To veil or unveil

To veil or unveil? 

This is the undesired, awkward and challenging question going on in the minds of many Muslim women in several parts of Europe. This follows the political support that France garnered recently, for the law banning the wearing of the full-face veils (niqab) by the Muslim women of France. It seems that the wearing of the veils have also been seriously questioned at one time or another in the nations of Belgium, Spain, Italy, Britain, Turkey, Switzerland, Russia, Germany, Netherlands, Denmark and Austria. Additionally, there has been news that full-face veils had already been banned in some places in these nations. Reasons, like oppressing women, female inequality, obstacle in unifying the nation and the feared security threat has been given.

I am reluctant to debate the issue strongly here, less I hurt my Muslim friends. I, for one think that the situation in the ancient times and now is different. In those times, women seldom moved out of their community sphere and more or less were confined to their abodes. The men ventured out to get the bread on the table for the family and for other national commitments. As such, the reasons put forward by the anti-niqab proponents were not noticed in those olden times. 

Nowadays, Muslim women are out in the open, in urban areas, sharing the burden of getting an income for a decent living, and meet up with people of other religions and cultures. Things become uncomfortable and uneasy for the persons who had to deal with the women with the full-face veils. Being the ever social, human beings they are, or in the line of official duty, they may want to know to whom they are talking to, as women wearing the niqab all look the same. And there is the main predicament. 

I hope and I am sure all of you do also, that this issue will be ironed out amicably, with some give and take on both parties, without hurting each other too much so that we all can live on this earth harmoniously.

IT IS ENGLAND!

England went out of the world cup without a fight. However, Coach Fabio Capello seemed to have been let of the hook without much of a whimper. Even the FA has retained him in some other capacity. It is worth managing England…eh?

With this situation of calm response towards Fabio’s failure, just imagine what would have happened if England had won the world cup! These are the few scenarios we could imagine:

 1.One tabloid would have screamed “Fabulous Capello!” Or “Fab Cap!” Anything that would make the English fans add this paper to their souvenir collection, to read them again and again. And why not? They had waited 44 years for this!

 2. Another would have boasted, “The three-lions have roared!” and for good measure, knowing the exaggeration capabilities of the English papers, it would have added “And what a roar it was!”

 3. Rooney would have been acclaimed as the “England’s Vein Rooney!” Or, as the “New Maradona, minus the hand of God!” Or something to that effect, as he would have surely scored goals for England.

 4. Fabio Capello would have been tossed high up in the air, so high that one would have wondered whether he had come down at all! Ha! Ha! Ha! That’s exaggeration for you!

.5. A long list of Knighthoods would have been prepared, with people already practicing saying “Sir Fabio Capello”. (Fabio Capello would be a British citizen by now!), “Sir Frank Lampard”, “Sir Steven Gerrard”, “Sir David James”…..you go on, do some practicing of your own! For a start pick about 30 persons of your own! 44 years, remember?

Of course I did not disclose the display of passions at home, on the streets, by the English populace. It frightens me even to imagine!

You pay, you don't see!

I don’t know about other countries but in Malaysia even the cost of going to the lavatory has spiraled up. In the seventies we in our modest terrace house used to pay RM5.00 only per year to the Taiping Town Council or more suitably, the Majlis Bandaran Taiping. In the eighties it became RM8.00 and in the nineties it had risen up to RM20.00. I have the receipts to prove it. Now in the twenties we have to pay a whopping RM96.00! Yes, it has not doubled or tripled, but quadrupled!

We are already paying a yearly payment of RM202.00 for Assessment and another RM44.00 for another tax known as Quit Rent. These latter taxes are not so very painful as at least we can see them as assets. But to pay RM96 for something that you can’t see is quite upsetting, not that we want to see it! Ha! Ha!

Or, maybe the sanitary people really want us to pay more not to see it. If we want to see it then it is free! Ha! Ha!

Jokes aside, we really feel that paying almost a hundred ringgit a year is too high as we are already paying a sizeable amount of money for the water used to clear up the wastes. Perhaps the government can generously reduce it to half the amount. Ok, the government can say it can’t do anything as the department is privatized. Then, please unprivatize. Remember that before the department was privatized it was cheap. Also remember the slogan ‘people first’?

Musings on the World Cup

In which way is the World Cup Football (WCF) heading? Heading for improvement? No way! The use of the Jabulani ball has made the game almost a laughing stock; expert free kick takers making Rugby-ball kicks! Penalty kickers hitting the posts! (Those careful ones just pass to the keepers!) Passes go to the opponents! Corner kicks going to the other corner! Adventurous balls passed to the goal post go straight to the goal keepers! Ha! Ha! World Cup football indeed!

I have seen goal keepers become heroes of a team for saving penalty kicks or sure-goals. I have seen players who shoot in the all deciding last balls, especially in penalty shootouts, into goals become instant heroes. I have seen players going solo, skillfully weaving in and out of the opponents to score decisive goals become much acclaimed heroes. I am agreeable and warmly appreciative of all those heroes. But to see a player become a national hero by becoming a ‘second goalkeeper’ in a football game is really too much for me to bear. A soccer game should have only one keeper, not two! Uruguay has flawed! They should be disqualified!

Conversely, Uruguay should take the advantage and train Luis Suarez to become a countries’ goalkeeper! He seems so good at saving sure-goals! Ha! Ha! He had single-handedly, (or rather double-handedly) made sure Uruguay entered the World Cup semi-final!

Having said all that, to all the Uruguayan fans, don’t feel bad. Your team did play well. Your Diego Forlan is a player I admire! To a lesser extent, also Luis Suarez, when he is not a goal keeper!

Lo England! My England! You let me down again! With all your breast-beating and your clamour of an invigorated team and the few pre-world cup mirage wins had me falsely convinced that this England team really had a chance to finally hold the World Cup high over its shoulders. If someone had given me a huge pile of money, which need not be paid back, I would have surely placed all that money on England! But that was not to be! England did not even enter the quarter-final! However, this is not the end. The next World Cup will come in four years’ time. England will again trumpet up its capabilities again and I will be a sucker for England again. England again will be my favourite team to win the World Cup, same as with all the other English fans!

It is hard to believe, but looking at the eagerness and enthusiasm shown by many towards the English team, I am sure England had been many people’s favourite team to win the Cup ever since 1966, year after year! Oh, God! Blow me down!

This World Cup final is disappointingly different from the past finals, at least to the fans who watch it on TV and other screens; no sound of the shrieking crowds, the chorus songs, the jeering whistles, the drums, the screams of applause and happiness when a team scores a goal. The screen watchers could only hear the bee like hums of South Africa’s vuvuzelas. The teams enter the field – vuvuzelas! A goal is scored – vuvuzelas! A rough tackle on the field – vuvuzelas! A penalty miss – vuvuzelas! A team wins the game – vuvuzelas! Finally, when the champions lift the Cup – vuvuzelas! Vuvuzelas are the real winners!

What Sukma?

You are a sports fan. The first thing you do when you pick up your paper in the morning is to start from the back page. Why? That’s where the going-ons of the World Cup Football is! Your eyes only search for the news on World Cup Football tournament – the results, fixtures, opinions – anything as long as it is on the Fifa World Cup Finals! There is tennis, basketball, golf – who cares!

Then there is, no was, Sukma (Sukan Malaysia), the Malaysia biannual games which Malaysians usually watch keenly to know which State in Malaysia obtained the highest medals, at the end of the games. This year it began and ended with nobody, well almost nobody, knowing. Many thanks to the masterminds of the planners, who may have masterfully thought that having the Sukma games during the World Cup tournament would be a great idea as it would get some attention from the from the sports fans, from the football supporters.

Now, you are a sports fan. In which State of Malaysia was this year’s Sukma was held? You know? Congratulations! To the others, better luck in 2012!

Now, my oversea readers please don’t feel bad. Even your Malaysian friends do not know when the Sukma games were held!

Finally! World Cup Football!

Today on Friday, June 11, 2010 finally begins the Football World Cup, the event I have been waiting for, the event we all have been waiting for so patiently, so eagerly to come in front of our eyes, directly or in the form of media displays of all kinds! Oh, God it has arrived! Truly arrived! Is it for real? Somebody please pinch me! Oh God, I may die!

Now now, don’t pay attention to all the above rhetoric. I do like football but I am not really so fanatical. It is just my artificial expression of homage to all the great build-ups the papers and the electrical and electronic medias have been giving for the whole year! With all the countdowns and whatnots! I am sure they would have been expecting such response! Well, allow them a little bit of satisfaction. Ha! Ha!

If there are real world cup fanatics, my apologies!

Mother's Love

Mother

I am no poet

But wrote I this poem

That don’t rhyme

But I wouldn’t care it to rhyme

Less my real feelings

Be lost.

Mother, mummy, mum, ma

Or whatever names you go by

The inner love that you scoop and

Heap upon us

Endlessly, wanting nothing but the

Right to pour out the love that you do.

Mountains may move

Oceans may disappear

The earth may rot

Humans may starve but

Eternal love for me is there

Right with you, strongly ever!

More Trouble For Iran

Suddenly, a new problem with Iran has been highlighted in the international media. On Sunday April 25, 2010, an international news agency, Reuters came up with the news that the foreign minister of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed al-Nahyan refused to back down in the face of Iranian anger, to express his displeasure of Tehran “occupying” three islands in the Gulf – the islands being, Abu Musa and the Greater and Lesser Tunbs. This was on a visit to Israeli-occupied West Bank and the subsequent meeting with Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas.

Now the Arab states and the United Nations have found more' food for fodder' with such revelation, to tell the world the nice or nasty character of the nation of Iran, which is already being vocally attacked from left and right because of its nuclear program controversy. We cannot be surprised, if “three islands controversy” is given a further up-tempo to go along with the nuclear hullabaloo.

Only the people of Iran know the actual situation. And, we will, too, in the later years to come, ……….. from whatever the outcome.

Hot in Iceland

Mention Iceland and one who would conjure up images of glaciers, snow, ice spreads on houses, trees and people moving about with cold proof thick attires. No, certainly not volcanoes, fires, smokes, ashes and people running away in fear. That’s what has happened recently in Iceland. Iceland became more aptly ‘Fireland’!

What is happening to the world? Is this some sort of a hint of worse things to come? Flights were halted. Humans waited helplessly. The world was affected, just by this incident from just a tiny area of the earth!

That tiny area is in itself a mouthful – Eyjafjallajokull! The volcano beneath this glacier is the cause of this pessimistic utterance. Having been dormant for 200 years it suddenly erupted after midnight of Saturday 20, March 2010, ripping a 1 km long fissure in a field of ice. Authorities evacuated 400 people in the vicinity not because of the fear of the volcanic larva ash flowing down upon them but of the fear of flood from the meltdown of the glacier! What a turn around!

Things are becoming funny in this world of ours, don’t they?

Sania Mirza, Shoaib Malik wedding controversy

So Indian sports darling, tennis star Sania Mirza and Pakistan’s cricket star, Shoaib Malik finally got married on Monday 12, April 2010. But what a ruckus exploded, created by some people in both the nations.

Weddings are supposed to be personal human bonding and only, perhaps, the parents got any rights to criticize or approve directly. But here, political parties and associations from both nations got involved!

On the Indian side, some extremist political parties and medias scorned at the wedding, saying that if the Indian sports star married the Pakistani cricketer, she should not represent India, anymore, and her liberties in India should be curtailed somewhat.

Pakistan, of course, being the habitual doer of the opposite to rile India, took glee in the wedding. Politicians and celebrities wowed to make the occasion a great festivity. The marriage partners were congratulated in excesses and companies were even offering extraordinary honeymooning privileges.

My question is this. Why not the countries, which were one single nation at one time, throw all their differences out of the window for a while, and take this opportunity to join hands just as the sports couple did, and celebrate the occasion together. Must they be on the opposite sides, always? The Indians and Pakistanis should not forget that the same blood runs amongst many of them.

Najib - Change he believes in.

Malaysia is going under a transformation under the current Prime Minister, Dato Seri Najib Abdul Razak.

As we know, the previous Prime Minister, Tun Dr. Mahathir, took an anti-western stance in his speeches and actions, for the 22 years he held office. He, especially, targeted the United States in his derogatory speeches. He even took as, food for fodder, the trips of his former deputy, Dato seri Anwar Ibrahim, to the USA, to belittle him, when Anwar Ibrahim was in the Opposition Party. He said Anwar was too much in rapport with the Americans and Malaysia would once again be under the control of the whites.

Now, things are changing. Najib is, industriously, wooing the friendship of USA. Much ado has been made about his meeting with President Barack Obama in Washington, five days ago, on 12^th April 2010. The meeting is being termed as ‘historic’ in the presses back home. The prime minister, himself, is said to have said that it was a new beginning in KL-Washington relations. He has openly supported Obama's nuclear expectations, and has asked the U.S. universities to open up branch campuses in Malaysia.

Well, Mahathir should be seething with rage! The man, whom he has praised before, is now becoming his unexpected tormentor!

Hindu priests

A news in a Malaysian daily on Monday April 5, 2010 said that the Malaysian Government has set up an academy in Ipoh so that Malaysian Indians who aspire to be Hindu priests can be duly trained over there. And that, with the availability of this new centre of learning it won’t be necessary to bring in priests from India. Thousands of jobs as priests can be taken up by Malaysians.

The job of a priest is indeed becoming very lucrative. I have seen priests having luxurious houses and cars! Gone are the days when priests are supposed to be immaterialists. One usually expected them to lead a simple, humble life.

Not anymore friends! I have seen them buying lottery tickets! They hope to strike it rich! What then? Are they going to call it a day and just relax at home? No more necessity to work? …. If serving God can be called ‘work’.

Back to the daily, it also mentioned that the priest course would be a five-year course. And the priests will be given various grades. Now, could that mean that God will not accept the prayers or ‘poojas’ of the low grade priests? Or, is it that prayers from a lower grade priest may take longer to reach God, very much like a Malaysian internet broadband. Where are the Indian beliefs and culture heading?

The daily also mentioned that the Minister concerned had said that ‘the Government had been toying with the idea of setting up such an academy for more than 15 years’. I only wish it had played with a different toy!

Malaysia and F1

A lot of brouhaha was made about Malaysia’s Proton entering the F1 extravaganza after it had bought over the prestigious constructors, Lotus. It was said that it would be just a beginning for Malaysia to be in the world’s eye as a developed and technological country. And that it will be good advertisement for Malaysia to get on the world’s automotive stage. From what I saw so far Proton and Malaysia is hardly getting the publicity they hoped. Already three races have gone by and Proton is hardly mentioned. All we can read in the media are the words Lotus, Kovalainen-Finland, and Trulli-Italy.

I wonder if the motoring world knows that Lotus represents Malaysia if not Proton in F1 now!

My no nos when shopping

Things I don’t like when I go shopping.

1. I don’t like to be asked “Yes, what do you want, sir?” immediately on entering a shop. I would like to browse around a while and only contact the attendant or the shop owner when I feel like it. Even when I had said I would like to look around first, I hate to hear the words. “Yes, sir, anything I can do for you,” only after just a few minutes of standing around. I would feel like saying, “Come on, give a man some break, will you?”

2. I detest to be followed by the person in attendance wherever I go. I feel nervous and uneasy with the person standing nearby. I feel like being watched on every move I make. With the person standing nearby even scratching my nose makes me feel very conscious. “Hey! Back off, will you? Go and hide somewhere! Don't be a cctv!”

3. I don’t, especially, like to go to the shampoo section of a supermarket, where heavily made up girls almost pull you by your hand and try to sweet talk to you to buy their products. Not that I don’t like the girls but their leech-like temperament and persistence puts me off.

Proton Mahathir!

Several weeks back there were a few friendly urges by fellow Malaysians to name a car after the Malaysian car, Proton, founder; Tun Dr. Mahathir, the former prime minister of Malaysia being the man. The name 'Proton Mahathir' was suggested. The justification was that other cars were also named after their founders, like Toyota, Honda, Ford, etc.

Well, I just can’t help laughing of the consequences of naming the car Proton Mahathir! You know, like someone might say Mahathir has a good pick up, and the face of the man itself may come up in our mind for a while. One might think, “Why he is 80 years old!

Or one’s utterance of “ My Mahathir broke down” may make someone feel sorry for him, “Poor Mahathir!”

Mahathir himself may die of shame if someone were to say he saw Mahathir emitting blackish smoke! Or, like riding a Mahathir was bumpy!

No sir, better don’t name any car after Mahathir! Give the man some respite, will ya! Ha ha!

Security Guard - An honourable living

It is sad that the government has laid out the criteria that for a security company to get the license approved, the security company should not have guards above the age of 60 years in its workforce. This is very inconsiderate seeing that the security companies had provided a way out for the senior citizens to lead an honourable living by having them work as guards. Though, they may be getting on in their years many of them are quite able to perform the simple tasks of tending to the gates of the manufacturing premises. Moreover, the security line had been one of the main, if not the main, avenue for the seniors to obtain some financial help in their late years. Even that has been cut off now.

It is hoped the government will relax its requirement a little and indirectly be of assistance to these populace in their golden years. Perhaps, if the authorities are wary of the number of thefts and burglaries occurring, the elderly guards could be allowed to work only during the day, as most break-ins at the factories seem to occur at night. Alternatively, the age limit for guard-work could be increased to 70 years, at the privilege of the security companies.

Tiger Woods....a....phenomenon.

Did you realize that, funnily, anything that you say about Tiger Woods seems to have hidden meaning behind it, you know like talking with hints to something else. For example, the other day a friend asked me where was Tiger Woods. I said, “Practicing maybe”, and he had to ask, “Practicing what?” And, when I said, “Golf, what else?” he wondered loudly, “Really?”

Just ponder at this, when someone says Tiger Woods was a great player, someone is bound to say, “Oh yeah? Oh, sure!”

Why do people have to laugh when I said Tiger Woods was the greatest hitter of balls. It put me off my innocent attempt of talking about golf. I mean, he scored a lot of birdies, didn’t he? I have lost count. Someone said it was fourteen. Just fourteen? I can’t believe that! Do you?

Anyway, just try this. It almost seems to be a phenomenon! Just ask yourself or your friend a question about Tiger Woods there always seem to be a different answer waiting behind everything!

'People First'

Folks, we have good news from Malaysia! As we know, we were all brought to think that Islam was a very sensitive religion with a lot of dos and don’ts. Scary punishments were in store for the Islamic lawbreakers. Our brains have been somewhat coerced to accept such facts due to the daily incidents and articles pertaining to Islam from the medias. We were brought to believe that Islam can't really coexist or accept the presence of other religions.

You know what happened in Malaysia on the evening of 30^th January 2010? The next day being the main celebration of the great Hindu festival of Thaipusam the Malaysian Prime Minister Dato Seri Najib Tun Razak and his wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor went over to the Hindu temple at Batu Caves in Selangor to wish the mass of Hindu worshippers there their best wishes. And they were two individuals of the Islamic faith!

Now, here is a Prime Minister who has dared to antagonize the extremist thinking of a minority of the Muslims in Malaysia to walk the talk of his favourite slogan – People First. Yes indeed. He has shown the world that people come first to him. Only then religion. Finally, a great statesman has arrived!

Malaysia is into electric trains!

Here is an electrifying news from Malaysia! Visitors and the locals who travel in Malaysia would have noticed bee-like activities going on along the railway tracks in the west coast of peninsula Malaysia. One could see gigantic cranes, bulldozers, excavators, all types of lorries and other utility vehicles of various shapes and sizes moving about at these places. Workers from nations of Asia, especially from Indonesia and Bangladesh and of course from our own nation could be seen working hand in hand to see the project being materialized.

The project is the 329 km electrified double-tracking railway project connecting Ipoh and Padang Besar with a cost of about RM12.485 bil. and is targeted for completion by Jan 7, 2013.

Many good things are in store for Malaysia as a result of this gigantic venture. Already squatting along the railway tracks is becoming a thing of the past. The present squatters have been evicted quite amicably and the land cleared for the project. No more unsightly and health hazard settlements and structures to content with! Flyovers are being built where roads crossed the tracks; waiting for the trains to pass will be just memories! And more benefits to come! We will just have to wait!

A little bit about the company that is carrying out the mission. The Malaysian government has tendered the scheme to MMC-Gamuda Joint Venture Sdn. Bhd. Gamuda specializes in civil engineering infrastructure and township development, with projects and investments in South East and Far East Asia, Indochina, South Asia and the Middle East. MMC Corporation Berhad (MMC) is an investment holding company listed on the Main Board of the Malaysia Stock Exchange Berhad (MSEB: MMCCORP) with main interest in three core businesses: Transport & Logistics, Energy & Utilities and Engineering & Construction.

Bicycles - safe riding

"Turun dan tolak"! (Get down and push!)

That was the punishment a police officer gave me, about 30 years ago, for riding a bicycle at night without lights. The government authorities were then very conscious, and concerned, about all the safety aspects, in the transportation system. They knew night-riding on bicycles without lights posed a grave danger, both to the riders, and the drivers of other vehicles.

Sadly, now, riding bicycles at night without lights is not even frowned upon. The authorities fail to realize, that drivers of vehicles were often caught unawares, that there were moving objects in front of them, and had to get themselves alert, all of a sudden. Accidents, unfortunately, happen, and the driver is blamed and often get whacked on the spot!

Those incidents can be avoided. The government should, once again, make it mandatory for the bicycles being driven at night, to have lights, both at the front and at back. There are millions of bicycles on the road today, what with the increasing number of foreign workers, utilizing this convenient mode of transport. Not only enforcing the rules of the lights will help in the reducing of accidents, it will also enhance the Malaysian economy, in encouraging ‘new’ industries to be set up, in the production of the parts necessary for the lights, such as dynamos, bulbs or any new technological breakthrough.