Sunday, May 19, 2013

WHY PINCH WHEN YOU CAN PUNCH?


As early as 1961 when I began my teaching career in Singapore, I start my mornings doing two things: don’t listen to morning news broadcast and start the day with the cartoon page in the dailies. Getting a dose of negative news isn’t my way of starting the day well, so why not have a good laugh before setting out on a new day – teaching.
I got my first taste of socio-political cartoon with SunTan in AsiaWeek. Then, along came our most affable and much-loved Kampung Boy, LAT. We met every Thursday at Coliseum over gallons of beers and mirth – a most agreeable combination…..burp….! Today I still miss the bloke!
I do not read the cartoon pages now because we boycotted our Government newsletters since 2007. At one of our forums on NO BUY NO LIES, I was amused when Kadir Jasin told me he continues to buy the papers because he had to house-train his cats at home!
Today, as a blogger I spice my postings with the contributions from Zunar and Johnny Ong frequently. They recently launched CAEF – cartoonist against electoral fraud. I like Zunar’s punch line in his speech when he was awarded the CRNI  "Courage in Editorial Cartooning" recently – WHY PINCH WHEN YOU CAN PUNCH. However, these two do not pull any punches. They dare to push the limits of tolerance! YOU TOO CAN IF YOU SUPPORT THEIR PUBLICATIONS. MAKE YOUR STAND BESIDE THEM.



Saturday, May 18, 2013

WHILST NAJIB MULLS OVER THE YOKO GIRI AND KASA GIRI, MATHATHIR’S CAMP OPTS FOR ROOTS - THE KALARIPAYATTU.


Although since the election Mahathir hasn't publicly disclosed his rejection of Najib as party leader and premier, he has signaled his irritation by telling reporters that UMNO would have to decide whether Najib Razak should step down (IN OCTOBER?), questioning Najib's strategists and saying their ideas may have contributed to BN's poor performance.




Earlier reports said Najib, who saw the Barisan's parliamentary seats dwindle by seven to 133 to the Pakatan Rakyat's 89, faces being forced out of the premiership at the October AGM in favor of Muhyiddin. The decision to seek the help of the Badawi wing of UMNO could well spell months of instability inside the UMNO leadership as a weakened Najib clings to power in the face of an affronted Mahathir and his allies, who accused him of going too easy on the Chinese in the election.

Mahathir telegraphed his wing's views in a press conference on May 7 to tell reporters he was shocked by the Barisan's performance and laid the blame on "ungrateful" Chinese and "greedy" Malay voters.

"Most of the Chinese rejected the Malays' hands of friendship ... And that was what we call the 'tsunami'," Mahathir said, adding that "At the same time, we cannot deny Malays who have become greedy. They all want power without considering the means, if they needed to sell out their race they will sell it out."




SO WHAT IS THIS

Tuesday, May 14, 2013

JUST ADDRESSING ANOTHER REQUEST......


Saturday



8:55pm
Jeyasakthi Jeyasingham
Hi Uncle Zorro!
Firstly i want to let you know how wonderful it is to have you back!!! Your blog is always open on my PC and I just refresh every morning...it is my companion with my morning coffee (or nightly read when all is quiet!). Read you story about you going to vote...was so moved...but also so happy that you made it to the polling stations!!! YAY!
Was just thinking back to Mother's day 2011 when I first met you at Teluk Chempedak at the anti-lynas gathering. We have come far....but looks like it is a long journey ahead still.
With the crusade still on-going...I was not sure if this awesome lady has come to your attention. Auntie Mei has been one of the earliest...and one of the most steadfast anti-lynas warriors.
I remember way back in 2011..she formed a one woman barricade, standing in front of a policeman who tried to go up the DAP office stairs in Kuantan during one of the earlier gatherings (they took in 4 people for questioning that day). She was at the walk to the australian hi-comm...and whilst many of us stood chatting in the rain...she fished out a garbage bag and started picking up litter on the road, pavement etc.
She is at all the gatherings...and marches and sit ins. She has turned up in court. She's been around the country.
Well...Auntie has taken her fight a step further...and had started a hunger fast! AS of yesterday I heard that she was still on the fast...drinking only water. Various people have been visiting...and I heard a dr has also been going to monitor her.
The story below was shared by Vincent Jiam (the kindergarten teacher! who initiated the anti-lynas campaign) who visited Auntie Mei on Thursday.
I don't know what to do. Other than a few shares on facebook..this does not seem to be gathering much attention (maybe in the Chinese papers?). Understandably people are preoccupied with other important issues such as magic and blackouts!
Uncle Zorro...could you feature Auntie Mei in your blog? Let people know about this brave lady? Again... my info is as of last night. I will find out more...
Thank you!
And once again... WELCOME BACK!
Regards
Jeya



Jeya, I am sorry this took a while to address. I am coping with life with dialysis and the past two days have been trying. I woke up pretty fresh this morning at 315am, brewed that must-have cuppa and decided that its now or never.

YES, I met Ah Mei Chair (sister) in SIBU during the Sibu by-election.  We all stayed at a RM30 a day walk-up (52 steps only) “hotel” opposite the mighty Sg Rajan in Sibu town. She hailed from Kuantan and Anthony Loke’s aide Josephine Mary introduced us. That Sunday morning was also nomination day and Mothers Day too. Mei Chair and I shared a cab every morning to go to YB Wong Ho Weng’s operation centre. Because of my badly fractured Cantonese I did not have much to contribute but was aware that her campaign starts the moment we get into the cab. At the centre, she would clean up the huge table set up for us, get the flyers etc ready for the volunteers when they start climbing up to the centre. I do not see her until we get into the cab the next morning. Then I met her again during the Sarawak state elections that followed. Our paths crossed again during the Hulu Selangor by elections. The last I saw her was during the mammoth Kuantan anti-lynas camapaign when she handed me a vegetarian dumpling at the padang. Then I remembered her on YouTube being arrested when she confronted the deputy IGP.
I know little about her except that when not campaigning for the DAP around the country, she operates a vegetarian stall. And now you tell me that she is on a hunger strike to stop LYNAS in Gebeng and the diamond mine in Raub. Dang! She is a petite lady, just one year my junior but she has got PRESENCE and wherever she is SHE is making a STATEMENT with her piercing glare when she was not pleased!
I hope the people in Kuantan can show their support and I wish my good friend Datuk Sak, the new MP for Raub will dissuade her from continuing her hunger strike. We need her for the final trust that is a-coming. On my part I cannot do much except maybe tolerate the discomfort of dialysis and offer that in solidarity with Ah Mei Chair.



Sunday, May 12, 2013

A BLESSED MOTHER’S DAY TO MUMMY…….


and all those who lavishly “mothered” me in my time of need.  You know who you are. THANK YOU!

JUST ADDRESSING A REQUEST.......


Anonymous said...
Uncle Bernard,

Selamat Hari Guru!!! uncle. Hope your are OK now.

Can you please inform Mr.SAKMONGKOL AK47 that, we still UNABLE to access his blog.

Thanks.

Orang Tanjong!!!

May 12, 2013 at 12:12 PM

Saturday, May 11, 2013

NOT CHINESE TSUNAMI…..MORE A NURUL TIDALWAVE!


AWARDS OF THE WEEK: Anon 855pm, wherever you are, you captured THE NEW MALAYSIA so well, with perspicacity, let me add. THANK YOU……..


May 9, 2013 at 8:51 PM
 Anonymous said...
zorro,

I was caught in the traffic like many others and arrived at about 9.30pm.

I could not get in.

I hung around outside and saw Malaysians of ALL creed and colour in harmony with a common purpose - to let the world know that this BN government is an unfair and unjust government.

I missed an incredible photo opp.

You see, a young boy, with the PAS flag draped around his shoulders, had in his mind to scale up the outside of the walls to the upper seating above as he could not get in.

Being of rather small stature, he struggled a bit until some strangers just walked up and gave him a boost so he could get a grip on the brickwork.

As he slowly reached the railings, willing hands were reaching down to haul him up and there was a moment when his life was in the hands of the people above.

As he was successfully hauled up from the outside of the stadium over the railings into the upper seating inside, a roar went up from us who had just witnessed this amazing feat.

There was no distinction of who was what colour. The sight of a young boy with the PAS flag as a cape being helped by strangers just blew me away.

It was then that I realised it would have had been an incredible picture which I had missed altogether.

May 9, 2013 at 8:55 PM


.........……and this little ripple contributed by a blood kin:

This Little Malay Ripple That Added potency to this new TIDE
on Tuesday, May 7, 2013 at 9:07pm

Dear Prime Minister and all in UMNO

I am, by your definition, Malay.  Except it is said that in our family folklore, my paternal grandmother was probably biologically Chinese.  And yes, my mother is a former Catholic from the Philippines.

Not that any of that should matter because, as far as you are concerned, I am Malay.

Only, I did not vote for you.  And neither did a whole lot of other Malays, despite what you would like to think.  Do the math.  If 80% of the population voted, then surely, you cannot blame the erosion of your power on the Chinese minority.  Or did you fail that subject too?

I voted for the Opposition because as a Malay, I myself have had enough.  Not because I necessarily like all the Opposition leaders, but frankly, I just like you lot less.  Because despite all your rhetoric about the Opposition being a lying, conniving bunch, I have personally born witness and been on the receiving end of YOUR lies and policies that stoke racial and religious polarity.  Not the Opposition’s.

Yours.

Because your government is the only one I have ever known since birth.  And what I see and experience every day in my life is your creation.

Yes, I am a recipient of your Bumiputera scholarship.  I went to one of the world’s best  schools.  In my graduating class, there were less Malaysians than you could count on one hand.  The truth is, I could have obtained my own scholarship from someone else in the world if I wanted to.  And believe me, there are many times I wish I had taken that route, so that I can be relieved of the only burden of debt I feel towards you and your policies.

After graduating from university, I chose to return home.  Yes, I was apparently bonded to work for you for ten years, in repayment for the education you provided me.  But instead, you chose to let me go.  And I still remained here.  Because this is my home.

I could have chosen to work in one of the richest and most developed countries in the world, but I decided to remain in Malaysia.

Over the last twenty years, I have never relied on favours or connections to get a job.  It is against my principles.  And I have done well.  Believe me.  I can get a job in corporate Asia if I want  to.  I used to have a job with one of the world’s largest companies, overseeing seven countries in the region.  Bosses tried to entice me to leave – decamp to Singapore,  Hong Kong and even Japan.  But I still chose to stay here.

In the last four years, I decided to leave corporate Malaysia, because the extent of the rot I saw within its walls were so bad that if I knew any more , I would have to migrate. You may find this hard to believe, but when us ordinary Malaysians are exposed to the incompetence of our policy-makers and leaders, appalled is an understatement.  More than that, the arrogance (and worse, lack of sheer, basic intelligence) of many of those in power whom I have met, whether in the government,quasi-government or private sector crony companies, made me begin to believe that Malaysia was not capable of producing good leaders.

You see, I have benchmarks for comparison.  I have worked with some of the world’s biggest leaders, names you would recognise in a heartbeat.   Don’t  believe me?  Try Colin Powell.  Or Kissinger. Or Bill Gates.   And NONE of them can equal the arrogance and despicable character of some of Malaysia’s corporate and government leaders I have met.

Since I have left corporate Malaysia, I have become a small business entrepreneur.  And to no surprise, there was zero assistance to be had, even with my Malayness.  Funds that should be used to catalyse entrepreneurs like me had dissipated.  Government funding vehicles were uninterested, because hey, they have no time to do due diligence on a company asking for a million Ringgit or two.  What’s the point?  It takes just as much work to do the due  diligence for a company asking for ten times that amount.

So I struck it out on my own.  And Alhamdullillah, things have been good.  In fact, they are so good our small little engine that could (it’s a tiny boutique hotel) won an award as one of Malaysia’s top bed and breakfasts within the first year of operations.

None of my achievements are because you helped me.

Yet, at every election, at every opportunity you get, you turn around and tell me how much you do for me.

Well honey, you lie.

So no, it is not just the Chinese who voted for the Opposition this time.  Because you can count on at least THIS Melayu who did as well. Please stop insulting me and negating my role in your erosion of power.  If you had any sense, you would realise this, and realise it quickly. And figure out how to win Malays like myself back.

But my faith in the good of your kind unfortunately does not stretch that far.  And today you reaffirmed my lack of confidence in you a thousand-fold.

Keep insulting my fellow Malaysian Chinese.  It will not bring me closer to you, because I do NOT count you as my people.

The Malays I am part of are a people who have for generations lived shoulder-to-shoulder with other races,  because we ourselves know our own history, and accept the fact that we are a race that is borne of a meld of many others.  We are a race that has itself experimented with different brands of theology, are unafraid of adapting aspects of other cultures into our own and has NEVER thrived in isolation.  Unlike Japan, we do not have a history of cultural, social or economic growth that does not coincide with an era of openness, cross-border trade or cultural assimilation, be it with or without force.

If you are going to blame the Chinese for your losses, please,blame me too.  And the rest of the Malaysians who did the same.  We ALL did it.  And yes, the entire classroom is standing up this time.


*****

BE READY FOR A DAWNING OF A NEW PHENOMENA
THE NURUL NIMBUS