Mahathir
History Channel
15 & 22 November 2009 @ 8 p.m.
A must watch for all right minded Malaysians.
A Guide to Bribery
Below is an interestingly funny video made under the 15Malaysia project with regards to our local corruption scenario.
Free Honeymoon
Free Honeymoon
Honeymoon is usually a traditional romantic getaway of newlyweds for the purpose of celebrating a relationship and seclusion (if you know what I mean…).
The cost for this getaway depends on how much extra money you willing to spend or on how much still left after the wedding. No matter what the cost, new couples should do this since marriage, god permits, is a once in a lifetime episode.
For those who did their honeymoon, surely it is one of the most memorable moments in life. For those who did not, do not despair… go to Terengganu and all will be sponsored. (Read it HERE)
There’s a catch of course… The couple must be on the verge of breakup and the couple must attend counseling.
It’s easy. Just fake the break up thing, make sure to attend counseling and tadaa… free honeymoon and some more the people’s money wasted.
Paying second honeymoon for troubled couples is not a good solution. At the point where a relationship is at the verge of breakup, there are too many issues left un-dealt by the couple. The dissatisfaction between the two has gone too far from the par of tolerance thus causing grievance on both sides. At this point it is common that there is no more room to tolerate or compromise. Thus the most prudent way to save a marriage is not to sponsor a hot, sexy and steamy romantic getaway but to address the issues, and settle the differences. Full stop.
Cartoon from Cartoon Stock.com
Travelogue Jakarta
Travelogue Jakarta
It has been quite some time since my visit to Indonesia and I have spent that same time period postponing writing about it. Until today of course…
The flight duration from KL to Jakarta is more or less 2 hours. Unlike other international travels, I felt less anxiety during my travel to Jakarta. Perhaps because subconsciously my mind interprets that the journey is like a journey visiting a long lost kampong, since my ancestors came from the islands which are now Indonesia.
Jakarta is a bustling city which populace numbers in the millions. The hustle and bustle in the city is far more hectic than Kuala Lumpur. The traffic horrendous, obviously not a place for a faint hearted foreign driver. Thankfully during our visit in Jakarta, we were chauffeured driven by Pak Lojo whose soft spoken demeanor contradict his aggressiveness in navigating the streets of Jakarta. His daring maneuvers often caused me breathless with fear of collision but nevertheless his NASCAR-esque driving skills often prevail. Salutation to Pak Lojo.
Based on my personal observation, Jakarta is a city where there is huge disparity between the upper and the lower class. The rich is disgustingly rich and the poor is harshly poor. The rich flaunt their wealth inconsiderably, driving high end luxury cars such as the Humvee, amidst a society where the majority is struggling to sustain a living.
However, rather than crippling them this struggle brings out the best in the lower class majority. Everywhere in Jakarta, especially at the trade district near Tenabang or Tanah Abang you can see them working hard in a zealous manner, men and women doing errands, carrying tremendous loads of goods on their backs, making business and trade with all things possible etc. Human determination at its best and simply a sight to behold.
There are many places of interest in Jakarta.
An absolute heaven for shoppers Jakarta offers goods at a much lower price than in Malaysia. The shopping experience is also different. If in Malaysia we are usually greeted by unfriendly salesperson with a kind of judgmental look on their faces, Jakarta offers the opposite.
As for food enthusiast, the city offers a wide range of good foods that will pleasure our taste buds. The most memorable foods I have tasted in Jakarta are two. First the nasi padang of Natrabu at the Menteng district, now the area made popular with the Malaysian sweeping exercise and second the Sup Buntut (Ox tail soup) at Borobudur hotel. The foods there are of course expensive but they are compensated with its exquisiteness of taste.
As for sight seers, the city provides a lot of venues and monuments which able to tell visitors the history and evolution of this proud nation. The Monas for example, exemplify the determination of the country which never stops to awe its visitors with its pure gold summit. The huge national mosque exemplify their pride in devotion to Islam, the predominant religion of the populace.
The list can go on and on.
This long delayed travelogue is finally written due to the recent tension between Malaysia and Indonesia. Under the pretext of cultural and national fervor some group in Indonesia has declared war against Malaysia. Is there a need for such an aggression?
Obviously there is none. Indonesia and Malaysia both exist as states, independent and sovereign just merely decades ago. Before that these two neighboring nations share lots of things together, from geography, race, language, religion and custom. My late grandmother told me that in the old days, people are free to travel crisscross the Nusantara without nationality and boundary restriction. Even my great grandfather traded goods between Melaka, Sumatera and Java. It seems that during those days the Nusantara enjoys a much more globalised scenario that it is now.
We shared so much during the old days, we even fought and bled together against the European colonial powers. To quarrel over minor issues will only bring us apart which will cause more loss rather than gain. Let us embrace our similarities than our differences.
The Second Coming
11th October 2009 – Congratulations to Isa Samad for the landslide victory in Bagan Pinang N31.
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The Second Coming
The ‘second coming’ is often related with the messianic prophecy of the anticipated return of the Prophet Isa (Jesus), who, based on popular Islamic view, will descend to earth during the time when perversity and corruption are rife. It is said that he will lead the believers and the righteous in the final battle against evil.
So far, the prophecy has yet to occur.
However, in the current Malaysian politics, another ‘Isa’ is making a comeback or should I say a second coming. The second coming of ‘Isa Samad’.
The vacancy causa mortis of the Bagan Pinang ADUN seat causes another by-election for that constituency to be conducted by the Election Commission as required by law. As usual, as for the past few years, an election will be the usual face-off between two candidates, one from the BN and another from the yet to be lawfully registered Pakatan Rakyat. One to one, mano-a-mano.
As the nation has witnessed, a series of by-elections was conducted in this year alone, everything seems common for this another N31 by-election, so we thought.
This by-election starts to garner keen intention from the public when Tan Sri Isa Samad, a ‘fallen’ UMNO politician was named candidate for BN. All over the country, negative comments are made against this ‘second coming’. Even UMNO loyalist question the prudency of naming a politician whose name has been smeared with corruption and money politics, and a once UMNO leader who had been punished with the most severe punishment ever inflicted on a party member.
The naming of Isa as candidate is said to be an irrational decision made by the BN. Irrational because it conveys a message to the public that BN leaders are in total disregard of the people’s aspiration against corruption, that BN has no other new faces to field rather than second hand politician, that BN has not learn from the string of by-election losses and that BN simply wishes to make its downfall inevitable. The question that we should ask now is, are they really that stupid?
Stupid is as stupid does…
Nobody wills for political hara-kiri and the same goes to BN. I believe that the decision of naming Isa as a candidate was obviously made with extreme consideration given. Some wrote that Isa have all the right to make a comeback because he was victimized by political conspiracy. Be that as it may, conspiracies are usually stories based on circumstantial evidence which are volatile to be relied upon. We need tangible facts to support our conviction and trust me that there is no other worse support than stories of conspiracies.
For now the truth is that BN is facing its biggest challenge. A challenge that will decide the fate of the party and of the nation. Because of that BN members and supporters nationwide should consolidate their support to withstand this challenge but please do so ‘consciously’ as support should be given to those who deserve to be supported.
Meanwhile, let us observe whether this second coming of Isa will bring miracles or not. Cheers.
Letters to a Law Student
Letters to a Law Student
I have just finished reading a book entitled Letters to a Law Student, A guide to studying law at university by Nicholas J. McBride. Once I read it, I curse my luck of not been given the opportunity to encounter a book such as this during my reading years. If only I am able to do so, my personal understanding and enthusiasm to study law would be better.
The book communicates with its readers via a series of letters from an academician, who obviously comes from a legal background, to a hypothetical prospective law student, Sam. The letters discuss matters beginning from advising Sam or the readers on which course to choose, the advantages of a law degree, the prospects of a law graduates, university placements (though the placement matters are relevant to UK students only) to the more complex yet interesting issues such as the rule of law and legal reasoning and deduction.
The way the author describe the rule of law is outstanding. In just a few pages, the principles of the doctrine of rule of law, its effect and its application are succinctly discussed. This outstanding discussion of the law does not stop at rule of law but it also discusses other general overviews of the law. It poses questions against the law which some are unthinkable, novel and it has the effect to encourage readers to delve interestingly further into the subject of law.
The book also touch on the definition of law by Frederic Bastiat, which I am sure will ring our thinking bells on our understanding and acceptation of the meaning of law. That discussion is of course philosophical but aren’t law and philosophy are closely related?
Another thing that is interesting in this book is the discussion on law graduates job prospect. During my reading years the professors always say that there are three main job prospects for law graduates in Malaysia, which are private practice, the judicial and legal services (which include in house counsels), and academia. However in Letters to a Law Student, there is no mentioning of academia. I wonder why?
All in all, a must read for law students and graduates.
Of Promises & Puffs
Of Promises & Puffs
Congratulations to the winner and challenger for the recent Manek Urai by-election. The rowdy supporters, fiery campaign, neck to neck competition between the candidates and last but least the slim victory are all the typical things that happen during a by-election.
One particular thing interest me, which is a news report saying that one very popular ‘politic-ist’ made report to the police with regards to election promises given by a politician, which the complainant believe they are all sham, thus contravene with the Elections Act 1954 or in Malay, Akta Pilihan Raya 1954.
Read the report (HERE)
As I read that news the question that went through my mind was whether it is possible to enforce promises made during a political campaign i.e. election promises.
Election promises are well known as politician’s mere rhetoric. It is common all over the world during campaign that such promises are spewed by interested parties with the sole purpose to garner support and votes. Some promises are a leader’s vision but some are just plain cakap-cakap kosong.
So, what is the legal position on this issue?
Election promises do not carry any legal binding obligation over the promissor against the promissee. As in the case of Syarikat Taj Bena Sdn Bhd & Anor v. Koo Hock Chum [1998] 1 LNS 253, the judgment state that, “an election promise is in the nature of a salesman’s puff. It is for the purpose of attracting interest or attention”.
Furthermore, in the recent UK-Commonwealth case of R (on the application of Domb and others) v Hammersmith and Fulham London Borough Council [2009] All ER (D) 174 (Mar), the court held in the affirmative that election promises or manifesto cannot be declared by the court as valid unless ‘legitimate expectation’ exist.
In the Manek Urai scenario, the promise of a bridge given by BN should be accepted as an advertisement with the purpose to garner support. Until there is a legitimate expectation for the BN to fulfill that promise, they are not expected to fulfill it. The question now is how to establish legitimate expectation? The answer is simple, one must win an election for his promises to be good.
On practicality perspective, if election promises are downright enforceable, then the courts shall be swamped by cases of the same. This is because from the first general election till today, such promises are aplenty and most of them are mere puffs, cakap cakap kosong which eventually leads to cakap tak serupa bikin. The cartoon below should provide us a ‘good’ solution over this issue.
Cartoon from Cartoon Stock.com
Of Satire & Us
Of Satire & Us
Satire is focused bitterness. -Leo Rosten-
Satire is traditionally the weapon of the powerless against the powerful. -Molly Ivins-
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The current Malaysian political scenario plus the advent of technology have give rise to many sopo (socio political) bloggers. It can be said that the Malaysian blogosphere are now literally littered with sopo blogs. Some sopo blogs are worth reading due to their in depth articulation over issues presented while others are just pure emotional and biased shit. And of course the latter outnumber the former.
Quality-wise set aside, the huge numbers of Malaysian sopo blogs are a testament that Malaysian nowadays do care. Care for the country… cares for the society and of course cares for the future, theirs’ and their children’s. For me this is good, as it acts as informal checks and balance against government actions and the actions of those who walk the passage of power.
The question is how strong are these sopo blogs’ influence over public opinion? Some say in the positive quoting evidence of the last general election.
The next question would be which genre of writing preferred by sopo blogs visitors? The academic and empirical type? Or the satirical and/or ‘mengumpat’ type? Of course the answer is subjective based on each and every individual.
To me, whilst reading academic styled writings do give us a lot of new information and facts, I believe that at the end of such an article readers are always persuaded, gently or otherwise, to acknowledge the writer’s opinion over the issue if not accepting it wholly.
This is totally different with satire.
Satire, a genre and form of literature, use entertainment as a foundation of conveyance and expression of a much more serious subject matter by the creative use of wit. No matter how serious the issue is, a witty writer will be able to arrange the facts, fiction and opinion into an end product, such as satirical writings.
Some satire are narrated in a conclusive manner similar with other genre of writing while some are open-ended thus giving the readers wide spectrum of opinion forming on the subject matter discussed. Some satire readers only comprehend the surface comic and some able to see through it and grasping the issues discussed. To understand a satire’s wit, a reader must be witty himself.
Satire is a good genre albeit rare in sopo blogs. The writings are never dull, they entertain and in the same time create awareness for its readers. Entertainment as a medium of conveying ideas, now, that’s a powerful weapon.
With every offence there will be a defence. Any writer whose writing is libelous in nature shall be deemed to commit a tort of defamation, satire writers are no exception. In Malaysia, satire or not, all writings are viewed by the courts as the same. The courts will look at readers understanding over the piece rather than its form as per Berkoff v. Berchill [1996] 4 All ER, 1008 CA. However, in the USA the stand of the law over satire and torts seem not yet settled, thanks to its First Amendment. The US case of New York Times Co. v Sullivan 376 U.S. 254 is a good example.
Apart from satire in writing, it also can be seen in films. The Great Dictator by Charlie Chaplin is one of the most memorable and one of my personal favorite comedy-satire would be the Monty Phyton series. For that I have to thank my dear friend Darren who introduced me the series. Witty Brit jokes to the core and the best thing that comes with the series is that they contain rib tickling-thought slapping satires, political and all, that most are still relevant to todays’ scenario. Congratulations to the Monty troupe for those ‘smart’ comics.
The clip below is my personal all time favorite…
Snippets
Snippets
La vie est une question de choix.
Les choix que nous avons fait en fin de compte nous amener à notre fin. Que cette fin est bonne ou pas, il est un fait que nous allons bientôt faire face, peu importe comment nous essayons de l’éviter. Pour moi personnellement, beaucoup de choix ont déjà été réalisés. Certains méritent d’être fier, mais certains ne le sont pas.
Il ya quelques mois, j’ai fait un choix qui est contre ma conscience. Maintenant, pour chaque jour, je suis aux prises avec des problèmes qui se posent de lui. Il est de taxation … et je suis épuisé.
Pour ma mère, je suis très désolé de ce qui s’était passé. Je vais faire amende honorable pour le meilleur.
Une mère les bras sont faits de tendresse et d’enfants dormir dans les. -Victor Hugo
One for All
One for All
Prejudices, it is well known, are most difficult to eradicate from the heart whose soil has never been loosened or fertilized by education; they grow there, firm as weeds among rocks. -Charlotte Bronte-
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Recently there has been an aggressive call from a group of prominent bloggers on the issue of ‘one school for all campaign’ (Kempen Satu Sekolah Untuk Semua). An online petition made exclusively for this matter is steadily garnering support from Malaysians of all walks of life, a testament of a dream that is one Malaysia.
Kudos to the bloggers and supporters on their effort.
The idea of establishing a single schooling system is not at all new. If we track back the history of this country, we can see instances where such noble idea be put forward but for each time it is done, it will be shot down and suppressed as if a taboo.
Now I wish to say that that idea needs to be applied in this country, permanent.
A lot of things have been achieved by this country albeit its young age of 50 years compared to other nations in the world. Starting from a backwater British colony, this country has been able to propel itself to greater heights that perhaps unimaginable by our forefathers.
However I personally believe that all those achievements are measured under the context of material and economic prosperity alone with less regards to what I should call as social achievement especially on the issue of racial integration.
As the country progresses materially, the cohesiveness between the races in this country continues to lose its adhesion. The tension between races nowadays seems to be far greater compared to the situation a generation ago and as day goes by the tension keeps on adding. Some blame this situation on the unjust enjoyment over the economic cake, some on pure chauvinism, some on poor government policies and some on the politicians who have penchant for rousing racist issues… the list could go on and on…
Adalah mudah untuk menuding jari and to accuse others over the problem. As the debate on who to blame goes on, nothing realistic has been done to solve it.
For me, the single school system and the abolishment of all vernacular system is one of the best solutions to the problem. The school once implemented will be able to act as the main foundation in fostering good values to the children across the races which will then eliminate any prejudices and intolerances between them. It may sound utopian but there is good possibility that it will be a success.
A utopian dream set aside, the implementation of the ‘one school system’ is not a walk in a park… that I can assure you. It will be furiously and openly opposed.
Nevertheless its implementation will ensure the end of racial segregation within the minds on the children whom one day will be adults that perhaps will embrace and practice the concept of one-Malaysia. It is still not too late to inculcate the feeling of true tolerance and unity within the minds of our children AND to salvage what left of the best of us.
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