L'examen de Mathematiques

J'ai eu un test de mathematiques aujourd'hui à 4h 00 du soir. Il a été très difficile. L'exercise 1 et 4 ont été très très difficile. Je ne sais pas ce que je fais, mais je crois que je vais échouer en Mathematiques. Demain, j'ai une classe de français pour la préparation de DELF. DELF est une examen de françaisque je dois passer si je veux aller au France. J'ai peur de la présentation orale parce que je ne peux pas parler français très bien. Après, j'ai beaucoup d'examens pour deux semaines prochaines. haiz.

Malaysia must include our own diaspora as well

Source: http://thestar.com.my/columnists/story.asp?col=diplomaticallyspeaking&file=/2009/11/12/columnists/diplomaticallyspeaking/5076053&sec=Diplomatically%20Speaking

Diplomatically Speaking by DENNIS IGNATIUS

THERE are no concise figures as to how many Malaysians are now living abroad. Some reports suggest that there are about 200,000 Malaysians living in the United States, 50,000 in Canada, 95,000 in Australia and more than 300,000 in Britain. Add to that the smaller number of Malaysians who are scattered all across the five continents and my guess is that there are more than a million Malaysians living abroad today.

Many have done well for themselves. Among the more well-known overseas Malaysians are Professor Chin See Leang (a world renowned laser specialist at Quebec City’s Laval University), Professor Danny Quah (of the London School of Economics) and Jimmy Choo (fashion designer, London).

Less well-known are the thousands of other Malaysians from the Grand Caymans to Kenya who have distinguished themselves in their adopted lands. They are sportsmen and journalists, film-makers and artists, doctors and dancers, safari operators and fund managers, highly skilled professionals and academics.
Some have even been agents of change. Baltej Singh Dhillon, a Sikh from Malaysia, was instrumental in changing the famed Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) uniform to incorporate a turban so that Sikhs could join up.

They are an amazing bunch of people. They never fail to turn up at receptions hosted by our embassies or greet visiting Malaysian leaders. They come dressed in fading and ill-fitting batik shirts or kebayas from their past. They sing the national anthem with gusto and pride and even a tear or two. Many visit Malaysia regularly.
They may have lived abroad for decades but they know in their hearts that they are Malaysian. And they are proud of it! For them, Malaysian is an attitude of heart rather than a nationality.

They reluctantly gave up their Malaysian citizenship because Malaysia does not recognise dual citizenship, and the demands of their new homeland necessitated acquiring its citizenship.

Many in Malaysia consider them traitors who had abandoned their nation; in truth their nation had abandoned them.
They left their homeland for many reasons. Some fled in the aftermath of May 13th, traumatised by the fury of ethnic violence.
Others left with great sadness when they concluded, rightly or wrongly, that their children did not have much of a future in their own country because the tide turned against ‘immigrants.’

Still others were lured abroad by better and more exciting opportunities that the age of globalisation brought. We live in an increasingly borderless world and sometimes to chase your dreams you have to go abroad.
Whatever the reason for leaving, most never stopped serving the land of their birth. They served as goodwill ambassadors, telling and re-telling the story of Malaysia.

And they stood as examples of that dream in that they always thought of themselves as Malaysian first instead of Malay or Chinese or Indian.

They founded associations to promote Malaysia and its culture. They established radio stations (e.g. Toronto’s Radio Kampung Ku) to brag about their country. They opened restaurants featuring the wonderful food of our land. And they established business and professional linkages between their respective adopted homeland and Malaysia. They helped define the image of Malaysia abroad more than our politicians and diplomats.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak’s vision of 1Malaysia excites them because it rekindles hope in the founding dream of Malaysia, of a nation where all citizens are treated with respect and fairness, where all can expect a reasonable opportunity to find happiness and fulfill their aspirations.

It has been a long time since a prime minister has championed the founding principles of our nation. The naysayers at home may deride the whole 1Malaysia idea but abroad they pray that this time it will see reality.
The government is examining ways to encourage more overseas Malaysian professionals to return home to contribute to the nation’s development with programmes like ‘Brain Gain Malaysia.’

I have no doubt that many overseas Malaysians will answer the call to contribute with their talent and expertise. All they want to know is that they will be welcomed back, treated with dignity and respect, and given equal opportunities to serve their country. They want the assurance that their talent and expertise will matter more than their ethnic or religious background.

I fully endorse the recent comments of our ambassador to the United States, Datuk Seri Dr Jamaluddin Jarjis, that the government should offer some kind of status to overseas Malaysians.

Perhaps the example of India might be instructive. Seeking to connect with its highly influential diaspora, India created in 2004 a special class of citizenship – Overseas Indian Citizenship – just for its diaspora.
Overseas Indian citizens enjoy all the rights of regular Indian citizens except the right to vote, hold elected office or join the public service.

There should be something similar for our diaspora.
Our diaspora represents a huge pool of committed and talented people that have much to contribute to our nation. They too are a part of 1Malaysia and should be welcomed and appreciated.

As our Prime Minister continues to expound and develop his 1Malaysia concept, I hope that our diaspora will not be forgotten.

Three weeks of exam

Finally, two tests which are Physics and Malaysian Studies is over. Now that is over, i have to sit for Mathematics next week. After that final exam and DELF, here i come. Haiz, have to train speaking french ore often before the oral test.

Physics test was ok but Malaysian Studies was interesting as the essay gives me the opportunity to "shot" the politicians. Hehehe.

After the 3 weeks of torture, I will be coming home to Melaka. Yippeee. Still waiting for freedom cause i am chained by French and the other subjects. haiz

Le Test De Français

Aujourd'hui, j'ai un test de français 2 de 2h 00 jusqu'à 3h 30 de l'aprés midi. Ce n'est pas facile à la différence de test de français 1. 

Dans le test, il y a la compréhension orale, la compréhension écrite, la grammaire, et deux essais dans le test. Pour moi, la compréhension orale est l'essai est difficile. Je ne sais pas si j'ai bien fais. Haiz. 

De plus, j'ai beaucoup le devoir à la maison de français et les mathématiques. D'ailleurs, j'ai deux examens le semaine prochain. Ce sont le Malaysian Studies (Mercredi) et le physique (Vendredi).

_________________________________________ 

 Pour ils qui ne comprends pas le français:

Today, I had a French test 2 at 2.30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. . It is not easy unlike the French test 1.

In the test, there are listening comprehension, reading comprehension, grammar, and two tests in the test. For me, listening comprehension and essay are difficult. I do not know if I'm doing fine. Haiz.

Moreover, I have a a lot of French and mathematics homeworks. Besides, I have two exams the next weeks. These are the Malaysian Studies (Wednesday) and physical (Friday).

Let’s not forget the value of the rule of law

Source: http://thestar.com.my/columnists/story.asp?col=bravenewworld&file=/2009/10/29/columnists/bravenewworld/4995302&sec=Brave%20New%20World

BRAVE NEW WORLD
By AZMI SHAROM

Those who should know better are forgetting the values enshrined in our Constitution, thus the Bar Council’s education campaign.

DO you remember VK Lingam? You don’t? Let me refresh your memory.

He is a lawyer who, at least at one point, was said to have had a lot of influence on the judiciary. So much influence in fact that he was found to have been brokering judicial positions.

Normally I am coy about making blunt statements like this, due to memories (vague and sleepy as they are) of my classes on the topic of defamation, but this is not me making a bold statement. This is the finding of the Royal Commission established to investigate the authenticity of a videotape which had VK Lingam in it.

The video shows Lingam talking to a judge and promising to ensure his promotion. The Commission found that the tape was real; the person talking on the tape was VK Lingam; he was talking to Judge Ahmad Fairuz; and indeed the appointment and promotion of judges do appear to have been open to manipulation from private citizens and members of the Cabinet (in the case of that video, Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor).
Do you remember now? Correct, correct, correct, he is the man in the scandalous Lingam tape.

Well, it seems that the Commission’s proposal that these men be investigated under several laws (such as the Anti-Corruption Act) is not going to be taken to the logical conclusion of a trial, because the government has decided there is not enough evidence.

Bizarre, isn’t it?

You have a tape with serious implications about our judiciary and prima facie unsavoury activities authenticated by a Royal Commission, and they say there is not enough evidence.

Come on, just last week Tian Chua the Pakatan MP was found guilty of biting a policeman on, at least as reported in the press, little more evidence than the policeman in question basically saying “he bit me, honest he did, he bit me.”

How much evidence do you need?

Why is this a serious matter? Well, the judiciary is a crucial part of our system of government; a system of government which, according to the Constitution, practices a separation of powers.

That is to say, to ensure that despotism does not rule, the people who make the laws (Parliament), the people who enforce the laws (Cabinet) and the people who decide on any question of law (the judiciary) are kept apart to avoid any one body or person from having absolute power.

The judiciary must therefore be as independent as possible so that they can do their job without fear or favour, and so that the citizens of the country can have faith in the system.

If we do not want to live in a dictatorship, then an independent judiciary is a fundamental element of our system of governance that must be protected.

Having lawyers brokering positions in the judiciary along with Cabinet ministers in the tawdriest manner imaginable does not bode well for the independence of the judiciary or its dignity.

This matter is important to the founders of this nation, which is why you find it enshrined in the Constitution.
The Constitution is the document that lays down all the basic principles required to run our country in a particular manner. Ours has determined that our country is one which practices a secular, democratic system with separation of powers.

Without this foundation, the governance of this country will be rudderless and its citizens bereft of important protections spelt out in the Constitution.

The importance of this document cannot be emphasised enough, and in this light it is heartening that the Bar Council’s Constitutional Law Committee has decided to launch a first-of-its-kind awareness programme called the My Constitution Campaign (Kempen Perlembagaan Ku).

I really dislike campaigns. They usually smack of lip service and sometimes are embarrassing (1Toilet anyone?), but this is one campaign that I think is necessary.

It will basically be about spreading information regarding the Constitution to the Malaysian public in a style that is easily understood and digested.

This will take the form of booklets, citizen service advertisements and public forums.The campaign begins at 3pm on Nov 13 at the Bar Council (open to all), and hopefully they will enjoy some success.

Now, I do not for one second believe that the My Constitution Campaign is going to create an entire population well versed in the Constitution.

I have no delusions that people will be talking about it with the same vigour as they do about whatever reality singing and dancing programme on the telly right now, but what I hope it will achieve is to ensure that those of us who do care about our lives and our futures; those who think that good governance and justice are important aspects of life, will at least have a better understanding of this, the supreme law of the nation, which was created with those values as its ideals.

It is an understanding that those who have decided to drop the Lingam case seem to lack.
> Dr Azmi Sharom is a law teacher. The views expressed here are entirely his own.

Deux Examens Dans Deux Semaines

 Le Vendredi, 26 Octobre 2009, il y a une examen de français. Je ne suis pas content car je ne veux pas apprendre le français. 

Je suis un peu paresseux.  Le français est difficile parce que Complements Object Indirect (COI). Il est très déroutant mais je comprends. (je pense...). D'ailleurs, il y a orale compréhension que je déteste parce que je ne peux pas écouter très bien. Le personne parle très vite. Haiz....

Deux semaine prochain, il y a une examen de physique. Je pense que il n'est pas très difficile parce que je comprends bien. Mais Monsieur Fabian peut faire une examan très difficile.

Conclusion, je dois étudier le français et la phisque bien.

_________________________________________

Pour ils qui ne comprends pas le français:

On Friday, October 26, 2009, there is a French exam. I am not happy because I do not want to learn French. I am a bit lazy. The French is difficult because of the Complement Object Indirect (COI). It is very confusing but I understand. (I think ...). Besides, there are oral understanding that I hate because I can not listen very well. The person spoke very fast. Haiz ....

Next two weeks, there is a physics exam. I think it is not very difficult because I understand well. But Mr. Fabian can make the test very difficult.

Conclusion I have to study French and physics well.

Hoping for change

BRAVE NEW WORLD

The Nobel Peace Prize should not be given lightly, and neither should corruption and political office be mentioned in the same breath.

WHAT a funny week it has been. One man gets a prize despite having done nothing to deserve it and another gets a prize despite having done something which should have prevented him from getting it.

I am speaking of US President Barack Obama and local politician Tan Sri Mohd Isa Samad. Boy, I never thought I’d use these two names in the same sentence.

Obama’s Nobel Peace Prize came out of the blue and of course the question on everybody’s mind was, what on earth did he do to deserve it?

Apparently it is for the “hope” that he has given to a world totally “bushed” from America’s cowboy “diplomacy” of the past eight years.

Well, if making people feel good is a factor to be considered for the Nobel Peace Prize then I nominate Barry Manilow for bringing joy to countless millions of housewives around the world (with his music, of course).

Another reason given by the Nobel people is the “potential” that he has shown for bringing peace to the world. This is very weird. For one thing, his “potential” has not been particularly promising.

America is still at war in Iraq and Afghanistan and in fact its presence in Afghanistan appears to be getting even stronger, what with the call from the senior US military commander there, General Stanley A. McChrystal, for 40,000 more troops.

And the so-called peace process between Palestine and Israel sees America basically letting the Israelis do whatever they want.

Jewish settlements in Arab land continues, United Nations Human Rights Council Judge Richard Goldstone’s (a Jew incidentally) condemnation on the attacks on Gaza is brushed aside by the United States and the Palestinians are told to go to the negotiating table with no conditions attached, basically tying their hands behind their backs.

So, forgive me if I don’t see how Obama is going to achieve this “potential” as the architect, or at the very least a big wheel in the achievement of world peace.

And what if he doesn’t live up to this expectation? What if things get worse? Does he have to give the prize back?

Don’t get me wrong, Obama is so much more palatable than Bush and I’m certain diplomatic ties between America and the rest of the world is going to be much, much better under him.

But the Nobel Peace Prize should not be given lightly and the reasons why he has been bestowed this honour seems to me to be rather frivolous and premature.

Now, over to our little corner of the world. Isa Abdul Samad has given something for the Umno people to crow about.

He won the by-election in Bagan Pinang and added some 3,000 votes to Umno’s majority.

This is Umno’s first major victory in all the by-elections after the 2008 general election.

It’s all a little strange because Isa, as everybody knows, was found guilty of money politics by his own party and has just served out his punishment.

Some may say that the man has “done his time” and should not be stopped from competing in the elections.

Normally I would agree, but not in this case. Money politics is corruption; it is not a “technical offence”, whatever that might be.

In light of the fact that corruption is one of the banes of Malaysian public life, choosing him as their candidate (and now having him as an assemblyman) is to my mind akin to allowing a convicted paedophile to be a kindergarten teacher after he has served his time.

There are some offences which should bar one from certain jobs.

Corruption and political office is one of those situations.

Having said that, the people of Bagan Pinang obviously do not consider corruption to be such a big issue, which is why they gave Isa such a nice majority.

What is interesting to note is the very large (40%) swing among non-Malay voters away from the Pakatan. Whatever their reasons for this loss in faith, Pakatan, in particular PAS, has to take note.

They have to figure out what went wrong and try to rectify it. Denial and angry accusations are not going to help.

It’s been a funny old week. We have two men, both receiving prizes that maybe should not have gone to them.

Only the future can tell if this will have any significant effect at all.

Dr Azmi Sharom is a law teacher. The views expressed here are entirely his own.

So fast Exam

Haiz, so fast exam.
Barely a week after Raya holiday, I have to sit for Physics test at this coming Friday. Then French test the week after which getting tougher as time passes by. Mathematics and Basic Electricity is also around the corner to "torture" me. And the weird things is no one have even received the marks for the tests that we have sat before the Raya holidays. and I still don't the mood to study for anything now. haiz. Oh ya, not to forget, I have to presentation in two weeks time for Malaysian Studies about our Ministry of Defence.

Oh ya, today is Jared's birthday. Don't forget to wish him. Later he merajuk. lol

Growing up in an age of innocence

Source: http://thestar.com.my/columnists/story.asp?col=bravenewworld&file=/2009/10/1/columnists/bravenewworld/4807839&sec=Brave%20New%20World

Brave New World


By AZMI SHAROM

Childhood is the time of great innocence. Friends will be friends because we get along, and there’s no ‘other’.

I WENT to Francis Light 1 primary school in Jalan Perak. This was in Penang, naturally, because which other state will have a school named after Francis Light?

The school was (is) in a poor part of town and most of the children were street smart and tough.

I, on the other hand, was a soft suburbanite who only went to this school, miles away from home, because of my father’s strange “sense of history”.

I suppose Sekolah Bukit Lancang does not have the same historical resonance as “Francis Light”.
Be that as it may, I had a wonderful time there, partly due to the fact that I was fat and too large to be picked on by my fellow undernourished pupils.

I am not one for sentimentality, but looking back, it was indeed a time of great innocence.

My “best friend” depended on who sat next to me.

So, in Standard One, it was a little chap with curly hair called Syed.

We used to play on the roots of the giant trees surrounding our school, pretending that if we fell off, the “buaya” would eat us; very exciting stuff, and not a Gameboy in sight.

In Standard Three, my best mate was Alan.

Strangely enough, we have both ended up on the same career path.

He, too, is a law lecturer, but he’s on the wrong side of the Cause­way.

Unfortunate for us, as he is a far better academic than me.

Standard Four saw me perpetually hanging around with Ganesan, a kid fatter than myself who had a wonderful brain rich with imagination.

Obsessed as he was by food, he was convinced that heaven was a place where everything was made of edible stuff.
Knowing my dietary restrictions and concerned about his pal after death, Ganesan once told me, “Azmi, in heaven, you don’t have to worry. You can eat pork because the pigs will be made of pink jelly.”

I think he has emigrated to Australia.

In my last year there, I was in a little gang of misfits consisting of Sultan, Zahir and Suresh — I think that was his name.

Oh, but I’m getting old; I can see his face so clearly and remember that he was petrified of cockroaches, but what is his name?

Friends were friends because we got along. That’s all.

And teachers were liked or disliked because of what they did.

Cikgu Syed was well respected because he was cool.

Mr Goh could play the guitar and sing; groovy.

Cikgu Zubaidah was loved because she was utterly dedicated to us.

And there was Mrs Gopal who was rather feared because she was such a disciplinarian.

So much so that when I bumped into her on the streets while I was in Form 3 and she looked at me and said “Ah, Azmi, why are you not in school”, I trembled and mumbled some excuse about it being break time between SRP papers.

The fact that by then I was a head and a half taller than her made no difference at all.

There are others, of course, friends and teachers. Some were enemies and some were seriously disliked, but the point is there was no sense of the “other”.

“Unity” depended purely on personality. That is the way with children.

But when you have a situation where the “real world” divides us and insists on our differences, whatever childhood innocence will dissipate and be replaced with something else. Something divisive and exclusionary.
In this light, will the idea of having a “multiracial hostel” be anything more than simply a PR exercise? I seriously doubt it.
As long as we go on the way we are, as long as our system of governance does not change, as long as there is no true sense of belonging for all people in this nation, then any superficial attempt at “national unity” will be as illusory as pink jelly pigs.
> Dr Azmi Sharom is a law teacher. The views expressed here are entirely his own.

Beware of Dengue Fever

Source: http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2009/7/13/southneast/4288967&sec=southneast

Increase in dengue cases in Malacca

MALACCA: The number of dengue cases in Malacca has increased for the first six months of this year to 376 cases compared to the 312 cases for the same period last year.

State women’s affair, family development and health committee chairman Norpipah Abdol said of the total cases, 52 cases were confirmed as hemorrhagic dengue fever as of June 27.

The Melaka Tengah district recorded the highest number with 216 cases followed by 97 cases in Alor Gajah and 63 cases in Jasin, she said.

Compared to the same period last year, she said that Melaka Tengah district recorded 158 cases followed by 95 and 64 in Alor Gajah and Jasin districts respectively.

She said the increase showed that the public here are still taking the threat of dengue fever lightly and had failed to clean their surroundings of Aedes mosquito breeding grounds.

However, she said health authorities would continue to work closely with the public in the war against dengue.

---

Last month, my friend, Andy Mau Kwok Hing was infected dengue fever but thank god he survived. Two weeks ago, another one person that I know at my Pre France course, was infected with it and was absent for a week causing her to be unable to sit for French, Mathematics and Electricity test. At least she survived.

Few hours ago, a very close family friend passed away because of this idiotic disease. He is a very good man and always do voluntary work in the temple with my father. Now, he went back to God. Don't wish to talk about that anymore.

Basic Conclusion,

Beware of Dengue Fever

Outing At Mines

Date: 17-9-2009 (Thursday)

Venue: Mines

Last Thursday, members in Group 4 who are consists of Nazrul, Na'im, Ariff, Afiq 1, Afiq 2, Zulkarnain, Aqmar, Jeanie, Diing Shiang, Akmal, Afifa, Mardiah and me went to Mines to have our dinner and to do some shopping (some window shopping while some do real shopping) and finally bowling.

We left Malaysia France Institute around 4.30 p.m to UKM KTM and then went to Serdang KTM. the train was a bit crowded but still can squeeze into it. It looked want to rain but it didn't. Thank god for that. We ate at the Mamak store at there. The food was delicious there though it was quite expensive. Then, we went around the place. There isn't any good bookstore here. Haiz, so didn't buy anythin. Jz did window shopping. Then, we went to bowling. Don't play play with Mardiah, she scored 137 and she claimed to play for the first time. Whether is it true or not, only Gods knows. Lol.

Finally, we went back. Thank God again as the train was crowded as it is usually sardined during the night. It was tiring but a wonderful trip.

Group photo at the bowling place

Group photo at somewhere near Mines

Bowling Area again

Mardiah and Afiq 1

Akmal

On our way to Mines

The cups that we drank from

Akmal & Nazrul

Zul & Akmal

Difference between Engineering and France Engineering in JPA/MARA scholarship

Regardless, you apply for MARA scholarship or JPA scholarship for France Engineering and Engineering course, there is a huge difference between those two courses.

1) Language: Learning a new language can be hectic but it can be an advantage for you when you look for work. However, you must really master Franch as it will affect your understanding of Maths and Science. If you take English, it will be easier, since we have been using the language since we were in primary school.

2) Syllabus: The syllabus of France and UK is way different. UK trains you to be specialized in the field of your choice only. However, France system wants you to know the basics in all field of engineering besides specializing in your field of choice. For instance, when you to university at there, you will do two years syllabus which is same for everyone regardless of the choice of your field. Only the final years, you will specialize and get your degree. French syllabus is tougher as they really want 2 train you well. That is why doing engineering is France is better than in UK.

3) Risks: The France Engineering is more risky as system is not recognized in Malaysia. Thus, if you pass everything with flying colours, then you don’t have any problem. However, if you fail halfway, let say in your degree, you come to Malaysia with nothing. At least when you do at UK, if you fail your degree halfway, you can come back and continue your degree here and you have finished you have finished a-levels. French A-levels is not recognized in Malaysia, thus, your highest certificate will be your SPM certificate. The risk is there but if you work hard, you might succeed.

4) Doing Masters and Degree: In UK, after finishing your degree, your scholarship is finished. However, the French has a different system. After studying first two years in the university, if you do well, you can choose to do your degree at that university or go a an engineering school. If you go to engineering school means you will be doing straight to Masters with extra two years need to study which MARA and JPA will pay for it of course. Thus, do Degree- 3 years, Masters- 5 years.

As the Raya gets closer, homesick gets bigger

Haiz, I really dislike studying after the test. No more spirit to study and more spirit to relax. Plus, with as it gets closer to the day to holiday, the bigger my homesick. I miss Melaka and its cheap food and of course faster internet connection. The Wifi connection as my block is a gone case and the only source of Internet access is library which only opens at limited period of time. Plus, they block a lot of websites. Haiz, faster holiday.

End of My Misery for Now

Today, my misery have finally ended with the end of Basic Electricity test. I wish not to talk about that test for now. Now, all I have to wait for Raya Break. Yipee.

But still have to study while waiting for it. Then, have to sit ofr Physics test after Raya. Haiz... Haiz. Cette tout pour fois. Au revoir.

Let’s stamp out racism

Source: The Star

BRAVE NEW WORLD
By AZMI SHAROM

Not only must we condemn the cow-head protest in Shah Alam last week but we must look into ourselves and make sure we don’t think and speak like racists.

THE cow-head protest in Shah Alam last week left me feeling utterly disgusted. The men who organised and participated in that foul act are nothing but rank racists, and by cloaking their activities in a veil of piousness they show themselves to be even more despicable.

Yes, I was furious, but sadly I was not surprised. How can I be and how can anyone else be? We have allowed racists to have their way for so many years now.

Their appalling words and actions get progressively bolder and it just builds and builds until we have these men feeling they have the right to insult another religion in the most vile and brutal manner.

In the light of how Malay and Islamic supremacist thinking and expression have caught hold in the last few years, this sickening behaviour is simply a natural progression.

It happened because we allowed it to happen. Those bigoted thugs did what they did because we did not stamp down on the racists among us hard.

We allowed racist politicians to spout their garbage about “immigrant races”; we allowed them to tell our brothers and sisters to “go back to where you belong”; we allowed them to wave weapons of war; and we allowed them to ask for the weapons to be bathed in blood.

It’s too late for any politician to condemn something now when all the other acts of bigotry that have been brewing in the past few years were not even protested against because they suited their political needs.

It is too late to be making pleas of unity on National Day when not enough has been done before.

Let’s look at something recent. Two books that attacked the Mentri Besar of Selangor and Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim are blatantly racist.

They claim that Selangor is for Malays only. They claim that the Pakatan Rakyat state government threatens Malays because they hire non-Malay staff.

In other words, the government must only hire Malays so that only Malays get benefits from the government. This is racism pure and simple. But because it suits the ruling party, as these books attack Pakatan, nothing is said.

Racism is racism, be it some vile words published in some cheap self-published drivel, or a bleeding cow head stomped and spat upon. Racism is racism and it must be fought.

When it is not fought, when it is not faced down every single time, then those without the courage to fight it are merely accomplices who, through their cowardice or selfishness, support it.

And how should we fight it? The law that should be used is the Penal Code. The Sedition Act is a blunderbuss of a law and could be used against genuine dissent as well. Let us not look to that archaic leaving of the British.

Use the provisions in the Penal Code that make incitement an offence. Charge these people under the Penal Code and lock them away.

But that is for the authorities to do, if they so choose to. We, the people, must look into ourselves and make sure we don’t think and speak like racists. We must be even more careful that we do not infect our children.

We should speak out against racism and we should tell our political leaders that if they do not fight racism then they are supporting racism and we will not support them.

We must make sure that what happened in Shah Alam faces utter and complete public contempt. Only in that way can we ensure it is not repeated.

Dr Azmi Sharom is a law teacher. The views expressed here are entirely his own.

French and Mathematics Test

This week is seriously a very hectic week. For starters, I have to sit for French test on Wednesday (Mercredi). The test was actually quite easy but the amount of revisions I put on it make me lack of sleep thus causing a huge decrease of concentration in class.

Then, my Maths teacher tells us suddenly that there is test today last Wednesday when I smsed him. I wander when will he actually tell us about the test if I didn't call since his next class with us is on Friday. Haiz...

The Mathematics test has only 4 questions for 2 hours yet I don't have the time to actually double check my answers. The questions are really different for Add. Maths and plays with unknowns most of the time which increases my chances of getting the answers wrong. Some of the questions I am not sure whether I did the right working or not.

Whether, I do well in Mathematics, we will see sooner or later.

Pre France Lecturers- Before and After

Previously, you have seen the current pictures of my Pre France lecturers. I got some of their photo from Unikl's website that shows their when they first register at Unikl. The appearance is really different.

Monsieur Mourad - Top is before and below it is now.

Mademoiselle Larissa - Top is before and below it is now.

Monsieur - Top is before and below it is now. (Ya, I know, his face didn't change much)

Latest Addittion

Monsieur Kamaruzzaman Ismail - Malaysian Studies lecturer

Fabien - My Physics Tutorial Lecturer

Farewell Monsieur Atman Zarkaoui

Last Wednesday (Mercredi), Monsieur Atman Zarkaoui, my Physics lecturer announced that he is going resigned from MFI and go back to France soon. Therefore, next Wednesday (Mercredi), will be his last lecture class with us. Monsieur Mourad Zirour will be the replacement lecturer after that. Now, I will be seeing him for Mathematics and Physics lecture.

There goes a lecturer who always smiles and joke (though some of them are not funny) which gives us a little spirit to stay focus in his class.

Au revoir and bon vayage Monsieur Atman Zarkaoui. Hope to see you again, somewhere and somehow.

The good, the bad and the ugly Malaysian

Source: The Star Newspaper

WHY NOT?
BY WONG SAI WAN

Many things have happened in the past 12 months and as our nation celebrates its 52nd birthday, it is time for us to re-examine ourselves.

I WRITE this in a hotel room in Jakarta, a couple of weeks after Indonesia celebrated its 64th Independence Day. In my short three-day trip here, I found our neighbours to be very proud of their heritage, culture and achievements.

While some of us Malaysians tend to thumb our noses at Indonesians just because our only contact with them is manual labourers or maids, the republic is actually very progressive, and with a thriving democracy.

Like us, their society is not perfect; the rich are very rich and the poor are extremely poor.

However, a growing middle class is changing Indonesian society slowly but surely.

Being away from home always makes me more aware of my Malaysian citizenship, and the pride I feel in being a citizen of a blessed nation.

The advances we have made in the past 52 years is nothing short of a miracle, as the then Malaya’s creation more than five decades ago was a rushed decision that was not welcomed by everyone.

The main reason the British granted independence to Malaya then was that it no longer had the political stomach to rule its colonies on the other side of the world.

Many non-Malays in Malaya then had reservations about being independent from the “mother country”, unsure about how the Malays would treat them.

Some Malays were unhappy with the compromise agreement for independence – everyone was to be granted citizenship.

However, as history has shown, we have done not too badly despite all the original reservations and doubts.

Yes, like Indonesia, our nation has its problems, but just like our neighbour, we have advanced – and in my opinion advanced at a slightly quicker pace.

Thirty years ago when I first left the country to study in England, I always found it difficult to tell people where Malaysia was. My answer had always been “between Thailand and Singapore”.

However, during my job-related travels in the past 15 years, I find that this description is no longer needed. Everywhere I have been to – whether in Europe, South and North America, Africa, or even Siberia – they know of Malaysia.

Sometimes, they know of us for the right reasons but there have also been times they know of Malaysia for all the wrong reasons.

But the nation must put its citizens and their joy first. It is pointless to have a famous country, but its people an unhappy and miserable lot.

That is something our politicians must realise – Malaysia is for all of us, not just for some.

It’s their job to ensure that we are generally happy and, more importantly, proud to be Malaysians.

To mark our 52nd Merdeka, I have drawn up three lists which I call “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly of Malaysia” based on what has happened in the past 12 months.

The Good

1. We are still a nation and able to talk about things without reaching for guns to resolve an issue.

2. The Government has finally agreed to do away with having all of us declare our ethnic origins when filling in official forms. This will make us all feel more Malaysian because we no longer focus on our differences but on our similarities.

3. We are now closer to getting more transparent in the administration of the 14 governments that make up our federation with the setting of the Key Performance Index and Key Result Areas to ensure more transparency and quicker delivery of service to the people.

4. We have not been hit by any massive natural disaster and therefore we are still the lucky nation that our first Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman said we were. The Tunku had said Malaysia was a lucky nation “because we have no earthquake, typhoon or volcano disaster”.

5. After six by-elections in less than a year, we all still went back to work the next day despite some of them being quite bad tempered and highly charged events.

The Bad

1. The return of mob politics where demonstrators take to the streets to confront the authorities or just to forment trouble. Both sides of the political divide see such moves as legitimate political tactics.

2. The only way we Malaysians seem to pass news to each other is to forward unsubstantiated allegations – whether via SMS, e-mail, or Twitter.

3. The blame game continues across the political divide. The 12th general election was more than 18 months ago but we seemed to have not moved on, stuck as it were in a political twilight zone.

4. Most urban residents do not even know who their neighbours are because we are too caught up eking out a living.

5. Crime is a major headache for every Malaysian and soon we may be afraid even to leave our houses.

The Ugly

1. Racial polarisation is getting worse and it seems we do not want to do anything about it except to complain. The fires of distrust between the communities is being stoked by various politicians with an agenda of their own.

2. Some ministers and other political leaders are out of touch with the reality on the streets. They continue to believe that they must dictate the way we think because they know what is best. Such people are irrelevant.

3. Many Malaysians continue to believe that everything done in Singapore, Hong Kong or India is correct and anything done in Malaysia is wrong. This is a self-fulfilling prophecy and a defeatist attitude.

4. Ancient and draconian laws continue to be used; such legislation needs to be rid of if Malaysian society were to advance even faster.

5. We are probably the worse road users in the world and our driving etiquette has not improved despite all sorts of campaigns at all levels.

The lists are not exhaustive but are in my personal opinion important matters that must be resolved before we celebrate our 53rd national day.

■ Deputy Executive Editor Wong Sai Wan will celebrate Aug 31 by feeling proud to be a Malaysian, but one who is aware of his own weaknesses.

Still standing, for now

Bonsoir. Aujourd’hui nous-sommes Vendredi Vingt-huit Août deux mille neuf.

It has been more than 6 weeks since I have last stepped my feet in my house. Be gaining to miss the life in Melaka. If you think studying in SPM is hectic, try studying in MFI. Really hectic and stressful. Though it has its good side.

Next week, there will be a Français examen (French test) on Mercredi (Wednesday). So far, French is good. Still having some problem with pronunciation and Kirchoff’s law in Basic Electricity is my number one enemy as understanding and applying it is two different things.

Physics is still good for now while Mathematics is getting a little bit headaches. Plus, it is the Ramadan month and most of the shops are closed besides the period allocated to eat is limited, thus I tend to fast with the Muslims too which cause me to get tired easily. At least I can save budget since the price of food there is really expensive.

Je déteste la pluie parce que (I hate the rain because) it is really very cold here especially with the air-conditioner at Room A003. It is really very cold.

C'est tout pour aujourd'hui . Au revoir. (that’s all for today. Bye)

Be serious about 1Malaysia concept

Source: The Star

AFTER reading the report “All-round support for race-less forms proposal” (The Star, Aug 19), I was prompted to write about national unity and race-less forms. The question is how serious are we really about achieving this 1Malaysia concept?

The Government now acknowledges that there is ethnic polarisation and that is why the Prime Minister has to promote the vision of 1Malaysia.

It is the latest initiative to promote unity as, in the past, we have had the Rukunegara, New Economic Policy and the Wawasan 2020.

However, we do not see this 1Malaysia concept being promoted in the education sector. In the early 60s, the first Education Minister Tan Sri Khir Johari introduced the 001 cards to the school system which still exist today. The system requires one to state his or her race and religion in the card.

The school register and various other forms still require the filling in of one’s race and religion.

Even after the introduction of the 1Malaysia concept, the latest co-curiculum forms require the breakdown of the students’ race, just to determine how many students of a particular race are interested to take part in certain uniformed units, games and clubs.

The list can go on, but my point is if the Education Ministry continues to pursue and implement programmes based on ethnicity and conveniently forgets about 1Malaysia and the Ministry’s blueprint on integration of races, how are we going to achieve the 1Malaysia concept?

If the Government does not consider this overgrown concern, its credibility on the 1Malaysia concept will be questioned.

It will only create the impression that 1Malaysia is a dream concept of the Prime Minister.

If the Government is incapable of acting earnestly and decisively in the interest of racial unity, the 1Malaysia concept will not serve any purpose.

As such, I feel strongly that all of us must commit sincerely to transform the 1Malaysia concept into reality by taking the first step of doing away with the requirement of having to state one’s race or religion in all official forms and documents.

Consider this proposal to be a gift for all Malaysians in celebrating the 52nd National Day.

S. SUNDRALINGAM,
Ipoh.

Pre France Lecturers

Below are the faces of some of my lecturers in my course.

Mademoiselle Larissa - The beautiful French lecturer who always target me as I speak English in her class. After first, she pronounced my name as Sivara and now she is pronouncing my name as Sivara with a hash sound for my name. Never mind, at least she can pronounce part of my name.

Monsieur - An Iraqi lecturer who teaches me Basic Electricity. He looks friendly but in class he is very serious.

Monsieur Mourad – My Mathematics lecturer who knows basic Malay. So, don’t try talking bad in front of him in Malay.

Monsieur Jean-Christophe – My French lecturer who is very good and can be funny at times.

Mademoiselle Sandra – A French lecturer. Sorry, can’t describe her as she doesn’t teach me.

Monsieur Atman – My Physics teacher who always smile, don’t know why.

Mademoiselle Matahari- A vegetarian who is a very kind lecturer. One of the very few people who can pronounce my name properly.

No picture available yet.

Monsieur Fabien – A fascinating Physics teacher he is. He can speak really fast when he teaches and yet we can still understand what he teaches. I wander how much faster he will speak when he teaches us Physics in French next semester. He is like Mrs Goh Chee Peng, always teach a lot for a simply theory for us to completely understand it.

No picture available yet.

Monsieur Radhouan – He is my tutorial Mathematics lecturer. He is actually a Chemistry lecturer but that does not mean that he is not good in Maths. He teaches quite well

Putik Lada: Unity through acceptance

©The Star
By SYAHREDZAN JOHAN

Malaysians must accept that every citizen has a stake and a say in our country, as well as a place in the nation.

LAST month marked the 40th year since the terrible tragedy of May 13, 1969. The riots then represented the lowest point of race relations in the country.

Of course, we can safely say that things have improved since. Instances of ethnic violence have been very sparse and nowhere near the magnitude of May 13.

By and large, Malaysians have managed to live peacefully together in the 40 years after the event.

Yet, while we have not resorted to violence, we cannot deny that we have still to find true national unity.

We can project to the world that we are a multi-cultural, multi-religious society, the “melting pot of Asia”, but peel away the facade and we will discover that there is a deep undercurrent of suspicion and frustration.

No, we cannot claim to be united just because we have not experienced any major racial riots since 1969. Unity is not achieved merely by superficial levels of interactions with others.

We are not united simply because we work together, have lunch together, play football with each other or visit each other during festive seasons. Society remains fractured along racial, religious and social lines despite the illusions we create to portray the contrary.

Let’s face it, racism and racial prejudice are very much part of everyday life. True unity is still elusive to us. But what is the measure of unity?

Some advocate the assimilation of the various cultures and ethnicities into one homogenous society, discarding the different cultural identities for one single Malaysian culture and language.

Such an approach may have its merits. It may have worked if it had been adopted immediately after we achieved independence, but it would be impossible right now.

Forcing such assimilation would result in resistance and be counter productive to our nation-building efforts.

But national unity must be achieved in spite of our diversity. The racial make-up of our country is unique. We have an ethnic group with a majority but also sizeable ethnic minorities.

Our nation building efforts will inevitably be fraught with difficulty.

Acceptance is the key. We cannot achieve unity until and unless we accept each other, regardless of our race, religion, skin colour, sex, social status or wealth.

We must accept and believe that each and every Malaysian has a place in the nation. We must accept that Malaysians have a stake and a say in our country.

Yet, acceptance is easier preac-hed than practised. After all, it is human nature for us to prefer to surround ourselves with the “familiarities” of those that belong to the same ethnic or religious community as us.

Some say that we need to mingle with each other more. While this is true, it is difficult to do so if we view others with resentment and through race-tinted glasses, entertaining thoughts like “he can make it because of government assistance”, “they have monopoly of everything” or “we’ve been marginalised by others”.

Coupled with this, we also have other obstacles in the way of acceptance, the most prevalent being deep rooted prejudice, suspicion and resentment towards each other.

Let’s be truthful — a large part of it stems from socio-economic policies formulated along racial lines. The New Economic Policy (NEP) needs a thorough re-examination.

This is not to say that government assistance and affirmative action are no longer necessary — in some areas they are still very much needed — but we need to start creating policies that are more acceptable in today’s environment.

The NEP is creaking under decades of corruption and abuse, its original aims lost in a forest of political patronage and lack of proper implementation.

We can no longer justify government assistance and affirmative action that is entirely race-based. New and more equitable policies must be formulated with a mixture of race-based affirmative action and means-based government assistance.

Another obstacle in the way of acceptance is racial politics. Too many politicians resort to the race card to further their political ambitions. They portray themselves as champions of their respective race or religion, so much so that they have no qualms about fanning the flames of racism.

Are we willing to allow such people to sow strife and discontent just so that they may gain some measure of power, position or wealth?

Such irresponsible conduct cannot be tolerated. Parties from both sides of the political divide must ensure that their members and supporters do not resort to anything that can jeopardise the relationship among the races.

If we can formulate more equitable socio-economic policies, and eradicate racial politics, it will be easier for us to accept one another. We will have little reason to continue to fear, suspect or resent other Malaysians.

Some of us are able to accept each other and to stand united even with the status quo. Imagine what we can achieve if we can clear the hurdles standing in our way!

Unite we must. We simply do not have a choice in this matter. If Malaysia is to realise its full potential as a nation, we must achieve true national unity.

How much longer can we continue to live as a deeply divided nation without realising the price we have to pay for such divisions?

Globalisation is knocking at our door and we cannot afford to fight with each other when the real competition comes from beyond our borders.

It will take a change in culture, attitude and mindset. It will take time. It will not be easy. But as long as we continue in the right direction, we will one day be able to create a nation that is truly united.

> The writer is a young lawyer. Putik Lada, or pepper buds in Malay, captures the spirit and intention of this column: a platform for young lawyers to articulate their views and aspirations about the law, justice and a civil society. For more information about the young lawyers, please visit www.malaysianbar.org.my/nylc

Malaysian Studies and Blood Donation

As usual, today test was very easy and I am still wandering the purpose of implementing this subject when it does not actually help much.

Back a most interesting issue is the blood Donation Campaign organised by the Universiti Malaya. It is seriously very painful but it was worth it as it can save human lives. What I am still wandering is the awareness of this campaign. There are many people who don't want to do such a holy thing to help those who could die without blood. Maybe one get to suffer it to realise it. "Sudah terhantuk, baru sedar.

Malaysian Studies Test Tomorrow

Bonjour, aujourd’hui nous-sommes Dimanche Seize Aout Deux Mille Neuf

Malaysian Studies, another one more subjects implemented by over government to instill the patriotic spirit within us. Though many of us know that it is does not do much good as students nowadays then to forget what they study in this type of subjects as soon as the test is over.

Try asking one of your buddies, who lead the first batch of Portuguese to Melaka. The answer is Lopez de Sequira (spelling might be wrong) which I think most people will not remember. Many people detest and don’t care about history. Even the Melaka government named a tower after a guy who attacked Melaka, Taming Sari. Moral of the story, we must attacked Melaka in order to get our names be permanent remembered with a tower or a road, etc. XD

The only way for one to remember history is to realize its significance in our life which many people will disagree with me as they will say it has no significance. Well, for me, a person who had a experience a lot of things that are best not to talk about and so on besides having a quite wide knowledge of History, I can tell you history made us and not realizing that is the main reasons there are a lot of problems in our country from racial discrimination to education to poverty and to many other things that I think you all are aware of.

Anyway, diverting back to the main topic, good luck to those who are taking the test tomorrow. Relax, it is only 30 objective questions. Hopefully, you all will do well but not as well as I will do. XD relax, just joking.

PUTIK LADA Working with Gen Y

Source: The Star

By MARCUS VAN GEYZEL

We want to live for more than work. We like to feel that we are living for more than just ourselves. Corporate social responsibility initiatives make a company more attractive to us, creating the perception that by not just living selfishly, employers are somehow better people.

THE economic downturn has thrown up many challenges to employers. One of the most publicised issues is retrenchments necessitated by cost-cutting. Employers know that there is a fine balance – they have to be mindful of the immediate need to keep the business afloat while ensuring good talent is retained.

With this in mind, the ability to understand the needs of employees – keeping them happy and motivated – is more important than ever. Globally, surveys have shown that employers struggle when it comes to the younger work force.

Popularly known as “Generation Y” or “millennials”, they include those born between 1978 and 1988.

My generation is apparently a bit of a conundrum for senior management. Why is this so? Are we really that different and difficult to decipher?

In short, no – provided that employers take time to understand the context in which we grew up, and the generational uniqueness in which we continue to work and live.

We millennials in the nascency of our careers are accustomed to living life at breakneck speed. Unconvinced? Consider the following.

Things which used to take generations (or at least one generation) to change – institutional structures, economic cycles, industrial shifts, linguistics, and socio-cultural norms now happen in a matter of years, sometimes more than once.

Since we’ve moved into the workplace, we millennials have experienced two major market crashes, the biggest single terrorist attack in history, two wars, two deadly pandemics and the bursting of no less than three global economic bubbles (dot-com, property and credit).

Technological obsolescence occurs in the blink of an eye. We have collected cassettes, CDs, minidiscs and now digital music. Innovation used to be permitted an occasional breather – for millennials, essential gadgets such as the Discman, iPod, mobile phone, computers and gaming platforms rarely last longer than two years.

And I haven’t even mentioned the fastest-changing medium of all – the Internet with its blogs, Friendster, mySpace, Facebook and Twitter.

Business owners and senior management from the “baby boomer” and “Generation X” era need to understand that the world that we millennials have grown up in has shaped the way that we think, live and work. In Malaysia, it is estimated that Generation Y account for a sizable chunk of the workforce at around 40%.

Broadly speaking, here are a few generalisations of what makes Generation Y tick.

> We look at the concept of a career differently. Generation Y has the highest number of qualified, skilled employees of any generation in history. However, millennials generally have a reduced sense of urgency in forging a career path.

Sociologists partly attribute this to the increased comfort level: working is no longer a matter of survival, and most graduates move back in with their parents after university, affording them the luxury of taking time to choose a job that they really enjoy.

Greater opportunities for success beyond the realm of traditional professional boundaries; huge success stories like Facebook were born straight out of college dorm rooms also contribute to the attitude that building a career can wait.

The concept of taking a year out to travel, experience new things or just relax is no longer the big black mark on a resume that it used to be.

> Work-life balance is not what you think it means. When it comes to keeping millennials happy at work, the concept of “work-life” balance is almost antediluvian. Merely being able to get off work early is not enough for Generation Y. In fact, studies show that millennials are happy to work late, provided that they enjoy their work.

Employers who display trust and grant flexibility to employees – not requiring them to rigidly work, work and work throughout the work day – in turn gain more productive and loyal employees.

Generation Y appreciates being allowed to take short breaks, come in slightly later, enjoy long lunches, or even work from home, without being judged. As long as the quality and quantity of their work is not affected, why should this concern an employer?

Surveys confirm that millennials who are granted flexibility during the week do not even mind being in touch with their work (such as by Blackberry) through weekends. Studies show that millennials view their work and life as a merged identity and look negatively upon employers who are too straight-laced.

The fun and social side of office life is valued by Generation Y, and we tend to be more willing to work hard in an office environment that is permissive of humour, concepts such as casual Fridays, office socials and is not all work and no play.

> We want to live for more than work. We like to feel that we are living for more than just ourselves. Corporate social responsibility initiatives make a company more attractive to us, creating the perception that, by not just living selfishly, the employers are somehow better people.

Statistically, more than 50% of millennials would prefer to work for a company that provides opportunities for employees to actively give back to the community.

> We thrive on overcoming challenges. Generation Y has grown up in the midst of the greatest knowledge boom in history – the Internet. It is irrefutable that information has been more widely accessed by millennials compared to previous generations.

Experts opine that the competitive and fast-paced world of millennials has evolved us into better problem solvers, able to handle big decisions quickly and properly, and even cope with failure better.

> Technology is crucial to us. We are the first generation to have built social networks online. We develop close friendships based on online interaction. We blog, tweet and update our Facebook status.

Access to technology is important to us. One consistently common theme that arises in every workplace survey done around the world is this: millennials are unhappy and unmotivated when the employer blocks access to the Internet or social networks.

Employers who do so are viewed as lacking the trust and flexibility mentioned previously.

Our grasp of technology is not purely for personal reasons – our ability to find information that is relevant to our work in a very short time enables us to be more efficient, and results in a more productive and successful company.

The above are just broad brush strokes of the Generation Y picture. Each employee is unique, and companies will need to take into account local cultures and their own corporate agenda when formulating employment policies.

But employers need to acknowledge the importance of making a conscious effort to understand and adapt to the mindset and needs of the millennials. After all, in time, we will be the ones running your businesses.

> The writer is a young lawyer. Putik Lada, or pepper buds in Malay, captures the spirit and intention of this column – a platform for young lawyers to articulate their views and aspirations about the law, justice and a civil society. For more information about the young lawyers, visit www.malaysianbar.org.my/nylc.

Physique - Going to be Hell

Aujourd'hui nous-sommes Vendredi Quartorze Aout 2009

Bonjour everyone.

Monsieur Fabien Ezedine who is my Physics tutorial teacher is unavailable for this whole week. Many might think that I will say Yay!!! But I didn’t. This is because my group is the slowest among all four groups in Pre France in Physics Tutorial.

Other groups have gone as far as Exercise 8 while my group is still at Exercise 2. With this, I believe there will be more extra class next week. So much for my weekends. Haiz… A senior of mine have said that Monsieur Fabian had once has 5 hours of non-stop Physics. What!!! If this thing happens to my group, I don’t know what to say.

Come to think about it, this reminds me of Mrs. Goh Chee Peng, my Physics teacher in secondary school who always has extra class on every Saturday. Is it fate that every Saturday, I have to go Physics extra class? Only God knows.

Another Side of the ISA story

After I have ridiculed the ISA marches, I've been searching around the net for an acceptable, hard-hitting and eye-opening reason for that particular procession to occur and I think I have found one:

By Yeo Yang Poh, former Bar Council President:

WHY march, when the government has said that it will review the Internal Security Act? Why march, when there are other very cosy ways of giving your views and feedback?

One would understand if these were questions posed by nine-year-olds. But they are not. They are questions posed by the prime minister of this nation we call our home. Answer we must. So, why?

Because thousands who died while in detention cannot march or speak any more. That is why others have to do it for them.

Because persons in the corridors of power, persons who have amassed tremendous wealth and live in mansions, and persons who are in the position to right wrongs but won’t, continue to rule our nation with suffocating might. And they certainly would not march. They would prevent others from marching.

Because the have-nots, the sidelined, the oppressed, the discriminated and the persecuted have no effective line to the powerful.

Because the nice ways have been tried ad nauseam for decades, but have fallen on deaf ears.

Because none of the major recommendations of Suhakam (including on peaceful assembly), or of the commissions of inquiry, has been implemented. Because the proposed Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC) is not in sight, while corruption and insecurity live in every neighbourhood; and (despite reasoned views expressed ever so nicely in opposition) Rela (people’s volunteer corps) is being brought in to make matters even worse.

The proponents in “Su Qiu” (remember them?) were not marchers. In fact it is hard to find nicer ways than “su qiu”, because the term means “present and request” or “inform and request”. In terms of putting forward a view or a request, it is the height of politeness. Yet they were labelled “extremists” – they who did not march.

And now you ask, why march?

Because you gave non-marchers a false name! You called them the “silent majority”, who by virtue of their silence (so you proudly argued with twisted logic) were supporters of government policies since they were not vocal in raising objections. You claimed to be protecting the interest of the “silent majority”. Now some of them do not want to be silent anymore, and you are asking why?

Yes, because double standards and hypocrisy cannot be covered up or explained away forever; and incompetence cannot be indefinitely propped up by depleting resources.

Because cronyism can only take care of a few people, and the rest will eventually wake up to realise the repeated lies that things were done in certain ways purportedly “for their benefit”.

Because the race card, cleverly played for such a long time, is beginning to be seen for what it really is – a despicable tool to divide the rakyat for easier political manipulation.

Because it does not take much to figure out that there is no good reason why Malaysia, a country with abundant human resources and rich natural resources, does not have a standard of living many times higher than that of Singapore, an island state with no natural resources and that has to import human resources from Malaysia and elsewhere.

Because, in general, countries that do not persecute marchers are prosperous or are improving from their previous state of affairs, and those that do are declining.

Because Gandhi marched, Mandela marched, Martin Luther King marched, and Tunku Abdul Rahman marched.

Because more and more people realise that peaceful assemblies are no threat at all to the security of the nation, although they are a threat to the security of tenure of the ruling elite.

Because politicians do not mean it when they say with a straight face or a smile that they are the servants and that the people are the masters. No servant would treat his master with tear gas, batons and handcuffs.

Because if the marchers in history had been stopped in their tracks, places like India, Malaysia and many others would still be colonies today, apartheid would still be thriving in South Africa, Nelson Mandela would still be scribbling on the walls of Cell 5, and Obama would probably be a slave somewhere in Mississippi plotting to make his next midnight dash for the river.

And because liberty, freedom and dignity are not free vouchers posted out to each household.

They do not come to those who just sit and wait. They have to be fought for, and gained.

And if you still want to ask: why march; I can go on and on until the last tree is felled. But I shall obviously not.

I will end with the following lines from one of the songs sung in the 1960s by civil rights marchers in the US, without whom Obama would not be able to even sit with the whites in a bus, let alone reside in the White House:

“It isn’t nice to block the doorway
It isn’t nice to go to jail
There are nicer ways to do it
But the nice ways have all failed
It isn’t nice; it isn’t nice
You’ve told us once, you’ve told us twice
But if that’s freedom’s price
We don’t mind …”

We have to always remember that in this world, there are two sides to every story. I'm glad that my frustrations can be subdued by such an enlightening article here: I may have been proven wrong. But then again, we all have rights to voice our opinions and I'm happy that I'm able to express mine. That's what a democratic, civilised and mature country should offer to its citizens. That's what the leaders of tomorrow and the younger generation should do: to speak up without fear. And after putting that, there is no doubt of my stance that the ISA should be abolished, although I remain on the fence, not siding any particular political party.