Remembering October 27, 1987

It is the time of the year again when all we need to do is sit back and recall the history. Look back at past mistakes, and see the path we have led ourselves to after the tragedy.

Twenty years back, on October 27, 1987, the nation was rocked by the second-largest ISA swoop in its history in a tragedy majority recall as Operasi Lalang. Some say it was a painful, unjust culmination for those merely asking for fairness. I do not think I have anything to say; I was not even born yet twenty years back. But it fails to stop from reminding me again of the draconian law still prevailing in our backyard, the ISA.

My genuine respect and admiration to all you survivors of Kamunting Detention Camp, whose willpower to continue to live far outweigh the hefty tribulations they had been through. They may have erred in the past, but the worse is for us to turn into a bunch of vain fellows who only choose see the downside of things, refusing to forgive and give those victims a second chance. To those who are still in, it is my fervent hope that their release is imminent.

Here's the Long-Awaited News

This posting is long overdue; I guess I was just waiting for the right moment for everything to be put into place and run well to come before having it announced here.

I am officially a player for the UNSW Basketball Team that plays in the Division 2 in a local league. Nothing really great, but good enough for me. There are of course the Division 1 and Premier League teams whose standards are higher, but I guess Division 2 is not bad at all, in fact much better as far as most of the tournaments I used to enter back in Malaysia are concerned. How I managed to get into the team is another story, but one thing for sure is it took me through a hard way.

The transition in playing position from being a big guy to one who does the running and a lot of ball handling for one is never easy. You see, I had been playing as a center, traditionally the tallest player in a team for like five, six years, and now I am shifted to a forward position, a center’s total opposite down to the size factor, obviously. And yes, if you have just been guessing, I am among the smallest man in the team. Another hard part is definitely one that is dealing with communication, but I guess I prefer to see it more as a way of building up my oral fluency rather than a reason to grumble.

Anyway the team has been through 5 round-robin games, one each week, the earliest two of which I missed because I was not yet in the team. I did not fare well in the first couple of games I featured in; in fact they left me pondering as to whether I am good enough to play at this level, and frankly I even had a slender thought of giving up. I did not, nonetheless, and into the third game which was yesterday I was back to the old me. I did the things I know I am good at, and eventually got that confidence in me built up. I owe a huge portion of that to my supportive teammates.

As for the jersey number, of course I would love to pick up 41 or 10 at first. The latter, in fact, was my number in two consecutive glorious years back when I was with the Cagers. The sad news was my coach brought with him only three jerseys for me to choose from before one of the match; with options of 3, 9 and 50 as the jersey numbers. So there I was, bidding farewell to the dream of wearing number 41 or 10. Anyway, thinking that I was nowhere as flashy as Dwayne Wade or Allen Iverson wearing number 3, and the fact that 9 is a bit too common, I settled with 50. One good player I could recall wearing that number was David Robinson, so I guess it is not that bad a choice at all.

I should say that this thing keeps me a little bit busy especially towards this end of semester, with final exams and stuffs, but I reckon I have come a long way to get this chance, and it is my choice and I am happy with that.

On TV3's Raya Ad

How has your Raya been fellas? Mine was not that bad, thanks to the ever-so friendly atmosphere and wonderful families here in Sydney. I just came back from an open house in fact, and the food was simply fabulous. Thanks NAOMI!

Anyway my friend Hadi posted this year’s Raya ad by Proton on his blog not long ago, which kind of reminded me of another round of good ads coming to the Malaysian TV scene in conjunction of this round of festive season. I have to say that I am a huge fan of good TV ads, and just like in yesteryears I was looking forward to welcome this year’s ones. Now that the waiting part is done, I guess I am quite satisfied. The one by Proton was particularly brilliant in reminding people of road safety, while Petronas, as always, never fails to touch me gently by the heart albeit I still think the previous year’s ad was better. Anyway I was eavesdropping to a conversation by two friends the other day when their main topic shifted to these Raya ads, and soon after I listened to one of them grumbled about how he could not get to fathom the message tried to be passed by TV3 via its ad. Being nice, I chose not to interrupt. Nevertheless I could not hinder from smiling. On a different setting, my mom shared a similar story when I told her that the ad was shot at Kuala Kangsar- the bridge and the railway station were especially familiar to me. The point is, I believe many others are still puzzled by what actually TV3 wanted to convey, and I could not stop but feel obliged to share my personal view, which even though personal, is still valid in clearing the air and yelling the idea out loud, at least that is what I think.

Now, in case any of you has yet to see the ad, it is pretty much about a lady, played by Adibah Noor, who was on his way to balik kampung on a hot, sunny day of Ramadhan. She was incredibly tired and it was close to breaking fast I guess, and it seemed that everything she saw kind of reminded her, in exaggerating way, of good food. She bought some kuih at the railway station, and while waiting to board, sat next to this young Chinese man who smiled all the way while munching a similar kuih she previously bought. Feeling irritated, she snatched the packet of kuih and rushed her way into the train, only to realize that she had with her an extra packet of that kuih on the train. Yeah, pretty vague, I blame that to TV3. Now, the ad could not stop but reminds me of this poem;

The Cookie Thief

by Valerie Cox

A woman was waiting at an airport one night,
With several long hours before her flight.
She hunted for a book in the airport shops.
Bought a bag of cookies and found a place to drop.

She was engrossed in her book but happened to see,
the man sitting beside her, as bold as could be.
Grabbed a cookie or two from the bag in between,
Which she tried to ignore to avoid a scene.

So she munched the cookies and watched the clock,
As the gutsy cookie thief diminished her stock.
She was getting more irritated as the minutes ticked by,
Thinking, "If I wasn't so nice, I would blacken his eye."

With each cookie she took, he took one too,
When only one was left, she wondered what he would do.
With a smile on his face, and a nervous laugh,
He took the last cookie and broke it in half.

He offered her half, as he ate the other,
She snatched it from him and thought... oooh, brother.
This guy has some nerve and he's also rude,
Why he didn't even show any gratitude!

She had never known when she had been so galled,
And sighed with relief when her flight was called.
She gathered her belongings and headed to the gate,
Refusing to look back at the thieving ingrate.

She boarded the plane, and sank in her seat,
Then she sought her book, which was almost complete.
As she reached in her baggage, she gasped with surprise,
There was her bag of cookies, in front of her eyes.

If mine are here, she moaned in despair,
The others were his, and he tried to share.
Too late to apologize, she realized with grief,
That she was the rude one, the ingrate, the thief!

Sounds familiar? I believe that TV3 was trying to implant the idea acquired from this poem to their ad, but in trying not to be looked like plagiarizing, they modified and added up a tad here and there, and the result, as we saw, is a letdown. I personally think that the earlier part of the ad was not necessary, that they should put more focus on the interaction between the lady and that Chinese guy thus putting the idea straight. Anyway I first encountered the above poem from Chicken Soup of the Soul, and from my quick research on Google I came to the knowledge that the idea had been put up everywhere; in fact there is a short movie on YouTube inspired by the poem under a similar title, which I have not had time yet to watch. The poem in itself gives some pretty good lessons and is a pleasure to read anyway, and has been one of my favourite since that first encounter. Back to the original note, I believe that there is nothing wrong with TV3 trying to convey those lessons in their own way, but the way they did it, from what I see, could be improved next time as not to leave their staunch viewers perplexed on the morning of Raya watching the ad while enjoying ketupat and rendang, thus ruining their mood.

Their Amazing Journeys

For all of you basketball junkies out there who have not yet noticed, NBA.com is currently running a section under the name of My Amazing Journey that brings together 30 current players to reflect on their life journeys before making it to the NBA as part of the league's countdown for the new season’s tip-off. Presently at mid-way through the list of the chosen players, already big names like Steve Nash, Yao Ming and Dwayne Wade had joined in to share their life-changing experience and the highs and lows they have gone through to fulfill their dreams of playing their beloved game at this highest level. Questions like ‘To what lengths would you go to for a chance to play basketball, even if it were just a shoot around’ and ‘What is your favourite childhood basketball memory’ will never fail to catch the readers, certainly not if you are a basketball or for this matter a sports fan. Add a winner-in-build-up’s mentality and attributes to that, there you get a perfect, impeccable match-up of a reader and a piece to read. You might not quite get the idea just yet, so my suggestion would be just have a go at the above link, randomly select a player or two of your choice for their stories and enjoy.

Eidul Fitr

I remember sending this line of message to a number of important friends in celebration of Eid last year, and now I wish to share it with all of you here;

‘Eid is for those whose sins have been forgiven by Allah, whose prayers have been accepted by Allah. Every day you do not disobey Allah is a day of Eid. Happy Eid Ul-Fitr.

Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri, maaf zahir dan batin.

Taking Inspiration From the Angkasawan

So it is now official: we have successfully sent a man to space. For a brief moment when the spacecraft was about to take-off, the whole nation united, gathering prayers and all to this new Malaysian hero who does not only put himself into another chapter of the nation’s grand history, but also orchestrates the notion of nothing is impossible and gives every reason to all of us to start believing. Never mind the political divides or differences in opinion that have long surmounted among the community, or the saga behind this space project or continuing qualms whether it is worth spending that amount of money just so we could ‘stand a few inches taller’ as quoted by our DPM; the main thing at this very moment is that everyone could not say a word of how proud they are for being the countrymen of Dr. Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor, and Dr. Faiz for that matter.

Carving a new path in a totally unfamiliar field is never easy, especially when it deals with shouldering a country’s hope and pride. You fall, and the whole nation crumbles. To divert from normal, relatively easier lives they were living previously to a new one which offered nothing but uncertainty at the beginning meanwhile is not something everyone would be willing to do and requires the greatest of determination out of men. Yeah, some might put it down to passion- you have been dreaming it since childhood and when it really does come, things just clicked and went on from there smoothly- but passion alone without sheer willpower and never-say-die attitude carries men to nowhere. More than three years from the day the country was set abuzz by the announcement of this Angkasawan Project, and from then on lives have been all about hard work for these heroes of ours. For these reasons, I must say that both Dr. Sheikh Muszaphar and Dr Faiz deserve a bow low and high regard from the entire people of the nation.

Things will not stop right after this 8-day period when Dr. Muszaphar comes back proudly having staked the country’s name in the world’s eye; in fact it might be just a dawn of a new age ahead. The whole agenda does not only revolve around a three-year space project or joining the elite group of 32 countries with space experience or anything like that, but beyond that this episode serves to open up a new kind of possibility for all of us, especially the children. Those who have given up ambition to be an astronaut or any of its kind and have since replaced it with a more realistic one will now find a new reason to revive their original hope. Running on a parallel line, those fretting to venture into a new ground in life have now found a new source of inspiration as a result of this incredible space story. The road ahead may still be topsy-turvy, no easier, but with a reformed spirit and soul we believe that the only way to go is forward.

Borrowing a famous line from Neil Armstrong with a bit of alteration; ‘It is a small step for Dr. Shekih Muszaphar and Dr. Faiz, but a huge leap for Malaysians.’

Blues for the Wallabies

Four years back, I remember watching with utter interest the Rugby World Cup final match between Australia and England, rooting for the latter team to emerge as the champion. The result did turn out the way I wished, in case any of you have not yet had the idea, after a last-minute match-winning drop goal by Jonny Wilkinson. Four years on, and after a change in my residing place, I suppose you might have guessed that it is now the opposite team that I am supporting between the two.

Nonetheless after 80 minutes of action-packed, thrilling quarter-final match between the two teams just a moment ago, in which the Northern Hemisphere team won by a score line of 12-10, I know I should not have changed my mind, at least not when Jonny Wilkinson is back in the England line-ups. Needless to say, the Wallabies simply needed to do more than Lote Tuqiri’s first World Cup try to avoid defeat at the quarter final stage for only the second time in the tournament’s history.

These words from the commentator must be painful to the ears of the Wallabies, uttered right after the match finished;

“At the moment all they can do is to look at each other, congratulate each other’s efforts, and watch as the England players make their way through the quarter final..”

p/s: I was just planning to go join in welcoming back the team at Sydney airport if they happen to win this edition’s tournament. I missed the farewell one, held before they flew to France because of commitment to class.

The Last Spring Break

In case you have been wondering what had actually happened to me in the past three weeks or so, here is the explanation. Zahira came to Sydney on Thursday before we both travelled to Canberra where we spent the whole week of our spring break with some good old friends there. Oh, Didy and Hanna also came down from Brisbane, so that clarifies everything.

Let’s see what my view on this capital city of Australia is.

Well, to start with, the journey from Sydney down to Canberra via land takes approximately three and a half hours, which is not that long if compared to the travel time covered going to any other major cities here. Just in case you happen to be a nature lover, I would highly recommend you to travel during the day for along the way, you are welcome to put your sight on the wonderful scene of vast, green Australian land, joined by a spectacular sight of the majestically clear blue sky. OK, imagine now that we have passed through the three and a half hours travel period, the bad news is do not expect to be greeted by high-rise, eye-catching modern buildings once you arrive at the city of Canberra. To give you a rough idea, imagine a capital city of Putrajaya’s type.

Now, both Zahira and I were not heavily bothered by the dull sight of the city to be frank partly because we were already mentally prepared, and also for the reason that the purpose for the two of us going there was just to meet our friends. Now when you have already set your mind to go visit your them, I bet you will have little or no problem at all with their place simply because they are your friends even if for some reasons, the place happens to be an isolated island, agree?

OK, so Canberra is dull, apart from some very few unique places notably the old parliament house and of course, the current one. We were a bit lucky that spring is already here Down Under, and add that up to the fact that Canberra is well known for its natural beauty come the spring season- what you get is an annual flower exhibition called Floriade. Anyway we got the chance to visit all of the places I mentioned above except for the first one because we decided not to as there was just nothing interesting inside, and I was especially looking forward to the opportunity to get inside the New Parliament House. The visit, albeit brief, gave me a huge impression at the way they handled the place- you know, it is not easy to manage a tourists-accessible Parliament House, just think about the one we have in our country- and I left with a book about Australian Prime Ministers purchased and given by Zahira as a souvenir. Thanks!

Now, you might think how on earth those students who are sent there could survive in such a dull place then? A good idea will be to be close to each other and live in a way that complements everyone’s life… which is exactly what they are doing. Friends become families, regardless of races or personal beliefs.

I must thank two persons in particular for making our spring break a heavenly one, despite the dull state of the place. Lemi and Eri, you both had been great companions. No, not that the rest did not do enough to be counted, it is just that these two were simply too good to us during our stay. Lemi for one is my batchmate back in MCKK, but look, I was never that close to him during those days- apart from being basketball teammates in the early days and classmates in most of our study years, there is essentially nothing else- but the way he treated me during that one week stay, people might have been forgiven if they tend to have a wrong idea that we are best friends.

All in all I guess Canberra alone equals complete dullness but Canberra plus its people are just great. Hey, it is a compliment isn’t it?

Spring Ends Here

It is funny that I chose to have the above title when it is only the start of October. But then again, my spring has indeed ended.

Forget the blossoming flowers, I guess for the time being all I need is a breath of fresh air, and perhaps a cup of hot coffee. Oh, an addition of a gentle pillow would be perfect.

These are the faces that I am going to miss, the image that will haunt me both in my sleep and when I am awake, at least for the next couple of weeks.

Sunshine fades and shadows fall, but tender memories remain always, so they say. Thanks Lord for the wonderful spring.