Friday, February 27, 2009

Something to ponder...

* An abstract from a forwarded mail *


A Malaysian Chinese who spoke on behalf for 'almost' all Malaysian Chinese

************************************************************************



The biggest obstacle to Malay progress...

I am a Chinese Malaysian male with diverse groups of friends - Tamils,Malayalees, Sikhs, Jaffna Tamils, whites, Eurasians, and Babas and Nyonyas.

The problem is I have very few Malay friends.Umno tells them I am a threat to them..
Umno tells them I am undeserving of equal rights.
They might even believe it, and since I don't want to think any lessof them, I prefer to keep my own counsel.

Generally I don't talk much about anything important with Malays, and certainly not about politics.
I think meaningful friendships between Malays and non-Malays are becoming rare in Malaysian society.

There is not enough dialogue between Malays and non-Malays at the ground level. Umno speaks from both sides of its mouth - telling the Malays the non-Malays are a threat to them, and then turning round to tell the non-Malays that their rights will be protected.At other times it may say the reverse, the key denominator being what it needs to say to win votes at the time, and the ethnic composition of the audience. After 51 years of Umno's divide and rule, it is no wonder that race relations are a joke.

With Biro Tata Negara, Khir Toyo and Ahmad Ismail to lead the way,only a fool will think Umno wants good race relations. Umno leaders wants good race relations only when it will keep them in power. Power and money are the real motivations for Umno's political leaders.
After the twisted judicial treatments and twisted sentences meted out to the likes of Lim Guan Eng, Anwar Ibrahim, Teresa Kok and Raja PetraKamaruddin, I think we can safely rule out any semblance of a sense of right and wrong and common decency as a meaningful guide to Umno's decisions.


There are a number of things I want to put across to my imaginary Malay audience in cyberspace - you - particularly if you believe every racist, inflammatory, bigoted, and demonised stereotype, opinion piece and fabricated news that Ahmad Ismail, Khir toyo, Utusan Melayu, and Biro Tata Negara tells you about me.If I were a Malay leader, this is what I would say. The Malays totally dominate the aristocracy, cabinet, parliament, judiciary, police,military, and huge government bureaucracy. The Malays have the highest birth rates.You have benefitted from the racial quotas in education, commerce,licenses, contracts, jobs and promotions - funded by non-Malays.Therefore if you are feeling aggrieved, if you are feeling angry, and if you are feeling insecure, you need to ask yourself why...


If Umno tells you that your culture, language, race and religion is threatened by non-Malays and non-Muslims, I would suggest you think critically before you act. Umno has destroyed any hope of English literacy amongst the Malay masses.Without English literacy the professions are out of the question for you. High-paying jobs will be hard to find. You will be handicapped in your career and business. Umno tells you that the non- Malays have advanced economically at your expense.

Umno loves to say that the non Malays have used unfair means to advance by cheating you.
The truth is Umno leadership has advanced economically and socially at your expense by destroying your competitiveness but to cap it all,they have succeeded in making you blame the non-Malays for their mistakes.Umno makes you think that the way for you to reach global competitiveness would be to oppress and hamstring the non-Malays withs teep racial quotas for jobs, licenses, and university places.


The truth is that it is the competitiveness and grit of successful Malays and non-Malays who compete in the open market in open competition that acts to provide every Malaysian - you and I - with the best goods at the cheapest prices.

You could buy a good quality, long lasting, reliable Japanese car in any other country for what you pay for a crappy Proton in Malaysia .Meanwhile, the AP scam that gives select Malays(let's start with NAZA) a license to smuggle in thousands of cars without paying duty will never be awarded to anyone other than the most overly privileged, wealthy and connected Umno elite insider - and definitely not to you if you are an ordinary decent Malay.


With Umno's wholesale corruption, and racist propaganda that scapegoats and demonises the non-Malays to play on your fears andanxieties, our beloved country will come to resemble the uneducated,unproductive, expensive, impoverished countries like Burma , Indonesia, Philippines and Zimbabwe .


Umno leaders will do anything to stay in power and wealth, and that includes to divide and rule with lies, judicial abuse, and more. In the beginning the NEP picked the low-hanging fruit so there was an easy prosperity for everyone but now the signs of terminal decay are everywhere.Economic and political reality has come back to roost, and if you are still poor, you need to ask why filthy rich Umno leaders are telling you that the non-Malays continue to cheat you of your rights and prosperity. The truth is that the success of any Malaysian in the open market that is subject to open competition will benefit all Malaysians.Businesses, academics and professionals who have succeeded because of their competitiveness, innovation, hard work and determination bring prosperity to all Malaysians. Non-Malays and Malays who compete in the open market, if they succeed, it is because they offer everyone - youand I - a better product at a lower price.Businesses and business persons who have succeeded because of a government-sanction ed cartel or monopoly that denies others thechance to compete will make all Malaysians poorer - that is, except the lucky filthy rich Umno-BN leaders who gave themselves or family orcronies the cartel or monopoly - APs, Proton, UEM, Renong, Bank Bumi -in the first place.


If you are reading this letter, I can presume that just like me, you did not get the exclusive contract, license, cartel or monopoly either. The truth is you and I and everyone else have been made poorerby the system that Umno has created.


If the economy is heading for a downturn, and if the financial crisis affected your business, and you are wondering why people in other countries don't work as hard as you, and still earn much more money,then you will begin to understand that they live in a superior system.
Their leaders do not rob and abuse their citizens as much as in Malaysia . If you drive a Proton and they drive a Japanese car for the same price, then you are never going to be as well off as them.
Advanced progressive modern countries have achievement- based values,equal rights, open competition, meritocracy, and legislate against racism.Such countries will have wealthier and healthier citizens who are not any smarter than you, and who will not be working harder than you, but they will be better informed than you, their kids will receive abetter education than yours, and they will be earning lots more money than either you or me.


Umno will tell you that advanced countries like Singapore have prospered at your expense. The truth is that Umno will never give you a superior system. It cannot reform because it has an addiction problem. Umno leaders are addicted to huge amounts of easy money -your money!Umno will tell you that their addiction to your money is in your best interests. Umno will say they only take money from non-Malays. Umno will say it is your fault if you are addicted to Umno's Ketuanan Melayu policies and bumiputera privileges..


The truth is that Umno is addicted to your tax money, and Umno will try to weaken your will to succeed on your own by getting you mentally addicted to their falsehoods. Unless Umno can make you feel addicted to your privileges, and make you feel unable to compete, and frightens you with the non-Malay bogeyman (or bogeywoman like Teresa Kok), and that he or she is a threat to your safety, finances, future, race,language, culture and religion, then Umno knows it will lose your vote in open competition to PKR and PAS.


The biggest obstacles to Malay progress are low standards and low expectations.
Umno tells you that you cannot compete with the non-Malays. Yet ther eare so many parameters to what is better or not that it is impossible to measure them all. It is illogical to think that someone else is better than you.To believe that you cannot compete is a very low expectation that guarantees very low standards, and it is the last thing you would ever want to leave to your children. The solution requires guts and faith -in you. You must insist on open competition, meritocracy, equalrights, and an end to all forms of racism.You are not inferior, you can compete, and you control your owndestiny. If you allow Umno to brainwash you, and your children, then low standards and low ex pectations become a self-fulfilling prophecy.The NEP has inevitably deteriorated to become a scam whereby Umno putras will get all the benefits and be laughing all the way to the bank and everyone else gets poorer funding their excesses -mansions, wives, fat bank accounts, licenses, contracts, monopolies,APs. You get nothing, and I get even less than nothing - blamed for being the pendatang.


PAS and PKR want to change the NEP so that it will help the poor of all races but since the Malays form the bulk of the poor, then the Malays will automatically benefit exceedingly, and no one will feel left out or despised.We must create a superior system of government that will be efficient,productive, progressive, competitive, and meritocractic - one that can hope to outperform Singapore - if we are to hold our heads up high, in open competition, and without prejudice.


The Malays will still totally dominate the aristocracy, cabinet,parliament, police, judiciary, military and government but in a country that is progressive, meritocractic, educated, progressive,prosperous and respects equal rights, human rights and freedoms.
This would be real legacy worth leaving to your children.


Choose wisely . . . . .

Thursday, February 19, 2009

Wiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii~

Is it a toy? A slimming device? A virtual gym? An electronic sports device?


Whatever it's called? I'm hooked!


Meet my new friend......



Got it as a V gift from hubby last week and I can say it's the perfect V gift for the whole family. Really keeps us occupied, happy, worked out the whole weekend! Even Zach is hooked on it! And I dont mind him playing it daily. One thing good about Wii, especially WiiSports is that it's not like any other TV games which are blamed to poise obesity among kids because of the minimum movements and actions involved (or so I thought). But with WiiSports, the whole body is involved and it's a secret weapon for mommy n daddy to encourage Zach to exercise - Geez, I hope I don't sound like a Wii salesperson~

OK. I've been secretly wanting to get one since I've first heard about the fun and how exciting this new innovation from Nintendo is all about. Never really bothered looking around and getting one after I found out how pricey it was when it was first launched. Not until recently......and no looking back since! Bloody smart/brilliant/creative/innovative Japanese!
*2 hands down in salutation*
Mind you.....this tiny machine can really make you sweat! Been playing tennis, bowling and boxing daily and waking up every morning with aching arms! No joke! Think I can rely on it to tone up my arm muscles! Haha...wishful thinking!

I'm having my eyes on Wii-Fit now. According to a friend who also bought a set recently, it works like a personal gym at home with a personal trainer too! Shall see if it works magic in my quest to shed some fats!
*hubby's gonna shake his head and think it's impossible bcos to him, the only effective way to lose weigh is the conventional workout at the REAL gym or the swimming pool*
Well, no matter what he thinks....I shall be getting my hands on a Wii-Fit soon! *wink*

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Anal? OCD?

I was having a chat with my fren Kristy one day when we came across the word "ANAL". Well, apparently, it's a word given by her hubby, describing her behaviour of being "Anal". It basically means being irritatingly fussy over small things and only the person who is "Anal" understand why things r done the way it should be done. Ok...... a bit confusing? It is also similar to the signs of having an Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), as described by another friend, Maria who claims that she has it, and so does her 5-year-old daughter!
A quick look at the definition of OCD, as found in Wikipedia -
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a mental disorder most commonly characterized by intrusive, repetitive thoughts resulting in compulsive behaviors and mental acts that the person feels driven to perform, according to rules that must be applied rigidly [Aniston: OMG! This is so me....!], aimed at preventing some imagined dreaded event; however, these behaviors or mental acts are not connected to the imagined dreaded event [Aniston: So true! It's all in the mind of the beholder! I'm one, for example].
According to the current epidemiological data, OCD is the fourth most common mental disorder and OCD is considered nearly as common as
asthma and diabetes mellitus.[1] In the United States, 1 in 50 adults have OCD.[2] In severe cases, it affects a person's ability to function in everyday activities. The disorder often has a serious impact on the sufferer's (and his/her family's) quality of life [Aniston: It happens to me. Hubby couldn't understand at times why I did certain things and we ended up quarreling over my 'analic' behaviour!]. Also, the psychological self-awareness of the irrationality of the disorder can be painful. For people with severe OCD, it may take several hours a day to carry out the compulsive acts.
Experts[
who?] believe OCD may be related to levels of a normal chemical in the brain called serotonin. When the proper flow of serotonin is blocked, the brain's "alarm system" overreacts. Danger messages are mistakenly triggered. Instead of the brain filtering out these unnecessary thoughts, the brain dwells on them—and the person repeatedly experiences unrealistic fears and doubts.
The phrase "obsessive-compulsive" has become part of the English lexicon, and is often used in an informal or caricatured manner to describe someone who is meticulous,
perfectionistic, absorbed in a cause, or otherwise fixated on something or someone [Aniston: I dont see any harm in being meticulous and perfectionistic...it makes life more organized and well-planned, the way I see it. Ok, only ppl like me would understand what I mean here] .[3] Although these signs are often present in OCD, a person who exhibits them does not necessarily have OCD, and may instead have obsessive-compulsive personality disorder [Aniston: Ok, perhaps my condition is not as severe as OCD......maybe OCPD. That doesnt make me any less "ANAL"....haha] (OCPD) or some other condition.
Ok.....got it loud n clear? Now, back to my conversation with Kristy about being "Anal", Lets just assume that being "Anal" and having the OCD r the same in this particular post. We both concluded that we are so "anal" that it's driving people around us crazy at times. As we revealed our 'anal' behaviour to each other, we couldnt help but shook our heads and agreed that we r indeed "pain in the ass" to certain people on certain things that we do and think. They might sound, look or appear perfectly normal to us but it is NOT to others.
Ok, let me give u some examples of me being "Anal":-
1. Slippers and shoes outside my front door have to be arranged properly in a line. Pity my maid but it is a MUST - everyday!
2. All rugs in the house must be colour cordinated and no such thing as mixing a black rug in living area and a blue one at the dining area. Both areas must have the same colored rug! No fancy-looking or cartoon-looking rugs please!
3. All cutleries (spoons, forks, knives) in the kitchen must be arranged in a row and facing the same right position in the drawer. No such thing as having one face right and the rest facing left or on top of each other!
4. My guests who dine at my house must all be using the same set of cutleries. No such thing as mixing the old with new ones. NO NO!
5. Bedsheet! They must be colour-cordinated - not only between the mattress and the quilt cover, but also the curtain! No such thing as having an earth-toned curtain with a green bedsheet! No No!!!
6. All cups, glasses, plates, bowls and most kitchen wares used in the house must be either white in colour or transparent-looking. I forbid the usage of multi-colored utensils.
7. Before going to sleep every night, I will scan the room once before shutting my eyes. Everything has to be in the right place and order. Curtains must be drawn perfectly - not even a cm away from the end of the rail. Should it be imperfect, I will drag myself out from bed just to that small adjustment. Don't expect me getting a good night's sleep knowing that the curtain is not in perfect order! [Hubby couldnt understand the reason I do that every night but it's a routine for me]
8. All clothes, towels, underwears, socks in my wardrobe/closet/drawers must be folded MY way and only the same way I want them to be. They are to be arranged and put nicely in place. For example, a towel has to be folded into half, then another half and finally into 3 parts. ALL towels in the house, including the kids' are to be folded the same way.
9. My wardrobe is properly arranged according to the types of clothing I have. They are put in sections pre-determined: -
- spaghetti-strapped blouses
- long-sleeved blouses
- short-sleeved blouses
- long pants
- 3/4pants
- short pants
- long skirt
- short skirt
- long dresses
- short dresses, etc.
Note that all my hangers are white in color and hubby's - black. Not enough hangers? - I'd rather my maid hang a few pairs of pants on one hanger (until I get more) than hanging them on multi-colored hangers, [bought and used by hubby during his bachelor days until I came into the picture].. which I've stored away in the storeroom - not to be used anymore - fullstop!
Dont let me see anything misplaced or mixed with each other....I'll go beserk! Not only my own closet...hubby and kids' too!
10. The arrangement of flowers, trees, plants, flower pots in my garden have to be in a flow and balanced. Example, 2 potted plants placed in front of the window must be balanced from one end to the other. Dont let me see one is closer to the end and the other having a big gap from the edge of the window. I'll ensure that they are perfectly in place. Tress planted in my garden have to be in the balanced position - meaning, a tree planted between my bamboo trees must hav the exact gap from the next similar tree planted. No such thing as having one in between 2 bamboo trees and the other between 3 bamboo trees. That explained how I got so tanned when the landscaping work was done in my garden few months back! I was supervising the whole afternoon just to make sure the trees are planted they way I want them to be. Even pebble-stone tiles placed on the grass must have the same balance gap from one to the next.
Having 10 examples here is enough to make one think I'm really "ANAL" or so Kristy and hubby thought. I havent even started on the way I pack for travelling. Kristy shook her head when I told her how and what I take with me when I travel, even as near as back to hubby's hometown.
Also, the amount of fights hubby and I went through when renovating and decorating our new nest....all because of my OCD behaviour! Paint, tiles, curtains, furnitures, etc.....
Kristy said that I'm worse than her! But wait till u know how "Anal" she is when it comes to her food! Gawd! She's worse than me in that sense! haha.....we shall stop there!
So, how do we conclude if we are "Anal" or having OCD or just plain fussy and organized? Well, if u asked me, I'll just say that I'm just being a lil more fussy that people around me, while retaining my sanity at times. Ok, perhaps I'm being denial... but call me whatever you want.....but I'm just gonna be myself and continue being "ANAL", if that's what I am.
So, are you one as well????? *wink* *wink*
Have a great day!
*just in case u r wondering why there arent spaces between the lines in the post, it's something which I couldnt rectify as well. Tried hitting 'enter' after a few lines but they all get crammed up once I hit the "publish post" button" - annoying! *