Of Cleanliness...

Anyone that has actually taken the trouble of visiting this blog or for that matter know me personally will know that I don’t fancy aligning myself to any political faction, be it the government or the opposition… at least not publicly.

But this whole conundrum on Bersih 2.0 or “Perhimpunan Haram” as the mainstream media puts it at its very last stretch have seem to turn into a circus. Honestly there are clowns and jokers citing jokes everyday, some funny, others scary and at any other time, both! These finally prompted me to write this entry.

I would try to remain objective and neutral in writing this and hopefully I would be able to maintain this creed right to the very end of this entry.

THE DEMANDS AND THE ASSEMBLY:

Bersih has underlined the 8 demands which it feels could bring forth cleaner, fairer and more transparent elections. I am not going to elaborate the demands here, should you need to peruse them; well, they are practically all over the inter-web, just google. In a nutshell, it revolves around achieving a cleaner, fairer and more transparent election.   

For those who have read the demands, you would easily agree with me that the demands are sound to say the least if not wonderful. But if you don’t share my sentiment here than I would respectfully submit that your sense of right and wrong is quite simply distorted. Hey, is not that I reject dissenting views, (that would after all be very “undemocratic” of me) but since when in men’s natural history seeking cleaner, fairer and more transparent of anything a bad thing? Transparency is about honesty and honesty is always a good thing although the repercussions may some times be far from pleasing. So, how in god’s world can anyone not agree with the demands of Bersih? Especially when it is in the general interest of Malaysia’s populace. A cleaner, fairer and more transparent election process, what is there not to like?

Now that I’ve cleared that out of the way, let’s move on to the peaceful assembly or walk to Istana Negara initially intended by Bersih.

I personally feel that no matter how well the intention may be, an assembly on the streets should not be an immediate or first solution. Reason being is no matter how peacefully a street assembly will be held it will in one way or another distort the general populace’s livelihood and its daily routine. It’s quite simple actually, the moment you add a new factor in an ordinary equation the results would be different. If the equation for everyday life is 1+2=3, than having a street assembly is like adding “4” into the equation. It changes the equation and inevitably it's result.

I would think that this equation is just as applicable to Bersih’s earlier proposed “Walk of Justice” as it would to the closure of Jalan Raja for Najib’s “1 Malaysia” programs, “1 youth” in the streets of Putrajaya, national celebrations and what not. Whether or not such distortion to the populaces’ daily equation is negated by the well intentions of the organizers is subjective. It would depend on how far the individual populace share (or for that matter digress) the well intention of the organizers.      

So when Mr. Najib first came out with the counter proposal to allow Bersih to have their program in a stadium from morning till night, I thought that it was not a bad idea. It may be borderline ludicrous (imagine chanting demands of reform to elections in a stadium), but at least it would be safer for the participants with no worry of oncoming traffic and all and more importantly it would keep the organizers in the good book of the general populace.  

WATCH OUT FOR Part 2: The Banning!

The MPV conundrum

Late last year I had thought of trading in my Perdana V6 for another car. I was scouring the internet to see what could be of possible interest to me. And I did find a few “potentials”. But that was before I found out that my wife was conceiving my third child. Now the mere thought of buying a car would be a wee bit irresponsible. Now, if I wanted to upgrade it would most certainly not be in a form of a car, it had to be an MPV!

Fully aware that a child cannot be raised with breast milk alone and would inevitably cost the bigger half of my salary, I had set RM80k as my “budget” and than came out with a list of MPVs which I found to be within the price range. Than I gave them a thought; a serious thought.

Nissan Grand Livina: Reasonable size and of notable Japanese brand – this is the reason  I suspect why people buy them. Yes, the brand! The only problem with this is that, the Nissan Grand Livina has never set foot in Japan. It is a car targeted for the under developed countries hence the reason for the far from efficient engine – a 1.6 engine churning only about 110 bhp intended to haul 7 passengers. Even a row boat would show a greater sense of urgency. So giving patronage to a brand that conjured up the Grand Livina while all the while thinking, “hmm… what do we make for the poor people?” just doesn’t make sense to me.

The two Toyotas, Innova and Avanza: Interior space is definitely not an issue with either one of them, the Innova of course being the bigger of the two. My problem with them is essentially the same as the one I have with the Grand Livina PLUS the fact the designers probably thought that the people who would buy them probably lived in an area infested with land mines, pot holes the size of craters and amidst the bushes of the rubber estate or palm oil plantation and never heard of tarmac or in the middle of the paddy field which would be flooded half the year, hence the reason why both the MPVs are jacked so high up, with a gap between the wheel arches and the wheels so huge that you could build a tent between them. The fact is we don’t. So buying either one of them would be like putting insult to injury.

Chery Eastar: This is an MPV that I gave a lot of thought into. The styling is fair, it’s roomy, the packaging is attractive and… it’s manufactured in China. The thought of the latter brought me to imagine the Eastar’s steering wheel coming off while driving at 140 and the Eastar refusing to brake because the brake pad had fallen off when I made a pit stop at Bukit Gantang RnR on my way back to Alor Setar. But I suspect these are blind prejudices, unsubstantiated and baseless. The Chinese after all built the Great Wall of China which has lasted the test of time, surely than they can be trusted to build a decent MPV, right? Having brushed aside such prejudices I surf the web scouring for informative forums to find out more about the Eastar and eventually stumbled upon one. Owners of the Eastar in the forum seemed pleased with their rides and continuously spoke proudly of them. They proudly talked of how the Eastar’s is fuel efficient and how the family was overwhelmed with joy throughout their holidays. I was quite impressed, really I was; until I noticed that almost all of them were middle aged men and for the most part couldn’t write decent English. Full stop!

Proton Exora: The CPS engine is simply superb. After all where else can you get a 1.6 litre naturally aspirated engine churning out 125 bhp? Plus the fact that it’s size is pretty decent makes it a no brainer. That said, you would now probably think that the Exora would be my clear choice… Well, no actually. It’s not all that simple. You see the Exora is priced between RM55k and RM76k, the former being the base model and the latter obviously is the top of the range – at least for the moment. With the price difference of more than 20k, one would aspect a wealth of difference say in the form of a different engine or perhaps drivetrain. But no, the difference surprisingly is mostly if not entirely restricted to trim levels and cosmetics. I could easily comprehend paying additional 20k for extra trimmings on a 250k Mercedes C-class, but paying 76k on an MPV which would otherwise cost 55k if not for the trimmings is simply mind boggling. So why don’t I just get myself the base model Exora and get it over with? Well quite simply because the thought of me buying the cheapest of an already cheap MPV is a good enough reason for me to kill myself. But than again, buying the 76k version with exterior distinctions (from the base model) notable only by the presence of alloy wheels and body coloured boot ornament, is just plain stupid!

So, I have decided that I am not going to buy any of them. I am instead going to buy a used Chevrolet Nabira Sport which is currently priced at less than RM40k. My supposed better half loathes at the very idea – note: the word “supposed” does not in anyway denote that my wife is in fact not my better half but rather to impress on how wrong she is in the matter beforehand. But I have my reasons and it’s actually sounder than you might think.

The Nabira is based on the Opel Zafira which is sold in the UK as Vauxhalls. If you know anything about motoring, you would know that the UK market is one of the toughest market for motoring, hence the reason why the Grand Livina, Innova and Avanza are not sold there. So the mere fact that the Nabira is sold in the UK in one form or another simply connotes a certain degree of quality and likeability to them. In a nutshell it is at the very worse a relativity good MPV. Also, the Malaysian importers will not be bringing in the latest rendition of the Nabira/Zafira, they will instead be bringing in an entirely different MPV called Orlando. So as far as Malaysians are concern, the Nabira remains the latest.

Well, some would argue that used vehicles are prone or likely to breakdown and would cause a fortune to repair. That maybe partly right but this is how I see it. Since I have only paid one half if not one third of the vehicle’s original value, it is only fair that I spend a little IF it ever breaks down – emphasize is given to the word “IF”. If it doesn’t, than that would be “extra” money in my coffer which I would otherwise certainly spend if I were to buy a brand new MPV at 80k. And here’s the icing on the cake, if I manage to save enough, I would be able to pay up the bank in three years time and the Nabira would be debt free. And… and if I make enough by then, I could afford the MPV that I would truly want, a Honda Odyssey Absolute RB3! And… and… and keep my Nabira for my weekend marketing and ferrying pots and plants. If that isn’t prudent spending, than I wouldn’t know what is.                          

                 

Of cars and spending power!

Things are getting expensive and consumers’ spending power is falling off the charts; this seems to be the talk of the day post Sarawak state election. Seriously they are, it’s literally all over the net. Of course the mainstream media would tell you otherwise, the only thing they report of late are news of the Federal Government so called achievements and development programs with fancy acronyms… and we all live happily ever after.

If you don’t feel the pinch of the increase in prices than you must be pretty damn rich - in which case this entry would not be of interest to you. But if you are anything like me an average income earner gasping for air in good old Bolehland than “pinch” is an understatement… by miles. 

It would seem that the whole economy is on the verge of annihilation, and why not? As prices of goods are sky rocketing the consumers’ spending power will consequently plummet slowly but surely to oblivion. And this would only mean one thing retail business would suffer and that in turn would mean the businesses would suffer which would of course lead to people being out of their jobs! Hey, let’s not even talk about retail goods like your pants, shirt and underwear when even food stuff is at an all time high.

But I have a solution to this calamity; at least I think I have, and here it goes, increase the spending power of the people… Yes, I know I am merely stating the obvious but wait I would now also go a step further by suggesting how – and here it is, review the National Automotive Policy and decrease if not abolish import taxes, levies etc on vehicles. Yes, ladies and gentleman this is my propose solution. I believe by doing this the government could help the average consumer boost its spending power. And why wouldn’t it? After all, the average income earner would probably spend up to a quarter of his monthly salary on his car’s monthly installment and he wouldn’t have to if it wasn’t for the National Automotive Policy and its protectionism over the local car manufacturers. The fact of the matter is that cars are so much more expensive in Malaysia than they are actually worth.

Let’s take an example of a pre and post tax waiver or discount if you like; the government’s waiver on taxes and levies for hybrid vehicles. The moment that was announced a Civic hybrid went from RM160k plus to a smite over RM100k, the Prius from RM180k to about 120k. Now, Imagine extending this waiver to other cars say those costing RM70k at the moment, the prices could just as easily drop to about RM40k. Now imagine yourselves paying RM500 a month for a Ford Fiesta or Mazda 2 instead of RM800 and go a step further and picture yourself shopping with the “extra” RM300. Also if you are fresh graduate earning RM2000 like I did, imagine paying less than RM300 a month for a Chery. Imagine what you could do with all that “extra” which would otherwise be spent on your car.

Well, you might argue that if this were to happen it would probably spell the end of local automotive companies like Proton and its employees. My response to this is quite simply, so what? Think about it, if the government could easily consider spending RM50 million on emails and a few billion on a Menara which nobody needs, why not spend a similar amount on bailouts or schemes to assist the than Proton unemployed. I think this is money better spent by any standard. Call me self centered and shallow but having a few thousand unemployed ex-Proton employees certainly sounds better than having half the country’s population cannibalizing their limbs for lunch and having fried road kill for dinner.           

Than you might also argue that the government will lose income, well to be frank I think you are right, they might. But hey, now that the GST (Goods and Services Tax) has been gazetted and will probably be coming to force a day after GE13, the government will not only be making money from our earnings through the income tax, they will also be taxing us for every single cent we spend. Since there is no news on the abolishment or “discounts” to the existing income tax, logic dictates that we the people of Bolehland will be paying double taxes, hoorah! Remember the guy with the “extra” RM300 just now? He will paying taxes with that money as well.  

Well as the saying goes, nothing is certain in life except for death and taxes! Thus on that bombshell I bid you all the best and good luck citizens of Bolehland!

That dreaded feeling!

Birthdays used to be a big thing for me. It’s pretty much the one day I would keenly look forward to aside from Aidilfitri. Nowadays however the slightest mention of either would entail a certain dreaded feeling, the latter being with the simpler reasoning of the two.

Aidilfitri for an adult means one thing more than anything else… money! Yes, money that I am quickly running short of. Hence the immediate cause for the dreaded feeling.

Birthdays however require a lengthier explanation. You see, I am a young adult on a mission to achieve a specific vision or goal to which I constantly push myself. I imagine myself being in a certain social and financial position or rather stature if you like before I reach 30 – I would gladly share my visions here except that I feel it’s a little bit personal. I’m turning 28 this coming Thursday but I’m no where near that vision. It all seems blur and getting more blurred by the day. Not Lumut to Pangkor Island blur but instead Kuala Kedah to Langkawi Island. And yes, the latter being out of sight rather than blur.

No, come to think of it, ‘it’ being personal has nothing to do with my reluctance to share it here. The culprit I suspect is embarrassment. Yes, embarrassment. The fear of self mortification. I’m so far from that vision that sharing it here would be plain sad and pathetic. Hence the reason for this dreaded feeling right now.

Now that said, if you know me, please do not wish me a happy birthday because if you do or intend to, you might as well call me a ‘loser’!   

Wait a minute! I think that this ‘thing’ against birthdays is quite common amongst fellow adults. After all any men in the right frame of mind with a goal or vision would share this sentiment; which leads me to draw the conclusion that the only adults enjoying birthdays are either one of the following:

(i)                 He’s successfully achieved his goal in life – which is probably because his life goal is to able to say ‘dada’ in which case it was achieved when he was one, which in  turn makes him a goal less adult which now explains why  he is contented with just a Proton Saga BLM

OR

(ii)               He’s slowly dying of cancer.      

Nasyeed Jiwang... Ohh the audacity!

Hi Guys! It's been quite a while since I last posted something on my blog but as promised I've finally gotten around to uploading my writing that was published on Nasyid Cafe some time ago. So, enjoy! 

Nasyid Café struck me like a revelation. It was like meeting an old flame, rekindling the magical moments of love, interest and passion… I was in love again! Truth be told, I’ve left the nasyeed world for a good number of years now. Save to say, the moment I walked out of UIA was the moment I said farewell to nasyeed. So, when Mr. Benign invited me to write in his blog I seriously wondered why. What can I possibly say about nasyeed that is still of relevance? But being the ‘what the heck!’ guy that I am… Well, here I am… Taa daa!

Time has not been to kind to most of us.  Me, for instance. I left university weighing 80 but now I’m on the second tier of obesity. Benign, just to quote another example started matriculation as a feather weight spotting a serban and wore destist-ish white shirt to class. He’s now a fat ass spotting bagging pants. The point is, time changes things or rather things change with time. This is just how things are and its logic. It applies throughout… Or so I thought.

Change is good. Me being fat is good, it gives my wife a greater sense of security albeit a false one, and imagine 28 year old single Benign being slim (as he was ten years ago), but wearing a jacket, creased pants and driving a black Vios with rims covers, people would think he’s gay! But because he’s fat, he’s a guy!

Going back to nasyeed, after a month or so of catching up with the latest nasyeeds and nasyeed bands, I now form the opinion that nasyeed is impervious to time and change. This law of nature and logic does not apply to nasyeed. You see, at the point I left nasyeed five years ago, ‘nasyeed jiwang’ as they called it and ‘women worshipping’ clad in ballad was the “in” thing. So, whilst listening to the new tunes a few weeks ago and all the while having the law of time and change at the back of my mind I was utterly shocked. Had I been more shocked I would had probably died of heart attack! – My God! nasyeed jiwang and women worshipping is still the craze! And after five years?!! Unwilling to draw a premature conclusion I scoured the internet and… Yes to my dismay, it is still the ‘in’ thing.

Just to proof my point, the last time I checked, Sheila on 7 a band well known for their lovey-dovey lullabies like ‘Sephia’ is out and bands singing religiously aligned messages like Wali Band are in. ‘Tangkap leleh’ songs by tangkap leleh bands are out and replaced by more aggressive indie bands and musicians. This is change and it is good.     

Look, change is necessary. Change sparks creativity. Creativity is a sign of a healthy mind. So, if change equates to healthy mind, than the guys in the indie bands are Einstens and the Nasyeedians are bloody retards!

Where’s the creativity in nasyeed? Why are the nasyeeds in Malaysia confined to the four walls of jiwang and women worshipping clad in ballad? For God’s sake, Why?

After giving it a lot of thought over the pass few days, I’ve managed to reason it out. It is because of the fans. Yup the fans. The economic rule of supply and demand applies just as well to nasyeed as it does to say Nasi Lemak. When a Makcik on a stretch of road got filthy rich by selling Nasi Lemak, all the other Makcik within the area suddenly decided to hop on the Nasi Lemak bus and start selling Nasi Lemak within the next month. The same logic applies in nasyeed, Nasyeedians give the listeners or fans what they want. Under any other circumstance this would not be a bad thing at all. But in the case of nasyeed, it is a bad… very bad thing.  Because the problem is that the same people listening to nasyeeds and practically make up the market are mostly the same people reading Ahadiyat Akashah and ‘Islamic’ romance novels. They love to cry, they are jiwang, they live in lala land and fantasize a lot. The muslimahs love to embellish their jiwang infested minds with depiction of men being of pan-Asian look, tall, six pack, wearing a shirt with jeans yada yada yada. Dear nasyeed fans, please be honest and tell me that I am right.

But here’s the thing, consumers don’t always know what they want. Had some of the Makcik sold Nasi Kerabu or Nasi Dagang instead of Nasi Lemak, they might have made it bigger! Why..? Because they made a change and nobody is going to eat Nasi Lemak everyday. People need change in appetite! The same logic applies to Nasyeedians, try and spoon out something different and you might just get more mouths than you can feed.

Please allow me to give a word of caution to nasyeed fans who are dwelling themselves in nasyeed jiwang at this very moment, who I know are mostly in their late teens or early 20s’. You might love nasyeed jiwang songs like say Sulaman Cinta now because they remind you of a certain special someone or it simply tickles your love glen making you feel all fuzzy and bubbly inside, but things don’t always work out as you plan them to be. That special someone might just decide to dump you citing excuses like dreams and family! And because of that, five years from now you’d probably scorn upon the slightest beat of the damn song. You’d even rip out your hair from your scalp.         

That said, the next time you attend a gig and a Nasyeedian happens to sing a nasyeed jiwang, please advice them to sing a Nasyeed of a different kind and if that doesn’t work whack them with a broom stick. Hard! You’d might as well do it now rather than later regretting you didn’t. Hate these guys, boycott their show, and shout ‘boo’ even. Do whatever you have to do to express despise and utter hate.

Trust me folks I know what I’m talking about. I used to drool at Bisikan Nurani and absolutely loved it! - But now the moment I hear it, I wished I had a gun so I can yank it in my mouth, pull the trigger and blow my brains to smithereens.

            Kejernihan wajahmu, sempurna pada pandanganku

            Kau kirana… Bisikan nuraniku, engkaulah pilihanku.

            Akan ku pertahankan amanah suci ini…

Oohh the rubbish. God have mercy!