Talking Back – Listen, listen, listen!

After my last post about the changing images of youth, I apologize for entertaining rather middle-aged thoughts about them, but am quite happy that they, in their exuberance, proved me completely wrong. Thanks, to my favorite niece, who opened the window on youth thinking, wide for me to have a good look outside. She put me on to the fracas that went on at the “Forum Suara Mahasiswa”( Undergraduate Voices Forum) in Universiti Utara Malaysia (Northern University, Malaysia). Despite its theme, only one overriding voice was heard that rudely cut off the student voice, and all others.

Ironically, this over-bearing and hectoring loud-speaker voice didn’t belong to any undergraduate or staff of that university. It belonged to one Sharifah Zohra Jabeen (the emcee of the event), who claimed being the President of the ” Suara Wanita 1Malaysia”(1Malaysia Womens group). The undergraduate KS Bawani, who had attempted to put forward her views on the non-existence of free education in Malaysia was cut short in mid-speech and shouted down by Madam Loudspeaker, SZJ. She (Madam Loudspeaker) must have thought she was at a Parliamentary debate. I don’t think she’s a BN candidate for any constituency in this country, but seems to make out that she has potential.

The speech she gave after shouting, “LISTEN,LISTEN,LISTEN!” had nothing to do with any of the points raised by KS Bawani. In fact, obviously having no idea of a proper reply or even referring it to other panel members (who couldn’t even get a word in during her speech), she charged head-long into a verbal cess pool and floundered in a mire of disjointed, irrelevant and ridiculously nonsensical oratory.  She even dared to lob an insult at KS Bawani, by telling all present that she (SZJ) had a degree, and the undergraduate only possessed an ‘O’ Level. Madam Loudspeaker obviously didn’t know much about the person she was lambasting, or that this announcement was an embarrassment to whatever university she is alumni of. As far as I know, her alma mater has remained silent, whilst those who associated with her before have decided to disassociate themselves.

Malaysian youth rose to the occasion, in response to this, proving their awareness of any attempts to smother free speech, requiring proper answers to their questions. The incident was caught on video and released on YouTube, going viral, almost instantly! It has even fired the imaginations of  netizens like Namewee who performed a catchy rap on it for YouTube viewers called, what do think? “Listen, listen, listen…”

There’s also a catchy song, that will probably stick a round for some time and raise meaningful smiles with this line in particular, “Listen, listen, listen, while I speak!”

For all her talking down to the ‘younger’ ones, Madam Loudspeaker has incurred their ridicule, yet fired their creativity. I heard rumors that to evade the backlash, SZJ has gone into hiding, if she ventured outside, it could probably be in disguise (dark shades and ‘tudung’?) Perhaps, even in full ‘purdah’ for her safety, a suitable penance for shooting off her mouth.

Never, never try being ‘holier than thou’ when you have no inkling of what you are dealing with. In English slang, “She done herself in!”

So, the youth are definitely aware of what hits them. I am very glad to know that Malaysian youth can work  for a better future. Now, they should do the right thing and use the ballot boxes to ensure that future.

Hidup Rakyat!

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• Listen, Umno! Listen! Stop the BTN legacy of pathetic INTELLECTUAL BIGOTRY (hornbillunleashed.wordpress.com)