Politically correct ...

Note: This is a rare post on politics ... well not entirely.

Back from the brink and not getting any wiser.

I have been sitting on the fence too long watching the world go by. It gets bored sometimes perched up there with nothing to do but observe, learn a little, cheering, jeering, being judgmental, having plenty of ideas, all talks, but not really getting involved. It feels like going to a battle that I wasn't a part of and just stand on the side while other people kill or be killed.

Ok, maybe not that dramatic. Life doesn't revolve around me and my coffee induced rants, right?

But let's face it. When it comes to politics -- my least favorite topic these days -- everyone has an opinion. Everyone. Top to bottom. The politicians most of all. The voters. Even those who don't vote. Even those not of voting age. Even those far away overseas who can't or won't come home to vote. Even those who aren't even from this country. I'm not blaming you, I belong to one of the category above. Nothing wrong with giving an opinion, I'm about to hand one (or two) myself today. However, an opinion remains as what it is -- An Opinion. Subject to neither right nor wrong.

The still-warm General Election 2013 (yes the very same, so go ahead stop reading whenever you feel like it because here comes another opinion from the sidelines you probably have heard before...) left a lot to be desired. You know the results yourself, look it up. The dominant political party Barisan Nasional (BN) won the majority seats, almost by a close call, although personally I won't call it a good victory considering the People's Alliance rose up in great force this season and almost managed to tip the scale of time to create history. Almost, but not quite there. A small victory for them.

On the other hand, let me deliver this while I'm still precariously roosting up here. I support no party but my own. Election is finally over. But didn't somebody say it was only the beginning?

I love my country, but the people in it are getting more and more advanced with their words and attitude and those do not necessarily bring about a good thing. Thanks to social media, you can say just about anything you want and damn the consequences. All the good values and proper upbringing at risk of going down the drain in all those status updates, comments, replies, shared links, supportive or non-supportive mentions, derogatory remarks, big pompous words, seemingly intelligent outbursts, drama. The Internet brings about a lot of good, but it's also a harmful tool. Weapon, if you may.

Start them young ...

With all the political drama going on in our country these past few weeks -- one that saw the supporters instead of the candidates, going to war against each other -- it's any wonder that we're even standing straight and taking it all in stride. I believe this season we're a step ahead (or backward depending on how you read it) what's with all the ruckus some people created to draw attention to  themselves. Using abusive words to hurt and slur your very neighbor, sowing seeds of hatred, teaching kids to discriminate and choose for themselves a vicious path ... Nasty. And then you blame the younger generations for inciting rage and wrath, but you forgot maybe you started it and didn't remember it.

Mouths faster than the brains. Quick to anger, slow to listen. When provoked, influenced by peers, thinking you're somehow following the flow, going where people go... You crack. No, WE crack. Fumbling. Flustered. We responded. Reacting without taking enough time to catch our breath. We stop thinking about all manners of things good and kind. We forget our values, our faith, our upbringing, our friends, most of all, our God who sees all things.

All in the name of defending ourselves, our beliefs, our rights. We're not even going to war and yet here we are shooting virtual venomous ammos at each other. It must be a sign of the end time.

Truly One Malaysia ... and more

Somewhere in the world's most published book I read, "...he who sheds blood in peacetime, will never go to his grave in peace...". A troubling thought, isn't it. Whose God in this world, do you think, teaches His congregations to stir hate and causes strife? None. Or is there? Perhaps you can show me so I would shut it now and stop typing.

*Paused for breath*

So somebody won. Somebody almost won. Not a landslide win, but a win nonetheless. So give it a chance and embrace it. All sides have been given ample (if not too much) time to pitch their sales. All those 5 previous years in the record to show their mettle, make improvements, do stuffs for the good of the people... However you treat those years behind you will determine the votes against or for you.

Winning a seat isn't your personal and individual victory, Sir. Losing a seat doesn't mean you're a horrible leader either, Sir. Remember this isn't about YOU or the POLITICAL PARTY that backed you up. This is about WE THE PEOPLE. WE THE COUNTRY. WE THE NATION.

The die is cast. Be a sport and accept the general r.e.s.u.l.t no matter how hard it is to swallow for some or how unexplainably allegedly unfair it seems. But you wasting your breath isn't going to change the results. Or make the 5 years term run faster.

I love my country. No matter which way the votes swing, I will still be grateful for all the good stuffs I have gained, friends I make who hail from various culture background, abundant of great unique food, the facilities, job opportunities, and the lists is pretty long. See... when you stop to smell the roses, you will probably be able to appreciate a lot more than those.

Development ...

Why would you pit one religion against another? It's just not done. Besides, if God had wanted it any other way (here I go again dragging the Deity into this, but you asked for it, o ye of little faith) He would've tipped the scale to the other side, no assistance from mere mortal like us needed. If this is how we react in the face of internal political strife, God help us when we actually face real bloody war.

Stop being such a sour puss. Don't you have a job to do?

P/s: If you're offended, no apology is going to be issued, not for stating opinions anyway. If you're hilarious, go ahead laugh. If you're thinking I'm pro-something, get it off your head. I'm not. Just a concerned citizen.

The Diversion ...

Do you watch Lord of the Rings? The third sequel, yes, the Return of the King. Remember the part where Frodo and Sam reached Sauron's territory, about to pass to Mount Doom to destroy the One Ring, but they couldn't go undetected because the Ring called for its Master and the closer they get, the hotter it became? And Aragorn had to draw Sauron's army out of its lair to create a diversion so that the Eye will be on them, and not on the two hobbits? Yes. That was the dramatic and climactic part.

Gandalf: He's suffered a defeat, yes, but... behind the walls of Mordor, our enemy is regrouping.

Gimli: Let him stay there. *Let him rot!* Why should we care?

Gandalf: Because ten-thousand Orcs now stand between Frodo and Mount Doom. I've sent him to his death.

Aragorn: No. There is still hope for Frodo. He needs time... and safe passage across the plains of Gorgoroth. We can give him that.

Gimli: How?

Aragorn: Draw out Sauron's armies. Empty his lands. Then we gather our full strength and march on the Black Gate.

Eomer: We cannot achieve victory through strength of arms.

Aragorn: Not for ourselves. But we can give Frodo his chance if we keep Sauron's Eye fixed upon us. Keep him blind to all else that moves.

Legolas: A diversion.

Gimli: Certainty of death, *small* chance of success... What are we waiting for?

Gandalf: Sauron will suspect a trap. He will not take the bait.

Aragorn: [knowingly] No, I think he will. 

Ok... NOW... regroup your thinking. Channel them to this one man who stands alone against a world of accusation, determined to bring him down, by any way possible, no matter who will stoop low enough to do it, no matter if God's name is dragged into it, no matter who gets hurt or even killed in the process.

First the demotion, and the mutiny, and then the sodomy, and just when we all thought it would eventually die a natural death, suddenly the sex tape. When you drag God's name into this, no matter whose God, it is already blasphemy. Making an oath that way will make it believable, so some say. But I also heard some say that you can take it back when you repent. Really? In my opinion, in the first place, you do not bring God's name into this, it is an insult in the highest manner. And I hope those people remember, every oath you make, you bring your own fate into it.

Oh my God... I cannot imagine what will happen if God does come down and judge those oath you make.

I don't know about you, but I feel like everything is now blown out of proportion. So out that it begins to look unreal. Fictionalized. And there seems to be pretty much a lot of room for loop holes. But who is checking? No one. And to a neutral party like me... it looks like an act of pure desperation. Last chance resort. And really, when you look real deep into it, doesn't it make the person actually look more innocent than guilty?

And those things the trio did ... I cannot imagine the stuffs that was exchanged and said and done to make such a confession - to trap a person. There's a saying that says you can't blow the whistle without drawing attention to yourself.

Oh yes. Another election is coming. There's your diversion. That's not all there is to it. People are afraid. They're actually afraid of the power of the revolution. I wish I took Science Politics, I could make money talking about craps.

But halt. I'm not for Anwar. I'm not for UMNO. I'm not saying he is innocent, neither am I saying he is guilty. I'm not questioning the credibility of the system or whoever holds the reign. I'm just saying, let's stop the whole Down-With-Anwar campaign, and focus on the real world crisis. It is really embarrassing. The whole world knows about us!

I mean, can you imagine what exactly would happen if he turned out to be innocent after all?

I'm just saying ...

The media politics...

[Could've gotten paid for this post in a magazine, but the mag was too politically biased for my taste]

Told from a completely neutral perspective. I stand corrected. Who the heck cares anyway. I'm  not a political columnist.

The medias are biased. Majority of the newspapers play down the oppositions and highlights the bigger player. Freedom of the press cardinal rule of neutrality broken. Yes, I understand you work for the stakeholders who pay your salary, and no I don't blame you. And yes the media plays a huge role during election. I still think all the reports should be balanced and no adding up or using adjectives that clearly shows who you vote for. It's no wonder the oppositions feel a need to have their own printed words, because no one give them any chance to talk even for a while.

I repeat, I support no parties. I merely support a Free Media that reports accordingly and truthfully, and doing the best at their jobs without having the obligation to have to follow house rules. Journalists are smart people. If you limit their scopes, you limit their abilities. If you limit their abilities, you'll have a shitty report. And then put the blame on them. WTH.

I stopped reading newspapers these past few days. I stopped watching the local news. They all report on one front and make the other front look bad. That's not what I call a good report.

Nearing the Election, it just keep getting blown up. Every candidate promises to make a bridge even when there was no river. Every candidate visits the people and shakes countless hands. Every candidate visits the long houses, the taxi unions, the small entrepreneurs, the single mothers. Why they keep zooming down on the defenseless, I have no idea - the crippled, the blind, the orphans, the weak - to show compassion, true, no harm. But when they go and report that the candidate "berjiwa rakyat", I just about choked on my coffee.

Please. I just want to read an undiluted report some times. Reading a many-times-over watered down piece of article is like drinking coffee that looks like tea.

But things are not always what they seemed like, aren't they? We're always obligated one way or another. Wait until you hear about what I have to say about ALL the candidates. But Polling Day is merely two days away, so it might not be relevant anymore. Hmm.

STOP.

P/S: No offense to all the media practitioners. Just sharing my cup's worth of coffee. Like I said, I stand corrected. Not stand to be shot.

PSS: I need a holiday. Apparently I keep making heavy posts. This can't be healthy. Stop!

When the trust has been breached...

I have to apologize. This is probably going to sound like another one of those faith cum political talks that we all detest so much and yet couldn't stay away from.

Christians all over the world are not aggressive people. Before you roll your eyes and disagree with me, here's the partial truth: All Faith teaches their congregations to respect each other, especially those from a different faith, and not to resort to violence when dealing with any kinds of crisis. Right? All Faith except Satanism, that is. But let's not go there.

So, in the wake of the Sarawak Election, something just doesn't add up.

• First, you try to take something precious from the Christians. This confuses the people because it never happened.
• Secondly, you try to put your marks on them. This annoys the people, because in the name of the government, you might have the right to do that, but the people know it's just wrong.
• Third, you try to negotiate with the people. This just makes you look stupid because you sent the wrong negotiator.
• Fourth, you gave 10 reasons why the people should let you do what you have just decided you should do. This just pisses people off more because why come up with 10 when they all mean the same thing - a NO?
• Fifth, in the end, you wanted to release the Books. This just shows that decisions can change anytime. You can take it back again, and who could stop you? This just looks like a political stunt to rope in the votes. No, you disagree? Well that is exactly what it looks like to me.
• And sixth... you expect after all that has happened, after all that has been said and done, that the people will have any hope left in you? You who disappoint the very people who used to put their trust in you. 
• Seven... I read the 10 points. All I got was bla bla bla 10 point solution. And I thought my English was good. 
• Eight... I cannot come up with my own 10 points on this it seems. Did you notice those 10s are probably repetitive and redundant? Did you? Tell me. I'm dying to know.

If you give a toy to a child, he will love you. If you take it away from him, he will cry for a while. But when you give it back, he will rejoice and forget that you have ever done him wrong. His mentality is not yet conditioned to remember the hurt you inflicted.

If you give something precious to a grown up, he will be grateful. But if you take it away, he may fight you and then end up accepting his fate, but resentment will grow. You are not God to simply give and take as you please.

The people are not stupid. They are not docile. Not anymore.

I don't support any Parties, at least not outright. I am speaking on behalf of all the other Christians who have been quiet and supportive of good deeds done by the government of the day all this while. What changed?

I THOUGHT YOU WANTED THEIR VOTES? WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?

Hold that thought ...

Notice:

GAGO NGAN ELECTION DUN SARAWAK

BUSY WITH SARAWAK DUN ELECTION

SIBUK DENGAN PILIHAN RAYA DUN SARAWAK

KIRUOH NGAU PENGAWA BEPILIH KABAN KAUNSIL NEGERI SARAWAK

SIRUBUT NGA KERJA MIEN PINGUBAK RAIS SARAWAK

[INSERT CHINESE TRANSLATION] 

[INSERT ORANG ULU (mana-mana dialect) TRANSLATION] 

Even though I don't campaign, I don't vote, and I'm not on anybody's side.

... I detest politics ... it made me missed my morning coffees so many days already ...