Malaysiaku, Negaraku

Mengadap Duli Yang Maha Mulia Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah Alhaj ibni Almarhum Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah Alhaj, Sultan dan Yang di-Pertuan Negeri Selangor Darul Ehsan, serta segala daerah takluknya. Ampun Tuanku, Beribu-ribu Ampun, sembah patik mohon diampun. Patik, seorang rakyat jelata yang kerdil, dengan penuh rasa hamba dan takzim, menyusun sepuluh jari memohon limpah perkenan Ke bawah Duli Yang Maha Mulia Tuanku untuk mengampunkan segala salah dan silap patik, serta menerima sembah rayuan yang terbit daripada lubuk hati sanubari masyarakat Cina di Negeri Selangor ini. Ampun Tuanku, Tujuan utama patik memberanikan diri mengutus warkah ini adalah untuk memohon keampunan dan belas kasihan Ke bawah Duli Yang Maha Mulia Tuanku bagi pihak komuniti Cina di Selangor. Sesungguhnya, patik mahupun majoriti masyarakat Cina di negeri ini bukanlah ahli politik.  Kami memohon agar kewujudan dan kesetiaan kami dapat dipisahkan sama sekali daripada pertubuhan-pertubuhan politik sepert...

At a time when the country is facing unforeseen global economic uncertainties as a result of the war in the Middle East, two former PKR lawmakers have decided to leave the party whose platform they have used to contest and won in the last general election. I am speaking as one, like most of you, who thought that in Rafizi Ramli we have a future Priime Minister worthy of our support. However, in recent months, his efforts to destroy the very efforts he had put in to contribute to the Reformasi movement, has caused me to scrutiise his actions. The last thing both he and his deputy Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad should do is to vacate their parliamentary seats. By vacating their seats, they would most definitely force another two by-elections in the two constituencies - Pandan and Setiawangsa.  Burden to the poeple   That would mean the voters in these two constituencies would have to go to the poll stations again, amidst the economic pressures that they are already experiencing, now both R...

  This morning as I was parking my car here, I noticed this lady who was sweeping the street, when everyone else was having their breakfast at the mamak restaurant just a stone’s throw away.  A thought came, “What about just saying a word of ‘Thank you’ to her?” I decided I must do it even though the thank you costs hardly anything — just a few minutes of my time. When I decided to take a picture of her, while in action, she immediately stopped, and asked, “Why?”  She appeared to be worried that someone may be complaining on her. After all, this is their fate. They work, but hardly anyone notices, but when the road is dirty, people just know how to complain, complain, and COMPLAIN!  To me, my feedback to the local authorities is nothing but just a feedback. It only becomes a complaint if it is not being attended to, and the problem becomes an issue if it is dragged on for too long. Once it becomes a big issue, it goes even to the press.  For me, because I care f...

As Rafizi Ramli and Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad prepare to announce their political futures on the very day of Anwar Ibrahim’s party convention, the optics of this timing cannot be ignored. I have a crucial piece of advice for these two leaders as well as many of their followers, as they navigate this pivotal moment. It is easier for me as an outsider to see what these two young Turks fail to see. Rafizi may be assisted by people who know how to project him even through a piece of photograph — even using the background of a morning sun — that depicts him and Nik Nazmi as promising  future leaders.  After reading and understanding some insights, hopefully, you will see through both Anwar and these two young Turks. Let me begin with Rafizi when he first pulled out of politics. His announcement was that he would retire from politics forever. Obviously, he is inconsistent with his own words. When I tried to persuade him to return to politics, he projected himself as one who was deeply hur...