The Star newspaper - Opinion section - Meritocracy in Malaysia (not published)

It is disheartening to see our top scorers begging for a place to further their studies. I am not sure which is a better option, to continue serving the country of their birth; which does not appreciate them in return or moving out to seek new horizon or greener pasture so to speak.

There must be something wrong with our current policy because we provided almost free education from birth up till end of secondary school only to see their hopes dashed and other nations conveniently offered scholarship to lure our top talents out from the country.

Somehow, our policymaker must have realised these fundamental issues pertaining to our top scorers but chose to close their eyes towards their plight.

All the talk about meritocracy is nothing substantial unless drastic steps are taken to rectify preferably from top down. We cannot achieve Vision 2020 (is it still our vision?) with brain drain happening right in front of our eyes.

CIPLAK,
Penang, Malaysia

The Star newspaper - Opinion section - Revisiting Jelutong dumpsite (not published)

With reference to the article “Smells like clean spirit; The Star Lifestyle section; 26 May 2009”, I would like to highlight the condition of dumpsites in Penang Island particularly the one along the Jelutong Expressway.

It is an eye opener to see that New Yorkers are making progressive and sure steps to convert the biggest wasteland in the world into a recreational park in 30 years time.

Even our neighbouring country, Singapore has converted their wasteland into a marine/recreational park as highlighted in an article entitled “Dump wonderland; dated 16 May 2009”.

In local scene at Selangor, news entitled “Building paradise from wasteland; dated 4 May 2009” painted a stark picture against the effort done for dumpsite at Jelutong Expressway.

For start, Jelutong dumpsite has been in operation for more than 40 years serving millions of Penang ’s inhabitants but as with everything, there is a limit for a place to take the amount of waste generated by Penangites.

However, it is disheartening to see that instead of cutting down the dumping activities around the over-capacity dumpsite, the state government have decided to revive it into another cash cow by allowing even general public to dump their waste there for a fee as reported in “Fee for dumping; dated 29 April 2009”.

For the record, this dumpsite has far exceeded its capacity and in fact, it has over-extended into the secure region around the sea area, leaking leachate into open sea and harmed the surrounding environment.

On several occasions over the years, especially during dry season, massive fire happened via direct or indirect means too.

This indirectly placed the surrounding area at risk and not to mention the lives of our brave fire fighters called in to quell the fire.

What are the proactive steps taken by MPPP or the state government to address this issue?
Instead of dragging their feet and a whole lot of promises, stern actions must be taken knowing that we are not only harming the environment but human lives as well.

CIPLAK,
Jelutong, Penang.

The Star newspaper - Opinion section - Maintain the road signs as it is

ORIGINAL VERSION (I didn't keep the published version)

I would like to continue from the article entitled “Leave road signs alone by LOKE MAY LING of Petaling Jaya; Opinion; 24 July 2008”.

As a true blue Penangite myself, I am truly appalled by the notion of establishing road signs with languages ranging from Bahasa Malaysia , English, Chinese, Tamil, Jawi or Arabic. In fact, I agree full heartedly to the suggestion posted by Ms Loke in displaying road signs only in Bahasa Malaysia and English.

Imagine the consequences if non-Penang residents and tourist were shown road signs cramped with 4 to 5 languages in one board. It would not only create unnecessary confusion but might also interrupt the view of traffic users.

How about Melaka? Are they going to establish road signs in Bahasa Malaysia , English, Chinese, Tamil, Jawi or Arabic plus Portuguese language considering the fact that they have significant number of Portuguese community there?

Thus, I beg the Penang State Government as well as the Ex-State Government officials to be considerate and think over the whole scenario in-depth before jumping into the UNESCO site listing bandwagon prematurely. No doubt we have to work extra hard to ensure that Penang is not to be delisted 3 years down the road but cramping 4 to 5 languages in one road sign is definitely not a good way to kick start this plan.

CIPLAK,
Penang.

Published on: Sometime on July 2008

The Star newspaper - Opinion section - Take Bahasa Malaysia across the borders, too

WITH reference to “New award for BM development” (The Star, Oct 7), I would like to commend the effort by the Government to propagate thelearning of Bahasa Malaysia among citizens.

We should not rest on our laurels but expand the usage of BahasaMalaysia, particularly when the call sign of the day is 1Malaysia.

Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, being the guardian of our national language,should play a proactive role in disseminating the progress of the languageoutside of Malaysia.

The British Council (UK), Alliance Française (France), Malaysia-GermanSociety (Germany) and Japanese Language Society (Japan) providelessons for their respective languages.

They have centralised and structured learning programmes linked to theirrespective ministries in their home country. Each centre works as a mirrorimage to the other with standardised syllabus and internationallyrecognised certificates.

Besides enabling foreigners to learn their respective languages, thecentres also act as snapshots on their country’s culture.

Thus, to expand the usage of Bahasa Malaysia, we should not alwaysconcentrate on language expansion within Malaysia. We should think outof the box and welcome foreigners to embrace our language.

It is a long shot, but let it be known that the effect of such a forward movewould indirectly be the pride of us, Malaysians, as we will then be knownas native Bahasa Malaysia speakers.

CIPLAK,
George Town.

Published on: Monday October 12, 2009


ORIGINAL VERSION

Take Bahasa Malaysia to the next level
With reference to Nation column entitled “New award for BM development” published on Wednesday October 7, 2009; I would like to commend on the effort by the Malaysian government to propagate the learning of Bahasa Malaysia to its citizens.

While English is undeniably the lingua franca of the world, we should not rest our laurels on the need to expand the usage of Bahasa Malaysia particularly when the call sign of the day is 1Malaysia.

However, to present the award for BM development on home turf will not have the same effect as the participation would only be confined to Malaysia.

In my opinion, Dewan Bahasa & Pustaka, being the guardian of our national language should play a more proactive role in disseminating the progress of the language outside of Malaysia.

Few examples on dissemination of foreign languages in Malaysia are British Council (UK), Alliance Française (France), Malaysia-German Society (Germany) and Japanese Language Society (Japan).

These centers have centralized and structured learning programs linked to their respective ministries in their home country and are internationally certified.

Each center worked as mirror image to the other with standardized syllabus and internationally recognized certificates.

Besides enabling foreigners to learn their language, these centers also act as a snapshot on their country’s culture at the same time.

Thus, to expand the usage of Bahasa Malaysia, we should not always concentrate on the language expansion within Malaysia.

We should think out of the box and welcome foreigners to embrace our language and our culture in one go.

It is a long shot but let it be known that the effect of such forward move would indirectly cement the importance and pride of us Malaysians as we will then be known as native Bahasa Malaysia speaker.

CIPLAK,
Georgetown.

The Star newspaper - Opinion section - Only fair that stores wrap books in plastic

(I didn't keep the ORIGINAL version)

I REFER to “Only country to wrap books in plastic?” (The Star, July 22). It seems almost noble if we allow shoppers to browse through books and not seal them in plastic.

Much as I love to enter bookstores that do not seal their books, I also understand the reason behind this. Bookstores are a business, and it is also an undeniable fact that no one wants to buy an old and crumpled book.

I have seen many instances where readers bend books as if they’re reading a newspaper only to put it aside if they like what they read and pick up a new, sealed book.

I am an avid reader and I keep my books in good condition. So, to see the public treating books this way is almost sacrilegious.

As such, I think bookstores are doing the right thing to seal their books. Besides, we can always request assistance from the salesperson in the store at any time.

CIPLAK,
Jelutong, Penang.

Published on: Thursday July 23, 2009

The Star newspaper - Opinion section - Living the true meaning of Merdeka

COMMENTS by our Deputy Prime Minister as quoted in your report “Sincere friendship leads to unity” on Aug 18 struck the right chord at the right time.

Aug 31 is around the corner yet again and despite countless joint celebrations, open houses and revelry in the name of national unity, we miss the real intention behind those festivities.

We have heard countless times over the mass media that we, the young generation, do not understand the true meaning of Merdeka any more. While it might be partly true, the blame should not be one-sided at all.

In fact, the meaning of Merdeka has warped into a miasma of ideals and perspectives with no right or wrong answers. Some political leaders have branded those who do not fly the flag during Merdeka celebrations as unpatriotic. To me, the meaning of Merdeka should come from the heart and not from action alone. I can vouch that even though I do not fly the national flags on my car or in front of my house during the National Day, I am a true Malaysian at heart.

I proudly declare I am a Malaysian when I am overseas. My closest friends are not confined to one race or religion. We have been friends since childhood, treat each other’s family with great respect and we can sit together to discuss any issue – sensitive or otherwise – with open hearts and great understanding.

Our DPM said it very clearly when he urged all of us to forge meaningful friendships with each other regardless of race and religion. Such a friendship needs to be nurtured from young.

CIPLAK,
Penang.

Published on: Thursday August 20, 2009


ORIGINAL VERSION

UNITY THROUGH FRIENDSHIP

Comments by DPM in the article entitled “Sincere friendship lead to unity”; published on 18 August 2009 is apt and struck the right chord at the right time. 31 August is around the corner yet again and despite countless joint celebrations, open houses and revelry in the name of national unity, we missed the real intention behind those festivities.

We heard countless times over mass media that we, the young generation does not understand the true meaning of “MERDEKA” anymore. While it might be half truth, the blame should not be one sided at all. In fact, the meaning of Merdeka has warped into miasma of ideals from countless opinions and perspectives with no right or wrong answers. It was not long ago that some politician dictated that those who did not fly the Malaysian flags during Merdeka celebration are deemed unpatriotic. To me, the meaning of Merdeka should come from the heart and not from action alone.

I can vouch that despite not putting up flags on my car or in front of my house during the National Day, I am a true Malaysian at heart. I pronounced my country’s name proudly when asked about my nationality when I was abroad. My closest friends are neither confined to one race nor religion. We spent great times together from childhood onwards; treat each other’s family with great respect and we can even sit together to discuss about any issues; sensitive or otherwise with open hearts and great understanding.

To achieve this state is not easy and our DPM has stated this explicitly in his speech when he urged all of us to strike up meaningful friendships with each other without regard for race and religion. To me, advice will remain as it is without effort from each and every one of us. The hurdle to foster such friendship is on personal level and need to be nurtured from young onwards.

To all my closest friends I called “machas” and “brothers”.

HAPPY NATIONAL DAY and HAPPY MERDEKA!!

CIPLAK,
Penang.

The Star newspaper - Opinion section - I am CIPLAK

Besides penning book reviews, I do write to The Star newspaper - Opinion section on various issues as well. I've never posted any of these articles anywhere else.

However, I’ve decided to post these articles here so that I can keep a list on items which I’ve sent to them.

Happy reading. Cheers :-)

P/S: - By the way, my nickname/call-sign is CIPLAK. So if you see this nick in newspaper, it’s me :-) unless someone else hijacks it :-(

The Sanctuary by Raymond Khoury

First of all, I have to admit that this is a hard book to pen my review. Though the main idea of the book is simple, it took me quite some time to put my thoughts into words. In fact, I’ve actually finished reading the book quite some time ago and I’ve lagged in adding this book in my blog list. :-/

IMMORTALITY.

This very word sums up the overall plot for this book. What would we do in order to achieve immortality? The prospect of treating aging just like a disease instead of a natural phenomenon seems like an allure too good to be true. However, if we see from the multitude of cosmetic advertisements bombarding our mass media each day; their main selling point will always be anti-aging or reversal of aging process. Billions of dollars are spent each year on such experiments/gimmicks. As such, it is not surprising that a lot of people would kill each other just to get a taste of that as the plot of the book suggests.

The story started off at Portugal in 1750 when the Prince of San Severo – Raimundo di Sangro accuses Marquis de Montferrat as an imposter and did his best to pry the secrets harboured by the fake Marquis who barely escaped the pursuit leaving the fuming prince with new kind of obsession and would stop at nothing to get his hand on it.

After the incident at 1750, the story was fast forwarded to year 2003 at Baghdad, in which an army unit tracking Saddam’s cronies accidentally stumbled upon a fortress and made startling discovery on a hidden, state-of-the-art lab where gruesome experiments conducted by Saddam’s regime under the cloak of legitimate scientific research using actual human being instead of lab rats.

When the regime was torn asunder by the coalition forces, the brilliant scientist involved in the despicable experiments called “Hakeem” fled; carrying with him the vengeance and urge to tweak and complete his research. The only symbol/clue left behind is an Ouroboros – the tail devourer – a circular symbol of a snake that’s feeding on its own tail; thus forming a circle.

From this Ouroboros trail, a geneticist called Mia Bishop, her daughter, her long lost dad and a renegade CIA agent is drawn into the affluence of action and conspiracy. Thus, from the starting point at Portugal to the actions at Middle East, we’re brought into the roller-coaster ride packed chapters and page turning adventures.

Personal rating: 7 out of 10

Cons:
1) None that I can think of.

Pros:
1) Sufficient breather in between all the actions. Good action packed book.
2) Far fetching idea on immortality but it is a refreshing twist if we consider the possibility of looking at aging as a disease instead of accepting it as an unchangeable fact.

Siege of Heaven by Tom Harper

“Siege of Heaven”. By reading the title and The Cross splayed at the front cover, I was immediately drawn to the prospect of reading about another round of Crusade War. I think this is a trilogy and I’ve inadvertently bought myself the final book without realizing it in the first place.

This book is about a spy called Demetrios Askiates (I’ve double checked the spelling :-P); who was sent by the Holy Roman Emperor to the front line to joust the lagging group of crusaders from Antioch and proceed to secure the crown jewel of Christendom; Jerusalem. But the plot is far from simple because each of the powerful kings & lords involved in the war including the Holy Roman Emperor himself has hidden agenda of their own.

In this novel, Demetrios was a war-scarred person and wanted nothing more than going back to the gleaming city of Constantinople to be with his family. However, his wish was dashed when he received directive from the Holy Roman Emperor to assist their ambassador to complete the routing of powerful kings and lords from their seat at Antioch and move on to Jerusalem.

Unwilling but unable to turn down the directive, he slogged ahead only to find that his estranged son-in-law has also joined in the Holy Roman war-party and also pulled his beloved daughter and grandchild in the process. So, as what we locals said in Hokkien (direct translation); “khi pun si; bo khi pun si” = “go also die; no go also die”. :-)

Demetrios did stumble and enlist a feverish preacher/pastor called Peter Bartholomew who laid claim on finding the Holy Lance. Surprisingly, Peter managed to rouse the peasants despite in-fighting amongst the nobles. Though in the end, he died after pulling too much of his trick (Example: Peter claimed that he was bestowed with the spirit of invincibility) and walked across burning fire to prove his dare. This and much of the strange events accompanied our main character on his journey across the burning inhospitable plains and desert.

The overall storyline is told not far from the perspective of Demetrios and I have to admit that the war description is rather detailed and true to the condition exerted on the war-party/pilgrimage during that era. The end part was rather brutal in which the carnal fiesta, massive plundering and unrestricted carnage afflicted on the citizens of Jerusalem made me think about the dire consequences of adhering to the mob mentality.

Unthinkable is an understatement at best!

Personal rating: 6 out of 10

Cons:
1) A bit lost in the beginning. I presume it is because I bought the last book of the trilogy. :-P
2) I find that Demetrios did not play much “active” role in the novel. He is more like a follower than a spy or a leader.

Pros:
1) Very good description on the war scene. Surreal and engaging especially on the final capture of Jerusalem.
2) Amplifies the fact that war is never a good thing.