Saturday 25 August 2012

SLOW IT DOWN , ENJOY THE JOURNEY

Today is Sunday and I am pretty the traffic leading to Kuala Lumpur and other big cities in Malaysia is going at a snail pace . But if you are the one who got stucked in the traffic madness , do not worry . You are just one of the thousand Malaysians who are vying for a  traffic space in which you can speed up your car and get back home as quickly as possible . The festive mood is going to be turned off by midnight and the usual hectic schedule will continue to bother us until the next festive celebration .

However , this had nothing to do with our topic today . Our topic of the day is " SLOW IT DOWN , ENJOY THE JOURNEY " . You see , people are so fixated and obsessed when it comes to reaching the destination or goal , that they sometimes forget something behind ; the journey itself . It is in every human nature that we could not care less about our surrounding and the situation we are in . For everyone of us , the end justifies the mean . This is a wrong concept . For me , we must take it easy , enjoy the journey and try to achieve the goal in a harmless way .

Let me give you an example . Let say that I , Manop will be travelling from Penang to Johor Baru . Now , do you think that I can drive the car whichever I wants , even to the extent of endangering other road users and the passangers inside my car . Do you think it is a proper thing to do ? Of course no . By the way , I am on a vacation in Johor and I do not see any need for reckless , speed driving in which it would lead me into accidents or being caught in a speed trap . Instead , I will drive at a reasonable speed , stop at any rest stations whenever I feel tired , enjoy the the road scenery , maybe even giggling myself to the funny advertisement banner set up along the highway . Now , that is what a travel is all about .

The concept " SLOW IT DOWN , ENJOY THE JOURNEY " can also be applied in our daily life . Take Pandalela Rinong and Datuk Lee Chong Wei for example . Where were we when they are suffering setbacks in the diving pool or badminton competition ? Where were we when they are crying out loud when the supporters said they are just good-for-nothing athletes ? Where were we when they are training like there is no tommorrow for years ?  Sadly , we are only there when they achieved their goals . We are busy cheering for their Olympic medals as if the medals just fell from the sky .

My personal opinion is that we had overlooked the agonising pain they had endured in their journey to Olympic fame . I think that maybe we should slow down and look back closely on their story . Their story is like a journey on a highway . Sometimes , the car broke down . Sometimes , they feel tired . Sometimes , they feel like giving up when they almost reached the end of the journey . Had they been a " reckless car driver " , I do not think they can achieve their destination .

If you are reading this , please remember that the most beautiful part of the journey is not the destination ; it is the journey itself . THANK YOU for reading this .

LOYALTY TO THE PARTY FIRST

Happy Saturday for all of you who are reading this post . It had been a busy but exhilarating day for me .  A lot of things happened today . But however , I do not want to talk about my day . It is simply irrelevant . What I want to talk today is loyalty to the party .

Question is , which party am I talking about ? BN ? PKR ? DAP ? PAS ? No , I am not talking about any of these major Malaysian political parties . Instead , I want to talk about the Chinese Communist Party . Yes , I am talking about the party which controlled the most populous nation in the world and also the second largest economy , People ' s Republic Of China . For your information , the China as we know today was founded in 1949 by the Communist Party of China ( CPC ) . The first chairman and president of China was Mao Zedong who became the head of the state from 1949 to his demise in 1976 .

Furthermore , as the modern Chinese government adopted the ideology of communisme , the state had also adopted a secular , communist constituition . Now , this is the interesting part of the story . Under the the China constituition , in order to be a Communist Party member , one has to forego his or her religious identity . This rule applies to all Chinese citizens , be it a Buddhist , Taoist , Christian , even Muslim . This means that a Muslim cannot observe the fasting month of Ramadan , the Buddhist cannot observe the Wesak day and so on . However , if he or she is not a Communist Party member , he or she can observe and practise own religious belief freely as guaranteed under the China ' s constituition . Now from here , can you understand my main point ? The Communist Party expected each and every party member to put their priority on the organisation first .

On one side , it is a good thing . The communist policy tried to shatter the religious and creed differences in among different ethnics in China by treating them equally once they are the Communist member . The government wants the citizens who are members of the Party to put their heart and soul to defend the communist ideology against the forces of democracy and capitalism . In addition ,  since China is a single party state like the former Soviet Union , no other parties other than the Communist Party  are allowed to exist .

On the other side , the Chinese government tried to promote atheisme among the member of the party . The communist philosophy believes that loyalty to the state is more important than loyalty to their respective ethnics and religions as stated in the ideology . The idea of atheisme and not being able to practise own religion once you are in the party will not work in any democracies be it Malaysia , US and so on . Not for religious person like me .

Nevertheless , I had truly admired the Chinese Communist Party ' s effort in eliminating the religious and racial difference in among its citizens by unifying them under one common ideology that is communisme . After all , they live in one big family that is China . In conclusion , I think that every Malaysians should be united under one common ideology and forego any religious nor racial difference between us . We do not have to be communists but I am certain that we can achieve that goal in our distinctive Malaysian way .

Thank you for reading this . By the way , my religion is democracy .

Thursday 23 August 2012

THE TRUE " MERDEKA " MIND

The Independence Day of Malaysia will arrive 7 days from now . Today is 24th of August and the DAY is on 31st of August . Well , the only reason I want to write this article is to express my gratitude and proudness of being an independent Malaysian who had the freedom to control his own destiny without being subjugated to the wrath of the colonial master from the Western world .

It is widely known that Malaysia had been a sovereign , independent nation for almost 55 years . The independence was achieved as a result of excellent diplomatic skills displayed by our forefathers and also as a part of decolonization process by the mighty British Empire which was hugely endorsed by United Nations ( UN ) and the Queen ' s colonies all around the world . While it is true that the former colonial master , British had leaved our beloved shores for more than half a century ago , they are actually still a coloniser of our mind .

When the British made Malaya the Queen's colony , she does not only wrest the control of economic and political power from the local sultans , she also put the mind of most Malayan under her charm . Through the missionary schools and English government schools , they imparted the impression that anything Western is superior and anything Eastern and Oriental is inferior . They also brainwashed us that it were the Western scholars who had invented and created some of the finest scientific theories in the world .

I had to confess that the Western world did contribute a lot scientific and literature marvels to the world but please remember that the advancement and discoveries that they had made were a result of studies on Eastern scholars such as Avicenna ( Ibn Sina ) , Ibn Battuta , Confucius , Mencius , ancient Hindu scholars and so on . Shall I elaborate longer ? When the whole Europe was going through Dark Age , Eastern civilization such as the Umayyad Caliphate , Abbasid had already established universities and colleges for their subjects . Who could not forget the invention of gunpowders , silks and papers in which the process was discovered by the Chinese , only to reach European market a few centuries later . The modern numbering system was actually derived by the Arab scholars who had learnt it from the Hindu scholars in India .

Now , do you get a clearer picture on the state of our mind . Our mind are still being " colonised " .  We are too busy admiring the Western civilisation when they had actually benefitted from our Eastern civilizations . Therefore , I believe it is the time for us to actually study or own civilisation in depth while not abandoning the centuries of Western legacies and knowledges that exist until today . If we can somehow do just that , I think the Malaysian society as a whole , had achived the true " Merdeka " mind . Be global in your thinking , but be local in your attitude .

Thank you for reading this .
SALAM MERDEKA
SALAM LEBARAN   

Wednesday 22 August 2012

SPANISH SUPERCUP FIESTA

4 KNIGHTS OF BARCELONA
Now , if you are reading this post , you might be wondering what  a Spanish Supercup match has to do with the legendary " El Classico " ?  Need further explanation ? If you are , then let me explain in details . If you see the photo above , it clearly stated the venue , time and most importantly , the match is between Barcelona and Real Madrid . Now ,for your information , the Spanish Supercup match is equivalent to the EPL Community Shield match in which this match will only be held at the early of the season . The participating team are the League champion of the last season , that is Real Madrid and the first runner - up team , FC Barcelona .

This match is interesting because it will be the REAL test for the new Catalan manager , Tito Vilanova who had been appointed to replace the " ONLY ONE " , Pep Guardiola . Pep Guardiola is currently on sabbatical leave while also looking for the right club to coach . Previously , Tito was the assistant manager for Barcelona and is one of the " backbone " for the Catalan giants . It will also be the " Homecoming Party " for both David Villa and Carlos Puyol who will have to prove their worthiness to the team despite being out for most of 2011 - 2012 season . The latest signing , Jordi Alba who had showed the outstanding ability as a leftback during Euro 2012 must use this match to prove himself qualified to be a part of the " DREAM TEAM " .

Last but not least , I wished all the best for FC Barcelona . Whatever outcome or result from the match , I will always be your biggest fan . Like this post if you are the Catalan supporters . Let the Fiesta begins .

XOXO Manop





Tuesday 21 August 2012

MALAYSIA WITHOUT EXAMS

Have any of you ever visioned what kind of Malaysia will emerge if the examination such as UPSR , PMR , SPM and STPM were abolished by the Government ? Let say some idiotic , chauvinistic nationalist had won in their case against the Government regarding the issue stated above . If you think this is impossible , think again . The decision by certain quarters of the community to pressure the government to abolish the  public examination is our first step towards the " goal " . I am not saying that Malaysia is going to be an "examless" nation in the next year but I always believe in the slogan " Malaysia Boleh " .  We can do it .

Just imagine ,  in the not so distant future , when schools no longer tested their students academic skills in examination system , the image of schools will change forever . Students will finally had the motivating force to go to school . The burden on their back will be significantly reduced as they no longer had to carry books , paperworks , folios and so on . Question is , what will they do at school ? Well , it is simple . They will have fun at school . Their class will be full of chit - chat and laughters  . Everday is like funfair to them . They do not have to learn anything academic as there is no need for them . Instead , they will learn the art of flirting , watching pornographic videos and the art of gossip .
Photos of Ryan Guzman , Emma Watson will be on the class noticeboard instead of Maths and Science facts .

Now , what about teachers and headmasters ? For the first time in history , headmasters will find themselves " jobless " . They do not have to carry out meetings , R&D on how to improve the school 's academic perfomance in public examination system. Instead , they will sit in the leather couch , sipping a cup of Nescafe Gold while watching the students running around like cat chasing mice . As for the teachers , the absence of examination is a blessing in disguise for them . They no longer had to mark their student's exam papers at home or in holidays . They no longer had to sacrifice their day offs by taking kids on a field trip to other schools . Instead , they can now sit together on the couch , chit - chatting about the handsome male teachers , sharing gossips on artistes . As for the entreprenurial - minded teachers , this will be their golden oppurtunity . They can now " market " their cookies , potpourris , and decorative stuffs to teachers and students . Students will be the " agents " selling their items from class to class .

Alright now , let skip to the future . Lets say the first generation of " professionals " were born under this new " examless " system . Now this is the part where this system showed its uglyheads . Teachers will enter the class , not knowing what to teach to the students . Doctors and nurses will be the " serial killer " to their patients . Improper treatment , care and diagnosis will put the life of every patients in danger . Pharmacists will prescribe the wrong drugs and antibiotics to the patients . Now , how about the engineers and architects ? The lack of engineering knowledge and frequent miscalculation will greatly " help " to collapse a building . Need I say about economists and accountants ? Their " invaluable " skills and expertise will help in rendering the country ' s economy bankrupt .

Now , can you see why public examinations are important ? There is a concrete reason for their existence . They are designed to pick the best brains among the students every year to be admitted to critical courses such as pharmacy , medicine and engineering , just to say a few . Countries like Malaysia need a steady flow of profesionals from these courses in order to keep up with the globalised world . Without examination , how can we pick the best brains from 28 millions Malaysians to develop this country ?      


SEXUALLY EXPLICIT 18SX CONTENT

Have any of you ever encountered or caught someone who watched one of those pornographic  videos ? If you did caught the person on scene , then I would like to congratulate you . You are one of the many parents , sisters , girlfriends , mothers  and wives in this planet who caught son , brothers , boyfriends , fathers and even husbands watching some of those explicit videos .

It is generally acknowledged that over 90% of females neither watch pornographic materials on a regular basis nor keeping them as a personal collection . However , to say that all of them had never came across or unintentionally watch those materials will be a HUGE LIE . This is simply because they are actually surrounded by tons of sexually explicit materials in their daily life , no thanks to the advent of the Internet and uncontrollable lust and sexual desire by their male counterparts .

As for me , my pants will be on fire if I said I did not watch any of those videos . Back in my high school days , every men I know watched pornography to a certain extent . Some of them watched on a regular basis . When I asked the reason for their " hobbies " , they said that they just want to chill out and relax . These kind of answer is fairly sensible as some of them really need a channel in which they can " voice out " the stress within them . Maybe I should " respect " their view .

Now , for the million dollar question , " Is smut or pornography a good thing for men ?" . My answer is no . Why ? Because I did not see neither the requirement nor the role played by this " industry " in improving the standard of living of every men . In fact , I had seen the productivity of students and  workers significantly deteriorates as these smut materials gets into their brain like a virus . The worst part of pornography is that once you get hooked to it , you will never stop watching it . Your mind will be distracted by the " allure " of pornography whenever you are studying or working . Now , do you really think that these people can concentrate on their daily tasks and responsibilities ? The answer is for yours to think .

Many people may accuse me of being a hypocrite if I say that pornography must come to an end . It does not matter to me . What mattered to me the most are for these ugly stuff to stop corrupting the mind of our young generations . I do not see a concrete reason for smuts to exist . Instead , the world will be a better place without them .

Just imagine a brand new world without PORN . You will see a drastic decrease in sexual crimes against women , childrens and the helpless . You will witness the horror of poverty ,  prostituition , sex trafficking and those related crimes being cleansed  for good . Finally , the world will be free of lust , the root of all evil . I will call that ideal world , UTOPIA .

But , if all of us desire to live in a " UTOPIA " nation , we must stop the demand for pornography . Remember , when the demand stopped , porno industry will be out of business .
If you are reading this , please share it with your friends , families and relatives . They deserve to know too .





Monday 20 August 2012

HAPPY HOLIDAYS

Ever imagined a situation when you leaves behind all your gadgets eg smartphones , laptop and Internet in your home and go to a place without them . If you are , then welcome to my life . For the past three days , I had been temporalily " discard " all of my gadgets , trying to stay away from them although  I brought them along to my hometown in Pendang , Kedah , in case of " emergency "  . Some might ask , " Will you survive ? ". Well , I would say that I am doing just fine without them .
Now , why did I said so ? Is it possible to survive without gadgets for three days?
What I can conclude here that most of us were too dependent on these gadgets until it became an " extended body part " of ourself . Whenever there is an interesting scene or item , most of us will capture it on photo and post it on Facebook or tweet about it on Twitter . As for me , I do not see any reason to tweet or posting something on Facebook because I believe that the journey should be about connecting back with the local villagers you know and enhancing your relationship with your relatives , grandparents , cousins and friends , not about showing off the " greatness " of your IT properties .

It is also about enjoying the natural beauty of your hometown . As for me , I took this golden oppurtunity to savour the joyness of waterfalls , dipping myself in the water and let the water flow takes me to whichever path it takes . I also had the oppurtunity to explore the jungles , fruit orchards and estates , in which I have truly enjoyed . As I found later , the pure source of happiness is when you are truly enjoying your stay . For me , that was a truly rewarding experience .

For those who had relatives and grandparents back in the village , why not all of us use the advantage of week - long vacation to reconnect and refoster the relationship which had exist since the day we are born ? Maybe this will be our time to switch off all of our gadgets and immerse ourself in the simple joy of chit - chatting , sharing a healthy dose of laughters and jokes , perhaps asking for forgiveness from our loved ones ? If all of my statement above are true , then pack up now ! It is the time to cherish the good old memories of our beloved , humble hometown .

HAPPY HOLIDAYS
SELAMAT HARI RAYA
MAAF ZAHIR DAN BATIN