R-Divide

In the wake of the most auspicious festive season, the issues regarding race and religion brews stronger. Hence, the title, R-Divide. Is the country heading towards building a super harmonious and peaceful multi-ethnic nation? According to one source, the ideal dream of the nation's top management isn't materialising. It looks worst than an idle dream. An almost vanished dream. The divergence of the ideas of many ministers are evident throught the writing of the memorandum. In voicing the minority's opinions and concerns, they are asked to withdraw their appeal. Whether the Umno led Malay ministers asked them in a proper manner or otherwise, we don't really know. What we should know is that we have our own rights as citizens of this nation and also as a liberal person.

There is a petition being passed around regarding the issue of religion. Particularly birth from the Moothy case. A petition that if read and taken seriously by the PM would mean justice and fairness to all concern. The civil court being the supreme body of the court of justice in Malaysia that also gives the Syariah court its power should be able to listen to cases that fall under its jurisdiction. Now the issue here is which case then falls under its jurisdiction? I would say cases pertaining to all citizens alike regardless of their religion and beliefs. If a non-muslim is disallowed to attend to the Syariah court then they should be given the right fighthing out their case in the Civil court. An amendment to the Article 121 (1A) of the constitution of Malaysia would suffice for the time being. More amendments should be carried out to other parts of the law if it is in contradiction to the human rights law and other parts of the law. If amendments cannot be made due to unforseen circumstances, then the interpretation of the law should be reviewed.

I'm still hoping for a reshuffling of the cabinet. Its super size is by far the largest in the world by ratio of the population. I believe this has contributed to the growing concerns of corruption in Malaysia. Then again, a smaller one would also pose serious problems of corruption. Stop corruption by encouraging the civil servants to do their job right. A badge on their uniform is a negligable effort by any measure. My confidence in the PM is weakening and so is almost anyone I have asked. Sir, may I ask, what are you doing? He seems to be doing the bulk of the job by not dividing it to his ministers. Is this a sign of him not trusting them? Maybe. A reshuffle would be good to reveal some truths. The Umno should not be the decider just because it has the most number of representatives. Stop being insecure! Their insecurity and corruption seems to be the main factors determining their way of life. I'm referring to the majority. This is a fact common to majority of the majority. Well, I'm not saying the minority have no weaknesses but the issue here take its roots in these two negativity. R-Divide should be transformed into R-Intergration. However, this is only possible for the racial element. Religion is too difficult to determine because belief is of the heart and who can see the actual intention and faith of a person except the one who is Divine.

Happy Chinese New Year

To all my readers, a Happy Chinese New Year! May you enjoy a multitude of blessings and joy this year. I hope that you will prosper in the things that you do which are legal. =) Share your ang pows with me. I'm sure you will receive more not from me next year. Add on 2 more inches and 2 more kgs. I'm hoping for the opposite.

Article 121 (1A)

Article 121 (1A) seems to be the talk of the town. It is part of the Constitution. The Constitution which is supposed to promote human rights and lay the basic rules of a country. According to the Constitution, Malaysia is a secular state. It was and never will be an Islamic state. Unless someone crazy amends the Constitution. I've been following the issue behind the Moorthy case that is directly related to Article 121 (1A) which clearly states that the Syariah Court and the Civil Court are two different bodies having separate jurisdiction. According to it, the Civil Court of Malaysia has no power over the Syariah Court of Malaysia. The root of the conflict here lies with the religion of Islam itself. It is a religion that many today would think promotes ruthlessness, cruelty and injustice as a result of terrorism. I do not personally think it teaches all these.

Insecurity seems to be the main reason. The fear of a racial or a religious tension would arise from the amendment of the Constitution is real. I am sure some sectors will not tolerate the amendment proposed but if there is no amendment made, will it be just and fair to the non-Muslims? Never in a millennium. If this is so, how just can the Constitution and the courts be? I urge the government to look at the issue from a human rights perspective not a religious one. Let religion be left in the hearts of the people and in places of worship. I do not accept the religion of Islam as the official religion until the government alters the law governing the Muslims. They should also have some freedom of religion. I pity them for not having the freedom we have. Becoming a Muslim is like entering a cage to trap crabs. There is a way in and no legal way out. Maybe there is, but the person is subjected to mockery and punishment.

A rift in the cabinet? I do not think so. I think the non-Muslim ministers are doing their part as representative of the people in voicing our concern. Our concern for our future and hope as free living citizens of this harmonious country. Malaysia is a multi-racial country. We should be govern by a judicial system that is fair and just to all. One that is secular and not fuelled by religion. The High Court of Malaysia is at the highest point in the hierarchy. Therefore, it must have power over the Syariah court. The PM should not at any time try to please any party and make decisions in favour of any party. Rather he should seek what is just and fair. Our rights should be preserved. It is no wonder that so many are leaving Malaysia. I still love this country but as we continue to live together let us also continue to understand each other. We have given you the bumiputra rights, give us what is ours. You do not have to walk a kilometre to protest because one day you might find yourself renouncing your faith. By doing so landing yourself in this mess that we are all trying to clean.

Note: The author wishes to voice his concerns about the issues of the people. In doing so, he does not hope to offend any parties. All are welcome to comment but comments that contain racial slur, false religious accusations and ill motives will be deleted. This post shall not be used in court against the author or any other party directly or indirectly related to it.

a GIANT

Influenced by a close friend, I started to day dream of landing a job in the automotive industry. Once I thought it was rather impossible to land such an exclusive job. Some may question of the exclusitivity of such a job. Unless you heart is there, you will not even consider. So my heart is with cars. Cars are not just any simple tool or machinery build to ease our daily lives. I always thought of it as a wonder of engineering. Not only are they build with precision, well not all, but they are also the result of ones' creativity. Imagine the ideas that birth in the head of a designer is put on paper and later completed in the form of a clay sculpture.

It amazes me at all times whenever I look at a new car. On the other hand, I really loathe people who have the guts to just copy and produce an exact replica of another person's fruits of labour. Chinese car "manufacturers" are very good at doing it. I would love to curse them to bankruptcy. You might ask, "What about Perodua and Proton?". Let me clarify. Perodua has a strategic partnership with Daihatsu and is indirectly link with Toyota. Definately, there is going to be sharing of car platforms and chassis and also engines. On the Myvi, these 3 companies jointly developed it. So they all have rights to the design and technology. Proton used to have Mitsubishi as their strategic partner. That explains the similarity of the Wira to the Lancer, Satria to the Mirage. In an effort to convince you more check Geely, a Chinese car "manufacturer" that produces Mercedes-Benz replicas. Cheap.

The automotive industry probably contributes a larger portion to a country's GDP. As a heavy industry, they are the prime mover of the economy. In Malaysia itself, about 100 000 people are directly and indirectly linked to the industry. If a person earns about RM 1 200 a month on average, that would sum up to a staggering amount of RM 120 000 000 a month. But this only represents the average income people linked would acquire. What about the revenue that each company earns put together? A lot more. This is just a very simple estimation. It is a huge industry. A huge player of the economy. Roughly half a million cars are sold in Malaysia every year. If a car cost around RM 70 000 a piece, 500 000 cars would churn up RM 35 000 000 000. Alright, I am dreaming of that amount already. The point is, this is a huge industry. Malaysia is aiming to hit RM 1 trillion in revenues this year. I think you can imagine how many percent the automotive industry would contribute.

Competition is paramount in this industry. The survival of a company depends on the amount of new products it produces and I must say also the quality of the product produced. Proton is able to survive until today because the government has been protecting them all along. With the free trade agreement now taking place, Proton must do something concrete to survive. A new product in 4-5 years is not going to help. A product in 1-2 years will help ease the burden and pressure that is mounting. Buck up or wind up. Toyota produces so many models that I have difficulty keeping up. Belta, Vitz, 4-Runner...so many. The new Camry has been showcased but the current Camry's design is still fresh. Mercedes-Benz has probably the most variations of a particular model. The E class offers variations from the E-200 to the estate model. They have certainly tapped into every market segments. Bravo.

This is one big and interesting industry to work in. Constant changes. Rapid development of new models and technology. A race that never stops...just like our lives.

Running the race...forgetting what is behind...striving for what is ahead...the prize that awaits us in paradise.

Old School Banquet

The Foochow style banquet or normally called a 10 course meal have been evolving ever since. I recall the dishes that were served during banquets when I was younger to be more authentic. These days influence from other clans have crept in and change the way food is prepared and served. Influences from the Cantonese cuisine have been particularly obvious. Well, I have to admit that Cantonese cuisine is also very tasty. Nonetheless, Foochow cuisine has its own specialties and unique taste. I do not suggest to any sort of fusion between these cuisines because I believe in keeping food authentic. Fusion food is a no no in my menu.

Today, I got a taste of an almost authentic Foochow 10 course meal. I would not give a 10 out of 10 just because it used to have 16 dishes not 8, 9 or 10. According to my dad, the numbers dwindle to 11 and now at some occasions 8 dishes. That is half of what it used be. I could not imagine how the stomach could handle the consumption of 16 different dishes. However, I cannot dismiss the fact that the more dishes are served the merrier the occasion becomes. I would also think that guest would be happier when they are treated to the sight of 16 dishes. The amount of dishes are ridiculously generous. As the years past, the peoples taste buds changed and I would guess that they desire the tastier dishes to stay and the lesser to be axed from the menu. Although tonight's banquet styled dinner is not really a 16 dish one, the food served are close to the real thing. But I would have to say that the cooking is not that good.

The one thing that they got right was the size of the serving. It was huge. I have not been indulging in Foochow dishes that are that huge for some time already. I realised that they have shrunk in recent years. They are heading where the Cantonese are heading in terms of serving size. A fact that I am not fond of. Bring back the sumo size serving. Then again, my doctor to be friends and those health conscious would advice me to eat moderately. In order that I lead a healthy, problem free life, I shall eat moderately, exercise more frequently and sleep sufficiently. I am a strong supporter of healthy living but at the same time crave for delicious food. Finding the equilibrium is very important in such cases. So, it is going to be brown rice everyday, more greens that red, white meat over red, more sky juice than carbonated drinks and cut down on sugar, salt and MSG. Oh! and not to forget consistently exercising. Tennis, badminton, basketball, futsal, football and fishing. The last one to train my patience. Hmmm...I missed out reading. I need mental training too.

God bless!

Simply...

Sometimes I ask, when is the right time to do this and that?

Other times I just do what I want to do.

And then again, sometimes I don't do anything.

But at times I do what others do which I find interest in.

To go with the flow or to create a new flow others will follow?

What should we be doing?

Pray and wait for a thousand years for a direction?
or
Find the road less taken?

Debates by different groups,
generally 2 main groups argue according to their own thoughts.
Who should we follow?
I am certainly the minority when compared to the more conservative lot.
I think radically. I made decisions out of the choices I have.
They say you have no choices. Do we actually have choices?
I believe we do. Do you? If there is only a predestined path for us to follow and we don't.
Does that make us lose all the blessings and the prize we race to achieve?
I strongly believe we should obey but does that encompass all aspects of our lives?
I don't think so. What is this brain for? Even becoming a believer is a choice.
The most privileged choice a person can have. But all choices made mustn't be derived from greed or ill motives. It should be pure and wholesomely generous.

I love myself to the max because I was loved first. I love the Lord more than any person or thing. I have neglected my first love for a while but I've rediscovered my first love again.
I pray for victorious living. As a royal priest, I shall speak wholesome words. Words that will edify and glorify. Will we continue to pursue this cause for living? Will you continuously live life as a royal priest. It is only befitting for us to live like princess and princesses and a priest. One of proper upbringing, propelled by holy living. A thought worth giving...