Some things are just not in our control...

I live this life with a simple goal that is to be determined in what I planned and do. This, somehow imply certainty of success and the least possibility of failure. Of all plans that I have in my life, it is not that they are not successful, it just the time have not yet come for it's success.

Everyday I wake up in the morning, I will think of what to do and I try hard all day long to make it happen. I believe in one this, if I think it can happen, it will happen, most of the time, it was as such.

But what trouble me these days is that, I have become to realize, that they are many things in this world that are just beyond our control, life is the biggest thing, that I want to show, that is beyond our control, no matter what we do, if the time has come, we have to go or those who close to us will have to go too, leaving us to struggle the remaining time of our our life.

I just want to share with all of you about my grandmother, she died because of lymphoma, a type of cancer that affects to lymph system. During the middle semester break, I received news that my grandmother was about to die, I did not want to waste any of my time, accompanied by my friend, Taufiq, went to the General Hospital Melaka, all were there, families and relatives. I can say that I was prepared to see her death.

But few days staying at the hospital, she was released from the ICU and allowed to return home, I said to one of the doctors, why? They simply said, that your family does not want us to treat her, fine, I am a grandchild, what much right did I have back then. So, I stayed with her for a week along the break, not sleeping, watching her, she getting better.

As for me it was a sign of hope, so I tried to call few people that I know to see whether, they are any alternative treatment for cancer, since the conventional treatment was not suitable, considering her body condition. I went back to the university, slightly late, a day, and tried to find people who can help, but in the first week after the holiday, exactly in the early morning, I received a call from my mother, that my grandmother is dead.

I do not know how to describe my feelings then, look she recovered, that is hope, I was looking for aid, she died. Yes, I was prepared to accept her death but not after she showed some signs of getting well. This is one of the thing that is beyond our control.

Another story is about my friend, Rido was his name, still is as he died but not his name nor his memories. We went for a picnic at Kalumpang, Tanjugn Malim, Perak some people say that it is still in Selangor, but that is not the concern here.

Initially we planned to go to Genting, everyone was in financially unstable positions, so some of us worked for money (I hasten the selling of my laptop, while others, tried to make some money, all we know back then, that we do not want to borrow) for all of us can go together, since money was the issue, we change the plan and go for the picnic.

He, my late friend didn't want to go, he refused, saying that he have some work to do and that he wanted to return to his family, but we scolded him, it was not harsh as that is the way among us, he went there together. There, indeed we had fun, the chicken BBQ was great and cheap, thanks to Edy that is, we also had a lot of fun with the water as the current was so strong, normal to be after rain. We went back without any incident.

But exactly after a week we went back, Rido suffered from a fever, we thought it was ok, normal, but it continued for 3 days, so we asked him better to consult doctor, that he did, he was diagnosed with dengue fever. A day after, we planned to take him to the hospital, but he said he will go to the Pusat Kesihatan UiTM, see whether the feel it necessary to sent him to the hospital. Exactly, on friday of that week, after solat jumaat, he bought me some yogurt, we had our time together talking about lives and his intention of quitting from smoking - in fact he did, because he is dead now, unable to smoke anymore.

He asked my help to send him to PK, I said of course, I looked at him, he said he feel sleepy and wanted to take a short nap, fine, take your time I said. Then, I woke up, to check on him, still asleep, tak sampai hati wanted to wake him up, I let him, I fell asleep, I realised I woke up exactly at five, and he is not sleeping beside my on the big bantal busuk, he gone for PK, later I was told he was sent to Hospital Klang. We visited him that night, he was very happy to receive us, we were also happy to be there, I remember that I hold his hand for a long time not to let go, not having any feeling, just playing. Then we left.

The next day, in the afternoon, Shah and Edy went there, they know better as I was informed there they received the last word from him, Edy said he said thank you, that he didn't reply, as it was our way not to say thanks, it can be regraded as not normal to us. He igdored him and went back. Exactly at margrib, Kimuk sent a message to Rido, asking how are you?, he received a reply saying that he was in ICU, by her brother, Kimah, we went to the hospital and we were not allowed to enter as it was not the visiting hour, we went back.

In the car, Edy's car, when we were on the way there, we talked as such Rido is going to die, what happens after death, is was a joke, same as the back, we talked, critized him, Edy said, "ko sakit macam kene kanser", that one I was told after his death. When we arrive at Shah Alam, at 8.30pm, we received call saying that Rido his dead, no one can accept it back then, I rushed to the house telling everybody about it, They don't believe in me, I was very mad, they know better of my expression. Even before that, in the car, when Irna was informed about Rido being admitted to ICU, she didn't believe, maybe because we always make jokes.

We went back and learned that the death was caused by virus called Laptospirosis or Virus Kencing Tikus, that he received three weeks before his death, all of us felt the guilt especially Edy, it was unbearable, I was still able to control myself from grief that night. Let me not describe the details of that night, it haunted us, makes us hopeless. We helped, in what we can do to quicken his arrangements, the are almost more than 50 people there, to wich their last respect, friends, course mate, families, and et cetera.

He was very close to us, his friend from his course told me that he is a lonely person, as he don't mixed too mush with his course mates, he ususally with us, we are his companions, close I think, he is not that lonely because he is with us, dine with us, share enjoyments and troubles with us, he is talkaltive and expressive to us which is against what his course mate to me, why, because he is very very close to us.

It will never be the same again, I'm not sure we will play badminton at HEP anymore, as he was the planner of playing badminton at HEP at the middle of the night mostly.

What happened to him, is beyond my control, i don't know how to describe it, it was just that, I can't really say much, just sad to learn again that it was beyond my control...

Perak's MB crisis: Pakatan Rakyat is rightful

I'm writing this post just to share my point of view regarding this recent Perak fiasco. Indeed, democracy in this country is getting better, meaning to say the developments, or for some, is getting worse as well. No one prefer to live in a country or state where you have a frequent change of government, to me frequent means, today you have a government selected by electorate and tomorrow you have a different government, for various reasons, which to me very obvious.

In any democratic country the most supreme is the people, meaning everything, structures, systems, and even constitutions exist because their purpose is to serve the people. Looking at Malaysia, the constitution says that Malaysia is a parliamentary democracy and constitutional monarcy country. So, here, we can infer that democracy must be subject to restrictions as provided in the rules of having a parliamentry democracy.

One simple example to illustrate this is by looking at how the federal government is established. It is not neccesaary for them to have the popular support of the people, enough that they rule majority constituencies that provide seats in the house of parliament. Barisan Nasional, for long years have ruled this country by not having a popular vote but by concuering majority of the parliamentary seats, with most, of small difference of votes to the opposition.

How does a popular democracy works? Well, when the head of executive or government is directly selected by the people not by the consideration of having the majority seats in house of parliament. This is one of those, to me, a restriction towards the notion of democracy. As you can see, the mojarity rules in democracy, but by this rule, the less majority rules by not having the support of the majority, interesting isn't it?

On Perak, I believe that the people are of the utmost entity of the country that should be heard, aside from that the laws, specifically the constitution must also be respected, without prejudice, in order for us to have stability in this country. Despite, in law, the three ADUNs that hopped to Barisan Nasional, by supporting them to form a government, that they are justified in doing so, as according to a case on anti-hopping law in Kelantan, still, in principle they are not justified.

They are two matters that we have to balance here. One, that assemblyman are selected to represent the people, they are conferred with this burden to decide for the people of what is best for the people, as that is the main purpose of their selection. Two, that people haved voted an assemblyman according to the party which he represents, as people decide who should be their government and of that reason it is quite absolute that they don't expect the assemblyman to decide to hopp.

Here I prefer the second point, simply because, in Malaysia, the assemblyman that we have is not good enough for them to be regarded as chosen based on thier characteristics. To be clear, my benchmark here is Shahrir Samad, he resigned from the assembly to contest as a free candidate as he had a disagreement with the government, he won, he was one of that was selected on his own account. Malaysians, particularly those candidates for election are not fit to attain this benchmark, so, the people in this country make selection based on parties available in election.

When you have all of these, how can you say that you are justified in deciding for the people's best to hopp and support another party to form a government?

On the law, specifically the constitution, I said earlier that should always be respected. Indeed, but what happen when you have a question that need interpretation of any clause of the constitution? Meaning both litigating parties are on the balance to be decided on thier behalf. At one hand, you can choose whether to live with the principles of democracy by strictly applying the rules in parliamentary democracy, which to me were established hundred of years before us and practiced until today or you about to ignore that by saying that the Rulers should prevail, instead of the people?

So, it seems to me, in Perak, and to the extent of the appeal court, the judges have more belief of the constitutional monarch supremacy rather than what should have been supreme, above all else, that is democracy. One after another, the democractic principles are fading or declared to be overcomed by some greater elements of a certain country.

The people, have seen this, if they do nothing to change this government and to return the position to how it should have been, I can say that Malaysians are stupid, because that they are blind about democracy, and I am not really sure, of the majority composititon, what do they fear really, all are equally equipped by God with brain, intelligence, hands and legs, strong body and etc...

What is there to fear fellow Malaysians or should I be specific, 'fellow brothers and sisters'?

Malaysia perlu ini sekarang...

PEMBANGUNAN FIZIKAL TIDAK SEHARUSNYA MENINGGALKAN PEMBANGUNAN SOSIAL

Negara kita sudah mencapai satu tahap dimana, pembangunan infrasruktur adalah memuaskan atau boleh dikatakan sebagai sesuatu yang boleh kita banggakan sebagai sebuah Negara membangun.

Rakyat hidup dalam keadaan yang cukup serba-serbi dengan pelbagai perkhidmatan yang diberikan, mahupun di dalam bidang pendidikan sehinggalah ke jalan2 yang kita punyai pada hari ini, memandangkan pertambahan penduduk, kini, kita dapat bahawa jalan2 kita sekarang amatlah sesak. Tetapi itu bukanlah initipati ucapan saya pada hari ini.

Tuan2 dan puan2 yang saya hormati, di dalam pembangunan sesebuah tamadun, aspek kemajuan fizikal perlu seimbang dengan kemajuan social masyarakat. Ini adalah penting kerana tidak guna kalau kita punyai segala kemodenan teapi kita meninggalkan apa yang baik yang patut diamalkan oleh setiap individu.

Ibnu Khaldun di dalam kitabnya, al mukaddimah pernah mengatakan bahawa tanda kejatuhan sesebuah empayar bermula dengan berleluasa masalah social. Disebabkan itulah, mengapa perlunya pembangunan dapat diseimbangkan dengan pembangunan social masyarakat.

Untuk memastikan bahawa pembangunan social masyarakat, apa yang amat penting adalah kepuasan dan kesenangan hati dikalangan semua golongan masyarakat, daripada ini, lahirlah perasaan dikalangan masyarakat yang tertentu, yang tidak tertekan dengan beban hidup. Apabila tekanan terhadap beban hidup dikurang maka, barulah tumpuan dapat diberikan kepada pembangunan social.

Itulah yang menjadi isu saya pada hari ini, walaupun kita bergerak maju, dengan pembangunan yang begitu pesat, masih banyak lagi, kemiskinan atau kalau tak miskin, ketidakcukupan pendapatan serta ketidak seimbangan ekonomi antara satu golongan kecil dan golongan yang besar yang lain. Ini amat menyedihkan kerana, walaupun kita bergerak maju dari segi infrastrukturnya, kita masih lagi mempunyai masalah kemiskinan dan ketinggalan, terutamanya apabila ia amat berkaitan dengan bangsa2 tertentu.

Ini sudah tentu akan mewujudkan suasana yang tegang dan tidak puas hati di dalam masyarakat dan seterusnya, menghampakan harapan untuk pembangunan social dalam usaha mencapai keseimbangan diantara pembangunan fizikal dan social. Lihat Singapura, walaupun mereka maju, tetapi mereka tidak memberi perhatian kepada golongan minority, dan golongan minoriti kebanyakannya lari ke Negara lain untuk mendapat nasib dan layanan yang lebih baik. Lihat bagaimana golongan minority mereka tertindas akibat kerakusan dan ketamakan mereka dalam mengejar pembangunan. Adakah situasi yang sama patut berlaku keapda kita di Pulau Pinang?

Ini adalah penting untuk ditangani, lebih banyak program yang bersifat, melengkapkan golongan2 yang kurang statusnya dari segi keewangan untuk bersama2 mempunyai kemampuan untuk mencapai tahap dimana mereka selesa dengan keewangan mereka dan bangga dengan golongan mereka. Ini sudah tentu mampu menyelesaikan masalah tidak puas hati dari satu golongan yang dikatakan kurang kemampuan ekonomi dengan golongan yang lebih mampu.

Sebagai hasilnya yang jelas, kita akan memperolehi masyarakat yang bukan sahaja maju dari segi fizikal, malah stabil dari soal social.

DEMOKRASI MALAYSIA: MENGAPA PATUT PILIH CALON BEBAS

Tuan2 dan puan2 yang saya hormati sekalian.

Jikalau kita lihat di dalam amalan demokrasi di Negara kita, saya berpendapat kita tidak matang lagi, lihatlah situasi di Perak, dimana rakyat, pada akhirnya terpaksa menanggung kerugian dan malu akibat daripada perebutan kuasa dari dua belah pihak. Pakatan Rakyat sibuk dengan perjuangan mereka yang menegakkan suara rakyat – entah betulkah itu yang mereka fikir dan juga Barisan Nasional yang tidak sabar2 nak memerintah sehingga tidak boleh menunggu untuk pilihanraya yang akan dating untuk menawan semula negeri perak.

Situasi begini, bagi saya adalah amat memalukan, tidakkah kita patut menghormati keputusan yang telah dibuat oleh rakyat dan tidakkah jua kita patut menghormati undang2 dan system raja berpelambagaan yang kita ada. Dalam hal ini, saya letakkan pada pihak tuan2 dan puan2 untuk memikirkannya.

Selain dari itu, lihat di dalam politik berparti di peringkat nasional, di dalam parlimen, adalah dianggap suatu yang salah apabila ahli mana2 parti pembangkang mahupun parti kerajaan menyokong apa yang dikatan oleh pihak dari bukan parti mereka, walaupun hal yang dikatakan itu benar dan baik. Walaupun Barisan Nasional mempunyai peraturan yang menyebabkan digantungnya seseorang ahli itu jikalau menyokong usul pembangkang, pihak pembangkang walaupun tidak mempunyai peraturan sedemikian, turut mempunyai sikap yang serupa.

Ini adalah sesuatu yang amat menyedihkan di dalam negara kita, walaupun mana usul tidak kira datang dari pihak mana sekali pun, kalau baik, tidak akan dapat sokongan disebabkan peraturan atau amalan ini. Sepatutnya wakil rakyat bertanggungjawab menjaga kebajikan rakyat mereka, tempat dimana mereka diundi, dengan ini suara mereka lebih terjaga. Inilah buruknya sekarang kalau, wakil kita datang dari mana2 parti.

Dalam keadaan begini adalah amat baik jika kita memilih calon bebas, kerana mereka tidak terikat dengan amalan ini. Mereka bebas menyuarakan masalah rakyat dan menyokong usul2 yang baik tanpa perlu menghiraukan kesan buruk yang akan diterima dari parti masing2. Dengan cara ini, nasib rakyat lebih terbela, dimana suara rakyat akan lebih berkuasa daripada suara sesebuah parti.

KERAJAAN YANG STABIL PENTING

Adalah lebih naik jikalau kita punyai ramai wakil bebas dengan ini, tidak kisah apa usul daripada mana2 parti sama ada kerajaan atau pembangkang, pihak bebas dapat memberi kata putus tentang apa yang baik untuk Negara.

Dalam scenario politik Negara kita ini, dimana sokongan terhadap kerajaan terbahagi dua, adalah penting untuk kita memilih calon bebas kerana kerajaan atau pembangkang mungkin mempunyai agenda tersendiri, tetapi calon bebas tidak terikat kepada kepentingan ini. Dengan ini rakyat lebih terbela apabila calon2 bebas dapat menyokong mana2 usul yang difikirkan baik untuk rakyat terutama yang dipilih dari kawasannya sendiri.

Secara tidak langsung ini akan mewujudkan situasi kerajaan yang stabil dimana, kerajaan akan berfikir panjang untuk mengambil sesuatu tindakan, serupa juga untuk pembangkang.

Jikalau situasi ini dapat diwujubkan dalam satu jangka masa yang panjang, kita akan mempunyai sebuah Negara dengan amaln demokrasi yang matang dimana, ahli2 wakil2 rakyat akan turut sama menyokong usul yang baik dan bukan apa yang parti mereka mahukan. Sekali lagi, nasib rakyat lebih terbela. Golongan minority terutama dari segi ekonomi akan mendapat manfaat, kerana dengan cara inilah wujudnya kerajaan yang lebih adil, tidak kira Barisan nasional atau Pakatan Rakyat.