ID number: 9195946980781945391
Permalink: http://escapist5.blogspot.com/2007/09/oh-thats-malaysian-alright.htmlA few days ago, at my workplace, I bumped into the Japanese old man who owned a sushi shop on the opposite side of the station.
That's what Malaysia is known for, in the eyes of this Japanese old man. Funny that he wasn't aware that Dr M is no longer the prime minister. Perhaps, "our prime minister has 'a lot of money'" is more of a common knowledge, than "Dr M is no longer the prime minister". And from this foul impression the man has on Malaysia, one may take another step further and wonder how many others are sharing the same thought as him.
And oh, what is it with the recent scandals involving the big guys in the Malaysian government? (Pak Lah: ACA must probe those named in A-G's report - The Star, 14, September 2007) Youth and Sports Ministry paying RM224 for a set of RM40 screwdrivers?
And oh, what is it with the dog-catching competition by Selayang Municipal Council, which offers prize money up to RM15,000? (Selayang dog competition scrapped - The Star, 15, September 2007) It's a relief that it's scrapped following a public outcry but no one should be retarded enough to come up with the idea in the first place.
What's wrong with Malaysia nowadays? Almost everything! Oh yes, of course the government is very well aware of that. It just doesn't appreciate being told in its face that it's doing something the wrong way. Anyone who has the slightest concern about Malaysia would be shaking his head every time he reads the news. But a typical Malaysian knows it's better to keep his mouth shut because once you criticize the government, you're immediately being labelled as "unpatriotic".
"Uh-huh? You have complaints? Too bad, live with it! 'Cos we don't welcome feedback." That's why we have ISA (Malaysia: Detainees held without charge or trial - Human Rights Watch), remember? To protect our nation from idiots who make too much noise! It is only when occasionally, an outsider (like Michael Backman) stops by, and points out, "Hey, that's not right!", that we are jolted back to our senses. (Then, we jump at him crying, "Who are you to comment about us?")
Now excuse me but I'd like to proceed to complaining about the recent Merdeka celebration (or rather, non-celebration) in Tokyo.
Craving for some Malaysian food, I was looking forward to the Merdeka celebration at the embassy. There was a celebration last year (albeit at a small scale) so I presumed there'd be one this year too. Besides, oh god, it's the 50th anniversary. There should be something grand!
I mailed several seniors to find out about this year's celebration, but no one seemed to know anything about it. Aghast but still refusing to give up hope, I googled for the embassy's website. There was something about a 4000-yen Malaysian food buffet but what the heck, nothing about the Merdeka celebration! That was a day before national day; if there was any celebration, there should be news by then. Maybe there was a celebration. Maybe they thought, "Well, less people more share" and decided to keep it to themselves.
But I eventually convinced myself that there was no celebration. Otherwise, why, I ask, would there be no announcement even on the website?
My initial disappointment soon turned into bewilderment then into a boiling rage (for it invoked every bit of patriotic sentiment in me). Come to think of it, it was the 50th anniversary. The 50th! Malaysia gained independence exactly half a century ago on that day! It was the National Day! A day for celebration (and most importantly, for food), for crying out loud!
But what are those people doing in the embassy? Oh I forgot. As long as they sit in their offices, it's Malaysian law they're following - the Malaysian way of doing things.
Yeah, and we're told to be proud of being Malaysians. To be proud of our Malaysian way of doing things; the way we manage our government.
"Malaysia, eh? Your prime minister has a lot of-" he then made a gesture - rubbing the thumb over the index finger and middle finger.Our prime minister has "a lot of money". And when a politician is said to have "a lot of money", it has only one connotation...
I immediately registered what he meant. But just to confirm, "You mean the former prime minister?"
"Former?"
"The current one is Badawi. The former one, Dr M," I explained.
"Ah, Dr M. Yeah, yeah. The doctor."
That's what Malaysia is known for, in the eyes of this Japanese old man. Funny that he wasn't aware that Dr M is no longer the prime minister. Perhaps, "our prime minister has 'a lot of money'" is more of a common knowledge, than "Dr M is no longer the prime minister". And from this foul impression the man has on Malaysia, one may take another step further and wonder how many others are sharing the same thought as him.
And oh, what is it with the recent scandals involving the big guys in the Malaysian government? (Pak Lah: ACA must probe those named in A-G's report - The Star, 14, September 2007) Youth and Sports Ministry paying RM224 for a set of RM40 screwdrivers?
And oh, what is it with the dog-catching competition by Selayang Municipal Council, which offers prize money up to RM15,000? (Selayang dog competition scrapped - The Star, 15, September 2007) It's a relief that it's scrapped following a public outcry but no one should be retarded enough to come up with the idea in the first place.
What's wrong with Malaysia nowadays? Almost everything! Oh yes, of course the government is very well aware of that. It just doesn't appreciate being told in its face that it's doing something the wrong way. Anyone who has the slightest concern about Malaysia would be shaking his head every time he reads the news. But a typical Malaysian knows it's better to keep his mouth shut because once you criticize the government, you're immediately being labelled as "unpatriotic".
"Uh-huh? You have complaints? Too bad, live with it! 'Cos we don't welcome feedback." That's why we have ISA (Malaysia: Detainees held without charge or trial - Human Rights Watch), remember? To protect our nation from idiots who make too much noise! It is only when occasionally, an outsider (like Michael Backman) stops by, and points out, "Hey, that's not right!", that we are jolted back to our senses. (Then, we jump at him crying, "Who are you to comment about us?")
Now excuse me but I'd like to proceed to complaining about the recent Merdeka celebration (or rather, non-celebration) in Tokyo.
Craving for some Malaysian food, I was looking forward to the Merdeka celebration at the embassy. There was a celebration last year (albeit at a small scale) so I presumed there'd be one this year too. Besides, oh god, it's the 50th anniversary. There should be something grand!
I mailed several seniors to find out about this year's celebration, but no one seemed to know anything about it. Aghast but still refusing to give up hope, I googled for the embassy's website. There was something about a 4000-yen Malaysian food buffet but what the heck, nothing about the Merdeka celebration! That was a day before national day; if there was any celebration, there should be news by then. Maybe there was a celebration. Maybe they thought, "Well, less people more share" and decided to keep it to themselves.
But I eventually convinced myself that there was no celebration. Otherwise, why, I ask, would there be no announcement even on the website?
My initial disappointment soon turned into bewilderment then into a boiling rage (for it invoked every bit of patriotic sentiment in me). Come to think of it, it was the 50th anniversary. The 50th! Malaysia gained independence exactly half a century ago on that day! It was the National Day! A day for celebration (and most importantly, for food), for crying out loud!
But what are those people doing in the embassy? Oh I forgot. As long as they sit in their offices, it's Malaysian law they're following - the Malaysian way of doing things.
Yeah, and we're told to be proud of being Malaysians. To be proud of our Malaysian way of doing things; the way we manage our government.
4 comments:
Ur kanto area still ok.
At least can know got wat activities n join.
We kansai side is just like being ignored by embassy.
Dun hv any news from embassy... even like national day...
Got any celebration also din inform us.
But for the emabssy for the other country, they do quite well.
Like the birthday of Brunei Sultan, their embassy invited all their ppl, including kansai area i, to go tokyo their to celebrate.
They even let the ppl stay at the embassy there.
Compare Malaysia n Brunei la...
Neighbour country.... n their country is much more smaller, but they can do so well.
It's the same in the UK too. Nothing of that sort was celebrated here. At least in Cambridge. O well, I did my own version of Hari Merdeka. Why depend on others when you can do it yourself? After all, what is Merdeka but the freedom to do what you want.
Time for change of regime. Kick them all out of office.
What to do la. Malaysia is famous for its blatant corruption.
Apparently TV3 did some sort of report last time where there was a government program to get school supplies to orang asli children. However of the millions of ringgit poured into it, they ended up seeing nothing. Unfortunately, like always, Malaysians have a tendency to forget these things after a week or so.
Merdeka is a bloody sham. I like to call it `celebrating the anniversary of when we switched tyrants'.
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