Its another weekend gone. Why does it seem all weekends seem to pass by in a blink of an eye? This whole week has been a bittersweet week as someone so poignantly coined it. It has all the ups and downs and surprises that equates a soap opera, a day time drama :p ok, that was in my overactive mind and the need for exaggeration. However, the whole week has been a series of ups and downs at work, at personal life, an early morning surprise visit, a Broadway show, a wedding discussion and a weekend party at Velvet~! All in a lot of ongoings for the week and in the end, the ending was something I didn't expect nor hope and it turned out fine. At least now, I have something to hope for in the coming 2 weeks and it will be filled with loads of activities and fun and anticipation. Because the week that cultiminated at Velvet had brought on a different dimension and maybe a little hope.
But for once in Velvet, things were quiet and the dancefloor was empty at 12midnite. Now that is very surprising. Ok, being the doofus and ignorant that I am, I had to be told by a foreigner that there was a riot in KL and everyone had stayed home in fear that things will get out of control. But then, the fact was my journey from my house to Bangsar and then to Zouk was smooth and peaceful. No signs of riots taking place and no signs of rioters marching and chanting and shouting. So there goes my ignorance. However, as I was surfing I saw that the riots was reported in several international press like International Herald Tribune, New York Times, Reuters, BBC News, AP, Al Jazeera etc. I was also watching the few clips that reported on it. The one by Al Jazeera hit home hard about Malaysia's political stability, government and democracy. This is the clip.
I wonder how does it spell out our democratic government. Does it mean we don't have a fair and clean election all these while? Does it mean our government is a farce and we are in the same league as Myanmar and Pakistan?
The riots did bring back memories of Anwar Ibrahim's trial. He was our ex Deputy Prime Minister, accused of sodomy and a string of charges as well. I remember that period very well because it shook Malaysia's political stability to its core. Some said it was a political agenda, some said he really did it. In my opinion whether he did or didn't do, its his personal life and so what if he really sodomize someone? I was still in high school then and with my high school strategically situated directly behind the National Mosque, going home on Fridays after 2pm would be a challenge. I remember an incident where my friends and I wanting to cross the road to get to Dayabumi for lunch and then head on to the bus stations for our bus ride home. And on our right we had the protesters heading towards us and on our left, the Federal Reserves Unit (F.R.U) was marching towards us. We were stuck right in the middle without knowing what to do and we panicked there and stood stuck to our position. In the end, a policewoman came and urged us to cross the road to Dayabumi where it is safe. So in we ran and for the first time, we didn't have to worry about the oncoming traffic~!!!
I had always thought Malaysia as a politically stable country where we have access to all media, free press, clean and friendly image with the exception of a certain royalty privileges granted to an ethnic group. However, reality is starting to sink in with bribery at large, government scandals uncovered, media control and my interactions with the outside world seems to paint a different Malaysia than the one I knew and I grew up in. Somehow, I wonder is Malaysia really spiraling downwards? Are we being sucked into a whirlpool and being dragged down? What does it mean to all of us Malaysians?
But for once in Velvet, things were quiet and the dancefloor was empty at 12midnite. Now that is very surprising. Ok, being the doofus and ignorant that I am, I had to be told by a foreigner that there was a riot in KL and everyone had stayed home in fear that things will get out of control. But then, the fact was my journey from my house to Bangsar and then to Zouk was smooth and peaceful. No signs of riots taking place and no signs of rioters marching and chanting and shouting. So there goes my ignorance. However, as I was surfing I saw that the riots was reported in several international press like International Herald Tribune, New York Times, Reuters, BBC News, AP, Al Jazeera etc. I was also watching the few clips that reported on it. The one by Al Jazeera hit home hard about Malaysia's political stability, government and democracy. This is the clip.
I wonder how does it spell out our democratic government. Does it mean we don't have a fair and clean election all these while? Does it mean our government is a farce and we are in the same league as Myanmar and Pakistan?
The riots did bring back memories of Anwar Ibrahim's trial. He was our ex Deputy Prime Minister, accused of sodomy and a string of charges as well. I remember that period very well because it shook Malaysia's political stability to its core. Some said it was a political agenda, some said he really did it. In my opinion whether he did or didn't do, its his personal life and so what if he really sodomize someone? I was still in high school then and with my high school strategically situated directly behind the National Mosque, going home on Fridays after 2pm would be a challenge. I remember an incident where my friends and I wanting to cross the road to get to Dayabumi for lunch and then head on to the bus stations for our bus ride home. And on our right we had the protesters heading towards us and on our left, the Federal Reserves Unit (F.R.U) was marching towards us. We were stuck right in the middle without knowing what to do and we panicked there and stood stuck to our position. In the end, a policewoman came and urged us to cross the road to Dayabumi where it is safe. So in we ran and for the first time, we didn't have to worry about the oncoming traffic~!!!
I had always thought Malaysia as a politically stable country where we have access to all media, free press, clean and friendly image with the exception of a certain royalty privileges granted to an ethnic group. However, reality is starting to sink in with bribery at large, government scandals uncovered, media control and my interactions with the outside world seems to paint a different Malaysia than the one I knew and I grew up in. Somehow, I wonder is Malaysia really spiraling downwards? Are we being sucked into a whirlpool and being dragged down? What does it mean to all of us Malaysians?
1 comments:
hey babe. just dropping by to give you some hugs. i still remember that day during anwar's trial!! i think sook yan and i and a few of us girls were in the cafe (opposite central market) eating our lunch and was about to go to our tuition classes at kasturi. suddenly, tear bombs were thrown outside that road. stupid tear gas. it was such a horrible experience!!
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