Farewell Cleopatra!
27 Mar 2011 Leave a Comment
in Uncategorized Tags: actress, films, play.actor
One of the most memorable films I ever attended was Cleopatra. Elizabeth Taylor played the Queen. Oh boy! She was beautiful, the stuff of a teenager’s dream. However, she was pared also with Richard Burton in Shakespeare’s play which was made into film, the Taming of the shrew. It was in this film that the attraction and sparks which sort of just happened whenever they appeared together.
The rest they say is history.
Elizabeth Taylor is just one thing: a beauty.
Just a few hours ago, I stumbled across a documentary shown on our local satelite TV. Featuring Queen Cleopatra, it traced the rise and fall of the Egyptian Queen. Apart from being an astute politician, she was a lover, a user of man, a schemer and a cold blooded killer. So high was her ambition and so focussed was her attention that she had no qualms about killing her very own siblings. Now, that was cold indeed.
Janji buku jingga
04 Mar 2011 Leave a Comment
Daro,Sarawak,Malaysia:
Sebenarnya kita belum lagi membaca Buku Jingga yang dikeluarkan oleh PKR. Mengikut laporan yang kita ikuti dari media-media tertentu ianya mengandungi senarai rancangan, janji, manifesto atau apa saja yang akan PKR buat bila mereka berkuasa nanti. Iyalah, we’ll keep an open mind!
Tetapi nampaknya hari itu adalah teramat jauh lagi nampaknya. Sedangakan rancangan 16 September 2008 mereka pun tidak tercapai. Kita tahulah janji-janji parti Pembangkang ni. Janji-janji itu mulus-mulus belaka seolah-olah semuanya dalam genggaman mereka. Tetapi kkita tahu juga PKR semakin kurus bak sekujur badan yang teramat uzur. Ahli-ahli parti PKR termasuk juga beberapa pemimpin tertinggi sudah pun lompat kapal[jump ship] beramai-ramai[in droves].
Manusia, jika ia tahu kedudukan dirinya, akan berfikir sebelum berkata. Katanya akan berlapik, rendah suaranya
Ghadaffi is digging in.
04 Mar 2011 Leave a Comment
in Uncategorized Tags: America, America, fight, foreign intervention., Ghadaffi, Libya, warship, warship
The darker side of a Revolution is clearly emerging in Libya. Ghadaffi is not the kind of guy who will flee even if the whole rise up against him. He is in a difficult situation. There is no doubt about that. However, being Ghadaffi and well known for his ruthlessness, the Protesters are now experiencing what a real Revolution is. It is dirty and messy. The situation in Libya promises to be very bloody.
The American by sending two Warships to the Mediterranean have made known their intention to intervene should the need arise. However, military intervention is not the solution. The Protesters knew what they want and that is not foreign intervention. By protesting against Ghadaffi does not mean they love the Americans. They are determined to settle it themselves. That is the only viable solution.
Our Sun and Me
16 Feb 2011 Leave a Comment
in Creative writing Tags: road, slow, sun, traversing
Our Sun and Me
The days spent traversing this road
As always our Sun followed
Not wanting to let us go unattended
Yet grey clouds soon popped up
Its promises soaked us through
Only to be smothered in seven rays of heaven
Tired of the day’s folly
Our sun bid us away
For the dark curtain hold sway
Still we paces this road
Now forking all so sudden here and there
Which one to follow or let go
Choose one, our sun doth spake
Some worn, bloodied and teary-wet
Or the overgrown one, thus never taken
Since my first step, I’ve known mine
For blood, tears or worries so mundane
never will slow me down.
Se Kilas Jelingan Di Muara Lebaan.
16 Feb 2011 Leave a Comment
in Hobbies Tags: Debat.Juri, masa, Muara Lebaan.PAS, PM
Se Kilas Jelingan Di Muara Lebaan.
Sekarang mungkin zaman mencabar berdebat bagi sesetengah golongan. Hari-hari kita dengan orang-orang tertentu mengajak orang tertentu saja untuk berdebat. Kononya mereka tak mahu ajak orang perseorangan yang biasa-biasa berdebat kerana mereka bukan setaraf dengan orang yang mengajak berdebat tadi.
Apa yang anda dapat fikirkan bila orang kata dia tak mahu berdebat dengan orang sembarangan. Kita bukan nak main cerita wayang. Ini cerita benar. DSAI cabar Datuk seri Najib supaya berdebat fasal Program 100 hari dia orang yang kononnya untuk kejayaan Malaysia. Menteri biasa dia tak mahu cabar. Bukan setaraf dengan dia.
Tok Guru cabar Ketua JAKIM supaya berdebat fasal tajuk yang memang bersifat Islamik. Memang betullah bahawa JAKIMlah orang yang boleh kita tanya fasal sesuatu yang berkaitan dengan Islam. Agaknya, sebarang-sebarang Ustadz tak tahu sangatlah fasal Islam ni ye!
Nampaknya kalau kita berdebat mungkin jugalah Negara ini akan membangun dengan dirinya. Apa tidaknya? Sikit-sikit ajak orang berdebat. Seolah-olah kalau berdebat akan membangunlah Malaysia kita ini. Jika kita ikut urutan lojika di atas, semakin kuat kita berdebat semakin membangun majulah Negara kita. Itu kalau kita ikut cara mereka disebelah sana.
Umum tahu bahawa untuk berdebat perlukan fakta. Untuk dapatkan fakta perlukan penyelidikan. Atau kita boleh suruh orang lain dapatkan fakta kerana kita Ketua Umum atau Ketua yang memangnya selalu umum. Berdebat seperti yang dicadangkan bukan juga diantara kau dan aku saja. Mesti ada Juri yang Maha Pandai dan tidah berat sebelah.
Atau mungkin juga kita boleh kata, kalau kau menangkan sebelah sana kau masuk neraka. Kalau kau buat keputusan yang memenangkan aku, aku jamin kau masuk syurga.
Penonton pula bagaimana? Ya! Mereka mesti ada. Sekurang-kurang ribuan orang, okay jugalah. Ribuan orang ini akan duduk dalam Dewan atu Padang hanya untuk mendengar hujah orang yang berdebat tadi. Tak kisahlah kalau mereka bawa anak menantu atau seluruh keluarga. Tapi, jika sudah dijanjikan dengan Syurga ni tentulah satu keluarga sekali yang datang. Atau mungkin juga ada yang datang, lepas tu lesap terus ‘berdating”. Soal poligami memang tak ada soal punya. Gerrentiii Paaaslah.
Maka, akan adalah satu scenario dimana rakyat di sebuah Negara itu senantiasa terlena kerana DEBAT. Masa yang digunakan, manfaatkan, atau dibazirkan dek mahu berdebat, pun bukanlah sedikit. Mat-Mat Salleh pun akan bersorak bertempek sambil melaungkan,
“This is DEMOCRACY!” Diantara mereka tentulah Alaa Goreng. Fasal goreng-menggoreng Mat Saleh memang pandai. Alaaah! Gorenglah!
Hari ini, akan bertanyalah kita-kita di Daro ini. Dari sini mahu kemana kita?
Husssy! Saya tak cakap fasal politik.
On Protests and Copycats.
16 Feb 2011 Leave a Comment
in Uncategorized Tags: Egypt, marched., protests, Tunisia
Some Malaysians got agitated when images of the protests were shown on TV via Al Jazeera, BBC,CNN,CNBC,AUSN and several others. These agitated Malaysians who got the wrong notion that those who are out in Tunis and Cairo are really fighting for the truth. So much so some resorted in imitating those protesters and marched to the Egyptian Embassy in Kuala Lumpur. Little did they realized that what happened in Cairo and Tnis was and still is the internal concern of that very own country. We, Malaysia should not impose our system on the Egyptians. We should not take for granted that because some people disagree with the Malaysian Government, we tend to say it is too, bad. No is the answer. We should not copy blindly what others are doing. It is their affairs and theirs alone.
Notes from a Far Away Place.
15 Jan 2011 Leave a Comment
Notes from a Far Away Place
High above the steel-bird hovered, swaying left and right
As if bereft of will-power letting loose that frail milky hand
So seductive is the wave from high up
That down below countless dirty hands in unison entranced
There have been promises, vows too by the thousands
As muddy legs trudged home, only grey clouds stayed behind
Tonight, children whined for their books behind oil lamps
Their parents, alas, still wait for promises
Far away, flickering neon bore witness to contracts
Those painted masks squeezed promises between fair thighs
As those villages wait and pray
Pledges turned to be only words, just words
Many nights as Nightingales grew tired and sang
Crickets chattered near their spotted old nets
The villagers worn in acceptance whispered to the kids
‘It’ll be here boys, just one of these days.”
Ahmad Abang
Daro.
The vast expanse of the eastern state of Sarawak, Malaysia, made traveling difficult especially for our politicians. However, for some of them this is not so. There are those who have served for several terms and have turn out to be very rich. Only heaven knows how they came to be so given the less than impressive amount of allowance they received.
As if managing that small amount is not difficult enough, their expenses are now under scrutiny. However, that is what audits are for, isn’t it?
Among those who have made it, they usually traveled by helicopters. This is the only effective way if the terrain is hilly, vast and dissected by thousands of rivers. Roads are far and few. Even if there is road, no ordinary car can do the job. It is better to go around in a four-wheeled drive.
As soon as our YB and his entourage departed a ceremony, those who are invited did not go home straight away. They usually lingered a certain distance away from the landing-pad and wait for their turn to shake hands with their honorable guests.
When all is done, they took their position in the helicopter and up it goes. It is a practice to make the machine hover for a while so that the ‘waving up and the waving down’ can take place.
Is Party Keadilan Rakyat heading for the rocks?
11 Jan 2011 Leave a Comment
Is Parti Keadilan Rakyat heading for the rocks?
Zaid Ibrahim, who is a former member of UMNO and an ex-cabinet minister is the latest casualty in the tussle for power in PKR.
The showdown which is slated for the third week of November will see a one to one fight for the post of Deputy President. The party which is a leading member of Malaysia’s Opposition coalition is led by Azizah Ismail who is the wife of Anwar Ibrahim. Anwar is widely seen as not only the adviser to Parti Keadilan Rakyat also the super glue that tied the Opposition together.
Coming back to Zaid Ibrahim who was initially seen as the more credible face of PKR, his political odyssey has abruptly came to the end. Frustrated and clearly upset, Zaid has resigned from all his posts in the party. To add magic to the drama Zaid accused both Anwar Ibrahim and his right hand man, Azmin Ali, as the central figure who caused all his troubles. The Malaysian media clearly gloated when Zaid demanded both Azmin and Anwar to resign from PKR.
Zaid is not the only one who complained of the hidden hand in PKR’s election. Another founding member, Mustaffa Kamil Ayub who is also running for the number two post also called on both Azmin Ali and Anwar Ibrahim to stay away from the party’s election.
Meanwhile, PAS or the Islamic Party Of Malaysia, a member of the Opposition group has also voiced their concern at the brewing storm in PKR. Members of the Democratic Action Party or DAP, however, hoped the storm in PKR’s cup will pass unnoticed.
Recently, the High Court in Kuala Lumpur has struck out a lawsuit by none other than Anwar Ibrahim against Anifah Aman, the Foreign Minister of Malaysia. He accused Anifah Aman of uttering slanderous words against him during a Press Conference in Washington.
There are other lawsuits against him and also from him against others in the Malaysian Courts. Well, at least our lawyers are guaranteed a full year of continuous billing. Long live our lawyers.
To write or not to write is never the question.
13 Dec 2010 Leave a Comment
in Hobbies Tags: money, noise, sage, write
To write or not to write is never the question.
‘Just keep on writing,’ so says the sage. However, I am not sure which sage or teacher bothered us with that advice. Certainly, other aspiring writers too must have it many times before.
At first glance writing may seemed to be similar to archery. One must prepare and train oneself in order to hit the target. Yes, preparation is a must. However, if one care to think a bit further writing is not as direct as archery. It is more convoluted.
No matter how detailed one’s preparation is, there are always bumps and barriers along the way. One may be forced to make detours and other improvisations.
‘The impulse to create beauty is rather rare in literary men. Far ahead of it came the yearning to make money. And after the yearning to make money comes the yearning to make a noise’
H.L. Mencken.
I wonder whether I fit into the quotation above. It is true that I intend to say many things. Thus, I write. Even if I never intend to create beauty, there is no question that I intend to infuse my works with beautiful words.
As for money, of course I loved it. The more I am paid the better it is. However, There are times when I just slog on and on without being paid. Well, why do bother to do that?
I just loved it.
Hello world!
13 Dec 2010 1 Comment
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