Pepper's World. Notes to myself
I'm getting older and old. Before I forget the little things that are important in my life, I thought I had better record them down somewhere.
Image source: www.radiobangsarutama.com
I just finished watching Jatuh, a documentary about Teoh Beng Hock’s suspicious death while being the custody of the MACC. You can watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Yq4rLg9TWo
It is pretty good.
Anti LYNAS protesters are staging a 100 hours hunger protest at Dataran Merdeka, Kuala Lumpur.
I brought Paparika along to see what ordinary citizens are doing to protect their homes and families.
Tarpaulin are laid on the floor for everyone to sit on. They were at the usual corner of Dataran but there will be a “1 Malaysia Run” soon and the authorities have taken over Dataran for that event. So the fasting protesters have moved to this spot.
I am glad there is a small medical team who is taking care of the welfare of those fasting.
Children taking part in the protest are having a nap in the open. I am glad their parents have taken time to explain the LYNAS protest to them.
A group is performing for the audience.
A child’s colourful bolster. I am glad the children brought some comfort along for the 100 hours of hunger protest.
This review is on going. Started on 28.12.12
I have been having trouble with my HTC Sensation’s battery. It would not hold a full charge. On a full charge, it would only last about 2 hours of Internet surfing on Wi-Fi or a few minutes of video recording at 720p. I tried to make the charge longer by uninstalling as many apps as possible that ran in the background. It did not help.
Googling for a replacement battery, “Anker” brand batteries had good reviews but I could not find a local distributor. Instead, I found a local brand called “Sun Global”. I called them and asked about their batteries. A guy named Desmond assured me, the batteries are “true 1850mAh” i.e. it is as stated on the package.
(This is an image of the battery I bought. It is compatible with the HTC Evo | Source: lelong.com.my)
On Ebay, you can find “gold batteries” that offer 2450mAh but are actually only around 750mAh. So I was quite concerned about a battery’s true charge and not its label.
I started charging the Sun Global battery with an original HTC charger. It stated that it was 70% charged. In about 30 minutes, it was already up to 90%. The old original battery would never show an increase in its charge no matter how long I charged it. It would only show it was charged when I rebooted the phone.
Next: to see how long it would last with Internet surfing.
29.12.12
Woke up and started charging the battery at 5.30am. Last night, I used the phone till the battery was down to 39% (did 6 minutes of video recording and reading the news on the Internet). When I woke up, it was at 27%. The Wi-Fi was on the whole night. It is now almost 9am but the battery is still charging! This is not a good sign. It was stuck at 88% for quite a while. Now it is inching up.
9.04am: The battery suddenly jumped to “charged”.
30.12.12
The battery seems to be holding its charge. It seems comparable with my old Nexus One (made by HTC).
3.1.13
After 7 days, the new battery seems to be behaving as normal. I’m pretty happy with it.
Update 24.12.12: Umar has been released (stay on sentence) on RM5000 bail.
I arrived at Dataran Merdeka to give moral support to the students who are camping there in solidarity for their fellow student Omar who has been thrown in prison. Two days ago, Omar was sent to Kajang Prison for “obstructing a DBKL officer”.
According to Fahmi, the morning DBKL officers came to raid the occupiers at Dataran, they were forcibly removing him. Omar asked them why they were arresting Fahmi and that was when they arrested him too. Fahmi was released many hours later without a charge while Omar was charged with “obstructing a DBKL officer”.
When I arrived, some of the students were performing their prayers at 5.30pm under the sun.
These student activists are having nasi briyani donated by Ambiga (I was told). They often offer to share their food with me but I always refuse because I am not an occupier.
This member of PAS cleaned up empty bottles, food packets and other rubbish lying around. As far as I know, DBKL has never been able to fault the occupiers for littering around Daratan.
Banners are laid out on the ground and shrubs because DBKL officers had asked the students to take down banners that they had hung up.
See the tree where the men are resting under? The ground used to be tiled. Today, I found the tiles have been dug up and tarred! Why would DBKL tar the walkway?!
See the t-shirt? It says “Mampus BN!!!” What would make a person so angry to say it so harshly?
Group photo requested by some reporter.
This guy is explaining why they are occupying Dataran. #justice4Omar
This guy ran in the recent University Malaya campus elections. He was beaten up by thugs on the eve of the elections. This is the state of our country’s politics. It is rotten to the core.
More photos here: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151229102824475.481887.566829474&type=1&l=70aefc6cbb
First published on LoyarBurok 19.12.12: http://www.loyarburok.com/2012/12/19/dear-paprika-sceptical-facebook-contests/
Dear Paprika,
Recently, I received an invitation by friends on Facebook to win Samsung products at https://www.facebook.com/events/378941895529540/?ref=ts&fref=ts
There have been many such contests on Facebook and I am very sceptical about them. This particular contest uses Samsung’s name but here are the red flags I see:
What I think
This is probably a scam to get people to like the “12Health” Facebook page.
Remember when I told you,
If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is?
Doesn’t this contest sound too good to be true? You only have to recommend your friends to “click ‘like’ at 12Health’s Facebook page” and say “I want to be healthy with Samsung”, and you can win a prize worth RM2000!
Companies run contests as a means to promote their brand or product. In this contest, what is Samsung trying to achieve? Are they promoting their healthcare division or their phones and tablets? Neither, I suspect. I smell something fishy because there is no link or write up about Samsung’s brand or product or division at the contest site. Would Samsung really spend RM3.2 million to promote 12Health’s Facebook page?! I think not. Companies do not spend money willy nilly unless they can increase sales; especially so when it is to the tune of RM3.2 million!
Online Dangers
Facebook has turned into an Internet microcosm all by itself. Once you log in, there is little need for you to log out. Your friends are there, you can chat with them and browse their photos, you can play games there, you can read news and jokes without leaving the site; just about everything you like is found on Facebook.
Their user base is so large that it has also become a hunting ground for hackers and scammers looking for victims. These scammers hope to engage you so they can steal your money or information (they will use information about you to break into your bank account or to extort money from you). There have been numerous cases of Facebook apps and games using their users’ information for illegal reasons. Here is a good article: Which Facebook Apps Steal Your Data (and How to Stop Them)
Apple and Amazon are also not immune to hackers because of their large user base. This is one victim’s story: How Apple and Amazon Security Flaws Led to My Epic Hacking. In a short period, this poor guy lost everything he built online. Even experienced Internet users fall prey to hackers and scammers.
It is good to apply a good dose of scepticism when you see things like this. It does not matter if a friend invites you to join in. Use your own logic and put your thinking cap on. Be extra careful when clicking on links that could lead to trouble. Remember “if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is”.
Websites such as Facebook are wonderful for connecting with people. Stay safe online.
Your loving father,
Daddy
Meet Dr. Poh Soo Kai, a brilliant doctor who was detained for 17 years under the ISA (this website say a total of 19 years: http://asiancorrespondent.com/26855/celebrating-singaporeans-dr-poh-soo-kai/). He was friends with Lee Kuan Yew, yet that did not save him from the ISA. Do you think Malaysia’s ISA Baru (SOSMA: http://www.loyarburok.com/2012/07/09/thought/) is a good thing? I don’t.
I heard Dr. Poh speak at PusatRakyatLB a few nights ago. He was a member of the PAP and was an activist from his university days helping workers get better pay and treatment. He spoke about how he helped Lee Kuan Yew in his political career at the time when Malaya and Singapore were merging in the 50’s and 60’s.
Although he was part of the PAP and helped Lee Kuan Yew, he had different ideologies. For that, Lee Kuan Yew put him under the ISA, detention without trial for a total of 17 years.
In the end, Dr Poh and his colleagues came out of ths PAP and formed Barisan Sosialis. The Registrar of Societies rejected their formation on the ground that their constitution were very similar to that of the PAP. Dr. Poh chuckled as he remember what he answered the ROS, “But the PAP doesn’t follow their own constitution; we will follow our constitution!”
I walked away from Dr. Poh’s talk thinking how dirty politics is. Friends today could become enemies in the blink of an eye, then become friends again only to become an enemy later.
Your loving father,
Daddy
First published on LoyarBurok on 11.12.12 : http://www.loyarburok.com/2012/11/22/dearpaprika-suntzu/
Pepper Lim studied this ancient war manual under his uncle Prof Dr Ong Hean-Tatt, one of Malaysia’s foremost experts on Sun Tzu’s Art of War. In a letter to his daughter, he offers his take and analysis of our country’s current political situation and how it lines up with the Art of War.
Dear Paprika,
Today, I thought I would try my hand at applying Sun Tzu’s Art of War to the current political situation. Raja Petra often refers to passages from Sun Tzu in his articles and I think there are many parallels between what is happening politically and Sun Tzu’s Art of War.
Pek Kong Ong Hean-Tatt who taught me all I know about Sun Tzu would probably laugh at how I read and interpret the Art of War on Najib, Anwar, BN and Pakatan but here goes.
All warfare is based on deception. 1:18
This is one of the fundamentals keys from Sun Tzu about warfare. Warfare is all about lying, faking and deceiving. An honestly truthful person cannot win wars. You have to make your enemy believe your lies. In this respect, BN is the winner. There are numerous cases of fraud, cheating, manipulation and lying from their side. Yet, they get away with it almost all the time. Their control of the mainstream media is complete. Even the Prime Minister has been caught blatantly lying to the Dewan Rakyat about the existence of his wife’s division within his ministry. The latest scandal is RM40 million of cash linked to Sabah’s Chief Minister Musa Aman.
Anwar has also lied; in 2008, he told the world that he had negotiated with 30 of BNs MPs to leave the ruling coalition so Pakatan could take over the government.
Lie, lie and lie. Then, lie some more.
And, just like war, the real loser is the rakyat.
The skillful tactician may be likened to the shuai-jan. Now the shuai-jan is a snake that is found in the Ch’Ung mountains. Strike at its head, and you will be attacked by its tail; strike at its tail, and you will be attacked by its head; strike at its middle, and you will be attacked by head and tail both.
Both sides rely on their allies heavily to aid one another. When UMNO is attacked, MCA comes out swinging for them. When DAP is attacked, PAS comes to their aid.
Recently, DAP was attacked by accusations of aspirations to convert Malaysia to a Christian state. PAS came to their defence with ceramahs and explanations.
BN has numerous allies such as Perkasa and the police, and thus has the edge against Pakatan.
Now the general who wins a battle makes many calculations in his temple ere the battle is fought. The general who loses a battle makes but few calculations beforehand. Thus do many calculations lead to victory, and few calculations to defeat: how much more no calculation at all! It is by attention to this point that I can foresee who is likely to win or lose. 11:29
BN has engaged the costly services of PR company APCO yet there have been quite a number of public relations boo-boos. Najib has recently embraced the use of online apps such as Twitter, YouTube and Facebook. Netizens have targeted his accounts to give him “thumbs down” and parody accounts to ridicule him.
I cannot say if Pakatan’s planning is any better; they condemn “frogs” from leaving their coalition yet they embrace frogs who leave BN to join them. By all counts, BN should have the edge here as they have the finances to pay for much needed advice.
Still, there isn’t much the best PR consultants can do when politicians talk without thinking.
It is now November 2012 and Najib has the whole country in election mood since last year yet he has not announced GE13. The rumour is he is still planning. Much planning is what he needs if he wants to win.
When an invading force crosses a river in its onward march, do not advance to meet it in mid-stream. It will be best to let half the army get across, and then deliver your attack. 9:4
You can gain the upper hand by using the river to halve your enemy’s strength. BN seems to be an expert in using this strategy. They have many allies who are deployed to trap the enemy in quagmires and sticky situations. Once caught, panic ensues with much hilarity!
Just the other day, Nurul Izzah was trapped because of a statement about freedom of religion. The next day, she tried to explain what she had meant. That led to more media spin by BN. Now, she has to explain herself further. I read that she has lodged a complaint with JAIS who is also investigating her.
Once caught with half your soldiers in mid-stream, there is nothing else to do but to fight for your life.
Knowledge of the enemy’s dispositions can only be obtained from other men. Hence the use of spies, of whom there are five classes: (1) Local spies; (2) inward spies; (3) converted spies; (4) doomed spies; (5) surviving spies. 13:6-7
Both sides seem to be filled with spies and saboteurs. However, be forewarned: only a wise and kind emperor can properly control spies.
War generals who think they have loyal spies at their disposal have met untimely defeats. Spies are almost impossible to control.
A spy offering secret information is very tempting. Both BN and Pakatan boast of knowing what the other side’s secrets are. In my view, spies are not to be trusted wholesale.
Every leader fancies himself as being able to control spies but Sun Tzu warns:
Hence it is only the enlightened ruler and the wise general who will use the highest intelligence of the army for purposes of spying… 13:27
Only the enlightened (akin to one who has achieved nirvana) and wise leader can use and control spies. I do not see that in anyone within our country. Certainly neither BN nor Pakatan has a “wise and kind emperor” whom they can use to control spies.
Sun Tzu said: Raising a host of a hundred thousand men and marching them great distances entails heavy loss on the people and a drain on the resources of the State. The daily expenditure will amount to a thousand ounces of silver. There will be commotion at home and abroad, and men will drop down exhausted on the highways. As many as seven hundred thousand families will be impeded in their labor. 13:1
Any kind of war is exorbitantly expensive. Even with deep pockets, money will eventually run dry. Once that happens, all is lost. Soldiers who are not paid will not fight for you.
I see great truth in this as Najib has embarked on a prolonged election campaign with the decisive battle nowhere in sight. He has just announced the national budget. He seems to be spending more than he has. All this will put a great strain on the nation and the rakyat.
So many generals have lost wars in the hands of the peasants and ordinary people who were caught in the middle of a war they were fed up with.
Wars should be short and decisive.
In this case, Najib seems to be handing victory over to Pakatan, bit by bit.
Finally, I have been reading about Najib’s enemies within BN. The rumour is there is more than one person eyeing his post as prime minister. With enemies from the outside and within, Najib has too many fronts to fight at the same time. Sun Tzu has a way out for him:
…For the men of Wu and the men of Yueh are enemies; yet if they are crossing a river in the same boat and are caught by a storm, they will come to each other’s assistance just as the left hand helps the right. 11:30
Najib could breakaway from BN with his band of supporters, take over a small or dormant political party and join forces with his enemy. He might be able to negotiate one of the top posts with them. This political sleeping-with-the-enemy scenario has happened before in Penang and Sabah.
Then again, I am no politician. I am just an observer. And the sting of the tear gas I suffered at Bersih 2.0 is still fresh in my mind.
Your loving father,
Daddy
Dear Paprika,
This is the Standards for Being a Good Pupil and Child. They are based on the ancient teaching of Confucius. I hope you will take them to heart.
I drew this for James Randi on his 84th birthday but only completed it a week ago. James “The Amazing” Randi was born on 7 August 1928.
On 22.10.12, I posted a question to the members of APOSL https://www.facebook.com/groups/aposlmy/ http://www.aposl.org/:
If you filled a pail with milk and lowered a camera 3 inches into it and took a photo, what will the photo look like? White? Black? Purple? What?
Explain your reasoning.
What if you lowered the camera 6 inches; would the photo be different?
This morning, I tried it out myself.
My tall cup with 4 cups of milk. Spectacles is there for size comparison. Very bright and hot morning. Plenty of light for taking photos.
Added a ruler. It is about 5 inches tall.
1st photo. 3 inches inside the cup. Phone camera wrapped in plastic (slightly matte). Was surprised that the colour was yellow!
2nd photo. Again, yellow! This confirms it, doesn’t it? The inside of a cup of milk is “yellow”. But wait….
3rd photo. There seems to be something I’ve done wrong while taking this photo. Rats! The camera flash! It was firing while inside the cup of milk!
4th photo. Turned off flash. And this is what the camera took.
5th photo. Looks like the inside of a cup of milk is dark.
6th photo. Yep, it looks dark. I guess no light can penetrate milk 3 inches from its surface.
Everybody likes Penang food. Do you know what the famous dishes are called in Penang hokkien? Answers at the end of this article.
Answers (in no particular order): char kuey teow, koay teow th’ng, kah lee mee, ang tao s’ng, chneh hoo, keh leng na mee, oh chien, jiew hoo eng chai, hokkien mee, bak pao, keen cheoh chnee, or chnee, huan choo chnee.
This article is written for the KL Stories project.
Update 21.12.12: Published on Loyarburok http://www.loyarburok.com/2012/12/20/pasar-road-school%E2%80%99s-football-follies/
(Pasar Road English School’s front gate | Source: yekazahari)
In the 1970’s my parents were transferred to teach in Kuala Lumpur. As a result, my brother and I found ourselves in a new primary school in Jalan Pasar, Pudu, Kuala Lumpur.
I have many memories of this wonderful school but the most memorable was when my class played football during P.E.
“P.E.” (Physical Education) were the most wonderful letters to hear during the week. My classmates would change into their P.E. singlets while chanting, “Pee eee, pee eee, pee eee!” Then we would troop down to the school field where the P.E. teacher would be waiting for us with a football in his hand. He would toss the ball to us and walk off. We would then automatically form two groups - what else can you do when there was only one football?
The Chinese boys would be in one team while the Malay and Indian boys formed the other team. Wait, this is not as racist as it sounds!
(Pasar Road English School’s front gate | Source: yekazahari)
Pasar Road was a predominantly Chinese area so half my class was Chinese boys. Malay and Indian boys made up the other half.
In our young minds, we thought it was easier to divide ourselves into teams based on our skin colour. The yellow skinned boys in one team while the brown skinned boys in the other. You see, it was not a matter of race but for reasons of practicality - we thought it was easier to spot our own teammates by skin colour. We were children and we had no notions of racism. We were only interested in playing football.
On the other hand, I always joined the ‘Malay and Indian’ team. Why? Because I could not speak Cantonese which was what the Chinese boys in Kuala Lumpur spoke. Being raised in Penang, I spoke Hokkien. When the Chinese boys shouted instructions in Cantonese, I was lost.
“Thek! Thek kor pin!” I would hear them shout at me without me understanding what was shouted. So, it was simply easier for me to join the other team who shouted instructions in Malay which I understood.
I was not the only Chinese boy there. My best friend, How Chee Hong, also played in the Malay and Indian team. He was the goalkeeper.
Our team included Arif (the fastest runner in the school) and Juvinder Singh (a striker for the school team) whose jobs were to score the goals.
In defense were the worst footballers in the team such as Nessie (a very large Indian boy), Chandran (a boy who disliked getting dirty), Rizal (an overweight softie) and me (another overweight softie). Our job, as our teammates instructed us, was to “kick the ball away from the goal”.
Kick it as hard as you can, they told us.
Don’t worry about where it goes as long as it goes away from our goal, they said.
We did this to the best of our abilities. I learned new Malay words on the football field. “Rembat aje” means to kick the ball hard. “Alamak, bodoh!” means I just did something wrong and stupid.
I know stories of racism are often heard today but back when I was a child, we just played football and did not know what racism was.
Footnote
Photos resources found on the Internet:
(The perhimpunan area where I received a first prize for singing | Source: http://alaudino5353.blogspot.com/)
(The original school building according to http://skjp1.blogspot.com)
Here is a history of PRES wonderfully written by http://skjp1.blogspot.com. I am reproducing his article here in case you are unable to access his site: http://skjp1.blogspot.com/p/sejarah.html
SEJARAH SEKOLAH SK JALAN PASAR 1
First published on LoyatBurok 30.9.12: http://www.loyarburok.com/2012/09/30/dear-paprika-hopeless-latest-gadgets/
Pepper Lim writes to his daughter about stories of old gadgets and bygone technological advances in games and devices, and cautions her about keeping up with the latest trends and gadgets.
Dear Paprika,
You were born into a technology driven world. Technology is marvellously wondrous but can be unsettling at times. Everyone carries a high-tech gadget as part of his identity today. The latest gadgets cost a bomb, sometimes as much as an average person’s monthly salary.
When I was a child, I owned wind-up toys. Only the rich children owned toys that ran on batteries. Back then, I played with metal toys that dented and rusted if I was not careful with them. Later, plastic toys were introduced. Though they were cheap, I noticed the wheels of my plastic toy cars kept falling off. My toy fire engine had free spinning wheels so it could be pushed around and a winding pulley to raise or lower the crane arm. Ginger Ah Chek bought a wind-up racing car toy (see photo below) when he was in Primary School. It still works today!
Wind-up racing car game circa 1979 | Source: Pepper Lim
Today, the toys children play with are very different from those I used to play with. Today’s toys are mainly electronic, very sophisticated and very expensive. Some of my 11 year old students carry the latest Apple iPhone.
Game & Watch
Game & Watch Parachute | Source: http://jonchoo.blogspot.com
When I was in Primary school, I spent almost all my pocket money at the video games arcade. I lived through the Pong, Space Invaders, Galaxian and Dongkey Kong craze. Then Atari came out with a home console. We could not afford one so I spent every afternoon at Anthony Teoh’s house playing his Atari video games.
In 1980, my mother bought us ‘Game & Watch‘. My brother and I spent hours playing Parachute, Octopus and Popeye. Then, Nintendo released the Gameboy. Their hit game was Super Mario Land and Tetris. My mother would not buy us one because we were spending too much time playing games than studying. (You can play them here and here.)
As I write this article, games are being played on the Apple iPads, Android phones, Sony’s PSP and Nintendo 3DS. These hand-held gaming consoles are equipped with stereo sound, 3D capabilities, tilt sensors and HD screens. New gaming consoles and devices are announced almost every year. We have come a long way since the days of Game & Watch and its beep-beep-beep sound effects.
Betamax, VHS, Laserdisc, VCD and DVD
Sony’s Betamax | Source: www.geekbookofdays.com
When I was a boy, we memorised the TV guide to not miss our favourite TV shows. You are probably watching TV shows on Youtube with your tablet.
In the 70′s, Sony released Betamax – a video recording machine. You could record your favourite TV shows and watch them over and over again. A while later, JVC released their own video recording machine called VHS. In the frenzy of fighting for market share between these two giant corporations, my father decided to wait and see which system would emerge the winner. In the end, the VHS format triumphed and owners of the Betamax had to buy a VHS machine in order to swap movies with their friends.
When I was a young man, I saw a repeat of this war. In the 1990′s, the market was flooded with a new technology called laserdisc. It replaced VHS. Movies were much clearer and the sound quality much better than the old VHS video tapes. Soon after that, the Compact Disc (CD) and MiniDisc were introduced to replace music cassette tapes (which in turn replaced vinyls). Then, the VCD came along. Which system would stay? Which would end up obsolete like the Betamax?
I predicted that the winner would be the CD because computer enthusiasts were already using it to store data too. I was right. When the public realised the CD could be used to store data, music and video, the other formats quickly faded away.
Today, VCDs and CDs are being replaced by DVDs, MP3 players, portable HDD and cloud technology. And, there are already replacements for these new devices too!
Now, where is the volume control? | Source: www.avsforum.com
Technology Changes Rapidly
Chronology of mobile phones | Source: symbian60v5.com
When I was a boy, we wrote letters and had pen pals. By the time I started working, every office was equipped with a fax machine. A few years later, companies were communicating with e-mails. Today, people have video conferences instead of travelling thousands of miles for business meetings. It is unbelievable how quickly technology has advanced.
I remember connecting to the Internet at 9.6kbps. Today, our home is connected at 4Mbps, over 400 times faster. My first computer, Sinclair ZX Spectrum had 8 kilobytes (kB) of memory and I played Pac Man and The Hobbit on it. Today, my ASUS notebook has 4 Gigabytes (GB) of memory; half a million times more! I wonder how much memory your notebook has?
The mobile phone is another rapidly evolving piece of technology. Take a look at the chronology chart on the right. We have come a long way since those ‘brick’ phones! Big brands have faded while new ones have taken over.
It is virtually impossible to keep up and own the latest gadgets. A month after you buy the latest gadget, it becomes old because another company would release an even newer gadget.
How Not To Keep Up With The Latest Gadgets (Without Looking Like A Dweeb)
When any new gadget is announced, it is with great fanfare and hype. Advertisers will tell you how cool you’ll look by owning one. However, these gadgets will burn a big hole in your pocket. Still, you don’t want to look like an untrendy dweeb walking around with an uncool gadget. So how can you differentiate between a ‘Betamax’ and a ‘VHS’? Here is my advice for buying any new gadget.
We coded games from a book to play computer games | Source: wikimedia.org
A gadget worth owning should have features useful to you. It should not just be dazzling but it should have dazzle that you can use and not just show off.
Samsung S2 vs S3 | Source: www.mobile88.com
Dear Paprika, this letter is written in 2012. No doubt the examples I cite will long be obsolete by the time you are a young lady, but the principles remain. I can only imagine the wondrous gadgets that you will get to play with in your lifetime!
I hope you will follow my advice and not be taken in by the hype of new gadgets. You won’t become popular overnight nor will your friends like you more just because you have the latest gadget. Really.
Your loving father,
Daddy
First published on LoyarBurok 30.9.12: http://www.loyarburok.com/2012/09/30/dear-paprika-spot-gays-lesbians-corrupt-ministers/
Pepper Lim writes to his daughter about people in power who selectively persecute minorities. The LGBT community is constantly the punching bag of paranoid people, especially so during General Election time. Even his letters to his daughter are deemed a threat to the country.
Dear Paprika,
There have been quite a few jokes published in the local newpapers this past week, the latest being an accusation by the New Straits Times that LoyarBurok is part of a plot to destabilise the government. Can you imagine, the NST deems my letters to you – which are published on this blawg – as partly responsible for the current shaky state of Malaysia!
Spot the gayness in Sir Elton | Source: hollywoodreporter.com
Then there was this ludicrous guideline released by the Education Ministry on how to spot gays and lesbians,two weeks ago. Read the guidelines and have a good laugh yourself! Our government thinks that the LGBTs are influencing children, and that this will destabilise the country. So parents and teachers are given this guideline to help curb this so-called ‘deviant culture’. I wonder which bangang in the ministry came up with the ridiculous idea that you can tell a person’s personality just by looking at him or her.
Where was this bangang when we were all watching CNN’s award winning Anderson Cooper on our TV screens? Cooper is well known for flying into dangerous areas to bring us news while we sit in the comfort of our homes. Well, he’s gay. Didn’t the bangang notice his tight gay shirts? Isn’t this bangang worried sick that children who watch news on CNN will turn gay from watching gays like Anderson Cooper?
Why didn’t this bangang get The Lord Of The Rings trilogy banned? Doesn’t he know that the actor who played Gandalf is gay? Couldn’t he tell by looking at how Gandalf battled monsters and orcs? He also failed to shield our eyes from Ricky “Livin’ la Vida Loca” Martin, Adam “American Idol” Lambert and Suze Orman – all of whom are out-of-the-closet homosexuals.
Where was this bangang hiding when The Matrix trilogy was screened in local cinemas? When The Matrix came out, it blew movie goers away with its ‘bullet time‘ special effects, kung-fu fight scenes, over-the-top gun fights and all round macho-ness. The trilogy was directed by two brothers – Larry and Andy Wachowski. In 2012, Larry came out as a trans-woman. She changed her name to ‘Lana’. Boom! A trans-woman co-wrote and co-directed The Matrix trilogy!
Habis lah! Cina cinta Melayu?! Mana boleh! | Source: theinspirationroom.com
Malaysia also has a famous trans-woman director: Yasmin Ahmad. Her heart-touching TV advertisements are famous and shown every year during the festive seasons. Take a look here. Why didn’t the bangang ban her works? Was it because her Malaysian-made films and advertisements were earning international recognition and gave the local film industry hope of rekindling its former glory days with P Ramlee?
Malaysia is famous for ‘protecting its citizens’ by banning things deemed to be a ‘national threat’, such as Seksualti Merdeka and Zunar’s comic books. Some bangangs in the government think the rakyat is lame, uneducated or unable to think rationally. I think they are really only interested in keeping themselves in power by misdirecting our attentions on issues which are meaningless in order to hide their incompetence, mismanagement, corruption and abuse of power.
Well, if bangangs in the ministry can come up with stupid guidelines, so can I. Just like the guidelines to spot gays and lesbians, my guidelines are also pure nonsense.
Daddy’s “Guide to Spotting Ministers Who Take Bribes and Have Secret Love Affairs” (Approved by Pepper Lim and The Ministry Of Funny Walks)
Dear Paprika, bullies always pick on the weak and defenseless. I hope you will join the many brave Malaysians who stand up for the weak and defend what is right. This is our country; if we don’t make it better, who will?
Your loving father,
Daddy
PS. Bangang = stupid, foolish, dumb
I was at Arts For Grabs - Janji Ditutupi (22-23 Sep 12). At the Amnesty International booth, they offered to take your photo with a message to help abolish capital punishment around the world.
This photo was taken by uncle Faisal (@faisalmustaffa)
https://twitter.com/i/#!/AmnestyMsia/media/slideshow?url=http%3A%2F%2Finstagr.am%2Fp%2FP6g9yigbmQ%2F
