The eighth month of the year is coming to its close and it has certainly marked many happenings either at the personal level or nationwide. Very soon we’ll touch the last third part of the year. More often we failed to recognize the events that we participated in or those that rubbed us alongside its various itineraries. Soon enough whatever attachments or glimpses dissolves into oblivion. The mind crowded with other happenings would not remember or be exact and specific to what had happened. Those who keep diaries and surely very few, will happily be rewarded should they wish to lift back moments in time. The annual diaries which come in all sorts of design and sizes, freely distributed by bigger companies sadly are hardly used and if done only to record appointments and meeting schedules. Those diaries sold in the bookshops and supermarkets, likewise do not attract buyers and at mid year there are still on the racks. As an alternative the computer as a media now provides the most excellent way and that too if we are geared to make notes. Many writers find to their satisfaction this added advantage.
Recapitulating, I noted the following as hitting the headliners. Malaysia waited for the IJC to make its verdict with optimism high on our side. Friday May 23, 2008 dealt a blow with Pulau Batu Puteh going the other way though we still heard a declaration of a win-win situation even with acquiring nearly submerged rocks instead. Several days earlier at Starcity Hotel Alor Star Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad declared his departure from UMNO whom he had had an intimate relationship for no less than a half century. It marked a crucial schism between him and Dato Abdullah Badawi, the Prime Minister of Malaysia. Blogs being a declared alternative media had its new babe when http:// Che Det.com came into space on May 1, 2008. The man who gave Cyberjaya and Multi-Media Super Corridor got hooked and declared a ‘millionaire’ with exceptional hits, a record of sort within less than a month. At Parliament House Pandikar Amin the Speaker came to grips with YB’s with one even approaching his table, unprecedented. Next Mukhriz, Zaid and Tajuddin joined in the fracas at Parliament too with all the three being referred to the disciplinary committee. It has certainly not been quiet. Then the catastrophe that hit Bangladesh, Myanmar and China added to the headline.
Teachers Day as well as Mothers Day passed by. The former earning the government’s accord for their contribution to country and society with promised galore of promotions plus rewards for those in the ulus. Civil servants likewise received their most awaited extension for service until the ripe age of fifty-eighty with extended term of thirty years for calculation of pension service. With other seemingly cost floating higher, the government expenditure looks insurmountable. Control oil subsidy and restriction now appear next in line with certainty in increased price of petrol and diesel. Shortage of rice, the staple diet became a scare too. Malaysian are encouraged to look to ‘ubi’ instead as it happened during the Japanese war years.
Those were the happenings that invariably shook us for a moment, yet passed by without much worry because we continue to be non- perplexed since Malaysia is unlike other nations in the region. No harm or calamity will come its way. At least that’s how the populace thought. Still cases of Malaysian women being apprehended in foreign countries, shocked and crying in jails and charged for illegal possession of drugs appear far too often. Have we become too gullible and unpretentious of whatever offers come our way? Malaysian women have dared to accept offers from foreigners and strangers in the most unlikely stances. Why? Are Malaysian men not accommodating enough? Or have they lost their virility
Far too many foreigners in the country, reminding us of situation in Britain in the mid 20th century is worrying but we continue to open our welcoming door policy. Foreign workers legal and otherwise moved in bring along with them multitude of problems. Already higher education has seen a huge explosion of foreign students of all complexions yet not knowing if they actually attend classes or offer other benefits to the country. We are presented with cases of babies for sale opening a Pandora box of exclusiveness because it hits hard into religious and unethical acts especially when they are transferred into foreign and racial identities.
Now the games at Beijing transfixed us to the magic box. Day and night we became enthralled by the splendid performances of the athletes and the swimmers. Imagine carrying home eight gold medals with record achievement at one game by a swimmer extraordinary and the Jamaican record breaking feat at the 100 and 200 meters dash. A Malaysian shutter added a tint of silver to the country’s quest for medals in this year Olympic. Truly the performances by the Chinese sportsperson and their organization of the world’s game will become a landmark to be studied and followed by many other nations. To rank top in medal collections, outranking the other sports nations of the world is a great feat of achievement.
Today, the 23rd of August 2008 is an auspicious day especially to see a downward reduction of petrol and diesel price at the pump stations. Petrol down 15 sen and diesel 8 sen. Here’s hoping other prices that climbed up alongside the oil hike will do likewise – plummet down. Personally the date is more striking as it will help to remember my Virgo and the touching of another birth-year of ‘Many Happy Returns’.
Recapitulating, I noted the following as hitting the headliners. Malaysia waited for the IJC to make its verdict with optimism high on our side. Friday May 23, 2008 dealt a blow with Pulau Batu Puteh going the other way though we still heard a declaration of a win-win situation even with acquiring nearly submerged rocks instead. Several days earlier at Starcity Hotel Alor Star Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad declared his departure from UMNO whom he had had an intimate relationship for no less than a half century. It marked a crucial schism between him and Dato Abdullah Badawi, the Prime Minister of Malaysia. Blogs being a declared alternative media had its new babe when http:// Che Det.com came into space on May 1, 2008. The man who gave Cyberjaya and Multi-Media Super Corridor got hooked and declared a ‘millionaire’ with exceptional hits, a record of sort within less than a month. At Parliament House Pandikar Amin the Speaker came to grips with YB’s with one even approaching his table, unprecedented. Next Mukhriz, Zaid and Tajuddin joined in the fracas at Parliament too with all the three being referred to the disciplinary committee. It has certainly not been quiet. Then the catastrophe that hit Bangladesh, Myanmar and China added to the headline.
Teachers Day as well as Mothers Day passed by. The former earning the government’s accord for their contribution to country and society with promised galore of promotions plus rewards for those in the ulus. Civil servants likewise received their most awaited extension for service until the ripe age of fifty-eighty with extended term of thirty years for calculation of pension service. With other seemingly cost floating higher, the government expenditure looks insurmountable. Control oil subsidy and restriction now appear next in line with certainty in increased price of petrol and diesel. Shortage of rice, the staple diet became a scare too. Malaysian are encouraged to look to ‘ubi’ instead as it happened during the Japanese war years.
Those were the happenings that invariably shook us for a moment, yet passed by without much worry because we continue to be non- perplexed since Malaysia is unlike other nations in the region. No harm or calamity will come its way. At least that’s how the populace thought. Still cases of Malaysian women being apprehended in foreign countries, shocked and crying in jails and charged for illegal possession of drugs appear far too often. Have we become too gullible and unpretentious of whatever offers come our way? Malaysian women have dared to accept offers from foreigners and strangers in the most unlikely stances. Why? Are Malaysian men not accommodating enough? Or have they lost their virility
Far too many foreigners in the country, reminding us of situation in Britain in the mid 20th century is worrying but we continue to open our welcoming door policy. Foreign workers legal and otherwise moved in bring along with them multitude of problems. Already higher education has seen a huge explosion of foreign students of all complexions yet not knowing if they actually attend classes or offer other benefits to the country. We are presented with cases of babies for sale opening a Pandora box of exclusiveness because it hits hard into religious and unethical acts especially when they are transferred into foreign and racial identities.
Now the games at Beijing transfixed us to the magic box. Day and night we became enthralled by the splendid performances of the athletes and the swimmers. Imagine carrying home eight gold medals with record achievement at one game by a swimmer extraordinary and the Jamaican record breaking feat at the 100 and 200 meters dash. A Malaysian shutter added a tint of silver to the country’s quest for medals in this year Olympic. Truly the performances by the Chinese sportsperson and their organization of the world’s game will become a landmark to be studied and followed by many other nations. To rank top in medal collections, outranking the other sports nations of the world is a great feat of achievement.
Today, the 23rd of August 2008 is an auspicious day especially to see a downward reduction of petrol and diesel price at the pump stations. Petrol down 15 sen and diesel 8 sen. Here’s hoping other prices that climbed up alongside the oil hike will do likewise – plummet down. Personally the date is more striking as it will help to remember my Virgo and the touching of another birth-year of ‘Many Happy Returns’.
Man is as they say a transient creature yet as he moved hopefully he acquired strength and wisdom. Likelihood he acquires experiences and happening of all kinds throughout. Isn’t a misfortune if he failed to note down some of the happenings that have colored his life? Not so much for himself but for his siblings and his family. We have noticed how families strained to capture the past, recollect about their ancestors but sadly failed in most circumstances. Fortunate would be the family who has things to fall back on. There are circumstances where valuable documents are discarded or eaten up by the ravages of time and creatures of all sorts. Preservation would be a core factor now.
Age catches on. Meeting and talking to people added to the excitement. So would you be able to keep stock of your happenings much less the progress of the country and other peripheral sidelines unless you are on the go, in communication with all surrounding you? Tiredness surely comes our way sooner or later. We must take heed of world’s statesmen who go about doing their business daily without qualms, filling their diaries with varied appointments. Wouldn’t that put us to shame if we continue to be lackadaisical? Mind your diary.
Age catches on. Meeting and talking to people added to the excitement. So would you be able to keep stock of your happenings much less the progress of the country and other peripheral sidelines unless you are on the go, in communication with all surrounding you? Tiredness surely comes our way sooner or later. We must take heed of world’s statesmen who go about doing their business daily without qualms, filling their diaries with varied appointments. Wouldn’t that put us to shame if we continue to be lackadaisical? Mind your diary.
2 comments:
Pak Non
When I was in secondary school, I used to write in my diary religously (well, almost). When I entered university I kept some notes but not as often as before.
Now, I have a family diary. But I seldom write in it except to plan visits to my three children who are studying away from home.
Luckily there's the blog. It allows me to record happenings that catch my interest as well as my thoughts on things close to me.
Daddy, some pics from Saturday are on HardKnock's blog. What's your new email?
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