Sexual Shenanigans

I find it astounding, and disturbingly worrisome, that there has been a really subdued response to news of sexual shenanigans – and featuring lesbians at that! – at a school in Pahang with video clippings apparently making their rounds.

Undoubtedly, the clippings would probably find their way to youtube (if they were not uploaded already).

There’s no doubting that the sexual assaults (even if they fell short of rape) would leave a mark on the victim’s psyche and leave her susceptible to more abuses especially with the recorded acts being passed from one eye to another.

Is this not something that is serious to warrant an immediate feedback?

A week went between the first report on Sept 23 , and the second on Sept 29 , and the silence is deafening.

(Update: This newsbreak came in online at 3.48pm today : Female students involved in sex video suspended from school . About time somebody does something.)

Parents reading such horror stories would be of two minds to send their children to schools if nothing is done to ensure their safety and well being.

Sex in schools have long been a “spoken about but never really ascertained the truthfulness” kind of gossip.

Even during my boarding school days, we would hear of alleged sexual liaisons between teachers and students – sometime of different sexes, sometimes the same – as well as tales of sexual escapades between fellow schoolmates.

These could be true; they could be false. There is no way to know for sure and they remained gossips without any clear proof.

Video recordings (or any recordings for that matter) take the absurdity and gossipy fun out of the matter and makes it a crime.

The victims in such cases are vitimised even more from the act being put in the public center stage. We are talking about 14-year old schoolgirls, for goodness sakes.

It could be anyone’s daughter who is at the receiving end of something so shameless.

So why aren’t there widespread indignation? Are we too absorbed with politics that something so heinous can be relegated to mere sidebar stories?

I sincerely hope that is not the case.

Innocence, so beautifully depicted in this painting by American artist Daniel Gerhartz, has to be protected lest there is no more shine in the world.

School Sexual Shenanigans

Innocence by
I find it astounding, and disturbingly worrisome, that there has been a really subdued response to news of sexual shenanigans – and featuring lesbians at that! – at a school in Pahang with video clippings apparently making their rounds.

Undoubtedly, the clippings would probably find their way to youtube (if they were not uploaded already).

There’s no doubting that the sexual assault (even if they fell short of rape) would leave a mark on the victim’s psyche and leave her susceptible to more abuses especially with the act being passed from one eye to another.

Is this not something that is serious to warrant an immediate feedback?

A week went between the first report on Sept 23 , and the
second on Sept 29 , and the silent is deafening.

Parents reading such horror stories would be of two minds to send their children to schools if nothing can be done to ensure of their safety and well being.

Sex in schools have long been a “spoken about but never really ascertained the truthfulness” kind of gossip.

Even during my boarding school days, we would hear of allege sexual liaisons between teacher and students – sometime of different sexes, sometimes the same – as well as tales of sexual escapade of fellow schoolmates.

They could be true; they could be false. There is no way to know for sure and they remain gossip without any proof.

Video recordings (or any recordings for that matter) take the absurdity and gossipy fun out of the matter and makes it’s a crime.

The victims in such cases are thus vitimised even more in being put in the center stage bringing their personal esteem into disrepute.

We are talking about 14-year old schoolgirls, for goodness sakes.

It could be anyone’s daughter who is at the receiving end of something so shameless.

So why aren’t there widespread indignation? Are we too absorbed with politics that something so heinous can be relegated to mere sidebar stories?

I sincerely hope that is not the case.

Innocence has to be protected lest there is no more shine in the world.

Geschwiegen

The Poet

When the Nazis came for the communists,
I remained silent;
I was not a communist.

When they locked up the social democrats,
I remained silent;
I was not a social democrat.

When they came for the trade unionists,
I did not speak out;
I was not a trade unionist.

When they came for the Jews,
I remained silent;
I wasn't a Jew.

When they came for me,
there was no one left to speak out.

Friedrich Gustav Emil Martin Niemöller (1892–1984)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

How fortunate for governments that the people they administer don't think.

Guess who?

Love and Hate

Somebody in Utusan must really love Seputeh MP Teresa Kok (referred to as TK after this).

Open their Dalam Negeri section (Online Edition) and you can read six reports on her, including a full “makanan tidak sedap slightly better than dog food” interview transcript.

Wow.

You’d think she is the Prime Minister or at the very least the Opposition leader to warrant such an extensive coverage.

What’s clear, though, is a blatant "missing the forest for the trees" via the diverting of attention from the main issue of her detention under the ISA for alleged “crimes” which TK denies adamantly.

This point is conveniently disregarded in the midst of the euphoria to “belasah TK cukup – cukup” on her remarks.

While I have never seen the food served to ISA detainees (touch wood!), my Courts beat those days in the (old) Malay Mail did provide some peeks on the lunch served at the police and court lockups.

Something like this, but with tonnes more curry.


Being mostly “kuah taruh atas” serving, TK would probably not like those very much but I suspect, those who love Nasi Kandar and the likes would not mind them at all.

I am one such, probably one of many.

The difference is that we – those outside – have a choice if we want to eat something else instead.

From Sept 12 to 19, TK was denied such luxury.

If we’re in her shoes, I bet we’d “merungut” too.



But that would be the least of our concerns with the Sword of Damocles of a possible continued detention without trial a mere signature away.

Happened to Raja Petra , who joins others in Kamunting today onwards.

Will he be the last?

Not as long as the Act is around.

World Car Free Day aka Missed Opportunity

It’s a definite irony that I heard for the first time (shame on me!!) about the World Car Free Day stuck in a traffic jam whilst driving to work this morning.

Not that I could’ve done anything even if the knowledge of such an initiative had come earlier, but it was nonetheless a missed opportunity to do something good, to give something back to Mother Earth.

Of course, it had to also be on a Monday this year for a test of resolution and commitment to do good, but I would have imagined that things would probably be status quo for Malaysian motorists any which way.

I wonder, too, if any of our leaders would do something similarly philanthropic as did Lee "Cycling President" Myung-bak to celebrate the World Car Free Day.

There were nonetheless some levels of coercion on the part of the authorities by way of roadblocks and actual buses-only lanes, but there was no mistaking the political will to celebrate such an occasion.

Is it a worthwhile escapade to undertake every Sept 22?

Do we really have to ask?

Next year, then.

Switching Allegiance

Is switching allegiance an easy thing to do?

This thought came to my mind from all the brouhaha on the supposed crossover and other shenanigans of our politicians even as Lehman filed for bankruptcy and AIG goes begging for funds to stay afloat.

Switching means that you will be accepting new standards, new philosophies, new friends, new everything.

To some, switching represents something exciting: whole new vista of newness in everything, but for others, especially those entrenched in routines, this entirely alien landscape can be quite frightening to say the least.

The young amongst us would cherish such an adventurous streak of stepping into the unknown – albeit one that promises many, many sweet things, uncertain they might be – but it would be the elders who would be feeling left behind.

This unfortunate visage is appropriate to a whole lot of things and not just Saudara Anwar and his 916 (now passed) promise to the Malaysia populace – equal or unequally divided can only be ascertained by way of a referendum.

It could be applied on relationships, for example.

One should however be prepared for some emotional roller coaster ride and by the time it ends and reality intrudes, things could either be for the better or for worse.

Great if it turns out the former, but if it’s the latter, you’d better hope there is a way back, and that the other party you had left behind is willing to forgive.

Fortunately, unlike relationships, politics breeds a whole different kettle of personalities; those especially adept in charades to cater for the different crowd they face.

In all probability, they will accept you back.

Whether or not they will forgive is another question altogether.

Status quo, anyone?

Bygone Days

Are decisions to invoke the Internal Security Act one of Ministerial or Cabinet?

The provisions suggest a two-tier stage of arrest and detention: the first empowered to the police under Section 73 (1) and the second to the Minister by Section 8 (1).

Home Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Syed Jaafar Albar is in everyone’s sights with the arrest of three under the Act on Aug 12, but he was technically correct in stating, "I did not order it" .

His later remarks on the matter, reported by Utusan Malaysia under the title: Syed Hamid jawab Zaid , after the latter - the De Facto Law Minister - responded negatively on the arrest and detention (note this word) of blogger Raja Petra and State Assemblyman Theresa Kok piqued my curiosity somewhat.

According to Utusan, Syed Hamid said it was a Government’s decision.

If so, the remarks made by the various Ministers, including Zaid, then run headlong against the doctrine of collective responsibility.

As we modeled ourselves after the British Westminster system (sort of), shouldn’t this doctrine that members of the Cabinet must publicly support all governmental decisions made in Cabinet, even if they do not privately agree with them, holds true?

Cabinet members who disagree with any such decisions should – by right and if such doctrine is adhered to in the first place – resign, as Zaid himself had intimated a willingness to do so during his press conference on the matter.

Was it, however, a Cabinet’s call or one that is Ministerial at best?

Syed Hamid’s statement seems to indicate so but the negative statements from Zaid, Datuk Ong Tee Keat, Datuk Liow Tiong Lai and Datuk Dr. S. Subramaniam – to name a few - seems to indicate otherwise. Mind you they are all full ministers.

Such a question is important to address as it can be looked at as a sign of small revolt if it’s a Cabinet (even if pre-supposed) or a far less innocuous disagreement between Cabinet colleagues of a Ministerial decision.

The first has, of course, far reaching ramifications.

Principle-wise, that is.

Whether this would translate as such reality wise is, alas, another thing altogether.

Paradox of Choice

More choices far better than none

Things are coming to a full circle to some in India from reading International Herald Tribune’s “the paradox of 'choice' in a globalised culture” .

One sentence in the two-paged article reads: “They tell of brigades of young men shattering the windows of shops and restaurants whose signs declare their names only in English, not in the regional language Marathi.”

It is disconcerting to note some similarities in the examples quoted in the article with what is happening in our country where job opportunities and mastery (or the very least, being conversant in) the English language are invariably intertwined.

How many of out local graduates loose out when it comes to the real world due to poor command of the globally accepted business and commercial language?

With India being a well known location for outsourcing, being conversant in a language once deemed colonialists is well nigh important and a way out of poverty for many.

The article it very much open-ended and does not draw any particular conclusion, but the author seems to suggest that choice in the cut throat global scenario is not really a choice, but a necessity borne out of a need to survive.

It also spoke of early and late adopters: the former having formed a barrier to the entrant of the latter in a circle of elitist.

Back to here.

Our country had such a strong foundation to build from, where our global commercial capabilities were concerned.

Imagine it: we could have been a nation on multi-linguists. We should have had a nation of hard working populace who could speak English, Malay, Chinese, Tamil, Arabic, Dutch, Japanese and others; given our diverse lineage of races and cultures.

We could have exported our expertise to any corner of the world.

Detractor might say that the United States had a bigger melting pot and yet they did not adopt such a move. To that I say, who cares about others.

It was unfortunate that we did not embark on such a liberalized education systems those days that would have given birth to such a gifted populace much, much earlier.

A sporadic few who are multi-lingual are testament to what could have been.

Instead, more than 50 years after being allowed to decide on our own future, we are still bickering whether or not we should be using English in the teaching of Math and Science when in fact it should be a given choice in order to improve our standing in the global world.

The so-called paradox of choice becomes irrelevant when one is stuck with but a single option, isn’t it?

Another slip

According to NST OnLine today , the picture on the right is Datuk Shahrir Abdul Samad. Shahrir was speaking on the Balik Kampung No Bus worry.

I wonder who did the captioning.

Nice picture, though way off in accuracy and so soon after the Tun Hussein Onn advertorial debacle.

Must have some really overworked staff there.

Ah, well, beautiful paintings are always better than some of the racially heated stuff we've been reading of late.

So Shahrir it is then.

PS: NST took out the picture by lunch time.

Bahasa Inggeris

It's the “sounds correct, sounds wrong” method .

Finally someone comes up with a name for the way that I believe many of us learned and mastered (sort of, at least) our English.

Just like any other languages, mastery comes from usage. Practice, after all, makes perfect.

I was fortunate to have been born in a family of school teachers and back in the early 1970’s, it seems that the majority (maybe, all) of the text books were in English and there is no other way to understand all the gooblegegook printed inside than to learn the language.

Developing an early love for books came quite easy for me as my grandparents (who raised me) allowed me a free rein on the many available stocks courtesy of my two aunties and one uncle who were school teachers.

There were certainly a whole lot of wonderful things within the many books, and my favorites are those on geography and history, for the simple reason that they have pictures to accompany the text.

I did not start my lessons in English by learning grammar. That comes later when I attended formal primary and secondary school, but even without it, I managed fine.

Today, our education is yet again at another crossroad: should or should we not continue teaching Math and Science in English.

To borrow a quote from a native English speaker Frank Bruno: “there are pros and cons for, and there are pros and cons against”. This is a no-brainer really, just as it is a no-brainer that if we revert back to status quo, what’s left is only Bahasa Inggeris to learn English.

Learning a subject is never an easy thing: I took of Japanese some time ago but with little in opportunities to practice the language, I’m stuck at Arigato Gozaimashu and Sayonara: just the basics and nothing more.

It would be a brave thing to allow our next generation stuck with a single avenue to use the global language in school.

The argument of rural against urban schools does not hold much water as I have seen the so-called qualities of the urban English and they are just as bad. They do get away with chatter box English though, picking up from here and there, especially the idiot box; something which does not pass muster when it comes to the actual usage in business and work.

Even as the crescendo of arguments for and against becomes louder, along comes a study by UPSI (At least it wasn’t by Universiti Tun Hussein Onn!) which found “the majority of students still find it hard to follow Mathematics and Science lessons in English”.

Probably true, as I found it difficult to learn the two subjects even in Bahasa Melayu (or is it Bahasa Malaysia?).

The truth is that these two subjects are among the toughest notwithstanding any language they are being taught in.

If not the two subjects, which ones then? Geography and history, perhaps? The text heavy based learning required from both subjects would make it an even more unlikely route to adopt.

In the end, Bahasa Inggeris would be “it”.

Back to square one.

Waiting the Wait

Edward Degas "Waiting", 1882

“RM6,000 easily for every RM2,000 investment. There are ready customers. Two months only and they have already received calls from a customer from Johor..”

I feigned interest amidst the torrent of “facts” on some venture involving freshwater fish from my dearly beloved wife during a good weekend when we managed to sneak in some cozying hours with our daughters succumbing to their hectic morning play schedule.

Apparently, some colleague of hers had made some investment and telling others of how big a potential and how lucrative it was.

Having covered one such assignment involving a similar state government mooted project sometime back, somehow their calculations on potential revenues and earnings – to me - seemed overly optimistic, to say the least.

She caught my doubts (hiding them from her has never been my forte, really) and she asked if I wasn’t even a wee bit curious of the opportunity presented.

I did what good husbands always do when caught red handed and blabbed something incoherent.

The venture – as far as I can recall – goes something like this: you buy a container (some new age plastic thingy), breed some 1,000 or so freshwater fish inside and when they mature, sell them off to give you – the owner – your money back and more.

All fair, really, except for the level of enthusiasm that somehow belittled the level of effort and the patience required before you could eventually get your investment value.

My own quantification show that you would have to wait a full year before the sale figure would allow you to break even and this is without taking into account the required investment into feeds and other costs.

There is no such thing as easy money.

We were introduced to another “business” last year promising much for so little and that much, much money would be coming our way by following simple, simple moves. It seems kosher (pardon the phrase!) so we went in.

It was much later that I learn of the great Charles Ponzi and his ingenious method of making money and how those in the tail end section of the grand scheme would not be making that much after all.

(I so hate to use the Malay phrase for something so alike what we went into. The shame, the humiliation! )

There are, of course, success stories but, as I have come to realize since, these sort of income are not sustainable once the enthusiasm level wanes.

My wife continues to look for opportunities, while I am too tired to believe in such grand projections anymore and sticking to my freelance articles writing which gives me such pleasures (and headaches when the topics are dull) as I work late into the night finishing them.

The pay I get is hardly even 10 percent of what I earn every month, but the satisfaction when I see the increment in my account is non quantifiable. It reminds me of the good old days of my writing scripts for a now defunct television series.

It was a lot of hard work – the scriptwriter has to be there during the shooting for some impromptu amendments and such – but seeing the check makes the effort worthwhile.

Just as it is the first sip of rose syrup makes the whole day of fasting worth in gold.