The liberation of life for all Malaysians.

New Malaysia should believe, build and attain good quality of life for all – B40, M40 and T20 – all races, all ages, all gender, all beliefs. I've become some sort of an avid observer of cross-cultural lifestyles whenever I travel and every piece of my experience, I made a mental note.

And after being in 28 countries across 5 continents, these library of 'notes' in my head, is finally compiled into a comprehensive and succinct checklist for what I think good quality of life is, and that both private and government sectors should work together to provide for all Malaysians. I hope they will come handy someday. I believe that not one party can provide the solutions to all 25 goals. All sectors must work together in close collaboration and with the same ideals, only then we can achieve this ambition. I welcome discussion and suggestion.

1. Knowing the source of your food and that it is safe
2. Being able to ‘enjoy’ simple pleasures of what one enjoys - from ice cream vans to skating parks, from fine wine to swimming in public rivers
3. Having life aspirations and being able to realize them
4. Healthy engagement of discourse with each other, including with their voted representatives
5. Freedom of belief and religion - the government a watchdog, not a dictator
6. Connection with tradition and culture, a strong sense of belonging
7. Social integration - being able to interact freely with others on a daily basis regardless of income, race and religion
8. Close relationships with friends and families
9. Having quality choices in one’s everyday decisions
10. Good quality childcare that is both flexible and affordable
11. Facilities and services that have good consideration of being baby, children, senior, disabled and pet-friendly
12. Appreciation of music, literature and knowledge – music festivals, good libraries, bookstores and affordable access to fast internet
13. Accessibility and enjoyment of commute
14. Minimal anxiety of growing old or being sick
15. Low crime rate, efficient and just enforcement of law and security – everyone feels safe and secured on a daily basis
16. Accessible and affordable medical and social care and advice
17. Close proximity to nature and greens – strong accountability for the environment
18. Affordable and conscious access to clean water and electricity – no wastage
19. The wisdom of elders, the laughter of little ones and compassion for the less-abled
20. Having the means and freedom to access knowledge and experience from other cultures
21. Sound business policies, strategies and practices that maintain a good balance between the interest of the people and the interest of the market
22. Having good build and design around you – design that solves problems and for the enjoyment of many
23. A well-informed society and a good and healthy balance of government and media power
24. Well-prepared for disaster prevention, relief and recovery, and finally last but not least...
25. Able to build own home and family with loved ones

The real difference between Malaysia and Singapore today.

Source: Google

That's the difference.  Malaysians who go to Singapore, can't afford the night and Singaporeans who come to Malaysia, all enjoy themselves :'(

This is a very far-fetched hypothesis.  Please take it with a pinch of salt. Don't be too serious otherwise statistics becomes shitistics :)

Milking the future.

My latest research expedition brought me to far flung, long forgotten places that are resting in the dusty recesses of the economy - dairy farming.

Nutshell, we are only 12% self-sufficient when it comes to milk production.  What does that mean?  It means, if we were 100% self-sufficient, milk prices will come down and more people can drink more milk because it's more affordable.

It's quite scary to know that Malaysia lacks a strategy when it comes to food security.  We are too reliant on food imports which is why we're all hurting over our grocery bills today when the Ringgit plummeted.  Sometimes I wonder.  I really really wonder.  I wonder what else can the ministry do.  This is not a bashing post, and I don't doubt some people are really good at what they do.  But the question is what's next?  What's our best game plan in feeding 30 million mouths and counting? While Najib has moved on to the 11th Malaysia Plan, a quick search on the internet seems to me that the Ministry of Agriculture and Department of Veterinary Services are still stuck in the 9th!

Looks like all the attention is focused on building a knowledge-based economy that we have left our fundamental needs behind.  Many are quick to jump into an obvious conclusion - use agriculture to lift up the bottom 40 economy.  This is where we make a grave mistake of assuming poor people are meant to be farmers and urban folks are not.  That's a very strong social prejudice in this day and age, mind you.  In my books, it's equivalent to asking women to stay home.  Agricultural and farming technologies have evolved past mere livelihood to increase efficiency for better yield for better revenues for bigger markets for new economies.  You need someone who is savvy and trained and to a very large extent, passionate about about the job.  And no young urbanite today, likes a dirty job.

So perhaps, it would be wise for the government to consider attracting knowledge-based young entrepreneurs back into the agriculture sector to catapult it to its much needed and deserved growth.  Instead of just flogging dead horses, shoving expired KPIs into the shed and trying to attract those who have no will power to succeed nor excel to be part of their program.  It will bode well when we start with education, to inspire young minds to find success in farming. That this field deserves as much pride as your Silicon Valley-ish start-ups.  We need to look and scrutinize short, mid and long-term plans instead and it seems that there're A LOT to catch up.  Such bright future for us, if only the people at high places are more accounted for.

Got a related project or an idea?  Call me and let's discuss over a mug of milk.

Dumpster Divers: Yay or Nay?

Dumpster Divers are people who rummage through garbage to find wasted food that might not be perfect, but is comfortably safe to be consumed.  You could say it's a culture, a way of life for some, and few for art sake - the perfect way to demonstrate how much wastage is going through in urban areas.

Watch this:



This video was shared by a fellow Human-Design coursemate as we were discussing about the issue of food wastage.  While I think there is merit to the idea of scourging dumpsters to look for perfectly safe and edible foods (not to mention incurring absolutely zero cost for 3 meals a day!), but I'm not really convinced on the concept of 'freeganism'.  Hmm.

I remember my dad once told me that it's okay to study religion.  Or be religious.  The danger is being TOO religious.  Why?  Yah, one of the reasons could be obvious - we don't want no ISIS beheading no people.  But really, if you think about it... what kind of economic value would this individual be putting in the society?  Sure, Freeganism is sustainable for them. But, what about the rest of the society?  How is Freeganism sustainable for everyone?

That's an interesting albeit very touchy subject.  And for fear I attract haters/stalkers, I shall not delve further.  Except to leave you with this very thought.  As an individual that functions as a whole in the society, is it or is it not important for you to be able to add value to the system?  Freeganism sounds like takers.  But if it's done right, it could very well be like a much needed organic support system for many living on the streets.  Just like how an acquaintance rightly put - if only hipsters act like REAL hipsters.

I don't know, what do you think?

Quality-of-life Index.

Just read about The Economist's Quality-of-life Index and it's scored based on these criteria:

"The survey uses nine quality of life factors to determine a nation's score.[1] They are listed below including the indicators used to represent these factors:

Health: Life expectancy at birth (in years). Source: US Census Bureau
Family life: Divorce rate (per 1,000 population), converted into index of 1 (lowest divorce rates) to 5 (highest). Sources: UN; Euromonitor
Community life: Variable taking value 1 if country has either high rate of church attendance or trade-union membership; zero otherwise. Source: World Values Survey
Material well being: GDP per person, at PPP in $. Source: Economist Intelligence Unit
Political stability and security: Political stability and security ratings. Source: Economist Intelligence Unit
Climate and geography: Latitude, to distinguish between warmer and colder climates. Source: CIA World Factbook
Job security: Unemployment rate (%.) Source: Economist Intelligence Unit
Political freedom: Average of indexes of political and civil liberties. Scale of 1 (completely free) to 7 (unfree). Source: Freedom House
Gender equality: Measured using ratio of average male and female earnings. Source: UNDP Human Development Report"

Wikipedia

Good to know.  Last I checked in 2005, Malaysia is ranked 36.  But with all these political fiasco, rampant corruption and crime and latest gun shooting incidents, how do you think we are scoring?  

Where did the RM7 billion go?

The government announced in February (specifically, quoting the International Trade and Industry Minister, Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed) that there will be a 'further reduction in prices' with a gradual phasing out of import duty on CBUs from Japan and Australia over the next 3 years.

Ahem.

I heard that many Japanese makes are already enjoying the 0% import duty as CBUs are mainly from Thailand and Thailand is under the Asean FTA.  CBUs directly from Japan is minimal quantity and not to mention, Australian makes are negligible.  So there you go, a little 'sweet' from the government pre-GE which if you really do the math, is NOT a sweet at all.  Would you buy an Australian make at this point in time?  Wait... can you even see a Holden on the road?  At all?  -_-" And get this, what's really hurting our wallet is the excise duty.

The thing that really caught my attention though was, excise duties contribute about RM7 billion a year to the government's pocket, which is essentially about 4% of total federal government revenue of RM208 billion.

As a concerned citizen, I'm just curious, where and how did we spend this RM7 billion?  Each year?

If I was the Ministry, maybe I'd use the 7 billion to:

1) Trim my ministry head count but to those who stay, they are properly and competitively compensated - not a fat cheque reserved for the upper few
2) Build the industry, building world-class competitive young talents in the automotive business to ensure a sustainability in a thriving industry
3) Encourage open source R&D as a step to making Malaysia a SEA hub for all-things automotive tech
4) Donate to Road Works so that we have better roads
5) Making road safety a compulsory quick subject in school that doesn't need to take an entire year or 12 years as a matter of fact, for students to 'study' -_-

Of course I don't have an inkling of an idea on how to run a ministry.  I just thought some practical measurable visions could work as a binding beacon for everyone to follow.

7 billion.

Sigh.

Oh well.

Datuk datuk, datin datin.

Been flipping The Edge and came across cover stories.  These people with their photos taken on the page, who obviously are the 'talking heads' of their organisations.  Sometimes they come with a title and sometimes they don't (but most of the time they do).  Got me thinking.  Or questioning in fact, how much calibre do these people have?  Cause I've met a few (obviously not enough to warrant a proper qualitative) but some that I really question the information they provide and trends they spot.  If they are who they claim to be, then the most immediate result would be how the company runs, the products or services that are put out, the marketing that goes with it and most importantly, the people behind who make all these happen.  Just so Datuk so and so and Datin so and so can say something on The Edge's cover story.

Just wondering.  No harm done.

Would you put your life out on the line for money?

Something that intrigued me recently - what motivates people in a social norm setting (doing something that has nothing to do with monetary value) and in a market norm setting (doing something that has everything to do with monetary value).  Our job almost always falls into the latter category, although sometimes it's muddled by management - social norm requirements from employees in a market norm situation.

But the question which popped into my head was, what about law enforcers?  This is a highly grey area. Surely a job which requires you to risk your life be entirely about the money?  How much are you paid for your life?

Look at the police ranking in Malaysia, below from Wikipedia:

According to Home Minister, Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein, there was a scheme, effective Jan 1 2009, that would adjust the police salaries at the quantum of three annual salary increments.  Which means, an Inspector now earns a salary of RM2,060.28 compared to RM1,423.50 previously while their maximum salary of RM3,710.66 is increased to RM4,962.39.  An Assistant Superintendent of Police received a new salary of RM2,130, which is an increase of RM69.72 compared to RM2,060.28 previously while the maximum salary is now at RM5,170.53 compared to RM4,962.39 previously.  Now let me make a comparison to an industry renown for lack of staff benefits, low pay and long working hours - ADVERTISING.  According to Firebrand, an entry-level Account Executive (fresh grad) now should earn a neat RM2,000 of which upon promotion to a Senior AE level (which roughly requires an average of 2 year working experience with consistent performance), they will be earning at least RM2,500 up to RM3,500.

Am I the only one who sees how our human resource system for law enforcers is flawed?

Assuming an SPM graduate / undergrad / cadet school grad who for some unknown reason is extremely passionate about protecting civilian security of his nation joins the police force at a Constable (PC) level, what do you think his salary starts from?  IF an Inspector (7 ranks above) was earning RM2,000?  And you ask what are the police doing in alleviating crime rates?  What do you think?  What would you do?  Would you put your life in the line of fire for RM2,000?  Even if you are okay, what about your family?  Who's gonna take care of your children?  Your parents?  Your spouse?

The above paints me a picture of an ideal police in Malaysia: You are single, on fire for the country and her people and injustice that you're willing to risk everything including the livelihood of your family (if you have one) for whatever amount the government has allocated as your measly monthly salary for decades unchanged.  A true national hero that will never question the authority or his career rights.

To those who indeed lost their lives in protecting the sovereignty of the country, you are indeed a hero.  No question.  But to those who are less than willing to go the extra mile, I understand your plight.  And to those who misuse their power, I also understand.  Because this system is greatly flawed.  Please do not misconstrue my understanding of the situation as a personal agreement.  Only by awareness we can then identify effective solutions to the problem.

So.  If I were to build my own police force as in like SIMCity, I would overhaul the entire HR strategy.  While the police serves under market norm, but their motivation must stem from a social conscience.  Money in this case is both important and unimportant.  A sound salary plan accompanied by social motivation is perhaps the best balance to ensure minimally an 'effective' police force.  The problem with the current situation is, they are entirely taken for granted, expected to serve at minimal wage.  If we were to plug the holes that are depleting the government funds, surely there's enough to ensure sustainable and progressive wage to our officers?

Agree?

De-pressurizing a national hero so that he can finally win.

Last night, 28 million Malaysians witnessed a heartbreaking moment.  Yes, we were disappointed with the lost of our first gold medal from just 2 points away, but that wasn't the most heart-wrenching part.  Our hearts broke when our dear champion, Lee Chong Wei fought hard to hold back his tears on the silver podium.

He was just two points away.  And it was a really extremely eye-opening heart-gripping 3-match game between him and China's Lin Dan.

I've always thought that Lin Dan was a faster player.  His speed is almost unmortal-like.  Every time Chong Wei is fast, Lin Dan is faster.  Always seemed to be half a second faster and that half a second seems to make a hell lot of difference.

Or is it?

Personally, watching Chong Wei played so many games against his nemesis, I think they are just getting better and better, feeding on each other's skill and upping the challenge.  Well, Chong Wei is definitely getting better and better, closing his scores against Lin Dan in every match.  Though he always carries a cool, calm and collected posture, we could only imagine what it must have felt to have the hopes of an entire nation rested upon one shoulder.  His.  Every time.  All the time.

And therefore I thought, perhaps the secret to winning Lin Dan is not about his physical skill, which to me, Chong Wei is already pretty immaculate.  Perhaps the way to win the game is for him to have a strong second national player.  A competition.  A partner.  Someone to help him shoulder the nation's hope, someone who can half his burden, so that he can finally concentrate on winning the opponent on the other side of the net.  And not focusing on how he would be disappointing millions if he doesn't bring back the championship.  The single biggest proof of this is when he tweeted, 'I'm sorry' after the match.  And you know it's not a physical fight that he has succumbed to but a mental one.  I mean why on earth would a 2-point-to-Gold Olympian who arose from hundreds of other professional players to bag a silver at the Olympics apologise?  If it wasn't because he felt that he HAD to and that he had disappointed millions.  Lin Dan could hack it because he has Chen Long and if it wasn't Chen Long, there are a troop of others (athletes can be manufactured in China anyway).  But who can Chong Wei rely on?

The strategy of winning isn't just focusing on the match at the time of game.  Perhaps, it's really to look outside-the-box and search the core of the problem and fixing that first.  Offload his shoulders, Malaysian team!  Step up.  You have to really step up if you want Chong Wei to win.  Ironic isn't it?  In order for one person to win, you need a few more to rise up.

Anyway, this is just MHO.  And I guess to have Chong Wei as our national emblem, we are already winners. 

Can we FREAKING STOP plagiarizing already!?

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DAMN IT!  If you're a Malaysian, you'd get what my 'damn it' means!  Didn't Picasso teach us to STEAL but DON'T copy?  And if you want to steal, steal it with class yo! Daymnnnnnnn... all these Merdeka sh*t is an insult to our creative industry!

Malaysia needs better management and accountability!

No, seriously.

Read this: http://www.artsjournal.com/slippeddisc/2012/07/just-in-musicians-federation-calls-for-world-boycott-of-malaysian-philharmonic-auditions.html

And then read my support mail (to-ed, cc-ed and bcc-ed):

Dear big shots of MPO,


I'm sending this email because of two reasons.
1) The published article regarding your... 'management' decision on laying off 9 musicians for NO REASON:  http://www.artsjournal.com/slippeddisc/2012/07/just-in-musicians-federation-calls-for-world-boycott-of-malaysian-philharmonic-auditions.html, and 2) I'm a HUGE ARDENT FAN of the MPO. 


 Just by reading the article, I was really disappointed.  Even if it was a 'cost-cutting' measure that needs to be done, I'm preeeeeeeeeeeeetty sure there are other ways than to just lay-off resources as your immediate priority.  Maybe you've done your calculations and all that she-bang and came to this final decision, maybe you still carry that 'age-old' Malaysian government mentality of, 'So what?  I throw money out there, there are THOUSANDS who would play for us', or maybe someone will sack you if you don't sack them, well I don't know.  The maybes can be quite creative if leave to public interpretations.  Therefore, I urge you respond with an official press release so that we can view the situation as a whole and not in half.  I still give you the benefit of doubt and still believe there is such thing as 'innocent till proven guilty' though not widely practised in this country.  So... for the sake of MPO's reputation that it's able to continue to churn quality music and raise the appreciation of classical orchestras in this nation and beyond,... say something?  And please... say something intelligent (you don't want to follow the footsteps of the local government).  Petronas is the country's cash cow, EVERYONE knows that.  If we stop pumping unnecessary money to the government's alternative agenda, I'm pretty sure we could sustain 900 of these mentioned musicians and maybe more :)

Looking forward to your reply.

Cheers and looking forward to your 2012/13 season!  Very good line-up and it'd be a shame to have the stage empty, no?

Sue-Anne

And then your turn to support.

Sigh. Shame shame.

Alas, what makes Malaysia, Malaysia?

Truly truly truly, it has to be this!

I really thought Malaysians couldn't care less. Being there, yes I saw a lot of people. But hell, I didn't know it was THIS MANY PEOPLE. We've studied in history, iconic leaders who had to wrestle independence back for the people. Against the Japanese, against the British, whomever. But who would have known? Today, it is MALAYSIANS themselves who are fighting for independence of election against these so-called leaders? If this is not called beautiful, I seriously don't know what is. F*ckyeah Malaysians unite! (Sorry, too excites). But yeah, don't EVA forget that spirit in our everyday life k :) We can change. One step at a time. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

What kind of Malaysian are you?

Malaysians are really, the most colourful bunch of truly Asians that I'm really proud of.  If my newsfeed had a colour, it would be yellow and it's been ongoing up till now.  Been reading a lot of people's opinion about what happened.  Been watching a lot of videos on people's action during the protest.  And here's my humble summary of what type of Malaysians are there :) This is... a hypothetical truth and purely my personal opinion.  Please don't shoot.  The 'x' button is at the corner right, in case you need to reach out for it!

1) The political hijackers: Opportunists who sidetrack the participants to other causes (e.g voting for them) by taking advantage of the high spirits.  The strategy is to sell, "If you don't want BN, means you want XYZ".  Mixing people's motivation to create a new logic.  Smart-nya.

2) The chant leader: Comprehends the facts about the cause and understand why they are there for.  They lead in songs and war-cries to lift and maintain the spirit of the people during the protest.  May or may not be neutral in their political stance but they are definitely cause focused.

3) The hardcore 'blind' protester type: Almost the jihad kind without a cause.  Look for every opportunity to cari gaduh with the authorities.  Must have been rejected many times to be an extra in movie shoots.

4) The neutral type: Participates because of a single reason (e.g need electoral reforms), and understand basic supporting facts (e.g why need electoral reforms) but not the iceberg details.  Basically peaceful.  Not there to be a hero, but there to support others to make a point.  Usually quite level-headed and prefer to not scuffle (e.g peaceful come, peaceful go).

5) The tourist type: Participates because it's a one in a lifetime national event.  May have initially gone for the cause, but got sidetracked by the carnival-ish atmosphere.  But when things turn ugly, they go home with a lot of photos and suddenly remember why they were angry in the first place.

6) The accidental hero: Their instinct is to get people out of trouble because they are wise enough to know some of them will get into serious trouble.  They sometimes appear in photographs helping others to get to safety.  But there are many unsung ones too.  Those who helped indirectly, feeding and giving refuge to teargassed protesters in their shop, letting down the shutters to keep them safe.  Whoa~ gooseys! x

7) The PERKA... 'buat-kacau' infiltrators: 'nuff said.

8) The samseng police: Police who feels a snowballed oppression (may come from the government but he cannot identify the source anymore).  So when protesters taunt them, they feel the need to 'teach them a lesson' and to show the citizens, who's the boss.  So they group up and beat em' like a boss.

9) The neutral police: He doesn't have a choice but to uphold the orders of his superior.  He doesn't agree nor disagree with the protests but generally prefers things to be kept in order.  Therefore he doesn't respond nor react to taunters.

10) The undercover police 1: He pretends to be one of the protesters and creates a drama to give the authorities a reason to do a 'Die Hard' (minus the explosion) clamp down.

11) The undercover police 2: Actually, he really wants to be a protester, wearing his yellow spirit under his uniform.  He looks at the situation and tries to be strong.  He feels the spirit of the people yet he cannot defy the orders that came with his FRU uniform.  Normally, these type will sit and start questioning themselves, post-event.  Amazed by what happened and what he saw today.

12) The citizen journalist: They take themselves as independent media recording the event from their perspectives.  But without training and experience, they easily misunderstand the situation without further investigation, taking only what they see as proof of events.  Objective contexts are usually absent from most of their reporting causing bias.  But they are the strongest advocates of the event.

13) The independent media versus mainstream media: 'nuff said.  They only see what their own medium aims to report.  No matter what happened, there will always be two sides to a story pro their own beliefs.

14) The convenient Malaysian: Fairly oblivious to what's happening in KL.  Continues their shopping spree in 1U, Mid Valley, staying out of KL because there are 'road blocks'.  Curse when it's jammed and blame the protesters, oblivious to the fact that LDP is jammed every day at every hour.

15) The outposters: Malaysians who are in other countries, sat down and chat with other Malaysians to give their home country support.  They may or may not realize their fellow citizens are running for their lives, while they meet new friends and set new 'makan-makan' appointments should there be a next gathering.

16) The quiet supporters: Secretly, they want to be there but due to unforeseen circumstances (or whatever circumstances), they can't.  Normally, they have at least one or two close friends who are participating.  They are generally affected by the turn of events, providing encouragement to those who participated, secretly promising to themselves, I WILL BE THERE NEXT YEAR DAMNIT!

17) The commentators: Those who were not there and experienced nothing but share their opinion based on photographs and for/against write-ups online.  Usually after one or two monumental artefact then they will fly into judgement.  Read: No.12 + No. 17 = Pretty potent.

18) The I'm-greater-than-you-oh-who-are-stupid: Those who did not participate but are greatly inconvenient (e.g my FB feeds are all about Bersih, you guys are getting in between me and my other content you know!) by what happened.  So they start calling protesters and all who support the event, names.  Oblivious to the fact that what the participants fight for, also benefit them.

19) The born again Malaysian: They transformed and became REAL Malaysians post-event.  Because they finally experienced first hand a united spirit and kindness extended by other races (albeit living in this country all their lives).  Their birthright and nationality renewed and now they want to fight even more for their country.

20) The VIPs: Political figure, NGO figure, celebs, someone's daughter, someone's son, whatever.  They are a spirit-booster to the protesters.  When they turn up, they heighten the spirit of the people.  They may be with the crowd but somehow always have an exit planned (that no one knows).

And finally...

21) The blur nut: "What happened last weekend?  Haaa, got meh~"

OH AND ONE MORE!

22) The I'm-not-a-Malaysian-anymore Malaysian: "I'm a ___________" (e.g Londoner, New Yorker, Australian, whatever).

So which one are you?  Not part of the list?  Then let me know, I'll add on.

(Don't lar angry, joke joke aje...)

The moral of the story is... there are many kinds of us and it's okay to be who you are, so long your conscience is clean and you stick to your guns, instead of poking it at other Malaysians who simply fall into a different category.  No?

What does it feel the day after BERSIH?

It feels strange.  Surreal.  Unreal.  Almost like a dream.  Like you're not sure if it really happened.  And you're not sure what exactly happened.  And you're not sure if it happened at all!  Until you fire up your computer and read about all the sweet and bitter stories about what really happened.

I won't go into detail of my experience yesterday.  If I have to sum it up in one sentence, then it would be 'a carnival on elm street'.  A peaceful protest turned sour because of whatever whatever whatever happened (and still no one can be sure).  It turned nightmarish when innocent citizens 'dikepong' (surrounded) within the area with tear bombs, exit points sealed.  To the police strategist - I'm not sure what was the brief but your objective in retrospect sure looks iffy and your strategy a mess unless you're telling me that the intention was to punish the citizens and smoke em' like rats so that they either sit down to 'enjoy' the gas (because the old ones can't run anymore) or run, scurry or even jump from high places as your form of enjoyment.  Oh well.  You'll be screwed fo sho' if we were to do a PDCA :Pp

As a result, I now can proudly say that I was one of the FRUs smoked rats :D the tear gas, as my fellow yellow bellow friend rightly put it, was no pussy gas as he thought it was before.  YA MAN.  It really stings.  Imagine we're not even in direct inhalation, forget 'tearing', your entire breathing system burns.  Thereafter, panic comes from your inability to breathe especially if you're a newbie.  I started panicking a) after realizing that the burning sensation is growing and b) there seem to be tear bombs everywhere - at the back and in front of us - where to go now? But luckily a good Samaritan who owns a bookstore (www.xuelin.com.my), let us into his shop on the 1st floor in one of the buildings.  And we were safe.  And there were a lot of good Samaritans trying to be helpful but you'll be surprised, everyone was VERY calm.  Looked bit wet and uncomfortable, bit worried but generally CALM.  Wow, amazing isn't it? :) The strength I never knew we had :)

After all the John Woo drama, I reached home safely (thank God and thank you all who prayed for us) and even went out for dinner.  I must have been really animated during dinner, like I just watched a Hollywood piece at the cinema earlier that afternoon.  Well, I hope at least I was entertaining :)

And then I went home.  Suddenly, very exhausted and very sleepy.  My eyes were still bit stinging, perhaps remnants to remind me that it was very real.  And I woke up today, recharged and reading all the perspectives of everyone who was there.  I saw this, no it wasn't true, I saw this, yes it's true, no I saw this, it's not true, yes I saw this, etc etc etc.  All are wonderful stories and all are worthy because all are true (plus minus the real context, at least it was truly what the person saw).  But it doesn't matter, does it?  The aftermath of Bersih isn't a blame game.  We went for it, means we were prepared for things to turn ugly and we even expected stupidity to surface itself in many stupid forms that can cost a life.  And that's just what it is.  I heard there are deaths and I'm truly truly truly sorry to hear that.  As well as to those who are hurt.  Don't give up the fight.  Yesterday was just the second phase.  There will be third, fourth, fifth and perhaps many more.  But we will be smarter next time.  Because none of them is as clever as all of us right?  Right :)

So I'm gonna leave you with my favourite pics from yesterday's rally.  Only two in fact (maybe I'll add on later if I come across more) but the meaning is monumental.  The protesters yesterday truly cover ALL WALKS of Malaysian life - every shade, size, tongue and faith.  We became friends because we have the same want for a 'clean election, clean government'.  But what in fact united us was when we protected each other, placing ourselves second to this new friend whom we just met.  Now, THAT is worth going to BERSIH for again and again and again and again.  Hey, we could even make that an annual tourism event like the Mardi Gras except it can get Hollywoodish!  Our very own national street event :) Anyway, so here are the pictures and a very well produced video (somehow, things are just more dramatic when you add a soundtrack :) Enjoy and keep protecting, keep uniting and keep on fighting x

A member of the public lies on the road in order to stop the police truck from spraying the chemical-laced water on the Bersih 3.0 participants. Picture from @Michael The II (Source: FB)

Can't find the source for this one.  But the image is self-explanatory #winning

And this one kinda gives you an idea what it felt like to be there (music makes more drama, so you may take it a notch down :))

Bersih 3.0 Same Day Edit by lumierasia

Oh and one more thing.  Some of my friends thought Bersih was a total waste of time and the people are being used by the opposition as pawns, causing unnecessary chaos (and roadblocks and traffic jam) in the country and worse, the problem of massive litter the day after.  Well, point taken.  Maybe.  Sorry about the litter though (I kept mine in my bag by the way).  We will do better in cleaning up and looking harder for a rubbish bin while running away from water cannons and tear gas next time we get smoked ok? :)

But anyway, a serious question popped up in my head: What happens when half of us want to move forward and the other half is contented with where we are.  Then what will happen to us, as one?  How do we deal with that?  Surely surely surely, if the electoral commission reforms AS A RESULT of these protesters, o-stay-home-and-comment-on-others YOU must also benefit?  But did the protesters care who benefits and who doesn't?  Did they not stand up to fight for all Malaysians?  Heck, I went for my children and I don't even have children!

Truly truly, that's a very important question that needs to be considered by our thinkers.  Hmm.  Really, think about it and share ;)

Recommended Bersih 3.0 Reads:

Marina Mahathir's POV
Lim Kit Siang's POV
The chronicle of yesterday's event from Malaysia Chronicle (time stamped)
On the importance of this fight by the Malaysian Insider

What will win us a revolution?

Prayer.  And faith.

Well, here it is again. The famous infamous Bersih rally. Last year, I was saddened because I couldn't make it there but this year, I have no excuse. I will be there with my fellow Malaysians of every shade, size and tongue. For those of you who know me, don't worry. I promise to take good care of myself and finally, this is where all those years of learning to be street smart and independent will be put into a test. I know you have heard and seen horrid stuff about what happened last year. To be honest, I'm nervous too. Unlike many truly courageous ones and those whose spirit is stirred by the PR hype, I'm truly nervous because in reality we really don't know what can happen, whether maliciously planned or due to someone's stupidity and we all know what stupid can cost us now, don't we?

 I'm not going for any political parties and my vote remains neutral. I don't even have a Bersih T-shirt because I don't buy commercialization. I go because I have had enough of BS. I can understand why my parents' generation is sceptical and dead worried because they've seen some pretty bad stuff. As a result, they've been bullied into silence, consent and worse, coercion. While we just sit here, generation after generation, watching every country overtakes us in every area of development.  I have had enough. My unborn children, my 4-year old nephew, my cousins and friends' children and their children will NOT go through the same medieval era. They will not be bullied into silence, fear and such crippling attitude. They will grow up in an environment that is empowering, progressive, competitive and most importantly, FAIR. And they will grow up right here in their own motherland and not someone else's country.

Maybe after tomorrow, things may return to normal but truly you must have witnessed some change from the last year's event? We are NOT at the same spot if you care to know. For one, Malaysians now have a voice. The opposition now has a voice. And that shift albeit small to some, is the most important thing. Wisdom tells us overnight success takes place 25 years later. The question is, do we want to give up now?

Change on a national level goes by an inch. You will not wake up the next day and see reformed governance. Will you give up the fight then? Then let me ask you a question. Have you ever tried kicking a bad habit? Quit smoking, quit biting your nails, quit being impatient, quit being critical, quit anything. Did you decide to quit and wake up the next day having really quit it? Was it not an uphill struggle that took some time before you finally claim victory? Exactly.  Then what more on a national level?

So before the big day, I'd like to make a small request. No, not that I will ask you to participate. No, stay safe at home but be vigilant on social media and help channel accurate information to those who need it and to those that will hold the authorities accountable for breaking peace. And most importantly, pray.

Pray that the Prince of Peace will go with us that we march in goodwill instead of anger.  Our spirit is fired up but our mind is calm. Pray that God will provide special mercy and protection to all Malaysians who are finally showing that they care and love their country. Pray for grace  for the authorities and that they will remain neutral and helpful instead of responding in arrogance under any circumstances. Pray for change to happen and our demand for fairness, equality and electoral cleanliness to be granted. Pray for God's wisdom and righteousness and not men's in response to each other. Pray for unity amongst the people and amongst the authorities.  Pray for non-violence.

Pray.

There will come a day where we will give up this uphill battle and return to a duct-taped silence. But tomorrow is not the day.

And to all fellow yellow marchers, keep safe, look out for one another, bring peace and I will see you in the Independence Square to reclaim our birthright freedom in our own nation.

What does it feel like to live in a retro world?

Retro noon in my tattered Admirals at FRIM.  Have you ever wonder what does it feel like to live in a retro world?

All pictures taken by a Lumix GX1.  Yes, including the Sony NEX ;) boo

How do you rub shoulders with the rich and famous?

You push them.  And they push you back.

:P

Attended the Mercedes-Benz STYLO Fashion Grand Prix last night at Thean Hou temple and had mixed feelings.

What I love: 

1. Very fresh idea of having an event at a temple, according to its theme French and Chinois.  Very Chinois but not sure where the French comes from, probably from the Kronenbourg beer that sponsored the event.  Cause first thing that came to my mind; Mercedes defected?! :P The setup was simple but really gave me some great ideas on how to 'work around' the environment :) 
2. Since 'Sex and the City' made Jimmy Choo a household name, I've always wanted to interview him.  I've always wanted to know about his beginnings - not as how media writes it but how he feels it (which is thoroughly absent from press releases).  I wanted to know what he feels about being Malaysian.  I wanted to know what's next for him.  What happens to people who have already made it.  I wanted to know if people knew Jimmy Choo was a Malaysian and not an ABC.  I wanted to know his creative inspiration.  I wanted to know his marketing strategy - how did he decide one day that he should price his delicate shoes at an unattainable couple of grand and made women worship them.  I wanted to know who was his mentor and who he is mentoring.  I wanted to know what keeps him up at night.  I wanted to know what his real passions are.  I wanted to know if he could change one thing about Malaysia (however small and however big), what would it be (for someone of his position).  I wanted to know if he was... a nice person.  And when I was finally introduced to him... all that came out was just 'uh, hi'.  ?!?!?!?!  Yup.  Uh, hi.  Oh well, brighter next time, sparks!
3. While I didn't particular 'get' the creative showcase because it was beyond fine art, it was still an interesting presentation of fashion (and hair) abstract expressionism.  Just felt sorry for the models who were trippin' on the runway because of impossible shoes.  Jimmy, you should really look into that, y'know...
4. Runway muzik.  Muzik pumps me up and makes everything better :)

What I didn't love:

1. They don't serve non-alcoholic drinks.  I'm heavily allergic to alcohol, like how Mogwai is allergic to water.  You don't want no Gremlins now, do you?  So this stereotyping of 'everyone drinks' or 'everyone should drink Kronenbourg' just didn't cut it for me.  I wonder what those Malay datuks and datins drink.  From their tumbler?
2. This... fwa fwa hoity toity vibe.  Don't get me wrong.  I'm not holier than thou, there's certainly nothing wrong with the crowd.  It's okay to be rich and famous, all glitz and glamour.  It's just me.  It's all me.  It's everything about me.  It's my 'Fun to Drive' ecobag (woops!).  And I can't seem to perfect the air-kissing thing, I'm sorry.  I'll do better next time.
3. The SLK 200 displayed at the door.  Yawn... Merc, I've seen you do better.

What if we CIAO?

Retreat to CIAO Ristorante in KL ♡

Am not sure if I was over-famished, but the food was excellent.  If they can manage quality on a catering scale for 250 pax, I'm pretty sure they will do a good job for one main course.

View is serene, quiet ambience, a nice hideout within the bustling city.  Highly recommended.

Jean Francois Millet Malaysianized ;)

Visited 'Malaysian Batik Masters' at KL Lifestyle Art Space @ Tropicana City Mall and something really caught my eye; one particular subject which belongs to Goh Kwan Chin entitled 'Sowing'.  I like his style of thick outlines that encapsulate his subjects in an almost surreal sort of animated fashion.  He made art seem so easy but I'm pretty sure his work is highly methodological.  At first introduction when going through his batik exhibits, I thought about Keith Haring.  Similar sort of animation and that same unmistakable thick ebony outline that almost intentionally grounds the entire artwork into its frame, afraid that it would otherwise escape with a life of its own.  But then on second thoughts, Goh's work brought memories of work by Jean-Francois Millet, the famed socialist artist from the acclaimed Barbizon school that originated realism in France during the 19th century.  The said particular painting was known as 'The Gleaners' (what contextual coincidence!) and you could compare them here:

All of Goh's work, like Millet feature 'peasants at hardwork'; the former portrayed much of a 'rural worker's life' whether it's in the paddy fields, the farm or rubber estate.  The work shows subjects bent over, hard at work - hard but peaceful life, unperturbed by the modernity nor technology that gave us much convenience but also robbed us of 'presence' when in close proximity with each other.  But of course, this interpretation and reference to Millet are solely mine and do not in any way represent the artist himself, nor the organiser.

Strange.  I kept calling him, he.  Truth be told, I don't really know if Goh Kwan Chin is a man or woman.  I tried googling but to no avail.  Indeed this artist deserves a lot more coverage that the first two links posted by KL Lifestyle.  How unfortunate.

Hmm.  I realized I do miss art movements a lot.  Anyway oh well, if you're interested in Malaysia's very own batik art gurus, you better catch the exhibition at Tropicana City Mall before Jan 15th :)

Malaysia's got talent.

Shoot.  I teared.



I'm such a baby.  But how can you not feel something when you know this is not fiction?  It's happening everywhere around us if we pay attention?

Hmm.

BMW Shorties 2011 Top 10 Finalist.