Wednesday, April 21, 2010

"Master" and "Guest" in Malaysia

"You do not come to our place and question our rights. These "special" rights are reserved for us. You are foreigner. We already tolerate enough to let you stay and have a life here."

From the statement above, this is what I believe the opinion behind the nation of this country before the independence. Indeed it is true that, as a "guest" there is no right to interrogate the rights of the "master". The "master" is already more than considerate to allow the "guest" to be with them. The "guest" should be thankful enough for the fact that the "master" allows sharing certain of his belongings. Yet the "master" reserves the right on certain things and "guest" is not allow to question because it is the prerogative of "master". I get the whole idea behind this and it does make sense.

I found out very funny, after 52 years of independence, there are still some individuals who came and warn me about the metaphor of the "master and guest". The metaphor of this of coz still make sense but I believe the context behind the "master" and "guest" are already changed. Are the "guest" still the guest?

Let me put it in this way. When the first time you brought a girl or a guy back to your family, this person will be considered as guest. But after a relationship is built and you marry this person, will this person still be considered as the guest of your family? Most importantly, do the children from the marriage of you and this person will also be considered as a guest to your family?

Though the Chinese and Indians are not origin from this place according to the nation history, but things are different now. The children or the next generation of these two races are born and raised up here in this nation. So why these children are still be labeled as the "foreigner" in country they were born? These children obviously are not belong to the India or China. I personally felt so ridiculed by the fact that I am still labeled as the "foreigner" in my own country. I was born and raised in this country. Never single step of mine is out of this country. I can speak, write and read in Bahasa Malaysia better than most of the people today and even better than my own mother tongue. Yet I am still be denied by many of the rights in my own country.

In my opinion, if the government want to make 1Malaysia a reality, they should start to treat everyone as the same. Indeed we all are the same because culturally we are born and raised in the same environment. The problem is not the people dis-united but is the government that dis-unite the people by treating them differently.

Saturday, April 17, 2010

16/04 for year 2010

Today is my birthday. Another 16/04 in my life calendar. Wow, I am 23 dy. A figure that represent the duration of how long I already on this earth. However I would like to point out that this 16/04 for 2010 is kinda different for me. Why is it different?


Ever since I was born, 16/04 for me is a day where I get to receive gift from those around me. Other than this, is also a day where I get a reason to invite friends to home and have party. Well our party is not like those we watched in western movies, but more to like bbq, buffet stye or stemboat party. The focus is on the food and the gift. Of coz there are a lot of fun too but all is just the physical fun. I do not care who came or present, as long got people gather around and buy me some gift I am Happy dy. So childish me. Until I first came to university, the fun that all this while I thought was fun is fading away. I dun get to do party anymore, no more a stack a gift waiting to be unwrapped by me. Thanks to all my friends in university that keep the spirit of 16/04 celebration in my university life.


Things however went from bad to worse. My mom passed away in the year 2008. The departure of her in my life me had given me a reason to forget my entire life of 16/04 celebration. I told myself that, the person that brought me to this life is no longer here, so what's the point of celebrating it anymore? A person that works so hard every year during 16/04 just to make sure I am happy during 16/04 is already gone, so I guess for the coming 16/04 of every year, I won't be happy anymore. During my 16/04 - 2009 birthday, I rejected my friends’s invitation to celebrate with me. No matter how I still manage to have a small celebration during that day but is all with a hardened heart. The spirit and excitement of 16/04 was no longer in me. That was the moment when I lost all the sense of 16/04 in me. I started to look at 16/04 as just another day in the calendar.


However, during the year 2009 also, is the year I came to know a wonderful "person" named Jesus Christ. I also declared to accept him as a guardian in my life during year 2009. The day was 26th April if I am not mistaken. The journey with him in my life indeed has transformed a lot of things in my life. What I would like to share here today is the way of him re-affirms me the spirit of 16/04. I still remembered at the beginning of year 2010, I went to an island trip organized by my church. During that time, Chee Ho is doing some sharing. He got once mentioned something about the plan of God on someone even before he or she was born. He said that when we were about to be created to come to this world, God will spend His time writing about our life, choosing our parents, describe our physical body and many things else about us accurately and precisely. We were on God's mind and God does not take the process of creating or even the motive of creating us for granted. We were not made by left-over but as an all-over. So the day when we were born, was actually the day God put us into reality. So my perception towards 16/04 has been re-established and re-spiritualized. I do not know why, but it must be some reasons why God choose this day to start our life. No matter what's the reason is, it is still a reason to celebrate. Here I am now, on my 23rd 16/04 in 2010 with Christ in me.


There are many reasons why the 16/04 for 2010 is so special to me. Partially is because I have finished my final year project and presented it. The burden that already stayed in my heart for 1 year is officially been taken off on the day before 16/04. I believe that this is also a part of God's plan on how He wants to take this year 16/04 as something to celebrate on. If you guys know me, you should know how this final year project has depressed me. But with God's grace is all over. 16/04/2010 I will never forget. Why? The main reason is because, today I realized that there are so many people that really care and concern on me. God might have taken away a person that care so much about 16/04 for me in my life, but now He puts even more persons that care so much about 16/04 for me. I never felt so deeply touched by those around me, till this year 16/04 celebration. This is the first time I ever get to value the gift of sincerity, the gift of caring, the gift of warmness and the most valuable one, the gift of the heart from all my friends. I now realized that 16/04 is not just a day of receiving thingy or stuffy gift but most importantly is the day I was appreciated being a creation that God has placed me in the life of those around me. Here am I now in the 16/04 for the year 2010. I would like share the one day journey of my 16/04 here and personally say thanks to everyone that make this year 16/04 so wonderful to me.


I woke up at 11 something. That time my heart was so free. It was the first time ever in this semester I woke up without having FYP in my head. I suppose to have my industrial training briefing on 12pm but it was called off. Then I was invited by my roommate to 1B to celebrate with me. So he fetched me out and we went to Old-Town Kopitiam. Thank you James, Ah Bing and Francisca for the great opening of my day. Thank you for the cake and the gift from you guys. I love the cheesecake and the shirt given by you guys. Thank you ah, James, Bing and Francisca.


After that, I met up with my course mates, Siva, Ravi, Kavitha, Hema, Mages and Puvanna We gathered up at Hong Kong Recipe Restaurant. We have some chit-chat and then went for a movie. We even went to do some shopping to help someone on someone which I would not share here due to some undisclosed matter. Siva you know what I mean, LOL. However I would like to say thank to everyone of you for being with me throughout the day. Thank you for the drink, the movie and of coz the special “Arsenal” gift from you gals. I really like that gift. Thank you ah, Siva, Ravi, Kavitha, Hema, Mages and Puvanna for all the great time spent. So glad to have time to hang out with you guys before we graduate from our study here.


After the movie, I joined Kam Siang, Ah Chiu and Ah Tang to play pool. I personally want to say sorry to them because I could not spend more time with them though they are eager to celebrate with me. Bro’s just wanna say sorry for not being spend much time with you guys but I know the heart of you guys. Trust me, I felt it and it is enough to touch my heart even we manage to spend only one hour plus together. Thank you ah KamSiang@Maumin, Ah Chiu, Ah Tang and also to Kevin and Kar Ooi for the wishes.


At 6.30pm, Wai Wai came and fetched me from 1B. Together with all my EBS group mates, Vivien, Wendy, Eunice and Nicole, we went to a place somewhere in Sembulan to have dinner. Meeting us there were Kok Fung, Andrew, Stephanie, Sheren, Yong Guan and Joreen. Then Chee Ho who was just arrived KK from Sandakan joined us too. We have a great time here, taking pictures and of coz the official celebration of cake cutting together. From the bottom of my heart I would like to say thank you to you guys for taking me out somewhere nice and being together with me for the celebration. Thank you for the cake and everything. With the vocabulary level I am, really can’t express how much I appreciate it. Thank you ah Chee Ho, Wai Wai, Joreen, Kok Fung, Stephanie, Andrew, Yong Guan, Sheren, Vivien, Wendy, Eunice, and Nicole. And of coz to the official cake of my 16/04 for year 2010.


Then we went for another movie before we went back to our respective place. I would like to take this chance personally say thanks to Chee Ho, Wai Wai, Vivien, Wendy, Eunice and Nicole for the gift. For Nicole, thanks for the card too. Your message I will bear in mind. Thanks to everyone of you. Thank you Emmanuel Church.


Last but not least I would like to say a million thank you for every wishes from everyone out there thru SMS, Facebook and phone call to me. Thank you for making this year 16/04 so special to me. Thank you Lord Jesus for everyting. And Lord, I pray that your blessing will come upon to everyone around me.



The end of 16/04 for year 2010.