life's too short

Someone Like You ... By Suzie

2012-02-14T17:01:00.000+08:00

No alcohol in coke, says PR man

2012-02-01T10:27:00.000+08:00

This report alleges that Coca-Cola contains alcohol. But Coca-Cola Malaysia's public affairs and communications director Kadri Taib refutes the allegation and says that alcohol is not an ingredient and no fermentation takes place during the manufacture of the drink.

Click here for the full report.

He's heavy, he's the camp commandant!

2012-01-30T23:27:00.001+08:00

Mohamed, my 17-year-old nephew, came home for a few days from National Service camp during the Chinese New Year holidays. He had been at the camp (somewhere in Malaysia) for three weeks then and the boyish enthusiasm bubbling up inside him was apparent. He shared his experiences -- good and bad -- with relatives who were curious to see how he had got on at the camp with other "wira (heroes) and wirawati (heroines), as the participants are called.

Mohamed was positive about his time there expect for one thing: he could not understand why the camp commandant -- a Major in the Malaysian army -- is overweight and unfit.

Mohamed and his mates had expected to see a military man with the physique of an athlete ala "Will Smith". Instead, they saw a fatty who seemed a likely candidate for The Biggest Loser programme. And the two officers who came together with the commandant were similarly heavy and seriously in need of regular hard workouts. Mohamed and his friends exchanged glances when they were introduced to the commandant and his officers at the "meet and greet" session with camp personnel. They later discussed their disillusionment.

But their faith in the uniformed units was somewhat restored when an admiral came to the camp a few days later to talk to the participants about careers in the navy. "The admiral was in great shape and looked very sharp in his uniform; we were impressed," says Mohamed.

What were the camp organisers thinking? You can't fool the Net Generation, which has grown up with computer games and everything associated with communications and media technologies. My nephew is a serious gamer and he is really into war games.

He is in awe of warriors from the past and aspires to be like them. He thinks the flag bearer of an army was the most important person in ancient times because he would be the first to give his life up for his country during a war. His idea of a warrior is one who is healthy, strong, loyal and has high moral principles.To his great disappointment, the commandant at his national service camp did not live up to expectations. His sense of humour is his saving grace, says Mohamed.

It is difficult to watch my nephew's thwarted expectation. The only thing I could do was to offer him quiet support and to gently tell him that all teenagers experience disappointing situations every now and again. I remind myself that he has to go through adverse conditions such as failure, disappointment, loneliness and grief in order to discover unknown and interesting things about his character. He must acquire the ability to feel better quickly after something unpleasant. And I think he handled this particular tough moment very well.

Without money, food and other things

2012-01-24T19:03:00.001+08:00

PERTIWI Soup Kitchen volunteers distribute food and drink to the needy regularly.

The homeless are everywhere. Sometimes I see them walking the sidewalks of the less glamorous parts of Kuala Lumpur city. I caught two sleeping on a pavement opposite the bus station at Puduraya. I don't think about them all the time but they are on my radar screen.

I saw them again recently at the area behind Tune Hotel at Medan Tuanku. I had accompanied a photojournalist friend who wanted to take pictures for a magazine of members of PERTIWI Soup Kitchen serving meals to the homeless and hungry. The NGO does this on a regular basis and visit various locations around Kuala Lumpur distributing food and drink to the needy.

He quenched his thirst with a hot drink.

A long queue of homeless people built up as soon as PERTIWI volunteers set up tables for the soup kitchen. Women and men quietly waited for their turn to take their food and drink. Those who have received theirs smiled in appreciation and disappeared to their favourite spots in the immediate vicinity to enjoy their rations.

They were also given hygiene packs, courtesy of HSBC Bank Malaysia Berhad.

Did this meal satisfy his hunger?


Observe good personal hygiene.

Where do they go after this? Where will they sleep tonight? What dreams do they have? Do they think of their families? What's for breakfast tomorrow? When will their next meal be? Where will they take their shower?

I ask myself these questions each time I come face to face with a homeless person. And if I thought I was safe from such a fate, I had better think again.

"I'll never be homeless." What an arrogant assumption! Lots of evidence reveal otherwise. The fact is, a series of incidents in our lives can leave us completely destitute for years. Click here for one example.

PERTIWI Soup Kitchen: pertiwisoupkitchen@gmail.com

Guest Post: Moderate or Wasatiyyah: Can we make up our mind?

2012-01-03T16:26:00.001+08:00

The New Straits Times published an article entitled "Malaysia has a gift for the world" on 16 December 2011. It was written by Distinguished Professor Dato' Shamsul Amri Baharuddin, Founding Director of the Institute of Ethnic Studies (KITA) at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), and Deputy Chair, National Professors Council of Malaysia (MPN).

He has allowed me to reproduce the full text of his paper from which the newspaper article was pruned. Please see below.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Shamsul Amri Baharuddin

By Shamsul Amri Baharuddin

Prime Minister Dato’ Sri Najib Razak introduced his idea of a “Global Movement of the Moderates” (GMM) in his speechat the UN General Assembly, New York on 27 September 2010.

As he put it:

“…Across all religions we haveinadvertently allowed the ugly voices of the periphery to drown out the manyvoices of reason and common sense. I therefore urge us to embark on building a ‘GlobalMovement of the Moderates’ from all faiths who are committed to work togetherto combat and marginalize extremists who have held the world hostage with theirbigotry and bias.”

Towards the end of his speechNajib showcased Malaysia as a model of moderateness and ‘equilibrium’; acountry that is multi-ethnic, multi-religious, multi-cultural and democraticbut has ably managed its diversity through the promotion of mutual respect,peaceful coexistence, positive interaction and synergies between the variouscommunities and faiths.

“It is this equilibrium thatleads to moderation or ‘wasatiyyah’ in the Islamic tradition of mutualjustice,” said Najib.

[Wasatiyyah, an Arabic term, hasbeen translated as ‘intermediacy’ by Hamid Ahmad Al-Rifaie, Al-Wasattiyah:An Orthodox Pivot for Dialogue of Cultures, Series of ‘To Know Each Other’,No. 19, International Islamic Forum for Dialogue, Jeddah: Al-Medinah Press,2005, p.15. For Dr. Yusuf Al-Qaradawi it refers to “a set of principles onmoderate and balanced thought,” please see, “The 30 Principles ofPrinciples of Moderate and Balanced Thought”, this opinion appeared on 22February 2010 in http://www.suhaibwebb.com/islam-studies/the-30-principles-of-wasatiyyah/]

Since September 2010 he has mademany more speeches on the global stage (Turkey, Australia, UK, USA) as well aslocally (too numerous to list) extolling the virtues of being ‘moderate’ andmaking known his idea for a GMM.

On 12 November 2011, in a speechat the East-West Centre, Hawaii, Najib spoke about the inaugural InternationalConference on the Global Movement of the Moderates, to take place in KualaLumpur from 17 to 19 January, 2012.

The keyword is ‘inaugural.’ Itindicates that, whatever has been said in the last year about GMM, or ‘wasatiyyah’,was just to test the waters. It is a clear signal that from this conferenceonwards we would give serious consideration to this matter.

Let us scrutinize briefly boththe concept and content of the GMM and why it should be known as the GMM, notthe GWM (Global Wasattiyah Movement). This will encourage a consistentglobal understanding of the central concept of moderate and avoid confusionoccurring among interested international supporters of the GMM.

In the literal, generic andeveryday usage of the word, being a ‘moderate’ is a rational and common senseorientation in terms of a person’s social behaviour, as opposed to being anextremist and worse still, as a violent extremist. In short, being ‘moderate’ isbeing ‘non-violent’ and/or ‘peaceful.’ This is very much in line with thedefinition of peace in the Global Peace Index 2011, which is ‘the absence ofviolence.’

Malaysia was ranked 19^th out of 153 countries listed in theIndex but it is first in Southeast Asia, second in Asia, behind Japan, andfourth in the Asia-Pacific region, after New Zealand, Japan and Australia. In 2007, Malaysia was ranked 38^th, and its improved position in 2011only demonstrates an increased intensity in its peace and stability goals,hence the term ‘moderateness.’

People and governments globallyare alarmed when violent extremist behaviour escalates into a full-scale war --from the behaviour of an individual to that of a larger social movement basedon historical, religious, economic or political justification -- which subsequentlycosts the lives of hundreds and thousands of innocent people. The return to moderateness,therefore, is not only a rational and logical thing to do but also animperative necessity.

The moot question is, who isgoing to champion ‘moderateness’ at the social collective level, especially onthe global stage?

The answer: Najib and Malaysia. If adoptedglobally, Malaysia’s proposal could re-define and transform the Non-AlignedMovement (NAM) into GMM.

GMM is a deceptively simple,rational and logical agenda for the largest of social movements. However,embarking on this task involves complex diplomatic maneuvers and suave realpolitik. The GMM campaign invites a hugerisk, both for the Prime Minister and Malaysia, given the reality of a globalpolitics shaped by the prejudiced perceptions of the world’s media. Inthe spirit of NIKE’s ‘impossible is nothing’ GMM’s possible success ensures ahandsome and long-term reward for the global community.

The period of floating the ideais over. Now we are getting down to business!

This fundamental premise of GMM was supported at the 8^th ASEM meeting in Brussels in October 2010 and it is now endorsedinternationally by the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) 2011Final Communiqué in Para 7(g).

Para 7 states CHOGM’s centralagenda in “maintainingtheir commitment to a stable and secure national and international environment,as a foundation for sustainable growth and resilience for Commonwealth countriesand the broader international community.”

The CHOGM, in Para 7(g), iscommitted to improving international security, by taking a number of steps, oneof which is by “embracing moderation as an important value to overcome allforms of extremism, as called for in the ‘Global Movement of the Moderates’.”

For Najib and Malaysia, it istime to drop the use of the term wasatiyyah, however important the termis, politically, for the domestic Malaysian audience, as the ‘moderate’ conceptis now relevant in a global context.

Any advertising company worthits salt would say that we cannot continue to use the two words, ‘moderates’and ‘wasatiyyah’, simultaneously or interchangeably. They are connectedbut carry different meanings when translated from Arabic to English. The worldhas now endorsed the English concept, as stated in the CHOGM 2011 FinalCommuniqué.

Perhaps the ‘National Seminaron Understanding Wasatiyyah & 1Malaysia’, a curtain raiser for the UMNOGeneral Assembly 2011 held on 26 November 2011, should be the last occasion theword wasatiyyah was used in connection with GMM. After the disappearance of ‘madani’and ‘hadhari’ in the quicksand of Malaysian politics, to drop wasatiyyahis wise.

The ‘Islamic’ political mileagenotwithstanding, the stark reality is that we need to stick to ‘moderate’ nowbecause globally it is known as GMM not GWM.

The next step is more critical.This concept has to be carefully deliberated and skillfully elaborated, withclear implementable strategies for action, devoid of rhetoric. This is deemed necessary if GMMis to remain on the global stage and to find a permanent place in the landscapeof global political idiom and activism, along with ‘glasnost’, ‘clash ofcivilizations’, ‘non-alignment’, and ‘sustainable development’.

In short, GMM has to havesubstance.

Najib has showcased Malaysia asa case study and a model of moderateness. He believes that it is the ‘equilibrium’that exists within Malaysian society “that leads to moderation or wasatiyyah.”

What is this ‘equilibrium’?

How do we explain to a leaderfrom Africa or a non-governmental organisation member from Latin America or ahigh school kid from Japan or a young demonstrator at Tahrir Square, Cairo,about this phenomena called ‘equilibrium,’ which is the key to ‘moderateness’?

Before we can explain this, thePM’s team of ‘thinkers’ have to deliberate upon the following: first, theconcept of ‘equilibrium’; second, the methods taken by the Malaysian governmentthus far to achieve it; third, the practical steps needed to build and sustainit; fourth, the strategy for monitoring results, in the short- and long-term;fifth, evaluating success, failure and any unintended consequences; andfinally, how to put all these in a comprehensive package, for instance, from kindergartento adulthood, as a procedure which could be applied globally.

Does Malaysia have these tooffer to the world on the 17^th January 2012? We must assume that we have because theoccasion to launch the GMM has such serious global implications.

In the process of producing acredible document and eventually a full-fledged GMM do-it-yourself package forglobal distribution, we need to clarify the social phenomenon labeled as ‘equilibrium’by the PM in order to explain the origin and pre-conditions of the state ofmoderateness that Malaysia has enjoyed so far.

In the logic of causalrelations, a situation of ‘equilibrium’ that exists in Malaysia must have beenthe result of ‘something else.’ In other words, Malaysia must have donesomething right to have successfully created a situation of ‘balance’ in itssociety, hence ‘moderateness’ in its social outcomes which have led to itsposition in the Global Peace Index next to Australia.

Sociologically speaking, astate of ‘equilibrium’ or ‘balance’ in a society could only be achieved if setsof ‘opposites’ or ‘contradictions’ that exist within it have been successfully ‘realignedand arrived at a point of convergence’, including the acknowledgement to agreeto disagree. These factors are necessary pre-conditions for ‘equilibrium.’

In the plural, fragmented anddiversified Malaysian society, this ‘equilibrium’ has been brought about by asurprisingly unrecognized and intense ongoing social process of realignment andconvergence called ‘social cohesion,’ which, in turn, is the origin andpre-condition of the Malaysian state of ‘moderateness’ that encouraged the PMto launch his GMM.

Perhaps we have been soengrossed in our pursuit of ‘national unity’ that we have failed to recognize our achievements in the last four decades since the May 13, 1969tragedy, that is, peace and stability, in the form of ‘social cohesion’ createdby serious efforts, official and non-official, rooted in a genuine desire toachieve ‘national unity’.

Put simply, ‘social cohesion’in Malaysia is about how the plural, fragmented and diverse components of oursociety, characterized by deep opposites and contradictions, have been able,through a continuous process of negotiation, consensus and compromise, to riseabove it all in a most mature manner, to embrace peace and reject any form ofviolence for long-term mutual survival, sustainability and resilience.

The GMM promoted by Najib willshowcase Malaysia’s social cohesion to the world, not only in terms of how wehave managed to bring it about through an endless series of ‘fire-fighting’efforts, but also how we have monitored and calibrated it through an earlywarning system which has been constructed, as a pre-emptive and preventivestrategy, to suit our peculiar circumstances, with the possibility of it beingapplied in other societies necessarily in a modified from

.
Essentially, the GMM is morethan just wasatiyyah for it is an integration of tireless top-downefforts and imaginative bottom-up activism of ideas, practices and commitment,by Malaysians for Malaysia, for the rest of the world to share.

This is the message, concept and package we must deliver at the inaugural conference on GMM inmid-January 2012 as a gift from Malaysia to the world.

Guest Post: A Year of Changes

2011-12-29T15:34:00.000+08:00

Guest blogger Jehan Mohd ponders theold year as the new one approaches.

We’ve come to that time of the yearwhere we take stock of our lives and make up lists of resolutionswhich will inevitably go out the window within the first month or so.Next year being 2012 brings an interesting twist, though. Looking upthe significance of the year yields hundreds of thousands of resultsbut one thing that seems to come up in various interpretations isthat 2012 is supposed to be a time of great change.

Despite its significance, I’mapproaching 2012 as any other year as my ‘year of change’ hadcrept in slowly this year, the year I turned 32 — and I had neveranticipated anything big happening in my 33rd year of existence.

How does my age come into play? I blameit on my affinity for numbers.

I have always believed in the power ofnumbers — not in the way that makes me good with them or even likethe subject of Mathematics (I failed Maths in primary school,spurring my parents to cart me off to tuition with my morenumerically-literate teenaged sisters, making me the youngest kid mytuition teacher accepted).

No, perhaps the best way to describe myattraction to numbers is through popular culture — the concepts ofsweet 16, being legal at 18, gaining independence at 21, etc. wereimplanted in my mind from early on thanks to Hollywood movies and thepopular teenage fiction of my growing up years. As such I alwayslooked to certain birthdays as markers of great change in my life —even if they didn’t always turn out the way I thought they would.

At age 16, I still went to the samesecondary school I had been going to my whole teenage life and had nobirthday party out of the ordinary family celebration.

My first home away from home - Methodist Ladies' College (MLC) in Claremont, Perth, Western Australia. It debunked my idea of boarding schools as written in Enid Blyton's Malory Towers series.

My 17th year, though, brought about thefirst major upheaval in my life. It was the first time I left my homein Singapore for studies in Australia — I did pre-universitystudies as a boarder of a well-established boarding school in Perth,Western Australia. It was the age I realised that the world was muchbigger than my island homeland (there was nary news on Singapore inthe Australian papers and more than one Aussie had asked me ifSingapore was part of China). I also discovered homosexuality,through media (think movies 'Jeffrey', 'The Birdcage' and 'TheAdventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert' and Australian writer,actor, and activist Timothy Conigrave's memoir, 'Holding the Man' -all of which remain among my favourites films and literature to thisday).

Though I was homesick a huge chunk of the time I was at boarding school, MLC did provide some laughs. No, these weren't boarders - they were some of Year 11 and 12 day girls horsing around in the locker room on campus.

At 18, I was able to watch ‘R’rated movies (in Australia, not in Singapore, which had set the agefor ‘R’ rated movies at 21) and could legally drink and smoke(would have been great if I actually did drink and smoke). But asidefrom having a boyfriend for the first time (in a mostly long-distancerelationship), this year was again a normal one.

The old gang from Kolej Damansara Utama (before it became 'KDU University College'). (Clockwise from top left) Julie, Suzanne, Gary (our wonderful lecturer), Keith, Shaiful, Jacqui, Kelvin, Chris and Thomas.

It was at the age of 19 that I left myhomeland for the last time to settle in my new home called Malaysiawhen I joined a college here. And it was at this age that I becamegood friends with lecturers who treated me as an adult, became betteracquainted with homosexuality (among some good friends) and wentclubbing for the first time (to a gay club, no less!). The innocuous19th year proved to be a major year of breaking out.

My international family at Flat 14, Murdoch Student Village (circa Jul-Dec 2000). (Clockwise from top) Shane from the US, Chrissie from Singapore, Ran from Israel, Sarah from the UK and Chiharu from Japan.

At 21, I was doing my final year ofuniversity in Australia, learning painful lessons of family,friendships and betrayal while I plotted ways to work and live thereafter graduation — it didn’t happen.

It was at the seemingly normal age of22 that I met the man who would become my best friend and husband.

I thought that 30 would be the yearthat my life would be “complete” — I would have been marriedfor a few years, would have had my first child and would have all theknowledge that adults seem to possess (I have no idea how I came tothis conclusion for the number 30 but ‘Sex and the City’ keepspopping up in my head when I think of this number).

I turned 30 two years ago — no “greatrevelation” came to me the morning I woke up on my birthday thatyear. I had the husband, but no kid and no all-encompassing adultknowledge of the world — and it was just like any other normalyear. Heck, no bolt of lightning hit me on my birthday the followingcouple of years either.

But something suddenly clicked in mesometime this year, on some mundane, normal day (i.e. not mybirthday, anniversary or any other significant date) and I’vestarted doing things that would normally be tasks people undertakediligently at the start of the year as part of their New Year’sresolutions.
I started taking stock of my life and making concreteplans for things I actually want to do with my time.

I started hitting the gym —semi-regularly — and paying for personal training sessions(something I had never wanted to commit to in the past).

I applied to join a fantastic studyprogramme that would have taken me away from the bosom of my familyfor two months — and got rejected (I’ve never been one to eventry things like this before — my inherited pessimism and the fearof rejection ensured I never left my comfort zone).

After a bout of self-pity anddejection, I realised that the rejection was not the end of theworld. And this was something cemented at a recent assignment I hadwhere I interviewed Shawn Kelly and Carlos Baena, two brilliantanimators from Industrial Light & Magic (think George Lucas andStar Wars) and Pixar (no introduction needed).

They said that one of the key things ananimator needs is to not be afraid to fail. As Shawn Kelly says:“Every time you fail, you learn a little bit and make your nextwork a little bit better… You have to be willing to go through thatprocess.”

I reckon this goes for everything inlife — trying, failing, getting up and trying again.
2012, theyear I turn 33, will, no doubt, hold lots of opportunities for me totry, fail and succeed… And it’ll bring about some changes, thoughwhether big or small is anyone’s guess.

I’m starting to realise that thesegreat changes tend to come at times we least expect it and that ideasto take action can happen at any age.

It will be interesting to see what nextyear has in store for us but I won’t hold my breath expecting greatthings to happen (as I would have in the past). I’m going to goabout trying to make those things happen.

~~~~~~~

Top Milestones in the last 10years

2001 (Age 22) — Graduated from university and got myfirst job as a lecturer at my old college in Malaysia; this was alsowhere I met the man who would become my best friend and husband. Theattack on the World Trade Center in New York and subsequent backlashagainst Muslims in Western countries affirmed my mom’s belief thatI was better of returning to Malaysia to work rather than staying inAustralia as I had initially wanted.
2003 (Age 24) — Leftteaching to try public relations (although it was a short-lived threemonths), was unemployed for four months after leaving.
2004 (Age25) — Joined the New Straits Times as a reporter (this marked thebeginning of my longest-lasting job so far).
2005 (Age 26) — Gotmarried.
2011 (Age 32) — Applied for a study programme (where Igot rejected), started paying for personal training sessions andhitting the gym semi-regularly, started planning for life rather thanletting life come at me.

Merry Christmas from Marc Anthony

2011-12-25T11:13:00.000+08:00

Merry Christmas everybody!

Much to protest about

2011-12-15T13:19:00.000+08:00

Click here for Top 10 Protest Songs. Enjoy!

More talking, less texting

2011-12-15T11:41:00.000+08:00

Quote of the week

"I wish I could confiscate my patients' phones. I usually encourage them to talk, instead of texting as their fingers need to rest."

Dr Yong Chee Khuen, consultant orthopaedic surgeon

Click here to read.

Gurmit Singh: Malaysia's first bicycle advocate

2011-12-06T11:11:00.001+08:00

Environmentalist Gurmit Singh (pictured above) says the cycling culture has almost disappeared in Malaysia. He cites a lack of dedicated lanes as one of the reasons. Gurmit Singh was Malaysia's first bicycle advocate; he supported its use to combat traffic problems in the city. "If (people) use bicycles for transport, they will know the environmental problems cyclists face" (New Straits Times: June 7, 1988).

For more on cycling in Malaysia, click here.

When peace descends on me

2011-11-27T10:26:00.001+08:00

Sadness is everywhere. Death, divorce, destruction and tragedy. These are among the things that make us sad. Some are able to bear their misfortunes bravely. Others, however, are too wrapped in misery to move on.

We crave for a perfect spouse, a beautiful home, plenty of money, supportive friends and relatives, lots of good luck and all those things that make us happy.

But what happens when sadnesses are more than joys. Take the man who can't seem to manage without his wife who died recently. Or the farmer who lost his vegetables as a result of flood damage. Consider the case of a battered wife whose husband treats her like trash.

Can we ever get over our troubles? This question dates back to ancient times. Early humans had to endure the elements, hunger, animals and other humans, among others before things got better.

Experience has taught me that life may seem unfair but it has also shown me that hard times will come to an end. Patience is the name of the game. An incident which wrenched at my heart six months ago doesn't feel so bad now. A misunderstanding with a beloved sibling is slowly being resolved. I have lost interest in the expensive dress that I wanted weeks ago. They say time is a great healer and I couldn't agree more.

That is why Brad Pitt's quote on happiness resonates with life's complex themes and emotions: "I think happiness is overrated. Sometimes you're happy, sometimes you're not. There's too much pressure to be happy. Being at peace is more of a goal for myself."

Indeed, people expect you to be happy all the time. They can't handle it when you're not your usual cheerful self. But you can't feel bright and cheerful and full of energy everyday. That's a fact.

Seeking peace is a more manageable aim. The golden rule of handling a crisis is to stay calm. When disaster strikes I tell myself that this will pass. I will do everything possible to mitigate its consequences but I have to persevere with difficult stituations. It is possible to create a haven of peace and tranquillity but you have to work at it.

A drop in the ocean

2011-11-25T14:53:00.001+08:00

The monsoon rains come in November, December, January and February. They continue for most of the day.

The monsoon season in Malaysia didn't mean much to me until I came face-to-face with it recently in Kuala Terengganu, the state and royal capital of Terengganu. I was there on an assignment and soon realised that travelling is much more difficult during this period of heavy rain in the east coast states of Malaysia: Pahang, Terengganu and Kelantan.

This year's monsoon rains have flooded many villages in the three states but that is another story.

The monsoon blew relentlessly into my face as I dashed to the lobby of Felda Residence, my home for three days, from the vehicle that took me to the hotel from the airport. I dumped my stuff in my room on the sixth floor after checking in and came down to a waiting vehicle which will take my colleague and I to the famous Pasar Payang (Payang Market), the city's main shopping area.

Even though it is not far from the hotel (a mere 20-minute walk), it would have been impossible to saunter to the market because of the rain. My shopping experience was an exciting one and the torrential downpour left my colleague and I stranded at the market. But I didn't mind. I have always liked the rain, which stopped long enough for us to get on a trishaw whose rider bravely cycled back to the hotel.

As soon as we reached the hotel, it rained again. It was a day of intermittent showers and they continued for most of the three days we were there. Other colleagues from Kuala Lumpur who were with me in Kuala Terengganu constantly wondered about the social life of residents in the city during the wet months (November to February) and felt pity for what they were enduring. "What do they do at night?" asked Anis.

It is business as usual, says a Terengganu-born teacher, who seems immune to this often asked question. My friend Nelson Fernandez, a journalist, who covered the east coast states for 10 years loves the rain, howling gale and rough sea. Others, like a photojournalist, find it a problem to cart her camera and other gear.

For Fernandez, the mournful cry of the wind was at once sad and comforting. It worsened his loneliness (his family stayed back in Kuala Lumpur) but in some strange way it also consoled him. After a day of hard work, he turned to the roar of gale-force winds for solace. "It's hard to explain," says Nelson, who is now back in Kuala Lumpur. And when large and dangerous waves rise majestically from the ocean, he reminds himself that he is only a drop in the mass of salt water that covers most of the earth's surface.

I see where Fernandez is coming from. I felt the healing power and cleansing quality of the elements too and without realising it I was in introspective mode. Overnight rain had freshened up the view from my room window. Then a light rain began to fall and it set in steadily by the time I went for breakfast.

When I returned to my room, I looked out of the window and saw people walking in the rain, some with umbrellas, others without. I contemplated braving the bad weather and going for a walk. I stood by the window, hesitating over whether or not to do so. The fact that I didn't have proper rain gear stopped me from leaving my room.

As the saying goes: "He who hesitates is lost." Did I lose a good opportunity in not going for a walk?

Seek peace rather than happiness

2011-11-15T11:32:00.001+08:00

Quotable quote

"I think happiness is overrated. Sometimes you're happy, sometimes you're not. There's too much pressure to be happy. Being at peace is more of a goal for myself."

Brad Pitt

Source: New Straits Times, November 15, 2011

Young and carefree

2011-10-31T15:06:00.000+08:00

The water in this stream, called Sungai Meru near Taman Meru, Ipoh, Perak, looks cool and inviting. These teenagers, who live nearby, often spend the afternoon after school swimming or just splashing around. It is nice to know that in the age of the computer youngsters still enjoy the outdoors.

Sweet Diwali

2011-10-26T00:11:00.000+08:00

In Malaysia, as in India, Diwali -- which means "rows of lighted lamps" -- is a time for Hindus to rejoice.

To prepare for Diwali, which is known as the "festival of lights", Hindus spring-clean their homes, prepare special meals and adorn dwellings and other buildings with lights.

On the day itself (Oct 26, 2011) they wear new clothes, say prayers, exchange gifts usually sweets (pictures) and dried fruits and visit family and friends.

Life's Too Short wishes its Hindu readers a Happy Diwali.

Guest Post: Four seasons

2011-10-22T21:59:00.001+08:00

By Patrick Follez

Patrick Follez, who lives in Antwerpen, Belgium, shot the images (above) of this ornamental apple tree (malus) over 12 months covering the four seasons.I will share his musings on autumn with readers of Life's Too Short. Enjoy!

Autumn is here and the tree on the street before the house is showing its yellow and autumn colours. The tree is a malus or ornamental apple tree and it is used to line the streets.

Autumn is a reflective period as nature slowly retreats to its dormant state out of human view. The malus tree does it with a burst of colours and red berries inviting the blackbirds for a last feast before the meagre times of winter.

I have been watching this tree for nine years from the day I found that I could turn my webcam outside (modified with a 200mm old zoom lens) and brought the tree live as animated wallpaper on my computer. Over the years 12,000 images were stored in a backup copy that came to light when I was cleaning up the hard drive.

It is a treasure trove of images of the slowly changing tree (and its inhabitants) from winter to spring, summer and autumn. The strange erratic shifting patterns of longer or shorter winters and snow in spring are revealed. That every generation of blackbirds are greedy berry eaters has become a fact!

There are two yearly events that stand out. Firstly, the spring opening of the buds and the first light pastel green leaves unfolding. And secondly, the autumn ripening of the berries and invasion of the birds.

I can still remember when the street was renovated some 25 years ago and they planted a small twig with a few leaves kept upright with a two metre high stick dwarfing the seedling. Now the tree is very big and a small world in itself going through the seasons and making my day when I look at it in the morning. This is one of the advantages of getting old: the privilege of looking back and marvelling at the changes.

It's only a creepy ghost story!

2011-10-17T15:19:00.001+08:00

Kathy posted the following on her Facebook: "Nice cool morning ... but there was something (or someone) at the far right corner of the cemetery".

Several friends responded to the post and wanted to know more. Kathy, who lives in an apartment which overlooks a Muslim burial ground, offered details: "Caught a glimpse of movement when I opened the balcony door just now. Didn't wait to see more. It was just after 5am, I couldn't for the life of me imagine anyone being at the cemetery at such a time."

More comments followed. They mainly expressed fear, curiosity and caution. These reactions are consistent with the findings of those who study the phenomenon of fear. Admit it! Evil and horror are fascinating! The continued popularity of the horror genre -- both in literature and the movie industry -- bears testimony to this view.

But that will not make former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad happy. He expressed his dismay recently at the proliferation of horror movies on local television. Malaysia is trying to create a scientific culture and such movies, says Mahathir, only promote belief in mythical beings and would be counterproductive. "We, especially Muslims, should know that only Allah has the power over everything."

One would expect a man of science to offer that argument. But for many of us the fascination with fear is connected with a primal urge to understand the unknown. At night, danger lurks everywhere and there are mysterious lights in the sky and things that go bump in the night. Scary! Just so you know, I sleep with the light on.

Few can resist the lure of horror which dates back to ancient times. Events, forces or powers that cannot be explained by the laws of science have touched millions of lives in every culture. Stories about ghostly churchyards and cemeteries, haunted homes and restless spirits that have come back to haunt the living are the very stuff of myths (and literature) in all societies, both traditional and modern.

Frank Wilhelm, professor of psychology at the University of Basel, attempts an explanation: "Tension and excitement are often seen by people as positive, and in this context we talk of the 'suspense effect'. Besides this tension people experience when they come into contact with horror stories, however, there is another factor at work: the fear that is kindled in us by coming face to face with the supernatural. Notwithstanding that, human beings show an affinity with the "spirit world." The first encounters people have with ‘spirits’ occur in their dreams, for instance when they dream of someone who has died. As human beings, we process knowledge and experiences on a metaphorical basis in our dreams. This is a culturally independent process. Furthermore, it’s known that if people believe a curse has been placed upon them this can result in major physical consequences ranging all the way through to heart failure and death."

I'll bet you that Kathy has more spooky tales to tell. You can't stop people saying what they think.

The pictures above were taken in Shah Alam, Selangor during the 'hungry ghost' festival in August this year. Buddhists and Taoists celebrate it on the 15th night of the seventh lunar month. Devotees burn bundles of joss stick and paper hell money as well as food to appease and stop dead spirits from entering their homes and wreaking vengeance on those who had betrayed them. Photos courtesy of NST Photo Library.

All roads lead to Ipoh

2011-10-09T13:28:00.000+08:00

Illustration by JEHAN MOHD.

I have been spending a lot of time in Ipoh, the capital city of Perak state, Malaysia lately. My birthplace is Batu Gajah, some 40 minutes' drive away, but I grew up in Ipoh. When I am asked to name my hometown, the enthusiastic answer is Ipoh. Batu Gajah is an afterthought.

Ipoh is two and half hours by car from Kuala Lumpur, so it qualifies as a short journey. Each time I cross Hulu Bernam, the border town of Selangor and Perak, the excitement of getting close to "home" becomes stronger and I have to will myself to be patient.

Ipoh has that effect on me. It gives me a sense of place, a sense that I belong to a tiny haven of peace and tranquillity. I don't get that feeling when I return to Kuala Lumpur from Ipoh even though I have stayed in the city for a good part of my adult life beginning from the day I entered university. I learned about life's harsh realities in Kuala Lumpur but it is, essentially, my workplace, not my home.

When I am in Ipoh, I always make a quick trip around the city and inevitably to our old family home which now seems out of place. The surrounding area has developed to include high-rise buildings and their attendant problems. I have vivid memories of that house and at the time it was my whole world. I saw the current owner in the garden recently and wondered if she and her family were enjoying their stay there.

Ipoh -- which is known for its natural attractions (think limestone caves), food and affordable property prices, among other incentives -- is promoted as a retirement hot spot, a label I deeply resent. Why do many assume that only retirees would want to live there? My conversations with young Ipoh-born Malaysians who now work in Kuala Lumpur suggest otherwise. If they had their way, they would love to come home and build their careers in comfortable and familiar surroundings.

Buildings have mushroomed to meet the aspirations of growth. I don't recognise many new structures although the old ones look as if time has stood still, for example, the city bus station which seriously needs a facelift.

If you have come looking for food, Ipoh is THE place. As my niece guides me through the numerous eateries there, I thank God for the city's "small and cheap town" reputation. You can have a feast everyday. Take that Kuala Lumpur!

When I was in Ipoh last week, I met two returnees who had lived abroad for a long time. K was in the United States for 10 years before coming home; he now runs a cane furniture business.

SH had spent a good part of his life overseas and felt the urge to return to Ipoh while drinking coffee in a cafe in Sri Lanka. As he sipped his favourite beverage and took in the ambience of the cafe and its environs, he realised that everything he ever wanted could be found in Ipoh. He packed his bags the next day and booked a flight to Malaysia. He is currently enjoying his landscape gardening enterprise.

These men had felt the sense of place that their hometown gave them. It remained real even though they were miles away from home. This is a sentiment that I totally agree with.

Steve Jobs: Words of wisdom

2011-10-07T13:58:00.000+08:00

The Huffington Post remembers Steve Jobs through his 11 best quotes. Here are five.

"That's been one of my mantras -- focus and simplicity. Simple can be harder than complex: You have to work hard to get your thinking clean to make it simple. But it's worth it in the end because once you get there, you can move mountains."
-- BusinessWeek interview, May 1998

"Picasso had a saying: 'Good artists copy, great artists steal.' We have always been shameless about stealing great ideas...I think part of what made the Macintosh great was that the people working on it were musicians, poets, artists, zoologists and historians who also happened to be the best computer scientists in the world."
-- 1994

"[Y]ou can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something -- your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life."
-- Stanford University commencement address, June 2005.

"Remembering that I'll be dead soon is the most important tool I've ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything -- all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure - these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart. ... Stay hungry. Stay foolish."
-- Stanford University commencement address, June 2005.

"My model for business is The Beatles. They were four guys who kept each other's kind of negative tendencies in check. They balanced each other and the total was greater than the sum of the parts. That's how I see business: great things in business are never done by one person, they're done by a team of people."
-- Interview with 60 Minutes, 2003

Balik kampung: Yes or No?

2011-08-23T16:01:00.000+08:00

The upcoming Eid-ul-Fitr celebration is a major event which takes many Muslims back to the family home. It is arguably the most important social reunion because it allows returnees to reconnect either with family members or long-time friends in the old hometown.

Such events are called balik kampung in Malaysia and mudik lebaran in Indonesia. The other opportunities for such gatherings are funerals, religious festivals and ceremonies.

It is usually an emotional reunion between the returnees and their loved ones. After being apart for some time -- years in the case of some -- they are coming together to honour the first day of Syawal. As they greet each other, their eyes fill with tears. You feel the affection and tenderness.

But life is never neat and tidy. Many of us have had to deal with meddling relatives and/or unresolved family conflicts. Unsurprisingly, the prospect of a family reunion fills some with dread. The interaction may unleash pent-up frustration and the scary scenario is partly to blame for the fear. The solution to the dilemma is to skip gatherings or occasions that bring the family together. Better safe than sorry seems to be the prevailing philosophy.

Research confirms the above. Four out of five people have attended a "miserable" family reunion, according to a study conducted by VitalSmarts and the authors of the New York Times bestseller, Crucial Conversations.

And the findings show that "it's almost inevitable that bad behaviour will surface at your next family gathering".

The three most common complaints are "bad attitudes and grumpy relatives", "cold wars between relatives who dislike and avoid one another" and "conflict between relatives who don't get along".

If you are feeling a little afraid at the thought of joining your relatives in the old hometown for the Eid-ul-Fitr celebration, click here for tips.

Big spenders from the Middle East

2011-08-14T21:11:00.002+08:00

A waiting cab takes these Middle Eastern visitors back to their hotel.

Gulf Arab women in flowing black robes dashing through fancy malls in the Bukit Bintang shopping belt clutching bags of cosmetics, accessories, shoes and toys with children in tow seem to have become a permanent fixture in the tourism landscape in Malaysia.

They usually go for branded stuff and locals can barely keep up with the high-spending customers from the Middle East. They are Malaysia's favourite shoppers because they have both money and taste.

Malaysia projects an air of warmth and hospitality. It has taken steps to make visitors from West Asia feel very welcome here. Besides English and Malay, arrival and departure announcements at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport or KLIA are also made in Arabic. Many hotels in Kuala Lumpur employ Arabic-speaking staff and there is also an "Arab street" in Kuala Lumpur's "Golden Triangle" which offers all things Arab.

Only 16 shopping days left until Eid-ul-Fitr.

Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen recently announced that Ramadan will be promoted as a religious tourism product to attract Middle Eastern consumers. She said this at the launch of the national Ramadan Bazaar 2011 at Masjid Jamek early this month.

Ng is banking on "our unique culture, rich variety of food and the festive Ramadan atmosphere" to attract big spenders from Kuwait, United Arab Emirates and Iran, among others.

The tourism industry hopes to cash in on a serendipitous occurrence; from this year until 2015, Ramadan falls during summer, which is a holiday season in the Middle East.

Malaysia recorded 320,373 tourist arrivals from West Asia last year, a rise of 12.5 per cent from 284,890 in 2009.

I have no problems with Arabs flocking to Malaysia but I do not like it when bazaar operators charge exorbitant prices for items that do not normally cost so much during the non-Ramadan months. This affects both locals and foreigners. They will now hike the prices even higher -- thanks to Ng's promotional plan.

These eateries serve Middle Eastern cuisine.

Eat your meal before the fast

2011-08-08T12:21:00.003+08:00

A simple sahur meal of cereal, dates and water. Picture by Jehan Mohd.

Non-Muslims often bombard me with this question: how can you eat so early in the morning? They are referring to sahur, the pre-dawn meal practising Muslims take before the fast during Ramadan.

That is an easy one. Actually, I have no problem consuming food at that time. The tough part is getting up at 5am or earlier for the sahur meal. That's why in previous years I have always eaten this meal at around 1am and turn in half an hour later.

I have changed the routine this year and sahur is now at 5am. I struggled on the first day; getting up at 6am is bad enough. It takes a lot of willpower and discipline to drag myself out of bed at 5am, head straight to the kitchen and fix the very early breakfast.

But as Zafar Nomani aptly puts it: "To follow the spirit of Ramadan and other fasting traditions, discipline, control and behavioural change are critical." The reason for making the switch is simple: I wanted to see if I could do it. So far, so good.

Some of my Muslim friends, who skip sahur altogether, say they can't eat a thing at that time of day. For that reason they prefer to eat after midnight and then go to bed an hour or so later. Even though my stomach welcomes food during the hours before dawn, I have to be selective about the type of meal I prepare; rich, fried and spicy stuff is out. It has to be light and warm.

A plate of rice with some protein and vegetables doesn't work for me. I feel sluggish and heavy afterwards. Sandwiches (tuna or egg) are fine but this year, I thought I should stick to warm oatmeal with raisins and a banana, my Monday-Friday breakfast fare on non-fasting days.

According to Ramadan Health Guide, "a wholesome, moderate meal that is filling and provides enough energy for many hours" is the best option. "It is particularly important to include slowly-digesting foods" in the pre-dawn meal. I am on the right track then. Since dehydration is a common complaint it is necessary to "adequately rehydrate before a fast". I have to make a conscious effort to drink enough water during the non-fasting hours.

That sahur is vital during Ramadan is noted by Muslim religious reachers and nutritionists. Indeed, it is sunnah (the Prophetic traditions) and Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) reportedly favoured a light sahur. Experience tells me that a fast with sahur allows me to function well during the hours before iftar, which is the meal that breaks the day's fast.

I will feel drowsy in the afternoon but will perk up after a 5 to 10 minute walk away from my desk (if I am at the office). The air conditioning in the office makes me shiver a little but I try to forget about it. Other colleagues (who are fasting) wrap themselves up in colourful pashminas to keep warm.

The times when I missed sahur proved to be difficult. I felt weak and irritable. I recall the advice of a religious teacher: "Try not to miss sahur. Drink at least a glass of water, if you can't bear the thought of food at that hour."

Ramadan must-haves

2011-07-31T20:54:00.009+08:00

Ramadan, which begins tomorrow in Malaysia, won't be the same without dates (see picture above). The fruit is part of the ritual of breaking the fast, as was the tradition of Prophet Muhammad (S.A.A.W). He was reported to have said: "If anyone of you is fasting, let him break his fast with dates. In case he does not have them, then with water. Verily water is a purifier."

Untilthe late 80s good quality dates were a rarity in Malaysia. People had to make dowith inferior quality ones and only the well heeled could afford the best. Today itis difficult to choose from the vast array of varieties on offer. This was mydilemma yesterday when I had to pick between dates from Tunisia and those from Saudi Arabia at a supermarket near my apartment.

Indeed, the types available in Malaysiarange from cheap to expensive. In between is the fresh and gourmet selection. Customers usually receive gifts of dates from companies they do business with during Ramadan. The qualityof the sweet sticky brown fruit that grows on a tree called a date palm, common in North Africa and West Asia depends on the worth of the customers to these concerns.

Azizah Dahlan's chutney (see picture above) is another must-have on my dinner table during Ramadan. It is especially good with piping hot rice and grilled fish as well as various types of noodle meals. Add to this fresh garden salad and you get a complete meal. Simple, refreshing and delicious!

There's yogurt (see picture above) left if you are still hungry. This is home-made yogurt from Sungai Petani, Kedah and it's the best that I have ever tasted. But Sungai Petani is five hours' drive away from Kuala Lumpur where I live so I have to look for the kind produced locally.

For related posts, click here. Life's Too Short wishes its Muslim readers Selamat Berpuasa.

What will Shunya Susuki think of next?

2011-07-28T15:22:00.003+08:00

I learned recently that my friend Shunya Susuki had bought a “cheap” violin on Net auction. He plans to teach himself to play the musical instrument “although they say it will be difficult to do so”.

The purchase is a fulfilment of a dream that dates back to his days at Kyushu University when he wanted to be a violinist, among other aspirations.

But a cello player, his senior at the university, had told him that a violin was “too expensive to buy” and Susuki gave up his musical ambition until recently.

Some may think that Susuki, at 57, is being very ambitious but they don’t know the multi-talented Japanese architect, urban planner, inventor and educator. He sees life as a voyage of discovery: creating a robot, designing green cars and sculpting are among his many artistic pursuits.

So learning to play the violin is one more path to personal gratification and development. According to wikiHow, “the road to learning the violin is a long one” and it takes lots of discipline to “practice difficult technique every day”. Yet I believe that the father of two would be able to make beautiful music with his violin and bow as a result of hours of study and practice. It takes time and patience to do one thing well, a concept Susuki understands perfectly.

I met Susuki in 2007 at the Asian Cities Journalists' Conference in Fukuoka City, Japan but I only became aware of his diverse and wide-ranging interests the following year when he told me about his website.

Here was a man worth writing about, I thought. The journalist in me could not resist a good story and the collaboration produced several articles.

I count Susuki among those who inspire me. Individuals like him encourage me to think that anything is possible.

His dedication to his projects is extraordinary. I believe when he is in the zone, creating is the most satisfying thing in the world. Obstacles are only temporary setbacks; the challenge is in overcoming them and that gives him great pleasure. Susuki is a man of few words but he is ever willing to talk about his passion for innovation and invention. What will he think of next?

Susuki with his creation: the Jang Geum Robot. Picture by Maki Inoue.

For more on Shunya Susuki and his creations especially the Jang Geum Robot, click here: The Creative Impulse (Cover, H2 and H3).

Pitbull and Marc Anthony: Rain Over Me

2011-07-25T23:22:00.000+08:00

J-Lo and Marc Anthony: 'a reminder that all things must pass'

2011-07-20T23:12:00.001+08:00

Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony. Their impending divorce is the subject of much speculation. The sad truth is that we will never know the true version of events. That is why I like this commentary by Josh Max. It provides plenty of food for thought!

Soothing words from a good friend

2011-07-19T21:25:00.000+08:00

Dr Koh Soo Ling has a gift for putting feelings into words. See below for her latest offering.

Don't make promises you can't keep

2011-07-14T14:11:00.000+08:00

A gift for every guest.

American celebrity Samuel Ward McAllister reputedly said the following:
“A dinner invitation, once accepted, is a sacred obligation. If you die before the dinner takes place, your executor must attend.”

The Arabic term InsyaAllah which means “God willing” or “If is God’s will” essentially conveys the same message.

Muslims are taught to add InsyaAllah to the end of a declaration of intent. For example, a friend invites you to his son’s wedding party and you graciously accept the invitation: “Thank you very much for inviting me to your son's wedding. I will be there, InsyaAllah (God willing)”.

The phrase InsyaAllah reminds Muslims that they are not privy to God’s plan and they cannot say with any certainty where they will be at a particular point in time. Sickness, death -- whether that of a family member or their own -- and other compelling situations could prevent them from fulfilling all their obligations, social or otherwise.

The above argument allows Muslims to break their commitments when circumstances beyond their control force them to go back on their promises to friends and relatives.

Yet many have chosen to interpret InsyaAllah as a means of avoiding duty and have used the term without paying serious attention to its significance. To them, it is a euphemistic way of saying “I don’t really want to attend your son’s wedding but I don’t want to make you feel bad either.” So they say InsyaAllah and don’t turn up. Somehow, that makes them feel better about their ambivalence towards the invitation, not realising that they have degraded the value of InsyaAllah.

What’s behind this talk about obligation? I am searching for the right words to explain my recent predicament. I had said “yes” to a wedding invitation last weekend but changed my mind later and began hatching a plan to evade it.

Love this elegant kebaya wedding cake.

Blame it on fatigue. The last few months have been hectic social-wise. I had received invitations to several social gatherings back to back. I had no energy for one more evening of flashing tired smiles and making small talk to friends and strangers.

How do I decline it? Since I could not offer a plausible excuse I reluctantly made my way to the wedding reception last Saturday.

Much to my surprise the evening was better than I had imagined. My friend was very happy to see me -- the genuine look of happiness on her face touched my heart. It was well worth the effort.

McAllister’s publicly quoted utterance and the Arabic expression are useful reminders of keeping one's word.

Muslims gear up for Ramadan

2011-07-07T13:40:00.001+08:00

It's best to stick to simple meals during Ramadan.

Ramadan, the annual month of fasting, will begin on August 1, this year and preparations to welcome the holiest month on the Muslim calendar are already in full swing.

Muslims who observe Ramadan are counting down to the special month by preparing themselves --mentally, spiritually and physically -- for the fast.

They constantly remind themselves that Ramadan is not just about refraining from eating and drinking during the day but also a time to be very close to God by offering more prayers than usual and to practice patience, humility and spirituality.

Some Muslims began fasting in June for a few days a week to ease their bodies into the month-long fast in August. My late father would do the mini fast three months before the start of Ramadan and when it finally came he grew accustomed to the idea of waking up at 4am for the pre-dawn meal (sahur), going without lunch and having a glass of water by his bed at night to hydrate.

My father also worried about food wastage during the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. His trips to the Ramadan bazaars, (which will sprout like mushrooms after a rainy day during this period), were carefully planned to factor in the amount that we as a family (father, mother and nine active growing children) could consume.

We could choose our favourite kuih (Malay cakes) but only one type please. We were not allowed to ask for more than we could eat. That lesson has stayed with me and I find myself being very frugal during my jaunts to the bazaars which I enjoy very much.

Ice kacang is a perennial favourite in Malaysia.

Malaysia will be a gourmand's paradise during Ramadan. Dishes from all over Malaysia will be on display at the various dedicated bazaars, major food chains and hotels. It is a ploy to entice the starving Muslim to eat till he or she drops."That is not a good idea," my late father would intone.

Consider this advertisement in the New Straits Times (July 6, 2011): " Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre; Flavours of Ramadhan in the heart of KL; Over 500 dishes from the four corners of the world."

It continues: "Dine in comfort and enjoy the convenience of a dedicated surau, imam and an on-site ablution facility for Maghrib, Isya' and Tarawih prayers."

The cost? RM98++ per person but bookings before July 15 will receive a five per cent discount. No thanks! RM98++ is a lot of money and too much to pay for a meal! Consumers keep complaining that meals are priced too high at all eateries and bazaars during Ramadan but no one is listening.

Halal food outlets (suitable for Muslims) will be packed just before the sun rises and after the sun sets and trying to get a seat at these places is almost impossible. But for many working Muslims who cannot be at home in time for the evening meal the scramble for seats will be a constant struggle.

Most people would rather break the fast at home with family members and close friends and at a fraction of the cost of a meal at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre or other places which serve Ramadan buffets. I refuse to be intimidated by the bloodsucking food operators!

A tribute to all good fathers!

2011-06-19T15:57:00.001+08:00

Happy Father's Day to all good fathers around the world. Thank you very much for your contribution to good parenting and making your families appreciate their lives. To my Dad who has passed on: I love you, Dad!

Marc Anthony and Jennifer Lopez

2011-05-28T01:35:00.000+08:00

Angkor ruins excursion

2011-05-27T23:37:00.083+08:00

These Cambodian boys keep the Bayon temple clean.

"If you only see two temples, Angkor Wat and Bayon should be the ones." That is the advice from this website and my friends and I did just that on the final day of our recent stay in Siem Reap, Cambodia. In addition, we visited the Ta Prohm temple.

Half a day is hardly enough to cover the numerous religious structures in the Angkor Archaeological Park, which is close to Siem Reap city.

Khmer domination over the Angkor Kingdom lasted about 600 years beginning from the 9th Century and during this period several hundred temples were built. Our guide told us that some 300 have been listed and restored.

I enjoyed the visit to the "palaces of gods" so much that I plan to visit Siem Reap again; this time to explore the ruins thoroughly.

Michael Freeman and Claude Jacques (Ancient Angkor, 2003) write: "To gain a proper understanding of what a Khmer temple was, it should first be recalled that it was not a meeting place of the faithful but the palace of a god, who was enshrined there to allow him to bestow his beneficence, in particular on the founder and his familiars.

"There was thus the need to build the finest possible residence for him, to be sure, although as he was there in the form of a statue there was little need for a large space.

"One of the largest is the central shrine of Angkor Wat and its cella has internal dimensions of 4.6 metres by 4.7; the pedestal of the statue being approximately the width of the door, would have been 1.6 metres square. So a great temple would not be a vast palace for a single god but a grouping of multiple shrines with a main divinity at the centre."

Below are some pictures of my brief tour of the religious monuments at the Angkor Archaeological Park, which is a World Heritage Site.

Love this corridor of one of the structures of Angkor Wat. It was exciting to walk the corridors of this famous symbol of Cambodian nation. Some two million visitors are likely to visit this legendary ruins by the end of this year.

You will encounter bas-reliefs such as the type seen in the second picture on the exterior walls of the lower level of the Bayon while the stone faces -- the third picture serves as an example -- sit on the upper level.

Visitors will appreciate this quaint relic of the past, also found at the Bayon. The two photos below were taken at the Ta Prohm, where "massive fig and silk-cotton trees grow from the towers and corridors".

Seen in Siem Reap, Cambodia

2011-05-17T19:32:00.003+08:00

Some travellers dismiss Siem Reap, Cambodia as touristy. Others say that temples (think Angkor Wat) are its only attraction. But I recommend Siem Reap as the perfect getaway for those with four or five stays to spare and are looking to see something of Cambodia. You will notice that some parts look like Langkawi in Malaysia.

If you only concentrate on the places designed to attract a lot of tourists you are likely to be disappointed. Siem Reap will forever be in my heart because of its people.

The Muslim F&B manager at Royal Angkor Resort, where I stayed, is very helpful; the young woman who helps out at a scarf stall at the Angkor Night Market is sweet ; and the tuk-tuk drivers are polite and chatty.

I have not been to Phnom Penh so I cannot compare the people there with those in Siem Reap but many in Siem Reap smile easily. What a welcome!

They awaken memories of people in Malaysia some 50 years ago when we too smiled a lot. The photos below remind me why Siem Reap is special.

The preferred mode of transport: tuk-tuk. It is quick and fun!

A friendly tuk-tuk driver. He is very polite.

The famous Pub Street in Siem Reap city.

Pubs and cafes on Pub Street.

This was a first for me and I did not dare try it!

Good bargains at the Angkor Night Market. Be prepared to haggle.

Cambodian dancers entertain guests at a private party. Love their costumes.

Young workers take a break from work at a beauty and massage salon.

Royal Wedding 2011

2011-04-26T18:38:00.001+08:00

This video is from Dr Koh Soo Ling, my friend in Ireland. Enjoy!

Rediscovering the traditional Malaysian Indian kitchen

2011-04-14T23:49:00.003+08:00

I love this artwork (acrylic on canvas) by Jayashree Ramasamy @Jay, who has captured the mood of the traditional Malaysian Indian kitchen. Jay recalls her grandmother preparing meals for the family in a room which was equipped with ancestral cooking utensils and that was the inspiration for this painting.

For more of Jay's creations head for the National Art Gallery where 'The Story Telling' exhibition is now being held (April 14 to May 15, 2011). 'The Story Telling' is a group exhibition showcasing the creations of four emerging artists including Jay from the Symbols Art Club. The other three artists are Kathiravan Subramaniam, Rohini Indran and Mohana Kumara Velu @ Mona Kv.

Each work of art is a story that the artist tells about his or her personal experiences and observations of daily life. The launch this afternoon was in conjunction with the Tamil New Year today.

'Food is Served' by Kathiravan Subramaniam. The rationale: 'We may have differences, but we are one when it comes to food. Food is served. Enjoy!'

Guest Post: Juana Jaafar's impassioned plea

2011-04-05T22:46:00.001+08:00

Juana Jaafar

Enough is enough: An appeal to Malaysians

By Juana Jaafar

I write this as a truly distressed young Malaysian.

The state of the country’s political sphere has reached the pinnacle of filth. Sadly, politics in Malaysia today envelopes almost every aspect of our daily lives -- which means there is no way any informed person could run away from the smut that oils this country’s politics. For a long time I thought I had grown immune to political sex scandals after years of "exposés" being shoved down my throat by the media. Well, I’ve been proven wrong.

As a teenager flipping through newspapers for school assignments I learnt a lot about homosexual sex and pedophilia. I was exposed to information far more than what my parents would want me to know at that age, and certainly nothing they would otherwise like to discuss with me. But newspapers were, at least then, still regarded as a source of knowledge and my parents could not stop me from browsing.

I pray Malaysian parents know better today.

As a fresh graduate and through my working life, one political sex scandal after another would surface in my life, as they continue to do so today. But this time it’s different. When revelations of the latest political sex scandal appeared on my Twitter feed, I found myself feeling nauseous. I was so disgusted I literally ran into the shower and scrubbed my skin with the coarsest sponge I could find.

The smut that is our country’s politics did not just intrude into our homes via mass media and robbed us of our collective decency, but is now all over our very existence. The filth lingers on our news feed for days and weeks as political actors continue to make statements about it. And God forbid the matter is taken to court, or Parliament, we will be flushed with pornographic details for months and years to come.

Malaysia’s media too seems to have acquired a thirst for these political sex scandals, with editors playing active roles in mediating "elite" screening sessions. As media practitioners they race against each other to see who can get filthy details out to the public first. And for as long as scum political actors are willing to provide scoops, the media will oblige to publish their "exclusive".

Malaysia’s media, both traditional and new, are just as morally bankrupt and complicit in the rapid degeneration of our nation, as the filthy political actors behind these sex scandals.

And what of bloggers, the new "independent" and uncensored voice of Malaysia’s conscience? Those self-proclaimed patriots whose jihad is to save Malaysia from immoral leaders; how do they counter this process of decay and help restore our collective decency? To my horror, their noble contribution to the nation is to viral and direct the very people they want to save straight to the smut material itself.

I ask myself, what exactly then are these bloggers saving Malaysia from?

What’s worse is that regular Malaysians actually validate and respond to these filthy exposés by making judgement on the quality of the material, the brilliance or stupidity of the political strategy behind the scandal, and of course the eventual and compulsory name-calling between grassroots political supporters. And if the nature of history is to repeat itself, this toxic exchange on the internet will continue until yet another political sex scandal surfaces.

On this matter, I call on my contemporaries to defeat history.

And I call on Malaysia’s women to take the lead. Political actors and agents who perpetuate the mass distribution of this filth are generally not from among the country’s women. And yet women make up for at least 50 per cent of the audience who are exposed to it. Furthermore, women are also often the "collateral damage" in these exposés as their identities are uncovered and degrading comments are made about them in passing.

I beg of you, my fellow Malaysians regardless of your political affiliation, to please stop making comments on social media, blogs or online news portals featuring updates about these scandals. Your comments will only encourage political actors to source for new smut materials, and "news" outlets would strive to outdo each other in their coverage of these revelations.

Let’s put a stop to this. Enough is enough.

Juana Jaafar describes herself as a regular Malaysian. See also A hero's welcome.

Finding inspiration in doing

2011-04-05T00:54:00.003+08:00

One step at a time. Photo courtesy of NST Image Bank.

For years Ana was haunted by fear and self-doubt. "I am a mediocre writer," was a familiar refrain.

She was also constantly afraid: of the dark, offending people and making mistakes.

Ana and I were colleagues and we often shared our anxieties.

At the end of each session we would feel better about ourselves until the next round of attack. The bonding meetings stopped when Ana left Malaysia for Canada where she found her niche in publishing. Actually, Ana is the complete opposite of the negative profile described above. She is a talented writer and is continually exploring opportunities to improve herself.

Sometimes I wonder if her self-deprecating demeanour is a mask she puts on to avoid appearing too confident. Maybe it is her attempt at humility. We never got to discussing that aspect of her character.

My thoughts turn to Ana whenever self-doubt creeps up on me and the words of encouragement we say to each other. She has a mentor whom she often consults whenever she feels this way.

He tells her to "just do it" when she finds an assignment too challenging. Do not worry about the outcome, he counsels. One step at a time. And this method has allowed the award-winning journalist to complete all her projects successfully.

What I like about the "just do it" rule is that it does not allow me to dwell on results. The job becomes possible when it is broken into manageable components.

For a journalist or writer "just do it" means putting pen to paper no matter how lame the ideas may seem. Keep at it and the thoughts will soon flow. Will your piece of writing make people sit up and change their lives?

Maybe it will, maybe it will not. But that is not the point and it should not be your goal, says Ana's mentor. "Just do it" is also a way around the issue of looking for inspiration, a point many competent writers understand.

"Achieving inspiration means forgetting about it completely," writes James Chartrand. "Instead of seeking it out, we need to disconnect from the quest and sever our continual self-hounding to find the right answer, the ultimate story and the perfect angle."

He suggests allowing inspiration to "sneak up on its own until it leaps out in a sudden burst of idea". That sounds pretty much like the advice offered by Ana's mentor.

Rising above the "why me" question

2011-03-20T01:18:00.000+08:00

A resident of the seaside town of Toyoma, northern Japan, wipes her eyes as she takes a break from cleaning debris from her home on Monday ( March 14, 2011), three days after a giant quake and tsunami struck Japan's northeastern coast. Photo courtesy of NST Image Bank.

Every tragedy is an opportunity to assess our feelings on loss and grief. And we are guided by our belief systems when we embark on this exercise.

When we endure massive losses of the scale experienced by victims in the northeastern part of Japan we slip into confusion, misdirection and unhappiness. The hurt that follows the wreck of disaster is made worse by the inability to explain it.

The question is, "Why me?" We want answers and yearn for immediate respite. We discover that answers are not forthcoming and it is tough trying to escape from something difficult or unpleasant. So, what do we do?

Some pray to God for an end to their sufferings.When we ask God for help we are entrusting Him to take care of our problems while we struggle to find solutions. Believers hold that faith is stronger than reason.

For millennia, people who face terrible times have sought to understand why they are in such situations. There are many ways in which humans have tried to make sense of personal tragedy, past and present, minor or major.

That there is order to the universe which means that some events or calamities -- whether natural or man-made -- cannot be fully understood because we are not privy to God's grand design is the single most important factor in grappling with destruction and the subsequent anguish.

We would do well to accept them as being a part of God's plan and that means rising above our confusion, misdirection and unhappiness. In other words, tragic accidents happen for a reason which we may never totally grasp.

The thought of an afterlife is also comforting. Human life is transient and everyone has to die sooner or later. For those who believe in life after death, the passing of loved ones is but a temporary break. A belief in an afterlife of some sort, often referred to as heaven, gives hope that we will meet them again.

Believers remind us that humans must suffer some bad days because that is the way the world is. The trials and tribulations of managing our daily lives are a test of the strength of our love for God. Remember this the next time a sense of despair overwhelms you, they counsel.

If we acknowledge that we are on Earth to fulfil God's grand plan, we will be able to move on and not dwell on our sorrows. When we know ourselves and our place in the universe we will be able to resolve the "why me" predicament and renew our faith in the midst of all the confusion.

Others may undergo spiritual crises from which they may or may not recover. Those who seize the moment in each catastrophe to transform and improve themselves are the lucky ones.

An appeal to help Japan

2011-03-14T19:00:00.006+08:00

People can send their donations to the Tabung Bencana NSTP-Media Prima in aid of those affected by the earthquake and tsunami in northeastern Japan.

The fund is jointly organised by NSTP, Media Prima Berhad and the Malaysian Red Crescent Society.

Contributions can be sent to NSTP Finance Department, 31, Jalan Riong, 59100 Kuala Lumpur or any NSTP branch. Make out the cheques to "Tabung Bencana NSTP-Media Prima".

You can also make cash deposits into Maybank account no. 514105-320757. Write your full name and address at the back of the cheque.

Before and After the tsunami, Japan, 2011 march 11

2011-03-13T22:35:00.000+08:00

Earthquake and Tsunami Japan 2011 March 11

2011-03-13T22:23:00.001+08:00

All about deadly earthquakes

2011-03-13T17:44:00.003+08:00

Earthquakes have claimed hundreds of thousands of lives in the last 100 years and improvements in technology have only slightly reduced the death toll, reports BBC News.
Click here to read.
See also the following:
Japan crisis 'worst since WWII'
How you can help
Battle to cool second nuclear reactor

Helping the young cope with tragedy

2011-03-13T10:59:00.010+08:00

There is a sense of powerlessness about tragedies, and none more so than natural disasters. For observers, they see what is happening (either personally or through visuals conveyed by the mass media), but are powerless to help.

The powerful Japan earthquake is a case in point. Admittedly, the Japanese are familiar with earthquakes and they have been taught what to do in such situations. Still, fear, chaos and confusion reign each time it happens and all the preparations in the world could not assuage people's concerns about the future. How do people cope? What about the elderly and children? NASP (National Association of School Psychologists) Resources has put together a handout to help children cope with a national tragedy. Please see below.

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A National Tragedy: Helping Children Cope

Tips for Parents and Teachers

Whenever a national tragedy occurs, such as terrorist attacks or natural disasters, children, like many people, may be confused or frightened. Most likely they will look to adults for information and guidance on how to react. Parents and school personnel can help children cope first and foremost by establishing a sense of safety and security. As more information becomes available, adults can continue to help children work through their emotions and perhaps even use the process as a learning experience.

All Adults Should:

1. Model calm and control. Children take their emotional cues from the significant adults in their lives. Avoid appearing anxious or frightened.
2. Reassure children that they are safe and (if true) so are the other important adults in their lives. Depending on the situation, point out factors that help insure their immediate safety and that of their community.
3. Remind them that trustworthy people are in charge. Explain that the government emergency workers, police, firefighters, doctors, and the military are helping people who are hurt and are working to ensure that no further tragedies occur.
4. Let children know that it is okay to feel upset. Explain that all feelings are okay when a tragedy like this occurs. Let children talk about their feelings and help put them into perspective. Even anger is okay, but children may need help and patience from adults to assist them in expressing these feelings appropriately.
5. Observe children’s emotional state. Depending on their age, children may not express their concerns verbally. Changes in behavior, appetite, and sleep patterns can also indicate a child’s level of grief, anxiety or discomfort. Children will express their emotions differently. There is no right or wrong way to feel or express grief.
6. Look for children at greater risk. Children who have had a past traumatic experience or personal loss, suffer from depression or other mental illness, or with special needs may be at greater risk for severe reactions than others. Be particularly observant for those who may be at risk of suicide. Seek the help of mental health professional if you are at all concerned.
7. Tell children the truth. Don’t try to pretend the event has not occurred or that it is not serious. Children are smart. They will be more worried if they think you are too afraid to tell them what is happening.
8. Stick to the facts. Don’t embellish or speculate about what has happened and what might happen. Don’t dwell on the scale or scope of the tragedy, particularly with young children.
9. Keep your explanations developmentally appropriate. Early elementary school children need brief, simple information that should be balanced with reassurances that the daily structures of their lives will not change. Upper elementary and early middle school children will be more vocal in asking questions about whether they truly are safe and what is being done at their school. They may need assistance separating reality from fantasy. Upper middle school and high school students will have strong and varying opinions about the causes of violence and threats to safety in schools and society. They will share concrete suggestions about how to make school safer and how to prevent tragedies in society. They will be more committed to doing something to help the victims and affected community. For all children, encourage them to verbalize their thoughts and feelings. Be a good listener!
10. Monitor your own stress level. Don’t ignore your own feelings of anxiety, grief, and anger. Talking to friends, family members, religious leaders, and mental health counselors can help. It is okay to let your children know that you are sad, but that you believe things will get better. You will be better able to support your children if you can express your own emotions in a productive manner. Get appropriate sleep, nutrition, and exercise.

What Parents Can Do

1. Focus on your children over the week following the tragedy. Tell them you love them and everything will be okay. Try to help them understand what has happened, keeping in mind their developmental level.
2. Make time to talk with your children. Remember if you do not talk to your children about this incident someone else will. Take some time and determine what you wish to say.
3. Stay close to your children. Your physical presence will reassure them and give you the opportunity to monitor their reaction. Many children will want actual physical contact. Give plenty of hugs. Let them sit close to you, and make sure to take extra time at bedtime to cuddle and to reassure them that they are loved and safe.
4. Limit your child’s television viewing of these events. If they must watch, watch with them for a brief time; then turn the set off. Don’t sit mesmerized re-watching the same events over and over again.
5. Maintain a “normal” routine. To the extent possible stick to your family’s normal routine for dinner, homework, chores, bedtime, etc., but don’t be inflexible. Children may have a hard time concentrating on schoolwork or falling asleep at night.
6. Spend extra time reading or playing quiet games with your children before bed. These activities are calming, foster a sense of closeness and security, and reinforce a sense of normalcy. Spend more time tucking them in. Let them sleep with a light on if they ask for it.
7. Safeguard your children’s physical health. Stress can take a physical toll on children as well as adults. Make sure your children get appropriate sleep, exercise, and nutrition.
8. Consider praying or thinking hopeful thoughts for the victims and their families. It may be a good time to take your children to your place of worship, write a poem, or draw a picture to help your child express their feelings and feel that they are somehow supporting the victims and their families.
9. Find out what resources your school has in place to help children cope. Most schools are likely to be open and often are a good place for children to regain a sense of normalcy. Being with their friends and teachers can help. Schools should also have a plan for making counseling available to children and adults who need it.

What Schools Can Do

1. Assure children that they are safe and that schools are well prepared to take care of all children at all times.
2. Maintain structure and stability within the schools. It would be best, however, not to have tests or major projects within the next few days.
3. Have a plan for the first few days back at school. Include school psychologists, counselors, and crisis team members in planning the school’s response.
4. Provide teachers and parents with information about what to say and do for children in school and at home.
5. Have teachers provide information directly to their students, not during the public address announcements.
6. Have school psychologists and counselors available to talk to students and staff who may need or want extra support.
7. Be aware of students who may have recently experienced a personal tragedy or a have personal connection to victims or their families. Even a child who has merely visited the affected area or community may have a strong reaction. Provide these students extra support and leniency if necessary.
8. Know what community resources are available for children who may need extra counseling. School psychologists can be very helpful in directing families to the right community resources.
9. Allow time for age appropriate classroom discussion and activities. Do not expect teachers to provide all of the answers. They should ask questions and guide the discussion, but not dominate it. Other activities can include art and writing projects, play acting, and physical games.
10. Be careful not to stereotype people or countries that might be associated with the tragedy. Children can easily generalize negative statements and develop prejudice. Talk about tolerance and justice versus vengeance. Stop any bullying or teasing of students immediately.
11. Refer children who exhibit extreme anxiety, fear or anger to mental health counselors in the school. Inform their parents.
12. Provide an outlet for students’ desire to help. Consider making get well cards or sending letters to the families and survivors of the tragedy, or writing thank you letters to doctors, nurses, and other health care professionals as well as emergency rescue workers, firefighters and police.
13. Monitor or restrict viewing scenes of the event as well as the aftermath.

For information on helping children and youth with this crisis, contact NASP at (301) 657-0270 or visit NASP’s website at www.nasponline.org.
Modified from material posted on the NASP website in September 2001.

© 2002, National Association of School Psychologists, 4340 East West Highway, Suite 402, Bethesda, MD 20814, (301) 657-0270, Fax (301) 657-0275; www.nasponline.org

"I owe you a great debt of gratitude"

2011-03-02T22:33:00.001+08:00

Say a prayer of gratitude

The folks at NST received their productivity bonuses last Friday. Some were happy while others felt that they had been cheated out of their share of the profits.

Their year-end appraisals were excellent; so, why? I have no intention of going into the whys and the wherefores of the situation.

I am more interested in the expressions of gratitude or ingratitude that emerged on the day NST employees checked their bank accounts.

A Facebook post by journalist Suzieana Uda Nagu stood out as being more meaningful than the rest. She told Facebook friends what was on her mind at 5.34am on February 25 when she posted this cryptic message: "Are you smiling now warga NSTP (or NSTP denizens)"?

Several friends responded to Suzieana's status update with all kinds of comments. And it went back and forth.

Suzieana Uda Nagu

Those who work for the company would know what Suzieana was alluding to. The bonus payments which were promised to all staff with high levels of productivity were paid directly into their bank just before dawn broke on February 25.

Apparently many were online at the time to view their accounts. Suzieana wrote: "While most will be smiling ear to ear today, remember that some aren't getting their fair share of the pie. Some got more than they deserved, while others didn't get anything at all. So be thankful for what you got."

Wow! That blew me away! Those simple sentences encapsulate the positive emotions that emanate from the feeling of being grateful or thankful.

It serves as a timely reminder of just how easy it is for me to forget to say "Thank you God for allowing me to live another day".

Give peace a chance

2011-02-22T00:01:00.003+08:00

Global Peace Index

Vision of Humanity

Censoring Interlok

2011-02-19T21:07:00.004+08:00

Interlok saga update

The independent panel set up to examine with a view to removing parts of Datuk Abdullah Hussain's novel Interlok described as sensitive by the Indian community met for the first time on Wednesday.

Panel chairman Distinguished Professor Datuk Shamsul Amri Baharuddin said after the meeting that "no time limit has been given but we want to complete it fast".

Yes, please do that panel members. You have to think of the poor fifth-formers who have to spend time learning about the literature component of the subject Bahasa Malaysia.

My nephew is one of them. He is understandably confused about the whole thing and is annoyed that the dispute has dragged on for nearly three months. Fifth formers have to take an examination -- the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia -- later this year.

It is understood that students in some schools in Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya, Selangor and Negeri Sembilan (these are the schools which are using the student's edition of the novel: see photo) have started studying the text but teachers are tactfully skirting around the sensitive bits.

The other panel members are Datin Siti Saroja Basri, wife of Datuk Abdullah Hussain, Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka director-general Datuk Termuzi Abdul Aziz, University of Malaya's Malay Studies Academy director Professor Datuk Zainal Abidin Borhan, Universiti Putra Malaysia Malay Studies lecturer Associate Professor Dr Lim Swee Tin, Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris Aminuddin Baki Centre for Global Education director Professor Dr N.S. Rajendran, former education ministry officer G. Krishnabahawan and writer Uthaya Sankar S.B.

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Journalist Jehan Mohamad has an interesting piece on Censoring literature. Click here to read.

See also the following links.

Panel's findings 'out in a month'

Interlok in gridlock

Komsas reading list

Updates: Teachers make 'Interlok' changes manually

Amended 'Interlok' to be reprinted

Guest Post: Nasi lemak, sambal pedas and Coca-Cola!

2011-02-15T23:58:00.002+08:00

The following post was written by Distinguished Professor Shamsul Amri Baharuddin (picture) -- his retort to John R. Malott's article entitled The Price of Malaysia's Racism (The Wall Street Journal, February 8, 2011).

Malott was the U.S. Ambassador to Malaysia, 1995-1998.

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I am quite certain we can savour Malaysia's famous nasi lemak (picture) in New York and Washington DC as well as in Paris, London and Tokyo. But I guarantee that the one with the hottest sambal (condiment) can only be found in Malaysia.

You can choose between the hot but sweet sambal (condiment) from Kelantan and the pedas (spicy or hot) cooked-in-coconut-milk sambal (condiment) from Negeri Sembilan.

Visitors to Malaysia would be impressed by the wide variety of sambal (condiment) on offer, a topic even the Asian Food Channel on ASTRO channel has not dealt with.

John R. Malott’s article (The Price of Malaysia’s Racism) reminded me of the nasi lemak in Philadelphia; when I tasted the rice dish, it was neither lemak (rich) nor pedas (spicy or hot).

If Malott's opinion piece was meant to be a "stinging" (pedas) attack on the Malays, the Malay-dominated ruling party and the Malay leaders in the present government, it did not come close to criticisms of the present-day regime some local bloggers have been dishing out.

But both Malott and the bloggers have a rather limited audience in Malaysia and abroad. And Malott is aware of this.

Malott's commentary in The Wall Street Journal was not meant for the Malay-educated rural Malaysian or the Mandarin-educated not-so-rich urban Malaysians. It was a 'high-impact' review for potential investors interested in Malaysia.

The moot question: “does Malott’s opinion matter to those who matter”? The answer is "no", if we take the Coca-Cola case.

When Coca-Cola decided to invest Malaysian Ringgit one billion for its new factory in Nilai, Malaysia, the company’s decision must have been based on a thorough research into Malaysia’s present and future economic growth and socio-political stability.

I am not surprised if Malott’s opinion did not matter at all to Coca-Cola. Why? Because it was not as pedas (stinging) as the Malaysian bloggers' critical comments about the Malaysian government which the Coca-Cola people must have read via a rehashed version, for example, the Economist Intelligence Unit country report.

And all nasi lemak lovers agree that the "stinging" fizzy Coca-Cola is an effective American-manufactured antidote to nasi lemak with sambal pedas (spicy or hot condiment).

Ties that do not bind

2011-02-12T21:06:00.004+08:00

Former ambassador to Malaysia John R. Malott's piece on the One Malaysia concept and its attendant problems (The Wall Street Journal, February 8, 2011) did not shed anything new on the subject.

He merely regurgitated information acquired from here and there. For those who wanted new insights into the state and study of ethnic relations in Malaysia, Malott's article was disappointing.

The recent Interlok controversy prompted me to ask Distinguished Professor Datuk Shamsul Amri Baharuddin, founding director of the Institute of Ethnic Studies at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, to explain the recurring ethnic tensions in Malaysia, a point which Malott elaborated with relish.

See the article (Learning Curve, New Sunday Times, February 13, 2010) below for his views on the subject.

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The tourism industry has managed to flaunt Malaysia's diverse cultural life. But this diversity has never been really captured research-wise, writes FAEZAH ISMAIL

The last bibliography on ethnic relations in Malaysia was published in 1992.The compiler was Tan Chee-Beng and the title, appropriately enough, is the Bibliography on Ethnic Relations with Special Reference to Malaysia and Singapore.

Regrettably, an updated version has yet to appear. “Bibliographies tell a lot about the state of a discipline at a point in time. Can you imagine the level of our knowledge about ethnic relations in this country?” asks Distinguished Professor Datuk Shamsul Amri Baharuddin (picture), who is the founding director of the Institute of Ethnic Studies (or KITA) at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia.

Malaysia’s inability to bring up to date an important text such as this one suggests “a deep-rooted knowledge problem”, says Shamsul, who is also the chief editor of the ethnic relations module. And a thorough knowledge of Malaysia’s ethnic diversity is sorely needed to deal with tensions that occur every now and again, he adds.

The failure to update the 1992 ethnic relations bibliography and the frictions that arise as a result of differences in a plural society — the Interlok dispute and the hair-trimming incident involving a Sikh teenager being the most recent — are a sad commentary not only on the state but also the study of ethnic relations in Malaysia.

The clashes “will continue because we do not seriously prepare ourselves to deal with them”, says Shamsul. “When a conflict emerges we make a lot of noise hoping that it will go away but it will persist unless we choose a mature approach to ethnic tensions.”

The quarrel about the move to adopt Datuk Abdullah Hussain’s novel Interlok as a Malay literature text for fifth-formers, or any others of that ilk, illustrates the “stable tension” theory that Shamsul posits. The theory holds that ethnic tensions will take place from time to time but they are manageable provided Malaysians take measures to ease them.

For Shamsul the first step towards becoming "mature” is to have a sound grasp of the issues in question. “We cannot make sense of the situation without deep and researched-based knowledge. We cannot survive on racial prejudices and communal stereotypes,” says Shamsul. Malaysians tend to view their “other” through racial prejudices, ethnic slurs and stereotypical images of the other’s behaviour.

How do you deal with disagreements among the different ethnic groups in Malaysia? “You are asking me a question about a disease that has not been adequately studied. We can only make an accurate diagnosis after a careful study of the malady. “Have we thought of the tools for finding solutions to the problem. We have to develop a plan to deal with this because it keeps returning.”

KITA is ideally placed to craft a framework for problem-solving. One of its projects in 2009 was the Monitoring Ethnic Relations System (MESRA for short) which acts as an early warning system for issues linked to ethnic relations in Malaysia.

The Australia-based Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP), which produces the annual Global Peace Index (GPI), is interested in the scheme. The two institutes will sign a memorandum of understanding soon to collaborate on endorsing a part of MESRA as a Country-based Peace Index to complement the GPI.

KITA also hopes to study Malaysia’s intellectual history besides finding out how “mundane activities” such as inter-racial and inter-ethnic marriages play their roles in fostering national unity.

It wants to do more and Shamsul is brimming with ideas. But KITA faces financial and manpower constraints. “We are only a small institute in UKM. If the government is really interested in resolving ethnic conflicts, it should elevate KITA to a national body.

“We have lots of ideas but we need dedicated people and generous funds to do our work. If we do not invest time and money in this, the psychosocial traumatic impact and the economic cost of worsening conditions are too awful to contemplate.”

A discussion on ethnic relations raises many important questions but there are no easy answers. In the case of the Interlok squabble, it has nothing to do with the novel, says Shamsul, who is a member of an independent panel to amend Abdullah's work. Instead, it has to do with the “dividedness” of Malaysia’s ethnic groups, as Shamsul puts it.

“We are not a homogeneous society. The Malays are one group of people but there are many types of Malays, and the same is true of the others.” Even among the Indian community there is no consensus on the choice of Interlok as a text for the literature part of the subject Bahasa Malaysia for fifth-formers. Some are against it while others are not.

Similarly, every Malaysian has his or her own vision of a national identity “based on a particular ideological framework” and the various attempts to construct this from the perspective of each public interest group represent “many nations-of-intent”.

The non-Malays prefer a definition that accords the “culture of each ethnic group in Malaysia a position equal to that of the Bumiputera,” writes Shamsul in his essay “Nations-of-Intent in Malaysia”. The suggestion that “Chinese language and rituals be an integral part of the national identity” is a case in point.

Interestingly, the tourism industry has managed to explain Malaysia’s ethnic and cultural diversity through traditional dances, folk songs and construction of ancestral villages, among others. And the main beneficiaries of this are the tourists.

“But this diversity has never been really captured research-wise,” says Shamsul, who recently examined a PhD thesis on the Indians in Malaysia. The postgraduate had assumed that the divisions within Malaysian society are straightforward and did not show any understanding of the “dividedness” that exists in each community.

“My comment was to rewrite the thesis. For a PhD candidate not to have recognised the diverse dissenting voices in each ethnic group does not augur well for the future of ethnic relations in Malaysia.”

Shan's perfect Monday

2011-02-07T08:30:00.001+08:00

The following post was inspired by the frequently asked question: how was your Sunday?
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My friend Shan works at the weekend. He gets two days off -- Monday and Thursday -- in a week. It has been like this for the past 10 years.

He likes the current arrangement and would not have it any other way. There would be an amused look on his face when people asked him about his Sunday.

"I work on Sunday," he would say.

The response was entirely predictable: "Really! How sad. I never work on Sunday."

Those who regard Saturday and Sunday as days of rest can never understand how doctors, nurses, journalists, waitresses and musicians, among others, work very long hours everyday including over the weekend.

Oh, that's a pity, they say. These unfortunate souls have missed out on the pleasures that create the perfect break.

Shan disagrees.

He says that Monday is his perfect Sunday.

He wakes up early, goes for a walk, starts the day with a breakfast of local coffee and toasted bread doused in soft boiled eggs (picture), mucks about with his other half and cooks dinner for his family.

He does not think that he is missing out on all the fun just because he does these activities on Monday.

Journalists can relate to that.

As a junior reporter I used to work on Saturday and Sunday and took my two-day break in the week.

I, like Shan, created my own ideal of the perfect Sunday either on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday or Friday. I did not feel a pang of envy at the thought of my friends who had Sunday off.

When it was my turn to take a break on Sunday it did not seem particularly special.

The important thing is to have at least one work-free day.

Times have changed since Grandma was young and it is difficult to keep up with the rapid pace of change.

Haven't we heard of some people getting out of the rat race and adopting a lifestyle change that embraces the simple pleasures, such as reading, walking, cycling and parent-child bonding. These are things that we do on our days off and vacations.

In the end, what it all boils down to is the quality of life, or the lack of it.

A perfect Sunday or Monday helps us to forget at least for a while about our demanding bosses and impossible deadlines.

There is also the matter of looking good and the effort we have to put in to stay young for as long as we can.

No wonder we are stressed out, we have been punishing ourselves in the week.

We need at least one day in a week to let loose.

Year of the Rabbit

2011-02-02T15:39:00.001+08:00

Gong Xi Fa Cai!

May fortune, wealth and good health be with you!

The Lunar New Year is almost here and most Chinese in Malaysia and elsewhere will celebrate the occasion tomorrow by offering mandarin oranges or red envelopes stuffed with cash to family members especially children and close friends.

The 12-year cycle of the Chinese calendar returns to the Year of the Rabbit and people expect good fortune throughout the year.

Chinese tradition views rabbits as social, sensitive creatures and their homes and families are important to them. They symbolise beauty, composure and wealth.

If you are a Rabbit, click here for more about yourself.

The downside of being young

2011-01-29T17:48:00.002+08:00

A New York Times' article on older Japanese workers marginalising their younger colleagues underlines how little the old understand the young.

It is a biting commentary on older generations hanging on to their vested interests at the expense of their young's professional development.

Young Japanese workers are frustrated but are stumped by what to do about it.

They need to find an outlet for their many talents and interests.

Some young Japanese have not only quit their jobs -- after a period of trying to gain acceptance -- but left their country as well.

The phenomenon is not peculiar to Japan. At a certain publishing company in Malaysia you will hear a similar story.

Top executives are reluctant to promote promising thirty-somethings to decision-making positions for reasons best known to themselves.

An enlightened top-level executive may want to act on his middle manager's suggestion to move a bright young staff member to a higher rank but he will need all the energy he can get to overcome all hurdles put before him by people from the Human Resources Department.

It does not matter if the young worker in question is deserving of promotion.

We hear of great working environments in game-changing companies such as Google where the young are allowed to fully express themselves and rewarded for their creativity.

It sounds like a dream.

Talented young Malaysian employees, like their Japanese counterparts mentioned in the New York Times' article, are exactly the type of people that the publishing company needs to boost its falling circulation figures and change the face of an aging organisation.

It is unfortunate that they are not given a chance to show what they can do.

Many have left and further resignations are expected. Nobody wants to work in a firm where the negative attitudes of older workers foster a culture of failure.

A dramatic reversal of policy still seems light years away.

Interlok: Amended version for fifth-formers

2011-01-27T21:33:00.006+08:00

Picture shows the English translation of the novel Interlok.

The Malaysian government finally reached a decision about the adoption of an abridged edition of Datuk Abdullah Hussain's novel Interlok as a text for the literature component in the subject Bahasa Malaysia for fifth-formers.

Students will be allowed to read it but not before some amendments. That means removing the bits that hurt the ethnic sensibilities of the Indian community.

The result arrived at after heated debate was entirely predictable.

The Prime Minister is likely to call an election this year. And the announcement to end the Interlok impasse with a "formula that everyone can agree on" is seen by some as an attempt to appease the ruling government's constituents.

See below for details of the decision as reported by Bernama.

Interlok stays, but with amendments: Muhyiddin
By: (Thu, 27 Jan 2011)

KUALA LUMPUR (Jan 27, 2011): The novel Interlok will remain as the textbook for the literature component of the Bahasa Malaysia subject for Form Five but with amendments to several aspects deemed sensitive by the Indian community, Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin said.

Muhyiddin, who is also Education Minister, said an independent panel would be set up to study the types of amendments and would submit the recommendations to the government.

"The decision to continue using the novel, with amendments so as not to hurt the feelings of the Indian community, is the best solution," Muhyiddin said in a statement today.

Muhyiddin said the panel would comprise linguists, academicians, literary figures and representatives of Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka as well as the Indian community.

"I expect the amendments to be carried out in the near future," he said, adding that the novel would only be used and distributed to schools once the amendments had been incorporated into it.

While waiting for the process to be completed, he said, the Education Ministry would instruct teachers to continue with the existing syllabus so as not to disrupt the teaching and learning process.

"I believe we have sufficient time to make a thorough amendment so that there will be no more dispute over Interlok," he said.

The novel, by National Laureate Datuk Abdullah Hussein, became a controversy following the ministry's decision to use the novel as a literature textbook, with several parties claiming that it contains words deemed sensitive to the Indian community.

Muhyiddin said that the decision was made after taking into consideration the views of all parties, which acknowledged that the book was good in nurturing and strengthening unity among the multi-racial and multi-religious society in Malaysia.

At the same time, he said that any amendment made to the novel would not affect the storyline and the noble message which the writer wanted to convey.

The deputy prime minister was previously reported as saying that he had a formula to resolve the impasse over Interlok.

Muhyiddin said that the consensus to resolve the issue was reach after he, together with MIC president Datuk G. Palanivel and MIC deputy president Datuk S. Subramaniam, met Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak to discuss the matter this morning.

He had also met Palanivel and Subramaniam over the issue yesterday.

In the Barisan Nasional (BN) spirit of consensus, he said, they agreed that the novel would continue to be used as a textbook for the literature component of Bahasa Malaysia for Form Five in Zone 2, namely Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya, Selangor and Negri Sembilan.

The amendment to the book would be made, taking into consideration the views of MIC, he said.

Interlok: Make a quick decision

2011-01-23T23:00:00.001+08:00

The move to adopt Datuk Abdullah Hussain's novel Interlok as a Malay Literature text for Form Five students has aroused a heated debate over its suitability.

Copies of the abridged edition of the novel (see picture above) were distributed to schools in Selangor, Negri Sembilan and the Federal Territories of Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya before the start of the new school year.

But the books have been temporarily put aside pending the Cabinet's decision on the matter.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak wants more discussions about whether the novel should be included on the reading list.

The idea is to find a solution that everyone can agree on.

Teachers and students, meanwhile, are getting restless and they want the Education Ministry to come to a decision about what to do next by tomorrow.

It is an exam year for the fifth-formers and they hope the decision-makers realise that.

Click here for more.

Facebook: Don't befriend a stranger!

2011-01-17T14:11:00.003+08:00

Facebook users in Malaysia readily accept "friendship" requests from strangers, says criminologist and Malaysian Association of Certified Fraud Examiners president Datuk Akhbar Satar.

Malaysians should think twice about approving appeals for friendship from people they do not know, he says.

Many feel good when they suddenly become "popular" as indicated by the numerous applications.

They reveal a lot of themselves such as birth dates, addresses, telephone numbers and alluring photos to the so-called Facebook friends who now have access to these details which are found on the users' profile pages.

They are particularly vulnerable to all kinds of abuse.

Trusting Facebook users are everywhere.

A friend from the Philippines recently picked up a message on Facebook from a man who wanted to be her friend. He told her that he was attracted to her profile picture on Facebook and pestered her with messages for more than a month.

He began to wax lyrical about her beauty. And then he confessed that he was in love with her. It went on and on.

She soon discovered that it was all a scam and the scumbag was not what he had portrayed himself to be.

All he wanted was money and he instructed her to inform her bank to wire it to him.

"I am not that stupid," was her response. "How can I fall in love with a man I have not met."

She sighed with relief after she told him off.

But other women who believed the sweet nothings whispered by the con artists were not so lucky.

They lost all their savings in a Facebook drama full of lies and deception.

Their real friends tried to warn them, but they would not listen.

Call the dog whisperer

2011-01-14T01:02:00.003+08:00

I am terrified of dogs. I was bitten by a dog once and I have been afraid of them ever since. Whenever I am near a dog, I would edge nervously past it.

I try to avoid visiting homes which keep dogs. It is no good telling me that dogs are adorable or that they make faithful friends. All I see is a dog baring its teeth and growling.

I relived the horror of being bitten on Monday (January 10, 2011) morning when I read a report in the New Straits Times about two mongrels attacking an Irish tourist, Maurice Sullivan, to death at an organic farm in Teluk Bahang, Penang.

Sullivan, 50, and his companion Agnieszka Izabela, 28, had arrived at the durian farm on Saturday (January 8, 2011) as volunteer helpers. The idea was to stay on the farm and help around for an average of four hours a day in exchange for food and accommodation.

Sullivan was fatally mauled by the dogs sometime on Sunday when he and Izabela were leaving Joseph Teoh's -- the farm owner -- house which was situated on a hilltop and about 50m away from the scene of the incident.

Sullivan sustained severe injuries to his arm, thigh, chin and ears -- which were both bitten off -- and died on the farm.

The dogs are now under observation at the Penang state Veterinary Department in Balik Pulau. They will be in quarantine for 10 days from Monday (January 10, 2011).

I wonder what Dog Whisperer Cesar Millan has to say about the change in behaviour of the seemingly "friendly" farm dogs?

The dogs were said to be playing with the couple on Saturday afternoon. What had triggered the dogs' violent behaviour?

My friend WL, who likes dogs, has an interesting hypothesis. She says that the mongrels were friendly with Sullivan and Izabela on Saturday afternoon because their owner was with the tourists.

But without Teoh the animals might have viewed Sullivan and Izabela as intruders and reacted the way they had been trained.

What was going through the killer dogs' minds is a matter for conjecture. We will just have to wait for the report from the Veterinary Department.

A perfect start to 2011

2011-01-10T11:54:00.000+08:00

Words of wisdom.

Why do some think that they are preserve of philosophers or wise old men? Everyone has an opinion worth listening to. I am reminded of this time and time again.

I had an interesting conversation with a colleague early this week. It was on the morning of January 3, the first working day of the brand new year. I was in the office canteen and said hello to a colleague.

We exchanged greetings and proceeded to select our food items at the breakfast buffet. As luck would have it, we ended up sharing a table. Our conversation turned to our personal and professional aspirations.

I discovered that Kulwant is studying for a teaching degree on a part-time basis. Her enthusiasm drew me in.

Her commitment to her studies is inspiring. She describes it as "journey" -- to a whole new world. She is excited about the prospect of discovering new things and improving herself.

She talked about her love of the English language and her desire to master it. Words and more words! That's her current preoccupation.

We wanted to discuss more but work was waiting for us at the office. We reluctantly walked to our respective departments.

I was still thinking about her pearls of wisdom when I switched on the computer at my desk. Talking to Kulwant was a wonderful boost for my morale. It was a perfect start to what I now believe will be a great year for me!

Statements that express something about great peoples' attitudes to life are a rich source of inspiration for many of us.

But our friends, colleagues and even strangers have their own stories which may resonate with us.

Thank you very much, Kulwant!

Come in 2011!

2011-01-01T00:00:00.000+08:00

Rumi's gift

2010-12-31T00:55:00.000+08:00

You've no idea how hard I've looked for a gift to bring You.
Nothing seemed right.

What's the point of bringing gold to the gold mine, or water to the Ocean.

Everything I came up with was like taking spices to the Orient.

It's no good giving my heart and my soul because you already have these.

So- I've brought you a mirror.

Look at yourself and remember me.

Jalaluddin Rumi said it all.
That's her in the mirror.

The face is the mirror of the soul.
She sees joy, despair, hope, doubt.

This is the end of another year in her life.

A time to reflect and express her emotions.

Love, forgiveness, healing and trust dominate all kinds of thoughts.
She did many things right but she wavered too.

Listen to your inner voice.

Pressure? Deal with it!

Quiet successes inspire her with confidence.

Failures provide just the spur she needs.

As she looks back on the past year, she is grateful that she got through it.

Rumi, thank you for your gift!

X'MAS greetings

2010-12-24T13:03:00.000+08:00

Life's Too Short wishes its Christian readers Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

It isn't child labour when ...

2010-12-21T12:47:00.002+08:00

A young worker helping with sales at his father's accessories stand at the Jelatek night market, which is close to the city centre in Kuala Lumpur.

There is a clear line between engaging young workers to do light duties and exploiting them.

Youngsters who help their parents to manage makeshift stalls at the side of roads or night markets are learning about the real world and in the process acquire skills which might come in handy.

The abuse begins when they become the sole breadwinners or carry out “difficult, dangerous and dirty” (3D) jobs to supplement their family incomes.

That is the message from union leaders and the head of an employers’ organisation in Peninsular Malaysia.

The issue of working youngsters came under the spotlight when Parliament recently passed the Bill of the Children and Young Persons (Employment) (Amendment) Act 2010 which seeks to change the current legislation, 13 years after Malaysia ratified the Minimum Age Convention (C138).

Click here for the full report.

First among equals

2010-12-20T21:05:00.001+08:00

Professor Datuk Shamsul Amri Baharuddin, Professor Dr Lai-Meng Looi and Professor Tan Sri Mohd Kamal Hassan.

These three scholars have earned their places in the history books when they were named Malaysia's first Distinguished Professors recently.

Read about them here:

Distinguished Professor Datuk Shamsul Amri Baharuddin

Distinguished Professor Dr Lai-Meng Looi

Distinguished Professor Tan Sri Mohd Kamal Hassan

Background

Criteria

Leaked US cable claims sodomy took place

2010-12-12T12:22:00.000+08:00

The following article makes for interesting reading on a dry Sunday :

Sodomy charges were a set-up

X'mas is where Koh Soo Ling is

2010-12-07T17:40:00.001+08:00

There are 19 days until Christmas and New Sunday Times contributor Dr Koh Soo Ling is feeling Christmassy!

She knows that successful gatherings need good planning and preparation for her first Christmas in Ireland started early.

In addition to the traditional decorations and tree, she will be introducing Malaysian cuisine on the Christmas table.

I asked her to describe her Irish Christmas "fever" and this is her reply via email.

See below for a new poem from the pen of Soo Ling: Wintry Charm.

If you are meeting Soo Ling for the first time, read about her here.

"My freezer (Mat Sallehs have this very serious business about having an extra freezer in the shed) is stocked up with Christmas game and frozen food, my windows and two fireplaces are decorated and I'm
expecting two Malaysians to come over and stay during the Christmas season.

"So I will dish out turkey, cranberry sauce as well as ketupat (bought earlier from Malaysia, so just throw into boiling water), satay sauce (Brahim's) and satay (now this is authentic) except that it has
to be grilled in an oven.

"I have three in one teh tarik too.

"We will print out carol sheets, Audrey will play the keyboard and we will sit by the fire crooning. Chocolates like Quality Street sweets are very cheap and I've stocked up a few tins to fill up the stockings.

"I like the Christmas celebration here, it is very very warm and even the streets are lighted up.

"As for church, we have quite a number of activities too. One of them is packing toys into shoe boxes for children in Africa and poor countries.

"Then we also have Christmas hampers (we contribute the goodies) that we leave at the door steps of the needy during Christmas day but we remain anonymous. Just ring the doorbell, leave the hamper
and run."

What an attractive Christmas window display!

A fireplace with X'mas decorations.

The snow on the trees is really pretty.

Meet Michael Howard, Soo Ling's other half.

Soo Ling is looking forward to her first Irish Christmas.

Soo Ling has created a warm and festive atmosphere in her Irish home.

Wintry Charm

When the snow falls

On the icy ground

And the wind calls

A curious sound

It’s a mystery

That every snowflake is unique

And everything flies in a flurry

As we shuffle our feet.

When the snow falls

And the robin goes and hides

Behind the walls

That are frozen and white.

The branches are bare

The leaves brittle and light

In the cold thin air

Through the long dark night.

When the snow falls

Wrapped in warm coats and mittens

We hurriedly open the doors

With our wooden tobaggans

We scoop up some snow

Partially hidden we lie

No weapons, no arrows or bows

Ready to pelt snow balls at passers-by.

Fast train to Ipoh

2010-11-20T20:52:00.007+08:00


The ETS intercity makes life easy for those who have to travel to Ipoh, Kuala Lumpur and Seremban regularly.

The ETS (which stands for Electric Train Services) intercity is another indication that Malaysians love travelling by train.

Since its launch on August 12, this year more and more people are catching the train to Ipoh-Kuala Lumpur-Seremban.

That is the observation of an Ipoh-based KTM employee who declined to be named.

The Kuala Lumpur-Ipoh service is popular with professionals especially lawyers, he says.

They get on the early morning train from Kuala Lumpur and arrive in Ipoh in time for their court cases, he adds.

Some Ipoh residents who work in Kuala Lumpur are contemplating commuting between their hometown and Malaysia's capital city.

The seats are comfortable and there is legroom in the front of the seat.

I took the ETS from Kuala Lumpur to Ipoh recently and understood instantly why my relatives and friends are passionate about it.

"Speed, comfort and convenience" are among the reasons enthusiasts offer. And I agree with them.

I boarded the train at 8.30am, fell asleep almost immediately and woke up at Tapah Road, the fourth stop before my final destination -- Ipoh.


Ipoh Railway Station.

From Tapah Road the train snaked its way through the track to Ipoh Railway Station and the time on my watch was 10.45am.

What can I say?

I gave an ecstatic sigh of happiness.

The journey time was two hours and 15 minutes on the transit train. The express service would be shorter by some 20 minutes.

I said goodbye to bus trips -- which are longer and do not have door-to-door convenience -- to Ipoh, my hometown.

I got off the train and in less than 30 minutes by taxi I was at my sister's home.


Passengers get off the train at Ipoh Railway Station.

If train journey is under-appreciated in Malaysia it is because people are fed up with old, slow trains which show no signs of retiring.

Those in a hurry, however, find the ETS intercity enticing.

The introductory rail fare of RM 30 (Kuala Lumpur to Ipoh) may put some people off but that is nothing if you hanker for "speed, comfort and convenience".

And yet a train ride can even be a vacation in itself particularly over longer distances.

That was how I felt when I got the train to Ipoh.

Okay, so I slept right through (almost) the journey but that did not lessen the excitement.

Train stewardess Rosziyana Ruslan.

There are plans to extend the service to Malacca, Johor Bahru and Singapore for the future.

I hope that would be sooner rather than later.

Train travel is attractive in an old-fashioned way.

Writers have written about it and Paul Theroux's Riding the Iron Rooster: By Train Through China comes to my mind.

Your experience on the ETS intercity may not be as dramatic as Theroux's adventures in China but you can still read, play cards, enjoy the greenery passing by or simply doze off.

High-tech trippers will have their iPods and laptops.

There are compelling reasons -- eco-friendliness, comfort and convenience, to name but a few -- to hop on the next train to Ipoh, Kuala lumpur or Seremban.

Student Izzati Johari says the ETS intercity is the most suitable mode of transport for her.

A question for ETS intercity

2010-11-09T00:42:00.004+08:00

Passengers expect good Internet access while travelling.

This facility for charging cell phones is a boon to passengers.

I have a quick question for the managment of Electric Train Service (ETS).

When will passengers, who board the ETS intercity train at the Kuala Lumpur Old Station, have access to the Internet?

Passengers especially mobile office professionals expect good Internet access while travelling and waiting at railway stations.

I wonder what the two computers -- visibly placed next to the cell phone charger area (opposite the ticketing counter) -- are for?

Since its launch on August 12 (2010) the Ipoh-Kuala Lumpur-Seremban route is gaining popularity among locals and foreigners.

This is an opportunity to enhance the reputation of your service.

JMM wants Malaysian Insider to shut down

2010-10-18T23:51:00.004+08:00

Azwanddin Hamzah making a point at the peaceful protest in Bangsar this afternoon.

Jaringan Melayu Malaysia (JMM) wants local news portal Malaysian Insider to vanish off the face of the earth -- and plans to hold regular peaceful protests to drive its point home.

"Malaysian Insider has betrayed Malaysia and its people," says JMM head Azwanddin Hamzah.

He was referring to, among other things, the news portal's relationship with Indonesian nationalist group Bendera.

"I have the documents to prove it," says Azwanddin, adding that he had passed them on to the police for action.

JMM is also upset about Malaysian Insider's recent reports which it said "insulted the Sultans and Malay royalty".

Azwanddin said this after JMM had staged a 30-minute peaceful protest against the conduct of the news portal this afternoon.

The group had chosen the premises of the LRT station in Bangsar as the venue for the public meeting.

Many commuters lingered for several minutes to absorb the points raised by Azwanddin.

As in the first rally last Friday -- when Azwanddin was arrested for organising the event without a permit -- today's peaceful demonstration was also carried out illegally.

Azwanddin was adamant that JMM would continue to express its disapproval until Malaysian Insider shuts down.

See also this report.

When life was all gloom

2010-10-17T22:48:00.002+08:00

I met her in Ipoh -- my hometown -- when she begged for money two years ago.

Nini -- my niece in Ipoh -- called me a minute ago to say that she had died.

She had been infected with HIV for many years but the details of her death are sketchy.

I, like many in Ipoh, don't know her name.

She had approached me at the Central Market in Ipoh on the eve of Eid-ul-Fitr in 2008 and asked for money. I gave her RM20; she thanked me profusely and went away.

That was my first and last encounter with her.

She was a beauty in her teens but her tragic life turned her into a demented soul, by all accounts.

Apparently she was raped repeatedly as a teenager.

Some allege that the perpetrator of the crime was her father; it is unclear whether he was her biological father or stepfather.

The disappointments and betrayals in her life later forced her into prostitution.

It appeared that everything had conspired to make her life a misery.

I don't know if she had sought medical help for her condition.

According to the Malaysian AIDS Council, an average of 10 people are being infected daily and there are some 87,000 HIV-infected people in Malaysia.

I believe that life's not all gloom and despondency but how do you describe hers?

The brevity of human life. It's a terrifying thought.

But Rumi reminds us that "everyone is so afraid of death, but the real sufis just laugh: nothing tyrannises their hearts. What strikes the oyster shell does not damage the pearl".

Al-Fatihah.

Satisfy your curiosity

2010-10-03T17:52:00.004+08:00

Did curiosity kill the cat?

It appears that the Union of Concerned Scientists does not believe that to be true.

Instead, it argues for "scientific curiosity" because that "is the key to solving our world's most crucial environmental, health and security problems -- such as global warming".

The grouping of scientists accuses those with "a vested interest in denying global warming" of "trying to kill the public's curiosity and thus squelch the truth".

"Scientists are curious for life," states the Union and it pleads the cause of supporting curiosity and urges us to start by being members of the grouping.

We should take a leaf from Union's book.

"Curiosity killed the cat" is an idiom meaning to tell somebody not to ask questions or try to find out about things that do not concern them.

That is appropriate for personal affairs but in all other matters we, like the children in our midst, should show curiosity about everything.

Why should it ever stop? When my niece was four she wanted to know "why her shadow was following her?" I was amazed at her ability to notice things around her. She is now in her early twenties and she continues to ask the "shadow"-type questions.

Many questions about life remain unanswered. It is time to dig up the truth. "Curiosity about the world is the beginning of knowledge -- and science", notes Union.

Why Shamsul Amri dislikes Facebook

2010-09-30T15:03:00.003+08:00

Professor Shamsul Amri Baharuddin

People who do not use Facebook fall into three broad categories.

The first group is completely indifferent to it, the second finds it mildly irritating and the third dislikes it intensely.

Malaysia's prominent sociologist Professor Shamsul Amri Baharuddin is of the last type.

I made the mistake of asking Shamsul, who is director of the Institute of Ethnic Studies at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, if he was on Facebook, the social network which was hatched up in the dormitories of Harvard six years ago.

"I have a face and I keep thousands of books. Why do I need Facebook?"

How do you react to that reply?

I didn't. I meekly invited him to elaborate on his reasons.

"Facebook will take away my soul and I won't allow that to happen because I am a believer," says Shamsul fiercely, who launched into a tirade of accusations against Facebook.

Ninety per cent of the things you read on Facebook are either petty, bitter, rude or offensive.

"I refuse to read something that I may not want to know. I have the right to read what I want," says Shamsul, adding that he does not want the social network to take away that right from him.

The very private Shamsul is unwilling to open up to strangers.

"Only Allah knows about me; why should I elevate Facebook to the status of Allah?"

There are now 500 million Facebook users and the social network is "adding 50 million new members each month".

So what?

The impersonal open house

2010-09-26T22:36:00.008+08:00

The Malaysian Open House is a tradition that is likely to continue for a very long time.

It has been non-stop feasting for many Malaysian Muslims as they continue to manage or visit open houses during the month of Shawwal which began on September 10.

Many have expressed admiration for this "unique and peculiar Malaysia tradition".

The Malaysian open house or rumah terbuka (in the Malay language) is mostly held during major festivals such as Eid-ul-Fitr, Diwali, Christmas, Chinese New Year and Hari Gawai, among others.

It is the season to welcome relatives, friends, colleagues and sometimes strangers from the different ethnic groups into their homes.

The activity creates goodwill and may lead to friendship for some people.

While I like the idea of an open house, and by extension an open heart (because that is what the gesture implies), I find the sort organised by corporations a little impersonal.

I prefer small gatherings of family and close friends. I am actually terrified of mingling with thousands of people I do not know.

That was how I felt when I attended the Maybank Eid-ul-Fitr open house yesterday.

I was told by Prakash, the corporate communications executive at Maybank, that the open house hosted by Malaysia's largest banking group catered for 3,000 guests.

If it had not been for Yani, an old school chum who is now working for Bernama, the national news agency, I would have skipped the festivity.

I wanted to meet Yani, whom I have not seen in a while.

I found out at an Eid-ul-Fitr dinner party prepared for close friends at the home of another pal later that day that some people accept invitations to open house dos of the kind I had alluded to earlier for the same reason I appeared at the Maybank function: to meet up with buddies.

Many more do it to network with vendors, customers, business contacts and even competitors besides using the opportunity to be seen with the powerful and famous.

What happened to the idea of enhancing ethnic relations?

Nowadays, the desire to promote ethnic harmony and understanding during such occasions seems less important.

It is all about making lots of money now.

Why I love Malaysia

2010-09-16T15:01:00.001+08:00

Globetrotters often express the following sentiment: "The best part of travel is coming home".

I am going to modify that slightly: "The best part of travel is returning to Malaysia."

After a few days in a foreign land I begin to crave for all things Malaysian and that include teh tarik, street food, ethnic diversity and even the corny (some may say racist) jokes that Malaysians are fond of making.

It would be nice if the weather was kinder, the transport system more efficient, traffic flow smoother and people remembered to hold doors behind them as a courtesy to others.

It's not perfect but we are getting there.

Today Malaysians celebrate the 47th anniversary of the formation of Malaysia when Sabah, Sarawak and Singapore joined Malaya on September 16, 1963. Singapore left the federation in 1965.

From this year Malaysia Day is a national holiday.

The following pictures show some of the things that make Malaysia so lovable.

Terengganu boasts the best beaches in Malaysia. This one is a short walk away from Awana Kijal Golf, Beach & Spa Resort. Go ahead ... indulge yourself with a weekend stay here.

Malaysians and durian are inseparable. Some would disagree but they don't count.

Picture shows the interior of Hai Peng Kopitiam (Chinese coffee shop) in Kemaman, Terengganu. It is 70 years old and serves great local coffee, toasted bread with butter and kaya (egg custard). There is always a steady stream of visitors here so be prepared to wait for an empty table.

I miss Malaysian street food when I am abroad. Some complain that such places are dirty. Yes, that's true in a few cases but the majority of food stalls such as this one observe good food hygiene.

Eating out Malaysian-style. Stalls like this are everywhere.

A mug of nescafe or teh tarik? This one is nescafe tarik. There is nothing I'd like better! Remember the English and their inevitable cups of tea? The feeling is similar.

This is tako, a Thai dessert, made in Malaysia. The choice of sweet food is endless.

Hussain Restaurant serves the best Indian Muslim food in Peninsular Malaysia. I discovered this when I was in Sungai Petani, Kedah a few years ago. Don't forget to have your meals here whenever you are in Sungai Petani.

I am proud of the fact that we are multi-ethnic and multi-cultural. Let's inspire young Malaysians to appreciate diversity. Don' they look sweet?

Eid-ul-Fitr: A time of great rejoicing

2010-09-11T18:28:00.009+08:00

Yesterday was Eid-ul-Fitr, the first day of Shawwal, which marked the end of Ramadan.

Muslims in Malaysia celebrated Eid-ul-Fitr or Hari Raya Aidil Fitri in true Malaysian fashion: holding open house to spread the festive joy with friends and colleagues from the different ethnic groups.

It's always open house at the homes of most Malaysians during major festivals. It is a well-established tradition in Malaysia.

Believers had gathered in mosques all over Malaysia on Friday morning to offer the Eid-ul-Fitr prayers.

After prayers they exchanged greetings by saying "Selamat Hari Raya (Happy Eid)" and asked for forgiveness for any wrongdoing they had done.

Then it was time to welcome guests to their homes. For some the open house is held later in the month of Shawwal when Malaysians continue to engage in festivities until the very end.

This is because they want to focus on other things on the first few days of Shawwal such as visiting graveyards to pay their respects for the departed and reuniting with family members in other parts of the country or balik kampung as Malaysians call it.

Traditional and modern delicacies sit happily together on the Eid-ul-Fitr culinary table. The staples include rendang, lemang and ketupat.

Many say Eid-ul-Fitr is for children who expect new clothes, the customary Eid-ul-Fitr cash gifts (or duit Raya in Malaysia) and special food on the table.

Even parents who were not in the festive mood due to a variety of reasons tried their best to inject enthusiasm into the Eid-ul-Fitr preparations during Ramadan because they wanted to make their offspring happy.

Believers fell prostrate in worship during Eid-ul-Fitr prayers held in mosques throughout Malaysia on Friday morning, the first day of Shawwal. Picture courtesy of New Straits Times.

Children visit their elders on the first day of Shawwal to ask for forgiveness. The best part of this ritual is the Eid-ul-Fitr cash gift which all youngsters look forward to receiving. Picture courtesy of New Straits Times.

This teenager in Malacca is about to leave after visiting his neighbours (and receiving duit Raya from them) yesterday. He dropped in on them with a group of friends. This is a typical scene in Malaysia during the month of Shawwal.

The rear of the teenager's bicycle is cleverly fitted with a spare part from an abandoned motorcycle. His friends think his vehicle looks pretty cool with that fixture.

Lemang stalls such as this one dot Malaysian trunk roads during most of Shawwal. Lemang is made from a mixture of glutinous rice and coconut milk that is very slowly cooked in a bamboo stick lined with banana leaves. It is best eaten with rendang and both dishes are must-have on the Eid-ul-Fitr menu. Picture courtesy of New Straits Times.

Picture shows ketupat palas (left), glutinous packed rice in English, and it is usually served with a savoury meat dish such as rendang tok (right), a spicy beef dish from the state of Perak.

Cookies and cakes complete the wide array of Eid-ul-Fitr food.

This delicious strawberry cheesecake makes a great centrepiece of the Eid-ul-Fitr huge spread.

Eid-ul-Fitr: When the hometown beckons

2010-09-09T12:08:00.003+08:00

The balik kampung rush began about a week ago. Picture courtesy of New Straits Times.

Indonesian house helper Ien was reunited with her teenage daughter and parents in Brengkok Village, Central Jawa, Indonesia last week.

The reunion was an occasion she had longed for because the last time she returned to the family abode was more than two years ago.

Ien and her husband -- a Kuala Lumpur-based construction worker who is also from Indonesia -- made the journey home because they wanted to savour Eid-ul-Fitr or Hari Raya Aidil Fitri with family and friends this year.

It's the first day of Shawwal -- the month that marks the end of Ramadan -- tomorrow and by this time many Muslims who are residing outside their hometowns are with their loved ones or are on their way to be together with them.

Malaysians have a term for the social reunion: balik kampung which literally means "going back to the village".

Malays are not the only ones who observe balik kampung as a form of social reunion. The Chinese, Indian, Kadazan, Murut, Iban, Bidayuh and other ethnic groups in Malaysia do it too.

It is also a regional phenomenon as exemplified by Ien and other foreign workers in Malaysia.

The reason the other ethnic groups in Malaysia have adopted the Malay term balik kampung to describe their journey to a social reunion "is because it has existed in the realm of popular idiom much longer than any other expression that is available locally," Professor Shamsul Amri Baharuddin told me 13 years ago, when I interviewed him for an article on the topic.

The Professor of Social Anthropology at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia defined balik kampung as essentially a reunion of loved ones, that is, between those who have been forced to live separately from their rural-based families, owing to economic and social circumstances, and those who stayed back in the villages.

It is a time to maintain, enhance or repair the social bond that has declined, fragmented, stretched to the limit or partially broken down by forces within modernisation, the two most critical components being urbanisation and industrialisation.

Shopping for Hari Raya Aidil Fitri includes buying gifts for the folks back home. Material and non-material sharing enhances the social bonding during the festive season. Picture courtesy of New Straits Times.

The Malays' first taste of modernisation began in the colonial period when villages became urbanised and modern education was introduced.

For the Malays, who were then predominantly peasants, this was the beginning of the fragmentation of their families and social life.

Some orang kampung (rural people) became orang bandar (urban dwellers) and this gave rise to the rural-urban divide which expressed itself in complex ways.

As Shamsul put it then: "It affected differently and unevenly the life spheres of those who live in the kampung (village) as well as those in the bandar (town or city). It also influenced their relationships."

Industrialisation further complicated the plight, in some ways rupturing altogether the already tensed relationship between the orang kampung and the orang bandar.

"The pressure of the felt difference especially by those who live in the bandar forced them to seek ways of coping with it, one of which is balik kampung."

And from then on balik kampung as a social reunion became central to Malay life, providing the parties involved, who recognise that they have become dissimilar in their world views as well as the way they conduct their daily lives, with a chance to pursue a new kinship.

In cases where the difference is so wide or where it has reached a desperate level, the reunion becomes obligatory to avoid a total collapse of the social bonding.

For that reason, it is often an emotionally-charged event and an attempt to minimise the contrast is made through material and non-material sharing.

Baking cookies for Hari Raya Aidil Fitri is a major activity during Ramadan. It is time-consuming but fun and even the youngest member of this family wants to be a part of it. Picture courtesy of New Straits Times.

Even so, the reunion which is a celebration of change as well as solidarity-making, is a temporary relief from the pain which the difference has brought into the lives of the Malays.

Besides Hari Raya Aidil Fitri and Hari Raya Aidil Adha, there are other social events in the life of a Malay such as weddings and funerals that can reunite him or her with far-flung relatives.

Are Malays still enthusiastic about balik kampung?

Shamsul predicted 13 years ago that "balik kampung is here to stay". And it has.

Anecdotal evidence, however, suggests that the level of intensity has dropped a notch recently.

How do you explain the growing tendency among Malay professionals, whether single or married, to "go away" during the festive season?

The idea is not to balik kampung but to travel to other places for their Raya holidays.

Alternatively, they would stay back in the urban centres they now call home and rejoice at the peace and quiet that descended on city life after the balik kampung exodus.

This is especially true of Malaysians whose parents have passed on.

This photo shows shoppers making a last-minute dash to buy Hari Raya stuff. Many stalls at this bazaar on Lorong Tuanku Abdul Rahman, Kuala lumpur stay open until very late on the eve of Aidil Fitri. Picture courtesy of New Straits Times.

There is no compelling reason to balik kampung particularly if they are not close to their siblings or other relatives who are still living in the old hometown.

Interestingly, the balik kampung reunion is no longer viewed as compulsory. There are various options open to them and balik kampung is just one of the many.

But purists are not happy about this and my friend Yani is one of them.

She cannot conceive that Malay Muslims would wish to spend Hari Raya Aidil Fitri in unfamiliar surroundings.

For her Hari Raya Aidil Fitri should be enjoyed with your parents, siblings, relatives and close friends at the place where you were born or lived as a child.

After months of hard work in noisy, crowded and unfriendly Kuala Lumpur a retreat to the birthplace is just the thing for tired bodies, frayed nerves and dejected spirits.

Yani, like Ien, derives great pleasure from engaging in festivities kampung-style (village-style) and the trip home is trouble worth enduring.

Eid-ul-Fitr greetings to all Muslims!

Muslims still sore about TV3 ad!

2010-09-08T10:40:00.002+08:00

Muslims in Malaysia are still upset about the controversial Hari Raya Aidil Fitri (Eid-ul-Fitr) advertisement which was pulled out recently following protests from viewers.

They cannot believe that TV3 -- a popular television station in Malaysia -- had approved the festive commercial which depicted Hari Raya Aidil Fitri as Christmassy.

There were elements of Christianity, Hinduism and Buddhism in the commercial: flying trishaw (which resembles Santa Claus' sleigh), lamps and lotus.

"This is totally unacceptable," says an academic from a well-known private university college, who requested anonymity.

"It is possible to be 1Malaysia but not 1Religion," he adds, alluding to the 1Malaysia concept, which Prime Minister Dato' Sri Najib Tun Razak is promoting.

Soaking up the Eid-ul-Fitr mood

2010-09-05T21:06:00.008+08:00

Today is the last Sunday before Eid-ul-Fitr or Hari Raya Aidil Fitri, as Malaysians call it, which is likely to fall on September 10, this year.

Eid-ul-Fitr is the first day of Shawwal, which marks the end of Ramadan, the ninth and holiest month of the Islamic calendar.

This is the day Muslims celebrate the end of fasting and "thank Allah for the help and strength that he gave them throughout the previous month to help them practise self-control".

For some Muslims in Malaysia preparation for the day of rejoicing started early.

Many wives and mothers did their Raya shopping, as we name it in Malaysia, about a month before Ramadan began while others prefer to do it later.

Land Public Transport Commission chief operating officer Shahril Mokhtar window-shopped two days after the start of the fasting month to "check out the prices" and to observe the festive trends this year.

"Today is my actual day of shopping," said Shahril, who was trying skull caps for size at the Jalan Masjid India bazaar.

Sisters Siti Zulaika Mohd Sokri and Siti Marlina Mohd Sokri were also out shopping today. They go for ready-made clothes because they are cheaper than buying fabrics and getting them tailored.

Looking at the crowds out shopping, you could be forgiven for thinking that everyone has plenty of money.

Indeed, many went into the Jalan Melayu/Jalan Masjid India/Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman shopping belt to indulge in some serious shopping.

Bazaar retailers say they are not affected by the recession because they have a steady stream of regular customers.

Here are some photos I took this afternoon at the Jalan Melayu/Jalan Masjid India/Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman shopping area.

Urbanites strolling to their favourite outlets at the Jalan Masjid India bazaar.

Siti Marlina (left) and her sister Siti Zulaika showing off their new headgear. Hari Raya will be a low-key affair for the siblings and their families.

This skull cap might fit me, says Shahril.

A smile suddenly animates Shahril's face because the skull cap fits well. He plans to browse the stores for Baju Melayu after this.

Young women flock to the henna painting stalls for an edgy Raya look. We want to look pretty for Hari Raya, they say.

Faizal Ahmad is looking for Baju Melayu and hopes he will find something suitable today.

Artificial flowers are always in season and this year's colours are white, pink and peach. People usually buy these flowers on the eve of Hari Raya.

A familiar scene at a zakat or alms giving counter set up at strategic places during Ramadan. The "compulsory giving of a set proportion of one's wealth to charity" is the Third Pillar of Islam.

Embracing the last 10 days of Ramadan

2010-08-31T14:35:00.002+08:00

The countdown to Eid ul-Fitr, the first day of Shawwal which marks the end of Ramadan, starts here.

But Muslims must go through the last 10 days of Ramadan before the rejoicing begins.

The final 10 days of Ramadan, Islam's holiest month, are finally here.

Muslims believe that the Night of Power or Lailatul Qadr (also spelled Laylat al-Qadr) falls within this period.

They hold that the first verses of the Quran were revealed to the Prophet (PBUH) by God through the Angel Gabriel on the Night of Power.

Nobody knows when the Night of Power -- which the Quran describes as being "better than a thousand months" -- takes place and Muslims are encouraged to seek it out during the last 10 days of Ramadan by taking part in late-night prayers, Dhikr and spiritual contemplation.

According to many accounts, the Night of Power is probably "on one of the odd nights on the last 10 days of Ramadan and most likely to be on the 27th".

"It could happen on the night of the 21st, 23rd, 25th, 27th or 29th," says a religious teacher.

"The advice to believers is to be aware of the specific nights and to do all the necessary prayers and more during the small hours," he says.

What divine secrets are revealed on the Night of Power?

"The sky gates are open and Insyaallah (God Willing) all your doa (prayers of hope) will be answered," says the religious teacher, who agreed to talk to me on condition of anonymity.

It has been said that those who have been touched by the grace of God on the Night of Power will never forget it.

Muslims, who faithfully observe Ramadan, feel a deep sadness as the blessed days quickly go by.

They greeted the fasting month, which began on August 11, with joy because it is the time to renew their relationship with their Creator by abstaining from food, drink, sexual contact during daylight, bad thoughts and deeds as well as performing prayers and acts of charity.

The questions are, will God accept their devotions and will they be able to welcome Ramadan next year?

Only God has the answers to these questions.

The lure of Ramadan bazaars

2010-08-26T01:14:00.005+08:00

A Ramadan bazaar in Wangsa Maju, Selangor.

If you throw a stone in Malaysia during the month of Ramadan, you are likely to hit a bazaar.

Bazaars offering a wide variety of food had sprouted up all over the country since Ramadan began on August 11.

Lists of the top bazaars to go to have been drawn up. The more known and established bazaars attract enthusiasts from everywhere. Plans are made early in the day as to which bazaar they should visit.

Malaysians enjoy their Ramadan bazaars just as they love their pasar malam (night markets).

The tired soul derives great pleasure from soaking up the sight, sound and smell of stalls laden with delicious food.

Food shopping at the bazaars is enjoyable but do it wisely.

And there is something for everybody at the Ramadan bazaars.

The appearance of dishes (such as bubur lambuk or savoury rice porridge) peculiar to the fasting month and normally not seen Malay cakes especially traditional ones (such as tepung pelita and pisang sira, among others) in the bazaars is cause for celebration and a simple trip to buy food for the berbuka puasa (the breaking of fast at sunset) table turns into a jolly outing.

Choosing your favourite comfort food at a familiar stall for breaking the day's fast is a fun and satisfying experience for many.

There is nothing wrong with that.

Tepung pelita, a Malay dessert, is popular with shoppers.

Also, the month of Ramadan provides jobs for budding entrepreneurs and that is a good thing.

But, as consumerists and other concerned Malaysians point out repeatedly, people tend to overspend and overeat during the fasting month.

Food shopping on an empty stomach is a bad plan because every item on the stall counters looks appetising.

It is bound to lead to buying food that will probably end up in the dustbin.

Bubur lambuk, a savoury rice porridge, makes its appearance during Ramadan

It would be a good idea to make a list of food items that you need and stick to it.

If you are not careful, food shopping at the Ramadan bazaars can take a considerable chunk out of your monthly food budget.

The goal is to be prudent consumers.

A healthy Ramadan

2010-08-19T17:07:00.003+08:00

Dates, dried kiwi fruit and apricots as well as pistachio nuts could make up the meal that breaks the day's fast. Dates "provide a refreshing burst of much-needed energy," notes Ramadan health guide.

Serendipitous. That is the word I would use to describe a discovery in my mailbox last week.

A friend had emailed me a file on Ramadan health guide, compiled by Communities in Action.

It was exactly the thing that I had been looking for. About a month before Ramadan, which began on August 11, I had been searching for materials on staying healthy during the fasting month.

Then came Ramadan Health Guide, which hopes to create awareness of the health matters connected with fasting.

What concerns many Muslims is staying healthy during Ramadan, a point noted by the Ramadan health guide.

The booklet guides readers through physiological changes that occur during fasting, offers examples of beneficial and harmful foods, examines potential medical problems and remedies and suggests a diet plan, among others.

Click here to read it.

Ramadan fine dining

2010-08-19T14:27:00.001+08:00

Guest blogger Jehan Mohd had her first taste of Malay fine dining at a berbuka puasa (breaking of the fast at sunset) event hosted by Commercial Radio Malaysia. Ibunda, the venue for the evening, offers a delicious mix of traditional Malay cooking dressed up in the trappings of the gastronomic equivalent of haute couture. Here are her thoughts on her experience.

Our starter served in four bowls -- there was (from the left) lemang (glutinous rice soaked in coconut milk and cooked in bamboo over a slow fire) and rendang (stewed beef in coconut milk), rojak mamak (Indian Muslim style salad with peanut sauce), some really nice fish in unidentified yummy sauce and bubur lambuk (savoury rice porridge).The rendang had a strange aftertaste but the fish and bubur were lovely! Also in the picture are my first air sirap bandung (a concoction of rose syrup water and evaporated milk) for the year, a vintage glass bottle of ice-cream soda (!) and dates dished up in a boat-like porcelein plate.

Our main course -- this dish is enough for three (hence three of everything) -- fried fish on the left, fried chicken at the bottom, keropok (fish crackers) and prawn curry. All round, these taste good, the prawn was so big, I ended up having to peel the shell off with a knife rather than the usual spoon.

The rice portion of the main course comprises nasi kerabu (a traditional rice dish from the northern states of the peninsula), keropok (fish cracker), curried mussel and a scoop of lentil and okra. I avoid mussels so mine ended up going to someone else but the rest of the fare is what you might expect from a high-brow restaurant, not the type you would eat at mum's.

Traditional Malay kuih (sweet cakes) dressed up like pastries from a high-end bakery in Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur. Taste-wise, it's what you would expect from these desserts normally. I still prefer to get my sweets from the roadside vendors (not sure if they are legit) in any Malay area such as Taman Tun Dr Ismail, Kuala Lumpur.

The interior of Ibunda is homey, reminiscent of a traditional Malay house -- only high-end with air-con.

The quintessential berbuka puasa (breaking of the fast) drink much loved by all Malaysians -- air sirup bandung (a concoction of rose syrup water and evaporated milk) and a vintage bottle of ice-cream soda (another local favourite). I love this combination of sweet stuff when breaking fast!

Breaking the fast with orphans

2010-08-14T23:54:00.130+08:00

Some 300 orphans from five welfare homes and orphanages in the Klang Valley (pictures) were treated to berbuka puasa (the meal which breaks the day's fast, also known as iftar in some cultures) at Nikko Hotel, Kuala Lumpur yesterday.

Members of the media were also invited to the event, which was organised by Permodalan Nasional Berhad (PNB), Malaysia's biggest fund management company. It is a yearly occurrence.

The special guests received duit raya (the customary cash gift for Eid ul-Fitr, the first day of Shawal that marks the end of Ramadan), dates and cookies for Eid ul-Fitr.

PNB is among many corporations in Malaysia that organise berbuka puasa for the underprivileged sections of the community in Malaysia.

While I laud the move by these corporations, I could not help but wonder why hotels are chosen as the venues for these social functions?

What is wrong with community halls, mosques or school halls?

Other members of the community -- rich, poor, thinkers and construction workers -- and not just officials from the corporations should be part of the guest list.

The idea is to get to know the orphans and to reflect on their situation. Do they eat properly, go to school and get access to medical care?

Close your eyes and imagine that you are an orphan without the support of a loving family!

The Prophet (PBUH) described Ramadan as "the month of mercy".

He said: "I am the person who looks after an orphan and provides for him, will be in Paradise like this," putting his index and middle fingers together. (Al-Bukhari).

Hotels are anything but cheap.

What is the message that organisers are trying to get across to the orphans? That mee rebus (noodles with thick gravy) costs RM 28 a plate at the coffee house of a luxury hotel? That taking your meals at a hotel is something to aspire to? That five-star hotels are the only places for celebration?

Don't get me wrong. I am not against the occasional dinner treat at a hotel but I do not condone teaching extravagance and wastage to Malaysian youngsters.

The aim is to help them to help themselves.