A Crooked Bridge Over Calm Waters ?

The Scenic bridge, the crooked bridge, whatever....

After negotiation with Singapore to jointly built the bridge has failed, Malaysia has announced that it will proceed to built a half “crooked” bridge across the Johore Straits to replace the existing causeway. The idea of the new bridge was the brainchild of the previous prime minister of Malaysia. The decision to unilaterally build the half brige into the middle of Johore Straits without Singapore's participation is bizzare and beyond my comprehension.

The local newspapers called the proposed “crooked” bridge the “scenic bridge”, and indirectly and sarcastically insinuated Singapore by saying that if Singaporeans want the bridge to be “straight” and “less scenic” , then Singaporeans must come to the “negotiation table” and “agree” to replace the existing causeway.

As a layman, I do not know much about international politics and face saving gestures. But as a Malaysian, I personally felt that it is a bit high handed for Malaysians especially the local newspapers to ridicule and insinuate our tiny southern neighbour. Please bear in mind, our southern neighbour do provide a lot of employment opportunities for Malaysians, both in the past and PRESENT. The way we muscled ourselves to bring Singapore to negotiation table reflect a culture of arrogant and insentivity, or what the hokkiens commonly called, “boh jin zheng” and “boh kar si”.

So, why do we want the bridge to be “Scenic” ? To show the world that the Malaysian bolihism are capable forgoing more petroleum rebates to ill afford the unnecessary wastages in luxury ? We want the bridge “crooked” to reflect to the world that Singaporeans are straight ?

What puzzled me is, we already have a Causeway that works perfectly fine ! Why can't we just built additional lanes to the existing causeway ? Why do we need to built a new bridge to replace it ? It doesn't made any economic sense to me at all. One one hand, the Malaysian government has been pleading with Malaysians that we have limited resources for development budget, that we need to tighten our belt, that we need to forgo our petroleum tax rebates, that we need to spend only on necessities, etc. etc. But on the other hand, why the government see it as a priority to unilaterally bulldozed the construction of the “half baked” bridge that serves no additional economic values ? Cakap tak serupa bikin ?

Why the urgency for unilateral actions ? Are we being over eager to award the project to the local consortium to start work when the both countries can not even see eye to eye to finalize the details ? We already have the longest bridge, the most beautiful airport, the tallest tower, etc.... Are we going after another trophy of “most crooked” Bridge in the world ?

Morality or Moronity ?

I read with despair the recent newspapers reportings of the constitutional rights of the local town council to patrol and enforce moralities. The issue in contention maintained by city hall is, display of affection in the form of hug and kiss in public place is an act of indecency. A few months ago, a religious council tried unsuccessfully to form a volunteer group of snoop squad to patrol morality. Now, the city council seem to win the battle to have the constitutional rights to patrol and enforce morality !

What constitute indecency ? Maybe the Mayor through its vast team of legal experts should spelt out objectively, clearly, and technically the definitions and case references of immoral and indecent behaviors. Subjective interpretations of indecency by the city hall's “moral police” definitely nurture a fertile ground to breeds immoral selective enforcements and corruptions. And perhaps, the city hall should enlightened us on how these officers are trained and how they are certified to conduct enforcement of moralities ?

On the other hand, as a simple country bumpkin, I must admit I am not well versed in the priorities of city hall. But is it not that the City Hall's role is to serve the public welfares and comforts by ensuring the availability and quality of services and facilities to the public ? Then what in the hell are they doing snooping around in the town looking for “indecent couple” ?

With clogged drains, smelly leftovers of garbages uncollected, rampant vandalisms, street lights not workings, traffic lights malfunctions, unbearable traffic jams, disorderly public parks, etc. etc. etc. Don't you think it is more appropriate for these public servants to focus on the management of some of these despaired state of services and facilities ? Or Was it these public servants are not qualified to provide and manage public services and facilities ?

In the past, I have seen political leaders showing affections to their spouses in the form of hugging and kissing in public media. If the city hall is so insistent on the moral rights to conduct the policing of moralities, then why the double standard, and why there are no objective enforcement by these so call moralled officers to book these politicians. Why the discretionary and selective enforcement of the so called city hall's morality law on “weaker” citizens ?

If public display or showing affections is against the well beings and unacceptable to our Malaysian cultures, then please be objective, and specified clearly which aspect of our Malaysians' cultures and well beings are detrimentally affected.

On hindsight, with all the failing services and facilities provided by city hall, and with all the pressing issues unresolved, don't the city hall personnel has better things to do than going after the non important issues ? As a layman, I believe it is equally immoral and indecent for City Hall to not able to manage its priorities and resources. How do city hall account for the indecency of wasting limited resources on their inability to manage and prioritise ?

Is the church constitute a public place ? So for couples exchanging vows in the church, please refrain from holding hands and kissings in front of the priest who bless your marriage !

Maybe the city hall should conduct a advertisement campaign similar to the Health Ministry's anti cigarettes advertisement campaign ! Kissing ? Malaysia cakap TAK NAK ! Holding Hands ? Malaysia pun cakap TAK NAK. This TAK NAK, That TAK NAK........ Saman ? NAKKKKKKKK.

Let those who commit no sins cast the first stone.............

God let the Scabied Dogs Out ?

The 21st century is basically a century preoccupied with fears, violences and hates instigated by a small group evil satanists hiding behind the name of established religions. The existence and acceptance of certain religions are threatened in various parts of the world. This scenario arise mostly because religious scholars and leaders of their faiths are corrupted for acceptance and the never ending greeds to establish control over followers of their own faith to achieve their own agenda. They want to control what followers of their own faith should believe, and how other simple minded followers should live their life styles. They want to enjoy the modern lifestyles of the 21st centuries but expect others to regress into the beliefs and lifestyles of the 7th century. In short, they shamelessly demanding the rights to selfish forked tongue interpretations of their holy scriptures and they want to use religion to control the followers of their faiths with the agenda of creating a political movement to declare themselves as kings in their own animal kingdom !

For those so called religious leaders and scholars who champion their religions and cried discriminations in other parts of the world. I would like to put forward this simple challenge to them. In their own country, where the religion they professed is the majority, did they honestly practise the followings which are the universal values of all religions :

• Equal opportunities for knowledge through non censorship of readings and visual materials in all form.
• Equal opportunities in education to their citizens irregardless of race, religion, and creed.
• Equal opportunities in employment to their citizens irregardless of race, religion, and creed.
• Equal opportunities in economy to their citizens irregardless of race, religion, and creed.
• Criminalized Laws that discriminate against other races and religions
• Recognizing and respecting other religions where the followers are minority citizens

For all these misguided religious scholars and leaders, in your hidden agenda of championing the rights of your religions in various parts of the world, sometimes through diplomatic efforts and sometime through indirect instigations of violences, may I suggest you champion your own citizens' rights in your own country first, rather than exporting your double standards and hypocrisies to other part of the world. In short, stop farting through your mouth with smelly languages.

Your religion is being threatened by your dishonest acts. Don't blame followers of other faiths for the negative insinuations of your own religion. Don't threatened other for criticizing your religion, but criticise your religion for not having the courage to embrace self criticisms, and your dishonesty of not respecting human rights of others in your own country.

Please have the moral decency of not using violences to silence others who do not share your narrow minded opinions or how your religions has been perceived due to negativities instigated by your own doings.

Do not speak with hidden forked tongue. Stop the violences ! Stop the hates ! Stop the accusations! Stop the discriminations. Stop the double standards. Champion the rights of your own citizens in your country first before you go around in the world to champion the rights of others in other countries that is of not concern to you.

The world will be a better place if assholes can stop practicing double standards, but I guess assholes are born to fart. And the sad stories continues......

Malaysia Bolih ? or was it Mana Bolih ?

Malaysians in general live in perpetual siege and psychological insecurity.

Just visit any residential area, it is not uncommon to be be greeted with houses equipped with Security Alarm, Barbed Glass or pointed arrows Perimeter fencing, Reinforced iron grills on all windows all doors,sophisticated padlocks, thick chains, etc. In certain instances, some house are also equipped with surveillance camera or CCTV.

Private security services are also being engage by the properties owners to patrol the neighbourhoods. And, recently, there are also calls by a number of politicians to implement Rukun Tertangga initiative in selected residential areas. Rukun Tertangga used to be a government initiative in the seventies where citizens form their own vigilante group to conduct patrolling the street at nights.

Despite all these high costs and unnecessary private measures being taken, we are still troubled and criminalized with the followings emotional and mental stress :

1. When we have to leave our house for long hours or days, we worried about our houses being broken in and ransacked.
2. When we are at home, we worry about forced entry and being robbed in the comforts of our own homes.
3. When we walk on the street, we have to be in constant alert for snatch thieves
4. We fear to walk alone in parks or quiet streets because there may be rapists, robbers, murderers, etc. lurking and preying on us
5. When operating our business, we are occasionally visited by gangsters for protection money claiming that the area we operate our business is under their protection.
6. Staying at home, we are occasionally visited by "Private Security Companies" soliciting for monthly subscription and claiming that they are appointed by local police station to offer security patrolling in your neighbourhoods.
7. When we stopped at the petrol station or stopping at the traffic lights junction, we have to ensure that all our car doors are locked due to fears that we may be robbed of our cars and contents.
8. Out of fear, we resorted to install our car with immobilizer, steering lock, clutch lock, etc to prevent our cars being stolen.
9. We fear to park our cars in parking complexes resulting in parking operators installing CCTV to alleviate the fears.

To add salts to the wounds, too frequently I see uniformed personnel, setting up road block at inappropriate hours, causing massive traffic jam, because they see it as a priority to check on expired road tax, driving licenses, etc. Was it CRIME PRVENTION ? your guess is as good as mine. But when come to provide security patrolling services, lack of manpowers are always the excuse.

With all these unnecessary mental stressors causing psychological discomforts, I am proud to declare that Malaysians, in general, are the most tolerance people in the World !!! Malaysia Bolih ! And, Submissive Malaysians Pun Bolih !!

"Masyarakat Penyayang", "Caring Society", "Malaysia Bolih", "work With Me, Not for Me", "Wawasan 2020", "Gemilang, Cermerlang, Terbilang", etc.. Years in and Years out, we are bombarded with government sponsored slogans. Feel Good ? Yes, But does it improve the living conditions for Malaysians ? You be your own judge.

Whose responsibility is it anyway to provide security to the people. I really don't know whether Malaysians are pathetic or the Government is Pathetic.

Qing Ming

Qing Ming - All Souls days
One of the significant event observed by Malaysian Chinese and perhaps Chinese all over the world is Chengbeng or QingMing. Qing Ming is a tradition practised by the Chinese since more than 1000 years ago. In English, Qing Ming means Clear ( Qing ) and bright( Ming ). QingMing is also associates with the start of spring in China, is a day of remembrance of ancestors and also signify the beginning of new life for family.

Malaysian Chinese usually usually visit the graves of departed family members during the 14 days before and after April 5 every year to pay respect. This ritual of observance of respect to ancestors is one of the fundamental moral values of the Chinese people. although this ritual focused on respect to the deceased, but the integral extension of this ritual also remind the living to pay respect and accept authority of the living elders and the institution of family.

During the visit, graves are clean and overgrown grass are trimmed. Foods such as roasted pork, steamed chicken, yellow noodles, bean curbs, rice cakes, and fruits are presented in front of the grave altar as offerings to the deceased soul. Other necessary offerings also include fresh flowers and paper made goods such as shirts, shoes, luxury cars, hell money, gold bars, silver coins, etc.

To my beloved parents, I remember your sacrifices........ May God bless your souls. May you rest in eternal peace.