Thinking Aloud

Within the span of 2 months, there were 3 funerals in my place where I stay. Hmmm….

Can’t get any more explicit than that can I?

He made the speech, and should be responsible for it.

And part of responsibility is sticking to your guns about your intentions. I think that most newspapers have reported this matter fairly. We all can read what actually happened for ourselves and make our own informed judgements.

From the way I see it, the Pope was using the quote to point out that violence is never compatible with the propogation of religion. He was using a real historical figure, and real perspectives at that time to show that throughout history, everyone has viewed religous violence as evil and malicious. Put it simply, the Pope’s message was: Religion and violence don’t mix.

I think radical Muslims have purposely misunderstood him and ignored the context  of his address. It is a hijack-a veiled assault against Christiandom by whipping up the sentiments of the moderate Muslim.

The response of the OIC (of which majority of member states are moderate Muslim countries) shows that radical Islam still has a influential grip on these people. No matter how much you try to distance yourself from extremist views, the fact of the matter is that the sense of ummah  is pretty strong, extending and accepting everyone who professes Mohommad as the Prophet.

So I think that as a responsible act, the Pope has tried to reach out to these people. I observed that he has never actually apologized (i.e. an expression of his mistake) but is trying (very hard!) to tell the leaders (of moderate Islam) that he never meant to insult the Prophet.

I don’t think that its rather fair of Islam to keep on misunderstanding the Pope. I also observe that forgiveness in the Muslim faith is conditional upon apology or repentance. Perhaps, great minded Muslims should prove me wrong in this regard.  

With regards to the issue of SJKC Kung Yu (Johor) and SJKC Sin Bin, Sungai Lima, some thoughts of the role of the media.

The government has told the Chinese dailies to pull the reports on this issue. The reason runs along the lines that such reporting would put the government in a bad light-unable to handle and resolve the matter.

I would ask then, what is the media for?

For truth or propaganda.

I think the big boys and the datuks and the ministers believe it is for propaganda. Each printed page of the news a silk hankerchief to wipe their ass with.

I choose to think that it is for truth, and to embarass and expose wrongdoing.  

Old Harry Lee has out did himself this time.

Recent comments by former Singapore PM Lee Kwan Yew did not go well with the leadership of M’sia. Nevermind the general populace, our voices never made a difference anyway, after in M’sia, the Yang Berhormat’s think for us.

The way our leaders have reacted tells me one thing. They are scared.

Scared by the grain of truth hidden away in the old man’s words.

All the talk of being sensisitive and whether he (Lee Kwan Yew) even had the right to critize us, or being ‘naughty’ is rather irrelevant.

If there is injustice in society, we can’t just sweep  it under the carpet and call it "isu sensitif".

It is not about racial harmony or being tolerant. There can never be true peace when there is injustice in the country, and certainly not when it is actually institutionalized.

The big problem is that our leaders point to a few big bungalows owned by a few Chinese and say that everything is fine and dandy. Or point into Singapore’s military policy and tell MM Lee to shut up.

Just recently, Deputy Education Minister Datuk Noh Omar announced in parliament that no new Chinese and Tamil schools will be built under the Ninth Malaysia plan when the demand is there.

Tell me, aren’t you marginalizing Indian and Chinese communities this way?

As always, the Malaysian leadership (which includes every bloody   BN component party) choose to blind themselves to the obvious fact: What MM Lee said is very true-you feel it when you read the newspapers-like a splinter in your eye, it is very clear that a certain dominant race in Malaysia wants nothing less than compliance from everyone else.

Got my comp up and running liao…haha

But honestly, the experience was kinda good for me. Have learnt not to rely too much on it. And hey, life still goes on without the machine.

I realized something else too, I don’t really use my computer for work, more like to play games and surf. Good lesson learnt, hopefully I don’t get addicted to it.  

Have decided to go to Sim Lin tomorrow and get a new power supply.

Hopefully the comp will be up and running by nightfall.

Otherwise….well, let’s not think about that eventuality yeah.

Haha, I survived teaching a class on the Fourier series.

When I know next to nothing about it.

Haha indeed…

Dare I say something, something that may not go down well with some people.

Maybe, the ’social contract’ made by our Father’s of Independance was a wrong thing to do. Maybe it was a faustian bargain, one that would ultimately benefit nobody, Malay, Indian and Chinese alike.

Maybe the notion of ‘alliance’ and ‘power sharing’ was politically naive.

If I were living in those times, if I had the power to decide, what would it be?

Would it have been a better idea to remain under British rule a little longer (they were going to give it to us anyway). Look at Hong Kong, very much a British colony until 1997, but their economy is so much far ahead than us. Their democratic mentality as a people far more advanced than any one of us could ever claim to have.

Would it have been a better idea to emulate Singapore policy that every race is equal and do not deserve any special favours? Is that not one of the reasons why there is less racial tension in our neighbour.

Was is even a good idea to have UMNO, MCA and MIC? How can you build racial unity when the country’s top leaders are fighting for their OWN RACE? How can you build a Malaysia, when the Malays with all their perks, want more? Indeed how can you build a Malaysia, when common sense cannot even prevail in the Parliament.

Was it a good idea to idolize the past prime ministers, putting their faces on huge bilboards and revering them like infallible human beings in our history textbooks. Tunku may have cried, "Merdeka, Merdeka, Merdeka!" but he had his fair share of mistakes. If there’s one thing that goes out of date pretty quickly, is the political views of dead men. 3 of the 4 ex-PM’s are dead, Malaysia’s destiny need not be solely built upon their ideals.

What everybody wants is a progressive Malaysia, a questioning citizenry and leaders of character, not charismatic men. We must teach the children not to vote for the party that doles out free rice. If we are serious, really serious about economic progress, then we must be fair, ensuring that every has to work for his rice. No one is born with a silver spoon in his mouth, not even bumiputeras.

Is God blind? No I don’t think so. We are the blind ones, we are so blind that we can’t see that God has already left us? He has probably already forsaken Malaysia?

Could you claim otherwise?

All I can say is that, these few days have been cold.

(My clothes are never going to dry)

So cold that I can sleep with the fan off.

Now that’s cool….

(Arghh…pardon the lameness..)

After handing up the third assignment, I begin to dread the next one. 20 questions of untold difficulty waits.

Okay, maybe it’s a good thing since my computer is down and I might as well spend the time doing analysis. But here’s the sucky part, it comes at the cost of neglecting algebraic topology and my other research reading. (Thank God for the foresight of dropping logic)

Anyways, have been rather tired lately, hopefully the semester break will provide a recharge so neccesarily needed.

I have this sudden realization that the orange juicer is going for my head.

Yes, somebody is slowly mashing my head and squeezing out all the nutrients from it. Gosh, everywhere I look, there’s so little time to complete my stuff…

Some people are just incredible.

Went for another weekly performance by the Conservatory students. The finale performer, Luo Wei, a violionist just dazzled us.

My gosh, the way he played Paganini was so FAST. It was as though his fingers were all over the strings at the same time. He could pluck and bow at the same time, stretch the violin’s range beyond what was possible and was double stopping on virtually every note.

He got the loudest applause. Go for at least one of the Monday 12:15 performances, it getting a free show by a (professional) classical music performer. Good stuff not to be missed.

Bad luck for me. My computer had a heart attack and is now in cold storage. Will be almost offline (MSN) until I decide to bring it Sim Lin again.

Sigh…this is the THIRD time!!

I suspect it is the power supply which died. Nothing happens when I press the power switch (and yes, I did check whether the ON-OFF switch at the back of the case is on.)

Tried a modified meat dish I learnt from the TV.

Just chop up some garlic, onions, ginger and chillis. Saute until fragrant and add some mushrooms and seasoned pork belly. Cook for a while until the meat has browned slightly and add a cup of water. Put a spoonful of Lee Kum Kee Pork Rib sauce and add some chinese cabbage. Simmer for abt 10-15 minutes.  

Syok man, it tastes like something.

My tuition students gave a Teacher’s Day card yest!

I so touched!