A Beautiful Car

I was driving on the M6 (the motorway, not the BMW!) a few weeks ago, when I saw a very beautiful car.

It was not a Ferrari F430, Lamborghini Gallardo or a Bugatti Veyron.

It was the Audi A5 Coupe.

The A5 was launched in March 2007 and is slotted in the same segment as the W209 CLK and E92 3 Series Coupe. Audi categorises the A5 as a GT (grand tourer) and is based on the B8 A4 so basically it is a 2-door variant of the fourth generation A4. I personally feel the B7 is better looking than the B8, for now.

Audi used to make ugly cars. The C3 100 (pic, left) and B2 80 from the 80’s were really ugly. The technologically advanced Quattro was the only decent looking Audi from the 80s. The 90’s saw some improvements in the design department; the B4 80 Cabrio was nice enough for Princess Di to be seen in. The C5 A6 was a radical yet interesting design. The first generation TT (8N) was nice but the second generation 8J was even nicer. Then came the hot and sexy R8. Given a choice between the W221 S-Class, F01 7 Series and the D3 A8, I’d probably opt for the A8, for now.

To think that it was once called the poor man’s Mercedes.

Conduct Unbecoming

Stupid, Selfish, Arrogant, Ignorant, Uncouth, Irresponsible, Uncivilised, Rude, Insensitive, Disgusting, Egocentric. Those are some of the words that can describe the actions of a group of Malays lead by a MF-AH by the name Ibrahim Sabri (pic below) of Shah Alam (whether he is actually a resident of Shah Alam or not, I’m unable to verify). This Ibrahim guy claims he is the Deputy Chairman of Section 23 Resident’s Committee (whether such resident’s committee actually exist, I’m unable to verify).

These stupid SoBs went to the Selangor State Secretariat Building after Friday prayers on 28 August 2009, taking with them a severed cow’s head. The group was protesting against the building of a temple in Shah Alam’s Section 23 and showed their displeasure by stomping on the cow’s head.

Ibrahim also labelled Selangor MB Khalid a traitor for allowing the building of a temple in the Malay majority residential area of Section 23 and he guarantees bloodshed if the temple is built in Section 23. I’m not sure who the powerful hand behind this protest is but some have pointed to UMNO.

For the first time (maybe the only time) I agree with KJ when he said (I’m sure he said it but whether the idea came from him, I’m unable to verify) showing disrespect to the cow, which is a sacred animal to the Hindus is akin to showing disrespect to the Quran.

I’m appalled by the actions of this group of Stupid, Selfish, Arrogant, Ignorant, Uncouth, Uncivilised, Rude, Insensitive, and Egocentric Malays. This is so unbecoming, uncalled for and totally unnecessary. What is wrong with having a Hindu temple in your neighbourhood? Why can we have a temple next to a masjid which is next to a church? What happened to respect, tolerance and understanding?

They are building a place of worship for goodness sake! It’s not a night club or karaoke lounge or “health” spa. I don’t think alcohol is sold and served in temples nor would there be any scantily dressed young girls dancing around a pole. It is a place where people go to pray!! It is harmless!! Why are you MFs so paranoid? A temple in the neighbourhood would not turn your children into apostates! If they do become apostates, it is the parents’ faults so don’t blame a building with some deities for it!

In 636AD, after the decisive battle at Yarmuk under the command of Khaled Al-Walid, the Arabs completed the conquest of Palestine and the rest of Greater Syria. With regard to Jerusalem, its patriarch, Sophronius, placed a condition on the surrender of the city, demanding that it only be surrendered to the Caliph in person. Thus, Caliph Omar ibn Al-Khattab came to Jerusalem and personally gave promise to the people of their safety and that of their religion and churches.

Allowing a place of worship to be built is not treason, irresponsible behaviour like Ibrahim and his cohorts (and their sponsors) IS an act of high treason. That kind of behaviour is an insult to the Malay race and Islam.

If my article lands me in Kamunting, Ibrahim Sabri and those other cow head stompers better be in the next cell …

Abu Hamzah Anas bin Malik, radiyallahu 'anhu, who was the servant of the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam, reported that the Prophet, sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam, said: "None of you truly believes (in Allah and in His religion) until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself" (Al-Bukhari & Muslim)

“Violence begets violence”
"Do not do to others what would anger you if done to you by others." (Isocrates)
"Do not do to others what you do not want them to do to you" (Analects 15:23)
"And what you hate, do not do to any one." (Tobit 4:15)
"...thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself." (Leviticus 19:18)

Moral Policing

This is a very sticky and sensitive issue – religious and moral policing.

Selangor PAS has been making the headlines lately with their alcoholic decrees. First it was banning the sale of alcohol by Muslims to Muslims, and now the empowerment of Mosque officials (imams, bilals and siaks) to caution (which will lead to an arrest) Muslims caught consuming alcohol.

Alcoholic beverages are bad for the health. All religions and doctors agree with that fact. Why is it bad? Apparently it destroys the liver. Consumption in large quantities could cause drunkenness and could result in bad and/or dangerous behaviour. The British Crime Survey 2007/08 has this to say about the effects of alcohol:

• In nearly half (45%) of all violent incidents, victims believed offenders to be under the influence of alcohol.
• This figure rose to 58% in cases of attacks by people they did not know.
• 37% of domestic violence cases involve alcohol.
• In nearly a million violent attacks in 2007-08, the aggressors were believed to be drunk.
  

My view – we don’t need religious and moral policing. Let’s self regulate ourselves. Let’s educate ourselves and our families. The authorities should take the education route; teach Muslims the laws of Islam form a young age, inculcate the Islamic way of life amongst Muslims.

A Muslim should abide by the rules of Shariah and know what is permissible and what is forbidden. A straight talking ustaz once told me; if one does not want to adhere to the laws of Islam, one would be a Muslim only in name and nothing else.

Political Agenda

I was asked, if I were to stand for election what would be my platform, my agenda. I’m not a leftist (to some people, PAS supporters are leftists) but I tend to agree with some socialist ideas. click here for Socialism - the Misunderstood Ideology

So I guess my agenda would be socialist-ish, or to put it in a nicer way – pro social services.
What is a “pro social services” agenda? I believe that the Government is responsible for ensuring basic necessities of a decent quality are provided to the people.

What are the basic necessities?
1) Free quality education
Education polices must be designed to produce independent, creative, thinking students.
Education must be balanced; academic, sports and co-curricular.
Well trained and compensated teaching staff.
Conducive study environment, small class size, comfortable classrooms
2) Free quality healthcare
Well trained and compensated medical staff of all levels from surgeons to ambulance drivers.
Up to date and well maintained medical equipment and facilities
Sufficient and comfortable beds and wards
Prompt and professional emergency response
3) Proper residential facilities for all
600 sq feet flat in an overcrowded 18 storey tower block is NOT proper housing.
Every family should be given the opportunity to own a 3 bedroom house of not less than 900 sq feet in size.
Sufficient parks and playgrounds must be provided for recreational activities. Public sporting facilities are to be provided at minimal cost.

How do we finance this?
Some of the tax money (personal income tax, sales tax, imports tax, etc.) should be channelled for this purpose. What about using some of the oil revenue to fund these programmes? Schools and hospital buildings can also be built on a Build-Lease-Transfer (BLT) concept with the private sector.
4) Environment friendly actions
(i) Energy - Homes, offices, schools, hospital and factories will be fitted with solar panels to generate power for their own use and excess power will be sold to the national grid. (ii) Water – water recycling programmes will be undertaken where all used water from residential homes, offices, shops, schools and hospitals (except for toilet water) as well as used ablution water from mosques will be channelled to a recycling centre to be recycled and reused.
(iii) The public will be educated on paper, glass, aluminium and plastic recycling. Collection centres will be set up to ensure easy disposal of recyclable items.
(iv) Use of NGV to power commercial vehicles instead of Diesel.

On a micro scale, that is how my "pro social services" agenda might look like.

When there is a Will

There is a way

The Malay version of the above saying is “Kalau hendak, seribu daya; kalau tak hendak, seribu dalih”. Literally, it is translated as (in Manglish) “If you want something, you will put in thousands of efforts; if you don’t want; you will make thousands of excuses”.

Ku Li Speaks

No, that is the name of his blog. But he had this to say about UMNO/BN’s candidate for the Permatang Pasir by-election;

“By fielding a disbarred lawyer, today’s UMNO is projecting the image that it lives by a different moral code from the rest of Malaysia. One set of rules for UMNO, and another for everyone else. Either that, or this is the best we can do”.

Why isn’t anyone listening to this man? Overhauling our image to regain people’s trust is not easy, cannot be done via lip service or mere rhetoric. It takes a lot of courage, involves a lot of pain and will bring about many casualties. If UMNO is serious about re-branding and getting back in the good books of the voters, they must be prepared to bite the bullet and do the right thing.

To start off, maybe they should undertake a selection and promotion process based on merit, ability and qualification and not based on patronage and money.

But hey, I’m an outsider, what do I know about the intricate workings of a political party like UMNO, so I better shut up and just vote as instructed. Not!

Century Mark

I’m finally here, eight or so months after the first posting, this humble blog has reached the magical figure of 100 postings. I may sound like putting myself in a basket and carrying it myself, but I’m kind of proud with my achievement. Well, it’s not much of an achievement seeing that many others have blogged more and better but given my circumstances, I must say I’ve done well, for my standards at least. ;-)

I have a hit-counter for my blogs but the counter doesn’t really tell who the individual visitors are, half of them is probably me! So, to all my loyal readers, I want to say a very BIG THANK YOU for your support, comments and clicks. Knowing that some people are reading the ramblings of my unsound mind makes me wanna write more.

Again, thank you all for your support; I hope you have enjoyed your time here and please come back for more.

Terima Kasih

Holy Matrimony

Divorces are a messy affair. In America, the richest lawyers are probably the divorce lawyers. I reckon surges in circulation of gossip and entertainment magazines are due to them carrying celebrity divorce stories. Non-celebrities become household names when their divorce is splashed across the newspaper pages. Dirty linen is washed in public, details are exposed and reputations are tarnished when divorce proceedings get out of control. Demands are often unreasonable and exorbitant. Children (if any), parents (of the divorcing couple) and family suffer, often beyond repair.

There is a divorce case that went on for more than five years. One party keeps on demanding more money and became unreasonable, unfriendly and offensive. Why? Is it greed or just plain bitter? Or is it just a way to get back at the other party? Things are already bad enough, why make it worse? End the misery and move on lah!

There is also another case where the proceedings are sorted out in less than a year. One party walks out, serves the papers, sorts it out in court and plans the next wedding. Wounds remain, no doubt, but the messy process is kept simple, avoiding blowing it up and things are not made worse. Life goes on.

Life has to go on, don't waste it.

Permatang Pasir

Politics is a favourite past time of mine. I am what one might call an “armchair” politician, making comments about each and every political issue but hardly gets off the cosy armchair to actually do something about it. Maybe because I talk so much about politics, one of my colleagues actually suggested that I stand in 2012/13. For Pakatan Rakyat of course. No, we are not being ungrateful or traitorous; we just feel at this point of time, PR is probably the better choice. Thank God the government decided not to filter the internet, if not, I might find myself charged under section 287 subsection 32(b)(iv) “Traitors Act 2009” (Akta Pengkhianat Bangsa Melayu, Tak Mengenang Budi Punya Melayu, 2009) which upon conviction (definitely will be convicted) faces the penalty of 50 years in solitary confinement and forced to read Utusan Malaysia everyday. Solitary confinement? I can deal with that, no problemo, but reading Utusan everyday? Please no! That is most potent torture technique, better than waterboarding* anytime.

Now, why is this posting titled “Permatang Pasir”? A by-election is coming up there next week, PAS vs. UMNO. The opposition’s choice of candidate puzzles me. (In case you don’t know, Permatang Pasir is in Penang and the opposition in Penang is UMNO). Apparently, the candidate chosen is a disbarred lawyer. Kicked out from the bar because he failed to return some money (allegedly RM160,000) back to his clients. Of course his bosses DPM Muhyiddin and State Chief Zahid are defending him to the extent of blaming his partner for his predicament. This is despite the Bar Council coming out to say that lawyers are disbarred as a result of their own misconduct, in other words, you don’t pay of the crimes of others. The candidate appealed to the High Court against the Bar’s decision and lost but yet his bosses chose him as their candidate.

What baffles me is that a party purportedly trying to project a clean and honest image is offering the constituents of Permatang Pasir a tainted individual to serve them.


*a form of interrogation where water is repeatedly poured over someone's face, used in Guantanamo Bay on Islamic “terrorists”.

A Malaysian Invention?

Apparently the pen drive was invented by a Malaysian.

However, the pen drive is recognised as a Taiwanese invention.

This is a story about a Sekinchan boy named Khein Seng. He wanted to study engineering but failed to get into a Malaysian university. He couldn’t get a government scholarship to study overseas so he went on his own to Taiwan to study engineering at the renowned Chiao Tung University.

To cut a long story short, he went to Taiwan to get an engineering qualification but he ended up doing his masters, setting up an IT company and invented the pen drive. Yes, this Sekinchan boy headed Phison Electronics Corp., the multi-million dollar Taiwanese company that developed the world's first USB flash removable disk. They launched Pen Drive in June 2001 and by August the same year, they broke even.

There are probably many more examples of successful Malaysian or ex-Malaysians overseas, who made their names on their own after failing to get government support. Let’s stop this brain drain by providing each and every deserving Malaysian the support they need.

Who’s the Boss?

During my school days, there was this sitcom called Who’s the Boss starring Tony Danza and Allysa Milano. When I was in university, I learned who the real boss is - the Board of Directors, because they represent of the owners of a business. The CEO on the other hand, is an employee;* recommended and appointed by the Board, reports to the Board and can be sacked by the Board.

But today’s news in the Star newspaper (Tuesday, 18 August 2009) says differently. It seems that the President/CEO of a Government Linked Bank can make statements recommending/suggesting how many directors the Bank should have. The President/CEO went on to say the Bank which currently has eight board members, would ideally require 11 or 12 directors for the Bank to operate more efficiently. Ok, this may only be his personal opinion but being quoted by the press as saying that gives the impression that he, the President/CEO is above the board.

Personally, I think he went over board.

*unless the CEO is also a shareholder, which is not uncommon.

Safe and Secure

How often do we get that feeling here in Malaysia? Has any day passed without reports about snatch thefts and robberies? Or rapes and assaults? Granted, bad people are everywhere but are the laws and punishment strict enough to deter them from committing crimes? Are there enough enforcement officers to prevent them from committing crimes?

I had a pleasant experience in Switzerland recently. No, I’m not talking about the scenery or the girls but the sense of safety. I was having lunch with a friend at an alfresco cafe and we left our bags and jackets unattended at the table while we went to the men’s room. I wanted to take my jacket with me to the restroom but my friend told me to leave it behind, assuring me it was safe. I have heard of handphones being snatch from tables while the owners are having drinks at the many alfresco mamak restaurants in KL!

Last week two brothers met their end in a motorcycle crash. Minutes before the accident, they smashed the windscreen of a car to rob the driver of her handbag. This happened at the stoplights in broad daylight. Condolences to their families but some how I feel justice is served, albeit a little harsh, served nonetheless.

My colleague’s girlfriend’s house was broken into, also in broad daylight. Thank God she was unharmed but what was disappointing was the lack of interest in the part of the police officers when investigating the case. Apparently, one of them was more interested in knowing where to buy ornamental fish!

The wife on an MP and daughter-in-law of a former Minister was robbed in front of her front gate a few days ago. She lives in the upmarket neighbourhood of Damasara Heights where one would expect police patrol cars patrolling every nook and cranny at 30 seconds intervals, where most houses have an army of security personnel guarding the sprawling properties. And yet it happened. Imagine mere mortals like us living in medium cost housing estates where the ratio of police officers to the population is probably 1:100,000 (ok, I like to exaggerate but I’m sure I’m not too far from the truth).

All I want is a safe environment where I can let my kids go to the park and not worry about being kidnapped or molested, where I can walk the streets at night without being scared of muggers and to be able to live in a house with glass windows – and no grills.

Calvin’s dad once said; a man’s house should be his castle, not a fort.

I’m in the Mood for Love

I’m a love fool so I’ll express my feelings of love via quotes from others.

What a grand thing, to be loved!
What a grander thing still, to love!
- Victor Hugo –

Love comforteth like sunshine after rain.
- William Shakespeare –

You don't marry someone you can live with,
you marry the person who you cannot live without.
- Author Unknown –

Who knows where the road will lead us
Only a fool would say,
But if you let me love you
I'm sure to love you all the way.
- From the song "All The Way" by Frank Sinatra –

Getting nothing but giving love is true love
Getting love and learning to love back is just a polite way of saying thank you.

Freud and Jung on Dreams

Dreams are fascinating. Some people really believe in dreams, some have a scientific explanation for dreams, others view them form the religious perspective. In Islam, only the dreams of the pious can be considered a sign, where as the dreams of the average Muslim are probably games played by satan.

Carl Jung is a Swiss psychologist and the founder of analytical psychology known as Jungian psychology. Sigmund Freud is an Austrian neurologist who founded the psychoanalytic school of psychology. Freud is best known for his theories of the unconscious mind and the defense mechanism of repression.

According to Jung, dreams reflect the conscious feelings of the dreamer; it cannot be detached from the everyday life of the dreamer. According to him, these conscious thoughts will cluster together with the unconscious and dreams act as the medium to express the repressed thoughts.

Similarly, Freud argues that dreams are a form of releasing and fulfilling suppressed feelings. His view is that if a desire or want is unfulfilled while the dreamer is awake, the mind will react and convert it into a visual fantasy to allow the dreamer to satisfy his desire.

Of course this is a very brief description of their thoughts; there is more to than what is written here. My point is that probably, to a certain extent these men could be right, our dreams represent something that we want, hate, fear or hope but cannot achieve in real life, it’s a fulfilling process.

I personally don’t really believe in dreams, especially bad ones …

The Three Musketeers

The Three Musketeers (Les Trois Mousquetaires) is a novel written by Alexandre Dumas, published in 1844. It is a story about a man named d’Artagnan who wants to be a guard of the musketeers. He is however not one of the three in the title, the three are Athos, Porthos, and Aramis. The three good friends are the ones who lived by the motto "all for one, one for all".

I am going to tell a story about another group of musketeers; Danial, Ilhan and Luqman.

Danial is the eldest, in fact he is the eldest son of the eldest son and the eldest grandson of the eldest grandson. Quite an honour I must say and with it brings a lot of responsibilities and expectations. Of the three, he is the quiet and shy one. Despite being reserved, he is very caring, evident in how he cares for his younger siblings. At the moment his life evolves around the TV, PS2, the internet, swimming and a bit of football. This musketeer wants to be a mathematician when he grows up.

Ilhan is the middle musketeer. He is the joker of the pack. Unlike his brother, Ilhan is talkative and friendly. He can make friends with anyone, anywhere. Being talkative, he expresses his feelings openly, often telling his mum how much he misses his often absent daddy. This musketeer loves animals, each and every one and he wants to be a veterinarian. Unlike his elder brother, PS2 and computers do not interest him much. This amazing boy is not afraid of dentists. In fact he went to the dentist at his school on his own, not once but twice! Once to pull out his baby tooth and the other time for a filling.

The baby musketeer is actually the bossy musketeer. Being the youngest, he tends to get his way. The elder brothers also tend to let him have his way. He has come to an age where he’s learnt to decide on his attire. Often, when he’s into a particular attire, he will insist on wearing the same outfit every day. Like his eldest brother, he is very much attached to the TV. This adorable musketeer is definitely a sight for sore eyes.

2009-10 BPL starts next weekend. Saturday nites will be alive again!

Liverpool 2009-2010 Fixtures:

August
16 Aug, 16:00 Tottenham Hotspur v Liverpool
19 Aug, 20:00 Liverpool v Stoke City
24 Aug, 20:00 Liverpool v Aston Villa
29 Aug, 15:00 Bolton Wanderers v Liverpool

September
12 Sep, 15:00 Liverpool v Burnley
19 Sep, 17:15 West Ham v Liverpool
26 Sep, 15:00 Liverpool v Hull City

October
4 Oct, 16:00 Chelsea v Liverpool
17 Oct, 15:00 Sunderland v Liverpool
25 Oct, 14:00 Liverpool v Manchester United
31 Oct, 15:00 Fulham v Liverpool

November
9 Nov, 20:00 Liverpool v Birmingham City
21 Nov, 12:45 Liverpool v Manchester City
29 Nov, 13:30 Everton v Liverpool

December
5 Dec, 15:00 Blackburn Rovers v Liverpool
12 Dec, 15:00 Liverpool v Arsenal
16 Dec, 20:00 Liverpool v Wigan Athletic
19 Dec, 15:00 Portsmouth v Liverpool
26 Dec, 15:00 Liverpool v Wolverhampton Wanderers
28 Dec, 19:45 Aston Villa v Liverpool

January
9 Jan, 15:00 Liverpool v Tottenham Hotspur
16 Jan, 15:00 Stoke City v Liverpool
26 Jan, 19:45 Wolverhampton Wanderers v Liverpool
30 Jan, 15:00 Liverpool v Bolton Wanderers

February
6 Feb, 15:00 Liverpool v Everton
9 Feb, 19:45 Arsenal v Liverpool
20 Feb, 15:00 Manchester City v Liverpool
27 Feb, 15:00 Liverpool v Blackburn Rovers

March
6 Mar, 15:00 Wigan Athletic v Liverpool
13 Mar, 15:00 Liverpool v Portsmouth
20 Mar, 15:00 Manchester United v Liverpool
27 Mar, 15:00 Liverpool v Sunderland

April
3 Apr, 15:00 Birmingham City v Liverpool
10 Apr, 15:00 Liverpool v Fulham
17 Apr, 15:00 Liverpool v West Ham
24 Apr, 15:00 Burnley v Liverpool

May
1 May, 15:00 Liverpool v Chelsea
9 May, 15:00 Hull City v Liverpool

Socialism: The Misunderstood Ideology, Part 1 – a Primer

"Social" is an adjective describing living in a community or the desire to be in one. It relates to the way of life, the organisation of human society as well as a sense of belonging to that community.

The textbook definition for Socialism is an economic system where the government plays a central role in the distribution of resources. This system is often referred to as the planned or command economy because the economic activities are centrally planned and directed by the government in power. Market forces play a minimal, if any, role in resource allocation. According to the Marxist-Leninist theory, it is the intermediate stage between Capitalism and Communism. Socialism was initially envisaged as the answer to the shortcomings of capitalism but viewed by most economists as the tragic failure of the 20th century.

It is widely believed that Marx is a father of socialism but in actual fact the honour should be given to Lenin as he was the first world leader to attempt a centrally planned economic system devoid of competition and profit motive.

Socialism is not to be confused with Communism. The latter is based on the opinions of two 19th century German philosophers, Karl Marx and Frederich Engels which were expressed in their publication “The Communist Manifesto” published in 1848. They describe Communism as “Scientific Socialism” and opined that the problems of the world mainly stem from unequal distribution of wealth (in my opinion is very true). To overcome this problem the distinction between the rich and poor must be eliminated, creating a classless society. However, since the rich would not give up their wealth voluntarily, a revolution by the poor is needed and Marx is a believer in revolutions as a means to overthrow the governing capitalists. Therefore, I surmise that; to achieve the ideals of communism requires strong arm tactics as its objectives are not likely to be achieved via diplomatic means. Communism also subscribes to atheism, accusing religion as a tool of the rich to oppress the poor. Because the rights of an individual seem to be absent in Communism, it can be said as the direct opposite of Capitalism which is based on the individual rights to wealth and choice.

Frank Zappa, famously said, “Communism doesn’t work because people like to own stuff.” I agree.

The ideals of Socialism on the other hand aim to achieve the collective wellbeing of society through the values of association, community and cooperation. Some say the roots of modern Socialism can be traced back to the French revolution of 1789 while others say he term Socialist was first used in the early 19th century by the followers of Robert Owen, who wrote and sponsored many socialist projects. Pierre Leroux defines socialism as "the doctrine which would not give up any of the principles of Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity" of the French Revolution. Although the dream of a classless society is part of socialist theory, there was no evidence of any compulsion to achieve it through revolutions. The emphasis was on solidarity and mutual interdependence amongst the members of the society. I am of the opinion that the science of Socialism is not a finished article; it is still full of unresolved issues like for example the detailed role of the state in economic management and the role of Socialism in the democratic process.

Socialist based political entities are often associated with trade unions and the labour movement. Main objectives of these parties are the setting up of a welfare state and the nationalisation of major industries and enterprises. The government’s active role in economic activities is the main thrust of Socialist government policies. It would not be wrong then to say that all of the world governments have Socialist traits in them as it is expected of the government to provide welfare assistance, medical and educational services. It is also not uncommon for major industries especially strategic ones to be government owned and managed. This is even more evident during economic downturns where bankrupt firms (especially banks) are bailed out and taken over by the government. Despite its presence in our socio-economic and political system, the term “Socialist” and “Socialism” is often viewed in contempt with undesirable connotations.

The existence of the rich and poor cannot be eliminated; disparity in wealth will always exist. The war of the classes has been going on for thousands of years and will go on for as long as classes exist. To overcome this predicament, the means to achieve socio-economic justice and equity through effective and efficient management of the economy must be formulated.


Socialism: The Misunderstood Ideology, Part 2 – the Model (WIP, I hope I'll be able to finish it ...)

A Fool's Hope

Another attempt at poetry ...

Wandering around the streets of Hampstead,
Reflecting upon all that was wasted
Searching high, searching low
Alas! There is nothing to show.

New suit, shirt and tie
Looking for a new life, yes I try
Across oceans, continents I fly
Give up I won't, till I die

As I trod mile upon mile
Nice thoughts makes me smile
As I wonder how shall I cope
A little beep gives a glimmer of hope ...

Lost in Switzerland

My feeble attempt at poetry ...

As I stand by the River Rhine,
I see no reason for me to whine
About life and its trials and tribulations
Despite the loss causing all the tension.

As I walk the streets of Basel,
I see no need to make such a hassle
A silver lining, it is in every cloud
The tears will dry, it is without a doubt.

Walking along Lake Geneva
Vows made remain foreva'
Mere words mean nothing they are,
Only memories keeps it alive, from afar.

The Swiss mountains is what I see,
Que sera sera, whatever will be, will be
If in the end, life I could not stand
Like the marquess, I have to say when.

Poems on the Underground

Two poems from the collection titled Poems on the Underground* caught my attention. Being of relatively unsound mind and body, my choices may be questionable but these two really struck me as being reflective of my current state of being; or maybe they are the only two poems that made any sense to me ...

After the Lunch by Wendy Cope

On Waterloo Bridge, where we said our goodbyes,

The weather conditions brings tears to my eyes.

I wipe them away with a black woolly glove

And try not to notice I've fallen in love.


On Waterloo Bridge I am trying to think:

This is nothing. You're high on the charm and the drink.

But the juke-box inside me is playing a song

That says something different. And when was it wrong?


On Waterloo Bridge with the wind in my hair

I am tempted to skip. You're a fool. I don't care.

The head does its best but the heart is the boss -

I admit it before I am halfway across

Celia Celia by Adrian Mitchell

When I am sad and weary

When I think all hope is gone

When I walk along High Holborn

I think of you with nothing on

*Edited by Gerard Benson, Judith Chernaik, Cicely Herbert (2009)

Published by Poems on the Underground

Be at Peace

This could be the last posting in this blog.

Writing requires no skill. Anyone can write, even idiots. Don’t believe me? Try reading Utusan Malaysia. I’m not being fair am I?

Anyway, writing requires stimuli. Something has to spark, ignite the flow of thoughts. Happiness, depression, frustrations, memories could be reasons for wanting to write; at least they are among my reasons for writing. Writing is best when one is at peace with one’s self. So, when one is not at peace, the words won’t mean much, if anything.

I hope there will be more.

Travelogue #05 – Port Dickson

I want to write about Bali, the Gold Coast, Hawaii and Costa del Sol but I decided to start at home. So I'll write (or try to write) about Port Dickson.

Why PD? It is probably the most popular seaside town in Malaysia. The beaches are not exactly pristine, the water not that clear but being less than one and a half hours by car from KL or PJ or Shah Alam makes it a convenient weekend getaway. The beach stretches 12 or so miles, the more popular spots being the 4th mile, Teluk Kemang and Blue Lagoon near the light house.

Port Dickson is believed to have been discovered by Sir Frederick Dickson, a British official who was looking for a suitable port during in the 1880s. The port was needed to facilitate the transportation of tin ore from the mines of Sungai Ujong, to Klang.

Hotels and resorts line the beach; from the luxurious Avillion (there are two, the water chalets and the one near the marina) and Thistle (ehem!) to the budget I’m not sure of their names hotels. There is also the Tanjung Tuan, Ilham and Ancasa apartments. Most large companies and banks have holiday homes in PD. There is a campside at the 4th mile but the toilet facilities leaves a lot to be desired. For a nice clean toilet/shower, go to the one near Ancasa.

What is there to do in PD? Swimming in the sea and be sea-crabs is a must. Walking on the beach hand in hand or just sit by the beach and talk or read is also nice. Water sports are abundant, jet skis, sailing and banana boats, but not scuba or snorkelling. There is a golf course at the Thistle and another at the Army camp. The Eagle Ranch has team building and paintball facilities.

Food, there is nothing special, “Thai seafood” restaurants are everywhere but for speedy service, go early. If you get there after 8, expect to still be there an hour and a half later.

Decent nightspots can be found at hotels. I’m sure there are karaoke lounges but I can’t recommend any.

What I feel is lacking in PD is a theme park, something like Blackpool’s Pleasure Beach or the one in Genting.

Whether it’s a day trip or for the weekend, PD is not perfect but nice place to go.

He Said “When”

Henry Turner (played by Harrison Ford) is a despicable and ruthless trial lawyer in the movie “Regarding Henry” (Paramount, 1991). He was shot by a stray bullet, lost his memory (more like his mind) and became a nice guy who wasn’t too “macho” to kiss his wife in the park. Men only show public displays of affection (PDA) to their girlfriends but when these women morph into wives, the PDAs disappear. How many men go out clubbing or go for mid-night movies with their wives, things they do every weekend as recent as weeks before the wedding. I’m getting so off topic here.

Back to Henry, after losing his memory (I still think he lost his mind), and having to re-learn to talk, he suddenly became so righteous and remorseful and sane. After having enough of the unethical ways of the legal fraternity (in the movie, not in real life) he quit and told his secretary he said “when”. This “when” thingy came about when he didn’t stop his secretary when she poured him tea, so she told him when he wants her to stop pouring or has had enough tea poured, he should say “when”. Gosh, I’m so long winded (many has pointed this out to me).

He wasn’t the only one who said “when”. Lord Milo Douglas, second in line to inherit the Marquess of Queensbury also said “when”, after deciding that the problems of (his) life exceeded its advantages. According to his father, the Marquess of Queensbury (obviously!), Milo was suffering from bipolar disorder since his early twenties (he was 34 at the time of his death), had very severe depression swinging from highs to lows and one day decided he has had enough. On 21 July 2009, his body was found at the bottom of a nine-storey block a few miles from his home.

Depression is treatable; jumping from a tower block is NOT a treatment. Try packing a suitcase, buy a ticket to Europe (even on credit), make friends with a solo traveller (from the opposite sex) in the same flight, and together go paint the town and continent red. You won’t be depressed for long!

COPD – Every Smoker has it

Geoff Spice is a former London banker who is desperate to quit smoking. He has marooned himself on Sgarabhaigh, an uninhabited island with no electricity or running water for one whole month.

I’m a 21 year veteran smoker. I’m not proud of it but I never seem to try hard enough to quit. Quitting takes a lot of will power or a terminal disease. I haven’t got either, I hope. I smoke more when I’m sad, angry, down, excited, happy or when stuck in a traffic jam. I smoke after every meal, before I go to sleep and when I wake up in the morning (or afternoon, depending on how late the previous night was).

We smokers come in all shapes and sizes, all races and religions but we do have one thing in common – COPD. Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease is not a single disease but is the term used to describe two types of lung damage; bronchitis and emphysema. Continuous abuse by tobacco injures the lung cells but air pollution, chemical fuels, riding a motorbike behind a Metrobus and cannabis are also culpable of lung damage.

The symptoms of COPD are breathlessness, wheezing, extra phlegm and coughing (the infamous smoker’s cough). Inhalers may provide temporary relief from the symptoms but there is really no cure for COPD and unlike asthma (which has similar symptoms), it is not reversible.

Smoking is a very bad habit, to put it mildly. Smokers emits a foul odour, have stained teeth, bad breath, smelly fingers, tend to be inconsiderate towards the people around them and are litter “cigarette-butt” bugs.

Smokers are also one of the biggest tax payers.