What Gaza ?

So, Gaza has been attacked. Again. And people are sympathizing. Again. And they forgot about it the next day. Again. I guess there’s a recurring theme, year-in year-out, where there’s one or two days in a year, where everyone, especially In a Muslim-“conscious” country like ours, that we would be trending #PrayForGaza of #SaveGaza for a few hours, and then forget everything about that little crusade just the next day, or in some cases a few hours later. Which for me, is well, very sad really.

This syndrome is what I like to call as, “chosen ignorance”, where most of us just give a bit of sympathy towards the Gazans or Palestinian every once in a while, and forget everything about them, as soon as we see something shiny, such as the television. Though a lot of us have connection to the internet or international television, a lot of us don’t use it for information purposes or educational purposes, which is stupid.

What is the use of having state-of-the-art television technology and using it only for movies and reality shows ? what is the use of having one of the fastest internet connection in South East Asia, but only using it for Facebook or Twitter ? isn’t it a bit of a waste ? the Gazans are incarcerated every day, not just a few days of the year. Try defending the Gazans on a daily basis. Try that sometimes and stop becoming just some stupid hipster.

Become more active in your life, not just physically, but mentally, too. Read around. Watch more international news. Don’t just get stuck with TV3 and whatnot, the poison of the media industry. Get your sources right. Reject rumours, spread the truth. Reject ignorance, follow intelligence. Then only you shall live a truthful life.

The Question Of Monarchy in Malaysia.

Been a while right. I’ve already forgotten the fact that I even had a blog. So, I’m not going to drool on it, but let’s get straight to the point shall we. Alright, the question of, can we thrive without sultans and rajas, have been going on for quite some times. Oddly enough, this question was posed by our so called “Malay Defender” dictator-cum-prime minister, Dr. Mahathir. He questioned the authority of the sultans in a scathing 95 points speech to parliament on January 18^th 1993, in which he pointed out the flaws of the immunity of kings in the Malaysian constitution. He also compared the immunity laws to that of other constitutional monarchs across the world, even reaching as far back as the Governor General of India.

He criticised our constitution and was backed by the papers, even praised by some, eventhough that meant the end of any virtual role the king had in governing the nation. In it, he also proposed that kings shall only receive immunity while on official duties, making it on-par with almost every other monarch in the world. He even went to as questioned the sultans integrity especially during the forming of the Malayan Union when the sultans simply signed a paper, effectively handing us all to the British, while they got hefty monthly paycheques, and the people were the ones fighting against it, though he did say that he did not want to abolish the monarchs.

He even had time to comment on the hot topic of the day, which was the implementation of the Hudud Law, which he argues that Malaysia still cannot implement it because there are only 56% muslims in this nation, and we have to consider the environment and everything to implement it. Which basically means, he did not see Hudud as relevant at the time, eventhough this statement is considered blasphemy in many circles of Islam, he has not yet retracted it, as of time of publishing.

Overall, he stressed the importance of law, the implementation of it on every walks of life including the sultans, which at that time were quite renegade in their actions. For me this was really good, keeping check on the sultans, who are, at times quite rude and inconsiderate towards their subjects, eventhough their paycheques came from us, the taxpayers. So, the amendments was, for me, timely, well composed, and a big stepping point towards a Malaysia, free of the shackles of monarchy, which for me, is very burdening to us, normal Malaysians. Though I can’t really agree with his point about the implementation of Hudud, but, anyhow, it’s still good. Till this day, this single bit, is the only thing I thank that old man for, only this. Nothing else that he did is worthy of any amount of gratitude. Thank you.

Links :

The 95 point speech delivered to parliament on 18-01-1993 (In Malay though)