Revealing 1 MALAYsia.

When the Prime Minister of Malaysia launched the 1 Malaysia campaign after he was appointed, it was so promising and gave many, especially the minority races in Malaysia, hopes that every individual in this multi-racial and multi-ethnic nation will for once be treated fairly, if not equally.

We all thought (or at least I thought): YES! Finally the government decides to remove the Malay/Chinese/Indian/Bumiputra/Non-Bumiputra label given to each person long time ago, and sincerely see each person as 'Malaysian'.

But unfortunately, we all thought wrong.

On the surface, 1 Malaysia is so appealing, giving many the idea that each of us is the same 'Malaysian'. However, the recent turn of events revealed the propaganda hidden behind this appealing-promising campaign. It's back to square one, again.

The idea they had for 1 Malaysia is this: "1 Malaysia bukan kesaksamaan, tetapi keadilan" (1 Malaysia is not about equality, but about fairness.) Further elaboration about what "fairness" means to them would be: The majority wins. So much for democracy.

So, if the majority says that:
- the unmerituous privileges bestowed upon a certain race in Malaysia should stand, it stands.
- shareholding in a registered company must include a certain percentage of a certain race, it must be so.
- special discounts should be given to a certain race in loans, it must be given.
- certain land can only be sold or transferred to purchasers of certain race, so be it.
- the majority should have 9 share of a cake, and the rest is to be shared between the minority, that is fairness...even if those 9 share is the harvest from the hardwork of the minority.
- non-Bumi's are parasites of this nation, that is what non-Bumi's will be eternally.

But, don't we ALL pay tax irregardless of race? And where does this tax go to? Catering to the needs of the needy really? Or covering for subsidies given to the special race? Who are the real parasites? And who makes the majority? I think you and I know very well what the answer is.

I had high hopes when 1 Malaysia was launched by the Prime Minister. In fact, I was fully supportive of the 'new' things the Prime Minister was introducing in his administration of this nation. Perhaps I was too idealistic, tsk tsk tsk.

Now, all I have left is million pieces of crushed hope.
And many feel the same way.

I pray that SOON, all in this nation and especially the leaders, will see past the race/ethnic of each individual, and see that we are all created equal in God's eyes, and placed in this beautiful nation for a purpose - working together to make it a better place to live in.

Vulnerable.

The daily busyness makes us forget how vulnerable we are as human being.
Often people wake up to embrace that reality only when something or someone precious is in jeopardy, or worse, lost.

I've been slapped with this wake up call many times. They always make me realise how I am not connecting enough with my loved ones and people who matter to me. Sometimes, it is already too late.

Don't wait til something happens to tell your loved ones that you love them. Don't wait til the other person apologize. Don't wait til the last moments of your lives to spend time connecting with people who matter, for we are, inevitably, vulnerable.

God bless you BIG.

Rainy Rat.

It rains almost every evening this February.

One day, it began to rain really heavily around 5p.m. and when I turned around to look outside the window behind my back, checking out how heavy the rain was, I saw a rat outside my window!

I wanted to snap its photo but the moment I lifted the blinds, it scattered off.

On Friday last week, it rained again in the evening and when I turned around, there it was again! That rat which will come visit me when it rains!

This time, I lifted the blinds silently and slowly, and voila! I snapped it :D

Rainy Rat.

Lets see if it visits me again when it rains today, haha.

God bless you!

Poor Water Bottle.

I just got back from lunch and just had to post this.

I ate chili pan mee at Taipan. I sat facing the road, thinking that it would be more interesting to observe what's going on outside and the people that pass by.

I saw a man walking towards his car parked opposite the pan mee restaurant. He opened the back passenger door, put his laptop bag in, put his water bottle on top oh his car while he was doing that. After he slammed the door shut, he immediately drove off.

The water bottle was still on top of his car....and he drove off like that.
HAHA. This made my day! :D

Harimau mari.

2010 in the Lunar calender is the year of the tiger / harimau.

There was already a film made in Malaysia starring many famous Chinese-Malaysian DJ's based on a Chinese tradition in Kuantan that every 60 years, this particular family entrusted with safekeeping the 'Tiger head' would do a ritual dance - Tiger dance (instead of lion dance) to usher in prosperity and goodness into the life of that village.

I enjoyed the film, and laughed really hard. I have to say the DJ's can act! But I was more amazed at how beautiful Malaysia (Kuantan to be more exact) was portrayed to be by the filmmakers. After watching it, I can't help but sigh at how fortunate I am to be living in a beautiful place like Malaysia. It's a good film, if you understand Chinese or don't mind reading the subtitles, go watch it :) It's called Tiger Woohoo!
(http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2010/1/6/nation/5411535&sec=nation)
Beautiful, and a very touching film.

I hear so much being said about what is good and what is not good in the year of the tiger. Here's my take on a couple of those Chinese superstitions :-

a) It's not a good year to get married.
My take: Crap. Really. Marriage is hard work no matter what and takes effort and commitment from both sides to make it work. So are you saying that if two person get married in the year of the rabbit, they would be very productive? :P It really doesn't matter which year you marry in. Please don't be bound by stupid superstitions like this! And trust me...I've done some divorce cases. None of them married in the year of the tiger.

b) Better for boys to be born in this year than girls, for they turn fierce.
My take: I know some really 'tame' girls born in the year of the tiger. My observation is that even if that girl is not firece, because she lives in an environment that expects her to be, people around her would treat her like she is a 'tiger'. The saying that 'You are what you eat' applies...though here it's more like 'You are what you eat emotionally'. Just like how you will become depress if you hangout with a depress person a lot, girls who are originally not fierce will become fierce sinply because the society expects them to be. They will be influenced by the environment what the stigmas that people attach to them.

c) Girls born in the year of the tiger won't be successful.
My take: Crap again! My aun't born in the year of the tiger. She is successful. Have two kids, a lovely family. A stable career, and big savings. Enough said.

Every year is a year overflowing with blessings and goodness, and amazing things because our God isn't One who will want otherwise for us, not even a tiny bit. Tiger or not, it won't change who God is and what He wants for us.

Happy Chinese New Year!