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Two events I wanted to highlight this coming Saturday -

1) PKR CNY Open House!

Tarikh: 27 Februari 2010 (Sabtu)
Masa: 11 pagi – 1 tengahari
Tempat: Dewan MBPJ BU 3, Jalan BU 3/1, Petaling Jaya

2) Saturday Night with Your Grandfather’s Road

We’ve had a wonderful launch last month with the screening of two short films and a presentation about Your Grandfather’s Road Project. We would like to invite YOU, all of you, for another similar event at 8.30pm on the 27th February 2010 @Fullhouse Lifestyle Store & Cafe, Ara Damansara.

Two films we’re screening are:

“The Invigilator”, directed by Manesh Nesaratnam, is a story about two high-school teachers and their aspirations in the teaching profession. Starring celebrity actors Cheryl Samad, and Tony Eusoff, this film is at once a light-hearted clash of pedagogical perspectives and at the same time an echo of societies’ frustrations with the inadequacies of available education systems.

“Baby The Rain Will Fall”, a short film by Adrian Loh, co-directed with Manesh Nesaratnam, is about a girl with a secret and her problems with love. Starring Davina Goh and Alfred Loh, this light-hearted drama takes inspiration from the real-life accounts of a girl with a rare medical condition, in seek of social and self-acceptance.

There will also be a session with Manesh Nesaratnam, Creative Director of Your Grandfather’s Road, sharing with you about the project and the vision.

Invite your friends and hope to see you there!! :)

** 30 exclusive YGR goodie bags to be given away.

So, one has to ask, are these 3 women the only Muslims having illicit sex in Malaysia?

I hope you will forgive me if I sidestep the question of whether such caning is just, or defensible under Islamic law, etc. For today, let me restrict myself to questions of fairness, consistency and justice.

I have yet to read of how and under what circumstances these women were caught. I don’t know if there were the sufficient quorom of witnesses as I assume is required under Islamic law.

But I think we need to be asking some serious questions. First among them: can we expect every single Muslim who has sex outside marriage (or, and I suppose this is the kicker, is caught doing so) to be caned henceforth?

If this is the case, can we assume that every single politician or other leader in this country has never had sex outside marriage (or I suppose, been caught doing so), seeing as none of them have apparently been caned for the offense?

Is this likely or plausible? I guess that is terpulang kepada kebijaksanaan tuan-tuan dan puan-puan sekalian (for you to decide).

I guess it’s lucky Chua Soi Lek is not Muslim, or that the allegations against Jamaluddin Jarjis were untrue. Imagine if we had to cane our Ambassador to the United States.

Of course, there are other prominent politicians that many joke of having lurid (and international) tastes.

God forbid that any such videos will come to light, because now that we have told the world what we do to Muslim adulterers and adulteresses, imagine trying to explain why some get caned and some don’t. Even worse is if the world starts to think we only cane adulteresses, but not adulterers.

Honestly, I’m amazed at our government’s actions. At breakfast today, we spoke once again of how Umno is trapped. As long as it focuses on and is defined by only its racial politics, it will forever be driven to do things like this for political gain.

ps- If anyone is able to provide the details of the cases, including the proof that was levelled against the women, I would be most obliged.

If he had become a BN friendly independent, I think we really would have shown no mercy.

That said, one cannot help but notice a few facts about this resignation.

I think the one that jumped out at me the most:

He said, “Pakatan will not last long. It is people like Lim Guan Eng that shall destroy Pakatan. I will not be a part of this group of people which are destroying my country, my race and my religion”.

What?… Agama, bangsa dan negara? Umno’s own motto? Tsk tsk tsk. Exactly what signal is he giving out here?

Here’s my other ‘favourite’ -

While acknowledging that he is elected by the people, he said that he also has to consider his own interests: “There must be a balance between the people’s interests and my interests”.

… The ‘political commentator’ in me wants to rip into him for even mentioning ‘my interests’ in the same breath as ‘the people’s interest’. What kind of aspiring servant of the people talks that way??

But you know what? Let’s give the benefit of the doubt to Mr. not-BN-friendly-independent. I admit that the cross of an ideal YB is not easy to bear. The service and dedication it requires is immense. Indeed, we cannot expect them to be saints – not unless we ourselves are willing to step up to the plate.

All that said however, I think we can expect them not to be so thick skinned as to talk about personal interests as if they weighed the same as the interest’s of the rakyat who elected him and his party.

Political parties are a tiring and frustrating thing – take my word for it. But on their best of days, they stand for real ideals and principles – ideals and principles that are expected to outlast and go beyond the individuals that lead thoes parties.

Should individuals feel that their own personal interests are more important than those ideals and principles, I agree that it is a necessary and welcome parting of the ways. Whether the people follow individual or party I think time will very soon show (I know what I have my money on, should Zahrain decide to run as an independent).

Just very briefly, I too have heard the many various comments about Guan Eng’s style, but certainly have no locus to make any independent comment. I have to agree though, if the press statement (which deserves an award for number of times “RM 2 company” is mentioned, haha) below rings true, then I think that a bigger issue is at hand. Zahrain’s failure to address these concerns publicly has very much not gone unnoticed.

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