Malaysia's AUG 31-SEP 16 Celebration

That time of the year where Malaysians are supposed to get all hyped up over two separate days! First, we get to be excited about Merdeka on the very last day of August and just a little over two weeks later, we're reigniting the party vibes for Malaysia Day, which is today!

If we care to be honest, there are actually two different narratives for one citizenry separated by the South China Sea. There's nothing irreconcilable about having two-origin stories because both are threaded together into one shared destiny. 

And Malaysians celebrate the two days as if they are equal parts of one grand celebration! Meaning, both days happily complement one another. August 31 is not complete without September 16 and vice versa. It's as simple as that.

I don't know about you but methinks, this is just awesome!

So fellow Malaysians, stand tall and proud! HAPPY MALAYSIA DAY!

Happy Malaysia Day

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Happy Malaysia Day!

 

We should do some serious thinking. It’s been 67 years since the Federation of Malaya attained independence from British colonial rule and 61 years since Malaya, Sarawak, Sabah and Singapore came together to form the Federation of Malaysia. [Singapore, of course, was asked to leave in 1965].

 

Every year those in Peninsular Malaysia celebrate both Merdeka Day on August 31 and Malaysia Day on September 16. Me included.

 

But why do we need to have two National Days? FMT columnist A Kathirasen raises a valid question. Shouldn’t Malaysia Day be National Day as it covers the whole nation? He is suggesting that we should all just celebrate one day, i.e. September 16. Methinks, it merits important consideration.

 

Every Malaysian knows that Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra al-Haj (left) declared the independence of the Federation of Malaya on August 31, 1957 by shouting “Merdeka” seven times at Stadium Merdeka in Kuala Lumpur. But that was not the only occasion in which he did that.

 

The father of independence also shouted “Merdeka” seven times at the same place when he announced the merging of the Federation of Malaya with Singapore, Sarawak and Sabah to form Malaysia on September 17, 1963, a day after its official founding. The name “Malaysia” only came about after September 16, 1963.

 

August 31 does not have the same significance for Sarawakians and Sabahans as it does for those in the peninsula. Last year, Sabah celebrated August 31 as Sabah Day to mark the day Sabah gained self-governance from British rule, on the road to the formation of Malaysia. However, Sabah Day was only officially gazetted this year. In 2016, Sarawak gazetted July 22 as Sarawak Independence Day and a public holiday – and the state observed the 50th anniversary of Sarawak’s independence from Britain with pomp and ceremony on July 22, 2013.

 

If Malaya, Sabah and Sarawak had been granted independence on the same day – as was initially planned – we would all have only one day of independence to celebrate.

 

But thanks to opposition to the formation of Malaysia by Indonesia and the Philippines, the United Nations decided to send a fact-finding mission to the two Borneo states to ascertain if the people really wanted a Federation of Malaysia, and the formation of Malaysia was pushed to September 16.

 

The existence of a Merdeka Day, Sabah Day, and a Sarawak Day sadly illustrates the reality of the situation: Malaysia is not just divided between East and West by the South China Sea, but also by emotional attachment. 

 

I reckon, it is high time we exercise courage to properly bridge all this "separateness" and "separation" and that we truly become one. 

 

Can we do it, I wonder? Do we want to?

September 16 is Malaysia Day

September 16 is Malaysia Day!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Happy Malaysia Day!

And here's a message from Malaysian singer, Yuna:

Happy Malaysia Day

Y-a-y-y-y, today is Malaysia Day! 

Language grows and continuously adapts, evolving as we come up with better words that reflect society today. More so, it mirrors life’s twists and turns – and hence, we can expect language to change, so that we can communicate complex ideas with clarity and with the minimal amount of ambiguity.

Here's a good illustration. I’m sure you know Snow White's seven dwarfs, right?

Doc is telling us that he has given new names to his fellow "little people" because he's now the Subject Matter Expert on Psychology! LOL!

Oh My Malaysia!

On Hari Malaysia, I believe the "AKU MALAYSIA" series of VOICES of Truth and Hope for Malaysia resonates with many Malaysians. These 3 voices in particular convey our sentiments only too well. 

Speaker: Jo Kukathas:

 

Speaker: Amy Dangin:

 

Speaker: Larissa Ping:

 

To my mind, the three speakers have given us much to think about, to ponder and to reflect. 

In spite of the setbacks, the betrayals and the challenges, we must not give up on the country. We must continue to uphold #kitajagakita. And we must put a whole lotta faith in ourselves – I'm referring to ordinary Malaysians – to do our bit and move all of us forward, together as one rakyat and one nation.

This is what it is to be a Malaysian during these testing times.

For Malaysia, for Malaysians! Selamat Hari Malaysia everybody!

A Careless Choice of Fonts

Embarrassment greeted online movie and video streaming website iQIYI Malaysia after their Malaysia Day poster went viral on social media for all the wrong reasons. 

Obviously, they had to take it out. They clarified that the tagline for the campaign was “Anak Malaysia” and not the other 4-letter word that we might have assumed. And they apologized for the confounding design and careless choice of fonts. 

But I wish their expression of regret wasn't flighty, flippant and frivolous!

A green housing project labelled the “vertical forest” is slowly but surely being adopted. One example is found in Chengdu, the capital of southwestern China's Sichuan province:

 

The brainchild of Italian architect Stefano Boeri (left), Bosco Verticale (“Vertical Forest”) is the concept of residential high-rises packed with greenery, which can help cities build for density while improving air quality. 

The first “vertical forests” were realized in 2014 in the Porta Nuova Isola area of Milan, Italy, where two towers – with over 100 apartments between them – together host nearly 500 medium and large trees, 300 small trees, 5,000 shrubs, and 11,000 plants.

 

The science is simple: Trees are the cheapest and most efficient way to absorb carbon dioxide. The 20,000 trees and plants across this pair of towers can transform approximately 44,000 pounds of carbon dioxide into oxygen each year. 

That’s not the only benefit. Trees, a perennial gift from nature, can also keep temperatures cool indoors and filter out fine dust particles and noise pollution from traffic below.

Malaysia Day 2020

To my fellow Malaysians: It's September 16th! A Happy Malaysia Day, everybody!

Follow-up posters that I also did for Ahmad Fakhri’s “Communicate with Confidence” webinars in September – check out my post published September 02:

Be A Better Malaysian

Joyce Tan showed me this short film by EcoWorld & Grim Film “Made in Malaysia” and I thought every Malaysian should see it:

I know this was meant for Hari Merdeka and Hari Malaysia – but I don’t care! 

To me, it shouldn’t stay relevant for only those two days – in fact, it is for the whole 365 days in a year – and year after year after year because it serves as a daily reminder to all Malaysians that if we “want a better Malaysia, be a better Malaysian”! 

I dare Malaysians to take up the challenge "to be a better Malaysian"!

Last evening, I was at the BBCC location for the EcoWorld Toastmasters club meeting – and there, I had taken up the role of Table Topics Evaluator. 

This was one of those rare EcoWorld Toastmasters meetings that I would describe as being placid, cold sober and unflappable. Still a good meeting though.

Photos from the said meeting:

Malaysia Day 2019

Happy Malaysia Day! 

Barbie has been many things – from a bathing beauty to an astronaut to even president.

And Mattel has just made public a version of the iconic doll that is inspired by Mexico’s traditional Day of the Dead celebration. 

The latest collectible is a Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, Barbie (left) – to be sold for $75 (RM312.64) – and is based on the famous “Catrina” – a character drawn by cartoonist Jose Guadalupe Posada in 1912. 

Diego Rivera, a prominent Mexican painter whose frescoes helped establish the Mexican mural movement in Mexican art also immortalized the character in a mural completed in 1947. 

The Day of the Dead festival, celebrated in Mexico from October 31 to November 02, is believed to be when the gateway separating the living and the deceased opens, allowing people to pay their respects to those who have passed. 

Barbie has always been known for her excellent fashion sense, and she’s dressed for this occasion wearing a black, ruffled dress embroidered with monarch butterflies, as well as yellow and red marigolds. 

This particular Barbie's face is painted as a traditional Day of the Dead skull mask and she's decked out with a headpiece featuring marigolds and more monarchs. 

“That the tradition is recognized with this doll, the best known in the world, is something that makes me proud”, Mexican toy collector Jaqueline Vidal told AFP in Mexico City, where the collectible doll was officially unveiled on Thursday. 

The limited-edition doll has nevertheless invited controversy by some who consider it “cultural appropriation” – using a time-honored tradition to make money. 

I agree because nobody would believe Barbie celebrates Day of the Dead! 

But Mattel fared a lot better with the Barbie doll of Rosa Parks (right) – the legendary US civil rights activist. 

The doll released on August 26, is part of Mattel’s Inspiring Women series depicting female role models and heroines of their time. 

Rosa Parks on December 01, 1955 had refused an order to give up her seat to a white passenger and move to the back of the bus – and her act of defiance became the catalyst for the Montgomery Bus Boycott. 

‘Rosa Parks’ quiet strength played a notable role in the civil rights movement, but it would still take another nine years and more struggles before the 1964 Civil Rights Act overruled existing segregation laws. 

Anyway, the above is all about continuing to make Barbie relevant. And of course, raking up profits in the process.

Mahathir Mohamad’s Commitment to Sarawak & Sabah

Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad (right) and Sabah Chief Minister Shafie Apdal (left) in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah yesterday. The Malaysian Insight pic, September 16, 2018

Mahathir Mohamad is in Sabah since yesterday. 

Yesterday, in his first address to Sabahans since becoming prime minister (again), Mahathir announced Putrajaya’s commitment to returning the two East Malaysian states to their rightful status as equal partners in the federation. 

This means that the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63), which set out the terms and conditions in which the Sabah, Sarawak and Singapore agreed to merge the Federation of Malaya to form Malaysia – can be expected to be fully restored. 

[Note: Singapore under Lee Kuan Yew (left) divorced Malaysia to become an independent and sovereign state on August 09, 1965]. 

All this while, the rights of Sabah and Sarawak have been brazenly violated – and regretfully, with the acquiescence of the local leaders. 

In fact, the Federal Constitution was even amended in 1976 to downgrade these two territories to the 12th and 13th states in Malaysia. 

Many of us lacked understanding of what MA63 really means. 

MA63 is an international agreement, registered in the United Nations on September 21, 1970, bearing the registration number 10760. 

Being an international agreement, this means the Malaysian Parliament has no authority to amend the terms of MA63. 

Even more importantly, Sabah and Sarawak have the authority to enforce MA63 on their own (Article 8 of MA63). 

If you can recall that in November 2016, then-Chief Minister Adenan Satem had proposed a motion to reclaim Sarawak's rights under MA63 in the state assembly, but this was withheld at the last moment. If the motion had gone ahead, it could be seen as the Sarawak state government exercising its right under Article 8 of MA63. 

Instead Sarawak opted on a diplomatic approach with the federal government in resolving the issue of unfulfilled rights under MA63. 

And yet until today, the status quo more or less remains. 

That explains why many Sabahans and Sarawakians think the 1963 decision to form Malaysia is bittersweet as they feel that they have been shortchanged. 

Indeed, Temenggong Jugah Barieng’s (right) reminder before the formation of Malaysia on September 16, 1963 – “Anang baka tebu, manis ba pun tang tabar ba ujung” (Iban for 'Do not be like the sugar cane, sweet at the beginning but tasteless at the end') rings true. 

[Temenggong Jugah played a fundamental role in bringing Sarawak into the Federation of Malaysia on July 22, 1963].

And in the run-up to GE14, Pakatan Harapan incorporated MA63 in their ten pledges in 100 days of government. They had promised to set up a task force to study how to return autonomy to Sabah and Sarawak, as set out in the Malaysia Agreement 1963. 

Mahathir acknowledged that we have wronged Sabah and Sarawak and it is heart-warming that on Malaysia Day itself, he reiterated the promise that the PH government under New Malaysia will remedy this injustice – as part of their review of MA63. 

It’s time we are respectful and fair to both Sabah and Sarawak.

Kika's Body Paint Illusions

I don't know if you’ve heard of Mirjana Milosevic or Kika as she is popularly known – but I stumbled upon her today and I’m glad I did.

A talented make-up artist from Serbia who creates astonishing body paint illusions. In fact, her make-up deception videos are very popular on YouTube – check her amazing work here:

On Friday, four drinking buddies met in Damansara Jaya, Selangor.

Male bonding time.

And the first time we took photos. 

And still, very much sober.

After all, it’s TGIF time! 

And last but not least, here’s wishing ALL MALAYSIANS:

I’m also sharing this video clip of a CIMB Malaysia Day 2018 musical project “Sound of A Nation”:

Truly, a celebration of Unity in Diversity, a triumph of Hope in a New Malaysia!

Malaysia Day in 2016

My country.

And a broken heart.

But the dream is still intact. I'm Malaysian, after all!

Red Shirts Hijack Malaysia Day

A group at Jalan Conlay seen carrying a banner, ‘Malaysia Melayu Punya’ ahead of the Red Shirt rally. The message is clear. Pic courtesy of Malaysiakini, September 16, 2015

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DAP are the bogeyman of the day as Malays in red shirts gather to allegedly show off the strength and unity of the race. The Malaysian Insider pic by Seth Akmal, September 16, 2015

 

 
 

 
 
 

 

 

 
 
 

 
 
 

  

Photos courtesy of media organizations

 

UMNO Supreme Council member Annuar Musa who was there at the Red Shirt Rally – which hijacked Malaysia Day – claimed it had attracted 250,000 people (read, Malays).

 

There is no point in arguing with people who are fatally infected with idiocy but the photo below puts everything in the correct perspective:

 

 

According to The Malaysian Insider, Annuar had admitted that some (read, all) of the rally participants were sponsored but claimed that Bersih 4's organizers also paid people to attend their rally on the Merdeka weekend.

 

Now that this has been revealed, I am going to submit my claim for RM300 to Bersih 2.0 for attending the Bersih 4.0 rally.

So officially, Red Shirts number 250,000 versus Bersih's yellow shirts which only managed to muster 30,000! If you believe it lah!

The Bersih Yellow rally was for a better Malaysia and all the Red Shirts did was to batter Malaysia!