This is a new book by Kee Thuan Chye, published by Marshall Cavendish Editions, which is shooting up the best-sellers’ charts. (It was No. 2 on the MPH’s best-sellers’ list on 27 September – RPK’s birthday! – which seems appropriate as one of the highlights of the book is a lengthy interview with him.)
It is a collectors’ item, for it captures the mood of the nation in the aftermath of the political tsunami that swept across the land on 8 March.
Other highlights are interviews with Guan Eng, Zaid Ibrahim, Steven Gan and Husam Musa.
Contributors include familiar names such as Kam Raslan, Wong Chin Huat, Lucia Lai, Helen Ang, Kua Kia Soong, Azly Rahman, Azmi Sharom, Oon Yeoh and Zaharom Nain. Thuan Chye has a few chapters of his own.
When Thuan Chye asked me to contribute a chapter, I thought I would try and have a little fun in the process by dabbling in a little fiction. I tried to imagine what it would be like for a disillusioned Penangite, Ann, to return home ten years after packing her bags and heading to London around the time of the 8 March 2008 general election.
I describe her homecoming in 2018 and her reunion with her childhood friend-turned-activist, Clara, who had stayed behind to struggle for change, believing that the impossible could become possible if only ordinary people would get involved in the issues and not just leave politics to the politicians, no matter how well intentioned they may appear to be.
What would Penang – and the rest of Malaysia – be like if it changes for the better, if development is more holistic, people-centred, sustainable and environmentally sound, if workers’ rights are respected? What would Malaysia be like if more people felt empowered and participated in the decision making process?
You get some fascinating glimpses of Raja Petra from the interview with him. Here, for instance, RPK describes what a typical day for him is like:
I wake up in the morning, switch on my notebook and just bang away. I update the Malaysia Today website. I don’t leave the house till the sun goes down – like Dracula. Then I hit the streets, I mooch around and dig for the latest stories in town – who’s doing what to whom at what point of time – and I come back at 2.00 or 3.00am and write on what I picked up.
He also talks about overcoming the Fear Factor:
… you just got to learn to stand up to these people. That’s it. The trouble is, Malaysians still live under the fear factor. You are scared of May 13, you are scared of the ISA, you are scared of being sacked from your job. But if one million people stand up and say go to hell, are they going to catch one million people, put them on trial? Kamunting so big-ah can fit one million people? So you just got to face up to them.
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i’m presently still reading the book and just finished the chapter on RPK’s interview. wow! 27 pages of his interview and i tell you it was fantastic what he said! like the part he said the chinese and indians (esp. the other BN components parties eg MCA, MIC) are bodoh as they are the ones who gave power to umno.
go and get the book to read at once! you won’t regret. i posted a review of the book (not my own) and the contents of the book.
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It’s one thing to wake up
Then you must next sit up
Now you must bravely stand up
To reach beyond your breakfast cup
(C) Samuel Goh Kim Eng – 051008
http://MotivationInMotion.blogspot.com
Sun. 5th Oct. 2008.
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Yes, I like the part too about MCA, MIC and Gerakan being the ones who give power to Umno. It is true as Umno isn’t strong enough to govern alone. The ones who are marginalized are ironically the ones who keep Umno in power.
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You talked about Fear Factor. Read what my Parish Priest wrote in this week’s bulletin:
THE FEAR FACTOR
For the past few weeks the ISA has for the most part dominated the news especially the alternative media. The plight of those detained under this Act has resurfaced especially with the recent arrests which have accentuated the fact that the ISA, instead of being used as it was originally intended, to free the nation from the fear of insurrection, has long been used to perpetuate fear, fear amongst us to the extent that we may have been willing to compromise on the most basic of human rights.
It would seem that we have so many fears – fear of dying, fear of not living up to the expectations of others, fear of failure… the list goes on. Fear is crippling, it strangles our spirit and drowns our hopes. Have we allowed our fears to colour our attitude towards life, made us complacent when political and religious systems are oppressive?
The problem with being afraid is that it makes loving, Christ-like actions nearly impossible. If you are living in fear, anxiety, terror, you cannot be an effective disciple of Christ. In fear, we commit terrible errors. In fear, we justify hatred. In fear we accept the status quo.
I sense an unwarranted fear amongst us with regard to the ISA. If we experience that fear now then the evil intended by the abusers of this law has won the day. We need to confront our fears with the truth.
The truth is that the ISA is unlawful, inhumane
The truth is that the ISA has been used to instil fear amongst us
The truth is that the ISA can be ABOLISHED.
The irony is that the very people who use it fear the truth of integrity, the truth of democracy, the truth of justice, the truth of the peoples’ power and therefore we have to claim back the power for fear is not a factor anymore.
One of the clearest messages in the bible is “be not afraid.” God says it repeatedly in the Scriptures. Jesus says it over and over again to the disciples and anyone else within earshot.
We must believe in the human spirit, that it is more resilient than we give it credit. The paradox of fear is to learn how confronting them is the first step to diminishing them. What we need is patience and hope and with it comes perseverance. We must continue in our efforts to show our dissent for as I mentioned in the last week’s bulletin, the power of the ordinary individual is to be reckoned with when he believes strongly enough in a cause – the ripples he creates will eventually create a wave – and we see the momentum of waves increasing slowly but surely.
The various initiatives that have been launched must be sustained if not increased. Let us not rest until we see the end of the ISA.
Remember the ISA badges, the purple ribbons, the 9.00pm vigils on Fridays in front of Dewan Sri Pinang for all Penangites
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(Some of) the leaders of MCA, MIC and Gerakan (of course, now Gerakan is as good as rubbish) are not bodoh but smart (they are self-seekers). They didnt serve the people or their community but they serve themselves…
A good example is S and L, see how rich their children are now. … what did they hv then and how much they have now?
It is the ordinary people who supported MIC and MCA or Gerakan for that matter, those are the really, really BODOH people.
At least the Penang people are awaken now but the Sabah and Sarawak
people are still snoring away in their sleep….
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Is a must to read the book. go and get a copy .
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Li, Sabah and Sarawak have already woken up. They have always voted BN because there was no choice but now there is a choice, you’ll see the tide turn next elections. There’s no more clean sweep for BN next elections and gerrymandering so many small seats in East Malaysia will come back to haunt the ruling party.
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as long as BN is in power
you can forget about any
inquiry by the relevant authority
such as the ACA who is also
under the care of the PM.
Unless the PR Federal Government can be formed
forget about taking any action
on them.
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[...] More info at anilnetto.com. [...]
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