BLACKOUT 505 continues.
Adam Adli, the new voice of youthful Malaysia speaks with such power and conviction that the powers that be, see him as a threat to their shaky claim to rule this country. Continue reading “Refreshing Spring – Adam Adli”
Tag: Malaysia
Censoring a Congratulatory Note
BLACKOUT505 STILL IN FORCE HERE.
Which country in the world censors the congratulatory greetings of friendly governments ? That’s precisely what the government controlled mainstream daily THE STAR did to a congratulatory note by President Obama (USA) to Najib Razak who assumed the Premiership shortly after the GE13 despite the dubious election result. Continue reading “Censoring a Congratulatory Note”
Malaysia Unsettled
I expect that most Malaysians at home and overseas must know what’s been happening in and to this country in the past few weeks. They must be aware of, perhaps, the first giant steps we’ve taken towards giving ourselves a shot at installing a ‘new’ government to administer this country. Well, the cries of “INI KALILAH” (THIS TIME) and “UBAH!” (CHANGE) rose to the skies from thousands and hundreds of thousands of throats at Pakatan Rakyat (Peoples’ Coalition) rallies all around the country, in the run up to our 13th General Election. We feared reactionary responses by Barisan Nasional‘s (National Front) minions and supporters. It is not a joke, as we feared the worst. Continue reading “Malaysia Unsettled”
Baroness Privatization R.I.P.
I wasn’t overjoyed or saddened at the news of Margaret Thatcher’s demise. She was the UK’s first woman Prime Minister, yet seemed less concerned about what concerned most women – their children. I’m not British, and seeing the trend of ‘capitalist’ and ‘neo-liberal’ behavior she set in motion in Britain and in other countries of similar economic persuasion during her term as PM, I might feel glad not being a claimant of her legacy. Continue reading “Baroness Privatization R.I.P.”
Maids in Malaysia
Some may remember the 2002 movie “Maid in Manhattan” with Jennifer Lopez as Marisa Ventura, a mother working as a chamber maid in a classy Manhattan hotel. She meets a politician, Christopher Marshall, who falls in love with her and is staying at the hotel where she works. He mistakes her for someone else but later finds out, and she gets fired from her job for this seeming deception. However, after the story runs its course, true love triumphs in the end, and they live happily ever after.
Many young girls,especially those from impoverished rural areas perhaps hope such dreams will come true for them in a more affluent environment where they can earn a decent living, and get a better life for their families and themselves. But, the reality isn’t as simple or straight-forward as they think. Continue reading “Maids in Malaysia”
Playing with Shadows
There are many cultures which have taken on the art of using shadows as a medium of communication in performing arts. In Malaysia, we have the “wayang kulit“, a traditional Malay, shadow puppet show. The stylized elaborately designed puppets interact, dance and glide behind a large white cloth screen on which a very bright white light is shone. The dramas acted out by these puppets are usually ancient myths and legends. But, the idea of shadow play has actually taken on a more modern usage. Continue reading “Playing with Shadows”
Gangnam Backfire – Daching Upset!
Following up from my last post on Psy‘s dilemma, it looks like the BN’s sneaky tactic to lure votes, backfired instead, when thousands turned up just to enjoy Psy’s performance. A few incidents took place starting with the ‘yee sang’ fracas… Continue reading “Gangnam Backfire – Daching Upset!”
A Gangnam Dilemma
Psy, the world-famous K-Pop star performed in Penang today (11th February 2013). He was called, in a last desperate attempt by the ruling Barisan Nasional (National Front) to re-take Penang state, which was wrested from them by the Opposition Pakatan Rakyat (Peoples’ Coalition) at the last general elections on 8th March 2008. Continue reading “A Gangnam Dilemma”
Flaming Waste!
Waste! Waste! Waste! Really puts chilli in my mouth. Temperature rises and I definitely see red. Chinese New Year is just a week or so away. There’ll be more waste again. It was an article in the newspapers this morning that set me off. Continue reading “Flaming Waste!”
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. Continue reading “Talking Back – Listen, listen, listen!”
Winking at Life 