Wednesday 21 August 2013

Labu Batu 8 New Village Hungry Ghosts Festival with MP of Rasah

I Went to a Phor Thor (Hungry Ghost festival) function with MP of Rasah last night in Batu 8 Labu. In Seremban, there are about 50 over Phor Thor functions and most of it are by invitation only.

YB Teo Kok Seong was invited to give out chiffon cakes and other food items sponsored by the locals there. 


From left to right 
: Wong Thim Choy, Elvin Lee, Nicole Tan, village leader, YB Teo Kok Seong, Lee, villager, villager and Ah Poh (our Labu comrade)
 
The Hungry Ghost Festival (Phor Thor in Malaysia) is a traditional Chinese festival celebrated by Chinese in many countries.

In Chinese tradition, the 15th day of the 7th month in the lunar calendar (Ghost Month) is called Ghost Day, in which ghosts and spirits, including those of the deceased ancestors, come out from the lower realm to visit the living !! This is quite different from both the Qingming Festival (in spring) and Chung Yeung Festival (in autumn) in which living descendants pay respects to their deceased ancestors.

On the 15th day, the gate between realms of Heaven and Hell and the realm of the living are open. Both Taoists and Buddhists would perform rituals to absolve the sufferings of the deceased (presumably, the ones in Heaven, oops sorry, I mean Hell). I am reminded about the joke of which one guy said he when he dies, he prefers to go to Hell as all his friends are there.

The religious festivities includes ancestor worship, like preparing ritualistic food offerings, burning incense, and burning joss paper, a papier-mâché form of material items or effigies such as clothes, gold and other fine goods for the visiting spirits of the ancestors. For the Hungry Ghosts festival, even the younger generation are being worshipped as distinguished from Qingming.

Elaborate meals (often vegetarian meals) would be served with empty seats for each of the deceased in the family treating the deceased as if they are still living.

Other festivities include, releasing miniature paper boats and lanterns on water, which signifies giving directions to the lost ghosts and spirits of the ancestors and other deities.

In Malaysia today, live concert-like performances are held and everyone is invited to attend. The first row of seats are always left empty for the ghosts to sit. The shows are always in the  night and at high volumes as the sound is believed to attract and please the ghosts.

Those live burlesque shows are popularly known as 'Koh-tai' by Hokkien-speaking people for "Merry-making". I remember once, a medium spoke on behalf of Hades (God of Hell) that he doesn’t like watching all these burlesque shows. The show went ahead as the organisers said that if  Hades doesn’t like it then the worshippers can still enjoy ! This is a far cry from those days of  which Chinese Opera was performed.






Then : Chinese Opera for Hungry Ghosts 


Sexy Dancers for Hungry Ghosts

Saturday 17 August 2013

Tidings from President of Royal Sungei Ujong Club

Tidings from President of Royal Sungei Ujong Club

Let me start by wishing all my Muslim brothers and sisters a “Selamat Hari Raya Aidil Fitri”. Hari Raya Puasa or Aidil Fitri or Eid al-Fitr (in Arabic which means "festival of breaking of the fast") is an important religious holiday celebrated by all Muslims marking the end of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting. The auspicious Aidil Fitri is to celebrate the conclusion of dawn-to-sunset fasting during the entire month of Ramadan. Aidil Fitri  falls on the first day of the month of Shawwal. On this day Muslims around the world show a common goal of unity. On this feliticious occasion, let us unite in the spirit of camaraderie and friendship !

“Melentur Aur Biar dari Rebungnya” is a traditional Malay proverb translated to mean  “to bend a bamboo, it is better to start from its shoot”. In order to nurture, cultivate and instill great skills and/or values in a person, start them early. Understanding the notable truth to this proverb, the RSUC-AZAM DAUD U-13 FOOTBALL 9’s CHALLENGE TROPHY 2013 has been developed to reach out to our future players  and inculcate the value of appreciating sports (and in this case, football) as part of their culture. Sports like good character must be inculcated from young. Good sportsmanship is not just about winning or losing but it is about the ability to accept the results as it is.  

Therefore, a great honour and privilege for the Royal Sungei Ujong Club to host the RSUC-AZAM DAUD U-13 FOOTBALL 9’s CHALLENGE TROPHY 2013 on the 17th of August 2013 (Saturday) at Rahang Square, Seremban, Negeri Sembilan. I understand that there are 16 teams participating in the tournament. The objective the tournament is to expose RSUC members’ children to more competitive football and to unearth potential talented young footballers in our Club. It is a fantastic effort to promote youth development for the Football Section. This is the brainchild of the organising committee, namely Mr. Low Her Huat (the football captain), Tony Chia (General Committee in charge of House and Grounds), Mr. Steven Loo Chairman), Mr Ramesh, Mr. Saravanan Sannasi (our Sports Chairman) and Encik Azam Bin Daud.

Therefore, as the President of the Club and on behalf of all the members of the Club, I must extend our heartiest compliments and gratitude to the organizing committee of this tournament for a stellar job.  A lot of preparatory and assiduous work have gone into organising an extensive tournament like this. I am sure that this tournament will be another runaway success. On behalf of the Club, let me bid all our visitors (participants and officials) to the RSUC a very warm welcome.

I wish all of you “All the best !”. As the old adage goes : “May the best teams win”. It is my hope that the spirit of clubbing i.e, fellowship and good fun shall prevail rather than just the spirit of winning. Most importantly, we hope to discover our very own “David Beckham” of RSUC !

Let me end by quoting Bob Cousy, “Sports gives your life structure, discipline, and a pure fulfillment that few other areas of endeavor provide”.

See you at the club !
Nicole Tan Lee Koon
President
Royal Sungei Ujong Club 2013/2014


h

The magazine


The Secretariat


Souvenir


The speech

Saturday 10 August 2013

Join the UBAH team !!


I would like to share a story of the rat trap with you. “A rat looked through a crack in the wall to see the farmer and his wife opening a package. What food might it contain? He was aghast to discover that it was a rat trap. Retreating to the barnyard the rat proclaimed the warning; “There’s a rat trap in the house, a rat trap in the house!”

The chicken clucked and scratched, raised her head and said, “Excuse me, Mr. Rat, I can tell this is a grave concern to you, but it is of no consequence to me. I cannot be bothered by it.”

The rat turned to the pig and told him, “There’s a rat trap in the house, a rat trap in the house!” “I am so very sorry Mr. Rat,” sympathized the pig, “but there is nothing I can do about it but pray. Be assured that you are in my prayers.”

The rat turned to the cow. She said, “Like wow, Mr. Rat. a rat trap. I am in grave danger. Duh?” So the rat returned to the house, head down and dejected, to face the farmer’s rat trap alone.

That very night a sound was heard throughout the house, like the sound of a rat trap catching its prey. The farmer’s wife rushed to see what was caught. In the darkness, she did not see that it was a venomous snake whose tail the trap had caught. The snake bit the farmer’s wife. The farmer rushed her to the hospital. She returned home with a fever.

Now everyone knows you treat a fever with fresh chicken soup, so the farmer took his hatchet to the barnyard for the soup’s main ingredient.

His wife’s sickness continued so that friends and neighbors came to sit with her around the clock. To feed them the farmer butchered the pig.

The farmer’s wife did not get well.  She died, and so many people came for her funeral that the farmer had the cow slaughtered to provide meat for all of them to eat.”


What is the moral of the story ? So the next time you hear that someone is facing a problem and think that it does not concern you, remember that when there is a rat trap in the house, the whole barnyard’s at risk.  

Everyone is connected and what affects me, also affects you. Therefore, be more aware of what is going on in your family, in your ‘taman’, in your office, in the society and most importantly, in our country. Be an activist in your own little way. You don’t need to join a political party in order to make changes albeit small or big.

Use your talents. If you are good writer, write to the various papers, social medias and websites about the things you are not happy about in the country. If you are a good organiser, organise the Residents’ Association and look into the various issues affecting your ‘taman’. 


If you have good networking, influence more people to be agents of change/UBAH. Agents of change can come in many forms i.e, before, during and after elections. No man is an island. 

Hence, it is best to work with political parties as they are more organised and experienced. Before the elections, volunteer your services (legal, finance, accounts, management etc). During elections, be voting and counting agents or help out in the campaigns or in the operations centres etc. After the elections, give feedbacks and help to reach out to the areas which were not penetrated earlier.  


Channel your concerns and demands through the right political party and/or politicians by working with them. Be part of the UBAH team for a better Malaysia.





RSUC President's Message for Football 7's - 8th June, 2013

A message I wrote for the Royal Sungei Ujong Club in June, 2013 :

Message from President of Royal Sungei Ujong Club

Let me start by quoting Gary Lineker after losing the 1990 World Cup semifinal to Germany on penalties: “Football is a simple game; 22 men chase a ball for 90 minutes and at the end, the Germans win.”

Greetings from the Royal Sungei Ujong Club, Seremban !

It is indeed a privilege and honour for me to write this message, being the first message as the newly minted President of the Royal Sungei Ujong Club. At the very outset, let me tell you that I am no ordinary girl next door who knows nothing about football. I have to credit my late father, Mr Tang Seng Huang for introducing me to football and as a result I got hooked. I remember both of us sitting with our eyes glued in front of the television discussing excitedly about a “Road to Wembley” game, much to my sisters and mother’s chagrin. We were guilty of  hogging the television. His favourite team was Tottentham Hotspurs (“Spurs”) and mine was Manchester City (“City”).

My favourite game of all time was the FA Cup Final Replay between Spurs and City in 1981.  It was the first to be staged at Wembley. Ricky Villa opened the scoring for Spurs in the 8th minute.  Steve MacKenzie equalised for City in the 11th minute.  Kevin Reeves scored a penalty in the 50th minute to give City the lead. Garth Crooks then equalised in the 70th minute. In the 76th minute, Tony Galvin passed the ball to Villa 30 yards from City's goal, and the Argentinian dribbled past four defenders before scoring the winning goal. This goal was voted Wembley Goal of the Century in 2001, and it won Tottenham the match, 3–2, and the FA Cup for the 6th time.

It is also indeed a great honour and privilege too for the Royal Sungei Ujong Club to organise the RSUC – TIGER FOOTBALL 7’s CHALLENGE TROPHY 2013 this year. Continuing from the success of the three (3) previous tournaments, we have grown from strength to strength. The inaugural one was in 2010. It is indeed encouraging to see that we are making progress in cultivating an enthusiastic sporting culture as the tournament teams have grown from 4 in 2010 to 12 in 2011 to 16 this year !

All this cannot be achieved without the dedication, commitment and enthusiasm of the organising committee, namely Mr. Low Her Huat (the new football captain), Tony Chia (the previous football captain and the current House and Grounds and Security Chairman), Mr. Steven Loo (our previous Sports Chairman), Mr Ramesh, Mr. Saravanan Sannasi (our current Sports Chairman) and Encik Azam Bin Daud who have spent invaluable time, energy and resources to promote football and friendship (camaraderieship) with other football clubs. This is what clubbing is all about. The main objective of this tournament is to foster greater fellowship at a competitive level among many football players and officials from many clubs, both local and overseas, that will soon converge on the NS Padang culminating in a gala dinner at our very own Tuanku Jaafar Hall. Our theme in 2011 of “FRIENDSHIP FOREVER…IT IS ALL THAT MATTERS” rings true !

Special mention to our guest of honour and a member of the Club, Dato Alexander Soosay, Secretary of the Asian Football Federation (AFC) who has time and time again supported the football section in so many ways.

This year the tournament will be held on 7-10 June, 2013 at the NS Padang. Let me make this an opportunity to quote Martin Luther King. I have a dream that one day in the near future we will be able to hold the tournament in our very own football field. When can we make it happen ? All I can say now is  : if there’s a will, there’s a way. Watch this space.

I understand that this 7’s soccer tournament is probably one of the most prestigious in this part of the world, worthy credit must be given to the RSUC’s  soccer section for organising this tournament so well and efficiently. It is my fervent hope that the football section can take up the challenge to ensure that this tournament continues to be prestigious and popular.  

Therefore, as the President of the Club and on behalf of all the members of the Club, I must extend our heartiest compliments and gratitude to the organisers of this tournament for a job well done. It is a tough job to organise such an extensive tournament like this. A lot of preparatory and assiduous work have gone into the tournament. I am sure that this tournament will be another runaway success.

On behalf of the Club, let me bid all our visitors (participants and officials) to the RSUC a very warm welcome. We also like to welcome and appreciate our friends from overseas and we are truly appreciative of the efforts you have taken to come all the way to participate in this event.

I wish all of you the best of luck. As the saying goes : “May the best teams win”. It is my fervent hope that the spirit of clubbing i.e, fellowship and good fun shall prevail rather than just the spirit of winning.  

Last but not least, I would like to thank our major sponsor, Guinness Anchor Bhd for their generous support to the soccer 7s tournament. We are very grateful and thankful of your relentless support.  

Let me end by quoting Bill Shankly, Liverpool manager on football: “Some people believe football is a matter of life and death. I’m very disappointed with that attitude. I can assure you it is much, much more important than that.”

Have a fantabulous weekend !!
Nicole Tan Lee Koon
President
Royal Sungei Ujong Club 2013/2014




Wednesday 7 August 2013

Selamat Hari Raya Aidil Fitri !!!






Here's wishing all my Muslim friends Selamat Hari Raya ! To those who are not aware of its significance : Hari Raya Puasa or Aidil Fitri or Eid al-Fitr (in Arabic which means "festival of breaking of the fast") is an important religious holiday celebrated by all Muslims marking the end of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting. On the auspicious Aidil Fitri, Muslims are not permitted to fast. This is to celebrate the conclusion of dawn-to-sunset fasting during the entire month of Ramadan. Aidil Fitri falls on the first day of the month of Shawwal. On this day Muslims around the world show a common goal of unity. 


Aidil Fitri’s Islamic prayer (Solat) consists of two units (Rakat). The prayers are offered in an open field or large hall. It may only be performed in congregation (Jama’at) and, has an additional extra six Takbirs (raising of the hands to the ears while saying "Allāhu Akbar", literally "God is greatest").


Muslims believe that they are commanded by God, as mentioned in the Quran, to continue their fast until the last day of Ramadan and pay the Zakat and Fitra before offering the prayers.

Appointment as Political Secretary to MP of Rasah, YB Teo Kok Seong






6th of July, 2013 was the fateful day of which I was appointed as Member of Parliament, YB Teo Kok Seong's political secretary (a glorified personal assistant some may say). Whatever it is, I am thankful to YB Teo for giving me a political platform. 

I checked 6th July and found that my idol, Sir Thomas More was executed for treason against Henry VIII on that day ! On the other hand, Richard I “the Lionheart” acceded to the English throne in 1189. Richard III was crowned King of England in 1483. I guess it was the best of times and it was the worst of times.

On a lighter note, John Lennon was first introduced to Paul McCartney on the 6th of July, 1957 in Woolton, Liverpool. The most famous statesman born on that day is Stamford Raffles in 1781.

True Colours !



This is the text of a speech I made in 2011. My maiden Mandarin speech, really. My warnings came true ! I warned that the BN government will use all sorts of tactics and tricks in order to win the elections.  This is truly a government which does not walk the talk (“janji tidak ditepati”). A case of  their true colours manifesting (臉型披露).  The latest Conversion Bill which allows one parent to convert a child despite the fact that in April 2009, de facto law minister Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz announced that the Government would ban the automatic conversion of minors to Islam, in a bid to quell unease among non-Muslims in mainly Muslim Malaysia http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/mobile/malaysia/article/fool-me-twice-shame-on-you-is-the-feeling-on-conversion-bill/

I ended my speech by saying “Beware ! If we allow BN to win (過關) the next general elections (臉型披露) then they will use more powerful weapons against us (我們就倒黴)What powerful weapons ?  The above is only the harbinger of things to come ? Like the GST,  the continuation of the AES, giving out more citizenships to foreigners, continuation of abuse of powers, playing racial cards, curb on freedom on human rights (especially freedom of expression) etc

****************

Hitler used to share with his closest friends that "what luck for rulers that men do not think". For the past 55 years, Malaysians have been too apathetic and kind as we endured one bad leader after another (逆來順受). Allowed the rotten government to turn into bad government. From a bad government to a nasty government. From a nasty government to a wicked government. A government that practices political oppression (政治迫害) ; corruption (腐敗); abuse of power (濫權) and allow wastages to happen. We allowed these bad leaders to dupe us one general elections after another. We used to be a rich country. Our Ringgit was stronger than Singapore Dollar. Now, the Rakyats are suffering. 1 SGD is now RM 2.5! There are not enough jobs to go around. We need to come out of the matrix or vicious cycle (离开恶性的循环) and into a new cycle of change in order to save our future generation. 55 years of deception and oppression is enough.

Suddenly, 308 (the 12th General Elections) happened. 308 shook BN's strong foundation. 308 gave an opportunity to the opposition to prove that Pakatan can be a better government than BN. For eg, Penang. CM Lim Guan Eng's CAT principles (Competency, Accountability and Transparency) has become a model for all the other states to follow. Pakatan's prudent management managed to put Penang and Selangor in the top 3 in the Auditor-General's report card for the highest savings and highest FDI (Foreign Direct Investment). This report card was not written by Pakatan but by the Auditor-General. 

Suddenly, Arab Spring happened. Middle Eastern countries like Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Bahrain, Syria and Yemen experienced a regime change like a domino effect. Such strong and powerful leaders/despots like Gaddafi, Mubarak etc all fell one by one. The Arab Spring has caught the imagination of the masses and has influenced many people to be agents of change.

Suddenly, the world economic crisis happened. USA, such a superpower, was at the verge of bankruptcy. They printed more money. Still not enough money. So, they had QE1 and QE2 and 
perhaps, QE3 in order to salvage themselves. Malaysia is also facing the same problem. Our national debts now stands at RM502 billion and counting. Our PM, Najib asked us not to panic as Malaysia was quite different from Middle East. Who is he kidding but himself? This situation can be likened to a divine timing. As the chinese saying goes, 天时地利人和天時地利人和. It simply means “the right time, the right place, and the right people” (more literally “heavenly timing, location advantage, and human harmony”). 

We must make use of this golden opportunity. A divine timing which does not happen very often, to use our valuable votes for a change.


On the Sept 15th, 2011, Najib made a "groundbreaking" announcement in his Malaysia Day's speech. He said the government shall repeal the 3 Emergency Declarations and the draconian statutes like ISA, Printing Presses and Publications Act and Banishment Act. These are BN's powerful weapons (致命的武器) to curb opposition and Rakyats who do not accept the government's policies. Why should BN take away these powerful weapons (自廢武功) ? First reason is for BN's political survival. Like the lizard's survival skill. The lizard will shed its tail in order to escape for its predator/death (斷尾求生). Second reason is because Pakatan denied BN their 2/3rds majority in Parliament. After 308, BN is no more all-powerful. BN has to listen to the Rakyats' voices. BN has to heed the opposition's demands for the Rakyats. Beware ! If we allow BN to win (過關) the next general elections (臉型披露) then they will use more powerful weapons against us (我們就倒黴). We need to have a stronger two party system with check and balance or a regime change to avoid absolute power falling into any one party's hands.



Wednesday 31 July 2013

Be Grateful 感恩



I am reminded of a little story. One guy was sitting in the airport waiting for his flight. Next to him was an old lady, presumably waiting for her flight. Feeling hungry, he opened a packet of biscuits and started eating. The old lady next to him also dug in and ate the biscuits. Feeling embarrassed, the man did not react and he continued to eat the biscuits. Suddenly, the old lady got up and took the balance of the biscuits away to board her plane. Shell shocked at the lady's behaviour, the man mumbled under his breath and shook his head. Then, he boarded his plane and discovered that his own packet of biscuits was still in his bag. He had mistakenly opened the old lady's packet of biscuits. But it was too late for him to apologise to the old lady. 



The moral of the story : Don't be too quick to judge other people. When you point one finger, four fingers point back at you. Not only ask other people to be grateful to you, ask yourself whether you have been grateful to other people. The old lady did not even complain about the guy eating her biscuits !

Thank you for the encouragement !

On the 30th of July, 2013, I  received an anonymous comment on an article I wrote about my late dad : “I could not stop my tears flowing Nicole. All of you have done well. You go girl.” and yesterday, a charming lady told me in the club that she read my article “Jellyfishers” and encouraged me to write more. These are the little things which I appreciate and treasure.

I am enjoying my new duty as the Political Secretary for YB Teo Kok Seong (Member of Parliament of Rasah) and has neglected to write.  Anyway, I would love to share a small little photo journalism of my journey so far. 









Sunday 14 July 2013

Teoh Beng Hock's Memorial Service in Nirvana Memorial Park, Semenyih - 14th July, 2013

Nirvana Memorial Park, Semenyih

Teoh Lee Lan, Teoh Er Jia and yours truly

SG/CM Lim Guan Eng

I had the privilege to accompany YB Teo Kok Seong (MP of Rasah) to attend the Memorial Service for Teoh Beng Hock. It is the 4th anniversary of his death. Time really flies ! Just look at his son, Teoh Er Jia, who is also four years old. I can see the sadness in his eyes. 

Watch this space for more of my thoughts.

Saturday 13 July 2013

My late dad's ACS Class of 1963 Golden Anniversary Reunion Dinner - 12th July 2013

From left to right : Helen Ng, Choo Mei Lin, Liau Thai Min (Sir Liau), Siew Moy, Charlie Chan, need to find out the other two ladies' names

The two special guests greeting each other
Group pix

Hold on !

Fun pix

With Miss Gorgeous and Sexy, Ann Ng

Speechie 


My late dad's ACS Class of 1963 Golden Anniversary Reunion Dinner - 12th July 2013

It is a real honour to be able to represent my late dad. I took the liberty to draft the the epitaph inscribed on his tombstone : "Here is a man who defied all logic and odds. We are your legacies" Here I am, carrying on his legacy !

I was asked to make a speech as the President of the Royal Sungei Ujong Club. In my speech, I said when I first found out that my dad's nickname was 阿掰 or "the crippled", I was taken aback. I told them that to me, my dad was perfect as can be and that 阿掰 has done well to bring up four beautiful daughters, including yours truly !

The special guest for the evening was Mrs Ng Shin Koy who is 85 years old ! Mrs Ng (but she wants to be known as Ann) is very witty ! Ann (according to all my dad’s classmates) is the most gorgeous and sexy teacher that my dad's batch has ever had ! She flew down or rather flew up from Down Under. Another special mention is Siew Moy. She  made a trip from California.

I started my speech by saying that I don't normally prepare for my speeches as I speak from the heart. I ended my speech by quoting, "It is by chance that we have met but it is by choice we became friends. Let us continue this wonderful friendship !” Well, I should have said that it is by chance that we have met but it is by choice that we became friends and remain as friends.



Friday 12 July 2013

6th of July - Historic Moment !








6th of July, 2013 was the fateful day of  which I was appointed as Member of Parliament, YB Teo Kok Seong's political secretary (a glorified personal assistant some may say). Whatever it is, I am thankful to YB Teo for giving me a political platform. 

I checked 6th July and found that my idol, Sir Thomas More was executed for treason against Henry VIII on that day ! On the other hand, Richard I “the Lionheart” acceded to the English throne in 1189. Richard III was crowned King of England in 1483. I guess it was the best of times and it was the worst of times.

On a lighter note, John Lennon was first introduced to Paul McCartney on the 6th of July, 1957 in Woolton, Liverpool. The most famous statesman born on that day is Stamford Raffles in 1781.

Here are some newspaper clippings on the appointment.



Monday 8 July 2013

Jellyfishers !


Newton's third law is: For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. I learnt that in school during my Form 5 (yes, I was in science stream). I was inspired by a few incidents that happened recently. I noticed that there are some people who delight in making other people’s lives miserable, unwittingly or otherwise. I shudder to think of the motive or reasons for doing so but I can only make a wild guess that their lives are pretty deprived.

I am  reminded of my teenaged days. I used to watch a lot of Hong Kong drama serials. During the 80’s, there was this group of good looking actors in TVB dubbed “The 5 Tigers” comprising of Andy Lau; Tony Leung, Michael Miu, Felix Wong and Kent Tong. They were the most popular actors at that time, much adored by young girls alike. I have this particular friend who hated Andy Lau so much even though he was the most good looking and popular of the lot. The hatred is so deep seated that she would go all out to campaign against Andy Lau. It was a case of David (my friend) vs Goliath (Andy Lau). Only difference is this Goliath didn’t pick a fight. The feeling was not mutual. This Goliath does not know the existence of this David. My friend harnessed all her energy or qi into hating and campaigning against Andy Lau even though Andy Lau did not wrong her in any way. It was a futile exercise.  I am still clueless on why she did it. I can only guess that she lacked so much attention that she was jealous of the adulation Andy Lau was getting. What is my point, you may ask. My point is simple some people just like to see other people suffer despite not knowing the person either out of spite or for some reasons only God knows.

This morning I heard a new expression from Capital FM (my favourite radio station) called the “Jellyfisher”. Jellyfishers: In Bridget Jones’ Diary,  engaging in a conversation with Jellyfishers is like swimming through a school of jellyfish. Jellyfishers are always saying things to hurt you. They make no apologies and often hide behind telling it like it is or that they were just being frank/direct. They are saying what they say to be cruel and hurt people, not for any helpful/constructive purpose. Imagine an early morning “jellyfish” comment. It really spoils your day. I am like if you do not have anything good to say, better shut your gap.

Using Newton’s Third Law, for every bad action there is an equally bad reaction. I am reminded of an ancient Japanese (some attributed it to Sun Tzu) saying : “If you wait by the river long enough, the bodies of your enemies will float by." I am patient enough. To all those “jellyfishers” I have loved/hated before, get a life !



Wednesday 29 May 2013

Cinami ?




I had an interesting banter with my friends recently. Many of my friends are quite aged i.e 55 and above. Not by choice though. You see, most of my peers are not based in Seremban. I shall not name these friends of mine but let me tell you that they are both professionals and semi-retired. These people are working just to kill time. I shall name them Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davies Jr.

Frank commented to me that there is a huge gap between the Chinese and Malays now after the GE13. Sammy agreed and asked me “Where do we go from here now?” I then asked them what made them feel this way.

Sammy then said that a senior top official of Malay ethnicity told him that the Chinese are ungrateful for accepting all the BRIMs and eating at all the BN-organised dinners and yet voted against the BN. I immediately said that BN does not represent the Malays.

Why are they equating “not supporting BN” with “not supporting the Malays”? Of which Frank said BN means UMNOlah since MIC and MCA have no power.

They went on to say that the Malay top official also said that the Chinese which constitutes 26% (sic) (as Chinese now constitutes 23% of the population in Malaysia, according to this latest report : http://www.indexmundi.com/malaysia/demographics_profile.html) of Malaysia’s population and yet control 60% of Malaysia’s economy.

I then asked for the source of that contention. Whereas I gave them Lim Teck Ghee’s findings (five years ago) that the Malays now control more than 45% Malaysia’s economy. Then they said that if the Chinese stopped doing business then Malaysia’s whole economy would shut down. It is just like saying if the Malays stopped doing business then Malaysia’s economy would be shut down as well. It won’t be shut down totally, maybe the people would be inconvenienced.

Anyway, all this racial divide argument is in my opinion, a smoke screen put up by UMNO to create a racial divide in order to divide and rule. We were subjected to this divide and rule spell and we have to outgrow it lest we be shackled by it. This so-called Chinese Tsunami or Cinami is not against the Malays but it is against BN. UMNO do not represent the Malays. After 2008’s tsunami, there were more Malay Members of Parliament than before. Pakatan Rakyat’s component parties consists of PKR, PAS and DAP. All these parties are open to all races. In fact, the Malays are the majority in both PKR and PAS.

Using simple mathematics, one would realise that with the 51% popular votes garnered by Pakatan Rakyat, the majority of the votes were from the Malays. The Malays who are ABU (Anything but UMNO), the Malays who are against the BN, the Malays who can think, the Malays who are progressive, the Malays who love Malaysia, the Malays who are Malaysians first and most importantly, the Malays who are our future !


To those so called top officials (who are UMNO cronies anyway), don’t tell us that UMNO represents the Malays. Don’t try to create racial tension. Don’t even try to create hatred in the Malays against the Chinese. The Cinami is  not against the Malays. The Cinami is against BN period.