Ketuanan Melayu as a Malay supremacy concept that implied a master and servant relationship that he felt was unacceptable.Delivering a speech last week, Chua had also said that the Chinese community can accept "Malay leadership but not Malay supremacy".

Chua was then backed by the president of another Chinese-based BN component party Gerakan, Dr Koh Tsu Koon who had issued a statement calling for Umno to replace the concept of Ketuanan Melayu with the "Malay special position" concept.Mukhriz blasted both Chua and Koh for making such statements and said that these leaders were only inviting strong criticism from their Malay counterparts."That kind of statement shouldn't be coming. They are inviting reactions by making such statements and we should be focusing on fostering unity instead of making such divisive statements. We have our limitations," he said.He further said that it was prerogative that Umno spoke up against "such exaggeration".

He added that the Ketuanan Melayu concept has been widely practiced and accepted as exemplified by the special Malay position enshrined in the federal constitution and other government policies.He also blasted the president of another BN component party, PPP's M Kayveas for issuing a threat to leave the coalition should the Internal Security Act not amended before the next general election."What he said is disrespectful towards the spirit of BN and I am very disappointed with his behaviour," said Mukhriz.

Close down vernacular schools

Mukhriz, who had previously come under fire from his own party for criticising the leadership of Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, also offered an explanation on why the misunderstanding about the Ketuanan Melayu existed. He attributed this to a polarised society caused by the current education system. The Umno Youth chief aspirant suggested that the best way to handle this was to foster greater unity and integration of all races at a young age and it has to start with the schools. But he is bound to invite criticism from various quarters with his suggestion that the government did away with the vernacular school system which he felt was divisive. He wanted all students to be streamlined under the Education Ministry and a singular education system be introduced.

"The government can foster greater unity by streamlining all the schools under one education system where the medium of teaching, besides Science and Mathematics, are taught in Bahasa Malaysia."We can make it compulsory that the Chinese and Indians study their own language in their mother tongue while these two languages can be optional for Malay students to learn or we can make it compulsory for students to learn at least three languages," he suggested.

When suggested by reporters that his proposal would most likely invite resistance even from leaders and members of BN, the Umno Youth chief aspirant said that he was only proposing in the name of unity."My suggestion has no other ulterior motives apart from to unite all races," he said. - Malaysiakini 1/12/08

I do not want to touch on anything else on this article except the points about vernacular schools.
Mukhriz contends that vernacular schools contribute to the further racial animosity. I fully agree. 110%. Vernacular schools do contribute to worsening inter-racial relationships because children grow up in an environment surrounded by people only of their racial background. (Although is becoming less the case with inner-city Chinese primary schools.) The crux of the issue here though is not "unifying the student population under the Education Ministry." The crux of the issue here is the quality of education. I am very sure that no educated Non-Malay parent wakes up one day and decides that "My child MUST go to a vernacular school." out of the blue.

It is a calculated decision weighing the pros and the cons. So let's go over the pros and the cons in as far as the current national schools and the current vernacular schools are concerned. As with any fair comparisons we'll give each of the pros a +1 and the cons a -1. (Btw, I attended national schooling from primary through to Form 5.)

PROS.
Vernacular Schools.

1. Teachers are 100% dedicated to teaching and are capable educators.
2. The student is able to learn his mother tongue effectively.
3. School administration is professional and competent.
4. Massive community support for schools.
5. School is proactive in encouraging non-curricular achievement.
6. School is not racially stratified.
7. Discipline is enforced without fear or favour to all students regardless of race.
8. Syllabus focuses on Science and Mathematics.
9. Overall academic achievement is higher.
10. School and teachers put academic achievement as the highest priority.
11. Independent Board of Governors.

National School.

1. Facilities are good (West Malaysia only.)
2. Students learn English from Standard 1.
3. Students learn Science and Maths in English.

CONS.
Vernacular Schools.

1. Students are exposed to only one racial group.
2. School is too academically orientated.
3. School is too competitive and does not give students room to grow as individuals.
4. Herd mentality is very strong.
5. Facilities are poor.
6. Funding is always lacking.

National Schools.

1. Teachers are lackadaisical and not dedicated. (Not all but most.)
2. Mother tongue education is non-existent. (POL Classes are an insult to our intelligence.)
3. School administration is a springboard for headmasters to enter politics.
4. UMNO agenda is pushed by the administration.
5. Poor community involvement.
6. No independent board of governors.
7. School does not encourage excellence in extra-curricular activities.
8. School is extremely racially stratified. (eg. Head Prefect must be a Malay. etc.)
9. Discipline is meted out according to race.
10. Syllabus is inconclusive and heads nowhere.
11. Overall academic achievement is poor.
12. School puts emphasis on academic achievement but implements it poorly.
13. Overt political inteference in many schools.
14. Many have been converted into permanent BTN camps to indoctrinate, not to educate.
15. Religious zealots have turned the schools into Islamic schools.

The numbers do all the talking don't they. National School score a dismal -12 and Vernacular Schools score a 5. Although Vernacular Schools have a long way to go in as far as improving the quality of education is concerned, they in the right side of the educational paradigm. National schools are heading in the wrong direction and as long as they are run similarly, they will remain to do so.

In the 1960's, most students attended National Schools. Vernacular school enrolment was poor. This was a concious effort by parents as the National Schools at that time were run professionally by Kirby trained teachers who taught an efficient syllabus that was relevant to the needs of the students. All of that is out the window now.

If the government wants vernacular schools to die out, rather than banning them and pissing off a whole section of the community (anyway banning them is unconstitutional.) they should improve National Schools. Once the national schooling system is back to it's best as it was in the 60's vernacular schools will die a natural death as parents will flock to national schools to give their children the best education they can afford.

May 13 - The Conspiracy, The Fiction and The Facts.

Many people are ignorant as to the actual events and happenings on May 13th 1969. The events leading up to it, including it and after it are just a blur because of 40 years of continuous whitewashing and blocking. The real events are shrouded in mystery to most and the truth of the matter was just revealed a few years back.



If you have read the book, May 13 by Dr. Kua Kia Soong then ignore this article. If not, pay attention closely because everything you thought you knew about the events surrounding that fateful die is a lie. Ask a man of the street as to what really happened on that day and more often then not, his response is going to be "Oh, itu Melayu bunuh Cina bunuh Melayu." The truth of the matter is far more disturbing and it goes some way towards explaining why we are where we are today.



Let's peer into the crystal ball shall we, in a journey into the past....



The year was 1969. Singapore had left the union four years ago. The 1964 racial riots which were orchestrated by UMNO in Singapore as a protest to then Singapore chief Minister Lee Kuan Yew's Malaysian Malaysia policy where he contended that all Malaysians should be treated as equals was bloody and still fresh on many people's minds. The root of that struggle and that decision is a different story altogether but now the actual background to the issues that arose later in that decade can be seen.

Between 1965 to 1967, there were many negotiations held between Singapore and Malaysia to maintain a unified currency and share certain public agencies like the UM, MSA (later MAS), Reserve Bank of Malaya and others, however severe communalist sentiment hampered the negotiations and UM was split into Universiti Malaya (based in KL) and the Singapore campus became NUS. Malayan-Singapore Airways became Malaysia Airlines and the Reserve Bank of Malaya became Bank Negara thus irrevocably divorcing Malaysia and Singapore.

Part of the 1963 Malaysia Agreement was that Singapore would help fund development in East Malaysia but after the secession of Singapore, that funding was cut off. The numerical advantage that non-malays had over malays in the 1964 election was also lost because of Singapore's secession. As such, UMNO began to be overtaken by a state-capitalist class led by Abdul Razak and Dr.Ismail. This class was always repressed by the Old Guard of UMNO led by Tunku as they tended to harp on more communal issues whereas the Old Guard was more interested in placating the MCA interests (which they held significant interests in as well.) As such, there was a great tension in UMNO throughout the late 1960's and many Malays felt divorced from the UMNO cause as many of Old Guard continued to neglect their interests.

The 1969 election was a significant one. Both the non-Malays and the Malays were extremely unhappy with the Alliance (as BN was known then). The non-Malays were unhappy with what they considered extreme discrimination in favour of the Malays in nearly every field whereas the Malays were generally unhappy about UMNO's lack of concern for the poor Malays. Many had seen no progress in the 12 years since independence and were losing faith with UMNO. Thus, the stage was set for a showdown. The pressure on Tunku was already building since the publication of the "Malay Dilemma" by Mahathir in the mid 60's. As such, he announced before the election that this would be his last election as the Prime Minister and he would step down after this. Abdul Razak then called on the public to give the Tunku a strong mandate as a retirement gift.

However, this was not enough. The non-Malays were extremely disaffected with the MCA/MIC and chose to throw their support behind the newly founded Gerakan and the heir to the PAP, the DAP. The Malays on the other hand, especially the ones in the East Coast and Northern parts of Malaysia decided to support the PMIP (PAS as it was known then.) The 1969 election was a disaster for the alliance as it lost it's two-thirds majority, the popular vote and the control of 3 state legislatures. UMNO was in turmoil.

Up to this, the official "history" is relatively accurate. However, from here to the 13th of May and beyond the official "history" papered over the actual truth. The following information have been gleaned from the despatches by foreign correspondents and ambassadors over the weeks up to and including May the 13th.

Exultant supporters of the DAP and Gerakan filled the streets of KL to celebrate their famous victory. The election campaign was of a deeply communal nature and served only to fuel racial tensions. Many foreign correspondents based in KL filed reports praising the Malaysian democratic system and predicted another five years of peace, prosperity and more effective, efficient government. Initially Tunku was disappointed but he soon conceded that the people wanted a strong opposition, which had been realised. On the 13th of May, MCA decided to withdraw from the cabinet while remaining in the Alliance. At UMNO HQ in Batu Road, the feeling was that democracy had gone too far. The political hegemony of UMNO was being threatened and a non-malay Menteri Besar for Perak and Selangor was very likely. UMNO Youth then decided to assemble at the residence of the then Selangor Menteri Besar, Harun Idris to demonstrate "support". Their assembly then turned into a riot which attacked Chinese business and homes throughout the city centre. One letter send by a British resident in KL who was sheltering 6 Chinese youths in her house to her MP in London was particularly impassionate and articulated the extent of the destruction the riot had caused the many unspeakable acts of terror perpetrated by the mob.

The majority Malay security forces professionalism was also questioned in the aftermath of the riots as many had "selectively" enforced the curfew as seen by foreign observers. On the 15th of May, Emergency was declared by the Yang Dipertuan Agong and all state legislatures and the Parliament was suspended. A National Operations Committee headed by Abdul Razak was formed and all local newspapers (the then honest, Straits Times included) were suspended. Censorship laws were quickly introduced and despite Tan Sri Hoffman's (The then editor of the Straits Times) impassionate pleas, were implemented. Many Opposition member's of Parliament were arrested under the ISA and many more confined to House Arrest. Abdul Razak and the new state-capitalist class of UMNO had assumed full power and it was just a matter of time until the Tunku was forced to resign. The military was given massive powers in the NOC and practically ran the civil service. Slowly, the picture began to clear. Abdul Razak was now running the country with the support of the police and the military. Although publicly he claimed responsibility to the Tunku, privately he had made it clear that only one person was in charge and that person was himself.

In summary, it is clear that the riots of May 1969 had led to the ascendance of the state capitalist class which controlled the NOC. It is also evident that the old aristocratic class under the Tunku had been eclipsed by the new Malay elite under the leadership of Razak. This new Malay ruling class largely maintained the Alliance Formula but enlarged it to incorporate more opposition parties. However, the predominance of UMNO within this larger coalition was unmistakable. The racial bloodbath and the state of emergency under military rule was intended to serve as a deterrent to any challenge to UMNO's dominance of the post 1969 Malaysian political landscape. The climate of terror and repression allowed the new regime to introduce and implement discriminatory Malay-centric economic, educational and cultural policies. These policies have been crucial in winning over the Malay masses to support the new Malay ruling class. At the same time, these discriminatory policies have been instrumental in facilitating the accumulation of capital by the new Malay capitalist class.

All the information above was drawn from Dr. Kua Kia Soong's book MAY 13 published by SUARAM. The book can be obtained for a nominal fee from Kinibooks.

Mumbai.

195 Dead. 295 Wounded. The people who have left us did not deserve this fate. The people who perpetrated these crimes have paid a price. Their lives were lost in the fighting but it was not a end they did not deserve. As much as I am an opponent of cruel, unusual and capital punishment ie. whipping, death penalty etc. these men deserved every bullet their bodies were riddled with. Here's to hoping that the truth is revealed and the real masterminds behind this heinous crime are revealed and punished adequately. My thoughts are with the families of the victims and I hope that they can recover from the psychological trauma this attack has subjected on them.

Crime does not pay. This massacre cannot go unpunished.

Shapes.

I haven't written any poetry in a long time. Today I felt inspired and here goes nothing;

Shapes.

Circular. A roundabout way to refer to what we can't define.
Squarish. Fixed and permanent, though many dislike it.
Triangular. Directional but temporary, no one knows if it is right.
Rectangular. Imbalanced and dysfunctional, why are we so?

In our journey to realise what we become,
We understand more about ourselves.
No one knows you like you.
Or Is that really true?

Do people really know who they are.
Or are they characters in a play.
Reciting their scripts like obedient puppets
Being told what to do by others.

I exhort you, my brothers and sisters.
Rebel against the domination.
Live your own life.
Understand who you are.

Else you shall regret,
That life was not lived as it was supposed to be.
And in the last throes.
You shall realise that a waste it was.

Some may say. What is the price we pay?
I prefer to say. What do we gain.
Nothing is permanent. The temporal nature of our existence is such.
Eternity is non-existent.

Go and Live.

- Vikraman 30/11/08.

Polis Diraja Malaysia - Caped Crusaders or Masked Marauders?

This article is about the police. The protectors of the peace, some might say. The defenders of the weak. The long arm of the law. There are many names for our men in blue but this letter puts them all to shame.

Quote Rej Number in a letter sent to Malaysiakini;

I refer to the Malaysiakini report
MCPXPolice stop anti-ISA event in Ampang, nine arrested.
I wonder how many people actually caught the video clip over Bernama and NTV7 on Sunday night.

For those who missed it, there was a Support ISA rally by Pewaris and pro-government NGOs in Kuala Lumpur where about 500 people took part. Now, I respect their right to carry banners and express themselves about how significant and pertinent the use of ISA in Malaysia is for whatever the reasons may be.

I mean if the anti-ISA groups can have vigils, why can’t those who genuinely feel the ISA is still relevant have their own channel and avenues to do it too?
During the Pewaris rally, a woman who was standing on a overhead pedestrian crossing apparently said something to the protesters below. She was also seen taking pictures with her cell phone.

The next image was what sent chills down my spine. Some members of the rally went after this lady, chasing her down the road. She was pushed to the ground and still chased after she got up.
She was not spared even after she had got into her car. A few of the protesters started kicking and stomping on her car until the terrified lady fled the scene. The only time I saw a cop was when he was trying to restrain one of the protesters from getting too near the lady.

But two things came through crystal clear. Where were our law-enforcing PDRM personnel? How is it that this group of protesters were allowed to carry banners and walk along a busy road while the anti-ISA people are treated like terrorists?

Why wasn't anyone arrested when they tried to hurt this lone woman in broad daylight? If the anti- ISA people had done that, it would have been all over the papers the next morning especially Utusan Malaysia.

So does the saying ‘You can get away with murder if you know the right people or have the right connections’ really sound all that farfetched? Well, Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar, if this is the double standard you want to show in your administration of the police force, god forbid, I don't know what else the people of this country have to bear.

Please PDRM, get a hold of yourselves. Professionalism is not something you say you have and everyone is only too happy to believe you.

Professionalism is saying what you mean and meaning what you say - backing it up with your very unbiased actions. Professionalism is being accountable and earning the respect for the uniform you wear. - Malaysiakini.

What can I say? The events are clear for all to see. Please, PDRM, don't take the rakyat for fools. We all know on who's orders you are acting. Ignore them. The rakyat are here to defend you.

Langkawi 08

DAY 3.

Rise and shine lads, it's the last day. Although the gang were up gambling till late everybody was up and ready at 6.30am to depart. After all, we needed to catch the 8.15 ferry to make it in time for the 10.15 bus back to KL. A few people had left early to make it for the 7am ferry as they needed to go to Kangar to collect the mobile phone left behind in the bus when we first came to Kuala Perlis. This was really our lifeline as we later realised. Our bags were packed and biscuits eaten, we decided to go down and get moving. Once we were downstairs, one car could not start. My suspicion is that the car has some problems with it's starter and it drinks oil like mad, it's RPM at rest was 3000! Crazy car. That really set us back and we had to wait for the rental guy to come and collect the car and stuff. With that we missed the window of opportunity to get onto the 7am ferry. However, we still didn't panic because we were confident of getting on the 8.15am ferry.

We got the jetty and quickly ran in because it was already 8am. Confidently we presented our tickets to the guard and to our dismay we realised that we hadn't "confirmed" our tickets! The guy who sold us the tickets sure didn't say anything about confirmation! We were screwed. The next ferry at 9am had only 9 places left as well. Keep in mind our bus was at 10.15am. After our attempt to bribe the guard into letting us in failed, we were negotiating with the ferry company to let the 14 of us into the 9am ferry. 5 people could stand, we wouldn't mind. However, while we were negotiating with them, the damned ferry company sold the other 9 tickets! What a pain in the ass! Now we were really screwed as we were sure we would miss our bus and would have to not only buy another ticket, we'd need to wait till nightfall for the next bus and only make it to KL on tuesday morning! What a blowout.

This is where the missing phone threw us a lifeline. The first group of 4 who had left on the 7am ferry were already there waiting for us (having obtained the phone). Somehow against the odds, they managed to stop the bus that came in from Kangar and made them wait for a full hour as we took the 10am ferry and made it to the jetty at 11am. Really amazing as normally express buses will never wait for even 10 minutes! Somehow they did it and we made it onto the bus. However as with everything else in Malaysia, we bribed the driver to make it worth his wait. How unsuprising. Well at least it was better than paying another RM43 for another bus ticket and waiting till nightfall for the next bus and even then we're not sure if we'll all have a spot on the bus!

At long last after many many stops to pee, eat, pee again, pour oil and whatever else we saw the skyline of Kuala Lumpur loom in the horizon. And the adventure had ended. Another memorable holiday for all of us...

Langkawi 08

DAY 2.

I wake up at 4am in the toilet coiled in a fetal position, drenched in water and vomit. There was still a large amount of alcohol in my blood and I felt it as I slowly got up and washed up for a full hour, hoping that the shower will bring back my memory and allow me to remember why I was in the toilet drenched in vomit and water. (I washed the toilet as well. There were bits of prawn everywhere.). Changed and dragged myself into bed between SH and WL. Soon I was woken up and offered breakfast. I declined and went back to sleep. Finally woke up at 11am and had massive nausea and traditional hangover lethargy. Pulled myself out of bed and showered + cleaned up. We were then ready to go for our island hopping.

First stop as always was the DFZ Duty Free outlet at Underwater World but this time we only bought a couple of chocolates. Waited for a while until the "guy" who was taking us for our trip came. We followed him to our boat and I took my t-shirt off and put my lifejacket on. It was time for some Hopping! Island No.1, Pulau Beras Basah "Wet Rice Island?!". Took photos and hung around on the beach for a while playing in the water. Some of the others went for the Banana Boat but I didn't want to go. Boring-much! Next change? Eagle Feeding. Our boat-man took us to a bay in one of the islands where I noticed a few eagles circling overhead. Initially I didn't realise the number of eagles there were in that bay but when the boat-man threw pieces of chicken into the water, all hell broke loose. Dozens of eagles swooped down and plucked pieces of chicken right out of the water. Truly a wonderous sight.

After that we went to Pulau Dayang Bunting were there is a huge freshwater lake just 20 metres from the saltwater sea. Fantastic bit of geography that. We fooled around in the lake and swam around like little idiots. A few people who didn't know how to swim borrowed lifejackets and pretended to swim. All a bit of good, clean fun really. Finally it was time to head back to base. Another stop in DFZ Duty Free (we seem to be going there rather often no?) to purchase duty-free cigarettes, liquor and chocolates for our loved ones was compulsory of course. (Although buying cigarettes for your loved ones is an oxymoron really. I mean who in their right mind would give their "loved" ones a one way ticket to the grave? Rather that would make them your enemies really. Funny.)

Stocked up and we left to look for food. In Langkawi, food is pricey. So we looked for a restaurant where somebody who actually LIVED in Langkawi would eat. We finally found one (after 1 hour of hunting high and low). It was a old Chinese Coffeeshop with a grand total of 2 staff, one of whom could only speak Hokkien (which is a problem because nobody in our group has any measure of fluency as far as Hokkien is concerned.) and had only one dish on offer. Kari Mee (Noodles in Curry). So with a dearth of choice all 10 of us ordered Kari Mee. One by one bowls of (tasteless) Kari Mee appeared with bits of chicken in it. The Chicken looked a bit amiss until we realised where it came from. The Chicken Rendang prepared for lunch. (Chap Fun). So with all the (tasteless) Kari Mee in our bellies we went back to the apartment to shower and prepare for dinner.

Showers all round, a round or two of Cho Dai Di (Big Two/大老二) followed and we were off to dinner. Finally a proper meal and I dug in to our 8 dish Chinese fare. There really was everything on the table, vegetables, fish, prawn, squid, venison (deer), chicken and a couple of others. After feasting we went to Al-Ikhsan (Sports Goods chain store) in Kuah town and fooled around for a bit while the girls bought stuff. Some funny scenes ensued upon discovery of Aston Villa and Arsenal jerseys in the store. Needless to say Arsenal jerseys were on the ground under a heap of Villa jerseys. Back to the apartment and some final packing was going on. I missed out on the nights gambling and went to bed early. Early being midnight in this case. WL and SH struggled into bed at 4am and 5am respectively.

DAY 3 continues..

Langkawi

Langkawi 2008.

Day 0.

Went to Puduraya around 9pm to meet Wing Luo and Seng Hang + rest of gang. Hung around Platform 3 waiting for the 10.30 KL-Alor Setar-Kuala Perlis-Kangar bus while observing a group of people my age standing near me. Little did I know that this was the motley crew that I would be spending time for the next 72 hours. Finally at 10.00pm WL and SH turn up and introduce me to their "gang". After trips to the relatively dirty Puduraya toilet (30 cents!), we board the Plusliner bus and await departure. Soon I drift off into la-la land but at around 1am, I am rudely awakened by giggles and chatter. A toilet stop for the bus. Next stop at 2am was to eat at Sungai Perak R&R. Ate nasi lemak + sausage (RM 2.50) and went back to sleep on the bus. Alor Setar stop woke me up next and it was already 5.20am. Quickly went back to sleep and finally we arrived at Kuala Perlis (6.20am).

Day 1.

Got off the bus and grabbed all my stuff. While WL was talking to the ferry agent I quickly go and clean my retainers (What a hassle!) and brush my teeth (the only person to do so, I might add). Our extended group of 18 (13 guys, 5 girls) walk to the docks and go for a spot of breakfast where SH promptly spits Milo all over me. Thank you Seng Hang. After a (very long) period of waiting, we get on the ferry at 8.30 and we're off to the duty-free land of milk and honey.

Pulau Langkawi. We make it intact there at 9.31am. First stop? Car rental of course. WL and 3 others pay the rental fees and promptly collect their beaten up, power-steering-less, Manual!, Proton Iswara's. You'd have thought that rental cars in duty-free Langkawi would be of better (Japanese?) quality but no.. Protons are still in the vogue. We bundle ourselves into the cars and my first calamity occurs. My shoes sink into a puddle of mud that I didn't notice.

So with mud soaked shoes and wet feet, I sit in the car as our convoy goes a total of nowhere for the first twenty-odd minutes. Yes. We basically went in circles around the jetty simply because we didn't know the road. How pathetic. Sooner or later we figured out the way to the Holy Grail. (DFZ Duty-Free Langkawi Sdn. Bhd. - Underwater World, Pantai Cenang). Ah yes, cut price cigarettes and alcohol, heaven I tell you. We load up on cartons of fags to bring back to our loved ones (How illogical, giving our loved ones a one way ticket to the grave?) and of course the inevitable liquor purchasing begins.
Liquor bought;

• 1 x Smirnoff 100-proof - RM 37!!
  
• 2 x Chivas Regal 80-something proof - Rm 65 each!
• 2 x Merlot (Coonawarra Estate, Victoria, Australia) - RM28.00 each!
• 1 x Baccardi Apple - RM 45.00
  

After that we head to KFC for our first (tax-free) meal. KFC is 10% cheaper in Langkawi! Haha. Finally, we discover our first loss in the trip. Somebody left their phone behind on the bus to Kuala Perlis. However, the excellent folks at Plusliner retrieved it and kept it safe in Kangar for us to come and collect. (What a blessing this turns out to be as we will discover on the final day!). We go to the apartments where we were booked for the two nights (Century Suria Apartment, Kuah) and unload.

After hanging around and wasting time in the rooms at around 3pm we decide to head off to Durian Perangin Waterfall in well, Durian Perangin. We played in the falls to our hearts content and after fooling around in various positions and taking a bunch of photos (On FACEBOOK. Lazy to upload here.) we pack up and with all our very wet underpants get into the cars and look for a mini-market where we can buy raw ingredients to cook dinner. (Yes, we cooked dinner, mostly anyways). After running left and right following a myriad of directions by a myriad of people looking for the elusive Pasaraya Billion, we give up and just shop at the Pasar Malam instead. We bought pre-roasted Chicken at RM 20 a bird (2x) and 1kg of fresh tiger prawns at RM 14.00. YES. TIGER PRAWNS AT RM14.00/kg. I KID YOU NOT. We hunt the pasar malam for other essentials (spices, onions, garlic, rice, vege) and go to the apartments where me, SH and WL cook dinner for the gang.

Drama ensues after dinner as some people neglected eating and then accused us of neglecting them. However, the drama soon settles and the difficult business of gambling (Blackjack) and drinking our cheaply purchased alcohol begins. I refused to gamble on this trip and the effects were... damaging. With no gambling to distract me, I quickly started to run down the whiskey. One glass followed another and my last memory was telling SH that I just had my 10th glass.

(No memory of ensuing drama).

DAY 2 continues soon.

The Problem With Religion.

For the most part I was brought up in a religious background. My father was and still is a religious man. Although his concept of religion has evolved over the years into something more spiritual, I still remember the years of my (relative) youth when Fridays would mean temple visits. I always looked forward to Fridays, less because of the temple visits, more because of the post-prayer dinner at my favourite restaurant. Hinduism is not a restrictive/organized religion like Catholicism/Certain Protestant Sects/Islam. Thus there was never any compulsion to believe or anything of that order in my upbringing but I always felt that there is a Higher Power, something none of us can understand but could believe in. It is a manifestation of this vague idea called Faith.

As I grew older, I believed less in a Supreme Being of any sort and was quite an agnostic. For a stage I flirted with spirituality but recently I discovered it's not for me (yet). Recently, I came across this article Letter to a Christian Nation (2006). ISBN 0-307-26577-3 written by Sam Harris who is a researcher in neuro-sciences at Stanford. It struck me as very critical of organised-dogmatic religion but notwithstanding the thinly-veiled criticisms there are certain particularly salient points in the article which challenged by perception of religion and are sure to challenge yours as well.

This is not a hate article. I ask all the readers to read it with an open, liberal mind and try to understand the points Sam Harris tries to convey.

Obama Wins.

45 Years has passed since Martin Luther King Jr. made his I have a dream speech. 145 years have passed since the end of the Civil War between the North and the South over slavery. 221 years have passed since the Bill of Rights was passed. Today, a black man is the President of the USA. Today, the world has changed forever in every way that we can possibly see. Today, the white man's burden has been lifted. Let this be a lesson to Barisan Nasional. Let this be a lesson to all the racists in all the world. Let this show you that even a nation which was built on slavery of the black men can elect a black man to be it's most powerful individual. Let this show you that nothing is impossible.

America has redeemed itself in the eyes of the world. It has shown that the American Revolution has not ended and it will go on forever until the ideals of Jefferson are acheived. The first 26 Presidents of the USA could have owned the 44th President as a piece of property. Today the 44th President of the USA, President Barack Hussein Obama has put paid to the world's faith in him.

Where do we go as a nation from here? Do we follow in the footsteps of the now redeemed USA or do we stay true to our racist, discriminatory, hate-filled roots? Consider this question, what is the difference between you and me except my skin colour? Is the content of my character less than yours or any others because I am not of similar colour to you? Are my abilities any less because I do not practice the same religion as you? Am I less of a man because I am not your race or religion? This applies to you and to everyone else in this nation. Make the choice that is right. Not the choice that is made for you.

Australia.

Many people harbour secret dreams of migrating. Some look at it from the perspective of a new challenge, some thinking it offers greener pastures, some think they may find happiness elsewhere and there are some who just think they may get a spot of fairness elsewhere. However for every person who thinks of migrating elsewhere there are 3 who think home is where the heart is and find it difficult to leave their birthland. Yes, I do consider Malaysia my land of birth and I do not take kindly being called pendatang or any other derogatory term.

There is a likelihood to Australia in 2010. If I go, I will probably remain there for the foreseeable future. Why Australia? Well, there are good universities there. Much better than anything I can find in Malaysia that's for sure. (It wasn't always like that though, there was a time before NEP and racially affirmative policies that University Malaya was the best university in Asia.) So in my pursuit of the best education possible, I am drawn there. the fact that half my family is also migrating there and a big chunk of my extended family is already is a big motivation.

Over lunch with a colleague today I was discussing why so many people decide to migrate and a big chunk of them choose Australia/New Zealand as their destination. The reasons will be articulated in the following paragraphs.

1) Quality of University Education. ( 20%)

This is probably a major category that carries a big chunk of the weightage. The proof of it is undoubtable. The G8 universities are all in the top 100 Universities in the world. Australian graduates are highly employable both in Malaysia and abroad. The academic freedoms there are equal to any other democratic country which gives students the freedom to learn and grow. The academics themselves are highly qualified and experts at the fields that they teach and there are a fair share of prize winners in Literature, Science, Technology and Humanities.

2) Weather. (5%)

This is a minor point but it is very important especially to Malaysians who love temperate weather and cooler climates. Most of Australia has a fairly temperate climate in winter and a Malaysian summer. The best of both worlds perhaps.

3) Diversity (10%)

An important point definitely. In Malaysia many of us grow up in a multi-racial environment and Australia brings that same multi-cultural environment which many of us are both used to and comfortable with. More than 24% of Australian Residents were born overseas with 75% of this figure coming from Asia and Africa. This number is only due to increase in the coming years.

4) Equal Opportunity. (30%)

This is probably the most important point of all. In Australia, everyone has an equal opportunity to succeed. Whether you're a "son of the soil" or a "pendatang". Everyone is equal from every aspect, whether the eyes of the law or from economic opportunities or from the perspective of democratic freedoms. This principle is embraced in every aspect of Australia's governance even at the highest level where the Malaysian born Penny Wong (who is by the way, gay) is a full federal minister. Another 4 federal ministers were born outside of Australia. Australia is probably one of the only countries in the world where every child is told he/she can one day become the Prime Minister and the parent is not lying.

5) Job Opportunities. (20%)

Another major factor which draws many to Australia is the abundant job opportunities. No matter the field you work in, as long as you have a set of useful skills in any profession be it white collar or blue collar, job opportunities abound. Also, the sky is the limit once you have started employment. There are no glass ceilings to prevent you from reaching your dreams no matter how high they are.

6) Labour Protections (15%)

Australians are very well protected by their Labour laws. Employers simply cannot overwork you and the average Australian employee only works 38 hours a week. The average Malaysian works between 50 - 60 hours a week. Australians enjoy life and are one of the happiest people in the world. The Happiness Study by Ruut Verhooven finds that Malaysians on a whole rank their quality of life around 6/10 but Australians rank their quality of life around 8/10 (which is one of the best scores in the world).

On the whole those are the points that I personally feel matter to most people. Feel free to comment and add to these points.

Mother.

Over the past few days, I've been rather tied up with other commitments. My mother had a herniated spinal disc and is being discharged from the hospital this morning after 4 days in the hospital. It's been a difficult time for my family because this is a very serious injury and my mother will never fully recover from it. For the rest of her life she cannot lift anything heavy, participate in any strenuous activity or strain her back in any way. For a person as active as my mother that comes as a huge blow especially because she is a lawyer and her profession requires her to appear in court with heavy bags full of documents. We'll find a way to overcome this and hopefully within the next few months she can resume a normal lifestyle.