It is finished!

I’m glad the Terengganu crisis is finally over. We now have Ahmad Said as the Menteri Besar. All the 22 UMNO state assemblymen who rejected him have backtracked and outwardly declared support. No wonder he’s all smiles.

Btw, Mahathir’s letter in The Sun is a must read!

There must be a reason why the Ruler refuses to accept the candidate named by the party. But the Ruler chooses not to reveal the reasons and indulge in public debates. He merely expresses his displeasure by refusing to do what normally the Rulers would do.

Concerned Malaysians must ask what has the particular candidate done which is so wrong that it incurs the displeasure of the Ruler…

…what the Terengganu people are saying is that all these mega projects costing billions of Ringgit have been contracted out to people outside Terengganu. Terengganu contractors got practically nothing.

But additionally, they say the contracts all went to one person and they are suspicious that behind this person are members of the first family.

The rumours went on to say that the Prime Minister might have influenced the Mentri Besar into doing wrong things. These are all rumours. It will be quite impossible to prove anything as the perpetrators are skilled in hiding themselves.

This is not good for a Government keen to abolish corruption and be transparent. To clear its name, an investigation should be made.

But the public is leery of investigations by Government agencies and departments…

When a Deputy Minister was accused of accepting money for the release of a detainee, the A-G said there was no case because the detainee said he did not give any money to the Deputy Minister. It is so easy. If you have a case involving someone, all the enforcement agencies need to do is to ask him whether he was involved. If he says “no”, then there is no case…

(pic from msiakini)

rofl. I like his sens of humour. If only Abdullah was half the joker…

Speaking of jokes, here’s one from Idlan:

Tunku Abdul Rahman – Bapa Kemerdekaan
Tun Razak – Bapa Pembangunan
Tun Hussein – Bapa Perpaduan
Dr.M – Bapa Pemodenan
Pak Lah – ????

Yes, that’s right..

Pak Lah – Bapa Mertua Khairy

sad times for the Malay language

I recall reading quite a bit of malay literature in my primary school days, especially while still in Mentakab. I would visit bookstores with my elder brother every now and then and grab a new novel to read. We even grew up reading Malay fairy tales before bed. Well, it wasn’t too surprising, as we spoke quite a lot of BM back then too, even amongst our other Chinese friends (due in part to our inability to converse in Mandarin..)

Somehow, somewhere down the line after moving to PJ, we stopped speaking in Malay, and stopped reading and buying Malay novels. Maybe because I discovered Hardy Boys then, and starcraft and football after that.. We continued to subsribe to Berita Harian on Sundays though, but I know no one except David read them.

But it was that early relationship I had with Malay writing that made me very upset when I read this interview in the Sun with national laureate A. Samad Said.

(pic taken from Utusan)

Excerpts (read in full here):

There was recently a news report that two years from now, books by national laureates would not be included in the school curriculum. What is your opinion on this matter?

Some clever guys in the Education Ministry have said Sasterawan Negara books shouldn’t be included in school because they are difficult. During my school days, we studied William Shakespeare, George Bernard Shaw, John Buchan’s The 39 Steps and Lord Byron. They were hard. But we had good teachers as intermediaries … to help us understand the text. When you are 18 or 19, you already know these famous literature figures.

So you don’t agree with the move?

I think what they are doing is insulting…

Are you sad at the situation?

I used to be. But not anymore. I am angry now…

What is your hope for serious Malay literature? What changes would you like to see the government make?

I don’t want to visualise anything anymore. I have no more hope. I will leave the situation the way it is. There is a small group of people in the ministry who are so clever, let them go on being clever. If they want it like that, let it be. I want to make them happy.

It appears that you have given up?

Yes. I have given up. I am sick of it. I don’t care any more. I am defeated…

How would you like to be remembered?

As an A. Samad Said who was always unhappy with what was happening around him…

In the current situation, how do you motivate yourself to write?

There are times when I want to give up writing altogether. But when I pray, I feel peaceful and I become inspired.

Lately, I have been painting and drawing. I held an exhibition recently and sold 20 paintings. I got more than for what I write…

What is your advice to budding writers who want to dabble in serious Malay literature?

I have no more advice for writers. They no longer need my advice. They know Malay literature will not be supported.

It is so sad for this to be happening to our national language. Already there is so little discourse taking place in the Malay language, and the government is making things worse. Ideas and thought are framed in language, and if the Malay language is not encouraged to develop, so will the progress of ideas within the Malay social consciousness… perhaps this is deliberate. Bloody politics.

Given the time, I would love to read more Malay material (and work harder on my Mandarin!!). I will definitely start once the exams are over. It is so sad to witness this happening to a language. Imagine the uproar it would cause if schools in England stopped teaching Shakespeare. Why are we not up in arms?

Hope yet. It ain’t over

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Time flies. I’ve 2 months of uni left. And I have so many many regrets. Well for starters, there was this girl… (not!) One thing I regret is how complacent I have become. Like how can I spend the last few hours watching Yau Fai ber-dota when exams are in less than 50 days? :s

There is something profoundly screwed up with me. I settle for less. I accept whatever is dished out to me. I don’t ask for more. I give up too easily. I don’t fight for the best. I wish I didn’t have to. And I’ve been trying hard to avoid having to. Jia En scolded me once saying that’s such a loser mentality (that was about seats in a theatre, but apt here nonetheless)

The election results back home didn’t shock some of those at the heart of the opposition. They dared to dream, and to believe in a better Malaysia. And they had this optimism and faith in the Malaysian people. Granted, some of them are driven by a desire for power, but I have the utmost respect for them because of their vision to look beyond the politics of today and to believe that the country deserves better.

Likewise I want to dream again, and to believe that God deserves better. I know I have so much to do. I know I need to change. Not for me, but for Him.

Looking back, I was here 6 years ago. How did I forget? I am so sorry God. Please forgive me, and help me let you take over.

-

Potter of my life (2002)

Time leads me by the roads of life
So many twists and turns
I lost my way before I knew my destination.
If it wasn’t for Your grace
I would still be lost
Lost without a way, condemned for eternity

I’m still captured by Your love
How could You die for me?
What could You gain back from a wretched sinner just like me?
I’ll try to give You all I have
All that You ask of me
How can I thank You Lord for everything You’ve done for me?

Before I knew of Jesus, my life was a living suffering
I was living for today, never looking ahead
Then when I came to know Him, everything began to fall in place
Now I’m living for a purpose that I never knew before

No matter if I made mistakes
No matter who I’ve been before
But it’s who I have inside me that’s what matters most to me
My heart is burning with this fire
To be someone You desire to be, Jesus
Won’t You be the potter of my life

=(

Dear Papa and Mama, you wanted to see where I live…

It is so irresponsible for others to leave this mess behind for me to clean up while they go away on holiday for a month.

The accomodation office is closed until Tuesday, and they probably won’t clean it up anyway.

=)

I’ve been feeling a bit down, but today, I’m happy. First, I woke up to receive a call from this firm calling me for an interview. I’m not telling which one, but let’s just say that it gave me a lot of hope, especially since I had made it clear I was graduating with a 2:2, and yet they still got in touch.

Next, I got my marks back for an essay I was working on, and I got a first! Woo hoo. It’s quite a tough course, and I really didn’t expect to do so well.

Had a drink after that with Kyriaki and Michael, and I’ll be joining the Msoc for dinner tonight. Good company and good food :)

All this, along with the wonderful changes taking place back home (I’ll write about this sometime soon), and the silver medal won in Southampton (you’ll probably never read this, but thanks for the experience The 5-1 semis I’ll remember for life! Enough football for me till June)

2nd goal against Luton in semis

Just the motivation I needed to get back down to work. 53 days till GV591.