It’s Merdeka Day, so let me just say:
Negaraku
Tanah tumpahnya darahku
Rakyat hidup
Bersatu dan Maju
Rahmat bahgia
Tuhan kurniakan
Raja kita
Selamat bertakhta
Rahmat bahgia,
Tuhan kurniakan
Raja kita
Selamat bertakhta.
Original entry as appearing at Ink to Screen.
There are apparently two amendments made to the Evidences Act.
The first was about VA ADMISSIBILITY OF EVIDENCE OBTAINED UNDER MUTUAL ASSISTANCE IN CRIMINAL (something, probably got truncated due to Twitter’s character limits). This is the same law that was passed last year and takes effect today.
However, there is also this second amendment, which states:
if an anonymous person posts content said to be offensive on your Facebook wall, or if someone piggybacks your WiFi account and uploads a controversial document, you will be immediately deemed the publisher of the content and subject to prosecution under the relevant laws such as the Sedition Act.
The Sun originally stated that this second amendment will come into effect on June 1. However, according to Syahredzan Johan on Twitter, what comes into effect is a completely different amendment. I’ll be checking the headlines tomorrow to confirm.
That doesn’t change the fact that Nazri has said that this amendment will stay. The implementation has been stayed, but that doesn’t mean we can relax our vigilance. In fact, you should still sign the petition to stop this amendment from taking effect.
Original entry as appearing at Ink to Screen.
I actually wasn’t planning on going to Bersih 3.0 yesterday. It was a very late decision made after realising I would be a horrendously big hypocrite for talking about the need for clean and fair elections without actually going for such a rally. Plus, unlike last year, I had no family obligations planned for today.
Original entry as appearing at Ink to Screen.
The Personhood Amendment in the US is terrifying to me because it doesn’t just paint an America at war with women.
It reminds me that too easily, my government could, and perhaps would, do the same thing.
Reading things like these, make me cry. I have no idea why.
Via SiliconShaman on LJ.
Original entry as appearing at Ink to Screen.
The video’s 30 minutes long. If you don’t want to watch it, I can understand why. It is a disturbing video, and not least because it pinpricks a person’s conscience and makes you feel like you could do anything to help. In fact, the danger in this video would be the very easy way for you TO help.
What is the video about?
The video is about a warlord called Joseph Kony, who has terrorised Uganda for many years. He has terrorised Uganda for about 25 years, according to Wikipedia. His Lord’s Resistance Army has abducted countless children, turning them into sex slaves and child soldiers. His methods are brutal; often he forces children to kill their own parents and his soldiers will murder their neighbours and family members, forcing the children to serve him.
I would recommend watching the video and coming to your own conclusion. Personally, I have quite a few problems with the video, none of them are about the evilness of Kony and why he needs to be stopped. If you want to read them, click on the More tag.
Original entry as appearing at Ink to Screen.
Beware, these chopsticks have a long reach… just like the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement. Here’s an article on why the TPP and ACTA (the auntie and uncle of SOPA/PIPA) are far worse than the latter two.
Original entry as appearing at Ink to Screen.
Originally posted by Kangawu at post
Originally posted by cantarina1 at post
Originally posted by electricdruid at The fiasco continues
ACTA in a Nutshell –
What is ACTA? ACTA is the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement. A new intellectual property enforcement treaty being negotiated by the United States, the European Community, Switzerland, and Japan, with Australia, the Republic of Korea, New Zealand, Mexico, Jordan, Morocco, Singapore, the United Arab Emirates, and Canada recently announcing that they will join in as well.
Why should you care about ACTA? Initial reports indicate that the treaty will have a very broad scope and will involve new tools targeting “Internet distribution and information technology.”
What is the goal of ACTA? Reportedly the goal is to create new legal standards of intellectual property enforcement, as well as increased international cooperation, an example of which would be an increase in information sharing between signatory countries’ law enforcement agencies.
Essential ACTA Resources -
Say NO to ACTA. It is essential to spread awareness and get the word out on ACTA.
–
If you are in the US, the only thing I know of is this petition, which requires 25000 signatures in 30 days for any sort of response: https://wwws.whitehouse.gov/petitions#!/petition/end-acta-and-protect-our-right-privacy-internet/MwfSVNBK
There are only 3000 signatures right now.
I don’t know what options there are in other countries, but again, for the US, I imagine calling Senators would be a course of action. It worked on the surface for SOPA and PIPA, at least, and it at least sends the message that this is not okay.
If you do, though, ![[personal profile]](https://s.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
opusculus notes that it has been signed already so it is probably worthwhile to mention that you know that and are protesting it anyway.
ETA: this tumblr post has more global resources for how you can protest ACTA.
Original entry as appearing at Ink to Screen.
What is SOPA/PIPA and how does it affect Malaysia and the rest of the world?
SOPA and PIPA in the US allows anyone, but in particular the entertainment industry, to shut down a website (even a forum) for posting infringing content. At the same time, it also allows these same companies to stop services like Google and Wikipedia to show links leading to such sites, even if the sites linked have nothing whatsoever to do with the infringing content.
Realistically, this implies that an entire domain, let’s say Blogspot or WordPress.com, could be taken down by Universal Music Group complaining about a random blogger writing in just a single post about how they hate the new Black Eyed Peas single.
If your server is located in the United States, it will be taken offline without warning if it is deemed to be infringing content. The worst part of all is that you, as the user or owner of the domain, have no recourse. SOPA and PIPA are missing something the Americans are very fond of, called “due process”, by which the accused may defend themselves in court.
You don’t have to be a US citizen for this to affect you. This law basically enacts the Great Firewall of America, which would function much the same way as the Great Firewall of China does, with one key exception. You’d be watching private corporations, such as Universal Music Group, censor you for the expression of your thoughts (and when you consider they censor a news show for commenting on an issue they don’t like…). If America does this, what’s to stop the Malaysian Government from doing the same?
So what can you do to stop this?
The good news is: plenty. The easiest is to hit up your American Friends or post on all your Social Media Networks (Facebook, Twitter, G+, LinkedIn and the like, which, ironically, are the same sites that would be subject to such censorship) and tell them about #SOPA and #PIPA.
You can also visit http://americancensorship.org/ to learn more.
The bad news is that only Americans can prevail on their own government to stop this bill from passing. But you can do something. So go do it.
PS: See Wikipedia to check out what would happen if SOPA and PIPA are passed.
Original entry as appearing at Ink to Screen.
Rage. Anger. Violent tendencies.
There are quite a few words I would like to use to describe how I feel about the people who planted the bombs at the Court Complex in Jalan Duta two days ago. In case you were wondering, the bombs went off shortly after the verdict of a famous case was read out.
They had ball bearings in them. These balls were meant to kill. They were not meant as a warning. They were not meant to merely cause terror.
They were meant to kill.
I honestly do not care about politics at this point. I don’t care what side of the divide you are from.
What I am angry about is that someone thought it would be a fantastic idea to send a message by killing people with a bomb. Someone thought that it would be a great way to instil fear in people.
I am telling them now.
You have not inspired fear in this Malaysian. You have not made me afraid. You have not made me afraid to step out of the house.
You have made me angry.
I doubt you will be caught. I doubt you will be found. But I will do this in revenge.
I will live life well. I will go out with my friends. I will spend time with my family. I will not be afraid to offer hugs to my male and female friends and family when they need it. To hold their hands, to laugh with them. To share their sorrows and comfort them in their time of need. All this, out in the open, where others may see, and perhaps, take comfort and hope. We will laugh at your cowardice. We will laugh at your pathetic attempts. We will live.
I will walk, in the daylight, with my head held high.
Original entry as appearing at Ink to Screen.
The geniuses at the MCMC (Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Committee) has decided that the Malaysian Tech Industry needs to be regulated. In fact, they’ve decided to draft a Computing Professionals Bill that requires a computing professional to not just register with them, but that registration will depend heavily on the Board’s whims. (Did I mention that you had to pay to be registered?)
The Bill also has a clause that states you cannot offer skills in which you have not declared for. In other words, if you have registered and declared yourself competent in C++, you cannot then turn around and offer PHP/Java skills, even if you were self taught. You’d have to go back to the Board and re-declare. Thereby more monies!
Erna has a more succinct reading of the Bill here.
To oppose it, Meling Mudin has posted details of the first review of this inane draft. If you can make it, please do. If you cannot make it, poke and prod your MP/ADUN and tell them you are opposed to this Bill.
Thanks to Bytebot for bringing this to everyone’s attention.
PS: Dear Pakatan MPs, DO NOT WALK OUT ON THIS BILL. Even if it’s going to be passed anyway, I would like to ask that you register your vote, so that at least there’s a record on Hansaard that you have opposed this Bill!
Original entry as appearing at Ink to Screen.
I found this on Facebook. I do not know if it is true. I am posting it here in hopes that someone can prove that this is true. Or better yet, that this is false. I DO NOT KNOW IF THIS IS TRUE. I hope it is not. :(
Must Read:- [Lawyers Talk:4883] FW: Stay away from pubs/bars/night clubs!
A normal & innocent life is changed to a nightmare for life long just b’cos of 1 innocent trip to pubs just to have fun with close friends. Take care.
Original entry as appearing at Ink to Screen.
Dear Friends,
But particularly those in the US. Especially if you’re in Mississippi, which I doubt that most of you are.
Please sign this petition to stop the redefinition of personhood. The Attorney General of Mississippi is proposing legislation that would define personhood to have begun from the moment of conception.
With that redefinition, you’re considered a human being from the moment conception happens. Which means abortion is not an option. Not for rape. Not for incest. Not even if the mother’s and child’s life is threatened by the child in her belly.
In fact, it also means you can’t take birth control pills. Or morning after pills. Anything that might prevent conception. A woman is thereby reduced to being nothing than a brood mare. To be nothing but an animal to receive a man’s sperm and carry that baby to term. Her wishes have no say.
This is not a campaign to define what it means to be a human. It’s a campaign to remove the meaning of being human. It removes choice. It removes the right of women to make their own decision for what happens in their bodies.
This is not about being anti-abortion. It’s about the state saying to women, “You MUST have babies. If you have sex, too bad. You must now carry it to term. If you have a disease that will kill you, too bad, the clump of cells in your tummy must be birthed. If you have been raped, too bad. You must live with the trauma for another 9 months.”
Oh yes. Miscarriage would be considered manslaughter. Miscarriage.
If you feel as disgusted as I do, please sign the petition. And no, it doesn’t matter if you’re from the US or not. A message needs to be sent. Our bodies are our own. The State should not, and cannot, be allowed to have a say in it.
In case you’re wondering, I’m writing this because the thought of having the state, even if the state is not my own, having the state control my body is terrifying. I can’t do much but spread the word, and hope that it gets to the right people.
Original entry as appearing at Ink to Screen.
I received this from a very good friend:
A friend of mine is holding a candlelight vigil on Aug 1st in honor of his 3 year old son who had to have an organ transplant. So he’s holding a candle light vigil to bring attention to organ donation and to say thank you to the unnamed person who donated so that Kaden could live.
I’m not going to lecture you on how organ donation is noble, and how it is an act that can save lives. I’m also not going to lecture you on how many religions, especially Christianity, Islam and Buddhism, hold organ donation to be one of most noble acts of charity one can do.
I am, though, going to remind you that it doesn’t take much to light a candle and say a prayer. I’m going to light one tomorrow and say thank you for that tiny life being saved.
And that reminds me, I need to find out where I put my organ donor card.
Original entry as appearing at Ink to Screen.
A follow-up to this post.
The cost is too high.
Marching for an idea and a concept carries sacrifices that are far too dear.
There are a number of people who say that the march is a bad idea because it inconveniences them. Those in support of the rally brush it off. Hey, so you face a delay in shopping and driving around for one day. Big deal, right?
Wrong.
I’m not talking the inconveniencing of daily lives. I know of at least one person for whom July 9, 2011 will be the biggest day of her life. She’s getting married.
Married.
That is NOT something you can tell other people to just bear with it this is just a small inconvenience. This march also affected my own plans. I wanted to go to KL to check out the Further Studies education fair in KLCC. I can’t now, mainly because 1. family obligations keep me at home, and 2. it’s unsafe for anyone to be in that area there.
Which brings me to my next point.
It’s easy to say that people will die for an idea. It’s easy for the individual to accept that death is a necessary component of defending that idea. That their physical death will somehow validate the idea and bring it to life. It’s easy to accept the death of strangers because you don’t know them.
It is much harder to accept the possible deaths of people you know.
I cannot condone the march, mainly for this single reason.
It puts lives at risk. Your deaths will not just affect you and your family, but everyone around you and those who have not. Are you all ready for that?
I know of at least three friends who will be marching tomorrow. Two of them are very dear to me. I know that if they die, their deaths would be on my shoulder. I have, in some way or other, supported their decision to walk. It may not have been my support alone, but I would be carrying the fact that they died with me till the day I die. If you’re alive you can still do something. Death is permanent. Seeking death to defend an idea, in my opinion, is the cause of much misery in the world today.
Some people may argue that this is for a future, a better future for all of Malaysia.
Is Malaysia going to bring my friends back should anything happen to them?
Is Malaysia going to take the burden of knowing her children died in her name?
Which parent can live with the fact that their children died for a bloody idea?
I will hate you all forever if you die.
Original entry as appearing at Ink to Screen.
There seems to be no outrage here. Only Mkini has this news on the front page. On the Star it’s buried and on TMI? No news at all. WTF is this. Apparently anuses, penises and vaginas are more important than the death of a 7 year old, apparently at the hands of his teacher. WTF IS WRONG WITH THIS COUNTRY!
Emphasis mine.
Seven-year-old dies after alleged assault by teacher
ARAU: A seven-year-old boy died after he was allegedly tied up and repeatedly assaulted by a teacher at a religious school hostel here.
Saiful Syazani Saiful Sopfidee, who was admitted to the Sultanah Bahiyah Hospital with multiple head injuries two days ago, died at about 8am yesterday.
It is believed that the boy was beaten for two hours after being accused on Thursday night by the 26-year-old teacher of stealing from the Sekolah Agama Al-Furqan hostel.
Saiful Syazani’s adoptive mother Hazirah Chin, 38, said she received a call from the school informing her that the boy had been admitted to the Tuanku Fauziah Hospital in Kangar after being injured.
“The teacher, who is also the hostel warden, told me that he needed my consent to transfer my son to the Sultanah Bahiyah Hospital as his condition was worsening.
“When I arrived at the Tuanku Fauziah Hospital, a doctor told me that he believed my son was tied up before being assaulted as there were rope marks on his wrists,” she said.
Hazirah, who had been raising Saiful Syazani since his mother died in 2007, described him as an obedient and cheerful child who never complained of any problem in school.
“I decided to send him to a religious school as he was keen on Islamic studies. I last saw him when I sent him to his hostel on March 27,” said Hazirah, who has four children of her own.
The boy was buried at the Muslim cemetery in Kampung Tok Paduka last night.
Saiful Syazani’s father Saiful Sopfidee Marzuki, 34, said the boy was put up for adoption after his wife died.
“The last time I met him was a year ago as I lived in Langkawi and only moved back to Jitra recently,” he said, adding that he had lodged a police report after seeing the bruises.
When contacted, the school authorities declined to comment.
Perlis CID chief Supt Mohd Nashir Ya said the teacher was detained at about 10pm on Saturday. The case has been classified as murder.
In Kuala Lumpur, Deputy Education Minister Dr Mohd Puad Zakarshi said it could not take any action against the teacher because it was a private school, but added that the matter was now in the hands of the police.
Original entry as appearing at Ink to Screen.
And people who break the law like Bung Mokhtar are NOT a menace?
Women drivers are a menace, says Bung Moktar
Kinabatangan MP Bung Moktar Radin today stirred the hornet’s nest again as he blamed reckless drivers, “especially women drivers”, for being traffic hazards.The BN backbenchers club deputy chairperson, notorious for his “leaks every month” jibe against Fong Po Kuan (DAP-Batu Gajah) in 2007, said reckless drivers – particularly women – were a major cause of traffic accidents.
“They relax; think that because they are inside a car the world is theirs. They don’t look left and right and when we honk they get angry. There are times when we honk, they show all sorts of sign language,” he said when debating the supplementary supply bill.
Dr Siti Mariah Mahmood (PAS-Kota Raja) was in no mood to let Bung’s statement slide.
bung mokhtar parliament 080708 01″I ask that he retract his statement,” she immediately interjected. “(His statement on) women drivers is too general,” she added, sparking a war of words between the two.
Bung (left) defended his statement, saying “it’s true”, and accused the opposition of politicising what he said a few minutes earlier.
“We are talking about accidents, do not politicise anything. I stress here, do not be a monkey… semua nak politik. Mati pun politik kah? (you politicise everything. You even want to politicise death?)” he said.
Ill-informed man with limited experience
At this point, Dzulkefly Ahmad (PAS- Kuala Selangor) interjected to ask Bung what evidence his allegation was based on, reminding Bung that his own wife and mother are both women.
Siti Mariah added that Bung made an ill-informed statement based on his own limited experience, and was being unfair to many women who took the trouble to learn how to be cautious.
However, Bung remained adamant, saying he was not being disrespectful to women but that road mishaps “definitely happen to women who just passed” their driving tests.
“Do not politicise the issue. There is no discrimination… (I am referring) only to new drivers. I urge the authorities to figure out how to pursue road safety for all parties,” he said.
Abdul Rahman Dahlan (BN-Kota Belud) was the only person to stand in Bung’s defence, saying the senior MP was not demeaning women.
“I sympathise with Kinabatangan… there are no negative implications (to his statement). Women are more careful, so they drive slower. There is no discrimination (against women),” he said.
Original entry as appearing at Ink to Screen.
As many of you would have known by now, on March 11, 2011, a 9.0 Richter scale eqarthquake hit Japan. It triggered tsunamis that devastated the coastlines and caused a state of nuclear emergency in Japan. As it is, there are many people with no power nor water. It is estimated that the death toll will run into tens of thousands, as complete towns have been wiped completely off the map.
Yet in the midst of all that, the Japanese can still smile. They’re opening their doors wide to all and sundry. They’re giving way. They’re being unfailingly considerate. They’re offering rides to strangers. They’re helping each other with no thought to themselves.
They will need help to rebuild. To find survivors. Please, if you can spare some change or can volunteer in some way, don’t hesitate to offer.
You can donate to the International Red Cross or directly to the Japanese Red Cross via Google.
ETA (thanks SiliconShaman): Does anyone know what happened to those Pacific islands that were in the path of the tsunami? I know that the Red Cross said that they were in danger of being wiped out.
ETA 2: As Mika Aka says, “In Guam, the waves broke two U.S. Navy submarines from their moorings. But they were brought back by tug boats.”
ETA 3: The waves were smaller than expected and thankfully they erred on the side of caution (surfers excepted from this).
Original entry as appearing at Ink to Screen.
Nothing fancy. Just something to remember this Malaysia day. The National Oath or National Principles, depending on the translator.
Kepercayaan kepada Tuhan
Note: Not Allah, but Tuhan. Translated, this means Believe in God, NO MATTER THE RACE. It’s telling that this is the first principle of the citizen’s oath, isn’t it?
Kesetiaan kepada Raja dan Negara
Loyalty to King and Country. Not politics, but country.
Keluhuran Perlembagaan
The sanctity of the constitution. Which, considering the changes made to the Constitution since it’s inception, one wonders whether there is anything left to uphold.
Kedaulatan Undang-Undang
The sovereignty of Law. One word: PDRM. ’nuff said.
Kesopanan dan Kesusilaan
Politeness and tactfulness. AKA Mind your manners. Which, considering the monkey behaviour we’ve seen in Parliament, is disappointing.
I’m still going to uphold this vow whenever I can, even if the airheads in Parliament can’t. What will YOU do?
Original entry as appearing at Reach Into Your Soul.
I was in Giant, Ampang Point branch yesterday trying to buy myself a cup of coffee before heading out for an interview. Imagine my glee and surprise when I realised they were selling a can of Nescafe for 99 cents! I picked up a can and eagerly went to the counter, handing over my RM1 note excitedly.
The cashier girl picks up the can, scans it, takes my money and then looks at me expectedly. I look back at her, a little dense. Then I turn my head to the right to look at the price display from the scanner.
It read RM1.70.
Honestly, I was not surprised, and for a moment I wondered if I could have misread the label on the shelf (as it does frequently in Malaysia. The items are often mismatched in the supermarket stores with the price, so you really have to read the label description before buying an item). Then I recalled that it very clearly stated RM 0.99 on the shelf. I told the girl so, and she looked at me as though I was insane for trying to argue with the gods of the scanned price.
So both of us trudged back towards the related shelf, and there you have it! The price was written as RM 0.99 and NOT RM1.70 as she had scanned it in. Her colleague (who was removing some items from the shelves) said that the shelf price was right, and there was a Kak Ju who would know how to handle such transactions. The cashier girl replied that Kak Ju was off and then fairly stormed off to her station. I followed her.
At the cashier, she turned to another senior who tried to get me to pay the higher price. I pointed out that there was a scanning integrity poster right on her cashier counter, one that promised that in the case of discrepancy, the customer need only pay the lower price. Theoretically this meant that I only needed to pay RM0.99 instead of RM1.70.
The senior then waved my concerns away by saying that sometimes the staff took the notice down late. My immediate response (that stayed in my head) was, “And that’s my problem, how?”
In the end, I took my money back from her and went instead of my interview. So be warned. Giant Hypermarket is very unscrupulous, even if they claim to be cheap. They have promises printed in black and white but refuse to honour them (hmm… sounds like some politicians we know, right?).
And in case you were wondering? I’m not shopping there ever again.
Original entry as appearing at Reach Into Your Soul.
A year ago, a friend got married. The weeks before, she had spent hunting us down at an event, making sure that the wedding cards reached each of our hands, safe and sound. That weekend, I took the LRT down with a male Malay friend to the wedding, and we entered the hotel together. I’m pretty sure the khalwat crew would have had fits if we’d have gone up to the hotel room to see the bride, but we decided to chillax at the cafe instead.
We saw another couple when we went back to the ballroom entrance. They still had the flush of “new couple” around them, though it was great to see the guy getting bullied by the girl. Did I mention that they were a cute mixed couple? Awesome as they were, what was even more awesome was that soon the rest of our friends started arriving. And we were a palette of colours.
As we signed in, there was a chorus of cries as we “complained” that we had all be shunted off into a room by ourselves. Considering our noise levels, I think that was a good point. Certainly no one could complain when we decided to dispense with the normal, “Yam Seng” cheer with another. Lead by Fazri and Victor, I think, we sang this instead (yes, sing):
I don’t wanna close my eyes
I don’t wanna fall asleep
Cause I miss your babe
And I don’t wanna miss a thing!
Which of course, nearly shattered the glass doors. 
Then we made the groom sing a song to his bride, all in the name of turning traditions upside down. He sang Mazinger Z’s opening song, I believe, to everyone’s delight. As we dispersed (after throwing the groom into the air, no mean feat, I tell you), everyone walked in one big group to the carpark. We hugged, talked and divided ourselves according to who was going where to go home, and then we promised to meet at the next gathering.
Two years ago, my cousin sister got married. The main thing I remembered about her wedding was standing up and seeing a sea of Chinese faces. That terrified me to no end. The only-non Chinese people I could see was my dad, aunt, my bro and me. My mother’s family doesn’t really trust non-Chinese, which is why the fact that I’m here writing to you on this blog is nothing short of a tiny miracle.
Three years ago, a good friend passed away. He did it in a way only he could; leaving us the day after his birthday.
I still remember the way everyone rushed up to go to Penang for his funeral. The way we all poured into a friend’s house in PJ to plan (very very quickly) the transportation details for the next day. The way we all rushed home after that to grab our clothes. The shock and sorrow I felt at losing him. The memorial we had, online and offline, for him. Hearing stories from friends who attended the funeral, especially from his parents who were surprised that their son had made so many friends. That we all gathered, regardless of colour, to mourn the passing of a guy who really didn’t care about colour.
I didn’t understand how May 13 could have happened from an emotional viewpoint until I went for my cousin sister’s wedding. I realised just how much we’ve moved on since then though, because of the celebrations I’ve attended since then. I’ve come to realise the debate and the reasons behind May 13 isn’t racial. It never was.
It is, always has, and always will be, about class. It was about the poor of one community being told to blame the poor of another community, because the rich of the first community was stealing from the poor and wanted to hoodwink them.
That is all.
Original entry as appearing at Reach Into Your Soul.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mmmag
