Before I begin my on line work, I thought I'd better return a favour to Doc TA.
Now, this group that I've come to like by accident is no big name in the commercial market. But I've taken a liking to them since stumbling on their 'King of Spain', which incidentally is the first video. Though the song in the video is theirs, the graphics I believe was put up by a fan; Moxy Fruvous video of this song is somewhat fuzzy.
The second video may catch you by surprise as there is a marked difference from the first. Just listen to them and I hope you will like the 2 videos.
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Buckle up!
OK, before I start rambling, I think I find the need to remind my friends that I am never good when writing on issues afflicting the people of this country. Most of the times I allow my emotion to get the better of me and then just scrap off the whole damn thing. But this issue keeps getting on me and I just can't get over it.
It started off with the new ruling for backseat passengers to belt up some week or 2 back. One of the reasons for the new ruling is to prevent back seat passengers not wearing seat belts have a higher fatality rate than those who do, as a study by miros have supposedly shown. Fine, if its all meant for real concern towards the safety of Malaysians, I guess no one can argue about it. Then I heard on the radio that the authorities will be giving a grace period of 3 months before taking any action. That, caused my mind to think of the many Malaysian families with a size of 6 people, and insufficient income to purchase a second car - how will they be traveling to a simple once-a-month dinner outside, which maybe the only outing the family can afford? It may seem a trivial matter, but I believe it will be one that leads to many more cases of 'duit kopi' being passed around, if you get my drift.
Look, if the authorities are really concerned about the fatalities in road accidents, I personally think they are looking at it from the wrong angle. Foremost on the list should be the engineering of the road itself. There have been many times where mishaps and near it happen simply because a driver tries to avoid a deep hole on a major road. It happened to me once on the MRR2! Driving at night and on the fast lane, I could did not notice the hole and had both left rims dented! But if I had noticed the hole and tried to swerve to the left, I would have definitely more than gaze the car on that lane.
Then there's the mentality of the drivers themselves - people who drives slow on the fast lane, and fast on the slow as well as emergency lane. People who puts the signal to change lane, and affect the change at the very same time, not giving a damn whether the car behind has time to notice the signal. It happened to me on the Federal Highway where I was on the fast lane. Just in front and in the middle lane were 2 cars which I had intended to pass. But as I was about a few meters behind the 2nd car, the driver puts out her right indicator and at the same time tried to pull into my lane. I had to jam my brakes and at the same time honked loudly at her. How did that driver get her license? Under the table, perhaps.
Have the authorities conducted sufficient campaigns on road safety? I don't mean those run-of-the-mill RTM slots where even children get bored watching. But hang on, they were these 10 second bursts which I must admit, were good and effective as far as I can note. But where are they now, and why shown only on RTM? Why not Astro, the Media Prima stable, and even the private radio networks, shown as Public Message System (PMS)? Undoubtedly PMS are screened without charge by the private networks. But for every second a PMS is screened, the network gets to deduct the cost from the licensing fee they pay to Suruhanjaya Komunikasi dan Multimedia Malaysia. And that, can be quite an amount! Why are these not put into effect?
Now, this may sound like a zany idea: how about running a Road Safety Campaign using the platform of reality TV show? Think about it. If shows like Survivor and so on so on can draw a huge audience, why can't a safety campaign with huge winning purse? Before I continue, I should stress here that some high-end car producers and main resellers, do provide for safety driving classes for their buyers. These classes known as Defensive Driving, do attract quite a large number.
Back to the Road Safety reality show, the preliminary rounds can begin with simple road rules. One would be surprised to find that many drivers either do not know, or have forgotten the simple rules like reading road signs. Then, as the level progress, so too would the difficulty of the questions and hurdles - what's that show where contestants go in pairs searching for clues all over the world? Well, that bit can be incorporated here as well! More? Well, any producer worth his salt should be able to pick up from here.
With a winning purse of RM1 million and a knock-out system like Survivor where even the audience play a role in deciding survivors - why not? when apart from road rules, ethics and driver personalities can play some part - this show would not only give its value in entertainment, but would also impart knowledge and inculcate good driving habits!
My point here is simply this: have the authorities done enough to educate the public via campaigns and what not, that they now decide to give summons to people for mishaps which may the fault may not even be theirs in the first place? As it is now, I can see the majority of those people coming from the middle to lower income group, where traveling for a family of 6 in an SUV or MPV may be a luxury they cannot afford! Have not these people enough to think of already that you now burden them with illegal taxes, because that sure as hell is the way I think the new ruling is. If any, its the authorities who should buckle up on their work!
By the way, by chance that a new reader or 2 might think I fear the ruling for my own. Then know that I do not have a family of my own to worry about currently. These are my thoughts for the people who do, and my heart goes out to them. Damn you authorities!
It started off with the new ruling for backseat passengers to belt up some week or 2 back. One of the reasons for the new ruling is to prevent back seat passengers not wearing seat belts have a higher fatality rate than those who do, as a study by miros have supposedly shown. Fine, if its all meant for real concern towards the safety of Malaysians, I guess no one can argue about it. Then I heard on the radio that the authorities will be giving a grace period of 3 months before taking any action. That, caused my mind to think of the many Malaysian families with a size of 6 people, and insufficient income to purchase a second car - how will they be traveling to a simple once-a-month dinner outside, which maybe the only outing the family can afford? It may seem a trivial matter, but I believe it will be one that leads to many more cases of 'duit kopi' being passed around, if you get my drift.
Look, if the authorities are really concerned about the fatalities in road accidents, I personally think they are looking at it from the wrong angle. Foremost on the list should be the engineering of the road itself. There have been many times where mishaps and near it happen simply because a driver tries to avoid a deep hole on a major road. It happened to me once on the MRR2! Driving at night and on the fast lane, I could did not notice the hole and had both left rims dented! But if I had noticed the hole and tried to swerve to the left, I would have definitely more than gaze the car on that lane.
Then there's the mentality of the drivers themselves - people who drives slow on the fast lane, and fast on the slow as well as emergency lane. People who puts the signal to change lane, and affect the change at the very same time, not giving a damn whether the car behind has time to notice the signal. It happened to me on the Federal Highway where I was on the fast lane. Just in front and in the middle lane were 2 cars which I had intended to pass. But as I was about a few meters behind the 2nd car, the driver puts out her right indicator and at the same time tried to pull into my lane. I had to jam my brakes and at the same time honked loudly at her. How did that driver get her license? Under the table, perhaps.
Have the authorities conducted sufficient campaigns on road safety? I don't mean those run-of-the-mill RTM slots where even children get bored watching. But hang on, they were these 10 second bursts which I must admit, were good and effective as far as I can note. But where are they now, and why shown only on RTM? Why not Astro, the Media Prima stable, and even the private radio networks, shown as Public Message System (PMS)? Undoubtedly PMS are screened without charge by the private networks. But for every second a PMS is screened, the network gets to deduct the cost from the licensing fee they pay to Suruhanjaya Komunikasi dan Multimedia Malaysia. And that, can be quite an amount! Why are these not put into effect?
Now, this may sound like a zany idea: how about running a Road Safety Campaign using the platform of reality TV show? Think about it. If shows like Survivor and so on so on can draw a huge audience, why can't a safety campaign with huge winning purse? Before I continue, I should stress here that some high-end car producers and main resellers, do provide for safety driving classes for their buyers. These classes known as Defensive Driving, do attract quite a large number.
Back to the Road Safety reality show, the preliminary rounds can begin with simple road rules. One would be surprised to find that many drivers either do not know, or have forgotten the simple rules like reading road signs. Then, as the level progress, so too would the difficulty of the questions and hurdles - what's that show where contestants go in pairs searching for clues all over the world? Well, that bit can be incorporated here as well! More? Well, any producer worth his salt should be able to pick up from here.
With a winning purse of RM1 million and a knock-out system like Survivor where even the audience play a role in deciding survivors - why not? when apart from road rules, ethics and driver personalities can play some part - this show would not only give its value in entertainment, but would also impart knowledge and inculcate good driving habits!
My point here is simply this: have the authorities done enough to educate the public via campaigns and what not, that they now decide to give summons to people for mishaps which may the fault may not even be theirs in the first place? As it is now, I can see the majority of those people coming from the middle to lower income group, where traveling for a family of 6 in an SUV or MPV may be a luxury they cannot afford! Have not these people enough to think of already that you now burden them with illegal taxes, because that sure as hell is the way I think the new ruling is. If any, its the authorities who should buckle up on their work!
By the way, by chance that a new reader or 2 might think I fear the ruling for my own. Then know that I do not have a family of my own to worry about currently. These are my thoughts for the people who do, and my heart goes out to them. Damn you authorities!
Monday, April 28, 2008
RPK on RTM!
Like many Malaysians today, I hardly watch both the RTM channels at all. If any, the only program that was worth watching was Forum Perdana. But, that was many many years ago! Ever since several vocal religious personalities were not invited, the program have been lackluster at best. Oh, there was the Formula One races on TV2 last year. Other than that, nothing is really worth my time there.
However, it seem I missed several good slots of late which though political in nature, not the usual propaganda which RTM is infamous for. One of these slot is called Blogs, where they invite bloggers into the talk show. And last night, Raja Petra Kamaruddin was invited and I missed it! Fortunately, I found the You Tube at Al-Husseyn, and have put it up here for my friends who may have missed it too.
However, it seem I missed several good slots of late which though political in nature, not the usual propaganda which RTM is infamous for. One of these slot is called Blogs, where they invite bloggers into the talk show. And last night, Raja Petra Kamaruddin was invited and I missed it! Fortunately, I found the You Tube at Al-Husseyn, and have put it up here for my friends who may have missed it too.
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Music Time!
No special occasion, nothing to celebrate, but just plain music time. Give that cakapaje guy a break will you? After all, he does does not listen to music everyday, except for what's on the radio when he drives.
Friday, April 25, 2008
Worth A Thousand Punctures!
Received this email about a truly inconsiderate driver in a parking lot. To be fair to the driver and maybe owner of the car, I had to delete the plate number. Apparently the email sender took picture and sent it wide, perhaps, in hope of putting some senses to Malaysians in general, and the driver in particular. Hmm...if I have my way, I'd just puncture all 4 tyres then watch from a distance.
*****.Azman@ my.ey.com
Driver of WPK **** (VERY SELFISH, STUPID, IGNORANT & F*^^@* DRIVER EVER LIVE IN THIS PLANET)
All
Appreciate your help to pass this message on so that the driver of this car can be located. If you send to 10 persons (your friends and relatives). Very soon it will arrive at the inbox of the driver.
Thank You
THE WONDER OF INTERNET - TO EDUCATE THE IGNORANT
Anyway the number plate WPK (the alphabet PK) in Cantonese stands Pok Khai - This person is a real Pok Khai (a real m****r f****r)
*****.Azman@ my.ey.com
Driver of WPK **** (VERY SELFISH, STUPID, IGNORANT & F*^^@* DRIVER EVER LIVE IN THIS PLANET)
All
Appreciate your help to pass this message on so that the driver of this car can be located. If you send to 10 persons (your friends and relatives). Very soon it will arrive at the inbox of the driver.
Thank You
THE WONDER OF INTERNET - TO EDUCATE THE IGNORANT
Anyway the number plate WPK (the alphabet PK) in Cantonese stands Pok Khai - This person is a real Pok Khai (a real m****r f****r)
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Back on Track
Finally! After wringing off about several liters of sweat and shedding some kilos of unwanted 'muscles', I managed to peek at the mirror and think I saw a slimmer and still-not-fitter me. Honestly! The reflection in the mirror was something I could not recognise initially - it was slim and quite macho looking, that for a moment I thought I was looking at a figure of some Scottish Highlander complete with a sarong! Oops! Highlanders wear kilts and not sarong, pardon me. And, well, since I have not shaved for the past 2 days, I almost did not recognise myself. You would excuse a blurry-eyed guy who is on the road to recovery after a heavy bout of fever (and with a wee bit of exaggeration thrown in), wouldn't you? But honestly, it has been a horrible week!
The fever began on Monday night. Somehow I knew it would come when I managed to beat the fever's first charge about a week or so earlier, it will always come galloping back at full charge and knock me out for good! And for the whole of Tuesday night and Wednesday, I laid on the sofa like a boxer out for the count - the fever already had me pinned down, but the medicines, they were like some heavyweight wrestler crashing down on me from the top ropes! I, was like bazooka-ed! And after nearly 24hours of being unconscious, I finally managed to wave the white flag to the fever for a truce. Yup, its still there somewhere in my body. Hopefully, it will go away by tomorrow, insyAllah.
For now, its time for me to pick up on the news of the world...and my friends.
Oh, I now have a voice even Rod Steward would die for. Hmm...now, if only I can sing.
The fever began on Monday night. Somehow I knew it would come when I managed to beat the fever's first charge about a week or so earlier, it will always come galloping back at full charge and knock me out for good! And for the whole of Tuesday night and Wednesday, I laid on the sofa like a boxer out for the count - the fever already had me pinned down, but the medicines, they were like some heavyweight wrestler crashing down on me from the top ropes! I, was like bazooka-ed! And after nearly 24hours of being unconscious, I finally managed to wave the white flag to the fever for a truce. Yup, its still there somewhere in my body. Hopefully, it will go away by tomorrow, insyAllah.
For now, its time for me to pick up on the news of the world...and my friends.
Oh, I now have a voice even Rod Steward would die for. Hmm...now, if only I can sing.
Monday, April 21, 2008
To Recycle or Not?
I was replying to a comment on the previous posting regarding recycling, and thought perhaps it would be better for me to write it here as well.
Not all the items we have been told to recycle, are recyclable. I cannot say for most of the items, but I learned from a friend who is in the paper manufacturing business, the process of recycling paper can be more damaging to the environment than the cutting of trees itself. Simply, he mentioned to me, for papers to have a white surface, the recycling process would need to use a large amount of bleach to remove the colours printed on those papers. Once the colours have been removed, only then the papers are sent for the next process.
Well, some may say the felling of trees to produces papers are harmful too. Agreed. But if I am not mistaken, TV3 once showed a documentary of a paper company in Thailand which claims to be environmentally friendly - they do not recycle papers, they recycle trees! Instead of clearing jungles, they replant trees on their huge trek of land for future harvest. I believe many are aware of this company, as many offices use their product in their daily use - Double A; one can check out their website by visiting http://www.doubleapaper.com/en/about/index.asp.
I welcome anyone wanting to add to this topic as it is an important subject.
Regarding my friend in this business, I am most fortunate to have to know him and the company. Without wanting to sound like a racist or nationalist, the company is about the only Malay/Muslim company in this part of the world that I know. As a secondary producer, they do not produce their own paper, rather buy huge paper rolls top be converted into napkins, face tissues, serviettes, and even toilet rolls.
Anyone in the paper business here?
Not all the items we have been told to recycle, are recyclable. I cannot say for most of the items, but I learned from a friend who is in the paper manufacturing business, the process of recycling paper can be more damaging to the environment than the cutting of trees itself. Simply, he mentioned to me, for papers to have a white surface, the recycling process would need to use a large amount of bleach to remove the colours printed on those papers. Once the colours have been removed, only then the papers are sent for the next process.
Well, some may say the felling of trees to produces papers are harmful too. Agreed. But if I am not mistaken, TV3 once showed a documentary of a paper company in Thailand which claims to be environmentally friendly - they do not recycle papers, they recycle trees! Instead of clearing jungles, they replant trees on their huge trek of land for future harvest. I believe many are aware of this company, as many offices use their product in their daily use - Double A; one can check out their website by visiting http://www.doubleapaper.com/en/about/index.asp.
I welcome anyone wanting to add to this topic as it is an important subject.
Regarding my friend in this business, I am most fortunate to have to know him and the company. Without wanting to sound like a racist or nationalist, the company is about the only Malay/Muslim company in this part of the world that I know. As a secondary producer, they do not produce their own paper, rather buy huge paper rolls top be converted into napkins, face tissues, serviettes, and even toilet rolls.
Anyone in the paper business here?
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Not Just A Mere Child.
I found this video on Anilnetto and was so taken by the content. Please, do watch and listen, then read it at Anil.
Saturday, April 19, 2008
On A Serious Note - Campaign For the Abolishment of the ISA!
It seems my last entry caused some small ruckus on and off my blog. I won't apologise on the grounds of the entry, but I do feel sorry that it has been misunderstood. Granted, I am not a literature genius, nor even remotely near. But that entry was meant to be a satire of the political madness in Malaysia, and nothing more than that. If ever though, at worse it should be read in humour as the label would suggest. To understand it better, do read it with an earlier entry as I have noted towards end of The Continuing Saga of POB. Perhaps, much later, I will dissect it. Hopefully by then, I too will understand it better :)
OK, enough on that and let's move on to a more serious note - the ISA!
Foremost, let me tell you of my experience of the ISA - I have none! I do not personally know of anyone who has been incarcerated with the act, nor have I met any. But, as I have written in one of an early entry entitled "Of Fishes, Life and the ISA", I am one who is against the Act! To me, it is inhumane, cruel, and barbaric, to charge any person and then imprison them without giving them the chance to vindicate themselves. The ISA, was an Act introduced by the British to combat communist insurgents during the Emergency, and may have justifications for its use then (kindly do note that I have used the word 'may').
The Gerakan Mansuh ISA (GMI), launched, yet again, another campaign to seek the release of more than 75 people who still held under the ISA and are seeking seeking public support via an on-line petition. If any of my friends or readers here are of the same mind, please, do give your support by adding your signature to the petition which is made available on the news, or here Abolish The ISA.
Update April 20, 2008: Correction: The above Petition, while true, is an older petition by Aliran. The actual Petition on campaign which will be submitted to the United Nation Human Rights Commission, are as the links below:
No ISA or http://petitiononline.com/NoISA/petition.html
OK, enough on that and let's move on to a more serious note - the ISA!
Foremost, let me tell you of my experience of the ISA - I have none! I do not personally know of anyone who has been incarcerated with the act, nor have I met any. But, as I have written in one of an early entry entitled "Of Fishes, Life and the ISA", I am one who is against the Act! To me, it is inhumane, cruel, and barbaric, to charge any person and then imprison them without giving them the chance to vindicate themselves. The ISA, was an Act introduced by the British to combat communist insurgents during the Emergency, and may have justifications for its use then (kindly do note that I have used the word 'may').
The Gerakan Mansuh ISA (GMI), launched, yet again, another campaign to seek the release of more than 75 people who still held under the ISA and are seeking seeking public support via an on-line petition. If any of my friends or readers here are of the same mind, please, do give your support by adding your signature to the petition which is made available on the news, or here Abolish The ISA.
Update April 20, 2008: Correction: The above Petition, while true, is an older petition by Aliran. The actual Petition on campaign which will be submitted to the United Nation Human Rights Commission, are as the links below:
No ISA or http://petitiononline.com/NoISA/petition.html
Thursday, April 17, 2008
The Continuing Saga of P.O.B: The Return of the King
It has been a very long time since I laid down my sword. I had thought then, I would never touch nor even look at it again. But circumstances has forced me to do otherwise. And as I stand facing it, my mind race back to the time I laid the sword down, and now; it has been almost an eternity!
Time, its very meaning is never certain, varying from one plane to another. In this plane we mortals live, its measurement is restricted to our orbit of the Sun, which itself is a mere dwarf of a star in this ever expanding universe. Out there in the darkness of space, this measure is of no value and meaning, but for the measurement of our physical lives, which itself is of no consequence to the vastness of the universe - we are, mere quarks, smaller than even the atom! In the bigger sense of the picture, we are nothing! Even as that may be, no, we are not hopeless!
Small as it is, this universe is filled with atomic particles from one end, to the other. Like planktons in the ocean which is the start of marine food chain, so are the atoms to the universe. Except, it is not a food to be gobble up by a hungry predator. Rather, its fusions make up for the movements of lives in this very universe. Quarks and atoms, are part of Allah Almighty gift! And we - the quarks that make up the atoms - are part of the gift, the gift of this life we live.
We live this land, a land as rich as it is beautiful, and a land whose very beauty has spawned ugly and greedy predators, who care not the scars and sores they wreak in pursuit of that very beauty which they ironically will destroy in the end. And when that is done, the end result will force us to be exactly like them! The lovely people of this land, will then no longer be the lovely people we know now. But this will only be if we allow those ugly and greedy predators to have their way.
It is with that thought in mind, I have come to accept my loyal comrades' plea to return and help turn back the tidings in our favour. As I have aged, so have I become wiser. And together with my comrades, we will fight those predators to the end, and bring back sanity to this beautiful land we live.
Even as I write this memoir, my comrades have begun the assault on the crumbling fortresses of those predators. Through our assistance, 4 of those fortresses have been laid to ruins, and God Willing, so will a few more within this blink of time. At the same time with each passing minute, scores are joining our ranks compared to the seasons for them. The end is inevitable! We, the P.O.B, will stand tall on the tower of triumph and show no mercy to those who have none.
I have no words for my loyal comrades, but a deep gratitude that will manifest accordingly once the banners of P.O.B stand high. And I ask of others to join our struggle. Come! Let us join our hands so that together, we will taste the sweetness of victory! Come! Be the man you have always dreamed of...come, and join Partai Orang-orang Bujang!
1st Part of P.O.B. saga can be read here.
Oh! This video I took from Chong Zhemin gives an exciting touch to POB! :)
Time, its very meaning is never certain, varying from one plane to another. In this plane we mortals live, its measurement is restricted to our orbit of the Sun, which itself is a mere dwarf of a star in this ever expanding universe. Out there in the darkness of space, this measure is of no value and meaning, but for the measurement of our physical lives, which itself is of no consequence to the vastness of the universe - we are, mere quarks, smaller than even the atom! In the bigger sense of the picture, we are nothing! Even as that may be, no, we are not hopeless!
Small as it is, this universe is filled with atomic particles from one end, to the other. Like planktons in the ocean which is the start of marine food chain, so are the atoms to the universe. Except, it is not a food to be gobble up by a hungry predator. Rather, its fusions make up for the movements of lives in this very universe. Quarks and atoms, are part of Allah Almighty gift! And we - the quarks that make up the atoms - are part of the gift, the gift of this life we live.
We live this land, a land as rich as it is beautiful, and a land whose very beauty has spawned ugly and greedy predators, who care not the scars and sores they wreak in pursuit of that very beauty which they ironically will destroy in the end. And when that is done, the end result will force us to be exactly like them! The lovely people of this land, will then no longer be the lovely people we know now. But this will only be if we allow those ugly and greedy predators to have their way.
It is with that thought in mind, I have come to accept my loyal comrades' plea to return and help turn back the tidings in our favour. As I have aged, so have I become wiser. And together with my comrades, we will fight those predators to the end, and bring back sanity to this beautiful land we live.
Even as I write this memoir, my comrades have begun the assault on the crumbling fortresses of those predators. Through our assistance, 4 of those fortresses have been laid to ruins, and God Willing, so will a few more within this blink of time. At the same time with each passing minute, scores are joining our ranks compared to the seasons for them. The end is inevitable! We, the P.O.B, will stand tall on the tower of triumph and show no mercy to those who have none.
I have no words for my loyal comrades, but a deep gratitude that will manifest accordingly once the banners of P.O.B stand high. And I ask of others to join our struggle. Come! Let us join our hands so that together, we will taste the sweetness of victory! Come! Be the man you have always dreamed of...come, and join Partai Orang-orang Bujang!
1st Part of P.O.B. saga can be read here.
Oh! This video I took from Chong Zhemin gives an exciting touch to POB! :)
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Astounding!
No words are needed, though I was totally mesmerised by the video. Just watch it, thank you.
Courtesy of "kewl kewl" <sayapandai@googlema il.com>
Update 16:09
baez-kun commented on the above and included his favourite nasheed which is almost similar in production to the 2 videos above. I thought it might be better to include the video here as well. Thank you baez-kun :)
Courtesy of "kewl kewl" <sayapandai@googlema il.com>
Update 16:09
baez-kun commented on the above and included his favourite nasheed which is almost similar in production to the 2 videos above. I thought it might be better to include the video here as well. Thank you baez-kun :)
Monday, April 14, 2008
A Man Deserving of Respect.
There are many men in this present time who is deserving of respect - those whose name are well known, and those who are not. For those whose name are well known, a great majority may hold them in great esteem, while a small few may view them in contempt, perhaps due to some misunderstanding on issues which or may not be personal. These men deserving of respect, are known to the public by name and by sight, with their pictures perhaps flashed in the media regular enough to be recognised.
For those men whose names are not well known however, only the lucky few may know them and their true story. We may see them often, but we do not know them. They may be the stranger we pass by everyday on our way to work - the old man sitting on a public bench; the old woman who walk the distance from her house to the morning market; the akak who vacuums the office carpet every morning; the abang who returns home every morning after his 2nd daily job as a jaga; and even the young man who works as a roadside cobbler, having have to quit school early due to his family's financial situation.
Though this entry is not about the latter - the old man and woman, the abang and akak, and the young man mentioned above - I include them in the introduction to remind myself of them, and a verse from the Holy Quran: Truly the noblest among you in the sight of God is the most righteous among you (atqakurn). 49:13; this entry is about a man who shot to fame recently. Personally, I do not know him at all though I was fortunate to have met him in the most ironic of circumstance, a time of sadness when my mother's elder brother, Arwah Mohd Nor Jetti, passed away.
As I have related in my entry at that time, I had sent text messages of the sad news to many members of the family as well as friends, including people whom I know knew my arwah uncle personally. The message was sent without much thought but for the news itself, and I had not expected this recipient to come. But when he did, I was greatly surprised and greeted him with the respect I have for him since many years before.
Back in 1995, this man stood his grounds against one of Malaysia's most infamous politicians, and was sent to jail. Unlike the Black14 incident which led to DSAI's incarceration and shouts of 'reformasi' echoing throughout the country, very few people stood up for the injustice that was delivered to this man. Sadly, perhaps very few people cared then, blinded by the difference in skin colour, the same blind that caused them not to think that this man stood up for one of their own - a 15year old girl of the same skin colour as them. This man, a man of different skin colour and religious belief, was sent to an 18months imprisonment for the brave stand he took against the head of a State Government! Since then, began my burning hatred towards the hypocrites in ameno and their allies in BN.
But Allah s.w.t. is Most Kind, Most Fair, and Most Merciful towards His downtrodden servants, even if they have yet to acknowledge Him as the One God, and the Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. as His messenger. In March 2008, this man who was unjustly imprisoned, became the Chief Minister of Penang. This entry was prompted by the email I received below, and would like to share with my friends here. I would like to think the email as true, as a similar report was written here.
May Allah grant him hidayah to be a Muslim and a Mukmin. May Allah s.w.t. grant us hidayah to be a Mukmin.
From: MUHAMMAD FAUZY BIN MUHAMMAD HIFFNY
Subject: Antara Sayyidina Umar Abdul Aziz & Lim Guan Eng
Cerita menarik yang saya perolehi dari sahabat2 di Kedah dan
Penang ...
Baru-baru ini Guan Eng (Ketua Menteri Penang) turun dan bertemu
rakyat. Dalam ucapannya, dia kata dia nak jadi macam khalifah Umar
Abdul Aziz.
Seorang AJK Dewan Ulama' yang turut hadir berkata (dalam
hati), "Paklong ni dia hanya pandai sebut Umar Abd Aziz. Dia bukan
tau siapa dia Umar sebenarnya. Dia pakai sebut ja kot..."
Tak semena2, Guan Eng meneruskan ucapannya dan sepanjang ucapan itu
dia hanya bercerita kisah kehebatan Umar Abd Aziz. Umar tak ambil
duit rakyat. Umar pulang balik peruntukan kerajaan kepada dia. Umar
padam lampu kerajaan kerana anak dia datang nak tanya urusan
peribadi dan berbagai2 lagi.
Dan Guan Eng kata, sejak sekian lama, Umar Abd Aziz menjadi
idolanya. Dan dia berazam nak jadi pemimpin macam Umar. "Kini saya
sudah jadi Ketua Menteri dan saya berazam akan mengotakan janji saya
untuk menjadi Umar Abd Aziz."
Untuk pengetahuan, Guan Eng tak duduk rumah rasmi Ketua Menteri dan
dia tak ada rumah sendiri. Dia menumpang di rumah bapanya. Bila Mohd
Sabu tanya kenapa tak duduk di rumah rasmi, dia kata, untuk masuk
rumah tu, ia perlu di renovate. Kosnya sekitar RM 300,000.00. Saya
tak rela duit rakyat dibazirkan untuk kediaman seorang ketua
menteri....
Balik semula kpd kisah tadi... Dalam sessi soal jawab, ada seorang
hadirin tanya: Mana tuan tahu kisah Umar Abd Aziz ni. Orang Islampun
ramai yang tak tahu.... Guan Eng jawab, dulu semasa saya di penjara,
antara orang yang kerap mengunjungi saya ialah Dato' Fadhil Noor (Al
Marhum Presiden PAS). Dan dialah yang membekalkan kepada saya buku2
berkaitan Islam, termasuk satu buku tentang Umar Abd Aziz. Bermula
dari situ saya kenal tokoh yang hebat ini.....
Bagaimana kita orang Islam?....
For those men whose names are not well known however, only the lucky few may know them and their true story. We may see them often, but we do not know them. They may be the stranger we pass by everyday on our way to work - the old man sitting on a public bench; the old woman who walk the distance from her house to the morning market; the akak who vacuums the office carpet every morning; the abang who returns home every morning after his 2nd daily job as a jaga; and even the young man who works as a roadside cobbler, having have to quit school early due to his family's financial situation.
Though this entry is not about the latter - the old man and woman, the abang and akak, and the young man mentioned above - I include them in the introduction to remind myself of them, and a verse from the Holy Quran: Truly the noblest among you in the sight of God is the most righteous among you (atqakurn). 49:13; this entry is about a man who shot to fame recently. Personally, I do not know him at all though I was fortunate to have met him in the most ironic of circumstance, a time of sadness when my mother's elder brother, Arwah Mohd Nor Jetti, passed away.
As I have related in my entry at that time, I had sent text messages of the sad news to many members of the family as well as friends, including people whom I know knew my arwah uncle personally. The message was sent without much thought but for the news itself, and I had not expected this recipient to come. But when he did, I was greatly surprised and greeted him with the respect I have for him since many years before.
Back in 1995, this man stood his grounds against one of Malaysia's most infamous politicians, and was sent to jail. Unlike the Black14 incident which led to DSAI's incarceration and shouts of 'reformasi' echoing throughout the country, very few people stood up for the injustice that was delivered to this man. Sadly, perhaps very few people cared then, blinded by the difference in skin colour, the same blind that caused them not to think that this man stood up for one of their own - a 15year old girl of the same skin colour as them. This man, a man of different skin colour and religious belief, was sent to an 18months imprisonment for the brave stand he took against the head of a State Government! Since then, began my burning hatred towards the hypocrites in ameno and their allies in BN.
But Allah s.w.t. is Most Kind, Most Fair, and Most Merciful towards His downtrodden servants, even if they have yet to acknowledge Him as the One God, and the Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. as His messenger. In March 2008, this man who was unjustly imprisoned, became the Chief Minister of Penang. This entry was prompted by the email I received below, and would like to share with my friends here. I would like to think the email as true, as a similar report was written here.
May Allah grant him hidayah to be a Muslim and a Mukmin. May Allah s.w.t. grant us hidayah to be a Mukmin.
From: MUHAMMAD FAUZY BIN MUHAMMAD HIFFNY
Subject: Antara Sayyidina Umar Abdul Aziz & Lim Guan Eng
Cerita menarik yang saya perolehi dari sahabat2 di Kedah dan
Penang ...
Baru-baru ini Guan Eng (Ketua Menteri Penang) turun dan bertemu
rakyat. Dalam ucapannya, dia kata dia nak jadi macam khalifah Umar
Abdul Aziz.
Seorang AJK Dewan Ulama' yang turut hadir berkata (dalam
hati), "Paklong ni dia hanya pandai sebut Umar Abd Aziz. Dia bukan
tau siapa dia Umar sebenarnya. Dia pakai sebut ja kot..."
Tak semena2, Guan Eng meneruskan ucapannya dan sepanjang ucapan itu
dia hanya bercerita kisah kehebatan Umar Abd Aziz. Umar tak ambil
duit rakyat. Umar pulang balik peruntukan kerajaan kepada dia. Umar
padam lampu kerajaan kerana anak dia datang nak tanya urusan
peribadi dan berbagai2 lagi.
Dan Guan Eng kata, sejak sekian lama, Umar Abd Aziz menjadi
idolanya. Dan dia berazam nak jadi pemimpin macam Umar. "Kini saya
sudah jadi Ketua Menteri dan saya berazam akan mengotakan janji saya
untuk menjadi Umar Abd Aziz."
Untuk pengetahuan, Guan Eng tak duduk rumah rasmi Ketua Menteri dan
dia tak ada rumah sendiri. Dia menumpang di rumah bapanya. Bila Mohd
Sabu tanya kenapa tak duduk di rumah rasmi, dia kata, untuk masuk
rumah tu, ia perlu di renovate. Kosnya sekitar RM 300,000.00. Saya
tak rela duit rakyat dibazirkan untuk kediaman seorang ketua
menteri....
Balik semula kpd kisah tadi... Dalam sessi soal jawab, ada seorang
hadirin tanya: Mana tuan tahu kisah Umar Abd Aziz ni. Orang Islampun
ramai yang tak tahu.... Guan Eng jawab, dulu semasa saya di penjara,
antara orang yang kerap mengunjungi saya ialah Dato' Fadhil Noor (Al
Marhum Presiden PAS). Dan dialah yang membekalkan kepada saya buku2
berkaitan Islam, termasuk satu buku tentang Umar Abd Aziz. Bermula
dari situ saya kenal tokoh yang hebat ini.....
Bagaimana kita orang Islam?....
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Blogs: A Lethal Weapon?
I was about to do something else online when I came upon this posting in Laman Marhaen about a blogger from Melaka, and I found myself the want to write about it and dropping everything.
Blogs, as one ameno minister once said, "are the domain for housewives and the unemployed", or something along that line. The statement was off course not true but the minister or rather, ameno, just had to find a fault or two with bloggers whose influence was far more reaching than the traditional media which consist of Press and Broadcast. And the bloggers referred to by the minister were people like Rocky's Bru, Roslan SMS, Penarik Beca, People's Parliament, Maverick, Al-Husseyn, and quite a number more - normal everyday people who were hitting out at the government, namely ameno. Though the main battleground for the General Elections were still conducted on the ground - closed-door ceramah, house-to-house visits, and even the Print and Broadcast medium, its shift towards the Internet users was fast and rapid and the PRU12 proved to be the Baptism of Fire for not only those said bloggers, but the Internet as a medium for the dissemination of news to the public. Could it - the Internet - challenge the Print and Broadast, was the question on many political analysis's lips.
Post PRU12 now has shown that though the Internet penetration level in Malaysia still leaves much to be desired, it - like a newly introduced weapon in any war - could and did wreak havoc on the BN and had their propaganda machineries torn to shreds! How could this be? How could individuals who were not even working in unison with each other, defeat the well-oiled propaganda machineries of the BN which employs literally thousands of people, some state-of-the-art equipments, and hundreds and millions of ringgit just to finance their messages to the mass?
Perhaps, the public were simply awed by this 'new-found' toy. Perhaps, they were mesmerised by the writing skills - the simplicity of language and the audacity of the writers. Or perhaps, just like the shock-troopers of conventional warfare who put fright into their enemies, these bloggers literally shocked a somewhat docile public with the truths of their revelations. Well, rather the opposite to the shock-troopers, but it worked all the same.
Now, before I carry on, let me assure you that in no particular way am I going to asses into the situation above. This entry is with regards to a particular blog and how the owner-writer and his ilk are trying to emulate the success of the prePRU12 bloggers.
Quite recently, some BN top goons, oops, rather impolite of me, I apologise. What I mean to say is, some BN top goons admitted their oversight in recognising the Internet as a medium for news dissemination, or perhaps in their case, propaganda dissemination. Their huffs and puffs having been largely ignored, that they literally cried foul over not only the bloggers, but also the success of alternative parties usage of the Internet, even calling the PRU12 as 'Not A Level Playing Field' (read here). Imagine: abuse of public funds and machineries(RTM, various ministries equipment and manpower), daily prints and publications as well as radio and television networks that can reach out to millions, against the Internet penetration in Malaysia which is still very much limited in coverage, and with many individuals who were not even paid! That, is what those goonies are calling as 'Not A Level Playing Field'. Hmm...quite similar to the illegal regime in Middle East are saying about having to fight the Hamas and the Hizbollah! Maybe it slipped the regime's mind that they are getting something like US10b financial aid ANNUALLY from the US, mainly in the form of latest weapon technology.
Or perhaps the Gulf War is a more suitable way of looking at it, where after a decade of food, medicine and weaponry blockade, the US, aided by many countries invaded Iraq! Post invasion, the US Military said "it was a tough war"; could it have been any easier? I'm digressing, pardon me.
Post PRU12. Now perhaps slightly the wiser, the BN finally acknowledges the lethality of the Internet and are encouraging their leaders and supporters to utilise it as well. Great! Apart from the television, radio, daily prints and periodicals, abuse of state's funds, machineries and manpower, now they resort to the Internet! Will the field now be even? I don't think so.
Blogs and sites are, as mentioned earlier, a form of weapon, or could be likened to it. In the hands of a master or equally versatile person, it can wreak havoc on the enemy lines. But in the hands of a lesser, it can be self-destructive!
Take the former MB of Selangor, for instance. Personally, I have not been to his blog, nor do I care to. On the first day it was announced to the public, I read it received something like 650 comments from readers. On the second day, it was about 300. Then, on the 3rd day, there were about 50 only, a far cry from the first day! Now I have not heard about it since. Could the declining popularity be due to perhaps the lack of substance in the blog? Wait, who were the people who commented there? Were they supporters, or were they critics? Irrespective. Back to the declining popularity of the blog, perhaps it was 2 things combined: lack of substance and critics? I couldn't care less, I'm glad to say.
Now, as I mentioned earlier, this entry is about the blogger from Melaka. No, its not DocTA, as he is one of the likable bloggers from that state. It is however, about the Chief Minister there. In trying to lift the BN's banner, or should I use the Malay proverb - menegakkan benang basah - he too has begun writing. Unfortunately, on his 8th posting, he received far too many flaks he than can handle, and has temporarily stopped. The reason he cited: "LAMAN blog pendua saya di Wordpress ditamatkan bagi memudahkan kemas kini dibuat. Terima kasih - DAR". And that too came under flak! Read his article and the comments here. There, you'll find the link to his blog.
As I mentioned, it's still not a level playing field - they forgot about the brain! Oops!
Last, I just cannot resist putting Amin's song which seem so fitting.
Blogs, as one ameno minister once said, "are the domain for housewives and the unemployed", or something along that line. The statement was off course not true but the minister or rather, ameno, just had to find a fault or two with bloggers whose influence was far more reaching than the traditional media which consist of Press and Broadcast. And the bloggers referred to by the minister were people like Rocky's Bru, Roslan SMS, Penarik Beca, People's Parliament, Maverick, Al-Husseyn, and quite a number more - normal everyday people who were hitting out at the government, namely ameno. Though the main battleground for the General Elections were still conducted on the ground - closed-door ceramah, house-to-house visits, and even the Print and Broadcast medium, its shift towards the Internet users was fast and rapid and the PRU12 proved to be the Baptism of Fire for not only those said bloggers, but the Internet as a medium for the dissemination of news to the public. Could it - the Internet - challenge the Print and Broadast, was the question on many political analysis's lips.
Post PRU12 now has shown that though the Internet penetration level in Malaysia still leaves much to be desired, it - like a newly introduced weapon in any war - could and did wreak havoc on the BN and had their propaganda machineries torn to shreds! How could this be? How could individuals who were not even working in unison with each other, defeat the well-oiled propaganda machineries of the BN which employs literally thousands of people, some state-of-the-art equipments, and hundreds and millions of ringgit just to finance their messages to the mass?
Perhaps, the public were simply awed by this 'new-found' toy. Perhaps, they were mesmerised by the writing skills - the simplicity of language and the audacity of the writers. Or perhaps, just like the shock-troopers of conventional warfare who put fright into their enemies, these bloggers literally shocked a somewhat docile public with the truths of their revelations. Well, rather the opposite to the shock-troopers, but it worked all the same.
Now, before I carry on, let me assure you that in no particular way am I going to asses into the situation above. This entry is with regards to a particular blog and how the owner-writer and his ilk are trying to emulate the success of the prePRU12 bloggers.
Quite recently, some BN top goons, oops, rather impolite of me, I apologise. What I mean to say is, some BN top goons admitted their oversight in recognising the Internet as a medium for news dissemination, or perhaps in their case, propaganda dissemination. Their huffs and puffs having been largely ignored, that they literally cried foul over not only the bloggers, but also the success of alternative parties usage of the Internet, even calling the PRU12 as 'Not A Level Playing Field' (read here). Imagine: abuse of public funds and machineries(RTM, various ministries equipment and manpower), daily prints and publications as well as radio and television networks that can reach out to millions, against the Internet penetration in Malaysia which is still very much limited in coverage, and with many individuals who were not even paid! That, is what those goonies are calling as 'Not A Level Playing Field'. Hmm...quite similar to the illegal regime in Middle East are saying about having to fight the Hamas and the Hizbollah! Maybe it slipped the regime's mind that they are getting something like US10b financial aid ANNUALLY from the US, mainly in the form of latest weapon technology.
Or perhaps the Gulf War is a more suitable way of looking at it, where after a decade of food, medicine and weaponry blockade, the US, aided by many countries invaded Iraq! Post invasion, the US Military said "it was a tough war"; could it have been any easier? I'm digressing, pardon me.
Post PRU12. Now perhaps slightly the wiser, the BN finally acknowledges the lethality of the Internet and are encouraging their leaders and supporters to utilise it as well. Great! Apart from the television, radio, daily prints and periodicals, abuse of state's funds, machineries and manpower, now they resort to the Internet! Will the field now be even? I don't think so.
Blogs and sites are, as mentioned earlier, a form of weapon, or could be likened to it. In the hands of a master or equally versatile person, it can wreak havoc on the enemy lines. But in the hands of a lesser, it can be self-destructive!
Take the former MB of Selangor, for instance. Personally, I have not been to his blog, nor do I care to. On the first day it was announced to the public, I read it received something like 650 comments from readers. On the second day, it was about 300. Then, on the 3rd day, there were about 50 only, a far cry from the first day! Now I have not heard about it since. Could the declining popularity be due to perhaps the lack of substance in the blog? Wait, who were the people who commented there? Were they supporters, or were they critics? Irrespective. Back to the declining popularity of the blog, perhaps it was 2 things combined: lack of substance and critics? I couldn't care less, I'm glad to say.
Now, as I mentioned earlier, this entry is about the blogger from Melaka. No, its not DocTA, as he is one of the likable bloggers from that state. It is however, about the Chief Minister there. In trying to lift the BN's banner, or should I use the Malay proverb - menegakkan benang basah - he too has begun writing. Unfortunately, on his 8th posting, he received far too many flaks he than can handle, and has temporarily stopped. The reason he cited: "LAMAN blog pendua saya di Wordpress ditamatkan bagi memudahkan kemas kini dibuat. Terima kasih - DAR". And that too came under flak! Read his article and the comments here. There, you'll find the link to his blog.
As I mentioned, it's still not a level playing field - they forgot about the brain! Oops!
Last, I just cannot resist putting Amin's song which seem so fitting.
Saturday, April 12, 2008
You Judge Yourself.
I received this via email and though many of us have already known many things concerning the videos below, perhaps it would be best if we refresh ourselves. Might be, there are some small things we have yet to know, or completely forgotten.
Perhaps, anyone with an account could download this for safekeeping too.
Extra note: Perhaps this wikipedia report of a true event quite soon after 9-11 could further vindicate the story in the video. Far fetched as it may be, the question remains why the government of the victims in the event does not retaliate with even some small measures, when they have even flown their commandos to Uganda for a rescue mission, and are known to be 'overly concerned' about the smallest plight of their citizen at home or abroad.
Perhaps, anyone with an account could download this for safekeeping too.
Extra note: Perhaps this wikipedia report of a true event quite soon after 9-11 could further vindicate the story in the video. Far fetched as it may be, the question remains why the government of the victims in the event does not retaliate with even some small measures, when they have even flown their commandos to Uganda for a rescue mission, and are known to be 'overly concerned' about the smallest plight of their citizen at home or abroad.
Friday, April 11, 2008
Things That Go Bump in the Night.
I was home alone the other night with emak away at Emi's. Nothing much to worry as I have come used to it. But after the blogger's meet last Saturday where I was engaged in a particular conversation with a particular someone, sometime the mind can and does play a trick or two on a person. Now, who that particular someone I had the conversation with does not really matter, but the particular subject we touched was on the supernatural which, well, left me with a shiver or 2. And talking of shivers, I am shivering cold now from a bout of fever.
Earlier today, I took emak to a government office for some personal matters which she needed clarification. On reaching the entrance, my blood shot-up almost immediately when I noticed that the public parking was situated some distant away from the office building, while there was a sign showing the way for VVIP and VIP parking! I mean, given the situation where those VVIPs and VIPs already have a driver, why should they be accorded a parking near the building? And the public, many who are the elderly have to park a distant away - I honestly think that Malaysians have to reset their priorities. As for my fever, well, when we came out of the office, it was already raining. Without a bench for emak to sit and wait out the rain, I took a casual walk to the car. No point rushing, I thought, as I would still be drenched (a certain friend would say this: padan muka tak bawa paying!). But hey!, how was I supposed to know it would rain in midday? Oh well...
Anyway, back to the story, I've had some personal experience with the supernatural and not one of them were pleasant, I don't mind telling you. I mean, were they pleasant, heck, I might not be here to write this tale of mine, and be having the time of my life in some other planes of life which we mere mortals see not. Like, some tales I've heard of some people who are married to 'orang bunian' and what not - perhaps quite similar to P Ramlee's film Sumpah Orang Minyak. Heck! I wouldn't want come back to Earth had I been to those planes! Off course, that is assuming such planes do exist and they are as beautiful as some people would make them out to be! As a Muslim, I off course have to believe life, other than those on this plane we live, do exist. But that is as far as it should go - I acknowledge, but I bow to none other than Allah s.w.t. Hmm...I'm going far off from what I want to write about, aren't I?
Now, before I continue rambling, one must be reminded that this cakapaje fella only partakes in 1 heavy meal a day (just to emphasise: that's ONE meal only a day). Off course, sometimes in given situation, he may break the rules but that is only on rare occasions; like for instance, the night when he took Doc TA and Matsalo for Ayam Golek Halim. But other than that, its strictly a one meal a day routine.
On this particular night when emak was away, that cakapaje fella decided to sleep in the upstairs bedroom which he rarely does. No, it's not that he rarely sleep, but on most nights one may find him sleeping on the carpet of the living room downstairs. And no, it is also not because he is too lazy to climb the one floor up, but...well, since emak sleeps at the bedroom downstairs, he feels like it is his duty to sleep on the same level or below emak. Pretty conservative if you ask me but, that's cakapaje fella for you.
So, that night he was alone and was hovering between the conscious and...sleep, off course. And suddenly, he was shaken out of it by a strange noise! Looking around, he could not see much of anything as it was, well, dark! He kept still for a few very long seconds hoping to make out the sound which seem to have quieten by then. Since no noise was heard again, he happily turned to the lovely soft bed and the slightly wet pillow. But not long afterwards, that cakapaje fella was awaken again by the same noise. This time however, it was much louder which prompted him to switch on the lights and saw...nothing!
Curiousity got the better of him and he decided to check downstairs for the possibilities of some night prowlers or something like that. At that moment, 2 things crept into his mind. The first, was the possibility of a rodent which the tail, oops, I mean the tale was told sometime last November or so. Having had a look-see, he found no telltale evidence of a rodent, and that gave him the shivers as the other thing that crept into his mind was, of some supernatural things which that cakapaje is not too particular fond of.
With the mind now on full alert - and the hairs standing on ends - he decided to check all the doors and places which could lead some valuable clues to the mysterious noise. Granted, it was not such a big thing the noise was, more like some growling sound. But that's the whole thing, where and what caused such noise?
By then, cakapaje was already holding a piece of hardwood with his right hand, and slowly opening each drawer in the kitchen. If ever anything suddenly pops out of a drawer, well, the hardwood would have to make do either as a defence or offensive weapon. But with each drawer opened, nothing was found till at last, only the refrigerator remain unopened! Thus, with one eye closed, cakapaje slowly pull open the refrigerator door. And sure enough, there it was, the culprit that caused the growling noise! Cakapaje looked down to his midsection and lovingly patted his stomach! I mean, since I was wide awake already, might as well!
Soon later, the only noise that disturbed the night was those of cakapaje slumbering away. The stomach, having been sated with 2 pieces of fried chicken, was too busy to make noise any further. Well, its not really a tale of things that go bump in the night, but it certainly did go burping!
Now, for the fever...
Earlier today, I took emak to a government office for some personal matters which she needed clarification. On reaching the entrance, my blood shot-up almost immediately when I noticed that the public parking was situated some distant away from the office building, while there was a sign showing the way for VVIP and VIP parking! I mean, given the situation where those VVIPs and VIPs already have a driver, why should they be accorded a parking near the building? And the public, many who are the elderly have to park a distant away - I honestly think that Malaysians have to reset their priorities. As for my fever, well, when we came out of the office, it was already raining. Without a bench for emak to sit and wait out the rain, I took a casual walk to the car. No point rushing, I thought, as I would still be drenched (a certain friend would say this: padan muka tak bawa paying!). But hey!, how was I supposed to know it would rain in midday? Oh well...
Anyway, back to the story, I've had some personal experience with the supernatural and not one of them were pleasant, I don't mind telling you. I mean, were they pleasant, heck, I might not be here to write this tale of mine, and be having the time of my life in some other planes of life which we mere mortals see not. Like, some tales I've heard of some people who are married to 'orang bunian' and what not - perhaps quite similar to P Ramlee's film Sumpah Orang Minyak. Heck! I wouldn't want come back to Earth had I been to those planes! Off course, that is assuming such planes do exist and they are as beautiful as some people would make them out to be! As a Muslim, I off course have to believe life, other than those on this plane we live, do exist. But that is as far as it should go - I acknowledge, but I bow to none other than Allah s.w.t. Hmm...I'm going far off from what I want to write about, aren't I?
Now, before I continue rambling, one must be reminded that this cakapaje fella only partakes in 1 heavy meal a day (just to emphasise: that's ONE meal only a day). Off course, sometimes in given situation, he may break the rules but that is only on rare occasions; like for instance, the night when he took Doc TA and Matsalo for Ayam Golek Halim. But other than that, its strictly a one meal a day routine.
On this particular night when emak was away, that cakapaje fella decided to sleep in the upstairs bedroom which he rarely does. No, it's not that he rarely sleep, but on most nights one may find him sleeping on the carpet of the living room downstairs. And no, it is also not because he is too lazy to climb the one floor up, but...well, since emak sleeps at the bedroom downstairs, he feels like it is his duty to sleep on the same level or below emak. Pretty conservative if you ask me but, that's cakapaje fella for you.
So, that night he was alone and was hovering between the conscious and...sleep, off course. And suddenly, he was shaken out of it by a strange noise! Looking around, he could not see much of anything as it was, well, dark! He kept still for a few very long seconds hoping to make out the sound which seem to have quieten by then. Since no noise was heard again, he happily turned to the lovely soft bed and the slightly wet pillow. But not long afterwards, that cakapaje fella was awaken again by the same noise. This time however, it was much louder which prompted him to switch on the lights and saw...nothing!
Curiousity got the better of him and he decided to check downstairs for the possibilities of some night prowlers or something like that. At that moment, 2 things crept into his mind. The first, was the possibility of a rodent which the tail, oops, I mean the tale was told sometime last November or so. Having had a look-see, he found no telltale evidence of a rodent, and that gave him the shivers as the other thing that crept into his mind was, of some supernatural things which that cakapaje is not too particular fond of.
With the mind now on full alert - and the hairs standing on ends - he decided to check all the doors and places which could lead some valuable clues to the mysterious noise. Granted, it was not such a big thing the noise was, more like some growling sound. But that's the whole thing, where and what caused such noise?
By then, cakapaje was already holding a piece of hardwood with his right hand, and slowly opening each drawer in the kitchen. If ever anything suddenly pops out of a drawer, well, the hardwood would have to make do either as a defence or offensive weapon. But with each drawer opened, nothing was found till at last, only the refrigerator remain unopened! Thus, with one eye closed, cakapaje slowly pull open the refrigerator door. And sure enough, there it was, the culprit that caused the growling noise! Cakapaje looked down to his midsection and lovingly patted his stomach! I mean, since I was wide awake already, might as well!
Soon later, the only noise that disturbed the night was those of cakapaje slumbering away. The stomach, having been sated with 2 pieces of fried chicken, was too busy to make noise any further. Well, its not really a tale of things that go bump in the night, but it certainly did go burping!
Now, for the fever...
Thursday, April 10, 2008
A Minor Change...At Last!
There, it's done! I finally managed to get all the political blogs and sites to readscentral, and bring my friends there to here. However, I'm quite sure there is still another one or 2 left behind unintended. Guess when I revamp readscentral then I will know for sure.
Life is really funny...sometimes lah! I did not intend to do the minor change this soon; I had thought of doing it well, some other time but not last night...most certainly not last night. Things were and are getting bumpy in this joyride I'm having and even though there are matters which I would like to write on, I sort of could not find the appetite to do it. It's like when one is sitting down to a good thick juicy steak, and someone forgets the salt and peppers. Or, like being served a plate of nasi lemak without the sambal. Still, I guess I should think myself lucky as some people don't even have the nasi lemak, or the lemak for the nasi! Thus, I suddenly found myself making changes without any real planning to it.
Anyway, I have added a panel on the left there, selecting several reads from either IIR or NYMHM; do give them a look when you have the time. InsyAllah, I will update the links as and when necessary.
Life is really funny...sometimes lah! I did not intend to do the minor change this soon; I had thought of doing it well, some other time but not last night...most certainly not last night. Things were and are getting bumpy in this joyride I'm having and even though there are matters which I would like to write on, I sort of could not find the appetite to do it. It's like when one is sitting down to a good thick juicy steak, and someone forgets the salt and peppers. Or, like being served a plate of nasi lemak without the sambal. Still, I guess I should think myself lucky as some people don't even have the nasi lemak, or the lemak for the nasi! Thus, I suddenly found myself making changes without any real planning to it.
Anyway, I have added a panel on the left there, selecting several reads from either IIR or NYMHM; do give them a look when you have the time. InsyAllah, I will update the links as and when necessary.
Tuesday, April 08, 2008
A Slip of Mind or....?
This kind of emails have been going around for quite sometime now; all the pictures here have been recycled time and again. Normally I would just laugh it off and then delete it for it does not serve any real purpose except maybe, to tickle one's mind. However, I could not help but put it up here simply for...well, see for yourself.
emy_fashila@yahoo.com.my
Old movie. New watch? Watch it out!
You need to hold the trigger to shoot someone or...?
Hmmm.... aero planes in the Trojan War?
Bows, arrows, ... and cellphones in the olden days?
Now here comes what I hope is everyone's fav....
.
.
.
Wow! In those days,... Adidas? Hmmm.... branded Pirate!
****.****
The last 2 is simply precious!
emy_fashila@yahoo.com.my
Old movie. New watch? Watch it out! 
You need to hold the trigger to shoot someone or...? 
Hmmm.... aero planes in the Trojan War? 
Bows, arrows, ... and cellphones in the olden days? Now here comes what I hope is everyone's fav....
.
.
.
Wow! In those days,... Adidas? Hmmm.... branded Pirate! but not as stupid as......
OR THIS ?
No comment :)
****.****
The last 2 is simply precious!
Sunday, April 06, 2008
Knights of the Asam Pedas
Knights of the Asam Pedas, is a true pictorial account of the event that took place on the Saturday afternoon of March 5, 2008. Somehow, Hollywood producers were informed of the event and turned it into some blockbuster movies.
Before the meet: the knights discussing on issues relating to protocol. Pak Idrus, one of the 2 senior knights, seen discussing with
a Yellow T-shirt guy, Private kerpie, and Saiful.
a Yellow T-shirt guy, Private kerpie, and Saiful.
The Yellow T-shirt guy relaying the orders to akak, Doc TA, Anon Miri, and Salah.
Security Kinght Jefflam, arrives and introduces himself all around.
Just prior to the meet beginning, Jefflam and Pok Ku doing their security check.Jefflam seen here frisking Pak Idrus,
while Pok Ku leaves no table unturned searching for explosives.
The Queen (Raden) seen here inspecting her Guard-of-Honour,comprising of Private kerpie, Minister of Health (DocTA),
and Minister of Information (muteaudio).
Private kerpie trying to hog Elizabeth Wongto himself as he did with TDM.
Edelweiss, Elviza and the Queen (Raden), in a show of protest at Private kerpie's conduct above.
Salah and Anon trying to figure out how to drag Eli Wong away for themselves.
The actual Round Table Meet. Marina and Elizabeth squaring it out
with Speaker(Matsalo) checking the regulations,
while Anon of Miri and his wife looks on at the antics of the other knights.
The Backbenchers Club! L-R: Accia, Yati, Elviza, Jacqueline Tegjeu, Raden, Marina.(Hmm...if the men are knights, should not the ladies then be knighties?)
The Knights and a knightie looking in awe at the knighties.Muteaudio informing RTM, Private kerpie in serious gaze,
guy in Yellow T-Shirt trying to close his eyes,
and a knightie that should be on the opposite side but isn't.
(Taken from Jefflam's blog).
Where it all began.Saving Private...was actually taken from this real life picture
where the brothers successfully managed to restrain Private kerpie
from going for the Backbenchers!
Broken-hearted, Private kerpie seen heredrowning his sorrows with a can of coke!
After Private kerpie turn of events, the Yellow T-shirt guyis seen seeking help for his trauma from a professional.
(Azlan, Accia's husband is a professional violinist).
The Yellow T-shirt guy (again!) seen seeking 2nd opinionfrom Doc TA and Anon of Miri.
Anon of Miri (not in picture) released the laughing gasto ease the Yellow T-shirt guy's trauma.
Unfortunately, Doc TA was caught in the line of fire!
Doc TA still recovering from the laughing gas,which seem to affect Elvia and Accia too!
In truth, though the pictures of the event are real, the accompanying text are not.
Last night, Matsalo gave DocTA and I softcopy of the pictures which are too many to put in any one blog. Thus I have arranged several here in a light manner and sincerely hope it does not offend anyone. If otherwise, please forgive me.
Saturday, April 05, 2008
An Impromptu Bash
It started with just 4 people wanting to meet - Doc TA, kerpie, Mat Salo and that cakapaje fella - but it grew in numbers to more than 20! Bloggers who were strangers, except for the visits to each other sites, became acquainted and soon later, the many who were strangers, became friends.
I have no words to describe the 5hour marathon meet just now. Except for a single Mee Rebus Tuesday attendance, I have never really met so many bloggers before; Accia and family, The Voice, Doc TA and akak, kerpie, Mat Salo, Elviza, Raden, Muteaudio, Pak Idrus, Pok Ku, Marina Mahathir, Jaflam and many more which my tiny mind cannot remember for now - do forgive me.
But in the presence of many, my heart do notice the absence of some - blogging friends whom I have come to know but have yet the opportunity to meet them personally: Bergen, Bee Bee, Big Dot Com, bro Zul, Cikgu KTN, de_kerinci, doc-lover, Farina, Fatin, GM, Hata, Mavericyk, Mekna, Minci, Pak Mior, Pak Zabs, Pak Zawi, Pak Kassim Selamat, Puteri Nad, Sheih, Puan Nuraina, Tok Mummy, WL, and many more too!
To my blogging friends who were unable to make it, or were not even aware of this meet we had today, I dedicate this song to you.
Most of all, I believe I mention this on behalf of all present just now: Matsalo bro, thank you for being a remarkable host!
I have no words to describe the 5hour marathon meet just now. Except for a single Mee Rebus Tuesday attendance, I have never really met so many bloggers before; Accia and family, The Voice, Doc TA and akak, kerpie, Mat Salo, Elviza, Raden, Muteaudio, Pak Idrus, Pok Ku, Marina Mahathir, Jaflam and many more which my tiny mind cannot remember for now - do forgive me.
But in the presence of many, my heart do notice the absence of some - blogging friends whom I have come to know but have yet the opportunity to meet them personally: Bergen, Bee Bee, Big Dot Com, bro Zul, Cikgu KTN, de_kerinci, doc-lover, Farina, Fatin, GM, Hata, Mavericyk, Mekna, Minci, Pak Mior, Pak Zabs, Pak Zawi, Pak Kassim Selamat, Puteri Nad, Sheih, Puan Nuraina, Tok Mummy, WL, and many more too!
To my blogging friends who were unable to make it, or were not even aware of this meet we had today, I dedicate this song to you.
Most of all, I believe I mention this on behalf of all present just now: Matsalo bro, thank you for being a remarkable host!
Friday, April 04, 2008
Stupidity, Arrogance and Rudeness, Goes Hand-in-hand.
Foremost, my apologies. I am not the kind that likes to throw names at people for their sheer supidity or arrogance in a public meet. Well, I may have been, but insyAllah, not any longer...or so I thought. Seriously, with age catching up and blah blah blah, I thought - some years back - its time be civil. Off course, when one tries to mend one's way of life, temptations to revert comes knocking incessantly. One, may find the strength to fight off the temptation with selawat and tasbih, but there are times when one tend to forget everything. Like earlier today...
Wak and I were present for a press conference organised by the Pakatan Rakyat, Wilayah Persekutuan and entitled: SIDANG MEDIA akan diadakan sempena PERTEMUAN AHLI-AHLI PARLIMEN PAKATAN RAKYAT WILAYAH PERSEKUTUAN dengan MENTERI WILAYAH PERSEKUTUAN. As the title would suggest, it was to be a joint press conference between that Minister which I now loathe to mention even his name, and the Members of Parliament of the Pakatan Rakyat from Kuala Lumpur. However, due to the sheer stupidity, arrogance and rudeness of the Minister, it did not happen as planned!
By 11.30am, all the media people invited were eagerly anticipating what may have been a historic first where leaders of the BN and Pakatan Rakyat sit together in a press conference. The leaders mentioned had just finished their close-door meeting and walked into the PC room with that minister leading. Someone then whispered something to that minister and he suddenly turned around, waived his right hand and saying: "No, no! This PC is for the ministry officials and DBKL. You people (Pakatan Rakyat's MPs') can do it outside!" That, had my blood boiling instantly and I rushed out to Doctor Lo'Lo' who together with the other MP's had walked out of the room. My view and stand was simple: This was supposed to be a joint PC and no matter what the excuse is, the manner that 8(*@@$ minister handled it was rude and stupid! (I wish I can type those words in bold and repeat it a million times!).
Remembering I was and still am trying to be civil, I requested permission from Doc Lo'Lo' to walk back into the room and loudly ask the alternative media to come out. But being the lady she is, Doc calmed me down and denied the request. I was torn between loyalty and anger, walked back into the room and pulled Wak out. But again Doc asked us - that cakapaje bloke, that is - to calm down and gave the thumb up for Wak to continue covering the *&$)@$ minister's PC - a PC arranged by Pakatan Rakyat's officers! Thus while Wak went back in, I stood outside with several PR officers in a show of protest.
As I mentioned earlier, my stand is simple. Further to that, the PR MP's present were guests there and should rightly be treated as such! To me, had the minister allowed the joint PC to take place, quite a number of Malaysians - including that cakapaje bloke - would hold him in greater respect as it would be a show of sincerity and good faith from him to work together and look into the problems of the rakyat. But due to his stupidity, arrogance and rudeness, I would not even shake hands with him. The show of sincerity and good faith I mentioned, was later shown by Mr Wee Choo Keong, one the PR MPs.
As soon as the minister had finished and walked out, the PR MPs were called in. Mr Wee began the PC by simply asking the reporters present of the minister's statement for, as he said "we do not want to saying things which are opposed to what have transpired in the meeting, nor what the minister have said!" Here we have a PR MP showing what sincerity and good faith means to Federal Minister who was no longer in the room! What )(@$& minister he is! Forgive me, but one should be there to understand the real situation.
For a full report on the PC, kindly visit Tiada diskriminasi di Wilayah ???????.
By the way, one of the Alternative Media reporters got out of his seat and moved next to cakapaje; he was sitting besides 2 Bernama reporters who were sneering at the PR MPs and mumbling something among themselves. Perhaps, they were miffed at the thought and possibilities of Pakatan Rakyat forming the next Federal Government. To the end part of the sentence, all I have to say is this: InsyAllah.
Wak and I were present for a press conference organised by the Pakatan Rakyat, Wilayah Persekutuan and entitled: SIDANG MEDIA akan diadakan sempena PERTEMUAN AHLI-AHLI PARLIMEN PAKATAN RAKYAT WILAYAH PERSEKUTUAN dengan MENTERI WILAYAH PERSEKUTUAN. As the title would suggest, it was to be a joint press conference between that Minister which I now loathe to mention even his name, and the Members of Parliament of the Pakatan Rakyat from Kuala Lumpur. However, due to the sheer stupidity, arrogance and rudeness of the Minister, it did not happen as planned!
By 11.30am, all the media people invited were eagerly anticipating what may have been a historic first where leaders of the BN and Pakatan Rakyat sit together in a press conference. The leaders mentioned had just finished their close-door meeting and walked into the PC room with that minister leading. Someone then whispered something to that minister and he suddenly turned around, waived his right hand and saying: "No, no! This PC is for the ministry officials and DBKL. You people (Pakatan Rakyat's MPs') can do it outside!" That, had my blood boiling instantly and I rushed out to Doctor Lo'Lo' who together with the other MP's had walked out of the room. My view and stand was simple: This was supposed to be a joint PC and no matter what the excuse is, the manner that 8(*@@$ minister handled it was rude and stupid! (I wish I can type those words in bold and repeat it a million times!).
Remembering I was and still am trying to be civil, I requested permission from Doc Lo'Lo' to walk back into the room and loudly ask the alternative media to come out. But being the lady she is, Doc calmed me down and denied the request. I was torn between loyalty and anger, walked back into the room and pulled Wak out. But again Doc asked us - that cakapaje bloke, that is - to calm down and gave the thumb up for Wak to continue covering the *&$)@$ minister's PC - a PC arranged by Pakatan Rakyat's officers! Thus while Wak went back in, I stood outside with several PR officers in a show of protest.
As I mentioned earlier, my stand is simple. Further to that, the PR MP's present were guests there and should rightly be treated as such! To me, had the minister allowed the joint PC to take place, quite a number of Malaysians - including that cakapaje bloke - would hold him in greater respect as it would be a show of sincerity and good faith from him to work together and look into the problems of the rakyat. But due to his stupidity, arrogance and rudeness, I would not even shake hands with him. The show of sincerity and good faith I mentioned, was later shown by Mr Wee Choo Keong, one the PR MPs.
As soon as the minister had finished and walked out, the PR MPs were called in. Mr Wee began the PC by simply asking the reporters present of the minister's statement for, as he said "we do not want to saying things which are opposed to what have transpired in the meeting, nor what the minister have said!" Here we have a PR MP showing what sincerity and good faith means to Federal Minister who was no longer in the room! What )(@$& minister he is! Forgive me, but one should be there to understand the real situation.
For a full report on the PC, kindly visit Tiada diskriminasi di Wilayah ???????.
By the way, one of the Alternative Media reporters got out of his seat and moved next to cakapaje; he was sitting besides 2 Bernama reporters who were sneering at the PR MPs and mumbling something among themselves. Perhaps, they were miffed at the thought and possibilities of Pakatan Rakyat forming the next Federal Government. To the end part of the sentence, all I have to say is this: InsyAllah.
Thursday, April 03, 2008
A Beautiful Video
Anon Zul - who made 2 comments at my last entry - send the link for this video by Zain Bhikha. I think its a great video and would like to share with all my friends. Any thanks should be accorded to Anon Zul, and off course, Zain Bhikha.
It's Written In The Star(s)
Last month when Wak and I covered a story which I partially wrote here, I sensed that there was a bigger picture to it, one that an amateur reporter like that cakapaje fella would not be able to unearth. Not accredited and unschooled in the fine arts of journalism may be the least of my worries for a story as big as I had sensed; its the dangers behind it which I am not ready for. Maybe I am a coward, but do permit me to explain.
When Wak and I were shown the extent of works being carried to siphon off sand from the Klang River and its banks, the first thing that crossed my mind was the ringgit sign - this is a huge operation involving multi million ringgit! We do not know who is behind the whole show, but there is no way an operation of this size could escape the notice of the local and state authorities. I am not saying there's corruption involved, but when one starts to look at it from different angles, the signs does seem to point in that direction. Realising that we - webtv8 - would be unable to do much here, we called in an alternative media to probe into the matter.
Harakah sent 2 of their reporters and we accompanied them to the scene. With the details taken, we later left Harakah to their own investigations, for we realise that the road ahead twist and turns many directions before it leads to Rome.
Earlier this morning when I went to the shops, I saw a headline in a tabloid on a matter relating to our story - 'Land fraud' - Selangor govt probes multi-million ringgit cheating case, The Star wrote! Skimming through the report, I have no doubt at all the story Wak and I were covering, was but a minuscule of the whole picture. And indeed if it is, the mastermind of the entire operation would go extra length to stop the exposure. And as history has shown in cases not entirely dissimilar, there have been brute force used resulting in deaths of one or two individuals. Foremost in my mind was the BMF Scandal which saw an investigating officer found murdered in a sugarcane plantation in Hong Kong New Territory some many years back. Allahyarham Ahmad Nordin, was his name, and a name that I still carry in my heart though I know him not. But I believe him to be a brave man who was killed in his line of duty, and his murder case has not been solved even till now.
Yes, I admit I am a coward. But if I were to be killed, then let it be when I have been able to uncover a large portion of the story I was covering. Let my death then have a meaning where the traitors of the people and this nation are exposed and their treachery stopped! Still, I am a Muslim and as a Muslim I must remember that I am subjected to His will and His will alone. Which in the end means I am a coward. I pray Allah s.w.t. will give me the strength to do what I should.
When Wak and I were shown the extent of works being carried to siphon off sand from the Klang River and its banks, the first thing that crossed my mind was the ringgit sign - this is a huge operation involving multi million ringgit! We do not know who is behind the whole show, but there is no way an operation of this size could escape the notice of the local and state authorities. I am not saying there's corruption involved, but when one starts to look at it from different angles, the signs does seem to point in that direction. Realising that we - webtv8 - would be unable to do much here, we called in an alternative media to probe into the matter.
Harakah sent 2 of their reporters and we accompanied them to the scene. With the details taken, we later left Harakah to their own investigations, for we realise that the road ahead twist and turns many directions before it leads to Rome.
Earlier this morning when I went to the shops, I saw a headline in a tabloid on a matter relating to our story - 'Land fraud' - Selangor govt probes multi-million ringgit cheating case, The Star wrote! Skimming through the report, I have no doubt at all the story Wak and I were covering, was but a minuscule of the whole picture. And indeed if it is, the mastermind of the entire operation would go extra length to stop the exposure. And as history has shown in cases not entirely dissimilar, there have been brute force used resulting in deaths of one or two individuals. Foremost in my mind was the BMF Scandal which saw an investigating officer found murdered in a sugarcane plantation in Hong Kong New Territory some many years back. Allahyarham Ahmad Nordin, was his name, and a name that I still carry in my heart though I know him not. But I believe him to be a brave man who was killed in his line of duty, and his murder case has not been solved even till now.
Yes, I admit I am a coward. But if I were to be killed, then let it be when I have been able to uncover a large portion of the story I was covering. Let my death then have a meaning where the traitors of the people and this nation are exposed and their treachery stopped! Still, I am a Muslim and as a Muslim I must remember that I am subjected to His will and His will alone. Which in the end means I am a coward. I pray Allah s.w.t. will give me the strength to do what I should.
Wednesday, April 02, 2008
A Diet Sabotaged!
Honestly, I can't think of any other way to describe it! My diet was coming on nicely and I was feeling good about it, and I mean real good about it. Then out of nowehere, Din, my brother, sent over a dish of sambal daging made by his maid. Hmm...that sambal daging - though not on par as emak's - looked delicious enough with its chili red sambal and the bits of meat in it. And I just knew from looking at the dish, my diet may have to take a short break. Little did I know then, emak had something else planned when she saw the dish!
When I came back for lunch earlier today, my very first glance at the table had my food senses tingling perhaps quite like Spiderman's senses does with troublesome menace. And though this was no menace, it was indeed troublesome - emak had prepared an impromptu lontong dish! Man, if there is one dish this house could never resist, then it must be lontong, no matter how impromptu it is!
Before I carry on, let me qualify why i stressed on the word impromptu.
The lontong dish we had for lunch and ashamedly I have to admit, dinner, was an incomplete lontong dish we don't normally have at home. This incomplete dish consist of: lodeh, sambal daging, boiled eggs, and nasi empit. If the tradition of this dish with our family is anything to go by, we know it was prepared without planning and hence, impromptu.
Lontong, is a must have dish during Eid Fitri for my family for as long as I can remember. Normally on the eve of Eid Fitri, all the children would peek into the kitchen wondering when emak would be asking at least one of us to give her a hand in preparing the dish that preludes the preparation of lontong - the sambal daging! And once the smell of chili being fried starts permeating the entire house, everyone would come into the kitchen just to get a verbal confirmation of it, then walk away to each personal task with a smile of eager anticipation. But it is only in the morning of Eid - normally after the prayers - would the family sit down and tuck in to a hearty breakfast of a full lontong course!
Apart from the sambal daging, lodeh, boiled eggs and nasi empit, the table spread would also have empeyek, peparu goreng, kuah kacang, and ayam goreng! Though ketupat and rendang would also be served, they are somehow overlooked by everyone including yours truly here. Nothing smacks our lips more than the sight of a bowl of nasi empit soaked in lodeh which is reddish in colour caused by scoops of the sambal daging! The empeyek provides with its crispy crunchiness; the peparu with chewy bites; the ayam goreng for some chicken tenderness; and the kuah kacang for the extra sweet taste it provides. Together, they make one wholesome meal that would be repeated for lunch and dinner. And if there are still leftovers, the next morning would see emak and I tucking to our fill again.
Back to the impromptu lontong, I now feel terribly guilty for having enjoyed it again for dinner just now; it was just something which I just could not resist, with the sambal daging being the biggest culprit. Alhamdulillah, though I am far from the being like a recently fed anaconda, I am contented.
The diet, like I mentioned earlier, was sabotaged...but one which was very much welcomed.
When I came back for lunch earlier today, my very first glance at the table had my food senses tingling perhaps quite like Spiderman's senses does with troublesome menace. And though this was no menace, it was indeed troublesome - emak had prepared an impromptu lontong dish! Man, if there is one dish this house could never resist, then it must be lontong, no matter how impromptu it is!
Before I carry on, let me qualify why i stressed on the word impromptu.
The lontong dish we had for lunch and ashamedly I have to admit, dinner, was an incomplete lontong dish we don't normally have at home. This incomplete dish consist of: lodeh, sambal daging, boiled eggs, and nasi empit. If the tradition of this dish with our family is anything to go by, we know it was prepared without planning and hence, impromptu.
Lontong, is a must have dish during Eid Fitri for my family for as long as I can remember. Normally on the eve of Eid Fitri, all the children would peek into the kitchen wondering when emak would be asking at least one of us to give her a hand in preparing the dish that preludes the preparation of lontong - the sambal daging! And once the smell of chili being fried starts permeating the entire house, everyone would come into the kitchen just to get a verbal confirmation of it, then walk away to each personal task with a smile of eager anticipation. But it is only in the morning of Eid - normally after the prayers - would the family sit down and tuck in to a hearty breakfast of a full lontong course!
Apart from the sambal daging, lodeh, boiled eggs and nasi empit, the table spread would also have empeyek, peparu goreng, kuah kacang, and ayam goreng! Though ketupat and rendang would also be served, they are somehow overlooked by everyone including yours truly here. Nothing smacks our lips more than the sight of a bowl of nasi empit soaked in lodeh which is reddish in colour caused by scoops of the sambal daging! The empeyek provides with its crispy crunchiness; the peparu with chewy bites; the ayam goreng for some chicken tenderness; and the kuah kacang for the extra sweet taste it provides. Together, they make one wholesome meal that would be repeated for lunch and dinner. And if there are still leftovers, the next morning would see emak and I tucking to our fill again.
Back to the impromptu lontong, I now feel terribly guilty for having enjoyed it again for dinner just now; it was just something which I just could not resist, with the sambal daging being the biggest culprit. Alhamdulillah, though I am far from the being like a recently fed anaconda, I am contented.
The diet, like I mentioned earlier, was sabotaged...but one which was very much welcomed.
HOW MALAYSIAN ARE YOU?
Here's another something I received in my email today. Now, being the playful guy I am, I'm not going to answer it (in green below) truthfully - except for one or two - and I'll leave to anyone to guess which. The real answer, or the supposedly real, is below mine.
HOW MALAYSIAN ARE YOU?
NO CHEATING
1. How much is satu kupang?
2. Where's the favourite spot to take wedding pictures in Taiping?
3. In what dialect is Apo Nak Di Kato?
4. Name at least five variations of roti canai.
5. What is the staple food of native Sarawakians.
6. Name a popular Malay ointment made from "cucumber"
7. Name the sauce made from fish or shrimp that the Kelantanese love.
8. What does pi mai pi mai tang tu mean?
9. Which fruit is Ipoh famous for?
10. What is the English name for putu mayam?
11. "Lah" is to Peninsular Malaysians as"..." is to Sabahans.
12. What does ABC stand for?
13. How long is a sari?
15. Name Penang's famous beach.
16. How do you order coffee mixed with tea at a kopi-tiam?.
17. What's on Malaysian TV at 8pm?
18. On one side of our RM1 coin is the bunga raya, what's on the other?.
19. Now what's on our 10 sen coin?
20. What was the name of the KL Commonwealth Games 1998 mascot?
21. When you fill in a form, if you're not Malay, Chinese or Indian, you
are...?
22. Who is Malaysia's favourite Kampung Boy?
23. How did the word "gostan" come about?
24. Lobo's Whispers in the Wind is the English version of which famous
Malay song?
25. When did Malaysia last win the Thomas Cup?
26. What is the name of our national flag?
27. If you want 4D numbers, who do you consult?
28. What's the name of the Malaysian-made 175cc motorbike?
29. Name our national bird.
30. If the father is a baba, and the mother is a nyonya, then what is
the son?
NO CHEATING!
1. How much is satu kupang? Had it nor been for Cikgu and Doc TA, I would have thought kupang is some seafood!
2. Where's the favourite spot to take wedding pictures in Taiping? Hello! I've only been there once in my entire life; how the hell am I supposed to know? But a wild guess: Tapiing Zoo?
3. In what dialect is Apo Nak Di Kato? Blues Gang dialect!
4. Name at least five variations of roti canai. kosong, tolur, bawang, pisang, gardenia.
5. What is the staple food of native Sarawakians. Sekoi (ni ada yang Doktor Sarawak bunuh den nanti ha!)
6. Name a popular Malay ointment made from "cucumber" Honestly, don't know. Gamat?
7. Name the sauce made from fish or shrimp that the Kelantanese love. That's easy for a Javanese to answer: budu.
8. What does pi mai pi mai tang tu mean? Walking on the spot!
9. Which fruit is Ipoh famous for? Ipoh Mali. Nah, its my favourite: Limau Bali.
10. What is the English name for putu mayam? Mayam Putu?
11. "Lah" is to Peninsular Malaysians as"..." is to Sabahans. Bah! How should I know bah!
12. What does ABC stand for? Ais Batu Kacang. Or is it mere alphabets?
13. How long is a sari? Like I've worn one before.
15. Name Penang's famous beach. Ferringhi.
16. How do you order coffee mixed with tea at a kopi-tiam?. Don't know, never drank it before.
17. What's on Malaysian TV at 8pm? Propaganda.
18. On one side of our RM1 coin is the bunga raya, what's on the other?. Ain't seen one for a very long time!
19. Now what's on our 10 sen coin? Ain't seen one for a very long time, too!
20. What was the name of the KL Commonwealth Games 1998 mascot? Kerpov?
21. When you fill in a form, if you're not Malay, Chinese or Indian, you
are...? ameno.
22. Who is Malaysia's favourite Kampung Boy? Lat.
23. How did the word "gostan" come about? Kurdistan.
24. Lobo's Whispers in the Wind is the English version of which famous
Malay song? Getaran Jiwa.
25. When did Malaysia last win the Thomas Cup? When Sir Thomas was alive - just to show how long it has been.
26. What is the name of our national flag? Jalur Gemilang - English translation: Stripes of Glory, for which the US flag was named. Patriotic bunch of people, are we?
27. If you want 4D numbers, who do you consult? ZAM, the former Minister of Information.
28. What's the name of the Malaysian-made 175cc motorbike? Don't know.
29. Name our national bird. We have one?
30. If the father is a baba, and the mother is a nyonya, then what is
the son? Ali Baba - that's what ameno taught me.
I failed!
In the end, I only have this to say: I believe, those people who unsheathe kris, shouts patriotic slogans, and waive huge national flags, would be amongst the first to run or hide should the country be invaded by some foreign army. I may be wrong, but that - as I mentioned - is what I believe.
NO CHEATING!
ANSWERS:
> 1. Northern slang for 10 sen
> 2. Lake Gardens
> 3. Negri Sembilan, meaning "What's there to say?"
> 4. Roti bom, roti pisang, roti planta, roti telur, roti sardin, roti
> telur bawang
> 5. Sago
> 6. Minyak gamat made from sea cucumber, for wounds
> 7. Budu
> 8. Northern dialect that means coming and going but ending up at the
> same spot
> 9. Pomelo
> 10. String hoppers
> 11. Bah
> 12. Air batu campur
> 13. Six yards
> 15. Batu Ferringhi
> 16. Kopi cham
> 17. The news
> 18. Keris
> 19. Congkak
> 20. Wira
> 21. "Other" or Lain-lain
> 22. Lat
> 23. A corruption of "go astern"
> 24. P. Ramlee's Getaran Jiwa
> 25. 1992
> 26. Jalur Gemilang
> 27. "Datuk"
> 28. Jaguh
> 29. There's none
> 30. Baba
SCORES AND EVALUATION :
0-10
Malu-lah you! We suggest you spend at least one hour a day at your
nearest coffee-shop.
11-20
Boleh pass. Okay, you may claim to be the average Malaysian with a score
in this range but you could watch less CNN and more RTM.
21-30
Wah, you one true blue Malaysian-lah. Top quality belacan. We are truly
impressed, especially if you know the answer to No. 24 which we admit is
very tricky!
HOW MALAYSIAN ARE YOU?
NO CHEATING
1. How much is satu kupang?
2. Where's the favourite spot to take wedding pictures in Taiping?
3. In what dialect is Apo Nak Di Kato?
4. Name at least five variations of roti canai.
5. What is the staple food of native Sarawakians.
6. Name a popular Malay ointment made from "cucumber"
7. Name the sauce made from fish or shrimp that the Kelantanese love.
8. What does pi mai pi mai tang tu mean?
9. Which fruit is Ipoh famous for?
10. What is the English name for putu mayam?
11. "Lah" is to Peninsular Malaysians as"..." is to Sabahans.
12. What does ABC stand for?
13. How long is a sari?
15. Name Penang's famous beach.
16. How do you order coffee mixed with tea at a kopi-tiam?.
17. What's on Malaysian TV at 8pm?
18. On one side of our RM1 coin is the bunga raya, what's on the other?.
19. Now what's on our 10 sen coin?
20. What was the name of the KL Commonwealth Games 1998 mascot?
21. When you fill in a form, if you're not Malay, Chinese or Indian, you
are...?
22. Who is Malaysia's favourite Kampung Boy?
23. How did the word "gostan" come about?
24. Lobo's Whispers in the Wind is the English version of which famous
Malay song?
25. When did Malaysia last win the Thomas Cup?
26. What is the name of our national flag?
27. If you want 4D numbers, who do you consult?
28. What's the name of the Malaysian-made 175cc motorbike?
29. Name our national bird.
30. If the father is a baba, and the mother is a nyonya, then what is
the son?
NO CHEATING!
1. How much is satu kupang? Had it nor been for Cikgu and Doc TA, I would have thought kupang is some seafood!
2. Where's the favourite spot to take wedding pictures in Taiping? Hello! I've only been there once in my entire life; how the hell am I supposed to know? But a wild guess: Tapiing Zoo?
3. In what dialect is Apo Nak Di Kato? Blues Gang dialect!
4. Name at least five variations of roti canai. kosong, tolur, bawang, pisang, gardenia.
5. What is the staple food of native Sarawakians. Sekoi (ni ada yang Doktor Sarawak bunuh den nanti ha!)
6. Name a popular Malay ointment made from "cucumber" Honestly, don't know. Gamat?
7. Name the sauce made from fish or shrimp that the Kelantanese love. That's easy for a Javanese to answer: budu.
8. What does pi mai pi mai tang tu mean? Walking on the spot!
9. Which fruit is Ipoh famous for? Ipoh Mali. Nah, its my favourite: Limau Bali.
10. What is the English name for putu mayam? Mayam Putu?
11. "Lah" is to Peninsular Malaysians as"..." is to Sabahans. Bah! How should I know bah!
12. What does ABC stand for? Ais Batu Kacang. Or is it mere alphabets?
13. How long is a sari? Like I've worn one before.
15. Name Penang's famous beach. Ferringhi.
16. How do you order coffee mixed with tea at a kopi-tiam?. Don't know, never drank it before.
17. What's on Malaysian TV at 8pm? Propaganda.
18. On one side of our RM1 coin is the bunga raya, what's on the other?. Ain't seen one for a very long time!
19. Now what's on our 10 sen coin? Ain't seen one for a very long time, too!
20. What was the name of the KL Commonwealth Games 1998 mascot? Kerpov?
21. When you fill in a form, if you're not Malay, Chinese or Indian, you
are...? ameno.
22. Who is Malaysia's favourite Kampung Boy? Lat.
23. How did the word "gostan" come about? Kurdistan.
24. Lobo's Whispers in the Wind is the English version of which famous
Malay song? Getaran Jiwa.
25. When did Malaysia last win the Thomas Cup? When Sir Thomas was alive - just to show how long it has been.
26. What is the name of our national flag? Jalur Gemilang - English translation: Stripes of Glory, for which the US flag was named. Patriotic bunch of people, are we?
27. If you want 4D numbers, who do you consult? ZAM, the former Minister of Information.
28. What's the name of the Malaysian-made 175cc motorbike? Don't know.
29. Name our national bird. We have one?
30. If the father is a baba, and the mother is a nyonya, then what is
the son? Ali Baba - that's what ameno taught me.
I failed!
In the end, I only have this to say: I believe, those people who unsheathe kris, shouts patriotic slogans, and waive huge national flags, would be amongst the first to run or hide should the country be invaded by some foreign army. I may be wrong, but that - as I mentioned - is what I believe.
NO CHEATING!
ANSWERS:
> 1. Northern slang for 10 sen
> 2. Lake Gardens
> 3. Negri Sembilan, meaning "What's there to say?"
> 4. Roti bom, roti pisang, roti planta, roti telur, roti sardin, roti
> telur bawang
> 5. Sago
> 6. Minyak gamat made from sea cucumber, for wounds
> 7. Budu
> 8. Northern dialect that means coming and going but ending up at the
> same spot
> 9. Pomelo
> 10. String hoppers
> 11. Bah
> 12. Air batu campur
> 13. Six yards
> 15. Batu Ferringhi
> 16. Kopi cham
> 17. The news
> 18. Keris
> 19. Congkak
> 20. Wira
> 21. "Other" or Lain-lain
> 22. Lat
> 23. A corruption of "go astern"
> 24. P. Ramlee's Getaran Jiwa
> 25. 1992
> 26. Jalur Gemilang
> 27. "Datuk"
> 28. Jaguh
> 29. There's none
> 30. Baba
SCORES AND EVALUATION :
0-10
Malu-lah you! We suggest you spend at least one hour a day at your
nearest coffee-shop.
11-20
Boleh pass. Okay, you may claim to be the average Malaysian with a score
in this range but you could watch less CNN and more RTM.
21-30
Wah, you one true blue Malaysian-lah. Top quality belacan. We are truly
impressed, especially if you know the answer to No. 24 which we admit is
very tricky!
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