For more information on the 6th. Penang Career & Post Graduate Expo 2009 from 14-15 November at PISA (Penang International Sports Arena), check out the following links:
1. Penevents
2. Star Online
And, it's on Facebook too.
It's all happening at the Penang International Sports Arena
from 14-15 November 2009, 10.00 am - 6.00 pm.
67 prospective employers and counting.
Pass the word around.
The first Penang gathering of the Saya Anak Bangsa Malaysia initiative in Penang drew 10 people to the Pelita Nasi Kandar restaurant in Jalan Macalister last night.
Lucia Lai has the details.
Meanwhile, the Center for Independent Journalism reports that more than 50 civil society groups have endorsed the "New Nationalism - Freedom with Empowering Peace" statement that was released in conjunction with the Malaysia Day celebrations yestrerday.
The CIJ press release in full.
One of the things that most disturb governments, entities or individuals that wield power is the right of others who may not agree with them to dissent. Henry Thoreau has another view, something which I think is closer to the truth:
"...as most legislators, politicians, lawyers, ministers and office-holders, serve the state chiefly with their heads; and as they rarely make any moral distinctions, they are as likely to serve the devil, without intending it, as God.
A very few, as heroes, patriots, martyrs, reformers in the great sense, and men, serve the state with their consciences also, and so necessarily resist it for the most part; and they are commonly treated as enemies by it" - in "Civil Disobedience".
Today, we commemorate the formal formation Malaysia, bringing together the Federation of Malaya, Sabah, Sarawak and Singapore as one nation.
Although not a public holiday, nevertheless there's plenty of action going around all over the nation today, including:
1. The "Saya Anak Bangsa Malaysia" initiative, conceived by lawyer Haris M. Ibrahim to be launched today at the Rumah Anak Bangsa Malaysia, No. 66, Lorong Setiabistari 1, Bukit Damansara, Kuala Lumpur.
2. There is also a similar event up North organised by blogger Lucia Lai at Nasi Kandar Pelita Restaurant, Jalan Macalister, Penang (near the UMNO building) tonight at 7.30 p.m.
3. Earlier this past week, the KL and Chinese Assembly Hall (KLCAH) together with Civil Rights and Packet One Network jointly organised a "1 Malaysia, 15 Films" or simply known as "15Malaysia" screening of 15 short films produced by 15 Malaysian film makers on local socio-political issues.
4. There is also a "Fast for the Nation" initiative by Sivin Kit to unite Malaysians to fast and pray in solidarity for unity and peace.
Let's not dwell much on recent divisive actions being carried out by self serving people in the name of race, religion and what not, rather CELEBRATE with all Malaysians of goodwill the re-birth of Malaysia.
Happy Birthday Malaysia!
I just found out about a local volunteer and advocacy group that calls itself "Pahlawan Volunteers". It also has a presence on Facebook with the same name. I was more impressed by its slogan "Negara Kita, Tanggungjawab Kita." The letter below was originally posted on the Pahlawan Volunteers blog.
MCCBCHST (Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism & Taoism) notes with deep concern that the cowhead incident in Shah Alam is not an isolated case. Another recent example of this kind of insensitivity was when the Holy Eucharist was desecrated when certain persons went to a church, took the consecrated bread and spewed it out.
Such irreverent and sacrilegious conduct should not be condoned and allowed to be repeated with impunity. In seating the organisers of the recent demonstration in Shah Alam to his right and left during his press conference, the home affairs minister seemed to have bestowed honour to the perpetrators of a gravely offensive and dangerous event whereby seditious speeches accompanied by the stepping on the severed head of the cow were made. What signals would this send to the people?
Not surprisingly, therefore, the same disrespectful, unruly and unwilling to listen behaviour on the part of some rendered the town hall meeting between the Menteri Besar and Section 23 residents to discuss the issue on September 5 2009 unmanageable and unproductive.
The same rules must apply to all.
MCCBCHST is concerned that wheareas in the August 28 2009 Shah Alam incident the police had stood by while the demonstrators desecrated the cow head and made seditious speeches, the police acted strongly against would-be candlelight vigilers in the vicinity of Dataran Merdeka on September 5 2009. Also, Malaysiakini has now been warned by MCMC (Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission) not to make the video showing the terrible acts in the Shah Alam incident available for viewing to their readers.
Thinking Malaysians will rightly raise the question: Which comes first- the act or the video which exposes the act? How do we as a country go about resolving our problems? In this case, stopping the video of the act will not unmake the act. We must surely first prevent the act and the video would not have existed.
For the sake and good of all Malaysians and peace and order in Malaysia, consistent, fair, just and rational measures should be applied regardless of religion, ethnicity, culture, gender or political connection.
There must be one rule for all Malaysians.
All who incite ill feelings amongst religious communities, denigrate any religion, desecrate the religious symbols of any religion or threaten to commit violence against others must be promptly deterred and held accountable. They must face charges and given a fair trial in a court of law.
Sacrilegious acts committed by adherents of any one religion upon another religion must never be condoned. We hold to the principle that all human beings and communities have a sacred right of freedom of choice as far as their religious belief and practice is concerned.
We stand with Malaysians of all religious and political persuasions who were outraged by the flagrant disregard for the sensitivities of others shown by the Shah Alam demonstrators.
We welcome the partnership of all Malaysians of goodwill. Together we can weather the mischief and bigotry of those who seek to drive a wedge between us and divide rather than unite the people of this land.
We Malaysians live in a pluralistic society and accordingly we must respect our neighbours and endeavour to learn about their beliefs, customs and sentiments. It is upon such understanding of others and what is dear to them that our nation can be firmly rooted and grow strong and united.
The way to manage our differences is not by creating enclaves whereby Malaysians will be segregated and separated from one another but through understanding and respect. Let us live together next to one another rather than to live apart. Each succeeding generation of Malaysians should grow closer rather than to be pulled apart.
The site chosen in Section 23 of Shah Alam for the Hindu temple to be relocated to complies with local government conditions. It is over 300 meters away from any housing area, six times more than the 50-meter requirement. If the authorities accept the objection to it by certain quarters, the social dynamics of Malaysian life will be affected and the consequence on national integration will be very serious indeed.
We must not subscribe to the view of thinking about Malaysians as majorities and minorities, and majorities versus minorities.
MCCBCHST therefore calls upon all Malaysians of goodwill to be in earnest prayer for the peaceful and just resolution of the issue. Those in authority at the community, religious and governmental level must be firm to unequivocally reject unreasonable, unfair and anti-social behaviour and demand.
Rev. Dr Thomas Philips, MCCBCHST President
Shah Alam MP Khalid Samad of PAS has blogged an open letter to the residents of Section 23 Shah Alam.
Read it in full at his blog.
Khalid is one and the same MP who first set foot inside the Catholic Church of The Divine Mercy in Shah Alam on 27 March 2008. While there, he reassured Christians that they could continue to use the word "Allah" in their worship without fear of persecution.
Which brings me to this story:
A visitor to a school asked the principal, 'When in your schedule do you teach religion?"
And the reply was: "We teach it all day long.
We teach it in Arithmetic, by Accuracy.
We teach it in Language, by Learning to say what we mean.
We teach it in History, by Humanity.
We teach it in Geography, by Breadth of mind.
We teach it in Handicraft, by Thoroughness.
We teach it in Astronomy, by Reverence.
We teach it in the Playground, by Fairplay.
We teach it in Kindness to animals, by Courtesy to servants, by Good Manners to one another, and by Helpfulness in all things.
We teach it by showing the Young, that we, their Elders, are their friends." - (Author Anonymous)
In pictures and videos taken in front of the State Secretariat building that day, I saw a few youngsters in the midst of the some 50 odd crowd. I wonder what kind of religion the ELDERS in the crowd taught the young ones that day.
"I can see clearly now, the rain is gone..." so goes the opening line in Johnny Cash's 1972 classic song of the same title. Strange though that Hishamuddin Hussein too has changed his tune now, a day after his eloquent defence of the cow-head demonstrators.
Abraham Lincoln once said "You can fool some of the people all of the time, and you can fool all of the people some of the time but you can't fool all of the people all of the time". Seems, Mr. Double H is beginning to find that truth out for himself, while the newly re-appointed IGP is still denying that "the police were not serious in handling the matter." Unlike our recently "enlightened" H2, the poor sod doesn't realise that he just keeps sounding like a broken record! And we all know where broken records end up!
At a time when various assorted self appointed mob squads, politicians and enforcement officers continue to try derail unity among the common people, Azmi Sharom and Farish A. Noor have provided a couple of gems for us to ponder on.
Just maybe, we can all see clearly then.
Dalang kepala lembu di dedah.
Remember the names. It will come in handy when the next GE comes along.
The Home Minister, Hishamuddin Hussein has come out and defended the cow-head demonstrators as: ".....cannot be blamed for the controversy".
What a load of bull! Check out his straight faced defence at Malaysia Insider.
Not to be outdone, the mother (or should it rather be father) of all kataks Ibrahim Ali had also insisted that "it was not directed at Hindus". Mein Gott! With eggheads like this, who needs brains?
The irony of it all is that the police say they know about the incident and have identified those involved. How is then that no action has been forthcoming? Unless action according to the PDRM is peddling paperwork and dumbly following their political masters.
Folks, you better remember this when the next GE comes along. Let's do the "paperwork" then.
"The smaller the mind the greater the conceit." - Aesop
This latest bit of news is very disturbing to say the least.
Both Malaysiakini and Malaysia Insider have picked up this afternoon's demonstration by some 50 "residents" of Section 23 in Shah Alam, Selangor over the construction of a proposed Hindu temple there.
While we must be concerned to the nature of the provocation, it would be prudent for all Malaysians to show restraint and remain calm.
Some thoughts:
1. Is it true that it's the residents there who are protesting?
2. Looking at the signs and banners, it seems this demo had been carefully planned. they obviously have access to money.
3. Is it another plot to unseat the present Selangor government at all costs? We know that there has been a recent undercurrent similar to what transpired in Perak.
4. The PM has rightly called for a swift investigation into the demo.
Some insightful blogs:
Nate Tan @ Jelas, and
Haris Ibrahim @ The People's Parliament
In the meantime, let's all stay calm and pray for the perpetrators, authorities, all Malaysians and this nation.
