Before I proceed with my post, allow me to set the context right ...
I am a fan of stories on political espionage and conspiracy theories. In my hey days (read teenage to young adult years), I would lock myself in my room for hours on end, voraciously devouring books by Robert Ludlum (The Parsifal Mosaic, The Materese Circle, The Acquitaine Progression, the Bourne trilogy: The Bourne Identity, The Bourne Supremacy & The Bourne Ultimatum, and many, many more) and Jeffrey Archer (A Matter of Honour, Honour Among Thieves).
These days, I'd rather sit in front of the idiot box or the silver screen and allow the story to unfold. It's a quicker process than reading the whole darn book; although watching takes the fun out of unravelling the mystery and the clues at every turn of the events. :) That was what kept me glued to the books previously. But then, I had more patience then. Talk about the MTV generation and having short attention span. Bet Cordy will agree that I have been vastly influenced by this generation.
I have digressed enough. Allow me to get on with my post. I came across this article "Malaysia's axis mysteriously shifting" on Asia Times Online and it got me thinking of all the possible conspiracy theories that could be built from this ... and then some. So I did some googling and voila! I found lots of stuff. True or false, ... guilty or innocent, ... I leave that to you to decide, my wise readers.
1. "... The 2004 proliferation case involving Scomi, a company owned by Abdullah's son Kamaluddin, which was allegedly involved in supplying dual-use technology to Libya's clandestine nuclear-weapons program. ..." Summary of the case and the outcome can be read here and here. The question is, IS there more here than meets the eye?
2. U.N Oil for Food Scandal. "New York - It began as a U.N. humanitarian aid program called "Oil-for-Food," but it ended up with Saddam Hussein (search) pocketing billions to become the biggest graft-generating machine ever and enriching some of America's most forceful opponents at the United Nations (search). ... " Read more here and here. And Malaysia's involvement in this? Read Raja Petra's account here.
3. The Altantunya Murder Trial. I confessed I haven't been following the trial but even a blind man could see that there is more here than meets the eye. Want to check out more premises for conspiracy theories? Read here. Although it was written almost two months ago, the blogger asked some interesting questions. Not enough to raise more flags? How about the following article written by Raja Petra.
It does make one pause and think, doesn't it? I remember an old idiom that goes, "there's no smoke without fire". Then again, a man is innocent until proven guilty.
Truth or lies? Guilt or innocence? Perhaps we will never know.
But these are surely great fodder for conspiracy theories. Time to write a book on one and earn millions. Perhaps be another Dan Brown in the making. All we need is one darn great book (ala Da Vinci Code) that creates enough interests and controversies that it becomes the talk-of-town. But make sure it's written under the "fiction" category so that you don't get sued (or hauled into ISA in this case).
Anyone up to the challenge of becoming the first Malaysian Dan Brown? :)
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Saturday, August 25, 2007
50 years of Merdeka but what have we really learned?
Did you notice the recent spate of endless speeches from politicians (and the powers that be) and the frequent propaganda on TV, radio and print about how Malaysians are a tolerant society that lives in peace and harmony? Have you ever wondered how much truth is there in these statements? Are we really living in peace, harmony and racial tolerance? Have you ever questioned the sincerity of these statements? Are the people making such statements merely paying lip service?
Some of you might be laughing now. Questions like these are tantamount to asking oneself, "Is my mother a woman?"
Here are some recent statements made by our politicians:
An excerpt on the "keris issue" as written by Farish A. Noor:
" Former UMNO leader Mohamad Rahmat was among the first off the starting post when he uttered the dreaded A-word: “Don’t test the Malays, they know ‘amok’”. Melaka delegate Hasnoor Sidang Hussein added more blood to the feast when he bluntly stated that “UMNO is willing to risk lives and bathe in blood in defence of race and religion”. UMNO Youth Exco member Azimi Daim added that “when tension rises, the blood of Malay warriors will run in our veins”. (Prompting the obvious question: What happens when there is no tension? Whose blood is running in their veins then?) But the first prize for grandstanding has to go to Perlis delegate Hashim Suboh who directed his question to UMNO leader Hishamuddin Onn: “Datuk Hisham has unsheathed his keris, waved his keris, kissed his keris. We want to ask Datuk Hisham: when is he going to use it?” ... "
An excerpt from International Herald Tribune:
" Malaysia's prime minister, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, said Wednesday that frayed relations between the country's religious and racial groups had reached a "worrying" level and warned that the government would not hesitate to crack down to preserve peace between them. ... "
Does the above reflect a society living in peace, harmony and racial tolerance? Have we considered that statements made by certain powers that be could incite discontent which could potentially lead to violence? But that is another matter altogether and not the subject of this post.
As we approach our 50th year of Independence, instead of progressing in terms of tolerating each other, we seem to have digressed.
Why does it seem so easy for me to have close Malay friends in my younger days?
Why are so many issues and topics so sensitive these days, unlike say 15-20 years back?
Why is it that as the country progress, the fabric of unity within our society seem to disintegrate?
And as I ponder these questions, a few statements I overheard in recent months came to mind.
Quote:
"I pay ridiculous amount in taxes and they dare question my loyalty to the country?"
"I did not say I dislike my country. In fact, I love my country. I just dislike the people who rules her."
"Why is every issue about race and religion these days?"
"Loving something doesn't mean I agree with all their policies."
"Shhh! Don't say that so loudly. Walls have ears and you might end up under ISA detention."
Unquote.
As long as the powers that be continues to be an ostrich, discontent will continue to simmer. Whether this will erupt into a full blown conflagration will depend on how far the spark is left to linger and nurtured.
I came across this post while surfing, and I believe this young man said it best here.
Quote:
"We are reaching our 50th year of independence. But ask yourself, how far have we progressed socially? Do people have genuine friends from other races nowadays? Do people feel safe when they live as a minority in certain areas? What do people tell you if you get into a car accident at a kampung area?
If given a choice, would people of different races make the conscious effort to get together, other than for the purpose of politics?"
Unquote.
Check out the Southpark video clip on that blog. It's hilarious (that is if you have a sense of humour where these matters are concerned). But the clip, funny as it is, has quite a huge dose of truth in it.
One radio station has been zealously advertising and encouraging the good citizens of Malaysia to purchase a unity band. I laughed when I heard this over the airwaves. Do we believe that wearing a unity band would make us more tolerant? more united?
Something happened the other night that gave me some hope, however.
I was out having supper with a couple of friends. We were having a fine time jesting and poking fun at things ... when suddenly I realised I said "something" that might be taken the wrong way by my Malay friend.
Looking sheepish, I apologised, "I'm sorry, sometimes I forget that you are a Malay."
He replied, "It's ok. Sometimes I forget that you are a Chinese too."
We looked at each other and just grinned at our silliness. Now, that came from the heart. Nothing more was said. But yet, a subtle acknowledgement of friendship was made beyond racial boundaries.
Now, if only we could replicate this brief moment in time, a million times over, perhaps then there would be hope.
Happy 50th Merdeka to all.
Some of you might be laughing now. Questions like these are tantamount to asking oneself, "Is my mother a woman?"
Here are some recent statements made by our politicians:
An excerpt on the "keris issue" as written by Farish A. Noor:
" Former UMNO leader Mohamad Rahmat was among the first off the starting post when he uttered the dreaded A-word: “Don’t test the Malays, they know ‘amok’”. Melaka delegate Hasnoor Sidang Hussein added more blood to the feast when he bluntly stated that “UMNO is willing to risk lives and bathe in blood in defence of race and religion”. UMNO Youth Exco member Azimi Daim added that “when tension rises, the blood of Malay warriors will run in our veins”. (Prompting the obvious question: What happens when there is no tension? Whose blood is running in their veins then?) But the first prize for grandstanding has to go to Perlis delegate Hashim Suboh who directed his question to UMNO leader Hishamuddin Onn: “Datuk Hisham has unsheathed his keris, waved his keris, kissed his keris. We want to ask Datuk Hisham: when is he going to use it?” ... "
An excerpt from International Herald Tribune:
" Malaysia's prime minister, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, said Wednesday that frayed relations between the country's religious and racial groups had reached a "worrying" level and warned that the government would not hesitate to crack down to preserve peace between them. ... "
Does the above reflect a society living in peace, harmony and racial tolerance? Have we considered that statements made by certain powers that be could incite discontent which could potentially lead to violence? But that is another matter altogether and not the subject of this post.
As we approach our 50th year of Independence, instead of progressing in terms of tolerating each other, we seem to have digressed.
Why does it seem so easy for me to have close Malay friends in my younger days?
Why are so many issues and topics so sensitive these days, unlike say 15-20 years back?
Why is it that as the country progress, the fabric of unity within our society seem to disintegrate?
And as I ponder these questions, a few statements I overheard in recent months came to mind.
Quote:
"I pay ridiculous amount in taxes and they dare question my loyalty to the country?"
"I did not say I dislike my country. In fact, I love my country. I just dislike the people who rules her."
"Why is every issue about race and religion these days?"
"Loving something doesn't mean I agree with all their policies."
"Shhh! Don't say that so loudly. Walls have ears and you might end up under ISA detention."
Unquote.
As long as the powers that be continues to be an ostrich, discontent will continue to simmer. Whether this will erupt into a full blown conflagration will depend on how far the spark is left to linger and nurtured.
I came across this post while surfing, and I believe this young man said it best here.
Quote:
"We are reaching our 50th year of independence. But ask yourself, how far have we progressed socially? Do people have genuine friends from other races nowadays? Do people feel safe when they live as a minority in certain areas? What do people tell you if you get into a car accident at a kampung area?
If given a choice, would people of different races make the conscious effort to get together, other than for the purpose of politics?"
Unquote.
Check out the Southpark video clip on that blog. It's hilarious (that is if you have a sense of humour where these matters are concerned). But the clip, funny as it is, has quite a huge dose of truth in it.
One radio station has been zealously advertising and encouraging the good citizens of Malaysia to purchase a unity band. I laughed when I heard this over the airwaves. Do we believe that wearing a unity band would make us more tolerant? more united?
Something happened the other night that gave me some hope, however.
I was out having supper with a couple of friends. We were having a fine time jesting and poking fun at things ... when suddenly I realised I said "something" that might be taken the wrong way by my Malay friend.
Looking sheepish, I apologised, "I'm sorry, sometimes I forget that you are a Malay."
He replied, "It's ok. Sometimes I forget that you are a Chinese too."
We looked at each other and just grinned at our silliness. Now, that came from the heart. Nothing more was said. But yet, a subtle acknowledgement of friendship was made beyond racial boundaries.
Now, if only we could replicate this brief moment in time, a million times over, perhaps then there would be hope.
Happy 50th Merdeka to all.
Friday, August 24, 2007
Badminton - more, more, tell/show me more
Fresh from the BWF championships last weekend, we were pretty inspired last night at our weekly badminton game (despite Malaysia suffering heavy losses at the BWF). It was a great night. I had some good double matches and a particularly tough single match. I have not played singles with any of these guys before but was dragged into a match yesterday. It was particularly tiring and by the ninth point, I was "punctured" ~ out of breath & out of energy. I was sending easy shots out and giving weak returns. I was also running less so my opponent took the opportunity and came from behind to finish off the game. All in all, we got a lot of exercise done and I thought my back would ache like crazy today BUT all's well thus far. It ain't too bad after all.
In any case, the purpose of this blog is not to yak so much but to post pictures of the Proton-BWF World Championship 2007. After all, a picture says a thousand words. For those who can't get enough of it, feast on ...
Lin Dan @ the semis - man of the match
Bao Chunlai - the struggling opponent
Our "senior citizens" - putting up a fight
The crowd came in droves to support our "senior citizens"
A moment of respite (or not) with Rexy
More advice - how much trouble are we really in?
KKK - one half of the dethroned pair
Sony - the "giant" killer
Sony & Lin Dan @ the finals. The "giant" killer tried hard. The "man of the match" denied him the victory.
Lady badminton attire - how far we have come ...
Men Doubles Finals - the Koreans played below par, the Indonesians didn't give an inch.
In any case, the purpose of this blog is not to yak so much but to post pictures of the Proton-BWF World Championship 2007. After all, a picture says a thousand words. For those who can't get enough of it, feast on ...
Lin Dan @ the semis - man of the match
Bao Chunlai - the struggling opponent
Our "senior citizens" - putting up a fight
The crowd came in droves to support our "senior citizens"
A moment of respite (or not) with Rexy
More advice - how much trouble are we really in?
KKK - one half of the dethroned pair
Sony - the "giant" killer
Sony & Lin Dan @ the finals. The "giant" killer tried hard. The "man of the match" denied him the victory.
Lady badminton attire - how far we have come ...
Men Doubles Finals - the Koreans played below par, the Indonesians didn't give an inch.
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Proton-BWF World Championships 2007
Venue: Stadium Putra – Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur
Period: August 13 – 19
My excitement over the World Championships this time round was understandable. After all, this would be my first time watching so many seeded players “live” as me and a couple of friends bought tickets for the semis and the finals matches. Prior to this, my first and last “live” badminton tournament was at the Commonwealth Games at Bukit Jalil. But that was totally different. No badminton tournament is complete without the presence of China and Indonesia.
Most memorable moments:
1. Lin Dan in action.
It was pure pleasure watching Lin Dan in action. Although I was rooting for the underdogs i.e. Bao Chunlai and Sony Dwi Kuncoro on both days, nothing could take away Lin Dan’s supremacy in the game.
During the semis, I felt that he was toying with Bao. Twice he dived for Bao’s shots and both times, he made a huge production of sprawling on the ground. But we knew it was faked as his eyes were not even looking at the shuttle. Besides, he stayed so much longer on the ground, posing for the cameras.
He was more serious when playing against Sony since he knew what was at stake. Despite Sony’s comeback in the second set, Lin Dan was clearly in a class of his own. He was simply too fast for Sony. His movements were fast and economical compared to Sony. It’s amazing how fast Lin Dan could get behind a shuttle for seemingly impossible shots and sent it back with careful, precise placements. Many a time Sony was left struggling to keep up with Lin Dan’s shots.
The way I look at it, no player could possibly beat Lin Dan on his good day. As a friend put it, “Lin Dan is the ‘Roger Federer’ of badminton.”
2. Men’s doubles semi final match between Korea and Japan.
Two young doubles players with lots of energy and the single objective to “kill the shuttle” as fast as possible. The game was so fast with smashes upon smashes, drives upon drives. It was a really exhilarating watch. Do not blink or you will miss the next point.
3. Baseline jumping smashes.
Dang! Can these players jump?! The final men’s doubles game between Markis Kido - Hendra Setiawan (Indonesia) and Jung Jae-sung - Lee Yong-dae (Korea) was unforgettable. They might be short but boy! can they jump?! What’s more, they can jump and smash from the baseline! That was what was missing from Choong Tan Fook – Lee Wan Wah’s game. They simply couldn’t jump and kill the shuttle.
4. Random comment from a spectator.
“I was shouting ‘Malaysia Boleh’ the other day and guess what. This Indonesian interrupted me and said, ‘Ya, Malaysia Boleh. Tapi Indonesia Lebih Boleh!’”
Eh, eh … ya tak ya jugak!
Major gripes and disappointments:
1. No live telecast of crucial matches on FTA (free to air)TV.
No live telecast for the quarterfinal matches between Koo Kien Keat - Tan Boon Heong and Shuichi Sakamoto - Shintaro Ikeda (Japan); and between Wong Mew Choo and Xie Xingfang (China). There was no delayed telecast of these matches either nor for the matches between Choong Tan Fook – Lee Wan Wah and Fu Haifeng – Cai Yun (China); and between Lee Chong Wei and Sony Dwi Kuncoro (Indonesia).
For a country that’s crazy over badminton and has world ranking players (although that’s debatable after this tournament), this oversight is unforgivable. Not everyone has Astro you know. Besides, if NTV7 can air the Football Champions Youth Cup Highlights, other FTA could at least show the Proton-BWF World Championships highlights.
Besides, not to be disrespectful, but how many TV stations are needed to air the live telecast of the 50 year Merdeka celebration? We can talk to death about a nation’s unity but if one wants to see unity in action, go to a badminton game and you will see Malaysians of all races rooting for one team, the Malaysian team! Now, that’s true unity!
2. Pea brain tournament organiser.
We paid good money for “what we thought were” great seats for the finals. We expected to watch the matches at centre court but some “smart aleck” decided to hold the matches at the other end of the stadium! Thus, the seats went to waste as we had to go to the higher levels (cheaper tickets with free seating) but closer to the court to watch the matches. Blardy hell! One wonders why the matches can’t be held on the centre court!
3. Selfish mentality of KL drivers.
Haphazard parking on non legitimate parking areas i.e. road shoulders, pavements, etc. whilst legitimate parking were available but located slightly further away. For the life of me, I could not understand the mentality of “supposedly educated” people. When they get behind the wheel, whatever good upbringing and education they received fly out of the window. Most act like “selfish b*****ds”!
4. Dismal performances.
Rexy was right when he slammed our shuttlers for failing to reach the world championship finals. This was our best chance with home ground support. Not only did our players NOT reach the finals, our hopefuls namely Lee Chong Wei and the Koo-Tan partnership did not even reach the semis! To add insult to injury, Lee had the cheek to blame chief coach Yap Kim Hock for his own failure to deliver. What happened to maturity, professionalism and taking blame of one’s own mistakes?
And THAT is my take on the Proton-BWF World Championships. May there be more interesting tournaments in future and hopefully, we (Malaysia) make it to the finals.
Period: August 13 – 19
My excitement over the World Championships this time round was understandable. After all, this would be my first time watching so many seeded players “live” as me and a couple of friends bought tickets for the semis and the finals matches. Prior to this, my first and last “live” badminton tournament was at the Commonwealth Games at Bukit Jalil. But that was totally different. No badminton tournament is complete without the presence of China and Indonesia.
Most memorable moments:
1. Lin Dan in action.
It was pure pleasure watching Lin Dan in action. Although I was rooting for the underdogs i.e. Bao Chunlai and Sony Dwi Kuncoro on both days, nothing could take away Lin Dan’s supremacy in the game.
During the semis, I felt that he was toying with Bao. Twice he dived for Bao’s shots and both times, he made a huge production of sprawling on the ground. But we knew it was faked as his eyes were not even looking at the shuttle. Besides, he stayed so much longer on the ground, posing for the cameras.
He was more serious when playing against Sony since he knew what was at stake. Despite Sony’s comeback in the second set, Lin Dan was clearly in a class of his own. He was simply too fast for Sony. His movements were fast and economical compared to Sony. It’s amazing how fast Lin Dan could get behind a shuttle for seemingly impossible shots and sent it back with careful, precise placements. Many a time Sony was left struggling to keep up with Lin Dan’s shots.
The way I look at it, no player could possibly beat Lin Dan on his good day. As a friend put it, “Lin Dan is the ‘Roger Federer’ of badminton.”
2. Men’s doubles semi final match between Korea and Japan.
Two young doubles players with lots of energy and the single objective to “kill the shuttle” as fast as possible. The game was so fast with smashes upon smashes, drives upon drives. It was a really exhilarating watch. Do not blink or you will miss the next point.
3. Baseline jumping smashes.
Dang! Can these players jump?! The final men’s doubles game between Markis Kido - Hendra Setiawan (Indonesia) and Jung Jae-sung - Lee Yong-dae (Korea) was unforgettable. They might be short but boy! can they jump?! What’s more, they can jump and smash from the baseline! That was what was missing from Choong Tan Fook – Lee Wan Wah’s game. They simply couldn’t jump and kill the shuttle.
4. Random comment from a spectator.
“I was shouting ‘Malaysia Boleh’ the other day and guess what. This Indonesian interrupted me and said, ‘Ya, Malaysia Boleh. Tapi Indonesia Lebih Boleh!’”
Eh, eh … ya tak ya jugak!
Major gripes and disappointments:
1. No live telecast of crucial matches on FTA (free to air)TV.
No live telecast for the quarterfinal matches between Koo Kien Keat - Tan Boon Heong and Shuichi Sakamoto - Shintaro Ikeda (Japan); and between Wong Mew Choo and Xie Xingfang (China). There was no delayed telecast of these matches either nor for the matches between Choong Tan Fook – Lee Wan Wah and Fu Haifeng – Cai Yun (China); and between Lee Chong Wei and Sony Dwi Kuncoro (Indonesia).
For a country that’s crazy over badminton and has world ranking players (although that’s debatable after this tournament), this oversight is unforgivable. Not everyone has Astro you know. Besides, if NTV7 can air the Football Champions Youth Cup Highlights, other FTA could at least show the Proton-BWF World Championships highlights.
Besides, not to be disrespectful, but how many TV stations are needed to air the live telecast of the 50 year Merdeka celebration? We can talk to death about a nation’s unity but if one wants to see unity in action, go to a badminton game and you will see Malaysians of all races rooting for one team, the Malaysian team! Now, that’s true unity!
2. Pea brain tournament organiser.
We paid good money for “what we thought were” great seats for the finals. We expected to watch the matches at centre court but some “smart aleck” decided to hold the matches at the other end of the stadium! Thus, the seats went to waste as we had to go to the higher levels (cheaper tickets with free seating) but closer to the court to watch the matches. Blardy hell! One wonders why the matches can’t be held on the centre court!
3. Selfish mentality of KL drivers.
Haphazard parking on non legitimate parking areas i.e. road shoulders, pavements, etc. whilst legitimate parking were available but located slightly further away. For the life of me, I could not understand the mentality of “supposedly educated” people. When they get behind the wheel, whatever good upbringing and education they received fly out of the window. Most act like “selfish b*****ds”!
4. Dismal performances.
Rexy was right when he slammed our shuttlers for failing to reach the world championship finals. This was our best chance with home ground support. Not only did our players NOT reach the finals, our hopefuls namely Lee Chong Wei and the Koo-Tan partnership did not even reach the semis! To add insult to injury, Lee had the cheek to blame chief coach Yap Kim Hock for his own failure to deliver. What happened to maturity, professionalism and taking blame of one’s own mistakes?
And THAT is my take on the Proton-BWF World Championships. May there be more interesting tournaments in future and hopefully, we (Malaysia) make it to the finals.
Monday, August 13, 2007
Tunku the Musical
Riiiiiinnngggg!!!!
"Leanne, are you in KL?"
"Yes. Wassup?"
"Would you be interested in watching Tunku the Musical tonight? I have two free tickets!"
"Yes! Yes! Yes!"
And that was how I ended up at KLPAC last Saturday, watching Tunku the Musical ~ on opening night, no less!
The Story - as I see it
Contrary to the title, Tunku did not make an appearance in the entire musical. The focus of the musical was on events that occurred during the reign of Tunku Abdul Rahman as first Prime Minister. The musical started off with the celebration of Independence, followed by the separation of Singapore from Malaysia, and culminated to the events on May the 13th 1969.
Interwoven within these key historical events was the story of Syed, an aide of Tunku, aptly played by Tony Eusoff. Syed was portrayed as an ambitious political aide and a racist to boot. He despised the Chinese so much that he disapproved of his son, Malik's romance with Fauzia, who was of Chinese descent but was adopted by a Malay laksa seller.
Syed was among the vocal supporters urging Tunku to kick out Singapore from Malaysia due to PAP's shenanigans. While Tunku believed that the country was big enough for everyone, Syed believed otherwise. The musical also implied that Syed was instrumental in sanctioning the riots of May the 13th, after DAP won the election. Despite all these, Syed had a deep, dark secret ~ his mistress was not of Malay descent.
Jumping into this cauldron of power, deception and dark exposé was Paul, a hardcore political journalist. The role was played with "glee" (I can't think of any other word to use except that) by Douglas Lim. It was a joy to watch Douglas unleashed himself in that role and at times, he reminded me of a young Robert Redford in his role in All the President's Men, except that Douglas was just more rotund. :) Paul was always at Syed's tail, chasing him for comments as events unfolded and playing the devil's advocate. Paul never let up on Syed ~ pushing and pushing and pushing him. One wonders if perhaps it was partly Paul's needling of Syed's failure to foresee DAP's success in the election that drove Syed to sanction the riot.
As the story unfolded, after the separation of Singapore from Malaysia, Syed pushed his son Malik to study law in UK, thus separating Malik from Fausia. His argument was that Malik was meant for better things than getting stuck with a Chinese girl. Malik went along with Dad's wish but promised Fauzia that he would return for her.
Events heated up while Malik was away. Elections came and Syed thought he had played his cards well enough to win. But alas! DAP won instead. The public has spoken. But Syed could not accept that. Syed could not fathom his loss. And as DAP prepared for their parade in the city, Syed prepared for his own "parade".
Meanwhile, Malik was due home during that period. Fausia waited anxiously for his return.
As DAP gathered in the streets to celebrate their victory, gangs gathered in the streets to vent their anger. There were riots on the streets. Houses were burnt down. It was total chaos. Amidst the confusion, Fausia was attacked and raped by a Malay gang. Malik appeared too late, only in time to find Fausia's battered body. As Malik held on to Fausia, a Chinese gang appeared, seeking vengeance. They saw Malik with Fausia's body and assumed the worst. The Chinese gang then attacked Malik and stabbed him.
Meanwhile, at the aftermath of the riot, Syed was back on the streets with a group of journalists. His attitude was almost condescending, superior. To him, such destruction was a lesson learnt. If the opposition wins, the people suffer. He carried that attitude until he came upon a body. To his horror and grief, it was Malik's.
The scene ended and we were brought forward to present day Malaysia.
The Review
Malaysia is brimming with talent which we should continue to grow and nurture. I confess that I did not know what to expect and I came out pleasantly surprised.
Much had been said about Tony and Douglas and their characters above. I would not want to sound like a broken record here. Just an additional thought ~ the two leads have great chemistry. Watching the interaction between Tony and Douglas on stage was a pleasure. Special mention has to be made with regards to the three lady leads; namely Doreen Tang (who played Fausia), Evelyn Toh (Cik Tan) and Maria Yasmin (Maria). Blessed with beautiful voices, each of them is perfect in her role. I enjoyed Zamil Idris' (Malik) baritone and was shocked to discover that he was one of the finalist for Malaysian Idol. One wonders why he did not win the competition! The rest of the cast held their own.
There was one particular scene that warrants a special mention ~ the rape of Fausia. Truly it was an uncomfortable scene for me to watch but it must have been more uncomfortable for the cast to act. The acrobatics for that scene must have been extremely taxing. And the amount of choreography that went into that should be applauded. Watching Fausia being flung all over made me dizzy. Kudos to Doreen, the Malay gang and the choreographer for making this work.
I love the music and lyrics. The fact that they could hold my attention for the entire duration and enabled me to write the story above, speaks volumes of the writers' talents. The tunes were catchy and the lyrics were able to tell the story well without the need for extra dialogue. Among my favourite tunes are "Front Page News", "With One Stroke of Your Pen" and "One Moment Ago". "Laksa" was a memorable piece as it brought home the thought that we are truly one nation. Our lives are so intertwined that we could no longer tell if laksa is malay or chinese food.
Since I know nothing much about dance and orchestra, all I can say is that everything jived. The dance choreography went well with the music. The dance elements flowed well with the story. And to my untrained ear, the orchestra sounded wonderful. :)
The staging was simple but effective. It was a clever move to show original footages of our little piece of history on the big screens, and to intertwine that with footages of the musical, shown in black and white. That added authenticity to the acts on stage. Also, the choice of wardrobe in bland colours ~ i.e. white, black, grey, etc ~ during the historical scenes, and in full technicolour for present day Malaysia worked well.
Bloops and blunders
I guess it is no surprise that the best laid plans of mice and men will fail when it comes to computers. They are such temperamental "electrical circuit boards" - the bits and the bytes, the RAM and the ROM! In the midst of the show after intermission, the screens showed "error" although the footages were still running. Some technician came to the rescue and luckily for the musical, the problem was resolved without a further hitch.
Here's my two cents worth of feedback. When showing the "dead body" of Malik, my advice is NOT to pan the camera too close to his body. We could clearly see that Malik was breathing. That kind of "killed" the grieving mood.
The Ending
I found the ending to be rather abrupt. The story had build us up for a climax ~ the rape of Fausia, the death of Malik, the discovery by Syed. Then ... nothing! The scene changed to present day Malaysia. That was truly anti climatic. I am not sure what could have been done at the end but I expected more. A closure for Syed perhaps?
However, THAT should not, in any way, reduce the wonderful performances in the musical. Kudos to Joe Hasham and his cast & crew for pulling all this together.
One thing else this musical has brought home to me besides its entertainment value is the interest to read more about that time period. How could we have lost our unity (witness the tongue-in-cheek song of "laksa") and forsake that for suspicion, self interest and destruction? With recent events coming to a head in the last two years, one wonders if we did indeed learn anything in the last 50 years of independence. The last song about being "colour blind" remains perhaps a wish? an ideal?
Go watch the musical, if you have yet to do so. Check out the following site for more information.
"Leanne, are you in KL?"
"Yes. Wassup?"
"Would you be interested in watching Tunku the Musical tonight? I have two free tickets!"
"Yes! Yes! Yes!"
And that was how I ended up at KLPAC last Saturday, watching Tunku the Musical ~ on opening night, no less!
The Story - as I see it
Contrary to the title, Tunku did not make an appearance in the entire musical. The focus of the musical was on events that occurred during the reign of Tunku Abdul Rahman as first Prime Minister. The musical started off with the celebration of Independence, followed by the separation of Singapore from Malaysia, and culminated to the events on May the 13th 1969.
Interwoven within these key historical events was the story of Syed, an aide of Tunku, aptly played by Tony Eusoff. Syed was portrayed as an ambitious political aide and a racist to boot. He despised the Chinese so much that he disapproved of his son, Malik's romance with Fauzia, who was of Chinese descent but was adopted by a Malay laksa seller.
Syed was among the vocal supporters urging Tunku to kick out Singapore from Malaysia due to PAP's shenanigans. While Tunku believed that the country was big enough for everyone, Syed believed otherwise. The musical also implied that Syed was instrumental in sanctioning the riots of May the 13th, after DAP won the election. Despite all these, Syed had a deep, dark secret ~ his mistress was not of Malay descent.
Jumping into this cauldron of power, deception and dark exposé was Paul, a hardcore political journalist. The role was played with "glee" (I can't think of any other word to use except that) by Douglas Lim. It was a joy to watch Douglas unleashed himself in that role and at times, he reminded me of a young Robert Redford in his role in All the President's Men, except that Douglas was just more rotund. :) Paul was always at Syed's tail, chasing him for comments as events unfolded and playing the devil's advocate. Paul never let up on Syed ~ pushing and pushing and pushing him. One wonders if perhaps it was partly Paul's needling of Syed's failure to foresee DAP's success in the election that drove Syed to sanction the riot.
As the story unfolded, after the separation of Singapore from Malaysia, Syed pushed his son Malik to study law in UK, thus separating Malik from Fausia. His argument was that Malik was meant for better things than getting stuck with a Chinese girl. Malik went along with Dad's wish but promised Fauzia that he would return for her.
Events heated up while Malik was away. Elections came and Syed thought he had played his cards well enough to win. But alas! DAP won instead. The public has spoken. But Syed could not accept that. Syed could not fathom his loss. And as DAP prepared for their parade in the city, Syed prepared for his own "parade".
Meanwhile, Malik was due home during that period. Fausia waited anxiously for his return.
As DAP gathered in the streets to celebrate their victory, gangs gathered in the streets to vent their anger. There were riots on the streets. Houses were burnt down. It was total chaos. Amidst the confusion, Fausia was attacked and raped by a Malay gang. Malik appeared too late, only in time to find Fausia's battered body. As Malik held on to Fausia, a Chinese gang appeared, seeking vengeance. They saw Malik with Fausia's body and assumed the worst. The Chinese gang then attacked Malik and stabbed him.
Meanwhile, at the aftermath of the riot, Syed was back on the streets with a group of journalists. His attitude was almost condescending, superior. To him, such destruction was a lesson learnt. If the opposition wins, the people suffer. He carried that attitude until he came upon a body. To his horror and grief, it was Malik's.
The scene ended and we were brought forward to present day Malaysia.
The Review
Malaysia is brimming with talent which we should continue to grow and nurture. I confess that I did not know what to expect and I came out pleasantly surprised.
Much had been said about Tony and Douglas and their characters above. I would not want to sound like a broken record here. Just an additional thought ~ the two leads have great chemistry. Watching the interaction between Tony and Douglas on stage was a pleasure. Special mention has to be made with regards to the three lady leads; namely Doreen Tang (who played Fausia), Evelyn Toh (Cik Tan) and Maria Yasmin (Maria). Blessed with beautiful voices, each of them is perfect in her role. I enjoyed Zamil Idris' (Malik) baritone and was shocked to discover that he was one of the finalist for Malaysian Idol. One wonders why he did not win the competition! The rest of the cast held their own.
There was one particular scene that warrants a special mention ~ the rape of Fausia. Truly it was an uncomfortable scene for me to watch but it must have been more uncomfortable for the cast to act. The acrobatics for that scene must have been extremely taxing. And the amount of choreography that went into that should be applauded. Watching Fausia being flung all over made me dizzy. Kudos to Doreen, the Malay gang and the choreographer for making this work.
I love the music and lyrics. The fact that they could hold my attention for the entire duration and enabled me to write the story above, speaks volumes of the writers' talents. The tunes were catchy and the lyrics were able to tell the story well without the need for extra dialogue. Among my favourite tunes are "Front Page News", "With One Stroke of Your Pen" and "One Moment Ago". "Laksa" was a memorable piece as it brought home the thought that we are truly one nation. Our lives are so intertwined that we could no longer tell if laksa is malay or chinese food.
Since I know nothing much about dance and orchestra, all I can say is that everything jived. The dance choreography went well with the music. The dance elements flowed well with the story. And to my untrained ear, the orchestra sounded wonderful. :)
The staging was simple but effective. It was a clever move to show original footages of our little piece of history on the big screens, and to intertwine that with footages of the musical, shown in black and white. That added authenticity to the acts on stage. Also, the choice of wardrobe in bland colours ~ i.e. white, black, grey, etc ~ during the historical scenes, and in full technicolour for present day Malaysia worked well.
Bloops and blunders
I guess it is no surprise that the best laid plans of mice and men will fail when it comes to computers. They are such temperamental "electrical circuit boards" - the bits and the bytes, the RAM and the ROM! In the midst of the show after intermission, the screens showed "error" although the footages were still running. Some technician came to the rescue and luckily for the musical, the problem was resolved without a further hitch.
Here's my two cents worth of feedback. When showing the "dead body" of Malik, my advice is NOT to pan the camera too close to his body. We could clearly see that Malik was breathing. That kind of "killed" the grieving mood.
The Ending
I found the ending to be rather abrupt. The story had build us up for a climax ~ the rape of Fausia, the death of Malik, the discovery by Syed. Then ... nothing! The scene changed to present day Malaysia. That was truly anti climatic. I am not sure what could have been done at the end but I expected more. A closure for Syed perhaps?
However, THAT should not, in any way, reduce the wonderful performances in the musical. Kudos to Joe Hasham and his cast & crew for pulling all this together.
One thing else this musical has brought home to me besides its entertainment value is the interest to read more about that time period. How could we have lost our unity (witness the tongue-in-cheek song of "laksa") and forsake that for suspicion, self interest and destruction? With recent events coming to a head in the last two years, one wonders if we did indeed learn anything in the last 50 years of independence. The last song about being "colour blind" remains perhaps a wish? an ideal?
Go watch the musical, if you have yet to do so. Check out the following site for more information.
Monday, August 06, 2007
Should bloggers join politics?
Yes, I have finally surfaced on the blogosphere. This news is just too disturbing to let it pass.
When I first heard the news that Jeff Ooi is joining DAP, my reaction was negative.
Why?
Because I felt a teensy weensy bit betrayed.
Because his voice would now no longer be an "impartial" voice of the people. He would no longer be a regular Joe ... like you and me.
(I am using the word "impartial" here rather losely as no matter who we are, we can never be totally "impartial" as we would somehow be influenced by our environment and upbringing.)
Because by crossing over to politics, his say would no longer be his opinion. Party politics will come into play.
And yes, I would assume there would be conflict of interest.
And yes, I believe there would be political agenda behind his words.
As a friend said during a conversation on this, "Jeff Ooi would no longer be credible."
If I had wanted to know what DAP thought, I would have read Lim Kit Siang's blog.
At least that is what both of us felt.
What about you? Do you think bloggers should join politics?
When I first heard the news that Jeff Ooi is joining DAP, my reaction was negative.
Why?
Because I felt a teensy weensy bit betrayed.
Because his voice would now no longer be an "impartial" voice of the people. He would no longer be a regular Joe ... like you and me.
(I am using the word "impartial" here rather losely as no matter who we are, we can never be totally "impartial" as we would somehow be influenced by our environment and upbringing.)
Because by crossing over to politics, his say would no longer be his opinion. Party politics will come into play.
And yes, I would assume there would be conflict of interest.
And yes, I believe there would be political agenda behind his words.
As a friend said during a conversation on this, "Jeff Ooi would no longer be credible."
If I had wanted to know what DAP thought, I would have read Lim Kit Siang's blog.
At least that is what both of us felt.
What about you? Do you think bloggers should join politics?
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