Saturday, May 31, 2008

Of the Idiot Box and Reality

When Television was still considered a novelty in the early 1970's, many people of Kampugn Melaka Pindah would throng my aruah grandmother's house at night just to watch the programs shown. Sometimes when my family travel back for the weekend, we would find the men standing at the door and even on the ledges of the windows, while the womenfolk would be sitting quite comfortably on the floor of the 'rumah ibu', basically the living room of such kampung house. On our arrival, the men and womenfolk would make themselves scarce, perhaps embarrass by our presence.

Watching the TV with my aruah grandmother would sometimes evoke small laughs amongst her grandchildren. I particularly remember a time when we watched a spy movie where an actress was shot and killed by her counterpart. Watching the scene, aruah grandma would say "kesian dia...muda muda lagi dah mati; cantik pula tu". An elder cousin would then tell that it was just an acting and not real. She nodded her head, but my cousin's words seem not to have registered as time and again after that, she would say the same thing. Perhaps, living in a world where her two feet are firmly planted on the ground, the concept of make-believe, or acting, is something totally strange to her.


Earlier this morning I was at a mamak shop to tapau roti canai for breakfast. While waiting, I stood at the shop's newspaper stand and began reading the headlines. A guy came by and gave a loud snort as he picked up one of the papers. He then looked at me - my t-shirt, rather - and gave a louder snort. I think I know the reason for the second snort as I was wearing Harris Ibrahim's 'Boycott Newspapers' T-shirt; but what was the first for? Curious, I looked again at the headlines. I stopped wondering when my eyes caught a news about the death of a pretty 24year old woman who became a victim of a snatch thief. At that point of time, the words of my aruah grandma came to my mind "kesian dia...muda muda lagi dah mati; cantik pula tu".

The crime rate seem to be soaring again of late. My housing area have had several break-ins and many more similar incidents have been reported in the neighbouring areas. This, despite the announcement of setting up of more police beats and patrols. Except for one recently launched 'Balai Polis Bergerak', nothing else have been heard about crime-fighting, leaving one to wonder the effectiveness of the government of the day, and where lies their priority: the wellbeing of the people, or the the wellbeing of the Sarkas. With the continuing rising prices of good, the crime rate is expected to soar further. Meanwhile, those idiots live comfortably in houses of grand design, which when one really look at it, is nothing but an extension of a box designed for idiots of this world. While many of us too live in one, we are comforted in thought that our boxes were designed by one, made by another, but most certainly not for one.

Total garbage, my posting is.

15 comments:

Unknown said...

Crime? What crime? Crime in Malaysia? You gotta be kidding me. Malaysia is such a peaceful place, no crime, no corruption, squeaky clean government, the Pride of The United Nation. If you don't believe me, ask Ezam.

cakapaje said...

Salam Cikgu,

Got! Got ask oreadi! He oso said got no crime...most especially no white collar slime. Oops, crime, I mean :)

Ydiana said...

So the idiot box is actually the grand houses, not the television?

Yes apart from hige price of goods, crime rates are another big worry for Malaysia. Everyday in the news there'll be killings and robberies like it was a normal daily occurance now. At home, one has to lock themselves in their own 'cage' of grills and gates which is almost compulsory for every house nowadays. What has Malaysis becoming of now?

Anonymous said...

salam shah,
hmmm...memang keadaan macam terdesak sangat sekarang ni. pecah rumah kat sinni kerap sampai ada jiran tu sampai jual rumah dan berpindah.

cakapaje said...

Salam ydiana,

To your question: Perhaps, it could also be those clowns helming the country and living in those boxes ;)

Some people would say "Alah, biasalah tu...". Things is, if we allow it to be a normal occurrence, then it will be one. 'Alah tegar, jadi biasa'.

cakapaje said...

Wa'alaikumusalam Accia,

Hmm...memang semakin ramai yang terdesak manakala orang di atas duduk berpeluk tubuh, berjet jet kesana sini, dan menyuruh rakyat merubah gaya hidup pula. Dengar khabar, kes along dan angah dah mula menjadi jadi semula.

Anonymous said...

dear cakapaje

i think she is sexier than eva cassidy. but seriously, the crowding of one's house for tv watching reflects how poor we were then despite the tales of ingots and rubber bales. But then we are not getting any richer. That however does not stop thieves from trying to break into our houses. I got that experiece last night around 3.00 am. But i think the guy fell off the kichen roof and disappeared into the darkness. This sort of thing is becoming daily news in my area now. :(

cakapaje said...

Salam shirzad,

No, we are not getting any richer. Only the circumstances of our lives are different.

I'm sorry to note about your experience the other night. Some many years ago, we too had one similar. Then, somehow my eldest brother was awaken and went to the window, only to see a dark figure climbing up, using the pipes as his ladder. Instinctively, my brother took one of the flower pots in his room and dropped it onto the guy's head. The guy fell, but still managed to get up and run away. Sometimes I wonder why thieves prey on well-off people.

Take the case of the poor girl who was killed in the snatch theft. At the max, she would have about RM500 only in her handbag; is that worth taking out someone's life? Which, by the way, a certain cakapaje once had a bounty of the same amount on his head, placed by some small time pushers.

jaflam said...

Salam Shah,
We have no choice but to look after our own safety and pray hard that good luck will always be with us. Or we have to make a hell of loud noises to the police and government and be branded trouble maker.

My own experienced made me lost trust with them, they came investigate and that it .... no news after that.

cakapaje said...

Salam Dato',

True, with situation deteriorating, citizens may well have to. But, that will lead to street justice which can easily be manipulated and abused by some quarters.

cakapaje said...

Salam minahkaypoh,

Lor...den tak pandai buek shoutbox le! Lagipun, dah ada YM, ada comment box, nak shoutbox buat apa lagi? Kaypoh la lu...hehe, jangan amik hati ye. Mempedal pun tak boleh tau! Favourite den tu! ;)

Raina said...

okie, dar'link'

erkk.. nice hiway

putrajaya to damansara

toll free ahhhh!!

YM maayyyy??

4 croniedoor only arr

aisey.. like that one arrr??

sorite larr.. cu8er.

Kerp (Ph.D) said...

certainly malaysia is free from corruption now. ask zamzam and he'll tell you just that. i cn now join ameno because its so clean, it gives a whistle run for its money.

*aku dulu2 selalu jugak nengok tv dgn opah aku...layan cerita 'Opah'...hehehe...opah aku mana la reti Magnum P.I, kombat2, koboi2 ni...

cakapaje said...

mk,

Hiway Putrajaya Damansara got nice...but the tol not nice one lah.

I say, we small people where got crony crony.

cakapaje said...

Salam kerpie,

Bro, I'm sure once you have been to the Sarkas. Outside, people got look look, all so clean one. Inside, got the tiger, lion, elephant...all got dropping smelly smelly - recyclable but not biodegradable one you know. No can use lah!

Opah tak roti takpe bro...ekau tu roti tak? lol! Gurau ye bro ;)