A glimmer of hope for Tolerance

The recent events in Malaysia have triggered a form of sectarianism like never expected before in this nation. A court verdict which gave the green light for the usage of the term in the Arabic language to describe G-D by the Christians triggered an uproar of anger within the religious majority of the nation. Though at first the anger was confined to non-violent methods like demonstrations and blog articles it soon turned violent when extremist elements within the society brought the simmering conflict to a different level.
A day after the killing of 6 parishioners outside a church in the intolerant nation of Egypt, Malaysia was seeing its own share of religious intolerance. The Metro Tabernacle Church in the periphery of KL city was arsoned. Soon more attacks followed and in 5 days almost 9 churches nationwide were attacked. As Christians nationwide thronged the gates of heavens with pleas and prayers, a whirlwind of thoughts overwhelmed me. Is our fate sealed like that of the Mustaarabi Jews who contributed so much to the Arab nations but were at last disowned by their own governments? The semangat perpaduan which I upheld as my principle in life was almost at the brink of shattering. Am I supposed to leave this beloved land, the only place I call “home” just because of my religious affiliation? Questions ran in and out of my mind, bringing me to a standstill.

These notions of mine were silenced when I read the “Star” paper yesterday (13/1/10).I was filled with surprise when I saw the picture on the first page. There right in front of me was a photo of Muslims in their traditional Baju Melayu and headgear called the songkok standing in front of a church which I presume was a Catholic church guarding it against attacks from extremists! I was so surprised and overwhelmed with joy. I immediately showed the article to my mom and it too invoked the same feelings in her. Awe and surprise. I flipped through the pages and I saw another picture which caught my attention. It was about a middle aged Indian Muslim blogger who raised RM8500 for the rebuilding of the Metro Tabernacle Church. I felt joy and awe when I read the article and saw the great responsibility the Muslims in the nation felt towards the Christian community even though the attacks were not perpetrated by them but by extremist elements.

Even MCA (Malaysian Chinese Association),a political body offered its support by letting the Pentecostal faithful of Metro Tabernacle Church use MCA’s hall for worship services.As a Christian Malaysian seeing this outpouring of concern from Malaysians of different backgrounds, I felt that my fellow citizens of different races and religions were treating me and the wider Christian community as one of them,as part and parcel of their family, as a Malaysian.
Indeed this incident has shed light on the fact that we Malaysian are united as one. We do not see each other as Malay, Chinese, or Indian but ultimately as Malaysians only. We love each other and cherish the differences which make us uniquely Malaysian! So I guess the flame of tolerance which is embedded in every Malaysian’s soul will continue burning for generations to come. No one,no matter who it may be can extinguish this spirit of tolerance which has propelled our nation for this long. Malaysia Boleh!

The island paradise in the Carribean

The unspoilt queen of the Carribean.Saba an island,the smallest in fact of the Netherlands Antilles is a paradise of its own.I have never personaly been there before but judging from the photos on the net and the travel videos I am more than sure this island of 1500 inhabitants is indeed paradise.Take a look!

Last Day At School

What started out as a day I never anticipated on the 19th of November 2009 was at last coming to an end. The countdown ran from 3 digits to 2 and at last 1 digit. Hey wait don’t get scared because its not the countdown to SPM but instead the countdown to the last day of SPM!!Take a moment and read this experience of the last day of SPM from the perspective of a Penang Free Student.
It started out as another day at school with an early morning breakfast, prayer and not forgetting my SUCCESS chemistry book The road was clear as we headed to school in Mom’s Kancil.It seemed ideal that blessed morn as though it was just another day at school. However this was not, it was the last time I was officially wearing this white and green uniform of mine. I felt so proud wearing it as though it was the Scarlet robe of a great nobleman.
Thoughts ran through my mind as I walked through the silent corridors of school that morning, glancing at my Chemistry book from moment to moment. At one end of my head were atoms and Sodium Chloride. At the other end it was memories in school. Oh that moment!!Felt so disoriented!!
Soon I was greeted by Lim Peng Chew’s ‘golden’ students ,Dev, Ooi and Vincent all having Lim Peng Chew’s secret ‘tips’.I knew it was off limits to outsiders like me who did not go for his tuition. However, I also did not come unarmed for battle. My arsenal was Mr Baskaran’s Seminar Spot Questions.100% accurate and deemed reliable-according to him. However the moments before the exam were so hectic that none of the input from the books entered my brains.
Soon we were called in to the hall and exams began. Paper 1, Paper 2 and soon it was Paper 3.Paper 3 was the surprise. It was as though it came out of a dream. Alas none of the spot came out!!The exam hall seemed to be very tensed and everyone around me were like in a state of awe not believing the contents of the paper in front of them. Even I myself pondered whether I was in a dream!!Soon it was 3.30PM.
All around everyone seemed like a erupting volcano of excitement waiting to erupt at the final whistle. The examination invigilator, a funny Indian chap tried his best to keep everyone at bay. Soon he had to say the final words…..”Pelajar boleh meninggalkan dewan…”.At this the euphoria erupted and the hall was filled with the sound of joy. Even I myself could not believe it!!!End of school? No more studies? No more skema peperiksaan?This is overwhelming!!

The joy knew no bounds. Armed with my Nikon Coolpix we took endless photos not wanting to forget that most pivotal moment. Then 4 of us Jagath,Ooi,Saathish and me proceeded to walk the whole length and breadth of school. We looked at almost everything both great and small that defined our lives for the past five years. Even the insignificant stone suddenly had an underlying meaning to it. Though it was sad my heart reassured me that this is part of life’s journey.”Stay strong, don’t look back and move forward”. But Penang Free School and all the friends I met there, you will always have a place in my heart!!

The Forgotten Refugees

We are always alerted about the atrocities Israeli settlers do in the Holy Land. Illegal housing, endless barricades and the list goes on. However we only see part of the story. Heard of the Arab Jews? The Yahudee Arabi?You may think i’m out of mind to say such things but the truth is there were 1 million Musta'arabi Jews in the Middle East,50 years ago. Yes,in Syria,Iraq, Iran, Egypt and even tribal Yemen. This video will highlight the fate of this once prosperous minority which were an invaluable asset to the Arab states.So every time you go out to protest against Israel remember this video.They are the forgotten refugees of 1948.

Akkara Kazhchakal Part 32 (അക്കര കാഴ്ചകള്‍)

Akkara Kazhchakal 32B. I was looking far and wide for this episode.Found it now!!For those of you who have not heard Akkara Kazhachakal is a Malayalam sitcom based on the the life of American Malayalees.Beware!Real Addictive!

The Perak Game

Recently, the politized events in Perak has gained National headlines. Everyone from the humble kopitam owner to the most senior of CEO’s are talking about it. After winning the March 8 elections of 2008, the Pakatan Rakyat (National Alliance) government is back to the sidelines in Perak, this time as a result of betrayal by their own MP’s. To get the wider picture of this issue we have to dig into the near past to get the answers.
2008 was an year of change in Malaysia. The discontentment of the rakyat (citizens) boiled over into the polling stations. The message of the opposition was being received widely by people at every strata of Malaysian society. The people turned to their voting power and the subsequent result of the 2008 General election was staggering and almost brought the present coalition government to its knees. The opposition had gained the mandate of the people in 5 out of 13 Malaysian states. They formed a solid empire in the northern states proving to be a formidable force for the coalition government, Barisan Nasional (National Front).

Lets fast forward to 2009.In the state of Perak, the Pakatan Rakyat government had a slight majority of maybe 3 or 4 seats .But then there was a loose restriction for the state representatives. They had the freedom to hop from one political party to another political party as they wished. The opposition Pakatan Rakyat was in favor of this concept thinking they can woo MP’s from the Barisan Nasional government and topple the coalition government. But then it proved deadly for them. Late January 2009,reports surfaced about missing and absent MP’s in political meetings and gatherings.There was a slight doubt about MP’s crossing over to other political parties.

Then the 4th of February came. Three MP’s and a recent defector from the Barisan Government became Barisan Nasional endorsing independents while the defector rejoined Barisan Nasional.This was the fatal blow for the Perak Governmet.The crisis unfolded right in front of the Malaysian multitude. There was rage and dissatisfaction in the Pakatan Raykat Government, while a song victory rimed in the Barisan Nasional side. Soon, the Barisan Nasional MP for Pangkor constituency, Datuk Dr. Zambry Abdul Kader became the new Menteri Besar (Chief Minister)
The opposition government boycotted the swearing in of Datuk Zambry Abdul Kader and vowed alliance to the former Menteri Besar.Thus, there are two governments in Perak itself. One legitimate and the other illegitimate. This situation ushered Perak into a dilemma.

So, now I would like to ask your opinion on this unfolding crisis. Looking from a neutral perspective wouldn’t it be better if an anti-defection law as in Fiji, India and South Africa is implemented? Frankly speaking this issue would not have flared up if there was an anti-defection law. If this legislation is not implemented, I expect to see a new government in power every week as MP’s defect from one party to another. The question we have to ask is are the politicians in the parliament to play a game or are they there to serve the rakyat?

From the editor's desk

Burdened by school work, assignments and many more ,I was not able to blog for quite a long time. After this rather long gap of almost 2 months, I have come back with zeal and courage to write more articles to mesmerize and interest my readers.

As I have always said before, be free to write comments and ask questions pertaining the topics on the blog. I will be delighted to read them. Shlomo.