Harakah

KUALA LUMPUR, 3 Mei: Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) mengutuk keras tindakan terbaru Umno dan para pengendali laman-laman blog upahan mereka yang menjadikan Timbalan Presiden PPKR Mohamad Azmin Ali sebagai mangsa fitnah mereka.
 
Justeru, Parti Keadilan Rakyat menggesa Presiden Umno Najib Tun Razak tampil mengambil tanggungjawab dan tidak lagi bersikap ‘baling batu sembunyi tangan’.
 
“Hakikat bahawa media kawalan Umno seperti Utusan Malaysia dan TV3 yang begitu bernafsu menyambung fitnah terhadap Mohamad Azmin Ali sekadar mengesahkan peranan Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak yang memberikan laluan lampu hijau,” kata Setiausaha Agungnya, Datuk Saifuddin Nasution Ismail (gambar).
 
Katanya, budaya politik kotor yang di luar batas adab dan akhlak itu sewajarnya dihentikan.
 
“Budaya fitnah ini amat jauh dari pendekatan wasatiyyah yang dilaungkan oleh Dato Seri Najib Tun Razak dalam pemaknaan dan pengertian dididik dan diteladankan oleh Nabi Muhamad saw melalui rentetan sirah,” jelasnya yang juga Ahli Parlimen Machang dalam satu kenyataan.
 
Menurutnya, apakala Umno berada dalam keadaan terdesak dek kebangkitan dan penolakan rakyat terhadap mereka sepertimana peristiwa terbaru Bersih 3.0 di mana rakyat membebaskan diri dari perasaan takut untuk turun beramai-ramai, Umno akan beralih kepada kepakaran sebenar mereka yakni mencipta fitnah.
 
Beliau berkata, harapan Umno rakyat dapat melupakan perbuatan ganas polis ke atas rakyat, SPR yang terus memanipulasikan pilihanraya dan propaganda media kawalan Umno yang membuta tuli mempertahankan fitnah dan kezaliman mereka.
 
“Parti Keadilan Rakyat lantas mengajak rakyat mengambil pengajaran daripada peristiwa fitnah yang menimpa isteri kesayangan Nabi Muhamad saw Ummul Mukminin Aisyah ra yang difitnah berbuat jahat dengan seorang sahabat yang terkenal wara’ dan kebaikannya.
 
“Peristiwa ini mendedahkan peranan golongan munafik yang mencipta dan menjaja fitnah ini. Golongan ini wajib ditolak dan ditentang habis-habisan,” ujarnya lagi.
 
Jelasnya, peristiwa itu juga memberi pengajaran bahawa membanteras perbuatan fitnah menjadi tugas dan kewajipan sesama muslim demi melindungi dan memelihara maruah saudara seagama.
 
Justeru, katanya Parti Keadilan Rakyat mengajak rakyat seluruhnya menolak dan meninggalkan Umno yang terus mengamalkan politik fitnah pada pilihanraya ke 13 akan datang.
 
Menurut Saifuddin lagi, rakyat semakin matang dan jika Umno beranggapan mereka terus boleh kekal berkuasa dengan politik fitnah ini ternyata Umno silap besar.
 
“Rakyat mampu membezakan di antara haq-batil, adil-zalim dan mahmudah-mazmumah,” ujarnya.

By Patrick Lee | May 3, 2012 Free Malaysia Today PETALING JAYA: Malaysia has been found to be one of the worst countries in Asia when it comes to press freedom. According to the US-based human rights think-tank Freedom House’s “Freedom of the Press 2012” report, Malaysia’s was ranked 31st out of 40 countries in [...]

Malaysiakini

Waran tangkap antarabangsa boleh dikeluarkan oleh hakim Perancis jika saksi enggan membantu sesuatu siasatan selepas sepina dikeluarkan.

Menurut peguam Perancis, Joseph Breham (kanan), yang mewakili NGO Malaysia, Suaram, dalam aduan awam berhubung dakwaan
membabitkan sogokan jutaan ringgit dalam urusniaga pembelian senjata, “amaran merah” boleh dihantar kepada Interpol sebagai langkah terakhir.

“Jika saksi itu enggan mematuhi sepina tersebut, mahkamah boleh mengeluarkan notis mandat d’amener, memaksa saksi hadir di mahkamah. Jika saksi (masih) tidak mahu mematuhinya, maka waran tangkap boleh dikeluarkan.

“Waran tangkap berkenaan berkuatkuasa dalam wilayah Perancis, dan mungkin diantarabangsakan, jika hakim merasakannya perlu.”

Bulan lepas, Menteri Pertahanan Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi berkata beliau atau sesiapa sahaja dari kementeriannya, tidak akan membantu siasatan di Perancis itu.

Zahid dinamakan dalam senarai tujuh orang saksi yang dicadangkan oleh Suaram, yang telah diterima oleh hakim siasatan Perancis, Roger Le Loire.

3110 students from Nanjing Agricultural University has set a new world record on April 27 for biggest human-made smiley face. The students in yellow and blue raincoat has broken the previous record of 2961 people (set in 2011, Canada) in celebration of the varsity’s 110th anniversary. Image by Xinhuanet [Cn]…

There's more, read the full post »

World’s biggest human Smiley face from YeinJee's Asian Journal

Malaysiakini

An international arrest warrant can be issued by a French judge if a witness refuses to assist in an inquiry following the issuance of a subpoena.

According to French lawyer Joseph Breham (right), who is acting on behalf of Malaysian NGO Suaram on the civil complaint on the multi-million ringgit arms kickbacks, a “red alert” can be sent to Interpol as a last resort.

“If the witness refuses to abide by the subpoena, the court can issue a notice mandat d’amener, compelling the witness to appear before it. If the witness (still) fails to oblige, a warrant of arrest may be issued.

“The warrant of arrest is applicable within the French territory, and may be internationalised, if the judge deems it necessary.”

Last month, Defence Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said neither he nor anyone from his ministry would assist in the French inquiry.

Zahid was named in the list of seven witnesses proposed by Suaram, which was accepted by French investigating judge Roger Le Loire.

However, this does not mean that all seven witnesses, including Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak and his associate Abdul Razak Baginda will be subpoenaed by the inquiry.

Criminal charges soon

The judge is currently in the process of issuing subpoenas.

“The judge did indicate that Abdul Razak Baginda is a key person (in the case),” Suaram director Cynthia Gabriel (left) told a press conference today.

Reading out Breham’s explanation to media, Suaram activist and lawyer Fadiah Nadwa Fikri added Breham was also informed that criminal charges will be brought upon those involved in the kickbacks.

Fadiah said that French prosecutors told Suaram’s lawyers that it is about to conclude criminal investigations, separate to Suaram’s complaint, on the same matter.

“The civil case has given birth to a criminal investigation. The prosecutors have told our lawyers that criminal charges will be brought soon,” she said, although it is unclear who will be charged and when.

The scandal involving DCN is also linked to prominent French politicians.

Jarang sebenarnya penulis bercerita atau menghasilkan satu blogpost untuk Masjid Faisal ini. Masjid Faisal, didermakan oleh King Faisal daripada Arab Saudi suatu ketika dahulu. Masjid berwarna putih yang berbentuk khemah arab ini agak unik. Sila google atau singgah ke lamanweb Pakcik Wikipedia untuk membaca sejarah masjid ini.

Di sinilah penulis solat Jumaat setiap kali hari Jumaat. Walaupun kadang-kadang penulis bertukar angin ke masjid lain di Islamabad, namun hal tersebut boleh dibilang dengan jari sebenarnya. Masjid ini agak besar. Masjid paling besar di Islamabad. Masjid ini pernah dinobatkan masjid terbesar di dunia suatu ketika dahulu. Boleh menampung sehingga ribuan jemaah pada satu-satu masa.

Sekarang ni adalah musim bunga di Islamabad. Di sekitar masjid ini terdapat taman bunga mawar atau ros. Sekarang adalah waktu puncak musim bunga ros ini. Tahun ni rasanya macam kurang sedikit berbanding dengan tahun lepas. Tahun lepas lagi banyak bunga ros yang berkembang mekar rasanya. Cakap sahaja warna apa, semua ada di sini.

Kalau cuaca cerah dah cantik kita akan nampak pemandangan Bukit Margall yang berwarna hijau. Dipenuhi dengan hutan pokok renik. Disitulah penulis selalu hiking daripada kaki bukit sampailah ke puncak nya. Puncak tertinggi dikenali sebagai Pir Sohawa. Pir Sohawa ni berdekatan dengan Restoran Monal, restoran yang terkenal di Islamabad.

Bawah ni pula Makam General Zia-ul Haq. Satu-satunya makam yang ada di perkarangan atau taman bunga ros di Masjid Faisal ini. Kebiasaannya makam ni ditutup dan dikunci, hanya ada hari-hari tertentu sahaja yang dibuka untuk dilawati oleh orang ramai di Islamabad ini.

Bunga mawar merah ni sahaja yang kelihatan berkembang mekar hari ini. Bunga-bunga lain seakan-akan merajuk pula hari ini. Tahun lepas lagi banyak dan puasa bergambar di taman bunga ros di Masjid Faisal. Ramai juga sebenarnya rakyat Pakistan yang datang singgah ke Masjid Faisal untuk melancong dan bersiar-siar.

Biasa kita tengok masjid dalam gambar warna, apakata sekali sekala kita lihat pula rupa Masjid Faisal dalam hitam putih pula. Cantik jugak kan? hehe Saya terpaksa tinggikan sedikit kontrast langit sebab tak berapa nak gelap masa ni. Gambar hitam putih ni biasanya akan lagi cantik kalau kontrasnyer tinggi ye adik2

Lama betul penulis menunggu untuk merakamkan gambar terbaik Masjid Faisal kali ini. Gambar ketika musim luruh atau dingin memang tak berapa nak menarik sebab awan tiada dan kebiasaannya langit kelabu sahaja. Gambar di atas memang ditunggu-tunggu. Kalau di Malaysia memang kita dah selalu nampak suasana langit yang cantik, tapi di Pakistan, jarang-jarang sebenarnya.

I refer to the publication of fake images and false allegations of an extra-marital liaison in the media and blogs against PKR Deputy President Azmin Ali. The allegations and photographs are fabricated, politically motivated and the lowest kind of gutter journalism. As usual, the photos have been widely published in the BN owned media and pro-UMNO blogs. Utusan Malaysia published the images in a particularly vicious and calculated manner. Images of a pornographic nature implicating the Gombak MP were splashed on the front pages of Utusan Malaysia on 2.5.12. We hold Prime Minister and President of Umno Najib Tun Razak personally responsible for the publication of the photos. It is impossible that character assasination of this scale could be carried out by Utusan Malaysia without the approval and knowledge of Najib, whose UMNO ruling party owns Utusan Malaysia.

Today, Azmin Ali has through his solicitors Messrs Edwin Lim Suren & Soh issued a letter of demand to Utusan Melayu (Malaysia) Berhad which owns Utusan Malaysia and its Editor demanding a withdrawal of the allegations and a public apology to be published in the front page of Utusan Malaysia. In view of the seriousness of the alllegations and the nationwide circulation of the newspaper, Azmin Ali has demanded the sum of RM 100 million in damages. Azmin Ali has commenced these legal proceedings to vindicate his name and reputation as a national leader and politician, and to defend the right of the public to fair and clean journalism.

Issued by,
N SURENDRAN
VICE PRESIDENT
KEADILAN

Malaysia marks World Press Freedom Day today under the shadow of “A Day of Shame” last Saturday (Bersih 3.0 on April 28, 2012) for media freedom, police professionalism and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s political transformation. Never before in Malaysian history have so many media reporters and photographers been the target of such ruthless, [...]

Lama rasanya tak mendengar cerita terbaru Mizz Nina semenjak bergelar isteri kepada Noh Hujan. Mungkin kesibukan rumah tangga membataskan sedikit pergerakan aktiviti nyanyian Mizz Nina. Namun kepada peminat Mizz Nina, anda tak perlu merinduinya lagi kerana majalah Lisa yang terbaru … Continue reading →

Nampaknya ramai yang teruja dengan kemarvelousan gambar-gambar pra perkahwinan Awal dan Scha yang dibidik oleh Saiful Nang. Abang Nara pun sama teruja seperti anda. Dan untuk menambahkan lagi keterujaan anda, Saiful Nang telah sudi berkongsi 5 lagi gambar bakal pengantin … Continue reading →

A dictator’s image will come to mind if someone had mentioned the word “leadership” to me when I was a kid. A leader was authoritarian. A leader ruled and led with an iron fist. A leader commanded blind loyalty – or so society had me believe. But I learned a more effective leadership through my life circumstances – circumstances that forced me into being my own leader.

Those of you who have supported and assisted in my campaign efforts in 2006 will remember a different Yvonne. At the age of 19 going on 20, I was wrapped in a personality conditioned by my childhood experiences. My dad suffered and survived a stroke. It left him with insidious cognitive impairment. My mom was stressed and unprepared to shoulder everything. There was a lot of bitterness and resentment at home. As their only child, I grew up feeling a heavy burden on my chest. My folks were apathetic and indifferent. I always had to push and pull them forward.

When I had a brain tumor which could not be safely removed in Malaysia and needed to be treated in America, I relied on the only survival technique I knew. I pulled my parents along in my fundraising efforts, turning a blind eye to any expressions of apathy. The public saw my tireless endeavor, my insistence, my invisible burden, and they decided to help.

But I had my pride and ego. I couldn’t just sit back and let others do things for me. That’s not how my life was. I insisted on organizing campaign activities the way I believed will not fail. I insisted on handling everything myself. The fear of failure was so great that I often lost my patience at the very people who wanted to help. But I also started to notice how people were extra careful when dealing with me, and deep down I knew why. But old habits die hard. Eventually and by the grace of God, I managed to raise more than RM200.000.00 for surgery ten months later with an iron fist.

I managed to obtain the lifesaving surgery that I so needed. Never in my life had I handled so much cash. And never in my life had I made so many friends. But was I happy? Was the experience fulfilling? Was it true leadership? I discovered the answer to these questions in later years.

In 2009, I needed to raise funds for surgery again. This time, it was to preserve my only usable vision with a much tighter deadline. Like before, I utilized the only way I knew to survive. I took my Cause onto NTV7’s The Breakfast Show, where I chanced upon two other guests who were touched and decided to raise a flag for me. They were sure that I’d be able to raise enough funds for surgery at their event and proposed that I bring all the t-shirt stocks I had which numbered in the hundreds. But from my previous experiences, bringing that many t-shirts was unnecessary. I must have sounded defensive when voicing my disagreement, for one of the ladies spoke up to me. “You are stubborn with an ego. There is nothing wrong in it. I have it too. These characters were what brought you thus far. But it is now time to let others help you.”

I felt hurt on hearing that and thought silently, “What do you know? This was how I survived. I have no choice.” My pride almost caused me to not go ahead with that fundraising plan, but I decided to set my pride aside for once. This was life and death. Saving my vision was most important. Eventually, we didn’t sell all the t-shirts I brought. But we managed to raise RM45,000.00 from receiving cash contributions – because attendees were moved seeing my efforts.

Deep down, I knew that lady was right. I had seen how scared some people were in dealing with me. I didn’t want others to feel they need to be careful around me. So I decided to take the lady’s advice, relax and let others help me in their own ways. I started to be more patient and listen to people’s ideas, allowing them to follow through with their individual initiatives. In the process, I also became more perceptive towards people’s non-verbal languages. (Ie. Some people coming forward to help may not be able to verbalize their concern in words, but it can be seen through their body language.) As I learned to relax and listen, people also started opening up themselves to me. When people visit to make contributions nowadays, the meeting often ends in heart-to-heart conversations. People no longer leave right after receiving their t-shirts.

When I became interested in other people’s ideas, I realized that people are happier. They are happy and excited to help me raise funds for surgery, because they feel valued and autonomous.

Does letting go mean Heart4Hope will lose its direction? Not at all. The essence of Heart4Hope has remained the same. My personality of not bowing down to circumstances but doing what I can to survive remains the same, so will the essence of my campaign. What’s different today is that I have learned to recognize and appreciate other people’s talents. I have learned to let other people participate and take ownership of the Heart4Hope campaign. We are now able to raise funds for surgery much faster than before.

How did I achieve this? Not with a dictator’s iron fist but simply by letting go of my tight grip. This has been one of my greatest lesson learned, as it required me to shed off my fears and old conditionings. This lesson, among others, will be what guide me in running A Celebration of Life foundation.

I look forward to putting this lesson into practice once more at next month’s Leadership Camp in Malacca. I hope you would join me.

Malaysiakini

Pendakwa awam Perancis yang menyiasat urusniaga pembelian senjata Perancis-Malaysia mendakwa telah menemui bukti bahawa menteri pertahanan ketika itu, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak telah meminta AS$1 bilion (RM3 bilion) untuk syarikat tempatan Perimekar daripada DCNI – anak syarikat pembuat kapal Perancis DCN.

Menurut kertas pendakwaan yang didedahkan oleh NGO Suaram hari ini, satu faks menunjukkan bahawa Najib didakwa telah diminta jumlah tersebut untuk Perimekar sebagai syarat bagi mengadakan satu pertemuan dengan beliau pada 14 Julai 2001.

Faks yang bertarikh 1 Jun 2001 adalah dari Francois Dupont, wakil Malaysia untuk syarikat swasta Thales Asia International, kepada D Arnaud.

Dokumen itu, satu daripada 153 yang ditunjukkan kepada Suaram, telah dirampas oleh polis Perancis dari pejabat Henri Gide, seorang pegawai Thales.

By Ravindran Paramsothy The Malaysian Insider May 03, 2012 KUALA LUMPUR, May 3 — I had such an eventful day on April 28! My day started at 9am when my group of friends arrived at my house. The Bersih group comprised four women and I (which begs the question, what happened to all the guys). [...]

By JE Niuh | May 02, 2012 The Malaysian Insider KUALA LUMPUR, May 2 — Where do I start? How about when I saw the protesters surge towards me as the tear gas canisters fell! It was a sight to see: a sea of humanity coming towards you as you’re pinned against a lamp post [...]

Fuh. Di kala Abang Nara menerima email ini, Abang Nara terkagum sebentar dengan kehebatan penangkap gambar-gambar Syamsul Yusof dan Nurul Ain Nordin ini. Memang ada ciri-ciri paparazi yang sejati. Kalau diasah bakat pasti akan lebih meletup lagi. Abang Nara suka … Continue reading →

近期发生在中国大陆的两个重大政治事件，都出现“逃亡”这个关键词，而且“逃亡”的对象竟然也一样。

原重庆市委书记薄熙来被中共中央革职及纪律调查所引发的惊天风暴，就从其亲信王立军出逃到美国领事馆作为引爆点。近日山东盲人维权律师陈光诚突破当局软禁，据说也是逃到了美国大使馆。

王立军和陈光诚，简直是两个世界的人。前者曾经是极权的共犯，后者是极权的反抗者和受害者。但这两位原本应该站在对立面的人，却显然有一个共识——在攸关身家性命安全的时刻，还是求助美国靠谱些。

并不是美国政府特别有正义感，而是因为在美国，权力的运作和资讯的流通，起码还是透明和公开的，诸如“被失踪”、“被休假式治疗”、“被精神病”、“被自杀”等等匪夷所思的事情，基本上不会在美国发生。这也并不是因为美国政府特别诚实，而是政府说谎的成本太高，谎言被戳破的几率太大，谎言被戳破后的代价更是巨大得无人偿付得起。

权力运作和资讯流通最大限度的公开透明，是任何政府权威和社会诚信的最根本基础。美国政府、政党和政客们，和所有的政府、政党和政客一样，当然也有各种各样的弱点和缺失，重点是这些弱点和缺失有没有摊在阳光下让人们看得见，以及人们有没有机会去公开指正乃至亲自参与纠正它们。

当权者以为封锁和垄断资讯的发布与流传，是为了保护自己，实际上最后是害惨自己。民众如果普遍上认为当权者垄断资讯，就会从根本上拒绝相信任何官方发布的资讯。失去诚信基础的社会，是谣言滋生的沃土。

428大集会进行时和结束后，不断出现各种难以确定真实性的传闻，其中如现场有警车撞死民众的传言，以及一张显示整个吉隆坡市被至少百万群众淹没的图片，后来都被证明是讹传和恶搞。

当政府失去公信力，群众一方面根本不愿相信官方信息，一方面则选择相信和协助散播那些真相不明，甚至一眼看去就知道是虚假的信息，因为对他们而言，重点不是这些信息是真是假，重点是它们对政府不利。

后来这些假消息和假照片的真相，都是被原本相信和散播它们的网民自己所揭破。这也说明，资讯流通的公开与透明，不仅使政府诚实，也使任何信息接收者和传播者都不得不诚实。


（本文刊登于5月3日《中国报》人人咖啡店，照片来源：联合国网站）

By Muaz Omar | May 03, 2012 The Malaysian Insider May 3 — American civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr once said, “Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed.” How apt the quote is. We have just experienced how the people have spoken to regain their [...]

I always wanted to unlock my HTC One X bootloader since day 1 I got it. There is lot of good custom ROM for HTC One X from XDA website now. Besides, lot of customization and tweaks to improve its speed and performance too. But I need to unlock HTC One X bootloader first in [...]

Korean figure skater Kim Yuna has been chosen as the spokesperson for Hite to endorse its Ice Point beer. Check out the commercials and promo photos…

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Kim Yuna – Hite Beer commercials & pics from YeinJee's Asian Journal

Malaysiakini
Dr Aziz Bari

Saya ditahan sekitar jam 350 petang semalam dekat OCBC ketika hendak pergi basuh muka di paip di situ. |

Penguatkuasa DBKL dan polis ramai-ramai keroyok saya dan menjerit: “Ini baju kuning tangkap!”.

Saya tak kenal atau ingat identiti mereka tetapi saya terus diseret dan dimaki hamun.

Mereka kelihatan hendak mengejar orang lain tetapi bila mereka gagal mereka terus cekup saya hanya kerana saya pakai baju kuning BERSIH! Aneh. Sejak bila pakai baju kuning satu jenayah di Malaysia?

Itu sudah cukup jelas untuk memberi kita isyarat tentang integriti polis dan agensi lain termasuk DBKL.

“Tua tak sedar diri, dah tua duduk rumah sajalah.”

Itulah antara ejekan yang saya dengar sewaktu diheret oleh anggota polis untuk dikumpul di depan DBKL. Kemudian saya ada mendengar rungutan yang polis turut mengejek kami: “Ini semua anjing Anwar Ibrahim’”

Sewaktu diheret polis mengugut seorang petugas media yang cuba mengambil gambar saya ditangkap. Begitu juga ketika kami semua dikumpul dekat Kelab Diraja Selangor.

Macam samseng

Pelik, adakah undang-undang menyekat orang ambil gambar di negara ini? Seorang pelajar fotografi mengadu kameranya yang berharga ribuan ringgit dimusnahkan oleh seorang anggota polis.

Umumnya saya lihat polis bertindak ganas dan memihak kepada Umno-BN. Pada saya hari itu polis kelihatan macam samseng PERKASA. Mereka nampak jelas marah dengan Pakatan Rakyat.

Tetapi yang lucunya bila saya tinggikan suara dan tanya undang-undang apa yang mereka gunakan anggota polis tersipu-sipu dan cepat-cepat beredar. Ini berlaku ketika kami dihimpun macam pendatang asing dekat Kelab Diraja Selangor.

Itulah gelagat anggota polis berpangkat rendah yang mulanya cuba tunjuk garang dan samseng. Para pegawai mereka duduk jauh-jauh.

Pada satu peringkat saya jerit seorang pegawai supaya segera beri rawatan kepada seorang Orang Kena Tahan (OKT) yang terbaring kesakitan. Pegawai ini panik dan tak tahu buat apa-apa. Saya kata, “awak ada budi bicara dan kalau orang ini mati awak akan disoal.”

Pegawai ini pucat tak terkata apa-apa.

Itu semua menunjukkan pasukan polis ini jahil dan keliru dan takut dengan kerajaan Umno-BN. Mereka hanya berani bila mereka bergerak dalam gerombolan. Mereka mungkin tak ada akses kepada Internet dan hanya dengar arahan bos mereka saja.

Sikap samseng dan mentaliti gerombolan pasukan polis ini kelihatan apabila ada tahanan baru sampai.

Tahanan ini akan dibawa melalui kumpulan anggota polis pangkat rendah dan ketika inilah anggota polis ini akan mengambil kesempatan mengejek dan memaki hamun tahanan yang sudah lemah longlai diheret itu.

Ada juga yang akan mengambil kesempatan menumbuk, menyepak dan menampar tahanan itu.

Pada satu tahap seorang anggota Unit Amal PAS yang sedia ditahan bersama kami diseret ke dalam gerombolan anggota polis itu. Riuh rendah kedengaran di sebalik van dan trak itu.

Apa yang kelihatan apabila anggota Unit Amal itu diseret kembali ke dalam kumpulan, beliau lembik; mungkin telah dipukul oleh anggota-anggota polis yang menyeringai macam singa dalam kandang menunggu mangsa itu.

Dalam garang dan samseng itu polis ini tidak tahu apa-apa. Ketika di Kelab Diraja Selangor, saya lihat pihak polis panik bila kami ramai-ramai tanya sama ada kami ini ditahan atau ditangkap. Maklumlah konstabel dan koperal apa tahu.

Pegawai pun tidak berani duduk dekat sebab ada OKT yang tanya soalan dalam bahasa orang putih. Lucu. Masa di DBKL seorang sarjan yang tadinya kasar dan sombong mula berlembut apabila makin ramai di kalangan tahanan yang panggil saya “profesor”.

Gambaran kebodohan dan ketakutan

Sewaktu di Pulapol, Ketua CID Bukit Aman Datuk Seri Bakri Zinin ada datang. Bukan main lagilah Cawangan Khas (SB) dan komando polis mengiringi dia. Begitu juga pegawai-pegawai lain yang datang bersama. Berdesup-desup mereka tabik dan hentak kaki.

Itulah agaknya gambaran kebodohan dan ketakutan mereka. Ikut perintah orang atas tak kira apa.

Di Pulapol peguam tak dibenarkan masuk langsung. Dan suasana dalam khemah kelam, di situ tak teratur. Pihak polis macam tak pasti apa yang perlu dibuat sedangkan ini bukan kali pertama mereka menangani demonstrasi BERSIH.

Ini jauh berbeza dengan imej tenteram yang cuba ditunjukkan oleh media milik Umno-BN termasuk RTM.

Satu lagi yang saya nampak ialah majoriti anggota polis yang bertugas ialah Melayu. Ada segelintir India dan Cina. Tapi yang bongkak, sombong dan ganas ialah Melayu dan India. Mereka inilah yang bongkak dan ganas. Anggota Cina amat tertib dan beradab.

Para pegawai meskipun ramai Melayu tidaklah sombong sangat. Mungkin kerana mereka mudah dikenali melalui uniform mereka.

Sewaktu di Pulapol saya dibawa ke meja Cawangan Khas (SB). Meskipun saya ditanya soalan-soalan yang saya kira aneh, ia tidak lama. Saya tidak tahu kenapa. Mungkin kerana mereka tidak mahu berdebat dengan saya.

Pesta pukul orang

Atau mungkin mereka simpati. Mereka ada bertanya sama ada saya disakiti. Saya kata saya cuma sakit hati. Saya sempat sebut pada mereka: “Wah hari ni polis berpesta pukul orang.”

Saya sakit hati kerana polis tidak peduli hak asasi rakyat. Buktinya cukup banyak. Ada yang mengadu dicekup sewaktu sedang makan dalam dalam restoran. Ada yang ditangkap ketika di lobi hotel. Dan ada juga yang ditahan ketika dia hendak membeli tiket di stesen LRT.

Mereka berada jauh dari Dataran Merdeka yang diisytihar kawasan larangan. Mereka juga sudah bersurai. Mereka dipukul dan diheret oleh polis hanya kerana mereka pakai baju kuning. Malah ada yang tidak pakai baju kuning pun dicekup sama.

Ertinya hari itu polis geram dengan orang ramai. Polis sudah menjadi seolah-olah kaki pukul Umno-BN dan gerombolan anti-Bersih. Ini salah di sisi undang-undang. Apa lagi perlembagaan sebagai undang-undang tertinggi dan utama negara.

Pasuka polis, sebagaimana cabang-cabang perkhidmatan awam yang lain termasuk angkatan tentera, perlu bersikap berkecuali dan menjaga undang-undang.

Tanggapan saya terhadap polis, khususnya selepas BERSIH 3.0, mereka jahil, keliru dan tertekan. Akhlak mereka juga rendah. Ini ternyata bila Suruhanjaya Dzaidin sendiri merakamkan bahawa pasukan polis antara agensi kerajaan yang paling korup di negara ini.

Sebab itu saya tidak hairan apabila polis gagal membezakan antara menjunjung undang-undang dengan mengampu atau mempertahankan Umno-BN.

Apa pun jika lihat gambar besar kita itu semua tidak memeranjatkan. Kalau para hakim dan anggota Suruhanjaya Pencegahan SPR yang dilindungi oleh perlembagaan secara jelas pun takut dengan Umno-BN siapalah anggota-anggota polis ini.

Merdeka Rakyat
5 & 6 Mei 2012 (Sabtu & Ahad)

5 Mei 2012 (Sabtu)

1) 2.50 ptg – Sidang Media – Lapangan Terbang Kucing

2) 4.30 ptg – Ceramah Perdana 1 – Merdeka Rakyat
Lokasi : No 82, Jalan Datus, Kg Hilir, Sri Aman

3) 6.00 ptg – Pelancaran Jentera Pilihanraya PKR
Cabang Sri Aman / Batang Lupar / Lubuk Antu

4) 6.40 ptg – Solat Maghrib – Masjid Besar Pusa,

5) 7.30 mlm – Ceramah Perdana 2 – Merdeka Rakyat
Lokasi : Kampong Hulu, Pusa , Betong

6) 9.00 mlm – Ceramah Perdana 3 – Merdeka Rakyat
Lokasi : Bandar Saratok
===

6 Mei 2012 (Ahad)

1) 7.00 Pagi- Perjumpaan – JK Pilihanraya PKR Cabang Sibu /
Lanang / Kanowit / Selangau / Julau / Ulu Rejang
Lokasi : Hotel Paramount, Sibu

2) 12.00 tghari – Ceramah Perdana 4 – Merdeka Rakyat
Lokasi : RH Embuas, Batu 17, Bukit Song, Miri

3) 4.30 ptg – Ceramah Perdana 5 – Merdeka Rakyat
Lokasi : Lot 60, Jalan Sungai Kaban, Limbang

4) 6.00 ptg – Pelancaran Bilik Gerakan Pilihanraya Limbang,
Lokasi : Bandar Limbang

5) 6.40 ptg – Solat Maghrib – Masjid Limbang

6) 8.00 mlm – Ceramah Perdana 6 – Merdeka Rakyat
Lokasi : RH Rumpang ak Bali, Ukong, Kg Merasam, Limbang

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Press Statement by DAP Secretary-General and MP for Bagan Lim Guan Eng in Kuala Lumpur on 2.5.2012

BN Federal Government’s Minimum Monthly Wage Of RM 900 In Peninsular Malaysia And RM 800 In Sabah And Sarawak Is Insufficient As It Is Not Only Discriminatory Against Workers But Demonstrates A Glaring Lack Of Commitment By BN To Reduce Poverty When It Is Far Below The Poverty Line For East Malaysia.

Prime Minister Dato’ Sri Najib Tun Razak’s announcement of a floor wage for the private sector at RM 900 per month for workers in the Peninsular and RM 800 per month for those in Sabah and Sarawak is grossly insufficient as it is lower than Pakatan Rakyat’s RM 1,100 minimum take-home pay every month. PR had proposed RM1,100 minimum monthly take home pay, inclusive of all fixed allowances, but excluding over-time payments.

BN Federal Government’s minimum monthly wage of RM 900 in Peninsular Malaysia and RM 800 in Sabah and Sarawak is insufficient as it is not only discriminatory against workers but demonstrates a glaring lack of commitment by BN to reduce poverty when it is far below the poverty line for East Malaysia. The reality of life in Malaysia is such that the quantum of RM900/RM800 is simply insufficient to cover the basic needs of a worker. While it will be marginal relief for the one third of workers in our country who currently earn below RM 700 per month, the fact is that RM 800 per month for Sabah and Sarawak will still mean that workers there will continue to live in poverty.

According to the 9th Malaysia Plan, the Poverty Line Indicator (PLI) is RM830 per month for Sarawak and RM960 per month for Sabah. This is becase the cost of living in those two states is much higher compared to the Peninsular, which has a PLI of RM720 per month. In other words, even if the RM800 per month minimum wage is implemented in Sabah and Sarawak, it will still be far below the PLI as defined by the Malaysian Government.

In addition to the proposed PR minimum wage of RM1,100 that will be able to meet the basic needs of workers across the country, we must also be aware that Malaysia is fast-becoming an indebted nation where families spend everything and beyond what they earn. For example, Bank Negara’s Annual Report 2010 revealed that Malaysia’s household debt at the end of 2010 was RM 581 billion or 76 per cent of GDP, thus giving us the dubious honour of having the second-highest level of household debt in Asia, after South Korea.

In addition, the Malaysian household debt service ratio stood at 47.8 per cent in 2010, meaning that nearly half of the average family’s income goes to repaying debts. As a rule, banks would not lend money to those whose total servicing of loans exceeded one third of their income. In other words, we are spiralling into an indebted nation.

Thus, even a minimum wage is not enough without two important considerations. Firstly, the minimum wage quantum must be indexed to the Consumer Price Index, so that it is adjusted with the rate of inflation. This will ensure that standard of living and quality of life will be protected and maintained.

Secondly, increasing the livelihood of Malaysians also requires an holistic economic strategy that is targetted at raising disposable income. In other words, we need to put more money into people’s pockets. However, this cannot be done just by setting a minimum wage. In the larger picture, we have to address the influx of unskilled foreign workers and their wage-suppressing effect, upgrade skills and productivity of our local workforce and also increase the participation of women in the workforce.

Besides that, the government must also invest in key sectors such as public transport, housing and healthcare. If cost of living is lower, disposable income will automatically increase. This concept is very simple – if it costs less to commute, buy a house and pay medical bills, then everyone will have more money. Imagine if every Malaysian had just RM10 extra every day, the economic multiplier effect will result in RM280 million extra circulating in the economy every day. That is no small amount. In other words, if we can increase the purchasing power of our people, especially amongst the lower-income groups, we will be able to increase domestic demand and create a healthier economy for all Malaysians.

Therefore, we are extremely disappointed with the minimum wage of RM900 in Peninsular and RM800 in Sabah and Sarawak set by the Federal Government, which is not only insufficient to cover the basic needs of workers, but in fact below the poverty line indicator of RM830 per month in Sarawak and RM960 per month in Sabah.

As for the Penang State Government, we are committed to the PR-proposed figure of RM1,100 and in fact have already achieved the minimum monthly wage of RM1,100 (including allowances and cost of living) excluding overtime. In other words, all government servants in all state agencies and GLCs in Penang as well as the local councils MPPP and MPSP get much more than RM 1,100 monthly. Last year, the lowest paid road sweeper and drain cleaners at local authorities in Majlis Perbandaran Pulau Pinang and Majlis Perbandaran Seberang Perai were given an extra monthly incentive of RM150.

Lim Guan Eng

—-BM Translation—

Kenyataan Akhbar oleh Setiausaha Agung DAP dan Ahli Parlimen Bagan Lim Guan Eng di Kuala Lumpur pada 2.5.2012

Penetapan Gaji Minima RM900 Sebulan Di Semenanjung Malaysia Dan RM800 Di Sabah Dan Sarawak Oleh Kerajaan Persekutuan BN Tidak Mencukupi Dan Bukan Sahaja Mendiskriminasikan Pekerja Tetapi Menunjukkan Kekurangan Komitmen Oleh BN Untuk Membasmi Kemiskininan Kerana Ia Jauh Di Bawah Garis Kemiskinan Di Malaysia Timur.

Pengumuman Perdana Menteri Dato’ Sri Najib Tun Razak bahawa gaji minima bagi sektor swasta ditetapkan pada kadar RM900 sebulan untuk pekerja di Semenanjung dan RM800 sebulan di Sabah dan Sarawak adalah sangat tidak mencukupi kerana ia adalah lebih rendah daripada gaji minima yang disyorkan Pakatan Rakyat iaitu RM1,100 sebulan. PR telah mencadangkan RM1,100 sebagai gaji minima yang merangkumi semua elaun tetapi tidak termasuk bayaran lebih masa.

Penetapan gaji minima RM900 sebulan di Semenanjung Malaysia dan RM800 di Sabah dan Sarawak oleh Kerajaan Persekutuan BN tidak mencukupi dan bukan sahaja mendiskriminasikan pekerja tetapi menunjukkan kekurangan komitmen oleh BN untuk membasmi kemiskinan kerana ia jauh di bawah garis kemiskinan di Malaysia Timur. Hakikatnya, kuantum RM900/RM800 adalah terlalu rendah dan tidak mencukupi untuk menanggung kos sara hidup seorang pekerja. Walaupun ia akan membawa sedikit kelegaan kepada satu pertiga pekerja di negara kita yang kini berpendapatan kurang daripada RM700 sebulan, hakikatnya RM800 sebulan untuk Sabah dan Sarawak bermakna bahawa pekerja-pekerja di sana akan terus hidup dalam kemiskinan.

Mengikut Rancangan Malaysia Ke-9, garis kemiskinan (PLI) adalah RM830 sebulan bagi Sarawak dan RM960 di Sabah. Ini adalah kerana kos sara hidup di kedua-dua negeri itu adalah lebih tinggi berbanding di Semenanjung, yang mempunyai PLI RM720 sebulan. Dalam erti kata lain, meskipun gaji minima RM800 dilaksanakan di Sabah dan Sarawak, ia masih lagi jauh d bawah PLI yang ditetapkan oleh Kerajaan Malaysia.

Tambahan kepada gaji minima RM1,100 sebulan yang dicadangkan PR, dan yang berupaya untuk memenuhi keperluan asas pekerja-pekerja di serata negara, kita harus sedar bahawa Malaysia sedang menjadi negara penghutang di mana isi-isi rumah kita membelanjakan semua dan lebih daripada pendapatan mereka. Sebagai contoh, Laporan Tahunan Bank Negara 2010 telah mendedahkan bahawa hutang isi rumah Malaysia pada akhir 2010 berada di tahap RM581 bilion ataupun 76 peratus daripada Keluaran Dalam Negara Kasar (KDNK), lantas “menobatkan” Malaysia sebagai negara dengan hutang isi rumah yang tertinggi di Asia selepas Korea Selatan.

Tambahan pula, nisbah bayaran hutang isi rumah Malaysia berada di tahap 47.8 peratus pada tahun 2010, atau dalam erti kata lain, setengah daripada pendapatan isi rumah digunakan untuk pembayaran hutang. Biasanya, institusi kewangan tidak akan memberi pinjaman jika jumlah bayaran hutang melebihi satu pertiga pendapatan. Dengan kata lain, Malaysia kian menjadi negara penghutang.

Oleh itu, gaji minima tidak mencukupi tanpa dua pertimbangan yang mustahak. Pertama, kuantum gaji minima haruslah dikaitkan secara langsung kepada Indeks Harga Pengguna, supaya ia akan disesuaikan dengan kadar inflasi. Ini akan memastikan taraf dan kualiti kehidupan tidak terjejas dan akan dilindungi.

Kedua, usaha menaikkan taraf kehidupan rakyat Malaysia memerlukan strategi ekonomi yang tuntas dan disasarkan kepada kenaikan pendapatan boleh guna. Dalam erti kata lain, kita harus memastikan rakyat mempunyai lebih banyak wang dalam saku. Ini tidak boleh dilakukan hanya dengan menetapkan gaji minima. Dalam konteks yang lebih besar, kita harus menangani kemasukan buruh asing tidak mahir dan kesan tekanan gaji yang menyusul sebagai akibatnya, meningkatkan kemahiran dan produktiviti pekerja tempatan dan juga meningkatkan penyertaan wanita dalam tenaga kerja.

Selain itu, kerajaan harus melabur dalam sektor-sektor utama seperti pengangkutan awam, perumahan dan kesihatan. Jika kos sara hidup diturunkan, pendapatan boleh guna akan meningkat. Konsepnya adalah mudah – jika kos dikurangkan untuk perjalanan ulang-alik ke tempat kerja, membeli rumah dan membayar bil kesihatan, maka semua orang akan mempunyai lebih banyak wang. Bayangkan sekiranya setiap rakyat Malaysia mempunyai RM10 lebih setiap hari, kesan pengganda ekonomi adalah besar iaitu RM280 juta lebih akan diedarkan dalam ekonomi setiap hari. Ini bukan jumlah kecil. Dalam erti kata lain, jika kita boleh meningkatkan kuasa membeli rakyat kita terutamanya di kalangan golongan berpendapatan rendah, kita akan berjaya meningkatkan permintaan tempatan dan mewujudkan ekonomi yang lebih sihat di Malaysia.

Oleh itu, kita sangat kecewa dengan gaji minima RM900 sebulan di Semenanjung dan RM800 sebulan di Sabah dan Sarawak yang ditetapkan oleh Kerajaan Persekutuan, yang bukan hanya tidak mencukupi untuk menanggung keperluan asas pekerja-pekerja, tetapi juga jauh lebih rendah daripada garis kemiskinan RM830 sebulan di Sarawak dan RM960 sebulan di Sabah.

Bagi Kerajaan Negeri Pulau Pinang pula, kita komited kepada cadangan PR iaitu RM1,100 sebulan dan sebenarnya sudah pun mencapai gaji minima RM1,100 (termasuk elaun dan COLA) tanpa mengira bayaran lebih masa. Dalam kata lain, semua kakitangan kerajaan di dalam semua agensi kerajaan negeri dan GLC di Pulau Pinang serta majlis-majlis perbandaran MPPP dan MPSP mempunyai pendapatan lebih daripada RM1,100 sebulan. Tahun lepas, penyapu jalan dan pencuci longkang di MPPP dan MPSP juga telah diberi insentif bulanan sebanyak RM150 sebulan.

Lim Guan Eng

—– Mandarin Translation —–

民主行动党秘书长兼峇眼区国会议员林冠英于2012年5月2日在吉隆坡发表声明：

国阵联邦政府制定的马来半岛每月最低薪资900令吉以及沙巴、砂拉越两州每月最低薪资800令吉是不足够的，因为这不只是对工人的歧视，也显示国阵没有诚意扫除贫穷，因为这个最低薪资远远不及东马的贫穷水平线。

首相拿督斯里纳吉宣布私人界的最低薪资分别是马来半岛900令吉、沙砂两州800令吉，这是不足够的，它比民联的1100令吉扣税后实得工资还低。民联建议把最低薪资订在1100令吉（扣税后的实得工资），包括所有固定津贴，但是不包括超时工资。

国阵联邦政府制定的马来半岛每月最低薪资900令吉以及沙砂两州每月最低薪资800令吉是不足够的，因为这不只是对工人的歧视，也显示国阵没有诚意扫除贫穷，因为这个最低薪资远远不及东马的贫穷水平线。 在马来西亚的生活现实是，900令吉或800令吉根本不足以应付一名员工的基本生活需求。它对于我国三分之一每月赚取低于700令吉的工人来说，或许是一个小小的安慰，但事实上，沙砂两州每月最低800令吉意味着当地的工人还是继续生活在贫困当中。

根据第九大马计划，砂拉越州的贫穷水平线为每月830令吉，而沙巴为每月960令吉。这是因为这两个州属的生活水平比马来半岛还高，马来半岛的贫穷线为每月720令吉。换句话说，就算在沙砂两州推行每月800令吉最低薪资，它还是远远不及马来西亚政府订下的贫穷水平线。

除了民联所提议的最低薪资1100令吉能够满足全国工人的基本需求，我们也要了解到，马来西亚已经快速成为举债国，几乎每个家庭的花费都超出他们所赚的。例如，2010年国家银行年度报告指出，马来西亚的家庭债务在2010年底是5810亿令吉或占国民生产总值的76%，让我们成为亚洲继韩国之后，家庭债务第二高的国家。

此外，我国的家庭债务偿债比率在2010年为47.8%， 意味着每个家庭平均有一半的收入是用来还债的。一般上，银行不会借钱给那些债务超过收入三分之一的人士。换句话说，我们正渐渐成为过度举债的国家。

因此，如果不考虑两个要素，单单拥有最低薪资是不够的。第一、最低薪资必须能够反映消费人指数。因此它必须依据通膨率调整。这才能够确保这项政策有助于保障及维持人民的生活水平及素质。

第二，随着马来西亚人民生活的提升，我们必须推出全方位的经济政策，以提高可支配收入为目标。换句话说，我们需要把钱放入人民的口袋。但是，这不能只是单靠制定最低薪资。长远来说，我们必须解决无技能外劳涌入以及他们压低工资的影响。我们必须提升本地员工的技能及生产力、同时增加女性在工作的参与。

此外，政府也必须投资在关键领域如公共交通、房屋及保健。如果生活水平降低、可支配收入自然会增加。这个概念很简单，如果人民在交通、房屋及医药方面的花费减少，那么每个人自然会有多一点钱。让我们想像，如果每个马来西亚人每天都多花10令吉，每天将会有额外的2亿8000万令吉在流通，产生经济倍增效应。这不是一笔小数目。如果我们可以增加人民的购买能力，特别是低收入群，我们将能够创造内需，为全民打造更健康的经济。

因此，我们对于联邦政府制定的最低薪资（马来半岛900令吉及沙砂两州800令吉）感到极度失望，这不只不足以应付一名工人的基本消费，事实上还低于砂拉越及沙巴州的贫穷水平线，即830令吉及960令吉。

至于槟州政府，我们支持民联所制定的最低薪金1100令吉，在事实上也达致每月1100令吉最低薪资（包括生活津贴），不包括超时工资。换句话说，槟州政府已经达到最低薪资1100令吉（包括生活津贴），不包括超时工资。换句话说，所有政府机构及官联公司，包括槟岛市政局及威省市政局的公务员，每个月都会获得超过1100令吉。去年，最低收入的清道夫及清沟员工，每个月也额外获得150令吉的奖掖。

林冠英

At first I went for a road trip. But when I got back, I was busy doing other things. Later, I was too busy with creating books. Later I was too busy with commission works. And then I was too busy with votes collecting. And now, I have to finish a book before I can [...]

“428” will go down in Malaysian history as one of the national milestones in the long and arduous struggle of Malaysians to reclaim their democratic, constitutional and human rights promised them when the country achieved Merdeka 54 years ago. The other recent landmarks of this struggle are: Firstly, Bersih rally on November 10, 2007 (“1011”) [...]

HTC One X has a nice big 4.7″ 720p HD Super LCD2 IPS display. And HTC One X is powered by powerful NVIDIA quad-core Tegra 3 CPU and GPU. Both of them eat lot of battery. And 1800 mAh battery capacity in HTC One X is not enough for heavy usage. So how to improve [...]

Tak lengkap rasanya kalau tidak berkongsi gambar majlis pernikahan Fasha Sandha dan Jejai daripada lensa jurugambar rasmi mereka, Ryaniez Moments Photography. Abang Nara janji ini ialah set gambar terakhir yang akan Abang Nara kongsikan. Nanti tunggu majlis resepsi diorang pulak. … Continue reading →

Part 1: R.age Photowalk To Jalan Sultan
Part 2: Aunties & Uncles At The Wet Market
Part 3: R.age Photowalk To Land Of Dangling Coils!

So after exploring Petaling St., we finally walked back to Jalan Sultan.

The volunteers were already painting and drawing murals on the wall.

We all quickly took some group shots and that marked the end of the R.age photowalk for that day.

Then there was a quick photo sharing session whereby all the guys at the photowalk share and show some of their shots and I gave them some feedbacks and comments.

We then joined the volunteers and checked out the wall close up!

I also draw a bit a bit

Camho a bit..

Some paints they were using

Ok thats it! Had fun walking around Petaling Street with them and the rest of the guys. Hope to have another one soon. Thanks R.age!

dtsv.dtse_post_5729_permalink = 'http://www.smashpop.net/photo-sharing-painting-the-wall-at-jalan-sultan'; dtsv.dtse_post_5729_title = 'Photo Sharing + Painting The Wall At Jalan Sultan';

Facebook is now joining forces with organ donation networks in the US and UK to help the cause. I think it is a good idea which the local organ transplantation societies can adopt and hopefully work with social networking sites like Facebook.

Related links
BBC: Facebook in organ donation push
CNN: Facebook encouraging organ donations

Malaysian Society of Transplantation:
Organ Transplant Donor Registration
Organ Transplantation FAQ

Related MMR posts on Organ donation

from the Malaysian Medical Resources

Using Facebook for Organ Donation

Get your daily dose of Delirium via Reader or delivered via Email Have you ever had eggs’ at home for a while and not sure if you can consumer the egg or if its gone bad? This is a simple test...

Visit Delirium @ abinesh.com for the full story

A week ago, after having a rough cut of my latest short film shown to financiers and clients, I decided to take a sabbatical. (Usually, after a film shoot, I would immediately jump into putting the footage together, editing them, seeing whether what I got had been what I've envisioned, or, perhaps I got something better than I hoped. But once I'm done with a first rough cut, I would for myself to adhere to usual industry beliefs, and to take a break from the footage so that I could come back to it with fresh eyes, approaching the materials with much more objectivity and distance. Because of the freeform improvisational nature of my usual filmmaking methods, I tend to "make discoveries" of my films through post-production)

Therefore, during this break, I intended to just do some researching, finding inspiration from other films regarding the editing, finishing up a book that I was reading (currently reading: Italo Calvino's THE BARON IN THE TREES), follow the NBA Playoffs.

Oh, and maybe play a game...

So I installed SKYRIM.



It's the 5th installment of a role-playing video game series (I played the last two) because, well, role-playing games had always been my genre of choice. (I like being swept away by their epic scale and being immersed in these awesome, fantastical worlds. Do you know that I started playing my first Final Fantasy game when I was 11? I cannot believe that it had already been 17 years already when I was first exposed to this beauty below. The music still give me goosebumps.)



Anyway, after a week of SKYRIM. I was left in a daze, and a slight feeling of self-loathing. The game was indeed as awesome and ambitious as advertised, to be able to navigate in a world of such sheer scale, to explore dungeons filled with undead monsters, to fight against centuries-old evil entities trying to destroy the world, to become the head of a college of wizards, and then going around making lots of money by selling magical items, wow, they were the kind of things I imagined and dreamed as a fat nerdy kid long ago (which was why I loved reading fantasy books when growing up, but I was self-conscious about it when people in school didn't "get" my literary tastes, it's true, I wasn't reading highbrow literature that most loved, like Sweet Valley High, True Singaporean Ghost Stories or Chicken Soup For The Soul Stories.)

I spent so much time playing SKYRIM (okay, between that, I also took some time to watch Martin Scorsese's AGE OF INNOCENCE and CASINO for the very first time) that I began wondering why was I even doing it at all. I winced in sympathy whenever a guard told me he was an adventurer once before he took an arrow in the knee.

(By the way, the two films were great)










Yesterday I had such a conversation with Kong. (we were catching the new Hiroshi Abe film THERMAE ROMAE)

I said: "I felt like a protagonist in a musical icon's biopic, you know, like Ray Charles in RAY or Johnny Cash in WALK THE LINE, the ones that chronicle their rise to fame, fall from grace, and then their redemption. That "fall from grace" part is usually about their drug addiction, mine is kinda like a SKYRIM addiction."

Kong said: "Dude, just stop playing it. I played it for two weeks and then I stopped. I never looked back."

I said. "I can't! I need to perfect my smithing, enchanting and alchemy skills, they can all reach 100! And then I can fall a dragon with a single blow!"

(Yes, my line sounds even more ridiculous when spoken in real life)

Just now, I stumbled upon Patricia Hernandez's "I’m Sick of the Disturbingly Neat Lives Video Games Expect Us To Enjoy" article on Kotaku. It was a wondrous article, both insightful and personal. The lines in bold were what made me continue reading. And then, nodding with agreement.

I stopped playing (Skyrim) after losing a few largely pointless, unfulfilling—but addicting—days to the game. I told myself I probably just wasn't in the right mindset to find Skyrim meaningful, which was strange to think about since it's not as if it wasn't engrossing. It was difficult to explain, then.

My friend kept playing, though—almost every day, for months. Most people I knew did the same. I didn't get it, but I became determined to understand. I asked her why she kept playing despite most of it seeming like busywork, and this question was met with a shrug. I asked her why she spent hours crafting armor despite not actively working towards anything, and she had no idea. I would ask her why she was undertaking a quest that day, and there was never a particular reason.

I remarked that watching her play was like seeing her check things off a to-do list, taking cues from how organized she tended to be in real life. Suddenly the robotic gaze enveloped in the world of Skyrim broke free of the glow of the screen. "That's exactly it," she said. "I like feeling like I'm checking things off a to-do list. I feel like I can take charge of my responsibilities and that's comforting.

Yes. It made a lot of sense. I'm probably the most disorganized person ever, but I feel that as I grew older, I became increasingly anal with video games. I had to be a completionist, or a perfectionist.

As a child, it was merely the joy of seeing the game's ending that kept me playing ("just save the princess! What? She's in another castle?"). But now, I make sure that I "perfect" the bloody game via grinding, by trying to complete everything that can be done. When playing Japanese RPGs, I would never be happy until my character levels are all maxed up and I can destroy the final boss with a few blows. When playing Angry Birds, I had to get 3 stars for every single stage (which I did).

Later in Hernandez's article, she said this:

I want to make choices—what we do in life is always a choice—I want to live a life worth living, I want purpose. I figure these are some of the fundamental ingredients toward approaching happiness. This desire for a worthwhile, meaningful life bleeds into games.

This had been a suspicion of mine in the past few years, but reading her article confirmed it. And it feels wonderful to read an article that voices my own thoughts.

My approach in life does bleed into games.

It's the same as why I would want to go through entire oeuvres of directors or writers who interest me, taking the time to track down rare films, books and such, either online, or in shops. It's an adventure, a... treasure hunt. These are the things in life that kept me going.

(You see, contrary to popular belief, I actually demand quite a lot (from myself) when it comes to filmmaking. The shots, the acting, the execution, the editing, if my film is less than awesome, I have probably failed. In fact, I didn't just fail in making an awesome film, I feel as if I have failed IN LIFE.)

I also love competition. I hate losing. I enjoy winning. But these are quite fleeting. A few passing days and I don't even care anymore. It's not just about besting others but also to best myself as well. Maybe the true excitement had always merely been the competition itself. It drives me. (I also remember people who had, er, slighted me, just so that I would do whatever it takes to prove them wrong, it really fuels my motivation. I occasionally feel a little offended when I give someone a DVD of my films and they end up either not watching it or forgetting about it, the blood and tears of not just me but also my cast and crew do not deserve such treatment! Which leads to "I will make more great films in the future and make sure you regret, er, not watching them in the first place!")

But nevertheless, I am writing this blog post now, not sure how many people would actually read it. (... seriously, do people still come to my blog?) But mostly to remind myself that my one-week sabbatical is over. I'm getting back to my editing. Back to doing some writing. Video games are fun, but I think I still prefer making films.

Malaysiakini May 1, 2012 Putrajaya has moved to soothe relations with news organisations following the aftermath of the Bersih 3.0 rally, where the police were accused of injuring at least a dozen journalists. It is learned that Minister in the Prime Minister Department, Koh Tsu Koon, got the ball rolling during a meeting with editors [...]

— Malaysian in the US The Malaysian Insider May 01, 2012 MAY 1 — Bersih 3.0 has come and gone. The protests outside KL were peaceful — 11 other cities in Malaysia, 85 cities in 33 countries outside Malaysia, including hikers up Mount Everest and divers off Acheh. Numbers ranged from a handful of Malaysians [...]