Tuesday 17 February 2009

A Politician's Right to Privacy

The latest controversy to hit the Malaysian political circus is the exposure of nude images of a certain female politician in Selangor. The photos/video purportedly taken by an estranged ex beau, showed the lady in compromised positions. As a result, the politician concerned has offered her resignation as an elected rep thus cruelly bringing her fledgling political career to an abrupt end. 

Now, my take on this is simple: the lady had to resign simply because she was single and cohabitating with another man in the land of Malaysia. Had she been married, trust me, this act would backfire spectacularly on the perpetrators as no Malaysian would tolerate the invasion of privacy where a married couple is concerned. 

Whilst cohabitating or having a live-in boyfriend/girlfriend is an almost universally accepted practice in many (especially Western) countries, the practice is frowned upon by a large section of Malaysian society (especially by orthodox  members of the Malay Muslim population). 
Hence, considering the upcoming by-elections faced by the PR in 2 Malay majority constituencies, this act was done to undermine the PR and make them look bad.

The bottomline is this, if you are an elected rep of PR, should your lifestyle/practices not conform with what is generally accepted by Malaysian society, please guard it with extreme caution. Any exposure can potentially cost you your political career. Sad, but true. 

Tuesday 30 September 2008

The main reason I created this blog was to share my insights regarding socio-political developments occurring in Malaysia and the world at large. However, allow me to digress today and reflect on something a bit closer to heart; Hari Raya festivities. 

Today is Hari Raya or Eid ul Fitr in the UK. Spiritual significance aside, I always looked forward more to Hari Raya than Deepavali. Maybe because I did not have Malay food that often and the thought of having lemang, rendang, ketupat and serunding got me quite excited and I looked forward to attending all the Hari Raya open houses hosted by friends, neighbours and colleagues of my dad. My earliest memory of a Hari Raya open house would take me back to when I was about 5 or 6 years old (about 17 years ago). It was at the home of my dad's former colleague and boss, Tengku Shamsul. It was at night and the house was beautifully lit up and food was being served all over. The guests were all having a good time and I remember chatting away with this middle aged gentleman sitting opposite me. My sister, who sat next to me, was quite quiet in contrast. Why that night remains firmly etched in memory, I do not know. Maybe it was the exotic mix of good food, warm ambience and good company that had me transfixed.. i don't know really.. 

Then there was Aunty Kamsiah's open house in Gombak. Aunty Kamsiah was also a former colleague of my dad. I remember her open house because it is the first time i actually recollect enjoying rendang. Somehow the house was quite empty when I arrived (maybe because we arrived late), but Aunty Kamsiah and her family were really hospitable. They made us feel welcome and we were treated to a sumptuous feast of rendang, ketupat, and other Raya goodies which I relished with utter delight. 

Closer to home, there was the open house of Aunty Halimah and Uncle Shahid, our only Malay neighbours. The food here was more  fusion cuisine owing to Uncle Shahid's Pakistani background. Probably one of the few open houses where one could find 'sambal udang' and "Kheer" side by side. Plus there was the added excitement of going to Aunty Halimah's house. Her house was the most tastefully decorated in our neighbourhood. Plush carpets and rugs, fine wood cabinets, and other well chosen fixtures adorned her house. 

Above all, I looked forward to Hari Raya because a Hari Raya open house had a certain charm to it; a certain vibe which I found to be very unique and not quite replicated elsewhere. It probably is beyond me to explain what exactly I found so spellbinding. Maybe it was the warm courteous nature of our hosts (the Malays are well known for their amiable, courteous nature) or perhaps it was just that it was the novelty factor acting on me.. i really don't know... 

Some of you may already wonder, why am I writing  on this topic. Apart from today being Hari Raya, I missed out on the opportunity to attend the Malaysian High Commission Hari Raya open house in London as I had to attend a clinic with my Consultant. During the clinic, I started to reminisce about what I used to do every Hari Raya and suddenly I was overcome by a bout of of nostalgia and I decided to write this post. 

To all my Muslim friends out there: Selamat Hari Raya / Eid Mubarak!

Hopefully next year I can have my share of rendang and ketupat :)

Friday 26 September 2008

Hello everyone!

Sorry for not updating my blog for ages.. there shall be some new posts coming up soon. I have 31 articles in hand waiting to be posted. They shall be released when the time is right. Ok ok.. take that with a pinch of  salt, I don't have 31 articles in hand, but i am working on it.

However, I shall be dealing with the following topics in the near future, so be on the lookout. They are:

i) Affirmative action
ii) Edcuation in Malaysia
iii) Commentaries on the Malaysian political scene
iv) Anything else that piques my interest

This is however NOT going to be a 'Bimbo Blog'. Readers shall not find posts such as 'What I ate last night', pictures of food splashed all over etc; get the picture??

Anyway.. I have got to temporarily stop for now. Its time for a round of bridge with the mates. Tc everyone and see you soon.