Friends ,
Not many people know Syed Abdul Kadir Alsagoff .He is not the 'monied' kind of people nor does he has power .He is just ordinary ,just like you and me but it is my intention in my blog's 'personalities section' to delve into interesting personalities like 'Syed Kadiak' ,as he has been known among us classmates from the Malay College ,and others whom Allah has allowed me the priveledge to 'criss cross' into their lives in this short 'sojourn' of mine on this planet earth .I have never met Dr Mohd Asri Zainal Abidin ,the 1st personalty featured in this new column but who does not know Dr Asri .With 10,or 15 more years of 'scholarship' perhaps he can be our next Naguib ! Insyaallah .That would be profoundly better than being just another mufti whose main function is to read the doa at those tedious State functions .
Back to our Syed Kadir .I 1st met him when I joined the Malay College in 1967 as a forth former .A 'budak baru' with all the intricacies of 'ragging' and yearlong internal battle trying to blend in with the 'budak lama' ie those who joined through Form One .Syed Kadir was a 'budak lama' .Looking back ,many of the 'budak baru' were less daunted by the continuos emotional effort needed to blend-in and be accepted with the rest [ no mean task ] and the cultural shock of leaving home and having to live with peers of the same age who were in general already miles ahead in their 'social skills',but rather the shock of having to contend with many super 'bright' boys several scale above the average .That was Malay College to the new comers .Syed Kadir was one of the many 'super bright boys' of Form Four Science 2.
He never seem to put any effort in study and during the limited 'prep time ' was always fooling around but at the end of term exams was either numero uno or just somewhere there .I could remember one of the 'budak baru' [ a doctor now ] cried because he had to burn the midnight candle and still came out last in class while this 'clown' Syed Kadiak never seem to touch his books and yet got 1st !
Come MCE exam ,Syed got the maximum 8 distinctions !Now some students who got 10 straight A's still cry because some jokers got 15 .During my time if you get 4 A's you deserve to paint the town red on your bicycle with ears'enlarged' and a fixed smile on your face for a whole week .The town can accept that you deserve it .
Syed hitched hiked to Kuala Lumpur to see Encik Khir Johari ,the then Minister of Education ,and on his own initiative ,got Lee Foundation along with Tengku Abdul Rahman Foundation to give him a scholarship to do Quantum Physics at an Ivy league university in US ,Cornell .At a kingly sum of 10'000 RM per year scholarship, a huge sum at that time .
All of us that time knew some 15 months prior to exam time Syed suddenly woke up probably from the 'wrong side of his bed' and declared to all and sundry that he from then on was an 'atheist' .A case of too much physics probably ,we thought .No amount of 'cajoling'or debate from friends could make this young man change his mind .Some of us enlisted the help of the late Ustaz Rahman [ just died a couple of years ago ] ,our mentor and student advisor .He tried but failed miserably and shed a lot of tears for his failure .But looking back with hind sight now what can a 'lowly' ustaz do to a genius with an IQ of probably 150 except to further increase the boy's resolve to be more 'different ' .
So Syed Kadir The Atheist went to Cornell to do Quantum Physics in 1970 ,at the height of 'Flower Power' and anti war hysteria following the Vietnam War .Most of us ,his friends , thought he would not come back and be lost to Godless America forever ,work with NASA or something .But Allah knew better .In America he befriended an American lay Islamic preacher and rejoined Islam .Not only just rejoined Islam but took 4 years off his study to wander to Medina ,Saudi Arabia to learn Arabic and obtained a masters degree in Arabic and theology .In his own words "When you study the Quran and understand it in Arabic it is like watching coloured TV ,while in other languages you can still perceive its meaning but it is akin to seeing blake and white" .
Went back to Cornell to do 4 years of Neurobiology to ,in his own words ,"comprehend" and put up a creditable defense against Darwin's Theory of Evolution .
His very short but succinct explanation of the compatibility of Darwin's Evolution Theory and Islam was explained to me just 4 days ago ,over noisy kenduri kahwin music , at our mutual classmate's daughter's wedding in Klang ,the 1st time I got to meet him after almost 40 years !
"Look at it this way ,Nik .Say we are so advanced that we are able to send 2 astronauts ,a female and a male , to a distant planet so far away from Earth .That new planet is like Earth ,and has been actually in existence for millions of years before this two humans landed .There were apes ,lizards and other animals that have evolved earlier .Push forward into the future say over 10,000 years ,the 2 astronauts cohabited and over years and generations multiplide in numbers to become 1 billion humans .One not so bright chap amongst them finally decided to be famous and decided to study fossils and came up with the theory that 'man' actually came from apes because he was able to see some semblance of apes fossils that did not have tails .This bright chap did not want to know about the story of the 'astronauts' anymore but fell in love with his findings .He called it the Darwin's theory of Evolution !"
"The relevant observation now ,from amongst us ,should be that now there are humans who have developed 'new tails' and they are the ones doing massive carnage in far distant lands like Iraq ,Afganistan and in the Gaza Strip !They are the new 'apes' that have strayed from the 'straight' path as defined by that 'Chap' who 1st send the Eve and Adam down to this planet to be the viceroy .Not a question of the apes losing their tails and becoming humans as expounded by Darwin but Man losing their way and behaving like apes !"...'Mereka mereka yang di murkai Allah dan mereka mereka yang sesat ', as I always like to put it
Syed Kadir came back to Malaysia and join UPM's fisheries dept in the 80's and was actively invovled in missionary and tabligh work .Masahallah ,from Islam to atheist to tabligh !
While writing up for his doctoral thesis he found he could ill afford to pay a professional typist to help with the typing as most of his income was tied up with his missionary work ,so he dabbled with the computer .Before long he found himself deep in IT and did finally obtained a PHD from Auburn University ,Alabama delving in computer modelling of integrated agriculture system .
That was and is Dr Syed Kadir AlSagoff , my long lost friend .A scientist par excellence ,a former confirmed atheist ,a genius ,a Muslim missionary of the tabligh school .
At the end of the day it is Allah who "membolak balikkan hati".We
'manusia manusia yang kerdil' can only do our level best and pray for his deliverance .If Allah wants to change John Esposito [the great Western expert on Islam] He could do so but if He does not ,John Esposito will still be 'that guy who has grown a tail' in another 100 years despite all his vast knowledge about Islam ,beyond you and me .
"Say :Oh Allah ! Possessor of the Kingdom ,
You give the Kingdom to whom You will ,and ,
You bestow with honour whom You will ,and ,
You humiliate whom You will .
In Your hand is the good .
Verily ,You are Able to do All things ."
A piece of poignant poetry you may say .Surah Ali Imraan 2 : 26 ,from the Glorious Quran .
Dr Nik Howk
PS :On the local scene ,how else can one explain Sultan Mukriz's ascension back to power yesterday despite all the odds working against him ?
Hanya Dia yang dapat 'membolak balikkan hati'.
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Pearls & Gem : Dr Asri Zainal Abidin
Friends ,
In a year when we have the 'Altantuya affair' ,SCOMI ,Eurocopter debacle and the 'Scorpene affair' all thrown into the public domain it is perhaps poignant that Dr Asri's recent resignation or rather to put it more correctly refusal to continue his tenure as Grand Mufti of Perlis in preference to leading a quiet academic life in Lampeter ,U.K , not to be viewed as an insignificant, quite unrelated event .
We all have to salute this man for his frankness and intellectual honesty and refusal to accept and stomach the rot in a society that is increasingly getting too materialistic ,uncontrolled greed and avarice from within the upper echelon of power .Indeed ,intellectual honesty and frankness are two qualities that are very hard to come by nowadays in this Land of Serba Boleh ,especially within the professionals ,academia and even within the learned circles ,even amongst the so-called ulamak .
I reserve this space today for Dr Asri Zainal Abidin for his candour :
" AKU BUKAN MUSUH HARTA "
mereka kata :
mengapa kita tidak kaya raya ?
tengoklah Si Fulan itu ,bermewahan saja
aku bertanya :apalah caranya untuk aku kaya ?
tapi...secara mulia dan tanpa berdusta .
bukan kita tidak tahu
jalan ,denai dan liku
agar harta ditemu dan disapu
tapi semuanya cara palsu dan tipu
bukan kita tidak mahu
tapi kita tidak mampu
takut dan terkedu
mengenang Yang Maha Satu
Yang Tiada Baginya sekutu
Ya ,telah kaya para pengkhianat
dengan harta yang sarat
tapi mereka lupa akhirat
balasan yang berat
di dunia ,jiwa bertukar menjadi keparat .
Ya ,telah kaya para pendusta
syarat mereka :lupakan Yang Esa
harta raayat semua disebat
harta awam semua dibekam
hukum syaitan ,mereka bertuhan .
Kita pun ingin kaya
ada harta ,ada kereta istimewa
ada rumah mewah yang melimpah
ada hidangan yang bukan sebarangan
ada duit yang bukan sedikit .
Tapi jalannya hendaklah suci
bukan seperti saorang pencuri
jika ada jalan yang mulia
di hujungnya ada harta
Kita cuma musuh pengkhianat bangsa dan negara
apatah lagi pengkhianat agama .....
Syabas Dr Asri Zainal Abidin .We need such candour and frankness from our academia ,intellectuals and everyone .Only then will our politicians ,policy makers and those in power exercise more care and accountability when they deal with public fund.Accountability starts from the top and percolate downward .It does not start with the poor meter reader or the poorly paid policeman and hope to move upward .It starts with the PM and his cabinet ,down to the KSN and KSU's and move downward ,right down to the humble road sweepers .[ have you ever met a London porter or train drivers ?They appear happy and proud of their work .Ken Livingston who was a Labour Party London Mayor at one time ,did not drive to work .Stayed in a bedsit even when he was Mayor .Red Ken they called him .All of them are not Muslim but as a rule most Londoners from mayor to just the humble train porter have a high sense of human values and rule of law .Dr Asri will find that out if he stays there a while longer .Doc M may have difficulty comprehending this aspect of London life . ]
Ist and foremost there must be a real,not imagined or feigned ,political will to fight against corruption , nepotism and this unchecked ,unaccounted porosity of public fund,and this has to start right from Sri Perdana Putrajaya ,right through the Ministries .The small crabs just look at the big ones how to walk .If the big ones walk sideway ,they is no way to expect the small ones to walk straight .So goes a well known Malay proverb .
We claim to embrace Islamic values in our everyday affairs but our public facilities remained underfunded ,our public roads excessively overpaid but third rate ,our defense facilities archaic though we have to pay through our nose ,our public hospitals under-budgeted ,our education system 3rd rate and directionless ,our top politicians and their families and cronies'overfed',etc etc and etc .
Then we have the IJN deal or nearly 'done deal' if not for the very public uproar .Now there is this rumours going around the grapevine that they are going to replace Hassan from Petronas with some clowns from god knows where who know a bit of 'creative accounting' here and 'financial manipulation' there .Petronas is a high tech high finance and well driven company well managed for the last 2 decades or so ,why change a winning formullae ?It is not an ordinary 'cari makan' construction firm where any Ahmad ,Ali or Mohideen a/l Mohd can lord over as chairman and churn or siphon the money out without specialised indepth knowledge and wisdom of the global oil business .Hassan ,at least for the next few years is irreplaceable and I am not saying this because he happened to be my form-mate at the Malay College !
We ,the 'raayats' do not want any third rate politician to have a run at our grandchildren's last legacy through any third rate nominee .As it is now we spent 1st rate 'money' but living like a 3rd rate nation.
We just have too many 'fat cats' waiting for 'free meals' at every level of government !" Pendusta and pengkhianat negara dan agama " as Dr Asri alluded to .
Our leaders have to buck up otherwise please give your place to someone else who are more qualified and more God fearing !Pleaseeeeeee !
50 years of nonsense is enough .If the government of the day does not want to change the governed must change !
Dr Nik Howk
In a year when we have the 'Altantuya affair' ,SCOMI ,Eurocopter debacle and the 'Scorpene affair' all thrown into the public domain it is perhaps poignant that Dr Asri's recent resignation or rather to put it more correctly refusal to continue his tenure as Grand Mufti of Perlis in preference to leading a quiet academic life in Lampeter ,U.K , not to be viewed as an insignificant, quite unrelated event .
We all have to salute this man for his frankness and intellectual honesty and refusal to accept and stomach the rot in a society that is increasingly getting too materialistic ,uncontrolled greed and avarice from within the upper echelon of power .Indeed ,intellectual honesty and frankness are two qualities that are very hard to come by nowadays in this Land of Serba Boleh ,especially within the professionals ,academia and even within the learned circles ,even amongst the so-called ulamak .
I reserve this space today for Dr Asri Zainal Abidin for his candour :
" AKU BUKAN MUSUH HARTA "
mereka kata :
mengapa kita tidak kaya raya ?
tengoklah Si Fulan itu ,bermewahan saja
aku bertanya :apalah caranya untuk aku kaya ?
tapi...secara mulia dan tanpa berdusta .
bukan kita tidak tahu
jalan ,denai dan liku
agar harta ditemu dan disapu
tapi semuanya cara palsu dan tipu
bukan kita tidak mahu
tapi kita tidak mampu
takut dan terkedu
mengenang Yang Maha Satu
Yang Tiada Baginya sekutu
Ya ,telah kaya para pengkhianat
dengan harta yang sarat
tapi mereka lupa akhirat
balasan yang berat
di dunia ,jiwa bertukar menjadi keparat .
Ya ,telah kaya para pendusta
syarat mereka :lupakan Yang Esa
harta raayat semua disebat
harta awam semua dibekam
hukum syaitan ,mereka bertuhan .
Kita pun ingin kaya
ada harta ,ada kereta istimewa
ada rumah mewah yang melimpah
ada hidangan yang bukan sebarangan
ada duit yang bukan sedikit .
Tapi jalannya hendaklah suci
bukan seperti saorang pencuri
jika ada jalan yang mulia
di hujungnya ada harta
Kita cuma musuh pengkhianat bangsa dan negara
apatah lagi pengkhianat agama .....
Syabas Dr Asri Zainal Abidin .We need such candour and frankness from our academia ,intellectuals and everyone .Only then will our politicians ,policy makers and those in power exercise more care and accountability when they deal with public fund.Accountability starts from the top and percolate downward .It does not start with the poor meter reader or the poorly paid policeman and hope to move upward .It starts with the PM and his cabinet ,down to the KSN and KSU's and move downward ,right down to the humble road sweepers .[ have you ever met a London porter or train drivers ?They appear happy and proud of their work .Ken Livingston who was a Labour Party London Mayor at one time ,did not drive to work .Stayed in a bedsit even when he was Mayor .Red Ken they called him .All of them are not Muslim but as a rule most Londoners from mayor to just the humble train porter have a high sense of human values and rule of law .Dr Asri will find that out if he stays there a while longer .Doc M may have difficulty comprehending this aspect of London life . ]
Ist and foremost there must be a real,not imagined or feigned ,political will to fight against corruption , nepotism and this unchecked ,unaccounted porosity of public fund,and this has to start right from Sri Perdana Putrajaya ,right through the Ministries .The small crabs just look at the big ones how to walk .If the big ones walk sideway ,they is no way to expect the small ones to walk straight .So goes a well known Malay proverb .
We claim to embrace Islamic values in our everyday affairs but our public facilities remained underfunded ,our public roads excessively overpaid but third rate ,our defense facilities archaic though we have to pay through our nose ,our public hospitals under-budgeted ,our education system 3rd rate and directionless ,our top politicians and their families and cronies'overfed',etc etc and etc .
Then we have the IJN deal or nearly 'done deal' if not for the very public uproar .Now there is this rumours going around the grapevine that they are going to replace Hassan from Petronas with some clowns from god knows where who know a bit of 'creative accounting' here and 'financial manipulation' there .Petronas is a high tech high finance and well driven company well managed for the last 2 decades or so ,why change a winning formullae ?It is not an ordinary 'cari makan' construction firm where any Ahmad ,Ali or Mohideen a/l Mohd can lord over as chairman and churn or siphon the money out without specialised indepth knowledge and wisdom of the global oil business .Hassan ,at least for the next few years is irreplaceable and I am not saying this because he happened to be my form-mate at the Malay College !
We ,the 'raayats' do not want any third rate politician to have a run at our grandchildren's last legacy through any third rate nominee .As it is now we spent 1st rate 'money' but living like a 3rd rate nation.
We just have too many 'fat cats' waiting for 'free meals' at every level of government !" Pendusta and pengkhianat negara dan agama " as Dr Asri alluded to .
Our leaders have to buck up otherwise please give your place to someone else who are more qualified and more God fearing !Pleaseeeeeee !
50 years of nonsense is enough .If the government of the day does not want to change the governed must change !
Dr Nik Howk
Monday, December 15, 2008
Post WEC :Where Do We Go From Here .
Fellow 'Endurancers' ,
Post World Endurance Championship ,Lembah Bidong Terengganu .Where do we go from here ?A million dollar question .
Let us not discuss how much WEC costs us .That is beyond mere mortals like you and me and anyway it was a monumental success from the viewpoint of Malaysians as perfect host.We always are .
From the perspective of actual performance of Team Malaysia ,OK friends ,I have promised I am not going to go over it again ,lest I will qualify myself for the firing squad .OK ,so ,where do we go from here ?
First and foremost ,let us look at Bahrain and Qatar .Forget about UAE ,since UAE is a million miles ahead ,not from just us but from the rest of the world .Some blokes in the USA are even thinking of opting out of FEI Endurance because even USA , a former superpower in Endurance a decade ago has now been reduced to the dustbin of history .
What about Bahrain and Qatar ?They were just in the 'kindergarten' just like us when Dato Awang ,myself and a few others were at it in Europe some 8 years back ,now they are 2nd and 3rd in the WEC Team Championship .Where have we gone wrong ?It is not due to lack of funding [c'mon we have overspent millions on team preparation !].Poor planning ?Lack of confidence in ourselves ?Not our sport ?[ then may I suggest we go back to sepak takraw ]
I think it is a combination of all of the above plus a couple more [ cari makan factor etc etc ], but from now on let us use more of our 'grey mater' .It may help . It is quite painful at least for me to see all those millions wasted while we are seeing our sport developing in the way we would not like to be ie .....ism that would kill the initial competitive route that it was naturally taking prior to the WEC preparation frenzy .Govt funding and help ? Yes ,yes and yes but we have to thread a careful line here in case we become overdependent .We want individuals to still dream of buying and owning their own mounts and bringing them up to a level able to give the 'big boys' a run for their money .We want people who pride themselves in beating the odd on their way to the podium and say for example "RTES or Al Raudhah can go and fly kites ,I can still beat you despite your superior every thing " !That is healthy development .
This is how I look at the future post WEC if we are to progress and develop the breadth and depth of our sport in a healthy and holistic manner and in the most economical and realistic way :
1.Chief de Quippe.
We should certainly look beyond efficient 'water carriers' and 'transport' managers .Also beyond EAM Endurance Chairman who has to play to the gallery for popular votes and so called 'palace'rating.An effective CDQ must be someone who knows 'endurance ' like the back of his knuckles ,may be a vet ,may be a rider or better still an ex rider ,who most importantly must be willing to be unpopular ,especially with the riders whom he chooses ! .Unsalaried of course .Not necessarily in the EAM but may be co-opted member ,answerable to the EAM President but not neccesarily 'kowtaying' to him .He must 1st and foremost be independent in mind and spirit .He plan ,set up the selection criteria and sit with a committee for selection and preside that committee .Hire and fire .In short a supremo .Some of you may think Ia m describing a 'devil' .Well in Malaysia ,to get us somewhere you have to be a little 'devil' .The Kelantanese has got a better name for such individuals .Give him a tenure of 3 years ie beyond EAM but such 'devil' will sack himself if he think he is not up to the mark .Find that 'devil' .Of course he has to operate with one or two assistants and some nominal budget from EAM or whatever .
If people think the CDQ has to be from EAM then by all mean let the Endurance Chairperson be the CDQ .A supremo CDQ who does not bow to pressure from within and without .Still a little'devil' .
2.International Competitions
This is free country .People can compete where they like and their results and experience will be taken into overall consideration by the CDQ but from the National interest of carrying our 'Jalur Gemilang' there are only several that it is imperative we have to be there .Off the cuff I can only think of 3 :The annual Open European Championship ,WEC/WEG and since we are already in the club ,The President's Cup in Dubai .Sending a team of riders or one pallet ,to carry our Jalur Gemilang to these event is 'small money' compared to the amount we have spent in our team preparation for WEC .We have to learn to do things economically ,cut off the frills and the 'makans and the unnecessary "kompangs etc etc ".EAM or ISN should be looking at funding ,leave the CDQ to do his job .Branding and finance is not his job ,it is EAM and ISN .If any EAM President is not aware of this he should not be there .The CDQ's brief is to move around ,know the horses and the riders and have a 'movable' but fair premise for selection of the Malaysian team for any international event .No hiding behind 'monolithic' committees who at the end of the day bear no responsibility for total failure .A typical Malaysian scenario .
3.Local Competitions
I look at the Sultan's Cup as already a '3 star' brand.It would be a pity to just go back to the original format .Go on a higher 'plane' at less cost .Bring it to the level of The President's Cup of Dubai but at lesser cost by decreasing the 'volume'.Achieve 4 star or 5 star status by increasing the prize money ,decrease the distance to 120 km or maintain the same ie 160 km ,invite only continental champions to challenge local riders say one pallet each from USA ,South America , one from Europe and one from Australia and New Zealand .
UAE ,Bahrain and Qatar can fly in on their own as many riders they like .If we have the right 'jalan' with the 'Pak Sheikhs' ,even the Sultan's Cup they can sponsor .They have been doing this with all other big rides around the world .Just the right 'jalan' .
These visitors to bring their best horses and best riders .We learn from them .And dont forget ,Branding .Teranggannu has all the potential of being a major tourist destination .We are better than that cheap skate sex destination in Phuket .If properly branded ,may even be better than Bali .
The rest of competitions concentrate on more 80's and 120's ,just maximum only 2 160's .We already have the toughest ride in the world [AL Raudhah] ,the best 120 in the World ,Gunong ,Kota Bharu and a few others to play around .Revamp the rides rulings by EAM to make the rides more inclusive rather than exclusive .Some vets at present are making new people to shy away from endurance by their stiff interpetation of the rules and making more rules .The new EAM rules on endurance are in my opinion convoluted and difficult to implement .So convoluted that if we let some vets to totally dictate the rules of our sport ,there will be no riders to take part in any class .Some of them are 'control freaks' .There must be balance .We endurancers are still small in numbers ,let us be more practical .
Look into establishing another class of ride ie for the 'local ponies' of certain height .Again be inclusive .We want endurance to also be a 'sukan raayat' .
4.Clubs
Over the past few years we have grown in number which is very good .The big ones like Al Raudhah ,RTES and TMKN Stable lead the way by virtue of unlimited funding etc etc but in laissez faire economy this is healthy .Small clubs ,State funded clubs and individuals [ like me ] are encouraged to steal some thunder from the big boys .What is worrying to many of us is the unimpeded flow of public funding to a selected few of the present 'big boys'in the past which is not healthy at all to the sport .They do not need help to procure horses etc etc .This create a new form of ..ism which would negate progressive competitiveness of others .The initial edge obtain is small compared to the overall negative effect to the sport .People who hold the purse string on public fund should be aware of this unhealthy trend .it would kill the sport .Leave it alone .Channel your fund to a central body like EAM to manage for competition purposes rather than procurement of horses etc etc for the selected few .
In my estimation ,endurance can go a long way in the route towards 'Sukan Untuk Negara' .We just need to put our 'grey mater' more into it rather than just follow our 'basic cari makan'instinct .At the International Level we need not bring in the medals ,being there is enough .Post WEC ,we have to keep working harder and reconfigure our "Brand Malaysia" .
"SUKAN UNTUK NEGARA" .
Post World Endurance Championship ,Lembah Bidong Terengganu .Where do we go from here ?A million dollar question .
Let us not discuss how much WEC costs us .That is beyond mere mortals like you and me and anyway it was a monumental success from the viewpoint of Malaysians as perfect host.We always are .
From the perspective of actual performance of Team Malaysia ,OK friends ,I have promised I am not going to go over it again ,lest I will qualify myself for the firing squad .OK ,so ,where do we go from here ?
First and foremost ,let us look at Bahrain and Qatar .Forget about UAE ,since UAE is a million miles ahead ,not from just us but from the rest of the world .Some blokes in the USA are even thinking of opting out of FEI Endurance because even USA , a former superpower in Endurance a decade ago has now been reduced to the dustbin of history .
What about Bahrain and Qatar ?They were just in the 'kindergarten' just like us when Dato Awang ,myself and a few others were at it in Europe some 8 years back ,now they are 2nd and 3rd in the WEC Team Championship .Where have we gone wrong ?It is not due to lack of funding [c'mon we have overspent millions on team preparation !].Poor planning ?Lack of confidence in ourselves ?Not our sport ?[ then may I suggest we go back to sepak takraw ]
I think it is a combination of all of the above plus a couple more [ cari makan factor etc etc ], but from now on let us use more of our 'grey mater' .It may help . It is quite painful at least for me to see all those millions wasted while we are seeing our sport developing in the way we would not like to be ie .....ism that would kill the initial competitive route that it was naturally taking prior to the WEC preparation frenzy .Govt funding and help ? Yes ,yes and yes but we have to thread a careful line here in case we become overdependent .We want individuals to still dream of buying and owning their own mounts and bringing them up to a level able to give the 'big boys' a run for their money .We want people who pride themselves in beating the odd on their way to the podium and say for example "RTES or Al Raudhah can go and fly kites ,I can still beat you despite your superior every thing " !That is healthy development .
This is how I look at the future post WEC if we are to progress and develop the breadth and depth of our sport in a healthy and holistic manner and in the most economical and realistic way :
1.Chief de Quippe.
We should certainly look beyond efficient 'water carriers' and 'transport' managers .Also beyond EAM Endurance Chairman who has to play to the gallery for popular votes and so called 'palace'rating.An effective CDQ must be someone who knows 'endurance ' like the back of his knuckles ,may be a vet ,may be a rider or better still an ex rider ,who most importantly must be willing to be unpopular ,especially with the riders whom he chooses ! .Unsalaried of course .Not necessarily in the EAM but may be co-opted member ,answerable to the EAM President but not neccesarily 'kowtaying' to him .He must 1st and foremost be independent in mind and spirit .He plan ,set up the selection criteria and sit with a committee for selection and preside that committee .Hire and fire .In short a supremo .Some of you may think Ia m describing a 'devil' .Well in Malaysia ,to get us somewhere you have to be a little 'devil' .The Kelantanese has got a better name for such individuals .Give him a tenure of 3 years ie beyond EAM but such 'devil' will sack himself if he think he is not up to the mark .Find that 'devil' .Of course he has to operate with one or two assistants and some nominal budget from EAM or whatever .
If people think the CDQ has to be from EAM then by all mean let the Endurance Chairperson be the CDQ .A supremo CDQ who does not bow to pressure from within and without .Still a little'devil' .
2.International Competitions
This is free country .People can compete where they like and their results and experience will be taken into overall consideration by the CDQ but from the National interest of carrying our 'Jalur Gemilang' there are only several that it is imperative we have to be there .Off the cuff I can only think of 3 :The annual Open European Championship ,WEC/WEG and since we are already in the club ,The President's Cup in Dubai .Sending a team of riders or one pallet ,to carry our Jalur Gemilang to these event is 'small money' compared to the amount we have spent in our team preparation for WEC .We have to learn to do things economically ,cut off the frills and the 'makans and the unnecessary "kompangs etc etc ".EAM or ISN should be looking at funding ,leave the CDQ to do his job .Branding and finance is not his job ,it is EAM and ISN .If any EAM President is not aware of this he should not be there .The CDQ's brief is to move around ,know the horses and the riders and have a 'movable' but fair premise for selection of the Malaysian team for any international event .No hiding behind 'monolithic' committees who at the end of the day bear no responsibility for total failure .A typical Malaysian scenario .
3.Local Competitions
I look at the Sultan's Cup as already a '3 star' brand.It would be a pity to just go back to the original format .Go on a higher 'plane' at less cost .Bring it to the level of The President's Cup of Dubai but at lesser cost by decreasing the 'volume'.Achieve 4 star or 5 star status by increasing the prize money ,decrease the distance to 120 km or maintain the same ie 160 km ,invite only continental champions to challenge local riders say one pallet each from USA ,South America , one from Europe and one from Australia and New Zealand .
UAE ,Bahrain and Qatar can fly in on their own as many riders they like .If we have the right 'jalan' with the 'Pak Sheikhs' ,even the Sultan's Cup they can sponsor .They have been doing this with all other big rides around the world .Just the right 'jalan' .
These visitors to bring their best horses and best riders .We learn from them .And dont forget ,Branding .Teranggannu has all the potential of being a major tourist destination .We are better than that cheap skate sex destination in Phuket .If properly branded ,may even be better than Bali .
The rest of competitions concentrate on more 80's and 120's ,just maximum only 2 160's .We already have the toughest ride in the world [AL Raudhah] ,the best 120 in the World ,Gunong ,Kota Bharu and a few others to play around .Revamp the rides rulings by EAM to make the rides more inclusive rather than exclusive .Some vets at present are making new people to shy away from endurance by their stiff interpetation of the rules and making more rules .The new EAM rules on endurance are in my opinion convoluted and difficult to implement .So convoluted that if we let some vets to totally dictate the rules of our sport ,there will be no riders to take part in any class .Some of them are 'control freaks' .There must be balance .We endurancers are still small in numbers ,let us be more practical .
Look into establishing another class of ride ie for the 'local ponies' of certain height .Again be inclusive .We want endurance to also be a 'sukan raayat' .
4.Clubs
Over the past few years we have grown in number which is very good .The big ones like Al Raudhah ,RTES and TMKN Stable lead the way by virtue of unlimited funding etc etc but in laissez faire economy this is healthy .Small clubs ,State funded clubs and individuals [ like me ] are encouraged to steal some thunder from the big boys .What is worrying to many of us is the unimpeded flow of public funding to a selected few of the present 'big boys'in the past which is not healthy at all to the sport .They do not need help to procure horses etc etc .This create a new form of ..ism which would negate progressive competitiveness of others .The initial edge obtain is small compared to the overall negative effect to the sport .People who hold the purse string on public fund should be aware of this unhealthy trend .it would kill the sport .Leave it alone .Channel your fund to a central body like EAM to manage for competition purposes rather than procurement of horses etc etc for the selected few .
In my estimation ,endurance can go a long way in the route towards 'Sukan Untuk Negara' .We just need to put our 'grey mater' more into it rather than just follow our 'basic cari makan'instinct .At the International Level we need not bring in the medals ,being there is enough .Post WEC ,we have to keep working harder and reconfigure our "Brand Malaysia" .
"SUKAN UNTUK NEGARA" .
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Not So Pearl & Gem :Vernacular Schools
Friends ,
We have several 'sacred cows' in Malaysia .Ketuanan Melayu being one of the 'cows',which is a very nebulous concept when the Melayus inhabit more than 90 % of all low cost housing in the country and own less than 15 % of the country's wealth [...and can someone tell why the NEP limits it's target to only 30 % and not 55 % ?].
The other 'sacred cow' is Vernacular Schools .[ see my October 29th blog :Our Education System has failed !].
When Mukriz Mahathir brought up the issue of vernacular schools being a hindrance to the concept of unity in Malaysia we can hear all sort of discordant , muted and irrational rebuttals from Gerakan ,MCA and DAP and also our new resident clown ,Samy Vellooo [ when is this botak going to retire ?].I am more interested to hear what our Mr Viagra Chua Soi Lek has to say ,especially after his recent burst on 'Ketuanan Melayu .The Melayus ,Mr Viagra Sir ,would rather own 70 % of the Nation's wealth than being a Tuan .Nothing is sacred ,not even the Malay Sultanate ,[ especially if they do not behave themselves as expected of Rulers ] for the Melayus if we have to beg for pittance in our very own Tanah Air .
I am reminded of Tan Sri Musa Hitam's advice many years back when he was much younger and more vibrant :" We Malays sometime has to be kurang ajar a bit only then others will respect us ".In 2008 ,it means let us insist on getting back to the 'master bedroom' ,not remaining on the verannda of our very own house.
And not having to apologise about it .It is sickening and bone chilling to see Pak Lah and our future PM designate did so several months ago .You cannot call a spade by any other name !A spade is a spade [ see Sept 26th blog :Lest We Forget....] ] .
Dr Nik Howk
We have several 'sacred cows' in Malaysia .Ketuanan Melayu being one of the 'cows',which is a very nebulous concept when the Melayus inhabit more than 90 % of all low cost housing in the country and own less than 15 % of the country's wealth [...and can someone tell why the NEP limits it's target to only 30 % and not 55 % ?].
The other 'sacred cow' is Vernacular Schools .[ see my October 29th blog :Our Education System has failed !].
When Mukriz Mahathir brought up the issue of vernacular schools being a hindrance to the concept of unity in Malaysia we can hear all sort of discordant , muted and irrational rebuttals from Gerakan ,MCA and DAP and also our new resident clown ,Samy Vellooo [ when is this botak going to retire ?].I am more interested to hear what our Mr Viagra Chua Soi Lek has to say ,especially after his recent burst on 'Ketuanan Melayu .The Melayus ,Mr Viagra Sir ,would rather own 70 % of the Nation's wealth than being a Tuan .Nothing is sacred ,not even the Malay Sultanate ,[ especially if they do not behave themselves as expected of Rulers ] for the Melayus if we have to beg for pittance in our very own Tanah Air .
I am reminded of Tan Sri Musa Hitam's advice many years back when he was much younger and more vibrant :" We Malays sometime has to be kurang ajar a bit only then others will respect us ".In 2008 ,it means let us insist on getting back to the 'master bedroom' ,not remaining on the verannda of our very own house.
And not having to apologise about it .It is sickening and bone chilling to see Pak Lah and our future PM designate did so several months ago .You cannot call a spade by any other name !A spade is a spade [ see Sept 26th blog :Lest We Forget....] ] .
Dr Nik Howk
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Not So Pearl & Gem :The Malay Dilemma
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
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
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 !
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