Thursday, February 7, 2008

MY CHINESE NEW YEAR WISH.

It is opined that as one ages the senses too either fade or get jaded. I say this is a fallacy. It is an opinion concocted to gain easy passage or to ask for concessions. At 68, my senses seem more sharpened, more keen, I don't just hear, I LISTEN better; I SEE not only the big picture, but go into the complexity and intricacies of what is before me; my sense of TOUCH is now translated into being in touch with what is happening around me; my TASTE is more discerning....I will not partake of the common fare dished out by people whom we have allowed to control our daily diet of spin information ; the final faculty, SPEECH (through blogging) has allowed me to reach a bigger and hopefully more discerning audience.

THE LUNAR YEAR THAT JUST LEFT US TO TAKE A 12 YEAR LEAVE, HAS BEEN A YEAR THAT I WILL TRY TO FORGET SOME THINGS AND CHERISH A FEW OTHERS.
I WANT TO FORGET THE BRUTE FORCE INFLICTED BY THE POLICE ON MY FELLOW MALAYSIANS WHO STOOD UP FOR THEIR DUE.

I CHERISH THE STEADFASTNESS OF MY FELLOW MALAYSIANS WHO DID NOT ALLOW THE CALLOUSNESS OF THE GOVERNMENT TO DAMPEN THEIR SPIRIT.
I WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER HOW MALAYSIANS BONDED ON 10/11 TO ASK FOR A FAIR DEAL....THIS BOND DELETING THE WAY THE GOVERNMENT REACTED. ON THAT DAY BANGSA MALAYSIA TOLD THE PEOPLE: YOU WILL NOT DIVIDE US.
ON HUMAN RIGHTS DAY, OF ALL DAYS, THE POLICE OBEYING THEIR MASTERS, PLAYED GOD AND BLASPHEMED GOD'S GREATEST GIFT TO MANKIND: TO LIVE IN HARMONY.
I WILL NOT FORGET THAT THE POLICE ALLOWED THE MARCH, BUT EIGHT MINUTES INTO THE MARCH, THEY ARRESTED SOME BECAUSE THERE WAS NO PERMIT TO MARCH.
HOW CAN YOU FORGET SUCH DECEIT COMING FROM AN AGENCY THAT SWORE ALLEGIANCE TO KING AND COUNTRY TO PROTECT THE PEOPLE.
BUT I SHALL NOT FORGET THE SPIRIT OF OUR PEOPLE WHO BRAVED ARREST AND NEEDLESS HARRASSMENT THAT SUNDAY MORNING.
I WILL FOREVER REMEMBER THAT SATURDAY EVENING WHEN SOME 200 OF US WANTED TO LIGHT A CANDLE FOR OUR 5 COUNTRYMEN WHO WERE ARBITRARY INCARCERATED IN KAMUNTING. AGAIN THE POLICE INTIMIDATED THEIR OWN PEOPLE AND BLEMISHED WITH WATER-CANNON, A SATURDAY EVENING WHEN MALAYSIANS REMEMBERED THEIR FRIENDS WHO HAVE BEEN WRONGED.
FOR ALL THE ABOVE EVENTS, THE POLICE SAID AN EMPHATIC NO....NO TO ANY ASSEMBLY....NO TO THIS.....NO TO THAT.
I WILL NOT FORGET THAT ON ALL THESE FIVE OCCASIONS, THE BARISAN GOVERNMENT JUST WATCHED AS THEIR HATCHET MEN AND WOMEN SHOWED WHO WAS MIGHTIER.
BUT OUR PEOPLE ARE UNITED. THEY AWAIT THEIR DAY.

But things are different oceans away.
Some 200 Malaysians in vicinity of 10 Downing Street, sent this message to the British Prime Minister.
The authorities did not say NO, Instead they said


Come 26 February this little girl, together with some 200 children will make a trip to Parliament to present the Prime Minister of Malaysia, with roses. However they want to be protected and this little girl penned this letter to the Chairman of Suhakam.
click to enlarge

My wish this New Lunar Year is for this august body, SUHAKAM, to walk the talk, to have more bite.
Eighteen of you were selected because of your distinguished service to the country. Let it not be said that you are toothless, not accountable, couldn't care less, not on the ball or just warming the seat! Let it not be said that you only look distinguished but an extinguished spent force now. Wouldn't it be great to prove us all wrong and all you eighteen accompany that little girl to Parliament. Or will it be too costly? The proverbial ball is on your court.

Below are the Suhakam Commissioners
2006-2008

Tan Sri Abu Taib, Chairman
Tan Sri Datuk Seri Panglima Simon Sipuan, Vice Chairman
Dr. Chiam Heng Keng
Dr. Mohd. Hirman
Tan Sri Dato' Aisha Abu Samah
Datuk Dr. Raj Abdul Karim
Dato' Dr. Abdul Monir Yaccob
Datuk Karam C Vohra
Tunku Datuk Nazihah

Photos of the following were not available:

Dato' Choo Siew Kion
Prof. Datuk Dr. Khoo Kay Kim
Dato' Muhammad Shafee Abdullah
Dato' Siva Subramaniam
Datuk Dr Denison Jayasooria
Dato' Dr. Michael Yeoh
Ustaz Muhamad Uthman-el-Muhammady
Datin Paduka Zaitoon
Dato' Khalid Haji Ibrahim

TAKE THE CHILDREN'S HANDS PLEASE!
at

11 comments:

  1. DocFebruary 7, 2008 at 9:00 PM

    Wishing you a very Happy and Prosperous New Year Zorro. May your sacrifices be returned in kindness to you and all at home.
    cheers

    ReplyDelete
  2. backStreetGluttonsFebruary 7, 2008 at 10:44 PM

    Without going into the nitty gritty of things , just by looking at the so called distinguished list we straightaway detect a serious weakness ( a fundamental flaw so to speak) ...for not only are they all well established in life and contented ( as for decent income , status , "arrived", contacts, network etc ), they are also what we call establishment people , people who are what they are today precisely because of the policies of our failed goment and by default its direct patronage ! How then can they do or say anything that may lead to a disruption of what they have gained over the so many years ?

    Where are the new breed of action orientated straighforward youth with their raw passion for idealistic change ? we need this kind of go-getters certainly ( with all due respect to all the names you have mentioned above which to us individually have a serious conflict of interest & definitely by design devoid of the necessary emotional drive or urgency to rock the boat )

    You should give up on them starting now !

    ReplyDelete
  3. zorroFebruary 8, 2008 at 1:05 AM

    thanks doc.

    teambsg: sentiments spot on. but before I give up on them I am throwing this challenge to them. If they wont take it up, then forever they should pack up and ship out.

    ReplyDelete
  4. jasgillFebruary 8, 2008 at 4:14 PM

    I too would like to extend my best wishes for this CNY to you Mr Bernard. Last yr you did not celebrate because of your MIL's demise. This year, despite all the events of 2007, you have cause to celebrate because you have "walked the talk" in contrast to many of us. In no small measure you have highlighted by your photoful blog the corruption that plagues our country and its administrators and leaders. Hopefully you have convinced the fence sitters as to where to put the "mark of Zorro" on the ballot paper. Cheers Sir!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Ah Yun WongFebruary 8, 2008 at 5:57 PM

    Gong Xi Fa Cai, Zorro !

    ReplyDelete
  6. mindful marinerFebruary 8, 2008 at 6:49 PM

    The Suhakam Commissioners
    (2006-2008)Seat Warmers, Ball Carriers, Tailors' Dummies?

    or Sincere Warriors, Brave Citizens, True Defenders?

    Let it be the later, otherwise they are simply Superfluous Conspirators.

    ReplyDelete
  7. AnonymousFebruary 8, 2008 at 10:47 PM

    I too challenge Suhakam to take the hand of the little girl.

    ReplyDelete
  8. AnonymousFebruary 8, 2008 at 11:07 PM

    So many Commissioners.

    But What, WHAT, have they achieved?

    ReplyDelete
  9. AnonymousFebruary 10, 2008 at 12:52 PM

    let see whether Suhakam commisioners dare to hold the hand of a small girl and guide her to the house of law, our parliament to defend "human right" of all Malaysians as their organization claim to represent? Time to "walk the talk".

    ReplyDelete
  10. MakLijahFebruary 12, 2008 at 2:47 PM

    I wouldn't put much stock in this though. I lost faith in SUHAKAM the moment they belittled BERSIH last November.

    THE CARRY NO WEIGHT WITH ME.

    WE ALL KNOW WHERE THEY STAND AND I'M SURE DEEP DOWN THEY'RE ASHAMED OF IT.

    BONELESS CACING KERAWITS.

    ReplyDelete
  11. MakLijahFebruary 12, 2008 at 2:54 PM

    oOPS.. How rude of me.. Happy Chinese New Year, dear Zorro.

    I hope Allah pays you in kind for all your sacrifices and good deeds.

    That goes for all Malaysians too. I hope we all learn to love one another like we did before and I hope we learn to understand one another like we did before. And finally, I hope we all learn to accept one another (horns and all) like we did before...
    Before racial politics and religious politics came into the picture.

    PLEASE! PLEASE! PLEASE!

    ReplyDelete