Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News
Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News |
- Pakatan's political desanguination
- Sept 16: A ‘Black Day’ for Sabah, Sarawak
- A Strange World Of Skewed Perspectives And Ethnocentrism
- Why is Malaysia trying to spot gay schoolchildren?
- Guarding our reputation as food haven
| Pakatan's political desanguination Posted: 14 Sep 2012 04:11 PM PDT DEFERRING TACT: By deciding not to hold the Selangor state elections concurrently with the 13th general election, Pakatan Rakyat reveals an irredeemable loss of electoral support Azmi Anshar, NST IT IS the finality of mammalian anatomical trauma: if your skin or hide is pierced, you will haemorrhage blood, go into shock and pain before the consciousness implodes. Death by desanguination. If you want to observe political desanguination, look to Pakatan Rakyat's hasty decision to not synchronise the Selangor elections with the 13th general election, which Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak should call within eight months. Why the need to get ahead of yourself when nobody, except the prime minister, knows intimately the date of Parliament's dissolution, yet everybody is perceiving a November date. The PKR supreme council must have been so mesmerised by the prime minister's tantalising hint that they ignored circumspection and immediately made that hasty decision. Call it cold anxious sweat because PKR's axis buddies' reaction is cooler: the Kedah Pas and Penang DAP governments are prepared to wait at least until Parliament is dissolved, but the Kelantan Pas government is confidence personified, willing to bed on the same page as Najib. Reading deep into the prime minister's penchant for favourite numbers, the media did some frenzied deciphering guesswork to cough out dates in November after considering the usual tell-tale signs of school holidays, haj season and season's greetings. But what if the prime minister was messing around with people's obsession with general election appointments, knowing it would create a stir, especially among oppositionists whose quarterly predictions on election dates have been proven wrong for the past two years. To be sure, Najib is not the one fixing nomination and polling dates, the Election Commission, with its unique sensibilities on charting polling dates, is. PR's continued desanguination by unveiling a dubious trump card: dodgy electoral roll, ironically opposed to Kelantan Pas which seems satisfied with every roll rolled out, going on a red-hot winning streak since 1990. The Election Commission, too, must feel like a broken record, valiantly defending its record and that of the veracity of the electoral polls against Pakatan's dogmatic stance that the electoral rolls are still dodgy. Sure, niggling issues continue to dog the EC's pursuit to clean up the roll of dead or unaccounted voters, but the roll is clean, enough to precipitate the huge Opposition gains in 2008, which, by the way, were courtesy of a huge number of Umno voters resentful of the Abdullah administration that they voted for their dreaded rivals. Try egging Pakatan leaders to acknowledge this fact and the response will be the cliched "people's power" and "political tsunami". The electoral roll has been cursed to be a convenient opposition scapegoat that underwrote the Bersih protests to maskwhat would be Pakatan's inevitable losses, which accounts for all that troubling anxiety to defer state elections, especially in Selangor. By the same hastiness, Pakatan Rakyat has privately conceded the Dewan Rakyat to the BN, probably even saying adios to the two-thirds majority that was denied to the ruling coalition. Whether it is November or the full term, whether Selangor will do it separately or simultaneously, the pressure and stretched resources will be the same for both sides. But Pakatan Rakyat's final trump card, following killer problems called farcical free water, Talam, land disputes, will be "dying for a victory by sympathy", the final shape of its political desanguination. |
| Sept 16: A ‘Black Day’ for Sabah, Sarawak Posted: 14 Sep 2012 03:18 PM PDT Celebrating Malaysia Day tomorrow would be meaningless, hollow and empty unless the special rights and autonomy of Sabah and Sarawak are fulfilled. Jeffrey Kitingan, FMT KOTA KINABALU: Sept 16 could have been more than a historic day for Malaysia had the Malaysia Agreement, 1963, the promises, assurances and undertakings by the senior partner to the Federation had been fulfilled but, alas, this was not the case, thus making Sept 16 as a Black Day for Sabah and Sarawak. Sabah's founding fathers of Malaysia had great hopes of and expectations for Malaysia. They were even prepared to sacrifice Sabah's new found independence in favour of a new federation in the hope that this partnership would bring far more (than) benefits, in terms of security, economic prosperity and development without compromising too much of their rights as a sovereign nation. Little did they realise that 49 years later their hopes and expectations had become nightmares and shattered dreams to their children and grandchildren of Sabah. Far from being realised, the Malaysia Agreement, the Inter-Governmental Committee (IGC) Report, the 20 Points as well as the assurances and undertakings were cast aside and ignored. In some cases, the contrary positions were implemented to the detriment of Sabah. Worse, anyone raising them would be detained and punished under the draconian Internal Security Act (ISA). These documents seemed only good for the archives (and not even good for display in museums) and the young generations will not learn about the true Malaysian History as this would not be taught in the schools. Dr Mahathir himself, a powerful prime minister for 22 years warned this writer thus: "Jeffrey, don't teach the people what they don't know….!" before throwing him in jail under the ISA for raising the 20 Points and the Malaysia Agreement as the basis for federal-Sabah relationship. This also explained why Malaysia Day, Sept 16, was never recognised or celebrated by the nation until 2010 when the new generation of Sabahans and Malaysians demanded its recognition and the federal government finally gave in under the weight of a strong opposition. In Sabah, Sept 16 was marked as the official birthday of His Excellency, TYT Yang DiPertua Negeri, without any mention of it being Malaysia Day. It was officially forgotten and relegated to the archives. It is not even defined in the Federal Constitution. One wonders what the motives of the Sabah BN leaders are when they all now rush to state that Malaysia Day is a historic day. Could it be because the general elections are to be held soon? Duped by the powers that be Isn't Aug 31, 1957 Malayan independence? Why are Sabahans and Sarawakians asked to celebrate Malayan independence which has no relevance to them? It is also not right for the mainstream media to report that Malaysia was similar to the USA and gave the example of Hawaii joining USA in 1959 and still celebrate July 4 as its independence day. Sabah never joined Malaysia or the Federation of Malaya and in fact the Federation of Malaya formed Malaysia with Sabah, Sarawak and Singapore in 1963. There would have been no Malaysia without Sabah, Sarawak or Singapore. Some even asked whether the Malaysian federation was ever colonised and later given independence? How is it possible for Malaysia to be colonised or to gain independence when Malaysia only existed from Sept 16, 1963? Discerning and curious Malaysians are now discovering that we have all been duped by the powers that be into believing their manipulated and twisted version of history. The powers that be even want us to believe that their slogan 'Janji Ditepati' and 'Promises Fulfilled, People Prosper' despite knowing that the Malaysia Agreement 1963, the IGC Report, the 20 Points/18 Points are far from being 'ditepati' or fulfilled and have instead turned Sabah into the poorest state in Malaysia, their electoral 'fixed deposit' capitalising on foreign illegal immigrants to remain in power and controlling Sabah more or less as a Malayan colony and taking away its oil resources and revenue.
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| A Strange World Of Skewed Perspectives And Ethnocentrism Posted: 14 Sep 2012 12:30 PM PDT When a group of army veterans conducted butt exercises outside Ambiga's house, citing it as a democratic right, it angered many of the same people. On the other hand, many pro-government supporters defended the army veterans' actions but were angered by the youth who "defiled" pictures of Najib and his wife. What is the difference? Skewed perspective?
Mohd Ikhram Merican I was delighted to read RPK's recent blog post entitled "It's Only Symbolic." Underlying his sarcasm is a problem that Malaysia, no, much of the whole world is succumbing to. It is a problem of skewed perspectives, ethnocentrism, and a lack of empathy.
In part, the global media, just like the Malaysian mainstream media has become a big propaganda tool that shapes how we think and how we react to our environment. On the other hand, we have become babies:
The result is a very divided world, and on a micro level, a divided Malaysia.
Is mooning and stepping on images of the Prime Minister and his wife publicly a democratic right? Certainly there are more dignified ways to express one's democratic right. Granted, criminal action against the perpetrators is harsh but it surprises me that a significant number of people condone this behavior as a democratic right. Is this how we want our youth to express themselves?
When a group of army veterans conducted butt exercises outside Ambiga's house, citing it as a democratic right, it angered many of the same people. On the other hand, many pro-government supporters defended the army veterans' actions but were angered by the youth who "defiled" pictures of Najib and his wife. What is the difference? Skewed perspective?
Our western education teaches us that we should respect the rights of every individual. A good portion of us will defend LGBT rights citing democratic principles and ideas such as "consenting adults" and "individual freedom". Yet, the same principles do not apply to people who practice polygamy with consensus between the wives. In this case, respecting individual freedoms do not apply. Skewed perspective?
In Malaysia, the political tsunami of 2008 has skewed perspectives to the extent that we are unable to look at issues with clarity. These days everything is divided along political lines. It is alright for Anwar Ibrahim to encourage party hopping but disgusting for Najib to do it. It is okay for hooligans to set-up stalls outside Ambiga's house but it is revolting for Malaysians to demand free and fair elections.
If we lack the maturity to be discerning and to stand united on issues affecting equity for all Malaysians regardless of political affiliation, then perhaps we are not ready for democracy.
Globally, the unfortunate events of 911 has also skewed perspectives. The fear of terrorist attacks have justified undemocratic laws and practices. America's war on terror has many a times flagrantly disregarded all the ideals that it was founded on. However, in the interest of public safety, the argument goes, it is sometimes necessary to disregard human rights and justice. If we applied reasoning, and empathy, we would see this for what it is – hogwash.
Thanks to technology, the world is now metaphorically smaller. We are a big global village. Yet, we have become very ethnocentric. Groups like Perkasa flourish in this side of the global village. And mind you, just because there are no official Chinese and Indian equivalents do not mean that extreme ethnocentrism is absent from the non-Malay population. I have American and European acquaintances who are no different either.
Ethnocentrism is the act of "judging another culture solely by the values and standards of one's own culture" (Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethnocentrism). The ethnocentric road does not lead to tolerance and understanding. It breeds contempt, feelings of superiority, and animosity.
The fact of the matter is that we are made up of different cultures, religions, and classes. In a smaller world, we are going to come into contact with a larger variety of people. If we are unable to shed our ethnocentric prejudices, it will be difficult to live peaceably wherever we may be.
It is sad that many of the mainstream religionists of my faith, Islam, offer no constructive solution to living in a plural society. It is equally sad that many non-Muslims choose to stereotype Muslims in general. But do we need "experts" to tell us how to live harmoniously? Is a social contract going to be the basis of how we "tolerate" one another? After 55 years of independence in Malaysia, is that the best we (from all races) can do – tolerate each other?
I would like to think that living harmoniously comes naturally to all of us. Look at little children. They could not care less about the religion, culture, or background of their friends. No one has to "teach" them how to co-exist. Perhaps we can unload all the social baggage we have accumulated by observing little children. Perhaps we should not have to wait for government and politicians to fix things. Perhaps the Malaysia and world we crave for is a choice we have to make, not by the ballot box alone, but by conscious effort on our part.
Most religions and cultures offer a common solution, one that the "experts" do not take pains to disseminate. It is referred to as the Golden Rule. You can find it in the Quran, the Bible, the Mahabharata, and Buddhism to name a few. It states, "One should treat others as one would like others to treat oneself."
If we can take pains to live by this code, we would not need to wait for a Malaysia that respects all religions and races. If we could strictly adhere to this, the world would not be such a strange and divided place. Until we are willing to impose this rule on ourselves very strictly, we may not be that serious about a better Malaysia or a better world.
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| Why is Malaysia trying to spot gay schoolchildren? Posted: 14 Sep 2012 12:26 PM PDT 'Lesbians are apparently easy to spot, as they like to 'hang out and sleep in the company of other girls'. So, um, all girls then.' Photograph: Bazuki Muhammad/Reuters I knew I was different from the other boys (yes, zzz) when I was four or five, and actually realised I was a bona fide homosexual at the age of 10. I wasn't worried about the size of my handbag or about having sex, I was too busy crying myself to sleep, trying to change, wondering if my parents would abandon me and whether I should get married to a woman or just kill myself. Matthew Todd (The Guardian) So the Malaysian government has finally enlightened us all as to how to identify the gay child in your classroom. In an effort to "curb the problem of homosexuality", the Teacher's Foundation of Malaysia is holding seminars where parents are instructed on how to identify gay kids. Homosexual boys "may wear tight, light clothes and carry large handbags". Lesbians are apparently easy to spot, as they like to "hang out and sleep in the company of other girls". So, um, all girls then. How can the Malaysian authorities be so stupid? All young gays know that large handbags are completely over. At International HQ, new recruits are instructed to be fashion forward. We had the baby Karl Lagerfeld look in the 80s, tiny combats and DM boots in the 90s, and the same decade's indie moment came when the Marilyn Manson look become popular (instead of just Marilyn). Now in 2012 we are going for the butch look. Clearly some baby gays are still into accessories but most gays will be wearing tracksuits and trying to look butch. Of course, it is easy to scoff at Malaysia's frightening campaign (try looking for the gays like Gareth Thomas, you know, the ones who play rugby) but we in the UK are not in a position to take the moral high ground. In the UK we seem unable to even countenance the idea that children may have some kind of burgeoning sexual orientation, and even worse, that a small number of them may be lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender. Sssh, don't talk about it; you'll make them all start having sex! I knew I was different from the other boys (yes, zzz) when I was four or five, and actually realised I was a bona fide homosexual at the age of 10. I wasn't worried about the size of my handbag or about having sex, I was too busy crying myself to sleep, trying to change, wondering if my parents would abandon me and whether I should get married to a woman or just kill myself. I want to sneer at Malaysia for the mental torture they will be inflicting on kids (and their parents), but we all need to wake up to what therapist Dr Joe Kort calls the "covert cultural child abuse" that is being inflicted on all LGBT kids in every single classroom in every single school in the UK, the US and across the world. Read more at: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/sep/14/malaysia-schoolchildren-gay
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| Guarding our reputation as food haven Posted: 14 Sep 2012 12:21 PM PDT
Phuah Ken Lim (NST) - PENANG is an undisputed food haven with a myriad of local delicacies in every nook and corner, especially in George Town. However, the influx of immigrants working as cooks have created doubts over our gastronomic reputation. Many Malaysians who have held Penang as the top foodies' destination in the region, not because of some fancy restaurants but rather due to what the humble eateries and stalls that line the streets are serving, are now thinking twice. This status as iconic local-food paradise is fast being lost as Penangites now rely more on foreign labour to help them cook. Some hawker stall traders, not wanting their hands to be oily from stir-frying, have taken a back seat and even abandoned cooking altogether, preferring to just be cashiers. Customers at food courts in Penang these days will likely be greeted by a worker with a thick foreign accent. A Universiti Sains Malaysia lecturer's remarks about foreigners replacing locals as cooks at a recent tourism forum has brought up the debate on whether local food standards still live up to their top billing. Make no mistake, no one can deny the quality of Penang's most popular culinary delights like char kway teow, assam laksa, tar sau peah, rojak pasembur, nasi kandar and Hokkien mee, but there have also been talk that the food standards are waning. Those foodies who have been hunting for authentic hawker food are able to testify to the decreasing presence of local cooks. It is now common to see more non-Malaysians cooking at hawker centres and roadside eateries, making many wonder if the authenticity of local delicacies still exists. Gone are the old days where the eateries were manned by the finest, often elderly, gourmet masters. Tourists visiting the island with the intention of sampling authentic food have expressed their concern that foreign cooks have started replacing locals at new eateries, especially the food courts. So let's put down our feet to bring back Penang's reputation for abundant superb, authentic hawkers' delights which the locals claim can't be duplicated elsewhere. Since the island is synonymous with good food, there should be a concerted effort by hawkers and chefs to transfer their traditional culinary skills to their successors. Perhaps a new generation of local cooks can be groomed in time to take over soon. The problem is, many youngsters these days are reluctant to become cooks for a number of reasons. Maybe the unthinkable statement that Penang's food quality is arguably dropping will spur the young to buck up and learn straight from the masters. Generally, many hawker food operators perfected their skills from their parents through observation, trials and testing. Be it the Sisters' char kway teow in Jalan Macalister or the Jalan Burma prawn mee, these operators never attended any culinary courses prior to becoming experts. This is what makes their food so unique, that the cooks have lived up to their billing despite their lack of formal training. The locals certainly do not like to hear negative comments that their street food is no longer as good as it used to be. Certainly no one would want to let slip the coveted status Penang has as the favourite food destination in Malaysia and, perhaps, even the world. Several people have been complaining that our street food is today over-hyped and overrated. Individual opinions do not reflect the overall consensus on Penang food, but the changing groundswell has started to cast doubts at the back of our minds. Many say Malacca may be more famous for their Nyonya culture, but in terms of cooking, it is the Penang Nyonya flavours that capture the hearts and stomachs of many. Penang's pride as the top food haven is at stake, and no effort must be spared in ensuring that this lofty standard placed on our local cuisine is maintained.
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