Friends ,
Bandar Sri Premaisuri ,right smack in the heart of Puchong .One of the many brand new suburbs dottering the Federal Capital , is a study of stark contrast .Up a hill on the right side , you have huge bungalows and big semi-dees with a back drop of a very green looking forest reserve which ,for one who is wise with the ways of our local council ,wonders whether it would still be there in say ,five years time .A gated community ,serene and peaceful .100 % Chinese ownership as who can afford 1.5 million RM and above if not the Chinese .
Down below ,the hill acting like the Berlin Wall , the long ,straight 3 km street ideal for racing at night, a dream for Mat Rempits ,you have rows an rows of low cost and medium cost high rise and low rise apartments ,90 % Malays with a springkling of Chinese and Indians .Mat Rempits reeving their motor cycles and racing at night ,that is 100 % Malays .I do not wish to wander beyond the 'mat rempit' and progress to 'dadah' as that would result in a double dose of depression .
So much for the affirmative action over 40 years or so of NEP !That is the state of our economy .Let us move on to something more positive ,politics !
We will have a new PM in March if the Old Man means what he say .In Malaysian politics ,it can sometime be difficult :'Yang tersurat dan yang tersirat can be world apart '.Remember Pak Lah has been in the public domain longer than the other old chap .When that guy was just an 'ordinary' pariah MP whom nobody wanted to be seen alive with during the NOC days ,Pak Lah was already the Executive Secretary to Tun Razak's powerful National Operation Council way back in 1969 . .
But let as all assume Pak Lah is true to his words .Mr Najib become PM in March .The guy with excess baggage married to a 1st lady also with excess baggage ,literally and figuratively .That Petra fellow will have his field day until he dies or being made to shut up .
Let us go down one scale to the 'perfect storm' building up in the Women's wing of UMNO .The incumbent has yet to give all of us a satisfactory account of her role in the 'AP King' scandal that rocked the country 2 years back .All of us have short memories so it is ok .Her challenger appears less 'soiled' except for the unsubstantiated rumour making the round among the 'lembu corporate circle'that her better half was given a 'soft soft gomen loan'[ which mean no interest ,and as most 'gomen loans go ,later on if you cannot pay ,'kita boleh kira ,Petronas etc etc will look into it ] to the tune of 200 RM millions to dabble in 'lembu' .
Even if it is true ,it is a just a loan ,you have to pay back a loan stupid ! Just that some taxpayers are just wondering aloud whether any Ali ,Ahmad or Pak Mat Nyadap say from Kuala Ketil can also apply ,and of course the obviously naughty thought of some people as to whether how much will go to actually 'lembu ' and lembu research and how much to something else ?
Lower down the scale we have KJ ,a young punk from Oxbridge . [ my neighbour's son is also from Oxbridge but not so lucky ,now selling roti canai in downtown USJ !Saudara Ling Liong Sik 's son ,as usual anak towkey not very 'blight' , was however not from Oxbridge , that one we are very sure .Maggi mee type of multi millionaire at one time at the right old age of 26 !Did not sell roti canai though .You rub my back I rub yours Malaysian style ,not during Pak lah's time I am afraid ] .
KJ ,head honcho of a group of similar bred young punks advising the present PM towards his subsequent fall from grace ,putting his all for the Pemuda post .You may say he is still green and very wet in between the ears but even then do not underestimate his talent .Even that mamak chap in NST at that time reports to him .Connection is power even though officially one may be a 'penganggur' .Now though ,he is facing an uphill task against Dato M ,another example a young upstart born and bred with a silver spoon . Dato M's father gave us a new definition of the word nepotism .'Nepotism is only when your successor does it ,if you do it ,it is a necessary evil bordering on divine wisdom'.
KT ,another 'not so young any more' punk [ can still qualify for 'punk status' because at 40 plus who go for botox and demabrassion except for punkish Jawa totok type ! ] ,though way back in the race ,is still not giving up because if you are Pemuda head now ,15 years down the lane you are PM material .That is the unwritten rule provided you are on the right side of 'money politics ',meaning you have to make hay , a lot of hay mind you ,when the sun shine .As a corollary ,intellectually more capable people in the same camp like Rais Yatim ,Shahrir Samad ,Shaberry Chik ,just to name a few ,who do not want to play the 'game' ,thus too late Mates ,you missed the boat !
KT is the chap that make TS Muhammad ,that chap who has the international distinction of being declared 'legally' to not knowing a word of English , look and smell like a saint .[ I must certainly congratulate Dato Shafee ,who was my contemporary in M U for such brilliant defence Down Under .Jarang sekali anak melayu cerdik macam ni ! Mat Salleh pun kalah .That is why he is now a millionaire lawyer and I am just a simple plumber !]
Across the divide we have MR AI .Exuberant speaker even the Devil himself may admit defeat if they were to meet .In his haste to be in Sri Perdana in Putrajaya though , some Malays like me [ I hope this is just small in number because do we have another choice now pleaseeee?? ]wonder whether we are just paying to much .[ When clowns like Sami Vellooo can insist on being consulted publicly before a fatwa or PAS can become muted and deaf pertaining to religious issues ,we may really be paying too much ! ]I mean chaps like me ,even in a hundred years ,will still query the sincerity of people like Karpal Singh,Gobind Deo or even the old fox himself ,Lim Kit Siang .Who is riding who ,this rather unholy alliance ?
[ Can anyone out there please tell us whether AI indeed still has a soul or not ?He appears too good to be true . I hope he is not another Dorian Gray who has given his to the Devil .We all love Malaysia and really have no where else to go ]
In the process I could see even the old Tok Guru get 'sucked' into the whole equation .I hope that old venearable and honest man know where he is going .In desperately trying to appear 'universal' , due to their alliance with AI ,PAS has lost some of it's credibility along the way .
Of course some of us are still hoping for some other highly unlikely 'unholy alliance' but given the present equation and realities on the ground ,that is highly unlikely .
That to me ,in essence ,is the Malay Dilemma in 2008 .Enlightened ,plain honest Allah fearing leadership or rather the lack of it ,that is the dilemma facing us Malays in this 'Tanah Melayu yang tercinta'.
Dr Nik Howk
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Not So Pearl & Gem :The Malay Dilemma or.... of Leh Budu, Lembu Corporate and all that Jazz...........
Friends ,
Take Bandar Permaisuri ,an example of typical brand new suburb ,one of the many ,dottering the Federal Capital .On one side of the a long street you have big bungalows and huge semi dees on top of a hill within a gated community ,all at least one million RM and above ,almost without doubt 100 % Chinese .Just across the street lines and lines of low rise and high rise apartment blocks ,low cost and at best medium cost ,at night saddled with Mat Rempits reeving and racing their bikes .90 % Malays with a sprinkling of Chinese and some Indians , the apartment owners I mean .As for the Mat Rempits ,they are 100 % Malays .Let us not talk about dadah ,less we get more depressive .
That is the economy my friends .Let us move on to something more cheerful .Politics for instance !
In one corner we have Madam Shahrizad mounting the final attack on the presidency for the UMNO Women's wing .Some people in the know alleged that her recently retired husband got lucky and landed himself a 'soft soft' free of interest government loan of 200 millions RM to dabble in 'lembu' .I am not sure how far this is true ,just informed rumour from informed sources .Though I definitely know for sure as previous CEO of Technology Park in KL , 'lembu' is not his cattle of fish .
In the other corner we have Madam Rafidah .All of us know her from the AP King scandal ,which to date had not had a proper ,satisfactory and profound rebuttal as yet from the both the government of the day and she herself .That is the state of our politics at present.Everthing best swept under the carpet .Public memory is necessarily short and we are a very gentle and accepting type of people .
Go one scale down we have a young still wet in between the ears punk ,Oxbridge basic degree holder no doubt . Make one wonder in 2008 how many of them actually still walking down the street of KL ,still jobless ,among the thousands of jobless graduates ,local and overseas ?But this one is extra special .His father in law is the present PM ,therefore he is extra bright .Head a small group of similarly wet in between the ears bright yuppies like him advising the PM to his present downfall !
On the other side we have KT who make even that Mentri Besar ,who was caught with so many millions in his briefcase but does not know a word of English , look like a saint .Along with Mr M whose father redefine our Malaysian understanding of the word nepotism .Nepotism by Mr M Senior's standard is 'when it is practised by your predecessor ,but if it happened during your own time ,it is necessary wisdom !'.
On the other side of the world we have Anwar .People like me oftentimes wonder whether Anwar has a soul .He is the new kid on the block and our big hope for an that 'alternative ' government that can replace the present one that people ,rightly or wrongly perceive as being rotten to the 'core' and beyond any form of change or redemption .The billion ringgit question in most Malays like me is whether Anwar will also sell our souls in his haste to Sri Perdana in Putrajaya .
.
Take Bandar Permaisuri ,an example of typical brand new suburb ,one of the many ,dottering the Federal Capital .On one side of the a long street you have big bungalows and huge semi dees on top of a hill within a gated community ,all at least one million RM and above ,almost without doubt 100 % Chinese .Just across the street lines and lines of low rise and high rise apartment blocks ,low cost and at best medium cost ,at night saddled with Mat Rempits reeving and racing their bikes .90 % Malays with a sprinkling of Chinese and some Indians , the apartment owners I mean .As for the Mat Rempits ,they are 100 % Malays .Let us not talk about dadah ,less we get more depressive .
That is the economy my friends .Let us move on to something more cheerful .Politics for instance !
In one corner we have Madam Shahrizad mounting the final attack on the presidency for the UMNO Women's wing .Some people in the know alleged that her recently retired husband got lucky and landed himself a 'soft soft' free of interest government loan of 200 millions RM to dabble in 'lembu' .I am not sure how far this is true ,just informed rumour from informed sources .Though I definitely know for sure as previous CEO of Technology Park in KL , 'lembu' is not his cattle of fish .
In the other corner we have Madam Rafidah .All of us know her from the AP King scandal ,which to date had not had a proper ,satisfactory and profound rebuttal as yet from the both the government of the day and she herself .That is the state of our politics at present.Everthing best swept under the carpet .Public memory is necessarily short and we are a very gentle and accepting type of people .
Go one scale down we have a young still wet in between the ears punk ,Oxbridge basic degree holder no doubt . Make one wonder in 2008 how many of them actually still walking down the street of KL ,still jobless ,among the thousands of jobless graduates ,local and overseas ?But this one is extra special .His father in law is the present PM ,therefore he is extra bright .Head a small group of similarly wet in between the ears bright yuppies like him advising the PM to his present downfall !
On the other side we have KT who make even that Mentri Besar ,who was caught with so many millions in his briefcase but does not know a word of English , look like a saint .Along with Mr M whose father redefine our Malaysian understanding of the word nepotism .Nepotism by Mr M Senior's standard is 'when it is practised by your predecessor ,but if it happened during your own time ,it is necessary wisdom !'.
On the other side of the world we have Anwar .People like me oftentimes wonder whether Anwar has a soul .He is the new kid on the block and our big hope for an that 'alternative ' government that can replace the present one that people ,rightly or wrongly perceive as being rotten to the 'core' and beyond any form of change or redemption .The billion ringgit question in most Malays like me is whether Anwar will also sell our souls in his haste to Sri Perdana in Putrajaya .
.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Of Musang King ,Yoga and that clown called Sami Vellooo
Friends ,
Admittedly the best tasting durian now is no longer the D24 variety .If you have not yet heard of Musang King then you are not in the durian scene .Previously known as Durian Kunyit amongst the Malays,was priced lower than D24 .Then the Chinese discovered it !Then the Singaporean Chinese tasted it .Rebranded as Musang King !No longer available for lowly Malays like me since the rebranded durian kunyit is only for Singaporeans at 20 RM per kilo .Leave this 'rebranding exercise' to the Chinese ,they can even sell old teh tarik at 10 RM per cup or if they stretch their imagination harder , even their 'recycled mother in laws' as fresh virgins !
What is Musang King to us ,or for that matter any durian ,minus the smell ?Pretty worthless .Probably worse than the cheap Thai durians they sell at Giants [ mind you Giants are now Hongkies ,no longer Malaysians ,so next time your wives go 'bingeing' advice them to think also of poor Mydin !I could still remember young Mydin sitting in front of his father's sundry shop near the world famous Zain Building ,near that equally world famous Bata Shop ,in Kota Bharu way back in the early 60's ]
That bring us to the current issue of Yoga .The fatwa is long time coming actually .What is Yoga without the spiritual aspect of it .It is no longer Yoga but a series of movements .But Yoga is Yoga and if you happened to be the unlucky blokes who sit in the National Fatwa Committee ,how are you going to judge Yoga ?
If one takes the Federal Highway and drive westward ,at the middle of your journey you get to Shah Alam ,carry on further the end of the road is Port Klang .In Yoga ,even if you feigned complete ignorance , the beginning are pure physical movement ,but the spirit of Yoga ,Dr Zuraidah Atan et al my dear ,is idol worship .There is no two way about it .Mind you ,Yang Berbahagia Dr Abdul Shukor and the learned Council of Ulama' he chairs , are going to carry the collective 'sins' of millions if they decide wrongly .Let us all not follow Sisters out of Islam in yet again re-starting this sickly new hobby of Ulama' bashing by putting Islamic religious issues on the mainly secular , ignorant , so called National Press !The Sun for example is fanning the issue as far as I can see .Islam and the Quran is not yet for sale.If we Muslims do not respect our ulama' do not expect Karpal Singh or Govind Deo to do that .
Even years back I have no qualms about it being Fatwa-ed as haram knowing the background , and being honest if you guys wake me up from my dreams at 3 am and ask me whether Yoga is halal or haram for us Muslims ,I say it is haram without even needing to think .It is lawful no doubt but who is speaking about the law ?
That does not mean Dr Ramli the dancer or Dr Zuraidah Atan the new champion of Yoga or that lady who just put in her 3 million RM investment in a Yoga centre cannot go on practising Yoga if they insist on doing so .Carry on , but the rest of us Malaysian Muslims ,the great silent majority , would like to thank Dr Abdul Shukor and his group of Ulama' for their due delibration on this long expected fatwa advisory .
Why are clowns like Sami Vellooo and chairman of Malaysian Tamil Sangam Society feeling bad about the fatwa .You guys go and fly kites ,this is not your affair !Since when do we have to consult these clowns to come up with a fatwa advisory .A fatwa advisory is a fatwa advisory and it is up to the States to pick up from there .We all accept that a National Fatwa Council is a necessary evil ,that is beyond doubt ,otherwise we can get a discordant fatwa in Kelantan and another in Johore .Just need to get the right 'brains' in the council ,from religious viewpoint ,sciences etc etc .I am sure it is not a pleasure to deliberate on a fatwa .
If a Sultan or two feel slighted about the fatwa advisory ,they are doing it at their very own perils .Yes you may take your time to sit on this ,that is your right but you guys should thank the National Fatwa Committee for coming up with this very high time fatwa advisory .Mind you it is just advisory but at the end of the day please deliberate and tell us whether you guys are willing to take on the 'collective sins ' of the millions ,if the Fatwa is correct .
This is Pak Lah's Malaysia .Clowns like Sami Vellooo et al no longer know when to speak and when it is proper to keep quiet !
Dr Nik Howk
PS :If people like Dr Zuraidah Atan want to bring down their high blood pressure and stress level down via alternative holistic mode they can do more effectively by prayers ,zikir etc etc ,need not be yoga .But if they still insist on Yoga ,go ahead .This is a free country .You are free to choose your stand if you still must insist on wallowing in your ignorance !
To quote the late Prof HAMKA :"....dan satu di antara berbagai kesulitan kearah universal acceptance of Islam itself adalah umat nya sendiri yang telah di tentukan oleh sejarah bernama umat 'Islam ' ,tetapi belum mencapai 'hakikat Islam '.
Allahualam !
Admittedly the best tasting durian now is no longer the D24 variety .If you have not yet heard of Musang King then you are not in the durian scene .Previously known as Durian Kunyit amongst the Malays,was priced lower than D24 .Then the Chinese discovered it !Then the Singaporean Chinese tasted it .Rebranded as Musang King !No longer available for lowly Malays like me since the rebranded durian kunyit is only for Singaporeans at 20 RM per kilo .Leave this 'rebranding exercise' to the Chinese ,they can even sell old teh tarik at 10 RM per cup or if they stretch their imagination harder , even their 'recycled mother in laws' as fresh virgins !
What is Musang King to us ,or for that matter any durian ,minus the smell ?Pretty worthless .Probably worse than the cheap Thai durians they sell at Giants [ mind you Giants are now Hongkies ,no longer Malaysians ,so next time your wives go 'bingeing' advice them to think also of poor Mydin !I could still remember young Mydin sitting in front of his father's sundry shop near the world famous Zain Building ,near that equally world famous Bata Shop ,in Kota Bharu way back in the early 60's ]
That bring us to the current issue of Yoga .The fatwa is long time coming actually .What is Yoga without the spiritual aspect of it .It is no longer Yoga but a series of movements .But Yoga is Yoga and if you happened to be the unlucky blokes who sit in the National Fatwa Committee ,how are you going to judge Yoga ?
If one takes the Federal Highway and drive westward ,at the middle of your journey you get to Shah Alam ,carry on further the end of the road is Port Klang .In Yoga ,even if you feigned complete ignorance , the beginning are pure physical movement ,but the spirit of Yoga ,Dr Zuraidah Atan et al my dear ,is idol worship .There is no two way about it .Mind you ,Yang Berbahagia Dr Abdul Shukor and the learned Council of Ulama' he chairs , are going to carry the collective 'sins' of millions if they decide wrongly .Let us all not follow Sisters out of Islam in yet again re-starting this sickly new hobby of Ulama' bashing by putting Islamic religious issues on the mainly secular , ignorant , so called National Press !The Sun for example is fanning the issue as far as I can see .Islam and the Quran is not yet for sale.If we Muslims do not respect our ulama' do not expect Karpal Singh or Govind Deo to do that .
Even years back I have no qualms about it being Fatwa-ed as haram knowing the background , and being honest if you guys wake me up from my dreams at 3 am and ask me whether Yoga is halal or haram for us Muslims ,I say it is haram without even needing to think .It is lawful no doubt but who is speaking about the law ?
That does not mean Dr Ramli the dancer or Dr Zuraidah Atan the new champion of Yoga or that lady who just put in her 3 million RM investment in a Yoga centre cannot go on practising Yoga if they insist on doing so .Carry on , but the rest of us Malaysian Muslims ,the great silent majority , would like to thank Dr Abdul Shukor and his group of Ulama' for their due delibration on this long expected fatwa advisory .
Why are clowns like Sami Vellooo and chairman of Malaysian Tamil Sangam Society feeling bad about the fatwa .You guys go and fly kites ,this is not your affair !Since when do we have to consult these clowns to come up with a fatwa advisory .A fatwa advisory is a fatwa advisory and it is up to the States to pick up from there .We all accept that a National Fatwa Council is a necessary evil ,that is beyond doubt ,otherwise we can get a discordant fatwa in Kelantan and another in Johore .Just need to get the right 'brains' in the council ,from religious viewpoint ,sciences etc etc .I am sure it is not a pleasure to deliberate on a fatwa .
If a Sultan or two feel slighted about the fatwa advisory ,they are doing it at their very own perils .Yes you may take your time to sit on this ,that is your right but you guys should thank the National Fatwa Committee for coming up with this very high time fatwa advisory .Mind you it is just advisory but at the end of the day please deliberate and tell us whether you guys are willing to take on the 'collective sins ' of the millions ,if the Fatwa is correct .
This is Pak Lah's Malaysia .Clowns like Sami Vellooo et al no longer know when to speak and when it is proper to keep quiet !
Dr Nik Howk
PS :If people like Dr Zuraidah Atan want to bring down their high blood pressure and stress level down via alternative holistic mode they can do more effectively by prayers ,zikir etc etc ,need not be yoga .But if they still insist on Yoga ,go ahead .This is a free country .You are free to choose your stand if you still must insist on wallowing in your ignorance !
To quote the late Prof HAMKA :"....dan satu di antara berbagai kesulitan kearah universal acceptance of Islam itself adalah umat nya sendiri yang telah di tentukan oleh sejarah bernama umat 'Islam ' ,tetapi belum mencapai 'hakikat Islam '.
Allahualam !
Monday, November 24, 2008
Death & Eternal Life After Death
Friends ,
Even hardcore chap like me in a 'hardcore speciality' like cardiology ,supposedly immuned to death ,do sometime feel down ,weighted down by the sense of frailty in man when we have to face death .Too many issues surrounding death this week .
Firstly that young Indian chap who died under my care last week .Just 32 with a young Indonesian wife and 2 year old kid in tow .Her halting sob ,half Indian half Indonesian ,over the cold lifeless body of her young husband ,haunts me .
My mother in law ,her lungs and heart already riddled with cancer cells ,hanging on to dear life ,on expensive state of the art oral medication ,tarceva ,that is supposed to 'buy' time ,for a couple more months before the cancer cells get the better of it ,and invade further .
She is quite oblivious of her fate .Ignorance is bliss .We doctors oftentimes have to 'play god' a lot more than we want to in this part of the world .Asians do not generally want to know the whole bad news !Telling too much can be wrong ,too little ,you will get 'lawyer's' letter on your desk, when the 'undiscussable' do take place 'prematurely' .
In her case I can expect a couple more months of honeymoon and 'personal 'reprieve' then the progressive deterioration in breathing ,loss of cognitive functions and a generally slow slide to unconciousness ,my little 'empire' will be in turmoil.I think I have a heart of stone ,by way of upbringing [ orphaned at age 9 ! ] and training ,but to see loved ones suffer from the impending loss of their loved one ,would be difficult even for Mr Stone .
Then there is this case of a dear colleague of mine this week whom I ,inadvertently found and diagnosed to have advance cancer ,just on a routine annual check up .
If you find my conversation with him macabre or callous ,do not judge so ,because we fellow physicians do not need 'veils' .
"So my friend ,since there are already 4 focus in the lung which look like metastatic cancer ,what are you going to do ,knowing that this sort of cancer is resistant to all kind of therapy ? ".....a rather superficial stupid question on my part ,but actually not very stupid as it seem ,as I was assessing his philosophical leaning .
"There is nothing much for me to do except to accept this ,riddha ,and live my life from day to day "...was the brave and stoic reply .I know the man well .With Riddha [ for want of better word ,Acceptance of your fate ] ,half the battle is won .Won not against the Big C , but against the internal demons of fear and oftentimes kufr .Many a time we practitioners observe a deep initial sense of denial in our patients which later change to anger .Oftentimes anger towards their care givers ,and frequently towards God .The "why me ,why me" syndrome sets in which result in kufr !
In moment like this we should thank our lucky star that we are Muslim : We have Riddha to soften the blow .We have kaffarah [ see Kaffarah ,Saturday ,July 5th blog ] .We have taubat and atonement [ see Some random Thots on Death ,Thursday May 22nd blog ] .We have prayers and we have zikrullah .
As supreme optimist ,and that is what we Muslim should be ,death is not the end . Optimist not in the secular way that come what may we are going to delay that moment of death by mega vitamin doses ,old Inca medicine ,yoga ,best treatment that money can buy etc etc etc or some obscure Chinese or Mexican hospital somewhere.
No ! No ! NO ! , none of these claims and 'super' claims, but by the realization that with the inevitability of forthcoming death we are moving on to the next phase of life , a better one by any scale of measure ,if we have prepared for it .It is not even the beginning .It is the end before the new beginning :The eternal journey .
'Duniya' in arabic is not just 'world' in English as we know it as an exact transliteration of the word .'Duniya' connotes a lower form of existence ,while 'akhirat' means a higher form .We are thus moving from a lower animal like existence with all the incosistencies and inadequacies of the lower 'nafs' to a higher more ephemeral existence of the higher spirit :The eternal journey .
"My friend ,I cannot offer you anything ,but actually when I come to think about it ,you are in a better position than 'numb skulls' like me and million others who today go through life heedlessly ,never giving a serious thought about Him and our Eternal Journey ,thinking we have 20 ,25 more years and one fine day suddenly get caught with our pants down tomorrow or day after ,just like that young Indian patient of mine .In your case you know you have 6 months plus minus 6 ,and work hard at it ,while in our case we tend to forget about Allah because we think we can live forever "
As I walked away from his room ,I felt very relieved that my dear friend has 'accepted' his 'Qadar' [ see Qadar ,Qadr and Lailatulqadr in November blog ] very well with 'riddha' .Insyaallah he will be in good Hand .I cannot but remember the profound thought of that young jihadist who famously said :"To me It is like walking away from a hot furnace ,opening the door ,and walking through into an air conditioned room ".
Let us all work earnestly hard towards that kind of conviction .Death is after all the beginning of Eternal Life .
"Yes ,at the end of our time we should not fear .If we are well prepared ,It should be like walking from a hot furnace into an air conditioned room "!
That young jihadist had understood the full meaning of existence in this 'duniya' with all its shortcomings and inadequacies and look forward to a higher existence in the 'akhirat' .May their souls be placed amongst the blessed .
Dr Nik Howk
Even hardcore chap like me in a 'hardcore speciality' like cardiology ,supposedly immuned to death ,do sometime feel down ,weighted down by the sense of frailty in man when we have to face death .Too many issues surrounding death this week .
Firstly that young Indian chap who died under my care last week .Just 32 with a young Indonesian wife and 2 year old kid in tow .Her halting sob ,half Indian half Indonesian ,over the cold lifeless body of her young husband ,haunts me .
My mother in law ,her lungs and heart already riddled with cancer cells ,hanging on to dear life ,on expensive state of the art oral medication ,tarceva ,that is supposed to 'buy' time ,for a couple more months before the cancer cells get the better of it ,and invade further .
She is quite oblivious of her fate .Ignorance is bliss .We doctors oftentimes have to 'play god' a lot more than we want to in this part of the world .Asians do not generally want to know the whole bad news !Telling too much can be wrong ,too little ,you will get 'lawyer's' letter on your desk, when the 'undiscussable' do take place 'prematurely' .
In her case I can expect a couple more months of honeymoon and 'personal 'reprieve' then the progressive deterioration in breathing ,loss of cognitive functions and a generally slow slide to unconciousness ,my little 'empire' will be in turmoil.I think I have a heart of stone ,by way of upbringing [ orphaned at age 9 ! ] and training ,but to see loved ones suffer from the impending loss of their loved one ,would be difficult even for Mr Stone .
Then there is this case of a dear colleague of mine this week whom I ,inadvertently found and diagnosed to have advance cancer ,just on a routine annual check up .
If you find my conversation with him macabre or callous ,do not judge so ,because we fellow physicians do not need 'veils' .
"So my friend ,since there are already 4 focus in the lung which look like metastatic cancer ,what are you going to do ,knowing that this sort of cancer is resistant to all kind of therapy ? ".....a rather superficial stupid question on my part ,but actually not very stupid as it seem ,as I was assessing his philosophical leaning .
"There is nothing much for me to do except to accept this ,riddha ,and live my life from day to day "...was the brave and stoic reply .I know the man well .With Riddha [ for want of better word ,Acceptance of your fate ] ,half the battle is won .Won not against the Big C , but against the internal demons of fear and oftentimes kufr .Many a time we practitioners observe a deep initial sense of denial in our patients which later change to anger .Oftentimes anger towards their care givers ,and frequently towards God .The "why me ,why me" syndrome sets in which result in kufr !
In moment like this we should thank our lucky star that we are Muslim : We have Riddha to soften the blow .We have kaffarah [ see Kaffarah ,Saturday ,July 5th blog ] .We have taubat and atonement [ see Some random Thots on Death ,Thursday May 22nd blog ] .We have prayers and we have zikrullah .
As supreme optimist ,and that is what we Muslim should be ,death is not the end . Optimist not in the secular way that come what may we are going to delay that moment of death by mega vitamin doses ,old Inca medicine ,yoga ,best treatment that money can buy etc etc etc or some obscure Chinese or Mexican hospital somewhere.
No ! No ! NO ! , none of these claims and 'super' claims, but by the realization that with the inevitability of forthcoming death we are moving on to the next phase of life , a better one by any scale of measure ,if we have prepared for it .It is not even the beginning .It is the end before the new beginning :The eternal journey .
'Duniya' in arabic is not just 'world' in English as we know it as an exact transliteration of the word .'Duniya' connotes a lower form of existence ,while 'akhirat' means a higher form .We are thus moving from a lower animal like existence with all the incosistencies and inadequacies of the lower 'nafs' to a higher more ephemeral existence of the higher spirit :The eternal journey .
"My friend ,I cannot offer you anything ,but actually when I come to think about it ,you are in a better position than 'numb skulls' like me and million others who today go through life heedlessly ,never giving a serious thought about Him and our Eternal Journey ,thinking we have 20 ,25 more years and one fine day suddenly get caught with our pants down tomorrow or day after ,just like that young Indian patient of mine .In your case you know you have 6 months plus minus 6 ,and work hard at it ,while in our case we tend to forget about Allah because we think we can live forever "
As I walked away from his room ,I felt very relieved that my dear friend has 'accepted' his 'Qadar' [ see Qadar ,Qadr and Lailatulqadr in November blog ] very well with 'riddha' .Insyaallah he will be in good Hand .I cannot but remember the profound thought of that young jihadist who famously said :"To me It is like walking away from a hot furnace ,opening the door ,and walking through into an air conditioned room ".
Let us all work earnestly hard towards that kind of conviction .Death is after all the beginning of Eternal Life .
"Yes ,at the end of our time we should not fear .If we are well prepared ,It should be like walking from a hot furnace into an air conditioned room "!
That young jihadist had understood the full meaning of existence in this 'duniya' with all its shortcomings and inadequacies and look forward to a higher existence in the 'akhirat' .May their souls be placed amongst the blessed .
Dr Nik Howk
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Malaysia WEC : Some Personal Thoughts.
Maria Mercedes Alverez Ponton and puny looking arab gelding ,Nobby : Individual Gold ,World Endurance Championship ,2008 ,Lembah Bidong ,Terengganu ,Malaysia .18.2 kph average over 160 kilometres under extreme heat and humidity ,a myth blowing feat .Team UAE ,Bahrain and Qatar :Team Gold ,Silver and Bronze .Relegating the Europeans ,Australians and Americans to the 'dustbins' of endurance history .That was Malaysia WEC that was !
I am still in a state of shock .I never perceive one could go beyond 16 kph in our conditions ,especially our high humidity .We have difficulty even breaching 12 kph .When ESPN's Lisa Wong asked me ,looking at our tired Ms Laily on Jesse James walking past the finishing line at the end of phase 5 when Maria had long gone home to her hotel room to sleep , what ails the Malaysians ?: I could only offer the best classical excuse .We Malaysians are still at the wrong end of a 'steep learning curve' .
Yes ,the 100 million ringgit [ I assume the WEC cost us that much but given our penchant for the 'plus plus and more plus ,it could well be much more ! ]lesson is that we really was on the wrong side of a steep learning curve .
Could still recall one and a half year ago as I sit for a dinner pow wow with Mr Bond from the Al Raudhah fraternity[ I am sure he would just wish to be known here as Mr Bond only ] ,to discuss plan how to achieve a team of 12 with the limited resources we have .Money is there .Abundant .The Minister of Sport then was just a phone call away .Our horses could so far not breach even 12 kph average .The solution :Go Down Under and South America get good horses on the cheap ,allocate to 16 or 20 named riders ,have local 160's 2 monthly and choose the best 12 .We have then 1 1/2 years to do it .Fullstop .
Then came Equine Influenza Down Under .Followed by nonsensical FEI 'playing to the gallery 'double CoC requirement .Mr Bond's plan went haywire .Some bright spark suggest Europe ,South America to buy horses and bring back and compete .Some much more brighter blokes suggest obtaining CoC overseas .Local rides may be too tough , may not make it in time .They forget that Endurance is all about toughness .They forgot that horse traders are horse traders .In retrospect , TMKN Stable prequalified four of their horses without going anywhere ,DIET ,2 or was it 3 . [But what the heck ,MONEY was there , spend it !Was the credo of the day ]
Money was there .Then the ' National Erection' .Money still not there .Sports Minister too busy .Won 'tanpa bertanding . Still more delay .Money already there but..... but money not yet there .Rumours abound .6 to 8 months gone .No substantive local competition ,no oversea buying forays .Typically Malaysians .
By the time things got moving WEC was already only 7 to 8 months away .Double CoC in 8 months!.Frantic oversea rides on 3rd rate 'buffalos' at 1st rate price .Typically Malaysians .Local rides was worse . Only started 6 months away from WEC !We spent 9 months laying on our back from inactivity and then all the frenzy of double CoC in the next 6 months .
By the time of WEC yesterday we are either riding 'tired' local horses or 3rd rate oversea 'buffaloes' just flown in at the last minutes at 1st rate cut throat prices .Desperate people with desperate poor forward planning get to pay at desperate price
That is the story about horses .The human factor is another story .
The Americans and French ,for any important event such as WEC appoints their CDQ 2 years ahead in advance .The CDQ usually is a person who is an all rounder in endurance ,preferably has indepth knowledge of competition at the highest level .Would be great if at the same time he or she is also an efficient 'water carrier' for the team but this is not the most important of his pre-qualications .
CDQ of any respectable team call the shots in term of team selection ,strategy and discipline ,so by this alone he cannot be a 'water carrier ' .Usually fears no one .Usually the 'cerebral man' of the team .Becky Hart of America ,for example inspires confidence , even though unfortunately America did not do well this time and for many years now .The late Pierre Cazes of France was the best example and I think France Endurance missed him very much .
Malaysia change our CDQ for whatever reasons just weeks before WEC .I am still curious .Perhaps in future if Dato Awang decides to stop competing he could well be our next CDQ ?How about it Dato ?
Exclusivity Vs Inclusivity :
For sometime now I have sadly watched that Malaysian Endurance has moved towards exclusivity :certain individuals with certain State and personal affiliation got 'invited' to oversea rides time and again at the exclusion of more experienced and able riders .This trend really started way before this WEC ,even before the ill fated Asian Games .In a system where point accumulation was important this practice put most very experienced people 'excluded' out of the ball game and edged out into the wilderness .And this was done with public funding ,not private .
Ours is a very small fraternity ,inclusivity is better than exclusivity if we are still interested in the 'quantum' leapt .
From our standard 12 kph to Maria Mercedes 's 18 ,indeed we need a quantum leapt .We need to believe in ourselves .We need to prepare our own horses and not depend on people in far away lands .We need to get 1st rate horses if we pay at 1sr rate prices .We need to have 'ilm' ilm and ilm.They is no short cut .We need people with Ilm to plan and take charge .We need plain honest people with passion .We need change .
If you ask Maria as to how she prepare Nobby : It is sheer hard work and there is only one word repeated thrice in her vocabulary : conditioning ,conditioning and conditioning .No ISN or government handouts there .
As I look into the dark moonless night towards the swells in the South China Sea on this desolate beach somewhere in Batu Burok and reminiese back to 2002 , I felt like it was only like yesterday that I had that fateful conversation or rather advice [ a very bad habit of dr nik ,always .Does not know his place this insolent chap ,always planting 'ideas' ] the then younger Sultan Mizan riding with an elderly looking chap [ Dato Jaafar ]hacking on the beach while waiting for the 'buka puasa' azan .I was on my way to Kota Bharu and stopped at Primula for 'buka puasa'.
"Tuanku ,if Tuanku really want to open Tuanku and Malaysia to the world ,Tuanku should stop just hacking around and be in Endurance .The best teacher is Dato Awang of Kiara .He is our SEA Games champion ".
Malaysia WEC .We have indeed come a long way .But we have to be honest with ourselves .We need to change our ways .Otherwise 'pi mai pi mai dok tang tu jugak ': We are champion at forms rather than substance !
I am still in a state of shock .I never perceive one could go beyond 16 kph in our conditions ,especially our high humidity .We have difficulty even breaching 12 kph .When ESPN's Lisa Wong asked me ,looking at our tired Ms Laily on Jesse James walking past the finishing line at the end of phase 5 when Maria had long gone home to her hotel room to sleep , what ails the Malaysians ?: I could only offer the best classical excuse .We Malaysians are still at the wrong end of a 'steep learning curve' .
Yes ,the 100 million ringgit [ I assume the WEC cost us that much but given our penchant for the 'plus plus and more plus ,it could well be much more ! ]lesson is that we really was on the wrong side of a steep learning curve .
Could still recall one and a half year ago as I sit for a dinner pow wow with Mr Bond from the Al Raudhah fraternity[ I am sure he would just wish to be known here as Mr Bond only ] ,to discuss plan how to achieve a team of 12 with the limited resources we have .Money is there .Abundant .The Minister of Sport then was just a phone call away .Our horses could so far not breach even 12 kph average .The solution :Go Down Under and South America get good horses on the cheap ,allocate to 16 or 20 named riders ,have local 160's 2 monthly and choose the best 12 .We have then 1 1/2 years to do it .Fullstop .
Then came Equine Influenza Down Under .Followed by nonsensical FEI 'playing to the gallery 'double CoC requirement .Mr Bond's plan went haywire .Some bright spark suggest Europe ,South America to buy horses and bring back and compete .Some much more brighter blokes suggest obtaining CoC overseas .Local rides may be too tough , may not make it in time .They forget that Endurance is all about toughness .They forgot that horse traders are horse traders .In retrospect , TMKN Stable prequalified four of their horses without going anywhere ,DIET ,2 or was it 3 . [But what the heck ,MONEY was there , spend it !Was the credo of the day ]
Money was there .Then the ' National Erection' .Money still not there .Sports Minister too busy .Won 'tanpa bertanding . Still more delay .Money already there but..... but money not yet there .Rumours abound .6 to 8 months gone .No substantive local competition ,no oversea buying forays .Typically Malaysians .
By the time things got moving WEC was already only 7 to 8 months away .Double CoC in 8 months!.Frantic oversea rides on 3rd rate 'buffalos' at 1st rate price .Typically Malaysians .Local rides was worse . Only started 6 months away from WEC !We spent 9 months laying on our back from inactivity and then all the frenzy of double CoC in the next 6 months .
By the time of WEC yesterday we are either riding 'tired' local horses or 3rd rate oversea 'buffaloes' just flown in at the last minutes at 1st rate cut throat prices .Desperate people with desperate poor forward planning get to pay at desperate price
That is the story about horses .The human factor is another story .
The Americans and French ,for any important event such as WEC appoints their CDQ 2 years ahead in advance .The CDQ usually is a person who is an all rounder in endurance ,preferably has indepth knowledge of competition at the highest level .Would be great if at the same time he or she is also an efficient 'water carrier' for the team but this is not the most important of his pre-qualications .
CDQ of any respectable team call the shots in term of team selection ,strategy and discipline ,so by this alone he cannot be a 'water carrier ' .Usually fears no one .Usually the 'cerebral man' of the team .Becky Hart of America ,for example inspires confidence , even though unfortunately America did not do well this time and for many years now .The late Pierre Cazes of France was the best example and I think France Endurance missed him very much .
Malaysia change our CDQ for whatever reasons just weeks before WEC .I am still curious .Perhaps in future if Dato Awang decides to stop competing he could well be our next CDQ ?How about it Dato ?
Exclusivity Vs Inclusivity :
For sometime now I have sadly watched that Malaysian Endurance has moved towards exclusivity :certain individuals with certain State and personal affiliation got 'invited' to oversea rides time and again at the exclusion of more experienced and able riders .This trend really started way before this WEC ,even before the ill fated Asian Games .In a system where point accumulation was important this practice put most very experienced people 'excluded' out of the ball game and edged out into the wilderness .And this was done with public funding ,not private .
Ours is a very small fraternity ,inclusivity is better than exclusivity if we are still interested in the 'quantum' leapt .
From our standard 12 kph to Maria Mercedes 's 18 ,indeed we need a quantum leapt .We need to believe in ourselves .We need to prepare our own horses and not depend on people in far away lands .We need to get 1st rate horses if we pay at 1sr rate prices .We need to have 'ilm' ilm and ilm.They is no short cut .We need people with Ilm to plan and take charge .We need plain honest people with passion .We need change .
If you ask Maria as to how she prepare Nobby : It is sheer hard work and there is only one word repeated thrice in her vocabulary : conditioning ,conditioning and conditioning .No ISN or government handouts there .
As I look into the dark moonless night towards the swells in the South China Sea on this desolate beach somewhere in Batu Burok and reminiese back to 2002 , I felt like it was only like yesterday that I had that fateful conversation or rather advice [ a very bad habit of dr nik ,always .Does not know his place this insolent chap ,always planting 'ideas' ] the then younger Sultan Mizan riding with an elderly looking chap [ Dato Jaafar ]hacking on the beach while waiting for the 'buka puasa' azan .I was on my way to Kota Bharu and stopped at Primula for 'buka puasa'.
"Tuanku ,if Tuanku really want to open Tuanku and Malaysia to the world ,Tuanku should stop just hacking around and be in Endurance .The best teacher is Dato Awang of Kiara .He is our SEA Games champion ".
Malaysia WEC .We have indeed come a long way .But we have to be honest with ourselves .We need to change our ways .Otherwise 'pi mai pi mai dok tang tu jugak ': We are champion at forms rather than substance !
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Not So Pearl & Gem : The Altantuya / Mr Razak Paradox
Friends ,
So Mr Baginda has been acquitted .Alhamdullillah .Good for him and his family .As a simple minded fellow trying to understand the mechanics and dynamics of law in this country I am still baffled beyond comprehension .
Well I am just a simple doctor with simple mind .If a patient landed up dead at my doorstep ,1st thing I would do is confirmed that he is actually dead ,beyond any form of salvageable effort that could pull him back to this side of the domain .Then the whys and how .The circumstances contributing to the death etc etc.
In the Altantaya / Mr Razak's case ,no one ,from persecution ,defense ,and not even the trial judge ,seem to be interested in the whys and how , the motives stupid ,the motives ! .There seem to be a 'devil's pact' between persecution and defense to just play balls only in a specific kind of way .Devoid of embarassing clumsy arkward kind of cross examinations .To the point we raayats mostly have lost our interest in the case
There was a saying years back during the infamous trial by peers of Tun Salleh Abas or the Vincent Tan vs some correspondent ,the raayats got the impression if your counsel knows perfect' Queen's English 'you can escape with murder or get someone not guilty 'hanged' for a crime he did not commit .This one is the reverse ,one get the impression the lawyers involved are a pack of amatuers !
No one seem to be wanting ,in fact everyone seem to be actively avoiding ,to ask the one million dollar question : Who is the clown behind these two chaps who were alleged to have bumped off Altantaya .It is as if they just happened to meet her one day in KL while 'lepaking' in the Mid Valley Mall and happened not to like her Mongolian face ,so decide to collectively bump her off .In the process try some fancy stuff from Central Armoury to see how the firework work .
Or perhaps Ms Altantuya herself did it as a return favour .Anything goes in this Boleh Land !
For many simple people like me across Malaysia we are still baffled .It is as if our court people ,do wear perfect blinkers !Do not look left or right ,just look straight ahead ,and make sure blokes ,always ask the 'right' questions .
"Don't worry about Sirul and his friend ,we can deal with them later .This is Boleh Land .Semua bisa diatur .Cosmetic surgery . Extreme makeovers .A couple of millions compensation .Can perhaps be based in USA or UK to 'spy' on Obama or Gordon Brown .Better still do some extreme makeovers and seduce Anwar ! A third sodomy case will certainly kill his political career ! Semua boleh "
That could well be what is going on in most people's mind now,but friends we are already on "subjudice' territory here .Be careful .
Jokes aside , the raayats are already up to the nose with these stupid antics .Pleaseeeee ,we are not stupid .OK we are quite stupid to tolerate you guys for 50 years but we are not that stupid now !Can we have a better judiciary and better leaders please .
The new Lord President certainly has a lot of work cut out for him .Good luck Yang Arif !
Dr Nik Howk
So Mr Baginda has been acquitted .Alhamdullillah .Good for him and his family .As a simple minded fellow trying to understand the mechanics and dynamics of law in this country I am still baffled beyond comprehension .
Well I am just a simple doctor with simple mind .If a patient landed up dead at my doorstep ,1st thing I would do is confirmed that he is actually dead ,beyond any form of salvageable effort that could pull him back to this side of the domain .Then the whys and how .The circumstances contributing to the death etc etc.
In the Altantaya / Mr Razak's case ,no one ,from persecution ,defense ,and not even the trial judge ,seem to be interested in the whys and how , the motives stupid ,the motives ! .There seem to be a 'devil's pact' between persecution and defense to just play balls only in a specific kind of way .Devoid of embarassing clumsy arkward kind of cross examinations .To the point we raayats mostly have lost our interest in the case
There was a saying years back during the infamous trial by peers of Tun Salleh Abas or the Vincent Tan vs some correspondent ,the raayats got the impression if your counsel knows perfect' Queen's English 'you can escape with murder or get someone not guilty 'hanged' for a crime he did not commit .This one is the reverse ,one get the impression the lawyers involved are a pack of amatuers !
No one seem to be wanting ,in fact everyone seem to be actively avoiding ,to ask the one million dollar question : Who is the clown behind these two chaps who were alleged to have bumped off Altantaya .It is as if they just happened to meet her one day in KL while 'lepaking' in the Mid Valley Mall and happened not to like her Mongolian face ,so decide to collectively bump her off .In the process try some fancy stuff from Central Armoury to see how the firework work .
Or perhaps Ms Altantuya herself did it as a return favour .Anything goes in this Boleh Land !
For many simple people like me across Malaysia we are still baffled .It is as if our court people ,do wear perfect blinkers !Do not look left or right ,just look straight ahead ,and make sure blokes ,always ask the 'right' questions .
"Don't worry about Sirul and his friend ,we can deal with them later .This is Boleh Land .Semua bisa diatur .Cosmetic surgery . Extreme makeovers .A couple of millions compensation .Can perhaps be based in USA or UK to 'spy' on Obama or Gordon Brown .Better still do some extreme makeovers and seduce Anwar ! A third sodomy case will certainly kill his political career ! Semua boleh "
That could well be what is going on in most people's mind now,but friends we are already on "subjudice' territory here .Be careful .
Jokes aside , the raayats are already up to the nose with these stupid antics .Pleaseeeee ,we are not stupid .OK we are quite stupid to tolerate you guys for 50 years but we are not that stupid now !Can we have a better judiciary and better leaders please .
The new Lord President certainly has a lot of work cut out for him .Good luck Yang Arif !
Dr Nik Howk
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