Ramadan

Another rambling of a Mat Salleh who got sesat (lost) in Malaysia. And he is making a killing by narrating his very chatty descriptive descriptions of things around him. He would probably do this until there is nothing more about to rant about, then move on to newer shores before he tries his hand in another venture... Happy Ramadan.

Anarchy in the UK

After living off their subjects of the British Empire for more than a century, the coup de grace came to this side of the world when the Japanese effortlessly sank their naval ships and literally chased them off the island of Singapore. Grandchildren of people this era (their parents did not want no education and birth control but wanted their MTV and chicks for free) are feeling the pinch of having to do their dirty laundry while the rest of the world (meaning their conquest) have turned the equation around. These savages are now in the drivers' seat and are dictating the terms whilst the British cloud just disappeared into oblivion.
The current austerity drive that was implemented recently must have been the straw that broke the camel's back. All the bottled up frustrations are now in the open. In times of crisis, everyone will find solace and comfort amongst people of their kind, be it race or colour of their skin. And that spells BIG trouble!
Looking at the trouble the British Metropolitan Police is going through to strike the balance at crowd control, the Royal Malaysian Police can walk tall with their nose in the air telling their counterparts, "Oh, we just hose them and tear gas them before they can say 'Alamak'!"

The Sex Pistols were banned by the Malaysian Government in the 70s for their choice of name, basically. You know what, one of their songs was on BFM recently!

Culture or tokkok (Cock and bull talk)?

When we were growing up, the radio (and TV) were strong propaganda tools used to disseminate political messages and to spread government plans as well as programmes of self improvement to eradicate poverty. With affluence, things of that nature somehow has evolved to sound condescending and insulting.
Have a listen to what a radio for the affluent and bourgeois sounds like... 

It is quite surprising to note that this is indeed a recording made in Malaysia. The male compere is Kam Raslan, the writer and director , born not with a silver spoon but a golden one from the royal family and elitist of Perak and English mother on the other end, who had his basic education and have spent most of his time outside the country. Imagine, his late father, established the Bumiputra Bank! The other regular compere, Shefah Szetu, has some Norweigian roots planted somewhere in her. 

We have come a long way since propaganda radio broadcasting with programmes like 'Hari ini dalam Sejarah', 'Program Hijau' and 'Rancangan Malaysia ke2"! Ah Beng would say, "What's your point? Don't tokkok-lah!"

http://bfm.my/aboc_ep22_2407.html

http://www.bfm.my/aboc-ep24-1206.html

Socially emphatizing capitalism!

Give a man a fish, he will stay full for a day. Teach him to fish and he will not be hungry in his life-time. So says an ancient Chinese saying which are all well aware.
Amma used to say, "Your thumb can only swell to the size of your thumb". A man can only earn this much. Don't get your fingers burnt with greed, some say. This are all naysayers and negative vibes according to giant megalomaniac unabashedly capitalistic minded enterprising moguls.

Another fallen leader of a failed system:

Czar Nicholas II of Romanov Dynasty.

"Aim for the moon! At least you do not make it, you would be among the stars." does not sound quite so right, as the moon is 240,000 miles away but the stars, many light years away. That seem to seem to be the mantra of most greedy CEOs who are basically the product and creation of the capitalistic system whose productivity (interpreted as profit) can only go one way, i.e. up and up only! The last thing they are bothered is athe suffering workers who toil the sweat and hours to realize the dream of the bosses -i.e. without the labour laws. The lip service that is given through community services and handing of big mockery of a mock cheque is nothing but tax write offs!

Trump card: Obnoxious wealth -almost vulgar

On the other hand, if the society believes in ensuring that everyone is taken care of by hook or crook by the state, things will surely be hunky dory when the going gets good. This alms receiving citizens will swear that there is no state as good as theirs, the state is caring and they would worship the hands that hand them the handouts. Over time this would be expected of the state and eventually will transform into their birth right. When the tide goes down, when the going gets tough, when the coffers for the handouts dwindle, then it gets tough. The state induced paralysis of able bodies need massive Faradic stimulation and physiotherapy to incite axionic action potential to trigger the sodium pumps to generate work all over again. In the interim, there is bound to be chaos and instigators who would promise their own way to blissful paradise...(with something up their sleeves too)!

Minimum wage, minimalist life?

My heart bleeds every time I see security guards waiting meekly at the malls, looking at the passers-by at the mall he is guarding. I wonder if , with his measly pay and long hours, he could ever think if spending time and money with his children and loved ones at the malls just like the passers-by. I wonder if, when his kids stand drooling at the sight of mouth-watering buns and steeply priced roasted chicken pieces. Would he just blame it on his fate or live happily without a care in the world on credit and then blame the whole world for his dire straits?
RRB and his siblings had all been in similar predicament before. Peeking through the railings of of our balcony into the opposite neighbour's living room into the brand new colour TV and admiring the spanking colourful eye catching hues that scintillate from it; waiting anxiously for Appa to come back with a packet of Craven 'A' Meehoon Singapura at the end of the month and enjoying the once a month 'A Block' Char Koay Teow. We have been there!
As all of us can see around us, the gap between the haves and have-nots have leaped by leaps and bounds over the years, no thanks to all the capitalistic minded Government policies.
This is what the socialist minded leaders, with the helplessness of the workers' community at heart (since workers' right died before Merdeka), have been advocating all these while - minimum wage and an earning capacity to alleviate them off the poverty line. But how can you go and for how long can you sustain it. Humans has that insatiable appetite that cannot be easily satisfied.

Trima Kaseeeeeeh!

Our good old David and his gang with the Merdeka month promo!
Merdeka! Merdeka! Merdeka!

Don't expect others to do your dirty job!

Now that the dust has settled over yet another racially controversial ad over the telly, soon it will be yet another issue for everyone to ponder.
Actually if you ask me, (nobody will), if you want to fast, fast by all means. Just do not expect everyone else to fast with you. In fact, in my books, the basic tenet in doing penance is to control our inner desires against worldly pleasures all around us and to feel for those who are not lucky enough as us to have all pleasures in front of them. This act itself is supposed to humble mankind and to remind us that we are so fragile and weak as compared to powers of the universe (a.k.a. God).
This recent brouhaha just reminds me of a Tamil song in the late 70s where this guy goes on scolding everyone for hogging the road and blocking his path as he is learning to ride a bicycle! It is nonsensical for him to be so selfish and deny others from using the road for his convenience when it is public property.
Just like that you cannot expect others to change their way of life just to suit your flavour of the month. It is common sense. You cannot demand, people will give it to you when they deem fit, from your actions!
News on the controversial ad over 8TV...

A bit like the Tamil song from a movie in 1979...A little bit country...