Friday, September 12, 2008
Saturday, September 6, 2008
At the end of the article...I wanna Have children
A priceless gift for $3
Why your expensive child is the biggest bargain on earth
By Nury Vittachi
*
It costs the same to raise a child in any particular city as it does to buy a nice three-bedroom house in the same place, researchers have found.
Famil10 Could it be so much?
Well, think about it: school fees, uniform, books, shoes, bus fees, music lessons, teacher bribes, new set of keys when junior flushes yours down the toilet, new suit when junior vomits over your tuxedo, new house when junior burns it down, new car when junior commandeers yours to drive himself and the other four-year-olds to Toys R Us, etc.
“Few of us bother to get out a calculator... if we did, the human race would have died out,” Maureen Rice, a UK researcher who wrote a report called The Parent Trap, told reporters.
Boffins reckon raising a yuppie kid is roughly the same as buying a three-bedroom middle-class dwelling: HK$5 million in Hong Kong, 250,000 pounds in London, and in a typical American city, about US$350,000.
The difference is that when you spend that much on a property, you know about it. When you spend the same amount on junior, it disappears invisibly in tiny bills for Hello Kitty erasers.
Some parents argue that it’s cheaper to have lots of kids, but I tried this argument at my local school, and they just laughed. There’s no discount for bulk. Nor does it work at McDonald’s.
So why do we have children? To answer that question, I worked out exactly how much a child cost from birth to university. It came to about US$3 an hour. Now think what your child gives you for three bucks.
You get an excuse to build sandcastles on the beach.
You get someone to hold your hand every time you go out.
You get the most beautifully decorated fridge in the world.
You get a cast-iron excuse to watch The Jungle Book and The Lion King.
You get to acquire patience to a degree you never thought possible.
You get a reason to go to playgrounds, parks and Disneyland.
You get the world’s funniest comedian, in residence at your home, on call 24 hours a day.
You get a way to recapture the magic of Christmas and similar holidays.
Dad, you get to be the strongest, bravest, cleverest man in the world, a guy who can fix anything.
Mum, you get unimaginably large amounts of worship and adoration (just like your husband used to give you).
Both of you get an excuse to re-read bedtime stories like Narnia and Where the Wild Things Are.
You get an anger management course, absolutely free.
You get so much love that it fills your entire body and floods your eyes.
You both get a three hugs a day, which is 1,095 a year.
You get to vicariously experience all your “firsts” again: your first ice cream, your first play-date, your first plane ride, your first sight of an elephant.
You get to be God, making all the decisions.
You get a walking, talking doll that you can dress any way you like.
You get an excuse to splash out on a new camcorder.
You get an apoplectically enthusiastic greeting every time you come home from work.
You get to be “title sponsor” with naming rights.
You get a broken heart when they leave, but it’s worth it.
Why your expensive child is the biggest bargain on earth
By Nury Vittachi
*
It costs the same to raise a child in any particular city as it does to buy a nice three-bedroom house in the same place, researchers have found.
Famil10 Could it be so much?
Well, think about it: school fees, uniform, books, shoes, bus fees, music lessons, teacher bribes, new set of keys when junior flushes yours down the toilet, new suit when junior vomits over your tuxedo, new house when junior burns it down, new car when junior commandeers yours to drive himself and the other four-year-olds to Toys R Us, etc.
“Few of us bother to get out a calculator... if we did, the human race would have died out,” Maureen Rice, a UK researcher who wrote a report called The Parent Trap, told reporters.
Boffins reckon raising a yuppie kid is roughly the same as buying a three-bedroom middle-class dwelling: HK$5 million in Hong Kong, 250,000 pounds in London, and in a typical American city, about US$350,000.
The difference is that when you spend that much on a property, you know about it. When you spend the same amount on junior, it disappears invisibly in tiny bills for Hello Kitty erasers.
Some parents argue that it’s cheaper to have lots of kids, but I tried this argument at my local school, and they just laughed. There’s no discount for bulk. Nor does it work at McDonald’s.
So why do we have children? To answer that question, I worked out exactly how much a child cost from birth to university. It came to about US$3 an hour. Now think what your child gives you for three bucks.
You get an excuse to build sandcastles on the beach.
You get someone to hold your hand every time you go out.
You get the most beautifully decorated fridge in the world.
You get a cast-iron excuse to watch The Jungle Book and The Lion King.
You get to acquire patience to a degree you never thought possible.
You get a reason to go to playgrounds, parks and Disneyland.
You get the world’s funniest comedian, in residence at your home, on call 24 hours a day.
You get a way to recapture the magic of Christmas and similar holidays.
Dad, you get to be the strongest, bravest, cleverest man in the world, a guy who can fix anything.
Mum, you get unimaginably large amounts of worship and adoration (just like your husband used to give you).
Both of you get an excuse to re-read bedtime stories like Narnia and Where the Wild Things Are.
You get an anger management course, absolutely free.
You get so much love that it fills your entire body and floods your eyes.
You both get a three hugs a day, which is 1,095 a year.
You get to vicariously experience all your “firsts” again: your first ice cream, your first play-date, your first plane ride, your first sight of an elephant.
You get to be God, making all the decisions.
You get a walking, talking doll that you can dress any way you like.
You get an excuse to splash out on a new camcorder.
You get an apoplectically enthusiastic greeting every time you come home from work.
You get to be “title sponsor” with naming rights.
You get a broken heart when they leave, but it’s worth it.
Political analyst....
The March 8 tsunami swept our shores.... and left a political topographic impact so big it could have swallowed singapore whole...
The August 26 aftershocks came less as a suprise because
1) we expected it
2) most of us are just too pooped out from trying to find shelter from the Malaysian political weather
I for one am glad that pakatan took 5 states and clearly sending a message to the ruling coalition that we would not take no nonsense no more. I am glad that Anwar has gotten back into the parliament- together with Lim Kit Siang they would be able to outmouth any crappy BN politician.
However I have my reservations about Anwar's plan of september 16th... It just isn't time yet. It would be rushed and the end does not justify the means in this case. I am green where politics is concerned but his move of sailors jumping ships does not feel right... I cannot put it better than this.
Anwar should not even if he could by P. Gunasegaram
EVEN if Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim can live up to his boast that he will topple the government on Sept 16 – we seriously doubt that because if he had the numbers, he would have already – he really, really should not.
He must accept the people’s verdict. If he wants to gain power, he must do it the straight and correct way, keeping alive both the spirit and the letter of the Constitution – at the polls. Anything else is underhand and shows he has not changed enough.
If he goes ahead, it will be morally repugnant, and will lead to an endless cycle of defections and re-defections which will further destabilise the already volatile political scenario. An excessive predilection with politics will come at the expense of other things that government must do and will cost the country dearly.
The figures show that it is not impossible for Anwar to do the unthinkable. There are 25 parliamentary seats in Sabah and 31 in Sarawak and only one from each state is in opposition hands. Anwar has said that if he comes to power, he will give these states an oil royalty of 20% against 5% currently. There are other dissatisfied MPs in the peninsula who would cross over for the right price, even if it is not money.
If 13 MPs from Sabah, 10 from Sarawak and seven from the peninsula crossed over, Anwar would have his 30. But at what price? Are these MPs crossing because they honestly believe in Pakatan Rakyat and its concepts? Money is not the only corrupting influence, power is too. And with power you can make money.
What assurance is there that if they cross to Pakatan, they won’t go back to Barisan Nasional for the right incentives? Is it not more than likely that the Perak state government, where Pakatan has a slender two-seat majority, won’t collapse when a government with a majority of 58 seats, just eight short of two thirds, can?
If Peninsular Malaysians have utter disdain for their politicians, multiply that by 10 for Sabahans and Sabah politicians. Such is the situation in Sabah that nobody but nobody believes that any politician there acts in the interest of the public. The name of the game is self-interest. Ditto for Sarawak.
Are these the kind of people that Anwar wants to populate the ranks of the Pakatan leadership after the change?
Are these the kind of leaders who would lead the charge against corruption, patronage and nepotism?
What kind of a message would he be sending?
It would be the same old game all over again – the rape and pillage of Sabah and Sarawak. Unbelievably, Sabah is the poorest state in Malaysia (one in five Sabahans is poor), Sarawak not much better. How could that be with so much land, resources and so few (relatively) people? The answer: corruption.
Anwar, will you be helping the people if you put 20% of the oil revenue of these states into the hands of these politicians as you have said you will if you came into power with their help?
You, Anwar, have to become part of the change that you so much want to bring. You can’t be espousing high moral standards and then go out and do something dirty and devious to unseat the government. Your Pakatan now controls five states – show us what you can do with the mandate the people have given you.
With a machinery much smaller than Barisan’s, Pakatan gained major footholds throughout the peninsula. Anwar’s Keadilan itself came back from the brink of extinction with just one seat to become the largest single opposition party with 31 seats. Many political novices were elected just because they were on an opposition ticket.
That happened only because the public clamoured for a major change.
If Pakatan wants to spread its influence to Sabah and Sarawak, let it plant the seeds there now and bring the desired change at the polls.
And if Pakatan gets down to work, really honest work – weeding out corruption, bringing in efficiency, having open tenders etc – Barisan will have to follow or be demolished utterly at the next polls.
But if Anwar topples the government or even continues to threaten to do so, he will be short-circuiting the process and preventing all the changes that the public want.
History will judge him harshly if he does.
Yes, it’s tough for Anwar when there is so much resistance to his political return and there are battles to fight on several fronts. But arguably, the legal system will give him a much better chance now. Not to fight according to his stated principles is to give up the fight itself – he will become the enemy he so abhors.
There is a way out if all political parties come to their senses if only for a while: support a simple piece of legislation – any elected representative automatically vacates his seat if he leaves the party on whose platform he was elected. Then, the will of the people will be maintained and if someone wants to change that he will need to seek a fresh mandate from those he represents.
And finally, everyone can go to work running their state governments and the federal government properly.
If they don’t, they will risk losing their mandates in the next polls because for the first time in Malaysia, there is an alternative.
The August 26 aftershocks came less as a suprise because
1) we expected it
2) most of us are just too pooped out from trying to find shelter from the Malaysian political weather
I for one am glad that pakatan took 5 states and clearly sending a message to the ruling coalition that we would not take no nonsense no more. I am glad that Anwar has gotten back into the parliament- together with Lim Kit Siang they would be able to outmouth any crappy BN politician.
However I have my reservations about Anwar's plan of september 16th... It just isn't time yet. It would be rushed and the end does not justify the means in this case. I am green where politics is concerned but his move of sailors jumping ships does not feel right... I cannot put it better than this.
Anwar should not even if he could by P. Gunasegaram
EVEN if Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim can live up to his boast that he will topple the government on Sept 16 – we seriously doubt that because if he had the numbers, he would have already – he really, really should not.
He must accept the people’s verdict. If he wants to gain power, he must do it the straight and correct way, keeping alive both the spirit and the letter of the Constitution – at the polls. Anything else is underhand and shows he has not changed enough.
If he goes ahead, it will be morally repugnant, and will lead to an endless cycle of defections and re-defections which will further destabilise the already volatile political scenario. An excessive predilection with politics will come at the expense of other things that government must do and will cost the country dearly.
The figures show that it is not impossible for Anwar to do the unthinkable. There are 25 parliamentary seats in Sabah and 31 in Sarawak and only one from each state is in opposition hands. Anwar has said that if he comes to power, he will give these states an oil royalty of 20% against 5% currently. There are other dissatisfied MPs in the peninsula who would cross over for the right price, even if it is not money.
If 13 MPs from Sabah, 10 from Sarawak and seven from the peninsula crossed over, Anwar would have his 30. But at what price? Are these MPs crossing because they honestly believe in Pakatan Rakyat and its concepts? Money is not the only corrupting influence, power is too. And with power you can make money.
What assurance is there that if they cross to Pakatan, they won’t go back to Barisan Nasional for the right incentives? Is it not more than likely that the Perak state government, where Pakatan has a slender two-seat majority, won’t collapse when a government with a majority of 58 seats, just eight short of two thirds, can?
If Peninsular Malaysians have utter disdain for their politicians, multiply that by 10 for Sabahans and Sabah politicians. Such is the situation in Sabah that nobody but nobody believes that any politician there acts in the interest of the public. The name of the game is self-interest. Ditto for Sarawak.
Are these the kind of people that Anwar wants to populate the ranks of the Pakatan leadership after the change?
Are these the kind of leaders who would lead the charge against corruption, patronage and nepotism?
What kind of a message would he be sending?
It would be the same old game all over again – the rape and pillage of Sabah and Sarawak. Unbelievably, Sabah is the poorest state in Malaysia (one in five Sabahans is poor), Sarawak not much better. How could that be with so much land, resources and so few (relatively) people? The answer: corruption.
Anwar, will you be helping the people if you put 20% of the oil revenue of these states into the hands of these politicians as you have said you will if you came into power with their help?
You, Anwar, have to become part of the change that you so much want to bring. You can’t be espousing high moral standards and then go out and do something dirty and devious to unseat the government. Your Pakatan now controls five states – show us what you can do with the mandate the people have given you.
With a machinery much smaller than Barisan’s, Pakatan gained major footholds throughout the peninsula. Anwar’s Keadilan itself came back from the brink of extinction with just one seat to become the largest single opposition party with 31 seats. Many political novices were elected just because they were on an opposition ticket.
That happened only because the public clamoured for a major change.
If Pakatan wants to spread its influence to Sabah and Sarawak, let it plant the seeds there now and bring the desired change at the polls.
And if Pakatan gets down to work, really honest work – weeding out corruption, bringing in efficiency, having open tenders etc – Barisan will have to follow or be demolished utterly at the next polls.
But if Anwar topples the government or even continues to threaten to do so, he will be short-circuiting the process and preventing all the changes that the public want.
History will judge him harshly if he does.
Yes, it’s tough for Anwar when there is so much resistance to his political return and there are battles to fight on several fronts. But arguably, the legal system will give him a much better chance now. Not to fight according to his stated principles is to give up the fight itself – he will become the enemy he so abhors.
There is a way out if all political parties come to their senses if only for a while: support a simple piece of legislation – any elected representative automatically vacates his seat if he leaves the party on whose platform he was elected. Then, the will of the people will be maintained and if someone wants to change that he will need to seek a fresh mandate from those he represents.
And finally, everyone can go to work running their state governments and the federal government properly.
If they don’t, they will risk losing their mandates in the next polls because for the first time in Malaysia, there is an alternative.
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Food for thought!
By Karim Raslan
MALAYSIA, my Malaysia... I know this is going to sound faintly ludicrous, but the Malaysia that has emerged after the March 8 elections is still better than the one that existed before.
It’s more open, more diverse and infinitely more lively; in short it’s less “Barisan” and more Malaysian – because (surprise, surprise) the two are not one and the same.
The coalition and its leading party Umno are no longer the dominant voices they once were. Instead, they have been reduced and sidelined by other infinitely more energetic, impassioned and exciting voices.
Of course the liveliness also has its costs. Businessmen and women are concerned at the disruption caused by the incessant political chatter and melodrama, most notably the storm surrounding Anwar Ibrahim.
The allegations against him have cast an extremely dark shadow over the nation as people try to figure out the difference between prosecution and persecution.
Perhaps we despair too quickly, however. We can’t, after all expect change to be smooth and seamless. This is not the time to roll back on the openness of the days after the last general election.
The more we as a people discuss – and openly – the “what”, “where” and “how” of the nation’s progress the stronger our national consensus will be, going forward. We need more, not less debate, especially over “sensitive” issues.
Malaysians are definitely ready for this – it’s just a shame that the politicians are not.
We now have the makings of a Malaysia that is of our own making – however imperfect, and not the one carved out for us by our masters.
However, all these changes are merely the beginnings of a process to really open up the system. And as the post-Merdeka social contract slowly unravels we will have to create a new, deeper and more dynamic understanding both across the racial chasm and also increasingly across the “class” divide.
We cannot afford to let our political masters control this process. We must not be passive on-lookers. We can’t fall back on our old cynicism.
A Malaysia that refuses to vote, think and speak out simply because politics is “dirty” or because “no one can really make a difference” is the sort of country that the reactionaries want. Apathy will roll back the changes that have been taking place in our country.
Malaysians must be committed, bold and determined. The age of strongman leaders has to give way to that of an engaged and virtuous citizenry holding up the nation. But this doesn’t mean a rejection of politics.
We need it more than ever, in fact. Why? Well, both sides of the political spectrum have their own agendas and we need the different contending voices to balance one another out.
On the one hand, the Barisan will try to curb the reform agenda whilst on the other hand; PAS from the Pakatan side will wish to impose their at times harsh and narrow view of the world on the rest of us.
Barisan will certainly resist reform in certain critical areas – most notably the ISA, the judiciary (look at how the Judicial Appointments Committee has been stalled), press freedoms and other civil liberties.
They’ll be wrong to do so and those who advocate the old-ways – I’ve termed them the “conservatives” – will be punished by the voters in the next election.
Some would have us believe that the people in the kampungs and your average Malaysian salaried man don’t care about such things. It is they who are mistaken. Time and our evolving demographics are on the side of change.
Another word of warning, this time to the members of our esteemed Cabinet. Remember, just as you’re watching us, the nervous “scribblers” in the newspapers and Internet – rest assured that we’re watching you and more importantly, judging you.
You have been weighed, measured and found wanting, as a matter of fact. You can silence individual bloggers or columnists, for example but the media is like a multi-headed hydra – chop off one head and 10 new ones will sprout.
The desire to write and comment on our own world is now firmly lodged within the public experience. Freedom of expression is something we demand. It cannot be extinguished and people no longer fear the long arm of the law as they once did.
But as we move forward one of the most important challenges will be for the Malays, in particular to learn to accept and live with the diversity within the community. There’s going to be enormous pressure from PAS for example to assert a particular spectrum of morality and behaviour.
In this respect, the ulama-led PAS possesses the same will to dominate that Umno currently exhibits.
Whilst many PAS leaders are genuinely incorruptible and deserve credit for this, their self-righteous moralising is unacceptable and we need to defend our public space from them. We will regret the day that one set of tyranny has been exchanged for another.
Part of the subtext of what’s been happening over the past few months has been the way Malaysians has asserting their individual identities – declaring their independence from the widely disseminated “truths” of nation building.
I’d like to end by recounting a personal anecdote. Back in 2002, I published my third book. It was a second collection of articles and essays called Ceritalah Two: Journeys Through Southeast Asia. Rereading the preface now, is a slightly disturbing experience.
Back then I was just coming to terms with what I called “the ugliness and injustice of Anwar Ibrahim’s case”. Despite being a confirmed Anwar sceptic, the events of 1998 – the selectiveness of it all has haunted me. I never quite got over the idea that Malaysia – my Malaysia – could be such an unjust and evil place.
We can’t avoid viewing political events through the prism of our own personal experiences and the last Anwar debacle was to shake me very soundly.
I resolved not to be dependent on Malaysia for my livelihood. As it happened, Indonesia was to become my second home and workplace. Indeed, Indonesia has been very good to me and I am forever indebted to this magnificent country for its welcome.
However, home is still Malaysia for me. I cannot deny my childhood years. I cannot reject my emotional, familial DNA. For all its infuriating flaws and foibles, it is home.
We often hear how Malaysians denigrate their country compared to other places like Australia and (God knows why) Singapore. Listen closely and you will hear frustrated love rather than disdain.
We only hurt the things we love. We complain because we care.
The “turmoil” that our country is undergoing is a sign of how deeply invested all sides are in its future, which makes the anxiety we feel perfectly natural. If it feels like we need to battle, then it is because this country is definitely worth fighting for.
Still as the dark cloud extends further and further across the nation and as the “conservatives” secure their power many of us may well chose to move away once again. We cannot let that happen, as it would mean letting them win.
I hear too many stories and I see too many things. Gross abuses of justice, leaders who are little better than street thugs, men and women who delight in devising ways of ripping off the exchequer.
We are surrounded by those who feel no shame in abusing the system to their own ends.
We have to take back Malaysia for the people. We have to set the agenda. We must speak for ourselves, as one nation. The Bar Council demonstrations. The teacher who racially abused her students. Those are not the faces of the real Malaysia. We are.
Malaysia will not become a “failed state” despite the prophets of doom. But only if we stand up and say, enough is enough; it is time we move forward.
The people of Malaysia will get the country they deserve. Many people groan at this, but I think of the long way we have come, the opportunities that lie ahead – and think otherwise. I believe in the rakyat. I believe in Malaysia.
MALAYSIA, my Malaysia... I know this is going to sound faintly ludicrous, but the Malaysia that has emerged after the March 8 elections is still better than the one that existed before.
It’s more open, more diverse and infinitely more lively; in short it’s less “Barisan” and more Malaysian – because (surprise, surprise) the two are not one and the same.
The coalition and its leading party Umno are no longer the dominant voices they once were. Instead, they have been reduced and sidelined by other infinitely more energetic, impassioned and exciting voices.
Of course the liveliness also has its costs. Businessmen and women are concerned at the disruption caused by the incessant political chatter and melodrama, most notably the storm surrounding Anwar Ibrahim.
The allegations against him have cast an extremely dark shadow over the nation as people try to figure out the difference between prosecution and persecution.
Perhaps we despair too quickly, however. We can’t, after all expect change to be smooth and seamless. This is not the time to roll back on the openness of the days after the last general election.
The more we as a people discuss – and openly – the “what”, “where” and “how” of the nation’s progress the stronger our national consensus will be, going forward. We need more, not less debate, especially over “sensitive” issues.
Malaysians are definitely ready for this – it’s just a shame that the politicians are not.
We now have the makings of a Malaysia that is of our own making – however imperfect, and not the one carved out for us by our masters.
However, all these changes are merely the beginnings of a process to really open up the system. And as the post-Merdeka social contract slowly unravels we will have to create a new, deeper and more dynamic understanding both across the racial chasm and also increasingly across the “class” divide.
We cannot afford to let our political masters control this process. We must not be passive on-lookers. We can’t fall back on our old cynicism.
A Malaysia that refuses to vote, think and speak out simply because politics is “dirty” or because “no one can really make a difference” is the sort of country that the reactionaries want. Apathy will roll back the changes that have been taking place in our country.
Malaysians must be committed, bold and determined. The age of strongman leaders has to give way to that of an engaged and virtuous citizenry holding up the nation. But this doesn’t mean a rejection of politics.
We need it more than ever, in fact. Why? Well, both sides of the political spectrum have their own agendas and we need the different contending voices to balance one another out.
On the one hand, the Barisan will try to curb the reform agenda whilst on the other hand; PAS from the Pakatan side will wish to impose their at times harsh and narrow view of the world on the rest of us.
Barisan will certainly resist reform in certain critical areas – most notably the ISA, the judiciary (look at how the Judicial Appointments Committee has been stalled), press freedoms and other civil liberties.
They’ll be wrong to do so and those who advocate the old-ways – I’ve termed them the “conservatives” – will be punished by the voters in the next election.
Some would have us believe that the people in the kampungs and your average Malaysian salaried man don’t care about such things. It is they who are mistaken. Time and our evolving demographics are on the side of change.
Another word of warning, this time to the members of our esteemed Cabinet. Remember, just as you’re watching us, the nervous “scribblers” in the newspapers and Internet – rest assured that we’re watching you and more importantly, judging you.
You have been weighed, measured and found wanting, as a matter of fact. You can silence individual bloggers or columnists, for example but the media is like a multi-headed hydra – chop off one head and 10 new ones will sprout.
The desire to write and comment on our own world is now firmly lodged within the public experience. Freedom of expression is something we demand. It cannot be extinguished and people no longer fear the long arm of the law as they once did.
But as we move forward one of the most important challenges will be for the Malays, in particular to learn to accept and live with the diversity within the community. There’s going to be enormous pressure from PAS for example to assert a particular spectrum of morality and behaviour.
In this respect, the ulama-led PAS possesses the same will to dominate that Umno currently exhibits.
Whilst many PAS leaders are genuinely incorruptible and deserve credit for this, their self-righteous moralising is unacceptable and we need to defend our public space from them. We will regret the day that one set of tyranny has been exchanged for another.
Part of the subtext of what’s been happening over the past few months has been the way Malaysians has asserting their individual identities – declaring their independence from the widely disseminated “truths” of nation building.
I’d like to end by recounting a personal anecdote. Back in 2002, I published my third book. It was a second collection of articles and essays called Ceritalah Two: Journeys Through Southeast Asia. Rereading the preface now, is a slightly disturbing experience.
Back then I was just coming to terms with what I called “the ugliness and injustice of Anwar Ibrahim’s case”. Despite being a confirmed Anwar sceptic, the events of 1998 – the selectiveness of it all has haunted me. I never quite got over the idea that Malaysia – my Malaysia – could be such an unjust and evil place.
We can’t avoid viewing political events through the prism of our own personal experiences and the last Anwar debacle was to shake me very soundly.
I resolved not to be dependent on Malaysia for my livelihood. As it happened, Indonesia was to become my second home and workplace. Indeed, Indonesia has been very good to me and I am forever indebted to this magnificent country for its welcome.
However, home is still Malaysia for me. I cannot deny my childhood years. I cannot reject my emotional, familial DNA. For all its infuriating flaws and foibles, it is home.
We often hear how Malaysians denigrate their country compared to other places like Australia and (God knows why) Singapore. Listen closely and you will hear frustrated love rather than disdain.
We only hurt the things we love. We complain because we care.
The “turmoil” that our country is undergoing is a sign of how deeply invested all sides are in its future, which makes the anxiety we feel perfectly natural. If it feels like we need to battle, then it is because this country is definitely worth fighting for.
Still as the dark cloud extends further and further across the nation and as the “conservatives” secure their power many of us may well chose to move away once again. We cannot let that happen, as it would mean letting them win.
I hear too many stories and I see too many things. Gross abuses of justice, leaders who are little better than street thugs, men and women who delight in devising ways of ripping off the exchequer.
We are surrounded by those who feel no shame in abusing the system to their own ends.
We have to take back Malaysia for the people. We have to set the agenda. We must speak for ourselves, as one nation. The Bar Council demonstrations. The teacher who racially abused her students. Those are not the faces of the real Malaysia. We are.
Malaysia will not become a “failed state” despite the prophets of doom. But only if we stand up and say, enough is enough; it is time we move forward.
The people of Malaysia will get the country they deserve. Many people groan at this, but I think of the long way we have come, the opportunities that lie ahead – and think otherwise. I believe in the rakyat. I believe in Malaysia.
Saturday, August 23, 2008
On our funny half year anniversary haha
We accidently ventured into The paddington house of pancakes!
Yup ordering was a headache. took me 20+ minutes before I settled for something
Order # 123- The appetizing dish (more appetizing than hers right?) that I ordered
order # xxx - (occured to me that it loooks like some sort of popiah)
Oh well lets preserve some photos before we dismember the innocent looking pancakes!
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Lee Chong Wei Vs. Sony Dwi Kuncoro 21-9, 21-10!!! WWOOOOOO!!!
HEHEHEHEHEHEHE!!!!!
Chong Wei Advances in his bid to win Gold For Malaysia!
The sole athlete to keep the Malaysian flag flying in badminton did not let us down in his spectacular match against Sony Dwi Kuncoro!
Impressive Jumping Smashes and drop shots were the order of the day as Chong Wei emerges to lead both matches after tallying scores with Sony at the start of both matches. Sony couldn't do much but give sheepish grins after Chong Wei managed to get the better of him shuttle after shuttle!
I'm so proud of him! and gleefully enjoyed the match!
Go Chong Wei Go! Go Chong Wei GO!!!!
Chong Wei Advances in his bid to win Gold For Malaysia!
The sole athlete to keep the Malaysian flag flying in badminton did not let us down in his spectacular match against Sony Dwi Kuncoro!
Impressive Jumping Smashes and drop shots were the order of the day as Chong Wei emerges to lead both matches after tallying scores with Sony at the start of both matches. Sony couldn't do much but give sheepish grins after Chong Wei managed to get the better of him shuttle after shuttle!
I'm so proud of him! and gleefully enjoyed the match!
Go Chong Wei Go! Go Chong Wei GO!!!!
Thursday, July 31, 2008
I? need? help?
I dunno whats missing!
I have the ability to befriend ... but no longer have the ability to maintain close frienships... and its not because of a lack of effort...
I dunno how to make things better... Some switch went "click" sometime ago and things aren't flippable back again...
Am I too serious? I don't know... I don't think I am but is it the practical years taking a toll?
hai what do I do?
personality wise? I dunno le? I used to be loner before... I don't have a gang.. ex housemates seem to be the gang I have.... but now with ruru in tow ppl probably see me as a pair? I really don't know? I.... Just don't know whats wrong...
being in the wards... I sometimes wander alone... it kinda feels weird... I am friends with everyone of course but then there's no strong connection there... No one to go to lunch with... coz ppl assume I'll have it with ruru? I'm not sure... bit lately this problem has been bothering me......
is it something I did?
something written on my forehead that I am not aware of?
that I somehow delineate myself from the others?
With hometown friends... Usually having topics to chat... Its now come to "how are you"... I am always the one to initiate drinks/ tea/ gatherings... however I am not invited... is it because my holidays always do not coincide with my other friends?
I feel so funny.... Its been bothering me quite some time la... and I dunno what to do with it...
if you have answer... let me know... I need to know whether its me and if its something that I can change... and I will change if i am the cause of the problem.
have a nice day!
I have the ability to befriend ... but no longer have the ability to maintain close frienships... and its not because of a lack of effort...
I dunno how to make things better... Some switch went "click" sometime ago and things aren't flippable back again...
Am I too serious? I don't know... I don't think I am but is it the practical years taking a toll?
hai what do I do?
personality wise? I dunno le? I used to be loner before... I don't have a gang.. ex housemates seem to be the gang I have.... but now with ruru in tow ppl probably see me as a pair? I really don't know? I.... Just don't know whats wrong...
being in the wards... I sometimes wander alone... it kinda feels weird... I am friends with everyone of course but then there's no strong connection there... No one to go to lunch with... coz ppl assume I'll have it with ruru? I'm not sure... bit lately this problem has been bothering me......
is it something I did?
something written on my forehead that I am not aware of?
that I somehow delineate myself from the others?
With hometown friends... Usually having topics to chat... Its now come to "how are you"... I am always the one to initiate drinks/ tea/ gatherings... however I am not invited... is it because my holidays always do not coincide with my other friends?
I feel so funny.... Its been bothering me quite some time la... and I dunno what to do with it...
if you have answer... let me know... I need to know whether its me and if its something that I can change... and I will change if i am the cause of the problem.
have a nice day!
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