The moral side of murder.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBdfcR-8hEY&feature=topvideos_education

I don't know how to embed this but i think it's a good knowledge to be shared. How do you define right or wrong?

Schools, sex and race politics

Found this article in TheMalaysianInsider by Hafidz Baharom. It's a good read.

NOV 11 — I went to primary school at the dawn of the 90s. In fact, it was 1990. I went to school wearing shorts while others were already wearing slacks. Girls wore pinafores, regardless of their race or religious views.

The wearing of a headscarf, or the absence of one, was not an issue.

Corporal punishment in classes was still there. Teachers had that 1m-long ruler they’d use to smack a hand or a knuckle to instil discipline, with the parents’ blessings.

And yet, everyone got along well enough regardless of their race or religious beliefs, or even their levels.

But now is a different time, for both students and teachers.

Let’s review some recent pieces about how teachers and students are being treated in this day and age in Malaysia.

We have Bumiputera students denied a place a Matriculation colleges because, apparently, she wasn’t Bumiputera enough.

We have a teacher slapping a student, and now facing a lawsuit.

We have a student hospitalised after a teacher caught him smoking and told him to smoke an entire pack in one go.

We have teachers saying that students no longer respect them, while students are stating that teachers need to earn that respect. We have headmasters that are promoted not because of merit, but merely due to years of service.

SEX

A decade ago, in 1999, one in three female students in secondary school were sexually active. Any wonder what that figure is now?

Judging by how a girl can give birth in a school toilet and shove her baby in a schoolbag as if nothing happened in a state like Terengganu, my guess is the figure’s gone up.

How many school girls are on the “morning after” pill? How many students are indulging in anal sex to still be considered “virgins” for their weddings?

I may be old fashioned in my preference for people 21 years old or above. That’s just me. While I don’t actually have a care about students having sex at any age (that’s their choice), there are things that worry me.

That would include contraception, emotional and physical damage, abortions and STDs.

How much do they know? How much DON’T they know? How much do they get from schools?

While schools, along with religious and political leaders, continually preach abstinence, it’s obviously not working.

In fact, I think most students would learn more about sex from a porn film, though most of them would probably download something from the West, which would make the women somehow seem to sound in extreme pain. And if you’ve watched the Japanese porn, it constantly sounds as if the woman’s being murdered or abused to the point that someone could refer it to a human rights group as a hate crime.

Oh, and this goes double for gay porn.

RACE POLITICS

While partisan politics may not be in schools, race politics is sufficiently present as to beg to question whether explaining the term “Bumiputera” in the Pendidikan Moral books is damaging towards the issue of unity. I find it damaging for the simple fact that it basically tells non-Bumiputeras that preferential treatment is given not due to logic, but due to luck.

Basically teachers would have to tell the non-Bumiputeras that somehow the Bumiputeras won a genetic lottery, because “the Bumiputeras were here first”.

Kind of like how a bully at a playground monopolises the swing.

I have a personal agenda against government schools. I admit it. My grouse is that schools have remotely promoted racism for years under the education ministers’ noses and I’ve experienced it firsthand.

When I was in Form Three, two classes were reserved for Malays only, assigned with supposedly the best teachers in the school. This was apparently a prolonged policy. I was assigned to one of these classes and took it lying down.

My elder brother did no such thing. He was assigned to an all-Malay class and demanded to be transferred to a mixed class. He was shown to the vice principal’s office and was told off. The phrase used by the teacher, that irks him to this day, was that he shouldn’t “look down on his own race”.

Personally contemplating, who’s looking down on our race? The student who wishes for equal treatment or the enforcer who insists on preferential treatment for a specific race?

CONCLUSION

I have answers to these issues, but modern day Malaysian society seems to think that such answers would be deemed anti-religion and anti-Malaysian values, which I personally deem ridiculous.

Is it in Malaysian or religious values to encourage ignorance and superstition in this modern day?

It may be of religious value to be ignorant, but it certainly isn’t a Malaysian one. Particularly the Malaysia I want.

Feel free to comment.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/No-Races-Just-Malaysians/289853170496?ref=nf

Forum Orang Muda

Etnik, Agama Dan Raja: Kesannya Terhadap Perkembangan Demokrasi Di Malaysia.....Apa Kata Orang Muda?

Pendapat orang muda jarang mendapat tempat. Pandangan orang muda sukar mendapat ruang. Suara orang muda kurang pula diberi peluang. Menyedari hal ini, Penerbitan Gerakbudaya telah mengambil inisiatif untuk menganjurkan suatu forum perbincangan dengan membariskan beberapa orang tokoh muda dari pelbagai latarbelakang sebagai panelis untuk berbincang dan menyuarakan fikiran mereka tentang persoalan-persoalan “panas” yang telah dan sedang melanda tanah air kita dewasa ini.

Apa pandangan orang muda tentang soal etnik? Apa pendapat orang muda tentang soal agama? Apa pula fikiran orang muda tentang soal Raja? Apakah pula pemahaman orang muda tentang demokrasi? Adakah etnik, agama dan Raja memberi kesan terhadap perkembangan demokrasi di negara kita ini? Adakah kesannya negatif atau positif? Adakah ianya menghalang atau membantu di dalam proses pendemokrasian negara kita? Apa kata orang muda? Apa analisa orang muda? Apa suara orang muda?

Untuk mengetahui suara orang muda di dalam membincangkan persoalan-persoalan “panas” ini, jom kita ramai-ramai datang, hadir dan sertai forum orang muda ini. Walau pun panelisnya orang muda tetapi forum ini terbuka untuk semua, muda dan tua, baru dan lama.

Berikut adalah maklumat tentang forum orang muda ini:

Tarikh : 24 Oktober 2009 (Hari SABTU)

Masa : 2.30 Petang – 5.00 Petang

Tempat : KL & Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall, No. 1, Jalan Maharajalela, Kuala Lumpur

(Bangunan sebuah berwarna putih di hadapan Stesyen Monorail Maharajalela).

Biodata Ringkas Para Panelis Muda di Forum Orang Muda:

Fahmi Reza:

Fahmi Reza ialah seorang pereka grafik dan pembikin filem dokumentari yang menggunakan seni sebagai medium untuk membangunkan kesedaran di kalangan orang muda ke arah perubahan sosial dan politik yang lebih adil dan demokratik. Beliau telah menghasilkan dua buah filem dokumentari sejarah perjuangan politik radikal yang berjudul “10 Tahun Sebelum Merdeka” dan “Revolusi 48”. Filem dokumentari beliau yang berjudul “10 Tahun Sebelum Merdeka” (http://10tahun.blogspot.com) telah menjadi sebuah filem dokumentari “cult” yang cukup popular di kalangan anak-anak muda.

Shazni Munir Mohd Ithnin:

Shazni Munir adalah pemimpin mahasiswa yang masih menuntut di Universiti Malaya dan aktif dalam gerakan mahasiswa di tingkat nasional. Selain dari menerajui Persatuan Mahasiswa Islam (PMI) Universiti Malaya dan memimpin Gabungan Mahasiswa Islam Semenanjung (GAMIS), beliau juga merupakan Pengasas Bersama Gerakan Mahasiswa Mansuhkan AUKU (GMMA) dan Pengerusi Solidariti Mahasiswa Malaysia (SMM). Beliau juga turut aktif di dalam bidang penulisan dan idea serta cetusan pandangan beliau boleh dibaca di blog Perubah Zaman (http://shaznimunir.blogspot.com) .

Lee Kai Loon:

Lee Khai Loon adalah bekas aktivis mahasiswa dari Universiti Teknologi Malaysia. Beliau pernah menerajui organisasi pemuda DEMA semasa beliau mahasiswa dan beliau jua pernah bertugas di Hong Kong sebagai anggota sekretariat Asian Students Association (ASA). Sekembalinya beliau daripada Hong Kong beliau mendirikan Youth For Change (Y4C) dan menjadi salah seorang daripada anggota sekretariatnya.

Mohd Hariszuan Jaharudin:

Mohd. Hariszuan adalah mahasiswa tahun akhir jurusan Sains Politik di UKM. Beliau merupakan salah seorang daripada pengasas ruang wacana bebas blog Diskusi Santai Kopi (Diskopi). Di samping aktif menulis di Diskopi beliau juga aktif di dalam Kumpulan Aktivis Mahasiswa Independen (KAMI). Di KAMI beliau menerajui Biro Majlis Diskusi dan Dialog (MADILOG). Selain daripada itu beliau juga terlibat aktif di dalam penyelidikan pilihanraya kecil di Permatang Pasir dan Bagan Pinang. Idea dan cetusan pandangan beliau boleh dibaca di blog Diskopi (http://diskopi.wordpress.com).

Komentar Forum: Bro TukarTiub a.k.a Hishamudin Rais

Hishamuddin Rais adalah orang tua yang perawakan, otak dan jiwanya tak pernah tua. Beliau adalah pengasas mazhab Non- Governmental Individual (NGI) dan pengarang buku agitasi khusus buat orang muda “Pilihan Raya atau Pilihan Jalan Raya” dan buku separa-intelektual “Keganasan, Penipuan & Internet”. Beliau sekarang aktif menulis di blog separa-tabloid http://tukartiub.blogspot.com yang sudah pun menjadi “cult classic” dengan hits hampir 5 juta dalam tempoh hanya 1 tahun sahaja.

Sebarang pertanyaan atau maklumat sila hubungi: Ms Lee Siew Hwa di 03-7957 8342/8343 atau 016-465 5107; Shahrir Halim di 012- 321 5803 atau Mr Chong Tong Sin di 016-379 7231.

Laman web: http://www.gerakbudaya.com

BERGERAK MEMBANGUNKAN BUDAYA WACANA

DI KALANGAN ORANG MUDA DAN MAHASISWA

BAGAN PINANG: TAKE OFF YOUR RACE-TINTED GLASSES

Another interesting piece of words.

Article taken from Malaysia Today.

By Vijay Kumar Murugavell

I write this in response to Subramaniam Bharathy's article entitled "What Position Should the Indian Voters of Bagan Pinang Take?" published in Malaysia Today.

There is an idiom called "seeing through rose tinted glasses" which means seeing things as more positive than they really are. This is not good as the beholder is totally detached from reality. Seeing through "race tinted glasses" is also dangerous as it tends to afflict one with racial myopia or looking at every issue from a racial viewpoint.

The pitfalls of race based politicking:
I am not saying that racial discrimination does not exist. I mean to say no such thing. But playing up race based sentiments will only invite others to take up a counter challenge and guess what? The race based party with the biggest numbers usually wins. In Malaysia that biggest race based party is UMNO who, while imploring subservient component partys to toe the line, controls the BN ruling coalition.

They use convoluted or non-existent logic to please a certain segment who are defensive that their political dominance is threatened.

The soup was left in the laundry bag and it is beginning to stink. Many of the maladies the writer speaks of stems from BN getting re-elected continuously for the last half a century, sending a message that their policies are acceptable.

The majority of the Malaysian Indian community have given their vote to BN since independence until March 08,2008 when they joined a broad based revolt that denied the BN its cherished two-thirds majority in Parliament.

This was a joint effort by Malaysians of all creeds. So, for some segments of Hindraf to say that Hindraf played a key role is akin to a cocky rooster crowing at dawn then claiming that its crowing caused the sun to rise.

As to his statement "PKR, DAP, MIC, UMNO, just want our votes – that’s all", wake up and smell the coffee - ALL political partys, without exception, strive to increase their membership and obtain votes. Show me one that does not. Even NGOs like Hindraf strive to increase their numbers. That is part of the democratic process - get with the program.

Some Hindraf members were posturing that they may vote for BN next elections and other pronouncements that infer that they will decide who rules Penang State government after turning a controversial land issue in Kg Buah Pala into a racial one. Racist posturing only invites others to take up a similar stance.

Penang, with a population of 1.3 million, is made up of roughly 60% Chinese, 30% Malay and 10% Indians. Let's not also forget it's 80% urbanized.

How would Hindraf feel if 800,000 Penang Chinese who are fed up retaliate by saying: "To hell with you. WE will decide who rules Penang with or without your vote."
Even the mighty UMNO cannot rule in Penang without Gerakan's help.

Posture when you are in a position of strength, negotiate when you are not. Roosevelt said "carry a big stick and talk softly" NOT "carry a small twig and shout loudly".

Kampung Buah Pala, Hindraf and LGE:
I will not go into a ten page explanation regarding Kampung Buah Pala except to say that it is irrefutable that the previous BN government alienated the land for a miserable sum without consulting the residents.

Lim Guan Eng (LGE) may be many things but to call him a liar or evil is pushing the buck a bit too far. In the worst case, he was probably not well informed or inexperienced in running a state in some aspects. As to the assertations of LGE sending "Indian mandores" is a cheap shot. He sent two of his Deputy Chief Ministers to meet the villagers, one of whom happened to be Prof Ramasamy. At the height of the Hindraf protests, did PM Pak Lah send his Deputy Prime Minister to meet Hindraf on the streets? No. Instead, they were met with water cannons.

I was and am truly disappointed with Hindraf's stunt of threatening to burn LGE's effigy. A memorandum of protest would have sufficed. LGE would have gladly accepted the memorandum and explained his side of the story.

Hindraf aimed its vitriol at LGE from the beginning. Had they joined LGE in the beginning to pressure the previous state government to account for their actions and failing that compensation for the settlers, the outcome may have been very different.

Hindraf advisor K Maran said Hindraf campaigned against Barisan Nasional because the Indian community wanted a better and caring government to help them. However, he slammed the DAP government for purportedly not showing any difference from the previous one.

Malaysians mudah lupa (forget easily) including Hindraf. Let me take you down memory lane.

Please view this video: Guan Eng: Indians Rich? Please prove it (Dec 13th 2007)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLt3QARQ1HA

Barely a month after the Hindraf Nov 25th rally, LGE stood up for you guys.

LGE is now the villain? How about the still unresolved Kugan case? Dare Hindraf burn effigies of the IGP and Health DG?

Pakatan Manifesto vs Hindraf's 18 point Manifesto:
Let's get something very clear. The Pakatan Manifesto is meant as a framework if Pakatan takes over the Federal Government - not at state level.

The Pakatan Manifesto promises to take care of all Malaysians based on NEED not BREED.

It does not promise special quotas for Malaysian Indians or any other ethnicity.

If we look at a cross section of Malaysians below the poverty line, the Malays are likely to make up the largest portion in absolute numbers followed by Indians in numbers disproportionate to their total population, then smaller numbers of Chinese and others in respect to their total population.

All should be given help regardless of their ethnicity. If the Malays and Indians make up most of this number, so be it.

Let's now look at the 18 point manifesto the writer is talking about: http://mt.m2day.org/2008/content/view/24064/84/ (link has been discontinued, nevertheless, here's another link : http://powerpresent.blogspot.com/2007/08/samy-vellu-hits-back-at-hindraf-18.html)

Excepts from Hindraf 18 point manifesto

Quote 1
End Racism, end Islamic extremism and end Malay privileges on the 50th year golden jubilee mega Independence celebrations of Malaysia on 31st August 2007.

Quote 2
20% of the Government's top-most level postings (Secretary Generals), Middle level Management (Directors) and management level (Managers) postings; and the same for the Private Sectors, and positions of District Officers, Foreign and Diplomatic Service positions, civil service positions are reserved for Indians for the next 15 years.

Quote 3
A minimum of 20 Opposition Members of Parliament are elected exclusively by the Indian Community.

Do you see a contradiction between 1 juxtaposed against 2 & 3? You cannot fight racism on a raced-based platform, whether you do it offensively of defensively.

When I first saw the 18 point manifesto, I saw many points of contention within the manifesto interspersed between universal values. Above is just an example. I picked many such contentious elements in the manifesto.

Do you also see how this cannot fit in with the Pakatan manifesto? I will just politely say that the 18 point manifesto proposed by Hindraf is "surreal".

In my humble opinion, Hindraf should do some soul searching and revise its manifesto to stick to propositions that are unique to the Indian community and not foray into areas of universal governance. Goal setting, whether for individuals or organizations, should incorporate the following elements: -
It must be realistic, achievable and have a time limit upon which it must be reviewed to remain current.

Pakatan State Government inefficiencies and the mainstream media:
With the exception of Kelantan, all other Pakatan State Governments are new; who, while trying to run their states, face relentless sabotage from the Federal Government in terms of funding and various other aspects. Many have taken bold initiatives in transparency unheard of previously.

There were cases where the State Government was blamed for issues under the ambit of the Federal Government simply because the complainant/s were ignorant on jurisdictions.

Sometimes, the temple demolitions that some made a brouhaha in the mainstream media turned out to be relocations that the State Governments already discussed with the respective temple committees and obtained their blessings but the mainstream media (MSM), being aligned to BN, gleefully ran provocative articles playing up ethnic sentiments. Consequently, when the truth was exposed they did not bother publishing an apology or retraction. The MSM just stopped informing on the follow up action being taken and looked for the next controversy to drum up.

Does this mean I am saying that PR State Governments are faultless and perfect? No way. They make mistakes just like you and I. In cases where the PR State Government did not perform their duty, it would be useful to send a memorandumto your elected representative.

If he/she fails to take action, ask for explanations. If the answers are not satisfactory, send a copy to the Menteri Besar. If you have exhausted all avenues and still have grievances, then no one will blame you for going to the press.

You must however have specific grievances, not vague ones like the writer quoted ie "lying DAP Chief Minister", "string of broken promises", "in PKR we have a bunch of wimps for MPs and Aduns" and so on and so forth. It just sounds like typical sensationalist headlines published by garbage pile tabloids.

If grievances are consistently not addressed satisfactorily, then go ahead and exercise your democratic right at the ballot box. Just as you do not like governments only paying attention to you during election time, it is also incumbent upon citizens to give feedback to governments on a regular basis. This is so they have an opportunity to correct themselves and not have you join the bandwagon and scream together with the chorus when elections are near about issues you have not bothered to understand.

You must educate yourself on the issues and repercussions of policies before you cast your ballot, not base your decision on emotion, rhetoric and hearsay. THIS IS YOUR DUTY AS A CITIZEN.

Bagan Pinang by-election:
The writer implores the Indian voters to boycott the abovementioned by-election as a sign of protest against both Pakatan and BN.

There are some 5,000 Postal votes involved which are of concern. In the US, the armed forces tend to vote Republican. Here they tend to vote BN.

This makes the by-election already lop-sided in favor of BN. There is a chance Pakatan may win. But it's dicey. If they can win by 1500 votes, I would be happy.

In 2004, BN won 75% of votes but in 2008 it went down to 59%. This is good but to counter the postal votes, more people must come out to vote. There are about 14,000 voters. I think it's possible but difficult. But I hope they can repeat the feat in the Kuala Terenganu by-election where they seized a BN incumbent seat. So far, in the last 8 by-elections, all were status quo except KT where seats changed. There is also the factor of Independent/s contesting who may act as "spoilers" who have no hope of retaining their deposit but directly benefit BN. A high voter turnout will favor PR. A low turnout will favor BN.

Repercussions of Indian voters boycotting the by-election:
I will just bluntly say that if the Indian voters (est 2000+) follow Subramaniam Barathy's rationale of boycotting the by-elections, they are handing victory on a silver platter to BN, the very same party that the writer is upset with as he quoted "Hishamuddin the Home Minister says it is alright to slight the Indians in the country by desecrating their religious symbol, the cow. The Federal Government has done nothing on the Indian issues".

The BN will then use the results of the by-election as a referendum that the Indians still prefer BN - because the boycott gave them a victory.

BN will also be very happy as such actions are likely to sour ties between Hindraf and Pakatan grassroots NATIONWIDE, which falls in very nicely with their divide and rule plans.

To do this would be to damage the very interests one is talking about protecting.

There is an idiom for idiots who do this. It is called "shooting yourself in the foot".

Join Vijay Kumar in Facebook :http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=6778953884

The Malay dilemma Edisi XYZ

Article taken from The Malaysian Insider.

By Dina Zaman.

OCT 7 — My brother-in-law wrote this in his Facebook notes:

My Thoughts On the First Week of Syawal

On the 3rd day of Raya, we went back to Teluk Intan, my mother’s hometown. We have not gone back for several years since my maternal grandmother passed on. The town has changed a bit here and there. Now, it has McDonald’s, Old Town Kopitiam and a Giant hypermarket.

The Old Town Kopitiam, all the waiters were Bangladeshis. When we stopped at the R&R along the North-South Expressway, all the workers at the stalls were Indonesians, including the cashiers. (Where were the Malay teenagers?) We went to the Leaning Tower of Teluk Intan. There, we saw groups of Malay boys under the tower playing guitars and chatting idly.

We finally arrived at my mother’s kampung. We talked with elder relatives. They were saying that nowadays, they were afraid to go out of their homes as there were many snatch thefts and crime. Some of the elderly had been cheated by Haj scams proposed by relatives, who were only into making money from these trusting relatives of theirs.

The government had leased land to the kampung people to develop so that they would gain from high commodity prices; instead they sub-let to the Indonesians, and claimed the benefits from the government and go jolly katak with the money.

The Indonesians, having worked hard, profited from their enterprise, while the Malay folks gained nothing from the claims of benefit. During this Raya too, I saw a Malay advert on “One-drop Perfume”. In the advert, one of the salespersons proudly claimed that he now owned a BMW car. What kind of advert is this? Why were we using BMWs to reflect wealth?

Is this reality? Yes it is. I am deeply saddened by the things that I have seen. Some people will be mad if I say this: If the Malays were to lose in the next 10 to 20 years, it is all because of our own doing. Do not blame others for what happens. We are dumb. No, not stupid but we are dumb because we only think about short-term rewards. We do not like getting our hands dirty. We let others do the work and reap the rewards of our own soil. We believe we are successful when we drive a BMW 7-series. We dare sell our souls for a piece of immediate temptation. The next generation will pay the price.

I hope that the Malays will understand that it is not the BMW-7 Series or several bungalows or that third celebrity wife or even that one gazillion ringgit in your bank account or when you change your “Muka berkarat” to “Muka Vitamin C” that is a benchmark of success. It is all about knowledge. Just good old knowledge! All the material things are meaningless. It means nothing. There’s a Malay proverb that says “Menang sorak, kampung tergadai” meaning “You may win at shouting but you lose the village that you bet on”. If we don’t change our mindset, we will not only lose the village but we will lose everything else, including our dignity.

And why is that so?

My regular readers have many times posed this answer via e-mail to me: that the NEP and handout-mentality have ruined the Malays. Perhaps. But one must remember that the NEP had noble intentions, but like all intentions, went pear-shaped as it benefited the political and business elite. It did not benefit the average Malaysian. And when one has dreams, and who does not have dreams, short-term gains are very attractive.

My humble theory is that we Malays are insecure and scramble towards status and wealth, simply because we have a shorter tradition of monarchy, Islam and trade, unlike our Chinese and Indian counterparts. And because of that complex, we Malay-Malaysians accelerated our growth, perhaps to our detriment. Call it the Ferrari NEP.

Let’s have a quick history lesson, of which I was a recent student too. Because there is a word limit to this article, this will be considered a very truncated history class!

According to H.M. Elliot and John Dowson, in their book "The History of India as told by its own Historians", the first ship bearing Muslim travellers was seen on the Indian coast as early as 630 AD. In truth, Islam came to South Asia prior to Muslim invasions of India with the arrival of Arabs who used to visit the Malabar region, which was a link between them and ports of Southeast Asia, to trade even before Islam had been established in Arabia.

In fact, there was communication between the two worlds, even in the early days of Islam. The spread of Sufism and the popularity of Sufi mystics appealed to India’s idea of spirituality. Muslim Indian patriots, intellectuals and activists are part of India’s rich and textured history of governance.

Indian’s royal lineage and history of governance began almost 9,000 years ago. Warring Mughal emperors, and rival kings enriched the landscape of India, and under the British Empire, India fought tooth and nail for independence. Its economic history is as rich: beginning from the Indus Valley civilisation from 2800 BCE to 1800 BCE, the people of India practised agriculture; traded with other countries, and one example of India’s business triumph is that in 1526, Mughal India was the second largest economy in the world.

China’s history is no less important and is as renowned, if not more than India’s. Likewise with Indian Malaysians, Chinese Malaysians may feel no sentiment towards the motherland but nonetheless are very proud of their heritage and lineage. Indeed, these two communities’ histories are gigantic.

Islam arrived in China in the year 651, more or less about 20 years after the Prophet Mohammad’s (Peace Be Upon Him) death. (Islam arrived in Malaya somewhere about the 14th and 15th century.) Muslim Chinese were known to be aggressive traders and businessmen. They were also known to be astute astronomers and healers, and were also very influential in government.

When it comes to governance, the Chinese dynasties have inspired books and films to be made. The Shang, Zhou, Qin, Han dynasties, to name a few, and their legacies can be mind-boggling to the tepid reader. Despite what many have complained as the dark era of China, Communist China by herself too is a formidable legacy. The sheer drive and discipline and, of course, notwithstanding the bleakness of the socialist period have combined with thousands of years of an indestructible DNA. America pales by comparison to these two countries.

According to Professor Anthony Milner who wrote "The Malays", the Malays in Peninsular Malaysia are a relatively new phenomenon. And unlike the Chinese and Indians, who have two whole countries in two continents belonging to them, the Malays come from diverse regions and settled across a wide area. With the exception of Malaysia and Brunei where the "Malays" are the majority community, the rest are minority ethnic groups; however, what is a Malay? (The writer hereby humbly wonders out aloud as to whether the Chinese/Indians question their identities in great depth as the Malays do.). Do we, the reader and thinker, abide by Milner’s suggestion: “… It is a question that in one form or another will concern us throughout this book, and puzzling about it has eventually left me to write about the ‘Malay-ness’ rather than ‘the Malays’…”

Of course, to imply and say that Malay youths are a lost cause would be unfair. Young Chinese and Indian Malaysian youths share similar issues, and have their own problems too. There are many young Malay youths who are industrious as well. But it is a pity to see that they prefer short-term gains rather than plan for a future.

The writer accepts duit raya.

_____________________________

So, what do you guys think?

Annexe: CREATIVES, POWER, SECRET

THE ANNEXE MEEKLY
Sat 30 Sep to Mon 5 Oct 2009

THIS WEEK in meek:
CORBIS CREATIVES BEHIND THE LENS on 30 Sep & 1 Oct!
FREEDOM FILM FEST 2009 returns on 2 to 4 Oct
MONDAY NIGHT MOVIE presents SECRET LOVE IN PEACH BLOSSOM LAND on 5 Oct!

+ + + +

CORBIS CREATIVES BEHIND
THE LENS ASIA 2009
Photography Exhibition – Two days only


Havana Man Enjoys Rum and Cigar, by Rupert England

Wed 30 Sep & Thu 1 Oct, 11am to 8pm
Presented by Corbis Corporation
Admission Free

Corbis’ Creatives Behind the Lens is a photography competition first started in Europe in 2006. Partnering with D&AD and Creative Review respectively, creatives from Paris and London competed on their photographic talents. In 2009, Corbis brings this exciting photography competition to Asia, inviting anyone working in the creative and publishing industries to submit up to three photographs. Close to 1,000 entries were received. The pictures were judged first by a local panel of esteemed industry professionals in China, Hong Kong and South Asia, and then by a regional panel including Jens de Gruyter, Vice President of Creative Photography, Corbis; Bentham Liu, Chairman, Greater China of Conde Nast and Tay Guan Hin, Regional Executive Director JWT. Submissions were reviewed for their creativity and visual impact.

The winning images have so far been in exhibitions in Shanghai and Hong Kong in August and September and will be published in a Creatives Behind the Lens book. The competition is supported by several prominent media partners including AdAsia, Campaign Brief Asia, China Advertising, Milk X Magazine, Market Builder Media and Longyin Review.

Click here for more information.
Click here for the online gallery.
Email: asiacbtl@corbis.com

+ + + +

FREEDOM FILM FEST 2009
Film Screening



Fri 2 Oct to Sun 4 Oct
Check schedule below for screening times
Presented by KOMAS
Admission Free but with conditions, please refer below*

Back for its sixth edition, the annual KOMAS Freedom Film Festival will be screening yet another harvest of local and international documentary feature and short films dealing with the topic of human rights, social and environmental justice. Held in four cities this year – KL, Penang, Kuching and Johor Bharu – FFF adopts the themes encompassed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) which express our aspirations for genuine justice, peace, equality and democracy. Most of the screenings will include Q&A sessions with the filmmakers.

Among the highlights of this year’s FFF includes the premiere of the three winning documentaries of FFF2009’s Justin Louis Award. This year the winners are “Al-Fatehah Memali” by Rahmat Haron, “No Silver Lining: The Perak Crisis” by The S-ploited, and “Kayuh” by Soh Sook Hwa. The winners have been selected by panel of judges Dato’ Ambiga Sreenevasan, Haris Ibrahim, Fiona Lawson-Baker and Anna Har.

For more info: http://freedomfilmfest.komas.org


HOW TO GET YOUR FREE FFF PASSES

For inquiries and reservations of passes, please email freedomfilmfest@komas.org or call 017-3749887, with the following information:

1. Name
2. Tel
3. Email
4. Title of film/time of session that you would like to watch
5. Number of passes needed
6. In which state (KL, PG, JB, or KUCHING)

FFF will be held in four cities this year: KL, Penang, Kuching and Johor Bharu.

2-4 OCTOBER 2009, The Annexe Gallery, Central Market KL
9-11 OCTOBER 2009, Han Chiang College, Penang
23-25 OCTOBER, Sekolah Menengah Chung Hua No.1, Kuching
30 OCTOBER-1 NOVEMBER, Tropical Inn, Johor Bharu

Disclaimer:
The selection of films and program of the festival are the sole responsibilities of the organising committee of the Freedom Film Fest. The venue providers are not involved in this process of selection and cannot be held accountable.


FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHTS
Don’t forget to catch the festival highlights!

COMMUNITY VIDEO FORUM & SCREENINGS (Friday, 3.30-6.30pm)
Community Video Forum & Showcase will be a sharing session of experiences and video showcases between community filmmakers and activists from Malaysia and around the SEA region who use video for community organising. Pre-registration required as seats are limited. Priority to NGO and community activists.

LAUNCH CEREMONY & OPENING FILM (Friday, 8 pm)
The 6th FreedomFilmFest2009 will be launched with the screening of AT STAKE, a brave and eye-opening documentary tackling taboo issues faced by Indonesian women. This anthology covers issues of female genital mutilation, unmarried women’s experiences at the gynecologist, prostitution, and the sexuality of a migrant worker. Producer NIA DINATA, who is the director of the movie “Berbagi Suami” and also a renowned Indonesian feminist will be present in KL for Q&A session after the screening.

PREMIERE OF FFF2009 WINNING FILMS!
(Saturday, 7pm)

AL-FATEHAH MEMALI by Rahmat Haron
This film portrays the journey of singer-songwriters, Black and Meor, trying to comprehend a massacre that happened in 1985 in Kg. Memali, Kedah. Their journey brings them to the village where they meet survivors and witnesses of the tragedy to uncover a forgotten story of injustice for most of Malaysia, but one forever etched in the hearts of those in Memali.

KAYUH by Soh Sook Hwa
This film is a first-hand account of a 100-strong contingent of cyclists in the JERIT cycling campaign who rode from Alor Setar and Johor Baharu to Kuala Lumpur for 16 days in order to address 6 major concerns of marginalized groups in Malaysia.

NO SILVER LINING: THE PERAK CRISIS by The S-ploited
What happens when “frogs” jump over to the other side? In Perak, when 3 elected representatives of the Pakatan Rakyat ‘hopped” over to become BN friendly, it started a political wrestling match for power between the two opposing political alliance.


No Silver Lining: The Perak Crisis

FULL SCREENING SCHEDULE

FRI 2 OCT

3.30pm
COMMUNITY VIDEO FORUM & SCREENINGS
*Pre-registration required as seats are limited. Priority to NGO and community activists.

8pm
FREEDOM FILM FEST LAUNCH
AT STAKE – Screening followed by Q&A with producer Nia Dinata
by Iwan Setiawan & Muhammad Ichsan / Lucky Kuswandi / Ucu Agustin / Ani Ema Susanti

SAT 3 OCT

11.30am to 1.30pm
KONGSI DALAM GELAP by Melissa Saila
HIDE AND SEEK by Lim Hendry
HALF SOCIAL, HALF INDIVIDUAL by Mohammad Reza Shams
8760 JAM PASCA 8 MAC by Ahmad Mukhlis Bashah / Fariz Zainudin

2pm
DI BAWAH LANGIT by Fiqtriey-al Haqimiey
WHY DEMOCRACY IS BETTER? by Mat Blackwell

2.30pm
OUTFOXED by Robert Greenwald

4pm
BURMA VJ by Anders Østergaard
ALL THAT YOU CAN'T LEAVE BEHIND by Choon Hiong Ho

7pm
FFF AWARDS NIGHT AND SCREENINGS

NO SILVER LINING: THE PERAK CRISIS – Recipient of FFF2009 Justin Louis Award
by The S-ploited

AL-FATEHAH MEMALI – Recipient of FFF2009 Justin Lois Award
by Rahmat Haron

KAYUH – Recipient of FFF2009 Justin Louis Award
by Soh Sook Hwa

SUN 4 OCT

11am
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION by Faisal Mustaffa
FLOW by Irena Salina
WATER by Dominic Allen

2pm
DELAYING JUSTICE by Hillary Chiew
ORANG ASLI YOUTH IN THE MOMENT by Lesly Leon Lee

5pm
PRISONERS OF A WHITE GOD by Steve Tichtag

8pm
IN CONVERSATION WITH SUZY by Hazuan Hashim / Phil Maxwell
JIHAD FOR LOVE by Parvez Sharma

Click here for the full synopses of the films.

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SECRET LOVE IN PEACH BLOSSOM LAND
Selected & Introduced by Liew Seng Tat
Film Screening



Mon 5 Oct, 8pm
Presented by The Annexe Gallery
Admission Free, bring your own snacks

Monday Night Movie is a series of monthly film screenings at The Annexe Gallery, with titles chosen and introduced by guest curators. Our fourth title is “暗戀桃花源” (Secret Love In Peach Blossom Land) (1992) selected and introduced by Malaysian filmmaker Liew Seng Tat.

Running time: 103 mins. Mandarin with English subtitles.

“Secret Love In Peach Blossom Land” is a Taiwanese film written and directed by Stan Lai, featuring Christopher Doyle as director of photography. It’s a gentle comedy about two theatrical troupes who find themselves in a pithy battle for the same rehearsal space. The two plays being rehearsed and the actors – one a period bawdy satire, the other a contemporary political romantic tragedy – at first seem as though they could never meet eye-to-eye. But through a series of mishaps that reveal the inadequacies and pretentions of both plays, the collision between the two plays results in something much more meaningful and magical.

Stan Lai is a highly influential award winning US-born Taiwan-based playwright and theatre director, also known for his award-winning feature films. He has been described by the BBC as “probably the best Chinese language playwright and director in the world” and his plays have been performed throughout the Chinese-speaking world. He is the writer and director of “Secret Love in Peach Blossom Land”, often touted as the most successful contemporary Chinese play. The film version of the play won the Caligari Prize at the Forum, Berlin (1992); the Best Picture and Best Director at the Berlin Film Festival (1993); and Singapore Film Festival (1993).

ABOUT THE PRESENTER
Liew Seng Tat has been actively involved in the Malaysian independent film scene since 2003. In 2004, he set up Da Huang Pictures with Amir Muhammad, James Lee, and Tan Chui Mui. In 2007, his first feature film “Flower In The Pocket” made its world premiere at the 12th Pusan International Film Festival and won the New Currents and the KNN Audience Awards. The film has also won the VPRO Tiger Award at the 37th International Film Festival Rotterdam 2008, "Le Regard d’Or" (Golden Gaze) Award at the 22nd Fribourg International Film Festival 2008, and the Jury prize (Lotus du Jury) at the 10th Deauville Asian Film Festival 2008. He is currently working on a film script called “In What City Does It Live”.

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GALLERY FOR HIRE!
The Annexe Gallery is available for hire. For exhibitions, performances, screenings, talks, forums, launches, etc.
Click here for our rental rates.

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Make a date with De-lovely Annexe!

BLUE WEDNESDAY featuring Ray Cheong + Vandal The Urban Camper on 7 Oct!
NO REFUGE: A Photo Exhibition of Burmese Refugees In Malaysia starts Wed 15 Oct!

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TimeOut KL is proud to be the official media sponsor of The Annexe Gallery.

For enquiries, please call:
Pang Khee Teik (Arts Programme Director): 012 305 1135
Jerome Kugan (Media Manager): 016 802 7347
Lim Chung Wei (Arts Manager): 012 207 5140

The Annexe Gallery
1st & 2nd Floor, Central Market Annexe
Jalan Hang Kasturi
Kuala Lumpur
Tel +603-2070 1137
www.annexegallery.com

ART FOR GRABS RAYA SPECIAL!

ANNEXE, CENTRAL MARKET
THE ANNEXE MEEKLY
Sat 26 & Sun 27 Sep 2009

ART FOR GRABS RAYA SPECIAL!
Arts & Crafts Bazaar + more!


Sat 26 & Sun 27 Sep, 12pm to 8pm
Presented by The Annexe Gallery & Central Market
Admission Free

Celebrate your Raya with your friendly neighbourhood artists at Art For Grabs. Experience our kenduri of creativity, where colours and coolness unravel like a well-peeled ketup-art. What better way to spend your duit Raya? All arty stuff under RM100 each!

ADVISORY: Please be advised that the Central Market carpark will be closed for the whole day on Saturday 26 September for the CM Annual Lantern Festival. Parking will be available at Dayabumi and other areas near CM.

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PENTAS RAYA

Presenting our programme of fringe events during our Art For Grabs Raya weekend! Featuring Nurul Izzah Anwar, Farish Noor, 15Malaysia, Filmmakers Anonymous, The Lost Poets, Troubadours, and more!
All events are FREE except where indicated.

SAT 26 SEP

12pm – HANG TUAH THE PACIFIST: DECONSTRUCTING OUR HEROES
Lecture by Dr Farish A. Noor

2pm – POETRY SELL OUT
Spoken Word & Poetry Performance

4pm – REFORMASI GENERATION SPEAKS
Forum & Book Launch

6pm – FILMMAKERS ANONYMOUS 11: WOMEN IN LOVE
Film Screening

SUN 27 SEP

12pm – TANGERIN & NIKOTIN
Reading & Book Launch

3pm –15MALAYSIA
Film Screening

5pm – AZMYL, SEI HON & JEROME LIVE!
Music Performance

6pm – GADOH
Film Screening

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PENTAS RAYA Full Schedule
All events are FREE except where indicated.

SAT 26 SEP

12pm
HANG TUAH THE PACIFIST: DECONSTRUCTING OUR HEROES
Lecture by Dr Farish A. Noor
Presented by The Other Malaysia & The Annexe Gallery

For too long the legendary character of Hang Tuah has been cast primarily as a warrior in the service of the state, and adopted by ethno-nationalist ideologues as a symbol of nationalism that denies our cultural connectivity with others. Dr Farish Noor looks at the Hikayat Hang Tuah in its entirety and consider how the second half of the Hikayat revises and deconstructs the character of Hang Tuah, by representing him as a cosmopolitan rational agent endowed with free will and a keen interest in other cultures and societies. We will show that the intention of the Hikayat Hang Tuah is to open up the minds of the readers, to preach a doctrine of non-violence and to sow a sense of universal love for a common humanity instead. Hang Tuah was indeed a hero, but only because he was a man of peace who ultimately renounces the ways of power and violence.

Click here for more info on OtherMalaysia.

2pm
POETRY SELL OUT
Spoken Word & Poetry Performance
Presented by The Lost Poets

A spoken word poetry event without boundaries, tickets or cultural coercion featuring a random collection of KL-based poets, rappers, writers and performing artists either working for their art or working at it. Including Poetry Slam seductresses, Sheena Baharudin and Kathleen Choo, Lost Poets, Afi Momo, Illya Shariya and Elaine Foster (also Poetry Slam KL Champs), poetry open mic giggers Sharief Manjur and Jamal Raslan Abdul Jalil and many more! Want to spread the word? Join us in during our open mic session. Word!

4pm
REFORMASI GENERATION SPEAKS
Forum & Book Launch
Presented by REFSA

The future belongs to the young, needless to say. And they want a bright future. Since Malaysia's older generation has failed to provide for that future, the country's young has to secure it for themselves. Liew Chin Tong, Nurul Izzah Anwar, Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad and Hannah Yeoh will speak on their own perspectives about what they feel and where the country is heading from their own perspectives. The book “Speaking For The Reformasi Generation” by Bukit Bendera MP Liew Chin Tong will also be launched.

Click here for more info.

6pm
FILMMAKERS ANONYMOUS 11: WOMEN IN LOVE
Film Screening
Presented by FA Herstory Films Project

Women filmmakers explore and showcase their stories of love, sex and desire for this special FA. Herstory Films Project wishes to launch this space to share your love story, be it fairytale or forbidden, proudly or anonymously. Premiering Mien.ly’s film “2 Boys, 2 Girls and A Beat Up Car”. Also featuring films from Margaret Bong, Juliane Block and more!

Click here for more info.

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SUN 27 SEP

12pm
TANGERIN & NIKOTIN
Reading & Book Launch

Presented by Sang Freud Press
New poetry book “Tangerin & Nikotin” by Mimi Morticia.

3pm
15MALAYSIA
Film Screening
Presented by Time Out KL

*Admission with free voucher in Time Out KL September issue!

Produced by the same people that made MAFU (Malaysian Artistes For Unity), 15MALAYSIA consists of 15 short films directed by 15 young filmmakers in Malaysia. Most of the selected filmmakers have won international film awards from major festivals around the world and represent the core of what is known internationally as the Malaysian ‘New Wave’ filmmakers. The cast consists of numerous celebrities, actors, musicians – and most refreshingly – high profile and often controversial politicians. Taken together, the films represent a broad spectrum of filmmaking voices in Malaysia today.

Directors include Yasmin Ahmad, Ho Yuhang, James Lee, Tan Chui Mui, Amir Muhammad, Liew Seng Tat, Nam Ron, Benji Lim & Bahir Yeusuff, Khairil Bahar, Johan John, Woo Ming Jin, Suleiman Brothers, Linus Chung, Kamal Sabran and Desmond Ng. Cast include Khairy Jamaluddin, Nik Aziz, Liow Tiong Lai, Tian Chua, Zaid Ibrahim, Adibah Noor, Bront Palarae, Namewee, Atilia, Serena Choong, Amber Chia, Jay Menon, Sharifah Amani, Hon Kahoe, Jason Lo, Harith Iskandar, Patrick Teo, Daphne Iking, Sarah Lian, Nam Ron, Ciplak, Azmyl Yunor, Ida Nerina, Lorna Hoong, Baki Zainal, Nick Dorian and many others.

Click here for more info.

5pm
AZMYL, SEI HON & JEROME LIVE!
Music Performance
Presented by Troubadours Enterprise

Singer songwriters and Troubadours founders Azmyl Yunor, Tan Sei Hon and Jerome Kugan perform together for the first time since 2007, in a preview gig for this year’s KL Sing Song happening from 30 Oct to 1 Nov. Catch Azmyl the punk folker, Sei Hon the acoustic ah beng, and Jerome the pink spirit perform a mix of new and old original songs in their own inimitable style. Not to be missed!

6pm
GADOH
Film Screening
Presented by KOMAS

“Gadoh” is a film that tells a story of a group of teenagers beset by racial tensions further escalated by their environment and school system. In the ensuing aftermath, one teacher ropes in the help of an old friend and reluctant maverick theatre activist to deal with the bigotry. Is there hope amid the cycle of discrimination that surrounds us? Directed by Brenda Danker and Nam Ron. Starring Nam Ron, Nick Davis, Zahiril Adzim, Amerul Affendi and Maya Tan Abdullah.

Click here for more info.

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GALLERY FOR HIRE!
The Annexe Gallery is available for hire. For exhibitions, performances, screenings, talks, forums, launches, etc.
Click here for our rental rates.

+ + + +

Make a date with De-lovely Annexe!

FREEDOM FILM FEST returns on Fri 2 to Sun 4 Oct!

MONDAY NIGHT MOVIE on 5 Oct with Liew Seng Tat’s favourite flick!

NO REFUGE: A Photo Exhibition of Burmese Refugees In Malaysia starts Wed 15 Oct!

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TimeOut KL is proud to be the official media sponsor of The Annexe Gallery.

The Annexe Gallery is supported by Central Market Sdn Bhd.

For enquiries, please call:
Pang Khee Teik (Arts Programme Director): 012 305 1135
Jerome Kugan (Media Manager): 016 802 7347
Lim Chung Wei (Arts Manager): 012 207 5140

The Annexe Gallery
1st & 2nd Floor, Central Market Annexe
Jalan Hang Kasturi
Kuala Lumpur
Tel +603-2070 1137
www.annexegallery.com