Feeling ripples before the tsunami

I immediately felt the ground shake and when the votes were being counted. I was assigned to a rural polling station where the majority of the voters were Malays. This was a place where DAP had hardly any chance of scoring any significant number of votes based on past election records. It was difficult to describe my surprise and shock of my BN counterpart when the ballot papers showed again and again crosses next to the picture of the rocket. My PKR's counterpart was equally surprised.

I just felt like getting on the phone to call the next room, call the other polling stations and ask, "Is this happening elsewhere??!!?". I had to keep my eyes and fixated to the votes being counted - to make sure it was real. All the while, I was asking myself, "If this is the response from a rural area, with possibly limited internet access, what's happening in the larger cities?"

When I walked out of the room upon confirming the results, we quickly tabulated the counted and were were shocked with the results with rest of the rooms. We quickly relayed the resulted to the HQ and drove back to our rendezvous point about 10 minutes away. When set and had our drinks (Chinese tea), the phone calls started to pour in. One by one, the (unofficial) results was, "We won here and there and everywhere!" There was jubilation in the air. There was sense of satisfaction.

There were about 10 of us crowded in this small coffee-shop shack in the middle of rubber and palm estates, trying to get the latest results. Drinking hot tea, we were full of excitement and and anticipation waiting for the next phone call to come in. After several minutes, the lines were jammed - calling in and out was getting increasingly difficult. But hey, I have a 3G phone and I quickly powered the browser up and immediately looked for results. The site that offered (almost) minute by minute updates was malaysiakini.com. It reported wins after wins for the DAP-PKR-PAS parties. In no time, the Chinese tea was "upgraded" to tiger beer! Food was brought in, it was party time! The ripple effect at the voting station during count was turning out to be a tidal wave! Indeed, The Star called it "Political Tsunami" the next morning.

I called home to relay the updates. My wife and my parents, glued to the TV did not get any news on any of the local stations, except for the occasional wins by BN. I told them to go burn the TV and get on the internet - check out Malaysiakini! The local television covering the elections did not report any opposition wins and held back till the very last minute when the barriers finally broke. Yet, they did not give a true sense of what happened on the ground.

Back to this little place, we did not realize the impact until the next news flash came: "Penang Falls". The it really took us by surprise - we wanted to win, to give a opposing voice, to provide check and balance - now it's the other way. While I was thinking deeply about this matter (will share my thoughts on a separate entry), the little dinner celebration continued. Shortly after, I parted my new found friends.

We reminded each other to go home, relax and go sleep. We hoped that energies will be channeled in Parliament to make changes - not onto the streets.

It had been a long day day for me. Sleep was what I really needed. I got out of the house before 7, voted in one place, polling agent in another and counting in one more and got back by midnight. It was extremely interesting and rewarding to have participated in the democratic process.

It was extra rewarding to be part of a process of a historical event unseen for the past 50 years!

MARCH 8, 2008: Let's make a difference!

My friends,

It is time to make a choice! Let's all go to the polls tomorrow and VOTE!

Let's not be afraid to vote and make the change. A change towards a betterment of our quality of life, greater civil liberties and freedom. We need to think the beyond race and embrace each other as valuable human beings and live together in that right. Hence, I will be going to the polls tomorrow as a Malaysian - not Chinese, but a Rakyat Malaysia.

We must think beyond the local issues of the "longkangs", the roads and whatever local problems we may have - these are not the problems - these are merely symptoms of a much bigger problems that needs to be resolved at the higher level - at the level of our Parliament. It is there where laws and policies that needs to be formulated to address problems at the root.

For too long, we have had people in the Parliament that allowed power to go their heads and arrogance without bounds. If we viewed the laws and amendments to the Constitution that has been done over the past 50 years - few of them have the interest of the people at heart. We are all familiar with the issues and I need not elaborate here.

The message is clear: Change is NECESSARY. It is necessary, and timely for a change in government. If we cannot achieve that, we should at least vote in a strong opposition to enable effective check and balance. We have the power and should exercise that power to make the change.

Let's do it! Let's do it without fear, anger or malice.

Let's do it for the love of our country, our home!










K V Soon

DON'T VOTE FOR ME

For you are voting in Seremban's LOBAK state seat (N.11), please don't vote for "me". If you do........
I promise to be your voice in Parliament.
I promise to drive improvement and quality of life.
Bring development and improvement to education... and all the other promises in the beautifully written and printed Manifesto 2008 of the Barisan Nasional.

Caveat: Of course, the above will be subjected to the approval by my bosses and have to be align with the whole BN (aka UMNO) message. I will have no brains to think for myself and for you. I will be shot if I vote against the BN (aka UMNO), even if it screws the rakyat, the voters. I don't care. You must understand I only care about myself. Once I am elected, I will have access to contracts and business opportunities (hopefully get a project like PKFZ), make some money and send my children overseas. Of course, I will follow suit and good riddance get out of this god-forsaken country.

So, as my bosses say - there is only ONE choice. Please vote wisely.


Koi Voon

I am for Barisan Rakyat

Should we continue to vote in the ruling parties, who have publicly announced that they cannot (or will not) speak up for our rights because their "hands are tied"? I think not!

Should we vote in the opposition and let them rule the country? YES and NO

Yes, to deny BN the 2/3 majority and enable check and balance.
No, let's see how they fare as our voices in Parliament

We should check ALL their report cards in 4-5 years time. Ruling or Opposition parties, they need to be on their toes to serve the people and the country.

More on Barisan Rakyat here.

Go out and VOTE, and VOTE WISELY!

Are we Better than Myanmar?

Following 2008 elections, it is depressing to note that a parliamentary candidate and (caretaker) deputy minister "happily compared Malaysia’s fifty years of achievement with the sadder state of affairs in Myanmar" (source:Malaysiavotes.com)

Yes, it was Datuk Donald Lim who made this statement. I wished I could ask (and he able to answer me): WHY? HOW?

Are we better off than Myanmar because our Police break up demonstration by spraying chemical-laced water at the protesters, while the Myanmar army or police shoot "live" bullets? Is it because we need to be thankful that in dissidents in Myanmar are shot (including monks) and their bodies thrown in swaps while we in Malaysian (not even dissidents) are more compassionate and are allowed to live - under ISA?

how lah Datuk? Myanmar children cannot scuba dive, what?

Why-lah Datuk, you must compare with Myanmar? Why not Singapore or Indonesia or Thailand or even Taiwan and benchmark against ourselves and see our country move forward. What are you afraid of? Working hard? Do we need to we compare ourselves with a country whose GDP is below Malaysia's.

It's time you wake up and respect the people who voted you. If you are out of ideas, step down, let someone else who is courageous enough to benchmark ourselves higher and move to that direction. I cannot imagine you speaking for us in Parliament. I imagine we bring you an issue, you tell us its not a problem - Myanmar worse. The boos and the jeers were appropriate, I hope it was loud enough.

When you retire (I hope it will be very soon), I would like to suggest a great place - Timbuktu, its better than Mogadishu (my apologies to my African friends).

Read more at: Malaysiavotes.com or dap-election.com

Malaysia Votes 2008: A Prayer for All

I guess we are all geared up the for the elections. I will continue to cast my vote in Seremban (my hometown) and see how the candidates turn out to be.

In the meantime, I pray we have a peaceful election. For those who ask who I support..... while some may know, cannot tell you-lah. However, I personally would like to dedicate a prayer and endorse the following statement by the MCCBCHST below.

I sincerely hope that elected representatives would join in this prayer too:

As the nation goes to the polls, the Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism (MCCBCHST) calls upon all concerned Malaysians especially our own Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Sikh and Taoist communities to say special prayers in these critical times in the life of the nation.

DURING THIS TIME LET US PRAY that candidates for the General Elections will

LIVE UP TO THE COMMON RELIGIOUS VALUES which constitute the moral underpinning of the nation

UNDERTAKE TO SERVE ALL OF THEIR CONSTITUENTS if elected

CAMPAIGN WITH GOODWILL AND HARMONY founded on mutual respect, understanding, consultation and dialogue

STRIVE TO ENSURE GREATER NATIONAL UNITY founded on the protection of the fundamental liberties and human rights of all Malaysians with justice and fairness for all

MCCBCHST CALLS ON ALL MALAYSIANS TO

INVEST TIME AND ENERGY to fulfil their responsibilities as citizens and be at their respective polling stations to be able to cast their votes

STUDY THE ELECTIONS MANIFESTOS of all contesting parties and candidates with discernment

CAST THEIR VOTES WISELY without fear or favour according to their own conscience

BE MINDFUL OF AND TO IMPRESS UPON THE CANDIDATES THE CRITICAL ISSUES OF OUR NATIONAL LIFE including the following:

THE JUDICIARY AND THE POLICE FORCE must be independent in carrying out their constitutional duties.

THE CONSTITUTIONAL GUARANTEES OF RELIGIOUS FREEDOM have been badly infringed upon over the years and in recent times despite numerous meetings which religious bodies such as the Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism have been having with the authorities at the highest levels of government. Therefore,

The sincerity of verbal assurances by the authorities must be demonstrated by actual implementation so that every bona fide religious community can fulfil their respective religious obligation.

Arbitrary actions in blatant contravention of the Constitutional guarantees of religious freedom must stop.

No religious community should be subjected or forced to conform to the religious rules of another religion.

Religious freedom is the very essence of justice and fairplay and forms the very foundation of any great democratic nation. National unity and integration will be adversely affected if no proper regard is given to matters of religious freedom.

50-year old independent nation should rightly be expected to get its act together in regard to this.

THE FEDERAL CONSTITUTION’S INTEGRITY should be protected so that it will not lose its position as the guarantor of the rule of law and the people’s interest.

4. THE PARLIAMENTARY DEMOCRACY SYSTEM of the nation is premised on the respective roles played by the ruling party and the loyal opposition. Both are needed to ensure that democratic principles and dynamics are alive for the good of the country providing the necessary checks and balances one to the other spurring the nation to greater standards of transparency and progress.

THE RELIGIOUS COMMUNITIES WITHIN MCCBCHST ARE IN EARNEST PRAYER that whichever side win or lose in the coming electoral exercise, may the people of Malaysia be the real winners when their concerns and aspirations will be addressed and resolved and election promises are kept to the benefit of all.

MAY OUR COUNTRY BE BLESSED WITH JUSTICE, PEACE, NATIONAL UNITY AND PROSPERITY!

Dated this 21^st day of February 2008

Check out some alternative news and blog sites where I try to get a balanced reporting on the elections
Malaysiakini
Malaysia Votes 2008
RockyBru
Malaysia Today


Make the right decision!

No ASTRO, NO regrets

Thoughts enforced. Got this article from a friend I thought offers something to think about - this challenges people who says that,television is good - look at all the educational programs available (but do not really watch them).

Check this link out

'Psychologist Warns of' "Educational Television" Myth'

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/rtrs/20080212/tuk-uk-britain-television-fa6b408_2.html


If you need help to get rid of the TV, there is this device called TV-B-Gone


You can get them here and from the Adbusters Website online store here.

XIN NIAN KUAI LE

Gong Xi Fa Cai and Xin Nian Kuai Le!

Many blessing for the year of the Rat!

Bye-bye 2007, HELLO 2008!

(revised)

Finally, I get a chance to relax and reflect upon the new year 2008. I leave 2007 with a mixed feelings while welcoming 2008 with full of hope and anticipation.

2007 for me have been an interesting year in terms of my career and family life. Adjusting to a new job and getting into the "groove" of generating and executing new ideas and strategies are what excites me most. While at the same time, seeing my children grow and seeing them learn new things is continues to marvels me. Yet the fear of the world outside our home drives shivers through my spine. 2007 witnessed the terrible death of young children and the name NURIN JASLIN comes to my mind. I have not forgotten the boy who was killed, stuffed into a beg and dumped into a river. I have also not forgotten about the mother who allegedly killer own daughter in Penang. I am sadden by the wasted young lives. As a father, naturally I am concerned about the safety of my children, what am I to do? I draw inspiration by the efforts of the bloggers to initiate a NURIN Alert modeled around the US' AMBER ALERT. I encourage strong support for this effort. More information here. Still, we need to do more to make our community safer.

Moving forward, I hope to see (but will probably never happen) is our law makers not make a fool of themselves in the Parliment and outside. Alas, we were all greeted by DVD that brought down a Minister - what a start to the politics for the new year - I wonder is event mark the beginning or the end of things to come in the political scene.

What I look forward most is time with my family, doing things together and strengthening our ties. I am glad all my children are back to homeschooling. Which of course adds some burden to the mother. My elder daughter wants to learn physics - have brush up my rusty brains on algebra, trigonometry and what-not ;-(. But it's a good problem, though. I have always enjoyed learning (for the fun of learning,not for the sake of examination. I really look forward to the joys and challenges.

Come 2008, FamilyPlace will be celebrating its 10th anniversary - yes, FamilyPlace is now TEN! While many of the DAGS recipients have fallen by the wayside, we are still here. Taking our time and pace, we have kept on going, at times take long holidays. It has been fun, we made a lot of friends more importantly made changes in the lives of some - it has for us.

So, I guess there is much to look forward to in this new year. 2008 offers new opportunity for change - make right the wrong and to make perfect what's right and a reminder that there is always hope.

With hope and prayer, I wish you all HAPPY NEW YEAR!

K V

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2008

NS Issues ALL Ironed Out?

Can we really expect all the problems of the NS go go away just like that? Can one press statement dispel the doubts and concerns of parents? I have said it earlier here, here, here and here - the National Service needs to be more transparent. What is so difficult to update the website in details, tell the public the activities they have carried out, issues they have address - a report to us parents and citizens.

YBhg Tan Sri, do not treat us like kids - be open and tell us, work with us. Otherwise, just suspend it or quit! We do not want to see any more crocodile tears and finger point after the next incident.

Convince us all!

‘NS issues all ironed out’ (Sunday STAR, Dec 30, 2007)

By STEVEN DANIEL

MALACCA: The national service (NS), now into its fifth year, has ironed out most of its previous problems, said NS Council chairman Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye.

“We have a team to monitor the effectiveness of co-curricular activities as well as the infrastructure and management at all camps.

“Another measure soon to be set up is the flying squad that would resolve problems related to welfare, cleanliness and conflicts immediately,” he said.

Goodbye: NS trainee Nor Baizura Samsudin,17, waving to friends and relatives after boarding the bus to the Tasik Chini camp in Pahang at Stadium Bukit Jalil in Kuala Lumpur yesterday. — Bernama

Lee urged parents not to worry as steps had been taken to ensure the trainees were well taken care of at the 83 camps nationwide.

He said parents should not think of the NS as a nuisance or waste of time but be supportive as it helped build character and instil good values.

“Trainees and their parents can also provide their feedback to further improve the programme,” he said after seeing off 639 trainees in Ayer Keroh to camps within the state, Negri Sembilan and Johor.

He said the trainees would be allowed to return from Feb 5 to Feb 10 for the Chinese New Year holidays. Those celebrating Thaipusam could also go home from Jan 22 to Jan 24.

Malacca mayor Datuk Zaini Md Nor said his second son Mohd Fahmi Zaini, 18, was excited to join the NS.

“It will be a good learning experience for him and he can make a lot of new friends,” he said.

All set: An NS trainee being sent off by his family at Stadium Perpaduan in Kuching.— Bernama

A total of 37,000 trainees will undergo the programme from Dec 29 to March 11.

They are part of a total of 110,000 youths from across the country to join the NS training programme for 2008.

Last year, 100,000 youths were trained under the programme.

Deputy Defence Minister Datuk Zainal Abidin Zin said 800 buses were used to transport the first batch of trainees to their respective training camps in the peninsula and Sabah and Sarawak.

He also said 41 aircraft were used to fly the youths from the peninsula to Sabah and Sarawak, and vice versa.

BUCKLE-UP!!!!!

A New Year Resolution - get those kids buckled-up!

Driving to Ipoh a couple of weeks back, I encountered (as usual) the many impatient tailgaters who came within inches of my car and the occasional zig-zaggers who could not wait for me to move to a slower lane. This people gets me really angry at times. But really makes me mad are the driver who are ferrying their families! I have observed that many of these impatient drivers were carrying their families - with children in the car! Yes, children in the car! The children were not restrained and not buckled-up.

Even some of my friends do not buckle up their children (although I am not sure if they are one of those reckless tailgaters) and their excuse was, "Our children do not want it, they make a lot of noise!".

When are they going to realize that as parents we have the choice to to insist that "resistance is futile" and they need to buckle up.

When are they going to realize that not buckling up results in many deaths on the road? According to RSD director-general Datuk Suret Singh says such an enforcement could prevent 350 deaths per year, which is the police statistic number for the number of unbelted backseat passenger accident deaths. (Source: Paultan.org).

When will we realize that many countries have made the usage of sea rear seat belt mandatory and that we cannot wait for our Government. The police are too busy giving excuses after each Ops SIKAP while out politicians seems to have more important things to do. It is obviously more important to important to amended the Federal Constitution to allow for the extension of the election commission director than to pass a Bill enforcing mandatory seat belts for all passangers in a vehicle.

When do we realize that we will need to it ourselves. This is one resolution we can make this new year. BUCKLE-UP!

Happy New Year 2008

Life without Astro and Streamyx

I recently decided not to renew my ASTRO account and left it suspended for a while. We have gotten by with ASTRO for almost 2 months now. 2 months earlier I got my Streamyx terminated - not on purpose. One fine day Streamyx decided to go down - I call the usual 1-800--xxxx number and got the usual report number. After one week, no progress. Called again - they never heard of my report number or my complain - never mind, got another report number. After 2 weeks no progress. I was promised a technical would show-up, but he never did. Called again - no such report again, went through the process..... etc. To cut the long story short - I received a payment reminder and my line would be terminated if I did not pay. Pay for what?? Anyway, no difference - no Streamyx non of my fault! Anyway, that's besides the point.

The interesting thing is that - we got by! No major problems (so far), some grumbling from the kids though. For internet access - we shuttled to the nearest Starbucks or the nearby Petronas station what offered free wi-fi.

The good thing was that - we had more family time. Our kids are reading more. Even our youngest one is pestering us with "reading time" almost evening.

This got me thinking, I am not sure if I want to get that subscription up again. Life seems pretty good without these electronic feed. If I need connectivity really urgent, I have my 3G phone.

Heard recent Buddhist talk in KL recently. A member of the audience asked how to manage his children... family problems, etc... The monk replied, "kill the TV". I guess there is some wisdom in that thought and this killing I suppose if not "panatipata"....

If you the kids are restless not enough family time..... trying turning off the TV - really turning it off.

Good luck!

When we cane, we have FAILED (2)

This is comment on my blog published on FamilyPlace though it would be good to share  this

- Comments : First of all, these people seriously believe they are sincere in addressing the indiscipline in school. What a frightful thought, because they of course think they are clever people. And clever people do not like to reason much because well, they are already very much clever. These 700 (most probably handpicked as those 'most likely to say aye') would recommend just about anything that DEFLECTS from the FACT that it is them, parents and teachers as a collective whole, who have been unthinking in supporting a system and way of life which created an entire generation of dysfunctional youth. It is these same people who have chosen, unthinkingly or knowingly, to place their priorities in life in such a way that has caused the erosion of all values worth living for in a civilised society. They would recommend any measure which will not make them stick their noses into the plain truth; that they were the ones responsible for bearing these children / choosing this prof

Anyway, if you think about it, the more blunders he collective society and the government makes when it comes to the development and learning of our youth, the better it is for fence-sitters and pro-learning people; it will force people to make a choice how much is enough. Nothing short of a critical mass of people who have awakened to the failings of this post-dated form of 'learning'will create real change.

As for my personal experience with caning, 2 years ago my daugher was caned until her little Std.1 palm swelled up so much she couldn't hold her spoon properly. She forgot one page of writing. I wasn't aghast so much at the physical action of the caning, but her meek acceptance that someone could use authority to inflict a form of violence on her. Being a single mom raising a daughter, the last thing I want her to accept is that a person who has supposed authority over you can hit you. She's going to get married some day and I don't want her to be with anyone which will hit her!

Of course some people will say, 'Gosh you're so extreme. You think too far.' But I guess it's the 'not thinking far' kind of mentality which has given us a regressive progress in the past few decades. And then there are those who will say, 'Ahh! It's just a little caning....' but that sounds exactly like an abuser saying, 'Ah, it's just a few bruises and cuts' and a rapist justifying, 'Ah, it's just some skanky w****' and SHE DESERVES IT.' How many teachers will actually say, 'The kid didn't deserve it?' The fact that you use force as a means cannot justify the 'He/She deserves this....' mentality.

Seriously, the reprobation of caning isn't about forsaking discipline. It's about waking up to think about what values you're going to own as a society. Be aware that violence isn't a sudden overturn of emotions gone wild. Violence is conditioning over time, a numbness to compassion, a justification of terror.

It's understandable that some well-meaning parents and teachers are ignorant of the repercussions of violence in teaching a child. The previous generation used to argue that they were caned and they turned out alright. I say to them, back then, education was so valuable that seldom a child wanted to get caned for the novelty of it. Furthermore, children learned in an environment which made them feel the learning is so precious,teachers were generally more knowledgeable and well-trained than the students and their parents and knowledge was not just something they could pick up outside. Back then, they wouldn't risk expulsion because learning was an asset to some degree. If times have changed and the objectives and environment for learning has changed, do we expect to apply the same methods to instil discipline? The causes for indiscipline today is far from identical to the causes of rare cases of indiscipline 'back then when you were young.'

Schools shouldn't be burdened with disciplining students - they should focus on the core of imparting knowledge and nurturing learning. There wasn't even proof to begin with that the Dark Ages practise of punitive measures to subdue learners was effective in creating learning. Schools were never centres for discipline. Learning happened under trees during Socrates time. Neither Alexander the Great nor Buddha would've achieved what they had if schooling for them was all about punishment.

Punitive measures in schools were a thoughtless and careless extension from the Dark Ages when priests caned boys in the believe that it would 'beat the devil out of them'. When schooling became 'large-scale', they borrowed these practices as a quick fix. Punitive measurement has never been proven to be either effective nor constructive. So much research has been made on the effects of physical punishment but we choose to forsake ALL THAT WISDOM in favour of a practise from the Dark Ages that had neither value nor reason except in gratifying egomaniacal priests.

Perhaps the next time they pick '700 people', they should pick those who are doing a good job as teachers and parents and instead ask these people how they've managed to instil learning and discipline WITHOUT the cane. I would've thought that would be an obvious fact.

- Submitted By  : Sloane
- Submitted On  : 06:05,  11/30/2007