Sunday, April 22, 2012

MALAYS BASTARDIZED BY WEAK LEADERS

Abdullah Ambek was my primary Malay school teacher. He was smiling mild mannered man. Never saw him losing his temoper. Majid, a shorty with a gold plated tooth was a fierce teacher. He pinched my tummy several times. They teamed up with Mokhtar Hashim and (believed) did a number on Dato' Taha, ADUN of Gemencheh. Rumours had it that the latter was kebal and had to be shot through the balls! That was UMNO politics of yesteryears, principled, play by the gun not money or women.

The cancer of cronyism, promoting unqualified and/or corrupt leaders has reached terminal stage. "UMNO is now rotten to the core," Dr. Mahathir said. He also added that UMNO leaders are half-past six weaklings. UMNO is now desperate than ever for good leaders. They do not even know the criteria to choose from, at one time it was winnable candidates and now local heroes. Just say we want honest, qualified and peoples' candidates.

He is fingering at himself, so he admit it!

Remember, this rich fellow who rounded-up our cents but failed to foresee the long term ramifications. The rural folks whom he supposed to deal with live by the cents. Did he consult Bank Negara or Parliament? Its pointless to consult Najib, the Finance Minister who talk billions and disperse money like nobody else business.

Living by the shadow of his father for more than 30 years in politics of nothingness. Dare to renovate his residence for RM65M? At one time he proposed RM640M sports complex renovation in London! For whom?

I am everywhere and listen to you all but not to the Sultan of Johor or Mahathir on the scenic bridge. Bull! Beware of Scorpene or the ghost of Altanthuya.

This self-proclaimed samurai kontot said that the Parliament building is already 45 years old, leaky and millions need to be spent for repairs.

1Malaysia is proud to have a minister to administer the Parliament. Is it full of nincompoops and hooligans?

This Melanau is hooked on P. Ramlee just because he looked like him at one time!

To him the rest of Sarawak are whimps as such no one is qualified for CM-in-waiting even. He is overstaying his welcome. Cronyism corrupts.

The founder of Sarawak, the Brookes were benevolent rulers for all.


For many, till we die standing in politics.










L. As Minister of Education he is at lost on the language of knowledge hence anti-PPSMI. Alas, what future of our young holds by one dogmatic man! Yeah, I want your feedback on our education system. Another bull story.

R. His portfolio is monumental. Blame the leader-giver. The laptop fiasco has not ended yet. The Perpustakaan Negara is just another wing for PTDs/PTAs.


The Malay dilema is the bastardization of the Malays by the politics of half-past six leaders.

Variants of extreme bastardized Malays. Warning, it can make you vomit




Thursday, April 19, 2012

THE DEVIL IN THE EYE


Tuesday, 17 April 2012

 

Feminists may ridicule the inflexible rules of Islam on gender segregation. Men and women are not supposed to mix freely. There even is a saying in Islam that women are a fitnah (upheaval, choas, sometimes even translated as curse). But that is a matter of speech, not literally.

What it means is that men's weakest spot, his sexual urge, if not controlled, will cause him his downfall. Just like the saying "money is the root of evil", the saying "women are a fitnah" is figurative.

We all know that prostitution and sex outside marriage is very common. What many fail to admit is that if sexual urge is not controlled, it controls you.

But the root of the problem in men is that it all starts with the eye. And that's why Islam shields the male eye from the female form - the hijab. The eye is the most frequently sexually stimulated organ among the five senses.


But then you may ask, why protect the male eye only? What about the female eye, and hence, men too should cover up as much? I have explained that quite in detail here - Sex scandals is what Islam has forewarned us all along

Incidentally, while the hijab is taken to mean the headdress a Muslim woman wears, the meaning of hijab actually means all things that cover the woman's sexuality from the male eye. Hence, it does not just mean her scarf, but also the clothes she wears, as well as her actions and her behaviour.

Before Feminists and Liberals say that I have taken the patriarchal route on the view of women as the cause of men's misery, please read the article I linked above. If you feel that you disagree and would like to comment, I guess it won't take too much effort to read in detail what I wrote. In any case, here are just some excerpts from the above link:-

This portion discusses about the weakness of men - sexual urge, starting with the eye.
Imam Al-Ghazali, one of Islam's most revered classical scholars, once said that when a man's organ stands erect, two-thirds of his intellect walks away. Very true.

So what are the ways that are recommended to control sexual desire?


Means to control illicit sexual desire

1. “Tell the believing men to lower their gaze (from looking at forbidden things), and protect their private parts (from illegal sexual acts)” [al-Noor 24:30] (Quran)

Of course, that's easier said than done for many men. So it has to be combined with other deeds like prayer, fasting and remembrance of Allah.


2. Covering women up. Ah, this is gonna be a contentious issue for many non-Muslim women, especially those who uphold "Western" ideals. To those who say why must it be the women who cover up more than the men, the answer is simple. Firstly, don't women have more things to cover than men? Secondly, between a naked woman with a man alone, and a naked man with a woman alone, which situation would likely end up with both having consensual sex? Ah, don't you think it makes more sense to have which gender more covered up?


3. Separation of sexes. Again, some Feminists claim this is misogyny. Especially when the women are made to pray behind men or sit behind men. Simple answer. Is it not true that men are more easily distracted by a woman than women distracted by a man? Need more be said?


The Eye - most frequently sexually stimulated organ among the Five Senses

Isn't the eye the first organ that attracts the person to the opposite sex? In today's context where men and women mix freely, isn't the eye fed with all the sexual stimuli around you, far more than the other four senses combined?

The above being the case, isn't the way to control illicit sexual desire hence, to halt that stimuli at the very source - ie to stop the eye from receiving sexual stimuli? Well, that's how I explain all the reasons for the segregation of sexes and covering of women.

This portion addresses the Feminist and Liberal idea that Islam is misogynistic.
Countering Claims on Misogyny

Some (mainly Western) Feminists are quick to claim that the recommendation in Islam (as cited above) to counter illicit sex desires are mainly misogynistic. They claim that blame is put on the women and the onus on women to cover up is also placed on them. But this is simply cultural acceptance. To Western Feminists, it is misogyny. That's your culture. Thank you, but no thank you. Many Muslim women in Muslim societies choose to cover themselves up on their own accord anyway. What now?

Some Feminists claim that women are as seen as "evil" in Islam. They cite how some past scholars describe women as "fitnah" (can't find an equivalent English word , but it has links to such meanings: trials, upheavals, chaos, disunity in society).

Again, it is a cultural representation of things. That's the language of the people of the times. It does not mean women are evil. It means that if you don't lower your gaze and control your eyes, or your sexual desires, you will end up having illicit sex.

A simple comparison I can give is "Money is the root of all evil."

Of course we know that money is neither good nor evil. It is the people who control them are. Likewise, when some of these scholars decribe women as a "fitnah", it does not refer to the women, but the deeds that follow if you don't control illicit sexual desire.


More Women in Hell according to hadith

So if it is the men who have less control over illicit sexual desires, why is there a hadith that says there are more women in hell? Again, this is yet another argument used (mainly by Feminists and perhaps anti-Muslims) to claim that the teachings of Islam is misogynistic. But there is a simple explanation.

As we can see, it is the eye which is one of the weakest spots in men that leads him to illicit sex. For the woman, the weakest spot is neither the eye nor her desire for illicit sex. It is her tongue.

Now hold a second, ladies. Feminists who want to dispute me that the woman's tongue is her weakest spot can scream all they like. I am sure I can find more women (and men) who agree with me than disagree.

For the man, if he engages in illicit sex, who is he most likely to have sex with? A woman, isn't it? So for every evil deed he does, he brings along another woman with him. Perhaps if she is a prost, she would bring down 20 men with her.

But the fact remains that when the sex act stops, the sin stops there. So for every one deed of sexual act, two people at that time, one man and one woman, would be accountable.

Now compare to the tongue - gossip. For every one session a woman gossips, there would be five, ten, twenty, thirty pairs of ears. And who most likely would be her gossiping peers? Other women, no?

However, when she stops gossiping, would that gossip stop? Unlikely. Wouldn't the second hand gossipers pass to more (women) gossipers?

Unlike the sex act where it is a one man one woman show, gossip sessions involve many. And unlike the sex act where the illicit deed ends there when the couple disengages, the "fitnah" caused by the gossip continues to multiply even after the original gossiper stops. Do your math and see how many men compared to women would hence end up in hell.

Again, critics and Feminists may say the above teaching is misogynistic. But if you look at reality, isn't the situation described fairly accurate?

Conclusion

Liberals may laugh and ridicule Islam's conservative ways. But in the end, as always, even the simplest sexual desire, if left uncontrolled, can lead to bigger things.

 

Friday, April 13, 2012

SMOKED HEADS AND LLANUNS, SARAWAK WITHOUT BROOKES: Part 1

Sarawak - the land of rivers, hornbills and diverse ethnicity. It used to be the land of smoked heads and lanuns. Who tamed Sarawak from these age old traditions? The autocratic  and benevolent Brookes did, three of them westerners.

The orientals warring among themselves, were in no position to stem out such dangerous habits of the Dyaks, Kayans and Kenyahs and Malay islanders. The latter were mainly lanuns and not into headhunting. For the former, warriors were marked by the number of heads lopped, smoked and hung under the roof. To be initiated into a truly male adult the young must show proof of a head.

James Brooke (1803-1868) an adventurer behaved like a romantic hero.

In all history only one man succeeded in coming from the West and making himself king of an Eastern race.

'Fear nothing for me; the decision is in higher Hands, and I am willing to die as live in the present undertaking, if my death can benefit the poor people' he wrote three years after he set sail to the East in the Royalist from Davenport late 1838.

In the morning of August 15, 1839 the Royalist anchored in mid-stream at Kuching. Sarawak was a suzerain of Brunei ruled Raja Muda Hashim, brother of Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin of Brunei. He was heir to the throne of Brunei.


Kuching as Brooke first saw it in August 1839.

Sarawak resources included antimony, timber, Malacca cane, rattan, beeswax, bird's nests, pipe-clay, rice, sago, vegetable tallow, gold ... but quite unaccessible to trade for there was no peace.

Raja Mahkota (L) of Sarawak plotted notoriously against James Brooke’s dealings.

Raja Muda Hashim's rule was weak because of palace intrigues, Dyak uprisings in the interior made worse by the head-hunting and piracy. Against a subtle gunboat diplomacy, Raja Muda Hashim quite unwillingly abdicated on September 24, 1841 to be compensated with 1000 Spanish dollars to transfer his rule to James Brooke who was 38 years old then.

In a letter James confided his mother in England "... by dedicating myself to the task, I am able to introduce better customs and settle laws, and to raise the feeling of the people, so that their rights can never in future be wantonly infringed, I shall indeed be content and happy."

Of the Chinaman "... must have his tea, tobacco, opium and samsu, and when he has ready money he must gamble ... an excellent subject to tax. The Dyaks and Malays ... work little and require little," wrote Helms.

In 1857 the Chinese miners of Bau dared to rebel, burnt Kuching and killed several Europeans. Later, they were overcame by fire power from Sir James Brooke steamer. They fled en masse through thick jungle to the Indonesian border into Sambas. They were pursued by the Dayaks and Malays. About 1000 of them lost their heads and 2,500 survived to reach the border.

James Brooke was still at the helm of of Sarawak during his old age at Burrator, England but was troubled whom to be his successor "... the young hope more than they fear, and that the old fear more than they hope ..." On June 11, 1868 he died after a series of strokes at the age of 65.

"Sarawak belongs to the Malays' Sea Dyaks, Land Dyaks, Kayans, Kenyahs, Milanos, Muruts, Kadayans, Bisayahs, and other tribes, and not to us. It is for them we labour, not for ourselves" - James Brooke.


Charles Brooke (1829-1917) was the second Rajah of Sarwak and Vyner Brooke the last.



Source: Roberet Payne. 1986. The White Rajahs of Sarawak. Oxford Univ. Press, Singapore

Sunday, April 8, 2012

TALIB HARIMAU, MY PAK ITAM: Part 2

Talib Harimau loves freedom to do what he likes to do. A pendekar needs no master, responsible to no one but his own. During his prime marauding age somebody asked him to be a gocoh (silat ring fighter) in Kota Bahru to earn money. He won 4 fights and lost once. The winner received $90 and loser $50.


Pak Itam (back)  is at home with elephants to be a mahout. The scene was at an elephant capture to be brought to Kuala Gandah, Pahang.


He worked once in a sawmill at Kuantan. The Mat Salleh boss seeing Talib a bit playfull told a worker that Talib bodoh and Raja bodoh. Talib was told about it and made him furious with anger especially for the latter remark. His boss need to be taught.

After lunch the next he impatiently waited for the boss to come in. Talib wished him "Good morning" which made the boss angry for the wrong calling. Talib lunged at him with a punch but the well built Mat Salleh didn't fall. After a couple more punches the latter was on the floor. If not for the other workers stopping Talib, the boss would be in dire consequence. When the palace got wind of the incidence Talib was called by the Sultan. Talib knew the power of the Sultan's tight slap which he was fond to punish with, and afraid of the pelempang he seeked refuge in Kelantan for sometime.

The Harimau said that his father was the son Tengku Abdullah, a sibling of Sultan Mulut Merah of Kelantan. He left Kelantan for Pahang and called himself Awang Sulu and became a guru silat at Semantan. Then he went to Nenasi.

It was about a dozen years that I didn't visit him because of being in Sarawak. Around mid-February last I drove up to Kg. Badak, Kuantan and reached there late afternoon. He was not at home but at his floating hut on the river nearby, catching fish with jala. I went to see him on the river and to my surprise he has lost recognition of me! Apparently his memory is fading.



That evening I belanja them at a seafood restaurant for his 66th birthday by coincidence. Talib was in a jubilant mood saying poetry, praising me and joking with the girls serving food. I realised now that he is or was rather quite a woman's man!

His wife urged me to take him as my bodyguard which she has said a couple of times before. I was elated but I'm no millionaire!


Another of Talib's ilmu he passed to me long time ago (L).

Talib Harimau is out of tune with the modern concept of life. Palace intrigues are of different nature now. We don't fight with silat but use bullets.
Yet, he managed to fit in a marginalised world trying to live off the land and be contented but not necessarily happy.

He was keeping many cows at one time but were poisoned. His motor for the fishing got stolen. He got to floor with a quick silat move on one of the kampung folks when they talked bad about him. Till now no one dares to interfere with life though somewhat poor.

I did ask him to do a favour for me before I left!