Oh, puhleezs -- Get him outta here!

I read with not much interest that the overly overrated South Korea's Psy will performing his famous horsey dance (read this) also known worldwide as Gangnam Style dance at an event organised by Malaysia's ruling coalition party Barisan Nasional soon to commemorate the coming Chinese New Year celebration and perhaps as a stage of offering carrots to young Penangites hoping to win the coming most feared general election.

I'm not against what others might think as 'hey it's music'; 'it's happening' (well, my 6 year old daughter told me her mat sallehs school teacher played this song during PE) and certainly am not one of those people who keeps on clicking the Youtube that earned him the world breaking record of 1 billion hits last December.
But I cant understand his music and why MC Hammer didn't get as much recognition (obviously they have same music genre) and most of all his jumping, humping and lurid dance.

Or perhaps I just don't like his face.

A friend in the industry had once over a chat on this singer told me that this guy had a lot to ask for just a song. It seems for an appearance he is asking not lower than USD500,000.
That is lots of money MCA (one of the party in the BN coalition) going to giveaway because I do not think there would be any other organisation or music promoter willing enough to bring him down to Malaysia.

By having him perform, MCA and the organisers hope to attract some 60,000 people and it seems even the Prime Minister Najib Razak will attend the concert too.
Although MCA didn't indicate how much the cost of the whole event but anyone person in the industry can give a good guess.

So you Gangnam die hard -- book your hotel soon so you can catch your favourite singer humping the stage during the coming Chinese New Year!

Carrot and Stick

Yet another piece of news (seriously?....not really news to me personally because as the country's General Election (GE13) nearing, everything is possible and expected), the Malaysian government, okay, the Najib Razak government (because he doesn't represent the total views of  Malaysians) came out with his another carrot by lifting a over four-year ban on the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf), the organisation responsible for the massive 2007 protest march that was seen as a major factor Indian voters jumped boat to the opposition in GE12.

The organisation which had been relentlessly appealing for an uplift of the ban must be joyful with this news, if not feeling this is just another expected game as I does.

The news was made known to all media by one of the tough guy of the association who had once wanted to appeal to the Queen of England seeking help because he claimed his race had been suppressed by the government (he must be living in the colonial era not noticing that Tanah Melayu already received her independence from British officially on 31 August 1957).

The upcoming GE, which I must say would be tougher than the previous one must have made Najib and his team digging for carrots to offer to all rabbits of the oppositions, and I surely hope he will have enough carrots to offer to the ever so hungry and greedy opposition leaders and supporters.

The indication of the GE13 which had been sent even before the Eid Fitr  and had been going on up to now with no indication of it starting anytime soon. My guessing only one. BN must be the feeling the heat of it and their knees are still shaking and weak. Just like anyone who had undergone knee surgery, one will need time to recover, but BN had four years to prove themselves....waiting six more months wont help.

With Tahun Melawat Terengganu 2013 or Visit Trerengganu 2013; an east-coastal state with oil and gas propagandistic and condemning once- a- week slot on the BN TV3 (and god knows there isn't much of travelling or touring being shown) aiming at telling the Terengganu voters to vote BN again this time around, and all pro- government news on the mainstream newspaper and television; I am wondering what more do they want and are  scared of.

Najib's latest action, either being suggested by his smart advisory team or smarter wife, will, in my opinion not buy much of the Indians community into voting for BN. This however can create another strong twenty over thousands  Indians marching once again to manifest their unhappiness towards of the BN government because, hey, the election is coming; this is the time we should ask for things....and just like hungry rabbits, they will be squealing and squirming for carrots and more carrots if they are not fed accordingly.

We shall see.

Masjid Ditentang, Universiti Ditatang

THURSDAY, JANUARY 31, 2013

Masjid Ditentang, Universiti Ditatang

A Kadir Jasin '@' The Scribe A Kadir Jasin

[SILA ambil perhatian, kalau mahu komen saudara dan saudari disiarkan, sila guna Google Account, OpenID atau Name/URL untuk mengulas. Terima kasih.]

TAMPALAN ini sekadar menyuarakan ketakjuban saya terhadap sikap dan pemikiran sesetengah orang Malaysia mengenai dua perkembangan yang berasingan tetapi dengan kata kunci yang sama atau hampir sama iaitu Cina/China.

Apabila Persatuan Cina Islam Malaysia mengumumkan cadangan membina sebuah masjid sendiri di Kuala Lumpur dengan bercirikan reka bentuk Cina tidak berapa lama dulu, ada pihak menentangnya.

Alhamdulillah, bukan semua orang Islam yang tertutup hatinya dan Masjid Cina Islam Malaysia itu, insya-Allah, akan jadi kenyataan.

Orang yang menentang atau tidak menyetujui cadangan itu sama ada tidak tahu apa-apa mengenai Islam atau buta sejarah. Islam bukan untuk bangsa dan orang tertentu sahaja. Islam untuk semua yang beriman kepada Allah, Tuhan yang satu.

Hanya orang yang buta sejarah saja menentang cadangan masjid itu semata-mata kerana reka bentuk Cinanya. Mungkin mereka tidak tahu yang antara masjid tertua dan tercantik di dunia adalah di China.

Mungkin mereka juga tidak tahu bahawa Islam sampai ke China seawal 616-18 Masihi dibawa oleh sahabat-sahabat Rasulullah sendiri dan bilangan umat Islam China lebih ramai daripada orang Islam Malaysia. Menurut pusat penyelidikan Pew, berdasarkan bancian kerajaan China, ada kira-kira 22 juta orang Islam di negara itu.

Alhamdulillah, saya berkesempatan melawat beberapa buah masjid lama di Beijing dan sekitarnya beberapa tahun lalu. Saya amat kagum dengan sejarah dan reka bentuknya.

(Pemandangan di dalam sebuah masjid di Negeri China)

Anehnya, apabila Universiti Xiamen, China, mengumumkan cadangan membuka kampus di Malaysia, pelbagai pihak mengalu-alukannya. Saya tidak pula terbaca ada pihak yang membantah. Menurut laporan media, kampus di Salak Tinggi, Selangor, itu berupa kampus seberang laut pertama bagi sebuah institusi pengajian tinggi China.

Saya lebih selesa dengan sebuah masjid yang berekabentuk Cina dan dimiliki oleh orang Cina Islam Malaysia daripada sebuah institusi pengajian tinggi China atau mana-mana negara pun.

Saya tahu, semua orang Islam babas keluar masuk mengerjakan ibadat di sebuah masjid Cina Islam, tetapi sebuah universiti asing tentu ada agenda dan seleranya sendiri walaupun kampusnya di Malaysia.  Wallahualam.