I woke up this morning to a new Malaysia. OMG, the opposition parties have taken over the states of Kedah, Penang, Perak and Selangor (Wilayah as well if not for the fact it is under Federal Govt control). These are easily the most industrialised states in the country. Feeling a bit groggy due to lack of sleep last night, here's an initial wishlist to what I would consider the beginning of the path to the realisation of the Malaysian dream:
1) Freedom of expression. This is one of the most fundamental rights of the people. This election is not only a bread and butter issue. Its about quality of life. There should be more responsible freedom of expression through speech, blogging, art etc, without any fear of threats from the authourities.
2) True meritocracy in education - right from primary thru to tertiary education, especially in terms of university placements and awarding of scholarships. There should be a more healthy racial mix in appointing university vice-chancellors, deans and heads of department. Underperformers should step down.
3) Let the rakyat gather peacefully to voice their dissatisfactions. Let them hand over the roses one more time to the PM. For heaven's sake, no more tear gas or water cannons this time. This could be one of the main reasons for the ruling party's defeat.
4) Make live telecast of all parliamentary sessions for public scrutiny. Even though they can still pass bills with a simple majority, the govt cannot make constitutional changes now without consulting the rakyat's representatives. The debates should draw a huge audience as there is so much to reform.
To sum up, I feel this election is not about who won but which party the rakyat chose to represent them more effectively. This is the dawn of a new Malaysia. Don't let the momentum lose its force. There's work to be done. The rakyat have spoken. Power does not belong to the politicians but to the people who have cast their votes. We are no longer the silent majority.
Sunday, March 09, 2008
Thursday, March 06, 2008
Hidden Treasure
Saturday, March 01, 2008
The Awakening
Copyright ©2008 Truasian (hiddenstream.blogspot.com)
Stock model image from sxc.hu.
Face texture from stockvault.
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Change for the better
Even as the election fever spreads, for those fence sitters or those who are simply not interested in the changing political climate around them, may I suggest that you vote for Barrack Obama. After reading about him and watching his fiery and inspirational speeches on Youtube, I'm more and more convinced that Obama, his personality and ideology, really represents the commoner in America. I gather he is more awe-inspiring than Martin Luther King.
While Garry Kasparov, the former world chess champion and Russian presidential candidate hopeful, talked vehemently about the imperialistic policies of President Putin and his corrupted and crony officials, Obama focuses on great and humble matters such as love, faith and hope. He talked about America's deficit, not of trade and economy, but of moral high living - the empathy deficit. He talked about the simple and shining examples of his work with the underprivileged - the bright young girl who could not afford higher education, the backstreet boys who were neglected or abandoned by their parents, the elderly woman who became a victim of the insurance healthcare policy. He talked about his background. He was not born with a silver spoon in his mouth. His father, a Kenyan, had abandoned his family. His single working mother has struggled to make ends meet. Criticising his opponents who say he is only a hope-monger, he said that without that little hope to believe in during his formative years, he would not have stood amongst the crowd today and talked about his hope for the people of America.
He talked about how we could pray together, work together and march together. Nobody could fight inequality alone. There is a need for unity and it is not without hard work and sacrifices. This political meteor himself is the change that America can believe in. One day, I trust, America can look back and be proud that they had a black president serving them. And if this can happen in America, it can also happen anywhere in the world, most certainly in Malaysia. Vote for change.
While Garry Kasparov, the former world chess champion and Russian presidential candidate hopeful, talked vehemently about the imperialistic policies of President Putin and his corrupted and crony officials, Obama focuses on great and humble matters such as love, faith and hope. He talked about America's deficit, not of trade and economy, but of moral high living - the empathy deficit. He talked about the simple and shining examples of his work with the underprivileged - the bright young girl who could not afford higher education, the backstreet boys who were neglected or abandoned by their parents, the elderly woman who became a victim of the insurance healthcare policy. He talked about his background. He was not born with a silver spoon in his mouth. His father, a Kenyan, had abandoned his family. His single working mother has struggled to make ends meet. Criticising his opponents who say he is only a hope-monger, he said that without that little hope to believe in during his formative years, he would not have stood amongst the crowd today and talked about his hope for the people of America.
He talked about how we could pray together, work together and march together. Nobody could fight inequality alone. There is a need for unity and it is not without hard work and sacrifices. This political meteor himself is the change that America can believe in. One day, I trust, America can look back and be proud that they had a black president serving them. And if this can happen in America, it can also happen anywhere in the world, most certainly in Malaysia. Vote for change.
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Chap Goh Meh
Copyright ©2008 Truasian (hiddenstream.blogspot.com)
All stock images from sxc.hu
It's time to open a bottle of champagne to celebrate the last day of the Lunar New Year. In Penang especially, the people are fully aware that after this celebration, they have the Battle of the Century as they ready themselves to vote for the next general election. As politicians are busy campaigning, we should constantly remind ourselves that true power really lies with the rakyat.
Politicians are good in the sense that they are able to negotiate and form alliances. However, when it comes to matters such as corruption and injustice, there should be no compromise. I hope all politicians will be truthful and fight for justice and equal rights. All elected politicians must prove themselves to be objective in their approach. It is like a game of chess where the best defence is to be aggresive in finding new ideas to reach their objectives. Many politicians have gone into that win-win situation (read: compromising) which appeal mainly to business people. In chess (here I go again!) as in real life, it is a zero-sum game where one has to be mobile and dynamic in finding new resources instead of remaining stagnant and rely on one's 'secure' position, title or even worse, wealth. Also, as in chess, one has to abide by the rules of the game, which sadly is not what is seen to be happening here. Anyway, life is not always about campaigns.
For those who have a good time during this 15-day period, its going to be the Battle of the Bulge as a form of damage control for the weight gained. May I recommend going to an established gym such as Jacky Chan's California Fitness which is actually a happening place with lots of group exercise activities. However, if you can find one that is nearby and suited to your needs, than I think it is preferable to the hassle of traveling especially to jam-packed areas. Better yet, if you have the selfdiscipline, do your own exercise program, whether indoor or outdoor. Dancing is also a healthy cardio-pumping form of exercise. Fyi, even some of the lucky convicts are privileged enough to dance/exercise during their assemblies.
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Chimera
This work is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 2.5 Malaysia License.
Stock images from sxc.hu and morguefile.
Since some of us are still in CNY's mood, I thought it would be approaprite to do a photo-morphing of 2 creatures, signifying the passing of the Year of the Pig and welcoming the Year of the Rat. I thought it would be 'kewl' to extend and add in the fur of the rat to cover the entire body of the pig. Put a little glow to the backdrop and looks like I've just created a monster! Not for the fainthearted!
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