I’m back and my notebook is now ready for action once again! My notebook is repaired and now I could rox my life by surfing the net. More post to come so do stay read my blog yaa!
Unprecendented Moment
Dearest readers,
I’m unable to update my blog for time being. Although, I love writing and posting but my laptop seems disallow me to continue writing cuz I’ve crash my laptop unintentionally. I’ll be back blogging soon my laptop repaired.
Recent Malay Cultural Transformations
Personally, I’m not expecting youngsters like me to understand the fundamental of this post in immediate reaction. Despite our great fondness in sports and entertainments, understanding the roots of our young generation and society should be noted by us as a future idealist in a multiracial country yet harmony. As this post wrote, receptiveness is varying among today’s world. You may ponder you disagree with the way government prioritize certain matters but what ever the contradict opinion is, let us all be reminded we are the big family of Malaysian.
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Societies vary in their receptiveness to change and new ideas. Some adapt easily, others more resistant. Culture plays a major role. Without inferring any value judgment, the adjective most associated with the first is progressive; the second, conservative.
There is reluctance to attribute the fate of society to culture. We risk using culture as an excuse for everything and being trapped by cultural determinism. The other temptation would be to rank cultures, with some being superior and others, by definition, inferior. Of course the successful cultures would have the bragging rights. Today, Western culture is dominant, and not surprisingly Westerners feel compelled to lecture the rest of the world on the superiority of their values and norms. A few centuries earlier it was the Chinese who felt that they had nothing to learn from the barbarians beyond.
Lest we forget, when Europe was still stuck in the Dark Ages, Muslim physicians and astronomers were pondering and exploring the world within and beyond. I do not know whether those Muslim scholars and philosophers were consumed with smugly lecturing the rest of the world on the supposed superiority of Muslim values, but Europe eagerly learned from them.
When you have to tell the world how superior your values or cultures are, chances are they are anything but. While those in the West today are busy trumpeting the supposed superiority of Western values, they conveniently forget the debt the West owes to earlier civilizations.
When discussing the role of culture in Malaysia, an immediate problem crops up. With its many cultures, we have to define carefully the population sub-group. Another mistake would be to automatically ascribe the cultural values and traits of a particular group to its racial heritage.
Case in point is the common mistake to ascribe the success of overseas Chinese in Malaysia and elsewhere to the supposedly superior Confucian values. Were that to be the case, one would expect China to be a super power and have something to teach the world. Instead China is only now emerging from its shell. In truth, Malaysian Chinese, like other immigrants to Malaysia and elsewhere, are a self-selected group. Their ancestors had a decidedly different worldview, that is, their fate lies in their own hands and not with the local warlords or the mighty emperor in the distant capital. Those early Chinese coolies in Malaysia had more in common with the Irish and Italian immigrants to America than with their kin they left behind on the mainland.
To return to my earlier story, those early Chinese who left their homeland shared the same traits as farmer Ahmad, while those they left behind were like farmer Bakar. It is those values—their willingness to try something new, and the belief that their future lies in their on hands and not with some remote power elsewhere—which they inculcate in their children that account for their success. That is their cultural contribution, not some mysterious Confucian or biological trait. To be sure, the proportion of Chinese who left China—the Ahmads—was tiny, the vast majority were the Bakars who chose to remain on the mainland.
The environmental stimulus that precipitated the coolies’ personal and subsequent cultural transformation was the appalling conditions in their homeland, for the Irish, the potato famine. It is no more rational to ascribe the success of the Kennedys and other Irish Americans to their “superior” Gaelic heritage than it is to ascribe “superior” Confucian values to explain the success of overseas Chinese. Britain’s colonization of Malaysia was transforming for Malays, triggering our own cultural mutation. Colonialism ended slavery and brought modern education. The colonialists also brought something else. They saw in feudal Malay culture a reflection of their old medieval Britain with its lords and nobles. The Brits turned Malay society into a jungle version of medieval England. Malay nobles and sultans became even more entrenched and enamored with their titles and palaces. Malay masses further ingrained in themselves that their fate depended not on their wits rather on ingratiating themselves to their lord and sultans.
That trait persists today. Witness the toadying comments by intellectuals, ministers, and editors on the Prime Minister and leaders of the day. To them, their Prime Minister and sultans are always donned in samping sutra (silk cummerbund), never in sarong pelekat (cotton wraparound) even when they are covered in bark loincloth.
The most pressing issue Tunku Abdul Rahman faced as Prime Minister was to come up with a list of appropriate civil titles and honors! The old man idled his time researching ancient Malay literature to find just the right titles. He agonized over the details of attire and finery these new latter-day jungle knights and nobles should wear. Today, when leaders elsewhere are busy preparing their county for the increasingly competitive world, Malaysians are busy awarding each other these elaborate feudal honorifics and admiring themselves in their intricate court attire.
There was yet another transforming moment for Malays under the British, when they overreached to make Malaysia (or Malaya, as it was then called) a dominion. This time they grossly underestimated the political shrewdness of Malays. Up till then the British viewed Malays as an apathetic lot politically, not in the least interested in running their country. They left that to the British and their proxies, the sultans and nobilities. Malays, the Brits concluded, were content with carefree living in their villages under the gentle swaying fronds of their favorite coconut tree. The sultans and nobles too were a malleable bunch, easily swayed by the British. Their price was also modest: silly medieval titles like the knighthood of some ancient English order and a piddling pension. That was enough to persuade them to give up their sovereignty. The British, having understood the Malay psyche very well, played on the pride of the sultans.
When the Malay masses found out that their sultans were being hoodwinked or more correctly, cheaply bought, they reacted. With stunning effectiveness, and led by capable and farsighted leaders like the late Datuk Onn, Malays rebelled and successfully derailed that Malayan Union plan. The British knew much about Malay culture and psyche, and wisely reminded themselves that the word amok is afterall a Malay word. The surprise was how easily the mighty British capitulated to the demands of the newly awakened Malay masses.
A byproduct of that transforming event was that Malays became irretrievably hooked on politics, the refined form as well as the less savory variety. Who would have predicted these brown-skinned natives whom the Brits condescendingly referred to as “nature’s gentlemen” would become political rebel rousers and successfully take on the powerful colonialists? Less than a generation later, Malays have become so obsessed with politics that they cannot get away from it. Today, Malays who are successful in fields other than politics and could have made a significant contribution in their chosen profession, willingly give that up to dabble in silly politics.
A friend of mine who in the 1980s headed one of the biggest private medical clinics in the country then gave all that up in chasing his political dream. Unfortunately, after backing the wrong horse in a critical race, he found himself sidelined. As for his former clinics, well, what could have been the promising nucleus for a Malaysian Mayo Clinic, complete with its own hospital and possibly medical and nursing schools, were now in tatters. In chasing his political ambition, he forgot that he could have achieved an even bigger dream had he held on to his profession. To balance my account, I too rooted for him. I saw in him another brilliant young doctor, perhaps someone to eventually replace the other charismatic one who was then leading the country.
Politics still devour many promising young Malays. I now look anxiously at another successful Malay professional, who though still in his forties successfully created Malaysia’s largest legal firm, with branches abroad. His is the only one to have such a presence. Despite that, this young man, like so many other promising Malay professionals and businessmen, is being seduced by politics. Alas his political foray too does not look promising. Another, a neurosurgeon no less, a handful of Malays to be so qualified, dabbled in opposition politics and was soundly routed.
These instances serve to reaffirm the assertion that cultural values can indeed be changed, often suddenly and in very transforming manner.
author: M.Bakri Musa
To Trust and Be Trusted
I’m not upset that you lied to me; I’m upset from now on I can’t believe you — Friedrich Nietzsche
A person is never so vulnerable until they trust someone whom with the initial thought that that someone is worth to be trusted. Paradoxically, humans need an outlet to trust those surrounding them so happiness can be found. Living in a world which is filled with doubts at every corner does not guarantee one to be a happy person because every circumstance will be filled with qualms about its true motive.
To trust a person can take a very long or short time depending on the individual themselves and the level of comfort in giving all the trust varies. As humans, we tend to trust friends and others to an extent that we would love to think of them as how we want them to be. But this is a very hard task because everyone has different motives when trying to gain trust from a person. It can be bad. It can be good. Or on neutral grounds. One will never know unless he has the ability to penetrate into the minds of others.
However, when a person whom we trust faithfully and sincerely moved the wrong chess piece and creates room for mistakes and doubts the level of trust will crumble. It is not about giving second chances and even if one does how far can the trust grow again? Once trust is broken, you can fix it but it will never be the same as it was before. A metaphor such as a vase can be used — if a vase broke and pieces are glued back together but let it be known that the vase will never be the same anymore. [me-love this metaphor]
When it comes to earning trust from others it won’t be difficult because the hardest part is how to preserve the amount of trust that someone has in you and not take it for granted. Not being able to be trusted easily is similar to sitting alone in a gray area where people hardly take notice of. Like the adage says; no man is an island.
Author: kyles
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Yeah..its hard to be trusted again when the trust is breached! Somehow, we should not take for granted in friendships…
Education quality is the matter!
Responding to recent statement by Sabah Education State Director, Puan Normah Gagoh concerning the pilot 7 am – 3 pm session for selected schools, which quoted, “as a matter of principle, teachers and parents should not question this exercise as education is a collective responsibility..” might probably inappropriate. As far as everyone concerned, collective responsibility meant a group of people who work together to run something involving a group, or shared and made by every member of a group.
In this education context, teachers, students, parents, principals and education officers are members in the group who are directly and collectively responsible in reengineering and restructuring our education systems. I’m quite disappointed with such remarks that try to dissuade people particularly students and parents from voice out their concerns and suggestions which I think it might be useful for in depth research. However, it was also so wrong when parents blaming and put all the burdens to the director solely. When it comes to outlandish or mislay policy, then someone should have initiatives to relay the policy in accordingly right direction.
I’m posting this not to blame anyone but try to voice out what I was felt during my recent years as a fully residential school student which study schedule is similar to those kind 7 am -3 pm session. However, ours was much listless. We have to wake up 4.30 in the morning just to book iron earlier. But, only at 5.15 am we managed to take a shower because one pool is not sufficient and some restrooms utterly can’t be used because there was no water. While, those who are Muslims have to perform solat at 5.30 am. Considering this, we were only dressed up at 5.50 am. At 6.00 am, siren was switched. All students have to leave hostel and having a short breakfast for about 15 minutes. Unfortunately, dining hall often opened late.
Try to imagine this, our daily assembly started at 6.30 am and personally I didn’t take breakfast just to ensure I have a chance to put my bag at class and dashing to assembly. For form 5 and form 3 students, their classes have started as early as 6.30 am. Our classes only finish at 2 pm and given only 50 minutes to perform solat zuhur, lunch, and short nap. At 3 pm we have to back at school for prep and international language class and this happen until one hour. After 4 pm, we were only given 30 minutes chance to perform solat asar, tea break and wearing sports attire.
By 4.30 pm, all students have to go their games and co-curriculum activities. On night, our prep will be started at 8.00 pm till 10.00 pm and silent hour at 11 pm. I am quite sure you’re now starting counting on how many hours that we used to sleep. After all, we sleepless in class everyday so was our teacher.
So, when it comes to be implemented in daily school, I feel very sorry for them. They just have to wake up like us so the teachers have to work 8 hours per day. If Ministry keeps obstinate and insisting want to implement this kind session to all schools in Malaysia, they should consider providing enough facilities for students to have rest at least. And more nutritious and delicious foods provided for our student in the future.
I am urging Ministry of Education to work closely in this major education conflagration with our students, parents and teachers. In the mean time, they should not remain stuck in their morass of outdated conservative thinking.
Prepare for the worst!
Prepare for the worst!
Huh I couldn’t believe 3 months have just passed in accelerated way. Prior 3 months, I spent most of my time hanging out with my books and notes not to forget my friends. And now, I guess it will be started again, more homeworks and assignments will be mounting on study desk in very near soon. My old life will be reloaded again with my hostel live that I’ve experienced before- wake up early, ironing and washing own cloths (but most of the time I sent it to my home), skipping breakfast and sleepless. Perhaps, it will be slightly different in Pre-U where no more prep time and silent hour! For those who are not familiar with those terms, I would suggest you to take a little time to read this post.
Owing to my experiences, first week will be kinda frustrating and home-sick. It may probably because of the orientation week and some seniors who are loved to prank junior (Well, I have did it before to my juniors). So normally, in this case try not to impress your senior by showing up your talents or anything, just did as what they said in precise. Ending up by fighting is not the solution; do show some respect to senior by acknowledge what ever they do. I guess when it comes to talking about home-sick; no one knows more about it than me and my friends at hostel probably. Home-sick is a kinda feeling that we are always bound to it whenever we are away from home. I admitting myself I’m quite home-sick during my few weeks at hostel, but it didn’t happen for a long time. Instead, after spent a lot of time living together with my mates we all get on sharing same hobbies, meals, problems, games, room, and restroom. I quite believe share same routines with friends will keep you away from downpour. Or maybe some of your family pictures could drive out your misery.
For those who are doing fussy in foods, you might not runaway from deserving jacket fish offered by Dining Hall! You may find out it delicious for the first time, but when they did it again and again, you’ll probably find yourself wearing a yellow jacket same like as the fish. In this case, I couldn’t suggest you how to take it over. Just eat the fish sajalah. Whenever I’m talking about foods, there is some other alternative that you could find to meet your appetite which is cooking Maggie. But, the bad news is Maggie is not good for health, report says.
Now the big thing that I always wanted to share is a ghost story. It is okay to hear some interesting story about ghost, but when it comes to a real one, you might find out it is horrific and scary. You’ll probably do not want to stare at windows again or stay up till 3 in the morning once you read my own experienced. I had encountered such creature which I believed was pontianak when I’m about to heading back into my dorm, when suddenly that night my dorm became so windy and smells pleasant. However, I didn’t take care so much about it, and then a white dress flew right in front of me in all of sudden. I just could not believe I saw someone like human flying across the window until I realized it was a real pontianak! The next day, I was sick and gave MC by my warden. Starting from that moment, I not dare study until dawn unless I got company. By the way, after writing this post I feel that I missed every moment that I had in the hostel not long ago. I missed so much my friends, teachers, juniors, my “abang” title, ikan jaket, prep time, silent hour, hantu, my class, restroom, dorm, school’s landscape, minum petang, dining hall, basketball court, the Kinabalu Mount view from Aspura, Aspuri, Canteen, Ko-Op, Server room, Labs, Documentation room, Bilik Gerakan Pelajar and Warden, Morning and late night assembly, DSK, Balai Hinggap, PC at school, my desk, my chair, textbook, my bed, locker, the surau, my loved ones and everything. All what I can say is life is short and life is not perfect as we all know it but even in darkness there will be light of day.
Space Exploration-A long journey for Malaysia
After an hour looking for something to write up finally I stop crinkle my nose and start typing Space Exploration- A long journey for Malaysia as my title for today’s article. First, let me begin by asking have you ever dream to become an astronaut or maybe space visitor?…well you may have your say at the end of this article. In the earth we are surrounded by the air which are occupied by many gases mainly nitrogen. However, when we are travel far away from land, the air will be limited. There is some extent between the sun, moon, planets and stars. The space exploration which has begun since 1957 has sees many achievements brought by mankind although failure and tragedies may sometimes disturb us. Indeed, exploring the space is a never an easy job to do. So far we were only have success landed astronauts in the moon. They would like to visit our nearest neighbour Mars but the journey will take six months to complete. Spacecraft equipped with robots may be able to explore planets which are thousand miles away from the earth but to arrive at the nearest star is time-consuming.
A trip to Space
In order to travel to space we have to overcome a gravitational force from the centre of the earth. We may overcome it by accelerating at 40 000 km/h, which approximate to 20 times speed of Concorde. This speed is known as a velocity after earth. A satellite which circulating the earth requires a velocity of 12 times speed of Concorde. Only capable rocket could launch astronaut and satellite to the space. The rocket engine though must capable functioning in space not like an aeroplane’s engine.
Spacecraft
Rocket construction requires huge expenditures and lots of energy worker. Space Shuttle is the first ever spacecraft built to lift off for a many times. A new part that should be reinstalled after a first mission is only a fuel tank. The space shuttle blast off from the earth in a vertical as like as a rocket but landing as a giant glider on the runaway. For the next generation space shuttle, it is hope that the space shuttle could be lift off and landing on the aeroplane that carries the space shuttle. However, the spacecraft that carried our first astronaut is not come from space shuttle but it is a Russian-made spacecraft known as Soyuz. Unlike the space shuttle, Soyuz can only accommodate 3 cosmonauts. Since the Soyuz is designed like a dorm, landing on the earth should be no problem to Soyuz as it is more stable when landing compare to the space shuttle.
Space Station
Space station is the place where astronauts stays and works. The space station is circulating the earth and it is equipped with every basic need from foods to the air, from water to the medicine. This station has to fast so it could accommodate air for respiration and protecting astronauts from rays and space ashes. To date there is only one space station remains active namely International Space Station. I’m glad to hear that Malaysian government is interested to become an active community member of International Space Station.
Living in the space
The main problem living in the space is every object including astronaut is always floating. This is because gravitational force in the space is almost zero. This is known as micro-gravity. In order to stay in one place, astronaut has to be tie in a special compartment. Food would be sticky so it could be stick on spoon; water is stored in a vacuum container to avoid it from floating like a fluid ball.
Protecting Environments…
Well, I was just recently back from Sukau, Kinabatangan District where massive flora and fauna conservation is underway by government and some ngo’s…personally, after I spent couple of weeks washing my eyes at there,my mind start thinking how’s the earth without the plants and animals..every moment I was spent plenty of time joining guides group to explore Malaysia’s tropical rainforest..I’ve been understood that the efforts have begun since late 1999…but honestly I was not aware this efforts have started since that time..maybe because I’m too comfortable staying at urban area..where every environment aspects are less taking care by urbaners. Fortunately, we have iron lady and man at the ministry of natural environment who are always making sure our environment is protected and beautiful. By the way, what I want to stress here is the importance of biodiversity and the effects of pollution to our ecosystem.
We are certainly have heard about global warming. But its rarely to hear how’s individual can contribute to lessen the impacts of global warming. Global warming can be defined as excessive heat released and trapped in the earth caused the earth to be warmed. As individual, we could minimise the impact by practising car pooling or use public transportation such LRT and commuter. By practising car pooling, we could reduced the released of carbon monoxide to the air. In fact, we can save our budget to buy car petrol! Indeed, protecting environment is a noble practice and what you do to the environment of course would affects you too!! So lets taking care our environment!! WORLD PEACE BUDDY!
Its time for more writing rather than talking…
Its time for more writing rather than talking…I’d promise to myself to find a new hobby this year; well this is it, publishing a web blog. Gosh this time I’ve to start practice writing articles; as 2008 will be my tough year especially in matter of money and education according to Chinese Astrology. My SPM result which I’m eagerly waiting is still unknown for its date. Certainly, I’m looking forward to have excellent result so I can have a room to pursue my study at overseas. The only thing is am I ready to study at overseas? I demand the answer.
Making a decision is a very tough. I have to choose whether I’m ready or not publishing my writing. Sometimes, I’d think it’s against my privacy ‘cause revealing my world to outsiders. Furthermore, I’m totally not fit to become an internet bully victim. Finally I decided to immortalize my thoughts in this blog as I think I may learn something new here. But it comes with very clear condition; No back stabbing. Aha, my clear message to everyone I won’t make a personal attack here but personal view is yes.
However, there is something playing in my mind now, is gender plays a big role in set up a blog. As far as everybody concerned, in Malaysia setting up a blog is always being dominated by woman since ages, while man is nowhere to see (yeah only few of them actively writing); its makes me wonder why man doesn’t feel writing as same way as woman did. C’mon man show up on how to be a gentleman. Put your ideas, thoughts or anything in writing. Love music and scripting lyrics then use the blog to idealized and inspired people. It would be easy for everyone to accept your ideas and it would much be appreciated should your ideas helping people worldwide! It’s never become so wrong when man started to write about comics, stories and your experience as long as your writing does not offended someone.
So, gentlemen from now on start writing your own blog; make the world scripted equally by man and woman. World Peace!! “”
