What a holiday!

Hope you enjoy this videoclip. I wanted a totally Asian jingle bells song and found this! If anyone is offended by this, I am truly sorry.

You see, Susan is in a holiday though not partying mood. Too much to do at home! But here’s wishing one and all a merry christmas (for those who celebrate), season’s greetings and happy holidays (to those who do not celebrate Christmas) and a Happy New Year to all.

Be happy, be merry but be safe

Recommended reading for non-Malays: I, too, am Malay by Zaid Ibrahim

You can read my interview with him here.

I just finished reading Zaid Ibrahim’s “I, too am Malay”, the English translation from his now quite famous book “Saya pun Melayu”, and I must say this is one book that all Malaysians must read, if only to break your stereotypes about what the Malay race is or has become. I am sure many non-Malays can benefit from reading this book, because truth be told, we have our own prejudices to deal with as well, not only towards the Malays but other races, even our own.

Who is a Malay? If you do not know, you can read Zaid’s thought on this (page 81): “When Malays truly become independent in life, in whatever field through their own efforts and sweat, other ethnic groups will continue to look at their success as a result of quotas and subsidies”.

After being so long under the oppression of UMNO and Barisan Nasional, can we blame Malaysians for thinking along ethnic lines? Their racist policies were so entrenched that it would take Hercules’ power to break these shackles that imprison our minds. Perhaps, Zaid’s book is attempting to do just that? You must read the 305-page book to decide for yourself.

My interview with Zaid Ibrahim

(Note) I managed to contact Zaid Ibrahim about his book “I, too, am Malay”. I sent him ten questions and he has so  kindly replied to me in a few days. Although Zaid’s replies are short but they are concise and I thank him for allowing his thoughts to be featured in my blog. I must thank ZI Publications too for this book, which Lori Lee has kindly sent me after my review on Ioannis Gatsiounis Book “Velvet and Cinder Blocks”.

Below is my interview with Zaid on his new book:

[SLOONE] – When you say “Saya pun Melayu”, the word “pun (also)” seem to be intentional to mean that while you are Malay, there are aspects of yourself: ideas, principles, attitudes, actions, and perspectives that separates or alienates you from other Malays. Is that true? If yes, why?

[Zaid] – UMNO has distorted the Malay character, and stereotype them to suit their political ideas. One can be inclusive, liberal, tolerant and believe in the values of a plural and multicultural society and still be a Malay. Hence the word ‘pun” to remind them that there are other Malays who are unlike them.

Dotty, RM600k and shopping in Dubai?

Come on Tian Chua! (RM600k ‘wired illegally to Rosmah…”)

Rosmah nak pergi shopping kat Dubai, New York, London atau Ulanbataar, apa salahnya?

Duit RM600k itu bukan duit dia kah? Duit siapa lagi?

Hubby dia perdana menteri Malaysia tau? Don’t play play. Mesti Dotty banyak duit lah.

Lagipun, Dotty seorang pompuan yang baik. Hari-hari dalam suratkhabar beliau ditemani kanak-kanak yang cute dan cun, macam Dotty jugak.

So biarlah Dotty pergi shopping.  Lagipun,  Krismas kan dah dekat, dan New Year pun akan datang.

Takkan nak Dotty pakai baju dan anting-anting yang lama dan buruk. Takde standard lah.

Dotty, sebagai first lady, mesti ada standard macam bini Obama, baru konsep 1Malaysia dapat dipromosikan ke taraf antarabangsa!

More media freedom under Najib? Bullsh*t!

Rocky Bru said “I said I was confident that under Najib’s watch we witness the abolition of such archaic regulations as the PPPA, which among other things requires newspapers to renew their publishing licences annually”. (The Media Under Najib)

I almost chocked, as I feel the print media journalist must feel now after reading these guidelines (Malaysiakini)!

The Home Ministry’s year end present to journalists has given new meaning/value to what is “undesirable” and what is to be “banned”. It’s really like asking the journalists to go commit suicide, sorry to those friends who are still in the media!

But this is Great for politicians! More reasons now to vote Najib’s government out!

But looking at the guidelines again, it seems Utusan Malaysia may be one of the newspapers that may be in trouble soon, if this reads properly:

PKFZ: small fry in a big deep blue sea.

A: Hiya, today no big fish ah? All small fry only….

B: Rainy season lah, monsoon, where can get big fish?

A: Need to upgrade boat, is it? Need better nets, is it?

B: Need a bomoh lah. To stop the rain!

(More to be charged in PKFZ scandals, but can we have the real culprits, please! the masterminds!)

My human rights or yours.

I ask, “Is the earth alone?”
Don’t you have to go to the earthworm,
busy making earth fertile, and ask before taking any important decision!
Who knows if the ants are more concerned about the earths future than you.
I am worth an earthworm.
For you I am only an ant to be crushed.
My human rights puny before your demon rights.

I may be insignificant come on.
Agreed.
Yet my claim over the earth is no way less than yours.

BY Gyanendrapati, poet & chair
People’s Vigilance Committee on Human Rights, India.

A day of human wrongs.

New Premier, Old Pledges, Pervasive Culture of Impunity:
By SUARAM.

In conjunction with the International Human Rights Day 2009, Suara Rakyat Malaysia (SUARAM) releases its Overview of Malaysia’s Human Rights Report for the year.

Detention without Trial Continues

SUARAM notes that despite the new Prime Minister Najib Razak’s pledges of reform and for greater adherence to human rights, no substantive legislative and institutional reforms have been introduced so far.

Despite the crescendo of calls for the repeal of the Internal Security Act (ISA) by civil society, the much-publicised review of the ISA announced by the Prime Minister has not materialised. The government has also made no mention of two other detention-without-detention laws, namely the Emergency (Public Order and Prevention of Crime) Ordinance (EO) and the Dangerous Drugs (Special Preventive Measures) Act (DDA), despite their similarities with the ISA. With no mention of a review of the EO and the DDA, and by only amending the ISA instead of repealing it, it is clear that the government does not intend to do away with the practice of detaining individuals without trial.

Questionable Role of State Institutions

Zunar’s Gedung Kartun now in a book.

The ever creative Zunar, our dearest political cartoonist has published his cartoons in a book this time: “Perak Daul kartun”! Why a book? Because he has heard nothing from the Home Ministry regarding his publication permit ever since his first collection of cartoons hit the streets. This new book cost only RM10, and you can buy it off www.cartonkafe.com.

In a press statement, Zunar says he does not wish to have a confrontation, which is why he is publishing his cartoons in a book this time, and not in a magazine form, as he did earlier. His reason for publishing this book is to share his alternative cartoons about current affairs in Malaysia, which mainstream cartoonist failed to do.

“We believe the cartoonist’s role is not just to share humour in his/her composition but also have the social responsibility to criticise, document reality, share information, raise the voices of the people and also to educate”.

“Msian court of appeal has no sense of justice”

I wonder what you think of this ruling? Is it fair? Is 12 years still too long for an employer who  struck her domestic worker with a hot iron on her chest, and abused her repeatedly? If you think it is too long for a first time offender, the Indonesians obviously does not think so:

From the JAKARTA POST:

The NGO Migrant Care, has condemned the controversial verdict of a Malaysian court, which shortened the jail sentence of a Malaysian employer charged with abusing an Indonesian maid in 2004.

Migrant Care said the reduced sentence was humiliating for Indonesia.

“The reduction in the jail sentence is an indication of discriminative court practises in Malaysia and the impunity of Malaysian employers.

“The Malaysian Court of Appeal has no sense of justice,” Migrant Care policy analyst Wahyu Susilo said here Friday.

He added that Migrant Care also regretted the government’s silence during the trial, which he said gave the impression the government paid no serious attention to the protection of Indonesian citizens, including migrant workers, overseas.

The court ruling was made only weeks after the President met with his Malaysian counterpart, Najib Tun Razak in Kuala Lumpur, who pledged to provide stronger protection for Indonesian migrant workers.