Happy Merdeka - Are you truly merdeka???

Without the slightest of doubt, we are certainly happy that we have been freed from British rule. This means that we are now free to decide the future of our own Nation and how to distribute the Nation's resources.

We are also free to decide how we want the Nation to be developed and how we, as citizens want to be developed into human beings.

But....

Who is the "we" that is free to decide on the future of this Nation? Is it you and me, the common folks in the country or is it merely the elitist class together with the capitalists?

What is the point of being free from the bondage of British rule only to be enslaved by the elitists, the capitalists and the elite religious class?

Is that the kind of freedom or merdeka that your forefathers imagined for you?

That, at the end of the day, you life should be confined to the dictates of the capitalists who will decide how and where you live? AT the mercy of the "economy" designed by the wealthy elitists which makes you a slave to the banks, to the mega supermarkets (that determine how and what you eat) and so on?

That at the end of the day, if you are fated to belong to the low income group, that you shall be housed in pigeon holes called low cost flats and that too crowded in one area?

That at the end of the day, even how you want to relate to your own creator will be decided, not by your own conscience, but by salaried religious officers? And often times under pain of punishment by the law for not confirming to the State's definition of what your religion should be and how it should be?

Can you be truly merdeka when you cannot even decide what's good for your own soul?

I am happy that this Nation is free from British rule.

I only wish we can be free to be human beings.

Peace and Happy Merdeka.

Merdeka Countdown9: Education Policy – Another Brick in the Wall?

Every Malaysian child should have FREE education up to university level. After 50 years of merdeka, we are still far away from this objective.

Education cannot be politicized. You cannot, under any circumstances play politics with the children’s future. NO. That is a major sin.

We say we care for our children. Does the state of our primary schools reflect that? What kind of syllabus? What kind of teachers? What are they taught? How is the environment?

We hear of education policies changing when Ministers change. What is the problem? Do we not have a 20 year plan or something?

We hear of some championing Sekolah kebangsaaan, some sekolah agama, some sekolah Tamil, some sekolah Cina and so on. That is all right, probably. But it is about time the RAPERA did some check on these champions – where do their own children study?

Those champions of these schools should send their own children to the very schools they champion.

I am sure the education policy for the Rakyat is a cabinet decision. The cabinet must feel that the schools and the education system is good enough for the Rakyat. We would like to see the day when ALL the children of the cabinet members are sent to the Sekolah Kebangsaan or any of the local schools (Tamil, Cina, Agama, etc).

This should be a compulsory pre-requisite for EVERY cabinet member. Otherwise, do not serve.

If it is good enough for our children, should it not be good enough for them too? The Quran says this:

“Grievously odious is it in the sight of God that you say that which you do not do”. [061.003]

God says, walk your talk.

Many must have been bored to death hearing speeches that education is important, plays an important role in nation building etc. We know that. Some of the speeches sounds so puerile; we become embarrassed for the speaker! What we want to know is:

has our current system succeeded or failed to make us into human beings with good values. Has it succeeded or failed into making us Malaysians?

Or is it just another brick in the wall?

Merdeka Countdown8: Transportation Policy – Who is in control? Who is in charge?

You drive out from your house to work. You are faced with a huge volume of traffic. Same thing when you are returning home. As long as the traffic is moving and there are no exceptional circumstances to stall the traffic, you understand. But what if there is a traffic jam almost all the time on the same road. Certainly someone should ask why and address the problem.

I am from Penang and it hurts me whenever I go back to the eternally traffic hassled city. I think not much thought has been given to the planning of traffic flow in Penang. It appears to be an island with ad hoc, haphazard development.

Building roads alone will not solve traffic problems. Even the office boy in the Ministry of Transport (MOT) can tell you that. The problem seems to be that even when roads are build, it seems to be done in isolation to all other developments around the roads for the next 10 years. Roads are built for current traffic and a year later another government body approves 100 construction projects of 100 storey flats each! How is it possible for the roads built just a year earlier to service it? So, the problem seems to be the unthinking or incompetent civil servants who cannot seem to project a holistic master plan, etc.

There are many public transportation issues in the country that has escaped the citizen’s eyes. The MOT is in charge of land, air and marine transportation. Of course interlocking with them are other ministries and government departments. Hence, the recent one-stop suggestion for a transportation commission.

Let us look at land. Buses, taxis, LRTs, commuters, trains. Recently, the PM, Datuk Seri Abdullah Badawi took LRT rides. Good start. Continue with the bus rides and see if the people continue to suffer under inefficient transport system. Then, follow-up with action.

Let us look at marine. The Sultan Abdul Halim ferry terminal bridge collapse occurred on July 31,1988 at the Sultan Abdul Halim ferry terminal on Butterwoth, Penang, Malaysia. The collapse caused the deaths of 32 people and injured 1,674 people. It was blamed on overcrowding and the jetty being made out of steel bars that led to the collapse。Looking back, was whoever in charge of the terminal incompetent to project potential maximum people traffic?

Remember the ferry to Tioman which was burning in mid-sea on 13th October 2007? 4 passengers died and 99 had to be fished out from sea. The ferry did not have a valid ship and passenger licence for a year! Who is responsible for giving out the licences and are they responsible? Was anyone held accountable and remedial action taken in the system? How is the decision-making process in the entire industry?


When you think transport, a whole host of sectors come to mind – JPJ, enforcers, implementers, decision-makers, etc. If you open your eyes, you will see there is tremendous room for corruption. Is it happening? Is it weakening the system?

This article should not cast any negative aspersions on the current Minister of Transport, Datuk Ong Tee Keat. I have brought transportation problems to him and he has been very swift in action thus far. The honourable Minister is intelligent, hardworking and very approachable. An admirable and humble man. I am more concerned about the civil servant officials. Do they understand the Ministry’s vision and do they assist in the implementation, enforcement and research?

Are they competent? Are they making the right decisions? How does a bona fide, efficient transport operator challenge the decision of the incompetent bureaucrat who makes a decision which destroys his business?

Remember this word: CIVIL SERVANTS. They do greater damage than politicians in many instances. Do they get off their comfy chairs in their air conditioned government offices paid by the Rakyat and solve problems efficiently and judiciously? Are they approachable easily and do they listen? My personal experience with SOME of the higher ranking officials casts doubts in my mind. One high ranking official actually told me this when I questioned his decision in a matter which is clearly economically unsound : “ Ini hak kerajaan untuk buat keputusan”. As a result, almost 26 families continue to suffer! May God forgive him and guide him.


Damn, this traffic jam!

Merdeka Countdown7: Are we merdeka from "nearness"?

Selfish means to care only about your own self, you own needs, your own, your own, your own…..

Your own self only – family problems
Your own family only – social problems
Your own tribe only – race, caste, language
Your own kind only –, wealth, social circle, education
Your own religious group only – religiosity, extremism, exclusion, fanaticism
Your own country only – nationalism, fascism, hegemony
Your own political party only – political parochialism and partisan outlook
Your own species only – environmental problems, extinction of flora and fauna

Leaders, thinkers, social activists, people still bonded to selfishness of all types cannot be truly merdeka. Is our system merdeka from this nearness? Do you see any bold, honest leader who can merdeka our society from this nearness? Have we learned to “see from a distance”?

Our greatest, common value is pragmatism, but we will not admit. Pragmatism is a symptom of selfishness. Admitting will mean we are an outcast in the system. Think about it…I could be very wrong.

God made us in harmony. Harmony means a complementary existence between ALL that which exists. Selfishness is destructive of harmony, no matter by what name it shows up.

Don’t we want to be merdeka from all this selfishness, ‘nearness’ and see things from a distance???

May we learn something from Bette Milder. Please read the lyrics below the video kindly provided by brother Irwan.



From a Distance
From a distance the world looks blue and green,
and the snow-capped mountains white.
From a distance the ocean meets the stream,
and the eagle takes to flight.

From a distance, there is harmony,
and it echoes through the land.
It's the voice of hope, it's the voice of peace,
it's the voice of every man.

From a distance we all have enough,
and no one is in need.
And there are no guns, no bombs, and no disease,
no hungry mouths to feed.

From a distance we are instruments
marching in a common band.
Playing songs of hope, playing songs of peace.
They're the songs of every man.
God is watching us. God is watching us.
God is watching us from a distance.

From a distance you look like my friend,
even though we are at war.
From a distance I just cannot comprehend
what all this fighting is for.

From a distance there is harmony,
and it echoes through the land.
And it's the hope of hopes, it's the love of loves,
it's the heart of every man.

It's the hope of hopes, it's the love of loves.
This is the song of every man.
And God is watching us, God is watching us,
God is watching us from a distance.
Oh, God is watching us, God is watching.
God is watching us from a distance

Merdeka Countdown6: Do you like the Man_in_The_Mirror?

so cute isn’t she? It is difficult not to adore and love any baby. They are so pure and innocent and equally deserving of love and affection. It is amazing that despite our difficult experiences in life, yet we continue to produce babies. Despite knowing all the cruelties that adults can conjure up and do in the world – famine, wars, religious and racial discrimination, poverty, deliberate deprivation of basic needs like housing, health, education and a happy life on all sorts of “clever” grounds, etc.

Every baby has the potential to become a fantastic human being. You and I were babies before. We had that potential before. What have we turned out to be? Do we like who we see in the mirror? If not, how did we become this way?

Today, Malaysians seem unhappy. Politicians are faulted. Fingers are pointed in every direction. Racism. Religious bigotry. Misinformation. Economic disparity between the haves and have-nots. Everyone and everything is faulted except the Man in the Mirror. And he wants change!

He looks solely towards politics for change – one big mistake. This leadership cult syndrome. This worship of another saviour disease. But he never looks at how the Man in the Mirror is living his life. SO will delegating “change” to politicians work? Nay. The Quran says this:

"Because God will never change the grace which He has bestowed on a
people until they change what is in their (own) souls: and verily God is He Who
hears and knows (all things)." [008.053]

We hear complains of racism, etc. What about you? Do you really love all? If you are Chinese, do you make it a point to first speak out and help the non-Chinese? If you are a Muslim, do you take the effort to defend the others the right to their own religious belief though in your heart you may cry to God for them to be guided?

Even when you are deprived of your right, do you make sure he gets his? Real love is unconditional.

Will you allow your children to marry out of your own racial circle? Do you protest to the streets when you see injustice perpetrated on those not from your own kind? Do you cry when not your own kind is poor and hungry or deprived? Do you give?

Are you willing to take the blow from all, including your own kind just to spread love and care for all? What are you? Maybe you are part of what is. Maybe you are part of what could be. But what IS you now? As the wise saying goes, we become what we are.

What have you become from the innocent baby that you were once?


I can do better than to share with you the sermon from Ustad Micheal Jackson where he says:

“I am starting with the man in the mirror,
I am asking him to change his ways,
And no message could be any clearer
If you wanna make the world a better place
Take a look at yourself,
And then make a change”

Merdeka_Countdown5: Is the Justice System fair and be seen as fair?

The Malaysian Constitution is an important document. ALL Malaysians should have a copy. Be familiar.

Laws are important. But laws are nothing until it is enforced. But the enforcers may abuse the law. The people suffer. They go to the Judges, the interpreters of the law.

The lawyers are the medium through which the people speak to the Judge in the court of Law. If the lawyers are cowed into fear, the people will lose their voice. Lawyers should not be cowed. Cowards should not be lawyers. It is not a business. It is a profession.

The lawyers will give their views. The Judge has the final call. He decides what the law is. But he has to listen to the lawyers first. And do his thinking based on what is before him. He has to be patient, kind, firm and most important of all humble. For cleverness is no substitute for arrogance. Only humility will allow the Judge to learn and make the right decision.

The Judge has to decide without fear or favour. Hence, a Judge must be protected from any threat or fear.

The Judge must learn the art of balancing many things. Don’t talk too little. Don’t talk too much. Otherwise, she will lose respect and the administration of law suffers. Hence, those who feel they cannot adapt to the position should voluntarily resign. It is a difficult position. Judgeship is an honorable responsibility. I have tremendous love and respect for some of the Judges that I have appeared before.

It is not about winning or losing. It is about getting a just and fair hearing.

As an aside, why are judges called “Yang Arif” which means “The Wise One” rather than “Yang Adil” which means “The Just One”? The former may be construed as presumptuous while the latter is at least a reminder to the Judge. Does anyone know the history?

To me, Raperas must forever be wary. They must safeguard the rule of law.

A retired judge introduced the song “Justice for all” by Dale Watson to me and said that if the justice system fails the people, the people will find their own justice. The anarchist then will abuse the breakdown in the system. Hence, a civilized society must put in place a just justice system. And it must be seen to be just. Enjoy the video.

Merdeka Countdown4: We want to be on the world map. Why? To make the world a better place?

Malaysia boleh?

Quran :

107.001 Do you see the one who denies the Judgment (to come)?
107.002 Then such is the (person) who repulses the orphan,
107.003 And encourages not the feeding of the indigent.
107.004 So woe to the worshippers
107.005 Who are neglectful of their solaa’,
107.006 Those who (want but) to be seen (of men),
107.07 But refuse (to supply) (even) neighbourly needs.

Tan Sri, renovation rumah ok ke? Halo Datuk, wah you really very keng one...another expensive car? Good la, good....how can your 17 year old daughter not have the latest handpohe? Dinner tonight? Where? Aiyo cannot lah ...eat too much whole day.

Is it really possible to be happy when for no reason known to us, we were just born in Malaysia and not in Ethiopia? And yet…………(. May God forgive me.

Merdeka Countdown3: What is Our Children’s future?

What do we teach our children? To love? To hate? To share? To be selfish?

Do we bring them together or do we push them further apart?

Are they safe?

What signals do our political leaders send out to the young generation - narcissism, hedonism, greed, truth, arrogance or self sacrificing servitude to God and humankind?

What kind of role models are we? Bigots? Emphatic?
What children see and hear, children copy.

Have we freed ourselves from our own shackles? Have we cleaned our own backyard?

If you are not happy with your answers to the above, Raperas are urgently needed.

Forget politicians. They cannot see further than the next election.

We do not need to walk in their shadows…unless they too become a Rapera, they can then walk with other Raperas.

(Thank you Akbar Hussain for sharing this video with me.)

Merdeka Countdown 2 : Reciprocity

Norman Rockwell, an American artist's famous painting with the caption:

" DO UNTO OTHERS
AS YOU WOULD HAVE THEM DO UNTO TO YOU"

[Thank you Hj Vazeer for this wonderful message]

Merdeka Countdown 1 : Viewpoints