THE HAPPENINGS

WE HAVE ONLY EMBARKED on the second month of the year and soon moving into March and already discovering or learning of new things that had escaped us before. Perhaps our experiences never took us across such happenings or maybe they too remained concealed, never touching the lights of day.

Political upheavals aside, when one side can challenge the other dragging all concerned into the fry as seen in the former tin rich state of Perak; now we see another woman disallowing a legal wife to attend to her own husband who sadly has been in hospital outside the country. Rightly thinking such disallowing has no bearing irrespective of the standing. The religious court cautioned and check is undoubtedly a clear resonance of the correct decisions. As usual dissatisfaction, unhappiness or the right to uphold truth as expected would see counter actions. Therefore we see the courts being visited now more often and the magistrates or judges holding their forts even to the point of being dismissed. Do you ever hear of the High Court judge being asked to disqualify himself before? It seems now you can challenge almost anything and hopefully get what you want.

Another preference would be to make police reports over all sundry happenings. You utter a right or wrong remark and someone will make a police report. The sensation places him or her on a special dais, a champion irrespective whether there is action or inaction on the part of the police who is bogged with more serious issues.

Intimacy before wed logs has seriously brought about childbirth to the discomfort of young 'parents' and disarray leading to news report too uncomfortable for us to absorb . All directions have been taken to counter its continuance but it is not the finality until the correct or expectable mean is found. Now a sanctuary for such victims or candidates has been suggested, disclosing that acceptability in a sense rather than opposition and condemnation is a better mean. Yet the roots of high cost in marriages, disallowing on the parts of parents etc have to be overcome.

Lawyers too are at their wits end, searching for actions to be taken where possible to assist their clients. There seems to be no close and shut cases anymore. All avenues are opened. Yes there are challenging pathways ahead of us.

Road accidents also take front page columns. Double – decked buses, speedy drivers, road engineering, emergency lanes and vehicles left unattended by the highways all now become headline grabbers. Yes surely we are pulled aside disturbed by such happenings around; never a dull moment. Maid services with stories hitting the headlines and arousing anger from our friendly neighbor who have thousands or millions of their citizens here and the unacceptable inflow of visitors from the dark- continent are chapters in our current story.

An escape to solitude, away from the maddening crowd naturally becomes a welcomed offer. Where do you stand and where will you go to flee the 'turmoil'?

 

( A sudden urge to pen down the urgency that one feels daily listening and reading the news over the networks)

A WELCOME CRYOUT BUT WHEN WILL CHANGE TAKES EFFECT

TWO DAYS AGO the newspaper discloses two exciting news to those of us who like reading and playing. These are two ordinary pleasures that have hooked us since we were children. Our teachers and our parents have encouraged us since and over the years our moments have been taken up with pouring over words and writings in books, documents, newspapers and whatever materials that comes by. Bilingualism or proficiency in more than one language surely would add justice and gainful ship since you would be opened to the richness of knowledge. Enjoying the games on the school fields, participating as team members or individually and being rewarded with take-home medals or silver cups of varied sizes, cheered by friends and encouraged by relatives and parents help to a no less small way make you a man. We seem to adhere to the Latin phrase "a healthy mind in a healthy body" and no doubt it has paid tremendously all these years.

Now out of the blues, the Minister of Education Malaysia and the Deputy Prime Minister himself has awakened to the befallen standard of participation in games. Be it at the village, school, district, state and national levels our participation in games have fallen on the waysides. Competiveness is not the order of things, much less the desires to participate. Malaysia's grand position at the South East Asia's level and much less the International dimension is nothing to be proud of.

In short, it suddenly dawn after several decades that, our schools have shied away from extra-curricular activities namely games, sports, physical education etc. The school playing fields seems to be reserved only for it ambience. Daily exercises and P.E as part of the school curriculum which helped to identify the muscular students as everyone has to bare himself top up died a natural death. Added to that, teachers with options to teach physical education, sports activities and helped to promote team spirit, sportsmanship and competiveness become a dying breed. Other options take precedence and naturally the school children face the other directions. Not their faults.

Now it is about turn at least. How far will it go? Will the Education Ministry itself help to check the wrought? In no way will it be possible unless it works with other related Ministries and Departments. Nonetheless it is a welcome change and for many of us already with grown-up children, hopefully the grandchildren and future Malaysian youth will shine with colors in their faces, with active muscles and veins helping them to be healthy citizens and no doubt taking them away at regular times from the confines of their rooms and computer machines.

Malaysians outpouring over the delights of books however seems to strike a record of sort, not something we can cry out or shout to the world or even to our nearby neighbor. The newspapers let out a catastrophic secret though not a surprise to many. After several attempts or programs to get Malaysian to read even at allowing RM1000.00 as tax rebate for the purchase of books, the media discovers that we just don't read enough. Statistics show that out of 85 percent who read regularly their preference go like this: 77 percent for newspapers; 3 percent for books; 3 percent for magazines and 1.6 percent for comics. So don't expect to see our people reading or browsing over books while in the trains, aero- planes or at moments when they are free.

The fallacy will be discovered when the school systems realized that they too have fallen short at inspiring our youth to read. The absence of literature classes or even library breaks has caused detrimental damage.

Can we expect another sudden turn around?