Read Between The Lines

Do you get irritated by common news lines these days, ones that were quoted every now and then from the MP hopefuls? I do. I reckon here is the most famous one, appearing in our newspaper almost every day:

"Don't get fooled by the Opposition, says Datuk **"

In my opinion, what he really wants to convey to the voters in other words is this:

"Only get fooled by BN"

Clever Man, Wise Man

A writer named Naguib Mahfouz (b. 1911) once wrote: “You can tell whether a man is clever by is answers. You can tell whether a man is wise by his questions”

A clever man will always tell you answers. He will tell you things you may not care about. His purpose is to impress. To be more accurate is to see himself reflected in the reaction on your face.

A wise man will not try to convince you anything. A wise man is trying to build himself not to build you. He asks questions because he wants to learn more. He needs to learn more because he is aware of how little he knows about so many things. He is aware less of what he knows than what he does not know. A wise man will share what he knows. But you will have to ask. Otherwise he will be busy. He has his own quest. He will assume that you have your own.

Thank you The dragonheart.

Two Decades of Life

It is wonderful to learn how far the great men from past as well as present generations have gone after only two decades into their lives.

Two years after the assassination of Julius Caesar, the 20-year-old Augustus, his grandnephew, was intensely in a long and bitter struggle for power in the Roman world. Alexander the Great was only 20 years old when his father died, and he succeeded to the throne without difficulty.

George Washington was a district adjutant at the age of 20, charged with training the militia in the quarter assigned to him.

At barely 20 years old, Thomas Alva Edison was already on his way to coming up with his first invention, an electric vote-recorder. Guglielmo Marconi started working on the idea of the existence of electromagnetic waves when he was only 20, after reading the experiments on a similar subject by a fellow scientist a few years earlier. That eventually led to the invention of radio. The 20-year-old Michael Faraday attended lectures by a famous British scientist and became fascinated, got hired as his assistant and within a few years came up with some important discoveries of his own.

Ibn Sina was already two years into regaining full status as physician when he was 20. Ibn Khaldun, at the age of 20, began his political career at the Chancellery of the Tunisian ruler Ibn Tafrakin.

Pramoedya Ananta Toer started writing short stories and books, as well as propaganda for the Indonesian Nationalist cause at the age of 20 while serving in a paramilitary group at the height of his nation’s war against the British and Dutch.

Bill Gates laid the foundation for Microsoft when he started working at Micro Instrumentation and Telemetry Systems with Paul Allen when he was only 20, after a successful demonstration of their Altair emulator that ran on a minicomputer, and then the BASIC interpreter.

Garry Kasparov is already a second-ranked chess master in the world when he turned 20.

Lennard Lee, a 20-year-old Cambridge medical student easily surpassed Datuk Malik Mydin’s timing en route to becoming only the second Malaysian to swim across the English Channel.

In the sporting field, Ryan Babel and Lucas Leiva, both being 20, are already first team regulars with Liverpool. Andrew Bynum is fast developing to become one of the premier centers in the NBA at the tender age of 20. The 20-year-old Rafael Nadal meanwhile broke a 29-year record of 53 consecutive clay court match victories.

Adlan Benan Omar, Imran Idris, Yazid Jay Jalani all entered Cambridge when they were 20.

Of course I am only focusing on a tiny number in a huge pool of many other great men that had lived and left substantial remarks in the long history of our world. But it is more than suffice to highlight the heights of which attained by the great figures in the first two decades of lives.

As for me, well, I turn 20 today. To date, I attended a pretty decent school, got involved in a basketball team, scored a fairly good result in the SPM and secured a scholarship to study overseas. That pretty much makes my resume. Clearly far off the ranks of the aforementioned greats.

The CNY Baketball Camp

I was away since last Thursday attending a basketball camp for the Cagers that spanned throughout the entire Chinese New Year holiday period together with my former teammates Nageb, Mijie, Geto and Que at none other than the sacred ground of Kuala Kangsar. We only reached Shah Alam on Sunday morning after taking a very smooth and quiet midnight drive.

Overall, it was a very delightful two-and-a-half-day experience. The five of us got the chance to mingle with each other again after such a long time, but more importantly we managed to lend our hands to the present boys who are preparing for their upcoming tournaments. I guess we are too young to contribute financially, so coming down occasionally and playing against them are our forms of contribution and payback to the team. Too bad Ayob could not make it, or else it would have been perfect for us. Nevertheless our former junior teammates Hazwan, Qassim and Rahmat were also present to add to the excitement during the camp.

It was great to see the familiar faces of the Big School Court again, notably Mr. Liew and Cikgu Jimmy. The much-upgraded basketball facility for the Cagers was another pleasant sight to watch. The juniors of our old days now make the main team, while another generation of juniors is not far behind them, getting ready to fill up the shoes of those in front once their turn to leave comes. Each year players come and go, and with the evolution of time certain things have definitely taken a twist. But if there is one thing that will not change since the old days, it is the belief in each of them that everyone will head to the exit door one day, sooner or later as an undisputed winner. You could clearly see it from their eyes.

As for our own games, well, I guess we did quite a pretty decent job in trying to compete with the boys given that none of us had actually undergone intensive training and played seriously since we left koleq. We got beaten up by the main team pretty badly, apparently due to our lack in physical fitness. Well, I actually kind of did some jogging in the few weeks leading to the camp… to no avail. I guess it never helps going with my own pace with no one doing the timing and pushing me forward, the way we used to have it in koleq.

So how actually did the basketball camp impact us? Well, Nageb, Mijie, Geto and Que and decided to only get back to their respective places late in the evening and spent the earlier part of the day hanging out together, even though Mijie and Que actually had an exam the very next day while Nageb and Geto were also bounded by their own academic commitments. Rahmat, who was still at KK on Sunday meanwhile sent me a text message in the wee hour of the morning telling us how bored they were sans our presence (though I doubt his literal intention, those of you who were there should know what I mean) while Hazwan later revealed to me how happy he was during the last few days despite playing with a bad knee. I really am not sure how the rest of them felt towards the camp, but I for one am very glad that I was part of it.

Ragam Sebelum Pilihanraya

Aku sebetulnya agak terperanjat dengan ragam dan tindakan jelas pihak kerajaan sejak kebelakangan ini dalam beberapa perkara, mungkin atas sebab tekanan dibawa oleh desas-desus pilihanraya umum akan datang yang semakin semakin kencang. Semalam ibu bapa bersama adik aku ke Stadium Melawati Shah Alam menghadiri majlis perhargaan bagi pelajar-pelajar cemerlang PMR tahun lepas. Pelajar yang terlibat dianugerahkan sijil dan wang sejumlah RM200 setiap seorang. Seingat aku selain negeri Terengganu, majlis seumpama ini merupakan yang julung kali diadakan di negara kita di mana-mana negeri. Detik hati aku, ini pasti taktik kerajaan negeri memancing undi pihak ibu bapa. Ibu aku juga berfikiran serupa. Bukannya tidak bersyukur dengan keluhuran hati pihak kerajaan negeri, cuma aku kira agak tidak patut mengeksploitasi para pelajar lebih-lebih lagi mereka yang ternyata cemerlang untuk kepentingan sendiri. Ibarat ketam yang mengajar anaknya berjalan, seingat aku pihak kerajaan sendiri yang dulu menegaskan jangan dicampur soal politik dan sekolah. Mungkin mereka ada hujah menyangkal penglibatan isu politik dalam hal ini, aku kurang pasti.

Yang menariknya upacara dilaksanakan oleh Menteri Besar Selangor sendiri, Dato' Seri Dr. Khir Toyo. Bukannya apa, Cuma melalui pengalaman aku sebelum ini aku amati beliau bukanlah selalu senang untuk mendampingi rakyat. Dua tahun lepas, di majlis anjuran Lembaga Peperiksaan Malaysia yang aku hadiri, Dr. Khir sepatutnya hadir sebagai tetamu utama. Namun di saat akhir beliau tiada di kerusi khas untuk tetamu jemputan, dan akhirnya tempatnya digantikan oleh seorang lagi tokoh politik kurang ternama. Ingin aku tegaskan di sini bahawa majlis tersebut bertaraf nasional, dan ketidakhadiran beliau tidak disertai dengan notis awal. Namun ini kurang penting jika dibandingkan dengan isu penduduk TTDI Jaya, kawasan perumahan yang aku duduki yang ditimpa banjir juga dua tahun lalu. Jangankan tiada bantuan, bayang-bayang Dr. Khir sendiri tidak kelihatan sepanjang tempoh penduduk terbabit ditimpa kesusahan. Nasihat aku, walau sibuk sekalipun, luangkan sedikit masa menjenguk rakyat negeri yang dalam kesukaran. Kerusi Menteri Besar tersebut takkan jadi milik anda tanpa sokongan rakyat. Jangan ditunggu pilihanraya baru turun padang, mengharapkan gelaran pemimpin berjiwa rakyat. Aku dengar penduduk TTDI Jaya cukup berang dengan beliau, dan andai berlaku lagi kes banjir mereka akan mengamuk di pejabat Dr. Khir. Minta dijauhkan.

Perdana Menteri sendiri tak lari dari ragamnya menjelang pilihanraya, walau isu pilihanraya ini cuba sebolehnya disorok dari pandangan rakyat. Dalam menyentuh Laporan Daya Saing Dunia 2007 yang mendapat liputan meluas media massa tempatan baru-baru ini, beliau mengucapkan syabas dan mengajak rakyat bersyukur atas kejayaan negara ‘mendaki’ ke tangga kelapan dunia dalam konteks daya saing negara-negara dunia. Cuma, apa yang tidak dibawa Perdana Menteri ke muka hadapan ialah perihal bagaimana ‘mendaki’ sebenarnya bukanlah ungkapan tepat. Hakikatnya keputusan yang diumumkan beliau telah diputar belit dan hanya mengambil kira beberapa kriteria, walhal cerita sebenar adalah kedudukan Malaysia sebenarnya jatuh jika dibandingkan dengan tahun-tahun sudah. Golongan cerdik pandai dan gemar mencari kebenaran pasti telah lama sedar akan perkara ini; analisis laporan tersebut ada di mana-mana di internet. Tidak mengapalah Perdana Menteri, aku faham ini disebabkan tekanan pilihanraya, di mana-mana pada masa ini pemimpin sibuk mahu mengambil hati rakyat.

Situasi sebegini aku lihat tak ubah seperti pelajar yang mahu mengambil peperiksaan tetapi hanya mengharapkan pada usaha di saat akhir. Bukankah lebih elok cuba memahami setiap topik pembelajaran dari peringkat awal, tak perlulah bersusah payah memerah otak bila sudah dekat benar dengan hari peperiksaan sebenar. Tak perlulah tunggu pilihanraya baru mahu datang dekat, menyumbang kepada rakyat. Bukankah tugas sebagai wakil kepada rakyat itu tiada masa cuti. Cuma mungkin yang membezakan situasi pelajar ini dengan hal sebenar yang aku cuba bawakan ialah pelajar ini tiada kuasa menetapkan corak soalan dan sekaligus keputusan peperiksaan tersebut.

Aku kira setakat ini dulu. Umur belum sampai 20, belum layak pun mengundi, jadi aku kira belum masanya untuk aku tulis panjang lebar.

Pau Gasol's Coming to LA!

I was watching Los Angeles Lakers versus Toronto Raptors game a moment ago in which Kobe Bryant and the Lakers hammered the Raptors when the news erupted. Well, the live commentators were talking to each other and they mentioned the name of Pau Gasol for quite a few times, which was pretty weird since Pau was playing with Memphis. Ignorance soon turned to curiosity, and as the match progressed I paid a closer attention to their chitchatting. It was only seconds away from the final whistle that it dawned on me that the Lakers had just completed a blockbuster deal that sends one-time all star and 2006 FIBA Championship Most Valuable Player Pau Gasol to the team!

It is the news the Lakers players and fans from all around the world have been waiting for, one that will surely elevate our capacity to dream to a higher ground. It is even sweeter given the series of bad luck that has been hampering the team of late, with recent results not going our way and injuries to Luke Walton, Trevor Ariza and most disturbingly star center Andrew Bynum.

I just cannot wait to watch Pau donning the purple and gold jersey for the first time, adding more punches to the already deadly offensive forces consisted of Lamar Odom, Andrew, and spearheaded by none other than Kobe. But of course Andrew first needs to get healthy. Now here are the new team’s lineups I am imagining; Andrew, when healthy will play center, Pau as power forward, Lamar shifting to the smaller position, Kobe the shooting guard, and Derek Fisher will run the backcourt. Boy, is not this your dream starting five?

On a more personal level, this acquisition also brings a new kind of spirit to me amidst the horrible runs of my other favourite sporting team, albeit in a different kind of field, Liverpool. Anyway, here is a healthy reminder to the rest of NBA teams; buck up or be ready to get buckled by the all-new Los Angeles Lakers!