Top news of the day

(The Star Online)Monday July 27, 2009

Yasmin Ahmad laid to rest

By NURBAITI HAMDAN and ZALINAH NOORDIN

PETALING JAYA: Award-winning director Yasmin Ahmad, 51, was laid to rest at the SS22 Muslim Cemetery yesterday.

My Comment: Innumerable tributes are pouring in for this great woman. Her contributions to the development of the Malaysian cinema saw no racial boundaries. Her extraordinary talent as a film and advertising director (has won several notable awards) was admired and praised by all the races in Malaysia. This is why her demise is such an heartbreaking news for the Malaysians.

On 7, 2Monday July 2009 (the Starline)

Gates reassures Israel on U.S.-Iran strategy

By Jim Wolf

My Comment: Looking at the title, one can be excused for wondering whether Harvard scholar Henry Louis Gates JR. was such an important person that his assurance was very important to Israel, what with the news of his skirmish with Sgt James Crowley of Cambridge Police Department just having been news casted recently! Ha! Ha! Read on!

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - U.S. Defence Secretary Robert Gates moved to reassure Israel on Monday that Washington's bid to talk Iran into giving up sensitive nuclear work was worth pursuing, despite the reticence so far from Tehran.

My Comment: Oops! Wrong Gates…eh? Luckily no recent eye-catching news about Bill Gates!

Obama in hot soup

An article in a newspaper:

Obama says police acted 'stupidly' in arrest

By ANNE GEARAN, Associated Press Writer

Wed Jul 22, 10:09 pm ET

WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama said Wednesday that police acted "stupidly" in the arrest of prominent black scholar Henry Louis Gates Jr. and that despite racial progress blacks and Hispanics are still singled out unfairly for arrest.

…………………

"Cambridge police acted stupidly in arresting somebody when there was already proof he was in own home," Obama said during a prime-time news conference that otherwise focused on the health care debate.

Well, President Obama seems to have got himself into a problem that he didn’t want, by using the adjective ‘stupid’ to describe the action of Cambridge police.

Though all the while I have been saying I was a great admirer of President Obama, I do have to say that President Obama should not have said the word that he said. He himself seemed to have 'acted stupidly’ by saying that the police ‘acted stupidly’ in arresting Harvard scholar, Gates. One may be forgiven for saying that success has gone into Obama’s head, incapacitating him to act or say things with detachment, without prejudice. In the first place, he could have at least said words like ‘the Cambridge police were wrong in this case’ or better still, ‘the sergeant was wrong’. Unfortunately, due to his ignorance of the consequences, he had implicated the police force by saying that the Cambridge ‘police’ had acted ‘stupidly’. Now the police forces of the world will be eagerly watching the outcome of this ‘stupid’ utterance, not to mention the expectation of the police force of USA, of an act of penance from their president.

The only honourable way out for the President Obama is to say sorry to Sgt James Crawley, the Cambridge police and the general police force of USA, and that too, immediately. Any delay by explanations and excuses will only aggravate the situation, what with his popularity poll already going on the downside with the economy still not on the recovery road. Already, it has been said that in Cambridge, police union members have held a news conference in solidarity behind Sgt Crawley and are requesting a formal apology from Obama for his emotional outburst.

Unifying Through Soccer

About 85,000 Malaysian soccer fans watched the first game between Manchester United and Malaysia on July 18, 2009. What a huge crowd! This, clearly, shows that Malaysians are, indeed, passionate about football. A sea of red - the Manchester United FC colour - was seen markedly around the Bukit Jalil Stadium. According to a news article printed in a Malaysian daily, one jersey itself costs RM259. Only a devoted soccer fan will come forward with that amount of money, to purchase a jersey, that he was going to wear for only a few hours in a year.

Football has that much hold on the people of Malaysia, attracting huge crowds whenever a good game is in store; crowds of all races, religion and creed. Now, this game can be used to promote unity amongst the Malaysians. 

Actually, true sports does not recognize human colour. One who is capable and is wiling to strive for excellence, excels in his sport. And one who excels in the sport that he has chosen, will be, in turn, chosen by the officials of authority of that sports to represent the country. That’s fine, and that’s the way it should be. And that is exactly what has been done by the sports authorities in Malaysia. Congratulations to them. However, sadly, that is where the predicament of displaying unity in sports lies. Take that game of Manchester United and Malaysia, for instance. Malaysia, being comprised of various races, it was very conspicuous. We could only see the Malay and Indian players on the field, that day. Sadly, not even one Chinese player was on the field, let alone on the bench. Agreed that the managers and the coaches chose only the best players around, but in Malaysia, where, we are aiming for unity of the races, through the 1Malaysia concept, they should have chosen at least one Chinese player to represent the nation. Just imagine, what good that should have done to uplift the spirit of the Malaysian citizens of Chinese roots!

Good Chinese players are abound in Malaysia. One could see them enjoying football in the fields around the nation. They have their clubs. They are not strangers to football. We have seen the likes of Soh Chin Aun, James Wong, Ong Yu Tiang, Kang Hung Meng, just to mention a few of the football greats of the past. Therefore, to say that there aren’t any good Chinese players to pick would be an understatement.

Currently, there are Chinese players playing for the states. If they can play for the states, they should be good enough to play for the nation, after having given the necessary training and coaching. Surely, we can choose at least one of them and expose him to international football, develop him and utilize him for the holistic purpose of instilling the feeling of pride and oneness of all Malaysians. He may not be on par with the others in the team, but this is where flexibility and a bit of backwards bending are called for, in support of the nation’s vision of 1Malaysia. 

Who knows, after regular exposure to vigorous and quality football we may yet see another Soh Chin Aun or Ong Yu Tiang.

Malaysia, home sweet home!

Go anywhere you want but you cannot find a place like Malaysia.I like living in Malaysia because:

I can throw rubbish out from the car freely anywhere I want. No worries.

I can weave my car in and out of traffic, left and right. Quick travelling made easy!

I can throw rubbish in drains and rivers. So convenient!

I can spit and blow my nose anywhere publically. Malaysians don’t mind.

I love paying tolls every few kilometers before I reach my destination. I like charitable work!

I can scream away in my hand phone. Malaysians are quite deaf.

I like cops and crooks stories. There are plenty in Malaysia. Only that there are more crooks than police.

I like to see money-lending stickers covering up all the signboards. So many different sizes and colours!

I like the easy monetary loans and the daily payment system. All the collateral you need is your life.

I love to see the schoolchildren fraught with language switches in schools. Better than computer games!

Magic Shows

There is no magic in magic shows anymore. I wonder if there are any magic shows anymore in the world, what with the secrets of the ‘magic’ displays having been revealed on the TVs.

In Malaysia, on the Astro TV channel AXN, on every Thursday at 9 pm, there is the all-revealing program called ‘Breaking the magician’s code’. I have never seen such an exciting and enlightening show anywhere. You can call me a ‘frog under the shell’, but that is the truth. Only now, I have been enlightened about the tricks of the trade of the ‘magic’ shows. The back stage people, their spot-on-time actions, the doubles, the electrical and electronic machines and gadgets, the hidden compartments, disillusioning mirrors; Wow! So much technological equipments and activities being performed at the back, hidden from viewers’ sights, to bring about that deceptive illusion in the viewers’ minds! No sorcery involved at all; the 'magic' brought about by the precision timing of men and machine!

The Astro TV Company has my heartiest commendation and regards for presenting such an excellent show. May this good work be continued.

Old Folks' Tale!

 ‘The flesh is old, the spirit is young’ this is the tongue in cheek reply given by the old-timers when confronted with their activities that only befit the young ones, may they be good or bad. To these old-timers, I say "Your spirits are also old, if you are caught into the following behaviors. Ha! Ha!" 

No excuses this time! Do not take it seriously, though. Just reminding for fun! 

 1. You are old if you search for your glasses, all the while wearing them! 

 2. You are old if you search for your car keys when just seconds ago you put it into your pocket! 

 3. You are old when you switch on the light when you want the fan! You forgot the switches, didn't you? Ok, it happens! 

 4. You are old if you wonder whether you have eaten your lunch! 

 5. You are old when you walk straight ahead when your friend is smiling at you! 

 6. You are old when you realize that you have got to brush your remaining teeth without toothpaste for the third day in a row because you forgot to buy it again, when you went for a walk!

 7. You are old when shopkeepers call after you to take away the goods that you have just bought! 

 8. You are old if you go back to the toilet to check whether you have flushed it! 

 9. You are old if you remembered suddenly, while having a meal in a restaurant, that you did not put any coins inside the parking meter! 

 10. You are old when you start to reread the, ‘How to have a superpower memory’ book.

Michael Owen

Michael Owen, is a good example of a man who lived on past glory, and then was, suddenly, given the rarest of chances to make use of that glory, to turn himself into a formidable footballer, once more. He is 29 years old, now, and has at least another 6 years, or so, to shine all over again.

He had been a prolific goal scorer in his days at Liverpool and then signed on to Real Madrid. Unfortunately, this move ended in disappointment for he was sparingly used by the management, for reasons known only to them. Disappointed in not being able to get a regular place in the Real Madrid team he gradually moved to Newcastle. There, too, he did not fare any better, with his injuries and the goal-scoring prowess greatly weakened. The team went down to the lower division. 

Just when one thought his footballing days were numbered, out comes, no other than, the great Manchester United, giving him a new lease in his footballing life, and what a lease it is! Manchester United is not anybody’s kind of a football team. It is the second richest club in the world, the first one being Real Madrid. Its fan base is huge, with huge crowds, thronging around, awaiting their appearance wherever they go. The team will be in Kuala Lumpur this weekend. It will be the first time Michael Owen will be playing together in the team. The football world will be watching how he performs.

One can safely say that even Michael Owen would not have expected this, the signing of him by Alex Ferguson, the sleek and successful manager of Manchester United. Well, good for him and wishing him all the best, in this divine given golden opportunity, to show the world the great striker that he really is.

My post in our Malaysian Prime Ministers Blog - 1Malaysia

A humble request

Wednesday, 01 July 2009

Dear honourable PM. I am proud that I at last have a PM of my beloved Malaysia who is so humble to have a blog for the people to keep in close contact with him. I know your 1Malaysia concept is very heartfelt - to unite the various races in Malaysia. Your blog is one of the paths in achieving that. However, in doing so, I am sad to say that you seem to have unknowingly neglected to give importance to a basic pride of the Indians - the Tamil language. Your blog accomadates only three of the four main languages of the nation, clearly neglecting the Tamil language. As we know our education system also gives importance to the teaching of the language in the educational institutions. As such I am sure a suitable candidate could be found in dealing with the language in your blog. Having a Tamil version will go a long way in helping the Indians to feel that they are indeed a requisite for the needs of 1Malaysia concept. I thank you PM for letting me have my opinion expressed out.

by D.G. Govindasami

1Malaysia through language

Although there is an outcry of dissatisfactions regarding the Malaysian government’s recent final decision on the education policies, it has to be admitted that the government has recognized the importance of English in the world today. This, it had proved by its decision to implement various steps to speed up the good grasp of the English language by its people The allocation of an huge sum of RM5 billion just for the development of the language alone is a clear sign of its commitments.

Going to the disgruntlements to the decision of reverting to Bahasa Malaysia in the teaching of science and mathematics, this is a just a marginal issue. The argument that students can only make an easy grasp and quick steps of progress only with the subjects being taught in English is not very convincing. The advocators for ‘science and maths in English’ point out that even advanced nations like S.Korea, China, Japan, Germany, France, Russia, etc. now are eagerly going for the education of the English Language for their people due to their recognition of the language’s role in the commercial and technological world. Accepted that the substantiation of this is unbreakable and compelling, it has to be agreed that these nations attained their technological and scientific advancement, using their own languages, much before their willingness to accept to English as an international language, a language of international trade and commerce. They had done it. Why not we? We are no lesser beings than they are.

Therefore, let us give the government our support to its eagerness and pledges to push for advancements and 1Malaysia, through the patriotic and resilience use of our own national language.

Coming back to the issue of the government being committed to the improvement of English language, it has been announced that English Literature is going to be introduced in Primary schools. It is hoped that the studying of English Literature is not stopped there but continued throughout, to at least to PMR level, if not to SPM, as had been practiced 3 decades before. Scholars of those years and subsequently the present well-versed senior citizens, will agree that it was the slow and meticulous study of English Literature that made them to be knowledgeable in the language today.

Unforgettable Sports Siblings

The Williams sisters made the sports headlines yet again. In the recently held Wimbledon Tennis Tournament (22nd June to 5th July), Venus Williams, the elder sister and Serena Williams, the younger, faced each other in the final again. They had met each other in the previous Wimbledon finals 7 times in 9 years! That was not an easy feat to accomplish. This time around, yet again, both of them combined in the women’s double and emerged champions, playing on the same day as their singles final! In the singles final, Serena had beat her elder sister to capture the prestigious Wimbledon Cup. It is noteworthy to point out that they had combined and won the women’s doubles title 3 times previously in the Wimbledon Tennis Tournaments. They would surely go into the history books, if they had not done that already.

Malaysia, too, is no stranger in producing famous siblings of sports. Who can forget the legends in the badminton arena, of brothers Razif Sidek and Jalani Sidek in the men’s doubles? The brothers won 29 international double titles in the eighties. Malaysia took one step further by having another sibling together in the tournaments. He was no other than the charismatic Misbun Sidek, the famous singles player of the badminton world of the time. He captured 13 international singles titles during the same era of the other two brothers. If that was not enough following them later into the nineties was a younger brother, Rashid Sidek displaying his prowess in the singles, beating the best in world of badminton of his time! He has 12 singles titles under his belt. Then there was Rahman Sidek, the last of the Sidek brothers. Though he was not very well known in the international arena of badminton he made a name for himself domestically, winning the local championships. Five internationally distinguished brothers in one sport in just a decade. That is a world record of sort.

pic :The Sidek brothers(from left to right)Misbun, Rahman, Razif, Rashid, Jalani(http://www.viweb.freehosting.net/viig_sidek-bros.htm)

Fruit of thorns! Ouch!

I have a confession to make. I am a confirmed diabetic and I am not supposed to consume foods and drinks that are sugary. In addition, I have been strongly advised by the folks around, who know of my condition, to strictly avoid foods and drinks such as ice cream, cakes, sweets, gassed drinks, (like my favourites - sarsi and cococola) rice to an extent, sugared drinks - tea, coffee, etc., including even my darling chendol! (the coconut milk, brown sugar, chendol leaf drink).

Fruits to avoid were durians (number 1 in the list, but last in my willingness to avoid!) bananas, chikus, etc. To emphasize my love for the durians, here is a short anecdote! Once upon a time, not long ago,  I drove out with my then 24-year-old son to the Taiping ‘airport’. See, ‘airport’ is in the inverted commas? This is because, practically, you will find no aeroplanes or helicopters there, even if you strolled along there the umpteenth time. Not even a pitiful kite, mind you! Birds, yes, but who goes to airports to see birds! Well, here in the Taiping ‘airport’, you will only see the dilapidated buildings that stand as testimonies of the place having been used during the colonial times for military purposes.

You see, we had heard news from friends that parachute jumpings were going on at the ‘airport’. And we decided to make it our immediate destination. My son, having turned into a photograph enthusiast recently, armed himself with his Nikon camera and we were on our way! We reached the place in 20 minutes’ time.

Yes, a helicopter was there! But the front part of the helicopter (sorry, the actual word refuses to come into my mind) had already been covered by a canopy, indicating that the proceedings of the day had ended, and perhaps, indeed the whole affair, since we also saw things being carried onto a lorry. The two big tanks attached to the side of the copter had clear big writings on them, stating BOMBA. Oh, so it was the fire and rescue department having its training. I asked my son to take a photo of the helicopter, for all our trouble. He did not want to demean his pet camera by snapping at a hooded helicopter! He, however, obliged me with his hand phone.

Having failed in our venture, we started to drive back to our house. Now being the durian season, there were durian stalls at every odd corners of the roads. We passed one. The sweet, strong smell of the durians was too much for me to bear. I asked my son of about buying some durians. My son, bless his soul, he being no less crazy for durians than I am, immediately nodded his head. That was it! The green signal has been given! Be it a flimsy excuse! The car stopped and out I went. And in came a bunch of sweet smelling durians! They emitted the pungent smell in the car all the way home. Who cared? I cared! I adored the smell!

For the non-Malaysian readers of this blog, the Latin name for the fruit is Durio zibethinus. Durians are round to oval shaped fruits, more or less about the size of a soccer ball, with their husks having greenish to greenish-yellow colours. The sharp and thick thorn like husks envelop the mostly white to yellowish fleshy fruits inside. The aroma emitted by the fruits is not far from smell of ammonia gas. It is more on the sweeter side of ammonia gas. Sweeter side of ammonia gas? Ha! Ha! That's a good one! But boy! Don’t the Malaysians love it! Well, ...ahem...maybe not all Malaysians.

We reached home. My mother and wife were excited to see the durians, but they did not show it, their excitement, I mean, on their faces. They were afraid to show it, lest it would encourage me to bring home more durians in future, they being the first ones to have implored me not to consume sweet foodstuffs. Their actions proved otherwise. A knife to split open the durians, a clean cloth to hold on to the durian while splitting and the spread of old newspapers on the floor within such a short period were a giveaway! Well, who can avoid devouring the all-compelling durians? Durians, being kings, we can only make confessions.

World's problems - ideal solutions, anyone?

North Korea is conducting underground nuclear tests, firing test rockets and launching missiles after missiles, but the world with its UN body and superpowers do not seem to be able to do anything to stop it. Sanctions of weapon embargo are not getting anywhere in halting these activities. In fact, the more the talks of sanctions by the UN Security Council, the more eagerly North Korea is launching the test missiles and test rockets!

In Myanmar, pro democratic opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi has been under house arrest for several years now and no one is able to do anything to get her released. Even the UN secretary-genaral's visit for that very purpose ended in failure. The leader of the military junta did not even allow him to visit her, let alone pave the way for an immediate solution for her plight.

The civil war between the Sri Lankan government forces and the Tamil Tigers had been going on for so long and the authorities of the world seemed helpless. It just seemingly ended after the endless killings and maimings of the masses. One fears that it has not ended yet, concretely.

The Israeli and Palestinian deadly confrontations have been a daily affair for decades now. And the people are yet to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Killings after killings are the order of the day but no definite solution in sight.

Whither the powerful bodies and the more powerful men of the world? Are you lost for ideas for solutions for the problems of the world? It clearly seems so. All you have up your sleeves are sanctions – trade embargo on of food, fuel, weapons, etc. against the rogue nations. And they have not worked. But you are still adamant of using the same solution for all the problems. It is time for you to sit together and search out for more revelations. Otherwise, these problems will just remain as precedents, with more trouble spots and tribulations to follow, encouraged by the incompetence of the leaders.

The USA Soccer Team - Yes, we can!

Yes, we can! That was the campaign slogan that Barack Obama used, successfully, to win the American presidential elections. This battle cry of some sort, seemed to have had stuck on the USA soccer team. In the recently held Confederations Cup soccer competition in South Africa, the soccer team acted likewise, playing with true determination and confidence. Being a team not so well known in the soccer world, the USA team beat the likes of Spain which was sitting at the top of FIFA world rankings, and almost beat Brazil, a giant on its own in the field of soccer!

Yes, it lost to Italy 3-1. No disrespect to the other teams, but it was a delight to see the USA team beat Egypt and then Spain in the semi-final. In its game against Brazil in the final, the team being the underdog, in my heart, I was truly guilty of wishing to see it beat the mighty Brazil. Never mind that it had lost to Brazil in the earlier round by 3 – 0.

Sadly, the team lost to Brazil 3 – 2. And it was leading 2 – 0 before half-time!

We, too, have our own slogan – Malaysia Boleh. This didn’t seem to have hit our soccer team. Perhaps it is time for us to change the slogan.

In the latest FIFA rankings the USA team had jumped up to 12^th from 31^st. Well done to the players and officials! You are minnows no more!

Merdeka! Malaysia!

Merdeka day is just about two months away. There will be a lot of coaxings, persuasions, earnest requests, and pleadings to the extent of almost begging, by various leaders around the nation, to the citizens of the nation to fly the national flag - on their vehicles, at their business premises, houses, factories and firms. 

Subsequently, at times, small flags for the vehicles will be distributed free. Dignified personalities will even go to the extent of attaching the flags on to the screens on the vehicles, their enthusiastic show of patriotism captured by the cameras and videos of the media. 

 How sad! This is what is happening in Malaysia. People got to be persuaded, in various ways, to fly the flag. In fact, it should be the people who should be eager to display the flag, without the asking. And they are not doing that. Why? It is not that they don’t have a flag or the means to buy one. The reason is simple - DISSATISFACTION. Dissatisfaction with the state of things in the nation; dissatisfaction with the rise in the price of commodities, dissatisfaction with the loss of their livelihood or income due to the huge presence of foreign workers, dissatisfaction with the crimes being committed almost routinely, dissatisfaction with the politicians for not fulfilling their bright promises, dissatisfaction with the exceedingly authoritarian stance taken by some personnel in power. 

Yes, it all draws up to dissatisfaction. Hopefully, this time around the people will set aside their feeling of dissatisfaction for a while, and fly the national flag, if not for showing their patriotism to the nation, at least to show a good example to the children and youths, that patriotism to the nation can’t be haggled with any other feelings of the mind. 

Well, sometimes it doesn’t make sense, but that’s the way it is, in our beloved nation of Malaysia. Hope to see more flags flying this time around. Start now! Merdeka!

Unity in Flags

Many times, when there were telecasts of international sports or other international events, flags of the nations of the world would be shown. I had often, if not always, had been confused by the similarities of the Malaysian flag to the flags of Liberia and USA.
I had many times mumbled to myself, “here comes our Malaysian flag”, when, in fact, it had been USA or the Liberian flag!

Here, I would like to show the three flags that are similar, accompanied by a brief description of the flags. The flags from left to right are from Liberia, the USA and of course Malaysia which is below.

Flag of Malaysia

The flag of Malaysia has a dark blue canton with a yellow crescent and a star with 14 points inside the canton, and 14 blue and white stripes inside the flag itself.

The 14 red and white stripes represents the 14 states, including the Federal Territories of Kuala Lumpur and Labuan. The crescent indicates Islam as the official religion and the 14 points of the stars shows the equal status of the 14 states. The red colour in the flag denotes courage, the white colour - purity and honesty. The blue colour of the canton represents the unity and harmony of the peoples of Malaysia. The yellow colour of the crescent and the star represents royal colour the Rulers.
Flag of Liberia

The flag of Liberia consists of a blue canton and a white star inside, and with 11 red and white stripes. Liberia, which is in the west coast of Africa had been the home of the freed slaves of the US in the early days and the flag itself was designed after the USA flag. The white star indicates purity and the 11 red and white stripes signifies the 11 states that signed the Liberian Declaration of Independance in 1847.
Flag of USA

The flag of the United States consists of a blue canton and fifty, small white stars inside it. It has thirteen red and white stripes. The fifty small stars indicate the fifty states of the US. The thirteen stripes represents the thirteen colonies that opposed the British crown and became the first states of the Union.

Malaysia - Let's hope for the best

“Didn’t I tell you not to drink whisky with the money that I gave you?” scolded the man, on meeting the beggar who had just staggered out from the liquor shop.

“No, sir, it was brandy!” said the drunken beggar.

The above joke seems to nicely denote the true characteristics of the politicians in Malaysia, today. It’s not that they are alcohol consumers. Any way, we don't expect the man and the beggar to converse in fluent English in Malaysia. Their conversation would have most likely gone like this, with Malaysian ingredients:

Man: Tadi saya kasi awak dua ringgit, awak sudah pigi minum samsu ka? Saya panggil awak tausa minum samsu lagi!

Beggar: Tara incik, itu bukan samsu la. Itu tuak!

The point is that they, the politicians, didn’t really change, as we had foolishly hoped, and made to hope. People threw in their votes for them, believing that these politicians were, sincerely, willing to change for the better. But events lately, have shown to be otherwise; they are back to their very best, in their familiar territory. Trying to illegalize NGO’s, the dress code arguments, bus fare hikes, party hopping and mud slinging are just a few of the issues that had been on the news medias, before the general elections, and yet now.

Looking at the antics of the opposition parties, these past two years, it is very clear that we won’t be having an able government to replace the present one. Or, will we? The answer seems to be big NO! I would be pleased if anyone can say differently.

It seems that we’ve got to put up with the present administration and hope for the best. I sincerely hope that the discriminations, discrepancies, divulgences and the dictatorial tendencies will be gradually diminished under the current people in power. In my opinion, the Prime Minister is doing quite okay. His KPI(Key Performance Indicator - initiated by his government) looks encouraging. I don’t have statistics and figures to prove that. Only his actions and reactions are my guidance, the contemporary medias, are my source. I, however, can’t say much about the politicians on his parole. Only time can tell. They always tend to say one thing today, and another thing the next day, in tandem to the surroundings and the situations.

We have millions of youths amongst us. I hope our beloved nation will produce men of substance, administrative efficiency, not to mention the ever desired and highly valued trait - principle.

Obama's Cairo speech

So Obama had finally delivered his maiden speech, especially made for the Muslim world. On Thursday, June 4, 2009, it was. It was a much-awaited event, seeing the numerous discussions, in hope and skepticism, about it in CNN, BBC and also Aljajeera, before the speech itself. I just mentioned these three news networks only, because these are the ones I watch mainly to satisfy my appetite for foreign news. My apologies to the other news networks, not that they would give a hoot to what networks I watch and what I didn’t! If I was Mr.Obama himself, then it would have been different! All the channels would be falling over each other to ensure that I was watching their programs. And see that I was pampered enough while doing that. A popcorn here, a nugget there! But I am not Obama and let’s just leave it at that.

Coming back to the real Obama, I am a great fan of him, just as I am a great fan of P.Ramlee, only that both are from different time zones and careers, both trying to please the masses.

On the speech day, I hid the Astro remote under the pile of newspapers on the side desk, so that my wife couldn’t find it to change to her favorite serial drama channel. It seemed to have been a waste of time and an unnecessary exercise on my part to have extracted the idea from the brilliant brain of mine. For one whole hour, my wife and her neighbour friend were talking outside, standing on both sides of the fence, the latest local happenings, while Obama was orating inside about international matters.

Regarding the Obama speech, one, who was not familiar with Obama,would have thought that he was a Muslim clergyman, as Obama was speaking at great length about the glorious days of the Muslim world, often referring to the holy Koran. Luckily for him, he did mention he was a Christian once. Otherwise, even I would have had my doubts, having said I was an Obama fan and all that! It was enlightening, though.

Obama spoke eloquently; forcefully and yet expectantly at times, as suits the matter at hand. His speech was full of the character and the charisma that he exudes. It covered the nuclear arms predicaments, the Israeli Palestine conflicts, issues of women’s rights, democracy, USA's involvement in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, human rights and various other disorders of the world, which I had forgotten already. But I couldn’t forget one thing though. Kuala Lumpur was mentioned in his speech! Malaysia, being a small nation, it was very dramatic to hear its administration’s heart being uttered so publicly. I felt proud of my nation at the time.

My wait for his speech was worth it. I am sure the other citizens would have also felt the same, even though they might have some grievances with the nation. I, too have my dissatisfactions. So Malaysia better watch out! Malaysianlayman will be flying out anytime over the troubled structures! If they have not already fallen!

Taiping Hospital - The diabetes department - my experience

I am a newly confirmed diabetic patient of the Taiping hospital. The hospital had given me the date June 2nd for my blood and urine check-up. Today is that dreaded day. Dreaded day, because I am not proud to admit that I am afraid of any form of needles. This is my second check-up; the first one was done in January. (My glucose level, then, was FBS: 10.3).

Yesterday, at about 7pm, I had rechecked the forms; 2 forms - one for blood and the other for the urine. The date was 2/6/09 all right, but no time for the visit was written. My mother, the poor soul also a diabetic and a regular visitor to the hospital, told me to go before 8am as a lot of people would be coming for their check-up. The forms had also something else scribbled at the side, like ‘paasa 10 ml’. I could not make out the first word, but the others were sure enough ‘10 ml’. I thought, “Oh, so they will be taking 10 milliliters of my blood and urine for the check up.” I was just imagining how much 10 milliliters of blood would look like in the small tube, when it suddenly hit me. No, it was not the amount of blood or urine. It was the time I was supposed to start my pre check-up fast – puasa 10 malam! Ok, I was ready!

Next morning, I arrived at the hospital at about 7.10 am. I thought it was still too early and decided to go in at 7.30am. Once you have entered the hospital you will be looked upon as a patient. I wanted to be just myself just a while longer. I could see the movements of the hospital staff in and out of the main entrance. I sat in the car to while away the time. At 7.30am sharp I was at the reception counter for the blood and urine collection department. Wow! There were already about 30 patients sitting in the chairs in front! I was surprised. “So many early birds…eh?…And I thought I was early!” I mumbled to myself. Well, I knew what to do the next time!

I placed the forms in the plastic tray, as was required. Two staffs – one man and a woman, in their whites - were sitting behind the counter, and were busy attending to the forms, calling out names and giving the forms back, now attached with small plastic like tubes. The forms were also found attached with pieces of papers with numbers. The patients will go into the room nearby when their numbers are announced by the electronic voice system and allow themselves to be extracted for blood samples.

Chairs in the front rows, near the counter, were all occupied, so I sat in a chair at the back, which was unfortunate, due to a TV at the other end on the left was having a singing program broadcasted with sound quite loud for a hospital. A malay lady was singing a pop song. It was quite nice to hear, but I was not in a position to enjoy it at that time. The singer was just giving undue competition to the voice from the lady staff at the counter, calling out names of the patients. Maybe at another time and another place. Both my ears were all up to trying to catch my name being called, which can be at anytime. Remember, the patients were just required to place their forms in the trays and go and get seated in a chair. No numbers were given yet. It was ‘first come, first served’ basis, but of course, at the prerogative of the staff at the counter. A number would have at least told me how long I have to wait, and get myself prepared to make a rush to the counter, before the next name is called. Otherwise, sometimes you will get grumbled upon, you know. With the numbers system, I would have had time to see if any legs were blocking my path to the counter! Anyway, I waited.

I did not have to wait very long, however. My name was called, and I rushed. Fortunately, no legs to trip over! I was given my two forms back; the urine-form intact, but the blood-form with 2 small tubes, with red and blue caps, respectively, in a small plastic bag pinned to it. Also pinned together were 2 pieces of papers with the same call numbers printed on both. The time printed in small prints said 8.03am. I looked at my watch. It said 7.49am. I looked in my hand phone, which I had always trusted not to go wrong, where time is concerned. It showed 7.50am. So the numbers print out machine at the counter is about 10 minutes late! And I also wondered, why two pieces of slips with the same call numbers? It was for coordination or traceability purposes, I thought. Good show!

I am not telling my name or the call number at this time, just in case this is read by any staff of this department and traces this article to me. I just fear that the next time I visit them they will extract out more of my blood than required!

I was required to go to the washroom first, to take my sample of urine. The washroom was at the back, just nearby. Just in front of the washroom there was an express bus ticket-type counter. The aperture in the wall had a small plank attached outside, on which were found small, transparent, numbered plastic bottles. I had been told to take one of these. I did so and ventured inside the washroom.

I was pleased to see the place very clean. I went inside one of the two toilets. However, sad to say, the door of both the toilets had no bolts inside. I had to use one hand, stretched backwards, to keep the door closed to prevent any unwanted visits by anyone, which was fortunate, because I felt someone pushing at the door, then. I let out an artificial cough and continued on with the requirements. So much for a man’s privacy. I wondered whether it was the work of the vandals or whether the hospital authorities had removed them on purpose, for reasons best known to them.

I took the bottle of urine sample, and putting the urine-form on a metallic tray, right at the back of the aperture, I placed the bottle of urine on the form. This is the normal procedure, I was told, by a gent nearby. What if the sample got accidentally placed on the wrong form, I wondered. I consoled myself by accepting that it is just a ‘what if’. Anyway, it would have been safer if someone inside the aperture had immediately written the number of the bottle on to the form, the moment the bottle was placed together with the form. Well, my work with the urine sample had finished.

I, then, went to the front and seated myself in a chair near the blood-sample room, and waited for my number to be announced. When my number came up I went inside the room, quite nervously. Two ladies in light blue uniforms were in the room attending to two other patients and I was told to sit on another chair inside the room. Having dealt with her patient, a lady in the blue requested me to be seated in the chair just vacated. She wanted me to stretch out my hand. I did so timidly, shame on me! Perhaps the lady had noticed my timidity, and tried to have a conversation, “ Where are you from, uncle?” she asked.

“Taman ………” I replied. (I am playing safe here so I won’t be traced!) All the while she was inserting the needle into the vein near the ankle. I felt a short sharp pain and grimaced.

“Is it far from here?” she was slowly dragging out the syringe sucking out blood in the process!

“Not very far,” I said, slowly, searching for the nametag on her, keen to know the name of the person interested in my welfare. There was none. I looked at other lady. She, too, had no nametag. Well, how nice it would have been to know the names of these considerate women.

"That’s all uncle,” the lady attending to me said, “Please come back to the clinic in one week’s time.”

I said a ‘thank you’ and came away from the hospital, much relieved.


My sincere suggestions to the hospital authorities:

Write the time of the visit on the forms.
Write clearly the pre requirements before the check-up, e.g. Puasa 10 malam.
Decrease the volume of the TV.
Give out numbers to those placing the check-up forms in the trays.
Correct the time of the numbers disposing machine.
Fix bolts to the toilet doors.
Let a hospital staff dispense the urine sample bottles. 

Thank you.

1Malaysia – People First.