Illusions and Perceptions

First and foremost, I would like to congratulate Pakatan Rakyat for getting rid of another froggie. This froggie assemblyman from Bakar Arang, Kedah although has stressed that his reason to quit had nothing to do with him being dropped as Kedah state exco member recently, the truth is for us to judge.

One of the reasons he gives is so stupendously stupid that it makes one want to puke:“I love Anwar but now I see Najib working, I am beginning to love him.”

It is akin to saying that this froggie loves his wife and if he sees another woman who is more beautiful and cooks better than his wife, then he will abandon his wife and marry the other woman.

This froggie must have been caught in an illusion created by the PR company that is engaged by the government to create a perception that Najib is working hard. Hence, the front page picture of Najib shaking hands with President Obama to let the the world knows that Najib is one of the privilege few who is able to meet the most powerful man on earth. With millions being spent to market his image, ultimately it is the people who will make the judgment.

As I have mentioned before, marketing is about perceptions. It gives you a sense, usually a false sense of what is to be portrayed. Some good examples are the many TV commercials like baby powder and health food. We see how the so called fortified milk powder with DHA that can make a child talk like an orator and study like Einstein. We also see another commercial showing a well known actress drinking a calcium drink so that her bones can be strong but without mentioning how much of calcium is being absorbed.

Let us not be fooled by those illusions that we perceived everything is all right and smooth sailing in this country. We have already being fooled for more than 50 years. We have gambled and already lost the future of two generations.

Let us wake-up and come to our senses to change this country for the betterment of all. We cannot afford to gamble the future of our children anymore.

We have failed you, Brother James

-->When you left us all of a sudden, your hopes and wishes were left for us to fend

Restaurant business continues to prosper and seems to be in good hands

Our brothers try as hard to improve the business as they can

But then along the way, the path to success was marred by brotherly rants

What do you expect when one seems to be in total control?

How can they work as one when another one is almost incommunicado?

When finances and all are in a state of improbable fold

The end of Gourmet Terrace is already foretold

Now, like a flash of lightning, the restaurant has been sold

There goes all your hard work and the many sacrifices untold

Deep inside me there is anger and I cried for your poor soul

Oh James, how can I redeem your pride and lost pot of gold?

For far too many times we have failed you again and again

I can see your anger, frustrations and disdain

Please James, I seek your forgiveness with a deep sense of heart pain

We need your guidance to the path of success without

anymore restrains

What is gone is already gone

For there is no point to moan but to look beyond

We will fulfill your wish for brotherly bond

So James, please go seek solace with God and not be torn

Related post: read here

Five lessons for Pakatan Rakyat to be relevant

1) Patience and not hasten

The major victory of PR during the March 08 general election has brought so much of cheers among the people that it almost changed the course of the political history in this country. Maybe the cheers were so loud that it has gone into the heads of its leader who boldly declared that it has the necessary numbers of MPs who will crossed over to PR and thereby giving it a simple majority to form the next government. This number game has caused so much of confusion and a sense of false hope that in the end it was the BN that capitalize on this to wrest power in Perak.

It will be a very different political scenario if PR had planned on how to win the hearts of the people and shows what it can do to guide the country to greater heights. It must be patience enough and allow time for the people to follow and understand its political struggle.

2) From jubilation to turbulence

With the failure of PR to form the next government, we can now see the true colors of some of its MPs. Because these MPs felt there will be no rewards for them if they stay with PR, they decided to jump ship and switched alliance to BN. Only God knows what, who and how much is involved. And because money is able to do wonders, we see how these froggies attack PR through the many sinister revelations. Whether these revelations are facts or fictions, it has done enough damage and cause so much of turbulence in PR. It is with great importance now for PR to put its house in order before more froggies will jump ship.

3)Focus and not hocus-pocus

By now PR must have realized that, by simply winning big in an election does not guarantee that all will be smooth sailing. There is no magic wand for PR to do what it wants wantonly. It should stay focus on its political struggle for the people and the country. It must be bold enough to discard the old political rhetoric of racism which the people despise the most. One of the ways to achieve this is for all the component parties of PR to show true camaraderie and to speak with one voice. PR need not worry too much on those political goons who seem to thrive and survive on racism, let all right minded Malaysians take care of them through the ballot box.

4)Careful selection for greater contributions

Ah, this is the mother of all problems in PR. You see how all those froggies who have jumped ship hurling accusations and criticisms against PR. No one has an iota of inkling in PR that this can happen because no one too foresee that PR can managed to win big in the election. So any one at that time who is willing to stand for the election can be considered without vexing the true credentials, ability and background of the candidates by the PR leaders with PKR being the greatest culprit. I believe PR must have learned this bitter lesson so that in future only quality candidates will stand for elections.

5)Change or be changed

We have seen how PR made silly mistakes and blunders and how they were made to eat humble pie by BN. We have also seen how PR being attack on all fronts by BN through its controlled mainstream medias. With all these negative effects, PR must start to plan its strategy and willing to change and adapt to the needs and aspirations of the people. Whatever mistakes PR have committed, we as voters must be equally focused to support PR so that justice and fairness ca become a reality to all of us. After all, it is change we want, aren’t we?

Where life is cheap

Last Sunday, when there was nothing much for me to do, I decided to pop into the cinema to watch the Academy Award winner movie, The Hurt Locker which won the Best Picture category for 2009.

The storyline of the movie is base on the sacrifices of the US Army soldiers who are on duty in Iraq to provide security and to flush out the insurgents. It tells of a group of soldiers and a time bomb detonator who patrol the streets of Baghdad. Each time when they are out on the streets, there is fear that one might not come back alive. And very often, they will think of their families back home. And soldiers do cry!

Although it is only a movie, what has been shown is basically what the US soldiers have to endure in real life situations in Baghdad currently. In fact the chances of them being killed are extremely high. Because the soldiers are not able to differentiate between the insurgents and the ordinary people, they become easy targets. And when the insurgents mingled with the public, they can open fire or detonate themselves as suicide bombers easily. In fact, many soldiers have been killed either by suicide bombers or road-side bombs which are planted as an ambush. When the soldiers are patrolling on the streets, the insurgents can open fire like snipers from the rooftop and windows from the buildings. In other words, these soldiers are like sitting ducks waiting to be 'slaughtered' like a sacrificial lamb! Even with the advance technology of stealth and the Predator, neither one can save them.

In such a guerrilla warfare, there is no way the US Army is going to win: neither the battle nor the war. They have lost in the Vietnam War and the Russians too have lost the war in Afghanistan. In both wars, guerrilla warfare were engaged through the effective use of the tunnels by the Vietcongs and the supreme rein of the mountainous regions by the Afghans. And now the insurgents and the terrorists have the suicide bombers. While the US soldiers seemed to enjoy their booze and good life in the army camp, the terrorists seemed to 'enjoy' death and therefore, have already won a psychological warfare against the US soldiers.

With such a high mental stress on the soldiers and the fear of death looming over their heads each day, I believe many are on the verge of mental breakdown. I hope the soldiers can be sent home the soonest possible and wait to fight a more meaningful war: a war which they can be proud to fight and to die for.

Peace or War? It depends on all of us.

How we respect one another.

How we listen to one another.

How we understand one another.

How we believe in one another.

The worst is over

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The bold declaration by the PM that the worst is over for the Malaysian economy must be music to the ears of many. But then, to the many business communities, such music may sound hollow and distorted as many will shake their heads negatively with regards to business performance.Many will tell you that business has been extremely slow and there is lack of purchasing power of the consumers. If the economy is on the road to recovery, then why it is that it does not correlates to the performance of the businesses of many?

Although there were many statistics to show that the worst is over for the Malaysian economy, I am no economist or a politician to argue or dispute the facts. But what I would like to highlight are these keywords from a different perspective and context: The worst is over.

Imagine that you have been suffering from a chronic disease that disrupts your life for many years. You suffer so much because it is so debilitating that at times you contemplate about suicide. One day, a doctor managed to cure your disease and tell you that the worst is over for you. And from that day onwards, you realize that there is hope in life.

Imagine that you have been trying very hard to make ends meet. You struggle with your meager income to feed and educate your children. And to add to your financial woes, there are many bills and loans to pay. At times you just feel so helpless and hopeless. One day, luck is on your side and you strike it big in lottery. Finally, the worst is over for all your financial woes and you felt relieved with a sense of elation.

Imagine that your life has been nothing but full of miseries. Your job is full of pressure and stressful. Nothing you do seem to be right: from the office to your home. You are not able to cope with all these pressures in life and seem lost. The whole world seems to be against you. One day God(it does not matter whose God) seems to on your side and ‘opens’ up the world to embrace you. You feel a sense of belonging and slowly you are creeping back to society and you see happiness in you and your family. Finally, the worst is over and you realize that the world is just so wonderful.

Happy Chinese New Year

May the Tiger roar in to bring peace, prosperity and good health to all.