Last Tuesday my son Adam got knocked down by a motorbike while waiting to get across the road in front of our house. I was at work during that time and according to my wife the makcik that knocked him didn’t even stop and asked about my son’s condition.
This “makcik rempit” didn’t even had the courtesy of offering her apology towards my son, instead she just stop for a while looked behind and just move along to god knows where.
YOU BITCH!!! I PRAY SOMETHING SIMILAR WILL HAPPENS UPON YOU OR YOUR FAMILY!!!
It was very fortunate of Adam that several good Samaritans came to his aid and tend him while waiting for my wife to come.
When I reached home, I took him to one of the specialist in Klang and was advised by the MO to do a CT scan on his head hence the sign of a blunt trauma on his forehead. I’m relieved that there were no untoward findings or whatsoever on his head.
Now Adam still on his medical leave from school and resting at home until the end of this week.
As for me I’m still enrage with the BITCH that knocked him down.
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Monday, July 28, 2008
...howwwzattt... for being sceptical...
Yesterday news, the pilot of the near disaster Qantas 747 was saying that the incident was due to the outsourcing of the 747s fleet to another maintenance facility and he specifically mentioned Malaysia. And if you mention Malaysia, there are no other facility that capable of maintaining a 747 except for Malaysia Airlines.
I don't understand how and where did this pilot got his facts when uttering his remarks.
What I can tell you is, MAS only do maintenance on their 737s and even that I'm pretty sure not all of their 737s were sent here and apart from the 737s, there're a few of their engineers currently employed on a contract basis here hence the 1500 workforce lay-off plan made by them.
As of now investigators believed that the possible cause of the incident was from the onboard oxygen bottle (read here).
I don't understand how and where did this pilot got his facts when uttering his remarks.
What I can tell you is, MAS only do maintenance on their 737s and even that I'm pretty sure not all of their 737s were sent here and apart from the 737s, there're a few of their engineers currently employed on a contract basis here hence the 1500 workforce lay-off plan made by them.
As of now investigators believed that the possible cause of the incident was from the onboard oxygen bottle (read here).
Saturday, July 26, 2008
...howwwzattt... bloody hell pt. 2...
Mercs for use by state's guests only, says PM - NST .
"Don't insult my intelligence..."
Horatio Caine - CSI Miami
At first they didn't say anything but as one after another series of revealing fact by the state's MB, the final answer was the above. I don't know who is saving whose face now, but for sure the flip and floping one is trying to cover his "air muka" to the public.
Save all the Mercs for only state guests, all the 14 of them. But yet the current V6es also need to be replace. So now they will have 28 car added to their stable.
This is the classic case of buy 1 get 1 free.
"Don't insult my intelligence..."
Horatio Caine - CSI Miami
At first they didn't say anything but as one after another series of revealing fact by the state's MB, the final answer was the above. I don't know who is saving whose face now, but for sure the flip and floping one is trying to cover his "air muka" to the public.
Save all the Mercs for only state guests, all the 14 of them. But yet the current V6es also need to be replace. So now they will have 28 car added to their stable.
This is the classic case of buy 1 get 1 free.
Friday, July 25, 2008
...howwwzattt... once bitten, twice shy...
This piece was taken from one of the posting that were published in my alumni's group recently.
"Something to share what’s been circulating around. Not necessarily if the opposition coalition rule life of rakyat could be better, but something refreshing for our mind to ponder. Please do not misconstrue this message as anti-government but sometimes we need to think of what’s going to happen to our country in the future in the time of globalization era for the sake of our children and grandchildren."
MALAYSIA 2020?
Those who started work around 1973, a 1.3 Litre Japanese car was RM7000. Today the equivalent let's say it is RM 60000 - 8.5 times.
In 1973 a double storey house was about RM 45,000 or less. Today it is about RM300, 000 - 6.6 times.
In 1973 an Engineer's pay was RM1000. Today it is about RM 2000 - 2 times.
From 1973 to 2008 (35) years, what is the Trend? Bearish!!! In a stock market when the trend is bearish, what do we do? Exit!!! When a country's trend is bearish what do we do? This Bearish trend is more difficult to turn around as compared to the stock market. I have used these 3 items House, Car & Salary as a measurement of the country's performance for the past 35 years.
There is a book I saw in MPH bookshop entitled: Malaysia: The Failed Nation; some of you may be interested to read it up. I agreed with the writer.
This morning I was having coffee at McDonald (now the coffee is of a 100 % Arabica beans) its quite good @ RM 2.90 free refill! I asked how much per hour is their pay?RM 3.00 x 8 hours = RM 24 per day... x 25 days = RM 600 per month.
My daughter works part-time during her university days, she worked at Gloria Jeans Coffee. The pay was Australian $14.00 (@ 3.15 = RM 44 per hour...x 8 = RM 352 per day!!! x 25 days = RM 8800. 13.3 times more!!!
Price of houses in Perth is about the same in KL.
Price of cars is about 23 % cheaper in Perth, Australia.
I think more and more people are becoming aware of this Bearish trend. Developed country by 2020 or will it mean high-income country.
Let's look at some as of year 2005 (Financial Times);
USA GNP per capita US$ 35400.
UK GNP per capita US$ 25510.
Australia GNP per capita US$ 19530.
Singapore GNP per capita US $ 20690.
These are the developed countries by income comparison.
Malaysia GNP per capita US$ 3540.
Year 2020 developed country? Really, it’s a sad story. Worrying trends, isn't it?? Ringgit are sliding further and further under BN.
Gan Jul 8,08 4:03pm
Recently, I interviewed some fresh graduates applying for jobs with my engineering company. I accepted two applicants on a starting salary of RM1600.
It struck me as odd that 15 years ago; I myself started work as a fresh graduate engineer for the same pay. Indeed, if you compare the salaries of graduates now and 15 or even 20 years ago, you'll find little difference but that their purchasing power is vastly different. It's the same story when you compare salaries of shop assistants, office staffs, factory workers and others.
To compound the effect of inflation, the ringgit has depreciated greatly against all major currencies. The real income of most Malaysians has moved backwards. This is why many Malaysians suffer under the petrol hike.
The root of the problem is that our real incomes have shrunk in the face of inflation and depreciated currency. Malaysians have not been spoiled by subsidy but are unable to move out of the time lock of stagnated and depreciated incomes.
If you compare the per capita incomes of Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan and South Korea, they are a few multiples of ours although at independence all these countries were the on the same economic level as Malaysia. What has gone wrong?
We were the rising stars of East Asia, a country rich in natural resources with the most promising potential.
The reason is massive corruption, plundering of resources, wastage of funds for huge non- economic projects, anti-public interest deals with politically linked companies and passing-of-the -buck to the man in the street.
Our university standard has declined and the today best and brightest of our youth emigrate to escape the racial inequality only to contribute to the economies of foreign lands.
The reputation of our judiciary, which was held in high esteem worldwide, has sunk so low that foreign investors now insist on arbitration in Singapore in case of any dispute. We also have a slew of oppressive laws such as the ISA, OSA, Uuca and PPPA, which stifle free speech and are designed to keep the ruling parties in power.
We have become less attractive to foreign investors and now lag behind our neighbours in Asean for foreign direct investment. Even some corporations who have established themselves here are moving out.
All the economic and social malaise cannot help but affect the value of our currency. The strength of a country's currency is after all, a reflection of its fundamentals.
Furthermore, Bank Negara has a policy of weak ringgit to help exporters, never mind the burden on the common folk. The government is pro-corporation, not pro-rakyat.
While the poor and middle-class are squeezed, an elite group gets breathtakingly rich.
We have the distinction of having the worse income disparity in Asean. A re-distribution of wealth is under way from the poor and middle-class to a select group of politically connected elite. The end result of this re-distribution will be a small group of super-rich while the majority is pushed into poverty and the middle-class shrinks. This is what happens when the rich gets richer and the poor get poorer.
There is much that is wrong with Malaysia. The responsibility for pulling the country backwards can be laid squarely at the door of the ruling regime. It is BN's miss-governance; racial politics and culture of patronage, which has seen the country, regress economically and socially.
We seem to be sliding down a slippery slope, further down with each passing year of BN's rule. Another five years of BN rule and we'll be at Indonesia's standard under Suharto. Another 10 years and we'll be touching the African standard. What a way to greet 2020.
Is there any hope for Malaysia?Faced with the reality that BN will never change, many Malaysians desperate for change turn their lonely eyes to Anwar Ibrahim.
Pakatan Rakyat has promised to treat all races fairly, to plug wastage, fight corruption, reform the judiciary and make Malaysia more competitive. But some have questioned whether we can trust Anwar and his loose coalition of disparate parties.
The question is not whether we can trust Anwar and Pakatan Rakyat but whether we can afford not to.
Can we afford another ten years of BN's misrule?
"Something to share what’s been circulating around. Not necessarily if the opposition coalition rule life of rakyat could be better, but something refreshing for our mind to ponder. Please do not misconstrue this message as anti-government but sometimes we need to think of what’s going to happen to our country in the future in the time of globalization era for the sake of our children and grandchildren."
MALAYSIA 2020?
Those who started work around 1973, a 1.3 Litre Japanese car was RM7000. Today the equivalent let's say it is RM 60000 - 8.5 times.
In 1973 a double storey house was about RM 45,000 or less. Today it is about RM300, 000 - 6.6 times.
In 1973 an Engineer's pay was RM1000. Today it is about RM 2000 - 2 times.
From 1973 to 2008 (35) years, what is the Trend? Bearish!!! In a stock market when the trend is bearish, what do we do? Exit!!! When a country's trend is bearish what do we do? This Bearish trend is more difficult to turn around as compared to the stock market. I have used these 3 items House, Car & Salary as a measurement of the country's performance for the past 35 years.
There is a book I saw in MPH bookshop entitled: Malaysia: The Failed Nation; some of you may be interested to read it up. I agreed with the writer.
This morning I was having coffee at McDonald (now the coffee is of a 100 % Arabica beans) its quite good @ RM 2.90 free refill! I asked how much per hour is their pay?RM 3.00 x 8 hours = RM 24 per day... x 25 days = RM 600 per month.
My daughter works part-time during her university days, she worked at Gloria Jeans Coffee. The pay was Australian $14.00 (@ 3.15 = RM 44 per hour...x 8 = RM 352 per day!!! x 25 days = RM 8800. 13.3 times more!!!
Price of houses in Perth is about the same in KL.
Price of cars is about 23 % cheaper in Perth, Australia.
I think more and more people are becoming aware of this Bearish trend. Developed country by 2020 or will it mean high-income country.
Let's look at some as of year 2005 (Financial Times);
USA GNP per capita US$ 35400.
UK GNP per capita US$ 25510.
Australia GNP per capita US$ 19530.
Singapore GNP per capita US $ 20690.
These are the developed countries by income comparison.
Malaysia GNP per capita US$ 3540.
Year 2020 developed country? Really, it’s a sad story. Worrying trends, isn't it?? Ringgit are sliding further and further under BN.
Gan Jul 8,08 4:03pm
Recently, I interviewed some fresh graduates applying for jobs with my engineering company. I accepted two applicants on a starting salary of RM1600.
It struck me as odd that 15 years ago; I myself started work as a fresh graduate engineer for the same pay. Indeed, if you compare the salaries of graduates now and 15 or even 20 years ago, you'll find little difference but that their purchasing power is vastly different. It's the same story when you compare salaries of shop assistants, office staffs, factory workers and others.
To compound the effect of inflation, the ringgit has depreciated greatly against all major currencies. The real income of most Malaysians has moved backwards. This is why many Malaysians suffer under the petrol hike.
The root of the problem is that our real incomes have shrunk in the face of inflation and depreciated currency. Malaysians have not been spoiled by subsidy but are unable to move out of the time lock of stagnated and depreciated incomes.
If you compare the per capita incomes of Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan and South Korea, they are a few multiples of ours although at independence all these countries were the on the same economic level as Malaysia. What has gone wrong?
We were the rising stars of East Asia, a country rich in natural resources with the most promising potential.
The reason is massive corruption, plundering of resources, wastage of funds for huge non- economic projects, anti-public interest deals with politically linked companies and passing-of-the -buck to the man in the street.
Our university standard has declined and the today best and brightest of our youth emigrate to escape the racial inequality only to contribute to the economies of foreign lands.
The reputation of our judiciary, which was held in high esteem worldwide, has sunk so low that foreign investors now insist on arbitration in Singapore in case of any dispute. We also have a slew of oppressive laws such as the ISA, OSA, Uuca and PPPA, which stifle free speech and are designed to keep the ruling parties in power.
We have become less attractive to foreign investors and now lag behind our neighbours in Asean for foreign direct investment. Even some corporations who have established themselves here are moving out.
All the economic and social malaise cannot help but affect the value of our currency. The strength of a country's currency is after all, a reflection of its fundamentals.
Furthermore, Bank Negara has a policy of weak ringgit to help exporters, never mind the burden on the common folk. The government is pro-corporation, not pro-rakyat.
While the poor and middle-class are squeezed, an elite group gets breathtakingly rich.
We have the distinction of having the worse income disparity in Asean. A re-distribution of wealth is under way from the poor and middle-class to a select group of politically connected elite. The end result of this re-distribution will be a small group of super-rich while the majority is pushed into poverty and the middle-class shrinks. This is what happens when the rich gets richer and the poor get poorer.
There is much that is wrong with Malaysia. The responsibility for pulling the country backwards can be laid squarely at the door of the ruling regime. It is BN's miss-governance; racial politics and culture of patronage, which has seen the country, regress economically and socially.
We seem to be sliding down a slippery slope, further down with each passing year of BN's rule. Another five years of BN rule and we'll be at Indonesia's standard under Suharto. Another 10 years and we'll be touching the African standard. What a way to greet 2020.
Is there any hope for Malaysia?Faced with the reality that BN will never change, many Malaysians desperate for change turn their lonely eyes to Anwar Ibrahim.
Pakatan Rakyat has promised to treat all races fairly, to plug wastage, fight corruption, reform the judiciary and make Malaysia more competitive. But some have questioned whether we can trust Anwar and his loose coalition of disparate parties.
The question is not whether we can trust Anwar and Pakatan Rakyat but whether we can afford not to.
Can we afford another ten years of BN's misrule?
Thursday, July 24, 2008
howwwzattt... snippet...
Just conclude the Module 13 - Human Factor class. At 3 in the afternoon there'll be an exam for the subject and I have to pass for the first seat, otherwise I will have to do the re-exam which will takes I don't know when.
From tens of courses and certs that I have now, this is the last paper that I need so that I can submit as soon as possible in order to seat for oral with the QA for my company licence/approval.
From tens of courses and certs that I have now, this is the last paper that I need so that I can submit as soon as possible in order to seat for oral with the QA for my company licence/approval.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
...howwwzattt for murid2 tua...
Had to go for a 3 days class for Human Factor starting of today. In following the EASA (European Aviation Safety Agency) one of the governing body in aviation, it is a requirement for an approval holder to be, to attend and pass this course.
So what to do, lets get back to school...
So what to do, lets get back to school...
Monday, July 21, 2008
...howwwzattt... bloody hell...
Of no oil royalty was use... so where did
the money come from???
Damn!!! Proton should seriously look at the allegation made by the Trengganu MB. Within 36 month, an owner of a brand new Proton V6 had to fork out RM50,000.00 just to maintain the national car. If I’m not mistaken, it’s just about the same price of a used 3 years old V6. How did this owner or should I say user of the car used his or her V6 within that time?
To avoid that kind of money just to maintain the up keeping of one V6, this was their rationale.
To avoid that kind of money just to maintain the up keeping of one V6, this was their rationale.
“After having made a study, the state government finds that in the long run, it is better to use a new car to replace the Perdana V6 Executive which has been in use since more than four years ago.” - State Secretary Datuk Mokhtar Nong.
"We are not saying that the national car is not good, but the reality is that in less than two years of use, the cars had to be repaired due to faulty components like the gear box.For example, the car used by the Trade, Industry and Environment Committee chairman Toh Chin Yaw had been repaired twice costing RM50,000. But the Merdeces cars, although expensive to purchase, will incur us less maintenance cost in the long term." – Trengganu MB.
Faulty gearbox? How many gearboxes did he change for that span of time? Are we taken for a ride here? I’m certain definitely there was a leakage somewhere, say a close tender for maintaining all the state government official cars.
So the solution for it, replace the V6es with 14 E-200 Mercedes Kompressor with a total price tag of RM3.43 millions. According to them, in the long run it is worth it for buying and maintains the E-Class rather than foot the bill for the V6es. According to me, it’s just a waste of state coffers when in reality the rakyat who are the one that suffers.
"We are not saying that the national car is not good, but the reality is that in less than two years of use, the cars had to be repaired due to faulty components like the gear box.For example, the car used by the Trade, Industry and Environment Committee chairman Toh Chin Yaw had been repaired twice costing RM50,000. But the Merdeces cars, although expensive to purchase, will incur us less maintenance cost in the long term." – Trengganu MB.
Faulty gearbox? How many gearboxes did he change for that span of time? Are we taken for a ride here? I’m certain definitely there was a leakage somewhere, say a close tender for maintaining all the state government official cars.
So the solution for it, replace the V6es with 14 E-200 Mercedes Kompressor with a total price tag of RM3.43 millions. According to them, in the long run it is worth it for buying and maintains the E-Class rather than foot the bill for the V6es. According to me, it’s just a waste of state coffers when in reality the rakyat who are the one that suffers.
They should learn from the Penang CM pertaining the matter.
*The E-200 shown courtesy from Rocky's Bru.
Friday, July 18, 2008
...howwwzattt pt. 2...
How's the interview goes, one of the aspiring candidates asked? Well, just the usual stuff. The HR guy was asking about my life, experience and all that and our manager handles the technical part of the interview.
What do you think of my alumni tie pin?
What do you think of my alumni tie pin?
I'm not expecting anything out of the interview anyway, somehow they'll "korek" all about my past and present history from my file. Come to think of it, it's quite a thick file I assure you and was hoping they'll never find anything extra-extraordinary, say something like liwat-meliwat hahahaha...
So, kalau depa nak bagi gua ambik. Kalau taknak bagi pun gua ambik jugak, maybe my turn will come eventually.
...howwwzattt... first cut is the deepest...
It's never over till the fat lady sings
By Nel-Fahro Rozi
KUALA LUMPUR, July 18 (Bernama) -- Ever heard that popular adage, "it's never over till the fat lady sings"? Coined by a sportswriter and broadcaster Dan Cook, it was a form of self-assurance (or in denial) in the face of long odd, often muttered when things look grim.
That reminds me of that day two years ago when everything looked a little grim for me. I shouldn't feel that way, but I couldn't help my tears when I heard that The Ex-Husband had recently remarried.
I heard he went to Manila in the Philippines to marry The Other Woman. From what I know, they had been having an affair since the year before he left me five years ago. He must be in love with her for remaining with her for those many years, because his two other extra-marital affairs only lasted a month or two.
Jogging down the memory lane, five years ago, I was terribly devastated and deeply hurt by his betrayal. It was my fault that my entire universe revolved around him. When he had forsaken me without a word, except for a short sms to tell me that our marriage was over, I was so devastated, especially after reading what he wrote to in his break-up e-mail to me. He said that his ideal has changed. I was his ideal. Suddenly he realised I was no longer that.
My entire universe collapsed in a heap before my eyes. I really thought I would die of a broken heart. But thankfully, I didn't die, although at that time I wished I did. Looking back, it was ridiculous to think that I was almost suicidal. I am glad I survived. That was a blessing. Still is.
Nonetheless, I still am a little hurt by how he disposed off me after all these years, perhaps because he is still very much a part of me. I know that because I cried myself to sleep after hearing that news of him remarrying two years ago.
As Sheryl Crow sang, "first love is the deepest, first cut is the deepest..." He was after all my first love, and my first cut.
I guess I had not really let go of him two years ago. Tell me this, how can I throw away 15 years of my life with him, of which seven years I was married to him? That is like almost half of my life. I would be suffering from serious amnesia if I did!
I had not dislodged him from my heart, and it felt like that irritating little fish bone that got stuck in my throat. That was perhaps one of the reasons why in the last few years I could not commit 100% to a relationship with another man.
Not until two years ago, when I realised that I must let him go. I realised that what I should be looking for was not his replacement, and even my ideal, or Mr. Right as people call it, as I have learned from my ex-husband that ideals do change sometimes. There is no Mr. Right; I am just looking for my other half.
I thought, and still think that things would have been a lot easier for me, if The Ex-Husband was man enough to give me a proper closure in ending our marriage. The Ex-Husband never once told me in person he was sorry for what he did to me. He just wrote a two liner apology in a festive greeting card sent to me via the snail mail. Just saying sorry to me in my face would make a big difference to me by leaps and bounds. I guess his ego is thicker than The Great Wall of China.
Guess what, "it's never over til the fat lady sings" no more. I am not a sore loser. I may lose in this game of love with him, but I did learn great lessons.
Nonetheless, like energy, love cannot dissolve, it just evolves...
So, because we were together for a good 15 years and half of that time I was married to The Ex-Husband, my love for him has grown to become somewhat unconditional, so it cannot be undone. The old love that used to be, had evolved into another form. I would like to eventually call it friendship, and as a friend, I am happy that he is happy with his choice. I'm happy that he has found his ideal, whatever that means. Honestly, I really am.
A belated congratulations, darling!
-- BERNAMA
Nel-Fahro Rozi, a single-again 30 something career woman, is an experienced Corporate Communications Practitioner and is just starting a new career in Human Resource Development, for a large and established conglomerate in Kuala Lumpur. Nel is an avid reader, loves writing, likes travelling and enjoys the great outdoors. Nel also writes through her blog www.penglipurlara.wordpress.com when she finds her spare time.
By Nel-Fahro Rozi
KUALA LUMPUR, July 18 (Bernama) -- Ever heard that popular adage, "it's never over till the fat lady sings"? Coined by a sportswriter and broadcaster Dan Cook, it was a form of self-assurance (or in denial) in the face of long odd, often muttered when things look grim.
That reminds me of that day two years ago when everything looked a little grim for me. I shouldn't feel that way, but I couldn't help my tears when I heard that The Ex-Husband had recently remarried.
I heard he went to Manila in the Philippines to marry The Other Woman. From what I know, they had been having an affair since the year before he left me five years ago. He must be in love with her for remaining with her for those many years, because his two other extra-marital affairs only lasted a month or two.
Jogging down the memory lane, five years ago, I was terribly devastated and deeply hurt by his betrayal. It was my fault that my entire universe revolved around him. When he had forsaken me without a word, except for a short sms to tell me that our marriage was over, I was so devastated, especially after reading what he wrote to in his break-up e-mail to me. He said that his ideal has changed. I was his ideal. Suddenly he realised I was no longer that.
My entire universe collapsed in a heap before my eyes. I really thought I would die of a broken heart. But thankfully, I didn't die, although at that time I wished I did. Looking back, it was ridiculous to think that I was almost suicidal. I am glad I survived. That was a blessing. Still is.
Nonetheless, I still am a little hurt by how he disposed off me after all these years, perhaps because he is still very much a part of me. I know that because I cried myself to sleep after hearing that news of him remarrying two years ago.
As Sheryl Crow sang, "first love is the deepest, first cut is the deepest..." He was after all my first love, and my first cut.
I guess I had not really let go of him two years ago. Tell me this, how can I throw away 15 years of my life with him, of which seven years I was married to him? That is like almost half of my life. I would be suffering from serious amnesia if I did!
I had not dislodged him from my heart, and it felt like that irritating little fish bone that got stuck in my throat. That was perhaps one of the reasons why in the last few years I could not commit 100% to a relationship with another man.
Not until two years ago, when I realised that I must let him go. I realised that what I should be looking for was not his replacement, and even my ideal, or Mr. Right as people call it, as I have learned from my ex-husband that ideals do change sometimes. There is no Mr. Right; I am just looking for my other half.
I thought, and still think that things would have been a lot easier for me, if The Ex-Husband was man enough to give me a proper closure in ending our marriage. The Ex-Husband never once told me in person he was sorry for what he did to me. He just wrote a two liner apology in a festive greeting card sent to me via the snail mail. Just saying sorry to me in my face would make a big difference to me by leaps and bounds. I guess his ego is thicker than The Great Wall of China.
Guess what, "it's never over til the fat lady sings" no more. I am not a sore loser. I may lose in this game of love with him, but I did learn great lessons.
Nonetheless, like energy, love cannot dissolve, it just evolves...
So, because we were together for a good 15 years and half of that time I was married to The Ex-Husband, my love for him has grown to become somewhat unconditional, so it cannot be undone. The old love that used to be, had evolved into another form. I would like to eventually call it friendship, and as a friend, I am happy that he is happy with his choice. I'm happy that he has found his ideal, whatever that means. Honestly, I really am.
A belated congratulations, darling!
-- BERNAMA
Nel-Fahro Rozi, a single-again 30 something career woman, is an experienced Corporate Communications Practitioner and is just starting a new career in Human Resource Development, for a large and established conglomerate in Kuala Lumpur. Nel is an avid reader, loves writing, likes travelling and enjoys the great outdoors. Nel also writes through her blog www.penglipurlara.wordpress.com when she finds her spare time.
...howwwzattt for the little known fact...
A Writer's Life
By DINA ZAMAN, THE STAR
Ever heard of women paying for sex in Malaysia? Well, they're around and pay good bucks for selected studs.
When an acquaintance told me that she engaged in the services of male escorts, the confession knocked me back for six.
To say I was shocked would be an understatement.For a good while, I was struck dumb. I have many people and friends confessing all sorts of sordid secrets to me, but this took the cake. This had to be the winner of them all.
And allow me to add this: this woman is successful, is of mixed-race parentage and has many men asking her out. She does not need to pay for company or sex. She however chose a different route.
So. Was this the height of the feminist movement then, the emancipation and empowerment of a woman’s sexual life? Now that women have broken corporate class ceilings and can have it all, getting in on the game like how men have done for thousands of years was a sign of gender triumph. Or was it, really?
It started because she was curious, and then the practicality of such an arrangement won her over. It was business, and that was how she liked it.
She called the shots – it was easy to be a female punter, because the opportunities were right in her face, and they were subtler. None of the drive-by, walking into a brothel and picking up a sex worker. For a woman with means, it can be anywhere: a café, nightclub, even at the theatre. Shopping at high-end retail outlets is another source too.
It was a rather informative conversation my friend and I had that night. Some of the things I gleaned from her were:
- She was in control. She interviewed them personally, checked them up and down and made sure the size of the package was to her liking;
- Race played a part in safer sex – the Malay gigolos hated wearing condoms but Chinese “rent-boys” practised safe sex. She had never come across Indian male sex workers, she said. There was a white tourist though, who wanted to make a few extra bucks for his travels;
- The Chinese men she had had liaisons with were professionals who wanted a pleasurable side income. The rest? They weren’t thinking of a future; and
- The men were so sweet and very nice. (Urm, at RM200 per hour, anyone can be sincere.)
This was true feminism, she claimed, and told me to stop gaping like a goldfish, for as a writer who has written on sensitive matters, I was expected not to judge.
After all, what was she doing wrong? The old, saggy socialites and datins dancing their sad lonely nights away in nightclubs keep younger men. Those boys knew what they were getting into.
What about women our age, who marry rich men, solely for their money? That’s legalised prostitution, she said. I, she pointed her finger at me, was a romantic fool.
Also, what choices does a single woman in her late thirties have? Married men? Not kosher. Polygamy? It’s an insult to women.
Lastly, she told me, her boys weren’t like my Chow Kit sex workers. Thank you very much.
As an employee of a public health and human rights NGO, this was a bit hard to swallow. I may be new to the Malaysian HIV/AIDS scenario, working with the poor and marginalised community, but I felt this trivialised and demeaned the sex trade, which, for the matter, is a violent industry.
It violates the rights of women, children and yes, men too (to me feminism is human rights, and this covers all genders and ages).
Gender theories on sex work aside, how does this impact on a woman’s well being? Her sexual health?
The feminisation of HIV in this country is a worrying situation. UNAIDS reported in its 2006 report on the global AIDS epidemic, in South-East Asia alone, women represented 29% of adults living with HIV. The infections are heterosexually-transmitted HIV cases.
A large number of them are housewives. The Malaysian Health Ministry June 2007 report stated that 2.4 women were infected with HIV each day.
Current studies also show that young women are several times more likely than young men to contract the disease through heterosexual contact. Now the collected data shows that female people living with HIV (PLHIV) are housewives, sex workers and intravenous drug users (IDUS).
As a colleague, Dr Karina Razali pointed out, we have made a gross mistake of inferring “disempowered women” as poor innocent victims of HIV, while the marginalised groups are treated as the “cause” of it all.
We have not taken into account, and must consider women who take their sexual lives in their hands, and are open to health risks too.
Female sex tourism is on the rise, and as more and more women take charge of their intimate lives, these behaviours must be accounted for when we talk about health and social issues.
It’s all well and good to tut-tut behind closed doors and in smart restaurants, but we need to realise and discuss that the sexual landscape in Malaysia, yes, Muslim Malaysia, is changing very fast.
Our population is smaller, the psychological make-up of our demographic is conservative and really, are we equipped for a sexual revolution? We can’t even run our country properly!
Perhaps I am conservative and not keeping with modern, liberated times. But I do not believe that owning our bodies, and our intimate lives mean participating in the sex trade.
It does not matter if a woman is in control; I have spoken to sex workers in my line of work and in this industry, at whatever level – from the thousand ringgit Eastern European call girl to the young boy cruising in food courts at shopping malls - women, and men, are vilified and treated violently.
Perhaps, as my friend said, my sex workers are worlds apart from her rent-boys, but prostitution is human slavery. This is about the trafficking of lives and bodies, in exchange for money under the illusion of love and relief.
The writer wants to balik kampung and bury herself in sand.
Thursday, July 17, 2008
...howwwzattt...
Got to attend an interview at 10 this morning. There were only 6 post to be filled yet there were hundreds applicants. I'm one of the 38 candidates that were shortlisted to attend the interview.
So, give me your best wishes because I'm sure I need it.
Regards.
So, give me your best wishes because I'm sure I need it.
Regards.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
...howwwzattt... no wonder...
Of flip-flops, thongs and selipar jamban.
He was told and adviced to present himself at the police hq so that his statement can be recorded at 2 o'clock today. Instead he was arrested shortly before 1 o'clock. What the hell had happened?
Oh I see. Their action was highly motivated by the flip-floping decision that their master frequently made when under duress.
...howwwzattt... character assasination...
Of fact, half fact and fiction.
“Hari Ini Memerintah, Esok Turun Harga Minyak”. Well that was what the debate was all about. I must admit that the Minister Of Information was brave enough or should I say stupid enough to do a face-off against one of the most notable second to none orator we’ve known.
His opponent was not just a mere politician from the opposing coalition. That guy was an ex-minister, ex-education minister, ex-finance minister, ex-deputy prime minister and ex-acting prime minister (whenever the PM abroad). The guy has all the facts and figures and secrets that could make any of our ministers to shame. Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim won that round hands down.
p.s: The vice-chancellor tried to make himself sounds and looks intelligent, in fact it was another way around. Don’t you agree? LOL…
“Hari Ini Memerintah, Esok Turun Harga Minyak”. Well that was what the debate was all about. I must admit that the Minister Of Information was brave enough or should I say stupid enough to do a face-off against one of the most notable second to none orator we’ve known.
His opponent was not just a mere politician from the opposing coalition. That guy was an ex-minister, ex-education minister, ex-finance minister, ex-deputy prime minister and ex-acting prime minister (whenever the PM abroad). The guy has all the facts and figures and secrets that could make any of our ministers to shame. Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim won that round hands down.
p.s: The vice-chancellor tried to make himself sounds and looks intelligent, in fact it was another way around. Don’t you agree? LOL…
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
...howwwzattt... digest this...
Of SMS, chat rooms and email
The language used in email, chat rooms, and newsgroups is not as restricted by space considerations as text messaging , but short messages are favoured because they save disk space, are more likely to be read by ‘browsing’ users, and because composition time is limited if users are participating in real-time conversations.
Text messages are necessarily the most abbreviated form of communication; most mobile-phone networks restrict users to around 160 characters per message and the handset does not facilitate the composing of lengthy messages.
Although many users develop their own codes, there are basic principles that govern the formation of abbreviations:
1. Certain words or syllables can be represented by letters or numbers that sound the same but take up less space. For example, ‘U’ sounds the same as ‘you’ and ‘C’ sounds the same as ‘see’ (e.g. CU = see you), while the number ‘8’ can be substituted wherever the sound /-ayt/ occurs in a word (e.g. GR8 = great, L8R = later).
2. Words are shortened by simply omitting certain letters, especially vowels (e.g. MSG = message).
3. Abbreviations are formed from the initial letters of familiar fixed phrases, such as BFN ‘bye for now’ or TTYL ‘talk to you later’.
These principles, and the abbreviations themselves, are also found to a lesser extent in conversations in chat rooms and in email. A fuller list of SMS abbreviations is given below.
AFAIK as far as I know
AFK away from the keyboard
ASL age, sex, location
ATB all the best
B be
BAK back at the keyboard
BBL be back late(r)
BCNU be seeing you
BFN bye for now
B4 before
BRB be right back
BTW by the way
C see
CUL8R see you later
F2F face to face
F2T free to talk
FWIW for what it’s worth
FYI for your information
GAL get a life
GR8 great
HAND have a nice day
H8 hate
HSIK how should I know?
HTH hope this helps
IANAL I am not a lawyer, but…
(as a disclaimer)
IMHO in my humble opinion
IMO in my opinion
IOW in other words
JIC just in case
JK just kidding
KIT keep in touch
KWIM know what I mean?
L8R later
LOL lots of luck/laughing out loud
MOB mobile
MSG message
MYOB mind your own business
NE any
NE1 anyone
NOYB none of your business
NO1 no one
OTOH on the other hand
PCM please call me
PLS please
PPL people
R are
ROTF(L) rolling on the floor (laughing)
SIT stay in touch
SOM1 someone
SPK speak
TTYL talk to you later
TX thanks
U you
WAN2 want to
W/ with
WKND weekend
WU what’s up?
X kiss
XLNT excellent
XOXOX hugs and kisses
YMMV your mileage may vary (i.e. your
experience may differ)
YR your
2 to, too
2DAY today
2MORO tomorrow
2NITE tonight
3SUM threesome
4 for
*Taken from Concise Oxford English Dictionary (11th Edition)
Monday, July 14, 2008
...howwwzattt... my contribution pays your salary...
A very interesting piece;
WIDE ANGLE
By HUZIR SULAIMAN, THE STAR
By global standards of ministerial responsibility, Malaysia’s performance leaves much to be desired.
THE Westminster Parliamentary system, for better or for worse, is our former colonial masters’ gift to us, and to many Commonwealth countries. According to its conventions, Cabinet ministers are bound by both collective and individual responsibility.
Collective ministerial responsibility means that the Cabinet must speak with one voice. Whatever disagreements may take place behind closed doors, there must be a united front on policy matters in public.
A rare example of a Malaysian breach of the convention of collective responsibility occurred in 2005 when Deputy Natural Resources and Environment Minister Datuk Dr Sothinathan questioned the Government’s decision not to recognise Ukrainian medical degrees, and as a consequence was suspended for three months.
The Westminster principle of individual ministerial responsibility, however, is probably of greater concern to Malaysians. It is explained by Rodney Brazier in his 1997 book, Ministers of the Crown:
“Broadly, each Minister is responsible for
(1) his private conduct,
(2) the general conduct of his department, and
(3) acts done (or left undone) by officials in his department.”
Let’s look at the first responsibility: private conduct. When confronted with evidence of personal impropriety, Malaysian ministers – with the recent exception of Chua Soi Lek – usually do not resign. In other democracies, resignation, though reluctant, is still the norm.
Looking at House of Commons research papers, for example, we find that of the 125 British ministerial resignations in the 20th century, no fewer than a dozen were for reasons of “private scandal” and two were for “private financial arrangements”.
In many democracies, even unproven allegations are sufficient to provoke resignation. In November 1997 the Portuguese Minister for Defence, Antonio Vitorino, resigned following accusations that he had not paid the full property tax on his country house.
“If there are doubts or suspicions over my behaviour, the situation must be fully clarified and therefore I must take responsibility as a citizen,” Vitorino said. “In view of the way I have always conducted myself in political life, I think it is impossible to hold public office at my level under any type of suspicion.”
Among legislators more sensitive to questions of honour and shame, the desire to minimise the stain on one’s reputation can lead to tragedy. Last year, Toshikatsu Matsuoka, the Japanese Agriculture Minister, went a step further then mere resignation when, embroiled in allegations that he filed false expense claims, he hanged himself in his Tokyo flat.
Perhaps the most stringent standard for private conduct was set by Mick Young, the Australian Immigration Minister who resigned in the 1980s. His crime? He failed to declare a stuffed toy in his suitcase to customs officers when he returned to the country.
The “Paddington Bear Affair” led to his resignation but established in the minds of many the international standard of conduct for ministers – a standard of probity to which I think even Barisan Nasional supporters would agree our Cabinet does not hold itself.
So much for private conduct. What of a minister’s responsibility for “the general conduct of his department, and for acts done (or left undone) by his department”?
As Noore Alam Siddiquee of South Australia’s Flinders University wrote in 2006 in the International Public Management Review, “the principle of ministerial responsibility as seen in mature democracies is either weak or missing in Malaysia. The principle means that the minister accepts responsibility for any lapses or irregularities within his ministry and resigns from the office.
“Despite reports of numerous irregularities in various agencies at different levels, misappropriation of funds by individuals and groups and increasing volume of complaints received from the public on the quality of services and responsiveness, rarely has a minister chosen to accept responsibility for such irregularities.”
Siddiquee points out that despite the 2004 public outcry over shoddy construction projects, the then Works Minister “not only rebuffed calls for him to step down, he practically took no responsibility for the defective projects and other anomalies, and has had no problem retaining his ministerial office.”
But Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu was able to rebuff those calls for resignation – which came not just from civil society groups and Opposition lawmakers, but also from BN backbenchers – in large part due to the unwillingness of his Cabinet colleagues to apply the doctrine of individual ministerial responsibility to him, perhaps lest they themselves be judged by the same standards.
In Cabinet Governing in Malaysia (2006), Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim reveals how they protected Samy Vellu: “Finally, after what was a prolonged episode that almost cost him his job, the Cabinet found that he took it upon himself more than he should have shouldered. The Cabinet session of 20th October 2004, chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Sri Mohd Najib Tun Abdul Razak, discussed at length the background of this public outcry. Datuk Seri Samy Vellu’s extensive reports to the session were noted by the Cabinet with the view that the Minister ought not to take it upon himself all the blame hurled by the public as there were various parties that were responsible like consultants, contractors, engineers, architects, etc.”
Following this logic, it would appear that a Minister only need resign if he were a one-man ministry, doing everything himself. In reality other parties, whether external or in the civil service, are always there to take the blame.
In Cabinet Governing Dr Rais repeatedly talks about the difficulties that ministers have with the civil service, shifting the responsibility onto them:
“It takes years to rid a public servant who misbehaves or who does not perform and by the sheer procedural rigmarole it involves, bosses are quite reluctant to effect the actual brunt of the General Orders.
It is instructive to know, lacking in acumen and productivity are not listed as grounds for dismissal. Neither is the inability to achieve results put in as a factor to dismiss or suspend.”
While this might perhaps be true, it is distinctly at odds with the principle of ministerial responsibility in the Westminster system, and it leads to a complete abdication of a minister’s duty of ultimate supervision.
Contrast this Malaysian blame-shifting with the 1954 resignation statement of Sir Thomas Dugdale, the British Minister for Agriculture:
“I, as Minister, must accept full responsibility to Parliament for any mistakes and inefficiency of officials in my Department, just as, when my officials bring off any successes on my behalf, I take full credit for them.
“Any departure from this long-established rule is bound to bring the Civil Service right into the political arena, and that we should all, on both sides of the House, deprecate most vigorously.”
Similarly, when in 1982 the junior British Foreign Office Minister, Richard Luce, resigned along with his two ministerial colleagues, accepting responsibility for the Argentine invasion of the Falklands, he said, “It is an insult to Ministers of all Governments, of whatever colour or complexion, to suggest that officials carry responsibility for policy decisions. Ministers do so, and that strikes at the very heart of our parliamentary system.”
In November 2002 South Korea’s Justice Minister and the prosecutor general both resigned to take responsibility for the death in policy custody of a murder suspect.
In the same year, Britain’s Education Secretary resigned because the nation failed to meet targets for child literacy and numeracy.
Last month, the South Korean Prime Minister and his entire Cabinet offered to resign in response to public unhappiness about the beef import deal South Korea has made with the United States.
Would our ministers do any of that?
Huzir Sulaiman writes for theatre, film, television, and newspapers.
WIDE ANGLE
By HUZIR SULAIMAN, THE STAR
By global standards of ministerial responsibility, Malaysia’s performance leaves much to be desired.
THE Westminster Parliamentary system, for better or for worse, is our former colonial masters’ gift to us, and to many Commonwealth countries. According to its conventions, Cabinet ministers are bound by both collective and individual responsibility.
Collective ministerial responsibility means that the Cabinet must speak with one voice. Whatever disagreements may take place behind closed doors, there must be a united front on policy matters in public.
A rare example of a Malaysian breach of the convention of collective responsibility occurred in 2005 when Deputy Natural Resources and Environment Minister Datuk Dr Sothinathan questioned the Government’s decision not to recognise Ukrainian medical degrees, and as a consequence was suspended for three months.
The Westminster principle of individual ministerial responsibility, however, is probably of greater concern to Malaysians. It is explained by Rodney Brazier in his 1997 book, Ministers of the Crown:
“Broadly, each Minister is responsible for
(1) his private conduct,
(2) the general conduct of his department, and
(3) acts done (or left undone) by officials in his department.”
Let’s look at the first responsibility: private conduct. When confronted with evidence of personal impropriety, Malaysian ministers – with the recent exception of Chua Soi Lek – usually do not resign. In other democracies, resignation, though reluctant, is still the norm.
Looking at House of Commons research papers, for example, we find that of the 125 British ministerial resignations in the 20th century, no fewer than a dozen were for reasons of “private scandal” and two were for “private financial arrangements”.
In many democracies, even unproven allegations are sufficient to provoke resignation. In November 1997 the Portuguese Minister for Defence, Antonio Vitorino, resigned following accusations that he had not paid the full property tax on his country house.
“If there are doubts or suspicions over my behaviour, the situation must be fully clarified and therefore I must take responsibility as a citizen,” Vitorino said. “In view of the way I have always conducted myself in political life, I think it is impossible to hold public office at my level under any type of suspicion.”
Among legislators more sensitive to questions of honour and shame, the desire to minimise the stain on one’s reputation can lead to tragedy. Last year, Toshikatsu Matsuoka, the Japanese Agriculture Minister, went a step further then mere resignation when, embroiled in allegations that he filed false expense claims, he hanged himself in his Tokyo flat.
Perhaps the most stringent standard for private conduct was set by Mick Young, the Australian Immigration Minister who resigned in the 1980s. His crime? He failed to declare a stuffed toy in his suitcase to customs officers when he returned to the country.
The “Paddington Bear Affair” led to his resignation but established in the minds of many the international standard of conduct for ministers – a standard of probity to which I think even Barisan Nasional supporters would agree our Cabinet does not hold itself.
So much for private conduct. What of a minister’s responsibility for “the general conduct of his department, and for acts done (or left undone) by his department”?
As Noore Alam Siddiquee of South Australia’s Flinders University wrote in 2006 in the International Public Management Review, “the principle of ministerial responsibility as seen in mature democracies is either weak or missing in Malaysia. The principle means that the minister accepts responsibility for any lapses or irregularities within his ministry and resigns from the office.
“Despite reports of numerous irregularities in various agencies at different levels, misappropriation of funds by individuals and groups and increasing volume of complaints received from the public on the quality of services and responsiveness, rarely has a minister chosen to accept responsibility for such irregularities.”
Siddiquee points out that despite the 2004 public outcry over shoddy construction projects, the then Works Minister “not only rebuffed calls for him to step down, he practically took no responsibility for the defective projects and other anomalies, and has had no problem retaining his ministerial office.”
But Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu was able to rebuff those calls for resignation – which came not just from civil society groups and Opposition lawmakers, but also from BN backbenchers – in large part due to the unwillingness of his Cabinet colleagues to apply the doctrine of individual ministerial responsibility to him, perhaps lest they themselves be judged by the same standards.
In Cabinet Governing in Malaysia (2006), Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim reveals how they protected Samy Vellu: “Finally, after what was a prolonged episode that almost cost him his job, the Cabinet found that he took it upon himself more than he should have shouldered. The Cabinet session of 20th October 2004, chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Sri Mohd Najib Tun Abdul Razak, discussed at length the background of this public outcry. Datuk Seri Samy Vellu’s extensive reports to the session were noted by the Cabinet with the view that the Minister ought not to take it upon himself all the blame hurled by the public as there were various parties that were responsible like consultants, contractors, engineers, architects, etc.”
Following this logic, it would appear that a Minister only need resign if he were a one-man ministry, doing everything himself. In reality other parties, whether external or in the civil service, are always there to take the blame.
In Cabinet Governing Dr Rais repeatedly talks about the difficulties that ministers have with the civil service, shifting the responsibility onto them:
“It takes years to rid a public servant who misbehaves or who does not perform and by the sheer procedural rigmarole it involves, bosses are quite reluctant to effect the actual brunt of the General Orders.
It is instructive to know, lacking in acumen and productivity are not listed as grounds for dismissal. Neither is the inability to achieve results put in as a factor to dismiss or suspend.”
While this might perhaps be true, it is distinctly at odds with the principle of ministerial responsibility in the Westminster system, and it leads to a complete abdication of a minister’s duty of ultimate supervision.
Contrast this Malaysian blame-shifting with the 1954 resignation statement of Sir Thomas Dugdale, the British Minister for Agriculture:
“I, as Minister, must accept full responsibility to Parliament for any mistakes and inefficiency of officials in my Department, just as, when my officials bring off any successes on my behalf, I take full credit for them.
“Any departure from this long-established rule is bound to bring the Civil Service right into the political arena, and that we should all, on both sides of the House, deprecate most vigorously.”
Similarly, when in 1982 the junior British Foreign Office Minister, Richard Luce, resigned along with his two ministerial colleagues, accepting responsibility for the Argentine invasion of the Falklands, he said, “It is an insult to Ministers of all Governments, of whatever colour or complexion, to suggest that officials carry responsibility for policy decisions. Ministers do so, and that strikes at the very heart of our parliamentary system.”
In November 2002 South Korea’s Justice Minister and the prosecutor general both resigned to take responsibility for the death in policy custody of a murder suspect.
In the same year, Britain’s Education Secretary resigned because the nation failed to meet targets for child literacy and numeracy.
Last month, the South Korean Prime Minister and his entire Cabinet offered to resign in response to public unhappiness about the beef import deal South Korea has made with the United States.
Would our ministers do any of that?
Huzir Sulaiman writes for theatre, film, television, and newspapers.
...howwwzattt... dear oh dear...
Redefined love.
Farah is my eldest daughter, she is 13 and has already started to develop her physical appearance (not the mind and thinking though) as any teens in her stage should be. This morning just before I went for work, she asked me if it is alright for her to join her friends for a bowling session at the mall right after school. Truthfully, I was caught off guard not realizing after all this while that the little child I once had was in fact not that little any longer.
Farah with her sister and brother.
I was horrified and nearly choked sipping coffee with her question, so was my wife. After a few second that seems almost an aeon, I manage to gave her an assuring reply I hope, that particularly today I couldn’t possibly let her off whether with friends or on her own anywhere accept to school. Why?
Firstly, it was not safe for her to be on her own where the surrounding is not familiar to her. Secondly, there were many lunatics around just waiting to pounce on innocent young lady and thirdly she is not yet independent on her own and that is what matter most to me. Even at home she still needs to be reminded by her mother or me in doing basic things that any young lady should do. She needs to prove herself to me and to her mother that she is all grown up now and could do necessary things of her age without being told so. Not that I do not love her that she was denied permission by me, it is because of love that I want her to consider my morning lecture and perhaps in the distant future she would be thanking me out of this.
So, what happen after that? Like any other young lady of her age, marched up to her room and cried.
I couldn’t wait around and prolong my advice that surely will turn to a bitter lecture as I had to get off early in order to beat the morning traffic. Speaking of traffic in Klang nowadays, it really does get into my nerve. Anyway, maybe my wife could do some tricks on her after I left.
When The Children Cry
Little child dry your crying eyes
How can I explain the fear you feel inside
´cause you were born into this evil world
Where man is killing man and no one knows just why
What have we become
Just look what we have done
All that we destroyed
You must build again
When the children cry
Let them know we tried
´cause when the children sing
Then the new world begins
Little child you must show the way
To a better day for all the young
´cause you were born for the world to see
That we all can live with love and peace
No more presidents and all the wars will end
One united world under God
When the children cry
Let them know we tried
´cause when the children sing
Then the new world begins
What have we become just look what we have done
All that we destroyed you must build again
No more presidents and all the wars will end
One united world under God
When the children cry
Let them know we tried
´cause when the children sing
The new world begins
What have we become just look what we have done
All that we destroyed you must build again
No more presidents and all the wars will end
One united world under God
When the children cry
Let them know we tried
´cause when the children fight
Let them know it ain´t right
When the children pray
Let them know the way
´cause when the children sing
Then the new world begins..
Artist: Whitelion
Song: When the children cry
Album: Pride
Saturday, July 12, 2008
...howwwzattt... ain't a mountain too high to climb...
I’m not so sure whether our moviegoers have the opportunity of watching The Brokeback Mountain on our shore. As for me this movie will never be made into my bucket list of most movie should be watched before I die. But come to think of it, there should be plenty of reason or market for those involved in making this movie a reality.
From my shallow research, this movie revolves around “two young men who meet in Wyoming in 1963 forge a sudden emotional and sexual attachment, but soon part ways. As their separate lives play out with marriages, children and jobs, they reunite for brief liaisons on camping trips in remote settings over the course of 20 years”, from Wikipedia of course.
Enough said, this is a story about love but it is not love like that I love you as my buddies, love you as my friends, love you as my family, love you as my wife, love you as my girlfriend, love you as my mistress, it was love that involves emotional and sexual attachment of the same gender.
Yesterday while browsing around, I stumbled upon one such blog that potrayed such attachment and my goodness are these guys for real? Both are seems to be from one branch of our arm forces (most likely the navy hence the epaulettes) or did the owner of the blog just joking around? Perhaps many of you had seen the blog too and read all the entries? So, how was that???
Anyway, this piece Hearbreaks in silence was taken from Patrick Teoh’s Niamah!!! blog will make a good reading for you. At first I thought it was another political satire by him when someone has to wait in silence here until the middle of 2010 to be handed over the post of our 6th Prime Minister. But no, it is much different altogether. So, how was that once again???
p/s: As stated in my earlier post, I’m straight as a lamp post lol…
p/s2: And damn, this daily unlimited internet access from Celcom do takes you ages to get around…
From my shallow research, this movie revolves around “two young men who meet in Wyoming in 1963 forge a sudden emotional and sexual attachment, but soon part ways. As their separate lives play out with marriages, children and jobs, they reunite for brief liaisons on camping trips in remote settings over the course of 20 years”, from Wikipedia of course.
Enough said, this is a story about love but it is not love like that I love you as my buddies, love you as my friends, love you as my family, love you as my wife, love you as my girlfriend, love you as my mistress, it was love that involves emotional and sexual attachment of the same gender.
Yesterday while browsing around, I stumbled upon one such blog that potrayed such attachment and my goodness are these guys for real? Both are seems to be from one branch of our arm forces (most likely the navy hence the epaulettes) or did the owner of the blog just joking around? Perhaps many of you had seen the blog too and read all the entries? So, how was that???
Anyway, this piece Hearbreaks in silence was taken from Patrick Teoh’s Niamah!!! blog will make a good reading for you. At first I thought it was another political satire by him when someone has to wait in silence here until the middle of 2010 to be handed over the post of our 6th Prime Minister. But no, it is much different altogether. So, how was that once again???
p/s: As stated in my earlier post, I’m straight as a lamp post lol…
p/s2: And damn, this daily unlimited internet access from Celcom do takes you ages to get around…
Thursday, July 10, 2008
...howwwzattt... hellooooo...
Stop chasing skirts and focus on the security arrangements - this is the directive Minister in the Prime Minister's Department, Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz has for the parliament administration.
WHAT'S PERMISSIBLE?: Seputeh MP Teresa Kok showing her skirt length to two security officers at Parliament before entering the Dewan Rakyat. NST Pix by Mohd Yusni Ariffin Read more about the skirt issue here.
"They should be more concerned with security than enforcing dress code. They are more important things going on inside the Chambers," he said during a press conference amidst mounting criticisms from women reporters over the over zealousness of House security.
Seputeh MP Teresa Kok (left) with two journalists at Parliament
This was taken today from the NSTOnline. For once I came to a term with the minister on views and remarks he made after all these while.
...howwwzattt for a peace of mind...
In the mist of browsing the BERNAMA webpage, found this very interesting article about this secluded retreat. It was in 89 since the last time I went there, it'll always be dear to my heart.
Bukit Larut - Pristine and Tranquil Hill Paradise for Nature Lovers
Bukit Larut, previously called Maxwell Hill, is the oldest, smallest and least disturbed hill retreat in Peninsular Malaysia. It was founded in 1884 by William Edward Maxwell, the British Assistant Resident of Perak.
Perched at 1,250m above sea level, it is the wettest place in Malaysia, with an annual rainfall of over 500cm. Temperature here hovers around 15 degrees Celsius in the early morning and late afternoon, dipping to 10 degrees at night.
The Tea Garden House, situated mid-way up the hill, was once the office of a tea plantation. However, when their tea plants did not grow very well here, the British shifted their agricultural endeavour to the Cameron Highlands, where the Boh Tea Plantation is now. Nowadays, the dilapidated building serves as a mid-point stop up the hill. From here visitors will be able to see a panoramic view of the rolling surrounding countryside, a bird's eye-view of the rippling mirror-like lakes of the Taiping Lake Gardens down below, the green suburbs of Aulong and Simpang and the 19km ruler-straight road from Taiping to Kuala Sepetang.
On a clear day, one can view the peninsula coastline and the Straits of Malacca, sometimes stretching as far as Penang to the north and Pangkor Island to the south. The scenery is captivating during the day, magical and bewitching at night. However, the view is often obscured by cloud build-up in the afternoon, especially from September to December.
Bukit Larut is designated as an Environmentally Sensitive Area (ESA) Rank 1 and a Flora and Fauna Reserve by the Federal Government of Malaysia.The International Union for the Conservation of Nature has placed it under Category 1 ‘Strict Nature Reserve’, while the United Nations Environmental Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP–WCMC) has declared Bukit Larut an area of great ecological and botanical importance. The vegetation changes at an altitude of 600m from lowland rainforest to lower montane forest. Botanical studies have documented the existence of some 1,980 species of flowering plants from 123 families. All types of Malaysian flowers including the rare giant fishtail palm thrive here while tulips are grown on an experimental basis. The golden sunflowers grown here are the largest in the country. Some 250 species of birds, including migratory birds from Indochina and East Asia, have been seasonally sighted. A new species of lizard was discovered here in 2001.
The surrounding areas are among the last sanctuaries for large mammals like the Malayan sun bear, panther and the elusive clouded leopard. Monkeys, mousedeers, civets and porcupines that roam in the nearby forests serve as their food source.
At night, gardens transform into an exotic zoo, with Malaysian flying lemurs clinging to the trees, brush-tailed porcupines rummaging through leftovers left at the back door and enormous atlas moths dancing in the veranda.In colonial times, pony rides and sedan chairs were the only mode of transport up the hill. Later, in 1940, prisoners of wars were conscripted by the Japanese to build a 13km tarred road up the hill. The road; opened in 1948, three years after the Japanese surrender, is steep and winding, peppered with 72 sharp vertical bends, each inclining at a 45-degree angle.
In the interest of public safety, transport up and down the hill is confined to government-owned Land Rovers driven by seasoned drivers. Travelling at the rate of passing two ‘elbow’ bends a minute, each trip normally takes 30 minutes and make for a hair-raising, adrenalin pumping and eye-popping roller-coaster ride. The visitor is well advised not to do it on a full stomach.The hourly service, with alternate hours for going up and down, runs from 9am till 6pm daily. Visitors can book their rides and accommodation at the office near the entrance to the hill. You may also walk up the hill, but this option is best left to the physically fit.
GETTING THERE Driving: On the North-South Highway, take the Taiping exit. Follow the signs leading to Taiping after the toll and from Taiping town head towards the lake gardens. There are signs showing the way to Bukit Larut.By bus:The Trans-Nasional Coach Service at the Hentian Duta Bus Terminal in Kuala Lumpur operates daily trips to Taiping. Taxi service is available from Taiping to the foot of Bukit Larut.
ACCOMMODATION: Though not as developed as Frasier’s Hill or the Cameron Highlands, it retains it colonial ambience with quaint bungalows and English gardens. There are six bungalows and a rest house located at different elevations. Built about a century ago, they offer basic but comfortable accommodation. One should not be obsessed with creature comfort when in Bukit Larut. Expect instead, to be embraced by nature. -- BERNAMA
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
...howwwzattt... to be or not to be...
Homosexuals' Life Of Moral Decadence
By Melati Mohd Ariff
By Melati Mohd Ariff
Cartoon from Punch magazine in 1857 illustrating the use of "gay" as a euphemism for being a prostitute. One woman says to the other (who looks glum), "how long have you been gay?" The poster on the wall is for La Traviata, an opera about a courtesan.
KUALA LUMPUR, July 8(Bernama) - Literally, the term homosexual refers to sexual relationship between the same gender, either man and man or woman and woman. Homosexuality is usually contrasted with heterosexuality and bisexuality. Traditionally, the term gay is used predominantly to refer to homosexual males, while lesbian is a gender-specific term that is only used for homosexual females. The term homosexual is also used for the same-sex sexual relations between persons of the same sex who are not gay or lesbian.
In the West, the morally wrong and corrupt homosexual act has turned into a sort of plague, spreading its tentacles far and wide, engulfing individuals with the tendency of adopting this immoral self-indulgence. In the country today, the gay lifestyle is believed to have sprouted rampantly. A point to note is the mushrooming of the gay clubs. A news report yesterday came out with a revelation that shocked many, gay comics, said to be sold at RM50 each, is believed to be a hot item among those aged 25 and above. But the question is that, is this upsetting trend is mushrooming?
WORRYING TREND
The Malaysian Muslim Consumers Association (PPIM) secretary-general, Datuk Dr Maamor Osman, said the homosexual act in the country had grown to a worrying trend. The tendency to perform homosexual acts is there, as shown by the proliferation of gay bars, Dr Maamor, who is also a general medical practitioner, told Bernama. "In the Quran, it is said that Allah the Al-Mighty had obliterated Luth's people for their indulgence in homosexual acts. "There is no forgiveness for such debauchery, to the extent that it angers Allah the Al-Mighty," said Dr Maamor.
RISKS
On the health aspect, Dr Maamor said homosexuals who indulge in anal intercourse are prone to various risks. "Each of the human organs has their respective systems including blood circulation, nerves, immunity and other systems. The womans sexual organ, and hormones are different from that of the man. "There are specialised cells for certain functions.
Unfortunately for some humans, they resorted to commit deviations," he said. According to Dr Maamor, the humans gastro-intestinal system begins right from the mouth until the anus. The system is outfitted with specialised cells for the digestion and absorption of food. "There is the rhythmic (intestinal) muscle movement, known as peristalsis. And if this system is disturbed, like when anal intercourse occurs, it will invite damage to the persons physical, emotional and spiritual attributes. "As this system is not for erroneous acts, it invites various risks like the Aids, hepatitis, haemorrhoids and septicemia (bacterial infection of the blood)), said Dr Maamor, adding that this unnatural sex act also provokes various sexually transmitted diseases".
IMMORAL ACT
The Malaysian Islamic Youth Movement (Abim) president Yusri Mohamad said that a homosexual act is a serious immoral and criminal offence."There is no difference between a homosexual act and adultery. Hence, severe punishment should be handed down against homosexuals. Prevention and punishment must be executed", said Yusri.He said the doors that invite people to commit this sin should be permanently closed and sealed."Take immediate action against centres or clubs where the homosexuals gather, like revoking the operating license."Websites and magazines that may have room for homosexual-oriented messages should be monitored and action taken against them," he said.Yusri calls on the authorities to conduct raids, akin to that held for drug-prevention operations at nightspots and entertainment centres.Hence, the government is seen as taking stern and firm action to curb this moral decadence, unlike the western nations that provide the so-called freedom to such debauchery.
CANNOT BE ACCEPTED
"There is not much account on homosexuals in the Indian community, in some cases there are bisexuals but that is not their wishes."Even the Hindu religion does not accept homosexual practices", the Malaysian Hindu Sangham president Datuk A. Vaithilingam told Bernama.Vaithilingam calls on parents to exercise caution in and give the issue a serious look in the efforts to prevent their children from being trapped in the homosexual clutches.He said the community should be exposed to education and counselling on the homosexual topic to create awareness among the public on the ills and evils of this felony.Serious attention should also be given against illicit sexual relations in order to prevent it from becoming a menace to the society.
IMPORTANCE OF EDUCATION
This act, which is like a malignant cancer, should not be allowed to spread its tentacles, as it threatens to bring destruction and devastation to the society.Hence, education for the youngsters particularly for those in schools and universities is crucial to prevent the society from being engulfed by this immoral act.In this context, Dr Maamor concurs with Vaithilingam that the parents need to boost their knowledge in order to shoulder the immense task of preventing their offsprings from being drawn into the evils of homosexual acts.Parents should not feel embarrassed if they ask for advice and counselling from the experts to overcome this issue.
JAKIM
Dr Maamor also calls on the Islamic Advancement Department (Jakim) to adopt an approach where doctors and psychiatrists can brief mosque officials on the issue apart from setting up the integrated referral centres at the mosques.Similar concepts can be applied at institutions for the other religions in the country, he said.Dr Maamor said the Information Ministry can use the electronic media to disseminate information on the warfare against this social scourge."We may be giving the wrong impression as if the authorities are tolerating this immoral act", he said.Meanwhile Yusri calls on the authorities to monitor artistes and actors that portray the 'feminine image."We are not saying that all of the womanly males as gays but many of the gays are from this group."We do not wish these people to be used as the illustration and model", he said.Clearly, the homosexual phenomenon is against the humans natural behaviour and should be swiftly and firmly dealt with.Not everyone wants to see the country to be overwhelmed by the influx of moral decadence that erupt from those who are out to draw the people into the dark ages of morality. -- BERNAMA
Monday, July 7, 2008
...howwwzattt... my heart bleeds...
India v Sri Lanka, Asia Cup final, KarachiMendis spins Sri Lanka to title triumph
The Bulletin by Dileep Premachandran
July 6, 2008
July 6, 2008
Sri Lanka 273 (Jayasuriya 125, Dilshan 56, Ishant 3-52) beat India 173 (Sehwag 60, Mendis 6-13) by 100 runs Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsHow they were out
Eight years ago, in Sharjah, Sanath Jayasuriya scored a magnificent 189 before Sri Lanka's bowlers sent India tumbling to 54 all out, and a humiliating 245-run defeat. At Karachi's National Stadium, Jayasuriya, now 39, smashed another superb century before Ajantha Mendis, the mystery spinner still classed as a slow-medium bowler, bamboozled a highly rated batting line-up to finish with astonishing figures of 6 for 13.
Eight years ago, in Sharjah, Sanath Jayasuriya scored a magnificent 189 before Sri Lanka's bowlers sent India tumbling to 54 all out, and a humiliating 245-run defeat. At Karachi's National Stadium, Jayasuriya, now 39, smashed another superb century before Ajantha Mendis, the mystery spinner still classed as a slow-medium bowler, bamboozled a highly rated batting line-up to finish with astonishing figures of 6 for 13.
Virender Sehwag's blistering early onslaught was rendered irrelevant as Sri Lanka stormed to a 100-run victory, retaining the Asia Cup and extending India's miserable record in tournament finals.
With Sehwag hammering an exhilarating 60 from just 35 balls, India had romped to 76 from just nine overs. Muttiah Muralitharan prefers not to bowl during the Powerplays, and it was to Mendis, who the Indians had never faced before, that Mahela Jayawardene turned as he sought to staunch the flow of runs.
Even he couldn't have predicted the impact that Mendis would have. Like a combine harvester scything through a field of corn, Mendis sliced through a line-up that has quite a reputation when it comes to playing spin. Sehwag charged his second delivery and watched helplessly as it drifted away from him. Kumar Sangakkara did the rest. Two balls later, Yuvraj Singh was utterly befuddled by one that skidded on. Suddenly, 274 appeared a long way away.
Yuvraj Singh was one of Ajantha Mendis' six victims © AFP
That Sri Lanka got anywhere near that was down to a man who refuses to bow to Father Time. India picked up four wickets in the first 12 overs, with Ishant claiming three of them, but Jayasuriya's 114-ball 125, and a 131-run partnership with Tillakaratne Dilshan utterly changed the complexion of the game.
It's perhaps no coincidence that India haven't won the Asia Cup since Jayasuriya became a regular at the top of the Sri Lankan order, and his mastery over the opposition was best revealed in the 16th over, bowled by RP Singh. RP had managed to escape relatively unscathed in his opening spell, conceding 24 from five overs, but when he returned, Jayasuriya took to him like a bull that had been riled by the matador's cape.
Sixes on either side of the sightscreen were followed by two wallops over cover, and after a one-ball lull, he pulled one over midwicket for six more. With Dilshan then taking three successive fours off Irfan Pathan, Mahendra Singh Dhoni had no option but to turn to spin, with Pragyan Ojha and Sehwag managing to have something of a fire-extinguishing effect.
India had started poorly, with RP conceding two boundaries to fine leg in the opening over, but a mix-up between two experienced hands gave them the opening they so desperately needed. Jayasuriya tapped one to short mid-off, and Sangakkara had already hared halfway down the pitch before he realised the striker had no interest in a single. Suresh Raina's underarm flick was the ultimate punishment.
Ajantha Mendis got a career-best 6 for 13 © AFP
But with two maiden overs bowled in the first five, India wrested back a measure of control, despite Jayasuriya's sporadic bursts of aggression. With the pressure building, it was Ishant who struck, as Jayawardene slapped one straight to Rohit at point. No bother for Jayasuriya though. A swivel pull sent an Ishant delivery for six, and Pathan's introduction was greeted with three fours in the over.
Ajantha Mendis got a career-best 6 for 13 © AFP
But with two maiden overs bowled in the first five, India wrested back a measure of control, despite Jayasuriya's sporadic bursts of aggression. With the pressure building, it was Ishant who struck, as Jayawardene slapped one straight to Rohit at point. No bother for Jayasuriya though. A swivel pull sent an Ishant delivery for six, and Pathan's introduction was greeted with three fours in the over.
The problem was at the other end, where Ishant was wreaking havoc with the extra bounce he extracted from a comatose pitch. Bounce and a hint of lateral movement had Chamara Kapugedera playing one off the leading edge to point, and two balls later, the other Chamara - Silva - inside-edged one back on to the stumps.
Jayasuriya's version of consolidation involved a pull for six off Ishant and a slice of luck as a as a miscue off Pathan evaded RP, who ran around in circles and failed to get his hands to the ball. Dilshan contributed only four to the first 50 the pair added, from 30 balls, but he did his part, turning the strike over to allow Jayasuriya to inflict maximum damage.
With Sehwag and Ojha - Rohit contributed three tidy overs too - taking the pace off the ball, it was a different story. With the field spread, the boundaries dried up and the runs came mainly in singles. India missed a couple of run-out opportunities and Dhoni put down a sharp chance offered by Dilshan when he was on 37, but the helter-skelter pace of the Powerplay overs soon gave way to relative calm.
Eventually, the lack of action got to Jayasuriya and a flat slog-sweep off Sehwag only found Ishant at deep midwicket. After that, Sri Lanka lost their way. Dilshan eased to 50 from 68 balls, but when Pathan returned to bowl round the wicket, he popped a catch to Dhoni. Vaas, back in the fray after missing the last game, square-drove Ishant for the first four in more than 20 overs, but was castled by RP soon after.
Nuwan Kulasekara flailed the bat to finish with an unbeaten 29, but a target of 274 was expected to be well within reach for an Indian side that had included seven specialist batsmen. But after his extraordinary first over, Mendis soon set about making a mockery of the predictions.
Raina had been fortunate to survive a vociferous leg-before shout before he decided to play the worst shot of the evening, an ugly pull to a delivery that pitched on middle stump. Rohit soon followed, struck on the back pad by one that deviated away a touch, and by the time Jayawardene decided to take him out of the attack, Mendis had stunning figures of 4 for 8.
No one including the umpires knew quite what to expect, and the batsmen appeared unsure whether to play him as a slow bowler or a medium-pace one. That indecision was to prove fatal, especially against the carrom ball that was being propelled by a flick of the middle finger. As eye-catching was his accuracy. There was no width for the batsmen to work with, and hardly a loose delivery. Only Dhoni, who played the ball as late as he possibly could, showed any signs of coming to grips with him.
Raina had been fortunate to survive a vociferous leg-before shout before he decided to play the worst shot of the evening, an ugly pull to a delivery that pitched on middle stump. Rohit soon followed, struck on the back pad by one that deviated away a touch, and by the time Jayawardene decided to take him out of the attack, Mendis had stunning figures of 4 for 8.
No one including the umpires knew quite what to expect, and the batsmen appeared unsure whether to play him as a slow bowler or a medium-pace one. That indecision was to prove fatal, especially against the carrom ball that was being propelled by a flick of the middle finger. As eye-catching was his accuracy. There was no width for the batsmen to work with, and hardly a loose delivery. Only Dhoni, who played the ball as late as he possibly could, showed any signs of coming to grips with him.
With Mendis casting such a spell, Murali's introduction went almost unnoticed, but with him in parsimonious mood, the tourniquet was tightening around India. Robin Uthappa and Dhoni added 38 in attritional fashion before Murali struck from round the wicket. Uthappa missed a flick, and the appeal from the bowler was just a formality.
Jayawardene waited a while longer and then brought back Mendis for the 30th over. India somehow survived that, but the game was up in his next. Pathan's attempt to flick through the leg side ended up at slip, and RP walked off bemused after one deviated away to take off stump. He should have had the hat-trick too, only Simon Taufel was as perplexed by a ball that pitched in line as Ojha was.
Jayawardene waited a while longer and then brought back Mendis for the 30th over. India somehow survived that, but the game was up in his next. Pathan's attempt to flick through the leg side ended up at slip, and RP walked off bemused after one deviated away to take off stump. He should have had the hat-trick too, only Simon Taufel was as perplexed by a ball that pitched in line as Ojha was.
Dhoni had watched it all from the other end, defending stoutly and striking the odd four when he could. But once he inside-edged Chaminda Vaas to the keeper, the Sri Lankan dressing room readied for the celebrations. When Kulasekara cleaned up Ishant with 63 balls still to be bowled, they could begin in earnest. The combination of the six-hitting veteran and the six-wicket carrom-ball spinner had been far too much for India to handle.
Dileep Premachandran is an associate editor at Cricinfo
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