Kassim Ahmad finds his way home.

Note: The Malay version of this book was already out in 2008.

Like all of us, who’s taken the road less travelled, those who got caught in a “traffic jam” (philosophically) on crowded highways and byways, who had veered right or left, according to the winds, whims or fancies, will someday return to the chosen path on a straight road home. Usually that happens at the end of our lives.

So it is with Malaysia’s foremost thinker and philosopher Kassim Ahmad, a smart Malaysian son born in 1933 and now lives in Kulim.

Kassim is probably best known for his controversial religious analysis in his book “Hadith, A Re-Examination”. 

However, in his 196-page book, The Road Home,  Kassim explains his search for the way home in his poem (page 134): I am a wonderer/ On my journey home/ Like the sun, the mountains, the seas, the trees/ and the stars/ choosing the straight path/among the deviant parts/ to return home.

This clearly reflects his academic, political and spiritual journey from socialism to the ‘true’ Islam he found, not one that is “inherited” as it is with most Muslims.

To know more about the thinker’s “interesting adventure” on this, buy Kassim’s book and read! I was thankful to receive a complimentary copy from Lori Lee of ZI Publications, the book’s publisher.

Kassim is a brilliant personality, but I will always remember him best as my employer whom I worked briefly for in the 1990s, doing translation work for his company, Syarikat Terjemahan Nusantara, in one of the old offices in Beach Street.

More about his colorful life can be found in his blog here. We must be grateful that he has documented his thoughts here, for we so lack critical thinking in this land.

I’ve started reading today his autobiography which he begun writing in 1997 as I am intrigued with Kassim who is always bold and courageous in speaking his mind. This boldness earned him almost 5 years in ISA detention in the 70s!

He was released by former premier Mahathir Mohammad, who told Kassim that it was unlikely that he was a Communist! Kassim joined Umno several years later, but is somewhat disappointed with the party as well, as he is with the opposition. (Read page 119).

It’s strange for Mahathir  to say this – about Communism – when in 1987, he threw 106 people in ISA detention, during Ops Lallang. Umno, which he ruled with an iron fist, was weak at that point in time. The country was in a havoc state as it is now.

Interestingly, Mahathir wrote the introduction to his book. He quotes George Santayana: “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it”. But isn’t Mahathir guilty of the same? I remember that he had suffered from “selective memory” many times!

A more current thinker/writer/film-maker Hishamuddin Rais had a different view of the book, when he read its Malay version. Hisham says, rather disappointed, in the Edge June 2008 and reproduced in Kassim’s blog which he rebutted :

“The engaging Malay intellectual I once thought I knew does not sum up his life experience by making coherent the events that mattered to him. This is the writer who reedited the Hikayat Hang Tuah and brilliantly introduced Jebat as the icon for a progressive Malay society, but he does not reevaluate and to furnish us with the participant’s details of what really happened while he was the main player in the Malaysian political landscape”.

Nevertheless, Kassim’s book comes to me at the height of turbulence in our current academia. Dr Aziz Bari from the International Islamic University has just been suspended, pending sacking from his employer for speaking his mind and sharing his expertise in constitutional law!

This is a weird country we live in! It seems there is little space, if at all, for smart people, let alone, smart Malays! Yet, every cloud has a silver lining. Aziz’s predicament kind of injected some spirit into the student and academia movement with many sectors – activists, students, and politicians – throwing their support behind him, at great risk of their personal freedoms and careers.

But I am comforted by the beautiful and meaningful words from the Quran which I found in Kassim’s book as he journeys through his philosophical, political and religious life.

I wish many of our political leaders would ponder on these words and take stock of what they are doing:

“Show us the straight path, the path of those whom You bless; not of those who have deserved wrath, nor of the strayers”.

“This is the truth, and the truth is all that I utter” (Quran, 38:84).

“On that Day God will pay back all their just dues, and they will realise that God is the very Truth that makes all things manifest” (Quran, 24:25).

With such lovely and inspiring words, any wanderer, even those who have lost their ways, would be able to return home.

(ends)

Happiness is…Books from ZI Publications!

I had a pleasant surprise today when I received the package. I immediately tore the envelope open, knowing they are my favourite things – books! Not just any books, but two sent from my favourite publisher – Lori Lee of ZI Publications. Oh, I do love you!

As a birthday gift, Lori sent me Found in Malaysia Vol 2 (The Nut Graph). And today, she sent me The Rest of Your Life (O Thiam Chin) and The Road Home (Kassim Ahmad).

Kassim’s book will have a special place in my heart. The man was a famous Malay socialist – very rare in our part of the world in the early days – and later was controversially known as part of the anti-hadith group. Whatever he was/is, I know him best as one of my first employers. I used to work with him as a translator at his little office down in Beach Street called “Syarikat Terjemahan Nusantara”. Those were the days we struggled with typewriters, and since I didn’t have one, not yet, I did the translation work in writing. Unforgettable!

I fell in love with the books Lori sent me even before reading them because ZI comes up with really nice front covers. You’ll really have to purchase them – hey, support local/asian talent, ok!

Thanks for the early Christmas gifts, Lori. For you know I love books, I love them madly, next only to my Bobby. I have a stack of them next to my bed, yet to be read – the titles are adding and the list is getting longer. So far I have these to complete reading by this year, other than the three I received from Lori:

1. The Picture of Dorian Gray (Oscar Wilde) – TQ Joselyn!
2. The Book of Night Women (Marlon James) – TQ Joselyn!
3. Wuthering Heights (Emily Bronte) – TQ to me!
4. Lady Chatterley’s Lover (DH Lawrence) – TQ to me!
5. Arte Latino: Treaures from the Smithsonian American Museum – TQ to Karen!

Looking at these lovely books, I promised myself to set aside time this November and December to complete my list. I think I can do it. I will cease my other loves for now – like painting and try to focus on reading.

Wish me luck! Wish me love.

Santa Claus is here! Where is Merry X’mas?

Not one but two! There is only so much a Malaysian mind can take but in a span of only one week, we had two of them spreading their cheer. Neon lights are blasting that Christmas is nigh for my fellow country women and men!!!

Yesterday, Prime Minister Najib Razak unveiled BUDGET 2012. It was the talk of the town, second only to the various things said about Apple icon Steve Jobs who passed away on Thursday (may his soul rest in peace). After revealing his budget, Najib became none other than Santa Claus splashing his goodies around. It was clear for all to see that the ones who stand to benefit benefit most are: civil servants, pensioners, army personnel, teachers and Felda schemers.

BN fellas are already thumping aloud, saying that this is a wonderful piece of work; and tomorrow I will experience serious nausea or vomitting after reading the usual mainstream papers, who will act as if they had multiple orgasm as they MUST say good things about the goodies. I must make a mental note to stay clear of the papers but…I do that everyday, anyway…hahaha!

To the critical eye, the groups who stand to gain most from Najib’s budget form the largest support base for his ruling party, Umno, and in a broader sense, the governing coalition – Barisan Nasional. They’re mostly bumiputeras, and Najib thinks the Malays are definitely behind him since Pakatan Rakyat, or more precisely DAP, can’t take care of their interest.

I hope he is in for a rude shock!

Many are caling it a ‘populist, election’ budget, indicating that our 13th General Election may just be – tomorrow!!! It is as close as that, so better be prepared. But seriously, we are looking at November, or early January, when most people are too busy to take leave to go home to their hometown to vote. For BN, they do not need the urban voters as much as they do, rural folks, pensioners, and old timers?

What about after Chinese New Year holidays? Not likely. By this time, the Chinese are restless since money all spent liao…so time to coffee shop talk about how much the government is stealing for them and that they’re not getting anything even after working so so so hard.

One hard look at the budget and people can see that it is mostly short term measures to appease, to lure ex-voters back into the fold. Not a nice thing to do and it is so blatantly done in this budget. The critical mass is asking: where is the long term measures to address brain drain, unemployment and sustain competitiveness of the country’s business sector in the global market?

In the budget, there are no measures at all for the manufacturing sector, which takes care of brain drain issues and employment. Our corporate tax rate stands at 25%, sky high compared to Singapore, at 17%. Thailand is planning to cut theirs from 30% to 23%, and after the Jul3 election, it may be further reduced to 20%.  Where do we stand in terms of competitiveness in the region? Business people are kind of disappointed the goodies bag are empty when it comes to them.

On top of this, they are asked to add 1% to the Employment Provident Fund (for workers earning RM5k and below). Thank God, I’ve ‘stayed hungry and foolish’ (according to Steve Jobs) and have remained poor enough to enjoy this little goodie.

But wait! One of the salient points that nudged me most in the budget is this” RM220 million for modern policing, RM440 million for PDRM (Royal Malaysian Police) development including housing, upgrade of police station and training centres “. Seriously, does this amount include tear gas shells and allowances to go chase/harass citizens at peaceful rallies which are not inclined to the ruling parties (read Najib’s) thinking?

ARGHHHH !

But if Najib thinks that by showering senior citizens or pensioners with cash alone, he would see their votes cast his way, he might be in for a little surprise.

Although my mother, a pensioner and senior citizen, is jubilant that she would be getting a windfall this year – with 2% increase in her pension, a RM300 montly (?) as she is over 60, RM500 (min) bonus and another RM500 (min) allowance at the end of the year. But she says her votes are not for sale. That her vote is not that cheap. And that her heart is already taken, and she has made up her mind who to vote for! Many pensioners and senior citizens I know are THAT hard-headed and hard-hearted!

My 13 year old niece under my care is happy too as she will be getting a one-off RM100 for students. We’re telling her to take us to Pizza, but she says she wants to put her money in the bank! Then the budget also says that there would be no school fees to pay next year. Bullshit actually, because parents/guardians are expected to pay for a lot of stuff like t-shirts and society activities, etc, which are not categorised under school fees. Get rid of these, please.

Do read www.malaysiakini.com for more reports on the budget. You’ll at least get a fairer view. I guarantee that you will not be puking.

But Najib is not the only Santa Claus in town! On Tuesday, the Pakatan Santa Claus rode into Parliament,   bringing a load of it own brand of goodies. This budget was also trashed as a “populist budget”.

Are our leaders incapable of thinking of long term measures to address the country’s core problems: FDI, housing, low income, etc?

Gerakan Youth vice chief H’ng Khoon Leng who I know personally has very kindly summarised the gist of the goodies for us in his Facebook, and I would like to share them here:

- An annual allowance of RM1,000 for mothers to encourage them to enter the workforce.

- A universal minimum wage of RM1100/month.

- An across the board increase from RM300 per month to RM550 per month for welfare recipients

- Bonus to senior citizens that earn less than RM1500 permonth. They will be given RM1000 per year

- A ‘top-up’ allowance for low-income earners to RM550 monthly and many, many more.

His criticised the Opposition’s budget as being  not sustainable, that some of the stuff proposed had been promised but not carried out under the Pakatan government in Penang, for example, the promise to give low income earners RM550 per month.

That giving a RM1,000 bonus to senior citizens are a waste of money because there already exist a kind of special welfare scheme that provides RM300 a month for those qualified in this sector; that an increase in welfare money from RM300 to RM550 was not prudent as it increases the welfare department budget by 83%.

And many, many more criticism.

However, the comment that takes top spot or icing on the cake comes from none other that former premier Mahathir Mohammad, who says Pakatan’s budget is an ‘empty pocket’. Where will all the money come from?

Well, the same thing is said of Mahathir’s fave PM Najib. Where is the PM going to get all the money? People are already bracing for a price hike in many sectors after the general election. After splashing around so much money, surely the government must get it back, right?

Pejo Ung, a Facebook friend has this to say: “Do you know that out of total budget of RM232.8 billion, RM64 billion or 36% goes to wages and pension in the bloated civil service? It is indeed a huge sum to the nation. More mega projects to appease the cronies and rent seekers but no money for public transportation development. It is a pre-election budget with goodies all round”.

My cousin Chong Cheng Hai says on Facebook, too that “That’s why there are so many grants and funds set up … so that the leaks can benefit cronies…there should be a Rent-Seeking Control Act” !

I guess that pretty much sums up what I think of this bruhaha of an election budget. Please do not insult us and think we are of small minds. Najib, my ‘cool’ PM, you need to do better. But I do not think you have the time.

(ends)

Stop shopping, abolish death penalty!

I was interested in the art exhibition and dialogue “In death row’s shadow” organised by Amnesty International and KL Chinese Assembly Hall,  from Oct 1-10, in conjunction with World Coalition’s Day against the Death Penalty because I do not support death penalty.

It is inhuman, cruel and ineffective in resolving the issue of crime, whether it is murder or drug trafficking. Worst still, death penalty is also being used, and is open to abuse to punish crimes such as ‘waging war against the King’, a charge we have seen easily used especially on Parti Sosialis Malaysia leaders – you can be accused if it just by carrying t-shirts in a bus!

Anway, murder by anyone, even by the state is still murder and that’s a crime! While painting for this event, I did not want to contribute art pieces which shows only the darkness of death. I wanted to address the political will, psychological and emotional impact of death penalty not only on the victim but on his/her surroundings – family and friends.

Below are the three art pieces which I have submitted for the exhibition:

1. Stop shopping, abolish the death penalty !

“Malaysia needs a strong political will to abolish the death penalty”

The abolition of any law and the punishments that come with it depends on the political will of the country’s highlest leaders. Recently, Malaysia’s Prime Minister Najib Razak declared that the country’s most draconian law – the Internal Security Act – which allows detention without trial – will be abolished. Najib has promised his government will review the Act when he came to power in 2009. If there is a (political) will, there is a way, to end this inhumane law against citizens and non-citizens. Will Najib take a little time or have the political will to look at the death penalty, and proposed changes to it? It is often said that behind every sucessful man is a clever woman. Najib’s wife – Rosmah Mansor – is said to be such a woman. As a wife and mother, she would definitely know what it is like to have your husband or children murdered by the state. Can she whisper into Najib’s ears and get him to think about the misery surrounding the death penalty?

2. Mummy, I hanged my teddy…

“Are we setting an example for our children that it is not a crime to kill another?”

This is the question that comes to mind when you think of death penalty cases. Children learn by examples. By using murder to resolve a murder case, are we not teaching our children that it is okay to murder someone else? Children will not be able to differentiate the act of murdering someone who has committed a crime or killing an innocent victim. As long as the state sanctions murder of criminals, it sends a strong signal to our kids that murder is one of the ‘effective’ ways to curb crime. The courts will justify that the death penalty is done in the name of justice. Currently, it is used on 11 crimes related to waging war against the king, to abetting in suicide, kidnapping with the intention to murder, drug trafficking and hostage taking. So far, there is no proof that the death penalty has reduced such crimes. Why do we continue to allow the death penalty?

3. Extreme sadness for everyone

When an individual faces the death penalty, he or she goes through mental and emotional torture within the prison cell. Some prisoners, after going through many days, months and years of waiting for the death penalty to take place, eventually change his or her behaviour, become remorseful and regretful for the crime which they have committed. Some like Yong Vui Kong have become spiritual with the knowledge of Buddhism. He has much to share and guide others, especially other drug traffickers, about the crime and consequences of drug trafficking. Can his life be spared as he, being young and awakened, have so much to give? We are not asking that he be totally forgiven and released from prison. Vui Kong knows he has to serve time. He knows he has committed a mistake. We are asking that his death sentence be commuted to life imprisonment. Besides, in cases of death penalty, the victim is not the only individual who suffers extreme pain, his or her family and friends, and the society he or she lives in equally suffers. Although this would in no way stop the crime he or she commits from recurring.

Artist Info:
Susan Loone is a journalist nd a self-taught artist. She first started exhibiting her photo collection entitled ‘Euphoric Victory’ on August 31, 2008 at the Indiependent Art Fest, Penang (http://indiependentfest.blogspot.com/).

At the end of 2008, she exhibited 4 prints at a fundraising event of the ‘Food Not Bombs’ group in Kuala Lumpur on 27 December: http://mockmeat.wordpress.com/2009/01/23/797/susan-2/

This year, in March, and in conjunction with International Women’s Day, Susan exhibited 20 artworks on the theme of women’s empowerment and freedom.

She has worked and lived in Bangkok for four years, and while working for a human rights NGO, two of her artworks – ‘Eye on Human Rights’ and ‘World Dance’ were used for covers on Asian Human Rights & Development Newsletter and a book- 60 years anniversary of Universal Declaration of Human Rights – both published by Bangkok-based regional NGO, FORUM-ASIA.

This year, Susan donated four of her paintings for auction and collected RM13, 200, in aid of Merdeka Review and press freedom.

This year also, Susan donated two more paintings to a Buddhist group, they were auctioned off and RM1,500 was collected for donation.

More art samples can be found in her artblog at: http://slooneart2008.blogspot.com/

You tried to take the Malaysian out of me…

YOU tried to seize the Malaysian out of me
When you ripped open my heart, with your racist fangs
YOU sucked my rainbow colored blood, chewed on my patience
And my tolerance
YOU told my neighbours, I am the enemy living next door
That I have sticks and stones and swords and guns
YOU whispered that I am a Communist out to maim them
That I am a terrorist out to bomb them
A fanatic Christian out to proselytise?
Would they ever be safe?
My neighbours believed YOU
They chanted along with your incantations
And while YOU invoked the memory of deaths, bloods and tears
They build a wall to reach the sky around me
They held on to their weapons, build barricades with their languages
Raised boulders with their cultures
While religion and race became their shield against my good intentions
They were prepared to go to war
To shoot, to slice, to kill
Believing that violence and hatred, are their only safe habour…

It made no difference that this too is the land
Upon which I was born; these skies were the first to hear my infant’s cry;
The red angsana trees and swaying palms
Rejoiced with the wind when I was given a name
This is where my blood would spill willingly
Where I would be buried at the ends of my days.

But the Malaysian in me fought back
My Merdeka spirit rammed into the walls of fear
My tears rained on the cobwebs of lies and suspicion
My neighbours must see my face, hear my voice, and feel my touch
To know we are not different; that I love them as my own
Though our colors vary, we struggled through the same history,
We suffered beneath the sword of the ONE oppressor
That to fight each other would strengthen the dictator

I must tell my neighbours that I would lay down my life for them;
That I would fight their battles, but they must be courageous too and
Stand by my side
That I would fight injustice, corruption, collusion
To see their generation prosper
But I need them to trust me, as I trust them
To tell them have faith
When a new dawn breaks over our dark skies
We would clasp our hands as Malaysians
No longer the enemy that we always thought
Were hiding behind the battle lines.

Happy Merdeka, yes! But first, merdeka from our own selfish selves!

* Merdeka = Independence in Malay.

Fun read: Niamah’s Teohlogy

Teohlogy! I’m glad I have the book. And I’m glad it is not a book about religion. But a bit about history, a reminder of current affairs past, since 2005 to be exact. Written by Patrick Teoh and published by my fave publisher ZI Publications. Thanks for another book, Lori Lee!

The book has 303 pages including glossary and is actually a collection of articles (from 2005-2010) previously published in the now defunct OFF THE EDGE magazine. I met Patrick only once, at the All Blogs Inaugural meeting in KL in April 2007. I heard him speak in person, and I can hear the same funny, provocative voice when I read Teohlogy. Great isn’t it.

Anyway, Patrick is a famous blogger too, and he blogs at Niamah! In his blog, he states his occupation as ‘actor’. Yup, he acted in one of the 15Malaysia short film called Slovak Sling by Woo Ming Jin. He is a fine and funny actor alright, and a good writer, too. Not to mention being a nice hubby who always mentions his wife in his blog, etc. No regrets reading this book

In 2005, the PRIME MINISTER then was Pak Lah @ Abdullah Ahmad Badawi who won the 2004 elections with flying colors. It was also the year that the Barisan Alternative (DAP+PAS+PKR) was ‘thrashed to pieces’.

If you read each chapter carefully, if you ponder deeply into each Malaysian plight that Teoh highlights in his book, you would probably realise that these were the issues that led to BN’s poor perfomannce a.k.a the political tsunami of 2008. But alas, it’s 2011 now lah. And nothing much has changed. Why ah?

If teohlogy is a book on religion and Patrick is god, you are already speaking to a convert. His grouses happen to be my grouses, too. Like it is for many others. Only that Teoh manages to say it in a much more humurous, witty and Malaysian way!

In a nut-shell, these are some of the points he highlights – things that depresses every Malaysians, and yet are the things that pull us together:

1. Upside down Malaysia-pay first, quality later- leads to mediocrity. 2. Tsunami 2004 and caring Malaysians – it seems people have to die first before anyone/someone cares enough to do something to improve the situation. 3. Flip-flopping, inaction and unaccountability on the part of those who hold power, politicians.

4. All the country’s a stage, right here in Malaysia. Real comedians can’t make money these days. The politicians have beat them to it. 5. On page 40, Malaysians get a shelling off from Teoh for not doing things for themselves, for expecting too much and complaining all the time.

6. Malaysia has the most laughable but empty slogans. 7. Visiting our neighbours (Singapore, Indonesia) and feeling so ashamed but it’s nice that Pat takes it upon himself to do better in this country than wallowing in self pity or disgust. Read pg. 72.

8. The recurring grouses in this book centres around transport woes. 8. The silliness of some government policies, for example, creating little Arabia in Bukit Bintang KL. But tourists leave their homes to experience life, art and culture in another land, or else why leave at all???

9. Current PM Najib Razak (then deputy PM) asking then Penang Chief Minister Koh Tsu Koon to prove he is CM for all races. Isn’t Sowing seeds of mistrust among the races, or better still among BN component parties? 10. Any many, many more sharing…go buy the book if you are curious to know more lah!

Actually, it can be quite a pain to read Teohlogy-lah, being reminded of all the problems we as Malaysians collectively face. But it does refresh our minds that these are also the very same issues that bring us together as one nation.

Good read: Operation Nasi Kerabu by Zan Azlee

Zan Azlee’s “Operation Nasi Kerabu: Finding Patani in an Islamic Insurgency” – is a book about the author finding himself in the lives of his fellow Malay/Muslim community living in neighbouring Thailand. It is a candid and honest eyewitness account of how ordinary people like us live in a war zone.

I had visited Narathiwat before, and could relate to some of the things Zan writes in his 111-paged book, which comes with a free DVD! The book was published in May 2011, by ZI Publications. Thank to Lori Lee for the complimentary book!

Zan’s documentary on the subject was due to be screened on Malaysian TV but alas! it was banned by the Prime Minister’s office. The documentary was supposed to be on the Malay community and their survival to keep their Malay/Muslim heritage alive. “It was the last kind of content that we had thought would scare our keris wielding Malay leaders” says a disappointed Zan on page 105.

It wasn’t Zan’s or anyone’s fault but the timing was wrong. At that point of time, or a few months before hand, Thai PM Abhisit had requested Najib Razak’s assistance in sorting out the problems in Southern Thailand. So we can’t have a book that would spoil the fun for Najib, can we? So the written word again becomes a victim of a larger political game. Sigh.

But the positive part of it all is that we now have a book and DVD to savour and enjoy! This was a book I finished in one day, partly because it was rather interesting and I wanted to know all the details all at once.

Turning the first few chapters, one can feel Zan’s tension as he is met with soldiers at checkpoints, immigration officers, familiar scenes of a war zone when he first drives into the area. We also come to know of his aspiration to be like Sean Langan, a famous war reporter, which prompted Zan in the first place to take on such risky but adventurous assignments.

In his book, Zan often provides an insight into how Thais perceive the media in Malaysia, or how it treats it journalists. “The Thai government is actually very liberal and respectful towards journalists, not as bad as Malaysia, huh?” is what Zan’s guide (or fixer, as he calls the Thai reporter – Daniya) says to the author.

On page 11, Zan summarises how he feels about the conflict area: “The danger I had expected was hugely exaggerated by my imagination (and the international news media). People were friendly and the authorities did their best to protect civilians”. – Yes, I must agree that is how I felt too after visiting Narathiwat!

From Pages 12-15, the reader would be introduced to a bit of a history lesson on Southern Thailand. It’s narrated in a very organised manner, without going too much into details. Don’t forget Zan is a lecturer too, so he knows how to maintain the interest of his students/readers in the topic. In these chapters, we also get to know the key players in the conflict and about former Prime Minister Thaksin’s handling of the deep south which perhaps, had worsened the situation then. Zan also related briefly about the power struggle between the police and army and ineffective Muslim leaders, who collectively contributed to a complicated situation.

Through his observation and interviews with Pattani’s ordinary folks, one can see, as Zan pointed out, that there are many bored, restless local youths, poverty stricken, who are willing to confront the authority “when their lives boil over”. His interviewees come from people from all walks of lives – students, teachers, religious people, business folks – but voices we have never heard in the local or international news. These are voices of survival, hope, faith and love – that the human spirit is resilient, strong, and enduring.

Turning more pages, I felt that while Zan may not intend to compare, he offers glimpses of comparison between Malaysian and Thailand in several aspects, for example: in Thailand, authorities are friendlier to journalists; roads are better, no need to pay toll; and different gender roles – women work and men support them with their labour.

It’s refreshing to see so many photos of the going-ons in Pattani interspersed between the pages, makes it a little like a travel book, only that the destination is a war zone! In using these photos, Zan cleverly puts a human face to his stories, and that is a very brilliant way of helping his readers stay on focus.

In the course of his interviews, we also realise the uncertainty of the people about who and what is behind all the violence that plagues their daily lives: it could be “insurgents, militants or criminals”, they tell Zan.

What I find interesting because I am a journalist, too, and can relate to the fact that when we are in the midst of working on a news coverage, most of us feel like Zan. We are sometimes challenged to remain independent, objective, unbias, especially in the face of violence. These feelings Zan shares with us when visiting the controversial 500 year old Kru Se Mosque (in chapter 6 (page 60). “Which side do you take? And who possibly has the right to evaluate and evaluate evil?”. In 2004, this place was splashed with blood, the military stormed into the building and took 32 lives. Too terrifying a story to tell.

On page 89, Zan is again confronted with the question of journalism when Daniya talks to him about “peace journalism”. “Does it fit with journalistic principles of objectivity? Where is the line between journalist and activists? One has the responsibility to report. The other has an agenda, however philanthropic it may be”.

But then I wanted to laugh out when I read Daniya’s perception of the Malaysian media (he works for some of the local media here as well). He said “we really trust the Malaysian media because it is honest” (page 90). What an irony! which Zan would later elaborate in Chapter 12, the final part.

Intentionally or otherwise, when discussing about Southern Thailand, Zan manages to share his thoughts on Malaysia’s current political situation which strikes a cord in most Malaysians – where he briefly mentions issues like the Allah ban on Christians, cases of conversion of Muslims to Christianity (famous Lina Joy case), the Internal Security Act and not forgetting the popular Malay phrase: Takkan Melayu Hilang di Dunia.

Lastly, Zan writes about a serious topic in Operation Nasi Kerabu, but he doesn’t waffle on it but sprinkles lots of little humour that makes us see the human side of the episodes inside his book. One hilarious moment which got me laughing was his discovery of a very “old and sad looking Umno flag” in one Kampong Datuk. Daniya asked him (I think quite earnestly) “That is the flag of Keadilan, right?” (Page 68).

HAHAHA! That is Zan Azlee for you. A promising writer, broadcaster and journalist. You can read more of Zan here and know that he has produced several documentary feature films and have screened his independent documentaries in countries like Singapore, Bangkok, Berlin and New York, other than Malaysia.

Don’t play play ya…he is quite a distinguish fella, so go buy his book now! and Happy Reading

Say ‘No’ to Malaysia’s Media Council.

It’s a sham from the very beginning. The government’s proposal for a media consultative council is meant as a propaganda tool, at best, and at worst, to stifle more the current oppressive scenario of the Malaysian media. Thank you CIJ (centre for indepedent journalism) for saying it to their faces!

Already we are shackled by countless laws against press freedom and free speech – the Printing Presses and Publications Act (which determines whether a news organisations get the license to operate yearly) , the Internal Security Act (detention without trial for an indefinite period of time), Sedition laws, and the Multimedia and Communications Act. And now a media consultative council, which would be everything accept ‘consultative’?

Now way, siree!

Why not have a council to abolish all these repressive and anti-freedom law first? Then, let’s talk. You treat journalists like your enemy, then ask us to sit at the table for dinner with you? Well, gangsters do that. But we are not gangsters.

Which is why even academics consider the move as an “attempt to combat “non-conformist” views especially in the alternative media” (Zaharom Nain).

What the media wants is to govern itself. We believe we are capable of doing that. And we’ll do it by expressing our views not silencing or controlling them. Let the voices of dissent flourish, lets a thousand opinions bloom! We’ll deal with unethical journalism by confronting them head-on in our articles and stories, that they are wrong and unacceptable!

But when you have government heads on the ‘consultative’ board, they don’t consult. They’ll come with their authoritative view and do just that – authorise. Who doesn’t know that their ‘chats’ are orders, perintah, as they say in Malay. That’s their ‘meetings’ are warning sessions.

And to top it all, to have BLOG HOUSE – Prime Minister Najib Razak and Mahathir Mohammad’s propaganda tool – to represent “the new media” is the most blatant show of disregard for free speech and the most obvious indication that this ‘consultative’ council is only meant to propagate a one sided and jaded view.

I don’t mind if Blog House is non-partisan and have been conducting itself credibly but it doesn’t. It’s secretary Tony Yew recently lodged a police report against a fellow blogger Lillian Chan of Penang for her twit asking Christians to join the Bersih rally. If the secretary of Blog House cannot tolerate dissent, how can it represent the new media?

What more, Blog House patron is former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad – he put 106 people in ISA (detention without trial) and closed down several newspapers in 1987, and ruled with an iron fist for 22 years until his resignation in 2003. This can represent the “new media”?

Bullshit to the core!!!!!!

Well, after what the government has done to the Economist – blacking out relevant parts of the Bersih 2.0 rally for electoral reforms, what can the council hope to achieve with free press?

I knew from day one where bloggers who follow the tails of bloggers like Rocky Bru would lead to. And my premonition has proven me correct. Bloggers, who used to think that I was a fool, have now told me “You were right, Susan”. I itch to tell them “I told you so”. But I shall remain humble in my farsightedness.

No, thanks! Probably the only good this it does is to disallow online media like Malaysiakini.com to join its ranks. Would be a bloody waste of precious time.

Najib takut?

Happy birthday, Najib! What would you like for a birthday present? Someone on my twitter said: what about an air ticket to france to attend the submarine court case? I thought that was a great idea!

Yesterday, Malaysia was on the world map again. See here, here, and here. As usual, for all the wrong reasons.

An affair which could have remained very low key and local, is now worldwide glare because Malaysia has deported French lawyer William Bourdon.Bourdon is not just any lawyer. He has 30 years and 50 monitoring missions behind him, probing, unraveling and exposing corrupt practises of despotic regimes, from africa to asia. Now he and the organisation he set up in 2005 – Sherpa – has set their eyes on Malaysia. This is made possible by a civil suit filed by Suaram in Paris against shipyard builder DCNS.

Arms dealing and expenditure in the country is not only complex but intriguing. And French probe has unearth millions of ringgit in commission paid to ‘top’ Malaysian officials by DCNS. Such acts are illegal and punishable by French law.
Fighting corruption within one’s one country should be considered noble, even patriotic. An open and transparent government should welcome this gesture.

So when Bourdon was detained in the aircraft just as it touchdown in KLIA on Friday, and later that night deported back to France, one can only conclude that the government under Najib Razak has alot to hide in this respect! This happens to be a universal perception.

Yellow submarine night.

Nothing new was revealed by French lawyer William Bourdon @ the Suaram Ops Scorpene fundraising dinner tonight, because I had somehow reported most of it. But the lawyer sort of told everyone to hang on to his/her seat BECAUSE the best is yet to come

The BEST is when the “beneficiaries” of the alleged corruption and scandal of the two submarines purchased by the government in a 2002 deal are exposed.

Bourdon has promised to share with us those details. Revelations would include secret meetings held in Paris or elsewhere and participants of the meetings, related to the subs deal. Who benefited from the commissions, who travelled with Abdul Razak Baginda and Altantuya Shaariibuu, are all those details people are waiting for.

Would it shed light on the Altantuya murder in 2006 by Prime Minister Najib Razak’s bodyguards? That remains to be seen.

About 600 people turned up for the Ops Scorpene dinner. Lucky we were not served mamak dinner in a yellow submarine. The response and support was overwhelming. Organiser Suaram said they had achieved more than their targeted amount and thanks all the kind souls who donated. It’s not yet enough though. Wait till the case go to court. Translation fees alone amounts to about Euro20K. Sorry, can’t use google this time

It was funny that they played Beatles’ Yellow Submarine at the beginning of the dinner. So right for the occasion. Mat Sabu came in his wheel chair, Lim Kit Siang in his dark sunglasses. Tian Chua was in his usual cheeky mood. Saw Kee Phaik Cheen, who looks good. Met many FB friends like geraklah Gerakan (gG spokesperson) Yeap Ban Choon and a host of other people (including an ex-boss), most of them were people I know. Anil Netto was around and did ‘LIVE’. Oh, how I wish!

Friends Devan and Dr. Gong, who came all the way from Ayer Tawar, Perak, and who donated money for the dinner, and sat at my table (as mom and my neighbours attended too) added some flavour to an otherwise busy night @ work for me. I couldn’t eat. Had to write a story. At the end, the story would only be published tomorrow

BUT tea with Cheah Kah Peng and Raymond Ching after the event was a great conclusion to today’s life story!