My Malaysia Today

Gandhi's Prayer for Peace

2012-01-30T16:16:00.000+08:00

On this 64^th anniversary of the death Mahatma Gandhi, I would like to share something that was so dear to this great man and what the world is in dire need today – peace.

This is what he had to say of peace, “If we are to reach real peace in this world and if we are to carry on a real war against war, we shall have to begin with children and if they will grow up in their natural innocence, we won’t have the struggle, we won’t have to pass fruitless idle resolutions, but we shall go from love to love and peace to peace, until at last all the corners of the world are covered with that peace and love for which consciously or unconsciously, the whole world is hungering.”

He struggled for peace, a peace that was so badly lacking in his own country and the world. He called himself a soldier of peace not war and this is his fervent prayer for that peace in the world among people of diverse origins and believes.

Gandhi's Prayer for Peace

I offer you peace.
I offer you love.
I offer you friendship.
I see your beauty.
I hear your need.
I feel your feelings.
My wisdom flows from the highest source.
I salute that source in you.
Let us work together.
For unity and peace.

At a time of great turmoil and hate among peoples in the world and the increasing racial and religious polarization in our own country, Gandhi’s prayer for peace has becomes very relevant to us today. As his prayer goes we must offer our peace, love and friendship to others especially those of different race and creed. We must see their beauty, hear their needs and feel their feelings. Our wisdom comes from God whom we must see in them and salute. It is with these attitudes in us that we work together to achieve lasting peace with one another.

This beautiful and meaningful prayer of Gandhi should be adopted by men all over the world. It is in offering our peace and appreciating the inner beauty and needs of others, especially our adversaries that leads to peace in a world torn apart by hate, jealousy and vengeance.

Mahatma Gandhi may be gone but the legacy he left behind for mankind should continue to live in us and the generations to come. He might not have realized fully the peace he envisaged for his country but the teachings he left behind will definitely bring some inner peace within us.

Indian woes, their to solve

2012-01-27T15:04:00.002+08:00

Is there a way out of their woes?

Indians all over Malaysia, celebrated Pongal this year with the usual highly colourful traditions and culture. When I was young and living in a village where farming and cattle breeding was the main occupation of my parents, I hardly see anyone celebrating Pongal as elaborately as we do today,even in high rising buildings of the cities.

Today it is not only Pongal but more and more of our cultural and religious events too are being given more importance than we should. It may be our attempts to preserve our culture and traditions that we see as losing its hold in our lives. We fear with the loss of these rituals soon we may lose our identity as Indians. While these fears may have some basis but in our attempts to preserve our traditional and culture are we being misguided in our focus on the socio-economic development of our community?

It may be therefore relevant for us to look at the challenges we face in Malaysia today. From the statistics available, we must admit that we are in a very pathetic socio-economical state. We constitute 8% of the population but account for 14% of the nation’s juvenile delinquency, make up less than 5% of successful university applicants and share less than 1.5% of Malaysia's wealth. The crime rate among Indians is the highest in the country. The Suhakam report in 2006 stated that 60% of prisoners are Indians, something not to be proud of when considering we constitute less than 8% of the population.

The following facts indicate that we have drastically declined socio-economically since Independence 54 years ago. This drastic slide in our sanding has resulted in us being looked down by the other communities, which are far ahead of us.

Indians feature highest in all of the negative statistics.

1. The lowest life expectancy rates- 67.3 years compared to national average of 71.2.
2. The highest school dropout rates. Only 5.0% of Indians reach the tertiary level compared to the national average of 7.5%.
3. The highest incidence of alcoholism, that cuts across all classes.
4. The highest incidence of drug addiction in proportion to population.
5. The highest number of prisoners in proportion to population.
6. High crime rate. The largest number of gangs is now Indian gang and that 60% of serious crimes are committed by Indians.

Even politically we are not a force to reckon with today as we are terribly divided into numerous splinter parties. Our political power too has declined with so many parties representing so few people. We used to have a significant force in the MIC before but today there is no single party to truly represent the Indian community that has become inflicted with so many problems.

Something has seriously gone wrong. We organize conferences and mammoth motivation courses but refuse to admit that something is seriously wrong with us, our attitude to work in particular and life in general.

We spend a large part of our time, energy and money on elaborate cultural and religious activities but depend on the government and others for improving our socio-economic standing. We blame the government for our impoverished state for denying us the lavish affirmative action programmes that are reserved solely for the Malays. We blame the racist and creeping Islamisation policies of the government for our downfall. We blamed the BN before and now the PR too for not doing enough to uplift our community. In fact we blame everyone else except ourselves. It is time for us to ask ourselves what we really want and how we are going to move forward.

I admit that the government has neglected us, denied us of our constitutional rights, abused us and treated us rather rudely but we cannot give these as excuses for our failures. In fact this inhumane treatment by the authorities is the result not the cause of our deplorable and impoverished state. We must wake to the fact that no government however good it may be is going to help us the way we want. We have to help ourselves with whatever help we can get from the government of the day.

The Chinese community too have been subjected to such poor treatment like us but they did not allow that to stop their progress. In fact the Chinese community, by hard and diligent work has more or less become indispensable to the economic development on the country. We have a lot to learn from these fellow citizens who continue to thrive well even under harsh conditions. I am sure our community that belongs to a civilization, like the Chinese, that dates back thousands of years has the resilience to withstand all adversities.

Being a minority group is always a difficult situation all over the world, as we tend to be marginalized and discriminated even in countries that severely condemn racism and have laws to protect the minorities. Instead of ranting and raving we have to work harder to be accepted as a significant force. In this respect, struggling to hold onto our cultural practices alone is not going to help but assimilating with the majority to be accepted as Malaysians will.

We have the wrong notion that holding to our culture by all means is the only way to preserve it. In fact it is in uplifting ourselves socioeconomically and earning the respect of the others will our culture attain recognition and respect and become entrenched to be remembered by future generations. History has shown that no great civilization remains great forever. It is the greatness at a particular time in history that is remembered by the generations that come later.

It is good to be God-fearing but we have become over-dependent on the Almighty and other forms supernatural powers to lift us up. We have the mistaken notions that by pleasing God by elaborate rituals, He will come down to help us out of our woes. We fail to realize that God only helps those who help themselves. He has given us the power both physical and intellect to improve ourselves and if we refuse to use them but prefer to remain idle and just perform some rituals to please Him, there is no way He will save us.

I am afraid we have got all our priorities wrong. We are spending all our time, energy and money on celebrating our cultural and religious festivals instead of working. I am told by some non-Indian employers that Indian youngsters quit their jobs if their leave for celebrating of some festival is denied. Even in my own hospital there were young Indian staff who quit because they were refused leave to celebrate the recent Deepavali.

There are those who take weeks off to perform pilgrimages. Who in the right mind would want to employ someone who adopts such a casual attitude to work? There are many even in the lower income groups who are willing to pay hefty sums to go on pilgrimages, celebrate festivals and even go for their favourite movies but are not willing to spend a fraction of the amount for the children’s education, food and housing. We expect these to be given free.

Unemployment is highest among Indians. Our youths may not have money or education but insist on jobs that are highly paid but not so tough. Despite obesity, diabetes, hypertension and heart problems being highest in Indians, they seem to be complacent about their health. Most of them cannot afford the high cost of medical treatment as they do not have any form of insurance cover at all.
The number of people without birth certificates or identity cards is highest among Indians. It just goes to show that they do not even want to help themselves with such basic requirements needed for education and employment. How to progress and compete with others who are far more hardworking and self-reliant?

Indian youths today don’t seem to be serious about their studies and career as they seem to be living in a world of fantasy as portrayed by the cinema world. Respect for elders and filial piety which was once the pride of our community is fast eluding us. Marital problems and divorce leading to breakup of families are on the rise. Go to any orphanage or old folks homes; you see the majority of the inmates are Indians.

Even in the temples and churches, Indians are fighting for power and influence in the name of God.

As an Indian who has successfully come out from the shackles of poverty and illiteracy, I feel very sad with the deplorable state of our community. We have lost our self-pride and our dignity as a community. I feel ashamed at the way we are looked down by others, even by those who were at one time much worse off than us.

The newer generation of Indians from better off families who succeed academically are migrating to better pastures leaving behind those from poorer background without qualifications. The future looks bleak if our present attitude and situation continues. Isn’t there a way out for us? The answer depends on each and every one of us. Our future is in our hands alone not in the hands of others, the government or any other party within or outside the country.

We need to change and change drastically. The most important thing for us to do now is to work and work really very hard, acquiring the latest skills and knowledge to progress. Our culture and religion should guide us to be righteous in our struggles for progress and not stand in the way of our progress. Instead of fighting a futile war with the majority for our rights, we should be directing our energy and resources to attain those rights by working for them.

There is an urgent need to uplift ourselves to be at par with the other communities. I do not know how we are going to achieve that but we must do it otherwise we will soon perish as a major community in the country. With the emigration of the more qualified Indians, what is left behind will be those who will further bring down our reputation. We will then become a liability rather than an asset to the nation.

It is time for us to decide what we want to be in this country in the future. Time is running out and we have act now. Our future is in our hands. Let’s stop depending on others and rely more on our own talents and hard work. Let’s consider ourselves as Malaysians first entitled to all the rights as citizens. Being just a small community we are not going to go far if we keep to ourselves. We should not be a little India in Malaysia but a proud Malaysian of Indian origin. We must break free and work with others to elevate our socioeconomic status and regain the past glory and admiration that we once commanded lot very long ago.

The least we can do is to create the awareness for change and hard work with every young Malaysian Indian we meet. Let’s spread this passion for change among our fellow Indians.

Money for BR1M could be put to better use

2012-01-27T12:15:00.003+08:00

Rejecting corruption in any form it takes.

Ditching out money to the people seems to have become a fashion these days, with the BN and PR governments competing with each other to do so. The latest of these generous gestures is the Batuan Rakyat 1Malaysia(BR1M).It makes one wonder from where this money suddenly come from.

The on-going BR1M pay-outs of RM500 for households with monthly income of less than RM3,000 has created a lot of excitement among the people, especially those who needed the money and the senior citizens without any fixed source of income and have to depend on their children. All of them are grateful and happy to the government for the aid which they truly deserve. This is evident from the comments of the recipients as shown on national TV and covered by the mainstream media. Who in the right mind will not be happy to receive extra money?

It would be a noble move by the government it was meant to truly help the people especially the poor during this time of financial difficulties with the escalating cost of living. However the way it is dispensed does not reflect genuine sincerity with regards to its motives. Instead the way the money is being distributed appears to an electoral corruption which works to discredit the government.

For the details of how the money is being distributed you can refer to Anil Netto’s, “It’s raining money III: How it’s distributed” at http://anilnetto.com/malaysian-politics/malaysian-elections/its-raining-money-iii-how-its-distributed/

At a handing over ceremony, we see large number of people of all races queuing up to receive their cash vouchers from politicians from the ruling party. At times they are forced to listen to their speeches that touch on the goodwill of the BN government which has the welfare of the people at heart all the time. Food and refreshments are also served.

To me asking people who are poor to assemble at specified places, listen to ceramah and the queue up for hours to receive some cash is an insult on their dignity. On top of that these are widely publicised by the lopsided media for all to see. Moreover the money belongs to the people themselves not the person who dispenses it. Why can’t it be distributed in a more respectable and dignified manner? Why the need for politicians to be in charge of the distribution of the money? Can’t it be done by government agencies and banks? Why this overt politicisation of a simple gesture of goodwill, which is the duty of the government after all?

For the hard-core poor, RM500 is indeed a large sum that will go a long way to reduce their financial burden. It may even feed them and their family for a month. To the large majority of other recipients the sum, as a one off payment, is just an additional bonus and does not really significantly help them out financially. In fact many use it to spend it on items that they really don’t need. The amount that runs into tens or even hundreds of millions is hard earned taxpayer’s money which could be used more beneficially for the people than be given out to “enjoy” themselves for a few days.

What the people really need is not a one-off payment but a better planned scheme to help them in the long term to cope with the difficult times ahead. They need to be given the opportunities to acquire the skills and knowledge to improve themselves. They need more job opportunities and better wages, easier accessibility to quality and cheaper health care, better and more affordable tertiary education and more affordable housing especially in urban areas. They need a better, cheaper, more convenient and safer transportation system. Most of all they need a system that recognises them as legitimate citizens whose constitutional rights are safeguarded regardless of race or creed.

The present practice of giving out money on and off, as carried out now, is an election gimmick that capitalizes on the people’s inherent greed for “free’ money, which is becoming a prevalent culture today. It should be strongly discouraged as it is a form of corruption, which should not be tolerated by the people.

On the other hand it is time for the people to reject such hand-outs, which comes from their own money, in exchange for their invaluable votes in the coming elections. Instead they should attain the maturity and wisdom to demand for better long term measures and not succumb to such short term inducements by any party. It is in this maturity and wisdom to reject all forms of corruption and abuse of power will depend the future of our children and our nation.

For no reason whatsoever should the we be willing to surrender our dignity which our votes signify.

Visit to Spastic Children’s Home

2012-01-25T21:03:00.013+08:00

The Yee Ran Jing Sheh(YRJS) Handicapped Children’s Home

We are just settling down after our continuous celebrations from December 2011,Christmas,the New Year and recently the Chinese New Year of the Dragon. As we celebrate these festivities with great joy we should spare some moments for those who are as not fortunate like us to appreciate this happiness in their lives.

With this motive a few friends and I decided to visit a spastic home in Bukit Tengah to see for ourselves what life is to these unfortunate people and what can be done to bring some joy for those in such a home.

The visit to the spastic home on 2months ago was a very humbling experience. It not only gave us the first hand information on the life of these spastic children but also the tremendous efforts and the sacrifices of the people taking care of them.

The home had 62 inmates of all ages, from children to old adults of both sexes. They were housed in 2 old single-storey houses, one for males and one for females located at in Jalan Belimbing in Bukit Tengah,Bukit Mertajam. They are being taken care of by 9 workers all female,5 foreigners and 4 locals all under the care of Ms Maliga.

Views of the handicapped home

The home is being managed by Persatuan Kebajikan Kanak-kanan Cacat Yee Ran Jing Sheh (Association Y.R.J.S. Handicapped Children’s Home), which according to Mr.GB Chuah, a committee member of the association, is a Buddhist organisation. However he was quick to stress that although it may be Buddhist-based but it is open to handicapped from all races and religions.

The containers to place old clothings The recycling centre

According to Mr.Chuah at present about RM20,000 is needed per month to manage the home which includes paying the staff,shelter, food, clothing, pampers and medical expenses.He said that it is a purely welfare home,been run solely on the generous donations from members of the public with no aid from any government agencies or the families of the inmates. To supplement the income they also collect old clothes and recycling items to be sold. Although the response from the public is generally good there are however times when they are acutely short of funds.

Generous donors with their contributions

They accept all forms of aid; cash, foodstuff, clothes and in particular adult pampers which are used extensively and are very expensive. Although they had a large number of inmates we were very impressed with the cleanliness of the centre and the inmates themselves who appeared clean and well dressed.

We spent about an hour in the home looking around and mingling with the inmates. Most of them were severely handicapped both physically and mentally. In fact only 19 out of the 64 of them could feed, clean and dress themselves, the rest need to be fed, bathed and dressed by the staff, which as we all know is indeed a tedious job. There were some who were so aggressive that they had to be restrained to prevent themselves to be hurt or others being hurt by their hyperactive behaviour. It was indeed a pathetic state to witness which made us realise how blessed we are.

The home from outside – clean and well maintained

The inside view of the children

Despite being so handicapped, they did not show any signs of sadness or disappointment in their faces which I suppose is the Creator’s way of protecting His creations. In a world where we are racing to accumulate wealth and more wealth, in a society that is driven by so much greed, jealousy and selfishness, these handicapped children are so happy living in their own world of contentment. They seem to be completely well protected from the cruel world outside. They were so eager to reach out to hold our hands and as they did so, we could feel the tremendous warmth in the grip of their hands.

The visit to the handicapped home was an eye opener for us. It helped us to realise how lucky we are being blessed with so much good things in life. As Charles Dickens rightly said, “Reflect upon your present blessings of which every man has many - not on your past misfortunes, of which all men have some”. Very often we take these blessings for granted and keep cursing everything and everyone for the little misfortunes that may befall upon us. If only we start counting our blessings we will be more satisfied and happier in our lives. The visit to the home should let us pause to reflect on what we can do to alleviate the fears and sufferings of the less fortunate in our midst. It is in sharing the blessings we have that brings happiness.

The visit to the handicapped home brought these handicapped children into our lives and by you reading this story they have come into yours as well. It is often said that everything happens for a reason and people come into your life is also for a reason. The visit to the handicapped home should make us ponder on why these unfortunate children ever came into our lives. Should we just ignore them and move on as though they never exist? Or should we do something to help them in whatever little ways we can with the little we have? Let’s search our hearts for the answer.

What can do for Rumah Cacat YRJS

1. Collect cash, food items, clothing and recycling items and send them to the home.

2. Organise a fund raising dinner and donate all proceeding to the home

3. Celebrate some memorable occasions with them

4. Ignore them and move on to something other project as the home appears to have adequate support from the public

If we feel we should something let’s organise ourselves and plan our moves.

Happy Chinese New Year 2012 – the year of the Dragon

2012-01-22T22:49:00.002+08:00

Courage to do the right thing at the right time

On 23 January 2012,the Chinese all over the world celebrated first day in their Lunar year of the Dragon. The dragon is the highest-ranking animal in the Chinese animal hierarchy, strongly associated at one time with the Chinese Emperor and hence power and majesty. The dragon may be a mythological animal but even today the it is still recognized and revered as a symbol of power, strength and good luck.

The year of the dragon may come once in 12 years but the Dragon of 2012 comes only once in our lifetime. It as is the most important one not for just the Chinese but for all Malaysians, as the most critical 13GE will be held before the end of this year. During this year we will arrive at the crossroads when we will be faced with the most important decision of choosing the right people to form our government. It is a decision that will have to be made with great wisdom, discern and courage as it will have tremendous bearing on our future and the destiny of our beloved nation.

All previous elections were mere endorsement of the ruling party to continue to govern, as we did not have a choice. This is the first time in the history of our nation that we are faced with the possibility of changing the government and it depends on the power bestowed in our hands as citizens. This is due to the high level of maturity and wisdom of the people who are highly critical and want a government that is more people oriented and its leaders willing to serve the people more than serve themselves and their families.

They want a government that can put an end to corruption, better manage the economy, ensure a fairer distribution of the nation’s wealth, more tolerant to freedom of expression and put a stop to the race politics.

In order to stop the rot in the country, we need change. This change can only come about with great courage on the part of the people. We hope the people will gain that courage of the dragon to vote for change, a change that will enable the realization of their dreams for the dawn of a better future for all.

As we go about to welcome this year of the dragon, let us create the awareness among our friends and relatives for the urgent need for change come the 13GE.Let us put aside all our differences for the time being and unite as Malaysians to the right thing at the most defining moment in our history, the 13GE.

The Dragon may be a symbol of power and courage but the real power to change is not with the mythological dragon or any other external force but is with us and we alone can harness that power to the fullest.

A Happy & prosperous Chinese New Year

Gong Xi Fa Cai

Moving forwards after Sodomy II

2012-01-17T13:49:00.000+08:00

Anwar willing to forgive & move on

Over a century ago, standing up against the apartheid regime of the British in South Africa, Mahatma Gandhi said, “They may torture my body, break my bones, and even kill me. Then they will have my dead body, but not my obedience.” That was Gandhi who was one of the greatest icons for freedom in recent history.

Right here in our country, on the eve of his Sodomy II verdict on 9 January 2012, convinced of being convicted and sent to jail at the age of 64, Anwar Ibrahim has this to say to the Malaysian people. "They can put me in a cage and chain me to the ground but they can never imprison my soul and my spirit”.

The day after the verdict to acquit him of the sodomy charge, in India to meet with Rajmohan Gandhi, the grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, Anwar said he is “prepared to forgive” those who have caused his suffering. While there may be some similarities in those statements between Gandhi and Anwar, it would be great if Anwar takes Mahatma Gandhi to be his example in moving the nation forward, peacefully without any anger, violence and bloodshed.

Anwar may be magnanimous to forgive those who have plotted to topple him by shameful and humiliating means but it is the way forward, putting the wrongful past behind and together build a better future for all regardless of our differences. If we act with anger towards our adversaries and seek vengeance, there can be no real and effective nation building.

Of late the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) seem to have closed ranks and have come solidly behind Anwar, recognising him as the only candidate for the premiership if it wins the elections. Anwar has indicated he is willing to move forward towards the formation of a more democratic two-party system for the long term benefit of the people. The biggest question is whether his rivals are ready to apologise for persecuting him and accept him and the opposition as legitimate and equal partners in administering the country.

From past experience we know that Unmo-BN will never accept defeat and will go all out to bring down Anwar and the PR and if possible wipe out any form of opposition to their rule. Anwar could have won the battle but not the war as much more obstacles could be well in the planning. Recently at the Royal Selangor Club, the refusal by Najib to answer whether he will facilitate the smooth transfer of power in the event the Opposition wins the 13GE does not augur well for democracy and a two-party system in the country. If only he had answered in the affirmative, which he should have as the PM, he would gained the much needed support and admiration.

By now Anwar must be well aware that his acquittal was not because of an independent judiciary, a reformed Umno-BN government or the repentance of his enemies. It is basically due to the massive support of the people who are clamouring for change. They want an end to the rot there is going on over 5 decades; an end to the rampant corruption, blatant abuse of power, oppression and tyranny. It is the pressure of the people or People Power, that stopped those in the corridors power from sending him to jail. The last thing they want is to make a martyr out of Anwar and lose the elections.

If only Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak can reconcile with Anwar and work together towards greater democratisation and a two-party system, he will be able to get back the support of the people. Although it is that simple but it is also the most difficult for a party like Umno-BN which has been ruling interruptedly for 5 decades with a weak and insignificant opposition till 2008.

If Najib has the courage to brush Umno hardliners aside and press forward with his reform agenda, he may lose power but he can walk tall that he has tried to do the right thing for the country and the future generations. Failure or success is not the issue but doing the right thing is all that matters and the only right thing at this time is to facilitate the peaceful evolution of a two-party system of governance.

The recent verdict of Sodomy II has catapulted Anwar as the only leader in PR eligible to become the PM. The support for Anwar and PR is tremendous and is on the rise each day with every blunder that the ruling party makes. The BN should not write off the huge crowds that take pains to turn up at his ceramahs as mere curious onlookers. In fact they are genuine supporters who want change which they increasingly believe only Anwar can bring about. Without their knowledge, Umno-BN, is pushing up the popularity of Anwar thereby making him appear as the only one eligible for the post of Prime Minister.

Meanwhile Anwar and his coalition should not be carried away with the large turnouts at their rallies. They should not take the people’s support for granted but go all out to prove that they can rule the country effectively and fairly to fulfill all their promises. They should gain power by their merits not the demerits of their opponent.

The people have risen to help free Anwar in his sodomy case. He must value their sacrifice and must remember the pledge he made on the eve of his Sodomy II verdict, "I make this solemn promise to you that I will not rest until we make right the wrongs committed by this corrupt government and bring about a just and equitable nation. I will remain with you in heart and soul and together we will build a new Malaysia".

These are very powerful words that ensued at a very emotional time in his life, at the thought of going to jail for life. We are confident he will honour them when he up and high again, in keeping the principles of Mahatma Gandhi, whom he looked up to for guidance.

Plight of Indians in Malaysia

2012-01-16T16:12:00.001+08:00

Pongal Reflections : Plight of Indians

Indians all over Malaysia, celebrated Pongal this year with the usual highly colorful traditions and culture. Pongal used to be a very low key celebration before but is now becoming a rather elaborate one with the expenditure of a large amount of money, time and energy which makes one wonder whether we are losing our priorities. Today it is not only Pongal but more and more cultural and religious events too are being given more importance than we should. In an attempt to preserve our culture and traditions, are we being misguided in our focus to develop our community?

It may be therefore relevant for us to look at the challenges we face in Malaysia today. From the statsitics available,we must admit that we are in a very pathetic socio-economical state. We constitute 8% of the population but account for 14% of the nation’s juvenile delinquency, make up less than 5% of successful university applicants and share less than 1.5% of Malaysia's wealth. The crime rate among Indians is the highest in the country. The Suhakam report in 2006 stated that 60% of prisoners are Indians, something not to be proud of when considering we constitute less than 8% of the population.

The following facts indicate that we have drastically declined socio-economically since Independence 54 years ago. This drastic slide in our sanding has resulted in us being looked down by the other communities, which are far ahead of us.

Indians feature highest in all of the negative statistics.

1. The lowest life expectancy rates- 67.3 years compared to national average of 71.2.
2. The highest school dropout rates. Only 5.0 percent of Indians reach the tertiary level compared to the national average of 7.5 percent.

3.The highest incidence of alcoholism, that cuts across all classes.

4. The highest incidence of drug addiction in proportion to population.
5.The highest number of prisoners in proportion to population.
6.High crime rate. The largest number of gangs is now Indian gang and that 60 percent of serious crimes are committed by Indians.

Even politically we are not a force to reckon with today as we are terribly divided into numerous splinter parties. Our political power too has declined with so many parties representing so few people. We used to have a significant force in the MIC before but today there is no single party to truly represent the Indian community that has become inflicted with so many problems.

Something has seriously gone wrong. We organize conferences and mammoth motivation courses but refuse to admit that something is seriously wrong with us, our attitude to work and life.

We spend all our time, energy and money on elaborate cultural and religious activities but depend on the government and others for improving our socio-economic standing. We blame the government for our impoverished state for denying us the lavish affirmative action programmes that are reserved solely for the Malays. We blame the racist and creeping Islamisation policies of the government for our downfall. We blamed the BN before and now the PR too for not doing enough to uplift our community. In fact we blame everyone else except ourselves. It is time for us to ask ourselves what we really want and how we are going to move forward.

I admit that the government has neglected us, denied us of our constitutional rights, abused us and treated us rather rudely but we cannot give these as excuses for our failures. In fact this inhumane treatment by the authorities is the result not the cause of our deplorable and impoverished state. The Chinese community too have subjected to such treatment like us but they did not allow that to stop their progress. In fact the Chinese community, by hard and diligent work has more or less become indispensable to the economic development on the country. We have a lot to learn from these fellow citizens who continue to thrive well even under harsh conditions.

Being a minority group is always a difficult situation all over the world, as we tend to be marginalized and discriminated even in countries that severely condemn racism and have laws to protect the minorities. Instead of ranting and raving we have to work harder to be accepted as a significant force. In this respect, struggling to hold onto our cultural practices alone is not going to help but assimilating with the majority to be accepted as Malaysians will.

We have the wrong notion that holding to our culture by all means is the only way to preserve it. In fact it is in uplifting ourselves socioeconomically and earning the respect of the others will our culture attain recognition and respect and become entrenched to be remembered by future generations. History has shown that no great civilization remains great forever. It is the greatness at that time in history that is remembered by the generations that come later.

It is good that we are God-fearing but we depend too much on the Almighty and other forms supernatural powers to lift us up. We have the mistaken notions that by pleasing God by elaborate rituals, He will come down to help us out of our woes. We fail to realize that God only helps those who help themselves. He has given us the power both physical and intellect to improve ourselves and if we refuse to use them but prefer to remain idle and just perform some rituals to please Him, there is no way He will save us.

I am afraid we have got all our priorities wrong. We are spending all our time, energy and money on celebrating our cultural and religious festivals instead of working. I am told by non-Indian employers that Indian youngsters leave their jobs if their leave for celebration of some festival is denied. There are those who take a month off to perform pilgrimages. Who in the right mind would want to employ someone who adopts such a casual attitude to work? There are many even in the lower income groups who are willing to pay hefty sums to go on pilgrimages, celebrate festivals and even go for favorite movies but are not willing to spend a smaller amount for the children’s education, food and housing. We expect these to be given free.

Unemployment is highest among Indians. Our youths may not have money or education but insist on jobs that are highly paid but not so tough. Despite obesity, diabetes, hypertension and heart problems being highest in Indians, they seem to be complacent about their health. Most of them cannot afford the high cost of medical treatment as they do not have any form of insurance cover at all.

The number of people without birth certificates or identity cards is highest among Indians. It just goes to show that they do not even want to help themselves with such basic requirements needed for education and employment. How to progress and compete with others who are far more hardworking and self-reliant?

Indian youths today don’t seem to be serious about their studies and career as they seem to be living in a world of fantasy as portrayed by the cinema world. Respect for elders and filial piety which was once the pride of our community is fast eluding us. Marital problems and divorce leading to breakup of families are on the rise. Go to any orphanage or old folks homes; you see the majority of the inmates are Indians.

Even in the temples and churches, Indians are fighting for power and influence in the name of God.

As an Indian who has successfully come out severely impoverished environment, I feel very sad with the deplorable state of our community. We have lost our self-pride and our dignity as a community. I feel ashamed at the way we are looked down by others, even by those who were at one time much worse off than us. The future looks bleak if our present attitude continues. Isn’t there a way out for us? The answer depends on each and every one of us. Our future is in our hands alone not in the hands of others, the government or any other party within or outside the country.

We need to change and change drastically. The most important thing for us to do now is to work and work really very hard, acquiring the latest skills and knowledge to progress. Our culture and religious practice should guide us to be righteous in our struggles for progress and not stand in the way of our progress. Instead of fighting a futile war with the majority for our rights, we should be directing our energy and resources to attain those rights by working for them.

There is an urgent need to uplift ourselves to be at par with the other communities. I do not know how we are going to achieve that but we must do it otherwise we will soon perish as a major community in the country. We will become a liability rather than an asset to the nation.

It is time for us to decide what we want to be in this country in the future. Time is running out and we have act now. Our future is in our hands. Let’s stop depending on others and rely more on our own talents and hard work. Let’s consider ourselves as Malaysians first entitled to all the rights as citizens. Being just a small community we are not going to go far if we keep to ourselves. We should be a little India in Malaysia but a proud Malaysian of Indian origin. We must break free and work with others to regain the past glory and admiration that we once commanded lot very long ago.

Newsflash: Anwar Ibrahim Rapat Rakyat Alor Setar (Pt 1)

2012-01-16T10:44:00.000+08:00

Pongal 2011

2012-01-13T12:32:00.001+08:00

Pongal : A Tamil thanksgiving Event - Part I

The Tamil community will be celebrating their harvest festival or Pongal on 15 January 2012 with their colorful traditions.

Thai Pongal (celebrated in the Tamil month of Thai),is a harvest festival originally celebrated by Tamils in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka.It was one of the most important festivals among peasants in villages who tilled their land and reared animals. Today it has evolved into a cultural festival of Tamils all over the world, including among those who know nothing about farming.

Pongal in Tamil means "boiling over or spill over." The boiling over of milk in the clay pot symbolizes material abundance for the household. Thai Pongal, celebrated at harvest time on the first day of the Tamil month of Thai, is traditionally intended to thank the Sun God, Surya and their farmstead livestock that helped create the material abundance. They thank the solar deity for the good harvest and consecrate the first grain to him

It is believed that the birth of Thai paves the way for new opportunities so the popular Tamil saying "Thai Pirandhal Vazhi Pirakkum". The festival usually occurs from January 13 — 15 i.e. the last day of the Tamil month Maargazhi to the third day of Thai, this year on February 15.Pongal in Malaysia which used to be quite unknown is becoming an important festival, celebrated not just by Hindus but Christians as well.

Thai Ponggal is celebrated for three consecutive days.

The first day it is celebrated for the harvested crops and shared with friends and relatives. The main feature of this festival is the boiling of milk in a clay pot until it overflows when the family members gathered round the pot shouting, ”Ponggale oh Ponggale” then add rice to it. Boiling-over if occurs at sunrise would be a sign of blessing from the Sun God, Surya to whom the special day is dedicated.

On the second day known as Mattu Ponggal, cows are adored and given special offerings. This is the time when villages decorate the cows and also the elders seek God’s blessing for their children. The cows are given a bath, their horns painted and they are decorated with garlands. It is a day specially dedicated to the cow which provided everything they need for a good living.

The third day known as Kanni Ponggal is dedicated to young virgins. As virginity used to be sign of purity, honoring such women showed the great importance they attached to this virtue in their young women who would soon become the mothers, and will be looked-up with great respect by both men and women alike for their purity. Young women pray for a good life and dashing great husbands. The young unmarried ladies wearing new clothes, gold and silver ornaments will have special prayers for their future marriage.

Significance of boiling over of spilt milk

The milk is boiled in earthen pots till it spills over. The spilling of milk means prosperity and if the milk spills as the sun rises, it is a good sign for the family. It would mean the blessing of Surya for the family.

Half of the boiled milk is then scooped for offering to the departed parents and ancestors and remainder for the family and friends to drink. Then sweetened rice is added for cooking. As the sweetened rice (pongal rice) is about to cook, a spoonful of ghee is added. Once the sweetened rice is ready, an offering is made to the Sun God and the ancestors and the remainder shared with neighbors.

Ponggal and its relevance to us today

Pongal used to be celebrated by Tamils of Hindu faith but today it has come to celebrated by Tamils of other faiths as well, particularly the Christians who share a common culture and language. Traditionally it used to be a harvest festival for peasants in villagers, who plough their land, plant crops and rear herds of cattle; for them their livelihood depend entirely on these activities. Unfortunately like all Indian festivals it has become closely intertwined with Hinduism, the major religion of Indians.

Today the majority of Tamils in our country are not involved in farming and they have little no knowledge of it. Pongal may be irrelevant to them but surprisingly it is being celebrated by more and more of them in our country. It is being celebrated by all Tamils, even those residing in urban areas in high rise buildings and those who have nothing in common with those villagers. To Tamils today in urban areas Pongal has become a symbol of their culture and tradition which they want to uphold steadfastly for fear they may soon be forgotten by the future generations. This especially so in countries where Tamils are a minority like in Malaysia.

Thanking Mother Nature for the abundant harvest that gave the peasants and their families good life is indeed a noble one. Sharing their harvest with neighbors is greater nobility which we should all emulate regardless of our faith and culture. Being thankful and concerned for the animals that work for us is also a great and noble deed which is praiseworthy. We too regardless of who we are should all incorporate such good practices into our own lives.

Malaysians should take it as an opportunity to thank the Almighty for the abundant blessings we received either overtly or in disguise. Often these blessings come in disguise which we only realize much later when we get out of the various crises that come our way. It is in sharing our blessings with our neighbors will we be rewarded with more.

HAPPY PONGAL

Part II - The plight of Indians

SCH Dinner 2011.wmv

2012-01-10T15:07:00.000+08:00

Verdict over but the fight continues

2012-01-09T14:18:00.000+08:00

Anwar has proven he is still relevant

The verdict on sodomy II must have been the most important one for KL High Court judge, Mohamad Zabidin Mohd Diah.It would have the verdict that he will never forget for the rest of his life. I am sure it would bring back pleasant memories of the morning of 9 January 2012 when he rose to do justice in the trial of Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, the Opposition leader in the presence of thousands of the latter’s supporters.

In his verdict lay the fate of Anwar’s political future and the reputation of the judiciary and fortunately the judge rose above politics to save both Anwar and the institution he represented. It is too early to conclude that our judiciary may now be totally independent just from this case as a lot of public pressure could have compelled the judge to acquit Anwar. However we hope this would be the beginning of judicial independence in the country.

Despite all the odds against him, Anwar has proven once again he is indeed a great man, a loyal citizen and a patriotic Malaysian who will do anything to stand up for his principles to save his country. He had demonstrated beyond doubt that he is the right choice to lead the nation if elected by the people to do so.

He could have chosen the easy way out but he has demonstrated his greatness by choosing to sacrifice his peace, his comforts and his health to fight corruption, injustice and racism that is threatening to destroy the nation we all slogged to develop.

At the age of 64 and with severe spine problems, he is willing to do something which most of us will shudder even at the thought of it. Yes, he is willing to go to jail to save his country and people based of his principles of socio-economic equality, justice and fairness for the man on the street regardless of race or creed.

He is willing to sacrifice not his peace alone but that of his family. Which wife would want to send the husband to jail, knowing what happened the last time he was sent there? Which children would want to send their father to prison knowing well the risks he may be subjected?

By his willingness to sacrifice himself for our future he has won the admiration of all Malaysians across ethnic divide. This brave Malaysian deserves our undivided support in his endeavors to free our nation from the clutches of tyranny and corruption.

He has called for change and change we must bring. We need not take to the streets or risk our lives to support him. We can do it peacefully and democratically with the power bestowed upon us as citizens – the ballot box. Yes, it is that simple-just cast the vote for change at the right time and we can convince many others to do so likewise.

The man who was considered irrelevant by his opponents has proved himself relevant by willing to go the extra mile and do the extraordinary to lead the nation in bringing change. It is the duty of all citizens to rally behind this great Malaysian to realize that dream and yearning for change. Our vote on that defining day of the 13GE will not only bring the change we badly need but also help free this great man from further persecution and imprisonment.

The verdict on Sodomy II may be over and the case comes to a close but the fight continues as the bigger battle has yet to come.

Newsflash : Supporters' Reaction After Anwar Ibrahim Acquitted

2012-01-09T13:49:00.000+08:00

MediaRakyat Newsflash: Nurul Izzah, Kg Baru 08/01/2012

2012-01-09T09:16:00.000+08:00

Anwar deserves the support of all Malaysian

2012-01-08T23:03:00.000+08:00

On 9 January 2012, the KL High Court judge, Mohamad Zabidin Mohd Diah would will probably deliver the most important verdict of his life – the verdict on Sodomy II that would determine the fate of Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, the Opposition leader and in general the fate of the nation itself.

He has demonstrated his greatness by choosing to sacrifice his peace, his comforts and his health to deliver the nation from corruption, injustice and racism that is threatening to destroy the nation we all slogged to develop.

At the age of 64 and with severe back problems, he is willing to do something which most of us will shudder even at the thought of it. Yes, he is willing to go to jail to defend his country and people based of his principles of equality, justice and fairness for the man on the street.

By his willingness to sacrifice himself for our future he has won the admiration of fellow citizens across ethnic divide. This brave Malaysian deserves our undivided support in his endeavors to free our nation from the clutches of tyranny and corruption.

We need not take to the streets or risk our lives to support him. We can do it peacefully and democratically with the power bestowed upon us as citizens –the ballot box. Yes, it is that simple-just cast the vote for change when the 13 GE comes and we can convince many more to do so likewise. Our vote on that day will not only bring the change we badly need but also help free this great man is he is jailed on 901.

Anwar Ibrahim: Message On Eve Of 901 (January 09)

2012-01-08T18:05:00.000+08:00

New Year 2012 – An opportunity for change

2011-12-30T09:11:00.000+08:00

New Year 2012 – An opportunity for change

Maturity of the people offers hope

As we welcome the New Year 2012, it may be useful for every Malaysian to pause and reflect on the problems and challenge faced in 2011 and be better prepared to the new ones that will crop up in 2012.

The two momentous events that dominated the year 2011 were the Sarawak State elections and the Bersih 2.0 rally. In both these events the people’s yearning for change was obvious. They sent a clear message that they want real change and that they are not going to be intimidated anymore in their demands for that change. If no real change is forthcoming they would even not hesitate to vote in someone who can bring such positive changes. It was heartening that the demand for change came from ordinary citizens from all races.

Corruption and ethnic tensions continued to be a major problem in 2011. The latest NFC popularly known as the ‘cow- gate’ scandal has caught up with every ordinary man on the street. There is a general feeling that not enough is being done to combat this heinous crime that is destroying the nation and its people.

With the impending general elections, ethnic relations appear to be a favorite issue for the politicians to gain political mileage. The DUMC incident, accusation of Christians trying to proselytize fellow Muslims and the subsequent debate on Hudud were attempts by irresponsible people to cause division among the people of various ethnicity.However it did not go well with the people, who continue to ignore these provocations and remain united. The manipulation of Article 153 of the Federal Constitution which guarantees the rights of the Malays and non- Malays too failed to make any headway in disrupting the unity among the races.

This political maturity of the people is the most promising asset that our nation has today as we step into 2012 , which gives some hope for a brighter future. In fact these and many of the problems that plagued us in 2011 will continue into 2012 as they remain unsolved.

The year 2012 promises not just another year of excitement and challenges but uncertainties as well for the country. The much awaited 13GE which did not materialise in 2011 is now expected in the first quarter of 2012.It will be the most defining elections ever. It is in fact been termed the mother of all elections which the BN has to win big to remain relevant. For the Pakatan it is the best opportunity ever to strengthen its as formidable opposition position or even take over the government. A major defeat for either will have serious repercussions on their future.

The 13GE is a very critical one for many reasons. It is the first time in history where people are talking about a possible change of government, which was not possible before. It is the first time we have a united and formidable opposition to take on the BN that has ruled for over 5 decades. It is the first time that the opposition has a promising line of young, capable and righteous leaders to take on the experienced ones from the BN.

However the most important factor that is going make the difference this time is the fact that this is the first time that a new generation of voters are doing to be the decision makers in this most critical 13GE.This new generation of young voters do not have the emotional political attachments of their ancestors. They are literate and computer savvy and cannot be swayed by age-old tactics of the past as they are better informed, thanks to the alternate media. Yes, the alternate cyber media for the first time is going to decide who wins this election.

The nation, for the first time after 54 years of independence, would be at the crossroads where the people would have to decide their destiny. A two-party system of governance that is taking shape would be the main issue in contention. It will be a major test of the people’s wisdom and we are sure they are ready to rise up to the occasion to make the all important decision if and when the time comes.

In general the mood among the people is for change, a peaceful change that will see a newer generation of leaders who will take over to redefine the course we were cruising of late. On the ground, ordinary Malaysians of all races are not in the mood for quarrel and fights but in the mood to ensure that the right people take over the helms of the government. They realize their single step in the right direction at the right time will be a great leap for their nation in the years to come.

As citizens we must be prepared to take the bold step to put a stop to the rot that is going on in the country. We must be ready to reign in new leaders who are more committed to the nation than to themselves and their families.

Meanwhile at a personal level regardless of race or creed, let us continue promoting a deeper understanding, tolerance and above all respect for the cultural and religious differences among us. Let us adopt a mindset that despite our differences we are all Malaysians, here to stay for good or bad and with equal stake in the fortunes and misfortunes of the country. Let us adopt a mindset with multiracial outlook whereby we are prepared to respect and defend the rights of all Malaysians wherever and whenever there are breached.

As we step into the year 2012, let us resolve to strive to enhance the good we have inherited. Let us resolve not to succumb to the evil motives of the minority but be steadfast in our efforts to build a united, modern and prosperous nation that our descendants will be proud of. Our destiny is in our hands and we alone must decide that with great wisdom and maturity.

Happy Near year 2012