My Personal Issues with 1Malaysia Theme

I have issues with the 1Malaysia theme: Rakyat Didahulukan, Pencapaian Diutamakan

Generally, the theme translates to 'People First, Achievements Prioritized'




I'm keeping all my political inclinements aside (you should too) for the moment as I'm typing this.

I have issues with the theme. I don't like it. In my opinion, it's inappropriate, it sounds weird, and it gives the wrong messages.

Please put away the parangs and the torches and bear with me for a while.

I have said that the issues are entirely personal. And here they are:


1. As a theme for the National Day 2009, it's just too long. It's the predominantly the longest theme so far (compare the lengths here). Plus, 1Malaysia is not even a word.

2. National Day themes are usually meant to inspire the people to greatness (see past years themes here). Look at this year's theme. Do you think it's meant to inspire the people, or to reflect the aspirations of the government?

3. 'Rakyat Didahulukan' ('People First'). When someone is put first, someone else is put behind. This part of the theme begs the question: who's being sidelined here? The foreigners? Non-taxpayers? The Nine Rulers? The government? Government cronies? Like I said, wrong message here.

4. Also on this year's 'Rakyat Didahulukan'. It's as if previously the rakyat (people) wasn't first, this year we'll start being first. So it some ways, it gives the message that the government has not been putting the rakyat first. Also it kind of in some ways acknowledge some people's opinion on the government not putting the rakyat's interests first. It gives the message that the government wants to change to a 'people first' government, and saying that this change is for the better acknowledges the existence of bad governance in the past. Again, wrong message here.

5. 'Pencapaian Diutamakan' ('Achievements Prioritized'). This sounds like some milestones have been set and we must achieve and possibly go beyond those milestones. And achieving these milestones must be prioritized. Sounds so... corporate governance. This is not the rakyat's aspiration. This sounds more for an organized body than the general public. An organized body like the Cabinet, the government departments, et cetera. Again, this is more about the government's aspiration instead of the rakyat's.

In general, my issue with the theme is that the theme is more suited for to promote the government's aspirations and goals. The National Day is for the rakyat. Let us have a theme for us instead. After all, we the rakyat should be first, right?

What do you think about the theme for Malaysia's 52nd National Day celebrations?

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P/S: Some may judge me as narrow-minded, ignorant, leftist etc for posting this. I say let them judge. I know who I am, inside and outside.

Back from the Land of the Hornbills (edited with more pictures!)

I'm back, people! I haven't much time to write, so here are a few pictures of my Silat boys and girls at the tournament in Sarawak.

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EDIT: Pictures taken after the formal dinner later that night.

No prize for guessing what we brought home from the tournament...

Got to go for now. Some stuff to be delivered to the family back in Seremban. Going to the airport to see a friend off. She's flying back to the U.S. to start her second year in college, in Penn State U.

This post will most probably be edited later with proper narration of the going-ons of the tournament.

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Oh, and I'm having my wisdom teeth pulled out tomorrow, possibly a minor surgery that would leave me literally speechless (as in, unable to speak) for maybe a couple of days... Weirdly enough, I'm looking forward to the surgical procedure... Maybe it's because I want these two 'wiseguys' out of my life so badly...

EDIT: The dentist who was supposed to perform the operation was called away for a seminar. Another dentist took up the job, but she had her schedule full for the day and for the next few weeks, so she only had time to take out one tooth. I will have my other wisdom tooth extracted possibly in October, after Hari Raya month.

Best of all, when I thought that the operation would cost me hundreds of bucks, the dentist told me that it was free of charge. How awesome is that?

Naruto Jackets!

We received our team jackets yesterday. Look at the color and design. They scream 'NARUTO'!







Everyone's so ecstatic upon receiving their jackets. Since I always have my camera around, it is inevitable that goofy pictures (some with nuances of Naruto) were taken, all in good fun.

Before everything gets a bit tense on Saturday morning, when the tournament begins. Our team will be flying to Sarawak tomorrow morning.

Wish us luck for the tournament! We're hoping to wrest back the overall champions trophy plus the 'Best Exponent' trophies... which would be no easy task. But I think my boys and girls might have their chance this year.

All the best to us, Team Segerak!

My Boys' Martial Arts Demo

A few weeks ago, some of the guys from my Silat (martial arts) class took part in their first large public martial arts demonstration. Just sharing some photos I took during their performance.

So proud of my boys!

This weekend, these guys plus the rest of the guys and girls from my Silat class will be participating in an annual national martial arts performance tournament. It'll be the first time for most of them, and the second time for some of them. I'll be going with them as Team Leader/Manager. Our team has been quite successful these past few years, winning multiple golds, silvers and bronzes and emerging overall champions for four consecutive years. I pray that this year, our tradition of producing national champs would continue.

All the best to my boys and girls!

The Family Younglings

I have a big family: my dad is fifth of twelve and my mom eighth of nine. And each of my uncles and aunts have many children of their own, resulting in my having more than a hundred immediate cousins. A certain portion of those cousins, especially on my mother's side, already have families of their own. Their children are mostly born while I was away in the States, and it's very unfortunate that I have problems even remembering their names. Maybe I haven't spent enough time with them, or maybe I've grown too old to be playing with kids on a regular basis. I don't know. But I do know that it's imperative that I should make a meaningful connection with them, because distant or not, they're my relatives and I should at least be on recognizable terms with them.

So here are some photos I took of these children during family gatherings, in hopes of remembering who is who, although I have yet to know everybody's name. I shall need the help of my fellow family members to help me remember the names of these children of cousins.

This is Amer Zafran, the youngest son of my cousin Shaza Rina. In the second picture, he's held by his uncle (my cousin) Shazli.

The youngest son of my cousin Umi Zuraifah. I need to recall his name.

The youngest son of my cousin Emma Zuhaimi. I need to recall his name as well.

With his older brother Nabil.

My cousin Adila's children... plus some of her sister Umi's as well. In the last picture, you can tell who is whose sibling and who is not, as the sibling resemblance for both families is quite clear.

I have now been known as the family's photography enthusiast, since I tend to lug around my camera to every family gathering and of course been snapping away (flash or no flash) photos of family members. I think, once I have enough, or maybe even sooner, I would have these pictures in a family blog I intend to keep updating so that everyone in my immense family can enjoy my family photos.

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P/S: I still regret not knowing the names of each of the children in the photos. I shall update this post with the children's names as I learn and commit them to memory.

Disconnected

My computer has lost its internet connection for almost two weeks now.

Sorry for the lack of updates for those who expect them of me.

I am looking for ways to remedy this situation within a few days.

After that, I shall try to resume to my almost daily routine of updating.

And I shall catch up on your blogs too.

Wish me luck ok?

I need it.