Parliament, Unexpected; Government Interrupted!

Parliament, Unexpected

Tan Sri Ariff Yusof

This book is more like a report card on the activities of the Speaker who was appointed to the helm when the new Pakatan Harapan coalition government was elected. The government was short-lived with its own appointment premier sabotaging his own partners in what came to be known as the Sheraton move. Mahathir Mohammad was never happy with the unsettlingly high participation of opposition members in the new government. A bigoted racist by mindset, from the get-go, he had been devising a way to get his former party UMNO back to power without Najib and his band of thieves. Maybe by design or double-crossing, Mahathir got ousted instead. What remains now is a sleuth of incompetent clowns who dance around in their self aggrandising Emperor's New Clothes. Hyenas and jackals have all come out to play in a system that borders on lawlessness day by day.

He gives a brief account of his childhood days, his alma mater, his family, and his career and delves right into his sudden appointment as the Speaker in the august house of the Parliament. He took it as a national service as he already had a fulfilling daytime job in the legal circles. As the author puts it, nobody in his right mind would have a lifelong ambition to be the Speaker of the Parliament!

It is disheartening to read about how a respected man of scholarship and a former judge has to condescend to the schoolboy hooligans-like antics of grown men who were elected to ensure the smooth running of the country. These buffoons seem to be high on some kind of intoxicant that they have no qualms about using profanity in the House, that too in front of visitors, including schoolchildren. Coincidentally, the author seems to have drawn his fascination with politics from a similar visit during his school days. Oh yes, parliamentarians were more civil and proficient in their articulation then. In the short 22 months of the Pakatan rule, we witnessed mayhem and devious plot within and without the coalition to derail their administration.

Doing the right or moral thing does not come into the equation. It is all about the party line or some other dog whistle elsewhere. There must surely be some invisible hands above that survived all atrocities from the fall of the Malacca Empire all through the European and Japanese occupation to come out smelling of roses who control the narratives. They must have found the formula to stay relevant all these years.

They say that the Speaker is the person in charge of the Parliament, but is he really? With so many protocols and precedence set, it takes a whole department to ensure the institution's running. Any deviation from the norm would be construed as dishonouring the esteemed House. Many detractors are ever willing, with hawk-eyed tenacity, to pinpoint his deficiencies.

That is all in a day's work. In between slogging it out in the dogfight in the arena of Parliamentary sessions, the author managed to perform his other official duties. Then came Covid that the hidden hands probably used it for their convenience. In the sly, the Sheraton Move was brewing, which finally collapsed a democratically elected government to be replaced clandestinely with a 'back-door' government. The political uncertainty, however, continues. Many by-elections and state elections have shown trends of voters giving up on an alternative to the one they have known since Independence.

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A nation addicted?

Dopesick (Miniseries; 2021)

Disney plus.

The medical fraternity has an uphill task. Too often than not, they have not lived up to their promise. The public cannot be blamed if they get the impression that this noblest profession has been infiltrated with financial gains, deviating far from what Hippocrates and ancient healers had in their minds. Medical professionals are looked upon as conniving smooth talkers who are just out there to cheat their clients blind through incomprehensible jargon and careful wordplay.

In the 1950s, thalidomide was hailed as the next best thing for pregnancy-related nausea and vomiting. Advertisers were out on a limb trying to sell it as a safe drug until the American courts banned its production after being linked to causing babies to be born with defective limbs (phocomelia). Then joining in the fervour in wanting to vaccinate the nation against poliomyelitis, the medical-industrial giants went on a crusade to produce a polio vaccine. Cutter Laboratories in California inadvertently had live active viruses in its vaccine instead of the live attenuated ones. Consequently, 120,000 children were injected with the Cutter vaccine, resulting in 40,000 recipients getting iatrogenic 'polio-like illness', 55 having permanent paralysis and 5 deaths.

From the Framingham studies to WHI studies, people have been painted with the same narrative by the medical business industries. Backed with scientific statistics, media presence, legal backing, bottomless financial wells and the medical professionals at their beck and call, Big Pharma can sell ice to the Eskimos. A Tamil proverb says, 'at the mention of money, even a corpse would open its mouth in awe'. In modern life, everyone and everything has a price. There is nothing like a bit of palm greasing would do.

Ad for thalidomide

Doctors often try to keep up with the latest advances in medical sciences via peer-reviewed articles and carefully conducted research. When research is tainted with grant money obtained by the drugmakers and vested interest is involved, one cannot get unbiased findings. The doctors are caught in the centre. They are in the unenviable position of bridging between the patients, who trust their good doctors and the vulture businessmen. The patients like to think that their doctors would put the patients' interest foremost, not the manufacturers', whose main appeal is showing profitability to their shareholders.

Doctors often try to keep up with the latest advances in medical sciences via peer-reviewed articles and carefully conducted research. When research is tainted with grant money obtained by the drugmakers and vested interest is involved, one cannot get unbiased findings. The doctors are caught in the centre. They are in the unenviable position of bridging between the patients, who trust their good doctors and the vulture businessmen. The patients like to think that their doctors would put the patients' interest foremost, not the manufacturers', whose main appeal is showing profitability to their shareholders.

In a world that constantly values material things over altruistic causes, it is easy for one to fall into the trap of materialism and have his soul sold to the devil. After all, they start their professional careers as debtors and spend their whole professional life trying to pay them off. Do they not deserve a little comfort in life after slogging their whole life through? 

If the recent pandemic taught us anything, it at least re-emphasised the fact that there are two sides to the story. What is accepted as the gold standard does not stay such for long. It gets 'oxidised' and loses its sparkle for new metal to emerge. First, the scientists posited that lockdown was necessary to curb transmission to avoid strain on the medical services. They promised that vaccination would help to hasten herd immunity. Then the scientific community suggested that a second dose was necessary to maintain immunity. The basic consensus about herd immunity suddenly took a re-definition. The classical dictum dictated that it is not the individual immune status that mattered but the whole community. If formerly 80% immunity was considered sufficient to ward off illness from the community, the 21st century warranted each individual to be mandated to have the vaccine, carry a vaccine passport and denied individual liberty if he decided that the whole exercise was bunkum.

Cutter polio vaccine

If all that was not enough, somebody decreed a third booster dose and maybe a fourth dose for the most vulnerable in society. The literature search for this topic becomes more perplexing. For every point substantiating a particular subject matter, there would be many opposing points depending on the type of media the issue is discussed or who is sponsoring the journal.

Almost like an afterthought, everything is off - no lockdown, no mask, no travel restrictions, no vaccine passport. I guess the financial gains from a lab-made virus have run thin.

Pain has always been thought a form of body self-defence. Injury to a specific area of the body triggers chemical substances within the vicinity to restrict the part's movements to curb further damage. Pain has always been accepted as a normal body response to trauma or inflammation. Ancient societies had even linked a virtue to this body response. Penance has been carried out to appease the divine forces. Life miseries have been assumed to be a test of faith, and the Lord's suffering on the Cross has its special meanings in Christianity.

However, to modern society, pain is a meaningless annoyance that they can do without. Perhaps, the comforts of life have turned mankind into fragile mimosa pudicas. In the 1990s, alleviating pain was the pharmaceutical industry's primary concern. The problem with oral pain medication is that the most effective of the pain reliefs are the habit-forming addictive narcotic analgesics. Purdue Pharma somehow convinced everybody, including the FDA, that their slow-release narcotic formulation, Oxycontin, is unique in minimising addiction. Addiction was determined to be less than 1% through dubious inpatient studies!

FDA and soon the medical fraternity bought the Purdue Pharma story wholesome. Doctors followed the sciences, and the scientists' recommendations were good enough. Pretty soon, doctors become more and more liberal with their prescription of Oxycontin for their patients' even the mildest of pain.

In an effort to treat pain adequately, the American Pain Society, in 1996, classified pain as a vital sign to monitor (after pulse rate, blood pressure, respiration, temperature). They even have a visual assessment chart to quantify pain to administer adequate analgesics. Interestingly, pain is very subjective, and patients tend to overscore the pain they feel, making doctors overprescribe. Purdue was not complaining. The demand more Oxycontin increased. The previously unmentioned subject of tolerance to Oxycontin came to light. Pretty soon, America saw a spate of drug-related violence. Many states with mining industries, including the Appalachian region, saw a phenomenal increase in break-ins into pharmacies. Drug addicts even started snorting Oxycontin. It piqued the interest of a particular DEA officer and a few lawyers in the AG office of the State of Virginia.

This miniseries is a dramatisation of one of the events that started the fall of the domino in the trust of the medical institution. It tells its narration with the journey of a dedicated small-town doctor who is duped by the drug company to widely prescribe and use the drug for himself. He spirals down the bottomless pit of drug addiction. He almost kills a patient and loses his medical licence. 

Part of the story involves a young Appalachian girl in the same town who was prescribed Oxycontin for a mining injury. Another part tells the moral dilemma of a drug sales representative for selling drugs with questionable benefits. Then there is the question of family dynamics within the board of Purdue Pharma.

This type of misinformation is not exclusive to the medical profession. What would a client think when his case gets dragged till it reaches the Court of Appeal and wins? Is there a hidden agenda for the lawyers to prolong his representation for more lucrative remunerations? Despite all the contributions from philanthropic members of the congregation, why is it that houses of worship are perennially short of cash and demand contributions?

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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The need for a routine and human interaction!

Mathilukal (Malayalam, The Walls, 1990)
Written & Directed by: Adoor Gopalakrishna
(Autobiography of Vaikom Muhammad Basheer)

This is another classic from Kerala's son of the soil. It tickles our minds to consider two things. Firstly, human beings are creatures of routine. The other is we are social animals.

A routine schedule gives them a purpose to this entity called life. No matter how purposeless the rituals may be, we would do it diligently as if it were a higher calling. We would find a legitimate explanation to justify our actions, perhaps give a scientific twist to it. In absence of these 'unwritten' rules and left to our own devices, we would probably just rot away trying to fulfil the indulges that satisfy our primal needs. This would just make the human race a band of sloppy sluggards. Soon enough, the species would be decimated from the face of Earth.

Being social animals, we need to interact with each other. This interaction could be in person, via mail, in cyberspace or just by hearing a responsive voice, as we learn to appreciate from this film. And the voice does not need a face to go with it.

Being in prison cuts us off from our desire to be free. It put us into a routine, which hopefully will make us reassess our existence. The routine nature of life there hopes to put us back into the loop of living purposefully.

Having human interaction is construed as a luxury for inmates. Hence, solitary confinement is threatened as a stick to cow them to conform to the rules of gaols.

This legendary offering with a string of accolades behind its name tells of the author’s autobiography during his incarceration during the pre-independence era in the 1940s when he was charged with treason for writing ‘anti-National’ articles. The film can roughly be divided into two parts.

In the first, we learn that he is respected by jailers and fellow inmates. He gets on jolly well with other prisoners, considering the usual stereotype about prison politics we get from movies. Everyone has a backstory justifying their crime and the circumstances that pushed them to commit them. Basheer, the protagonist, is well respected, for everyone knows about his incisive writings.

One day, there was quite an excitement when many political prisoners were released when the colonial masters had a change of heart. Unfortunately, Basheer's name is not on the list. Basheer is left alone without his friends. The small rose garden he cultivated around the compound started growing, giving him some tranquillity.

One day, whilst tending his garden, whistling, Basheer hears a feminine voice from the other side of the tall prison wall. What started as time-pass slowly evolved from a non-essential banter to possibly something romantic. It came to a time when that was the most looked forward moment of the day!

Finally, when the day came for release, Basheer was actually in two minds about whether he should leave as he would miss his conversationalist across the wall. How ironic. He wanted to leave the prison all the while, but now he is sad about leaving. How routine and meaningful interaction brought purpose to life!

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Rocked you like a hurricane!

Blues Gang

I was just thinking the other day. Occasionally, in my social media group, one or two members would send snippets of Malay songs of the 80s and 90s. These songs used to be high on the music chart and ruled the airwaves in their heydays. I was pleasantly surprised that these group members were even familiar with such songs.

We, the teenagers of the late 70s and 80s, must be a lost generation. The generation that grew up under the umbrella of the Malaysian New Education policy imbibed in Malay culture and songs.

We grew up laughing at P Ramlee's antics in his actual Malaysian-themed movies and comedies in our preteen years. We ended up watching them umpteen times, probably able to rattle out certain classic dialogues and recall particular scenes from his films at the drop of a hat.

The 80s saw a renaissance of modern guitar and drums bands that were belting out hard and punk rock music. Rock Kapak was another branch of rock of Malay punk. These bands were so popular that every Saturday night saw mobile stages erected in small towns for bands to belt out their brand of music. National competitions were rave. In these otherwise mundane small towns, which had boring weekends and lights out after the territorial TV ended its transmission, these events gave them a purpose in life. Small-time businesses and vendors made their killings. 

Amy Search

As the saying goes, all good times must surely end. The new wave of Islamic scholars sent to the Middle East on scholarships generated by petroleum-fueled prosperity needed to prove their worth. They raised their eyebrows condescendingly, shaking their turban-donned head in unison. They decreed that uninhibited mixing of sexes was sacrilegious. The intoxicating mixture of electric guitar, drums and percussions swayed believers from the purpose on Earth, i.e. to hail Maker's glory. The police agreed as intoxicants found their way to these meetings. These concerts simply had to stop. The memories of Gersang, JJ Carefree, Sweet Charity, Wings, Ramli Sarip, Search, Chris Vadham, Ben Nathan, Blues Gang, Awie, Headwind, Alleycats, Ella and the Boys, Zaiton Sameon and even the notorious Mona Fandey and talented M Nasir just remain as that, mere distant memories of a bygone era.

 

With the new post-Iranian Revolution's zest to uphold self-perceived the Almighty decree on Earth, the interest in hard rock dwindled. This 'decadent' music was labelled as devil-worshipping, and believers who were seen indulging in such melodies were looked upon with accusing eyes reserved for a heretic. Music taste shifted towards desert-themed rhythm even though it should be Hawaiian as we are in the tropics. Remember Terang Bulan, Mamula Moon and Negara-ku?

So it was indeed a pleasing experience to have my social media friends showing keen interest in that music of our early adulthood when Malaysia had its own brand of rock - Rock Kapak!  

(PS. Dedicated to JT, SA, RS, SK, HS, SM. You know who you are!)

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Laugh with friends, cry alone!

The Eyes of Tammy Faye (2021)
Director: Michael Showalter

It is not only Islam that provokes the name of God to legitimise each and every one of their actions. In the late 70s, when the US economy was in the doldrums, and a plethora of social issues hogged the headlines, Ronald Reagon, despite his not so-Christian background, being a divorcee and his pro-abortion stance as Governor of California, decided to woo the Christian Conservatives and the Evangelists to his side.

This practice, having proved successful, continued through the campaign of a born-again candidate, GW Bush. And we know how that divided the world with a wide fissure - you are either with us or against us! (or should it US?)

In the zest to cow people into submission, to coax the herd in the intended direction, money was infused indiscriminately into megalomaniac projects that never materialised. A point to note in the Malaysian context. Over the past decade, many shady foundations were created with the zeal to imbibe Islamic values into the administrative system. They were managed by politicians of the ruling party and their cronies. Their transactions were classified as official state secrets. The million ringgit question is whether the intended target goals were met or the intended target group benefitted from them.

The change of Government saw a little light shining through to expose the foolhardy, but as quickly as the change, a backdoor coalition usurped power to cover everything up again.

This film shows a pair of high strung drop-outs of a Christian College with big ideas going out to the world to spread the word of God. Starting with nothing, their brand of televangelism admixed with puppetry, music, songs, and sermons drew the attention of a Christian TV channel. Pretty soon, they had their TV channel. Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker were rolling in money in torrents from sympathetic donors.

That is when everybody wanted a piece of the action. Everyone wanted to ride on their popularity. Even Ronald Reagan had Jim and Tammy help him win his re-election.

Marital issues started seeping in. Taxmen started querying their income and expenditure. The last straw was when Jim's gay partner exposed their affair. The party who was supposed to manage the company amidst the trials decided to take over management instead. Jim went to jail for tax charges. Thus ended their dream tale of rag to riches and then slip-sliding into oblivion as the number one enemy of the state.

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It is charisma, baby!

Dropout (Miniseries; 2022)

Netflix

Look at the following examples.

When the people of the 13 colonies were desperate to be cut off from their colonial masters, they wanted a leader. They saw that in George Washington, a 6 ft 4 in the son of a wealthy Virginian planter who rode on the expensive horse on the land. His marriage to the fairest and richest widow in the land also aided this. (By the way, the State of Virginia was named after the English Virgin Queen, Elizabeth I). Even though Washington was quite a disappointment as a soldier. He failed to get to be an officer with a King’s commission in the regular British Army. In the Independence War, Washington bungled up too. He was party to war crimes, killing his own men. He was implicated in land scams. Even as the first President, he blundered. His own Federalists Party came to nought because of its own doing. The only thing that kept him going was his charisma.

Then there is Napolean Bonaparte. At a time after the French Revolution, as the French were trying the real meaning of democracy before they found liberty, equality and fraternity, they discovered Bonaparte. With his sidekick, Charles Maurice de Talleyrand, he gained the reputation of being a great diplomate and a master tactician. But we also know of many colossal failures. The protracted Penisular War in Spain and his ill-thought attack on Russian soil at the heights of winter are two glaring examples. The English language got a new word from his disastrous defeat at Waterloo. His post-exile fight for power from the island of Elba was also ill-thought. If he envisioned a legacy of succession, that too proved futile. So what secured this man a place in history? I guess it was his ability to recoup, rejuvenate and re-brand to stay relevant.

In the same, a certain carpenter from Galilee was an icon to resist the iron-fisted rule of Rome through their governor. The revolutionary had only charisma to offer to his followers. So did eccentric holy men like Jim Jones of People's Temple and David Koresh of Waco, who managed to charm their followers to give up the agencies.

The common trait of all these leaders who had their followers lose their minds to the twidle of their leader's fingers is charisma. Having charisma is not quite the same as being charming. From an etymological sense, charm comes from the French charme, from the earlier Latin meaning song or enchantment, praise of God. Charisma arises from the Greek kharisma meaning divine gift.

A charm is a form of attraction. It's an allure, a delight, a grace. Charisma is a form of influence. It's a magnetism, an ability to draw and hold someone's attention. 

This miniseries is based on the rise and fall of Elizabeth Holmes, a Stanford University dropout, and the youngest female entrepreneur and CEO in the USA. She tried to push her health technology company, Theranos, which she claimed would revolutionise the health industry. She claimed her machine could detect a myriad of illnesses from a single drop of blood. Holmes managed to draw big investors into her company and even conned the FDA to get her devices approved. Big names had no qualms associated with her despite all the dodgy dealings going on below the surface.

It is mind-boggling to imagine how such big shenanigans could go on under the watchful eyes of a first world's supposedly efficient enforcement machinery!

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