Jul

6

A Question of Anwar?

July 6, 2008 | 6 Comments

Yesterday, I received an SMS from a friend whom I have not met for a while but he knows I’m active in Keadilan. He asked, “U believe in Anwar?”

I replied, “I am in Keadilan to advance the people’s interests & position, not because it is headed by Anwar. And as you know, I was a member of PRM & became a member of Keadilan when the parties merged. Anyway, I feel that it is irrelevant whether I believe in Anwar or not. More importantly, do we believe he can help us bring our nation forward & are there other better alternatives?”

Well, that’s my honest opinion.

Jun

22

Education, what’s love got to do with it?

June 22, 2008 | Leave a Comment

Some of my friends often joke about me taking over the Ministry of Education. I don’t know if I am a good candidate for the job; however, I do know that there’s something terribly wrong with our education system.

The issue of education is quite dear to me as I believe that it will determine the future of our nation. Even pop songs like Whitney Houston’s “Greatest Love of All” talks about how important it is to teach our children well.

I am proud to share that I am a product of Methodist Boys’ School, Kuala Lumpur. I attended both the primary and secondary schools there, and I am now in my second term as the President of my school’s alumni association. Apart from my loyalty and love for my alma mater, I must say that there is something different about our school that moulded many of us into not only successful but also quite decent people.

Anyway, I read this quote from a site on J. Krishnamurti and I thought it was worth sharing:

Modern education, in developing the intellect, offers more and more theories and facts, without bringing about the understanding of the total process of human existence. We are highly intellectual; we have developed cunning minds, and are caught up in explanations. The intellect is satisfied with theories and explanations, but intelligence is not; and for the understanding of the total process of existence, there must be an integration of the mind and heart in action. Intelligence is not separate from love.

For most of us, to accomplish this inward revolution is extremely arduous. We know how to meditate, how to play the piano, how to write, but we have no knowledge of the meditator, the player, the writer. We are not creators, for we have filled our hearts and minds with knowledge, information and arrogance; we are full of quotations from what others have thought or said. But experiencing comes first, not the way of experiencing. There must be love before there can be the expression of love.

May

1

A sad day for foreign workers in Malaysia

May 1, 2008 | Leave a Comment

Gandhi once said that, “The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.” No doubt, my animal-loving friends will agree with him. Indeed, I have shared this quote with friends from SPCA and they enthusiastically agreed.

Apart from humane treatment of animals, I believe one of the points made by that very wise man was that we can judge ourselves by how we treat others that are less fortunate than ourselves, especially those who cannot fend for themselves.

On that note, I am sad to share this May Day message with my fellow Malaysians. I just read the April 21-28, 2008 copy of Newsweek magazine, which had an article entitled “Lured Into Bondage”. When I first saw the heading “The New Wage Slaves” on the cover of the magazine, I thought it was referring to some other lesser developed country. Alas, to my dismay, the article is actually on Malaysia. Please do check out the link above.
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Apr

11

Auguries of Innocence

April 11, 2008 | Leave a Comment

by William Blake

To see a world in a grain of sand,
And a heaven in a wild flower,
Hold infinity in the palm of your hand,
And eternity in an hour.

A robin redbreast in a cage
Puts all heaven in a rage.

A dove-house fill’d with doves and pigeons
Shudders hell thro’ all its regions.
A dog starv’d at his master’s gate
Predicts the ruin of the state.

A horse misused upon the road
Calls to heaven for human blood.
Each outcry of the hunted hare
A fibre from the brain does tear.

A skylark wounded in the wing,
A cherubim does cease to sing.
The game-cock clipt and arm’d for fight
Does the rising sun affright.

Every wolf’s and lion’s howl
Raises from hell a human soul.
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Apr

2

Congratulations, People’s Alliance

April 2, 2008 | 3 Comments

I read the news on the formation of the People’s Alliance (Pakatan Rakyat) with glee. Indeed, I am excitedly anticipating the ratification of the new political coalition by the respective parties’ leadership.

Whatever it is, this calls for a congratulatory message. It is not everyday we have something like this happen in Malaysia’s political landscape. Actually, the last time we witnessed such an event was almost a decade ago when Barisan Alternatif was formed prior to the 1999 general election.

This time round, the coaltion was formed after the so-called political tsunami of the 2008 general election. Hence, if we are to be objective and honest with ourselves, the new coalition of Pakatan Rakyat is only possible because of the wave of change brought about by the people’s power to vote and, in particular, their decision to start a new chapter in Malaysian politics.

Therefore, Pakatan Rakyat must recognise this fact and proceed cautiously and responsibly vis-à-vis the people’s hopes and dreams. Now, more than ever, the opposition must be clear and single-minded in their struggle for democracy and unity of this often divided nation.
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Mar

20

Managing political change in Malaysia

March 20, 2008 | Leave a Comment

I think the initial reactions to the recent general election results would sound something like this:

“Wow! Holy s*@#!”
“Wahliao-eh!”
“Adoi!”

Whatever the language, the exclamations of shock or surprise are not negative – they are just expressions of amazement. Most people that I have spoke to are actually quite happy with the way the election has gone. However, with the favourable winds of change, the Barisan Rakyat will now have to manage it well for the next four or five years. Otherwise, we would have lost a golden opportunity to institutionalise good governance in this rich and beautiful country.

To follow up on my previous posting, I think a course in Change Management is necessary for all new elected representatives. I certainly do not presume to be an expert in the subject. However, I know enough of the subject to know that not only the politicians need to learn it, but the public servants and the rakyat also need to be aware of it.
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Feb

27

It’s time to believe (that change is possible)

February 27, 2008 | 3 Comments

Many sceptical Malaysians often say that things will never change in Malaysia. In particular, these people are talking about the political landscape of Malaysia. Although I agree that it is extremely difficult to visualise Malaysian politics any other way, i.e. being dominated by Umno, I strongly believe that we can change things; otherwise, I wouldn’t bother being in a political party.

Party politics aside, many people say that it’s time to change. With all the crime, corruption, educational and environmental (physical, mental and spiritual) damage that Umno has perpetrated on Malaysia, it’s very clear to everyone that it is time for change in Malaysia. Indeed, many would say that change is overdue.
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Jan

29

Why I was arrested

January 29, 2008 | 8 Comments

I was arrested at 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, 26 January 2008, at a foodcourt in the vicinity of Jalan Yap Kwan Seng, Kuala Lumpur. I was released unconditionally from Pudu Jail (now known as Balai Polis Jalan Hang Tuah) at approximately 10:30 p.m. on Sunday, 27 January 2008, after a magistrate rejected a remand application by the police to further detain me (and nine other people, including Tian Chua and Dr. Hatta).

Obviously, I was annoyed that I was arrested (see photo) whilst I was trying to ask the police why they wanted to arrest Tian Chua and Dr. Hatta, especially when they were merely having drinks and talking to journalists at that time. I knew that the over-zealous SB (special branch police officer) simply decided to arrest me because I questioned their actions. Indeed, when I asked an officer by the name of Woon who was standing nearby whether he was sure that the proper orders have been given to arrest me, he brushed aside my query and did not dare to say anything. Moreover, the location where we were arrested was beyond the one kilometre boundaries illustrated in the preventive court order obtained by the police.
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Jan

11

Revisiting Albert

January 11, 2008 | Leave a Comment

Last year, in my second post on this blog, I referred to Albert Einstein’s quote,

“We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.”

In that post, I quoted the genius in the context of our choice of government for Malaysia. At that point, obviously, I only thought of Einstein’s quote in that context.

Now, after a rather long and arduous year, I’ve got a different take on that quote. My new take may reach the same preference in so far as whom we should vote for in the imminent general elections, but it is significantly different insofar as how we should approach the “political” question in Malaysia.
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Dec

21

False Religion (By Rabindranath Tagore)

December 21, 2007 | 2 Comments

Those who in the name of Faith embrace illusion,
Kill and are killed.
Even the atheist gets God’s blessings –
Does not boast of his religion;
With reverence he lights the lamp of Reason
And pays his homage not to scriptures,
But to the good in man.

The bigot insults his own religion
When he slays a man of another faith.
Conduct he judges not in the light of Reason;
In the temple he raises the blood-stained banner
And worships the devil in the name of God.
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