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A weblog about life / politics/ impressions of Malaysia through the eyes of a foreigner




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Monday 30 June, 2008
25 Jumada al-Thanni 1429AH

A weblog by Albert. From my home in Yan Kedah. I reside here since 1992. See here to know where Yan is.

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Blog category: all categories. - July 2003
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 Let's talk.... - by @lbert
  Posted:24/07/2003 - 15:54 - in category: TV
The best TV show in Malaysia........
Let's Talk with Alvin. Really refreshing and casual.
The best thing in years on Malaysian TV, which in general is more than terrible.
Every Thursday at 15.00 if not suddenly postponed or changed as is usual for malaysian tv.
This is the best i have seen in years since Jangan Ketawa which was banned because it featured a 'pondan'.
How narrow minded a nation's leadership can be!
Let's talk is so nice to watch, all is natural and at least nothing is fully planned,
maybe just Alvins questions, but than he will have to change according to the replies.
Compare this to the bloody boring and stupid so called politic talk shows.
These show are only just telling how good the goverment is.
Have you ever a politician seen grilled on tv here?
No all interviewers / panel leader lick their heels. Yak Yak.
So finally besides some imported material something local on tv that is really enjoyable.

I just wanted to share that.....
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 A mockery of justice and Birma - by @lbert
  Posted:23/07/2003 - 17:10 - in category: politics Malaysia
Anwar's bail application delayed again.
Well nothing special in Malaysia, every court case in Malaysia is delayed, postponed and whatever other way there is to delay it.
The whole thing makes a mockery of the justice system. Better said there is no justice available, unless you wait 5-10 years.
Only the lawyers get fat. And if you get so called justice it is class justice. I have seen with my own eyes how a young chap got convicted to 6 month jail for stealing a box of chocolat! What if his father was Tan Sri or Datuk Blablabla ?
So far about this justice....
Than the other justice ... Birma. Mahatir said they might have to expell Birma from Asean.
Wooohaaaa LOL, this from the mouth of Mahatir in a country where everybody can go behind bars because of ISA?? Because Ang Si Suu Kyi is kept behind bars, and how about Anwar? His 'hakim' got promoted today for doing the good job, the same judge who made a mockery of justice.
Expel Birma? Than expel Malaysia and Singapore with their draconian laws as well.
Wait one thing i have not heard yet, Birma telling Malaysia not to meddle in the countries internal affairs, than the whole charade is complete.
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 Legal swindling - by @lbert
  Posted:22/07/2003 - 23:26 - in category: general
Every self respecting supermarket is introducing their own cards nowadays. And all of them have the guts to ask for RM 10.- or more. This is pure highway robbey to ask money for a piece of plastic.
The Store askes for RM 10- and the limit is Super-Komtar in Penang. They want a receipt of 100- in order to make the card and than ask RM 24- YES ...TWENTY FOUR RINGGIT .
This is the bloody limit.
Are all those consumers so stupid or are all malaysian making their money so easy???
How can people fall for these traps.
Where are the consumer organisations??
Consumer organisation in Malaysia??? Never heard of, there is one but that one is only there for the benefit of the people working in it, dont expect them to do anything for consumers that is a very stupid idea.
Consumers in Malaysia can be cheated, robbed, lyed to and what ever more and it is all LEGAL!!! And nobody does anything, and the minister?? Don't make me laugh, that one only give press conferences on CD haram and so on.
Its about high time people use the ballot box to change this system for good!
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 When politicians use religion to divide us - by @lbert
  Posted:17/07/2003 - 16:42 - in category: politics Malaysia
I just copy this article by Pelita Negara.
It is right to the point and i have no comment.

Pelita Negara 3:47pm Thu Jul 17th, 2003

I fully agree with Lisa Jaafar's letter in malaysiakini: 'Malay-Muslims are defined by the constitution'.

Throughout the ages, greedy men have prostituted religion for their own selfish needs. They have used religion as a double-edged tool to satisfy the people's hunger for deliverance, and at the same time to amass power and control over them. Emperors, tyrants, dictators, kings, community leaders and even a few Popes in history, regarded it as an effective instrument to subdue their people.

The purpose of any religion - be it God-sent, man-made or culturally derived - is to provide its followers with a daily guidance on how to live peacefully with oneself and with one another. These instructions differ from one religion to another but all have equally pure intentions.

All religion requires a certain degree of faith among its followers to sustain its existence. It is obvious that there is still no convincing scientific proof that can explain the workings of any religion.

Thus followers are compelled to a certain degree to have complete faith and belief in their religion, and to follow its tenets or teachings.

Although faith is the pillaring strength of most religion, unscrupulous leaders see it as a weakness that can be exploited for their own advantage. They rush to the forefront to be associated with religion and declare themselves to be its defenders.

Through this crafty act of self-appointment, followers are hoodwinked into believing in their leaders' proclaimed sincerity; and thus start to develop faith in them, just like they have total faith in their religion.

These leaders know that once they have garnered their people's trust and faith, they would have achieved their ultimate goal of total control. From then on, they can freely create policies to govern their people, which most of the time favour the rulers and ensure their continuous political survival.

These are the leaders who also know that they need to generate a regular concoction of crisis amongst the people to justify their own continuous existence. Contrary to popular belief, crisis can actually help the government to maintain its power. It is through resolving these self-invented situations, that leaders can be seen to be doing their work, and thus gain the people's confidence and support.

Throughout history, leaders and revolutionists have used this tactic to gain and maintain power. Most of the time, it ends with devastating results and the loss of many innocent lives. In 1947, when India achieved Independence from the British, they had to create a separate country called West and East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) due to the threat of civil war by Muhammad Ali Jinnah, who was then the unofficial leader of the Indian Muslims.

Immediately after the declaration of Independence, there was a massive migration of people across the newly designated borders. Millions of Muslims travelled northwest and northeast into these new countries, and the non-Muslims, travelled southward into India. This chaotic period was marked by religious violence, which left an estimated two million people dead.

The Independence was supposed to be a joyous and peaceful occasion for the people, who could at last rule their own country. But radical political figures had misused their religion to gain control of a separate country for themselves. Once ignited, the spark of religious violence spreads very fast and it ended with a conflict, which continues until today.

In Malaysia, the Barisan Nasional government is starting to realise that racial issues are no longer viable as a crisis stoking mechanism.

Through the advent of globalisation and the Internet, various cultures all around the world, including Malaysia, are starting to assimilate each other's values. Malaysians are beginning to consider themselves as citizens of the world, and no longer view themselves as a particular ethnic race.

For that reason, the government is turning its sight to religion as the next powerful tool to control its people. In a land where most of its population are obsessed with symbolism and idolism, religion is a very powerful tool to ignite a crisis between the various groups of people in the country.

Thus we see our self-righteous leaders in various states scrambling for the honour to become holier than the leader of the next state. For example, the chief minister of Perlis has extended the school hours to introduce more religious and morality subjects.

In Ipoh, the authorities have been issuing summons to innocent courting couples in parks, whose only crime was to show their love for each other. And in Selangor, the chief minister himself is patrolling the town to round up prostitutes.

Who are the victims in this entire fracas? It is obvious that the two main casualties are religion and the rest of us. People will begin to view religion other than theirs as hostile and uncompromising, and thus rendering it a bad name.

Religion and morality should remain as the personal responsibility of an individual. The government should not dictate how a person prays, or practise his or her religion. A government's duty is just to administer the country to ensure a peaceful and harmonious atmosphere throughout. Only the well-learned religious leaders should handle religious matters.

However, it is sad nowadays to note that there are some dubious religious leaders who also double up as politicians and conversely, there are politicians who also put on religious apparel.

These two figures will not allow the rest of us to privately discover the beauty of our own religion. These are the two characters who will always highlight the differences between the various religions but diligently attempt to hide their similarities.

The truth is that all religions guide us to become better people. If we allow self-serving politicians and ambitious religious leaders to come in between us, we will never learn to appreciate the common values shared by all religion.
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 Batu Hampar revisited - by @lbert
  Posted:16/07/2003 - 16:46 - in category: Yan Kedah
This morning i wanted to have a cool dip and decided to go to Batu Hampar near my place for a swim.
I was simply disgusted (again) by the rubish people leave after enjoying a picknick or so.
This attitude is unbelievable and this time i put it on photo!.
So Daerah Yan, better tear down those silly banners stating Yan bersih dan indah!!
Shame, isn't it time that finally something is done?? Go there and fine them if they litter, RM 500 on the spot, no money spent the night in our local sing-sing.
One advice .... Titi Hayun is even worse so be warned!









And look how nice it is, if it just was clean....
When will this tidak apa culture finally stop??
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 Gimme water...... - by @lbert
  Posted:15/07/2003 - 16:04 - in category: politics Malaysia
For some time i have been following the 'water-row' between Singapore and Malaysia.
It is almost like a kindergarden where 2 small children fight over a toy.
Singapore's behaviour is pathetic, for 40+ years they have enjoyed water from Johore for a price that you might call for free.
Now they cry foul that Malaysia wants to charge a still very cheap price.
What the heck is there to argue, if they dont wanne pay, close the tap!
As usual every self respecting Malaysian minister has to give his view on the stupid argument.
One more stupid than the other, just to show their faces on tv.
I really dont see what all the arguments are about. Almost like they were fighting PAS.
Simply dont argue, tell them from this date on the price is like this, dont like it, than you got bad luck.
You dont pay we close the tap.
Let them make drinking water from sea water... it will cost them 100 fold +.
Besides the whole argument, Singapore is richer than many european countries, and they still drop dead over a few sen per so many thousand liters of water!
Dont waste any paper / air time on this anymore, save water close the tap!
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 Back home again - by @lbert
  Posted:13/07/2003 - 21:22 - in category: general
Finished my trip to Yogya and back in the kampung again.
Yogya is i think one of the cleanest cities in Indonesia. And in the evening lovely cool.
It has a beautifull surrounding with sea and mountains and of course the Merapi volcano with its distinct plume of smoke all year round. See foto 1 Foto 2 shows you grandma mending her batik wax/accessory shop near the Water Palace (Taman Sari) in the Kraton
I went near Yogya to load a container of handmade stoneware, really still at amazing low prices and high craftsmanship.
I put in some scenery shots of Yogya and surroundings.
Foto 3 shows a lady selling dry fish near Marlioboro and the last foto is in case you want to buy a ring.
.
For a fotographer it is an amazing city but life is harsh in Indonesia the struggle for life is real. And pitty enough i have not seen much change in the 30 years i went there.
I lost some track of the Malaysian scene but will be up to date in a few days i hope.
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