Thursday, January 17, 2013

Islam, Patrick Teoh & Me

I am not the most religious person in the world but I am still disturbed about the recent melee involving my religion; Islam. We used to be able to insinuate matters whenever it involves sensitive issues such as religion or race. We know for a fact that a mere mention of a certain word publicly can cause discomfort among certain segments of the society. Racism for instance is a word people thread with so much caution so as not to imply something out of context. In fact we never need to utter certain words as we used to be able to read between the lines.


The recent influx of seemingly lackadaisical attitude towards Islam baffled me to the core. It is as if there are no more taboos in our country and you could just bash almost anything or anyone nowadays. Its a free for all and politicians seems to work this out for their own political mileage. We are taught to be courteous to our neighbours. In Surah An-Nisa' (The Women) Allah says: 


     "Serve God, and join not any partners with Him; and do good -- to parents, kinsfolk, orphans, those in need, neighbours who are near, neighbours who are strangers, the companion by your side, the wayfarer (you meet), and what your right hands posses: for God loves not the arrogant, the vainglorious." [4:36] 

There are also many verses in the Bible that speak about respecting and loving your neighbours.  Neighbours doesn't only mean literally but more towards an all encompassing definition. The Bible says: 

     "For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; You shall love your neighbour as yourself" Galatians 5:14 "

What makes social media great also makes it dangerous. Thus, more often than not we see stupidity being broadcast to the whole wide world through social media such as Facebook,Twitter,Blogs, news-portal and so much more. Social media gives people a voice, and with it they can express themselves however they choose albeit to some extent whimsically. The same social media tools were used to help the Middle East rise up against oppression and urban Britain riot. http://goo.gl/XnCyf 

Muslims in the country were dumbfounded when Lembah Pantai M.P answered a simple question in an event organised in a church. She rightly pointed out that Malays do not have the rights to commit apostasy in Malaysia. However she went on to say that freedom of religion must also apply towards Malay/Muslim. If you are not a Muslim, that answer should be an innocent and somewhat liberal in nature. Nevertheless the country bare witness to a huge outcry by majority of Muslims in Malaysia.  I don't want to delve more on the constitutional aspect of this issue. Suffice here to say that when you say something as provocative as that, there bound to be repercussions. 

The trend of insensitivity towards Islam continue to snowball when The Chief Minister of Penang out of nowhere demanded the government to give Christians leeway to use the word ALLAH in their Bible. Its just plain peculiar that arguably the most pertinent word to Muslims can now be freely debated by non muslims. Where are the inter religion respects that our fore fathers proudly preached to us? At this juncture, I am beginning to feel that there are something terribly wrong about our society nowadays. I have a Chinese step mother and I love her dearly. She still keep a close relationship with her family even after she had converted to Islam. There are times earlier on that I struggled to accept her as part of our family but after all the differences we had, we developed a mutual respect and love towards each other. Now I cant get enough of Lotus flavoured moon cake; Halal version of course.

Patrick Teoh recent rants towards Islam clearly envisaged that the thin line of respect and love towards each other can easily be broken. I accepted his apology wholeheartedly but it still leave me with some bad taste. I think I speak for the majority of Muslims in the country no matter how moderate,modern or elitist they are; that we are so incensed by what had transpired. Patrick Teoh swift apology helped calm down the fire burning inside each and every Muslims but this basically teaches us one important thing; That certain matters should and must remain a taboo. 

Patrick, this ain't funny okay! No pun intended.


Sunday, January 6, 2013

Computerized Insanity



Insanity. People can get away with anything including murder if you are certified to be mentally unable to think straight. They also gave these people a card which says that they are mentally unsound. As such whenever they ran amok, the police would eventually sets them free because of the card. The get out of jail free card. We seems to have at least one person in our kampung or community matching this discription.

I find it hard to visualize the content of their mind whenever such glitches happens. Do they get jammed screens like smartphones always have and would go about with their business with no recollections whatsoever later on? Some people associate insanity with satanic involvement. Statements such as "Kena sampuk kecil2 dulu" or "amal ilmu hitam sampai memakan diri" seldom associated with the causes of insanity.

Its I guessed part of the Malaysian culture to have this type of mind anomaly. How else can we explain the Malaysian origins of the word "Amok" and rather amusingly "Latah". Do you know that only Malays are known in the whole wide world to "Latah"? Latah is a sudden lost of our motor control and sometimes mind control whenever they get suprised. 

Mind glitches as such to me do occur and it has been an accepted weakness to human being. To err is human, to forgive is divine clearly echoed this statement that human mind makes mistakes. Therefore human being invented the Computer.

Nowadays, each and every facet of our life is determined by the use of some form of computerized mechanism. The precision and accuracy of a computer are depended in life threathing situations in hospitals. Thus computers are entrusted with all the vital tasks which could make or break an organization. 

The recent election fiasco involving a local party make for a very interesting study between mind/mental glitch or computer glitch. No matter how sophisticated a computer is, we still need a human to switch it on. It still need humans to feed it informations so that they can make decisions people dreaded. 



Its somewhat hillarious to digest a reason for all this debacle is "computer glitch". It should be on par with the "the dog ate my homework" lame excuse and exposed that party glaring weakness. In blaming computer glitches rather than human error on their part, it arises a lacuna here. A legal one so to speak. 

Should that party direct their legal team to file for damages against Bill Gates and Microsoft? This computer glitch arises from the use of their products. This is a good opportunity to slay the biggest capitalist dragon of all time. It would be the case of the century. How a microsoft product has effectively turn a simple internal election into a circus. It would create a precedent that will long be used by lawyers to sue..." computer glitches is an acceptable form of defence and as such they would get the full protection of the LAW"

Layman call it "computerized insanity".

@zulazry 

P/S:Waiting for the outcome of ROS investigation against DAP CEC Election Fiasco

Thursday, January 3, 2013

I Love Alor Star




Alor Star is one of the most oldest city in Malaysia.Thankfully despite the recent so called economical development, it still maintain the simplicity and the peacefulness of a small town. I must confess that I was not born in this city. Instead I was born in Kuala Lumpur , the metropolitan hub of this country. I spent most of my childhood and youth in KL. In KL, I know where to find cheap second hand books near Bangkok Bank, the short-cuts to go about in the city; but that was those days. Nowadays KL is a place where I don't really fancy living in. It doesn't have personality. Personality goes a long way mind you. To quote Vincent Vega in Pulp Fiction "...by that rationale, if a pig had a better personality, he would cease to be a filthy animal.." I'm not saying that living in KL is that grotesque but i think you get my message.

Alor Star got personality, the same goes to Ipoh [those days], Taiping and for that matter Kota Bahru. I still can walk around and find the same stuff years back in the middle of the town. My dad used to tell me that the best place to have a dinner for two in the 70's was a place where they house the Standard Chartered Bank before they move it to the current building. The first open air rooftop restaurant in Alor Star, some say in Malaysia. It was where all the high class party situated and among the trendiest place at that time.




My dad love to dress up, so he told me that there was a place to get authentic GQ shirt and also the best custom tailor in town. Amazingly, those stores are still around till today. But they have seen better days..Nowadays people go to Hypermarket...There are currently 3 hypermarkets in Alor Star and one more is purportedly in the offing..The Drycleaners at lorong merpati still ask about my late dad and how he was her best customer. When i stop by the drycleaners, they would themselves carry all my cloths and put it in my car. Do you get that kind of service elsewhere'?

I do go to hypermarkets, I'm not saying that its bad for the people in Alor Star but its not like "Kedai Runcit Ahlong" near my house or "Kedai Mamak "serabut""..Kedai Runcit Ahlong [not related to Ah Long Menace nowadays] provide delivery service to your doorstep.Whatever you want, he seems to have it all. I used to go to his store and sit by the stool and eat "Kacang Tumbok" while reading the list of groceries out loud to Ahlong; simplicity at its best!

I can't tell you my love hate relationship with Alor Star without referring to my late dad. Everyone seems to know him in the town. Often when i walk around the town with him, he would meet a friend or an old acquaintance and struck up a conversation..he loves to talk and talk and talk. When he speaks, his friends seems to be awe struck under a spell. He does that all the time. He showed me at one time this middle age man about his age cycling about the town. He told me that chap used to be "anak orang kaya kampung" spoilt brat. His father was a rich person and that chap always brags to my father about this and that. But as fate turned out, that chap is still cycling to this day. Oh how i miss my dad and his stories.

People are so friendly here. I once struck a conversation with a slightly older women on the bus en route to Alor Star. I asked her where is she heading to and to my horror, she couldn't stop talking until "Perhentian Bukit Gantang" where I at last faked my slumber. I do appreciate the friendliness but sometimes it could be bad for them cause people could take advantage over them.Some of the people I have met who had legal problems most of the times seems to be so gullible or naive. I think the the simplicity and friendliness must be balanced with the right attitude...I guessed.

I missed the old Alor Star court complex housed in a magnificent pre historic building and the surrounding area. Having long breakfast at Pak Majid stall nearby the old court building. Where you can dine-go the court-continue dining. I am so glad that i started my legal career there as it somehow taught me to be humble and the meaning of true friendship. I love my friends here and we enjoyed the working environment in Alor Star. Nowadays, the Alor Star Court had moved to a majestic new building but does it have personality? I don't know but my friends are still around and they don't have any complaints.

Oh well, I love Alor Star nonetheless and i would continue doing so. My adopted birthplace so to speak..:)

@zulazry 

[Reproduced from my note on facebook dated 13.7.2009 http://www.facebook.com/notes/azry-khalil/i-love-alor-star/101999892443 ]

Happy Father's Day Ayah


Ayah,

Its father's day today. I miss you like crazy..There are times when I thought that I would crumble under the intense pressure of filling your shoes.The mantle that you gave me to look after our family felt so heavy and I was not prepared to take it. If I could, I still want to be with you. I still have so much to learn from you. All the times that we spend together felt so insufficient at these times and I really wish you are still around. 

Its father's day today. I already know what to wish you and almost always I would either text you or send you a card even when you are nearby. I'm not quite sure why but I can submit my cases before judges at the highest court but with you, my words just come undone. Its just when it involves emotions and and having to say it in front of you..maybe because we are like that. I'm sure you got my message and I'm sure that you love me dearly.



Its father's day today but you always treat me like your friend. We hang out together and your friends still ask me to hang out with them. Its a bit weird to be hanging out with guys about your age, but then i realize the value of your friendship to them and how sad they felt when you suddenly passed away. Sometimes I wonder, will my friends miss me as much as they miss you when my time come??

Its father's day today. I love you so much. I can't recall when was the last time i gave you a kiss. On second thought, i'm pretty sure i never kiss you during my entire adult life. Well, I guessed we are the macho type and we don't really kiss each other unlike your daughters.. sadly I only remember my last kiss to you as you lay there lifeless..

Its father's day today but to me, everyday is a father's day as every single thing I do reminds me of you. Your presence still lingers and your laughter haunt me night and days. I miss you Ayah..our prayers for you always..

Al-Fatihah 


Kapten (B) Abdul Khalil B Lebai Yusoff 
1950 - 2009

@zulazry

[Reproduced from my own notes on facebook dated 21.6.2009 http://goo.gl/ECp0y ]