Wednesday 18 January 2012

Money Is Honey

Money is honey.
When you need it, you'll do everything for it...


That's what happened here in Doha, a small city I love to believe a pot of gold where every tom, dick and harry from India, the Philipines, the Brits and other countries hoards to happily, not until you dig too deep inside.


With disgust I read in the local newspaper here when several students were being held for hours after their parents failed to pay their schooling fees.
Yup, in this country, if you're an expat, you'll need to fork out chunks of money to pay for schooling fees. I do not know about the Arabic schools though.


It was rather new to me when I first arrived here because back in Malaysia we only pay chunks when we send our kiddos to international school (the real ones or the wannabes) and other mushrooming private school which carries the education syllabus but have other extra subjects or maybe offer an excellent way of teaching for that extra ummphh here and there ( or as how the principle or owners market it).


Coming back to the local scene, which happened 'quite' normally now it seems, the private school detained those unfortunate children (for their parents wrongdoings I'd say) for about six hours in a room in the school allegedly without food or drinks and also being barred even to go to the toilet.
They were forced to stay inside the room throughout the school hours – from 7am to 1pm.
According to a newspaper report, a watchman was being allocated there to ensure that they didn'tgo out of the room. Well, doesn't that sounds cruel?



One lady says she came to know about the incident when her daughter came back from the school weeping. When she was informed of the incidents and they are not allowed to attend school until they pay the arrears.
To me both also at fault here.
The parents. I'm sure they were given ample time and reminder and still stubborn to pay.
The Director. If you don't have enough cash-flow to be in the business and afraid you can't pay your staff, you can either check the parents financial status before admitting the children or maybe impose an interest for every late pay day?....No?


The basic fundamental of education and medical service had been altered to the max....duuhhhh.

Tuesday 17 January 2012

LGBT again...

Groups promoting LGBT lifestyle and free sex among students.


IRRESPONSIBLE groups are promoting the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender (LGBT) lifestyle and free-sex festivals to school students in the Klang Valley and Selangor, reported Utusan Malaysia.
Jaringan Melayu Malaysia (JMM), a non-governmental organisation, has revealed that these groups provide free alcohol and drugs at their free-sex parties and encourage participants to swap sex partners.

This was based on information provided by the Parent-Teacher Associations (PTA) of several schools.

President Azwanddin Hamzah organised a meeting with 10 PTAs on Sunday to establish a committee to handle LGBT issues in the area.

The committee will work to raise awareness among parents of school-going children in the Klang Valley and Selangor of the dangers of LGBT activities.
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Wonder (again...) what group would this be....
The home ministry should be working together with related ministry must consider coming out with an act in order to curb the spread of these LGBT before it took hold of the children and adults alike. For the sake for our future and our religion.

Unaccepted modernisation.

Since being brought up and went through primary and secondary years in a mix races environment, it won't be too much if I consider my exposure to other cultures and their belief are better off compare to say...those who hailed from places where there'd be too concentrated with only certain race. 

Now let me give two separate scenario on what I meant by lack exposure or interaction with other races.
Of course besides being oblivious the adaptation of the ever so favourite 'i don't care much' is the reason behind one person knowing and one not.
First scenario would be when one Malaysian doesn't know that a chicken needed to be slaughtered properly in accordance to the Islamic way for her Muslim friend to consumed, instead of offering the cooked chicken by saying it's halal. It's a chicken (and not pork).
Second example would be a Malaysian doesn't know that the Chinese people will be celebrating their Lunar New Year although their belief is Christianity. Chinese New Year (CNY) is a cultural celebration instead of religious one per se. And that the Buddist celebrate Wesak.

Halt.
Usual of me to divert.
What actually moved me to pin my thought on races and celebrations was basically the CNY which is just around the corner. And listening to songs via the web playing modern and evergreen CNY songs,  I was rather bemused today when one song to the beat of children's 'Are you Sleeping Brother John' came to air.

At that instance my thought just wondered  why on earth do they (both composers, song writers and radio stations) need spoil the whole thing especially the unforgiving evergreen remix!
Do they want to get the younger generations to listen to it? Or to give some old songs a twist. Either one I still think it's killing the whole meaning to those kind of songs.

I wonder where have all the lovely songs which Im accustomed to hearing when the celebration is around the corner since small? Why can't the DJ play them more?
And why do these composers need to use the children song and turn it into their CNY song?
Are they crazy or it's just me unable to accept certain 'modernasitation'?

You see, this doesn't just happen to the Chinese songs, the market will also be flooded with newer artiste singing songs of the Hari Raya Aidilfitri when it comes to the eid fitr celebration.
I loathed those kind of songs and mind you I have heard one that being done in a Rock genre. Whatmore the hip ho!.
Don't they feel silly at all?
Better still when they wear the traditional Malay baju Melayu hip hopping singing the Hari Raya song?

I don't have to wonder why the latter generations are lack sensitivity, lack finesse and slacking in almost anything they should be cherishing such as the yesteryears.
I think in a long run, when such sentiment being slowly inculcate, younger generations will be one that slacking affection towards the past things such as history, situation and people or those things that came earlier than them.
Won't be surprised when they grow up they will be dense in learning and appreciating the past but only want to know about now and future.  

We are what we do.

Friday 13 January 2012

Not everyone can fly now...

BBC News - Air Asia X ends European and Indian flights


Malaysia's budget airline Air Asia has said it will end flights to Europe
and India because of high fuel prices and weak demand.
The carrier's cheap
long-haul associate airline, Air Asia X, will instead focus on new routes and
expanding in its core markets of Australia and East Asia.
Air Asia will end
its flights to India in February and stop flying to London and Paris after the
end of March.
Looks like Not Everyone Can Fly now, especially to Malaysian favourite city London and Paris.

The somehow not so shocking news (because in my opinion the price they offered are way too low for a long haul flights) the largest budget carrier in the region decided to end flights to the European sector after the first quarter of the year.

Hopefully 2012 will not see more sectors being eliminated by the carrier.
Having less than 24 months serving Paris after Air Asia launched it's maiden flight and putting hope of  flying to the love city of the world, hoards of Malaysians who had been jubilant must feel heartbroken but on the other hand making it's 'competitor' Malaysian Airlines System (MAS) the national carrier a happier lot.

I remember having read many friends post in facebook on their holidays to Paris and that include my cousin and the family.

The decision to end those route was mainly due to it's costs and the sluggish economy.

Besides Paris and London other route that will be halted is Mumbai.

Wednesday 11 January 2012

National Fatwa Council approves use of indelible ink

National Fatwa Council approves use of indelible ink


Voilà!!
Like we all expected it should be. 
We gonna read more of silly, out of normal thinking mind and frivolous news plus statements ahead off the GE.
This is one of it....perhaps they wanna win votes from Islamic hardcore supporters.
Or perhaps by using halal ink they'd be able to gain more votes ?!...

...and the reality again...

Chua: Accept political reality that Chinese-based party cannot form govt.
KLUANG: The Chinese must accept the political reality that any Chinese-based political party would not be able to form a government in this country, said MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek.
Instead, they must cooperate with Malay-based political parties, he said.

"Look at Pakatan Rakyat. It is obvious that PAS is going to be the dominant party. We must understand that PAS' political agenda is to implement Islamic and hudud laws in this country,” he told reporters after attending the 65th anniversary dinner of Kluang Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry here Saturday.

Chua said the two-party system propagated by DAP would thus become a "two-race system".

"If all Chinese support opposition, there would be a loss in representation in the Government," he said.

The Chinese outside the government and the Malays in the government, this will be unhealthy and bad for integration and social cohesion,” he said.
On another matter, Dr Chua said the bilateral relationship between Singapore and Malaysia had showed a good sign by moving one step further.

"We are happy with the improving relationship between the two countries and it means lot to the Johoreans," he said.
"It would bring more development to Iskandar Malaysia, which would lead to more economic and job opportunities for Malaysians," he said.

Dr Chua suggested that Malaysia and Singapore conduct joint promotions focussing on tourism attractions in both countries.

"Singapore has its concrete jungle while we have natural jungles in Johor. It will be good if the two countries package these two types of tourism products together," he said.

********************************************************************

 
Obviously.
How can a country which was fought by the Malays from being conquered by the British, invaded by the communist, encroached by the fierce Japanese army and not forgetting The Portuguese whom were  led by Vasco de Gama trying to take control of Malacca.


All those aliens were fought and shooed away by the Malays.
Lots of lives and blood were shed in the process.


Thus why if any other races fancy wanting to claimed this country and have the intentions to rule -- it's a NO - NO.
We're not the American.
We don't play 'wayang kulit' and let some Black to take helm of the country and doing it just when they knew damn well that the economy will be plunging as deep as Dolly's cleavage.


The Malays are fine and good enough not shooing off but accepting the great great grandparents of the Indians and Chinese. Yup....no denying. We need them in both the plantations and mining during those time, and when the latter who are more shrewed and smart in business started taking control of the financial aspect of the economy.
So, lets just stay there.


It is true what Chua said "iinstead, they must cooperate with Malay-based political parties"....and I say -- like it or not :)

Cheers!




Sunday 8 January 2012

Bric à brac

It has been quite sometime I refrained myself from reading or knowing or even chat with my mom about the local (Malaysia) political news.
Personally there had been too much of the 'kipas bontot' the vulgar way of saying it, or buttering up the Prime Minister Najib and to add on to the loathsomeness was the endless coverage of the wife Rosmah is way too much. Almost behaving like she is the Prime Minister herself, I mean, hey, I ought to blab on this yet again -- the only wife of a premier that gave a message for the Hari Raya Aidilfitri (in Malaysia, the premier will issue a eid mubarak message yearly ever since Im small ) of  last year.
I cannot recall any wife of a Prime Minister of Malaysia has never done that before.
She was seated next to him when he delivered the message (I was back home during the eid) as normal but later, some programme were interrupted and there was she seating at the same settee and delivering her own message!!
I was stunned and it was so unbelievable.
She said nothing much really but basically touching on similar thing the hubby mentioned earlier.
But why?....
Why do you Rosmah, need and must give your own speech?
What your hubby gave is not good enough for you?
Or perhaps you drafted the speech yourself and probably proofreading your hubby's speech is not satisfying?


Gosh.
I can go on talking about that lady and her achievement in stealing the limelight from the husband so very evidently and so very shamelessly.
Well, maybe I'm ignorant and maybe I do not know that there might be some other country's primeirs' wife gave such message to their people.


Okay, let's leave that alone.
Just can't help it after reading an online 'newspaper' tittled -- Sodomy II to ‘test’ Malaysia’s zeal to democracy and rule of law, says Washington Post; and the writer (of the online newspaper), claimed that Washington Post as the most read newspaper in the US, also condemned Barrack Obama for not putting a firm stand on the what's happening to Anwar Ibrahim, who will receive his verdict today.


Hence below are some of the things that caught my short span attention and my shorter time to review and digest any comment due to lack of time etecetra.


1. Anwar, 64, who has been charged with sodomising a driver Azizan Abu Bakar, convicted by the High Court and jailed sometime in 2000. And an eight year itch returned (is it eight years already..? please self count ) the defector leader of one opposition party was once again caught indulging himself in the forbidden desire as claimed and reported to the mass by one Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan, his 27-year-old former personal aide (psssttt...~~ this is the chap who claimed he freshened up before the whole thing took place...dang!) and will be facing up to 20 years in jail and whipping if convicted.
His supporters and lovers will be praying hard for his acquittal today.
We will see...


2. On the other hand, the police came out with one rather humorous statement on tomorrow's biggie. They say they will not compromise on the conditions to bar the organisers of the rally from carrying banners or shouting for the release of Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
See, this is where all those pokey Americans will seek opportunity to condemned the Malaysian government and accused the latter of not being democratic including failing to gave Anwar and his supporters justice and failure to allow freedom of  press (there's no denial on this unfortunately) and of being a dictatorial country.
I don't take side and never like the idea of it. But by doing so, it clearly shows that there isn't any freedom even if the group apply the licence to organise the quiet demo to manifest  their supports.


What is so wrong with them chanting for the release of Anwar?
To add on to it, almost every person knows that the conditions the police gave are those that so very lopsided and leave them with no room of manifesting their emotion at all.


Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Ismail Omar said if the organisers do not agree to the 10 conditions set to hold the rally, the police are willing to meet them again before it is held to discuss further.
It's a joke....


3. Meanwhile, with the GE coming so very soon, and before I forgot, touching on the coming GE although it hasn't been confirm yet -- I strongly feel that Anwar will be acquitted of his sodomy charges this time. I dare bet my finger Najib and his gang are so very afraid of losing big time in the GE. Hence why we will be reading so many news about 'katak lompat' (jumping frogs) hoping from one party to another.
Be it either they are paid to do it so they did it out of realisation. It's politics. And it's dirty.
One of current news was PAS (the Islamic-based political party) state executive councillor Datuk Dr Hasan Ali has been sacked from the party immediately.
In a brief statement, its president Abdul Hadi Awang said the decision was reached based on a provision in the party's constitution but  I guess it was more due to his the former recent public criticism of PAS policies.
And especially when his statement which sounded rather contemplating (on behalf of PAS) on last year raid at one church  near Petaling Jaya where few Muslims were caught after being caught being involved in the dinner gathering cum prayers.


We shall be reading more interesting and sometimes silly news out of Malaysia political scenes until the General Election.


Till then...

Thursday 5 January 2012

Bon Mot Christians!

The Churches in Malaysia recently took the bold stand and told Malaysia prime minister Najib Razak to respect the law and  remove all anti-Christian rules and policies.

The leader of one local group representing over 90 per cent of churches in the country told Najib to remove rules and policies that have seen Malaysian Christians being the victim of bureaucracy and regulations. In a strongly-worded statement or 'kurang ajar' as some UMNO hardcore would put it, the Christian Federation of Malaysia (CFM) asked the premier to check the growing systematic religious attacks against Christians nationwide over the past one year.

The head of the CFM also told Najib to act and stop the attempts to “murder” and “destroy” his commitment and legacy to religious moderation he is championing...hmmm....that is quite strong no doubt. And  I wonder what Rosmah's reaction to this statement.

He also had been urged to set up a non-Muslim religious affairs ministry to safeguard and protect the interests and rights of not only Christians but Buddhists, Sikhs, Taoists and Hindus in hoping there'd be maximum consultation in respect of the structure and operations of the ministry.

They are asking a lot here in my opinion.
I wonder again, what is not enough with what the government had been giving them all the while with churches, temples mushrooming here and there.
Maybe this is just an attempt of them seeking opportunity to grab Najib's attention because -- yes, again -- the General Election which is just around the corner.
And they are so sure that Najib and his government will have to fulfill the needs and wants of almost everyone and every parties in order to garner vote in order to stay on leading the prosperous country.

Without hesitations the statement also mentioned that Christian leaders were not naïve enough to assume their religious issues would be solved without the commitment and collaboration of all other ministries and organs of government pressing on the taboo matter yet again -- to lift the government ban against Christians using the word “Allah” to also refer to their god.

They are smart enough to seek this opportunity and claimed to be victimised that Christians were now resorting to raising their issues publicly because it was the most effective way for the government to take action.

In what I would say laced with hints of political sentiments the church leader also said that there is a very wide and alarming disconnect between what Najib wanted to see materialised to what is actually happening on the ground.

And amazingly all these were being said after they had lunch meeting together.
The ministry also came out with their own statement later promising 'full engagement and consultation' on Christian issues starting with the mission schools, Bible knowledge education and tax-exemption status for the creed’s organisations in what is seen as an attempt to repair relations with churches.

Bon mot Christians! ....and as usual...I'm still wondering what more do they want.
Haven't they got enough already? duhhhh......


Communist


N. Koreans told to go gloveless at funeral.North Korean civilians were ordered not to wear hats or gloves for the
snowy funeral of leader Kim Jong-Il because his son and successor chose to
escort the hearse bare-headed, a report said Tuesday.
Daily NK, a Seoul-based
online newspaper run by defectors, said it had received information from a
Pyongyang source about the "level of stage-management" for the December 28
ceremony.
It said local officials had told residents the day before the
massive ceremony that Kim's son and heir "Comrade Kim Jong-Un will also be
escorting the General's hearse bare-handed" and hatless.
Temperatures in
Pyongyang on the day of the funeral fell as low as minus nine Celsius (15
Fahrenheit), according to South Korea's weather service.
The paper said
civilians were ordered not to wear hats, gloves or scarves even if it was
snowing. They were reportedly warned that "behind every line there will be
people watching".
Video footage of the event showed virtually no one in the
vast crowd that lined the route wearing hats or gloves, even though snow was
falling. Some were seen blowing on their hands to warm them.
Students were
ordered to keep watch on the behaviour of the crowds, the Daily NK said.
The
funeral was followed by an equally massive memorial service on December 29,
ending 13 days of official mourning for the late leader, who died on December 17
aged 69.
Jong-Un, aged in his late 20s has been proclaimed "great
successor".
************************************************************

After switching from one ideology to another, they are still a communist state and is way far behind their sister country South Korea. It's lucky that the supporters were not asked to just wear one coloured military suit the whole of their life.








Wednesday 4 January 2012

Taliban in Qatar.

 
Since Qatar's emergence on the world map especially after winning the bid to host the FIFA World Cup 2022, and organising numerous sporting championships, this sovereign state had also been receiving some unfavorable hard news such as one that comes from the chief of Israel's spy agency Mossad who had warned the United States that the small country poses "a real problem," in a US diplomatic cable (as published by WikiLeaks), and the news gets even juicier.

The Taliban had announced opening their first political overseas office, possibly in Qatar, would be one to look out for.
Let's think about it.
If they, the Taliban, really serious on their intentions -- that would be something that I find very confusing...rather bewildering.

Those who are familiar with the GCC knows that Qatar 'hosted' a US army base and had once received bomb threat.
I wonder what will happen if the Taliban set up their office here...
Nope. I'm not being judgemental nor pin pointing that the Taliban are a flock of people who would bomb themselves or other people, but it's between 'is it for real' and funny kind of cogitation.

Whatever it is, and no matter how it will be, I'm pretty sure the Emir would want the best for his country and the challenges to put a sovereignty to the one that is known worldwide, such as Dubai -- is not easy task and they've got to brave any stormy weather in order to gain something.


Read on...


Smalls victory for Saudi women.

Smalls victory for Saudi women.

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And I never thought all this while it was so.....

Sunday 1 January 2012