THE QUAINT, THE OBSOLETE AND THE EVERLASTING

IT is hard time. Harder and devastating in some. The sufferings continues with no end in sight. The whole world protest. You burn effigies. You tear national flags. You throw shoes. You shout and bang the tables at Parliaments, condemning all the atrocities. You are angry because one of the oldest mosques, sacred and holy, continue to be inaccessible to Muslims. It is profanity personified. Palestinians and Jews are at each others throats again and this time the assaults have been damaging to the Palestinians on their home ground. You are weary that phosphorus bombs are dropped on the homes in Gaza killing innocent people and children too. It is genocide at best.

The world's body i.e the United Nations remain adamant. Unable to exercise its might or authority if any. Still there is a strong clamoring for it to take action. Will we see some dim hope?

Be that as it may, there are also dark clouds on our home ground too. Recession which has taken the world by its strong force is creeping by. Yet we are being lullaby by leaders that Malaysia will weather the storm. Our currencies and our banking system can fortify all calamities. May be they can. But what about the people? What about the wage earners? What of the day to day survivors? When 'bailouts' has become the world's choice word for 2008 aren't we still in a position to be undisturbed and relaxed?

Can we remain as contented and slumberous as the herd of buffaloes in the above picture? Well the opening remarks are hard talks, especially when we are traumatised by news headlines. Concerned yes but our daily needs do count much more. We need to fortify ourselves. We need to guarantee our continued survival and of our future generations especially. Please no more qualms about the choice of Proton or Cambry! No more 'corridors' that don't appear to lead anywhere. Decide fast either Malay or English for mathematics and science. No more dubious languages for road signs. Go for the big one and no more mundane issues. Get on the governance of Malaysia for 2020 status at least. Do we need a 10% reduction after midnight? Go on. Guarantee our generation's future. Rubbing salt to the pain, what I heard on the news today typifies it all. Believe it or not the Kedah government now decides 'Alor Star' will reconvene to its earlier spelling i.e Alor Setar. "E" has surely been a luxurious entity. Now how simplistic can we get considering all other urgencies.