Wednesday, July 30, 2014

7 rahsia tidak lupa dalam kelas

 


Thursday, July 24, 2014

They said "Shame on Malaysia..." and this is my answer

Last night (July 21, 2014), I watched CNN till morning and followed live twitter with some of the journalists on-site. There are 3 statements which make me feel annoying and angry...

On-site journalist said: Shame on Malaysian to negotiate with rebel... we westerner will not.

My answer: Yes! of course we are not westerner, we are asianer.. haha!!!

Hey!!! This is not our war. This is their war. We are not interest to get involve with this war. Blame game is not our favorite method. Pointing finger is not our style. Fighting with blood hands also not our favorite approach. We have a lot of experience dealing with militants (communist) since past 60 years ago. If you are a father and your kid has been kidnapped, what will you do? Just let the police take the action while you can sit on the comfort leather couch, cross your legs, have nice hot espresso and keep mumbling all nonsense matter? As a responsible 'father', we (our government) will take any necessary actions as long as it did not harm any other peoples while in the same time can keep good relationship with respective parties. Hard action is the last option. We are not the guys who always keep talk loudly, blaming each other with NO positive results. Sometimes, lowering your head does not mean you lost the game, lowering your tone does not mean you lost your voice. This is the power of negotiation and diplomacy. And we successfully got all what we want! 3 objectives achieved in one night! Black boxes, retrieve the bodies, full access to the site. This are the facts which already written in the world history!

CNN correspondent said: Why they handover those black boxes to Malaysian? Dutch suffer more than them!

My answer: Hello brother! If you drive your wonderful 5 series BMW car with your friends and suddenly get into accident, will you willing to give your car engine, your car steering, your car key to your friends? Just because they also involve with the accident? Malaysia Airline is a property of Malaysian. Every single part of the aircraft belongs to us. I could not see any technical relationship between black box and Dutch passenger. Yes, they (Dutch) lost more than us because more than half of the passengers are from Netherlands but do you think by counting the number can be considered "more suffer" than others? For us, if only one life lost already consider as an extremely suffer for this specific crime!

CNN correspondent said: Do Malaysian have expert to analyze those black boxes? They should give to expert!

My answer: Yes, I understand that maybe you think that Malaysians are stupid BUT we are not too stupid to handle this kind of crime especially the black boxes. We know what we should do, we know our capabilities, we know our resources, we know to whom should we ask, we know what is the meaning of cooperation, we know what is the meaning of responsible, we know what is the meaning of justice. And the most important thing is we know ACTION IS BETTER THAN TALKING. Don't worry too much brother! Don't think too much with the issue that you should not think too much!

Conclusion

Leader stands tall. Malaysia is my country. I'm proud to be Malaysian. I'll fly with Malaysian Airlines.


Terima kasih,

Ezral

Note: This is brokenlish language.

Monday, July 21, 2014

Friday, July 18, 2014

Another MAS airplane not coming home

 

Another MAS airplane not coming home. Another heart break.

I am a frequent flyer and every time I take MAS coming home, I cherish the announcement: "To all Malaysians, Welcome home." Going home is such a simple expectation in life yet nothing is certain.

I am sure all of us will be standing in solidarity with the families of the 298 souls lost in Ukraine.

I hope we can put down our differences for now and stand by the Najib Government in demanding truth and justice for the plane that has been shot down. It is inexcusable for firing ground-to-air missiles when there is no air strike. The perpetrators must be held accountable.

I also hope we will stand behind MAS. It is frustrating to see MAS fails in issuing the manifest or informing the families at the first instance. But let us stand by our national carrier. Let us remember the families and the colleagues of the 15 crew members. They are crying now. Let us stand by them.

If you know anyone in MAS, give them a pat on the shoulder, or even a hug. It must be terribly difficult for them to suffer two such losses in a span of five months. Please be emphatic. Even if you are angry with the management and the politicians who appointed them, please separate the staff from them.

From information available now, some military men or politicians who ordered the firing of ground-to-air missiles are to be blamed. There is nothing the Government or MAS could do to prevent that.

Let us stand together as a nation at this juncture. Some Malaysians can never come home anymore. Let us keep ourselves and our home -- Malaysia -- well for them in their memories.

Let us not lose more than the planes.
 
 

Monday, July 14, 2014

Why am I always being tested?

Why am I always being tested? Why is life so hard? Why don't I ever get this or that? Why? Why?

I am always asking: Why was I tested?

Quran answers: “Do men think that they will be left alone saying, ’We believe’, and that they will not be tested? We did test those before them, and Allah will certainly know those who are true from those who are false.” [29:2-3]

I am always asking: Why could I never get what I want?

Quran answers: ”It is possible that you dislike a thing which is good for you, and that you love a thing, which is bad for you. But Allah knows, while you know not.” Surah Al-Baqarah [2:216]

I am always asking: Why was I burdened this way?
Quran answers: “Allah does not place a burden to a soul greater than it can bear. It gets every good that it earns, and it suffers every ill that it earns.” Surah Al-Baqarah [2:286] & “So verily, with every difficulty there is relief: (repeated) Verily, with every difficulty there is relief.” Surah Al-Insyirah [94:5-6]

I am always asking: Why do I lose hope?

Quran answers: “So lose not heart, nor fall into despair…” Surah Al-Imran [3:139]

I am always asking: How can I face it?

Quran answers: ” O you who believe! Persevere in patience and constancy; compete in such perseverance; strengthen each other; and fear Allah that you may prosper.” Surah Al-Imran [3:200] & “And seek (Allah’s) help with patience, perseverance and prayer: It is indeed hard, except to those who bring a humbly submissive (to Allah).” Surah Al-Baqarah [2:45]

I am always asking: What do I get for all these?

Quran answers: “Indeed, Allah has purchased from the believers their lives and properties (in exchange) for that they will have the garden (of Paradise)…” Surah At-Taubah [9:111]

I am always asking: To whom can I depend?
Quran answers: “(Allah) suffices me: there is no god but He: On Him is my trust- He the Lord of the Throne (of Glory) Supreme.” Surah At-Taaubah [9:129]

I always say: But I can’t take it anymore!

Quran answers: “…and never give up hope of Allah’s Soothing Mercy; truly No one despairs of Allah’s Soothing Mercy. except Those who have no faith.” Surah Yusuf [9:87] & “Despairs not of the Mercy of Allaah: for Allaah forgives All sins for He is Often- Forgiving, Most Merciful.” Surah Az-Zumar [39:53]



Sunday, July 6, 2014

The banning of Soup Kitchen's distributing food in KL

I am not a veteran volunteer, but I have had a fair share of experience volunteering at various soup kitchens across Kuala Lumpur since I was 16. This is my humble opinion and is not linked to any organisations that I have volunteered with. 

From cutting onions to packing food to distributing food in the soup kitchen, we have never been paid. Most soup kitchens receive monetary donation or food donation from various sponsors, be it an individual, company or food operator. Each soup kitchen has their location of distribution (sometimes 3/4 a night) and it is almost at the same spot every time they are on duty. Faces change among volunteers, some regular, some not. Same goes to those who come for food, some are regulars, some are not.

You see, not all of the people who come for soup kitchens are homeless. Some of them are, but a big number of them are people suffering from poverty. Extremely small income earners who cannot afford to feed their family, single mothers who have worked double shift on minimum wage and is unable to provide food for their children, and also old people who are not being cared after. People who have so little to live on, but with many many mouths to feed. Those are the people who line up day after day.

Do we feed the homeless, the drug users and sex workers? Yes we do. The raunchy looking guy with bloodshot red eyes? Yes we do. The man who smells like booze hardly able to stand straight while queueing? Yes we do. The man who pushes a stolen trolly from Giant with all his things inside? Yes we do. But we do not discriminate, we feed because they are hungry and because getting food is a problem for them.

Now, Dato Seri Tengku Adnan said in his statement, "We give them jobs but they don’t want as it is easy to get food as these street kitchens are feeding them". Putrajaya created a plan to give jobs to the jobless, and not specifically jobs for the homeless. Half of the homeless people do not even have proper identification as they are born out of prostitution, poverty, or is mentally unstable and unfit to find an occupation. Now Dato', I am pretty sure you have never gone down to the streets to volunteer, so let me give you a little introduction. Soup kitchens in Malaysia are not a walk-in-for-free KFC where it is open 24 hours for you to come in anytime you like, place your order and walk away with hot delicious food. Most soup kitchens only operate at night because volunteers have a day job. Then there's the weather, and the queue to take food, and trust me Dato', it is not the gourmet food you are fed with your entire life. Its basic food, just to beat the hunger. So those who come for food, can only come once a day, walk to the area of distribution, bear with the weather and queue just to get basic food. Easy? No Dato'. Its not.

By following your logic, we should ban free food for buka puasa at Masjids, because free food breeds homelessness. We should ban Langar meals at Gudhwaras and temples giving free vegetarian lunch, because we will breed homelessness. We should probably ban Ministers lavish open houses during festive seasons (which are paid by us, the rakyat btw), because that too will breed homelessness. Go ahead, ban them.
Another statement I find to be a bit out of hand is that, volunteer soup kitchens cause garbage infested scenes. Again, Dato, this is not a restaurant where we open tables and serve food under the romantic streetlights of "your" city. Most of the food are packed and given to them where they would go to other places and eat. Either at home, or if they are homeless, wherever they seek shelter. Most don't eat at the location because there is no space due to the queue and also due to the other services a soup kitchen provide, like a mobile clinic or a free haircutting service. In every soup kitchen, there will be volunteers who will be in charge of the location and queue to ensure that people don't mess the area up or create a scene. Guess what, some of them even clean after the place too, even when the litter was there before the soup kitchen came.

Its funny how you say soup kitchens cause the garbage. Let me ask you, Dato, have you ever been to a pasar malam or pasar ramadhan? Where people dump garbage as they walk, after they buy food and after they sell their goods? Have you ever walked on a street the morning after a pasar malam? Its infested with garbage, plastic wrappers. Oh go shut them down too, why not.

Do you know why the rakyat is so unhappy with this ban? Well first of all, it is not your city, it is ours. We paid you to run it. Secondly, is because this shows what your priority is, which is image over welfare. Orang melayu kata, biar papa asalkan bergaya, mungkin itulah pegangan hidup Dato. And thirdly, is because we know how it is like to fall. Sometimes, life pulls the carpet under you and you crash with everything around you, and you need help to get up. There is no shame in asking for help, but there is great shame when you are so arrogant, you stop others from seeking help. You may be blessed today, you drive your fancy car, live in your big house and eat delicious food all day everyday. But like those who queues up for free food, they did not ask for that moment when their life turned upside down. And lastly, is because, we, the volunteers/donors, take it upon ourselves to settle a problem that should have been YOUR responsibility. But in our mission, you ban us?

I sincerely hope you learn a few lessons on humility before life teaches you the hard way. There's no shame in wanting to erase poverty and homelessness. In fact I think its noble. But there is shame in condemning others, just because life is a little harsh on them.

I hope you reconsider. But nonetheless, I know the NGOs will not let your ruling stop them, because they are the heroes. They have always been the heroes.

Thank you.

Background story: 

From: http://www.nst.com.my/node/9407

KUALA LUMPUR: FOOD distributed by soup kitchen volunteers was often not disposed of properly, leading to rubbish piling up in the city and attracting rats and other pests.

This was one of the reasons cited by Federal Territories Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor when he instructed soup kitchens to move out of the city centre by next Monday.

Tengku Adnan said that this move was part of the ministry’s efforts to clean up the streets of the capital.
He said that soup kitchens would not be allowed to distribute food to the homeless within a two-kilometre radius from the Lot 10 shopping mall in Bukit Bintang here.

Tengku Adnan said there were other avenues for the homeless to get food, such as places of worship, and advised the non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to distribute food outside the city.

Tengku Adnan said NGOs found distributing food inside the 2km radius would be fined.

“There is a proper way for charity, not through the streets,” he said, adding that he wanted the city to be free of beggars.

“We do not want beggars to beg, we want them to work,” he said, referring to those who were physically and mentally fit.

“We have found them work and sought cooperation from supermarkets and restaurants, but they work for two days and run away,” he said, adding that they were lazy.

“We have 1.5 million foreigners working in the country and there are ample jobs,” he said, adding that some beggars preferred to live on charity than work.

Tengku Adnan added that beggars who were disabled or afflicted by drug addiction would be referred to the relevant government agencies. He said City Hall had plans to build a shelter home for those who really needed it.

“The problem is that when we provide shelter homes, the beggars become complacent. I have to be harsh or society will not be disciplined,” said Tengku Adnan, adding that this was necessary as the city’s image was suffering.


Saturday, July 5, 2014

Name and shame: mentally disabled WWQ7043


Saw the lady driver of WWQ 7043 getting down, so I politely told her that it was a disabled parking, and that the one behind her wasn't.

Lady: Yeah, I know. I always park here.
Me: But it's a disabled parking, and you're not disabled.
Lady: I always park here. I'm in a hurry (walks away).
Me: ...


Conclusion? She must be mentally disabled. So I've decided to name and shame. Please share this.