I missed the event last year in July but somehow, I managed to convince my dad to allow me to go for the 3rd version of what has now been famously known to people as Bersih 3.0. Yes people, it is the rally that the Najib-led Gov sort of feared but I'll leave that for another day. Now, onto what actually took place on 28th April 2012 in the heart of Kuala Lumpur City.
My dad and I managed to reach KL quite fast as the drive down Federal Highway was surprisingly a breeze. I parked in Brickfields and walked to the Dataran Merdeka or Merdeka Square as some would call it. We reached around 10 a.m and hopped on to a few other locations like Central Market, Petaling Street among some others, and all were quite similar. It was more like a party atmosphere and many people were in a joyful mood, all in the name gathering so that the 'powers that be' can actually witness for themselves that the people will no longer have the 'its okay, lets accept it' attitude but rather demand for justice and transparency.
Fast-forward to 1.30 p.m. We were all gathered near Dataran Merdeka, all in the hope that by 2 p.m, the MenInBlue would somehow show a sense of goodwill and allow us into the Dataran to carry on peacefully with what we had planned to do, which was a quiet 'sit-in' so that our objective of campaigning for Free&Fair Elections would somehow be fulfilled. How wrong we were!, and I realised that any hopes we harboured of being allowed into the DM were to remain that, just hopes, fat hopes rather.
There was no way to move at all as everyone in yellow were sort of 'jostling' for position in order to get as close as possible to the DM. I was standing near the traffic light situated along Jalan Tun Perak and the situation there was intense to say the least. Many opposition leaders passed by and were given way by the people to get to the intersection of Jalan Tun Perak and Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman. There were numerous trucks carrying the MenInBlue although there was actually no place for even people to walk. More than one occasion, people were clearly unhappy with the actions of these officers as it showed that they were indeed trying to get on the people's nerves.
Then, a Toyota Hilux with Ambiga, Anwar, Wan Azizah, Nurul Izzah, Lim Kit Siang and a few others came to the fore. When they reached the intersection, there were a few words from Ambiga instructing the crowd to disperse but in that situation which was clearly on a knife's edge, that was the last thing possible, to actually disperse! I mean, there were no instructions given earlier for us disperse or to actually do anything. The ONLY thing on the minds of the people gathered there was to get to Dataran but there was no real alternative. At the time, there was no real sense of direction and majority were hoping for someone, anyone actually, to take the lead to do something. There were many shouts of 'We Want Dataran' and the crowd also sang the 'Bersih' version to the tune of the famous football song 'Ole Ole Ole' and I have to admit, that actually sent shivers down my spine. Another moment was when the 'Negaraku' was sung with great spirit, inexplicable really. You would have to be there to get the feeling.
Suddenly, there was a jeer from the crowd and then all hell broke loose. I was standing near the old courthouse along Jalan Tun Perak, near the traffic light and I had a pretty good view of the Dataran from where I was. There were a few people who managed to break through and surged toward the Dataran. The place where I was had a small alley in which there were also barricades and barbed wires. (I learnt later that they weren't really barbed wires but actually wires with tiny pieces of glass which cut through anything in its sight). The cops in the small alley, around 10 of them, all suddenly sort of panicked and two of them actually assisted people in removing the barricades due to the amounting pressure from those gathered. I was dumbfounded to see them actually doing that, plus they even said 'Jaga-jaga', pointing to the barbed wires. Somehow, their actions, though surprising, gave people the proverbial 'green light' to go ahead to the Dataran. Again, we were in for a real shock.
My dad and I ran towards the Dataran but I was caught in the melee in the 'alley' (The pushing and shoving going on was like between life and death, many were raring to go into the DM). The barbed wires caught me and my shoe was stuck so there was no quick way out from there. Keeping my cool, I decided to flip out my trusty phone and videotape the whole scene. Then, I saw water being sprayed and instantly, my mind went back to the pictures I saw last year on the tele of Bersih 2.0 when the authorities sprayed people with jet-powered hoses and they fell like dominoes. That's what the water cannons can do to human beings, make people look like pieces of dominoes.
Many of us managed to get back to the main road (Jalan Tun Perak) but then there was no way out as it was jam packed with yellow t-shirts everywhere. All of a sudden, the air seemed to get thinner and at once I knew that something had happened. The police actually had fired their trusty little tear gas canisters. How kind of them! The air was worsening with every passing second. With the build I possess, I was very much able to get a 'bird's eye view' on the condition of the situation at the time. The crowd was swaying, from left to right. I could see that it was some sort of a human wave but an involuntary one at that. The only message I passed to my dad was, "Hold on to me, NO MATTER WHAT!" and we turned around and headed away from the Dataran, albeit slowly. There were a few people who were about to go down but I immediately grabbed their hands. They were young people but the tear gas is utter torture. Everywhere I looked, there were people struggling for air, mostly coughing, eyes watering among others.
Within a minute, another canister flew into the air and landed barely 10 metres in front of me. This time it was unbearable. Many of us feared for the worst as the canister exploded and the white-coloured gas was visible. Somehow, the gate leading to the old courthouse was opened and everyone rushed for cover. We had to climb to the 1st floor and many people were rushing up the staircase but very slowly as nobody was in a proper condition to run due to the kindness of the cops, not forgetting the tear gas. Roughly 30 people managed to make their way up to the first floor and sort of recuperate up there. I had one bottle of water with me and instantly gave it to my dad. Immediately, about 5 people came up to him and asked 'Tuan, tolong bagi air sikit' and without any fuss though the water was almost finishing, we all managed to share among ourselves. That is what I call Malaysia, not what some people talk about and also come up with political slogans to just sway the public.
From the 1st floor, we had sort of a 'vantage point' as to what the FRU were doing. It was like a revolver action. The 1st bell by the truck behind two lines of FRU was to signal them to reload their gas guns with canisters and the 2nd bell was to fire. Again, 1st bell, reload and aim, 2nd, FIRE. It was like they were treating it like a video game, NO MERCY! I have the whole thing on video, will need to find the time to upload it. Out of nowhere, someone threw an empty bottle in the direction of one of the cops downstairs and one guy pointed his 'tear gas gun' toward our direction and we immediately ran for cover. Someone yelled 'Dia mau datang atas!', which I later realised was not true but we were not going to take any chances and headed for the exit. We managed to get out through the back and escape the building, headed towards Masjid Jamek. The 'pak cik' there pointed to the fence and said 'Dik, cepat masuk, panjat pagar itu'. I knew I was more than capable of getting across but still, another guy offered me his hand and 'voila', I was into the masjid along with my dad. When we got inside, the amount of people visible was staggering. Men and women were 'recharging' after going through hell outside and the Masjid served as a pitstop in a 60 lap race in a Grand Prix. This time, KL city was the circuit.
The 'tear gas equipped' guys came in front of the Masjid and looked in. People, being people, dared them to fire in but they resisted. However, the MenInBlue refused to budge from the entrance which left us trapped. There was one person who was injured badly, I could see blood dripping from his face and body and barely seconds later we heard the siren of a Red Crescent ambulance. Four men carried him out and many of us waived at the ambulance to come in but the FRU held position thus the vehicle was not able to come in. These men rushed out and I followed behind to get a snapshot together with another elderly man. To my surprise, a smart fella with a 'tear gas gun' fired and the canister hit the guy in front of me, at once making us run for cover. Two of us managed to pull the guy who was hit, otherwise he would've been in real trouble, on the floor with tear gas.
After this minor debacle, the police ordered us out of the masjid and told us to 'pulang' though there were many who were quite cautious. My dad and I decided to not delay and grab this opportunity to somehow find another location and off we went. We stopped by Masjid Jamek LRT and witnessed the MenInBlue acting like ruffians more than a couple of occasions, just dragging people, pushing them, typical 'twisting arms' tactics. I won't comment further, well at least not on this article anyway.
We made our way south, past Burger King and turned left, I'm not really sure what road that was but that's where majority of the people were headed. We reached a Chinese Restaurant when once again, another canister was fired and a group of ten of us rushed into the shop which was already packed with people in yellow. At once, they used a piece of wood to secure the door to make sure the cops wouldn't get in. To my amazement, two traffic police who were walking to their bikes parked outside fell victims to the tear gas canister as they were barely metres from it but did not spot the spoke as it was a crossroad. The two of them were in considerable agony but many people in the restaurant were overjoyed and I was part of the group as well. Some people may be of the opinion that our actions of laughing while others were in pain may be inhumane but what about firing tear gas into a crowd when they are unable to run or escape?
Anyhow, after the dust settled, my dad and I managed to get into an area which was not that hot i.e covered with cops and tear gas canisters, and people seemed re-energised after the whole fiasco. The post-Bersih news was really atrocious, as many people have come up and given testimonies of being beaten by the powers that be but we see the Home Minister intent on victimising the public. If people really want justice, then whoever it was who incited and created violence, be it the cops or participants of the rally, should face the law. For every action, there is a reaction so people have to be responsible for their actions. No regrets for attending the rally, just hope the next one should have more sense of direction to it rather than being too predictable.
Jay Jay Denis
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
GOV playing the role of Santa Claus during Christmas? Aww gimme a break..
Election Budget 2012, government plans to play the role of Father Christmas to just dish out presents. The difference is, well, they don't look like him, though they do have big tummies (must be filling themselves up with loads of Malaysian delicacies while the middle class, and definitely the poor class people struggle to make a living in this country). Great life right?, to be a one of the cronies for UMNO and Barisan, (Well, it's actually just UMNO, Barisan is just the 'also-rans'). Let's get down to business.
From an education perspective, one of the things they have done, (referring to the GOV) is that they have abolished school fees, yes, which interestingly vary from one school to another mainly because the Education Ministry just DOES NOT have control over the school, (not really my opinion, but the Deputy Prime Minister, also the Edu Minister said this in an interview recently, though obviously not directly). As far as I know, school fees comes up to about RM 70, or 67.50 to be exact (inclusive of exams fees, school magazines and a bunch of other stuff that are forced onto students, so much for DEMOCRACY right?).
Well, that now means students will no longer have to pay the fees, though it will not affect parents who have a couple, or three children, though those who have upwards of five will have benefited more. Moreover, they have now given out RM 100 to each student, from Standard 1 right up to Form 4. That's what I meant by Santa Claus, but the difference with the guy who bears the beard is that he's nice, and not for the short term so to speak. He comes back every year, unlike the UMNO buffoons who wear the red suit when Elections are approaching. Let me break it down to 'bite-sized' pieces.
In case people did not notice, the RM 100 'gift' to students all around the country is a one-off, will not be repeated next year, well unless of course miraculously Elections are held every year. This 'gift' is meant to ease the burden of parents to buy school uniforms for their children as well as other basic necessities. That's what they say on paper la.
The question is, if you are really intent on helping the parents, then why does the GOV label these gifts as one-off's? Why not make it annual if they really have the people's well-being at heart? Or maybe they don't, and this is just a scam, or rather a payment to maybe........ get votes? Sorry if I burst the imaginary balloon that many people have about the government being very nice, wonderful and kind-hearted.
In schools, parents were required to be present with their children to receive the RM 100, and the only reason I could think of that such a move be required is so that these parents will see that the government is indeed being nice, and 'helping' the people. I got no qualms about people taking the money, it does in fact belong to them. The sad part is that I witnessed numerous people who were so happy and actually saying that the Government is very good, very caring and so on. Look at the details which make up the bigger picture, RM 100 for a duration of about 4 to 5 years? (I say 4 to 5 because that's how often a GE is held) Now if you look at it, is it much of a help?
I hope that people are able to look beyond, and not what is in front of them. That is the biggest problem in this country. We experience short-lived joys but suffer in the long run. It's better to want something you don't have than to have something you don't want. With all these moves on the chess board, it is indeed evident that the GE is around the corner. This move has not even been approved by Parliament, but the GOV has gone ahead with their plan, so it is actually illegal. But what the heck, the GOV is above the law right?, though they'll never admit it in a million years. The only option is the ballot box, and even that is not a certainty with all the dirty money politics and so on. It's time to Lock & Load, before we're locked up and can't do anything about it.
Jay Jay Denis
From an education perspective, one of the things they have done, (referring to the GOV) is that they have abolished school fees, yes, which interestingly vary from one school to another mainly because the Education Ministry just DOES NOT have control over the school, (not really my opinion, but the Deputy Prime Minister, also the Edu Minister said this in an interview recently, though obviously not directly). As far as I know, school fees comes up to about RM 70, or 67.50 to be exact (inclusive of exams fees, school magazines and a bunch of other stuff that are forced onto students, so much for DEMOCRACY right?).
Well, that now means students will no longer have to pay the fees, though it will not affect parents who have a couple, or three children, though those who have upwards of five will have benefited more. Moreover, they have now given out RM 100 to each student, from Standard 1 right up to Form 4. That's what I meant by Santa Claus, but the difference with the guy who bears the beard is that he's nice, and not for the short term so to speak. He comes back every year, unlike the UMNO buffoons who wear the red suit when Elections are approaching. Let me break it down to 'bite-sized' pieces.
In case people did not notice, the RM 100 'gift' to students all around the country is a one-off, will not be repeated next year, well unless of course miraculously Elections are held every year. This 'gift' is meant to ease the burden of parents to buy school uniforms for their children as well as other basic necessities. That's what they say on paper la.
The question is, if you are really intent on helping the parents, then why does the GOV label these gifts as one-off's? Why not make it annual if they really have the people's well-being at heart? Or maybe they don't, and this is just a scam, or rather a payment to maybe........ get votes? Sorry if I burst the imaginary balloon that many people have about the government being very nice, wonderful and kind-hearted.
In schools, parents were required to be present with their children to receive the RM 100, and the only reason I could think of that such a move be required is so that these parents will see that the government is indeed being nice, and 'helping' the people. I got no qualms about people taking the money, it does in fact belong to them. The sad part is that I witnessed numerous people who were so happy and actually saying that the Government is very good, very caring and so on. Look at the details which make up the bigger picture, RM 100 for a duration of about 4 to 5 years? (I say 4 to 5 because that's how often a GE is held) Now if you look at it, is it much of a help?
I hope that people are able to look beyond, and not what is in front of them. That is the biggest problem in this country. We experience short-lived joys but suffer in the long run. It's better to want something you don't have than to have something you don't want. With all these moves on the chess board, it is indeed evident that the GE is around the corner. This move has not even been approved by Parliament, but the GOV has gone ahead with their plan, so it is actually illegal. But what the heck, the GOV is above the law right?, though they'll never admit it in a million years. The only option is the ballot box, and even that is not a certainty with all the dirty money politics and so on. It's time to Lock & Load, before we're locked up and can't do anything about it.
Jay Jay Denis
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Tolerance? What Nonsense, slaugtering in schools..
Eid al-Adha or "Festival of Sacrifice", commonly known as Hari Raya Haji in Malaysia, is celebrated by Muslims worldwide. The tradition during this festival is to sacrifice their best domestic animals, commonly a cow, (but can be substituted with a goat or sheep, depending on the region) as a sign of Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his only son. In Malaysia, the cow is usually sacrificed and it has become a norm.
Now, there's no complaint on my part about any of this, but I'll get to the point, and quick. The practice of slaughtering this animals is alright, and I will not get into the 'animal cruelty' part because hey, everyone does it, otherwise we'd all be vegetarians right? BUT, the point is when the presence of other parties are not taken into account, and everything goes on as normal.
In Klang High School, the slaughtering of a cow took place, 'live' as we like to call it. The school is located right next to PPD, Pejabat Pelajaran Daerah Klang, or District Education Department. The school and the PPD is separated by only a fence, accessible via a small gate near the fence which is located close to one of the school canteens. Well, the slaughtering took place on the other side of the fence, so to speak, but that would put it in the jurisdiction of the PPD. About 10 metres away from the fence, the school's Form 6 Block is located, and the whole scene was witnessed by students of all races, religions, beliefs and so on. Again, do not get me wrong, I am not against anyone's religious beliefs, nothing of that sort, but why has this sort of this happen, or allowed to happen?
Cattle are considered sacred in various religions in the country, namely Hinduism and Buddhism. The last time I checked, there were indeed a fair amount of Hindus and Buddhist in the country, especially where the incident took place, Klang High School.
In reference to http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/180717, in which Muslim NGO's say that Malaysian Consultative Council for Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taosim (MCCBCHST), should be tolerant towards Muslims. NOW, WHY IS THERE A REASON for TOLERANCE to be brought into the issue? Tolerance or toleration, is the practice of permitting a thing of which one disapproves, such as social, ethnic, sexual, or religious practices. In this case, it is religious, and Ikatan Muslimin Malaysia (Isma), Malaysian Islamic Youth Movement (Abim) and Malaysian Muslim Malaysian Ulama Association (PUM) are requesting tolerance from the other religions in the country. They go on blabbering, "MCCBCHST should appreciate the tolerance of Muslims, who do not interfere in the internal affairs of other religions," Isma president Abdullah Zaik Abd Rahman said.
Okay wait, if I were to respond to this, it would definitely open a can, or maybe a barrel of worms. Absolute nonsense, what the guy is trying to say. On the surface, the 'Allah' case, plus the issue of Bahasa Malaysia bibles not being allowed in the country. Then the 'Cow Head' issue. Now, isn't this called 'interference of internal affairs of other religions?'As I said, I will not waste time in bringing up other issues, otherwise it could go on forever.
Back to tolerance, if my memory serves me right, there was in issue in East Malaysia where one student who brought food to school, containing pork, and was reprimanded by the teacher. If tolerance is the case, then I guess that if/when someone brings a pig to school and starts slaughtering it, everyone should be tolerant, because that what it means right? Or is it a case of others having to tolerate? Double standard? To me, it looks like one side is always giving, while the other one, due to taking so much, is now becoming extremely greedy. There's a saying, 'If one crosses 'that' line too often, after a while, 'that' line will cease to exist and 'the crossing of the line can't be stopped'. That is exactly what is happening in this country and very soon, it will definitely be too late to do anything.
Again, TOLERANCE? Give me a break please. It's starting to get old, all this tactics.
Till next time,
Jay Jay Denis
Now, there's no complaint on my part about any of this, but I'll get to the point, and quick. The practice of slaughtering this animals is alright, and I will not get into the 'animal cruelty' part because hey, everyone does it, otherwise we'd all be vegetarians right? BUT, the point is when the presence of other parties are not taken into account, and everything goes on as normal.
In Klang High School, the slaughtering of a cow took place, 'live' as we like to call it. The school is located right next to PPD, Pejabat Pelajaran Daerah Klang, or District Education Department. The school and the PPD is separated by only a fence, accessible via a small gate near the fence which is located close to one of the school canteens. Well, the slaughtering took place on the other side of the fence, so to speak, but that would put it in the jurisdiction of the PPD. About 10 metres away from the fence, the school's Form 6 Block is located, and the whole scene was witnessed by students of all races, religions, beliefs and so on. Again, do not get me wrong, I am not against anyone's religious beliefs, nothing of that sort, but why has this sort of this happen, or allowed to happen?
 |
| About 10-12 adults gathering around the cow, its neck tied to a stick via a rope, the place I was standing is where the Form 6 block is located, about 150 students witnessed it. |
Cattle are considered sacred in various religions in the country, namely Hinduism and Buddhism. The last time I checked, there were indeed a fair amount of Hindus and Buddhist in the country, especially where the incident took place, Klang High School.
In reference to http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/180717, in which Muslim NGO's say that Malaysian Consultative Council for Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taosim (MCCBCHST), should be tolerant towards Muslims. NOW, WHY IS THERE A REASON for TOLERANCE to be brought into the issue? Tolerance or toleration, is the practice of permitting a thing of which one disapproves, such as social, ethnic, sexual, or religious practices. In this case, it is religious, and Ikatan Muslimin Malaysia (Isma), Malaysian Islamic Youth Movement (Abim) and Malaysian Muslim Malaysian Ulama Association (PUM) are requesting tolerance from the other religions in the country. They go on blabbering, "MCCBCHST should appreciate the tolerance of Muslims, who do not interfere in the internal affairs of other religions," Isma president Abdullah Zaik Abd Rahman said.
Back to tolerance, if my memory serves me right, there was in issue in East Malaysia where one student who brought food to school, containing pork, and was reprimanded by the teacher. If tolerance is the case, then I guess that if/when someone brings a pig to school and starts slaughtering it, everyone should be tolerant, because that what it means right? Or is it a case of others having to tolerate? Double standard? To me, it looks like one side is always giving, while the other one, due to taking so much, is now becoming extremely greedy. There's a saying, 'If one crosses 'that' line too often, after a while, 'that' line will cease to exist and 'the crossing of the line can't be stopped'. That is exactly what is happening in this country and very soon, it will definitely be too late to do anything.
Again, TOLERANCE? Give me a break please. It's starting to get old, all this tactics.
Till next time,
Jay Jay Denis
Sunday, November 6, 2011
The Yo-Yo of the PPSMI policy by the GOV & Edu Ministry
Citizens of this country would have now watched the yo-yo performance the Education Ministry along with the government have been involved in. The PPSMI has been somewhat of a scandal which has been encircling the country, and especially the people involved in the Education System i.e students and teachers.
All these years, that is up till 2003 of course, Science and Maths, well all subjects rather, were thought in the National Language, which is Bahasa Malaysia/Melayu (even the name has been gone through a 'ding-dong' period, the last time I checked, its called Bahasa Malaysia). Well, only the only subject taught in English was erh.... oh yeah, English. In 2003, our famed former PM who hailed from Alor Setar, MrYouKnowWho, implemented the Pengajaran dan Pembelajaran Sains dan Matematik Dalam Bahasa Inggeris, or better know as PPSMI. The PPSMI was introduced as a Malaysian Government policy as a result of a Cabinet meeting in July 2002, obviously, under the iron fist management of the man now known as Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad. "When proposing the policy, Tun Dr. Mahathir was in the opinion that Malaysia's progress is declining in the age of globalisation, and he had hoped that this policy gives a competitive edge to the nation, following the footsteps of Singapore and India which are moving forward because of their utilization of the English language."
Thus the Government took numerous steps to implement and try their best to improve the declining standards of language in the country, mainly English. It was a positive move as at that time, Malaysian graduates were extremely poor in English, and could not converse adequately, though on paper, most of them had fabulous results. Fast forward to 2009, and we have a DPM/Education Minister who is trying to be some kind of a peacock. Barely six years after its implementation, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin announced that the policy will be reversed in 2012.
This year, he said that there was no chance that a 're-reversal' would take place, going on further saying that the National Language needs to be strengthened. That meant that the Teaching of Science and Mathematics in English would be conducted in Bahasa Malaysia again. No disrespect towards the National Language, I think it is great, but it is a case of taking one step forward and two steps back.
After all the yo-yo-ing that has taken place, Muhyiddin reversed his previously 'unreversible' stance and allowed students the option of continuing in English, but as with UMNO, there is always a catch. Students who will be in Year 2 next year, (all children born before and up until 2004) are the so-called lucky ones, ecaping the guillotine. Those after that, will have of course be taught Science and Mathematics, or rather 'akan diajar matapelajaran Sains dan Matematik dalam Bahasa Malaysia'.
The question on many a mind would be 'Why has the Government changed their stanced?' HA HA. One of the reasons I can think of, or rather the main reason is none other than the upcoming GE. The targeted audience for this ploy is parents of children who are now in Year 1 up until Form 4 (as Form 5 students will not be under the Edu system next year bar students entering Form 6). That would amount to about 5 millions parents, and it could be a smart ploy to get votes. BUT, people have to realise that yes, your children may have been spared, but think of the coming generation.
The BIG PROBLEM with many people is the 'short-term' mindset that they possess. The country is not about the present, but of course the future. The young people who's children are still toddlers would all be caught in this, and it is no use of being somewhat selfish when it comes as a detriment to the country. Even in by-elections, the moment the GOV splashes the cash, be it a couple of hundred in Ringgit, or the infamous 'Election Budget' where civil servants are given bonuses of about RM 500 (I stand to be corrected), but if you look at the details as well as the bigger picture, RM 500 for 5 years? In the PPSMI case, your child is saved yes, but what about the others? We HAVE TO THINK LONG TERM.
A news related to this popped up yesterday when constitutional expert Abdul Aziz Bari said that the PPSMI is unconstitutional.
“(It is) for the simple reason that under Article 152 (of the federal constitution), PPSMI is unconstitutional as official business must be conducted in Malay as the national language.”
This is what people mean by clowns appearing after the ashes have vanished. In that case, I would advise Mr Aziz Bari to take a suit against the former PM, because he is trying to imply that he went against the Constitution by implementing the PPSMI.
People, please, wake up, and take a stand, before it is too late.
Jay Jay Denis.
All these years, that is up till 2003 of course, Science and Maths, well all subjects rather, were thought in the National Language, which is Bahasa Malaysia/Melayu (even the name has been gone through a 'ding-dong' period, the last time I checked, its called Bahasa Malaysia). Well, only the only subject taught in English was erh.... oh yeah, English. In 2003, our famed former PM who hailed from Alor Setar, MrYouKnowWho, implemented the Pengajaran dan Pembelajaran Sains dan Matematik Dalam Bahasa Inggeris, or better know as PPSMI. The PPSMI was introduced as a Malaysian Government policy as a result of a Cabinet meeting in July 2002, obviously, under the iron fist management of the man now known as Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad. "When proposing the policy, Tun Dr. Mahathir was in the opinion that Malaysia's progress is declining in the age of globalisation, and he had hoped that this policy gives a competitive edge to the nation, following the footsteps of Singapore and India which are moving forward because of their utilization of the English language."
Thus the Government took numerous steps to implement and try their best to improve the declining standards of language in the country, mainly English. It was a positive move as at that time, Malaysian graduates were extremely poor in English, and could not converse adequately, though on paper, most of them had fabulous results. Fast forward to 2009, and we have a DPM/Education Minister who is trying to be some kind of a peacock. Barely six years after its implementation, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin announced that the policy will be reversed in 2012.
This year, he said that there was no chance that a 're-reversal' would take place, going on further saying that the National Language needs to be strengthened. That meant that the Teaching of Science and Mathematics in English would be conducted in Bahasa Malaysia again. No disrespect towards the National Language, I think it is great, but it is a case of taking one step forward and two steps back.
After all the yo-yo-ing that has taken place, Muhyiddin reversed his previously 'unreversible' stance and allowed students the option of continuing in English, but as with UMNO, there is always a catch. Students who will be in Year 2 next year, (all children born before and up until 2004) are the so-called lucky ones, ecaping the guillotine. Those after that, will have of course be taught Science and Mathematics, or rather 'akan diajar matapelajaran Sains dan Matematik dalam Bahasa Malaysia'.
The question on many a mind would be 'Why has the Government changed their stanced?' HA HA. One of the reasons I can think of, or rather the main reason is none other than the upcoming GE. The targeted audience for this ploy is parents of children who are now in Year 1 up until Form 4 (as Form 5 students will not be under the Edu system next year bar students entering Form 6). That would amount to about 5 millions parents, and it could be a smart ploy to get votes. BUT, people have to realise that yes, your children may have been spared, but think of the coming generation.
The BIG PROBLEM with many people is the 'short-term' mindset that they possess. The country is not about the present, but of course the future. The young people who's children are still toddlers would all be caught in this, and it is no use of being somewhat selfish when it comes as a detriment to the country. Even in by-elections, the moment the GOV splashes the cash, be it a couple of hundred in Ringgit, or the infamous 'Election Budget' where civil servants are given bonuses of about RM 500 (I stand to be corrected), but if you look at the details as well as the bigger picture, RM 500 for 5 years? In the PPSMI case, your child is saved yes, but what about the others? We HAVE TO THINK LONG TERM.
A news related to this popped up yesterday when constitutional expert Abdul Aziz Bari said that the PPSMI is unconstitutional.
“(It is) for the simple reason that under Article 152 (of the federal constitution), PPSMI is unconstitutional as official business must be conducted in Malay as the national language.”
This is what people mean by clowns appearing after the ashes have vanished. In that case, I would advise Mr Aziz Bari to take a suit against the former PM, because he is trying to imply that he went against the Constitution by implementing the PPSMI.
People, please, wake up, and take a stand, before it is too late.
Jay Jay Denis.
Saturday, July 9, 2011
What does July 9th 2011 signal for the Najib Administration?
Many expected that it the turnout for the much-anticipated rally would be a fraction of the target that was earlier aimed for, due to the 'scare-tactics' used by our famed 'gangsters in uniforms'. They set up road-blocks, not only in and around KL, but also places like the NKVE toll in Klang, parts of Shah Alam, and the Federal Highway was no use mentioning. I think many know what happened during the rally, so I'll not bother going into it. The post-mortem.
Najib, the premier, said that he was pleased with people who did not attend the rally, as and hoped that Malaysians learn a lesson from this. Excuse me, but Mr Najib, you should learn, and learn hard from this. Allowing the country to be run like a police-state on July 9th is mediocre to say the least. Najib also lied when he earlier said that he would allow Bersih to hold its rally in a stadium. I'm not sure whether they applied but judging by the reports, the IGP said NO TO STADIUM MERDEKA. The crowd which gathered yesterday would have filled the stadium without any problems, but the powers that be said that such an event would tarnish the image of the Stadium. Give me a break, these guys really need to learn how to joke, because they suck at it.
Let's look at Bersih 1.0 (the first rally which was held in 2007). This event, coupled with the now infamous Hindraf, were the catalysts towards the outcome of the March 2008 General Elections. We all know what happened, as Bee-end lost its 2/3 majority. The actions by the authorities that day were very much alike, with the use of water cannons, tear gas and brute force as the world watched in disbelief. Four months later, the election was held, and BN were in for a shock.
Now, with this rally looking to be a like a success, though there are still tonnes of work to be done, will BN make the same mistake and call for a GE within the next 4-6 months, or will they wait for another 8 months or so to gather momentum on their side, and try their best to clean their tarnished image (it is looking like a mountain of a task at the moment). All the policies he has introduced will now be forgotten for the time being at least, and the public will wait on a response from the government. I can't help but ask the question as to what will happen if BN indeed lose the elections, will the 'thugs in uniforms' take over like they did yesterday? Najib and co have already come out with statements saying that they will defend Putrajaya with their lives, so everyone can use the power of their imaginations and who knows what will happen.
There were members of society who taught that this rally was a joke, putting their support behind the Government, saying that this wasn't the right way to proceed and so on. TO those people, I suggest who wake up and take notice. Stop living in blindness and make a change for once. There's no use supporting this government if this is the way they plan to behave. Give the opposition a chance, if they fail, then we'll change the government again. As citizens of Malaysia, we have the right to do so, if we still believe in democracy. The time will come in the 13th GE. Interesting times ahead.
Najib, the premier, said that he was pleased with people who did not attend the rally, as and hoped that Malaysians learn a lesson from this. Excuse me, but Mr Najib, you should learn, and learn hard from this. Allowing the country to be run like a police-state on July 9th is mediocre to say the least. Najib also lied when he earlier said that he would allow Bersih to hold its rally in a stadium. I'm not sure whether they applied but judging by the reports, the IGP said NO TO STADIUM MERDEKA. The crowd which gathered yesterday would have filled the stadium without any problems, but the powers that be said that such an event would tarnish the image of the Stadium. Give me a break, these guys really need to learn how to joke, because they suck at it.
Let's look at Bersih 1.0 (the first rally which was held in 2007). This event, coupled with the now infamous Hindraf, were the catalysts towards the outcome of the March 2008 General Elections. We all know what happened, as Bee-end lost its 2/3 majority. The actions by the authorities that day were very much alike, with the use of water cannons, tear gas and brute force as the world watched in disbelief. Four months later, the election was held, and BN were in for a shock.
Now, with this rally looking to be a like a success, though there are still tonnes of work to be done, will BN make the same mistake and call for a GE within the next 4-6 months, or will they wait for another 8 months or so to gather momentum on their side, and try their best to clean their tarnished image (it is looking like a mountain of a task at the moment). All the policies he has introduced will now be forgotten for the time being at least, and the public will wait on a response from the government. I can't help but ask the question as to what will happen if BN indeed lose the elections, will the 'thugs in uniforms' take over like they did yesterday? Najib and co have already come out with statements saying that they will defend Putrajaya with their lives, so everyone can use the power of their imaginations and who knows what will happen.
There were members of society who taught that this rally was a joke, putting their support behind the Government, saying that this wasn't the right way to proceed and so on. TO those people, I suggest who wake up and take notice. Stop living in blindness and make a change for once. There's no use supporting this government if this is the way they plan to behave. Give the opposition a chance, if they fail, then we'll change the government again. As citizens of Malaysia, we have the right to do so, if we still believe in democracy. The time will come in the 13th GE. Interesting times ahead.
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Ibrahim Ali Should Learn to Behave
The Perkasa chief 'Datuk' Ibrahim Ali, has been amusing us for quite a while now. The man seems to have a real sense of humour, and all this while 'chairing' the Perkasa group, heavily backed by 'you know who'. Datuk Perkasa just loves to make a fool of himself, maybe he should make that his middle name. It wouldn't sound too bad, at least better than what is coming out of his mouth.
Thanks to someone's post, I read an article about his latest outburst. (I will put the link at the end of this article.) In it, he states that "Malays have been patient for “far too long” and have allowed non-Malays to make excessive demands." Now, Mr. Ali mustn't have heard about 'baseless allegations' or he wouldn't have allowed that faeces to come out from his mouth. I would love to know of this patience he is talking about, because I almost never see it. Then, he says that the non-Malays make excessive demands. By using the term non-Malays, he is going against the Najib Organisation of "1Malaysia", though that subject will open up a new can of worms. Then, these demands he is talking about, what are they really? The thing that triggered all this was first the banning of the use of the word Allah and now the desecration of the Bahasa Malaysia Bibles. Are these demands or merely upholding one's rights? This is one country which does not allow an individual to read a holy book in one's preferred language. If that is the case, then Mr Perkasa should make the Quran be printed in Arab. Why do they print it in Bahasa Malaysia? Is it necessary for the double-standard?
He calls for the printing of the Bible in Kadazan or Iban. “How many Malays are Christian? Why do you have to have bibles in Bahasa? Why not use bahasa Iban, or Kadazan?" This sounds to me as though he feels threatened. As far as I know, Malays are not allowed to change their religion, so why bring up the question? They make a hugh & cry that Bahasa Malaysia is THE National Language. Then he goes on to mumble about this issue being about National Security. Wow, can the man really talk or what.
In light of this, I think Ibrahim Ali should be arrested under the ISA for causing religious tension and bringing up issues which has somewhat been dealt with, though the tide can turn anytime. He is not part of BN, but they treat him like he is the best thing since sliced bread. The other day, an MP was arrested for participating in an anti-Interlok rally, if I'm not mistaken. Then why is this fool still on the loose? He will never be arrested, that's for sure, but something needs to be done to put tyrants like him of the streets.
Here is the link of his article
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/dont-test-patience-of-malays-perkasa-warns-christians/
Thanks to someone's post, I read an article about his latest outburst. (I will put the link at the end of this article.) In it, he states that "Malays have been patient for “far too long” and have allowed non-Malays to make excessive demands." Now, Mr. Ali mustn't have heard about 'baseless allegations' or he wouldn't have allowed that faeces to come out from his mouth. I would love to know of this patience he is talking about, because I almost never see it. Then, he says that the non-Malays make excessive demands. By using the term non-Malays, he is going against the Najib Organisation of "1Malaysia", though that subject will open up a new can of worms. Then, these demands he is talking about, what are they really? The thing that triggered all this was first the banning of the use of the word Allah and now the desecration of the Bahasa Malaysia Bibles. Are these demands or merely upholding one's rights? This is one country which does not allow an individual to read a holy book in one's preferred language. If that is the case, then Mr Perkasa should make the Quran be printed in Arab. Why do they print it in Bahasa Malaysia? Is it necessary for the double-standard?
He calls for the printing of the Bible in Kadazan or Iban. “How many Malays are Christian? Why do you have to have bibles in Bahasa? Why not use bahasa Iban, or Kadazan?" This sounds to me as though he feels threatened. As far as I know, Malays are not allowed to change their religion, so why bring up the question? They make a hugh & cry that Bahasa Malaysia is THE National Language. Then he goes on to mumble about this issue being about National Security. Wow, can the man really talk or what.
In light of this, I think Ibrahim Ali should be arrested under the ISA for causing religious tension and bringing up issues which has somewhat been dealt with, though the tide can turn anytime. He is not part of BN, but they treat him like he is the best thing since sliced bread. The other day, an MP was arrested for participating in an anti-Interlok rally, if I'm not mistaken. Then why is this fool still on the loose? He will never be arrested, that's for sure, but something needs to be done to put tyrants like him of the streets.
Here is the link of his article
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/dont-test-patience-of-malays-perkasa-warns-christians/
Monday, April 11, 2011
Muhyiddin Should Know His Role and Limits
In response to the article in Malaysiakini about DPM Muhyiddin http://malaysiakini.com/news/161233, this man has not, and will not learn his lesson. Recently he has been saying so many foolish things. Now this.
His so called 'reminder', to the Sarawakian teachers, that the vote for BN is extremely ridiculous for a man of his position and stature. This '1 Malaysia' they are screaming about daily in Sarawak, is a mere eyewash, and now the DPM comes out with such a vague and very rash statement. He calls it a reminder, a gentle but important reminder. To me, it sounds more of a threat. Just because the teachers are working for the goverment, nothing in the constitution states that 'An individual MUST VOTE for the Barisan and UMNO especially. His outburst is made with a tad of desperation, realising that the Opposition have never been anywhere as near as threatening in history, to usurp the present government.
The whole of Sarawak and Malaysia will hinge on April 16th as D-Day. Yes, one may say that the GE is still not upon us yet, but IF the Opposition can somehow topple the current powers, then this will be their much-needed booster to hit the ground running come the GE. Time for change, or transformation?.. Come on Muhyiddin, you should get English lessons first.
His so called 'reminder', to the Sarawakian teachers, that the vote for BN is extremely ridiculous for a man of his position and stature. This '1 Malaysia' they are screaming about daily in Sarawak, is a mere eyewash, and now the DPM comes out with such a vague and very rash statement. He calls it a reminder, a gentle but important reminder. To me, it sounds more of a threat. Just because the teachers are working for the goverment, nothing in the constitution states that 'An individual MUST VOTE for the Barisan and UMNO especially. His outburst is made with a tad of desperation, realising that the Opposition have never been anywhere as near as threatening in history, to usurp the present government.
The whole of Sarawak and Malaysia will hinge on April 16th as D-Day. Yes, one may say that the GE is still not upon us yet, but IF the Opposition can somehow topple the current powers, then this will be their much-needed booster to hit the ground running come the GE. Time for change, or transformation?.. Come on Muhyiddin, you should get English lessons first.
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