Dear Friend,
The one, free nation we
imagined,
Remains a distant
truth,
My anger becomes
bitterness,
When we are forced
apart,
The distance ever
wider,
Now that I am
proclaimed
“bumiputra”
and you not”
Usman Awang: Sahabatku
(for Dr M K Rajakumar)
1979/1983
Saturday, March 29, 2008
Friday, March 14, 2008
justine goes for tennis tournament
recently, i was asked to play for my college in an inter-varsity team tennis tournament. i was asked not because i was damm terrer la, but because most of the good fellas are away on holiday. so to fill in the team, they called me.
hell, i had nothing to do. it was either that or counting mosqiutoes.
so when it was tournament day (today actualy), i opened my store room to look for my long abandon racquet. have not played for over a year. after 15 minutes, i found it burried in between to petronas twin tower pile of newspaper. apparently some spider took a fancy of my racquet and made a web right across the face of the racquet.
i dusted it and i was off to the courts.
when i got there, i knew that i was in for an ass whooping.
there in front of me stood 50 or more tennis players. fit, lean and mean. from head to toes they were covered either in nike, wilson or adidas. from their cap to head band to wrist band, tshirt, shorts, socks and shoes all same brand. they had tennis begs that could fit in 4 machine guns and place to spare for a bazooka. when i took a peek into the begs, they had 3-4 wilson racquets of the same model lined up one after another. all high end raquets. some were even wearing oakley glasses to cut out the glare of the afternoon sun. there were full time coaches there as well.
and there i was. an overweight cina pek with double chin and a protruding tummy wearing a maroon colored brandless tshirt with holes in the left shoulder and right armpit, running shorts which was so short (up to my upper third of my thigh) it exposed the few miserable bulu-es i had on my thigh. my tennis shoes looked like it went for a tour of duty in iraq and stepped on a few land mines in the process with its soles jutting out from the sides of the shoes. no oakly sun glasses for me. just a normal rimless glasses with a broken left lens after i threw my handphone on it (tats another story). no tennis beg for me to. i was balancing my raquet, helmet, 4 bottles of 500ml mineral water, 2 packets of twigees and a can of tennis balls. during warm up stroking, on my third stroke, my raquet string burst.
when it was time for me to play, i got whacked 8-0. it was fast, but not painless
hell, i had nothing to do. it was either that or counting mosqiutoes.
so when it was tournament day (today actualy), i opened my store room to look for my long abandon racquet. have not played for over a year. after 15 minutes, i found it burried in between to petronas twin tower pile of newspaper. apparently some spider took a fancy of my racquet and made a web right across the face of the racquet.
i dusted it and i was off to the courts.
when i got there, i knew that i was in for an ass whooping.
there in front of me stood 50 or more tennis players. fit, lean and mean. from head to toes they were covered either in nike, wilson or adidas. from their cap to head band to wrist band, tshirt, shorts, socks and shoes all same brand. they had tennis begs that could fit in 4 machine guns and place to spare for a bazooka. when i took a peek into the begs, they had 3-4 wilson racquets of the same model lined up one after another. all high end raquets. some were even wearing oakley glasses to cut out the glare of the afternoon sun. there were full time coaches there as well.
and there i was. an overweight cina pek with double chin and a protruding tummy wearing a maroon colored brandless tshirt with holes in the left shoulder and right armpit, running shorts which was so short (up to my upper third of my thigh) it exposed the few miserable bulu-es i had on my thigh. my tennis shoes looked like it went for a tour of duty in iraq and stepped on a few land mines in the process with its soles jutting out from the sides of the shoes. no oakly sun glasses for me. just a normal rimless glasses with a broken left lens after i threw my handphone on it (tats another story). no tennis beg for me to. i was balancing my raquet, helmet, 4 bottles of 500ml mineral water, 2 packets of twigees and a can of tennis balls. during warm up stroking, on my third stroke, my raquet string burst.
when it was time for me to play, i got whacked 8-0. it was fast, but not painless
check this link out
its an off the cuff interview with lim guan eng with some blogger about his prison time and the football team he supports...MAN UTD!!!
its an off the cuff interview with lim guan eng with some blogger about his prison time and the football team he supports...MAN UTD!!!
Monday, March 10, 2008
12th general election: a historic day for malaysians
March 8 2008
last saturday night was one of the most exciting time in my life (im sure it was as well for many others). never before in this country's history, has its sons and daughters stood up together and be counted for. and stood up they did, against an over whelming opponent that is the barisan nasional. despite all the negative media coverage of the opposition, threats of racial riots, political and economic instability by the ruling govement, the rakyat stood up and showed them what makkal sakti is all about.
that the malays, chinese and indians were up in arms together in this up rising makes it even more significant. it is trully a historic moment in our young nation's history. how fitting that it should had happen when we are celebrating our 50th year of nationhood.
despite, constantly being reminded of the differences that separated us, for once malaysians forgot about the color of their skin. for once it doesnt matter the name in which they call god. for once Malaysians were united in their fight for issues that transcended all religious and racial differences.
the 12th general election has proven to all sceptics that we as "anak jati malaysia" can set aside all our religious and cultural differences when it comes to fighting for the greater good. the fact that so many opposition canditates from various races and parties won with such resounding majority, goes to show that malaysians of every fabric in society were up in arms against corruption, mismanagement, arrogance and racial and religious intolerance.
it proves to the whole country that if we pool together and focus on our strength, resources and belief (instead of trying to assimilate the different cultures and religions), a true Bangsa Malaysia can be achieve.
if anybody were to ask me what ive done for my country, i would say that on this date, March 8 2008, that i and 10 million other malaysians voted for a better future for our beloved country Malaysia.
it was a great day to be known as a Malaysian. for truly i say to you, indeed Malaysia Boleh!!!
last saturday night was one of the most exciting time in my life (im sure it was as well for many others). never before in this country's history, has its sons and daughters stood up together and be counted for. and stood up they did, against an over whelming opponent that is the barisan nasional. despite all the negative media coverage of the opposition, threats of racial riots, political and economic instability by the ruling govement, the rakyat stood up and showed them what makkal sakti is all about.
that the malays, chinese and indians were up in arms together in this up rising makes it even more significant. it is trully a historic moment in our young nation's history. how fitting that it should had happen when we are celebrating our 50th year of nationhood.
despite, constantly being reminded of the differences that separated us, for once malaysians forgot about the color of their skin. for once it doesnt matter the name in which they call god. for once Malaysians were united in their fight for issues that transcended all religious and racial differences.
the 12th general election has proven to all sceptics that we as "anak jati malaysia" can set aside all our religious and cultural differences when it comes to fighting for the greater good. the fact that so many opposition canditates from various races and parties won with such resounding majority, goes to show that malaysians of every fabric in society were up in arms against corruption, mismanagement, arrogance and racial and religious intolerance.
it proves to the whole country that if we pool together and focus on our strength, resources and belief (instead of trying to assimilate the different cultures and religions), a true Bangsa Malaysia can be achieve.
if anybody were to ask me what ive done for my country, i would say that on this date, March 8 2008, that i and 10 million other malaysians voted for a better future for our beloved country Malaysia.
it was a great day to be known as a Malaysian. for truly i say to you, indeed Malaysia Boleh!!!
Saturday, March 01, 2008
proton cars are all the same
last sunday was a real hot day. drove to newton to meet a couple of friends for lunch. upon reaching there, i found out i had ran out of parking coupons. so had to buy some from a nearby shop and then went back to my car. after i finished scrathing out the relevant time and date, i had to put the parking coupons on the dash board.
but when i inserted my key into the key hole, it wouldnt budge. tried a few more times and still it wouldnt budge. this went on for 5 minutes or so. i was getting really irritated by this time.
" damm Proton car!!!" i cursed as i banged the car door with my fist a couple of times. when that didnt work, i banged even harder.
BANG BANG BANG!!!
suddenly from the corner of my eyes, i noticed a pillow inside the car on the passenger's seat. wait a minute, i dont remember having a green teddy bear pillow in my car. i went to see the car's number plate and.....KNN!!!! it was not my car balls!!! my car was parked just next to the car i was hammering away. it was the same model and color.
thankfully no one saw. no i myself will kena BANG BANG BANG!!!
but when i inserted my key into the key hole, it wouldnt budge. tried a few more times and still it wouldnt budge. this went on for 5 minutes or so. i was getting really irritated by this time.
" damm Proton car!!!" i cursed as i banged the car door with my fist a couple of times. when that didnt work, i banged even harder.
BANG BANG BANG!!!
suddenly from the corner of my eyes, i noticed a pillow inside the car on the passenger's seat. wait a minute, i dont remember having a green teddy bear pillow in my car. i went to see the car's number plate and.....KNN!!!! it was not my car balls!!! my car was parked just next to the car i was hammering away. it was the same model and color.
thankfully no one saw. no i myself will kena BANG BANG BANG!!!
Thursday, February 28, 2008
short note: today i saw my pics with the mca fellas in the papers. its a local melaka paper produced by the state gov. see liu la... tried to look for an online version but its not available.
been going to dap's political ceramah the last few days. interesting i must say. looking foward to the one this fri cause lim guan eng will be coming down. i wonder if my hero (not homer simpson la. lim kit siang la!!) will be making an appearance as well.
been going to dap's political ceramah the last few days. interesting i must say. looking foward to the one this fri cause lim guan eng will be coming down. i wonder if my hero (not homer simpson la. lim kit siang la!!) will be making an appearance as well.
Friday, February 22, 2008
the "HEATTY" and the "COOLING"
you know what... i could never understand the chinese concept of how some food is "liang" (cooling) and some are "juak" (heatty)
take for example the watermelon. the watermelon is such a cold and juicy fruit especially if you eat it straight from the fridge. but apparently its bloody heatty. coconut water is apparently very cooling so its good for a sore throat. but take to much, it will be to "cooling" and cause you to have an asthma attack if you are an astmatic.
anyway, i met up with this old uncle, whom we call uncle Semut, during CNY. Uncle Semut is an old and close family friend. he is the typical old fashion chinaman who when sick, will rather see a bomoh and a sinseh than seeing a doctor for medical help. he told me he dont trust doctors (i guess thats why he holds on to his wallet for dear life whenever im around).
Uncle Semut has a habit of drinking a bottle of warm Stout everyday for health reason. two weeks before CNY, he developed a bad sore throat but refused to see a doctor. the sore throat persisted for 2 weeks and showed no signs of getting better. he could speak but found eating really painful.
so he decided to consult his panel of experts (sinseh la itu). Uncle Semut was told that it was his habit of drinking stout everyday, which is very very heatty, that is the cause of the sore throat for persisting. they advised him to drink beer instead which is cooling. so that night after dinner, Uncle Semut drank two big bottles of Carlsberg to cool his heatty body.
the next day he couldnt speak a single word.
and so Uncle Semut duly went back to drinking stout and got back his voice two days later.
take for example the watermelon. the watermelon is such a cold and juicy fruit especially if you eat it straight from the fridge. but apparently its bloody heatty. coconut water is apparently very cooling so its good for a sore throat. but take to much, it will be to "cooling" and cause you to have an asthma attack if you are an astmatic.
anyway, i met up with this old uncle, whom we call uncle Semut, during CNY. Uncle Semut is an old and close family friend. he is the typical old fashion chinaman who when sick, will rather see a bomoh and a sinseh than seeing a doctor for medical help. he told me he dont trust doctors (i guess thats why he holds on to his wallet for dear life whenever im around).
Uncle Semut has a habit of drinking a bottle of warm Stout everyday for health reason. two weeks before CNY, he developed a bad sore throat but refused to see a doctor. the sore throat persisted for 2 weeks and showed no signs of getting better. he could speak but found eating really painful.
so he decided to consult his panel of experts (sinseh la itu). Uncle Semut was told that it was his habit of drinking stout everyday, which is very very heatty, that is the cause of the sore throat for persisting. they advised him to drink beer instead which is cooling. so that night after dinner, Uncle Semut drank two big bottles of Carlsberg to cool his heatty body.
the next day he couldnt speak a single word.
and so Uncle Semut duly went back to drinking stout and got back his voice two days later.
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Read this link
this is a good article i read over the net. the opposition party could make do with some of its suggestion.
this is a good article i read over the net. the opposition party could make do with some of its suggestion.
local media making me Tu-Lan
i have a close friend with whom im in daily contact who told me that of late i looked and behaved rather iritated.
why not "tu-lan!!"
i start and end my day by reading the newspaper. and i get so iritated because of the unfair coverage of the coming election. this is to be expected la since NST, Berita Harian and Utusan are owned by UMNO and The Star the MCA. however you still feel that there should at least be some journalistic integrity among the editors.
the media seems to overhyped the fight going on within and among the opposition parties namely the DAP. tell me where in the world when there is an election, the individuals from among the same party wont jostle for the right to contest a seat. it happens everywhere including BN. the only difference is that the local media tends to blow out the issue whenever it concerns the opposition.
the BN also have their own in fighting (eg: Kayveas PPP claims for taiping seat despite the people not wanting them, PPP claims for more parlimentary and state seats, power struggle between Perlis MB and his UMNO konco, MCA veterans 'advised' to withdraw, Kelantan UMNO all fighting for a parlimentary seat and not a state seat, Gerakan candidates figthing for the Penang CM post, Langkawi UMNO against Mahatir's son contesting there etc etc....
whenever the opposition has a disagreement on seat allocation its called as "in-fighting" or "power struggle." but when it comes to the BN its all about "lobbying." way before the PM announced the dissolution of the parliment, you always read of BN leaders coming out and saying, "don't lobby" or "stop lobbying" or "lobbying is unhealthy." this just shows you how bad the in fighting within the BN circle is.
if the news articles are not enough, even letter to the editors are inundated by letters from pro-BN readers and sms-es. in the 2004 general election, BN might have won 199 parlimentary seats BUT they only managed to win 63.8% of the votes with the opposition garnering 36.2% of the votes or 20 seats. so if you are going to publish politically motivated letters there should be equal proportion to it. but no anti BN letters are ever published. None. how not to be iritated like tat.
in the Star, they even published 3 letters, from this guy called victor chew, all of them condemming the inefficiency of the opposition. have any one of you tried sending a letter to a newspaper for any reason at all?? do you know how hard it for your letters to get published due to space constraint. but here we have a pro Bn individual having 3 of his letters published in a period of less then 2 weeks during the election period.
KNN!!!
why not "tu-lan!!"
i start and end my day by reading the newspaper. and i get so iritated because of the unfair coverage of the coming election. this is to be expected la since NST, Berita Harian and Utusan are owned by UMNO and The Star the MCA. however you still feel that there should at least be some journalistic integrity among the editors.
the media seems to overhyped the fight going on within and among the opposition parties namely the DAP. tell me where in the world when there is an election, the individuals from among the same party wont jostle for the right to contest a seat. it happens everywhere including BN. the only difference is that the local media tends to blow out the issue whenever it concerns the opposition.
the BN also have their own in fighting (eg: Kayveas PPP claims for taiping seat despite the people not wanting them, PPP claims for more parlimentary and state seats, power struggle between Perlis MB and his UMNO konco, MCA veterans 'advised' to withdraw, Kelantan UMNO all fighting for a parlimentary seat and not a state seat, Gerakan candidates figthing for the Penang CM post, Langkawi UMNO against Mahatir's son contesting there etc etc....
whenever the opposition has a disagreement on seat allocation its called as "in-fighting" or "power struggle." but when it comes to the BN its all about "lobbying." way before the PM announced the dissolution of the parliment, you always read of BN leaders coming out and saying, "don't lobby" or "stop lobbying" or "lobbying is unhealthy." this just shows you how bad the in fighting within the BN circle is.
if the news articles are not enough, even letter to the editors are inundated by letters from pro-BN readers and sms-es. in the 2004 general election, BN might have won 199 parlimentary seats BUT they only managed to win 63.8% of the votes with the opposition garnering 36.2% of the votes or 20 seats. so if you are going to publish politically motivated letters there should be equal proportion to it. but no anti BN letters are ever published. None. how not to be iritated like tat.
in the Star, they even published 3 letters, from this guy called victor chew, all of them condemming the inefficiency of the opposition. have any one of you tried sending a letter to a newspaper for any reason at all?? do you know how hard it for your letters to get published due to space constraint. but here we have a pro Bn individual having 3 of his letters published in a period of less then 2 weeks during the election period.
KNN!!!
Monday, February 18, 2008
My encounter with the MCA
for those who dont know me, im a hardcore DAP supporter since they day the doctor who delivered me cut off my umbilical cord (by the way, the doctor who delivered me is a MCA member). my first act of protest against a figure of authority was to pee on the doctor for spanking my arse.
so when a family friend offered me a job ( PAID job)with the election machinery of a MCA rep who is running for a state seat, i turned it down without thinking twice. which pissed my mom off who felt i should take it just to earn some pocket money. after few hours of fishing (trying to catch some haruans in an estate river but only managed to catch lots weed and mosquitoe bites) i thought i'll give it a try. thought i can come a 'spy' lar and learn how the mca does their work so that in future if i want run for election, i would know how the enemy works. plus i heard they pay rm50/day which is good money.
so i went there at 10am today i waited till nearly 2pm before i met the rep. in between i helped out by carrying some stuff and fixing the fan for them. they offered me lunch which was char seoh fun. during lunch there were two very pro BN ppl sitting down beside me and condemming the DAP with their political rheotorics. i would have transformed into Incridible Hulk and smashed them and the entire place up if it were not for the sweet crunchy char seoh and seoh bak in my mouth.
they asked my to join them for a group photo but i declined but they were very insistent(like all lousy insurance salesmen are). i gave in with a heavy heart and chose a standing spot behind a guy who is sitting.
as i stood there in shame i could imagine kit siang crying at my betrayal and thinking of my own future in the DAP when suddenly the guy in front of me handed me a small barisan flag to hold. i tried to hide it behind his head when he turned and said, "eh hold high high and wave. this will be in the papers tmrw and your name will be on it. dr justine tan. glamour ah. ppl support us even more."
Humilition completed....
then i thought, well at least the rm50/day will help ease the pain when the guy dropped a bombshell and told me they were only looking for volunteers and not paid workers and im most welcome to volunteer with them.
KNN kena conned.
so when a family friend offered me a job ( PAID job)with the election machinery of a MCA rep who is running for a state seat, i turned it down without thinking twice. which pissed my mom off who felt i should take it just to earn some pocket money. after few hours of fishing (trying to catch some haruans in an estate river but only managed to catch lots weed and mosquitoe bites) i thought i'll give it a try. thought i can come a 'spy' lar and learn how the mca does their work so that in future if i want run for election, i would know how the enemy works. plus i heard they pay rm50/day which is good money.
so i went there at 10am today i waited till nearly 2pm before i met the rep. in between i helped out by carrying some stuff and fixing the fan for them. they offered me lunch which was char seoh fun. during lunch there were two very pro BN ppl sitting down beside me and condemming the DAP with their political rheotorics. i would have transformed into Incridible Hulk and smashed them and the entire place up if it were not for the sweet crunchy char seoh and seoh bak in my mouth.
they asked my to join them for a group photo but i declined but they were very insistent(like all lousy insurance salesmen are). i gave in with a heavy heart and chose a standing spot behind a guy who is sitting.
as i stood there in shame i could imagine kit siang crying at my betrayal and thinking of my own future in the DAP when suddenly the guy in front of me handed me a small barisan flag to hold. i tried to hide it behind his head when he turned and said, "eh hold high high and wave. this will be in the papers tmrw and your name will be on it. dr justine tan. glamour ah. ppl support us even more."
Humilition completed....
then i thought, well at least the rm50/day will help ease the pain when the guy dropped a bombshell and told me they were only looking for volunteers and not paid workers and im most welcome to volunteer with them.
KNN kena conned.
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Justine vs ADHD kid
and Justine lost badly....
the past few weeks or so ive helping out at this center for mentally challenged kids. just to pass my time. most of the time, i spend the hours sitting down and taking care of their thrif store and do not really come into contact with the children.
but today due to a staff who called in sick, they were short handed and asked me to help look after the kids. there are a whole lot of them with each of them having different types of pathology (cerebral palsy, down's syndrome, autism, mental retardation, ADHD).
so there i was, standing in front of the class like a kindergarden teacher. one hand at my hip and the other holding this long ass rotan. im supposed to make sure everyone does their work properly without causing any trouble. with the rotan in my hand, i felt like the character Wyatt Earp (played beautifully by Kevin Costner) and the class was the town Tombstone. and everyone will cower in fear of me.
yeah...right!!
there was this boy with ADHD (attention deficit hyperactive disorder) who needless to say, was very hyperactive and just couldnt sit still. i had to scold him a few times so that he would sit back down. at one point he just got pissed and said, "You bloody Fat uncle!! Fatty fatty fatty!! hope you die you fatty!!"
nabe...
later when i was walking pass him, he suddenly came up to me and started rubbing my tummy and he went, "ooohhh.....big baby inside."
KNN... suddenly i dont feel like Wyatt Earp anymore. more like Jack Black in Nacho Libre.
and to top of a great day, another kid with ADHD suddenly came up from no where and grabbed my balls and squeezed it before running away squealing in delight.
Justine 0 ADHD kid 3
the past few weeks or so ive helping out at this center for mentally challenged kids. just to pass my time. most of the time, i spend the hours sitting down and taking care of their thrif store and do not really come into contact with the children.
but today due to a staff who called in sick, they were short handed and asked me to help look after the kids. there are a whole lot of them with each of them having different types of pathology (cerebral palsy, down's syndrome, autism, mental retardation, ADHD).
so there i was, standing in front of the class like a kindergarden teacher. one hand at my hip and the other holding this long ass rotan. im supposed to make sure everyone does their work properly without causing any trouble. with the rotan in my hand, i felt like the character Wyatt Earp (played beautifully by Kevin Costner) and the class was the town Tombstone. and everyone will cower in fear of me.
yeah...right!!
there was this boy with ADHD (attention deficit hyperactive disorder) who needless to say, was very hyperactive and just couldnt sit still. i had to scold him a few times so that he would sit back down. at one point he just got pissed and said, "You bloody Fat uncle!! Fatty fatty fatty!! hope you die you fatty!!"
nabe...
later when i was walking pass him, he suddenly came up to me and started rubbing my tummy and he went, "ooohhh.....big baby inside."
KNN... suddenly i dont feel like Wyatt Earp anymore. more like Jack Black in Nacho Libre.
and to top of a great day, another kid with ADHD suddenly came up from no where and grabbed my balls and squeezed it before running away squealing in delight.
Justine 0 ADHD kid 3
Tuesday, January 08, 2008
Double standards and civil disobedience
last saturday night (5/01/08) there were two separate gathering that occured in malaysia. one was held in dataran merdeka, kuala lumpur and the other in front of the chinese chamber of commerce in batu pahat, johor. both were in support of individual/s who had been incarcerated for different reason.
the one in dataran merdeka was organized by the so called Abolish ISA Movement (AIM) in support of the HINDRAF 5 who are now currently being detained without trial for 2 years under the ISA (Internal Security Act). it was suppose to be a candle light virgil with prayers and meditation lasting from 8pm till 10pm. the organizers had their application for a permit to have the gathering turned down by the authorities mainly for fear of causing public unrest and disturbances. however, an estimated 300 people were reported to have turned up for the virgil only to find that their planned path was barricaded by the police.
after negotiation between the police and the organizers, the police officer in charged was reported to have gave the gathering of people 10 minutes to conduct their virgil and then to disperse. however, the crowd bravely stood their ground and continued their virgil peacefully outside the barricade. at 8.35pm, the police including the FRU charged in twice to disperse the crowd. water cannon was also used to disperse the crowd of 300. for the unknowing, water cannon in malaysia are usually laced with chemicals that causes irritation to the skin and eyes.
watch this video in youtube.
the one in dataran merdeka was organized by the so called Abolish ISA Movement (AIM) in support of the HINDRAF 5 who are now currently being detained without trial for 2 years under the ISA (Internal Security Act). it was suppose to be a candle light virgil with prayers and meditation lasting from 8pm till 10pm. the organizers had their application for a permit to have the gathering turned down by the authorities mainly for fear of causing public unrest and disturbances. however, an estimated 300 people were reported to have turned up for the virgil only to find that their planned path was barricaded by the police.
after negotiation between the police and the organizers, the police officer in charged was reported to have gave the gathering of people 10 minutes to conduct their virgil and then to disperse. however, the crowd bravely stood their ground and continued their virgil peacefully outside the barricade. at 8.35pm, the police including the FRU charged in twice to disperse the crowd. water cannon was also used to disperse the crowd of 300. for the unknowing, water cannon in malaysia are usually laced with chemicals that causes irritation to the skin and eyes.
watch this video in youtube.
the second peaceful gathering in batu pahat was in support for the former health minister, Dr. Chua, who had to resign in shame after dvds of him having extramarital sex with a lady friend of his started circulating around. there were very minimal information on the gathering other than a picture or two in the local papers. there were no description of how many people who had participated in this gathering (look at the picture below and decide for yourself) nor were there any mention if a permit was granted. there were also no report if the police form a barricade around the hall and gave the crowd 10 minutes to disperse nor were there mention if the FRU charged into them and fired the water cannon.
why the double standards?? the last i check the malaysian police force is still known as Polis Diraja Malaysia and not Polis Diraja Barisan Nasional. any gathering organised by BN party are lawful, legal and hence permitted. and if a non-BN party wants to organise one, moh tak keng (absolutely No). why? because it is unlawful and will turn violent and disturb the public.
i do not support the HINDRAF movement nor am i against Dr. Chua, whom i feel was an excellent health minister (what he does with his private life is between him and God). but as human beings living in a democratic country, it is our right to gather, demonstrate and let our feelings known, as long as everything is done peacefully.
but here is malaysia, there are no such rights. the authority always using the excuse that such gatherings will turn violent. who are we kidding man. we are living in the age of the internet and youtube. we have uncensored video evidence at the click of a mouse. and judging by the videos posted, its always the authorities that strike first.
why are there so many gatherings of late?? why??
because a substantial amount of the rakyat believe that the direction in which this country of ours is heading is wrong. such gatherings are a show of solidarity of that believe. their plight and grumble are considered not significant by the goverment. and they are fed up and angry about it. if the powers to be would not listen to their grivances, what other ways are there but to demonstrate.
take for example the HINDRAF movement. casting aside their ridiculous allegations of ethnic cleansing and the trillion dollar suit against the british government, all other issues concerning the malaysian indians are not new stories. 50 years of merdeka, and a large number of indians are still in the estates. 50 years on, and they are still fighting for a higher fairer minimum wage for estate workers, equal opportunity towards higher education and civil service.
such rumblings had always been there. the PM said he has "big ears." big ears for what if it is deaf (or choose to be deaf). so when you talk softly and nicely to a deaf person and he cant hear, what do you do?? you SHOUT. and thats what the demonstration is all about. thats what the BAR Council march, BERSIH and the AIM gathering is all bout. shouting, so that the message finally gets through.
and for the HINDRAF case, it brought results didnt it. the PM and our dear Samy (some calls him Semi Value) started listening. they immediately called for a meeting with ethnic indians leaders (non MIC leaders mind you) to listen to their complaints. suddenly all BN leaders are visiting indian kampungs, settlement or tamil school. even a national hotline was setup so that ethnic indians can call to complain.
proponents and supporters of the status quo claims that however unjust a law is, if a permit has not been issued for such gatherings it is illegal and hence all participants are criminals. for those of you who agree with such sentiments, probably you've forgotten your history. from Moses, who defied the pharoah and led his people out of egypt and slavery, to the present day heroics of Aung San Suu Kyi who has been under house arrest for nearly two decades because of her non-violent fight agains the Burmese junta, the history of mankind are full of stories of individual who rose from among the down trodden and fought against oppressive and unjust laws.
are these people saying that individuals like Mahatma Gandhi who led the indian people agaisnt the tyranny of the British Empire a criminal or bad man?? or Martin Luther King in his fight for equality for the african americans. or Nelson Mendela who spend 26 years in jail and in the process got infected with tuberculosis because of his stand against apartheid a criminal as well. what about Rosa Parks, Nehru and even our own Jaafar Onn??? when the government cannot be depended upon the correct an unjust law, it is then up to the people to make that happen.
"It is not the people who should be afraid of the government, but the government who should be afraid of the people."
*just a point to note before i end, from the video clip it is heartening to see that malaysians of all races (malay, chinese and indians) and religion come out to support the detained HINDRAF 5 who are all ethnic indians. and yet there are allegations that such gatherings will incite racial hatred.
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