desiderata.civilsociety
Subtitle of Post:
THE MALAYSIAN DILEMMA – THE LAMENT OF YOUTH TODAY
I quote from my own, a funny way, second time a-sinning, to start:
Oh Yan, today is one rare day you beAt me to the starting line
Now thou Challengeth me to wine, women and song sublime?
Oh yan you teAsed with such startling line'
you say twas some Browning who's on thy mind
Desi suspects there's more than suspecting
mayeth it be Me she's alluding?
Desi's mind nowadays wandereth
And sometimes to ex-Catsville saudereth
with intimations of Death like sunset visiting
common folks like me, not thee, are found wanting
i dedicate my thoughts to near immortals like Shakespeare
and some soul ...a-man?
that a nigh Truth I seem to see at hand
In THE HORIZON YONDER
I need to be a child again to ponder
Unmasked, unpainted, untainted
I whispered Don't Colour Me
Let it be, LET IT BE ME
But thou honoureth me that I discern
oh Yan, from Sibu, mGf I leArn
there's none so lost than poets and writer-aspirants be
none so lost, as a small dot like Desi
When DESIDERATA started blogging on the Ides of March, 2005, one of the stated main objectives is to promote a CIVIL SOCIETY, as this is surely leading among the young nation’s VISION 2020 goals on the 15-years-to-go horizon. I had lamented – though not the way mGf at kyels.com has done in her Laments of a Broken-Hearted Silhouette, but more on looking from a writer’s eyelens of some 30 years as a functioning journalist, and a little astigmatism has set in. (Well, I tried my best to be functional, though many in the Fourth Estate have been accused of, and could indeed be guilty of merely shaking legs on another 8-to-5 job, or worse, functioning like zombies mouthing the official line …am I digressing?)
Today’s rumination is a li’l LATE, at the opening poem written on a Challenge intimates why. Because I wandereth to mGf http://yancorner.nlogspot.com for some wisdom and INspiration; it never fails me. This discussion is pretty long, even by the “long” digresser’s standards, so if you are sleepy, or can’t stand what I believe a worthy conversation with the YOUNG ONES will still engage thee with some nuggets of wisdom, even sprinkltes of foolery, then Fare Thee Well, visit Desi’s Place on a more leisurely day when you have a better life, when one has the time to stand and stare. (If thou steal don’t know where this nuggetline is stolen from, then you don’t know Desiderata at all, and DO NOT COLOUR ME. (those numbering 1 to 20 on my two hands' fingers and two feet's toes may know what I'm hinting at, at first time imitating some mGf bloggers *wink, wink*...
This article is long because the subject is of utmost importance is my present scheme of things. Too often we have heard the line “The youth of today are the leaders of tomorrow”, in a cliché-sort of way, stated in “by the way” by adults, many of them national leaders, but they didn’t even pause to think about the highways, byways, nooks and crannies, and the funny ways of youth traversed by the YoungOnes in this journey called LIFE.
Today Desiderata tries, because he cares, he dares.
But feel free to come back at him maybe with thy verbal atttacks, or affirmations perhaps, which I’ll persuade with a Tehtarik! (running out…, even sarcasm or wise cracks, mayhaps, but REMEMBER, though it’s no more September, with that thing I keep reminding my EsteemedReaders, RATionale alright, even mousey-one will do.
And because the title says it focuses on YHE YOUNG ONES (hey, where is Sir Cliff Richard, sing us thatone!), I’m going to quote some of the sub-class of the species named Homo sapiens who I think fit the description “awesome”.
As I began this rambling wandering at 6.24AM, I was listening to light&easy and I reprise partially the atmospherics:
“Are you going to Scarborough Fair?
Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme
Remember me to one who lives there
For once she was a true love of mine…”
***MINI-CHAALENGIA: the main purpose is to rock thy beautiful Mind, and to train my I.Cowws, though not so insignificant or ignorant, to use critical thinking, and a rational mind, when discussing any BIG national issues, which I believe THE MALAYSIAN DILEMMA clearly is one.
The lyrics were featured in a movie – NAME that movie, who composed the song and why do you think Desi extracted a stanza to be part of today’s ramblings, IgnorantCows?
DEADLINE: 6AM tomorrow October 22, 2005.
PRIZE: ah, a surprise which may yet surpass Desi’s standards, provided you give a youthful and vibrant, and uplifting RATIONALE!
****
Back to the subject under scrutiny, I thank one YoungHun for his patience who left a footprint at my post last Saturday “The State of Affairs of Malaysia” – NegaraKu, oh dear it means My Country, but actually I wanted to mean, Your Country2, OUR COUNTRY.
Ne’er mind, as I’m in heightened spirits, for this is what JOHNLEEMK wrote (the emphasis in BOLD is mine) , and I gave him a SE7EN Star rating::
“*******
I am quite close to giving up hope on Malaysia. Having explored much of the blogosphere and alternative media channels for the past few months, the only glimmer of hope I've seen is in some isolated forums where the young and liberal (often living overseas) and dissasociated with any party congregate.
The government is hopeless. The country is being run by incompetent nincompoops. My water is worse than teh tarik quality. The potholes in the main road near my school and a major shopping centre are atrocious. At the confluence of half a dozen shopping centres in Damansara with an empty field right in the middle between them, nobody has thought of building an LRT station. Middle class folk have to hire private guards to avoid being robbed (not that these guards are you know, working or anything). Our schools are churning out brainless idiots.
But ask yourself, is the opposition any better? They claim to champion such causes, but their most public writings and speeches, particularly in parliament, tend to focus on things only the rich or at least well off can relate to. The man in the kampung or the guy who has to ride a bus to work everyday probably doesn't care about APs, the ISA or OSA. He cares about being able to continue his way of life and/or have enough money and time to drop by one of those malls in Damansara to hang out.
The only party with enough ties to the grassroots to recognise this, PAS, is hell-bent on establishing an Islamic theocracy, a concept more Muslim Indonesia has largely abandoned. So ask yourself - can anyone effect meaningful and successful change in our country? Oh, sure, a new opposition party might be able to capitalise on the common man's discontent with his daily life. But unless this party has the bling-bling and money to finance its operations, it won't have the support and workforce it needs to get the word out. And unfortunately, those holding the pursestrings either have vested interests in the government, an Islamic state, or some off-beat cause like overturning the ISA.
The conclusion I have come to is that only the voters can make a difference, and not by voting the opposition in or the government out, but by casting a spoilt vote. A spoilt vote means discontent. It means "I'm fed up". It means "I think you're both bloody crazy". And like it or not, there's nothing anyone can do about, oh, say, a rate of 40% spoilt votes. The global media institutions will be all over it. And both sides of the political divide will have to ask themselves: Where did we go wrong?
The way I see it, that's the only hope we have now for effecting change. It's crazy, and it probably won't affect the composition of parliament much. But hey, it'll make the world headlines, and wouldn't that be much greater than just placing a lousy opposition in office? It'll be something new for the Malaysia Book of Records - Malaysia, the first country in the world with a rate of 50% spoiled votes.
(Hey, you're never going to get those apathetic unregistered voters to vote for the opposition, so wouldn't it be worth a shot asking them to spoil their votes?) *******”
DESIDERATA is reprising some extracts from his answer, advised as “initial” as I promised LeeMK a more thorough engagement (delayed a few days, hence to do penance, this LONG post…, and being engaging, and I mean to make it thus, I’m giving a second helping TOMORROW, along with that ANSWER to the Challengia. See, I don’t have much to do but sit around the stupid looking PC, but I enjoy it, cos when I get angry, I slap the stupid-lurking PC and he does not flame me back. But foremost, I eArn my B&B from my deArie PC, so treat it nice, OK! Flame me, don't flame my PC! I’m grateful, please just don’t run away with the lembu-lembu … still waiting after several weeks for them to come home, so I can entertain some picky visitors here with TT with susu-lembu… some even want to tambah Ha-Lia!:) which I traditional welcome my Readers on "maiden" calls (I almost used "virgin", but that's inappropraite...:(
“*Hi, dear john:
this is not a Dear John letter (see Desi has sum humour stored in him yet, despite John’s pessimistic opening line … BAD habit, digressing, but hey, this is my blog, and digressing is Desi’s 3rd name! I told Sabrina that our common second is TRUEGRIT, we don’t “give up” so eAsily!:)
, as you appear like a SoaringSpirit out of THE HORIZON YONDER, just this YoungVoice lifts Desi's spirit to fight another year.(Yes, I promise I’ll be around to haunt thee (Imran?) come 2006 at least. You are happy, aren’t you, with the haunting…I had written that some Malaysians suffer from a thingy called masochism. If you don’t know what this is, please refer to Dat Chambers ‘ick! Mama mia, some1 is crying: Des’s proFUNity!
This peace is writ like a film-script, you know why? That’s for the moment a Rhetorical Question, it will be un-rhetorical-ised come November 1. Patience like John, eh!
SO NOW go back to my reference post and re-read John’s comments!
To continue the extracts:
“In my frontpage I said it's in the YoungOnes I place my HOPES, thy surprise visit out of the blue vindicates my anchoring on you YoungOnes, not so ignorant or insignificant, I have "humourously" said before.
”johnleemk: You plunged into the chase early, I like that, but do not despair so easily:
You said...
I am quite close to giving up hope on Malaysia. Having explored much of the blogosphere and alternative media channels for the past few months, the only glimmer of hope I've seen is in some isolated forums where the young and liberal (often living overseas) and dissasociated with any party congregate."
(Desi's response)I discern you are Young, but you are very articulate, of strong convictions well expressed -- one after Desi's heArt like some Mentees I've garnered before thee. I think I can engage meAningfully with another YoungMind here, who knows well what he wants. Fires of idealism. I admire that.
It's with people like thee, ganging up with YoungKyels, Sab and Imran and several others who todaye have not joined these lively convversations here...I place my bet for ABETTERMALAYSIA.
I'm NOT going to engage thee at the moment -- just as I did not enage Sabrina, Kyels & Imran in yesterday's Comments in detail as I deem thy visit today is worthy of another FRONTPAGE treatment….*”
Another "older" Malaysian studying Dentistry in New Zealand, Sabrina Tan, was almost equally pessimistic, and dismissive2, as John, right from the staring line: said:
”*Malaysia will NOT improve. This is because if we are willing to improve, Malaysians must be ready for a political upheaval, and at the moment we are too comfortable with that and we won't be willing to do it.
Malaysians are driven by fear. Politicians are willing to play the race card every now and then, which further exacerbates the political instability. *”
Indeed, Sabrina added that Malaysia is heavily corrupted. "No, don't tell me that we are better off than countries like India, etc. We shouldn't compare with the worse countries, but instead strive to be as clean as the other countries like Singapore, New Zealand."
Her strong conviction is that Malaysia is NOT going to improve, unless there is some "divine intervention".
So here goes the current thoughts of DESIDERATA on a Brand Nu(de…) Day in this wonderful land called Malaysia, NegaraKu, My country, your country, OUR COUNTRY.
I ask of YoungOnes like Leemk, Sabrina:
Why are you so pessimistic at this young age in thy life? You are seeing the dawning of ye bright glimmering, and sometimes shining, rays of the Sunrise on a Primeday’s morn, not witnessing the eveningor twilight grey and blackishstreaks of the sunset.
The Horizon Yonder appears bright, the rays of sunrise are always warm in streaks of red, orange and yellow, and BLUE too, my fav colour.
And while ideas may allowed to have the paler shades of grey, as implied by Chiaroscuro, as Life is never painted in Black or White, the XXtremes, we need a whole spectrum of ideas to run through one’s life span to truly XXperience the challenges ahead.
Try to remember, I always remind my readers, especially the YoungOnes, the Rainbow always will appear after a Storm.
In teenage and youthful years, and MINDS too, and I stress this, you may be entering your 50s, 60s, or 70s, or even 80s like Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Dr Yang Chen Ning (a mini Challengia for you to discover who he is…), or Rupert Murdoch, THE MALYSIAN DILEMMA present, and ahead, calls for New Thinking, Idealistic Thinking, Reformation Thinking.
I won’t use the word "Revolutionary", for it scAres the Hell out of some Malaysians, no, not just the old (as in AGE) folks, but the less informed, the most prone to conform, the first to cry Blue Murder, then quickly RetreAt like a Doggie wagging its tail between its hind legs. (Sorry, dog lovers out there like Mr S H Tan, it’s just metaphorical!) Also, some Idiot may just use that LABEL on us writers and we'll just have to close shop, and we don't want that to happen, do we?
I normally go back to My Masters like William Shakespeare, Robert Frost, Socrates, Lao Tze and several Others to reinforce or emphasis my points, so I’ll end temporarily with, from that Errr-wat?-man, so figurerrth:
Reforming oneself
It has been raining again. I have been
indoors, meditating on the short-
comings of life.
I wish there were more kindly persons
in the world. Our competitive life
develops selfishness and unkindness.
I am determined to do something about it.
I cannot hope to convert many
persons.
To convert one person, I
shall do well.
I will begin with the person I know best –
myself.
When it rains and one is much indoors,
one is likely to meditate on the
shortcomings of life.
Let me think – how shall I make myself
kind, gentle and considerate?
I do believe it has stopped raining.
I can go out now. I’ll go and shoot on
the archery ranch.
I’ll not bother to reform myself today.
Perhaps tomorrow – if it is raining,
and I must stay indoors, and meditate
on the shortcomings of life.
See you, folks -- The film script–writing continues to morrow; Insya-llah.
21 comments:
I wrote an entry about making a change here at this link but unfortunately, many was not able to read behind the lines of the first para or maybe my lines were perfectly covered up =P
http://skay.blogdrive.com/archive/142.html
For 40 over years now, our water are never crystal clear nor was there any major quality improvement (if any). Maybe its time we take the risk and change to a new brand of filter ;)
s kay: right behind you on that one.
desi: i am not going to further elaborate on my stance any further. perhaps if you will like to understand my stance, do some reading over the weekend on data like:
1) GDP per capita-- where is malaysia now.
2) corruption index--look at where is malaysia's position at the moment, in comparison to the others.
3) look at other sources, and i mean overseas based research, on our Malaysian history, esp 1969.
perhaps you will see why i am saying all this. and there are many more.
if you are interested to know further, contact me and i'll get in touch with you to the right source.
Desi,
We need to get to root cause of all our problems, which is money, and then the world will be blue skies and everything nice.
In my opinion, the root cause of all these is not money but the mindset of the individuals involved. If you're able to change your mindset and do something different for a change, you'd eventually find a way to get around your problem. All other developed countries started off poor but where are they now? How did they get to where they are currently? Having the money but not know how to get around the root of the problems doesn't make much of a difference. You'd end up doing the wrong thing and make matters worse.
s-kay:
we welcome thee again to our converse -- I know you visited befor, but a wee bit short so blame some of us if we failed to catch some "lines" you printed here. No worries, you can always re-state your premises (for change) as we have enough tehtarik to "induce" the company here, including you, ayoung one I know fromprevious peeks here.
for starters I'm glad you have sparred with brudder IM, for you see, sometimes there's just 1/2 of him we see of his right premises, but he left out his left. We shall hear more from him about the "MONEY" issue.
It's "the Love of money that's the root of all evil"; and it applied universally around the wide, wide wrold, not particular to Malaysia.
I gather the direction Brudderr is leading us __ the overwhelming indulgence of MONEY POLITICS that's only acted upon by the main componet in th eruling coalition i.e. UMNO, with just ONE BIG SHOT given the marching orders, belatedly, finally, the senior most VP Mohd Isa, who also rode into the sunet as Federal Territories Minister.
I have lamented about YoungOnes begeting potential leaders in the next echelon in the moulds of UMNO youth chiefs (wielding the keris, Remember, driving a RM1million 4WD ...) and wat, the MCA youth2 Ling Jr making EAT< DRINK & MERRY as an asset to be praised and emulated?
I weep for the YoungONes, hence my first point to thee: Why surrender your battle without a fight, so early in your life?
s-kay{ can you come back with your viewpoints to challenge Sab and Johnleemk on the FIRST POINT in the latter's laments? The other points I'll tackle Tomorrow, Insya-allah.
sabrina:
today's title is a sub-theme of our NATIONAL DAY ESSAYS broadly titled THE MALAYSIAN DILEMMA.
It's nigh impossible for us in a few chapters to approach,and cover yes, many problems, some major, some medium , some just irritant -- in a short span with our Blogosphere fRiends. But it's a good start then --with SIX POSTS, now the SE7ENth implanted on leemk's budding -- we'll invite more comers, the old ones too, to explore the subthemes on ECONOMIC LANDSCAPE,(which encompass the indicators you mentioned -- GDP, CPI both consumers price index, and the latest announced CPI (by Transparency International of 39th ranking of Malaysia for CORRUPTION PERCEPTIONS INDEX...), the SOCIAL and CIVIL SOCIETY, whether historical, "The Malay Dilemma" era of 22 long years, which dominated a whole life span of ONE GENERATION of Malaysians knowing of just one PM (Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad)., etc, etc.
I hope Sabrina you come back here tomorrow after my reactions -- whether rpo- or contra- leemk's on the other points, and see if there is HOPE YET. I'm anchoring my HOPES on the YOUNGONES, who by defintion of God's nature of being, dwell IDEALISM, the desidearat.reform,, new thinking and therefor, CHANGE. For better or worse; I'm sure it's usually for THEBETTERMALAYSIA.
Inran:
You already have one reaction to your view about ONEY being the root cause of our problem. Brudder, it's nOT THAT SIMPLE.
Money, as I earlier said, is only a medium of exchange of.for acquiring goods and services, of course, buying the politicians' soul, especially those type who believe in wat? EAT< DRINK and BE MERRY, becoming a BILLIONAITE at 27?
Or those UMNO politikus who allegedly spent millions to acquite a VP post -- just several heartbeats away from the premiership of OUR COUNTRY.
I remember one slogan usredto promte that bloody fair, yes, catchy, but "disgraceful" (IMHO) -- "THE 'HOLE OF MALAYSIAS IS ON SALE!" Know that one?
S-kay:
yes, an important point brought up by you on re-visit: MINDSET.
I recall Imran and Sab were "criticsied" by some reader on their comparisions with Singapore, NZ or UK in order to emulate to progress, and not comapre ourselves with lesser developed countries.
This is precisley the point -- we aspire towards DEVELOPED NATION status by 2020, 15 years on the NEAR HORIZON. We need to have a mindset of a developed nation, even the PM has lamented that Malaysia boasts first world infrastructure -- the tallest twin towers (PETRONAS...I sigh when this national oil corp is mentioned ...Other reasons) in the world, but its citizenry displaying Third World mentailty --common littering,and oh, no that stinking public toilet unless you use that RM...per visit at KLCC.... highway MISbehaviour hence one of world's highest accident and fatality rates...ad nauseum.
But it's preciously also the counterpoint those countries have reAched the "developed" nation status,, we need the uyounger generation to drive the engine of gowth, and direction of steering, in th right direction(s) in all speheres.
Don't surrender such duties to those WHOSE PRIORITY IS MAKING QUICK BUCKS and EAT< DRINK and BE MERRY!
Now behave like Oliver, Olicvia, even Olivetti, come back for more; you can ask for more, of Desi's tehsi, tehtarik, or your CONVERSATIONISTS' rojaks, potpourri of the best cuiisines in the wat? 'hole wide world? -- yeah, nasicampur& yes, CON BF, also can!:)
desi;
shan't say anymore. i think you will have a feeling on whether i support leemk's views or not.
one of the 'right sources' shall be revealed here:
http://think.com.my/article.cfm?art_ID=44
courtesy of fellow blogger/writer John Ling. perhaps you can direct questions to him personally?
cheerz
The answer to your challegia:
Song title:
Scarborough Fair
Written and performed by:
Martin Carthy (a popular folk singer in UK)
Also Performed by:
Simon and Garfunkel
Featured Movie:
The Graduate (1967)
The reason it's part of a stanza?
The song is about someone who is jilted. In this case, Desi is jilted by the love for his country, but yet the love for his country requires you to do things which may seem downright impossible. But you will still labour on because you believe nothing is impossible, especially for your beloved country.
Thank you.
One major problem with Malaysian politics is partisanship. Practically every supporter of a political party I've seen gets very angry when you question even one or two things about their party. While there are a lot of kaki bodek in the government, try asking about Anwar and corruption in the presence of some Keadilan members and see what you get. This blinds both sides and makes them work for the party, not the country.
Things aren't aided much by the fact that most government politicians use their power to help themselves before the country. To them, being Education Minister isn't a responsibility but a privilege, because it places you among a top few with a shot at becoming PM. When you're the Works or Higher Education Minister, you can promise juicy jobs on building infrastructure to your cronies, who then give you a cut. Serving the country and its people is only an ancillary sidethought.
The opposition isn't much better because despite all their talk about improving the people's lives, in parliament, they have never really bothered to make a hubbub about things people care about. Nearly everyone can relate to being pissed off about Bumi tycoons, unclean water, and the shitty state of municipal governments, but the DAP has not tried to do anything about it. They have not authored a bill or act to make local government elections mandatory. They don't even seem to have made much of the issue in parliament (at least, that's the impression I get, reading Lim Kit Siang's blog.)
Because of the opposition's focus on pet causes like transparency (good, but does the common man care? Make transparency an auxiliary goal, not your main focus) or the ISA (only a small minority piss the government off enough to end up in Kamunting, so only those who know someone that got locked up will care) you can forget about the DAP or Keadilan winning the election. PAS has a chance, but its theocracy will never be acceptable to non-Muslims. (Unfortunately, many partisan armchair politicians tend to interpret this as tacit support of the government because the opposition is incompetent. Not so.)
Thusly, the only chance for change (and yes, we do need change - if you really need to see our country's potential, look at Singapore or even South Korea) is through the government itself. However, big business (more like big GLCs) and heavyweight politicians have huge vested interests in the government maintaining its grip on power and thus ability to leech off the common man. Because the way UMNO, MCA and MIC are structured guarantees only a few hundred have any influence on party elections, gaining control is a simple task.
Until now, we've managed to avoid the repercussions of such lackadaisical disregard for responsibility or the law because of incredible economic growth. Already, Class F contractors are feeling the pinch with less and less contracts available. Our country's economy is growing more slowly, and carving up the economic pie while satisfying everyone is becoming harder and harder.
The pressure for change will build up in the same way you press down on a spring. For a long time, since the beginning of Mahathir's rule, the government's held the spring down. But at some point, enough tension will build up, and the spring will release all its potential energy. So, much as JFK once said, "those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable," our country is in deep shit unless we can turn things around.
But who can effect such change? Nobody. Those few who are intelligent and driven enough to bring about change in a meaningful way are either kicked out of the political establishment (in the government, nobody can challenge the BN big guns; in the opposition, forget about competing with Anwar or LKS for leadership) or absorbed into the corrupt or impotent ways of the establishment (like with Lim Guan Eng, who seems pretty much like a chip off the old block, or with Hishamuddin and Khairy).
That's why I'm pessimistic about our chances for change and pessimistic about Malaysia's chances for survival.
From observations, no one has ever stopped complaining about the way the current government is running our country but yet they keep placing their "x" marks on the 'dacing'. Why so? Like what John mentioned, "nobody can challenge the BN big guns". I have seen people not placing their votes because they know that it doesn't matter, in their minds.."They're gonna win anyway, I might as well just enjoy my sleep". People like my parents have gave up voting because they too are not bothered anymore. So what if I voted or not? Would it make a difference?
Now you see, it all boils down to the mind. Unfortunately, changing a person's mindset is often the most difficult thing to do. The older generation are too comfortable in the sense that they're not willing to sacrifice what they have currently but yet continuously complain about it while the younger generation, they couldn't care less about the country because to them, "Hey, if I can't get what I want right here, might as well go find it elsewhere".
Only by our votes can we, the younger generation make a change but unfortunately, there are not many alternatives to choose from. The closest to being a potential one have unfortunately been burned by our dear Tun. But I'm betting that a comeback by them will happen. Maybe then, we can start making a change. Hopefully, for the better. Like I've to many people before, if you like the taste of it, continue ordering it but if you don't like it? Heck, you can always change it back to your usual on your next visit.
There is definitely no hope left if everyone (especially the young ones) start looking for hope elsewhere and give up so easily. We, the young ones have been too comfortable to want to make a change. We are afraid to question as questioning will lead us into trouble, making a change comes with a big sacrifice and the young ones are not willing to do that.
I will start making a change by educating my future children with what I perceive to be a better mindset. Because the point of change will only happen if you're able to bring in a breath of new ideas and able to look at things from a different perspective. Hopefully, the change will spread and who knows, 10 or 20 years or maybe more down the road, a change will finally take place. Our country is still young..it's too early to give up hope on her yet.
And I can feel that our current PM is trying to make a change. Like I've said earlier, the country is still young, so is the current government. A change cannot occur overnight because things make look simple in our point of view but for them, there's a whole lot more to consider.
Hi Desi
Yes im trying to convert you to acrylic medium ;)
I found a store that sells Chromacryl the product i use ;).
Craft Haven
Street Address : Lot S211, 1 Utama Shopping Centre, Bandar Utama
State : Petaling Jaya
Post/Zip code : 47800
Country : Malaysia
It shouldn't be expensive , as it is not expensive over here.
Okz enough nagging for today tcz
ALL DEAR XsteAmed Readers:
Desi wokred mighty late last nite to finish anweekly assignment for a newspaper, missing the dealine by 1/2 hour, was too doggone tired to check in here at COMMENTS until I posted Saturday's PART 2 to this interesting topic subthemed from THE MALAYSIAN DILEMMA.
I'm leaving my RESPONSES to the comments starting with the last by:
Sabrina,
followed by Imran, skay, ah nice leemk, who starteditall,
then sweetspirit
-- which I would take on in my FrontPage where relevant on MONDAY as I feel it's important for a Part 3, even a Part 4 ...Let's 4!
MeAnwhile, you visit Part 2 which I posted up 15 minutes ago (2pm, saturday Oct 22), and give Desi or leemk (hey, he's Da Boss for todie...with Desi as gatekeeper!)the meAnest you can get. FlAme us , or Desi alONE if you disAGREE, but remember to practise some decorum, we aren't those jumpin' up and down at Dat august House, or the Zoo, the latter's which actually is of better behaviour than Dat former house...it's no more August,we'll Try to Remember, both October's Fest and September's nostalgiA!
Right? Left, wlong, also-can,
PROvided, you state
YOUR RATIONale, mousey-one, also-can!:)
The Malaysian Dilemma...
What have been said was already said in my essay...
I guess money is the root of all evil. If only money politics could stop.. And if it does I am sure that Malaysia will be a better place.
Plus, I do agree with Sab because our GDP per capita is not really high. Moreover we have a lot of corrupted politicians who wouldn't stop corrupting...
If all mentioned above does not stop Malaysia will not be any better although I still have hope for it though the hope is really miniscule on my side... Sigh.
first of: hats off to brudder IMran in TRYING MY CHALLENGIA:
I'm flattered by thy answer -- if only Desi can live up to just HALF of thy expectations/asssessment of my political struggle cos of my love for country, I'm already more than grateful from one so-called "fan" -- Bro, I'll try, alright, for that you can't accuse Desi of being guilty.
What my challenegia to YoungOnes here -- we face a Dilemma -- how do you TRY to find the solutions, even partial one, okay...it has to satrt when you're Young&Idealistic for ten you are moved by the Desiderata.new thinking, desire for reform, for the better.
I only wish to see my readers, esp THE YOUNG&Articulate&Awesome too, which are God's blessings, I'd only be ashamed of you if you are finally accused by the COURT of CONSCIENCE for failure to act when you could, should and rightly to.
ANSWER TO CHA:LLENGIA:
Yes, it's THE GRADUATE, song sung by Simon & Art Garfunkel; did it win young Dustin Hoffman an Oscar (Bru Im, check that?)
I added that stanza to show that TRUE LOVE as demonstrated by the graduate for his GF finally triumphed. (Bro IM, your metaphorical cf with Love for nation hence inspires ...).
This YoungPerson also was first seduced by his GF's mother, and there goes the comparision with Real Life, isn't it? We are seduced by EZY MONEY, join the bandwagon, why bother to spoil the party -- Gravy Train,youngleemk termed it several times in his latter comment (Saturday's in Part 2 which I read before I came here to respond.)
But YoungPeople must be made of sterner stuff, esp Graduates who have had the benfit of EDUCATION -- and hey, don't mix up mere paper qualification or a First Class Honours as equivalenrt to ahving attained an education -- that's a measure of academic performance.
Education comes in the progression of the individual's growth that follows -- does he live a principled life, contributing to self, home, society and NATION? Welll, if Malaysia gets its first Noble laureate, I'd be mighty proud, service to the world as well. that would fit in with the PM's aspiration for that ultimate TOWERING MALAYSIAN.
Tis last quoted example should be the driving aim of talented Malaysians in all fields of endeavour -- Young Nicol David has proven herself admirably on the way there -- how far she goes, fellow Malaysians can only pray that God's guidance will always be with her, that her PASSION for the game of her life, will finally triumph, like Da Graduate in winning his ONE TRUE LOVE...
yes, she once was a TRUE LOVE of mine...
PS: I won't give thee, IM, a prize for a fantastic challenge well attempted. BUTT i won't kick your butt either for those intermittent periods of going MIA2!
sabrina:
i already had occasions to spy another awesome Young&Articulate, JohnLing, generously shAring his tips on writing while Guest blogging at yvonnefoong's inonjunction with a 24-hour event to raise funds for charity. The hostess Yvonne too wins Desi's admiration (who despite a medical condition) shows TRUE GRIT in this journey of Life where one's resources are often taxed, sometimes in ways "apparently unfair" -- but I believe, Man proposes, God disposes, which at eraly PMship, Pak Lah had quoted. That's another nation's ICON for YoungOnes to emulate, Pak Lah, God-fearing and kind, humble in high office, his heartbeats in much spiritual sync with the Rakyat's soulstrings. No, don't judge him on merely the materialistic front -- there is a Herculean Rock he has on his shoulders, but we must help him, every caring Malaysian, because it's the RIGHT and DECENT THING to do, helping a GOoD and God-feAring leader in Datul Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, who has just suffered his greatest human loss. "God be with him, always."Amen.
leemk & s-kay:
I'm addressing both these two YoungPersons comments together just on one common point: CHANGE.This is closely tied up with a point made by s-kay in some detail earlier: MINDSET.
Leemk's other thoughts will get a hearing on Monday in part 3, for a tired Desi tonight is just making some life's obsefvations on things on his mental radar he feels useful to put across. If I had "digressed" and not dealt with the issues you had raised, don't worry, we'll look at the important issues again, Monday.
Back to CHANGE: leemk, you said:"But who can effect such change? Nobody. Those few who are intelligent and driven enough to bring about change in a meaningful way are either kicked out of the political establishment (in the government, nobody can challenge the BN big guns; in the opposition, forget about competing with Anwar or LKS for leadership) or absorbed into the corrupt or impotent ways of the establishment (like with Lim Guan Eng, who seems pretty much like a chip off the old block, or with Hishamuddin and Khairy).
That's why I'm pessimistic about our chances for change and pessimistic about Malaysia's chances for survival."
I indeed see the validity of the examples you quoted to make you arrive at the pessmistic conclusion.
But it's not all hopeless, because one GOoD Leader can make all the difference, as it is embalmed within the meAning of the word itself, "leAder", just as in "mirAcle", with A beAutiful "A" in both the aethetics!
But isn't there a message in that 'satiricaL'? "REFORMING ONESELF"(self-examining maybe? -- poem I attached, NOT FOR WITHOUT RELEVANCE or ReASON!)that my YoungOnes missed?
s-kay said:There is definitely no hope left if everyone (especially the young ones) start looking for hope elsewhere and give up so easily. We, the young ones have been too comfortable to want to make a change. We are afraid to question as questioning will lead us into trouble, making a change comes with a big sacrifice and the young ones are not willing to do that.
I will start making a change by educating my future children with what I perceive to be a better mindset. Because the point of change will only happen if you're able to bring in a breath of new ideas and able to look at things from a different perspective. Hopefully, the change will spread and who knows, 10 or 20 years or maybe more down the road, a change will finally take place."
I salute s-kay, for I believe this YoungOne has a Beautiful Mind, and it's not necessary for Desi to add a bit more, for those same sentiments rock my mind, and I'd wish other YoungPersons will ruminate over those sentiments and thoughts. It's all in thy mind. Let's hope we have a Dr John Nash in young s-kay and leemk ...hope springs eternal as long as this li'l heArt with an A continues to beat, in rhyme and rhythm.
GOoDNite! with SE7EN s-miles:)! Our conversations shall continue with Commentos on Saturday's post, o-kay?
sweets:
it's always a pleAsure to end on a sweet note:
I'll take on the Challenge of trying out acrylics, PROvided you try my next CHALLENGIA --
Paint one in arcylics on "Midnight Voices" which I'll soon be posting up in desiderata.english as sundae BF!
I need it by March/April 2006 so that I can turn poetic with the publisher in May -- ah, that month bespiriting writers, wordsmiths, this humble penner included.:) Nite!
Okz Desi
I'll take it on , but i need you to work on it with me :) a meeting of minds for inspiration of images .
cheerz tcz
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