Loud Frequency

The Shins, Blake Ritson and Pillows with Nose

2007-03-21T09:05:00.000+08:00

I am tired. No. I think fatigue is a more appropriate word. Was out in Buchanan St. the whole morning browsing for maternity cloths, walked up to the Central Station to the Ticket Scotland counter, only to find a long queue. Pff...

Passed the Cineworld, tempted to watch “Factory Girl”. It’s about Andy Warhol and his muse. Could be interesting. I will wait for Union Guy so we could go to the movies together later.

Union guy is coming this Saturday. Planned to catch some live concerts with him in Glasgow while he’s here. I know Travis and The Shins will be playing Carling Academy and Barrowland while he’s here. I am not so optimistic in getting any of the tickets. Look what happened when Arcade Fire was in town last week. Tickets were sold out within hours. Anyhow, I got into the queue and waited for my turn. Oh, look, The Ampheteaminies will be playing King Tuts, whoever they are.

When I said “Travis”, the saleswoman shook her head and said “sorry dear, tickets a’ finished”. Then, I gave The Shins a try. She nodded and announced she had 5 more to sell. I said great and asked for 2. I know Union Guy is not keen of The Shins. He might just said “Yeah, I saw the Shins” similarly like how I felt about watching the complete Stone roses. Whatever. I liked The Shins (whether or not Natalie Portman declared your life will not be the same after you hear this band) and I guessed it will be a great show for me.

Felt some light flutters in my womb. The baby’s moving, I guessed. Or just hungry. Wait seminit, dear. I consoled it. Mommy needs to go to Fopp and buy some books. The one in Argyle St. is much more larger than the one in Byres Road. Union Guy would just build a tent in front of the shop and buy CDs or DVDs throughout his stay. You got Kurosawa or Bergman or Hitchcock film boxes at quite reasonable price. And we are talking about the whole set. Unabridged and uncensored.

Bought John Harris’s account of Britpop and Blair – The Last Party, Giles Foden‘s Ladysmith and to balance the politics, pop and history, I bought Peat bog Fairies ‘s CD – rock, funk and Celtic fused together for a yummy sound. Scottish music is very interesting, me thinks. I mean, yes, you got the melodic pop of Belle & Sebastian churning funk and soulful songs, but you also have some local bands that never made it – (commercially AND/OR internationally success, like Primal Scream, Teenage Fan Club, Franz Ferdinand or Snow Patrol) like Idlewild or De Rosa, which is rich with their home grown sounds that are found to be more of local delights than perhaps international British darlings.

As of tonite, Wikied and googled Blake Ritson but to no avail. He must be a very new British actor. He looks like Adrien Brody and I do have a thing for men with long distinctive nose. I mean, look at Union guy himself. Or maybe just because I missed Union Guy…wait, why these pillows appear to be growing long huge nose? See?

Need some sleep, badly.

Justice for Seven

2007-03-15T08:21:00.000+08:00

Here I am, still stuck in the cold Clyde when all I really wish now is to be back in KL, to be with my other half who will be at the mercy of the Magistrate for the whole week.

At this very point of time, I would really love to applaud Wan Sanusi for “performing his vanishing act” which earned him a DNAA (Discharge not amounting to acquittal).Another 10 years, if he played his card well, he could be a free man. I hope. I mean, 6 years, 10 years, what difference does it make? The ISA7 had suffered prolonged judicial process for six years. Although, they are at Defence stage now, but who knows how long will it take to find them innocent. Is there any meaning to finding them innocent at all because as far as I am concerned, they have been severely punished even before proven guilty? Yup. Mrs. Jaded - Me feels conviction for the 7 students will be an anti-climax. Surprise me, o-judiciary…if u can.

6 years, are long enough a period for the seven students to have the most gruelling roller coaster ride of their lives. For such ordinary smart undergrads, they earned their notoriety with the State for being rebels, not by doing drugs or obtaining pornographic materials but for protesting against injustice-committed against themselves and also other people. I picked these two examples not because I have a thing against drug addicts or perverts, but because apparently, one of the seven told me that the university authority find it easier to help him if he is founded guilty for obtaining pornographic materials rather than charged for participating in an illegal assembly. “This is BIG trouble,” he claimed. Oh, if only we knew earlier!

The former Minister of Education knew these seven by names, too. I am not even sure if he knew the names of all the student reps sponsored by the government during the campus election. But this is really something. He even offered them reinstatement into their respective universities if they said they are sorry for what happened and willing to admit their mistakes. A minister bargained with seven powerless lowly youths , not just for getting cheap publicity in the form of seven public apologies, but most importantly to save whatever remaining dignity he had; that tells a lot about how influential these seven are. And still am.

And every year, during campus orientation week, some universities I understand, offered brain wash session for free. Whose pictures did the university authorities put up during these sessions as examples of “rotten apples” or “troublemakers” whom freshies should not exemplify from? Nope, it wasn’t the picture of young Chin Peng or Abu Hamzah, the so-called terrorists, you get the pictures of these seven fine young men, publicly used and shamed in the universities even while the legal proceedings is still in progress. Why don’t the universities invite these guys to talk during these sessions and explain their actions? That would be more hands-on. I know the universities still have these seven’s contact details because my hubby received letters from the uni. last year despite being suspended. That’s what I call efficient networking.

Why am I all hot and boiling despite the cold weather, u must wonder? Because justice is becoming more elusive for these seven, because justice is a luxurious commodity that can be bought and sold and these seven don’t have the right kind of money to buy them some, because justice is prolonging truth. Honestly, maybe because I want my loved one to get the justice he deserved NOW. Not 10 years more when our first child start questioning me about how unfair the world is. Not later than NOW.

Give them justice now.

GLASGOW-WEEK ONE

2007-02-04T19:42:00.000+08:00

For many reasons (a particular one that stood out like a sore thumb is that my online journal is not working...damn) , I have to post my stuffs on Glasgow here. So, the postings should be back dated. Guess, I am stuck to this old blog after all.

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Its my first week in the Clyde. The cold wet weather is still bearable. I think. Untill the cruel ghastly snow shows up later in the month, I guess. Anders, our international student guide, fast into becoming my verbal duelling mate was always reassuring us, “the weather is fine”. Oh, sure. He has been here for eons and I have been basking in the tropical sun all my life.

The University of Glasgow is like a huge community area of its own. Apart from providing the opportunity for newcomers like me to be lost, the University area is made up of beautiful ancient looking building with nice brownish slab stones and the works. My personal favourite is the Scott Gilbert Hall. An open hall consisting of beautiful cloisters of gothic looking arches, it used to be the only hall for students to have their academic lectures. The middle part of the hall was used to separate the Humanities School and the Science School which had they lectures together in the same hall as they like to fight alot. (Re-imagined verbal insults- HS: You’ re bunch of soul-less nerdies with no passion for life! SS: Oh sure, and u think those mopped hair, dreamy lyrics and tight jeans can save the world?). The centre part of the hall was also supposed to be the area where both schools had their fencing duels. Well, after exchange of verbal insults just got tiring, I assume. After years of establishment, more and more students came in and hence, the demand for more space. So, they built more buildings to place the growing number of students, but of course around the historic open hall and still in accordance to the humanity-science boundary.

Today, we will be touring Glasgow with bus so it is a pretty relaxed day. The fellows are a nice bunch of peeps too. We have Yasmine, the gorgeous smart lass from Egypt, Mani, the soft spoken activist from Ethiopia, Hamideh, the environmental activist from Iran, Nadia, also an activist from Khartoum, Sudan, Murtaaz, a funny large guy from Syria and of course many more. Those not mentioned is because I am running out of time to write but of course, I love you guys too. (Its 7.30 am, and I need to take my shower!)

So, I will write some more later. What with Chumbawamba, Keane, The Killers, Bloc Party, Kaiser Chief, New Order, Jarvis Cocker, Iron Maiden will be playing here in Glasgow… maybe an amateurish attempt at writing gig reviews? Well, why not. I am also checking out the new band to emerge from Glasgow-The Fratellis and the low profiled De Rosa. They are creating quite a buzz here.

I will also post pictures much later. No great snaps yet.

Till then, ta!

Maternal Instinct Pt.2

2006-12-18T07:53:00.000+08:00

"First trimester is gonna be a bit hard, take care!"
"Take more minerals and calcium in your diet"
"If you walk ah, walk you know, don't run like you used to do, got baby inside"
"Take more veggie, get baby girl, take more meat, get baby boy tau!"

Being preggy obviously turning me into a walking digital recorder. Whenever I bumped into anyone who know the news, a new advice willl surely popped from their mouth and I will push my "RECORD" button while displaying a grateful+annoying smile. If only I am more cycnically enteprising, I would have compiled all the advices and produced a book entitled 365 Advices For Mom To Be. Unfortunately, I am not. And the reason is because I am soooo sick.

An hour after the doc congratulated Union Guy and me for our first baby, my body went into a rampant biological warfare. Nausea, fever, coughing fit plus my waist ached whole day long when in fact I was naturally healthy, nice and sweet before we met the doc. Its like all my body cells were waiting at the bringe while chanting "say it, doc! say it doc! we can't wait to go crazy".
As for eating, what do you mean eating? Whatever I take for the past 3 weeks only qualified as nibbling, slurping or sipping. The very sight of anything fried or deep fried kills me. Don't even start on the smell of my neigbours "menumis" during lunch. I could be seen running into my bedroom, hiding under the blanket as I can puke at the very smell of 'tumisan". The tom yam seller near to our home has been having friendly chat with Union Guy after how many nights in the row, all I could eat is tom yam. He might be trying to talk my hubby into entering a 8 month contract of tomyam supply for dinner, for all I know.

Throughout my ordeal, I kept on whispering to the RM1 sized embryo in my womb, "It has been hell for the first 3 months, please be a nice nice boy or girl when you come out," I wonder if that was what Richard Hell 's mom told him when he was still an embryo inside her. Hmm...

Me & My Maternal Instinct

2006-12-06T12:36:00.000+08:00

I wonder why I was oversensitive, getting cramps, snappy, has sudden love for asam bois and again, snappy throughout the week.
Then, I saw two red vertical lines. Two very important lines. Can it be?
I am going to see the doctor tonight (as if seeing a doctor is a rare occassion for me).
I think I am going to be a mom.
: )

Spongebob Squarepant Banned?

2006-12-05T10:57:00.000+08:00

Yup, folks. I was always curious of whether behind that cute innocent spongey persona, there's more to those squarepants he wore. Is he even a gay for spending too much time with Patrick? His jelly fish hunting- can that amounts to a violent activity ? But, oh well, I think our moral guardians have THAT sorted out. 2 of Spongebob books are on the list of books restricted by KND Johor Bahru. Interestingly, despite being banned, you get to catch him speaking funny Malay on TV9 everyday at 5.30 pm right from your couch.

The key point is this-our moral guardians obsession with bizarre and silly censorship are just getting dumber by the moment. Ops, forget to tell you, No.34 on the list is "MUSIC FOR SLEEPY BABIES". Just because of one man 's view that these books will erode our moral values, he thinks everyone is just as shallow and dimwit as he is. A-B-S-O-L-U-T-E D-I-S-C-R-E-T-I-O-N, the Ministry call it, A-B-S-O-L-U-T-E S-T-U-P-I-D-I-T-Y, it is to me.

If I get to the more serious point, it is also damn annoying that authors like Kahlil Gibran, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Anthony Burgee and Salman Rushdie also got axed for their great literature works. "Midnight Children" is placed higher in the wanted list than a book called The Swimming Pool Library (maybe there are pics of half nude chicks lazing around the pool, but so what? we get that in MANGA all the time!) and also a hardcover entitled "The Best Sex Positions Ever". And we wonder why more couples lack additonal resources in improving their sexual life.

You know what? Give us a break. It's enough that you think we are a sinful bunch of people thinking of sex, drugs and plans to topple the government 24/7, now you think our choice of reading need to be monitored just because of your insecurity? Democratically, oh-negara-tercinta, give it a rest. Or don't ever talk about building civil society. Because its like trying to talk about errrr...building a skycrapper in the Neolitic era!

ETC. ETC. ETC

2006-11-28T10:31:00.000+08:00

I reflected on my previous postings and noted that I haven’t written “real” stuffs lately. Real as in the stuffs that makes me cry, whine, puke and function like a true workaholic drama queen. I hereby, want to make some amends and write things that were really bothering me this month. Could be the dullest stuff any of you ever come across throughout your life. But never said you guys MUST agree and read everything I wrote.

OMAR TAN: A BRIEF ORBITUARY

Frankly, I don’t know him very well. He is those activists that went unnoticed because he was not aiming for the crown of glory but merely doing things that other people are not bothered with. If the more important leaders impress the crowds with their speeches, he will be the one, taking care of the podium or perhaps ensuring that the crowd is comfy. He will do the least favorable tasks you could say, but the ones which only an honest true person would want to do in a social movement’s struggle for justice. When Union Guy faced his criminal charge 6 years ago for exercising his freedom of expression, the late Omar Tan was there with his comrade, Abang Nasir, lending support whenever and wherever he could. He also came for our wedding ceremony, smiling all the way, patting Union Guy on the back while saying “tahniah, kahwin jugak kamu!”

I didn’t get to say this earlier or even when we bump into each other during those colorful post reformasi demonstrations, but I will say it here,” Thank you.”

ISA7 RETRIAL

It’s back to Magistrate Court for ISA7. The night before, Union Guy and I were writing press release for the decision day at High Court. We didn’t prepare a counter version of press release, of which is needed in the event that the Prosecution’s appeal is accepted. When it happened, we were too busy to respond to the media that I remembered shouting at one of the camerawoman who tried to record my picture. I just want to bail Union Guy, get the hell out of here and went back to the comfort of our home. Other family members of the rest of ISA7 seemed panicked or upset the whole day, but we created an immediate bond as we identify with each other’s feelings. “You learn how to bail people when you’re doing law, eh? Have you imagined bailing your own hubby?”

“Nah...But there is always a first time, kan?”

LET US REBUILT KAMPUNG BEREMBANG, AMPANG

Another case of “Yeah, we want you guys in, because we want to balance the racial composition in KL, but sorry, some big shot want to built a giant commercial complex, so we have to tear down your houses!”

Squatters are not like Big Bang theory. There’s space and “bang!” you have galaxies and planets. Squatters are the product of our country old policies. But somehow, it’s easier to just kick people out than taking out the flipchart and start on a lecture on social development with “In the 60s, there are less Malays in the city…” It’s December and many of the children staying in Berembang are sitting for SPM. What about PM’s caution to MPAJ not to demolish the houses yet? The villager’s new houses are yet to be completed and all the villagers are asking for is a home, shelters not even some expensive palace or condos (Ehem, ehem). What about that, MPAJ?

RAJA SHAHRINA ‘S SMS

“Yeah, it’s true, Dato’ Azhar Mansor wants to christen a bunch of Muslims. The SMS is true”

I did not say anything as my driver ventured further into that issue. First thing first, I would blame the bunch of Malays for not being strong willed enough to protect their faith and even if they truly wants to convert, is it still Dato’ Mansor’s fault? It gets tiring to hear about how Holy Waters, Temples or Churches are to be blamed for the number of Muslims converting to other religion. A question of faith is a personal choice. It goes back to your own beliefs and will to embrace that particular faith. So, stop blaming other objects or people for the choice that you make on your own!

If Bond can be a blondie...

2006-11-21T09:56:00.000+08:00

Surprise, surprise.

I skipped Dalton, Brosnan and rooted for Craig. That's blonde over a bunch of suave male brunettes. I don't include Connery and Moore in the equation because they are the walking Bibles on how to become a 007 agent. But then again, critics might differ and say after Craig, James Bond will never be the same again. Not after Connery or Moore.

I am not a fan of Ian Flemming 's body of works. His spy-centred fictions are so cold-war-isque. You get to see M16 beating the hell out of a bunch of internationally wanted crooks who are normally; a- Russians, b-Russians or c- speak and act like Russians but are they really Russians? The fact that "M" prefers to function during the Cold War better than Post 9/11 hardly escaped my boggling mind as a casual joke to fill up her lines.
"Well, it is a casual joke," Hubby offered his piece of mind in-between iced-Milos and popcorns.
"Shhh", the Chinese guy beside me offered his salivated piece of mind to us. Hah!

Coming back to Casino Royale-the movie, Daniel Craig piqued my interest even before his role as James Bond. He gave a stellar performance as a cold blooded hitman that formed part of the secret Israeli squad in "Munich". Since "Munich", I was hoping to see him more, but never as a James Bond. Perhaps, in some other heavy laden thrillers or edgy drama of sort, but not as a I care-less-for-the-script-as-long-as-I-have-the-Porsche-and-girls kind of character.

Anyhow, I went to watch the movie yesterday and happy to say Bond finally gets to say some witty lines, projects his feelings through his piercing blue eyes, demonstrate his almost sadistic and naughty combative modes with his nemesises sans hi-tech gadgets but by using his raw physical strength. His head is of course "larger than usual" with an ego that could not fit an elevator, but for the first time, I am seeing Bond as a great character. Plus having a beauty with brains as a Bond Girl, that eleviates the charming factor of the romance between them. Until, she broke his heart, of course. Its back to the cold, cold world for Bond, then.

If Bond can be a blondie, perhaps I can be a Bond girl too? A question that my hubby thought is absolutely unthinkable.

So how I rate Casino Royale? I think I will give it 4 cups of iced milos with 3 and a half irritated shoos! Way to go, Craig!

Will I meet the Scottish Gentries?

2006-11-08T07:41:00.000+08:00

I was frustrated earlier this year when I had to reject a conditional offer to pursue a master in human rights in Strathclyde University, Scotland due to financial restraint. My academic records are hardly what I would call "impressive" and that gave me a hard time in securing any scholarships. In the past, any awards of grants or funds or any form of financial support for my work or travel was appropriated due to what I can offer and my track record of work not how many A's I get for my undergrad exams. So, it was bye-bye to Strathclyde, and of course Franz Ferdinand, Belle & Sebastian, Camera Obscura or Snow Patrol and Teenage Fanclub. And there's also Stuart Christie, the anarchist and of course his anarchist grandma, the Pollok Park, the Modern Art Gallery and other interesting leftovers of the city`s cultural renaissance in 90-80s. Damn.

Until, yesterday that is.

No, no millionaire or anonynous "Hamba Allah" came to me and offered money so I can pursue my postgraduate studies. I am not THAT nice that people simply drop their cash on my lap. There, on my table I saw a bulky brown envelope with British High Commission `s emblem on it. So, what does that brown envelope hold?

Surprise, surprise.

I actually get to go to Glasgow finally. Although for a short 3 months fellowship. Oh hell, I will try to cram as many gigs, tourings and other mechanics of fun in my daily schedule during the short stay. What can I say? I am esctatic. Perhaps I will start another on line journal on how
I spent my 3 month stay in Glasgow. Another interesting possibility is that I finally get the chance to meet the "Scottish Gentries" or visit them at The Chateau. Cool.

Glasgow, here I come!

Marx and Si Pedagang Agama

2006-11-01T08:15:00.000+08:00

"Religious distress is at the same time the expression of real distress and the protest against real distress. Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, just as it is the spirit of a spiritless situation. It is the opium of the people.

The abolition of religion as the illusory happiness of the people is required for their real happiness. The demand to give up the illusion about its condition is the demand to give up a condition which needs illusions."

::Karl Marx having a hard time accepting Hegel 's "Philosophy of Law" ::

One of the reason why Marx dislike religion was because he felt that religion is hypocritical. It might profess and advocate valuable principles but to him, it also sides with the Oppressors. Jesus was known to advocate for the rights and welfare of the poor but still, it was the Christian church that merged with the Roman empire which took part in the enslavement of people for centuries. Martin Luther preached for the individual right to intepret the Bible but it also supported the Aristocratic rulers and denied the struggle of the peasants who fought against economic oppression during that era. It is also embedded in history that Churches in the Mid-Ages were preaching about hereafter and salvation in life in return for a reward in heaven while at the same time, they accumulated power and wealth gleefully. These are of course, historical instances apparent to Marx before and during his time which he observed and used to substantiate his analysis. We on the other hand, could of course list down other examples of how religion secured monarch status quo or preserved an empire from one civilization to another.

Marx's opinion that religion opiates people from seeing their sufferings and realizing real life oprression seemed to materialize in our local politics nowadays. Well, it was apparent during Tun Mahathir`s reign but it seemed that with our Premier `s call for Islam Hadhari and our society's submission to the ideals of religion notwithstanding the fact whether they understand what they are preaching or practising, more of our "beloved" Malay Muslim political leaders put so much effort in presenting themselves as god-fearing pious bunch. My only fear is that the images of political leaders performing ablution before issuing official statements publicly (re: our "beloved" State Assemblyperson from the sunny province of Port Klang) or swearing by the Al-Quran to prove her innocence ( re: the lady with the big, big hair) will divert OUR attention from the actual issue. They can perform as many ablutions as they wish or swear by ALL the Qurans sold at Jalan Masjid India, but none of that could religiously whisked away their corruption charges or other forms of political power malfunction. Don't drag God into your problems or even worse, hire God as your Advocates & Solicitor. You have enough money to hire lawyers to do the job for you. There is a term that Union Guy used repeatedly when he came across all this nonsense. He would be calling these people the "Pedagang Agama". Who are these religion traders? They are people that use religion to create delusion in order for the public to worship appearances (as public will always do because public will always be public, you see) which will divert them for the underlying reality. Sounds damn "sold-out" to me.

Eid Mubarak and State of Mind

2006-10-31T15:56:00.000+08:00

Aidilfitri this year was thickly coated in phlegm, dried boogers and a temperature of 39.5 Celsius. Not forgetting staying at home alone during 1, 2 and 3^rd day of the Raya because Union Guy had to go to work. Am I done with my festive whining? Hell, no. I called my friends (real and not the imaginary ones) who told me that they will be stuck in KL during Raya because of work and hoped that we could do some Eid rituals at my home only to listen to “Alamak, Gee, dapat jugak aku balik kampung, ni tengah on the way ni!”. I tried to blink away my tears. Unfortunately it didn’t work because there isn’t any. There goes my attempt at making this piece a melodramatic shit. I took out my thick blanket and parked myself on the sofa the rest of the day either sleeping, dreaming or letting the idiot box entertained me. When loneliness seemed a bit too much, I made prank calls to Union Guy until he himself found me superbly annoying or walked outside, enjoying the emptiness of the street in front of my house or the silence of the neighborhood. Wow, didn’t I wish for a world where I was the only living being around, a fantasy replicate from Stephen King’s The Stand‘s prologue? Loneliness is a state of mind, I told myself. Only then, it was a literal manifestation that I don’t need to philosophize the existence of loneliness.

When I finally get to go back to my hometown (Kuala Kangsar & Ipoh) on Friday with a semi running nose and an undignified craving for rendang and lemang, I was still unbelievably cranky and sober. It lasted until Monday, the day I went back to KL. I still couldn’t find the thing that could make me go Wow! or Wah! Until Union Guy asked me if I want to make any last stops before continuing our journey. I then asked him to stop at Novel Hut, a small used book shop somewhere near Jaya Jusco Kinta City. The last time I made my purchase there was in 1997, after I took my SPM result and it was in Yik Foong Complex in the old days. I would be buying my Pratchett stuff and Mortimer’s Rumpole series from the shop back then. Union Guy did some serious book digging and recovered a shabby copy of General Franco’ biography. “Interested?” He asked. He understands my fascination with dictators very well. They are smart and evil at the same time and in a very peculiar way, win my respect to some extent. I dropped some Banana Yoshimoto and Anita Desai‘s stuff that I was holding. I took the book to the counter, paid for it and start flipping through the pages on my way to the car. The change of mood was somehow fast and bizarre. I read the book out loud to Union Guy throughout the journey, only to stop for drinks or to discuss the paragraph that I just read. I reached home feeling a lot better with the biography read halfway through, on my lap. I don’t know whether the book made me happy (which will sound awfully strange) or the gesture of reading it and sharing the content with my hubby throughout the journey affects my mood. All I know, loneliness and contentment is not merely a state of mind. It’s a choice.

28.06.4.2:12

2006-10-19T10:53:00.000+08:00

Donnie Darko is not the best SF film around and yet its haunting quality and multiple themes seduced me into multiple viewings. Released in 2001, the airplane engine crash plot was deemed a bit too much post-911. After 5 years, Malaysians finally get to watch the quirky movie yesterday night on 8TV.

If you think the movie sucks due to Frank, the ugly bunny or its confusing narration, I think the movie stands out as a film that is filled with a compilation of memorable scenes and witty dialogues. My favorite scenes are smurf thrashing talk, Donnie `s therapy session where Lily Thurman said “When the sky is opened, there will be no rules…” and also the cinema scene especially when the movie screened “Evil Dead” and “The Last Temptation of Christ” sort of represent the opposite polar of Donnie experience in the film and/or the underlying theme of the movie. As for the main protagonist (or antagonist, depending on how you see it), I don’t know who I admired most, Donnie or Jake, because both sort of melted into each other `s persona creepily. It’s kind of sad that I didn’t get to meet ANY bright but weird + insane guys during my school and campus years of Donnie Darko `s endearing quality (normally at this point, my mom is quick to add, “yeah…if you think axing a bronze figure and shooting people are endearing) or else, I would probably be more…insane!

The ugly bunny is actually a crucial character in the movie. In an Alice-in-The Wonderlandisque, it woke Donnie from his bed and became his guide (if not a nice one) in the tangent universe. I guess Richard Kelly in one way or another was inspire by the Lewis Caroll 's classic. The golf course seemed to match the rabbit hole whereas the scene where Donnie sees Frank in the mirror seemed like a twisted reinvention of "Through the Looking Glass".

In the Director’s Cut DVD (which mom bought in the U.K) has director Richard Kelly detailing his metaphysic approach to the movie. He raised up the idea of alternate universe and how people like Donnie were meant to seek for truth and unravel the whole mystery before the foretold cataclysm take place. Donnie was referred to as the "Receiver", controlled by the master force to deliver the "artefact" (which in this case the plane engine which dropped and travelled through the wormhole) to its righful place before the tangent universe collapse. That includes going back to where it started and died from a crashed plane engine? Sounds crazy? Tell me about it.

The movie although at the outset suggests that Donnie is psychologically troubled, it also does not dismiss that fact that probably he isn’t. Hence, Donnie has to live the bitter real world full of conformed ideas that‘s easily compartmentalized into fear and love and at the same time, receiving instructions from his ugly bunny-friend, Frank to do mischief in an alternate dreamy world where perhaps Dali would appreciate in his painting. The movie was a sleeper hit around the world as young people connect to the taste of teenage angst abundant in the movie. It became a cult among teenagers in the U.S and U.K because of this connectivity and its unsettling plot attracts multiple interpretations from viewers up to today. In short, it’s a wacky movie, rewatchable and haunting.

Well, 8TV, how about screening some of Richard Linklater’s films especially Waking Lives or After/Before Sunset/Sunrise (I always mixed the two). That would make me happier!

This is one of my fave dialogue...

Donnie: "I could spend my whole life debating over and over again, weighing the pros and cons, and in the end I still wouldn't have any proof, so I just don't debate it any more. (Laughs) It's absurd."

Dr. Thurman: "The search for God is absurd?"

Donnie: "It is if everyone dies alone."

Public Inquiry

2006-10-16T14:05:00.000+08:00

"Was the crowd unruly?"
"Yes".
"Why did you disperse the crowd?"
"Because of security",
"Have you come across violent public during assemblies such as this?"
"No, but I anticipated that public can turn violent,"
"Based on what,"
"National security,"
"Do you have criterias on what amount to national security?
"If there is unpleasant action or words toward others,"
"In other countries' jurisdiction, peaceful assemblies are allowed sans permit. Public need only to notify the police about the assembly so that police could be present to control situation and traffic, do you think such exercise can be done here?"
"No, it all comes to national security,"
" Do you think our society is not ready for such exercise?"
"No,"
" We are not matured enough?"
[Unaudible]
"Do you recognized freedom of assembly as a public right?"
"Still subject to security,"

Public Inquiry on Bloody Sunday is now being conducted by SUHAKAM. Today, FRU personnels and some senior officers of the police force was brought before the tribunal to be answerable to their (mis)deeds during the oil hike protest in KLCC recently. Compared to court cases, although the party founded guilty or to commit wrong will not face punitive consequences, public persecution and humiliation is always abundance. However, the whole point of a PI is to dig the truth and name the perpetrators while at the same time, recommend changes on how things can be done in the society without jeorpadizing the public`s rights. Kudos to Dato' K.Vohrah for giving fresh meanings to impartiality and fairness. The FRU personnels and police force brought to the dock were all cautious and answered each question with soft voice and calculated answers. Meanwhile, inquiry resumes later at 2 pm.

Stats Discontent

2006-10-13T16:29:00.000+08:00

Why the huge brouhaha over ASLI findings? It’s not like ASLI found out that Malays are losing its share of equity or doing poorly in corporate, it was vice versa.

Statistics are frightening when it attempts at revealing truth. Especially if it contradicts the generally accepted numbers. 45% is threatening at the moment. 18.9% is a defense while 30% take a back seat. 45% is not glorified at all although figuratively, it is a much bigger fatter number. Sometimes, people want statistics to remain stagnant, lower and small. Especially if statistics ensure that the cake is yours for years to come.

Sadly, the cake was unevenly distributed. A bunch of oligarchs might get full access to the cake but not the urban poor or the remotely poor, the ones with no “kabels”, the ones who lack PR skills @ weak at “mengipas” …these “marginalized groups” are not accounted for where the 18.9% or 45% is concerned. Subservient to the feudalistic nature of State policies, bank accounts and mega projects, don’t talk about wealth distribution with “the marginalized”. You will only be in for a hundred page long account on what has not been done by the State as opposed to what has been done.

Hell, to determine which of the statistic is ASLI (pun intended), the State needs to be transparent with its record of “numbers”. Or is there any problem with barring all especially if all the records reveal how the cake was dominated by a certain elite bunch?

Glossary
the cake= mega projects, tenders (small, medium or big), APs, profits, share/stocks...

Going to Geneva feels like "balik Kampung"...

2006-10-10T07:32:00.000+08:00

2/10/06 : "Oh gee, it seems like you' re up for Geneva".
4/10/06 : Hop on Emirates, stopped at Dubai, switch to British Airways at Heathrow....
5/10/06 : Hearing in front of UN CRC Committee ( Don't ask me for leaks, it was a private affair)
6/10/06 : Hop on British Airways, stopped at Heathrow, switch to Emirates at Dubai....
7/10/06 : Arrived in KLIA with a bemused look and overwhelmed feelings.

Like majority of peeps that caught the so called "cockney" bug would exclaim..." That was bloody fast, ".

Did I get to see the high fountain at Lake Geneva? Nope, and I was just at Palais Wilson where the hearing took place.
Did I get to visit the museums, I read somewhere there is a contemporary art museum located in the small city. of course, not.
Did I take pictures? Yes. 5 lousy copies of me either A; painstakingly trying to take a pic of myself while at the same time, balancing myself and ensuring the background was still at the err..back.. or B; asking some locals who walked passed me, who was on a hurry and who took my picture just for the sake of taking.

Nightlife? What do you mean nightlife? The shops except for the bars and pubs lasted until 7 pm. In fact, I was consumed by the tension and pressure of the hearing that I was weary and weak after the whole affair and went back to my room and zonked before 11 pm.

Did I buy a cuckoo clock? I wanted to. Except my swiss francs and euros depleted by the moment due to expensive cab fares, meals and homemade chocs. A trip to Geneva and my mid-month account balance was a match made in hell.

What, then made the trip AT LEAST, something to remember?
Bernina Hotel was a nice comfy small hotel,
Tau, the cab driver was informative, funny and shared some very sentimental accounts of his Kampuchean roots,
The UN Human Rights Commission Office was cool and the CRC Commitee consist of very interesting people with a knack for killer questions beginning with the word 'Why...",
The weather was damp, cold and melancholic but I love it. Actually, I always wanted to experience Autumn in an European country,
The taste of hot chocolate melting in my mouth made me felt warm, sexy and jovial all at the same time. Not forgetting, extra kilos to boot.

But, like what some of my hubby`s friends commented on my trip, " Cepat giler, macam balik kampung jer...".

I lost my passion until...

2006-10-02T09:56:00.000+08:00

Cendol and Laksa! I didnt update this blog for a while.
What happen to my passion in writing, investigative journalism, yummy gossips and voyeuristic tendencies?
Well, it is still THERE but what I need is a bit of motivation to write again.
What motivates me? New faces that I get to meet and know from the Amnesty International Workshop on Economic, Social and Culture Rights yesterday.

Not just cute sexy and attractive, but ones who walk the earth with great brains and great interest in human rights.

Cool. Not that I have anything against plain looking human rights activists or social workers like yours truly, its just that those young people that I get the chance to facilitate yesterday were almost perfect peeps. Why would they bother to get headaches and heartaches over other people` s bloody shirt or empty pockets?

:A light bulb appeared on my head: You don't have to be sufferers to feel the suffering of others.
Yeah, could be. Look at Lenin discussing revolution at posh cafe. Recall how the middle class always is the more observant sector of the society ; " Look! there is a kid selling matchsticks, Sob! lets lobby for a more just distribution of wealth". After a while, you get Social Contract, The Prince or Republic.

Coming back to the workshop, I am happy to say the world would be saved by a bunch of cute humble brilliant youths with a big heart!

That should get me all pumped up for a second posting within the next 5 seconds!

Merdeka Time Machine Week

2006-09-15T10:40:00.000+08:00

The week from 30th August up to today was like a time machine ride for me. During the 9/9 Celebration (Malaysia`s supposedly Human Rights Day) organized by SUHAKAM, the participants were indulged in an intense discussion of human rights, culture, religion and freedom of expression.

Speakers and participants `s observation and dissection of real issues such as State censorship, apostasy plus a redefinition of Merdeka exhibited the complexity of our society. The complexity becomes messy when State`s inteference in the society `s exercise of religion, culture and freedom of expression are merely to maintain and ensure that we toe the line and hence protect the interest of THE minority of rich elites. Its bad that we are aware all along our perspective on what is Malaysian culture, what it means to be a Malaysian was very much policed and dictated by the ruling powers, but even worse when we were silenced by the repressive Acts available, thus give away to another troubling culture, Culture of Fear.

What happened in the past affects our present. Our chaotic present and if I could name one, failure to accept diversity by succumbing to monolithic outlook, (Oh, ignore the Muhibbah school of thought, it is damn superficial as it only goes as far as traditional cloths, food and dances), are very much a product of what happened in the past. Our definition of Merdeka and ideals of being a Malaysian was rooted deep in untold and mysterious fragment of histories that were bias-ly recorded to represent and strengthened those in power. It could aptly be described as "Winners write history". Yesterday night, the connecting point to the thinking I have been doing post-9/9 was a forum called "Pensejarahan Semula Kemerdekaan" organized by Youth For Change (Y4C). Drawing hidden facts from the past, I finally could make sense of some (if not all) the issues surrounding our tragic melting pot dream. Let me just share some of the interesting and important perspectives raised during the forum:

1. Malayan is a concept exist only after colonialization of British. The British coined the term Malayan people for those coming from the lower social background, especially the Chinese and Indian labours during that time. It is logical since idea of statehood which was popular in the 50s-60s was a sign that local people from all colonies were demanding for Independence. We derived our ideas of what a State is from our colonizers.

2. When did we actually get our independence? Answering the question now becomes a tiring quest. A-Could it be September 16 1963, after Sabah & Sarawak joined Malaysia? B- Could it be 1988? Here is an interesting fact; In October 1957, Malaya signed an agreement called The Anglo Malaya Agreement with the British. Among the important content of the agreement was that for Malaya to allow foreign troops from British, Australia, Fiji and other mentioned countries to be based on the Malaya `s soil. The last batch of the troop left our country in 1984! 5 years after the that, The Peaceful Treaty was signed between Thailand, Malaysia and Parti Communist Malaya. Are we really independent if we allow foreign troops to be based in our country for security purpose. Is it not a similar scenario like in Afganistan now? Even if the argument was because Communist has not retreated even after Merdeka, have we ever wondered if it is the other way around, that the PKM cannot compromise the existence of foreign military power on our free land?

3.The People`s Constitution proposed by AMCJA-PUTERA suggested a very daring idea that all races shall practice their culture and beliefs and yet unite and be known as "Malay". If we remember well our history books, AMCJA-PUTERA was a combination of diverse groups and not only predominantly Malay. It comprised of even ulama' from Hizbul Muslimin. It just shows how progressive were the Ulama' during that era! This fact demonstrated how "malay" during that time was seen as a socially constructed idea which was far from religious and racial influences. The people who came up with the proposal shared one cause which was to gain their rights from the local aristocrat power of that era who was later absorbed by the British into a very lame Durbar. hence, "Malay" was intepreted to have social and political origin as opposed to the divide and rule tactic speared by the British which manipulate the racial cards to reinforce submission, prejudice and fear to resist among the three main races that of course would curb any attempts of uniting and challenging the British empire. Of course we find it bizarre as we have been accepting the context that we are identified by our race and religion for donkey years. But if the proposal of the AMCJA-PUTERA was put in place, issue of malay special rights might not even arise as everyone will be treated equally. Of course this will be a threat to the Malay monarch.

3. Why was Tan Cheng Lock and Viti Sambathan never on the ship to Britain to negotiate Merdeka with the British? No answer yet.

4.UMNO was claimed to be an idea thought of by Secretary General of Colonial Affairs in England. It was not actually a party inspired by the people. Independence hence, was merely a transition of power from the colonial powers to the local monarch. Of course it was expedite by the loss incured by the British due to PKM `s resistance which was around 100,00-300,00 dollars per day.

5.Does Merdeka means freedom as well? Are we really a free society now?

Being part of the Generation M, of course my identification with Merdeka was clouded by flags waving, procession across the city and the repeated image of Tunku punching the air to the spirited shout of "Merdeka". But it will not be fair at all to allow the young roots of the country to be misled and indoctrinated by a bias version of country`s history. I guess the redefining of history must be started with the revealing of actual events of the past to clear our messed up minds. How can the young generation inteprete the history and make it relevant to themselves if the version of history being fed to us are censored and was tampered with by the "victors of the war"? Until then, the past serve no crucial reminders to the Malaysian young breeds of what it means to be a Malaysian as we are forever entrapped in a planned disillusionment propagated by the powers that be.

On that note, I could say (with confidence) that it is not too late for me to say Selamat Hari Merdeka to everyone especially the fine young calibans of yesterday and tomorrow.

Aku di Common Ground News!

2006-09-12T07:51:00.000+08:00

Hahaha.

Akhirnya hasil temuramah Mujtaba Hamdi, rakan aku seorang Editor majalah dari Jakarta bersama aku membuahkan hasil dalam bentuk satu artikel di sini. Kelakar juga membaca tentang diri sendiri serta persepsi Orang Kedua (Taba) mengenai diri kita. Banyak juga yang ditulis sedangkan semasa temuramah, kami lebih banyak gelak ketawa dari bercakap.

Namun, aku berterima kasih kerana ada maklumat yang terdapat di dalam temuramah itu yang merupakan maklumat yang telah lama ingin aku lampiaskan dari dalam diri. Justeru, aku sewaktu mahu ditemuramah oleh Taba, melihat temuramah tersebut sebagai satu cara untuk aku "reconcile" dengan diri aku di masa lampau. Seperti kata seorang teman platonic alias seorang psikologis-"You seemed much happier now compared to your schizo-life years ago,"

Aku masih seorang yang Assalamualaikum. Hendak tahu betapa lebih Assalamualaikum-nya aku dahulu, sila baca artikel tersebut.

Kepada Taba; Mengapa dimasukkan bab-bab pasal pejabat aku dalam perenggan akhir tu? Bikin malu sahaja! :-) .

Safety is no prank matter, beb!

2006-09-08T10:02:00.000+08:00

Last nite, I watched Wakenabeb rerun on NT7. A carbon copy of "Punked", Kutcher`s MTV prank, show, for this local version, we have Adlin of AF fame as the leading prankster. It was Ziana Zain `s turn last nite to "dikenakan". I actually read a comment on this particular episode in The Sun by Shahnon Shah (I think) but I never get to watch it. Now I understand the angry tone of Shah`s article.

What can I say? It was far from being funny. You don't laugh at someone who is on the verge of hysteria because 2 guys are trying to abduct her. Ziana Zain, could be seen getting paled, almost in tears and could faint anytime as the 2 guys pretended to harass her and her manager and later on, blindfolded her and took her outside where her fan club members waited to throw a surprise birthday party for her. Some birthday party!

The joke was cruel and tasteless. I thought I saw Ziana fainted after Adlin revealed the prank but the scene was snipped. Giving someone a heart attack is not a joke. That actually spoil all the meaning of having fun and don't expect peeps to be a sport and take that as a laughing matter.

Why I am cranky over a "harmless" MTV-ish local show? Let me just tell you. In just this week, 3 of my female friends got robbed. Two got robbed in their own homes while another, faced the ordeal in Jalan Klang Lama. The ones who got robbed in their homes-one took place at 9 a.m in the morning, the other happened at 1.40 a.m.I am relieved to inform that none involved sexual assault and all have lodged police reports. But, the robbers who were armed with a knife, worked in a group of 3-4 people are yet to be identified and arrested. My chums were traumatized with their experiences and were having sleepless night since their terrible ordeal. One of them could not forget the greasy feel of one of the man`s hand on her shoulder....well, who can? In such predicament? I should understand their feelings. I was robbed too when I rented an apartment in Kerinchi. That is why my other half understand well why now, I always persuade him to put extra locks and even check for any hidden holes and exits in our new home.

Today, I read this in the newspaper. Scarrrrrry.

A friend commented that the sudden interest on crime stories and news by the media is a political ploy to divert the people`s attention from issues that are currently disreputing the government. It is to tighten people`s faith in the ruling regime. He added that crime has always take place in our society with/without the media exposure. Fine, I said. Even if that is true, I don't see how that can help overcome these "real" problems. The victims don't care about political ploys or strategy of diversion, they want protection and they want to be able to go to sleep at night in peace.

They still can't, unfortunately. So, do I.

2006-09-05T12:10:00.000+08:00

ORBITUARY

Herein lies a blog,that suffered from unexplainable cause of death. The only explanation offered by its quiet owner is "he is bored with this blog". Its cyber presence and contribution either to cheer bored cyber surfers or to provoke moral guardians online will be "sorely" missed by every Abu, Ah Chong, Muthu, swingers and assalamualaikum dudes and dudettes who are familiar to his writings and ramblings.

But oh well, life goes on.... :-)

Perks (and not…. ) of the Budget 2007

2006-09-05T09:17:00.000+08:00

September 1 2006 was Budget 2007 Day. Despite some of my friends observation that Budget 2007 was strategically revealed earlier than usual as a counter tactic for Pak Lah before UMNO`s G.A, I listened to the presentation all the same. Here `s some of the important positive allocations:

1. Childcare centers in all government ministries and departments. A positive step in acknowledging the importance of good early childhood development plus respecting working moms `s dual role at home and in the office. Corporate sectors are encouraged to do the same thing. Do you think they would make use of the money exempted from the corporate tax towards social good? Corporate=profit. Go figure.

2. Abolishment of ALL school examination fees. I think this is an important step towards realizing a free education for all. It will strike just the right chord with Article 28 of the Convention on The Rights of The Child if the government would also take heed of the other additional hidden costs in education which are imposed in schools such as fees for computer, sports, joining associations and etc.

3. Teaching Chinese and Tamil in national schools. I just commented on this matter here. I hope the move is seen by all sectors as a sincere strategy to instill unity since young and to encourage all races to receive education under one roof. Let’s hope it is not seen and undertake as a political propaganda to champion some plastic cause for “muhibbah”.

4. Tax relief increase for purchase of books. Books are indeed expensive especially good ones so the tax relief is great to inculcate interest in the society to take up reading as an “affordable” habit. Anyhow, I was hoping for taxes on imported books to be reduced too so I could make that trip to Kinokuniya and Borders more often. Well, we can’t win all, can we?

However, these are the things that I hope could be better….What an unsatisfied scoundrel I am, huh?

Reduction in corporate tax. I understand this to be seen as a strategy to boost competitiveness and all that’s great and beautiful in the corporate world but I am very concern on what kind of responses will the corporate sectors hold especially in dispensing their social responsibility. I always viewed taxes as not only resources for public revenue but also a step to control and maintain a certain standard of social accountability among giant corporate. Take for example environmental tax imposed in the Scandinavian countries. Would such reduction rectify the current VSS trend in the corporate sector? Beats me.

Safety measures by installing more CCTVs in crime prone areas and deploying an additional 2,000 patrol cars for the police force. These are fine, really. But what about threat to public safety by the force itself? Bloody Sunday…does that ring a bell? If IPCM seemed offensive to the police force, what about some allocation for human rights and social awareness education for police personnel? Safety measures require both - the mechanics of technology and also “appropriate and humane” responses from the authorities especially where public is concern.

91M for youths - in sports and training programs. Are all youths jocks? What about other areas concerning youths? Capacity building other than NS, physical space for youths to be engaged in creative process and community activities in urban, suburb and rural areas. If lack of control is the fear, let’s discuss the fear together but somehow, I think there is a reason for Mat Rempit, Mat Skateboard and Mat Graffiti to use unauthorized public sphere for their so-called unruly activities; because there is no space for ordinary young people to hang out and do things constructively except for overcrowded malls or old abandoned buildings. Not every youth would like to be or could be Nicol David, hence sports scholarship might not be the thing for them, but my interviews with young people revealed that they crave for physical space to expand their artistic skills. So, macamana?

So, that’s all folks. Maybe you guys terjumpa other parts about the Budget that you like or dislike, feel free to drop by and share your excitement and worries.

Apa erti MERDEKA pada aku tahun ini?

2006-08-30T09:19:00.000+08:00

Pada tahun 2003, aku dan Union Guy pernah ditemuramah oleh sebuah akhbar tempatan berbahasa Inggeris mengenai persepsi anak muda (terutamanya yang terlibat dengan aktivisme) terhadap Hari Kemerdekaan. Soalan-soalan standard yang dilontarkan adalah apakah takrifan tersendiri kami mengenai kemerdekaan dan bagaimanakah sepatutnya kemerdekaan ini diisi. Aku rasa jawapan aku pada ketika itu adalah “ Merdeka bermaksud membebaskan diri dari penindasan, nilai-nilai “undemocractic” dan dogmatik”. Aku turut menyebut “aknowledging our differences “ sebagai mukadimah penting kepada pengisian kemerdekaan. Jawapan itu aku ikat pula dengan sokongan aku kepada aliran vernakular sebagai simbol kepelbagaian dan kebebasan mengamalkan budaya dan bahasa ibunda bagi kaum minoriti. Union Guy menongkah jawapan aku dengan “suara kerbau” dan “muka ketat” beliau ( terma ciptaan geng lepak Union Guy ). Beliau tidak pernah bersetuju dengan aliran vernakular.

3 tahun kemudian, aku terfikir betapa komunalnya pemikiran aku. Samada kerana Khairy Jamaluddin atau “discourse” popular agama mewakili bangsa, aku insaf dan menyedari satu perkara. Aku memang menyokong kebebasan untuk mempraktikan bahasa ibunda dan kebudayaan sebagai salah satu intipati penting kepada jatidiri seseorang individu. Tetapi perlukah kebebasan tersebut diterjemahkan di dalam bentuk aliran vernakular. Adakah bahasa ibunda dan kebudayaan ras itu hanya akan terbela sekiranya wujud institusi sokongan dalam bentuk sekolah vernakular atau sekolah agama rakyat?

Kita menolak politik komunal tajaan sang pemerintah. Cubalah sehebat mana sekalipun mereka ini untuk meyakinkan kita bahawa BN itu terbuka untuk semua bangsa. Hakikatnya MCA itu untuk kuota Cina, MIC pula untuk kuota India serta UMNO untuk kuota Melayu. Komunal lah tu.

Maka, apa pula bezanya dengan kita mempunyai sekolah yang berjenis-jenis, kononnya bagi mengakomodasi perbezaan. Tidak bolehkah perbezaan itu diakomodasi di bawah satu bumbung.

Hendak ajar Mandarin atau Tamil, ajar sahaja di Sekolah Kebangsaan. Semua pelajar boleh ikut serta. Tidak perlu sekadar berkongsi padang sebagai visi untuk berkongsi wawasan. Perpaduan itu bukannya sekadar dari polisi turun ke hati, tetapi dari hati turun ke jatidiri. Kerana pengekalan dasar pecah dan perintah inilah, kita masih belum mengenal erti perpaduan yang sebenar. Kerana kita masih selesa mewarisi sistem vernakular tajaan kuasa kolonial, aku rasa kita belum boleh dianggap merdeka.

Kita masih mudah melatah melihat orang Melayu makan di restoran Cina atau orang India berpegang tangan dengan teman wanitanya, seorang Melayu atau seorang amoi. Tetapi kita gah berbicara soal perpaduan. Asal hidung pesek dan berkulit perang pulak, kita anggap mesti orang itu Melayu dan mesin generalisasi kita pantas menterjemah Melayu, maka wajib Islam. Kerana itu jugalah kalau seseorang berbangsa Cina itu masuk Islam, dianggap masuk Melayu. Betapa kuatnya pengaruh polarisasi dalam sistem kita sehingga pegangan agama turut dikonstruk sebagai kriteria sesuatu kaum, bukannya persoalan individualiti yang merentas aspek ras dan budaya.

Jadi, tahun ini merdeka itu bagi aku adalah membebaskan diri dari cengkaman fahaman serta amalan komunal. Kita harus menolak institusi –institusi yang mendukung atau menyebabkan polarisasi kaum!

Both Worlds

2006-08-29T08:23:00.000+08:00

It has been an extremely busy week for yours truly. Fatique should be defined as "gee rolling on the floor in exasperation as she is unable to do anything but let her tiredness drowns her" (chewah, that's vain in passive form). But it was fun as I accomplished series of events which I thought would suck big time.

First, there was the Central Training for Child Rights Trainers. Taking over my colleague job was made harder when the databank of the child right trainers `s profile and contacts was super archaic that I had to call the trainers to confirm their existence. Two or three of them have retired and most are A.W.O.Ls. However, before I can say "screw me!", the androgynus Luck paid me a visit and everything went smooth sailing. What did I learn from the training? I learned that people think training is a bank-in education and we, facilitators are here to spoon feed them. It will forever be about what the organizers can do next for US rather than what we can do together. This mentality unfortunately is very popular among the trainers. Second, not only religion can be dogmatic. Human Rights Training Modules can be dogmas too. A lot of us think there is only one way of doing things, its tested, proven to be workable hence, let's make it a a blue print. Wrong. In advocating for human rights, there is no such thing as one dress fits all. Again, a lot of trainers do not dare to take the risk of trying out new strategies and techniques.

Yesterday, I was privileged as I was afforded the opportunity to conduct a peace building workshop for 140 young members of the YMCA, coming from all over the Asia Pacific region. Upon seeing their t-shirt and jeans, I swore at my skirt, blouse and high heels. After some thoughts, I asked the participants' permission to take off my heels and went happily barefooted throughout the workshop.

I learned some lessons during that program too.

I guess I always thought youths are supposed to be pacifist ab initio. Surprisingly, a large number of the participants validify war as an evil must. Some quoted World War II as necessary before peace can exist. Many are still unable to articulate the effects of validifying war as a strategy to secure human rights, democracy and peace. The participants from United Kingdom, Canada and Australia were silent during the brainstorm. Of course. They might be reflecting on their own home countries that agreed with the current war against terrorism plus are world `s biggest weapon supplier and industry. If my concern with the older group was the fact that they are too comfortable in their "old shoes", the youths on the other hand, are full of bright fresh ideas. However, lack of experience and reality check as opposed to sweet idealism affects their perception and development of ideas.

I guess the most valuable lesson I learned from those two events is I could and should never forget my younger idealistic side. Eager to contribute ideas, a risk taker, creative and having fun doing things I loved the most. At the same time, I am beginning to sense my older adult self questioning my crazy ideas. A balance of both worlds are just the thing all social workers and human rigths advocate need now. Both worlds.

Sense & Sexuality

2006-08-21T09:39:00.000+08:00

Yesterday, NST covered the unwanted babies issue. Further story, right here.
Last week, I think, a research by USM reveals that half of university students are sexually active and 8 out of 10 do not wear contraceptives.

Question 1:

If we were to have our angry fix, what would our justifications be? Angry that young girls are having sex before marriage or angry that young women are having unsafe sex?

Question 2:

If having sex (safe or unsafe) outside of wedlock is non-negotiable to the society, are we actually confronting social stigma or adolescence ignorance? If the later is the factor, will by having shelters to accomodate single mothers enough to curb this problem? If the former is the problem, will the unwed mothers find solace and peace after she delivered her baby and return to the society? Or she will forever be marked as gatal and dirty? Perhaps, the pressure of being forever remembered as THAT pushed the young women off the edge and wrongly presents them with only one "safe" conclusion - abortion or infanticide. As we all now, social persecution more often then not, are more bitter and bloodier than any form of punitive measures.

I am not a sexologist, sex scientist or some certified doctor love. Its a sad cliche that a lot of young people takes sex as a manifestation of love although I can guarantee you a lot more finds it a a satisfying act in the absence of love or any tangible sentimentality towards the other. A lot of young woman opted for sexual act due to uninformed choices and consent (re: "jomlah, kita buat dulu, i janji i akan kahwin dengan you" OR "kondom? what do you mean kondom, mana ada "rasa"!) Few I believe would rather approach sex with both brain and heart. Be it as one night stands or as a sign of commitment.

Sex is a subject the Asian society finds personal and non-discussable. Ironically, the aftermath of sexual implications quickly becomes an object of commercial franchise in the media or publicly-owned news despite it being a discreet private topic at first. It can't be help that the voyeuristic tendencies (even before the era of video or web cams, we have the peeping toms and marys urban, suburb and rural) of our society increase the demand for this kind of news. As the result,we embrace both worlds in confusion-to see sex as a dirty thing meant for "bilik tidur" and at the same time to enjoy sex in the form of gossips, news and pornography without realizing that we are not doing "sex" any favour when we limit our understanding of sex and sexuality to these kind of outputs only. In the end, I would call ourselves, suppressed, vulnerable and desperate.

To me, what happens now is not a sign of God`s wrath that more young people sees themselves as potential sex machines as some would be quick to admit. Lets leave our judgemental coats behind and see this issue as an opportunity to improve our society`s perception on sex. There is this one Chinese word that I love- "Wei Ji". It means "crisis" but the 2 Chinese characters that formed the word means both Danger (Wei) and Opportunity (Ji). What wisdom!

I am all for sexual education and although I know there is a mention of sexual health in the school education, sexual education should also generate discussions on real issues that young people are facing. If we were to have sexual education, I hope the pool of teachers and trainers responsible for the subject will be open-minded and understanding enough to free themselves from any sort of judgements and pre-conceived notions about young people and their approach to sex. Its not about imposing how young people should approach sex but its about ensuring that they are well-informed before making choices where sex is concern.

What will be even better is if sexual education be seen as a platform to deconstruct social perceptions on sex not only for children and young people but also parents and adults. If only we could trust our young generation with knowledge and understanding of sex , perhaps they and also us could approach "sex" with both brain and heart.

"Malaslah..."

2006-08-18T12:15:00.000+08:00

An opposition purist had a long talk with me on the telephone before bedtime last night. I am the type that enjoy talking so much that I could be some sports announcer or a 24-hour news anchor in my other life (yes, I do retain some amount of hope for THIS kind of belief, it makes blaming a much more easier task when you have something else to blame). But politics before bedtime? I want to have nice sweet dreams no nightmares.

OP: Are you following Pak Lah-Dr.M `s cat fighting?
ME: No. Couldn't be bothered. Why?
OP: Apalah u ni. Kata political? This is a good start for us to grab the opportunity and bash up BN.
ME: Who is "US"?
OP: Opposition lah.
ME: Oh.
OP: U ni dah tak radical cam dulu lah. Dah cam slow jer. Pak Lah-Dr.M tengah bergaduh tu, if we take Dr.M`s side and give him a platform, habislah Pak Lah.
ME: Radikal tu apa?
OP: Ala...buat-buat bodoh plak.
ME: I tak ikut. Malas lah. Banyak lagi hal lain. Pak Lah ke Dr. M ke, semua tu product sistem yang sama, parti yang sama. Nak gaduh, gaduhlah..Kalau mengikuti perkembangan cat fight tu, radikal, then, I tak nak jadi radikal lah.

We talked for another 5 minutes before he called it off and said talking to me is getting boring. Sure, whatever. He called the shots and I was just being polite. Because when it comes to Pak Lah-Dr. M `s clash, I just couldn't be bothered. Its a clash of ego, for all I know. Its not productive and does not benefit the layman at all. The news about their clash has been hoarding the main page of our mainstream newspapers and I figured a lot of other social news, urgent in nature and of more importance to the rakyat, were forced to take a back seat as the clash of the BN titans dominate the limelight.

So, sorry. The outcome of the clash does not interest me. There is no guarantee that all the attention and spotlights given to them could alter any social and economy policy in the country. The least that could happen (miracleously or not) is that a bridge will be built to make someone happy. Itu sahaja.

Taklah best sangat.

Me, the Toymaker...

2006-08-16T10:57:00.000+08:00

One of the many reason why I love my job so much. I get to be a toymaker or board game designer too, sometimes. For this coming up training for people or organization working with/for children, a special segment requires them thinking out of the box and to come up with interesting learning kit or activities to promote human rights to the younger sector of the society.

I am coming up with a Monopoly + Snakes & Ladder Boardgame that aims to expose children aged 10 below to their rights. Some of the snakes and ladders are ready. Coming up with more, later.

Chaos rules in my office today but not without enough dose of FUN!

Lefthander `s Day (Bukan Lefthanded)

2006-08-15T18:57:00.000+08:00

Rupa-rupanya hari ini hari untuk orang yang menggunakan tangan kiri.

Kalau diikutkan, tidaklah seronok sangat bertangan kiri ni. Pengalaman aku semasa kecil, apabila aku terjatuhkan barang atau tertumpahkan air....aura "klutz" aku dikaitkan dengan penggunaan tangan kiri. Tangan kiriku pernah dibalut dengan serban oleh nenek asalkan aku menggunakan sudu dengan tangan kanan semasa mencedok lauk. "Lebih baik, lebih afdal..." jawabnya bila aku tanya.

Menulis, bermain batu seremban, membawa barang, bermain pianika...semua itu aku selesa dengan tangan kiri. Bercakap, berpidato, berdebat...tangan kiri aku cekap dihayun ke kiri ke kanan menegaskan hujah yang aku bawa. Terfikir aku sama ada nasib malang berkecenderungan menggunakan tangan kiri ini turut dialami oleh Da Vinci, De Niro, Matt Groening, Jimi Hendrix, Billy The Kid,Napolean Bonarpate, Ramses II dan Nelson Mandela semasa mereka kecil. tetapi apa yang nyata dan pasti, latarbelakang mereka lebih cemerlang, menarik, bersejarah dan dramatik daripada aku.

Apapun, di celah kesibukan kerja (baca: masih di pejabat sekarang), aku ingin mengucapkan Selamat Hari Tangan Kiri kepada semua yang memiliki "keistimewaan" itu.

Hendak sertai grup tangan kiri (tetapi tidak berhaluan kiri) , lawatilah laman ini.

Hantu Menggugat Keselamatan Negara?

2006-08-15T08:36:00.000+08:00

Kepercayaan dan rasa teruja masyarakat tempatan kepada elemen-elemen mistik memang tidak dapat dinafikan lagi.

Kita ada MASTIKA- majalah yang mengetengahkan unsur-unsur seram dan mistik atas alasan memberi keinsafan kepada rakyat.
Kita ada pengundi HANTU - hanya muncul dan mengganas empat tahun sekali dan seperti HANTU RAYA, mampu menyamar dan menyerupai orang yang telah mati di pos-pos mengundi.

Kita ada banyak toyol di dalam sistem negara yang kuat mencuri duit rakyat. Mereka ini licik, pantas bertindak dan sukar untuk dikesan. Sedar-sedar, duit tabungan kita menjadi sumber membebaskan rakan-rakan mereka ini dari hutang piutang sendiri.

Kental sungguh pengaruh makhluk halus dalam hidup rakyat Malaysia. Itu belum dicampur amalan ilmu perdukunan, bomoh-membomoh, santau-menyantau. Setakat ini, apa yang disebut di atas di pandang sebelah mata oleh Sang Pemerintah.

Maka apabila hantu serta jin yang dipamerkan di Muzium dicabar kesahihannya, mengapa OSA digunakan bagi menghalang daripada bukti kewujudan hantu dan jin ini dari dipamerkan kepada umum? OSA pulak tu....bukan calang-calang Akta yang digunakan.

Sama ada pihak yang menggunakan OSA ini takut masyarakat makin bertambah fanatik dengan kepercayaan mereka kepada perkara-perkara mistik ini atau mereka tidak sanggup mengambil risiko mendedahkan bukti saintifik mengenai hantu yang dipamerkan kerana khuatir ianya akan menjejaskan jualan tiket pameran.

Apapun, pada aku hampir separuh rakyat Malaysia boleh tampil ke hadapan mendakwa pernah terserempak dengan hantu satu atau lebih daripada satu kali di dalam hidup mereka. Jadi, apa masalahnya.

Ada, adalah. Kalau Tidak wujud, tidak wujudlah.
Macam 18 pemimpin yang didakwa terlibat dengan rasuah dahulu. Masih menyorok macam hantu. Bila mahu diusir agar tidak merasuk ketelusan sistem?

Kalaulah upacara menghalau hantu diadakan di Parlimen, aku tidak tahu berapa banyak polong penghisap darah rakyat yang akan tercungap-cungap keluar meninggalkan bangunan itu.

Malaysia juga baru memperolehi "banshee" versi tempatan. Jangan ingat "banshee" ini ada di Eropah sahaja mendiami menara-menara tinggi, sekarang, di Malaysia, ada seekor "banshee" yang tidak habis-habis menjerit dan melolong memohon agar jambatan keramat kesayangannya dibina. Jika tidak, "banshee" ini mengugut tidak akan berhenti membuat bising.

Poin aku adalah, rakyat Malaysia sudah cukup lali dengan elemen mistik sama ada yang diinterpretasikan daripada ajaran agama sampailah yang dikonstruk oleh sosial. Daripada yang menunggu pokok ketapang sampailah yang menjadi penunggu Tabung Haji dan KWSP. Sila dedahkan hantu-hantu yang sedang memusnahkan negara ini.

Cukup-cukuplah kita hendak menghabiskan masa menunggu hantu dan jin di Muzium Shah Alam hidup hanya kerana pihak Muzium menggunakan OSA menyekat sebaran maklumat sebenar. Bukan aku tidak suka Muzium Shah Alam mengadakan pameran sebegini. Kena caranya, pameran mengenai elemen-elemen mistik sesebuah masyarakat itu mampu membongkar perkembangan antropologi mahupun sosiologi contohnya pembongkaran misteri mumia yang dikaitkan dengan ketamadunan zaman pemerintahan Firaun. Apatah lagi, keterujaan kepada perkara-perkara sebegini memang seronok dan menyeronokkan. Takut-takut dek kerana asyik menunggu bangkai janglut mengelupur dan replika puntianak mampu mengilai, kita terlupa kebobrokan di dalam masyarakat hasil penangan hantu-hantu yang dipilih di dalam pilihanraya.

2006-08-14T08:25:00.000+08:00

WEATHER FORECASTING STONE

Got this from a friend. Pretty accurate way of "predicting" weather according to "obvious" symptons, don't you think? :-)

At least Monday is not that gloomy, now.

A Conversation and some more...

2006-08-10T11:58:00.000+08:00

Did some catching up with an ex-government offcial turned social worker, Mrs. Amy today. Still the same old darling- dimpled cheek infectious smile and unapologetic opinions with a touch of motherly instinct thrown in between every line of words. She`s been advocating for children `s rights for years and seemed to be pretty passionate and unnerving with her work . We looked into several issues, reversing and forwarding our memories, picking up on issues we felt dear to our heart and exclaiming "that was good" or "should`ve done it better" more than 10 times. Our generation gap seemed mythical in my crowded messy room as we exchange jokes and updates of our lives.

Excerpt # 1 - Children Angst or Suicidal Indoctrination?
"Did you notice how our creativity was pushed to the edge when we are 9 years old?"
"Like what?"
"Like when we are always asked to write an autobiography of non-living objects like cars and pens?"
"Yes. yes...I remember - the "Aku Sebatang Pen" exercise, my God, our protaganist always end up in horrible ways"
"Yeah, yeah...in the longkang, lost its ink and thrown away, got stolen yadda yadda.."
" Its not our fault, my teacher always asked me to make the stories as creative and as good as possible...tragedies are always a good option for good marks,"
"Exactly, we celebrate tragedy more than we celebrate happiness, we see death and destruction as interesting background for our non-living objects,"
" I don't see it that way though. I see an A+ in tragedies, works all the times,"
"What happened to your kilometrico pen, by the way?"
"Yours was a kilometrico pen too? It was always Kilometrico, by the way,"
"Mine dropped into the drain and left in the cold until its last breath,"
" Half of my class had the same ending,too..hahaha"
"Don't we all, don't we all,"

Excerpt # 2 - You Have to Bath According to the Scheme!
"My nephew, he`s sick. Got athma...real bad case. ICU most of the time. poor fragile thing..anyhow, he only take his bath once a week. The proper one with generous splash of water and soap. The rest of the week, his mom will wipe his body with water and little portion of body wash as he cannot stand the cold water. Well, one day at school, during Moral Studies, he has to answer a short quiz and on one question regarding hygiene, required him to answer how many times he "mandi" per day. He answered "once a week", cause he feels that is the only session he has that qualify as a real bath-lots of water, soap and shampoo. He got the question wrong. His teacher, answered firmly that to be hygienic, he has to bath 3 times a day. My nephew then said,
"But cikgu, I can't mandi 3 times a day or else I will die from the cold,"
"Tapi ikut skema, memang untuk jaga kebersihan, kena mandi 3 kali sehari,sakit ke tidak, cikgu tak tahu"
Not surprising though. Has our education substantially reflect reality? Has it been accomodative to children with diseases, children with disabilities or children from poor communities?
Even bath, a personal exercise to preserve cleanliness is subject to a formal scheme! Hah!"

Excerpt # 3 - "Saya Tak Tahu Apa Itu Kapal Terbang".
"I went to a small Orang Asli community in Pahang and talked to a kid there, she was very shy and all but after I "bribed" her with some sweets and biscuits, she came closer to me and willing to talk. She was 11 years old, I think. I asked to see her exercise book. She brought down the whole load and I start rummaging through the piles of books and papers. In her Bahasa Malaysia exercise book, there was a one liner, written untidily with lots of spelling mistakes -

" Cerit...an apa yang kamu tah.. tentang kapl terbng dalam 5 ayat".

First question I asked her...
"Pernah tengok kapal terbang?"
Shook her head shyly
"Dalam T.V?"
Shook her head more. Plus a short-lived toothless grin.
"Gambar ke, suratkhabar ke?"
She stopped shaking her head, looking uncertain. I gave up drilling her knowledge on aeroplanes and asked her the simple basic question,
"Tahu tak kapal terbang tu apa?"
She laughed like I was asking something funny.
"Saya tak pernah tengok".

Can I draw a picture of a huge frightening boar? I bet on all the aeroplane companies in the world that the small girl can "

Excerpt # 3 - Its always about khinzir
"Would putting satay daging together with satay ayam offend Hindus?"
"I guess so, Hindus don't eat beef kan,"
"Will we be more concern about pork being put together with ayam in an event attended by Muslims or about satay daging being put together with satay ayam in an event attended by Hindus?"
"Well...with beef, we always assume its fine, nobody makes noise, if it gets to the offensive level, we quickly go to the fruit section or walked out"
"And you see pigs as dirty and sensitive to the Muslims and Hindus see cow as a sacred animal, but its fine to overlook the satay incident".
"That`s why perpaduan is a dead letter."
"Touche".

AMERIKA - BUMI BERTUAH

2006-08-09T13:06:00.000+08:00

Amerika adalah bumi yang menakjubkan.

Kata Chomsky, Amerika adalah satu-satunya negara di dunia yang kekuatan ekonominya berkembang sejajar dengan kebangkitan agama konservatif.

Amerika juga memiliki begitu ramai cendekiawan, pemikir Islam mahupun penganalisis politik yang jenuh membantai dasar-dasar Washington.

Di celah-celah protes rakyat Amerika terhadap dasar ketenteraan Bush yang bernaung di bawah panji demokrasi, lebih kurang 50% rakyatnya percaya Iraq memang memiliki WMD.

Di celah kemesraan yang ditonjolkan oleh Condoleezza Rice dan Bush, kenyataan umum mereka mengenai dasar Amerika masih boleh bercanggah.

OH, AMERIKA!...

Kerana kadang-kala membaca berita tragedi Lebanon serta kelicikan BP (Bad Plumbing) memualkan aku, aku ingin berhenti membaca serta berbincang mengenai Lebanon buat seketika dan mendengar lagu-lagu anti perang yang berikut:

The_Compassionate Conservatives_G._W._Bush.mp3
Chumbawamba-Jacobs_Ladder-NotInMyName.mp3

Audio-audio berkenaan Amerika, politik dan yang sewaktu dengannya boleh didengar di RadioNationBlog. Boleh bersetuju atau tidak. Itu hak anda. Kualiti audio adalah sangat memuaskan.

INI BUKAN CERITA CROCODILE DUNDEE TAPI...

2006-08-09T10:13:00.000+08:00

Jadi ‘Dundee” juga merupakan satu perkataan atau frasa yang wujud di dalam Bahasa Thai. Maknanya? Sila baca artikel ini.

Usaha NGO di Thailand memantau serta melindungi kebudayaan masyarakat Thai adalah satu usaha yang murni. Tetapi, berpandangan bahawa sekiranya kondom itu dikekalkan namanya sebagai "Dundee" akan menggalakkan golongan muda untuk melakukan seks pada usia yang muda bunyinya agak dangkal. Ini pandangan akulah.

Sebab-musababnya?

Pertama - Kerajaan Thai menganggarkan terdapat lebih kurang 20,000-30,000 kanak-kanak di bawah umur 18 tahun berada di dalam industri seks komersil. Kebanyakan dari kanak-kanak ini adalah mangsa eksploitasi seks dek kerana dihimpit kemiskinan tidak lupa juga permintaan yang tinggi di pasaran. Dalam sebuah negara, yang mana seks dilihat sebagai suatu komoditi yang lumayan, kemungkinan besar yang amat berminat membekalkan kondom Dundee ini adalah mereka yang mengeksploitasi kanak-kanak tersebut. Jangan salahkan padi-padi yang tidak berdosa itu, kemungkinan yang paling meyakinkan adalah sang pagar yang teruja mendengar nama “Dundee” dan beria-ria mahu menukar jenama kondom yang sering dipakai.

Kedua-Thailand adalah negara pengeksport sumber dalam kegiatan penyeludupan. Dalam kegiatan penyeludupan, negara-negara dikelaskan kepada tiga kategori negara- Negara Sumber, Negara Transit dan Negara Destinasi. Sebagai negara yang dikenalpasti sebagai antara penyeludup wanita dan kanak-kanak yang terbesar di ASEAN, persoalan makna “Dundee” tidak ada maknanya dan tidak menghalang penglibatan rakyat Thai dalam industri seks yang telah membudaya sekian lama di dalam masyarakat.

Mungkin ini strategi melobi. Mungkin ini taktik mengaitkan isu yang kelihatan remeh ini dengan isu yang lebih besar iaitu industri seks komersil di Thailand, tetapi janganlah kanak-kanak dijadikan persoalan pokok dalam isu ini. Aku tidak menafikan Konvensyen Hak Kanak-Kanak (CRC) yang ditandatangani oleh Thailand memerlukan Thailand menunjukkan komitmen melindungi kanak-kanak dari eksploitasi seks namun, kanak-kanak bukanlah pihak yang patut dipersalahkan dalam hal ini. Sesebuah industri mempunyai lembaga pengarahnya, pasaran permintaannya, sistemnya yang tersendiri serta strategi pemasaran untuk meraih keuntungan. Kanak-kanak (dalam hal pasaran kondom Dundee mahupun industri seks komersil) adalah bekalannya. Modalnya. Mengapa tidak kita mula membincangkan isu nama kondom Dundee ini dengan melihat komposisi industri seks komersil, golongan dewasa serta keluarga?

Rancangan Hujung Minggu -Teater,filem dan lilin...

2006-08-04T08:09:00.000+08:00

Hujung minggu sudah kembali. Yay! Minggu ini, ada beberapa aktviti menarik bakal berlangsung. Antaranya:-

"Candle Light Vigil Against Carnage in Lebanon"
4 Ogos 2006 (Jumaat). 8 malam
Dataran Merdeka, KL

Bagi memperingati mangsa serangan Israel serta rakyat Lebanon yang sedang menderita, Majlis Peguam menganjurkan malam peringatan ini serta menjemput semua rakyat Malaysia datang memberikan sokongan anda.

"In 1969" - Sebuah Teater Cinta

4 & 5 Ogos - Jam 8.30 mlm
6 Ogos - Jam 3 petang
Rooftop Theater, Kolej Universiti Sunway

Sempena memperingati mendiang Krishen Jit, Five Arts Centre kembali dengan Woksyop #3 iaitu satu persembahan teater "In 1969". Katanya sebuah teater cinta. Masuk adalah PERCUMA dan tempat adalah terhad.

MALAYSIAN SHORTS
7 Ogos 2006 / 8 malam
Auditorium Universiti HELP , Pusat Bandar Damansara KL.

12 cerita pendek akan ditayangkan.

1. LIE BENEATH by Margaret Bong (11 min, dlm Mandarin)
2. UNDER THE BRIDGE by Hardesh Singh (2 min, tiada dialog)
3. BAVAM BY ST Bala (10 min, dlm Tamil)
4. WHILE YOU WERE EATING by Chi Too (4 min, tiada dialog)
5. COME AND GO by NA Halim Hassan (8 min, dlm b.inggeris)
6. OH MY GOAT! by Shan (7 min, tiada dialog)
7. SATU MALAM ISNIN by Raja Azhar (8 min, dalam bahasa Melayu)
8. THE SLIDES SHOW by Aizyl Azlee (2 min, tiada dialog)
9. SHIIT by Sasitharan Rajoo (7 min, tiada dialog)
10. THE IDIOTS by Mohd Alfie (7 min, dalam bahasa Melayu)
11. THE PERFECT DATE by Dean C Ghazi (25 min, dalam bahasa inggeris)
12. THE WAIT by Akashdeep Singh (7 min, dalam bahasa Melayu)

Masuk adalah PERCUMA. Duduk di atas lantai dibenarkan.

Selamat menikmati cuti hujung minggu anda!

Blow the whistle or be a whistle blower?

2006-08-03T09:16:00.000+08:00

Kelakar. Funny.Hahahaha.
Read this.

It seems that now, everyone in Malaysia is foreseen as potential traitors, whistleblowers, war mongers or terrorists. Be it professional people, blue collared workers, bloggers, activists, students and even house wives. Even the Premiere`s own son in law gets the firm reminder over his strong intention to boycott U.K and U.S products, read for yourself here.

When the State begins to get over reacted, over conscious , over spending...pendek kata semua yang over lah, to me that can only means there is a crack somewhere in the system. The crack could be very threatening to the whole government, hence, the ever increasing control and social conditioning by the State. Give yourself a pat on the back if you are responsible for the crack. Some cracks are crucial especially if it involves a despotic regime comprising some not so good looking oligarchs.

I could be held liable at this juncture for my so-called gibberish and fact-less statements.
Well, I don't care. Say what you want to say.

I love my country and I will "blow the whistle" for it anytime!

Cracking down bloggers, now?

2006-08-02T08:46:00.000+08:00

Two different views on censorship of the net, today. read here and here. But, our Premiere is more concerned with us, bloggers for spreading slanders and untruthful facts on the net. Keyword: National security. My instinct: Fear with capital F.

Case study: hmm...what about Iran. After all, Iran is quiet famous nowadays. Read here. Bloggers in Iran is leading a life just as dangerous as any political or social activists on the street. Due to the clamp down on media freedom by the conservative government in the past few years, the country`s online community grows in protest of the violation of their freedom of expression by the State. Sounds familiar?

Why the fear, O' my beloved country? The net can be a fair playing field for all. I should say. If we are concern about the spread of slanders ( re: slander to the State could be a critique of their economic policy to us), then what about netters that instigate spirits of racism or polarization of community? What about websites that refuse to disclose real hard facts about how the tax payers`s money are used? What about blogs that are set up merely to kow tow the leaders and brings "ampu" culture to a new height? Don't even let me go on. The net is a huge place and even that is an understatement. How do you control a borderless world? Excuse moi. Let me put it in a more effective sentence. How do you regiment the net?

Bloggers in Malaysia, unite!

Dalam Perjalanan ke Pejabat Hari Ini

2006-07-31T10:22:00.000+08:00

Hujan, 8.30 pagi (Sah punch card aku merah lagi. Tak silap merah ke-enam)
Aku di dalam kereta bersama Union Guy. Trafik di Jalan Pahang menghala ke Kuala Lumpur sangat teruk.

"Semalam masa awak balik Perak, saya tengok "Paradise Now,"
"Sedihnya filem tu....saya tengok sekali je dah cukup, depressing lah filem tu".
"Cantik kan Tel Aviv? Laut biru, pokok limau, orang Yahudi berpipi merah."
"Memang cantik. Tapi cara Tel Aviv itu diperolehi yang tak cantik."
"Semalam, Israel serang Qana pulak."
"Berapa orang mati?"
"Dalam 70 orang lah tak silap. 30 orang budak kecil".
"Kejam."
"Tadi awak tengok temuramah dengan Prof. Ruhannas-something-something, Pengarah Institut Kajian dan Perhubungan Antarabangsa UM kat TV2? Boleh pulak pengacara tu tanya, `What if Hizbullah cease-fire, won't that help since both sides attacks non stop and perhaps if one side stops, the other will, too?...WTF?"
"Aik, bukan awak Pacifist ke?"
"Tu lah. saya memang benci peperangan tapi kadang-kadang terfikir kalau orang pukul kepala kita sampai berdarah, apa opsyen kita ada? Mendiamkan diri atau melawan? Lawanlah beb,"
"Kalau Hizbullah berhenti, takde jaminan Israel mengundur. Entah-entah, U.S lagi seronok sebab Hizbullah menyerah.Lagi kuat diorang menyerang Lebanon".
"Saya baca dalam net, Hugo Chavez ke Iran, nak sokong Iran dan meningkatkan investment diorang dalam bursa minyak Iran".
"Huuuh...lagilah Amerika sakit hati".
"Macamana nak kalahkan "polis dunia" ni?.
"Kita bangkrup-kan dia. Biar dia kena berdepan dengan resistance dari Amerika Latin, Asia dan Afrika sampai dia sudah tidak ada dana untuk melancarkan dominasi dunia".
"Macam Che kata - wujudkan lebih banyak Vietnam-Vietnam kecil di seluruh dunia".
"Amerika takkan tak boleh baca dah guerrila warfare ni? Sedangkan Che pun kalah dan mati dalam struggle dia."
"Che memang dah mati. Kojol. Tapi tengok sekarang, Cuba dah jadi pengeksport revolusi di Amerika Latin..hahaha."
(Dari corong radio, Dolores @ The Cranberries melalak "Does anyone care...? Does anyone care...?)
"Rasa macam nak tembak George Bush aja...hehehe."
"Dia mati pun takda makna. Neo Kon dah bersarang kat Rumah Putih. Bush mati, diorang boleh angkat pemimpin baru untuk di-boneka-kan".
"Macam cerita 'Skull' kan? persatuan rahsia dan konspirasi dunia, cam fiksi je".
"Pesimisnya saya pada dunia. Hancurlah Lebanon, ranaplah Timur Tengah"
"Defeatistnya."
"Pacifist yang defeatist...elok sangatlah tu."
"Siapa hendak tolong Lebanon? Jordan, Kuwait, Arab Saudi? Syria dan Iran jelah".
"PAS?"
"Jangan buat kelakarlah."
"Nak dengar yang lebih kelakar, PAS sekarang dok keluarkan poster-poster Hizbullah kan? Tapi diaorang perasan tak Hizbullah tu Syiah?"
"Hahaha...diaorang kan tak suka Syiah?"
"Tulah. Syiah di Malaysia diserang dikutuk, Syiah Hizbullah tak nampak."
"Double standard dalam Islamlah ni. Atau memang tak masak isu antarabangsa?"
"Sudahlah hujan, dunia sedang chaos, saya pun dah malas nak pergi kerja ni."
"Kemalasan nak kerja tu takde kena mengena dengan masalah dunia sekarang ye."

Pintu kereta dibuka. Aku keluar dengan satu keluhan yang berat. Hujan masih renyai-renyai dan aku tidak ada selera dan jiwa untuk beraksi hebat di pejabat hari ini. Secara demografinya, krisis Timur Tengah itu amat jauh dari tempat tinggalku, dari Malaysia. Dari sudut kemanusiaan, aku merasa amat lemah dan tidak bermaya mendengar berita Lebanon diperkosa setiap hari. Entahlah...

Anti - Condeezz Protest

2006-07-28T10:02:00.000+08:00

"Who`s that girl?"

A bunch of concerned citizens + activists and a dose of political affliates here and there, joined hands yesterday for a march in protest of Condoleezza Rice`s presence in the country in conjuction with the ASEAN Regional Meeting. Pointing out "to discuss with ASEAN countries with regards to regional security" as her top agenda, we all think she has her hands full what with Lebanon and Mid-East conflict to tackle. So, thanks but no thanks, Condoleezza. Leave ASEAN alone as we are not buying your Anti Terrorism Campaign. We kinda figure out who are the actual terrorists and its up to the ASEAN countries to deal with its own security issues. Cold War is over, Condoleezza and ZOPFAN appears to be the best policy to quote to you right now despite its lame course. Tell your President, Bush Jr. that his greed for oil and world hegemony is annoying us to the core.

Pictures courtesy of Colin Nicholas.

Jack Kerouac & "On The Road"

2006-07-28T08:06:00.000+08:00

Jack Kerouac- kacak dan ranggi, sedang mencari stesen radio, mungkin.

Otai-otai generasi Beat...yang itu bukan Marx tapi Ginsberg.

Jack Kerouac, seorang lelaki istimewa, dianggap "Tuhan" kepada generasi Beat pada tahun 1950-an. Aku rasa golongan muda di Amerika mahupun di sini biasa mendengar gerakan sosial yang popular ketika itu dengan nama gerakan Beat. Hippies dan beatnik tulen ( atau mungkin 80% tulen) mengagumi daya rebel yang bersarang di dalam diri Jack Kerouac itu. Beliau boleh dikatakan terperangkap di dalam era 50-an dan cuba membebaskan diri dari kongkongan sistem nilai era tersebut. Beliau mempersoalkan norma dan lumrah kebiasaan pada ketika itu dan mencari erti hidup dengan alkohol, marijuana dan bzendrine. Ironisnya, pada akhirnya, pencarian beliau "tersangkut" pula dengan Buddhisme. Bersama-sama rakan seperjuangan, Neal Cassidy, William S.Burrough, Allen Ginsberg dan lain-lain, beliau menterjemah makna kehidupan anak muda yang bebas dari komitmen serta menolak budaya kebendaan melalui karya-karya mereka yang kini diangkat sebagai harta kesusasteraan Amerika yang tidak ternilai.

Karya beliau, On The Road, Dharma Bums (sambungan kepada On The Road), The Town and The City dan lain-lain disanjung dek kerana kespontanan beliau menterjemah pengalamannya mengembara merentas Amerika dengan jujur dan tidak berselindung. Apa yang akan anda temui jika membaca On The Road? Apa sahaja yang sedang bermain di otak anda sekarang, dadah, seks dan alkohol. Namun, kebijaksanaan lelaki lulusan Columbia ini jangan sesekali dipandang rendah. Umum memandang beliau sebagai seorang yang mengalami gangguan jiwa, resah dan tidak stabil, namun begitu, keresahan serta pencarian beliau yang tidak putus-putus tentang maksud kehidupan menjadikan beliau seorang yang amat sensitif tentang masyarakat disekelilingnya tidak kira di mana sahaja beliau berada.

"Orang Amerika adalah pencuri semulajadi" Perspektif beliau di dalam On The Road. Manakala di dalam Pomes All Sizes, beliau menyatakan "Mimpiku tentang sebuah bandar yang teruk adalah diskriminasi diri, bandar yang sebenar adalah minda yang sejagat". Hendak kenal dengan Kerouac atau membaca sebahagian daripada karya beliau, sila rujuk di sini.

Aku bukanlah penyanjung nombor 1 beliau. Tetapi hasil pembacaan On The Road merupakan pengalaman pertama aku membaca suatu karya esperimentasi generasi Beat. Naked Lunch oleh S.Burrough tidak boleh dikira pengalaman pertama kerana aku begitu keliru sewaktu membacanya lantas mengantuk. On The Road seolah-olah satu pengalaman voyeur bagi aku, mengintai perjalanan jauh seorang pemuda yang gila mencari makna hidup dan bertemu pelbagai simbol serta representasi budaya Amerika yang mendominasi golongan muda era itu. Aku memanggilnya satu analisis sosial bersifat punkrock!

Ada perkembangan terbaru nampaknya mengenai manuskrip On The Road. Manuskrip unik yang ditaip di atas kertas minyak sepanjang 119 kaki tanpa perenggan atau mukasurat itu akan diterbitkan tanpa sebarang suntingan. Karya On The Road yang kita perolehi dan baca selama ini adalah karya yang telah beberapa kali disunting dan bukanlah karya yang benar-benar asli. Ahli akademik yang mengkaji Kerouac menyatakan ciri-ciri karya asli On The Road- tanpa perenggan dan tiada muka surat itu sebenarnya melambangkan gaya hidup generasi beat ketika itu yang bebas dari kongkongan sistem nilai dan penuh dengan kespontanan. Manakala aspek substantifnya yang sarat dengan gambaran mengenai seks dan dadah telah ditapis kerana dianggap tidak senonoh pada era tersebut. Penerbitan karya asli Jack Kerouac di dalam bentuk buku itu adalah sempena Ulangtahun ke-50 hasil karya itu iaitu pada tahun hadapan. Karya itu kini adalah milik James Irsay dan dibeli oleh beliau pada tahun 2001 dengan harga 2.43 juta.

Sila tonton video di bawah ini untuk melihat Jack Kerouac yang sebenar.

Klip tambahan:
1. Bersama Ginsberg ,Cassidy dan isteri pertama beliau..hehehe
2.Johny Depp (cuba meniru Kerouac?) membaca karya Kerouac.

Jenayah rogol di tempat kerja?

2006-07-27T11:28:00.000+08:00

Artikel ini, mengingatkan aku kepada kontroversi pindaan di dalam Kanun Jenayah mengenai jenayah rogol. Pindaan itu menyatakan persetujuan mengadakan hubungan seks yang diperolehi kerana kedudukan autoriti seseorang dianggap sebagai rogol. Dalam ertikata lain, ini turut menyebabkan persetujuan yang diberikan untuk mengadakan hubungan seksual di tempat kerja bersama majikan atau teman sekerja tidak sah sekiranya ia diperolehi akibat kedudukan autoriti lelaki yang meminta hubungan itu dijalankan. Sekali imbas, pindaan ini tidak begitu sulit. Bukankah drama swasta di televisyen amat gemar menjadikan skandal seks di tempat kerja sebagai daya penarik kepada plot cerita yang hambar. Seorang setiausaha seksi dan cantik menghadapi dilema kerana majikannya yang tua dan hodoh meminta agar mereka tidur bersama. “Kalau tidak, aku akan berhentikan engkau dari syarikat ini, mengerti?” Biasanya, setiausaha tersebut akan menyerah diri dan pasrah dengan nasib badannya yang malang. Jadi, apa pula ynag ingin aku "highlight-kan" di dalam catitan aku hari ini?

Masalah pertama bagi aku adalah penggunaan frasa “menggunakan kedudukan autoriti”.Sungguhpun aku maklum dengan hujahan kumpulan pejuang gender yang melihat masalah ini dari perspektif pengstrukturan kuasa dalam masyarakat yang banyak dipengaruhi oleh gender (lelaki menggunakan kuasa yang dianugerah oleh strata masyarakat serta kekuatan ekonomi untuk menguatkuasakan pengaruhnya ke atas perempuan), namun, “kedudukan” sebenarnya adalah satu aspek yang boleh dieksploitasi oleh kedua – dua pihak. Bagaimana pula jika majikan yang digoda agar melakukan perbuatan sumbang dengan seorang pekerjanya yang oportunis? Bukankah di sini, kedudukan majikan itu digunakan untuk kepentingan peribadi si pekerja? Aku lebih selesa jika faktor yang dikatakan menyebabkan persetujuan itu tidak sah turut termasuk faktor paksaan, kecaman atau ugutan kerana ini bermakna sesiapa sahaja di dalam ruang lingkup hubungan profesional di tempat kerja berpotensi melakukan jenayah rogol.

Masalah kedua bagi aku adalah statistik yang dikemukakan di dalam artikel tersebut yang menyatakan hanya 5% daripada kes rogol yang dibawa ke mahkamah berjaya diselesaikan maka tidak ada apa yang hendak dikhuatirkan oleh masyarakat mengenai salah-guna peruntukan ini oleh kaum wanita. Pada aku, justifikasi itu tidak akan membantu kita menangani masalah ini dengan berkesan.Bukankah hakikat 5% kes rogol sahaja mendapat keadilan daripada mahkamah adalah satu fakta yang menakutkan dan bukannya untuk menjustifikasi pindaan tersebut semata-mata? Apa yang perlu kita fikirkan bersama-sama adalah sejauh manakah peruntukan baru ini akan memperkasa mangsa untuk ke hadapan dan membawa perogol ke muka pengadilan? Pada aku, sebarang penggubalan undng-undang yang melibatkan jenayah seperti rogol umpamanya harus mengambil kira mekanisme terbaik bagi melindungi mangsa pasca-jenayah. Sungguhpun peruntukan ini dikatakan membuka jalan untuk wanita membawa kes mereka ke muka pengadilan, namun, sejauhmanakah ia membantu mangsa membawa perogolnya ke mahkamah dan pada masa yang sama memastikan agar kerjayanya tidak musnah. Kedua, bagaimana pula dapat kita pastikan peruntukan ini tidak menjadi lubuk keuntungan atau peluang membalas dendam bagi sesetengah golongan wanita yang tidak pun dirogol? Seorang kawan aku menghujahkan “Takkanlah sanggup seorang wanita memalukan dirinya dengan mengaku dirogol untuk memperolehi keuntungan atau atas tujuan kepentingan peribadi?” Jawapan aku adalah apa pun tidak mustahil. Dalam konteks ini, wanita itu tidak menderita dari malu ditangkap basah atau rakamannya bersenggama diedar ke seluruh negara, lebih strategis, beliau akan dianggap mangsa dalam hal ini dan mendapat simpati umum.

Bukanlah aku tidak sensitif kepada penderitaan mangsa rogol. Contohnya bagi isu rogol di dalam perkahwinan, aku menyokong agar undang-undang mengiktiraf bahawa rogol memang wujud di dalam sesebuah perhubungan suami isteri. Persetujuan yang diberi bagi seseorang lelaki itu untuk mengahwini isterinya (ijab dan kabul) tidak merupakan satu “blanket consent” bagi si suami untuk memperlakukan isterinya dalam apa jua keadaan dan cara, samada dengan atau tanpa persetujuan si isteri.

Pada aku, permasalahan ini tidak akan selesai dengan hanya mengembangkan skop sosial ataupun keadaan-keadaan yang menyebabkan rogol berpotensi untuk berlaku. Pada aku, itu adalah persoalan fakta yang perlu dibuktikan oleh Pendakwaraya dan Peguam Bela dan diproses oleh Mahkamah bagi membuat keputusan. Yang perlu kita perkukuhkan sekarang adalah

Definisi rogol- agar tidak terhad kepada tusukan penis sahaja tetapi objek-objek lain yang memang sukar untuk ditemui bukti biologi seperti air mani. Kes rogol yang melibatkan liwat dengan batang besi contohnya turut berlaku dan perlu diambil kira dengan serius di bawah Akta.

Perhalusi takrifan "rogol", apakah pertimbangan-pertimbangan munasabah bagi orang awam, peguam, polis dan mahkamah mengklasifikasikan sesuatu persetujuan itu sebagai sah atau tidak. Pertimbangan seperti ugutan, penggunaan dadah dan sebagainya. Perhatian perlu diberi bagi keganasan seks dalam ikatan suami isteri, keluarga atau industri pornografi, mungkin?

Meningkatkan kualiti mekanisme keadilan agar lebih mesra-mangsa rogol. Mekanisme yang aku maksudkan adalah sedari membuat laporan polis, perubatan, prosedur soal-siasat sehinggalah ke perbicaraan. Ini termasuklah pendidikan mengenai hak asasi dan kesedaran mengenai mangsa rogol bagi polis, pekerja sosial, peguam, majistret dan pegawai perubatan.

Yang aku rasa paling penting bagi generasi muda adalah agar persoalan seks dan seksualiti ini diangkat sebagai satu persoalan yang boleh dibincangkan secara terbuka dan sihat. Cukuplah sudah anak muda “terpaksa” merisik maklumat tambahan mengenai seks dan seksualiti ini dari sumber-sumber rahsia yang kadang kala gelap dan tidak menterjemahkan isu ini dalam konteks yang sebenar. Kadang kala, pemendaman daya ingin tahu mengenai seks dan seksualiti (sexual repression) boleh memangkin keinginan seks yang tidak sihat contohnya rogol. Kesimpulannya, strategi bagi menangani rogol harus melibatkan kedua-dua pihak, pesalah dan mangsa serta keseluruhan sistem keadilan itu sendiri.

Pautan berkaitan

1. Pendirian Majlis Peguam

2. Pendirian WAO

3. Lagi..dari Majlis Peguam

Poll on Malaysian Young People

2006-07-25T09:49:00.000+08:00

Youth...what an important stage of life. It`s the time when we could commit as many mistakes as our body and budget allow and yet, at the end of the day, could stand back and say "I will repent later," It was one of the most romantic phase in your life where if you have such a dull straight forward experience of being a youth, you will definitely be grasping for some white lies to tell your children on how your youthful days were adventurous and cool. They don't invent the term youth angst for nothing, right?

Having described youth in such a way, I wonder how's our own local youth doing by the way? Merdeka Centre conducted an opinion research among 1,505 youth in our country aged 18-32 years old. A news report on the survey can be found here .

Interesting findings are as follow;
-----------------------------------------------------
QUESTIONS & PERCENTAGE
-----------------------------------------------------
1.Expectation of Malaysian society
43% Treat various races and culture equally
27% Wanted a democratic country
18% Wanted Islam to play bigger role in society
6% Wanted a Malay-dominant society
______________________________________
2. On issue of Morality 62% Government to regulate
______________________________________
3.Concern about problems in their
71% Concerned immediate community
59% Never taken part in any community service
/volunteer activities.
------------------------------------------------------

The poll has at least unravel some of the misconception about youth. Youth, typically are labelled as uncaring, complacent and abhor control or regulation. Surprisingly, 62% of them wants morality to be State-regulated and a much smaller percentage choose self-regulated or family regulated. Majority of youth according to the poll feel strongly about the issues around them but they definitely need a channel to voice their concern. Not some channels chaired by a group of old men declaring themselves "belia", they need some fresh progressive platform that appreciate their ideas and position as young people. Its the MTV era, and we have to do things the new way! ;). I wish to search for the complete finding of the survey and I will post it here, if I get it.

Meanwhile, are there any progressive young people collective in Malaysia? All is not lost, check out the links below;

1.Young people that likes to serve homeless people free food. You dont have to be a chef to join.
2.Five Arts Centre`s motley crew with their community project in Taman Medan and Selayang.
3.A bunch of youth and students that advocate for young people`s civil and political rights.
4. An unlisted "public university". I am not sure whether it still exist or not.
5.Regional collective. Interesting nevertheless.

Could be other groups.... Hey, I should start a directory of young people`s group on my blog! :)
Young people should start their own collectives and respond to their issues strategically.You don't need the adults to dictate your move and action. Historically, it has always been the young people who is the State`s strongest momentum for change. I`d say, let`s start now and bring change to the country. Amin.

SERBAN OH SERBAN

2006-07-24T13:06:00.000+08:00

Sebagai sebuah negara yang berbilang bangsa dan agama, agak janggal SEKIRANYA Malaysia sunyi daripada pertembungan mahupun konflik yang lahir daripada kepelbagaian ini. Bukanlah aku mendoakan rusuhan kaum setiap hari dek kerana negara kita ini berbilang bangsa dan kaum.

Baru-baru ini, kes Serban di putuskan di Mahkamah Persekutuan. Kesimpulan yang aku perolehi daripada keputusan kes tersebut adalah;

1. Kebebasan mengamalkan agama itu bergantung kepada wajib/sunatnya amalan tersebut.Selagi Negara boleh menguatkuasa polisi yang tidak melanggar hukum wajib amalan tersebut, maka Negara berhak berbuat demikian.

2. Antara matlamat melarang pelajar daripada memakai serban, jubah dan purdah adalah bagi menghindari benih ekstrimisme dari subur di peringkat sekolah seterusnya menyebabkan polarisasi dan perpecahan di dalam masyarakat.

Pandangan aku begini. Wajib/sunatnya sesuatu amalan itu tidak menjadi titik noktah kepada kebebasan seseorang mengamalkan agamanya. Soalnya, bukan penentuan hukum ke atas perilaku memakai serban itu, yang harus dibedah siasat di dalam bilik mahkamah tetapi apakah semangat serta argumen asas kepada kebebasan kanak-kanak itu mempraktikkan sesuatu yang dipercayai olehnya. Benih prejudis dan ekstrimisme tidak sekadar tumbuh dari serban, purdah dan jubah. Benih-benih racun itu telah lama tumbuh dan mengakar dalam masyarakat dek kerana menebalnya dasar pecah dan perintah tajaan Negara. Bukan serban masalahnya. Parti politik berasaskan kaum dan agama yang patut di persoalkan, Dasar Ekonomi Baru, Ketuanan Melayu pemangkin oligarki Melayu serta dasar-dasar pemerintah lain yang gagal yang patut direnungi, keegoaan institusi agama untuk menilai kerelevanannya dalam mendepani isu-isu sosial dalam konteks yang progresif yang menjadi isunya. Ada 1001 perkara lain yang perlu dilunaskan sebelum kita, rakyat Malaysia memusatkan keseluruhan kemarahan dan tenaga kita kepada isu ini semata-mata.

Kalau benar mahu menghalang benih-benih prejudis dari lahir di dalam masyarakat, apakah lebih baik menyuruh kanak-kanak ini memakai songkok daripada serban? (sila rujuk keputusan mahkamah) Hirarki songkok itu lebih tinggi kah daripada serban dalam carta "pakaian yang menyemai perpaduan di Malaysia"? Semacam songkok -vs- serban ini menjadi simbol kepada pergelutan kuasa sebenar di gelanggang politik negara. Mungkin songkok itu lebih hadhari?

Aku tidak peduli tentang serban atau songkok. Aku tidak peduli tentang perlunya kanak-kanak berpakaian seragam di sekolah bagi mematuhi Pekeliling Sekolah. Aku lihat peraturan memakai pakaian seragam di sekolah ini pun sudah menjadi satu punca perniagaan/peluang tender untuk pihak tertentu. Usaha menanam displin di kalangan kanak-kanak sekolah sudah menjadi komoditi meraih keuntungan. Selain itu, disebabkan oleh baju seragamlah, ramai kanak-kanak Orang Asli tidak mahu ke sekolah atau malu lalu tercicir dari pendidikan. Pemakaian serban pula hanyalah soal kulit atau luaran. Maaf, aku tahu pemakaian serban itu satu sunnah Rasulullah tetapi Ustaz ku di universiti dulu pernah menasihatkan aku bahawa kadang-kadang, soal pemakaian jubah, serban dan purdah ini harus diteliti dan dilihat kesesuaiannya dari segi persekitaran dan keadaan komuniti terutamanya jika kita sedang membuat kerja-kerja komuniti dan perlu berdepan dengan ramai orang. Justeru, serban bukan penentu tahap keimanan, tahap kesabaran dan tahap kesediaan seseorang individu mebawa perubahan yang baik kepada semua orang dan bukan dirinya semata-mata. Apa yang aku kisah adalah kes ini sepatutnya menjadi satu peluang untuk badan kehakiman negara membincangkan soal kebebasan mengamalkan agama dengan progresif dan tidak sekadar dibayangi oleh polisi Pemerintah.

Sungguhpun skop kes adalah pemakaian serban, Mahkamah berhak mengeluarkan interpretasi yang kreatif kepada permasalahan ini serta melebar luaskan skop alasan penghakiman agar dapat menjadi salah satu sumber perbincangan dan refleksi masyarakat yang sedang hebat membincangkan kes-kes berkenaan kebebasan beragama. Acapkali, pemutusan kes di mahkamah mengenai isu-isu hak asasi terutamanya isu kebebasan beragama menjadi satu pertarungan bersifat prosedur dan teknikal (baca: bidang kuasa sivil lawan mahkamah syariah, baca juga thesis Salbiah Ahmad [Kolumnis Malaya! di Malaysiakini.com] sewaktu menjadi Fellow di Emory di sini.) tetapi intipati kesnya jarang mengajak masyarakat melihat isu ini dari perspektif yang berbeza.

Pada masa yang sama, Mahkamah tidak pula menilai apakah kepentingan terbaik bagi kanak-kanak sewaktu memutuskan kes tersebut. ini kerana Konvensyen Mengenai Hak Kanak-Kanak (CRC) (baca teksnya di sini) yang diratifikasi oleh Malaysia pada 1995 meletakkan kepentingan terbaik kanak-kanak perlu berada di tangga yang teratas apabila ibu bapa, penjaga mahupun Negara memutuskan sesuatu bagi pihak kanak-kanak. Bila kanak-kanak yang terbabit, dibuang sekolah, adakah itu pendekatan terbaik yang membela kepentingan kanak-kanak? Bagaimana dengan hak pendidikannya di bawah Perkara 28 Konvensyen Hak Kanak-Kanak dan Perkara 12 Perlembagaan Persekutuan? Hector, seorang peguam, menulis tentang aspek itu di sini.

Aku akan terus menunggu dan menunggu. :(

Koleksi pendapat orang ramai yang agak menarik:
1. Malaysian Today-yang biasa diperolehi/didengar.
2. Sun 2 Surf `s Article
3. Hujah Mohd Hanipa Maidin, peguam kanak-kanak tersebut di blog beliau.

LUBNAN ITU 9/11?

2006-07-21T12:35:00.000+08:00

Timur Tengah adalah lokasi “terpanas” di dunia mutakhir ini. Kerana apa? Pertama, kerana ia merupakan punca takungan minyak idaman Amerika dan kedua kerana, untuk mendominasi sumber minyak dan menjadi kuasa unilateral terulung, Bush dan sekutunya akan melakukan apa sahaja untuk mengolah persetujuan ramai dan menampilkan justifikasi yang logik bagi meyokong gagasan perang beliau. Ini bukan sahaja peperangan berbentuk fizikal. Ini juga adalah peperangan propaganda. Propaganda bagi menguatkan sokongan dan hujahan Amerika yang Iran patut di serang.

Perlukah kuasa unilateral seperti Amerika mengolah persetujuan umum sebelum bertindak? Jawapannya perlu. Kerana sokongan umum kepada tindakan Amerika memberi legitimasi kepada usaha Amerika meneruskan hegemoni mereka ke seluruh dunia. Lebih mudah memerintah manusia yang percaya daripada yang kuat memberontak, bukan?

Operasi “Janji Sebenar” Hizbollah pada 12 Julai yang dilihat sebagai katalis kepada serangan Israel ke atas Lebanon. Operasi tersebut dinamakan sedemikian sempena “janji” Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah untuk menjadikan tentera Israel sebagai tahanan dan ditukar dengan tiga orang Lubnan yang menjadi tawanan Israel. Kemudian, bermulalah siri konflik di utara Lubnan-Israel yang akhirnya menjadi parah dengan serangan udara dan darat Israel ke atas Lubnan.

Pastinya Syria dan Iran menyampah melihat saudara bau-bau bacang mereka diserang oleh Israel. Timbullah soal sokongan Syria dan Iran kepada tindakan Hizbollah. Istilah sedap yang dijaja oleh George Bush Jr. adalah “keganasan tajaan negara” (state-sponsored terrorism).

Sekarang ini, pengolahan isu dan naratif fakta ternyata akan mengenepikan peristiwa serangan Lebanon bagi memberi laluan kepada persoalan yang jawapannya bakal menguntungkan Amerika. Apakah perkaitan Iran dengan serangan Hizbollah pada 12 Julai? Pembentukan pendapat umum ke arah menamakan Iran sebagai penaja serangan itu bakal memberikan Amerika satu justifikasi untuk menyerang Iran setelah desakan Washington agar Iran menghentikan program nuklearnya tidak berjaya. Kini, bukan hanya kelompok neo-konservatif sahaja yang menghujahkan bahawa serangan 12 Julai itu berjaya dek sokongan Iran, kelompok intelektual liberal (termasuklah pendukung Demokrat) nampaknya turut mengikuti trend yang sama di dalam menganalisis krisis di Timur tengah itu. Antara pandangan yang aku baca adalah pandangan Kolumnis New York Times, Thomas Friedman, seorang liberal di Amerika. Beliau menganggap militan tajaan Syria dan Iran hanya mahu menggugat usaha Amerika membawa demokrasi ke Palestin, Iraq dan Lubnan kerana enggan menerima demokrasi sebenar dan usaha pemodenan di rantau tersebut.

Iran akan dipersalahkan dalam banyak perkara. Harga minyak yang sedang naik sekarang adalah gara-gara kestabilan dunia yang terganggu dek krisis Timur Tengah. Pelopor krisis? Antara calon utama untuk anugerah ini adalah Iran. Iran pula dikatakan memperolehi keuntungan daripada bursa minyaknya. Mahu tidak naik angin dan iri hati kuasa besar dunia? Lagi satu fakta penting, keberanian Iran menolak rundingan bersama Amerika untuk menghentikan program nuklearnya menjadikan Iran sasaran kemarahan Amerika yang amat besar. Jadi, pemerhati politik antarabangsa, pak-pak liberal dan puak Neo-konservatif memutuskan tidak mustahil, peristiwa 12 Julai itu satu sandiwara rancangan Iran untuk mengalih perhatian Amerika dan dunia daripada mengawasi program nuklearnya. Kesemua faktor ini akan dijadikan bonus yang dikumpul sepertimana program kad “rewards” di kedai minyak. Cukup sahaja mata yang terkumpul, maka Amerika akan menukarkannya dengan hadiah teristimewa untuk Timur Tengah-serangan ke atas Iran.

Nampaknya benarlah hanya jauhari mengenal manikam.
State sponsored terrorism
Preemptive strike
Weapon of Mass Destruction
Ini semua alah bisa, tegal biasa bagi Amerika.

Jika konflik Timur Tengah dan hegemoni Amerika itu aku nukilkan seperti sebuah cerita dongeng karya adik beradik Grimm, mungkin begini jalan ceritanya:

Pada zaman dahulu, Raja Bush dari Kerajaan Amerika ingin menguasai semua takungan emas hitam di dunia. Namun, takungan emas hitam itu semuanya di dalam kekuasaan maharaja-maharaja kejam di kawasan Timur Tengah. Setelah menguasai kerajaan Afganistan dan iraq, baginda terjatuh hati pula kepada kerajaan Iran. Sayang seribu kali sayang, kerajaan Iran tidak dapat ditandingi oleh Raja Bush. Raja Bush pun bermuafakat dengan bendahara neo-konnya.

‘Senang sahaja tuanku, kerajaan naungan tuanku, kerajaan Israel sedang berperang dengan kerajaan Lubnan. Tuanku sokong sahaja tindakan Israel menghentam Beirut,”.

“Mengapa Memanda Menteri berpendapat sedemikian?”

“Kerana Beirut itulah World Trade Centre tuanku dan Iran itu pula Iraq kedua untuk kerajaan tuanku”,
Dan mereka hidup dengan aman damai selama-lamanya.

Walaupun mungkin usaha Amerika mengolah kepercayaan umum bahawa Iran patut diserang akan memakan masa, mungkin pada Amerika, biarlah. Janji suatu hari nanti, Iran dan takungan minyaknya yang berharga akan jatuh ke tangan empayar yang mengaku pencinta demokrasi ini.

Antara yang menarik di internet tentang isu ini:
Pengenalan asas kepada Hizbullah (Baca dan Fikir).
Artikel dari Asian Times
Jangan Tuduh Bush Mulakan Perang.
Blog menarik tentang krisis ini.

Bush and Blair Rapping

2006-07-20T14:31:00.000+08:00

Check out the transcript to Bush n Blair `s private chat (that is not so private now) here.
Who would have thought world leaders knit sweaters or "Yo!" each others.

:)

A Bit of Bushism

2006-07-20T12:54:00.000+08:00

If any of you happens to read Slate.com, you will come across Jacob Weisberg`s The Complete Bushism : Updated Frequently. Its a compilation of all the silly quotes one can only expect from "the accidental wit and wisdom of the 43rd President of the United States". I took the liberty (with full aknowledgement to Wiesberg`s effort, of course) to reproduced my fave quotes. Enjoy!

"This is Preservation Month. I appreciate preservation. It's what you do when you run for president. You gotta preserve."—Speaking during "Perseverance Month" at Fairgrounds Elementary School in Nashua, N.H. As quoted in the Los Angeles Times, Jan. 28, 2000

"I understand small business growth. I was one."—New York Daily News, Feb. 19, 2000

"I think anybody who doesn't think I'm smart enough to handle the job is underestimating."—U.S. News & World Report, April 3, 2000 (Thanks to Alfred Stanley, Austin, Texas.)

"I have a different vision of leadership. A leadership is someone who brings people together."—Bartlett, Tenn., Aug. 18, 2000 (Thanks to Tarja Black.)

"I would have my secretary of treasury be in touch with the financial centers, not only here but at home."—Boston, Oct. 3, 2000 (Thanks to M. Bateman.)

"Do you have blacks, too?"—To Brazilian President Fernando Cardoso, Washington, D.C., Nov. 8, 2001

"The ambassador and the general were briefing me on the—the vast majority of Iraqis want to live in a peaceful, free world. And we will find these people and we will bring them to justice."—Washington, D.C., Oct. 27, 2003 (Thanks to Robert Hack.)

Read more here.

For youth activists or maybe interested parties, a consultation to discuss on creating a forum of multiracial young people will be held in Open Dialogue Centre, today, 8.30 pm. Could be interesting. So, see you there.

Pendidikan & Propaganda

2006-07-19T08:35:00.000+08:00

Paulo Freire, seorang tokoh yang amat terkenal di dalam bidang pendidikan untuk golongan dewasa dari Brazil, telah menyatakan di dalam bukunya, “Pedagogi Kaum Tertindas” bahawa bagi golongan penindas, pendidikan secara bank, iaitu pendidikan yang bertujuan mengekalkan pemusatan kuasa kepada yang berkuasa serta mengenepikan semangat ingin tahu, perbahasan, dialog dan pemikiran kritis merupakan satu propaganda terbaik untuk menutup kepincangan sistem. Pendidikan tidak lagi menjadi wadah untuk membebaskan manusia dari kongkongan kebodohan mahupun untuk memperkasa rakyat agar bangun mempersoalkan penindasan. Pendidikan disalahguna sebagai senjata untuk membelenggu golongan tertindas dari berfikir serta membudaya rasa takut dan tidak peduli. Apa benarkah gagasan Freire ini?

Menelusuri sejarah dunia yang kerapkali ditulis oleh sang pemenang, penggunaan pendidikan sebagai propaganda boleh ditemui juga sewaktu zaman pemerintahan Nazi. Hitler, seorang yang genius dalam bidang propaganda mengutilisasi sebaik mungkin sistem pendidikan sewaktu itu untuk mengolah persetujuan dan kepercayaan rakyat mengenai ideologi serta dasar pemerintahan beliau. Jika diteliti buku teks yang digunakan di sekolah pada ketika itu, didapati watak-watak protoganis di dalam teks cerita umpamanya sering diwakili oleh ciri-ciri serta keperibadian yang dimiliki oleh bangsa Aryan. Perkara yang sama boleh diperhati pada ilustrasi yang digunakan dalam buku teks sekolah. Golongan yang baik dan patut dicontohi ditampilkan sebagai bermata biru, berambut perang, bertubuh sasa dan berbudi pada tanah atau kaum petani. Manakala golongan yang jahat dan harus dibenci dilukis sebagai berkepala botak, pendek, buncit dan memiliki wang yang banyak. (Sebenarnya watak kapitalis ini tidak terhad kepada bangsa Yahudi sahaja, bukti hujahan saya ini boleh dilihat di Malaysia).

Pengulangan fakta dan ilustrasi yang ditentukan oleh pemerintah dan diiktiraf oleh sistem ini akhirnya menjadi kebenaran yang dianggap sahih. Pendidikan, sebagaimana yang diperjelaskan di atas menjadi institusi pengindoktrinasian paling berkesan untuk mengolah persepsi, kepercayaan dan persetujuan manusia tentang apakah itu kebenaran.

Menakutkan.

Usah merasa takut kepada apa yang sudah berlaku di zaman kekejaman Hitler. Usah ditangkis gagasan Freire hanya kerana teori beliau cenderung ke arah pemikiran Sartre dan bersifat ke-kiri-an. Keresahan anda itu patut dihamburkan kepada penyelewangan fakta sejarah yang dibuat di “rumah sendiri”. Lebih menyedihkan fakta yang terseleweng itu dikompilasi menjadi bahan silibus untuk satu kursus wajib di universiti yang diberi nama Pengajian Hubungan Antara Kaum. Sewaktu aku terbaca laporan Malaysiakini.com mengenai hal ini semalam (rujuk fakta yang dieprtikaikan di sini juga), ledakan bom di Beirut semacam kedengaran lebih perlahan berbanding ledakan kemarahan aku sewaktu itu. Walaupun api kemarahan aku kepada para “warmongers” yang menghalakan kebiadapan mereka kepada Lebanon selepas gagal menggugat Iran sedang membara, cubaan menipu fakta sejarah sebagai taktik propaganda di universiti sukar dimaafkan. Adakah ini paranoid dan prejudis yang bersifat kekirian dan subversif? Kalau begitu, adakah Profesor Khoo Kay Kim, seorang sejarawan terkenal negara boleh dianggap pranoid apabila memperbetulkan kesilapan fakta sejarah di dalam buku teks subjek tersebut?

Setelah subjek sejarah di sekolah menengah diolah menjadi subjek bosan untuk tujuan hafalan sebelum ujian (tapi dipakej sebagai subjek yang menanam rasa patriotik, aku sebenarnya merasa lebih patriotik selepas membaca esei George Orwell yang bertajuk “Notes on Patriotism”) pelajar Tahun Pertama di kampus akan disogok pula dengan maklumat yang terpesong. Generasi aku mungkin akan terkejut membaca bagaimana peristiwa Kampung Medan dan tuntutan Suqiu digambarkan di dalam buku teks tersebut. Rasa terkejut itu kerana peristiwa-peristiwa tersebut bukan peristiwa 40 tahun lalu yang mungkin agak sukar untuk aku hayati dan fahami. Ia adalah antara peristiwa kontemporari negara ini yang kesannya masih dirasai dan diketahui.

Berbanding pertempuran di medan perang dan gerakan terrorisme, propaganda licik dan halus sebegini pada aku lebih menakutkan!

THE HAPPY COUNTRY CALLED MALAYSIA!

2006-07-14T09:10:00.000+08:00

Its Friday. Fabulous Friday. Last day of the week for me to slave myself for the sake of humanity. Like everyone else, of course. Perhaps, the fact that we have lotsa people getting excited and happy about weekends that makes Malaysia ranked 44 in the Happy Planet Index. Cool, eh?

How do you calculate happiness? This is the interesting part. When I checked here,

Life Satisfaction x Life expentancy
HPI= -----------------------------------------
Ecological Footprint

Or in short, "it represents the efficiency with which countries convert the earth’s finite resources into well-being experienced by their citizens".

So which country is the most happiest on earth? Its Vanuatu, dudes. The study also reveals that islands fare well above average. You could check out the reasons and what the study reveals at the website. But if I am an Islander, my pick will be Cyprus, I will definitely be a happy person. Nice sandy beaches, great weather, tall tanned hunks and all-year festive atmosphere. Which explains why people in Malta, Cyprus and Sri Lanka even, are happy. Another interesting thing is that, some of this countries are in the middle of conflicts or wars and yet, they are happy about their live. Yours truly suddenly shrink herself into a flea and felt really bad about all the dramas and theaterical antics she got herself into, just to understand the meaning of happiness. Pfff...

With Cuba also performing well as a happy country, the more reason for me to visit the country one day (Havana seemed to be the background location for most of my dreams) . See what Salsa and cigars do to those Cubans? They are a happy bunch of people despite being named as one of the Axis of Evil (Oh, if there is a CWGI or Country With Grudges Index, U.S will definitely top it) . But first, speaking of Havana, how to get over the RM10k+ air flight ticket? That`s an unhappy point!

Can life satisfaction be represented by judgement of feelings attained to materials? If it is, HPI showed that countries that top the index are countries with lower GDP. Can HPI projects how life satisfaction can also be a product of complacency? I am happy because I care less, maybe? I close my eyes to tyranny, sufferings of other and build this wall to isolate myself from the pains and complexities of problems in my society, therefore I am happy?

Anyway, I don't want to ruin the mood to celebrate this happy piece of news. Fun-spoilers like me will definitely pull the HPI down and I don't want to be blame for that. Well, not today. So, my happy people, enjoy your weekend!

How do you defend Islam?

2006-07-13T16:10:00.000+08:00

Wow. If I am a practising lawyer now, with a nice fat monthly wage (not that I am complaining about my current salary) and a circle of colleagues that use words like hereinafter, lacunae, vis-a-vis and sui de generis, could I possibly be joining this new group?

Will it be a good support system for Islam?
Or is this another faction on the block that will increase the friction?

How do you defend Islam, by the way? Offensive or defensive strategy?
I would say, just be a good Muslim that stays true to the whole philosophy and values that are founded in the religion.

What is a good Muslim? Maybe PPI can answer this.

If you ask me, I`d say a person that loves the religion strong enough not to be easily influenced by rules dictated by the State or patriachal prejudices. A person that respect the relationship he or she has with Allah that he or she exercises his or her options, choices and way of life according to these relationship and beliefs without fear or favour. A good muslim, to me should be able to deconstruct the theological aspects of the religion into daily practicalities and make it socially relevant but of course not at the expense of other people`s beliefs and rights. A good muslim too, are able to accept his or her flaws openly as part of the fact that we all are just plain humans who make mistakes and to do his or her level best to be a better person every day.

The last thing Islam needs now is people that keep on telling other people that they are here to defend Islam.

Amin.

MAHATHIR & PAK LAH : The Real Deal

2006-07-12T07:57:00.000+08:00

So, our Prime Minister and his predecessor actually has blood ties. Check this out!

Really suits the saying "Susah Senang Kita Bersama".

:)

Nota ringkas: Zizou (II), Lanun Hippie & dll.

2006-07-10T12:03:00.000+08:00

(i)
Materazzi membela diri. Zizou pula masih mendiamkan diri. Apa kata rakyat maya tentang kejadian tandukan emas Zizou? Antara tekaan ramai:-
"Dirty terrorist"
"Mainlah untuk negara sendiri"
"Kau seorang homo"
"Emak kau seorang pelacur"

Mengapa Materazzi tidak buka mulut sahaja dan mengaku apa yang diucapkannya kepada Zizou? Hendak takut apa? Piala Dunia sudah selamat dalam genggaman Itali. Materazzi, engkau pun ada sejarah kenakalan yang tersendiri. Masih hendak berselindung di sebalik agen mu?

(ii)
Pirates of The Carribean, Tayangan Amal anjuran ServiceCorp bagi meraih dana untuk MAKNA-WAO/TGV KLCC/7 Julai/8.30 mlm/Berteman.

Pesanan bila anda menonton filem ini. Jangan hendak menjadi seorang intelek sombong yang mahu berfikir panjang dalam wayang. Duduk. Telan popcorn. Minum Diet Coke anda. Berhibur.
Setiap kali Captain Jack Sparrow tampil di skrin, ketawalah sepuas hati anda. Stress 3 minggu terus ghaib. Apa yang menarik? Pastinya Keira Knightly. Kali ini Will Turner sudah menjadi cerita basi bagi Elizabeth. Nampaknya, cinta telah beralih arah. Siapa kata seorang wanita tidak boleh mencintai lebih dari seorang lelaki? :) Kali ini, lanun hippie berambut dreadlock yang jalan terhoyong-hayang itu menjadi idaman Elizabeth. Pemberi modal dan pengarah filem makin bijak menjadikan emosi penonton komoditi yang lumayan. Pirates of The Carribean berakhir dengan seteru lama Jack (biarlah aku rahsiakan siapa) kembali untuk menyelamatkan antihero pujaan rama itu. Nampaknya, kita bertemu Jack Sparrow sekali lagi musim panas tahun depan. Tiru Lord of The Rings nampak. Budaya Trilogi?

(iii)
Untuk selama beberapa minggu ini, rancangan TV apa yang aku tonton?
1.That`s So Raven- Seronok melihat seorang remaja kulit hitam (walaupun watak fiksyen) yang tidak gentar dengan tekanan sosial kerana tubuhnya gempal.
2.Dance Fever -Aku suka menari!
3.Rockstar - Membentuk artis rock ala SMS. Hmm...apa bezanya dengan Mawi? Tidak ada luggage hitam yang perlu ditarik apabila "rocker tidak jadi" diundi keluar. Itulah bezanya, mungkin.
4.House - Antihero yang tempang tetapi bijak. Aura seorang doktor yang aku tidak temui di Hospital Besar Kuala Lumpur (Mungkin belum lagi).

Catitan agak ringkas kerana kerja pejabat makin berlambak dan kesihatan diri tidak begitu baik. Takpe. Esok masih ada.

2006-07-10T10:03:00.000+08:00

World Cup Finals: Zizou & His Golden Crown

Zinedin Zidane or affectionately known as Zizou could have ended his career by raising the World Cup high amongst adoring crowd and flashing cameras. He could. But he didn’t.

At the 111^th minute of the game, he used his bald crown to butt head Materazzi `s chest after some heated exchange of words. It was a brilliant header, if only it could help France lead the game after a 1-1 draw. But, you should head the ball, Zizou, not Materazzi `s chest!

“Oh my god, I cannot see this,”
4 guys at the table, one happened to be my hubby, guffawed loudly.
“Aww…Gee, the worst that can happen is, our Mr Zizou gets the Red,”

The worst indeed happened. Zizou walked out of the field, heading towards the locker room. “What could Zidane be doing in the locker room? Crying? Reflecting on how his career ended?” That was the commentator, trying to be Dr. Phil and a sports commentator at the same time.

It was a dramatic Final. Marred to a certain extent by many tragic episodes. But next to the Italians exorcising the ghost of ’94 as they perfected all the penalty shoots, no other episodes could match Zizou`s header.

“If it was Rooney, I would not be surprised,"
“Look, who ask him to lose his cool? Angry or not, he is putting France`s chance of winning at stake,”
“I wonder what Materazzi said which in the end inspire that beautiful header.”

Everyone wants to be a soccer analyst after Zizou`s tragic incident.

Zizou has remarkable and sophisticated ways of controlling the ball. But I am afraid when it comes to unleashing his anger, his ability to “control” fade to the background. He did in fact earned 2 red cards before this. While with Juventus, he butted Jochen Kientz of Hamburger SV in a Champions League match. He gets his second when he stomped a Saudi Arabia player years back. At this World Cup he collected two yellow cards and was suspended for France's third group match against Togo. He is not as cool as people think he is after all.

I had to say the game yesterday was sloppy and melodramatic most of the time. I would happily name the match between Argentina and German or France and Brazil as the better games compared to the soccer soap opera I witnessed yesterday. Well, whatever I say now, the Italians could still be euphoric about the victory and yet to finish their dancing and pulling of each other `s shorts for all we know. After Trezeguet`s spot kick hit the bar, an empty bottle narrowly missed my head as some fanatic asshole thinks its funny to see my head bleeding. If it had, Zidane will not be the only person butt heading someone `s chest that night. Chewah!

I end my posting with a quote from Raymond Domenech, who never looked sadder than yesterday night:

“All I can think about now is the disappointment. My own future is not important at the moment. I'm sad for Zidane because he was always there for us during this competition. I'd have preferred substituting him five minutes before the end so he could have received a different ovation from the crowd to the one he got.”

Ugly exit it is for our great Zizou.

So, we wait again for another 4 years for the world to conjure another World Cup in South Africa. Well, enough time for me to advocate for plus sized Argentina`s cotton jersey for the next World Cup!

2006-07-07T13:57:00.000+08:00

WHY DO I HAVE PROBLEMS WITH DICHOTOMY OF RIGHTS
(Read: Serious Observation)

“So you can’t give me a hand in this?”
‘Sorry, I have to conduct visits to rural schools, wrap up my report on indigenous children’s education, state of health and etc, quite busy, M, you know I would help you if I have the time”,
“But this has a lot to do with our civil and political rights, you know. I mean it is very typical of your organization to work on “safe” welfare issues and neglect these big issues? I mean who I am kidding?”.

My brain cells did a bit of gymnastic and mentally spelled these words- dichotomy, Cold War, liberal dweeb…I said my final sorry and hang off. Let `s do a mental check on why this short conversation irritated me- The reason is definitely because she i.e. M, an advocate for freedom of assembly entraps herself in the whole dichotomization of human rights. That is so Cold War. Yeah, I know the plain fact is that, Universal Declaration of Human Rights was a creature of political diplomacy and PR practice among the superpowers during that time. However, I am NOT a generation of the Cold War nor I see any point of being sentimental about it.

I especially get annoyed when people fancy civil and political rights as actual rights whereas economic, social and cultural rights are ideals. Tell that to the poor hungry malnourished citizens in Africa and see if they care about your freedom of shredding your cloths in the middle of the park as a form of expression. Brag about how we open our arms widely to MNCs and liberal market as opposed to social market and see if those underpaid workers, unemployed citizens or child labors in the third world countries are accorded the same freedom and profit that their employers are getting. Dude, dichotomizing rights confers enough reason on the powers that be which I will gladly call dictators and despotic rulers, to turn their back on us and say “Hey, you guys, rights are not inalienable. That `s an option to gladly fulfill one set of rights before the other. Err…good reason to skip some social obligation, there”

The third generation of rights which appeared much later, deals with right to development, peace and self determination, and to me was notions that involve all categories of rights i.e. collective rights.

Frankly, I have nothing against both set of rights. I used to be an advocate for student` s political and civil rights. I just couldn’t bear to let myself victimized by suppression of opinion and academic freedom during my campus life. But when I am doing my job now, I realized that my past struggle was just as crucial as my present. Fighting for equal access to education for the marginalized sector of the society fertilize deeper understanding of civil and political rights among the people. In the same vein, speaking up on the huge economic disparity in the society pave way for economic policy reform.

Dichotomization of rights was the power struggle that the Soviet Union and United States had to endure in the midst of Cold War. The glaring ideological differences were seen in many ways to dilute the whole process of formulating the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. For example, to the U.S, the United Kingdom, France and other cultural descendants of the West European countries, rights were natural and self evident. Soviet Union and other Communist countries believed that rights are conferred by the State. If that’s not a tough quorum to discuss crucial issue like world peace and universal declaration, check this out; Americans Declaration of Independence proclaimed that rights are conferred by their Creator (Re: God). How do you think the Communist or any atheistic governments would take that? Hence, the magic word used was “inherent” which means you got your rights because you are a human being; religious or atheist, hey, make your pick!

To think I always fumble when I need to explain what “inherent” means during human rights workshops. I should just be honest and say “That word is used because the U.S and Communist block cannot agree on whether there is God or not when they were drafting the document!”

That, my dear Watsons, is just one example of how notion of rights were dichotomized when the world attempted to codify it. You get the picture better if you enlist all the Communist and U.S + Allies `s differences and imagine how they tried to work things out at the negotiation table without getting at each other `s throat.

If we forever set our mind that both civil+political rights and economic+social+cultural rights are always competing for the frontline in our struggle for democracy and, than we will fall victim to the whole idea that in order to make one set of rights seemed important, we must have another. Just like America, after the absence of the Communist Block, they seek new enemies to make themselves relevant globally. Why indeed can’t we gladly accept all the rights as equally important, crucial and in dire need for advocacy and protection?

Let's Rest Our Brains!

2006-07-06T13:03:00.000+08:00

Here`s some smile or laugh generators I encountered online. I dedicate these silly stuff to all you stress up peeps out there. Chin up, dudes! Have fun!

1. An educational lecture on the F-word.

2.Are you sure you are not gay? Answer the question, if u can *sniggers*

If I get more stressed up later temping for my boss, I will post more!

2006-07-06T11:35:00.000+08:00

GRAFFITI, BANGSAR, REVISITED

I wrote this piece years back when I was still studying and it gets published somewhere (not the mainstream media, definitely!). Last Sunday, my friend and I went out for drinks in Bangsar and we came across an old friend of mine. It was graffiti of 2 silhouettes holding placards bearing the message “Defend Human Rights”. My friend remarked, “Ini kerja budak pandai ni, ada mesej lagi,” I suddenly remembered an article I wrote about how people sometimes misplaced their anger and could not see what was beyond those graffiti. I smiled as I looked back at the graffiti which was left untouched on the wall. The fact that the owner of the premise allow the graffiti to remain on the wall of his premise since 2004 (re: the public outcry on this issue) opens a wide array of possibilities. Hope? Maybe. A strong convincing “Maybe”.

THE OTHER SIDE OF THE GRAFFITI.
Gee
January 2004, Malaysiakini.com

NST dated Jan 5,6 and 11, 2004 covered the issue of graffiti – generating public discussion on whether the act is a form of vandalism or work of art.

A majority of the people interviewed (of which the walls of their premises were “chosen” to exhibit the graffiti) would of course feel that such an act is wrong and deserves punishment. In fact, leading human rights advocate Ramdas Tikamdas, who was also interviewed, viewed such act as demeaning to the human rights struggle in our country and said that it took us two steps backwards.

I have come across the notorious graffiti in some of the walls in Bangsar and it was, (and as some of us would agree), done tastefully. Anyone who did it has great artistic talent and that was not all. He or she who also possessed notably good social consciousness and passion for human rights issues, which sad to say, is depleting in our society. So, the question now will be- is the act of spraying the walls of public property in the middle of the night (that is the only “safe” time to do it, I guess) that provokes the anger of the public or is it the glaring messages that those mute but loud graffiti carry, which in depth-is very thought provoking and honest?

Is it because the usual graffiti which carries lovelorn confessions like “I Luv U”, or the equally common admission of existence such as “I Wuz Ere!” or even the vulgar ones which is kind of self explanatory, has set a certain standard for how graffiti should look like or stand for?

For the past years, we stayed silent and relaxed when we encountered these useless scribbles on the toilet walls, because the message is “safe” and “comfortable”. There is a bit of grumbling here and there of course, because now, the owner of the premise must buy fresh paint to cover those dirty spots, but at the back of our minds, we are relieved that this is not the work of some socially conscious youths with an agenda. And, of course, the mainstream media such as NST need not cover that story more than once because graffiti in that context is just a mere prank.

Furthermore, we are left in awe at the growing number of expensive billboards in or cities which are funded by major companies advertising empty messages of their products or modern lifestyles. So are murals, wallpapers and artworks that are confined in galleries- these are OK, too. We prefer the orchestrated mainstream designs to the anonymous work of art done in free-style and provocative manner. To us, the later deserves harsh penalties and the perpetrators are only in for trouble.

From a different perspective, let us continue thinking-were the aesthetic carvings of animals, spirits and nature done by the nomadic cave dwellers on the walls of caves, during the primitive era, graffiti? Not forgetting the GIs during the World War II who made chalk drawings on the tanks and how the Catholic Protestant protesters used to paint slogans on Belfast, Northern Ireland walls. Was that the work of irresponsible people with a penchant for destroying public property or was it, actually, another form of symbolic communication inspired by one’s creativity and struggle to express opinion within a suppressive condition?

Dr. Joe Austin, assistant professor PhD (American Studies), University of Minnesota, a pop culture professor, did extensive studies on the intersections of urban history, youth culture, and popular culture (particularly film) in the United States and also visual productions of youth cultures themselves, such as graffiti and posters.

In his research, he noted “graffiti is a way for people to express themselves when they don’t feel they can publicly”. Among the reasons cited are “because the message is unpopular, public speaking is discouraged or they don’t want their words to be attributed to them”. For better or worse, graffiti allows someone an anonymous voice. Thus the suppression and lack of space to voice up one `s concern due to oppressive laws, control over media and even, dogmatic values in one ` s society is a valid reason of why some people, or specifically youths, who are victims of the above reason resort to graffiti.

In regards to Ramdas `s opinion, with due respect to his position as the president of Hakam, I beg to differ. Although graffiti is more often than not considered as one of hip hop subculture as evident in America, graffiti has, in fact been used as a form of protest against injustice and human rights violations in other parts of the world.

In Nicaragua, graffiti carries strong political message that call for popular mobilization. Whereas since the collapse of the Soviet Union, graffiti bearing anti-America messages and revolutionary slogans were seen on the walls of that city` s historic buildings as a sign of protest by some anonymous public. Let’s not forget Malaysia unassuming “Gerakan 18”, as I like to call it. The number “18” was found sprayed in popular or unexpected spots around Klang Valley few years back. So sensitive was that particular number that members of Parliament raised the issue during parliamentary session. “Some” were of course emotional than the others because the number signifies the number of politicians alleged to be involved in huge corruption cases.

I will not, however deny the fact that graffiti also emerged in the forms of hate speech and gang graffiti which are purely criminal vandalism, used in depicting violence and immoral values, marking the border of the gang’s territory or venting anger towards their enemy. However, in respect to the graffiti, which was highlighted in NST, I could not see how any of those graffiti could trigger or promote negative reactions from and to the public.

To me, those graffiti, like deep scars that survived painful wounds we inflicted on ourselves should stay on those walls as a reminder to all of us that there are so many issues unsolved and justice unclaimed in our country. I am of the opinion that graffiti is also one of the effective ways to advocate social issues. I mean, look at how much publicity it is getting from NST! What with three follow up news and colored pictures to boot!

The very characteristic of those “detested graffiti” – skillful sprays of colors done in style, fun, honest and non pretentious should be accepted as a very sincere manifestation by some sector of the society who supports our struggle for reform and justice. Don’t forget that reform requires us to dare to be different and break tyrannical norms!

Demam Piala Dunia -atau- Argentina Dalam Kenangan!

2006-07-05T19:21:00.000+08:00

Hari ini, ingat nak pos sesuatu yg mendalam. Tetapi sibuk habis aku hari ini kerana bos tiada di pejabat, (baca: terpaksa menjadi pemangku!...rakan sekerja kata "bukan pemangku, tetapi mangkuk, heheh) Aku ingat sebelum balik ke rumah, aku hendak menyumbat beg aku dengan kerja-kerja pejabat yang boleh aku habiskan sambil menunggu masa keramat 3.00 pagi untuk menyaksikan Peranchis berentap dengan Portugal bagi merebut tempat ke Final.

Ya, memang Argentina hanya tinggal sejarah. Kapoot! Habis! Tamat! Tetapi rasa hormat aku kepada corak permainan dan kesungguhan mereka di atas padang akan ku bawa sehingga ke Piala Dunia 2010 nanti. Oleh itu, cuba tonton iklan ini, khas di bawa dari Argentina,dengan tajaan percuma YouTube.com, tanda kasihnya aku kepada Riquelme, Crespo, Messi serta rakan sepasukan mereka yang lain. Kata-kata di akhir iklan tersebut jika diterjemahkan bermaksud "Mainlah bagi semua yang tidak dapat bermain, Semangatlah yang menyatukan kita!"

Malam ini, aku hendak sokong Peranchis lah! ;)

NOTES FROM THE HIATUS

2006-07-04T16:40:00.000+08:00

I am finally back. What a week it was. I brought back with me some short notes for people that I met during the journey or I make a point to talk toduring my hiatus. I hope they will be happy with the notes because this notes were made personally for them. Here goes the notes:

============================================
NOTE#1
============================================

Dear Union Guy,

Yeah, I was a jerk when I called you irresponsible, lembik, weak willed and etc. During my one week journey, I encountered jerks worse than you that I feel a lot more better that I am stuck with a jerk like you. You always take the side of the underdogs and the marginalized no matter what it costs you. To me, that is really cool, Union guy. Plus if given a haircut and freshly washed t-shirt, you could be mistaken as Jalan Ampas actor anytime!

Your smelly sock,
Gee

============================================
NOTE#2
============================================

Dear Switters,

I am back in K.L again after a week long hiatus. Your laments on how shitty your job is to the Union Guy is quiet understandable. Being ordered around by a woman in vest sounds very nerve breaking. Well, a job is a job, Switters, at least your hands have some useful stuffs to handle other than…Never mind. (This blog is self-classified as “U” with mild insults occasionally hurled to the government or any party that I am pissed with, so pray leave the blanks, blank). So, Switters, do finish up your job so we can watch the World Cup Finals together!

Teh Tarek and Nan
Gee.

==========================================
NOTE#3
==========================================

Dear 4 Eyes,

You rock, baby! We had a ball bitching about life when we met on that very eventful 30^th June. I am happy to see you are happy with your “bee”. The next time you need a plus size model for any of your photography session, just give me a ring. But that depends, really. Coz I am getting really good at my belly dancing and I am doubling my cardio efforts. I could be 10 kilos thinner the next time we meet or arkkk!!! The other way around. Congrats on your new job too. Errrr…wanna borrow my scarf?

Tight hugs from me!
Gee

=========================================
NOTE#4
=========================================

Dear Mahathir, Pak Lah and the Mediator,

Please stop this pathetic Cold War. Soviet and U.S had enough of the Cold War crap, so why should you start a new one. Have pity on the mysterious Mediator. He was appointed to be a peace broker for both of you. You are putting him in a huge dilemma coz he won’t know to whom should he be the “yes-man”. By the way, your battering and exchange of words have hoarded the newspapers for weeks. Let us read some real news, okay?

P/S- The mediator: Do you know what you put yourself into?

Gadis Pemalu, Kuala Kangsar

=======================================
NOTE#5
=======================================

Dear Conducter Bus Green Reliance Ipoh-KK

You seemed tired, troubled and intimidated by the naughty and haughty boys that pulled your leg when I was on the bus. I especially appreciate the small act of kindness you showed when you wake me up softly and ask me to get ready for the next stop. Those trips on the bus must be tiring and dull for you. But you and I, we both sat on the bus exchanging knowing glances as we observed people from all walks of life took their seats on that dusty bus, anxiously waited for the next destination. Perhaps, just perhaps, we both knew our own predicament was shitty too. We don’t have any right to judge those people, I guess. Till we meet again. If I am on a second hiatus, that is.

Hope you are having a great day today,
Gee

======================================
NOTE#6
======================================

Dear mama,

That small talk we had while devouring the whole cheese cake was very refreshing. U know what I remembered the most?

“How did I raise you?”

“Painfully…I knew I was such an asshole masa kecik,”

“No, Gee, remember how I always give you chance every time you made mistakes or in trouble?”

“So? You are my mom…duh,”

“The point is, I never give up on you because I know u will grow up to be a strong spunky woman with enough dose of wit and sexiness (okay, I invent this line), so, why now, you give up on others easily, especially people that you used to adore or love?

Mama, growing old and beautiful makes you such a corny person. But very wise too. You don’t know how those words make me happier that I finished up the whole cake when you are asleep. Sorry for not owning up.

Love you, mama!
Gee

======================================
NOTE#7
======================================

Dear Cigar smoker,

I was damn happy to get to know you better and enjoyed your company. Beneath those cigar smokes and droopy eyes, I sensed kindness, honesty and great loyalty. Sorry I can’t be the pimp of the year and get you as many hot chicks as you desired. I am sure you can get loads of hot chicks on your own. Watching Argentina lost to German was made easier with you shouting your support for Lehrman, typical of a silly Arsenal fanatic. Sheesh. When I say easy, I meant at least I didn’t scream my heads off and kick the projector. Somehow, in a very surreal +Kafkasque (minus the transformation to insect part) way, you made my day. But don’t bother to be proud and all, coz this piece of compliment is coming from an erratic-Zennex popper-schizoid. Do tap dance your way out of here while you can!

Drama Queen with a “kong” Dopod
Gee

=====================================
NOTE#8
=====================================

Dear Mike (Keeper of the Worldly Hell)

You make me laugh a lot . Only a true winner thinks he is a loser or errr…if he is a real genuine loser. As much as you think you have lots of enemies, I do think you have a bunch of dear friends. And admirers. And stalkers. And groupies. And…oh well.

A partner in blogging
Gee

My blogging activities will resume as usual. I promise to
---> Be a nicer person
---> Apreciate what I have
---> Less drama queen-ish
---> Less kilos!!!

Last But Not Least -Montserrat!

2006-06-26T13:39:00.000+08:00

I know I said I won't blog until next July plus I told a friend I won't talk to him until next July, I know I said lotsa stuff, I know, dammit! But I can't stop myself from writing about this tiny Island which I think need some spotlight amidst giant soccers in the likes of Brazil, Germany and etc. Presenting to you, the small unnoticeable worst soccer team in the world - M-O-N-T-S-E-R-R-A-T !

What prompted me into writing about this small country was this National Geographic documentary about "The Other Final" in 2002, where Montserrat secured their last placing in the FIFA List after a 4-0 defeat to mighty Bhuttans. I watched it last night becauseI could not bring myself to watch the England-Equador match as I could not afford to get myself sicker than I am. (read: parties,kenduri,jamuan...you get the point!)

A country devastated by so many Act of God/s such as volcanic eruption, hurricanes and earthquake, it is a wonder how that country can come up with a soccer team as everybody fled for their lives during these disasters. Don't even start wondering about where or when they have their soccer practices, which multinational label endorse their jerseys, boots and the works. Anyone who had seen the match would agree with me that it was one hell of a funny match (The keeper, at one point of time, could not contain his emotion when he let an easy goal slipped that he laid on the field, as if he does not want to stand up and continue with the game-you, drama king!) But.... (drum roll please), a country that abandon all kinds of regrets, frustrations plus mockery just to make sure his country makes a mark on the FIFA List even if its at the foot of the list, deserves a standing ovation and "tabik spring" worldwide.

A display of friendship and sportmanship it was when a replica of the World Cup was shared by both teams in front of the loud cheering spectators who consist of veteran monks, farmers and hot Bhuttan teenagers.

We could laugh as loud as we want and invent merciless jokes about Montserrat until the next World Cup, but at least they could say 'We are at the bottom coz we are in a deep shit not because we play like shit!"

Go, Montserrat, go!

BEFORE MY HIATUS...

2006-06-21T16:38:00.000+08:00

I took leave until 30th June. My boss tried to look as calm as possible. How can he muster such courage and poise? His "star" officer, the brightest and creative of them all, is asking for leave for a week. Hehehehe. I am very good at exaggerating!

"Reasons?" Short and to the point. The answer unfortunately deserved a 12 credit hours of thesis work for an advanced degree. I listed down the reasons in my head while trying to look professional and pathetic at the same time. You know? The looks we always give to gain some understanding (and cheap sympathy) before we took long leaves abruptly from our work.

No.1- I need a holiday from everyone and everything. Well, maybe I give some special exceptions to my mom and cats in Ipoh, and grandma in Kuala Kangsar. I need free lodging when I stop in Perak during my road trip! And yummy kerabu perut and pajeri nenas will definitely await me on the table when I am in my grandma`s house. There goes all the cardio efforts!

No.2- I need to do some soul searching. I kinda lost my original soul on the day I said " you know, I think I can live in this country if PAS rules". Just kidding. I need to catch up with a lot of things that I overlook. A lot of tuning and major overhauls. I will definitely bring Albert Camus `s The Stranger, Orwell`s 1984 and Harvey Peckar`s American Splendour Anthology. The 2 former novels are always in my handbag/gym bag/knapsack- reread and reread until it resemble a pembungkus belacan. Minus the smell. Somebody said The Stranger is a soothing book, how very surreal because I felt the same way too. Camus has a way of connecting with the soul searchers of the world, I guess! ;)

No.3-When life sucks, I need a time off. Its either this or those sleeping pills. Chewah! No lah. I have a whole new chapter of human rights empowerment and education to start in July so might as well I unwind myself now before I find myself diagnosed with a severe case of depression.

So, to the not-that-many loyal readers of this humble blog, I will not be writing anything until July. Did I hear somebody say "Yay!"? I will definitely write something about my hiatus if I could ever stand the experience! hehehe.

So so long for now. Till then. Au revoir.

NAK KONGSI RAYA? TEPUK DADA, TANYA IMAN!

2006-06-20T16:43:00.000+08:00

Implementasi budaya “Jangan Tanya, Ikut Sahaja” edisi terbaru boleh anda ditemui dalam Persidangan Ulama 2006. Pengerusi Jawatankuasanya, Datuk Seri Harussani Zakaria memaklumkan pihak media bahawa ulama yang menyertai persidangan itu mahu agar budaya “kongsi raya” dan rumah terbuka dikaji semula agar ia tidak mengugat kepercayaan masyarakat Muslim di negara ini. Baca dengan lebih lanjut di sini, ok geng?

Apa yang berlaku semasa sambutan “kongsi raya” sehingga mampu mengugat keimanan umat Islam negara ini? Senario biasa yang aku lihat, dengar atau baca adalah sambutan “kongsi raya” ini satu gimik media dan peniaga bagi meraih keuntungan apabila dua perayaan bertembung. “Kongsi raya” ini juga boleh menjadi satu strategi politikal bagi meraih keyakinan rakyat bahawa parti-parti politik di negara ini berstau hati sungguhpun berbeza agama. Kita lihat Datuk S dengan Dato’ Seri A bersalam-salaman sambil menikmati semperit atau muruku semeja. Persoalan aku, apabila memerhati senario kongsi raya ini adalah bagaimana aku hilang ke-islaman ku hanya kerana aku seronok “berkongsi” sambutan hari kebesaran masing-masing dengannya?

Aku seorang Muslim, tetapi tidak memiliki sijil Ulama’ namun minta maaf, aku agak emprikal. Berikan bukti beserta argumen yang jelas bagaimana “kongsi raya” mampu meruntuhkan keimanan seseorang? Mungkin ini semua bakal terjawab apabila kajian tersebut diselesaikan. Tetapi aku tertanya-tanya; apa yang akan dikaji, siapakah yang akan terlibat dan bagaimanakah para ulama’ ini akan memastikan kajian tersebut tidak menyampaikan pandangan sehala yang tidak memboikot konteks sosial. Aku tidak mahu sekadar intepretasi dalil naqli mahupun penjatuhan hukuman tanpa alasan penghakiman. Aku mahu penjelasan yang boleh difahami ( kalaupun tidak diterima) oleh masyarakat.

Jika dibandingkan dengan “kongsi raya” banyak lagi perkara lain yang boleh meruntuhkan keimanan umat Islam di Malaysia. Mari aku senaraikan- menerima rasuah, memburuk-burukkan orang, menindas ahli masyarakat yang lemah, menahan serta menyeksa tertuduh tanpa perbicaraan yang adil. Bukankah perkara-perkara ini lebih menakutkan? Atau mungkin runtuh atau tidaknya iman itu satu isu yang boleh dikompromi sekiranya melibatkan kekuasaan ataupun status ekonomi?

Isu toleransi, kompromi serta kewujudan bersama secara aman (peaceful co-existence) adalah isu-isu yang masih belum dapat dibicara dengan terbuka secara masak di Malaysia. Aku nampak takut pada bayang-bayang sendiri sebagai asas tawarnya hati ahli agama dan masyarakat untuk membincangkan hal-hal ini. Adakah adab sopan masyarakat kita mengongkong minda kita dari berani membincangkan isu kaum, agama dan identiti kita secara terbuka? Atau memang kita sudah selesa dengan muhibah plastik kelolaan Pemerintah?

Siapa kata berdialog boleh melemahkan iman serta keyakinan kita? Siapa kata toleransi bermaksud melonggarkan pegangan kita agar kita mampu menyerap pegangan lain? Siapa?

Kerana kita ini banyak membiarkan “orang lain” membuat keputusan untuk diri kita, maka kita sendiri tidak tahu siapa yang berkata sedemikian? Sedih, bukan?

2006-06-19T19:56:00.000+08:00

S-U-P-E-R SATURDAY !!!

Who would have thought the normal dull Saturdays that are always between tiring Fridays and treasured Sundays could turn out to be super Saturday. An experimental dance performance by a group of non-chereographer hopefuls, a showcase of the plantation industrial worker`s plight for justice and to sum up the day, a treat at Atrium by our young human rights lawyer, Edmond Bon who is going to Oxford soon (that lucky bastard!). Five Art Centre `s dance proteges - Hari Azizan, Gabrielle Low, Adrian Kisai, Mark Teh and Vernon Muang (to name a few) braved the drizzling afternoon to perform mind boggling dance steps that are sure to put your conscience, thinking and definitely patience to test. For more details of the dance performance and workshops, visit this blog.

My fave dance pieces will be Gabrielle`s depiction of the culture of greed and consumption inherent in the capitalist society. A dancer was seen feeding the other dancers continuously with increasing pace in order to fulfill the demands of the "consumers". The dancer himself (Mark actually) feed himself with imaginary scraps from the sidewalk, depicting inequality and injustice that the labor force has to endure. Another favourite would be this piece called "The More We Get Together", exploring the current controversy of showing your affection in public. Further examining the blurry boundary of morality and state interference in our personal matters.

The last piece, of which the title could be mistaken as some contemporary tongue twister, saw Mark Teh exploring notions of freedom of expression, censorship, media propaganda, obsession with celebrities (perhaps? What with the cry of Erra Fazira repeatatively by one of the dancer) with a dramatic finish where all the dancers gathered together at one corner and chanting something like "If they hate it, they can still live" . The dancers chanted this while waving the national flag before each one of them put the flag in their mouth. I intepret the end as symbolizing blind patriotism, where we sucumb ourself to the grand plan designed by the powers that be of herding us together under the single control of the State. Thats how I see it lah! They could be swallowing the flags out of sheer frustration as the viewers could' nt get the whole dance piece at all!

Deconstructing the accepted idea of "dance" indeed they had but the on-lookers and bystanders are still confused with the whole performance. Its kind of obvious from the laughing track they produced at the wrong time. I guess, democratisation of artistic process still requires more time and interest from the society.

BTW, the Parti Sosialis Malaysia `s showcase on industrial plantation workers was a great hit among the CM innoncent by-standers and shop owners too. Although the exhibition which was decorated with radical icons with "red" as the theme color, alot of people decided to walk a bit closer and actually read what`s posted on the display board. Wow! Not to mention, SBs dressed casually like any other CM frequents took turns checking out the exhibition. The organizer, when casually interviewed by me, claimed that perhaps this will be the first and the last time such event is allowed in CM. Well, what can I say except - Viva le revolution, CM!

Event at Atrium was even cool as I get to reunite with some familiar faces in the activism circle. As cool as it went, I rushed home to witness Ghana buried Republic of Czech with a 2-0 result. Ghana played like ballerina in boots and Czech has alot of head hitting on the wall to do, as they failed to repeat their great performance.

What an interesting dayit was after all!

2006-06-16T14:22:00.000+08:00

NON-CHOREOGRAPHERS ALERT!

Something to look forward to this Saturday, for me, I guess.(THIS and that drink & lounging session organize by Edmond in the evening).

A bunch of young stage performers, writers and artists giving choreography a chance under the tutelage of Marion D'Cruz. Expect lively movements that attempt to deconstruct the accepted idea of "dancing" and a courageous step towards democratisation of the creative space.

Five Arts Centre is well known for their credited efforts in bringing art closer to the society especially to the young people.
If they could accept a non-performer as part of the #3, I would love to be part of it.

But maybe I SHOULD watch the performance first. Deconstructing accepted ideas can sometimes be DIFFICULT (for the limbs, I mean)! ;). Plus I love to see Mark Teh (Director of "Baling Membaling") dance!.

2006-06-16T11:22:00.000+08:00

HENDAK JADI LIBERAL ATAU TIDAK?

~gambar dipinjam dari www.joebrower.com~

Kelmarin, aku harus “berkelana” ke Melaka kerana diundang bersama rakan sejawat untuk satu program kesedaran hak kanak-kanak bersama guru-guru sekolah. Sepertimana program sebelum ini, aku sudah dapat mengandai apakah bentuk soalan yang akan terkeluar daripada mulut dari para pendidik harapan negara ini. Aku bersama rakan sejawat ku sudah membuat sedikit ”homework” sebelum pergi ke program ini. Perkataan hikmat bagi program ini adalah ”PROVOKASI”. Kami hendak mengacah dogma-dogma yang sudah menebal di dalam diri para pendidik ini dengan tujuan agar mereka tidak pasrah dengan kerangka pendidikan negara yang usang. Biasanya, strategi ini tidaklah berjaya. Paling tidak, kami penceramah akan dihambur dengan bermacam reaksi bersifat emosional mahupun membela diri. Kebetulan, kumpulan guru yang aku hadapi semalam 60% bertudung litup, berjanggut dan berkopiah. Seram seh.

Apabila sampai kepada topik merotan kanak-kanak. Pakcik-pakcik dan makcik-makcik pendidik negara ini memang pantas mengaju soalan. Antara maklumbalas menarik yang aku terima adalah ;

”Kami bukan rotan selalu, kami rotan sekali sekala dan ada cara merotannya, bukan pakai langgar je,”

”Merotan ni, Al-Quran sendiri cakap boleh,”

Bila ditanyakan kembali apakah matlamat sebenar merotan kanak-kanak ini? Jawapan ”top” adalah,

”Untuk displin-kan bebudak ni. Bebudak sekarang ni bukan boleh bagi muka. Samseng, gengsterlah..kami jeling sedikit sudah nak repot kepada mak bapak”,

Bila aku kata hampir 80% dari kes merotan adalah kerana mahu melahirkan kemarahan serta satu platform untuk membuang rasa geram dan tidak puas hati, makin banyak soalan dan komen yang aku terima. Aku hanya tersenyum. Tidak mengapa. Memang ini yang aku hendak. Mereka ini mulai merefleksi tindakan mereka sebagai pendidik. Tidak ada resolusi pun sebenarnya semalam tetapi sekurang-kurangnya mereka mula bercakap. Di sekolah, mereka sendiri terikat dengan bermacam formaliti birokrasi yang menghalang mereka dari menyuarakan pendapat. Aku minta mereka bercakap segalanya di sini. Segalanya. Semasa makan tengah hari, seorang daripada guru itu memberi komen kepada ku, ” Kiranya hendak tahu pasal hak asasi ni kena liberal lah, macam Puan”

Tersengih aku mendengar komen guru itu. Kerana soal liberal tidak liberal nya seorang manusia ini dibangkitkan oleh Union Guy sekembalinya dia dari Cambodia dua hari lalu.

”Awak tahu, masa di Cambodia, sayap kanan anak muda di sana (parti mana aku tidak pasti atau mungkin tidak ingin aku dedahkan) sangat berdisplin. Arak tidak sentuh, main perempuan pun tidak. 100% hidup untuk mengubah kondisi politik negara,”

”Ye lah. Tengoklah kondisi Cambodia, Masa Pol Pot, if you survive that, there is a lot to do to rebuild the country,”

“Tapi you tau, salah seorang peserta kata apa? Dia kata ”What, they don’t even drink alcohol? That’s illiberal and unprogressive, don’t you think?”

Sekali lagi, liberal menjadi label mudah yang diberi kepada seorang manusia. Aku pernah berkomunikasi dengan Farish A. Noor suatu masa dahulu. Kata beliau, di Malaysia, beliau dicap manusia liberal yang tidak menghormati Islam tetapi di Eropah, beliau pernah digelar ekstremis kerana tulisannya yang kritikal di dalam majalah IMPACT. (Hasil tulisan beliau untuk "Brand New Malaysian" boleh dibaca di sini). Liberal lagi. Apa kebendanya liberal ni? Pentingkah untuk kita dikenali sebagai manusia liberal, cool atau hip?

Dengan tudung dan baju kurung ku semalam, aku masih dicap liberal oleh golongan pendidik di Melaka. Pejuang demokrasi Cambodia yang mengetengahkan idea radikal untuk membawa perubahan kepada negara dianggap tidak liberal kerana tidak menyentuh arak dan mengamalkan seks bebas.

Sengaja aku membuat carian internet dan menjumpai takrifan liberal;

Not limited to or by established, traditional, orthodox, or authoritarian attitudes, views, or dogmas; free from bigotry.
Favoring proposals for reform, open to new ideas for progress, and tolerant of the ideas and behavior of others; broad-minded.
Of, relating to, or characteristic of liberalism.
Liberal Of, designating, or characteristic of a political party founded on or associated with principles of social and political liberalism, especially in Great Britain, Canada, and the United States.

Tending to give freely; generous: a liberal benefactor.
Generous in amount; ample: a liberal serving of potatoes.

Not strict or literal; loose or approximate: a liberal translation.
Of, relating to, or based on the traditional arts and sciences of a college or university curriculum: a liberal education.

Archaic Permissible or appropriate for a person of free birth; befitting a lady or gentleman.
Obsolete Morally unrestrained; licentious.

NOUN:

A person with liberal ideas or opinions.
Liberal A member of a Liberal political party.

Dalam dunia yang aku rasa “menilai isi dari luaran” adalah doktrin paling membuang masa, konotasi liberal ini terletak pada perspesi orang semata-mata. Kalau pun aku mengaku diriku liberal, tetapi cara aku menjalani hidup ku masih ortodoks, gaya pemikiran ku masih seksis, atau bersifat ala-kemuzium-an, tidak ada maknanya label “liberal’ ini. Kadang-kadang memakai label "liberal" ini menyusahkan kerja-kerja sosial kita. Di Indonesia, satu cabang Islam yang dianggap progresif atau maju digelar ISLIB. Bila ada gerakan pembaharuan Islam lain yang tiada kena mengena dengan rangkaian organisasi ISLIB ini, maka, terus diasosiasikan dengan ISLIB. Asosiasi ini hanya mengundang prejudis serta stigma kepada gerakan pembaharuan Islam yang lain kerana masyarakat Indonesia majoritinya kurang senang dengan ISLIB. Susah juga kan hendak jadi liberal ni?

Orang panggil aku liberal ni pun aku dah rasa cam tidak percaya! Betul ke aku liberal?

2006-06-14T12:33:00.000+08:00

AKU, BLAIR & HOLOCAUST

~Nama mereka yang terkorban diabdikan di dinding ini manakala abu mangsa holacaust di letakkan di dalam sebuah bekas di tengah bilik ini~

Sebuah artikel di Guardian mengenai semangat pro-Israel Britain mengingatkan aku kepada kenangan aku bersama seorang rakan dari Jordan yang melawat Le Centre Commêmoratif de l'Holocauste di Montreal, Kanada beberapa tahun yang lalu. Kami sebenarnya "dipaksa" melawat Muzium tersebut bagi mendekatkan diri kami kepada sejarah dunia yang menyumbang kepada gerakan hak asasi manusia pasca-Perang Dunia Kedua. Aku suka menziarahi muzium. Ke mana sahaja tempat atau negara yang aku lawati, selain makanan, panggung wayang, persembahan muzik dan pasar tani penduduk tempatan, aku akan mencari muzium. Kadang-kadang berjam-jam aku duduk di dalam muzium tersebut, mengamati setiap gambar dan barang yang di pamerkan. Dalam masa yang terhad itu, aku akan cuba menghayati dan menghadam sejarah lampau negara tersebut terutamanya dari aspek seni dan kebudayaan. Cuma, kali ini, lawatan akan menjadi sedikit berbeza kerana Le Centre Commêmoratif de l'Holocauste memfokus kepada kejadian "holocaust" semata-mata. Rakan Jordan aku itu amat beria-ria untuk melawat muzium tersebut. Tidak hairanlah kerana beliau bekerja di kawasan kritikal Tebing Barat, justeru amat sensitif mengenai konflik Palestin-Israel. Tidak silap aku, pernah juga terlibat sedikit sebanyak dengan Parti Wafd di sana. Kain petak merah putih yang sering dipakai pejuang pembebasan Palestin melilit kemas tengkuknya. "Ah, sudah!" Aku berkata pada diriku. "Dia ni nak berperang ke dengan israel kat muzium tu nanti?" Dia menenangkan aku dengan berkata dia ingin bercakap dengan komuniti Yahudi secara damai, bukannya dalam keadaan kalut sepertimana di Asia Tengah.

Kami disambut dengan ramah sekali oleh koordinator muzium. Namun, sebelum masuk ke dalam, bendera putih Israel dengan "Star of David" berwarna biru itu menyambut kami dahulu di sebelah kiri dan kana pintu masuk ke muzium. "There is a difference between Zionists and Jews, yes?" Dia bertanya aku soalan yang dia telahpun tahu jawapannya. Aku sekadar mengangguk. Dia mencebik. Aku menyambung dengan berkata "Its just a flag," Ternyatalah aku perlu mengambil kursus wajib 101 "Anda & Sensitiviti Politik" Beliau mendengus dan melangkah masuk dengan langkah yang aku rasa paling skeptikal pernah aku lihat.

Kain Bunting dengan tema "To learn, to feel and to remember" terpampang di bahagian dalam muzium. Aku pula yang tersenyum penuh skeptikal. Apa pula yang telah dipelajari oleh masyarakat Yahudi daripada kekejaman Hitler yang mereka hadapi dahulu? Pokoknya, apa yang aku lihat keganasan sering membenihkan terorisme. Sama ada terorisme individu mahupun oleh negara. Itukah yang dipelajari oleh mereka?

Sebelum melawat, kami dibenarkan untuk berdialog dengan beberapa "holocaust survivor" yang kini tinggal di Montreal. Montreal rupa-rupanya adalah tempat ketiga di dunia dengan populasi Yahudi terbesar selepas New York dan Israel. Tiga daripada "holocaust survivors" itu menyorokkan diri di Poland bagi mengelak dari dibawa ke Auswitz. Mereka menyorok di kandang kuda buat beberapa bulan sungguhpun kandang tersebut dibanjiri air pada suatu masa. Cerita mereka memang menyayat hati namun dialog yang menyusul lebih penting. Dialog tersebut akan aku ingati sampai bila-bila. Semasa dialog tersebut, aku hanyalah pemerhati pasif dari sebuah negara dunia ketiga yang tidak pernah menjejakkan kaki ke Palestin. Rakanku dari Jordan mempunyai fikiran yang berbeza mengenai hal ini.

"Are you politically inclined to the building of an Israeli state?"
"We are neutral, we do not want to blur the line between our educational purpose and political motivation",
"Care to explain the flags at the entrance,?"
(Senyap)
Semua orang memandang rakan Jordanku yang sedang berdiri itu. Wajahnya merah. Hatiku berdebar-debar.
"It means nothing,"

"What do you learn from the holocaust?" Aku menyampuk pula. Rakan Jordanku mengulangi soalan ku kepada koordinator dan survivors tadi.
"We learn that violence is not the solution to our problems and that message of peace must be spread,"
" Why then, are you inflicting the same pain on another group of people when you yourself has experience the ultimate pain? Has supression and violence itself create a justification or catalyst for you to inflict pain on others?,"
(senyap lagi) Aku sudah mula merasa bahang perdebatan ini menguasai bilik berhawa dingin itu.
" The violence in Palestine has nothing to do with us. We object to the occupation in fact we rallied in protest of the occupation right here in Montreal,"
"And you wave their flag!"

Rakan Jordanku itu mempersoalkan keikhlasan komuniti Yahudi seluruh dunia memperjuangkan keamanan sedangkan kerajaan Israel sedang membantai rakyat Palestin demi merampas wilayah serta membuka kawasan penempatan baru. Aku tidak terkata apa-apa. Pengalaman beliau mungkin telah menjadikan beliau cekal dan keras hati. Siapalah aku, seorang aktivis hak asasi (kononnya) yang tidak pernah kenal peluru senapang mahupun melihat pertumpahan darah, mahu mempertikaikan pengalaman peritnya berjuang di Palestin?
"You have Blair and Bush. We have only ourselves!".
Setelah dipujuk berulangkali oleh aku, barulah beliau menurut permintaan ku dan kami melawat muzium itu bersendirian.

Kami berdiri di hadapan gambar hitam putih Hitler sedang bersalam dengan Pope Pius XII dalam satu Konkordat pada tahun 1933. Di sebelah gambar tersebut, satu lagi gambar yang menarik diletakkan. Gambar kawasan "ghetto" "contoh" yang ditunjukkan oleh Hitler kepada wartawan antarabangsa yang mahu membuat liputan mengenai rejim Nazi terpampang penuh hipokrisi. Aku ingat kata-kata rakan ku itu,
"I never like Hitler although some claim he helped us alot by cleansing the Jews community. Its not about that, Gee. Its about whether you are a hypocrite or not. I feel this place is a fake, that`s all." Aku juga terfikir perkara yang sama. Argumen aku adalah tragedi holacaust banyak menfokus kepada nasib "Yahudi" berbanding kumpulan lain yang menjadi mangsa Hilter seperti kaum Roma atau lebih dikenali dengan gypsi serta mereka yang homoseksual yang turut menjadi mangsa Hitler. Kadang-kadang aku berfikir apakah holocaust tragedi Yahudi semata-mata atau satu contoh penindasan ke atas umat manusia yang dibenci Hitler?

Aku separuh bersetuju dengan budak Jordan tu. Blair dan Bush juga adalah insan-insan "fake". Konflik Asia Tengah tidak akan selesai selagi hipokrasi membelenggu masalah tersebut! "Semua" nya kerana bendera "Star of David" itu!

P/S- Komik grafik Joe Sacco- Palestine sentiasa menjadi pilihan aku dalam bengkel pendidikan hak asasi yang aku jalankan. Kelakar, Jujur dengan grafik yang indah, Palestine adalah satu komik "penting" dalam gerakan hak asasi manusia pada pendapat aku. Juga MAUS oleh Art Spiegelman, 'Animal Farm' versi Yahudi. :)

2006-06-13T09:00:00.000+08:00

ITS A DIFFERENT KIND OF MATCH!-Police :2, Human Rights:0.

Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent. ~Issac Asimov

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has. ~Margaret Mead

Violence can only be concealed by a lie, and the lie can only be maintained by violence. ~Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

So, there was a lot of noise at our Human Rights Commission yesterday. Some seasoned NGOs demonstrated peacefully at the Commission, demanded for a Public Inquiry to be held over the Bloody Sunday incident on May 28. A press conference cum Q & A with the Chairman, Tan Sri Abu Talib materialized in a very brief 5 minutes. Pushing aside any possibilities for an immediate Public Inquiry as to give way to the police to conduct their own internal investigation over the incident, I could almost imagine colorful banners and shouts of hurray coming from the other end of the road, with colorful neon lights flashing the gigantic alphabets of BUKIT AMAN. That`s not me being happy with the whole furore. That's me being damn sarcastic. The score now says POLICE- 2, HUMAN RIGHTS-O.

Like England vs. Paraguay, one of the goal was a 5 minute SUHAKAM`s own goal resulting in a walk out by the seasoned activists. Police is so far ahead of Human Rights as the proposal to set up a Commission as a police watchdog also faces a very bleak future. Meanwhile, our Commission`s tendencies of passing the ball from the mid-fielder to defence 80% of the time is not resulting in any outstanding set pieces that create goal opportunities. In between being defensive and indecisive, the ball more often than not, is controlled by the local perpetrators of human rights. Can they live up to the expectation of their fans rooting for a more concrete performance? Is it worth the pepper sprayed eyes, sweaty bodies and smelly lock ups?

Pardon the soccer-esque effect this particular posting is carrying. I am still pleasantly suffering from the WC2006 fever while at the same time, reflecting on how our local authorities are taking actions over human rights issues. I may be repeating England again-and-again as a case in point of how risk-free-prim-and-proper game style is not only dull but fruitless, but that `s how I am seeing the SUHAKAM-People-Police situation is.

As our HR Commission wait (oh, the suspense!) for the police to complete their internal investigation, justice are being delayed for the two injured victims. I am not even going to argue the reason why they choose to demonstrate and take the risk of being beaten, because you see, you shouldn`t get beaten in the first place. Worst that can happen is you will be shooed away with sprinkles of cooling waters at times laced with pepper or chemical stuff plus some big-sized and fierce looking FRUs warning you to make a move. In return for their kindness in guarding the systemic chaos that peaceful assembly seemed to be like during dispersing time, you offer these nice FRUs carnations or roses (if its in the budget). That's all. But sad to say, things are just getting worse, ironically right after Pak Lah called for the police force to be people-friendly. Alleging that the situation is uncontrollable and provocative, these demonstrators need to be "disciplined" via force. It is fascinating to see how four FRUs armed with batons could not contain the "vicious attacks" of one unarmed civillian, hence, see the need to manhandle him? Testimonials could contain false allegations but can pictures lie? Check the gallery link below and tell me if those pictures are super impose results.

I, as a police-fearing civillian with a weak heart, say- "Go ahead with the Public Inquiry as soon as possible, please?" The human rights NGOs I believe had furnished SUHAKAM with enough evidence that constitute a strong reason for an inquiry to be conducted. Can you simply trust the police to proceed with the investigation impartially? Can you trust the perpetrators to investigate into their own human rights abuses? Due to public pressure and eagerness to "clorox" their super stained image, I guess the need to produce a non-guilty verdict from their side is very crucial at this point of time. Hint! Hint! It is timely for SUHAKAM to be the unpopular watchdog detested by the police force rather than losing whatever public confidence left. It is not about not trusting the police force at all, it is about dispensing your responsibility with fairness, integrity and impartiality.

The referree will not award human rights additional time in this match. We need to do a lot of catch up or else we won't qualify into the next round where I would like to call - "Justice prevails".

For really scary pictures (if u think so), check out this gallery.

2006-06-13T00:58:00.000+08:00

WORLD CUP FEVER!

~ After Thierry Henry, Lionel Menssi is another guy I`d love to watch on the field~

Its Day 3 World Cup. Everyone I know is getting the fever. It will be just damn insensitive of me to ignore this very exciting time of the year so, I allow myself to indulge as well.Hehehe... I am not an avid fan of soccer, never followed EPL, Liga Perdana or whatsoever. The only time I retrieve information regarding soccer is when Union Guy talks about Everton. Everton!!! The name itself could put me to sleep whats more their game. But World Cup is different. Its not about rich professional clubs. Teams like Togo, Iran, Trinidad-Tobago makes you forget about how small their countries are or whether they are in the middle of some pressing local conflict as they face the soccer giants gallantly. Which sport in the world could worry election candidates as much as the World Cup? Who would have thought there is more to Brazil than just its poetic style game? The last final - Brazil vs. Germany is like a clash of the North-South "polar opposites". This is the one time where any country, ric or poor, powerless or powerful on the global political stage , could beat each other based not on how many WMDs you own but how well you played on the field.

In 2002, my World Cup experience was a hazy experience with me transiting at Kl Sentral after commuting from Shah Alam to catch the LRT to Kerinchi. In between the rides, I tried my best to squeeze a game or two. Opting not to miss the live telecasts, I chose to watch the matches in Sentral, sitting cross-legged in front of the flat screen on Level 1, with other people who are back from work or transiting in Sentral. At first, the guards threw us his best annoyed looks but after some foreign tourists with large hats and bermudas joined us, they actually left us alone until the match ended. There are times when there was no one around to join me, so the guards (who at long last, gave in to this cross-legged "minah" on the floor) or the teenagers that looked after the stalls took their break in front of the flat screen with me. After 2-3 days, we became regular viewers in front of the flat screen and bonded well. I could asked these peeps to eye my favourite sitting space while I go downstairs and buy something from MacD. (That explains the extra kgs I gained during World Cup..hmmm)

This time around, I don't have to catch the matches in Sentral but directly from the couch at home. More comfy but lack the effects you experience watching the matches with a bunch of friendly strangers. This year, for the opening game- German -vs-Costa Rica, I watched it with my brother in Shah Alam and the second day alone at home. Union Guy has to attend a meeting in Cambodia and in the absence of that particular England die hard fan, I didn't enjoy England-Paraguay match that much since I couldn't insult Union Guy`s fave team without him around. Thank god he`s coming back tommorrow. Yay! Anyway, I fell asleep during first half but that paid off during Argentina-Ivory Coast match. God! I miss 2002! Its either back in Sentral like the old days or Lotus, Jln. Binjai. Anywhere with a bunch of friendly strangers and some close buddies.In short, my World Cup experience for the first 3 days were not that great since I don't count my friend, K `s attempt at inviting me to bet on matches as anything near exciting.

"Just RM10. C'mon, lets bet on Iran-Mexico, I`d say 2-1."
"Tak nak. I just wanna enjoy the match lar, K"
"Ur a chicken. u`re afraid that u`ll lose the bet",
"Yupe. That and the fact that I don't gamble',
"You `re such a bore, gee,"
"yeah, I know, good night K, enjoy the game,"

Favorite match for now will be Argentina -vs- Ivory Coast.
Visit the official site plus this interesting blog which also list other blogs based on competing countries.

2006-06-08T10:39:00.000+08:00

MUSINGS ON MISYAR...

A very well known Profesor from University Malaya provoked our local Muslim community again with his proposal that the Muslims consider misyar marriage as an option. Misyar, an alien concept even to yours truly apparently is extensively practised in Egypt and middle east. The arrangement of this type of marriage is as follows-

1.Couple does not stay together.
2.Hubby is not financially responsible for supporting his wife
3. Intended to be temporary.

This proposal was made in the light of the growing number of andartus and single mothers in the country plus perhaps the recent price hike of two of our most important sources to survive- oil and electricity. Perhaps, just perhaps, this was made in good faith, to reduce the burden that most single but not available men/women who wanted to get married due to family, social or maybe sexual pressure. Just, maybe.

Historical records showed that this practice, a creation of a Salafi scholar, Ibn Baaz was practised during the times that people travel from one place to another. When they stayed longer in a certain area, they would get married to a local woman. After some time, he might travel again and leave his wife. The marriage would expire and he might continue the same practice in another place. Damn lucky.

Misyar is a temporary arrangement for both people who agreed to the marriage to legalise sex. That`s all. The difference with Muta'ah is only that Muta'ah will specify the time that the marriage will dissolve whereas misyar will not specify such information. A shi'ite friend claim that Muta'ah is more humane because it allows both men and women to give informed consent on how long the marriage should be and both can prepare physically and mentally before they officially split. It makes sense but Muta'ah is a creature of the Shi'ite school of thought which in Malaysia and other Sunni`s countries are not approved. Sunnis believed that the practise of Muta'ah was abrograted during the Prophet time whereas the Shi'ites believed that Muta'ah was banned by Caliph Umar and hence, deemed the ban as not authoritative. Interestingly, the Sunnis came out with their version of "temporary marriage" but with unspecified mention of the when the marriage will dissolve. Frankly to me, temporary means temporary. Be it misyar or muta'ah. The more you know of all this flexible rules of engagement with the less fairer sex, the more you are sceptical about the idea of sanctity of marriage, don't you?

I mean, circumstances or local culture i.e al-urf always influence the interpretation of Islam but within a very much patriachal context. Hence, explaining that such temporary arrangement is to accommodate men sexually seemed to be...absurd. I smiled wider at the very thought that men `s obsession with women is becoming more incredulous by the day. Its post-mod (we can argue on this, really), and here we are ladies, sexual reliever and fertile ground for men`s seeds.

What further irks me is that added opinion on this matter conclude another disturbing assumption- that such arrangement would also help unmarried women to settle down since the traditional way (I am not very sure which is now considered traditional) is likely to complicate matters. What is wrong if a woman choose to stay single or unmarried? Some woman choose to be alone and be alone they should. Some choose to date and see how things goes, and date they should. Some just couldn't care less about SEX because they have other priorities other than that. Does that make them lesser in front of Allah? I mean, our teaching clearly explain that every one is evaluated by God through his/her "iman". Not his or her marital status. A lot of people will say getting married is already half of Iman. But this to me is meaningless if in order to secure that promised greatness, you have to endure a lot of things that you don't actually look forward to.

I damn well have problem with how some scholars propose suggestions which they substantiate as valid and true to Islam teaching, when their suggestions are in fact not in touch with reality. Like what Farid Esack said, "We failed to make Islam socially relevant". Economic burden is real, but wouldn't it be better for the scholars to re-examine whether de-commercialization of marriage could possibly help couples to get married cheaply and could afford to sustain their married live later on? I mean, shopping for bunga telur can be an expensive affair nowadays!. Shouldn't they talk more about protection of woman under marriage then repeating on wife`s do`s and don't all the time during the kursus perkahwinan? If the problem of getting a partner who is "sekufu" or couple of inequal economic or academic status seems to trigger the suggestion for misyar in the first place, then should'nt the proposal be on how to eliminate stigmas about house husbands for instance or how husband and wife should work out this discrepancy together because wedlock, apart from legitimizing sex, I guess it is also about commiting one`s self to the bond, mentally, spritually and financially not just sexually.

Perhaps religious scholars should welcome the ever increasing number of professional women who some of them put "world peace" or "democracy" as the focal point of their life rather than "having twins or a bungalow fully furnished with IKEA furnitures" as a gift from God? Couldn't woman choose to be martyrs in their own definite ways, be it in social service, real estate, academic or medicine rather than succumbing to the popular generalization that women must be married to relive its sexual needs and to be under the protection of a men called husband. Before anyone says I am defying the biological attributes of a human being who needs companion and sex (in that order, okay?) let me just say no one says this particular matter is easy. Its all about choices that one made. But please, don't shove into our adult heads, that THIS is what we really need or rather what we have to have.

Licensing of prositution, I heard/read some said. And I have no qualms with that statement. Minus the need for qadi, witnesses and intention to marry- a men pay a mahar in exchange for an opportunity to bed a women who he will be calling a wife as long as he feels like it. When the time comes, the man will divorce the woman. I find it amusing that despite the noise the religious people is making about how the rate of divorce among Muslim couples is soaring high, divorce within a misyar arrangement is seen as perfectly normal. Sometimes, I feel Muta'ah arrangement is much more better because both partners could have a say on how to dissolve the marriage and hence give full informed consent.

so, single women who is very much happy now with your single life and doing what you are doing to gain God`s blessings, I don't see why you have to panic. It`s the men that should be panicking because their assumed surplus of sexual reliever are just damn empowered not to bother!

Further interesting reads are here, a bit here, here and here too.

Budaya Pop 6.6.6

2006-06-07T01:58:00.000+08:00

Hari ini jangan cuba berlagak berani dan masuk ke dalam kandang singa. Takut-takut nanti bala 6.6.06 menimpa anda. Ya, hari ini adalah 6.6.06. Nombor 6 sebaris ini sering sahaja dikaitkan dengan kejahatan, syaitan dan unsur-unsur mistik di dalam ajaran Kristianiti. Selain filem kultus "remake" -The Omen yang ditayangkan serentak di seluruh dunia pada hari ini, kita juga ada papan roulette yang sekiranya semua nombornya dicampur menghasilkan nombor 666, ataupun filem seram Gred-B "Route 666", kisah lebuhraya berhantu di Amerika lakonan Lou Diamond Phillips. Walaupun 666 itu dianggap nombor sial, ia adalah nombor yang dianggap bertuah di China (Nombor 4 yang sialnya kerana sebutannya sama dengan perkataan "mati"). Oh, Slayer juga mahu mengaut keuntungan dari populariti 666 ini.

Kepada peminat genre metal pula, pastilah hari ini hari anda untuk berpesta memandangkan besarnya pengaruh 666 di dalam lagu-lagu metal.Geng-geng metal di KL, berhati-hati dengan aktiviti anda. Kambing hitam itu kalau boleh, sorokkan dari pandangan pihak berkuasa. ;)

Senang cerita, nombor ini dianggap anti-kristianiti kerana diulang beberapa kali di dalam Book of Revelation dan The New Testament sebagai "number of the beast".

"Also it causes all, both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave, to be marked on the right hand or the forehead, so that no one can buy or sell who does not have the mark, that is, the name of the beast or the number of his name. This calls for wisdom: let anyone with the understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a person. Its number is six hundred and sixty-six."

(Sila periksa tangan kanan anda mahupun dahi anda sekarang dan saya serius menyuruh anda berbuat demikian.)

Apa yang kita kurang faham adalah 666 lahir berkurun abad yang lalu daripada ajaran paganisme Babylon. Orang Babylon, yang ketika itu menyembah matahari, bulan dan planet lain di dalam sistem solar mempunyai 37 tuhan dan salah satu dari 37 tuhan ini adalah tuhan yang plaing berkuasa iaitu tuhan matahari. Kerana mempercayai kuasa luar biasa nombor, maka orang Babylon pun mewakili tuhan mereka dengan nombor 1-36 mengikut strata kuasa. Sekiranya dicampurkan nombor 1-36 itu, sepertimana papan roulette tadi, ia menghasilkan 666. Kerana serangan Medes dan Persian, orang alim Babylon telah melarikan diri ke Mesir dan membawa ajaran mereka bersama. Apabila Roman menyerang empayar Atalid, mereka ini berpindah ke Rom pula. Tidak perlu aku menceritakan dengan lebih panjang. Apa yang nyata, apabila Kristian bertapak kukuh di Rom, maka berlakulah proses asimilasi yaitu gereja-gereja di Rom menyerap amalan setempat sebagai satu cara untuk melebarluaskan pengaruhnya dan ini termasuklah ajaran paganisme. Isu 666 itu tampil di dalam "Book of Revelation" dan "New Testamant" sebagai satu cara untuk gereja-gereja menghapuskan pengaruh tuhan pagan yang masih kental di kalangan masyarakat. Tidak hairanlah, 666 menjadi simbol kuasa jahat. Jahat pada intepretasi gereja lah. Tidaklah jahat sangat. Banyak versi asal-usul 666 ini jadi kalau rajin, bacalah di sini, sini dan sini. Mungkin serba sedikit tentang asimilasi paganisme di dalam agama Kristian boleh dibaca daripada teks ini.

Aku pula memang suka nombor 6. Aku lahir pada 6 Mac. Pada hari Selasa. Jersi bola baling aku bernombor 6. Jadi, kalau diikutkan, hari ini adalah hari bertuah aku, bukan sebaliknya. :)

BOLEHKAH ORG. ASIA ADA HAK ASASI?

2006-06-05T13:50:00.000+08:00

Minggu lepas, aku dihujani persoalan mengenai hak asasi secara bertubi-tubi di dalam suatu sesi dialog bersama pelajar Sosiologi Universiti Islam Antarabangsa. Semenjak aku tamat pengajian di UM, belum pernah aku menghadiri suatu diskusi ilmu yang rancak sebegini. Baru aku terangkan satu perkara, dua tiga tangan pantas diangkat dengan soalan-soalan "maut" yang amat aku alu-alukan. Aku cuba menjawab sebaik mungkin bukan demi menjawab soalan yang diajukan. Aku berharap jawapan aku itu dapat membuahkan perspektif lain seterusnya membuka pula perbincangan lain di dalam kampus. Kata orang kejumudan mahasiswa sekarang sudah mencapai satu klimaks yang menakutkan.

Dalam banyak soalan yang diajukan, satu soalan menambat jiwa aku. Seorang gadis comel bertudung hitam bertanya kepada aku soalan berikut;

"In the light of our country`s diversity, how do you deal with rights issues that are considered sensitive in our society. Lets say a transexual approach you and seek your help, would you help him/her?"
Dari belakang pula, seorang lagi gadis menyampuk, "Yeah, I mean how do you view human rights in the light of Asian values?"

Soalan dua orang generasi harapan bangsa ini menambat hati aku kerana ia mewakili persoalan asas yang membebankan pemikiran ahli falsafah mahpun aktivis hak asasi sejak dahulu lagi. Soalan pertama itu aku jawab dengan tegas bahawa aku pasti akan membantu diiringi dengan pandangan bahawa jangan dipandang siapa yang memohon pertolongan tetapi apakah bentuk pertolongan yang dipohon. Jika seorang ahli politik datang memohon aku membersihkan namanya dari rasuah agar kedudukannya tidak tergugat, nilai dirinya lebih rendah daripada seorang transeksual yang memohon agar aku mengerti masalah dirinya. Manusia menilai kredibiliti manusia lain berlandaskan perkara tempelen seperti penampilan, kekayaan mahupun pengaruh. Perkara atau individu yang aneh dan luar biasa pantas dianggap negatif mahupun buruk. Ini semua adalah benih ethnocentrism, sebenarnya.

Soalan kedua, aku katakan hujah nilai Asia itu adalah hujah Lee Kuan Yew dan Dr.M. Nilai Asia ini merupakan satu set nilai yang dipopularkan oleh pemimpin di rantau Asia Tenggara pada tahun 90-an bagi menolak nilai hak asasi yang dikatakan kebaratan. Krisis ekonomi pada tahun 1997 dan kejatuhan rejim Soeharto mencabar konsep nilai Asia yang dialung-laungkan oleh Dr.M dan Lee Kuan Yew itu. Kebangkitan rakyat, satu fenomena yang sukar dilihat di rantau Asia Tenggara menafikan teori diktator-diktator ini bahawa konsep hak asasi individu bukanlah cara rakyat Asia Tenggara kerana masyarakat rantau ini sarat dengan budaya serta kepercayaan masyarakat kolektif. (Lee Kuan Yew sering menyebut mengenai Confucius sebagai contoh tokoh yang mengutamakan negara sebelum diri sendiri). Persoalan yang perlu kita fikirkan, tidak kiralah ahli akademik, guru sekolah, remaja hedonis mahupun tukang kebun adalah apakah pula nilai Asia itu? Adakah nilai Asia pula menyatakan bahawa orang Asia tidak boleh mempunyai hak asasi? Ataupun, benarlah pandangan Amartya Sen,

"The championing of Asian values is often associated with the need to resist Western hegemony. The linkage of the two issues, which has increasingly occurred in recent years, uses the political force of anticolonialism to buttress the assault on civil and political rights in post-colonial Asia. This linkage, though quite artificial, can be rhetorically quite effective. Thus Lee Kuan Yew has emphasized the special nature of Asian values, and has made powerful use of the general case for resisting Western hegemony to bolster the argument for Asian particularism".

Untuk pandangan yang mungkin sedikit berbeza, rujuk artikel ini.

Dari sudut yang lain pula, kesejagatan hak asasi bukanlah satu isu yang boleh dilunaskan esok. Teori Relativisme Budaya umpamanya adalah satu lagi bahagian penting dalam perdebatan hak asasi-vs-nilai Asia ini. Teori ini lahir sebagai satu bentuk maklumbalas kepada etnocentrism Barat iaitu menolak tuntutan kebudayaan Barat ke atas konsep kesejagatan, dalam konteks ini, kesejagatan hak asasi manusia. Justeru, teori ini turut menjadi satu alat bukan sahaja untuk memahami perbezaan kebudayaan bahkan mengkritik kebudayaan lain. Isu hak minoriti seperti hak Orang Asli, transeksual mahupun minoriti seksual kadang kala menjadi korban teori ini kerana ia digunakan untuk mengusir pengiktirafan terhadap golongan yang mungkin berbeza daripada masyarakat setempat berbanding menggunakan teori ini sebagai satu kaedah untuk memahami golongan yang berbeza ini.

Berbalik kepada soalan dua gadis generasi harapan bangsa sebentar tadi, aku menjawab bahawa melihat hak asasi manusia dalam konteks nilai Asia mahupun nilai Barat hanya akan memecah belahkan dunia yang sudahpun kusut dengan prejudis dan ketamakkan kuasa besar. Tiada kewarganegaraan, sempadan negara, blok benua mahupun strata kuasa yang perlu mengiktiraf kebebasan rakyat Asia. Aku menolak kenyataan Nilai Asia dendangan diktator terulung Asia sebagai bermotifkan kepentingan politik serta sebagai usaha menjustifikasi penindasan hak asasi yang dilakukan di negara masing-masing. Senang cerita, sepertimana dialog Susan Lancaster dalam "Mekanik" kepada Azmil Mustafa mengenai warna kulit bukan penentu rakyat Malaysia, maka aku juga berkata Orang Eropah ke, Orang Afrika ke, Orang Asia ke, semuanya ada hak asasi!

Menonton Teater Seorang Existentialis

2006-06-04T00:32:00.000+08:00

Sabtu kali ini adalah Sabtu yang paling menenangkan. Aku menghabiskan masa berbaring sambil berfikir apa yang hendak ku sental sebagai makan tengah hari kelak. Menjelang 12.00 tengah hari, satu menu pun tidak dapat ku bayangkan dan pagi Sabtu yang tenang menjadi semakin menyesakkan. Sehinggalah, S, teman kepada temanku, menghantar pesanan ringkas tentang persembahan teater "Man Without Shadows" karya Jean-Paul Sartre, seorang existentialis terkenal, malam nanti di Panggung DBKL. Memandangkan aku meminati penulis existentialis lain seperti Kafka, Kundera atau Camus, menonton teks Jean-Paul Sartre dipersembahkan oleh The Poetic Cape sempena Festival Seni Peranchis mungkin akan menjadi satu pengalaman yang menarik.

Aku diperkenalkan kepada dunia existentialisme secara tidak sengaja dan agak lewat bahkan, aku menjadi bahan ketawa rakan ku ketika itu. Aku, A dan I ketika itu sedang berjalan di dalam sebuah bangunan di UPM. Semasa itu, aku berada di dalam Tahun Pertama Pengajian di UM dan sedang melawat A, seorang psikologis di UPM. A dan I berhenti di hadapan bilik seorang pensyarah yang melekatkan sebuah poskad hitam yang tertulis, "Nietzsche Is Dead-God" di pintu biliknya. A dan I ketawa membaca poskad itu sambil bertukar cerita mengenai pensyarah muda dan kacak yang "cool" kerana meletakkan poskad itu di hadapan biliknya. Aku seorang sahaja yang terkedu.
"Sapa Nietzsche?" Aku bertanya. A dan I memandangku dengan pelik.
"You, of all person tak kenal Nietzsche?"
"Hey, I was born in 1979 okay? There are like millions of people born before me, how would I know who is this guy that God denounce", Lancar aku menjawab walaupun hakikatnya, aku sedang memasang perisai pertahanan jika A dan I mahu mempermainkan kejahilan aku tentang mamat Nietzsche ini. Selepas diberitahu, aku hanya tersengih lebar.
"Kelakar mamat ni," Komenku ringkas. Sejak itu, aku cuba lebih banyak membaca tentang tokoh existentialis lain. Manusia yang berani mencabar ketuhanan mungkin dilihat kufur dari pandangan (institusi) agama. Bagi aku pula, manusia begini mengimbangkan pandanganku tentang hidup bahkan memperkayakan perspektif aku tentang pe'el manusia.Jadi hanya satu sahaja perkataan yang dapat ku utarakan untuk menggambarkan Sartre,Kierkegaard mahupun Nietzsche. Fascinating.

(Satu lagi pesanan tidak rasmi, jangan ingat ahli falsafah Existentialism ini orang tidak ada agama atau agnostik semata, Kierkegaard adalah seorang Kristian yang komited, Nietzsche tidak percaya kepada Tuhan dan yang lebih melucukan, Miguel De Unamuno, ahli falsafah Sepanyol pula adalah Katolik atau atheist atau agnostik bergantung pada bilakah masa atau hari anda bertanya pegangan beliau. Moral penerangan ini adalah; JANGAN MENGHUKUM. TAHU & FAHAM DAHULU!)

Agar tidak diketawakan oleh rakan sepertimana kes aku tadi, sedikit penerangan tentang exsitentialisme boleh diperolehi di sini, sini dan sini. Setakat ini, selepas aku membaca mengenai exsitentialisme, aku masih lagi percaya kepada Tuhan. Amaran ini untuk mereka yang mengehadkan ruang lingkup pengetahuan mereka kepada karya-karya Hassan Al-banna semata-mata kerana khuatir disesatkan!

Berbalik kepada persembahan teater tadi. "Man Without Shadows" mengisahkan keresahan lima orang pejuang gerakan "Resistance" yang telah ditahan sewaktu Nazi berkuasa di peranchis semasa Perang Dunia Kedua. Seorang ahli meteorlogi, seorang remaja lelaki, seorang veteran berbangsa Greek, seorang wanita cekal dan ketua "Resistance" sendiri menjadi tonggak karya ini. Masing-masing menanti saat untuk diseksa oleh rejim fasis dan cuba mengandai apakah penyeksaan itu nanti bakal menyakitkan, mambawa maut ataupun seperti kata lelaki Greek itu, "berlaku dengan pantas sehingga engkau tidak sedar.." Man Without Shadows mengajak penonton menyelami bukannya apakah metod paling kejam yang akan digunakan bagi memaksa pejuang "resistance" tersebut membuka mulut dan membocorkan rahsia pergerakan ketua mereka, tetapi lebih kepada mahu penonton menyelami apakah reaksi manusia di ambang penyeksaan? Apakah nilai nyawa manusia sebenarnya? Adakah manusia bertanggungjawab ke atas nyawa seorang manusia lain atau hanya ke atas apa yang dilakukan oleh dirinya sendiri? Yang paling "crucial", mungkin teater ini seolah menjerit kepada penonton "Heroes and Cowards are not born, but made".

Persoalan-persoalan existentialis ini menguasai dialog serta monolog para pelakon. Tanda soal besar mengenai "existence over essence" aku lihat tertulis di setiap babak teater. Mungkin lebih menarik jika satu diskusi mengenai isi kandungan teater diadakan setelah selesai menonton, namun itu hanyalah impian kosong aku sahajalah.

Aku tidaklah selalu menonton teater apatah lagi menghayati teks karya-karya teater oleh tokoh-tokoh terkemuka. Tetapi pada aku, teks "Man Without Shadows" mungkin boleh menjadi lebih radikal jika diterjemahkan kepada Bahasa Malaysia. Limitasi penguasaan rasa serta pengucapan dialog oleh pelakon kadangkala menyebabkan aku hilang tumpuan kepada apa yang sedang dipersembahkan. Kesudian Kerajaan meluluskan teks ini untuk dipertontonkan adalah satu ironi yang kelakar. Mungkin memang sikap Pemerintah di Malaysia, kalau cerita kerajaan yang fasis atau rejim yang jahat itu berlaku di negara "Antah Berantah" atau "di dunia sebelah sana", tidak mengapa untuk disebarkan kepada rakyat, tetapi bangkai gajah sendiri (baca: keganasan polis atau tahana tanpa bicara) harus di simen sedalam-dalamnya! Mungkin selepas ini, penggiat teater tempatan mahu menukil kisah tahanan ISA pula? Kerana bukankah kata-kata itu seumpama pistol yang berpeluru? Selepas mengangkat karya tersebut ke gelanggang teater, jangan pula mendabik dada meminta anugerah, Sartre sendiri menolak Hadiah Nobel yang dihulurkan kepada beliau!

In Memory of 11 Jahanam ~Series # 1~

2006-06-02T12:15:00.000+08:00

THE CASSETTE PLAYER

I bumped into my 2 darling juniors at Mid-Valley as I`m on my way to shed some unwanted fats at the gym. They saw me, gave some girly shrieks and we hugged each other.

“Kak Gee!”

They were damn ecstatic. Am I that popular during school days? Popular? No. More like notorious actually.

“Wah, in baju kurung and all. With make-up some more…bla..bla” (I had to refrain myself from reproducing the whole comment because it involved some personal references to my butt and eyes.)

“Kat mana sekrg.?” F, the more demure one, asked while holding her paper bags worth half of her monthly salary. I told them where I am working now. Their small mouths become small perfect Os.

“Wow…akak ni memang lah ditakdirkan,” F continued with a glint in her eyes.

“Takdir apa, F?”

“Yelah, dari sekolah sampai kerja, mesti rebellious gitu,” A, a PTD now, who happened to be one of the prefects that I conned during my school days bypassed F`s slow retort.

“Remember the time when you hide in the locker, jumped at the prefect who happens to open your locker and she confiscates your cassette player for that? “ Damn. A prefect will always be prefect.

“No, A” I corrected her. “I was hiding in my secret spot under the double decker when the Polar Bear (a name we coined for our dear discipline teacher) discovered my cassette player and took it”.

“But it was funny, Kak G. I mean, we enjoyed hearing stories about you and the 11 Jahanam after you are gone, its like just imagine the kinda stories you are saving up for your children..hehehe” I just smiled. 11 Jahanam? Boy, I miss those days.

1995…

“Gee, pinjam cassette player jap,” N came to me and showed me her newly bought Ace of Base cassette.

“Tak bole lar. Lagu-lagu camni dilarang kerana akan mencemarkan cassette player aku,”

“ Ala..jap je, aku cam malas nak gi prep ni, ko pegi tak?” N asked me when I passed the old battered Sharp cassette player that I hid in my locker.

“Malas lar, takde homework, baik aku lepak kat dorm baca buku cerita,” I showed her Phillip K. Dick`s VALIS on my bed.

‘Sci-fi nut”, she muttered before returning to her dorm with my cassette player.

I am just about to throw myself on the bed and finished VALIS when my loyal comrade and unofficial informer came into my dorm and pulled me up.

“Woi, cepat siap, Polar Bear is checking today,” L insisted that we cancel our escape routine for that day.

“Today, he `s in a mean mood. I mean he already caught like 5 boys at ASPURA and he`s heading towards our block,”

Problem was I already made up my mind to stay on. No Polar Bear or Honey Bear can stop me from my meaningless indulgence. Life is too short. After VALIS, I have Orwell`s 1984 to savour. L shook her head and moved out of my dorm.

“hey, 11 Jahanam yang ada kat dorm only u and N tau, so good luck, if there`s anything, page me,” Yelah tu. Macamlah L owned a pager. Gile disillusioned!

The thing was I didn’t tell L about my new hide out that I prepared just in case there is a spot check like today. I meant to test out the hide out today. I mean if my hide out fooled Polar Bear, that means I can patent the idea and sell it to the boys. After I get to do social service last week for jumping on a prefect that opened the locker of which I hid in, I would have to restrain myself from using the locker as my hide out for a while until the prefects forget whats the function of those lockers to school law breakers like us.

I walked to the end of the dorm. There is an old double decker with lots of boxes belonging to the dorm dwellers stacked under it. However, since it is positioned a bit far from the wall, it created a space between the wall and the bed. When the boxes are arranged strategically, the boxes will cover the upper part of the bed. Meanwhile, the other boxes are position as a wall that hid me well in the hide out. So, Bingo! From the outside, the double bed appeared to look like a messy old bed that stored boxes.

I grinned to myself. Picked up VALIS, some coffee toffees and put it in the hide out. I waited in my dorm with ego swelling the size of the savings in Bank of Swiss. I sat quietly as I listened intently for the sounds of Polar Bear renowned heavy footsteps. But all I hear was Ace the Base, crooning All That She Wants from N`s dorm. Within 10 minutes, I heard the sound of the dreaded footsteps. Polar Bear was on the way. I danced to the sound of Ace of Base, did a little jig while walking towards my Polar-proof hide out. With a heavy TOTO lining the floor, the hide out is pretty comfortable. I waited in bated breath. Popped a coffee toffee in my mouth and sucked the toffee slowly. Cherishing the moment when Polar Bear failed to find me anywhere in the block. I chuckled devilishly. Until…

Oh shit! Damn! I shouted and my head banged the box above my head. I can still hear the sound of Ace of Base that my cassette player carried. MY Cassette player! That’s it! If Polar Bear found it, I will not be able to listen to my punk rock collection until I get my SPM result. That’s like 1000 of years! How will I survive my dull academia years without my cassette player? I have to save it no matter what.

I literally jumped out from my hide out, peeped from behind my dorm’s door, searching for the gigantic feature of The Polar Bear. Okay, so he is in the dorm next to mine. I can still sneaked into N`s dorm, get the player and crawled back to my dorm using the balcony opposite my dorm. That was the plan. Went into N`s dorm and saw N wearing her prep uniform in haste. So, 1 Jahanam freaked out, tinggal lagi seorang.

“My player?” I asked her. She threw me a panic look.
“Cepat lah woii, Polar Bear kat A3”.

I quickly grabbed my treasured player and ducked myself behind the balcony. Thank god, I joined Kadet Bersatu. I reassured myself. Those military training that I loathe might be handy after all. When I finally reached the end of the balcony, Polar Bear was just done with checking my dorm. This will actually be a beautiful day, after all. I smiled to myself. As Polar Bear entered N`s dorm, I heard N explaining in her innocent small voice about her having period pain and stuff. I sped into my dorm and was just about to get into my hide out area when suddenly, the ultimate chaos ensued-

“So if you are in sight
and the day is right
She's the hunter you're the fox
The gentle voice that talks to you
won't talk forever
It is a night for passion
But the morning means goodbye”

I am out of words for swearing as I heard Polar Bear saying “Eh, saya baru check A2, bila masa pulak ada pelajar puteri dalam tu?” Damn the fingers on my left hand as they were responsible for accidentally turning on the player. Panicking and foreseeing another week painting the school fence, I simply left the player on the floor and lunged into my hide out. Polar Bear entered my dorm a few seconds later. He seemed to smell the air for traces of disobedient students. I covered my mouth with my hand since my heavy labor of breath could give him hints of my presence in the dorm. He walked calmly, scanning every angle carefully for perhaps sign of students hiding. Suddenly he looked down and saw the player. I swore I saw him smiling like a drunken Cheshire cat. He inspected the player, expecting to find any clue of the owner I guess. Well, I did write GKurt with liquid paper at the back side of the player. No one called me G at school except for 11 Jahanam. I might be safe from the wrath of the Polar Bear after all.

Well, I did escaped detention that day. Sadly though, Polar Bear took away my baby that day. The cassette player. My centre of sanity. My loyal partner during those last minute studies. Despite the proven success of my hide out, I mourned the whole week as I was informed that the cassette player will remain to be the school`s property until SPM ended. I had countless nightmares of the Polar Bear thumping his obese feet to the tune of Ace of Base blasting from my cassette player. N came to my dorm that night for our midnight feast of nasi lemak daun pisang, Pringles and Ice Cream Soda.

“Hey, sorry lar pasal cassette player tu..”

“Takpe lar, next month aku balik Ipoh, cari satu lagi ke, gile duduk dalam penjara ni takde muzik!”

“Ermmm….kasi pinjam lagi bole?” Apparently, N didn’t learn from her lesson.

“Boleh blar!”.

DISNEY INC. LANDING IN JOHORE!

2006-06-02T01:40:00.000+08:00

~from the cover of Fantagraphic holiday catalogue~

Finally, Disney Inc. found Johore soil to be just as fertile as France and Japan. Our govt. has held talks with Disney reps. on building a South East Asia`s first Dsineyland theme park in Johore. Singapore would be eating their hearts by now.

Malaysiakini featured an interesting letter on this issue. The writer defended Disneyland as a harmless family-oriented entertainment that has no intention whatsoever to displace the local culture, in fact Disney will normally adopts local context for its famed Magical Land. Oh my. I can't wait to see Mickey Mouse in songkok and samping or Snow White wearing a nice kebaya. So much for local context!

I have some problems with Disney Inc. And it has a lot to do with cultural displacement. Disney is famous for its brand of accessible fairy tales (if not politically correct) such as Cinderella or Aladdin. Despite the glowing acceptance of these animations, Disney provoke uproars from many sectors for its misrepresentation of culture be it American or foreign. I guess we can still remember the furore over how Pocahontas was shot for its lack of sensitivity in potraying native Americans and Europeans. Opting for commercially lovable romance over cultural sensitivity, Pocahontas, claimed to be the first animation based on historical fact, was totally a sell-out romantic movie.

Apparently, Disney Inc. is just like any other normal MNC doing their business. Profit before Social Responsibility. One crucial difference is that , (similarly like other media mogulsa ctually), Disney Inc. trades American brand of culture made accessible to children and families. Popular with its trademark innocence (read: innocence for sale!) , parents around the world agreed that Disney movies are good for their kids and full of moral lessons despite blatant distortion of history or cultural background as pictured in Pocahontas. This is quite scarry as Disney movies and products are allowed to penetrate every social aspect of the household and society at large with open hands by the society. With Disney producing their versions of fairy tales, local fables and folk stories are very much dull and uninventive as compared to the wild colors and catchy songs one find in those Disney animations. Like what my mentor said once, "Disney monopolize the face of imagination. Children simply quotes Cinderella or Snow White when asked about their fave fairy tales. Si Tenggang or Batu Belah Bertangkup is not that trendy lah!"

My problem with Disney Inc. is not only its intentional attempt at displacing or replacing culture, its lack of respect for human rights is another thing. As of today, Disney Inc. had been pulling off their work from any factories in the 3rd world countries that tried to denounce abuse of workers rights. Haiti in , China even California witnessed how Disney factories workers lost their jobs as Disney pulled their work and ignoring the worker`s plight for worker`s rights. In fact, in China, the death of 2 workers in a factory associated with Disney exposed the abuse of long working hours and meagre salary suffered by the workers. You can say, hey all MNCs are like that. Well, I would say that does not in any way prove Disney Inc. is a better MNC. It makes things worse coz Disney self-promote itself as a company that promotes family entertainment when all around the world, children labors are working in their sweatshops, sewing Mickey stuffed toys. Family oriented? I don't think so.

Its time I guess to demystify Disney Inc. as a family oriented fun loving entertainment producer. Just as the animated black jazz singers in Zoot suits under the label of Warner Bros look crooked compared to Mikey`s Steamboat Willie, welcoming Disney simply out of trying to boost tourism is not enough. Just like the animated black jazz singers swinging, its our own local context which will be compromised with the existence of the Disney empire. We would try to close our eyes and chanted that cultural exchange at global level is inevitable. I don't actually call this cultural exchange. I call this cultural dominance at the expense of all the funfairs in Malaysia, pasar malam, Batu Belah Batu Bertangkup, Si Tenggang and Hikayat Malim Demam. For sure, with enough dough, coz I am sure the trip to our very own Disneyland will still be a bit costly, but hands down, Mickey in samping will motivate peeps enough to splurge for those countless trips. So, my advice, since chances of this park to materialize is high, parents of Disney groupies should start saving not only for that new refrigerator but also for those numerous trips to our very own Disneyland.

And to think as a kid I dreamed of shaking hands with Prince Charming! Well...

P/S- My depression is gone I guess. Thanks to those who gave their word of advice day and night! ;)

DA VINCE CODE - THE MOVIE

2006-05-25T08:23:00.000+08:00

I am still hazy, confused and pretty much lonely since the last posting. Took leave yesterday to allow myself some space to think things over, I guess. But, after a last minute push in the queue to get the last 27 tickets plus sitting in the third row in A-Q13, let me just share my experience watching the most anticipated movie in May- Da Vinci Code at GSC Midvalley, yesterday.

I read Da Vinci Code in 2004, right after it shot to the top spot in almost all bestseller fiction’s list. Numerous dialogues and debates ensued as a response to the book within the Christian and Historian fraternity during that year. An online gimmick plus various websites that tried to rebut the book helps the sale of the books a lot, too. Well, as a reader with very basic knowledge of Christian (the most vivid moment would be when I helped Sis As, a Master student in Theology translated her questions to English during her interview with a priest from the Brickfield and PJ churches), I could not validify the assertions made in the book although a notion that suggests the superiority of feminity in leading a religion, in this case, Christianity is very appealing and quite…delicious.

But, ada apa dengan Da Vinci Code- the movie? Is it as controversial as the book or has Ron Howard tame the plot a bit just to make it accessible? As far as I am concern, the film, albeit slight modification here and there, followed the plotline founded in the novel faithfully. So, if that is the case, the movie should be as fast-paced and action-packed as the book, right? Well, wrong. The adaptation, in fact fares worse than a B-Grade documentary as it tries to mimic the elaborateness of the book- explaining the history of Holy Grail, Kinghts Templar etc. I feel Tom Hanks `s character is damn bounded by the wordy explanation that he must undertake that his acting falls flat many a times. Alhtough, Ian MacKellen, (an all time favorite actor of mine) at least, shine in his role as Leigh Teabing despite some of the longer academic dialogues he had to endure. Audrey Tautou as Sophie Neveu, is the most disappointing of all. She lacks the charisma of a smart cryptologist with such a shocking background (allegedly the last living descendent of Jesus) and the absence of on screen chemistry between her and Hanks makes thing worse. I mean dude, the way she reacted when she knew of her ties with jesus `s sang real could be best described as monotonous. In fact, her lame joke about turning water to wine and walking on water seemed a bit off and as though suggesting that knowing that you are a close relative of Jesus is an everyday discovery.

Ron Howard`s take on cinematography saves the movie apparently and he should write his thank you notes to the Louvre Museum, Templars Church in London and also all the other nice buildings he included in the movie. Touted as the second largest worldwide release after Star Wars III, I guess the hype surrounding the movie either creates a higher level of expectation on the quality of movie or the movie itself, is plainly a disastrous adaptation of Dan Brown’s bestseller. After watching it, I feel the controversial surrounding the movie is much more enticing, exciting and worthy of attention compared to the film itself. Perhaps, I could built up my case on the notion of Sacred Feminity by watching Desperate Housewives or watching Earl`s wife on My Name is Earl airing on NTV7 nowadays. Fortunately, my sudden irritated ness with the movie coupled with few yawns here and there, brought back my natural bouncy, ready to insult character in like 10 minutes, hence watered down my sense of mandom-ness. Sorry, Ron, but the movie was disastrous to me, big time! So, help me god, let us just focus on the line of argument put forth by the book and movie rather than judging the substance of the story from the quality of the movie! There `s more promises in that, trust me!

I AM LONELY

2006-05-22T08:38:00.000+08:00

I am absolutely sure my colleague who read this particular posting today will say, " Apehal posting ko melankolik aje, dua tige menjak ni ?"

Oh well, melancholic or not, let`s just say I am one hell of a lonely person nowadays. Either at home, alone or in a middle of a crowd, I felt a great invisible wall automatically isolates me from the noise and visuals around me.

It makes me misreable but like some distorted sado-masochism theory (re: the more you are tourtured in the height of passion the more umph you will get) , the more lonelier I am, the more comfortable I am with myself. The more lonelier I am, the more I want to leave my mundane life and go off somewhere and give myself to any cause I believe in. Feel like leaving this wretched moment, book a flight to Bahamas (or Budapest) and immediately severe all ties with my family, friends and just everyone.

Don't you think this is fucking pathetic? Almost. Until I find this.

This is the shortest posting ever in my entire unpaid career as a blogger. But the most significant of all I guess. I AM LONELY, that`s all.

D.I.V.O.R.C.E

2006-05-19T08:38:00.000+08:00

I came across this article this morning. Very relevant to urban young married couples in Malaysia, however to what extent?

Scenario 1
A: G, kenapa talak tu tak diberi kepada perempuan?
Me: (yawn) haa...kenapa?
A: sebab kalau bagi kat perempuan, habislah tiap-tiap hari jatuh talak!
Me: Tau pun korang useless sampe agama pun kene bagi chance kat korang!

Scenario 2
My mom, right after my ijab kabul nikah. Whispering to my ear- " Lead your life with your heart and wit. I wish you a happy marriage but never afraid to walk out when its no longer right".

Divorce is like a taboo word in our society but I think its worse during the 80s. My mom, in 1986 made her decision to leave my father over irreconcilable differences and got lambasted by our family and relatives from every corner. The fact that she has a stable career, liberal and made the decision to walk out from a collapsing marriage led to our neighbor viewing her as "a woman meant for temporary fling". But that was then. Nowadays, peeps are more relaxed with the notion of divorce I guess. Except for some quarters who still believe divorce is a threat to the sanctity of marriage.

Oh yes, divorce is makruh according to Islam. This means it is a rule which Allah permits but which is best hindered. But why then Allah allows couples to dissolve marriage? Clearly, such safeguard is permitted within the boundaries of the sacred vow of marriage because human beings cannot be so sure that marriage works all the time. It can't. To those who have happy marriage what can I say, congrats! but to those who cannot solve their irreconcilable differences, who can no longer endure the wrath of their marriage in the form of abuses, marital rapes etc, isn't divorce a crucial last resort to help couples correct their mistakes, start a new life or secure justice?

Rather irritatingly, the article stated that in the rural area, divorce rate is low as the close-knit family are still able to offer advice and iron out the couple`s marital conflicts. Even if the finding is correct, why should the couple let their family meddle with their marital affairs in the first place? Since the couple decide to get married, why can't they sort out their issues together as adults and get professional help? My rather bitter experience with this kind of perspective is when my own relative choose to stay on in a marriage that not only does not work but also the mental abuse she has to bear everyday from her husband. "Dia panggil aku beruk, gee kadang-kadang betina bodoh...tiap-tiap hari kene tengking" She said in tears. When asked what her parents think of this, she said they asked her to be patient with her husband, he is after all a hot tempered guy and thus, the wife should tried her best to cool him down from time to time. My only advice, " Leave him," Her greatest worry, " How will I faced our family as a divorcee? What will they think of me? Her hyper-guilt machine wheeled on furiously as she cited her worries one by one. None of her worry has to do with not getting food to eat, or job to support her. More on public and family reception, boycotts or isolation because her husband are well-received by her family. He should win the Oscar for his potrayal of a caring loving husband. Actually my cousin should. For Special Effects Award. Because she covered her bruises and swollen cheeks excellently everytime she came down to Ipoh for a visit.

So, tell me, is the increase of divorce a good or bad thing? is it a sign that people lost faith in the institution (which I think is slowly increasing for the past years) or that people realized they can do something about their marriage if it is not working? Or is it a sign that betrayal, kecurangan, pihak ketiga (or keempat) is rampant nowadays?

Scenario 4
K: Don't you feel lonelier after marriage?
J: Yeah, sometimes. Much lonelier than before I am married.
K: Why get married then?
J: You tell me....! (Scratching his head)

2006-05-18T08:47:00.000+08:00

ME - A BELLY DANCER?

[Picture taken from http://www.thebellydancer.net]

I like to dance a lot. Perhaps this is because my mom used to teach training nurses traditional dances when she taught them in Ipoh and I like to come to those sessions and followed her classes. As I grew up, went to college and now, married, I never forget the excitement of dancing. Even as I work in my office right now, I could transform wahtever space left (which is pretty small, actually) into a ballroom where I dance to the tunes I am listening. So, when a friend suggested that I take up belly dancing lesson, I was all smiles and said to myself, "Hey, why not!"

Belly dancing or its politically correct name- Oriental dance is not as easy as we think it is. We look at Beyonce or Shakira and we say "Ala...kacangnyer those moves..." Wait till u try it. My waist and abdomen hurts a lot after my first session that I felt one class is enough. But the next day, I felt better about myself, the hurts vanished and I waited impatiently for the next class.

My instructor, a hot woman in her early fifties, likes to ask us to loosen up, relax and enjoy the rythmic movement oozing from our hips and abdomen. It was kinda liberating seeing a classroom full of woman of all ages and sizes enjoying the fluid movements of belly dancing and at the same time, appreciating every inch of their flesh with smooth confidence and subtle sensuality. Well, until our instructor said, "Gee, do the shimmy again, you`re getting it wrong.."...I was back on the ground, smilling at the idea of me, performing in bras and colorful tassles in front of 1000 of Johny Depps look alikes. Oh Well...

Belly dancing apparently is getting a lot of responses from the main stream. Regarded as a stripping dancing, a form of seduction or more scandalous, a dance performed in harems for Sultans to select his wives, belly dancing is actually none of the above. In the Oriental culture ( we are looking at North Africa and Middle East), belly dancing originated as a means of helping women prepare their abnominal muscles for labor. So, it has a lot to do with birth and new life rather than some cheap porn connotations. Interestingly, mothers will teach their daughters the art of belly dancing and in the Oriental culture, belly dancing is as normal as us wearing our pelikats and kain batiks. Some interesting facts about belly dancing can be found here.

The friend that asked me to join belly dancing lesson asked me one week back about my classes. "How was it?"
"Ooo-kay. Thanks for the suggestion, girl. I really love the classes."
"Have they taught u how to balance a sword on your head?"
"WTF? There`s no such thing!"
"Maybe later, when you get into the advanced classes. What about those funky clothes, so u wear those for your classes?"
"Err...I put on my flowy skirt and my gym tops, no cholis ...dude,"
"Maybe they are trying to tame it...you know this is Malaysia, after all.."
I stood in silence, smilling and too stunned to utter a single word. She walked off, there is confidence in her steps, maybe because she beat me on my facts there and then.
On second thought, maybe I should get her enrol for the belly dancing class. I chuckled devilishly as I concoct an evil plan for her.

AN AD 4 A SERIAL DATER

2006-05-17T08:14:00.000+08:00

ATTENTION !

A friend of mine, MALE, 27, KL-based is seeking for awek cuns in Klang Valley. He offers great diners together (candlelights are not guaranteed), walk by the beach in a very classic mode style (my guess it has to be Morib) and lotsa fun going to concerts and brit-pop gigs. Do not fear if you are not Joss Stone or Kathleen McPhee look-alike, as long as you are cun and endowed with...err...great personality. A Scorpio (or scorpion), he is into music, healthy lifestyle and beers. I cannot guarantee a long lasting relationship but as fas as I am concern, you are in for some good time with mind boggling no-nonsense frank retorts that you have to be ready for. He is not a person to praise you on your first date together but rest assured, it is better for him to be silent than start saying something about your dress. He thinks he is developing some abs, but you girls tell me what you think about this. I might add on this note, he might be suffering from mild cases of delusion. Coming from the almost extinct species of stubborn independent Malay man, he doesn't take gifts nor favours, so in that sense he is suitable for those looking for a budget boyfriend. A self-acclaimed spokeperson for Arsenal, he wants to convert any organism that pass his way into Gunners supporters. He is a great listener because he has big ears and a huge fan (if not the model) of protein shake.

Anyone interested, do e-mail me, leave your comments or call me (my close single desperate friends lar).

P/S- I am thinking of setting up a matchmaking agency if this ad works fine :)

2006-05-16T07:46:00.000+08:00

MY AMIGOS- THE BEER DRINKERS

Apparently, a lot of things took place while I was away from Kuala Lumpur. I heard bomohs around the country are getting the limelight in our media yesterday. But once in a while, during the weekend, I will go online (unfortunately via GPRS, I can't find any Wifi spot in Janda Baik!) and read the stuffs blogged by other friends. One posting that stuck out like a sore thumb ( and this one need medical attention real quick!) took my attention straight away. I will not reproduced the name of the blog here but if you google diligently enough, you might come across this blog (But tak payah pun takpe, coz tak berbaloi all the sweats and keyboard punching). The only obstacle between me and replying impromptu is the expensive cost I have to bear if I do it there and then and of course, the waterfall. But the posting stuck to my head like an UHU. "You are calling yourself Muslim and you are not saying anything about your beer drinking atheist friends that practice hedonism worse than Westerners! Shame on you!" He’s not directing that call for repentance to yours truly but of course I felt "pedas" because 70% of my friends are beer drinking hedonist atheists although I am not. That, however doesn't make me a better person. That only makes us different. And they never bother to convert me, in fact they respect my choice of attire and way of life. Oh well, there are some isolated cheeky instances where they say, " Ala...gee minum beer ni best, try lar.." But they don't shove the whole Heineken bottle into my mouth (Warning: When I say never, doesn't mean you have to put this to test,ok?) And I am not saying until they shove the whole bottle into my mouth, will I start complaining about them, I am just saying on human level, I respect them as autonomous units with the right to think and make choices and earn their respect for that matter.

Friends of mine who volunteer for an Iraqi relief agency are beer drinking hedonist atheists who fought mental depression and boredom to help total strangers who pray 5 times a day and wear burqas. A friend who is now in Korea, expanding his horizon on democracy and human rights, is a beer drinker- a hedonist, I am not sure. A new friend found, (who coined a melodramatic title for his blog that outdo any Samarinda series), sees the world in a more insightful and sensitive way, more alert than some non beer drinker straight thinking minds. A dear friend disappeared from a South Asian country last year for his strong opinion about dictatorship in his country, is the most intelligent and bravest man I ever met. He had problems in accepting non-empirical evidences of Creationism and still seeking, but he is ever incisive on ideals of justice and freedom. Now, do we still think we are damn superior than beer drinkers?

Perhaps, we the beer-free, jilbab wearing, religiously obedient pathetic lot should do some (actually a lot) reflections about ourselves. Has our clear alcoholic-free brains make its stand wherever and whenever injustice prevails? Did we question norms that promote stupidity and apathy in our society or we join in the club and SMS-ed diligently for new ringtones and logos? Even, way too ridiculous when we preached like there is no tomorrow to youngsters or middle class lot about drinking beer and western lifestyle but shut our eyes immediately to similar issues committed by politicians, upper class big shots or powers that be. Like our Proton, double standard apparently is a value that is easily adapted by Malaysians.

For that respect, let me stop here and think about it, all "alone".

(P/S-Apparently, we see religion as black and white, we try our best to erase the emergence of any greyish areas. Problem is, grey areas cannot be erased coz its called reality. For discussion on these grey areas, why don't u visit an interesting blog/web. The editor, Mujtaba Hamdi, who is in Malaysia right now as a recipient of SEAPA Fellowship likes to understand grey areas better!)

2006-05-11T17:07:00.000+08:00

THE GO! TEAM

I am posting 2 of Go! Team `s songs for those hipsters and retro fans out there. Check it out:

The Wrath of Mikey - The Go! Team
Did U feel It too - The Go! Team

2006-05-11T09:18:00.000+08:00

ITS ALL ABOUT WOMAN.

Hmm...woman, the object of desire. Manipulated and oppressed? Second class citizen? Lotsa literary stuffs were written about women `s plight to be accepted as a men `s equal. The fact that I can't comprehend a lot of my hubby`s behaviour ( "eh you pun sama lar..." he rebutted) has stir the feminist in me, so, today, I want to share some of the stuffs with you guys lar.

Gloria Steinem, (check the link, she`s one hot chick) American feminist and spokeperson for woman `s rights came up with this funny witty piece;

IF MEN COULD MENSTRUATE (c.1965)

So what would happen if suddenly, magically men could menstruate and women could not?
Clearly, menstruation would become an enviable, boast-worthy, masculine event:
Men would brag about how long and how much.
Young boys would talk about it as the envied beginning of manhood.
Gifts, religious ceremonies, family dinners and stag parties would mark the day.
To prevent monthly work loss among the powerful, Congress would fund a National Institute of Dysmenorrhea. Doctors would research little about heart attacks, from which men were hormonally protected, but everything about cramps.
Sanitary supplies would be federally funded and free. Of course, some men would still pay for the prestige of such commercial brands such as Paul Newman Tampons, Muhammad ali `s Rope-a-Dope Pads, John Wayne Maxi Pads, and Joe Namath Jock Shields- "For Those Light Bachelor Days".

Fiona Pitt Kethley, a British writer-poet, wrote a poem; her view on blowjobs

BLOW JOBS
You`d get more protein from the average egg;
the taste`s a tepid, watery nothingness-
skimmed milk? weak coffee? pureed cucumber?

Fellation`s not a woman`s idea of fun.
Just doing it as foreplay is OK.
You kiss me, I`ll kiss you`s a quid pro quo-
but carrying on untill the buggers come-
suck, suck, suck, suck for half a bloody hour!
(I haven`t timed it but it feels that way.)

There`s nothing in the act for us. Our mouths
are better stimulated by a kiss.
The sucked lie back (with beatific smiles),
forget our bodies in the private dreams,
while we grow cold, detached, unloved, untouched,
our heads like 3-D sporrans on their groins,
bored out of mind, with aching jaws and cheeks,
like kids that Santa gave a plastic flute,
still trying to get a tune on Boxing Day,

"Toothless George" sucked all comers to the rocks
in a secluded Jersye cove each June.
(He`d come from Blackpool for his yearly treat)
Men love that act, sucking and being sucked.
Most women wish they`d keep it to themselves.

INTERESTING...(hahaha)

"When I`m good, I`m very, very good, but when I`m bad, I`m better" - Mae West.

2006-05-10T08:42:00.000+08:00

LAAAAGI PASAL MINYAK...

Hari ini, aku nak tulis dalam bahasa Melayu lar. jeles aku tengok respon yang org. kasi kat semusim di neraka. Tapi, rojak lar nooo, sebab aku sebenarnyer selesa dalam bahasa Inggeris (walaupun grammar tunggang langgang!). IKLAN SEKEJAP-Bagi peminat cerita kambing betina malang di Bachok atau penyelidik misteri keinginan manusia, NSTP online ada cerita susulan di sini. Kalau korang ahli kultus UFO/Big Foot/Bunian, UFO ada melawat Penang minggu lepas.

Tapi salah seorang rakan maya aku telah berkongsi berita mengenai kes pemandu teksi di Pulau Pinang (lagi). Aku turunkan berita keseluruhannya di sini.

***********************************************

News Straits Time
May 9 2006

High fuel costs driving Penang cabbies to Ah Longs

By BERNARD SEE

PENANG: As many as 1,200 taxi drivers in the state are going to Ah Longs to make ends meet because of rising fuel costs.

The number represents 80% of the 1,500-odd members of the Federation of Penang Taxi Drivers Associations.

Abdul Malek Darus, a committee member of the federation, which represents 11 taxi drivers associations in Penang, said their daily takings had dropped drastically since the fuel price increase.

“Previously, we used to get RM50 to RM60 a day – and even up to RM80 on a good day – compared with RM30 to RM40 now,” he said.

“We are now forced to work at least 12 hours each day to earn enough to cover the daily rental of RM30 to RM35.

“The bulk of our members resort to borrowing from loan sharks when their taxis break down or to renew their insurance,” he said when contacted yesterday.

Abdul Malek said if they had a choice, none of them would want to have anything to do with Ah Longs.

“Those who borrowed RM1,000 will have to pay the loan sharks RM20 daily for 62 consecutive days. The interest charged is an exorbitant 12% a month.

“There had been a few incidents of our members being roughed up by loan shark runners for failing to settle their loans,” he said.

Abdul Malek said with only 30% of locals using taxis, their livelihood depended largely on tourists.

State police chief Deputy Comm Datuk Christopher Wan said loan sharks flourished in the state because people kept borrowing from them despite the high interest rates.

“The public must be willing to make a police report and become witnesses so that action can be taken against the loan sharks,” he said.

DCP Wan said the police were aware of the high-handed tactics, which included beatings and torture, carried out by loan sharks to recover loans.

***********************************

Banyak sebenarnya isu yang timbul daripada berita ni. Pertama, isu harga minyak, pernah aku huraikan di dalam blog bulan lepas. Kedua, salahkah tindakan pemandu teksi meminjam daripada ah long ni? Kalau tak pinjam, macamana nak menampung bajet kehidupan yang makin tinggi? Salah ke ah long sebab menawarkan "bantuan" atau dalam ayat yang lebih sadis, memanipulasi keadaan demi kepentingan poket mereka? ( Klausa kekecualian: Aku tidak pernah menyokong mahupun meminjam daripada mana-mana ah long selama aku bernafas, okay?)

Rakan maya aku tuh banyak menyerang golongan pemandu teksi lar. Aku tak nafikan jugak. Kalau diaorg beri serbis terbaik kepada penumpang, tak banyak songeh dan tidak memilih masa mengambil penumpang, mungkin ini secara tidak langsung akan membantu meningkatkan pendapatan mereka. Mungkin diaorg takkan menyalahkan kenaikan harga minyak semata-mata tetapi melihat diri di dalam cermin dan bertanya "Apa yang aku buat untuk ubah nasib aku".

Semalam aku keluar berlibur dengan rakan wanita aku. Kami menaiki teksi dari Taman Jaya ke LRT Universiti. Saja taknak naik lrt, nak membantu golongan pemnadu teksi. Aku bertanyakan hal ini kepada pemandu teksi. Pemandu teksi India, berusia setengah abad itu sekadar mendengus dan berkata, "Itu saya tidak mahu campur, saya nak cari makan juga,". Simplistik tapi realiti sebenar situasi ini. Dia terus menyambung, "I tau u nak marah ini teksi drivers saja, tapi u tau ka, itu union ka, itu persatuan ka, itu company ka, takda jaga ini org (re: the taxi drivers) punya welfare. Itu teksi driver sana punya, bukan saya la ( ceh, sempat membela diri),sudah give up, teksi kena maintain sendiri, minyak isi sendiri, abis la dey.."

"Cari lar kerja lain," Rakan aku, Mar, yang agak (?) snobbish menyampuk. Pemandu teksi ketawa. "Saya sudah puluh kali pegi interview, itu anak saya juga ambil engineering, takde kerja dey...itu kerajaan panggil org Filipina, Indonesia, Thailand kirja sebab bole bayar murah, mana mau cari makan ini org sendiri?"

Mar, peguam yang lantang di mahkamah terdiam. Mungkin memikirkan betapa bertuahnya teman lelaki beliau, seorang akauntan dari Arab Saudi, bekerja di sini. Pikir, Mar, pikir.

So, apa opsyen yang mereka ada? Tukar kerja? berdemonstrasi? Ubah cara bekerja biar "gemilang dan terbilang"? Adakah dengan mengubah cara bekerja mereka sahaja, maka seluruh sistem perteksian (istilah baru yang tidak di-endorse DBP) akan berubah. Sepertimana ekosistem, cacing dimakan ikan kecil dan lemah, kemudian dibaham pula oleh ikan besar, begitu jugalah masalah ini. Syarikat teksi yang meraih keuntungan perlu juga dipertanggungjawabkan- ada syarikat jaga kebajikan pemandu? buat appraisal untuk pastikan pemandu berkualiti? telus dalam membahagi keuntungan? Pihak yang bagi permit teksi, adakah telus dalam pemberian permit? Ada tak berlaku rundingan bawah meja? Si pemandu-pemandu yang mengeluh kesah, cukupkah sekadar mengeluh dan berserah nasib pada keadaan ATAU cara korang bekerja dan berkhidmat tu kena adjust seada-adanya.

Macam kata rakan maya aku tu, government screws the taxi companies, taxi companies screw the cabbies, cabbies screw us and we screw each other! Sebuah strategi penindasan yang sistematik setua usia dunia!

2006-05-09T08:26:00.000+08:00

WHO DID MY EWE?

-

I found a very interesting piece of news ( a shocker to some of my friends) in the NST, dated May 8. Check out the news.

*********************************

BACHOK: Police are looking for a boy who is alleged to have committed bestiality with a ewe in Kampung Pengkalan Chengal on Saturday.
District police chief Deputy Superintendent Nazley Mohd Said said in the 6.30pm incident, the animal’s owner, a 36-year-old housewife, was cleaning her house when she heard the frantic bleating of her ewe.

The sound came from beneath the lower portion of her house, which is built on stilts, where she kept her livestock. On checking, the woman found the youngster naked with one of her ewes."When she screamed, the youth jumped up and fled. She lodged a police report," Nazley said.
Police are looking for the 15-year-old, who also lives in the village.

**********************************

I am interested to know how the (religious) authorities and public react to the news. Apparently a friend ( who is a sucker for Mustika and owns the whole Tamar Jalis paperbacks collection) informed me that this wasn't the first time. Similar case was found to take place in Bachok sometime last year. Are the ewes in Bachok hot and sexy? Like another buddy said, "Ewes are leggy and hairy," What kinda reactions can we expect? Some brainstorms on this -

1- Some would directly indulge into religious arguments on this matter. Bestiality is condemned by God etc. Is it really true? At the back, my colleague is hitting me on the back with a "Ko giler ke nak buat dgn binatang?"

2-Some would viewed the boy as having a physcological problem committing an anti-social act.

3-Some would admit the strong attraction that an ewe can generate from a weak man, so they should cover their hairs and body ( re: the rape case rationale will be rampantly used here.)

4- Some would smiled gleefully and said " It happened in Bachok? Lar...tak lah warak sangat Kelantan...hehehe!"

5-Some would say " save the ewes...call PETA!"

I wiki-ed and found this.

Interestingly, this was mentioned in Wikipedia;

Not all zoophiles are able to keep animals, or at least not those animals that they feel attracted to, and because of this some resort to trespassing on property to have sexual contact with animals. This practice, known as 'fence hopping,' is often condemned by both zoophiles and non-zoophiles alike, however.

(Re: So, get your own ewe!)

Zoophillia similarly like lesbianism and sodomy are very much a taboo in our country (duh). But, talking about it openly I guess will help us to share our own discomfort and understanding about the topic. So start "baaa baaaa" now !

Iran & Chapter 7

2006-05-07T13:16:00.000+08:00

The urge from U.S and its Western allies for Iran to suspend its nuclear enrichment program continue with U.S backed by old buddies, Britain and France drafting a new resolution for the U.N Security Council despite mounting protests. China and Russia, reject the idea to push the resolution under Chapter 7 of the U.N Charter. Chapter 7 apparently allows U.N to force any states into compliance using punitive measures, war or sanction among others. China, understandably has engage Iran in important oil contracts (what with the Iran`s oil bourse scheduled for opening in another 2 months, with Euro denominated market price) and perhaps, apart from hating the idea of another invasion, has crucial interest at stake in Iran at the moment. Russia, on the other hand, is a long time buddy with the Middle East countries prior to Soviet Era. Business is good for Russia in the Middle East, hence, the worry that sanctioning Iran will be bad for their business and economic interest in the Middle East is very much understandable. By the way, Iran is Russia `s most important client where arms and military equipments are concerned.

Imagine 2 business man and 3 global warlocks discussing the faith of a regime. Hmmm...not a very nice picture.

Things of course gets more dramatic, when Iran threatened to cut off oil supply should they are sanctioned. Try disrupting us and you have your oil tanks drowned in the Harmuz.

A second Cold War in the making? If it is, no wonder U.S is damn afraid now. Rather then surviving in the world today alone and very much, unilaterally, an emerging dissent from another part of the world is something they have to stop immediately.

Iran `s back ups are obviously defending Iran for the sake of their interest. Do they sincerely want peace wihout any tangible motives. Kerat jari, I don't believe them.

As for U.S, the world is pretty much fed up with your fancy for power and oil. Don't simply hide behind the banner of U.N and cowardly calls Iran a nuclear threat. Don't any of the world leaders remember world `s most important precedents to date: United States of America vs. Afghanistan and United States of America vs. Iraq?

The need to vomit is very much forceful now.

YOUTH ALERT!!!

2006-05-05T08:05:00.001+08:00

My internet darling, ( hehehe...you know who I am talking about, baby) shared his childhood story getting (mis) educated in Gombak. Now, all Gombak residents including The Switters, The Union Guy, Indie King etc, don't ambik hati. Our discussion did not amount to breach of Minang security nor, had it explicitly slander any of you in whatsoever way. He was telling me about how the school in that area does not create any kind of hope in the students to become better people. How the teachers had (or still have) preconceived notions, judgemental and not very supportive of the kids. "Apa nak jadi dengan korang" is the official hymm for these teachers and a display of mischief is a S.O.S for moral and discipline. Frankly, the whole education system is in a mess, not only Gombak. Thank god some of us escape the mess by becoming deviants, "kultus" leaders/followers, started rock bands, myspaces etc...( could be messier but happier, yes?) What will happen to our new generation in this country... *sigh*

(Sound of Wawasan 2020 anthem fading replaced by Fugazi `s KYEO )..Ceh...

Its not that bad, actually. Look at the end of the tunnel at Karak Highway and you will see a tiny flickering light. A collective of young and not-so-young people had in 2004 started a youth program in Gombak called "Youth Alert!". Due to boredom, unemployment and lack of sanity, this group sat down to brainstorm at one of the warung mamak and decided that " Hei, maybe we can kill time by screwing the kids `s head...They look like some boring hip hop wannabes (whereas we look untypically like some ruined secret society)". So, everyone agree to that idea and start...err...ordering teh tarek. It took some time for them to take off coz some of them have to bagi anak makan, dating, buat course work and organize peace rallies.

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NEWS FLASH

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BBC strong man, Shahrir resigned from Parliament due to an incident where he didn't get support for Kit Siang `s motion (of which he supported) on a suspected foul play in a timbre consignment case in N. Sembilan. Read about it, here. So, to you guys who are out of job, there is vacancy apparently in the Parliament, a very ad-hoc-on-second-thought kinda position actually. Your job essentially is to make noise in the Parliamnet. But better check your connections to see if you can make it. The "maverick" will be sorely missed but oh, well, life goes on for us common people...

Back to the main report..

When they promo the program, a lot of teenagers warmed up to the idea and agreed to join. The idea of doing something over the weekend which has nothing to do with homework, aweks and parents seemed fresh to them. The collective ( will be known as ISREC, hereinafter) conduct the "floating school" ( a term student activists in some European countries used for informal classes) for 2 1/2 months with the great help from other youth groups doing similar stuff in other area. They have The Art Guy ( a guy with self-learned art skill), The Theater Maniac ( another guy who writes and produce theaters endowed with heavy social critique ) and some other arty people. The core group on the other hand are like 5 people with 5 different taste for food, ideology and sexual orientation. ( I made up the last bit), so when it comes to the BIG question : what are we going to do with these kids, anyway? All agreed to 2 simple reasons - to make the kids feel good about themselves and to create a safe and creative outlet for them to vent their anger, frustration whatsoever. The ideology-PEACE & JUSTICE.

The first few weeks are focused on discussions and activities which help the kids develop their own opinion about themselves, their peers and community. This was done through simple photography exercise, comic drawing sessions, role plays and abit of right-based activities. The next part was to expose them to various artistic skills to sort of offer them alternatives to explain themselves (if they want to explain themselves) or to channel their creativity- stencilling, t-shirt making, storyboard etc. According to the collective, the kids really enjoy the classes and cases of drop out or absents are pretty rare.

But how do u know they are comfortable with themselves or if they think the classes are their safe space?

One of them explained an incident. When the first class started, there is this boy who actually wears ear ring but he took off the ear ring so as not to let the trainers saw him wearing it. After the third class, he came to the next class with the ear ring on confidently. " We want them to be comfortable with who they are or choose to be, free from any sort of fear.To build that confidence, the trainers avoid judgemental attitudes. We treat them as friends and respect their choice of appearances or orientation of life, so we earned their respect through respect". Another admitted that "yeah, we can get this on our own in K.L etc, but nothing beats having it here, these cool classes in our own backyard!"

Other young people from other community was brought in to discuss youth issues together. Rather than looking like some boring suffocating classroom ordeal, the floating classes seemed to be lively, fun and cool. Not the kind of classes we get in schools nowadays.

So there is hope after all. (Bob Dylan `s The Times They are a-changing heard at the back). I heard they are coming up soon with another one this year with a music band in the plan. Here`s hoping for more rebels with a cause in our country!

Youth Alert will be putting up a blog in the near future. So, be alert !

Hear ye! Hear ye!

2006-05-04T09:53:00.000+08:00

Built To Spill released their latest album with some (if not all) fresh line up. Called "You In Reverse", the band seeks to explore new grounds in terms of not-so-pristine sound compared to Ancient Melodies of 2001. Listen to the full album streamed here, at Radio Indie Pop. But you have to register first ( for free). " Conventional Wisdom" is my favorite in this new album. Haven't read the reviews or whatever, damn the reviewers, Pitchfork Review or Stylus I think is so gonna kenakan this album. Kindly correct me (secara bersopan santun) if I`m wrong.

The Clockwork Orange ( Burgess), Junk (Burrough), The Day I Swapped My Dad with 2 Goldfish (a graphic work by Gaiman) and Rumo & His Miraculous Adventure ( Moers ) : a weird tale for peeps who also likes Pratchett are on sale at Borders for 15%. Who wants to treat me to any of these book, sangatlah dialu-alukan!

2006-05-04T09:21:00.000+08:00

"Brand me, sayang...if u dare!"

I have always been reluctant to write about my work. When my former course mates ask me about the programs I organize or people I met when I am doing my job, my defense radar automatically yells “EVADE THE QUESTION”. I am not some reserved demure woman who keeps her mouth shut. I have my other half to guarantee that, I tell ya. Its just that talking about my work is painful. It cruelly evokes unwanted issues, which could be reliable entry points for me to quarrel with my friends, mostly corporate (pronounced keparat) lawyers nowadays. When I first entered S*****, the fact that I am a law graduate warranted enough curiosity for people to bombard me with endless questions.

There is nothing special with my work. U can call me a first class busy body. Ever poking my penyek nose into stuffs that don’t concern me at all.The work is damn strenuous and enduringly slow if you want to see the tangible results. But hey, I love it!

“ Mana dia gaya lawyer awak?” A senior colleague asked with raised eyebrow ala Ziana Zain.
“Huh?” (Read: WTF) I was damn confused. As far as I remember, there was no specific lesson on specific styles for lawyers during my LLB years. In case you wonder where do all the lawyers learned their snob looks and haughty pouts, there was no class on that either, THAT, my friends, comes naturally to them.

“Gaya lawyer tu apa kak?” I asked back, appealing for a straight answer.
“Banyak cakap, cakap pun speaking mat salleh jer, suka argue tak habis-habis…..”
Me and my big mouth. Apparently she owns a Dummies Guide To Lawyer`s Personality.

As u can see, labeling has always been easy. Understanding the point of labeling is the complicated part. I was glad I failed the lawyer-profiling test that my senior colleague put me through. Looking or acting the part of some brand or labels that people throw at you is pretty boring. Worse still, it violates the right to be original. The right to deny peoples the pleasure of stereotyping you. The right not to conform. You see, I could be wearing a tudung/scarf/turban, but at the same time, don't give me the slack look because I think Salman Rushdie is making a point.

During one of my flight trips, a sexy Malay girl in pink tube and floral skirt who was sitting next to me received a “Good Morning and may I help you” from the Stewardass.. I on the other hand, get the “Selamat Pagi” and “boleh saya bantu cik”. Bahasa Kebangsaan campaigners may pat my back for having such aura to persuade peeps speaking in malay with me. I will give 2 ½ stars for that assumption. My guess is... my scarf, had some unknown supernatural power that prohibited the Stewardass from speaking in English with me. So, wearing the jilbab is a signal that I might have trouble speaking in English? If only I could tell the stewardass how I love Anthony Burgess and William S.Burrough `s stuffs ! But then again, I might need to explain who those two are before I tell him how much I loved their work.

Like it or not, we get labels everyday. If you read Amanat Haji Hadi, you get the you-are-a-PAS-sympathizer look. If you say “Way to go, Chavez!”, then you are a lefty, If you wear black t-shirts, you are some deviant black metal fan ( I like black t-shirts by the way, they make me look 6 kilos less). Try to be a smartass and explain yourself, then you are a dissenting social outcast coz you don’t act like the scheme and uphold "the way of the majority", you can’t be compartmentalized under any labels, therefore you are “The Other”. I call it a meaningless attempt at social efficiency. Social Efficiency, my foot. We are imperfect potential sinners since Adam and Eve not some robots programmed to follow dogmatic manuals.

Even worse, labels evolve into socially construct prisons. Seeking for willing prisoners. There are people who loved the attention or limelight these labels offer. Sadly, there are people persecuted or tortured because of the labels.

Branding people or in other words, social conditioning is rampant in the course of my work. We brand minorities as sad case, so we offer welfare instead of justice. We brand dependency as empowerment so we lead on and never let go, we define politics as partisan and ignore masses collective power, we brand opposition as disloyalty, dissent as chaos. In the end, labels rule. In the end, we succumbed to the empty meanings of these brands and make fatal positions. When I first had to go to a rural Semai village in Perak, the members of the community thought I wanted to convert them coz I am wearing the scarf. I didn’t blame them. Conversion is a painful experience to some of them and my Muslim image brought back some of these memories. Didn’t blame them at all.

I almost fall into the trap of social brands. Correction…. already had. I used to view getting myself branded or “berteduh” under some labels offered me a significant association to life. Wrong enough, I don’t need others’ confirmation to run my short life. I will run it, with my scars, acne…imperfect and all. Coz I hate the fact that I have to choose between two roads, two brands-Tweedledum and Tweedledee . I want more roads to travel, unnoticed and without any fucking brands!

Labeling, branding, social conditioning...samalah tu!

Glossary –

S****** : A place where I am stuck in.
WTF : The formal polite abbreviation for “What The Fuck”
Tweedledum and Tweedledee: Duh…don’t you read Alice in The Wonderland at all?

An Akward & Painful Orbituary

2006-05-02T10:15:00.000+08:00

PRAMOEDYA ANANTA TOER
(1925-2006)

A lot of us say goodbye easily- to enemies, treacherous lovers, mean bosses, stupid nannies (?) but goodbyes are harsh, difficult and akward when it is said to a loyal comrade, long lasting secret crush, persistence groupies (hehehe).

My akward opening is due to the fact that I and of course other fans of Pramoedya Ananta Toer are still taken aback (very) by his death at the ripe age of 81. A true advocate of the rights of the people and selflessly fight for a free and just Indonesia, Pramoedya earned a lot of arch enemies as well as thousand of admirers and supporters. Steadfastly, he overcome 14 years of imprisonment and censorship to produce masterpieces which are music to the common people but deadly poison to the powers that be. He died of age and deteriorating health but his passion for democracy lives on. Multiple Nobel candidancy and worldwide recognition for his works are not his major aim in life. He is designed for better recognition- love of the people, blessings from his readers and wrath of the regime. May God placed him among the blessed and powerful for the selfless important writings he contribute to us, he makes "words are mightier than sword" such a major understatement of the year. Amen.

Of May, Mawi and Gie...

2006-05-02T08:45:00.000+08:00

Come May, I noticed how cruel I am to leave my blog unattended. Work and more work drained most of my energy (and time, of course) to write down my mind/s. So many things, ideas or feelings raced to the finishing line in my brain but none get the trophy because none gets the attention it should. I lived the life of a selfish pretentious thinker. Seen something worth reflecting on, but wasted no time to turn my back and made a mental note to revisit it when I have the time. Only to turn my back and saw that there was nothing left for me to taste or experience. Only to turn my back again...relieved?

Come May, we have Labor Day. The traditional celebrators opted for a rally or quite new to me- "Perjalanan". The new face of MTUC (and yet, not so new in the field) is in the process of transferring the title (if not entering a caveat) of Dataran Merdeka to MTUC Homeground for May 1st Celebration. This year, Ali Mamak was not in the picture (thank god...or else we will be amused again by his attempt to promote his new album), instead we have a rock n' roll band- Bonfires. I guess they want to attract more young people to be "terpesona" with the worker ` s plight. Maybe next time, they could invite Mawi..if they want a larger crowd, of course.

Speaking of Mawi, Mawi misplaced his aura during this year `s AIM. He gained no awards while another reality show winner, Jac Victor grinned victoriously ( pun intended) grabbing 4 awards gracefully. Shannon Shah, surprisingly won the best male voice in album, beating Jamal Abdillah. I am more amused with his dedication of the win to human rights activists. I was immediately transported to another world..where I met him in 2004, before his overnight fame and success, where he sounded so understanding and convincingly emphatize with the human rights movement in the country. Perhaps, he was more of a supporter, a sympathizer. So, I guess its O.K for him to include that in his winning speech. After all, how many times do u hear human rights being mentioned amidst a glamorous music award. At least now, u can count ONE.

I conclude Labor Day holiday with a personal screening of GIE, starring Nicholas Saputra. Directed by Riri Reza, GIE is a movie lush with personal insights and stories of a student activist named Soe Hok Gie during the dangerous times of 1960s in Indonesia. A young man who wants to escape the two blocks of opposing power, he was critical of Soekarno `s Old Order and sceptical and cautious of Soeharto `s emerging regime.GIE projects the boiling blood of fine UI motley crew, gearing for a just Indonesia that is free from corruption and "politik taik kucing". Gie played a pivotal role in helping the students develop a strong opinion against the corrupted government and to take action thereon.

A stubborn boy since childhood who earnestly read books by renowned figures, he found solace in his childhood friend, Tan who was later reunited with Gie and founded to be a PKI cadre. Tan, not surprisingly found his fate in Bali, masacred along with other 79,999 suspected or true PKI suporters during the "Red Hunt" in October. However, GIE do not deal with the tragedy in depth. A bit sad actually. Secondly, Gie died from an accident in Bukit Simeru at the young age of 26++. Thats also a bit anti-climaxish. Gie, an intellectual radical must had pictured his death among other Indonesian freedom fighters, among the grassroot. Instead, he passed away at the top of Mount Semiru among his close friends. Good movie, nice cinematography with Nicholas Saputra thrown in. For once, enjoy the fruit of labor of one of Indonesian finest young director, which, in a timely coincidence, is about a young fighter for justice and human rights. Again, Selamat Hari Pekerja!

THAKSIN STEP DOWN...

2006-04-06T08:57:00.000+08:00

Apart from the funny-heart warming story of The Pope with his nano Ipod, Thaksin `s decision to step down as Thai `s Premiere worth more spotlights. His resignation eases a lot of the tension that was hanging in Bangkok for weeks now. Thaksin ` exit also saw Deputy PM Chidchai Vanasatidya, holding the post temporarily until “something” popped up. My latter words are due to the fact that Thaksin `s exit, though viewed as many as a proof of how people power rules the day, Thaksin needs to do more than merely stepping down. Worse still, Thaksin `s popularity increase since his step down. According to ABAC Poll, 87% of the poll done in the capital wants the demos to stop and Thaksin `s popularity jumped from 12% to 64% after his decision to resign. Looks like Thaksin emerge as a hero to his supporters overnight. A clean withdrawal from politics or a strategy to win sympathy? Go figure.

What happens now in Thailand is that Thaksin left many unanswered questions and puts the whole Thailand in confusion. Since TRT won the snap election, the Thai Parliament would almost make exclusively of TRT MPs as Opposition whom boycotted the election stands by their decision to “remain outside the parliamentary system to achieve reform”. It’s kinda interesting to see how a parliament will work in the absence of Opposition. But to some extent, my two cent worth to the whole affair is that it will be interesting to see how democracy is redefined in Thailand. Boycott is actually a very powerful subtle tool of protest. But boycott is only powerful in the hands of many as its effect depends on quantity. After the huge demos staged by the people, it is interesting to see how the people will handle a one man show parliament. I am also curious as to whether Thaksin `s step down also lead to the surrender of the economic exploits and contracts granted to his cronies during his reign? An ordinary Thai citizen, when asked on why the living cost in Bangkok is high when in fact majority of Thais are not well off, simply answered ‘Everything went into Thaksin `s pocket”. Coming from the grassroots, this is indeed a powerful testament of how corrupt he is. Anyhow, he asks the Thai people to “let bygones be bygones”. To me, that is damn simplistic. Thai people need more than just being an apologetic lot, they are asking for reform not an apology.

American Gods: Some Reflections

2006-04-04T10:16:00.000+08:00

I finished “American Gods” today. I have to say, it was an enriching read from to A-Z. Neil Gaiman hits the bull-eye again. I was introduced to Neil Gaiman (the guy with untidy hair who is trapped in a guy with an untidier hair `s body) just recently. Although I do read few of the Sandman series back in mid-90s, AND I read somewhere about his close association with Tori Amos (they are buddies, apparently) but I never came across Gaiman `s novels at all. WEIRD. Until Borders had this sales months back and I bought two of his novels simultaneously. I fell in love with his stories instantly. It was far better than love at first sight, actually. After I read and finished Neverwhere, Stardust and Anansi Boys, (which is more recent than American Gods), I commit myself to his critically acclaimed novel- American Gods. All I can say, it was a pleasant three days affair.

American Gods is written in the classic tradition of Stephen King `s “The Stand” and to some extent, a contemporary legend which equals to Lord of The Rings in its intensity and colorful narration. But of course, if only Jack Keruoac had written it, as Orlando Sentinel asserted in their review. I on the other hand would call it a contemporary-pop-mythological-road trip.What`s the novel about? As what the title claims, American Gods chronicles how the surviving mythological deities in America (now, a lot more human, aging and depressed) are preparing for a war with the “new gods”, the media, technology internet and modernity. In the middle of this conflict, there is an ex-convict by the name of Shadow, hired by Wednesday, supposedly the old god from Norse mythology- Odin, God of Gallows as his body guard and errand boy. Shadow `s journey with Wednesday across America were both intriguing and surreal. From an ex-convict with very simple mind, Shadow became the right man of a very powerful but aging god who was able to communicate with numbers of gods- Horus, Ganesha, Ibis, Loki, Easter and of course the “winning team” in the battle, Technical Boy, Media, The Agency and The Intangibles. As our protagonist was transported from one place to another and learn about what matter most to him, he finally understand how the battle was a ploy by Odin and Loki to garner more power and to survive in the new world. He was able to stop the battle from getting any worse, but coming out of this experience, a different being. A god, maybe. I read in one of the reviews that Shadow himself is apparently a God by the name of Balder. According to the myth, Loki, (Shadow `s ex cellmate) bore a grudge against Balder and tried to kill Balder using a mistletoe sharpen into a spear, similarly like what Mr. World/Loki suggested in the novel to Laura, Shadow `s dead wife.

Interesting twists, powerful theme plus dreamy multi-faceted fables on the gods, American Gods are far from being some “trashy pointless story”. (Someone said this, so I reproduced her opinion just in case she is reading this). American Gods, surprisingly is a story about the birth of American `s heterogeneous society. Everyone that arrived in America, it seemed, brought along with them their beliefs or faiths. But as the American `s society grew into a more complex society due to progress and modernization, this so-called system of beliefs collapsed, hence, the Gods were left in the cold, with no significance to the people. I guess that’s what American Gods are all about. What actually happens to cultural identity and ancestral roots in a materialistic modern society? Will in the end, beliefs that are suppressed and pushed aside, demands chaos and deaths to ensue in order to return its relevance and significance? Or are chaos and death necessary sacrifices to project power and influence?

However, Gaiman`s description and narration of Shadow`s journey can be a bit tiring and repetitive but that`s like sooo minor compared to the whole story that he offered to us.

A total depart from understanding America through non-fictions, American Gods makes you sympathize with America (if not, at least the Gods) as internally, she is after all very fragile and vulnerable. The more I think that the war on terrorism or propaganda against Islamic world is America `s attempt at misdirection the rest of the world on how "fuck-off" their country is. In the novel, the irony of freedom in America (according to my own interpretation) was well crafted through the incident when Shadow was tortured by Mr. Town and his accomplice (claiming to be the State), whilst his hand palming the One USD coin a.k.a liberty coin. Interestingly, in the absence of any mention on the Greek deities and Jesus, Mr. Ibis remarked in one part of the story, “Jesus are doing well down here”. Surprise! Surprise! In the light of the rise of religious conservatives in America, that sounds like a major understatement.

Far from trying to preach pro-dogma ideals, the novel also projects that God can also be a forgotten ritual of wrath; they can be cruel and bear hatred worse than ordinary beings. Just as much as we claim the new world introduce new illness far severe to human kind – violence, war and poverty….can’t it also be just as possible that the old system of faiths or beliefs solve the human kind `s problem though violence, deceit and misdirection? Hinzelmann (the kobold) is one such example in the book. So are Odin and Loki.

As I finished reading the book, suddenly my mind played a song popular in the mid-90s that goes …”what if God is really one of us”. Blasphemous to some, but perhaps a very important question to most of us that loses faith for a better world.

SUHAKAM

2006-04-04T10:15:00.000+08:00

The government finally admits it. Loud and clear. “SUHAKAM was not meant to have teeth”. Nazri rebut Theresa Kok, Pasir Putih MP during Parliament session. Read the news at www.malaysiakini.com for further details. Sad but true. Nazri `s words added more salt to the already severe wound that SUHAKAM had suffered throughout its 7 years of “labor of love” for human rights. The wound that I am talking about here is although the institution was a cause for celebration on 9.9.99, its lack of enforcement capacity leaves the institution with a lot of potential in the dark as to how its proposals on how to improve the human rights situation in the country can be materialized. It’s a sad case actually. How would a fellow friend felt when his advice to his good friend was totally rejected on the grounds “It’s up to me whether I want to accept your opinion or not,” Especially if that fellow friend meant well and wanted the best for his good friend. A case in point when SUHAKAM `s ISA review was simply pushed aside with no acknowledgement or consideration whatsoever.

A day after the demonstration in KLCC on the oil price hike, SUHAKAM again faced humiliation when police had barricaded its entrance and prohibit activists and politicians from entering and submitting a memorandum to the commission. Dato. Siva Subramaniam gave his first ever firm and powerful statement to date since his appointment, “This will be the first and the last time police stops people from coming to SUHAKAM”. The people hope so, too.

We wait with bated breath as SUHAKAM marches through 2006 powerless and marginalized…just like the people.

SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC (20 Aug.1941-11 Mar.2006)

2006-04-04T10:14:00.001+08:00

Slobodan Milosevic, former Yugoslav President met his fate in his cell, believed to be suffering from high blood pressure and heart problems. According to BBC.com,he died just months before the scheduled end of his trial for war crimes in the Balkans in the 1990s. His death, as I suspected received diversified responses. Some accepted his death as a way of punishment by God for what he had done but there is also the fear that dying in such way, way before he is proven guilty for what he was charged- Genocide and Crime Against Humanity, makes him an iconic legend in the Serb history. His name will forever be remembered for what he has done and what he believed in but not as a reminder of how justice prevails over one mad man `s ambition.

Cartoonbox.slate came up with this strip.